Well, guess I'm the next one planning to post. I'll put this up to start the thread, then will add some actual comments.

--And my basic comment is that different actors have different strengths/talents/gifts. There are some things a good method actor could do better than Elijah could. I don't know if he's the best actor possible for the Iggy Popp role. That kind of depends on what sides of Iggy the film is going to show; I thought the comments from his wife about how different he was off-stage from on-stage were interesting and would fit Elijah's acting style in some ways. Not knowing if he's the best person available for the job doesn't mean that I don't think he can pull it off.

OTOH, Elijah's ability to connect at an emotional - even subconscious - level with the character he's playing is something I haven't seen anyone else match (saw a flash or two of it in Billy Boyd in RotK). His best acting involves stuff that would be impossible for anyone to do from an intellectual POV. Micro-expressions, autonomic nervous system responses, undefinable but perfect emotional expression - he "gets" the character's emotional state even when he can't say afterward exactly what he did. I agree with the Huck Finn director who told Elijah he shouldn't try to approach a role in the same way Courtney B. Vance did. It is possible for an actor like Elijah to lose touch with the character by overintellectualizing him.

That might very well mean he's not the best actor for roles that require a more intellectual approach to the character. No, I can't see him becoming a Ranger to the extent Viggo did; that wouldn't have been a great role for him. But I'm also pretty confident in saying that Viggo couldn't have given us The Turn, or the moment between "Do they?" and "Do they, Gandalf?" when you see Frodo's world fall apart on his face, or the complex mix of emotions that Frodo shows on many occasions. I was glad/relieved/hopeful when I heard Elijah'd been cast as Frodo because I knew he had talents that would be needed to play Frodo.

And, yes, especially from the pics on the first day of LotR filming, he popped in and out of character awfully fast. But that was a day largely taken up with making a variety of "hobbit piles," and it was the first day of shooting. I think it's a positive statement to say that you can immediately tell the difference between Elijah in costume and Elijah in character. There's at least one behind-the-scenes shot at the Grey Havens where Elijah's off to the side, obviously not on camera, but also very obviously Frodo. So there are evidently times when he knows it's best to stay within the character. We also know that after the Wheel of Fire scene, he had to go off by himself for awhile because he was so emotionally shaken -- but for him, PJ's "Go deeper" didn't take him deeper into himself but deeper into Frodo, which I think is one of the big differences between his acting and that of actors with a more thought-out acting style.

Stu's probably one of Elijah's most non-subtle and openly-emotional characters, and did allow him to let loose (but there's still a big difference between Stu and Elijah). Huck and Casey are both wonderfully nuanced characters, but because of the kinds of movies they're in that might not be recognized as much as it could be. He'll very possibly never be as universally appreciated as some actors are, because his acting isn't always easy; sometimes it makes you work at it, the way a well-written book does. And there are some types of film "literature" his style is better suited for than some others, but IMHO that's true of all actors, just in different ways.

So, looking for a fitting picture:
http://www.frodolivesin.us/FotR/16fcc2f0.jpg

I got a new scanner, and had to try it out. This is from New York: Fall Preview September 2005. I picked it up while I was in NY at the GSH Premiere, mainly because I couldn't resist the title of the article! :D
ETA: Ooops! Trying again!

http://static.flickr.com/34/71659065_49bd573b81_o.jpg

Yikes. I'm sort of a lazy poster...just got off work. I should go and properly quote everyone who posted their wonderful thoughts on this topic--but I'm going to just talk off the top of my head.

As to Elijah's roles, and in regard to Iggy. I think it's possible that the Iggy role could be like the Stu role in that it will allow Elijah to externalize. I think even his SNL performances showed he could do that. It's just that most of his characters have been very internal. And it's really hard when a role is sort of in the middle, to know how far to go with it--whether to play it inward or outward. It's harder to break out. But sometimes something really different gives an actor freedom to break out of the cerebral or sensitive role they are expected to play. They can go into a seperate character in an easier sense. I think Elijah inhabits the internal aspects of his characters. This one might let him get on the outside more...hope so anyway. I think he will want to really commit to this role so he doesn't fall on his face. And it might even be easier for him because he will be allowed to let loose--he doesn't have to contain his character.... Hope so, anyway. :)

By the way, I'm also a great fan of Edward Norton. (Just wanted to stick that in) ;)

But not researching a character is not lazy in the eyes of many actors. In fact some think that to a certain extent it can be a hinderance. In the current issue of MovieMaker magazine (which also feature a nice piece on Elijah), Joquin Phoenix speaks to this in an interview regarding his role as Johnny Cash in I Walk the Line. He, like Elijah, believes his job is to be faithful to the director's vision...not to any original source material. He sounds very intelligent about his acting approach. He says this about research--

"...It's dictated by the screenplay; you are focused by the screenplay. There is research material that, no matter how fascinated you are by it, you have to put aside because it's not relevant. That's dictated by (the director) and what he wants to focus on in the story. That's one of the things that can be tough about researching someone like this. You fall in love with different aspects of their life. 'This is something that I'd like to express.' Well, that may not be relevant to the movie the director is making. So often, when you are doing research, you are looking for things which will help you to understand the character as it relates to the script......My job is to serve the story and serve the director. I'm there to work for somebody. The director will guide you in what's relevent and what isn't."

And then later---
"Again, as an actor, I have my own idea of what I think it should be, but it's not my movie. I have to fit into (the director's) idea of what the film is. So it's important that you trust the director..."

I know there is more to it than that. Especially with a biop--as an actor, you have to understand your character...but you still have to do the story the director wants you to do. As to Jonathon in EII--I loved the way Elijah portrayed him...and Leiv has said he did it exactly as he asked him to...and that he asked him to do something very difficult in playing a character so still that the audience wouldn't be warming up to him. He played it exactly to the director's wishes...according to Liev. Some actors might argue with this as their mission...but other's feel that is their job.

Thus as has been said many times in this lounge....Elijah with a good director equals the best of Elijah.

And again, having said all of that, Mech...I don't think we have always seen the best of Elijah...but sterling performances can be pulled out of that lad..as we ahve seen. It takes someone to want more of him than just his sensitive side.

That said (again :D ), Leiv also said what you, Mech, and Eresh, said...Elijah wants to please people and he hopes Elijah can break loose of some of that as he grows older. Actually...Elijah has said the same thing about himself...hasn't he?

[quote]That said (again :D ), Leiv also said what you, Mech, and Eresh, said...Elijah wants to please people and he hopes Elijah can break loose of some of that as he grows older. Actually...Elijah has said the same thing about himself...hasn't he?
That's one reason I'd like to see him do his own directing before too long - I'd love to see him carry out his own vision of a story.

--And now that Alyon's here ;) , I'll ask something I've been wondering about. Am I right in thinking the "director's vision" concept is especially strong in indie films, which tend to be more one person's project than the "direction by committee" you can get in a studio movie?

It's snowing here, how about you?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/billiep/viggo-001.jpg

Alyon, so tell us more about the current piece in Moviemaker please :z: In the current issue of MovieMaker magazine (which also feature a nice piece on Elijah), Joquin Phoenix speaks to this in an interview regarding his role as Johnny Cash
saile

Your recent discussion has Elijah bestowed a really heavy identity crisis, I'm afraid:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/Frodomanips/Fronathan.jpg

"What am I? And who am I? Am I a natural? A method natural? Friggy? Fronathan? Elstu???"
Thanks, TG, for providing the screencap! :D


Hello all in the new Faculty Lounge! :k Lovely pictures!

Whiteling - you have just made Elijah into Dudley Moore :D

Whiteling - you have just made Elijah into Dudley Moore :D
Except that Dudley Moore could actually play the piano. :p

He does make a pretty good psychiatrist, though, with the longer hair and without that shocked look on his face. ;)
---------------------


I dunno, Jim... Last I remember I was on a horse with a She Elf with green goop all over me... Then somebody was trying to stick new heads on me... Whew! What a nightmare! But I'm glad you're with me... Oh, no, deja vu! (and where did I learn that word from?)

http://www.frodolivesin.us/graphics/0bbce890.jpg

Hi all -- just popping in to get in on the new thread. Post a pic? Well, if I must....sigh....

Here's a nice, newish one --

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/aquila0212/BestPictureEverLilithlotr8-2005.jpg

You know, if some of Elijah's fans are having reservations about him playing Iggy, it's no small wonder that Iggy's fans are feeling the same way. But they don't know him the way we do, and they only see "Frodo", not the rest of the chops we know he has. We shouldn't forget that the last few outings have been fairly mature roles for him -- Matt, Kevin, Jonfen, Patrick -- and I do believe these have helped him mature as an actor (not to mention that he'll be 25 next month -- Eru help us, where has the time gone!). That he's scared is good, actually -- that'll keep him on his toes!

Hi, just bookmarking the thread so I'll get notices of reply.

Just a few remarks; gotta put the tree up.

It is possible for an actor like Elijah to lose touch with the character by overintellectualizing him.
I don't think Elijah is ever going to be in danger of doing that.

But not researching a character is not lazy in the eyes of many actors. In fact some think that to a certain extent it can be a hinderance. In the current issue of MovieMaker magazine (which also feature a nice piece on Elijah), Joquin Phoenix speaks to this in an interview regarding his role as Johnny Cash in I Walk the Line. He, like Elijah, believes his job is to be faithful to the director's vision...not to any original source material. He sounds very intelligent about his acting approach. He says this about research--
Great material to bring in, Alyon. Sounds just like what EW is always saying: don't bother to get wedded to the original material. You'll just make yourself unhappy when it isn't used, besides its being a waste of time, practically speaking. I only quoted his remark about EII, though, because EW made it sound as though he actually did collaborate with Liev on the writing of the characters, instead of it being a done deal by the time he got the script each day, as in LotR.

As to Elijah's roles, and in regard to Iggy. I think it's possible that the Iggy role could be like the Stu role in that it will allow Elijah to externalize. (...) It's just that most of his characters have been very internal. (...) But sometimes something really different gives an actor freedom to break out of the cerebral or sensitive role they are expected to play. They can go into a seperate character in an easier sense. I think Elijah inhabits the internal aspects of his characters. (...) And it might even be easier for him because he will be allowed to let loose--he doesn't have to contain his character.... Hope so, anyway.
I am citing this in agreement, Alyon. Actors like Sean Penn seem to gravitate towards very external-emotion characters, so that to see them do something inward is an eye-opener. I am sure, from EW's Stu and his darker LotR stuff, that EW's got the stuff to play anything out there, if he will only do it -- or be freed by the right director to do it. I only am concerned about his technique. The techniques that help an actor actually craft a character, one that goes beyond channelling emotions, even if they are totally true emotions, tend to require mental work.

OTOH, Elijah's ability to connect at an emotional - even subconscious - level with the character he's playing is something I haven't seen anyone else match (saw a flash or two of it in Billy Boyd in RotK). His best acting involves stuff that would be impossible for anyone to do from an intellectual POV. Micro-expressions, autonomic nervous system responses, undefinable but perfect emotional expression - he "gets" the character's emotional state even when he can't say afterward exactly what he did. I agree with the Huck Finn director who told Elijah he shouldn't try to approach a role in the same way Courtney B. Vance did. It is possible for an actor like Elijah to lose touch with the character by overintellectualizing him.

Again, when actors do a lot of "intellectual work" on their roles, it doesn't mean they are thinking all that while they are actually performing, but it does "inform" what they are doing when they are performing. I'll use things that have been said about Maria Callas' work style as a comparison. She was an opera singer famous in the height of her art for producing excellent singing in a highly demanding form (coloratura), and for an emotionally intense stage performance. When teaching master classes, she told of being very demanding of herself, practicing incessantly to get everything right, analyzing every flaw and the strategizing the performance. Students asked how she could remember all that when she was on stage. She said that she didn't. She practiced and planned with extreme mental intensity and with attention to detail, but, when she actually went on stage and performed the role, she let it all go and just let it pour out of her. However, she said, the performance that happened would never have happened without all the intentional work that went before.

That is how an "intellectual approach" feeds a role. Obviously, if an actor's mind is crowded with all this stuff when he actually is before the camera, it can't work. It's enough to remember to hit his mark. But having done all that thinking about the role, which is an intellectual act, and having one it intentionally and intensively does prepare the actor so that when the time comes to let go and just do it, all that preparation bears fruit in a richer playing of the role.

Of course, if the actor simply hasn't got the gift, no amount of preparation will help him. But, if the actor is gifted, preparation pays off. It may be that EW simply cannot do anything to improve his acting. He's got his intuitive way of working that produces what it produces (which can be pretty darned good!), the same as it has from his Huck Finn days. Maybe that's all that he can expect of himself. I suppose I think he could do better. I suppose I expect him to want to do better and, in order to do better, be looking around for ways to improve other than just keep doing what he's been doing.


Ah, the pics!

Saile, that's one of my tip-top faves. Kisses to Viggo for having snapped it.

Achila, nice pair of pants....

Whiteling, that was great. He can come be my analyst an-y-time.

[I]"You had a dream ... a dream about me? And what was I doing in it? Ah, preparing."

~ Mechtild

Great material to bring in, Alyon. Sounds just like what EW is always saying: don't bother to get wedded to the original material. You'll just make yourself unhappy when it isn't used, besides its being a waste of time, practically speaking. I only quoted his remark about EII, though, because EW made it sound as though he actually did collaborate with Liev on the writing of the characters, instead of it being a done deal by the time he got the script each day, as in LotR.I just thought of something Elijah said about being upset with Richard Donner over Radio Flyer. He was just a little tyke then, but he didn't like the alternate ending that got tacked on after the focus group screening, and was apparently quite vocal about it. So as you can see, when he believes in something, he's gonna fight. I have faith in him to know when to pick his battles.


Achila, nice pair of pants....It snowed here, Mech -- I thought something warm was appropriate...

It snowed here, Mech -- I thought something warm was appropriate...
Mmm hmmm. Here, it's melting.

Achila, that annecdote about Radio Flyer warms the cockles of my heart (what are 'cockles' on a hear, anyway?).

tg, I went back to Faculty x 10 in order post a link guiding readers to this new thread, but I see that it is already locked. Perhaps you could edit one in, after the fact? I always am very appreciative of "Go to...>" links at the ends of locked threads that are continuing somewhere else. Just a thought. :)

~ Mechtild

Oh, so that's what that other button was for - I couldn't figure out what it meant. :o

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

Of course, if the actor simply hasn't got the gift, no amount of preparation will help him. But, if the actor is gifted, preparation pays off.
I don't see evidence that Elijah tends to come to roles without being prepared. In fact, I think his difficulty with improvisation comes from him being more comfortable when he's prepared (ESOTSM was a good stretch for him there, because he had supportive people around him who helped him learn how to do it). From comments he's made, he seems to prepare very much from the script - that seems to be where he gets to know the character. That's possibly at least one reason he didn't ad lib his lines in AW, although some of the other actors did.

Research and preparation aren't necessarily the same thing. I don't know if going through the 18 months of filming asking himself "How would Frodo feel about this?", even down to what was on the breakfast menu that morning, was research, but I'd think it was a mode of preparation.

By lack of preparation, do you basically mean not reading the books? Or something else? His remark about research for EII might not have been worded very well, but I think it's accurate. By the time EII came along, he'd already been involved in at least one historical (rather than fictional) program about the Holocaust, and it seems to me he'd done something else with the Shoah Foundation before the most recent program, but I can't remember... (I still wonder how making "The Witness" affected him.) On the other side of the equation, Jonathan is someone who's looking for his Jewish roots, not someone who's already deeply bound to them.

It may be that EW simply cannot do anything to improve his acting. He's got his intuitive way of working that produces what it produces (which can be pretty darned good!), the same as it has from his Huck Finn days. Maybe that's all that he can expect of himself. I suppose I think he could do better.
Do you really think his acting hasn't improved since his Huck Finn days? I think he's learned and improved a huge amount since then. IMHO, his three "turns" are just one example (I have all three of them on my website, but with their respective movies; I've thought about posting them side-by-side). Elijah as Mark (http://www.frodolivesin.us/ejw/id37.htm) knows how to face the camera at the right angle (a learned action, I'd think - no emotion involved there) and has a realistic body stance and facial expression; but I don't see anything about it that really says, "This is Mark." By the time we get to Mikey Carver (http://www.frodolivesin.us/ejw/id49.htm), he not only has more complex interaction with the camera and something of a changing expression as he looks for and finds Wendy, he's very specifically Mikey. Of course, Mikey is one character Elijah was very involved in developing and preparing. But IMHO, both of these pale in comparison to what he does as Frodo (http://www.frodolivesin.us/FotR/id16.htm). That turn is not pure instinct, or we would have gotten it from Mark.

(As I said, the progression of those three turns is just one example of how Elijah's acting has grown, but I think it's a good "visual aid.")

I suppose I expect him to want to do better and, in order to do better, be looking around for ways to improve other than just keep doing what he's been doing.
I really don't know what you mean by "just keep doing what he's been doing." He says he takes a wide variety of roles (usually trying to find something that's different from anything he's done before), and tries to work with people whose filmmaking he admires, so that he can learn. I think he's honest about that, and I think he's learned a great deal over the years. Although I do think Elijah's ability to connect emotionally with his characters is a gift (coming in large part from his willingness to try to understand other people instead of focusing on himself), that doesn't mean he hasn't made any effort to improve the skills it takes to use it.

All the behind-the-scenes stuff from the LotR movies, shows that film acting can't be purely emotional and instinctive, because it's never going to be quite "natural." It's one thing to seamlessly show your character's emotions; it's something else to do it with a close-up camera a few inches from your face, or at the same moment that you also have to do something outside the character. Playing a scene over and over from different emotional angles, or shooting emotion-laden scenes out of chronological order, would also take some knowledge of how you're tapping into the character's emotions. I don't think Elijah ignores his intellect in the process, although I do think it's possible to over-intellectualize it.

I don't see evidence that Elijah tends to come to roles without being prepared. In fact, I think his difficulty with improvisation comes from him being more comfortable when he's prepared (ESOTSM was a good stretch for him there, because he had supportive people around him who helped him learn how to do it). From comments he's made, he seems to prepare very much from the script - that seems to be where he gets to know the character. That's possibly at least one reason he didn't ad lib his lines in AW, although some of the other actors did. You know, one other thing I'd offer about AW is that because of the miniscule budget (yikes -- here's another example of him doing a film for practically nothing), Elijah's part in the shoot was 8 days. That's not very long to get to know a character. And considering that he'd come off the LOTR shoot not very long before they started, he was emotionally exhausted. Perhaps he wasn't ready to jump into another film so soon and maybe it shows -- not an excuse, simply an explanation of why you might think he "mailed it in", Mechtild.

The other thing about it is that there are definite problems with the script that have nothing to do with his performance. A LOT is not explained to us. As a small example, why does Sean sound like he's from Harvard, when a) he grew up in Hell's Kitchen along with Ed Burns whose character sounds like it (e.g., dese, dem, does = these, them those) and b) spent the last 3 years in Texas? That's a problem with directing, not Elijah.

As for Black and White, that's just a jumbled up mess that he had nothing to do with ruining. He was terrified and way out of his element, and he tried to do his best, but it just wasn't the film for him. Gutsy of him to take something he knew was a risk, and maybe that time it didn't pay off, but it wasn't from lack of preparation.

As a small example, why does Sean sound like he's from Harvard, when a) he grew up in Hell's Kitchen along with Ed Burns whose character sounds like it (e.g., dese, dem, does = these, them those) and b) spent the last 3 years in Texas?
I think I may have already said this in relation to Sean's "accent," but the weirdest accent I've ever heard was a girl who was just graduating from high school and had spent all of her childhood going back and forth between one parent in Indiana and the other parent in Texas. She always spent exactly 6 months of the year with each one. She almost sounded Celtic in some way. Very strange. (But, yeah, the movie had bigger problems than that - like needing a plot with any kind of logical sense?)

I'd never deny that there are examples of movies where Elijah's acting wasn't as good as it could have been. It'd be difficult to make 30+ movies without that being true. (Since I'm here: During a conversation among several of us at work last week about how often we go to movies, I said that I didn't go to movies very often, but I always saw ones Elijah was in. One guy, a little snarky, said, "Oh, so what's that, about five movies? He was kinda surprised when I said, "I've reviewed 29, and I'm waiting to see another one." One of those people who thinks Elijah Wood dropped out of the sky for the LotR movies :rolleyes: .)

It took a couple of tries, but I think I've done it correctly now (leaving the link at the end of x10).

Just sitting here enjoying the discussion. :)

To answer mechtild's question.

From World Wide Words website:

It's one of the more lovely idioms in the language, isn't it? Something that warms the cockles of one's heart induces a glow of pleasure, symphathy, affection, or some such similar emotion. What gets warmed is the innermost part of one's being. It is not surprising that it should be associated with the heart, that being the presumed seat of emotions for most people. But what are cockles? ... In medieval Latin, the ventricles of the heart were at times called cochleae cordis, where the second word is an inflected form of cor, heart. Those unversed in Latin could have misinterpreted cochleae as cockles,....

C4

ETA-The awards season has begun. Oscarwatch has posted the nominations of the Washington Area Film Critics. Nominated for Best Ensemble are:

Sin City
Good Night, And Good Luck
Pride & Prejudice
Crash
Rent

This award went to ESOTSM last year. These critics must be very intelligent!

C4 -- Looking at the competition, I'd be very surprised if Sin City won. But, as always, "It's an honor just to be nominated." :D

TGShaw:
And now that Alyon's here , I'll ask something I've been wondering about. Am I right in thinking the "director's vision" concept is especially strong in indie films, which tend to be more one person's project than the "direction by committee" you can get in a studio movie?

That's a great question, but I'd absolutely be pretending if I told you I knew the answer--my experience just isn't broad enough. In the indie movies I've been involved with, the films were the director's films--they wrote 'em, they directed 'em. They weren't hired in to direct. So certainly they owned the vision. The producer was always on set helping the vision along and offering opinions. The Executive Producers (the big investors) were sometimes in the background trying to pressure for different approaches, etc. But my guess is that however it works, the actor answers to the director. In studio movies the director might be making committee decisions, but he or she is the actor's boss. Period. With indies there might be less people to directly please in terms of marketing choices because, usually, though it has acheived funding for production, it hasn't sold as of yet-- though the future sale may certainly influence the approach of the writer and/or the director. I recently sat in on a meeting with a writer/director who had a pretty good script, but there were whole "shock" scenes added, not because it was their original concept...but just to catch the eye of a future buyer. They were my least favorite parts of the script.

I suspect that with studio movies things vary. A studio might have the whole thing planned out before they even hire a director. But I also don't think that's always true. Look at Peter Jackson. It was his baby from the beginning, though he certainly had to take the input of the studio. Still, from an actors point of view...it's what Peter tells him/her what counts.
(though obviously some actors more than others seem to subscribe deeply to this approach).

As to Elijah collaborating with Leiv in EII. I still think the collaboration had to do with Leiv's vision, and Elijah's ideas as to how to pull it off. The actor is a creative partner in this. LIke someone says 'write me a happy song but also make it nostalgic.' The person ordering the song doesn't say, put these notes here ...and blah blah blah. the songwriter takes the direction and puts the specifics to it. As does the actor.

That said (I am going all over the place, now)--when an actor gets a script and sides for an audition, he or she isn't always given many notes as to what the director is imagining. A character can be imagined in so many different ways...when they audition, sometimes the casting director and then the director are looking to be inspired by a choice an actor might make...So in no way am I implying that the actor's performance is merely shaped by the director.
These are the things I am gleaning just as an observer from now having watched this process more than a little bit...but I'd hate to make to many sweeping statements.


Improvisation is a funny thing, too, with actors. (someone mentioned improvisation). The sets I"ve been on were indie sets, but for the most part the actors were mostly used to bigger movies. I saw some cases where certain actors just loved to improvise...and they came up with some real good ideas. But they can only do so much, because you have to match continuity with the other camera coverage. Reactions from one angle have to work with the improvisation filmed at another angle. With small films you can't experiment with that forever, because film is expensive and you have to limit the takes. It is often also considered a virtue that an actor can repeat their lines the same way for each take and not all can do this. It helps for continuity...a sound guy told me this once. My guess is that Elijah would be very good at this.

Oh, and I do think Elijah was more than just a cute actor when he was young. IMVHO it is so rare to find kids who can be as natural on camera as he was in those early movies. IMVHO. NOt just natural, but open, and interesting. He didn't rely on mannerisms. That's not too easy. Just my opinion. As I ahave said before, one casting director told me the real trick is not the acting per se, but being able to show your open soul to the camera.

I think those Elijah middle movies are the hardest...those teen movies..there aren't very many great teen scripts out there and I think making that transition sort of as a bouncy active kid, to some of those internal roles might have been slightly disorienting in that it was a creative and workable way for him to go...but then how to recapture that active boy thing again--what's out there to work with?
Lots of the roles out there, especially in studio movies, don't want the kids to be good actors as much as to be bouncy stereotypes, as teens. They want pretty and sparkly, but not too complicated. He steered away from those disney and family movie roles so that he could have a shot at doing something different. But there probably wasn't a lot out there to work with. I don't really love all those movies he chose, but they were likely some of the best available. I've seen a lot of both studio and indie scripts for teens, and believe me, there are a lot of cliche-ridden projects..

So, yeah, I'm with the crowd who hopes that Elijah gets something he can work with. That takes him out of the emotional range a lot of directors want him in. But I don't think he has been lazy. I think it's just hard to find the vehical, and then the whole project has to go well around you. I think it's a process. I'm not sure about Viggo's earlier movies coz I've only seen one or two, but my guess is that it has taken him some time to find his niche, as well. He's twice Elijah's age. And I'll bet Elijah has a narrower range to choose from.

Just rambling again. But I like everyone's thoughts. Again--sometimes it's easier to scream and shout, and certainly to get noticed when one does so....I do so hope elijah can do that well with Iggy.

Sorry, I still haven't been getting any reply notices for the new edition of the thread. I thought there hadn't been any.

Ceefour, thanks so much for looking up "cockles of one's heart." I am a person who really loves to learn where expressions come from. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to look that up and post it here. :k

Now I plan to go back to lurk mode. I don't think I have anything to add on the EW-as-an-actor front. I just wanted to toss in the idea that he might think about trying some new approaches. But he really is doing just fine doing what he's doing. I guess I am impatient. The film roles he has played since starting work on LotR just haven't impressed me. I realise from frequenting this thread that not many EW fans agree with me. I suppose I am just selfishly wishing he could turn in a performance that really got to me, instead of me thinking, "Not bad, EW, but what can you really do?"

~ Mechtild

As to Elijah collaborating with Leiv in EII. I still think the collaboration had to do with Leiv's vision, and Elijah's ideas as to how to pull it off. The actor is a creative partner in this.

I wrote and directed a play once (just a Star Trek parody :p ), and while in one sense I had a very specific vision going in, in another sense some of the parts were sort of open to interpretation. Some of the actors just wanted to do what I wanted, others had their own vision, but I would argue that the performances were all "collaborations" (mind you, this was one of my goals going in, because that was what the group was used to). The guy I considered the best actor wanted to recreate the vision in my head. When he was struggling with some of his lines (which were deliberately stilted), I offered to rewrite a couple of them so they'd be easier to say and he wouldn't go for that at all - his vision had become mine, if you will, and he wanted to create *that* vision. But at the same time, he had some very specific suggestions on how to enrich that vision, things he could do or ways he could interact with the other characters that weren't technically in the script, but that enhanced the script.

Another guy had a totally different vision for his character than mine, but while I was sort of startled when he auditioned I ended up going for that, because it worked. ;) It was a very different vision but he could say the dialogue as written and his character accomplished the same things. His performance gave the play a slightly different tone and made his character stand out in some ways, but I think it was a good change. My understanding is that Elijah's statement meant he was more like the first guy - while he and Leiv collaborated and Elijah enriched the character, he didn't take it in a completely new direction. He clarified and deepened the direction Leiv was already heading.


But they can only do so much, because you have to match continuity with the other camera coverage.

In my experience with plays (my brother was a professional stage actor for a while), some scrips are far more flexible than others. I would assume that would be the case with films as well - some scripts are tightly woven and improv sort of pulls the weave a bit, while others are more loosely constructed and allow for a lot of improv.

Oh, and I do think Elijah was more than just a cute actor when he was young. IMVHO it is so rare to find kids who can be as natural on camera as he was in those early movies. IMVHO. NOt just natural, but open, and interesting. He didn't rely on mannerisms.

Yes, yes, yes. So many child actors get tiresome because they're so obviously "doing their chops" - they have various techniques they plug in that are fairly functional but they're mostly riding on charisma and habit. There are adult actors who ride on charisma - my brother is one - and with both the children and the adults, when they're well cast this works terrifically, but if the part isn't a really good fit it gets ugly. :p

Elijah's a whole 'nother school of acting. :D "Open, and interesting" - open to the character, willing to become the character, willing to see the world in a new and alien way from someone else's point of view. I think tgshaw pegged it when she said that Elijah steps into the character and tries to figure out how the character ticks. All actors do this to some extent, but somehow Elijah does it from inside. He's not looking from outside and saying, "I've experienced something like this in my life and it felt like 'x', so the character probably feels..." He's looking from inside and thinking, "This character in this situation would feel..."

But, of course, that's me looking from outside and guessing at what he's doing inside. :D

I think those Elijah middle movies are the hardest...those teen movies..there aren't very many great teen scripts out there and I think making that transition sort of as a bouncy active kid, to some of those internal roles might have been slightly disorienting in that it was a creative and workable way for him to go...but then how to recapture that active boy thing again--what's out there to work with?

I always hesitate to "judge" Elijah's choices in the sense of, "He should have taken this, he shouldn't have taken that", because I think he is an actor who likes to work, and I'm willing to assume he takes the best scripts he can out of what he's offered. Since I don't know what's out there and I don't know Hollywood politics (i.e., even if it's out there, Elijah may not be "eligible" for dozens of invisible reasons), I can't come to any reliable conclusions on why he chose what he chose or what he might have chosen instead.

This is the guy who chose Flipper so he could play with the dolphins. Who knows what motivates some of these choices? ;)

Sheryl

Edit:

The film roles he has played since starting work on LotR just haven't impressed me. I realise from frequenting this thread that not many EW fans agree with me.

The only one that's knocked me off my feet (of the ones I've seen) is EII. I enjoyed Chain of Fools (that was after LOTR started filming, yes?), but it's totally not in LOTR's league. I think a lot of it is that if LOTR is the standard, none of the movies have been up to par - I'm not so much disappointed in EW's performance as in the fact that he wasn't challenged to accomplish something extraordinary. But how often are actors asked to do that? How many movies like LOTR are there out there? A Frodo-caliber performance in a movie that didn't "call for it" might skew the whole thing. :D

Except for EII, I think I'm basically agreeing with you, here. In case that isn't coming across. :o No, I don't think anything except for EII has stretched EW like Frodo did (I haven't seen Hooligans).

Sheryl

The only one that's knocked me off my feet (of the ones I've seen) is EII. I enjoyed Chain of Fools (that was after LOTR started filming, yes?), but it's totally not in LOTR's league. I think a lot of it is that if LOTR is the standard, none of the movies have been up to par - I'm not so much disappointed in EW's performance as in the fact that he wasn't challenged to accomplish something extraordinary. But how often are actors asked to do that? How many movies like LOTR are there out there? A Frodo-caliber performance in a movie that didn't "call for it" might skew the whole thing. Sheryl, this was just what I was about to say. Many of us fell in love with Elijah because of Frodo and there just aren't that many films out there with the depth and range of emotion that something like LOTR demanded. In a way, it's too bad that Elijah did Frodo so "early" in his career because there's no getting around it -- every other role gets measured against it, even in the minds of fans.

Mech, maybe it's not Elijah's performance that's not blowing you away -- perhaps you simply haven't cared for the films he's been in altogether.

[Simulposted with Achila and possibly with Sheryl's addition.]

from Sheryl
All actors do this to some extent, but somehow Elijah does it from inside. He's not looking from outside and saying, "I've experienced something like this in my life and it felt like 'x', so the character probably feels..." He's looking from inside and thinking, "This character in this situation would feel..."
Back in the "Kill me now" days, one of the problems some people had with Elijah being cast was that he hadn't had enough experience in life to be able to carry out the "I've experienced something like this..." process. My response was that no actor has experienced what Frodo did, so in order to be faithful to Frodo the actor would have to find the truth within the character and not within himself. I believed Elijah was capable of doing that... and I still do. :p

IMVHO, it's entirely possible that Elijah's already played the best role he'll ever have. I don't expect anything in the future to "knock my socks off" the way his Frodo did. It was a once-in-lifetime role. He's said that if he's always and forever connected with Frodo, he'd consider that an honor (rather than a "problem"), and I'm guessing he's played enough roles to know that one was unique.

That doesn't mean he can't knock my socks off to some extent in other roles :p . He does in EII (and I'm really looking forward to seeing the deleted scenes on the DVD), but IMHO even that doesn't stack up to LotR. Out of his pre-LotR movies the only characters that immediately blew me away were Huck and Mikey Carver (both of which I saw before LotR, so I don't know how I would have reacted to them if I'd seen Frodo first); some others did after I studied them more. But really great roles don't come along that often; if you look at the full filmographies of "working actors" like Elijah, even the great ones don't have classic movie after classic movie. They have mostly "pretty good" movies with a great one here and there, but it's the great ones they're remembered for.

--BTW, Chain of Fools was filmed before LotR. Elijah auditioned for LotR while he was making The Faculty (or immediately thereafter), and I don't quite know how CofF fits into that timeline, but it's clear that AW was the first thing he shot after LotR.

Originally posted by TGShaw:...But really great roles don't come along that often; if you look at the full filmographies of "working actors" like Elijah, even the great ones don't have classic movie after classic movie. They have mostly "pretty good" movies with a great one here and there, but it's the great ones they're remembered for.

Johnny Depp is a name bandied about here a lot, as an actor that Elijah might emulate. How many of Mr. Depp's roles were "classics?" Maybe Gilbert Grape, and Edward Scissorhands. But he was an actor that kept working, despite strings of less than great roles; From Hell, The Astronaut's Wife, Don Juan Di Marco, Dead Man, Sleepy Hollow... just to name a few of his critical flops. And what role finally got him an Oscar Nomination? Captain Jack Sparrow in a movie that the critics almost universally hated when it came out, but which turned out to be a huge success, and was a Disney movie to boot!

Mechtild, please don't go into lurk mode. I'm sorry if I was a little adamant yesterday, and upset you. But please don't go away. You bring some really interesting discussions to the table. :k

TGShaw, I wanted to thank you for your "research and preparation" post up there; you said so much better what I was flailing at yesterday, and your arguments were so much more germane. :k

{{{Faculty}}} :k :k :k

Mechtild, please don't go into lurk mode. I'm sorry if I was a little adamant yesterday, and upset you. But please don't go away. You bring some really interesting discussions to the table.
I wasn't upset, honey. :k I was making pies. But it is true that I have said what was on my mind and now it is time to listen again.

Achila, you are perhaps right that I am too much holding EW accountable for the fact that I haven't cared for the things he's been in since he started filming LotR. I did think ESOTSM was great, and I thought he did an excellent job in it, really. But Patrick was such a small part, it just wasn't enough to satisfy my desire to see him take on another challenging role. You know that I thought playing Kevin was like falling off a log for him, even though he was fine. Hooligans I will have to see on DVD when it comes out. EEI I did not enjoy, obviously, although I thought it was a good enough film as films go, nothing great. I thought it was a very "lite" adaptation, though, of a very weighty, rich book. And one that I thought was made the more "lite" by moving their version of Jonathan to its centre. Like adapting LotR by telling it from Celeborn's point of view. Oh, just kidding; Celeborn wasn't privy to the story enough. Maybe Bill the Pony, since the EEI version of LotR would just cover the part between Rivendell and Moria.

His other roles. Tg said Chain of Fools was filmed before LotR, but that's the one I haven't seen, anyway. B&W, bleh (but no fault of EW's and I didn't think he was any more bleh than the other performers, some of whom have been quite good elsewhere); Ash Wednesday, cute as a button but wrong for the part and with as much engagement as if he were on a soap opera or a sit-com. By that I mean that his playing lacked depth, as if it were simply under-rehearsed. Maybe Ed Burns just glossed over EW's scenes, he was so much concentrating on his own. AiW, another film I thought was bleh, and EW so-so in it, especially in the scenes with the women, which seemed all of them under-rehearsed and either wanna-be funny-fluff or wanna-be-moving drivel. Shilohmm said,

I always hesitate to "judge" Elijah's choices in the sense of, "He should have taken this, he shouldn't have taken that", because I think he is an actor who likes to work, and I'm willing to assume he takes the best scripts he can out of what he's offered.
Good point, Shilohmm. AiW is a film that I suspect looked like a very good project when the script was proposed, very good indeed, as if it were going to be another Coen Brothers film: quirky, smart, funny, observant. But then it turned out to be a mess, instead.

Tg, you are right that I was spoiled by having seen some of his earlier stuff. Not Huck Finn, however, which I know you love. I tried watching that with a friend again, over Thanksgiving, but we just had to turn it around when Huck and Jim started fencing with sticks. Meh. The Bumblebee Flies Anyway was a passable film and he did a nice job in it. If it had been a "made for TV" film it would have done a lot better critically, in my opinion. It was just a little on the "soft and fuzzy" side for a film covering its subject. It was more like an old Hallmark Hall of Fame production than a serious feature film. But The Ice Storm: wow. The War: not nearly as good a film as the Ice Storm, but, EW in it? Four wows. And Frodo? Well, you know I loved his work in that role. When I'd watch AiW, I couldn't believe the same actor who played Frodo could have turned in such a limp performance. Some of you have suggested I simply disliked EW's role in AiW, and that may be so. I really thought Jones was a drip. A drip that not even EW's charm could save for me. But Patrick was a true creep, yet I thought EW made him a real, complex one, a character with whom I still could identify and feel empathy for, even as he did nasty, wrong-headed things out of his painful-to-watch neediness. Whatever is the Wood ability to make me sympathetic to the character he plays was working in that film. Perhaps it was simply because it was a very good film and AiW wasn't.

Sheryl/Shilohmm, you said a lot of interesting, informed stuff, and repeated a remark of mine that called him a "cute actor" as a kid. I should have said that better, so as not to ruffle feathers needlessly. By "cute", I meant, "engaging." I have seen many films with child actors in which child actors did splendid jobs, producing completely believable performances, but they were not "engaging." The audience tended to forget them the minute they were off screen and they did not take them to their hearts. In his early films, a lot of people talked about how good EW was in his roles, how natural, but their comments (esp. if spoken by regular viewers who speak in a more unguarded manner) showed what they really appreciated about him was the way they cared about him. When he played a child, the audience cared about that child. They didn't usually say, "He's such a good actor. I just loved his work as little Mike/Nat/Mark/Huck!" They'd say, "I just loved Mike/Nat/Mark/Huck!" Only as an after thought did they go on to enthuse, "That kid must be a good little actor!"

There was something about EW from the start, something about him personally, that those roles tapped into. Or the directors just knew how to bring it out or let it flow: a talent for engaging his audience apart from the actual acting. Its his own quality. That's why agents wanted him, that's why he was cast in big roles, that's why people wanted to see him in films. "Cute" sounds too flip, so I'll say "engaging." When EW plays a role, he makes the audience care about that person, he "engages" them.

I would like to see him use that quality again. It worked in spades for me as Frodo. Here was this character made to do a lot of stuff that p*ssed me off royally, yet I really cared about him. I loved him! Only when I got on this thread, a thread that discussed EW as an actor, or when it came time to talk Oscars did I bother to say, "That EW, he can really act!" I never bothered to think of film-Frodo as the actor who played him, I just thought of him as Frodo. "I just love Frodo! In such-and-such a scene, it kills me when Frodo says/does/looks" ... etc. And that is a huge compliment to EW as an actor, the fact that I paid so little attention to, "the man behind the curtain." He just was the person whom I saw on the screen.

But, I think in EW's case, what he most brought to Frodo was not his expertise as an actor, his craftsmanship. It was that quality he's had since he was little for making his audience care about the character he's playing. His ability to be "engaging," which I sometimes call, "cute". This is the part of what he does that I think he's always had, and will continue to have, and which no amount of acting classes will be able to rachet up. And, it's his main attraction as an actor, in terms of winning viewers and upping his box office. I think some of his films tap into that and showcase that talent more than others. Some have managed to suppress it. But even when it is suppressed, it still is there for some viewers, even if not to me (witness how many fans love him as Jones).

I would have said he showed ZIP of that quality as Kevin, for instance, but, guess what? A cool, smart Tolkien fan with whom I just started an email-discussion, who hadn't much liked Sin City as a film, and who is only minimally an "Elijah Wood fan," nevertheless felt that the only character in the film that intrigued her was Kevin. Only Kevin seemed as though there must be something about him ... he "engaged" her. Part of it was the puzzle factor: how did a man who did such things get that way? Judging from the trio of dark poems she has written from Kevin's POV, it is obvious that there was something about the character of Kevin that got to her, emotionally and thoughtfully, though not in any swoony way. There was something that moved her, that made her feel sympathetic towards this character. I am guessing it is what remained of EW's special appeal, even if nearly flattened by the flatness of this cartoonish character. It sure wasn't from all the thought and effort he poured into creating the role. It was just something he has, coming through. I didn't see it myself, but I didn't want to see it, I admit, disappointed with the low demands of the role, craft-wise, and finding it a punishment to sit through the film in the first place.

Oh, I've got to do chores. And I said I was done talking! Honey, you are allowed to snicker, even guffaw.

P.S. As all of my inter-library loans came in at once, I ended up rewatching The Faculty last night. Except for having to fast-forward through some of the grosser attacks, I have to say I really think this is a super horror film of the "smart, sassy" variety. All of the actors are a treat to watch in it, and so is EW. In fact, all the stops have been pulled and his gift for engaging the audience has been given full rein in the role of Casey. No wonder people write fanfics about this film and Casey in particular. It's one of the most satisfyingly filmed and played, "kicked-around teenager rises to hero-hood" performances out there.

~ Mechtild

I wasn't upset, honey. :k I was making pies.
:D Now, for me, those two would go together (file under: Why I don't make pies. ;) )

His other roles. Tg said Chain of Fools was filmed before LotR, but that's the one I haven't seen, anyway. B&W, bleh (but no fault of EW's and I didn't think he was any more bleh than the other performers, some of whom have been quite good elsewhere);
Not sure if this is what you meant, but B&W was also before LotR - before The Faculty and Chain of Fools, at least.

Good point, Shilohmm. AiW is a film that I suspect looked like a very good project when the script was proposed...
I didn't see this, but from those who saw the MTV special about the movie before it was released, it sounds as if even the movie Elijah and Franka described in that was kind of different from what ended up on the DVD (more centered on the quirkiness of the various house residents and how that combined into a quirky house).

Also extremely true of Bumblebee (if the rumors are half true). That's one movie I'd like to see a "tell all" on, but everyone's been quite tight-lipped. Even the director's website, which someone linked to awhile back, glosses over the problems in story interpretation between the director and the "powers that be," but there does seem to have been quite a change from what was originally planned that happened during filming. My guess (and that's all it is) is that it originally kept more of the darkness of the book, because there are little bits of dialogue in the finished movie that don't make sense in the context (some real "huh?" moments), but are taken straight out of the book. Have to say I'm glad they changed the ending from the book, though :( , just because the hope in it - which the book doesn't have at all - has gotten me through some tough days. But I wouldn't have minded if they'd kept some darkness from the book, as long as the ending held some hope.

Tg, you are right that I was spoiled by having seen some of his earlier stuff. Not Huck Finn, however, which I know you love.
Well, I can qualify that by saying that I love Elijah's acting in that movie (and have come to appreciate Courtney B. Vance's more as I've watched it). As far as the movie itself, I will say that it's a much better adaptation than Oliver Twist, and I think the directing and acting are better than in that movie, but that's not necessarily high praise. It has some great moments and some painful-to-watch ones.

Along that line, from all the comments that have been made over the last couple of days, I do think Achila might have hit on something when she said:
Mech, maybe it's not Elijah's performance that's not blowing you away -- perhaps you simply having cared for the films he's been in altogether.
Different people seem to have different emphases on this. I think a lot of us look at Elijah's acting and then the movie, rather than the movie and then Elijah's acting. If it weren't for his acting, I wouldn't have given The Adventures of Huck Finn a second glance (well, along with the fact that he immediately reminded me of young Frodo - maybe that's the engaging part :) ). I can love his acting in something and watch a movie for that, even if I don't think the movie is wonderful. Also in that category: All I Want, Bumblebee, Deep Impact (and it took awhile for Leo to impress me). From my first viewing, I've loved watching the repressed anger build up inside Jones (and how Elijah shows it happening), and still wish most of the movie had been done differently. I probably don't separate the two in my comments as much as I should when I'm among Elijah Wood fans, although I do when I'm talking to other people.

When he played a child, the audience cared about that child. They didn't usually say, "He's such a good actor. I just loved his work as little Mike/Nat/Mark/Huck!" They'd say, "I just loved Mike/Nat/Mark/Huck!" Only as an after thought did they go on to enthuse, "That kid must be a good little actor!"
That's what Huck did for me - first in the fishing scene, because what EJW does there is so complex. When I first saw it, I thought, "It really says something about Huck that he thinks so much about Jim's situation, and what he should do about it, when he could be so happy himself if he didn't care about Jim." It took awhile for me to get it into my head that was an actor showing me those complex/contradictory emotions/thoughts -- without a word. I liked it especially because it's one of the most book-Huck consistent parts of the movie, not because of the events but because the real backbone of the book is Huck's struggling with those kinds of issues.

It also happened for me with Michael. I didn't even know who Elijah was then (I saw the movie in the theater for Aiden Quinn's sake :p ), but it was always Michael - with no actor's name attached - that came to mind when I thought about the movie afterward.

But, I think in EW's case, what he most brought to Frodo was not his expertise as an actor, his craftsmanship. It was that quality he's had since he was little for making his audience care about the character he's playing. His ability to be "engaging," which I sometimes call, "cute". This is the part of what he does that I think he's always had, and will continue to have, and which no amount of acting classes will be able to rachet up.
Um, yeah, "cute" is not a word I'd pick for that quality. :o I think it happens when Elijah engages with a character, which he doesn't always do. He said that he "didn't like" Sandy, and I think it shows in a less-than-inspired acting job. OTOH, he's spoken eloquently about Patrick's motivation and why he is the way he is, and even if people don't like Patrick, they don't usually fault the acting. I'd agree that this is the part of his acting that can't be learned, but I do think he's continued learning how to express it.

Acting talk again, and I am not claiming to know what I"m talking about...but giving you my impressons...

This applies to film acting more than to theater. In film acting, my impresson is more that "craft" isn't always as important as the showing the soul, at least to many minds. In theater acting, there is generally a lot of talking. NOt necessarily so in film. Being able to convey a lot in silence is a whole different thing...very important in film. Nuance is valued...especially since, unlike theater, an actors face is magnified hugely on screen, and the tiny things going on in the eyes are very important. Not the case in theater.
Craft is good, (don't get me wrong) But something less definable makes a really memorable actor in film. Someone once said "mystery"

I hope you know, Mechtild, that I appreciated and understood your comments. I jsut attributed the not-wowed-by-the-performance reaction I have sometimes had, to different things than you did.

And I don't really like to say too many negative things about actors in general. :o I"ll give them great compliments when they deserve it...but I'm gentler with the criticism. That comes from being around actors and having a lot of sympathy for them, in general. But I do think your comments were very legit...again...though I don't agree with the lazy thing.

I'm not really a fan of Method acting...though whatever works for an actor is the way he or she should go. But in college I took a class from someone teaching method, and I thought it such a round about way to get to the emotion. It didn't work for me...trying to remember when my cat died to express saddness. I'm more in the camp with observing things around you, developing empathy, and then using one's imagination to feel your character. Alyon's daughter took lots of theater classes and in the end got tired of dissecting the objective for each line. It may have been more important in theater, because delivery must be on target for a live performance, and the words are so important. NO editing, no long silences where the camera pans the mountains, etc. She used a different approach in film...which was not to think of each line, but to step in and feel the character, and then just say the lines the way the moment works out, say the line in character. It is less "crafted", but it's in the moment, using feelings and letting that naturally come through the face.

We were talking today about Edward Norton, since he often comes up in Faculty discussions, and is a favorite of hers. She thinks his approach is also not the method approach (I hasten to say that "research" and "method" are not the same thing, so this only partly pertains to previous discussion)--but it is in imagining. Jack Nicholson has said the same thing. He also said something (according to her) that though an actor wants to strive for realism, realism can sometimes be boring...so an actor wants to learn how far to go in being natural, and then when to rachet things up a bit. I think that Elijah is really really good at understanding and showing sympathy for his characters and allowing the audience to feel that. He is A-plus in that area. Then I think it's really difficult to know when to rachet up without getting all manneristic. Like he said with EiI--how to be still, but not let it be boring. For me, he did a great job with that in EiI, though I know it didn't work for everybody. Those internal roles are really hard that way. That's why I hope he jumps feet first into the Iggy role and for one of the first times doesn't have to play a character so contained (though I bow down to him for his ability to do those well...the role itself in those cases have not lived up to the promise to make those grander). I don't know if he can do it...but I think he can based on watching Stu in The WAR. I think that was a brilliant performance that combined the seeing into the soul, and being allowed the clear opportunity to rachet things up to make for more drama.

Yay.

But I don't know. We will see. I was heartened that he jumped into the SNL performances so fearlessly and pulled them off. So I do have hope.

If he doesn't do it this time...live and learn. Just hope he gets more opportunities.

Oh--I am a lover of great subtlety, and I could see that even in Hooligans, a movie I didn't like too much. And saying that, I didn't even like Matt that well--but I could see that Elijah contains his movements really well. Times I thought things would flop all over the place, they didn't. He held onto subtle ways of having the character react in a scene...so that though Matt was so not the tough guy when he came from American, he did his lines in ways that also showed he was self aware and not just a pushover. He seemed smart in the way that he sussed out this whole deal of interacting with Pete, while still being unsure. It was quite smart--and I would say quite well crafted. It just didn't come through for me altogether as a believable movie.

I think Elijah does have a lot of craft, because those subtlties take a lot of control. (Actors can get very sloppy with those moments). But I think it flies under the radar. Maybe he needs to do what Jack Nicholson said and just up the volume a little. But again....given a better vehicle...?? We might see that better.

(Yeah, like with Frodo ;) )

Jack Nicholson has said the same thing. He also said something (according to her) that though an actor wants to strive for realism, realism can sometimes be boring...so an actor wants to learn how far to go in being natural, and then when to rachet things up a bit.
This reminds me of something that's often said about fiction writing - what you aim for is "heightened reality." You want it to seem real, plausible, etc., but honest-to-goodness real life can be pretty boring, and honest-to-goodness real life dialogue even moreso.

I don't know if that's the same thing as "ratcheting it up" in acting, but the heightened reality terminology seems to fit. IMHO, that's the mark Elijah hits in his best acting. It might be too much to have an entire movie of it, but when it's put into the right scenes in the right way it can give that "seeing into the soul" effect. I'm thinking of scenes like the final conversation before the Black Gate closes, or the descent of the stairs and "What will I see?" in the Mirror of Galadriel. I'd put the Huck Finn fishing scene in that realm, too. When you watch them in a movie, they don't seem unnatural, but if you really pay attention to how it's played, it's heightened just a notch above reality. It would have to be a terribly fine line to tread, which is why it impressed me that Elijah was able to do it when he was so young (when I finally realized it was an actor), even though he certainly didn't do it in every scene. I've been trying to think of an example with Stu, but I think maybe Stu is so openly expressive that it wasn't needed for him.

Times I thought things would flop all over the place, they didn't...

I think Elijah does have a lot of craft, because those subtlties take a lot of control. (Actors can get very sloppy with those moments).
Maybe if I paid as much attention to other actors as I do to Elijah, I'd see this in them, too, but IMHO Elijah's very good with movement - whether it's Casey sliding around the swimming pool, or Frodo slowly walking down those stairs toward Galadriel. I'd think it would take a lot of control as well as an awareness of what you're doing physically at any particular moment. One of the problems with Ash Wednesday, maybe? So many "talking head" scenes make most of it pretty static physically.


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

ETA: Why do we have a google ad reading "Hell does not exist?" :confused: :p

LA Film Critics have picked Brokeback Mountain as best picture of the year, with Ang Lee being named best director for the same movie. (Would love to see Elijah in another of Lee's movies.) A History of Violence was runner-up for both best picture and director, and William Hurt got best supporting actor award for his work in that movie. Phillip Seymour Hoffman won best actor for Capote. Also awards for Good Night and Good Luck, and a bunch of films I've never heard of... no mention of EII.

A brief interview with Elijah that doesn't really cover new ground, but has some interesting quotes in it:

60-Second Interview (http://www.metro.co.uk/metro/interviews/interview.html?in_page_id=8&in_interview_id=1230)

... no mention of EII.Now that's no real big surprise, is it, considering the so-so reviews it got and the poor coverage. Sigh. Oh well.

LA Film Critics have picked Brokeback Mountain as best picture of the year, with Ang Lee being named best director for the same movie. (Would love to see Elijah in another of Lee's movies.) A History of Violence was runner-up for both best picture and director, and William Hurt got best supporting actor award for his work in that movie. Phillip Seymour Hoffman won best actor for Capote. Also awards for Good Night and Good Luck, and a bunch of films I've never heard of... no mention of EII.

What I found really amazing was that they chose William Hurt as Best Supporting Actor for A History of Violence. I thought he was awful, lacking only a couple slices of rye and a good slathering of mustard, or maybe his very own Hormel wrapper. Maybe I'm no judge of acting at all. (Snicker away, Mech! ;))

A brief interview with Elijah that doesn't really cover new ground, but has some interesting quotes in it:
Loved this one Bunnie, thanks. :k I'd rather not work than do something that I'm not passionate about

You'll always be associated with your role as Frodo. Is that a blessing or a curse?
I don't know if it's either, or maybe it's both. That's slightly disingenuous because The Lord Of The Rings was the greatest experience of my life. There are moments when it's a blessing because it breaks down communication barriers. That makes travelling really easy. Sometimes it's difficult, when I'm tired or don't want to be recognised, but it's just part of my life and I'm used to it. I also see it as a kind of responsibility.

A responsibility to whom?
The people who see me in films. Actors have a responsibility to treat people with respect. They pay to see me do what I do. This is how I can continue doing what I do. I consider it my responsibility to be respectful to people.
I mean really, what's not to love here?

saile

From Oscarwatch:

Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking

The National Board of Review, in keeping with its long tradition of recognizing excellence in filmmaking, is proud to salute the following films crafted by visionary artists, which demonstrate the creativity and determination always vital to the film industry.

Breakfast on Pluto
Cape of Good Hope
The Dying Gaul
Everything is Illuminated
Hustle & Flow
Junebug
Layer Cake
None Lives
The Thing About My Folks
The Upside of Anger

C4

ETA-tg, I'm not sure why we have ads for "Hell Does Not Exist." Based on the recent study finding that swimming with dolphins improves one's mental health and that this is an EW thread, I figured the "Feeling Better" ad would be pictures of EW swimming with dolphins, but no such luck. :haha:

Hey -- cool! :cool: :D :) , and nice company it's in too!

ETA -- Two NBR awards that also make us happy --

Career Achievement in Film Music Composition: Howard Shore

Outstanding Achievement in Special Effects: King Kong

A History of Violence is on the National Board of Review's 10 Best Films list.

KK and A History of Violence are on the American Film Institute's 10 Best Films list.

Lost is on AFI's 10 Best TV show list.

Um, er-- EW knows the actors who are in these.

C- ;) -4

Also OT -- for those going to see The Chronicles of Narnia, be prepared to see some of our friends: Kiran Shah in a speaking role! Plus Fon and BK as dwarves. And Stephen Ure was also in it -- he was Grishnak and Gorbag in LOTR.

...for those going to see The Chronicles of Narnia, be prepared to see some of our friends: Kiran Shah (...) in LOTR.
Be prepared to see a LOT more from LotR than just some of its actors. ;)

~ Mechtild

I understand your perspective Alyon"And I don't really like to say too many negative things about actors in general. :o I"ll give them great compliments when they deserve it...but I'm gentler with the criticism. That comes from being around actors and having a lot of sympathy for them, in general.
Surfing through my vhs tapes looking for my favorite “Miracle on 34th Street’ I found a clip of Peter Jackson discussing RotK with Charlie Rose. It must have been after the Golden Globes but before the Oscars in 2004. Charlie Rose asked him (transcribing from tv so it is close but not exact)if PJ knew when he was making this..did you know..was it all coming together?......... (PJ responds) …..he didn’t have a clue, you fly blind the whole time……..it’s impossible at any point to flash forward 2 years and get a snapshot of what the final film will be like. (PJ continued)…….you just have to keep your standards as high as possible and keep your fingers crossedCan an actor(TOL), who has even less control , aim higher than that?
I think perhaps LotR was a perfect storm of innumerable factors. The odds of ANY ONE FILM repeating the experience is remote IMVHO.

Not an easy business nor profession.
saile

Be prepared to see a LOT more from LotR than some of its actors. ;) ~ MechtildThis' true too. Pelagia and I giggled in some spots, and I had to keep her from yelling "Death!" during the charge :lol:

Gaaahhh. I'm gone for three days. I come back and you girls are on a new page and writing a book for me to get caught up on. You girls ROCK! :D
_________________________________________________________________

At least we do not have to worry about hearing any "Elijah Wood is dating co-start Lindsey Lohan" remarks. Check this out: http://contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/lohan%20linked%20to%20cannon

LOHAN LINKED TO CANNON

LINDSAY LOHAN has been romantically linked to a new man - rapper/actor NICK CANNON.

FREAKY FRIDAY star Lohan has kept her love life under tight wraps following her split from WILMER VALDERRAMA last year (04), and sources now claim she and Cannon are an item.

But Cannon, who recently presented Lohan with the VH1 Big In '05 'It' Girl Award, is coy about the gossip, simply stating, "I'm very fond of her. She's a very beautiful person and a great friend of mine."

Cannon, who once dated sexy singer CHRISTINA MILIAN, met Lohan on the set of their movie BOBBY, which follows the assassination of US politician ROBERT KENNEDY and also stars DEMI MOORE, ELIJAH WOOD, SHARON STONE and SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS.

07/12/2005 21:23

Empire Magazine's Top 25 Films of 2005

Empire Magazine
http://www.empireonline.co.uk/
1. Sideways
2. Batman Begins
3. Crash
4. Revenge of the Sith
5. Sin city
6. Downfall
7. Brokeback Mountain
8. War of the Worlds
9. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
10. Serenity
11. A history of Violence
12. Wallace and Gromit : The curse of the were-rabbit
13. Million Dollar Baby
14. DiG!
15. Friday Night Lights
16. The Descent
17. Team America, World Police
18. Pride and Prejudice
19. Night Watch
20.Charlie and the chocolate factory
21. The constant gardner
22. Cinderella man
23. Everything is illuminated
24. Hotel Rwanda
25.Kung Fu Hustle

Keep in mind that there are films on here that were released in 2004 in the US (e.g., Sideways)

I liked Sideways a lot, too, but, #1? And Batman Begins was #2? And Sin City was #5?

Hunh. Well, it wasn't any list I was consulted on.

But you knew that. ;)

~ Mechtild

Batman Begins and Sin City would definitely be on my list, but because Revenge of the Sith is even on the list, it loses all credibility for me. :p

Everything is Illuminated finally showed up at my local art-house cinema, so I was able to, at long last, see it tonight. And I was totally blown away. What an incredibly powerful, nuanced movie! I was so impressed with Elijah, and with the grandfather. I thought there was a resonance between their characters that filled the silences, and I loved the use of small moments, small changes in expression and understanding. It felt like that rare thing, a movie that 'lets you see' rather than 'forces you to see'.

I can hardly wait for it to come out on DVD now, as it's only here for a week, and I won't make it back to see it again. This is definitely a movie I could watch over and over!

BTW, the DVD release date for EII is now being reported as March 21st in Region I (which is almost a month later than the Feb 28th date I found a few weeks ago). :(

Ezzie has posted a lot of info over in the Music Hall on the upcoming LotR play/musical/event/production. Most of it she posted back in November, which I somehow missed, but she added something today so the thread showed up again on my "new posts" page, and I'm almost caught up with it... :p

So, this isn't exactly new, but here are a few paragraphs from an interview with James Loye that seem on-topic (he says a bit about the difference between film and screen acting, and says that he thought Elijah was "amazing"). He's cast as Frodo, BTW. The journalist claims Loye is as different from EJW as possible, but many of his comments in the interview sound like something TOL would say. ;) :
What kind of a mountain is that for someone just five years out of theatre school to climb?

"It's a bloody intimidating one," said Loye in London a few weeks ago, shortly before he packed up and moved to Toronto. He sat in the bar of the veddy chic Metropolitan Hotel, just off Hyde Park, sipping a latte, trying to look cool and failing miserably.

"I can't help it," he laughed, "I suddenly wake up in the morning and remember that I'm going to be Frodo. It's overwhelmingly exciting. I am playing one of the leading roles in the largest show ever created. Oh my God ..."

Loye is a compact, handsome young man with an exceptionally deep voice, a sly grin and the habit of rolling his shoulders like a boxer when he's nervous.

He's about as different from Elijah Wood (who played Frodo in the film trilogy) as you can get, and that suits him fine.

"I think Elijah did an amazing job," offered Loye, "but I don't want to be a carbon copy of him. I'm a different actor in a different medium. I mean, in the film, you could do a close-up of Frodo's eyes and that would tell you all you needed to know, but I'll have to figure out how to do it in a different way."

He also has some interesting comments about how he sees Frodo (although he hadn't read the book ;) ;) ;) ).

Here's the thread. The interview is quite a ways down the page. (With a very nice piccie, BTW - doesn't look like Elijah but I don't think I'd say he's "as different as you can get".) http://www.khazaddum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=314387#post314387

Here's a nomination I don't think we mentioned --

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards --

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Rent
Syriana
Sin City

ARRRRGH! :rolleyes:
For weeks I have been reading all kinds of reviews of EII (mainly positive ones) in our newspapers and magazines and I was *so* looking forward to its start in the theatres here tomorrow - and what happens? No sign of the film in the cinemas in my area whatsoever. Goodness knows when I eventually get to see it. :( Well, don't count your chickens before they are hatched.

Just in case anyone is interested - here (http://www.allesisterleuchtet.de) is the German EII site. You can watch the trailer and listen to Elijah speaking German :p.

Hey, Whiteling, I just viewed the German-language trailer. They really got someone very good to do the voice for Jonathan. I'm impressed. The actor sounds a lot like I imagine EW might, if he spoke German, right down to the style of inflection. The Eugene Hutz voiceover actor did not sound like him to me at all, unfortunately (unfortunately since I thought Eugene Hutz was quite good).

I hope the film is merely opening later than scheduled, Whiteling. It would be a shame for you to miss it after waiting so patiently. :)

~ Mechtild

Is there anything of interest on the SinCity DVD just released?

C-The Complete Soundtrack of FOTR is incredible!-4

Is there anything of interest on the SinCity DVD just released?

This might answer your question, CeeFour.

Sin City DVD of the Week (http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0550/051214_film_dvd.php)

Looks good, Honey, thanks. Sin City 2? I haven't read enough of the books to know if Kevin shows up in any other stories (possible, since they're not in chronological order).

--This one kind of caught me napping. I knew it was coming out in December, but missed the date. :o I didn't buy the original DVD because I was waiting for this one.

One question... :confused: um... cooking school? Not from Kevin's recipe file, I hope. :eek: (There's something about that in the "making of" book, though, IIRC.)

One question... :confused: um... cooking school? Not from Kevin's recipe file, I hope. :eek: (There's something about that in the "making of" book, though, IIRC.)Yum -- it's breakfast burritos. Apparently, Robert included this on another DVD, so he's started a "thing" by doing it on all his DVDs. It looks very tasty -- he shows you how to make your own tortillas and then the filling.

ceefour was asking (I think) whether there was anything interesting from an EW perspective -- and yes, there are a couple of cool tidbits. You can watch the film in 10-minute greenscreen, so you can see Lij flying around on the wires (we have seen that already tho). But something I learned is that Robert "monkeyed" with the shape of Lij's face a little to make it not quite as recognizable. That's that quality that we all spoke about when we first saw the trailer, that made us think they used a stunt double. Good eyes we have here at the Faculty -- we really know our boy!

One thing that annoyed me, however, was listening to Robert and Frank Miller's commentary during The Hard Goodbye, "our" part of the film. Frank kept repeatedly referring to Elijah as Frodo, kept saying,"Frodo eats people". Thanks for nothing, Frank. That really doesn't help our cause. :mad:

But something I learned is that Robert "monkeyed" with the shape of Lij's face a little to make it not quite as recognizable. That's that quality that we all spoke about when we first saw the trailer, that made us think they used a stunt double. Good eyes we have here at the Faculty -- we really know our boy!

Ha! So everyonce (in a very great while) I'm right about something! :D And to think I spent time on the Faculty Lounge couch for that one! :haha:

Oscarwatch reports 42 songs will compete for the 3 to 5 slots in the Best Original Song category, one of which is "One Blood" from TMFKAH. :cool: (I don't think it will happen, but we can dream, can't we? :) )

I watched a little bit of a program on E! tonight about child actors and TOL was mentioned. An interview was shown that looked to be from a press tour for The War and EW talked even then about how he wanted each role to be different from the last.

C4

Don't know if this has been posted yet. Still so much to get caught up on...
Elijah is confirmed for ORC 2006. Buy your tickets to see him in person fast...
http://www.creationent.com/cal/one_ring.htm

I've been listening to Iggy Pop today. I recognize more of it than I expected to. In fact I'd say you'd have to have been living on Mars to avoid hearing "Lust for Life." I even find myself liking some of it. (Believe me, you're glad you weren't here to witness me jiggling along to "Real Wild Child." :eek: )

Question is Where is our little tenor gonna come up with that voice??? Even if they have someone else do the singing, it's gonna sound really distractlingly different when 'Lijah Pop speaks!

Here's a pic I found of Iggy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/honeyelf/00325336_lg.jpg

*begins to fret*
honey!

Question is Where is our little tenor gonna come up with that voice??? Even if they have someone else do the singing, it's gonna sound really distractlingly different when 'Lijah Pop speaks!

I've not heard him speak -- is it really quite different? I always assumed that they'd have him lipsynch the singing, but I hadn't considered his speaking voice. Meep.

Am I the only one who can imagine Elijah looking like that photo? So skinny and so cut, though. I do hope that he lets himself go s bit softer again, after this is all over with...

I've not heard him speak -- is it really quite different? I always assumed that they'd have him lipsynch the singing, but I hadn't considered his speaking voice. Meep.

Am I the only one who can imagine Elijah looking like that photo? So skinny and so cut, though. I do hope that he lets himself go s bit softer again, after this is all over with...

Iggy's singing voice is quite low, rather like Ian Curtis'. And if I recall from his scene in Coffee and Cigarettes, his speaking voice is quite deep as well.

All you have to do is squint at that picture, and you can see how Lij will physically fit the role. (But I'm with you, Bunnie, in hoping that he'll go back to being a bit softer looking when filming's done.) Remember the bangs from last winter? There they are on Iggy's forehead! :)

Meant to say earlier, re: the speculation about this being a small role. The working title is The Passenger, which is also the title of an Iggy Pop song. I'm guessing this will be a pretty big role, not just a cameo. I'm wondering if that title will stick; there have already been several movies by that title.

Beat me up later, honey, but your post of Iggy Pop's in-concert picture....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/honeyelf/00325336_lg.jpg

... spurred me on to photo-based explorations.


I ask you, how will this....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/Elijah%20Wood/ElijahAiWtummy1.jpg


Become this....?

http://www.frodolivesin.us/Pics/2d761840.jpg

I just hope they let him keep his shirt on. The little tum-tum may have its own special following, but I suspect plenty of Iggy-fans will not stand for him looking less than "wiry."

I can see from some recent shots posted in Hugs Haven that EW's been "slimming" (as they used to say in the U.K. -- do they still?), or, "getting thin," as I would say. But there are some trips to the gym in order, too, I fear, looking at the "young Iggy" pic. If they have him playing Iggy de-shirted, he really will have to have done something to look more "wiry".

~ Mechtild :p )

:eek: :eek: WHOA! That's an eyefull and no mistake!
Beat me up later, honey
Beat you up?? I can barely think! :D

I just hope they let him keep his shirt on.

Shirt?!? I'm hoping for pants! :lol: But I'm thinkin' a shirt might not be necessary. Witness this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/honeyelf/733.jpg

Looks to me like he's done some work in the "little tum-tum"; notice he's been tucking his shirts in lately? And he looks like he's been working on his upper body to me, too. Bunnie might be the go-to-girl on this question though. Help me out Bunnie!?

I'd love to reply in more detail, and gently, but I'm still trying to think! :haha:

honey!

Looks to me like he's done some work in the "little tum-tum"; notice he's been tucking his shirts in lately? And he looks like he's been working on his upper body to me, too. Bunnie might be the go-to-girl on this question though. Help me out Bunnie!? Um. Not that I have any personal experience, or anything, but I'd have to say that he's either been working out some, or his natural muscle tone is simply more visible now that he's lost some of his "softness". The pictures from ELF really confirmed that (nice biceps, triceps and pectoral action there. Not that I was looking. *shifty eyes*), and his tendency to wear tight t-shirts (bless him) shows that his belly is all but gone. I really don't think he'll have that far to go to look like young Iggy, frankly, but it certainly won't be his natural state. ;)

Thank you, honey, for your reply, and for calling up the able Ms. Bugs. :p

BunnieBugs, you wrote:

The pictures from ELF really confirmed that (nice biceps, triceps and pectoral action there. Not that I was looking. *shifty eyes*), and his tendency to wear tight t-shirts (bless him) shows that his belly is all but gone. I really don't think he'll have that far to go to look like young Iggy, frankly, but it certainly won't be his natural state.
Ah, how you made me laugh. But, what's this about, "his natural state?" Is that going to be in the film? Just wondering how close I need to sit towards the front. ;)

~ Mechtild

P.S. Has anyone else had a weird time formatting their posts? Every time I add an emoticon, it only shows up down at the bottom. Then I have to cut and paste it, putting it where I actually had directed it to go. Posting in the Harem earlier, the system ate three whole replies, also associated with trying to apply formatting, all done in the "usual way." :confused: (Hey, that emoticon worked! How come? Because it was the very end of the post? I'll try another: :haha: Hmm. That one worked, too! Ignore my complaint, I guess.

I ask you, how will this....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/Elijah%20Wood/ElijahAiWtummy1.jpg


Become this....?

http://www.frodolivesin.us/Pics/2d761840.jpg




Mmmmmh - perhaps, in this way?

----> Mr. Friggy Pop (http://www.frodolivesin.us/Pics/2d661860.jpg)

*ducks and runs*
(Elijah, forgive me!! :p But, OTOH, it's all your fault... choosing all those weird parts... :haha: )

Whiteling, that's.....*thud*

Whiteling, you are killing me. That is a riot. Maybe we should send EW one? He could pin it on his refrigerator for motivation when he's getting out his next can of Slim Fast.

Too bad you couldn't post the uncropped version of Malanga's portrait. When I typed "Iggy Pop Gerard Malanga" into Google Images, well.... Well. Well. Well.

Looks to me like he's done some work in the "little tum-tum"; notice he's been tucking his shirts in lately? And he looks like he's been working on his upper body to me, too.
Actually, I hadn't been paying any attention to his upper body, but you are right. His shirt is tucked in. As I already said of this shot to Achila, nice pants.

~ Mechtild

Whiteling, that combination of face and body ought to come with a warning lable! :D

:eek: Too bad you couldn't post the uncropped version of Malanga's portrait. Mechtild...that was quite an interesting photo!

The girls and I just watched the Rankin Bass version of The Hobbit. Couldn't pass it up as it was only $1 at the grocery store. After seeing Gollum, Shelby said, "Mom, I think I'm gonna have nightmares tonight!" And Lucy, my Legolas fan, was a little shocked (laughing though) at his Wood Elf relatives.

Oops, sorry to interrupt the Iggy discussion. Carry on...

:eek: Whiteling!

'Ai! ai!' wailed Ceefour. 'A Friggy Pop! A Friggy Pop is come!'

After seeing Gollum, Shelby said, "Mom, I think I'm gonna have nightmares tonight!" And Lucy, my Legolas fan, was a little shocked (laughing though) at his Wood Elf relatives.
Funny thing is, if you only go by the description of Gollum in The Hobbit, he actually could look something like that. :eek:

My "favorite" character in that movie, though, is Space Cadet Elrond. :haha:

ETA: I just posted a thought about movie-Frodo hanging onto the edge of the Crack of Doom over in the Trilogy Forum. It's more related to the choices of the director/screenwriters than it is to Elijah's acting (although without Elijah's acting it wouldn't have been nearly as evident what was happening inside Frodo). I'd be interested to hear anyone's ideas on it. The thread is here:

http://www.khazaddum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=314638#post314638

From today's The Philadelphia Inquirer, an article from columnist Steven Rea with quotes from interviews that did not make the newspaper. Those interviewed included George Clooney, Tim Burton, Keira Knightly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Charlize Theron, Miranda July, Jeff Daniels, and EW.

Quick quotes from a handful of film folks

Lots of interviews over the past 12 months, and lots of things didn't make their way into the newpaper. Herewith, a few quote-bites from folk in the acting and film-making biz:

Elijah Wood, star of Everything is Illuminated and three obscure little New Zealand pics called The Lord of the Rings, on the dearth of good material out there for an eager young thespian: "It's really, really difficult to find good scripts, period. There are only so many movies that you want to see, and it's even worse when it comes to scripts. ...It's hard to find work that I'm interested in, so sometimes it's a long process--just waiting for something that I'm passionate about. And that could be anything. But waiting for it can take forever!"

Achila, Pelagia and I are off to see King Kong this afternoon.

C4

Just a little OT --

Question -- How do you know you're a LOTR geek?
Answer -- You sit through the credits of King Kong after everyone else has left the theater and continually clap when you see names such as Christian Rivers, Jamie Selkirk, and Alex Funke :lol:

How do you know you're a LOTR geek?

How about getting misty eyed during Howard Shore's cameo? :o :rolleyes:

C4

Ceefour, where was Howard Shore's cameo??????? :confused: Do, tell!

Achila, I know what you mean. I didn't clap, but my bosom swelled with pride everytime I saw a name scroll by that I knew. It wasn't until poring over LotR's EE DVD's that I actually learned who the people were behind the camera for any film. Because of the EE Extras and Commentaries, I felt as fannish towards a lot of the crew and design people as I was towards the actors. At the RotK sweep at the Oscars, it was the only time I watched awards for the technical categories with interest. Everytime the production and design teams would win something and pile onto the stage, I would be yelling woot! woot! with real enthusiasm. I felt like I knew all those people.

P.S. Although I hadn't expected to be, I was extremely impressed with King Kong.

~ Mechtild

Ceefour, where was Howard Shore's cameo??????? :confused: Do, tell!

I'm not Ceefour, but I can tell you that Howard was the conductor of the orchestra during the "Kong 8th Wonder of the World" show. :D

Achila, I know what you mean. I didn't clap, but my bosom swelled with pride everytime I saw a name scroll by that I knew. It wasn't until poring over LotR's EE DVD's that I actually learned who the people were behind the camera for any film. Because of the EE Extras and Commentaries, I felt as fannish towards a lot of the crew and design people as I was towards the actors. At the RotK sweep at the Oscars, it was the only time I watched awards for the technical categories with interest. Everytime the production and design teams would win something and pile onto the stage, I would be yelling woot! woot! with real enthusiasm. I felt like I knew all those people. Then you can only imagine what it was like to be at the TORn party and see those people come parading onstage carrying their awards. Particularly since this was a film where the cast you would've rooted for were not honored by the Academy, the "technical cast" became the next best thing, so to speak.

Has anyone discovered what role Kieran Shah is playing? I haven't seen King Kong yet, and would love to know when to watch for him.

Has anyone discovered what role Kieran Shah is playing? I haven't seen King Kong yet, and would love to know when to watch for him.You sure about that, TG? He was in Narnia, but I don't recall seeing him on the cast list for KK.

You sure about that, TG? He was in Narnia, but I don't recall seeing him on the cast list for KK.
Oh, that's right. Duh. Knew it was something that had been discussed here. Okay, I haven't seen Narnia, either :p ; Where would I watch for him in that one? (Wasn't really planning to see it, but I might change my mind ;) ).

Kiran plays Ginarrbrik, who is the White Witch's henchman. You see him for the first time when Edmond meets the White Witch. Believe me, he's very recognizable -- if just by height alone. :)

I'm not Ceefour, but I can tell you that Howard was the conductor of the orchestra during the "Kong 8th Wonder of the World" show.
Dang! I didn't even notice. And I love Howie, and got to meet him for two whole seconds when I got his autograph (which he does very well, by the way)! :cool: Now I'll have to go see it again.

I might, anyway. I want to write an LJ post bringing in the film's treatment of the desire for and appreciation of beauty and wonder -- and the desire to share all that with someone one loves (even if they are of another species). I think the theme runs through the film strongly.

Ah, the TORn Oscar party. How I would have loved to have been at that to slobber over each and every artist present. Not to swoon over personally, but over their work. (Although I was browsing LJ's yesterday and came across a fan was talking about how she was looking for RPS fics starring *gasp* Richard Taylor! What next?)

Has anyone discovered what role Kieran Shah is playing? I haven't seen King Kong yet, and would love to know when to watch for him.
Kieran Shah made watching Narnia worth while for me. He was really solid. Much better than I had expected or imagined that character to be. As for the rest of the film (in my opinion, of course), you can save your money, tg, and watch most of Narnia in its original form, where it appears to better advantage scattered throughout the three LotR films. ;)

~ Mechtild

Elijah Wood, star of Everything is Illuminated and three obscure little New Zealand pics called The Lord of the Rings, on the dearth of good material out there for an eager young thespian: "It's really, really difficult to find good scripts, period. There are only so many movies that you want to see, and it's even worse when it comes to scripts. ...It's hard to find work that I'm interested in, so sometimes it's a long process--just waiting for something that I'm passionate about. And that could be anything. But waiting for it can take forever!" Thanks ceefour for the quote. :k :k

The New York Times had an article here (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/18/movies/18scot.html?th=&oref=login&emc=th&pagewanted=print) “Where Have All The Howlers Gone?” (sometimes you have to skip past the add to get to the article)But the very worst films achieve a special distinction, soliciting membership in a kind of negative canon, an empyrean of anti-masterpieces. It is this kind of bad movie - the train wreck, the catastrophe, the utter and absolute artistic disaster - that seems to be in short supply.
And this is very bad news. Disasters and masterpieces, after all, often arise from the same impulses: extravagant ambition, irrational risk, pure chutzpah, a synergistic blend of vanity, vision and self-delusion. The tiniest miscalculation on the part of the artist - or of the audience - can mean the difference between adulation and derision. So in the realm of creative achievement, the worst is not just the opposite of the best, but also its neighbor. This year has produced plenty of candidates for a Bottom 10 (or 30 or 100) list, but I fear that none of the bad movies are truly worthy of being called the worst. And this may be why so few are worthy of being considered for the best.
And there are a few genre blockbusters - "The Lord of the Rings" most notably - that rise to the level of greatness. But for the most part, the schlock of the past has evolved into star-driven, heavily publicized, expensive mediocrities that carefully balance novelty and sameness.
While some folks lament TOL’s choices in film, I am grateful he stays true to his “passion”, IMVHO that means sometimes gambling on new directors who have a vision and something to say. I don’t think, again IMVHO, that ESOTSM or Sin City or EII or Hooligans are mediocre or careful….whatever they are……… :D :D
saile

Thanks for the link, saile. I'm surprised A.O. Scott didn't mention King Kong in the article, because PJ certainly didn't play it safe. After the build-up of the first hour, it was a constant barrage on the eyes and ears, with the characters in impossible situations that somehow didin't seem ridiculous, even though they were. I can safely say that Achila, Pelagia and I were exhausted when the movie was over. (Maybe that's the real reason we sat through the credits; we were too tired to move. :lol: )

We went to dinner after the movie and talked a bit about EW's need to be passionate about a movie. She commented that he probably needs that passion to sustain him not just during filming, but for the long press tours to publicise movies. We also talked about remakes and Achila mentioned Psycho, and that she didn't care much for Vince Vaughn's Norman Bates. After thinking about it, I think EW could have made an intriguing Norman. Patrick + McPhee + Kevin = Norman Bates.

C4

Ceefour, we have talked Norman Bates for EW before. I second that. That's what I would call a great part for him.

(P.S. -- loved King Kong, however, it was the first hour, perhaps, I enjoyed most of all. :rolleyes: Yes, it was exhausting to watch the middle hour, almost as exhausting as it was for the characters, the ones who survived, anyway.) ;)

Here's a GIF of "the One Penguin" Estë just emailed to me that she found on an LJ. I had told her I had enjoyed the trailer for the film, but hadn't known which penguin was played by EW. She sent me this. I think it is quite charming. I hope it works!

(Forgive me if someone already has posted it. If so, I will delete it.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/mechtild/pics%20for%20posts/GIFHappyFeetpenguin.gif

Well, I see it didn't work. I really don't know how to post a GIF, I guess. I thought I could stick it in the photobucket. If any of you would like it, PM me your e-address and I'll forward Estë's letter to you with the gif attached.


~ Mechtild :(

We talked about Norman Bates before? :o Please tell me that discussion wasn't just last week so I don't feel completely foolish. Thanks for answering, though; with no posts for over 24 hours I thought I'd killed The Faculty.

Going into the movie theater to see KK, there were plasma screens showing something with penquins. Hoping for the trailer for Happy Feet, but it was an ad for Coke. :(

C4

We discussed Norman Bates way back last spring, CeeFour. So you're not the thread killer.

I'm afraid that distinction is mine. I posted in the Kong (The Mall: The Cinema) and nobody's posted in nearly a week. Somebody get over there and disagree with me! Or somethin'!

honey!

Oh, two alleged thread-killers all of a sudden? Why no! (And *I* was thinking, I had scared you all away with Friggy lately :p!)

Apropos Iggy - I found this rather appealing photo of him (I hope it hasn't been posted already. If so, apologies!)

It comes from a photo session in February, 1970 with photographer Jack Robinson. Iggy and his band The Stooges had just released "Fun House" back then, the follow up to their self-titled debut.


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

I don't know, but only seeing this very picture of Iggy, I suddenly could imagine Elijah playing him. It's something in that gaze...



Bummer about the .gif, Mechtild. Maybe one of our gif savvy ladies could provide advice to you with that?

Going into the movie theater to see KK, there were plasma screens showing something with penquins. Hoping for the trailer for Happy Feet, but it was an ad for Coke. :(

C4
:D A whole class of local second-graders have written letters to Coke, telling them that ad is wrong - The new ad shows polar bears and penguins together which would only happen in a zoo. :haha:

Penguins are awfully popular this year in ads, jewelry, clothing... hope that general interest holds on for awhile.

That's right, Ceefour, you didn't kill none a them there threads. That's MY job! We didn't talk about him as Norman in any depth, I don't think, anyway. We had that Coke ad at King Kong, too. I got so excited for a minute!

Whiteling, I found that I can email the gif, but not post it. It's just a little things of the penguin EW plays dancing around for two seconds. :) Nice Iggy ya got there, too. :rolleyes:

A whole class of local second-graders have written letters to Coke, telling them that ad is wrong - The new ad shows polar bears and penguins together which would only happen in a zoo.
I would have thought they'd write in to say that the polar bears would have eaten the penguins. They'd wash them down with a swig of Coke after.

~ Mechtild

I would have thought they'd write in to say that the polar bears would have eaten the penguins. They'd wash them down with a swig of Coke after.

No, these are brilliant Nebraska second graders ;) . They know that polar bears live in the Northern Hemisphere and penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, so they'd never be together to eat - or be et. :p

No, these are brilliant Nebraska second graders . They know that polar bears live in the Northern Hemisphere and penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, so they'd never be together to eat - or be et.
Oh, well, if we are going to be truly picky ... how did they keep those Cokes from freezing (I know, I know: they kept it under their wings)? :cool:

From Stuff.co.nz -- their list of the year's Best Movies of 2005:


Sin City
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Clive Owen & Jessica Alba
The darkest film of the year was also one of the best. Robert Rodriguez made three of Frank Miller's comic book tales of sin and debauchery come alive on the big screen with brilliant set pieces, blinding flashes of colour and plenty of the old ultra-violence. It also helped Mickey Rourke complete his film comeback, cemented Jessica Alba's standing as a sex symbol and saw Elijah Wood play a mute cannibal, shedding the shackles of Frodo for good.

I would've liked to've seen EII on some of these Top 10 lists but I haven't yet. As it is, this' one of the few that's included Sin City.


ETA -- OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!!! Father Geek on Aint It Cool News named Hooligans as No. 19 in his top 25 of 2005 (Sin City was 14). Now, granted, it's only AICN, but still!!!!

Achila, Achila, calm yourself! That is good news, but who is "Father Geek"?

~ Mechtild

Achila, Achila, calm yourself! That is good news, but who is "Father Geek"?He's a reviewer at Ain't It Cool. Yeah, yeah, I know -- this shouldn't be that big a deal, but considering how eviscerated this poor film got, anyone thinking it was one of the year's best (and not the year's worst, as I've been fearing it will show up) tickles me to death!

Actually, I read a review of an EW film that I thought really good on AICN by someone (apart from the heavy use of obscenities), but the name of the writer was something other than "Father Geek". Unfortunately, the name escapes me. :confused: It was only one word, though.

~ Mechtild

Actually, I read a review of an EW film that I thought really good AICN by someone (apart from the heavy use of obscenities), but the name of the writer was something other than "Father Geek". Unfortunately, the name escapes me. :confused: It was only one word, though.Perhaps it was Moriarty?

Perhaps it was Moriarty?
Yes! Thank you, Dr. Watson. :k

~ Mechtild

Yes, the really positive review at aintitcoolnews was by Moriarty (who for some reason uses a picture of Vincent Price to identify himself :confused: ). The only thing to remember when reading reviews at that site is that they're much less objective about anything Elijah's in than we are. :p

The only thing to remember when reading reviews at that site is that they're much less objective about anything Elijah's in than we are. :pY'know, TG, I seriously don't have a problem with that. ;)

The only thing to remember when reading reviews at that site is that they're much less objective about anything Elijah's in than we are.

Uh-oh.

~ Mechtild

Achila, is Father Geek possibly Harry's dad? Do you remember that long article that Harry wrote about having Elijah and Josh Hartnett and one of the girls from The Faculty over to his place? It seemed like his dad was connected with the industry somehow, and had lots of movie memorbilia (which Elijah was geeking out over). If you read way down in the 'talkback' section of FG's Top 25 list, he talked about being a dealer of movie memorbilia. I'm probably putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 5 again! :rolleyes:

Achila, is Father Geek possibly Harry's dad? Do you remember that long article that Harry wrote about having Elijah and Josh Hartnett and one of the girls from The Faculty over to his place? It seemed like his dad was connected with the industry somehow, and had lots of movie memorbilia (which Elijah was geeking out over). If you read way down in the 'talkback' section of FG's Top 25 list, he talked about being a dealer of movie memorbilia. I'm probably putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 5 again! :rolleyes:Dunno, Honey -- I suppose it's possible.

Merry Christmas to The Faculty!

Enjoy a most wonderful day while taking a break from research and analysis. However, professors of EJW 101, EJW 201, EJW 301, etc. must turn in grades not too long afterwards. Of course, in my grade book, the One Lad most definintely gets an A++ for all his hard work in 2005.

Hi everyone !!!

Remember me ?? I am the one who pops in and out of here

but never forgetts you all!!!!!!
Just whanted to say :

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL !!!

love you all /wood

WOOD!

Smooches to you on Christmas!!!!!!!!!!

It's good to hear from you. You have been missed!

~ Mechtild :)

Wood!!! Good to see you!

Merry Christmas to all my Faculty friends!

Huge Hugs,
honey!

My dears,

I'll say it with Mumbles:

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


The Blessings of the Season to all the Faculty!

:k

*blows extra kisses to Wood*

Merry Christmas, dear Faculty!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/bunniebugs/Elijah%202/Tvwh181203a_12.jpg

And if I don't make it around again to say it, Happy Hanukkah and a Very Happy New Year, too! :k

Let me add my Christmukkah wishes too -- with lots of love to all! Thanks for a brilliant 2005. :k

Ann

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/aquila0212/probiscus2.jpg

ETA -- Someone having fun on Ain't It Cool News wrote this --

- Elijah Wood to play a young Thal warrior who travels back to his home planet of Skaro to discover what happened to his grandfather during the Dalek/Gallifrey war in EVERYTHING IS EXTERMINATED

:lol:

I'm woefully behind in here.

Just dropping by to say:

http://www.imag.us/x/blossom/Merry_Christmas.jpg

And a very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SHIRELING!

I'll look forward to catching up.

HI, WOOD! :k

Happy Birthday, Shireling! :k :k :k
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/honeyelf/MPE03117-002LG.jpg

honey!

Peace be with you all!

C4

Happy Birthday, Shireling! :k

Your birthday is an Xmas birthday, therefore I thought a heavenly picture would be fitting. So I took the liberty of modifying a beautiful Titian angel... well, just a little bit. :) (Admittedly, it is an Annunciation Angel, but without that there would have been no Christmas at all)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/Frodomanips/tizian_Elijah_engel.jpg

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Hi, Blossom! Nice to see you. :)

http://overthebrandywine.com/Holiday/Fchristmas05.jpg


It was a pleasure meeting some of you in Indy! :)

Oh darn, Achila, I see we used the same photo. :o Sorry! This is the first chance I’ve had to get on the board and post since yesterday.

Saile, thank you. :) It might not have come from Hobbiton, but with all those good ingredients you know it had to have come from the Shire. :k

Alyon, so busy was I this season that I never even had a moment to thank you for the delivered goods. Thank you, dear. They arrived safe and sound. Their intended destination took Friday off, so they’re residing under my tree until Tuesday, and Mithril is keeping them company. :)

Not to worry, Esmie -- no harm done.

I hope Santa was good to everyone...unlike this unlucky soul...

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

ETA -- Hey -- my 1000th post!

Congratuations on your 1000, Achila. :)

Tho, after posting Easter Bunny Gollum we may have to subtract five posts... :p

Actually, that's Gollum dressed as Ralphie from A Christmas Story -- that's his present from his aunt! :D

Achila, that is a very funny manip. :lol: And congratulations on your MASSIVE post count! (I was thinking of "massive" during my seocnd viewing of King Kong, now one of my daughter's favourite films. I wondered if they used it for the herbivore stampede? )

~ Mechtild ;)

Thank you so much for the birthday greetings ladies - Honeyelf, that pic - it has quite a disturbing effect on me ;)

And Whiteling - your angelic pic is absolutely amazing - so beautiful :)

Blossom - have just sent you an email - hope you got it ok.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. I'm sorry I haven't posted here for so long but I'm always with you and I read all your wonderful posts :)

Oh dear, Shireling, Elijah's very upset with me for forgetting your birthday...see?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/aquila0212/ElijahWood--Flipper-03.jpg

I promise not to let it happen again~! ;)


ETA -- And here's another little pressie for Shireling and everyone -- CHUD.com has EII as their No. 12 best film (out of 15) of 2005. :k:


12. Everything is Illuminated (CHUD Review) (Pre-Order the DVD)

CHUD fave Liev “Microsoft Word hates my name” Schreiber makes his directorial debut with the rare movie that’s much better than the book it’s based on. Jonathan Safron Foer’s Lit-student-cutesy novel gets pared down to the modern day story of a young Jewish American looking for his ancestry in Eastern Europe. It’s the kind of movie that people call quirky just because it operates slightly outside of your normal movie expectations. Unless you’re expecting a great movie – it operates right inside there.


Current Rating: 8.9 out of 10

Contributing Factors: Schreiber makes a most un-actorly movie; it’s filled with gorgeous sights and minimal dialogue. On top of that, it’s the kind of movie where the great acting is done with subtlety.

Performance to Savor: Eugene Hutz, lead singer of the fantastic band Gogol Bordello, makes a stunning debut as the malapropistic tour guide, Alex, the guy who all the ladies want to get carnal with because of his premium dance moves.

P.R. CHUD.com Pull-Quote: “A best adapted screenplay nomination is illuminated here.”

Thanks for the CHUD news, Achila. An adapted screenplay mention would be great. Do you think there's a connection between the reviewer's dislike of the book and his spotlight on Eugene Hutz as the performance to watch? I can't quite put my finger on the connection, but it seems that most (not all) EJW fans really liked the book.

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

Whew! Finally made it. Happy birthday, Shireling! Sorry I'm late.

http://www.frodolivesin.us/Pics/12e0bb10.jpg


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

I'm (just barely) within 200 screencaps of getting Frodo out of that $#%* tunnel! I don't know which of us will be happier! :rolleyes: Not that there aren't some great shots there - but I'm ready for some sunlight... or something!

Maybe - or maybe not - a good sign: A few days ago, I got a snarky (technical email terminology ;) ) email from Greg Wright, whose first book I pretty soundly trashed in my review (http://www.frodolivesin.us/id266.htm) - for what I still think are very valid reasons (it's the only book I've given a really negative review, so I don't do it easily). Interesting that the review had been posted for over two years before I heard from him; maybe this means web crawlers are starting to find the site :cool: . I've been composing a response, and say in the message that I'll post some of the extended explanations with the review (after saying that I didn't feel my regular site visitors really needed them ;) ). But I'm not "taking anything back." FWIW, his second book is much better - I haven't finished reading it yet, so haven't written a review (Yes, I do actually read a book before I write a review of it, although Mr. Wright more than suggests otherwise).

So, anyone who's going to ORC, say "Hey" to Greg for me :p .

Thanks for the CHUD news, Achila. An adapted screenplay mention would be great. Do you think there's a connection between the reviewer's dislike of the book and his spotlight on Eugene Hutz as the performance to watch? I can't quite put my finger on the connection, but it seems that most (not all) EJW fans really liked the book. Dunno about that. I found the book very tedious and stopped reading after a few chapters.

I think, if you look back on the reviews from both critics and casual viewers alike, they mostly name Eugene as the one to watch ("walked away with the film", and other various and sundry descriptors were mentioned). There is little ink given to Elijah's performance, other than to say that he looked weird and stiff and the glasses were a distraction (which, IMHO, they were). Most didn't get the subtlety of what he was trying to do -- AGAIN -- and Alex was definitely the showier role anyway.

Just to change the subject, I watched "The Good Son" last night and had a thought about that performance that I hadn't noticed before. Although his scenes with Mac were very good, his best scenes were with the adults (e.g., Susan, his father, and the therapist). I began to think back on other movies he'd done where he had scenes with both adults and children in a given film, and could come up with very few. The War is the only one I thought of where there were extended stretches of the movie spent with other kids (yes, there's interaction with kids in Avalon, Forever Young, and Huck Finn, but they're brief), and I wondered if perhaps this had to do with young Elijah being able to relate to adults better than his own age group...whadja think? (this' my not-so-thinly veiled ploy to stimulate discussion while The One Lad is busy off-camera, filming and so on, btw)

Achila - I think the fact that as a "child actor" Elijah mostly played child roles in adult movies (rather than in children's movies) made a difference not only to his relationship with adults, but also to his career. It was great that Mel Gibson stood up and fought for him over the Richie Rich unfairness, but personally I'm glad he didn't end up playing the role. I'm afraid that that movie and Huck Finn so close together would have pegged him as an actor in children's movies, and that would have been difficult to break out of. As it was, it was relatively easier (still not easy!) for him to get through the awkward age for male actors by playing increasingly older roles in adult movies instead of having to make a sharp jump from chldren's movies to adult ones. Of course, he also learned a lot from working with adult actors, some of which we specifically know about and I'm guessing even more that we don't. His professionalism at such a young age would be part of that, IMHO.

Of course, that doesn't address exactly the same question, because, as you pointed out, although Huck Finn was a children's movie, he didn't really have that many scenes with other children (and the director's commentary on the scene in the kitchen with the youngest daughter certainly illustrates the difference in professionalism between the two young actors - not to fault the girl, necessarily, she was probably more "normal" for an actor at that age than Elijah was ;) ). I did think his scenes with Felix and with the girl he "really likes" in Forever Young were pretty good - with very natural interaction all around - and if you add all of those up beginning with the car and warehouse scenes, they make up a fair percentage of the movie, especially if you include scenes with both children and adults in them. Radio Flyer wiould be another movie with good child/child interaction, but I'd have to watch it again to say anything specific.

Do you think there's a connection between the reviewer's dislike of the book and his spotlight on Eugene Hutz as the performance to watch? I can't quite put my finger on the connection, but it seems that most (not all) EJW fans really liked the book. Add me as another who didn't care that much for the book. It was okay, and I thought parts of it were brilliant, but by the end, I'd definitely decided that I preferred the film. I'm not sure what I would have thought of either, if I'd read the book first and then seen the film, but I suspect that I would still feel the same. Also, I adored Eugene's Alex -- that was a brilliant bit of casting -- but Elijah's Jonathan is up there as one of my very favorite of his roles and performances. I was even more impressed with it on my second viewing, and thinking about it again now only makes me even more anxious to get that DVD in my little paws.

And I agree with Achila about Eugene getting the attention because of the "showier" role. I noticed a similar effect with Brokeback Mountain, where reviewers are falling all over themselves praising Heath Ledger (and rightly so -- he's so far into that role that he's barely recognizable. It's a stunning, wrenching performance). But I read one yesterday that singles out Jake Gyllenhaal's role as the more subtle one, and no less brilliantly done than Heath's -- it's simply a bit overshadowed by the "showier" one. A familiar scenario, no?

Achila, I don't really have much to add to your discussion, but I'm tempted to agree with you that he was more comfortable with the adults. You've made me want to go back and watch some of the films that I haven't seen in awhile! Oh, darn. ;)

New pic of Elijah and Pam buying furniture (!?!) in LA, Dec. 22, 05

[link removed]

He is still wearing that damned hat! New skinnier waist, shirt tucked in and "the one belt" again! :lol:

I had forgotten about Radio Flyer, TG, you're right. Perhaps Joseph Mazello was another child, like Elijah, who also related better to adults than children, and in so doing, they formed a bond. Dunno.

txtac - Sorry, but please no links to live journals. Because of everything else that one link can link to, it has to be considered off limits. (You can copy and post the story of the shopping trip - the Hugs Haven would be the best audience - but no direct linking.)

From about.com -- "The Good Stuff -- What Worked in Movies in 2005":


Sammy Davis Jr Jr in "Everything is Illuminated"
I dare you to watch Liev Schreiber's movie and forget Sammy Davis Jr Jr. This dog's performance easily was up to par with his human co-stars. If the Academy handed out Best Animal awards, he'd take home the Oscar paws down.

ETA -- Also, Dave (another reviewer) on chud.com gave GSH Honorable Mention for the year. :cool:

Typical movie reviewer, eh? Calls her "he" and doesn't even notice that it's really two dogs playing the part. :rolleyes:


This whole board is so s-l-o-w-w-w... that I thought I'd post a few pics made from Shelob's Lair screencaps, even though I don't have the screencap pages themselves up yet. These involve two frames that were very, very nice except for the webbing in front of Frolijah's face. So I used Paint Shop to remove the webs and then did some more tweaking/effects.

http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/3049fa80.jpg

http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/306b3b40.jpg

http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/308d6300.jpg http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/309e6400.jpg


There are some more on this page (http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/id50.htm), and if you look before and after that page you'll see a few other new pages. I haven't been posting lately when I've added new Paint Shop stuff.

Thanks for the Shelob's Lair screencaps, TG - and belated congratulations on becoming our new moderator!

It's quiet in here, but if anyone leaves the party - it IS New Years' Eve, after all - to take a peek, I'd like to say:

http://www.imag.us/x/blossom/Faculty.jpg

I love images of Frodo where his pointy, hobbity ears are clearly visible! :) One just about made it into this pic.

May 2006 be a happy and prosperous year for you all.

I'll raise a glass - or three - to that! Enjoy your celebrations! :)

For Blossom..the best Frodo pointy ear pic I have, which doesn't even show the point. Sorry.. :(

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Shelbyshire/lotrn43.jpg

However, I did come up with a match if someone needs fireworks lit! :eek:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Shelbyshire/ElijahWood--Avalon-01.jpg

HAPPY NEW YEAR FACULTY!

My addition to the list of favorite pointy-ear shots :) :

http://www.frodolivesin.us/FotR/579cd320.jpg

As I type this, I can hear fireworks going off outside, so guess I just made it under the wire for the Shelob's Lair pages I promised to have up "later in December" :haha: . Apologies to those on dial-up for the long downloads, especially for the first page. The new pages start here (http://www.frodolivesin.us/Shelob/id48.htm). If you missed the ones posted at the beginning of December, just back up one page - that's all that was added then.

This was supposed to be the last batch :rolleyes: , but I'm holding off on the screencaps of Frodo cutting himself out of the web until I have ones ready of the fight between Gollum and him immediately after that. There are some interesting comparisons between the two.

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

Happy New Year to All (as you straggle in to catch up on reading the thread. ;)

Don't forget the importance of a responsible designated driver - especially if you've been into the Gaffer's home brew :p :

http://www.frodolivesin.us/FotR/022f5d20.jpg

Happy New Year to The Faculty!

Courtesy of Oscarwatch:

Movies The Celebrities Liked Best In 2005

Elijah Wood "I really liked 'Me And You And Everyone We Know.' I thought Miranda July was so charming. And the kids were perfect. It had just the right tone. It was lyrical. It was funny. It was a really interesting comment on people in and out of relationships."

If any of the Faculty receive Parade in their Sunday paper, check out the ad for a LOTR train set at the end of the magazine.

Relive the Amazing Adventure Aboard The Lord Of The Rings Express

A precision-detailed train set as big and bold as the spectacle and adventure of the movie saga that inspired it! An exceptional value. Begin your illuminated HO scale train set with The Lord of The Rings TM Diesel Locomotive. You will be billed the first of three easy payments of $23.31* before it is sent. Soon, you can look forward to adding coordinating The Lord of the Rings TM Express railroad cars including the FREE tracks and power-pack!

*Plus $7.99 shipping and handling. Illinois residents add state tax. Pending credit approval. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.


The lovely picture of Frodo with the Ring verse reflected on his face is on the diesel engine. :D The train's headlight comes out of the Eye of Sauron. :eek:

This is a limited-time offer and strong demand from the legions of fans of the Academy Award® winning motion picture triology is expected.
No wonder the book purists don't like us! :lol:

C4

Out of curiosity, has anyone seen Elijah's favorite movie of the year?


No wonder the book purists don't like us!
Oh, it's very book canon, y'know :haha: - someone just picked up on Tolkien's one unexplainable anachronism in +1000 pages:
And there was also one last surprise, in honour of Bilbo, and it startled the hobbits exceedingly, as Gandalf intended. The lights went out. A great smoke went up. It shaped itself like a mountain seen in the distance, and began to glow at the summit. It spouted green and scarlet flames. Out flew a red-golden dragon - not life-size, but terribly life-like: fire came from his jaws, his eyes glared down; there was a roar, and it whizzed three times over the heads of the crowd. They all ducked, and many fell flat on their faces. The dragon passed like an express train, turned a somersault, and burst over Bywater with a deafening explosion.
...You'll note that the train in question is specifically an express train ;) .

Regarding the "legions of fans" -- If there's a group that rivals Tokienites for geekiness, it's got to be model train collectors. What the passion of a combined Tolkien-model train geek could be like is almost scary to contemplate :eek: ! (I'm guessing it's made to precise scale. ;) )

Out of curiosity, has anyone seen Elijah's favorite movie of the year?

I did. Didn't like it at all. Although he's right that the kid actors were great. I saw where it was all aiming at the end, but I didn't like the ride to get there!

Happy New Year, everyone! :k :k :k

honey!

Although he's right that the kid actors were great.
I wonder if that affects how much he enjoys something more than it would most people?

Happy New Year, all! :)

Frodo's face on a Diesel Locomotive? Hunh?


Ahem, I'm dropping by to give you a little New Year's present.
No, not a new Frodo drawing - this time I tried to catch Elijah himself. But since we all agree that he even dons some sort of role in most photo shoots, I think I will be allowed to post it in here? ;) (I hope). I used a pic from the photo shoot in August 2005 (the one with Liev) as reference. It was an interesting experience. Drawing Elijah is a quite different matter than Frodo. I really missed drawing those wonderful soft curls. (And sorry, Blossom, he's got no pointy ears!)



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/Elijah_August_05_big.jpg


Hope you like it. :)

Excellent likeness, whiteling. I'd like to capture EW--er, um, no, you've captured EW's likeness quite nicely. (Don't want to upset Her Modship with too much swooning.)

Me And You And Everyone We Know must have been seen by more that just Honeyelf, because it's #25 for 2005 on the Critics Top 10 List.

http://www.criticstop10.net/2005/index.htm

Achila linked to here a couple of weeks back with the Passion List for the past 5 years, which had ROTK at #1, ESOTSM #2, and FOTR #3.

Note that Sin City is tied for #38 for 2005! (Critics were impressed with the subtlety of Kevin's dialogue, no doubt.)

tg, I've wondered that about EW watching child actors, too. Is he more sensitive to and analytical of their performances, simply because he's been there, done that?

C4

Whiteling, your drawing is wonderful! Very few drawings of Elijah actually manage to look like Elijah; somehow yours has managed to capture something of his personality as well, it seems. And it looks to me like you had a good time drawing his hair too, curls or no! :k :k :k

Out of curiosity, has anyone seen Elijah's favorite movie of the year?I did. It was OK -- I didn't think it was the best film I'd seen all year tho. I do like the idea that they asked him, tho! And cool comment about the child actors, tg and honey.

Happy New Year to my loved ones at The Faculty!

Whiteling--your drawing is stunning. You're very gifted.

TG--thanks for all your hard work on the screencaps. I haven't had time to check them out yet, but I will.

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope 2006 will be a good one for us all.

Eresh

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU !!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/wendylady1/Events/NewYearfireworksLondon.jpg

WHITELING
That is a simply stunning drawing of EJW... I think you should find a way of getting it to him, you know, if you dare - I'll bet he would be so flattered !!!
I know that Primula Baggins is currently asking for people's personal memories of meeting him, because she is compiling a Birthday card to give him at ORC this year...just PM me if you would like a link to her Live Journal...

Happy New Year, everybody -- here's something to start off the year right. Comingsoon.net has Hooligans as their No. 21 of the top 25 of 2005! :cool:

Whoops, completely missed to compliment Achila on 1000 posts :o! Belated congratulations! Thanks for all the great info you deliver. :k


Thanks for your kind comments on the drawing, Ceefour, Honey, Eresh, and Wendy. :) I am always ridiculously nervous when posting a new work - I've spent so much time with it by then, I cannot tell how it will look to others. :p
I'm going to post a less high-contrast scan of the drawing over in the Hugs Haven, since I'm not very happy with how the picture is displayed. The original is subtler, with more details visible.
Wendy, I will go and have a look at Primula's LJ... maybe I'll join the lot for a Birthday greeting to Elijah. Nice idea, anyway.

Thanks, whiteling, and please forgive me for neglecting to add how much I liked your drawing too -- one of your best!

Happy New Year, everybody -- here's something to start off the year right. Comingsoon.net has Hooligans as their No. 21 of the top 25 of 2005! :cool:
Everything Is Illuminated is on there, too! At number four. :cool:

Whiteling, your Elwood drawing is stunning! You never cease to amaze.

Happy 2006, everyone! :k

Happy New Year, everybody -- here's something to start off the year right. Comingsoon.net has Hooligans as their No. 21 of the top 25 of 2005! :cool:

Everything Is Illuminated is on there, too! At number four. :cool:

Well, actually EII was number four in the list of "10 Cool Movies Nobody Saw..." :( But! there is always DVD. (EII is available for pre-sale at Amazon.)

Good news! Gotta love Mr. "Weekend Warior"! But maybe we can scrape some loose letters together and send him a new adjective! He's worn amazing out! And while your looking around on your desk for spare letters, can somebody spare me a new exclamation point?? ;)

honey.

HAPPY NEW YEAR DEAR FACULTY!!

WHITELING ~ What a brilliant drawing of Elijah!! :)

TG ~ Rather belated congratulations on your modship :) I will try to be good ;) I loved the screencaps you posted & I visited your website to have a look at the others - wonderful!! I really want to be more adventurous with my pics but I'm not sure what to get - are Paintshop & Photoshop the same, and if not, what is the difference? Recently in our local paper they were advertising courses on Photoshop which I think ran for something like 10 weeks & cost a heck of a lot of money - is it really that complicated? :eek:

The dragon passed like an express train, turned a somersault, and burst over Bywater with a deafening explosion.
That reference to an express train grates every single time I read the book. Very, very strange :confused:

BLOSSOM ~ I adore the pointy ears too!! Its like a little reminder that these are not exactly human beings. It is only occasionally in the films that we are reminded of the difference in height between humans & hobbits - I remember Elijah saying that sometimes he forgot and then would suddenly remember "Oh yes - we're meant to be small"!! The ears are a more frequent reminder - and there's something about them I just love. Here's a couple of my favourite pointy ear pics :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/ShirelingUK/081breecrop.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/ShirelingUK/FrodoandGaladriel.jpg

Ceefour ~Thanks for the info about Lij's fave movie of 2005 - I must look out for that one, its interesting to know what TOL has been watching :)

Belated happy new year to the Faculty. :) I hope your Christmas and New Year days were a blessing to you all and the people that you love.


tg: congrats!!!!!

Whiteling: Lovely. Lovely. Lovely. I've downloaded it, hope that's ok. I would like to share it with some friends in the corporeal world.

Thanks so much, Achila, Bunnie, Shireling and Prim for your nice words. :) Believe me, I am pleased to hear you like the newest sketch. Prim, of course you can download it, that's fine by me. The internet is a wonderful medium for sharing fan art with others (as long as every artist is credited).


Tg, I'm late in saying how very much I enjoyed your Shelob's Lair screencaps (not sure if "enjoy" is the correct term here :eek: ). Truly goose bumps-evoking and a great exercise likewise for Arachnophobics and Frodoholics *shudder* :p



ETA: Frodo's gift for the Professor's birthday was Supreme Old Tobey. As a little thank-you Tolkien shows the marvelling hobbit how to puff formidable smoke rings into the air.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/tolkien-smokerings.jpg

Happy Birthday, dear Professor Tolkien! :)

Whiteling, I love your picture for Tolkien's birthday! How sweet!

Yearend as it is, every film reviewer worth his salt is autopsying the 2005 film season. One pessimist (in my book, anyway) says that the lesson Hollywood is taking from the dismal 2005 summer season, is that every film needs to be an "event". This person further speculates that the films available in the multiplex in 2006 will be "BIG" ones, and the the 'lesser' character-driven films will be few and far between. Don't know about you all, but I hope he's very wrong; character-driven films seem to be the type that engage the passion of our favorite actor, and most often get me into a theater seat.

honey!

Well, actually EII was number four in the list of "10 Cool Movies Nobody Saw..." :( Oh. DUH. I guess that'll teach me to scroll through so fast looking for Elijah's name that I miss that sort of detail! ...Not. :p

That prediction about the future of films is bad news. :mad: I hope that it turns out to be just one person's opinion, and not the way things actually go! I don't go to many films, and I tend to avoid the ones that are "events", at least until I have some idea of whether it's actually worth going, or not. I'm hardly your average film-goer, though; I'd say a full 50% of the times I actually ventured into a theatre were Elijah-related. But, I don't see many films in the theatre.

Whiteling, I love your birthday picture for the Professor. And the sketch of Elijah as Elijah is wonderful. IMHO, the people making the LotR movie figures should have hired you instead of trying to digitize him :) . They said Elijah was the hardest one of the actors to "capture" on computer, and we discussed at the time that it was probably because there's so much of his "essence" that's just impossible to computerize. Whatever it is, you've once again shown that you can put it on paper. :cool:

I really want to be more adventurous with my pics but I'm not sure what to get - are Paintshop & Photoshop the same, and if not, what is the difference? Recently in our local paper they were advertising courses on Photoshop which I think ran for something like 10 weeks & cost a heck of a lot of money - is it really that complicated?
Whiteling and Mechtild can fill you in on Photoshop. If you want to do photomanips, it's probably the better of the two. You could do them with Paint Shop, but I think it would be harder to get the result to look seamless. (Or maybe I just tell myself that because I don't want to learn how to do it :rolleyes: .)

I got Paint Shop because it was less expensive and because someone I fall down and worship (when it comes to website-building :p ) recommended it. I was mostly looking for a program to make web graphics, and it's been very good for that - but so is Photoshop.

When I first got my new computer, I "forced" the compatibility wizard to accept my old photo editing program even though it was technically too old to use with XP, because it was the best program I'd found for "tweaking" screencaps (contrast, lighting, yada, yada...). But now that I've gotten used to Paint Shop, it's all I use for that, too.

My only problem with the program is that it's too much fun, so I end up spending way more time than I should playing around with it :rolleyes: . The special effects are the "killers" for that. I assume Photoshop can do the same kinds of things along that line, but I can't say for sure since I've never used it. You probably already know how to access the results of that "wasted time," but if not just go to the Guest Book page (http://www.frodolivesin.us/Pics/) (even though there's no longer a guest book :( ) and click on the picture of the hands. (They're "derivative works" so would be copyright infringement if I had them on an open site.) I've also gotten addicted to making tiling backgrounds -- have a second site with about 2000 of them :eek: available for download, as well as the ones on the Frodo site.

If you want to learn to be a web graphics design pro, I'm sure it would be worth it to take a 10-week course in Photoshop. The program can do a lot of things, most of which you'll probably never use if you just want to expand what you can do with your photos and have some fun with it. Paint Shop has some good user forums, and I imagine Photoshop does, too, if you want some help with it (although my guess would be that the Paint Shop forums are probably more friendly and less professional than the Photoshop ones, in general).

That reference to an express train grates every single time I read the book. Very, very strange :confused:
I put it down to Tolkien still being in a segue from The Hobbit to LotR. All through TH, he's in storyteller mode, and often uses modern comparisons for his "listeners," so the train fits in with that. And since it's at the very beginning of LotR, it's not quite as strange as it would be later on. I do wonder sometimes, though, why he never changed it (and never took out that sentient fox, which bugs me even more :rolleyes: -- Happy birthday, Professor, in all your contrariness. :) ).

from BunnieBugs
I'm hardly your average film-goer, though; I'd say a full 50% of the times I actually ventured into a theatre were Elijah-related.
Oh, me too. Absolutely. (Especially if you include 22 times for FotR, 10 for TTT, and 13 for RotK - and 3 for EII. :p )

Oh, me too. Absolutely. (Especially if you include 22 times for FotR, 10 for TTT, and 13 for RotK - and 3 for EII. :p )Oh, gosh, I only meant in this last year! If I were to count all the LOTR films in previous years, I'm sure the percentage would be MUCH higher! ;)

I don't know if it's been posted here, or not, but Dougie Brimson (http://brimson.net/)'s latest entry (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dougie.brimson/news.htm) pretty thoroughly lambasts Lexi Alexander and her monster ego, blaming her for all the things that are wrong with GSH (and there are many). It's too bad that it didn't turn out to be the sort of film that he thought it should be, but even so, I thought it was a pretty decent movie.

:o I would have forgotten to "toast" the Professor at 9 PM tonight if I hadn't stopped by The Faculty lounge! Thank you for I would not want to miss saying...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J.R.R. TOLKIEN!!

Oh, gosh, I only meant in this last year! If I were to count all the LOTR films in previous years, I'm sure the percentage would be MUCH higher! ;)

Oh, well, in that case, just yesterday I went to a non-EJW-related movie with a friend. First time since... err... a few years before FotR was released :confused: ?? That is, if you count movies attended for the main purpose of watching a new trailer as "EJW-related" ;) . I'm a very focused movie-goer, I guess, and hadn't gone to a movie in a theater for years until LotR came along.

I keep thinking I must have gone to another unrelated movie with this particular friend - the one who doesn't like Tolkien, I'm sure I've mentioned her :rolleyes: - over those years, but I can't think what it would have been. For one outing, I talked her into Spy Kids 3D, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Also Second-Hand Lions (for the trailer).

My movie-going over the last year would have been 4/5 with Elijah in them, or 80% (not counting the LotR viewings in Indianapolis :p ).

Of course, at the movie yesterday I spent most of the time imagining Elijah in one of the roles. :D

--------I'm sure this is why Hollywood doesn't worry too much about catering to my taste in movies. ;)

Of course, at the movie yesterday I spent most of the time imagining Elijah in one of the roles. :D

Which movie, TG? What role?

I did the same thing the other night when I watched Stand By Me with my adult kids; I kept imagining Elijah in the Wil Wheaton role. He could have done that crying scene ("My dad hates me!") with so much more subtlety than young Wil mustered. Too bad 'Lij was an obscure Iowa kindergartener at the time! ;) (Not that I don't like Wil, mind! He's my hubby's "hobby" actor. :))

All through the film I kept watching the young fellow who played Chris Chambers, thinking "who is this kid? He's good! Wonder if he's still acting?" Alas, poor River Phoenix. What a waste of a young life. :(

honey!

Alas, poor River Phoenix. What a waste of a young life. :(

honey!I was thinking the exact same thing just tonight, Honey! I watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with my daughter, and as much as I enjoy the opening sequence, it always makes me a little sad, now. :(

Which movie, TG? What role?
First, I have to point out that I'm not saying that Elijah could have played it any better (although if he worked on the singing he could give it a run for the money), but that doesn't mean I can't imagine him in it, does it? :p Anyway - Leo Bloom in The Producers. The whole physicality of the role is pure EJW material - even most of the dancing is really "physical acting" if you want to call it that. It's one of those "klutz" roles that demand a lot of physical ability. And totally fun and absolutely no subtlety involved :D . I mean, can't you just see Elijah hanging onto that blue blanket in a fit of "hysteria"? And he's exactly the right height. His first stage role, maybe? ;) (Now I want to go back and watch Gene Wilder in the original.)

But I have to say that I can't imagine anyone doing it better than Matthew Broderick. I loved every second that he was onscreen (and most of the ones when he wasn't). I'm grateful to my non-Tolkein-loving friend for picking a very good movie :) . Will Farrell and Uma Thurman singing? Who knew :D ?

Alas, poor River Phoenix. What a waste of a young life. :(
And one Elijah has mentioned more than once - including how talented he was.

Just dropping in for a couple of quick announcements:

The official website for EII lists February 28th as the release date, rather than March 21st. So, I guess Achila's original information was correct after all! :)

Also, for those of us that get the program, Elijah is slated to be on Conan O'Brien's show on January 16th. I wonder if he's promoting the above DVD?

Also, for those of us that get the program, Elijah is slated to be on Conan O'Brien's show on January 16th. I wonder if he's promoting the above DVD?

I just took a look The Late Night TV Page (http://www.interbridge.com/lineups.html#LS) and it seems that's a rerun (note the little "R" next to the date.):(

Another rerun: 'Lij is on Graham Norton on 1/7. It's an old episode from about the time of ESOTSM (IIRC), with another of my fave actors - John Malcovich. I think that's on BBC America.

ETA: Thanks TG, for the recommendation of "The Producers." I've been kind of avoiding it, because I generally dislike movies about theater types, but maybe I'll make hubby happy and go see it.

I just took a look The Late Night TV Page (http://www.interbridge.com/lineups.html#LS) and it seems that's a rerun (note the little "R" next to the date.):(

Aw, nutz! *sulks* Thanks for straightening that out, Honey!

:D .....but that doesn't mean I can't imagine him in it, does it? :p Anyway - Leo Bloom in The Producers. The whole physicality of the role is pure EJW material - even most of the dancing is really "physical acting" if you want to call it that. It's one of those "klutz" roles that demand a lot of physical ability. And totally fun and absolutely no subtlety involved :D . I mean, can't you just see Elijah hanging onto that blue blanket in a fit of "hysteria"? And he's exactly the right height. His first stage role, maybe? ;) (Now I want to go back and watch Gene Wilder in the original.)I am enjoying THINKING :D of EJW in this role. I would love to see it. I am a fan of the original movie - Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel. I figured if Mel Brooks could write and produce it I could laugh at this outrageously funny movie.I have seen the traveling stage play and enjoyed the addtional music particularly. Looing forward to seeing the movie version of the play version of the movie. :confused: So I love Tg's suggestion.

OT there was an interesting (IMO) article in THE NYTIMES about Maybe the Stars Have Gotten Small After All, speaking specifically of Orlando Bloom....here (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/movies/01waxm.html?pagewanted=print)
The fledgling actor's career quickly took hold as he gathered the accoutrements of Hollywood's star-making machinery. He was signed by International Creative Management in London, where he worked with Fiona McLoughlin, and in Beverly Hills, with Chris Andrews, both agents for young actors.
In time-honored fashion, Mr. Bloom's entourage grew as well. He hired a manager, Aleen Keshishian, whose management company, the Firm, had just acquired the apparatus and ambitions of the faltering Hollywood powerbroker Michael Ovitz. He also hired a publicist, Robin Baum, from the high-profile company PMK/HBH.
Led by its chairman, Jeff Kwatinetz, the Firm had eyes for creating big stars and was busy building up the careers of performers like Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube and Cameron Diaz. Mr. Kwatinetz saw Mr. Bloom as a prime candidate to grow into a $20 million player, especially when Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," in which Mr. Bloom played a supporting role with Johnny Depp, became a surprise hit.My question is....do you suppose TOL has an entourage as well????
saile

My question is....do you suppose TOL has an entourage as well????

Well, his publicist was at the Hooligans premiere after party (and a very pretty pit bull she was too! She really didn't want us anywhere near him!) And I spotted his agent, Nicole David, lurking nearby at ORC.

But as for "entourage" a la Prince or someone like that? I don't think so.

Hey TxTac! Now might be an appropriate time to post that picture of Lij carrying side a side table down the street! I have a feeling that some actor more full of himself, and less committed to having a "normal" life, would've had the thing delivered. ;)

No aspersions cast, or intended for young Mr. Bloom. All actors have to have people working for them.

honey!

It's been far too long since I've delurked here. Happy New Year to everyone, and Happy Belated Birthday to our dear Professor T!

Finally I have a little something to contribute to the thread. Here are a few photos of Hobbiton as it currently looks:

Looking from Bag End toward Hobbiton. The Party Tree is at left:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d87/goldenb/NZ%20LOTR%20sites/ffff40d1.jpg

The Hobbiton Pond. The village center and the Green Dragon were at the far end of the pond:
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d87/goldenb/NZ%20LOTR%20sites/c9c098cf.jpg
Bagshot Row, with Bag End at the top of the hill:
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d87/goldenb/NZ%20LOTR%20sites/27dedc73.jpg

We went to NZ at the end of November. Hobbiton was the first place we stopped after arriving at the Auckland airport and picking up our rental car. :p There is a wonderful tour agency that takes visitors out to the remote private pasture where the set was created. The area was, and is again, a working sheep farm, so sheep (and their, erm, byproducts ;) ) are everywhere.

I think I've been in a bit of a slump lately. No new Elwood projects or news; holiday madness; gloomy weather; but have been learning about Photoshop a little, and editing trip photos. Hope you enjoy these. :)

Just dropping in for a couple of quick announcements:

The official website for EII lists February 28th as the release date, rather than March 21st. So, I guess Achila's original information was correct after all! :)We like it! We like it! A month earlier is much appreciated. I wonder why that jumped around like that? Oh well.

I have to say that I'm very disappointed in Dougie Brimson, to a certain extent. Yes, I can well understand that the Hooligans script was his baby, but to now say, "Neener neener neener, I told you so," even if he's 100% correct (and maybe he is, maybe he isn't -- who knows?) is highly unprofessional and just not on. Besides, it's not like he can do anything about it at this point -- his whinging doesn't change it, so spewing vitriol now is pretty meaningless.


ETA -- Gorgeous pics, Goldenberry -- thanks for sharing!

Hi, Goldenberry! :k Good to see you, and thanks for the lovely pics. The Hill is still The Hill, just as it was the first time I saw a picture of it before FotR was released. Just as JRRT drew it. :) Nice to know it's still there.

After a visit to the discussion board at IMDb, I hope I don't get blamed if people see The Producers and hate it - but I guess there are always people at IMDb who hate something, no matter what it is. It seems that a lot of people hated The Producers because it's a... musical... :confused: (And I don't mean :confused: as in, "How could anyone hate a musical?" but, "Why would anyone who hates musicals go to one and then complain that that's what it was?")

Anyway, I will say loudly and clearly, if you don't like Broadway musical comedies, you won't like The Producers!! In fact, as a send-up of Broadway musical comedies it's even more extreme than most. Is the acting totally over the top? Yes!! Is the story completely stupid and implausible? Yes!! Are the characters ridiculous? Yes!! ...So? I had a great time watching it. Don't go expecting anything other than fun. And if you don't think musical comedies are fun, don't go at all. Okay? Have I fulfilled my obligation? :p People also complained that it was "stagey," but that's exactly why my friend and I loved it. Both of us had the same comment afterward: that it was filmed the way a successful play should be - as a play.

----------

I'm sorry, too, that Dougie Brimson didn't get the kind of movie he wanted out of GSH. But, although he says he understands it had to be aimed at the U.S. audience, I get the feeling he didn't want it to be. The film he gives as an example of how it should have been done, is his It's a Casual Life, which he calls a "hooligan cult favorite" or something to that effect. Not only something most Americans probably wouldn't have understood, but something that, IMVHO at least, sounds too positive about a lifestyle that has a very negative side to it. I'm not sure I'd want Elijah to star in a movie that gang members loved (on either side of the Atlantic).

Then there's the glaring omission of a mention of someone... the star, maybe? In Dougie's case, I don't think I'm going to try to fathom whether that omission was meant to be positive or negative.

Nice disclaimer, TG! :D Personally, I love musicals. I loved the first Producers film and will undoubtedly love the new one. I'm so pleased that they decided to capture Matthew's and Nathan's performances on film, as I never made it to NYC to see them on the stage! I'm looking forward to sneaking away one afternoon soon and enjoying the heck out of it.


I just put up an interesting picspam in my LJ from the German woman who was an extra on EII (she posted here exactly twice, I think, back when we were discussing how the film might turn out). There are many large photos, so rather than duplicate it here, I'll just point you thataway. Er... if you don't know which way "thataway" is, please PM me! ;)

A very belated Happy New Year to all the Faculty

Very nice drawing, Whiteling.

There is quite an extensive article about Bobby in today's Times, which is encouraging. Nothing much new, but our lad is mentioned a couple of times.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14931-1970097,00.html
The newspaper itself has the picture of Elijah with Lindsay Lohan.

ETA This is the first article I have seen that connects the woman Estevez met in the motel with Lindsay Lohan's character. For some reason I had assumed that the stories of the characters in the film (apart from Kennedy himself) would be fictional, but it appears that Elijah's and Lindsay's characters story at least is based on a true story.

Thanks, Brummie. :D


IMHO, the people making the LotR movie figures should have hired you instead of trying to digitize him . They said Elijah was the hardest one of the actors to "capture" on computer, and we discussed at the time that it was probably because there's so much of his "essence" that's just impossible to computerize.
:o Tg, really, you give me too much credit. But you are surely right in saying that Elijah's certain "something", or "essence" is hard to capture. My experience in drawing him several times now showed me that the key is to "read" him (maybe the way he does "read" people too), at least it does help me a lot. Drawing portraits is in any case closely connected to empathise with your model to a certain degree. The better the artist can "read" his model the better he will capture an essential trait of his model. I'm kind of glad that even very advanced computer technology isn't able to accomplish that in a completely satisfying way (not yet, that is).


I really want to be more adventurous with my pics but I'm not sure what to get - are Paintshop & Photoshop the same, and if not, what is the difference? Recently in our local paper they were advertising courses on Photoshop which I think ran for something like 10 weeks & cost a heck of a lot of money - is it really that complicated?
Tg has already pointed out the advantages of Paintshop. I don't know Paintshop, so I can only say some things on Photoshop (but judging from Tg's highly interesting Paintshop results, I assume it is a pretty effective programme. :))
Photoshop is rather complex than complicated, and it is the complexity which makes it so valuable - but OTOH you *have* to know some things in order to apply them and get the wanted result. I know, the courses are quite expensive, but certainly very useful. Alternative, you could buy a compendium on Photoshop (which will probably cost a heck of a lot of money, too :eek:; but you needn't to have the newest version, so you can try to buy it used) or make use of the internet forums (which I've never visited, but I know they exist).
I use Photoshop Elements, that is a simplyfied version of the programme, but sufficient for an "average" user. It provides all effects and tools you need to edit pictures, or making photo manips. Either way, I think, it always takes a good deal of time and exercise to find out all the possibilities of an image software... I'm still learning it - quite obvious - by doing (which has bestowed you all the Frodo manips lately :p). But be warned - it can be pretty addictive. But I guess that is irrespective of the programme you will use ;).


Goldenberry, thanks for the lovely NZ pictures! :)

Off to research Bunnie's LJ and the Times article...

Another rerun: 'Lij is on Graham Norton on 1/7. It's an old episode from about the time of ESOTSM (IIRC), with another of my fave actors - John Malcovich. I think that's on BBC America.Where did you find this listed, honey? I've been searching madly but none of the usual suspects seem to have it on their schedules. Thanks.

Achilla, I found the Graham Norton re-run because I have Elijah "wish listed" ;) on my TiVo. It was supposed to run on January 7th, but apparently it got rescheduled to last night. And then our lovely new TiVo failed to make the channel change and I got some stoopid episode of "Bridezillas" or something! :mad: So I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't be very helpful! Skatergirl was lovely enough to send me a DVD of this Graham Norton NY epi some last summer, though; maybe she can send you one as well? I was really hoping I could capture it on my TiVo so I could write DVDs of it for anyone so lacking. :(

Whiteling, what you say about the necessity of the artist "reading" her subject is very interesting. My daughter is in her first year at Academy of Art on an 'Illustration' track, and one of her first classes was "Acting for the Artist." They had to research, write, and perform little scenes with the other students, and monologues. All neccessary for capturing that "essence" of any being, whether real or imaginary.

honey!

Achilla, I found the Graham Norton re-run because I have Elijah "wish listed" ;) on my TiVo. It was supposed to run on January 7th, but apparently it got rescheduled to last night. And then our lovely new TiVo failed to make the channel change and I got some stoopid episode of "Bridezillas" or something! :mad: So I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't be very helpful! Skatergirl was lovely enough to send me a DVD of this Graham Norton NY epi some last summer, though; maybe she can send you one as well? I was really hoping I could capture it on my TiVo so I could write DVDs of it for anyone so lacking. :( Not to worry. I already have it on my computer -- I don't even remember where I downloaded it from -- but it was only Elijah's bit. It ends when John Malkovich comes out, and I had wanted to see the rest of it.

The DVD Skatergirl sent me had the bit after JM comes on, and there is a bit of interaction between the two of them, which is fun because they are both very intelligent men.

And there's a cute bit where Graham reads out embarrassing moments, and the "owner" has to claim them. When GN reads about 3 year-old Elijah peeing his pants at a costume party Elijah doesn't initially recognize it as his own story, and gets caught having sort of a "Mikey" moment. It's pretty funny.

I just put up an interesting picspam in my LJ ....... I'll just point you thataway.Awesome Bunnie :k Interesting captions with the photos too. Do you think sad and pensive is EJW staying in character?

whiteling, your ability to capture EJW is amazing and eludes most that I've seen. Thanks :k

Goldie so good to see you here. And NZ in spring must be magic. Love your photos. :k

I do have to rave about the Complete Recordings of LotR FotR. In addition to the music that has moved me so, the accompanying booklet provides insight into themes. For example
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/billiep/shore2.jpg
Very exciting. If this violates copyright law, someone let me know. I thought it would only increase interest in this, but what do I know. :eek:
saile

saile - If you picked any two lawyers at random, they could spend hours arguing about whether that violates copyright law :rolleyes: ? (I lurk on a forum that discusses it quite a bit.) IMVVVH-and nonlawyerly-O, it wouldn't because you've only posted two pages out of a larger booklet, so people would still have to buy the recordings to get most of the content. If Howard Shore or NewLine lets us know that they disagree, we can take it down.

Saile- thank you so much for posting that scan! Its definately piqued my interest in buying that. Fascinating stuff! :)

Whiteling- what a fantastic drawing of Elijah! I envy anyone who can draw faces at all, let alone recognisable ones and you have even captured that certain spark that Elijah has. :cool:

Bunnie- I visit your LJ regularly- its a treasure trove of EW stuff. The recent EII picspam is a great treat as I wait impatiently for the DVD (due in March for the U.K. I think ) The film never did appear anywhere near me. :(

The Complete Soundtrack is definitely something to rave--and swoon-- over. It's been the only music playing in my car since its release last month (except for a short break to play Messiah the week before Christmas).

http://www.lordoftherings-soundtrack.com

Merry and Pippin's drinking song in The Green Dragon (lyrics below) is included, as are Gandalf and Bilbo singing "The Road Goes Ever On," the Party song, and Aragorn's "Lay of Luthien." Everything is on these CDs including, at last, the music for The Turn.

C4

Merry and Pippin's drinking song in The Green Dragon (lyrics below) is included, as are Gandalf and Bilbo singing "The Road Goes Ever On," the Party song, and Aragorn's "Lay of Luthien." Everything is on these CDs including, at last, the music for The Turn.And my particular favorite, The Passing of the Elves. I almost melted over that one!

And my particular favorite, The Passing of the Elves. I almost melted over that one!
I was so happy when I saw that scene in the extended DVD. I thought Peter really got it right - the procession of glowing elves singing A Elbereth Gilthoniel ... That's one of my favorite parts of the book.

I didn't know if this link was good but wanted to share this -- if anyone has any idea what he's talking about, you get a gold star...here's our little music fan in his element...from a blog called "House Is A Feeling" --



Thursday, January 05, 2006
Elijah's Year in Dance

While on vacation over the holidays, a relative dragged us to an unnamed indie rock concert. We remained planted against the back wall until we noticed a Musik Krause logo on the chest of one of the smaller attendees. Suddenly alert, we approached the youngster, figuring he might speak the same language as us. The youngster turned out to be a man -- Elijah Wood, famous actor and voracious music fan, who claimed to be "enamored with dance music" of late. Later that night, he was gracious enough to sit down with us and discuss some of his favorite dance tracks of 2005.


"I would have to start with something off the Isolée album. That's just tremendous stuff, really dense and tight with a lot of little details. They're like the Boards of Canada of dance music because you know it's them right off the bat and they have a distinct sound that nobody else has. I guess I'll go with "Schrapnell." There's something very pure and honest about it and it sort of reminds me of the Von Bondies or screwed and chopped Gas Huffer.

One of the songs later on in the Kelley Polar album, which I think is really amazing and heartfelt. "Black Hole" -- I think that's the one. He has a precious indie voice but it doesn't bug me, you know? It's not annoying, like Postal Service. I swear to god I will strangle the next person who plays that garbage in front of me [clenches fists]! And it sure as hell is not like Sean Lennon. Now I love the Beatles, and I love John Lennon, and even some of Julian's stuff -- and come on, some of Yoko's stuff is bananas -- but I'm certain Sean must've heard the Langley Schools stuff before making that Grand Royal album. He ruined Grand Royal for me. I can't even listen to Luscious Jackson because of him. So, yeah, anyway, where was I? I have to mention Kelley Polar.

And while we're talking about Kelley Polar, I have to mention Metro Area. Not many people got into the EP they put out this year, but I like it a whole lot. I think it's called "Honey Circuit." It's kind of quirky for them, but it's not like "Caught Up."

The Field, "Love vs. Distance," on Kompakt -- my new favorite label! This is so much more euphoric and exciting than that MFA track that everyone put in their year-end lists instead of this. Come on, people -- that MFA track is so wack, and it didn't even come out in 2005, and it's like this one old Moose song with a dance beat underneath it! Moose! "Love vs. Distance" is like the best Seefeel track ever being shot through the huge marshmallowy clouds!

Bringing up "I Feel Space" by Lindstrøm might be pretty obvious at this point but I can't deny that I must have played it a hundred times. [Checks.] Yep! It's my second most-played song after Kevin Ayers' "Stranger in Blue Shoes"! What's funny is that "I Feel Space" is basically a fast instrumental remix of this one song off a Mike Oldfield album from the late 1970s that Jeff Goldblum gave me while shooting Chain of Fools.

Jan Jelinek's not really dance, at least not the album he put out this year. It makes me think of a Black Forest Tortoise. There's a weird kinda-dance track with "disco" somewhere in the title, so I'll go with that one, whatever it is. I was playing it in my trailer the other day and Nick Cannon came in while scratching his n*ts and said, "What the f* is this -- crazy cracker computer s*?" Then he ran out.

For some reason that's all I can think about right now! Sorry! I've also been playing the hell out of this CDR of Sa-Ra Creative Partners that Woebot sent me. That's not really dance in the sense that we're talking about but I was playing it the other night for some friends and we were all getting down -- well, if you could call it that. They're so weird and out there. Laurence Fishburne told me it was alright and that what I really needed was this song by a group called Kleeer titled something like "Taste the Music." I don't know. I'll probably pick it up when I can, or get it off Soulseek."

I think I got all the *bleeps* out of it but if I missed any, I apologize in advance. I find it sort of interesting that he name dropped a bit more here than he usually does.

Dude. Just... dude.

Lookit, there, you made me go all incoherent and fangirly. :o I could read/listen to stuff like that all day! I just love when he goes all enthusiastic like that, even if I have no idea what/who he's talking about! But I love that I agree with him on a few things (Postal Service - bleh! But, Beatles, John and Julian Lennon - yay!), because I don't always like what he likes.

Nick Cannon came in while scratching his n*ts Really, Elwood -- did we need that little detail? Hee! Well, maybe we really did. :haha:

Thanks for that, Achila -- you made my morning. :k BTW, could you PM me with the link? I'd love to share this on my LJ, if no one has posted it, yet.

Dude. Just... dude.

Lookit, there, you made me go all incoherent and fangirly. :o I could read/listen to stuff like that all day!Right?! I agree. Being a music whore myself, even if it's not for this kind of music, I just love the spirit of this. To me, it sounds like me talking -- you don't want to get *me* started about my favorite music.

I just love when he goes all enthusiastic like that, even if I have no idea what/who he's talking about! But I love that I agree with him on a few things (Postal Service - bleh! But, Beatles, John and Julian Lennon - yay!), because I don't always like what he likes.No, neither do I, although we both love Pink Floyd!

Thanks for that, Achila -- you made my morning. :k BTW, could you PM me with the link? I'd love to share this on my LJ, if no one has posted it, yet.It was posted on elijah_daily, I think, but I'll send you the link nevertheless. :k

Hey, he mentioned one disc I own! -- Chain of Fools! And he even named one group that I've heard of! -- The Beatles! :lol:

Other than that... :confused: Doesn't matter, though. I think geeks understand other geeks even if they're geeky about different things. Even the part about how the author of the article went over to Elijah because of the t-shirt he was wearing - I've done the same thing because of a book someone was reading or carrying. And finding someone who actually understands everything you want to share (and will sit there and listen to it) is a rare, wonderful experience! I'll allow TOL a little name-dropping in the midst of such excitement. :D

Whiteling - You've done it again, with your wonderful drawing of Elijah! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. :k

Goldenberry - Nice to see you. Lovely pics of Hobbiton. Your Frodo-doll looks ever-so-slightly tipsy! Are you sure he hadn't been in The Green Dragon? :)

Saile and Ceefour - The Complete Recordings of FOTR are rave-worthy. The whole package is beautiful, and the accompanying booklet is so informative and interesting. And there's that lovely picture of Frodo to greet you when you open the case!

Honey - I also enjoyed Elijah's 'embarrassing moment' on the New York Graham Norton show. His expression when he realized that GH was talking about him was priceless!

Bunnie - Thanks for the behind-the-scenes EII picscam. How lovely that EW asked to have his picture taken with 'Mother Theresa.'

Quicksilver You and I will wait impatiently together for the - hopefully - March release of the EII DVD. I didn't get to see the film on the big screen, either! But in the meantime, I'll wish you:

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (http://www.imag.us/x/blossom/Quicksilver.gif)

Have a lovely day!

Shireling , Shelbyshire and Tg - Thanks for the pointy-eared Frodo pics! :)

Right?! I agree. Being a music whore myself, even if it's not for this kind of music, I just love the spirit of this. To me, it sounds like me talking -- you don't want to get *me* started about my favorite music.I LOVE this article Achila thanks :k . And I love your quote above as well! :cool: Life is better with music for sure! :D
saile

Happy Birthday, Quicksilver! :k :k :k

Elijah wants to serenade you, but he's forgotten what key "Happy Birthday" is in! How embarrassing! ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/honeyelf/240144.jpg

Achila, I loved that article. It's so fun to read him geeking out about music. Have NO idea what any of that music is that he's talking about though! :D

honey!

MMMh - lovely picture, Honey and another wonderful gif from Blossom! :k
Splendid!


~ In 1643, the first Mercury (aka quicksilver) barometer was devised by Evangelista, er, Elijah Torricelli, a student of Galileo Galilei. ~

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/Frodomanips/Elijah_Torricelli.jpg

Dunno, that face looks strangely familiar to me. :D

Happy Birthday, Quicksilver! :)


Achila, thanks for that geeky music snippet. I, too, have not the faintest idea what he is talking about, but I guess that isn't the point. :p

TG ~ thank you for the info re Paint/Photoshop - I have carefully saved this as it will be very valuable when I actually get round to doing something about this :)

Bunnie ~ thanks for the article about Lij & his dance music - don't know what he's on about but I love the passion he has for his music. I'm sure his tastes and mine are worlds apart - but I do understand what its like to feel that passionate about music you love - and the knowledge he has on the subject is quite amazing!!

My husband found another short piece in the MOJO magazine about Lij and his music - see below:

"The Best Thing I've Heard All Year
Elijah Wood : Bambi-eyed actor and Mojo reader

'Sons and Daughters - The Repulsion Box. Its embarrassing but I found out about it in the Playlist in Mojo. I believe the track was Ramalama and your description made it sound so f*ing awesome. It evokes old Americana and its got a lot of energy but doesn't necessarily sound like anything else from the Glasgow music scene. Another record I like from this year is Langhorne Slim's When the Sun's Gone Down (Narnack) - he's just a great songwriter. The last song on the record, I Love to Dance, sounds like a f*ing classic. It's almost like Van Morrison, but with a banjo, and I tend to love anything with a banjo.

For ages I was looking for a version of that old '50s tune, Tonight You Belong To Me, that Steve Martin sings in The Jerk and I found a version from 1956 by Patience and Prudence, these two girls who recorded for Liberty Records in the '50s and they were just 11 and 14! You'll love it.'

See the miniature Mojo fan in EII in cinemas now."

And I am actually old enough to remember that Patience and Prudence song :o

HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUICKSILVER!!

Happy Birthday, Quicksilver!

Achila. pelagia and I had our own Elwoodstock yesterday and watched The Bumblebee Flies Anyway and some goodies from the Region 2 DVD of The Faculty, some slightly strange Japanese TV snippets from the time of ROTK, and NZ TV Oscar coverage from FOTR.

Mr. ceefour took Young Master and Miss ceefour out for the afternoon.

C4 to Mr. C4--"Are you taking the children to Hooligans--I mean--Houlihan's for dinner?" ;)

A tiny bit OT, but since we were discussing it before, here's a link to the soundtrack website -- http://www.lordoftherings-soundtrack.com/ -- you can download a .pdf of the annotated score, which contains lyrics to all the songs sung on the soundtrack.

I should stop in quickly to say Happy New Year to all my lovely Faculty sisters...and Happy Birthday to all I've missed.
Right now it's Quicksilver...Happy Birthday!!!!!

Whiteling, your drawings are always so amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. :k

Shireling, thanks for the Mojo bit. :cool: I still intend to be checking out Sons and Daughters. They were here in town not long ago and I totally missed them. But perhaps I should listen to some of the music before I just run on down to a live show.


Good to see you again, Linwe, and Goldenberry (great pictures!!) :k

And long ago Ezzie dropped in and left me a message. If you happen to still be lurking here I am waving frantically *hi Ezzie!* :k

Saile, thanks for giving us a peep at the complete works and all ;)

HoneyElf!!! *waves* love the photo!!

I've been struggling with my computer lately. I think we are becoming intimate. I'm learning it's inner workings and it is being contrary. It gives...a dn it balks...*sigh* I hope I am becoming smarter for it.

But I do try to keep up, if only just lurking. Best wishes to you all!!
Alyon

"Thank you's" are in order to Alyon, ceefour, shireling, whiteling; (LOL at the manip- he certainly makes my pressure rise! ;) ),honeyelf; EW looks right at home with that guitar, :cool: and blossom; of all his films nothing makes me catch my breath like his portrayal of Frodo. Yummy .gif !

Achila, although I must admit total ignorance of most of the singers/groups Elijah mentioned, it is great to catch his passion for music in that write up. :)

Happy Birthday, Ereshkigal!

C4

Look who waddled in to wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Erishkigal! :k :k :k
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/honeyelf/young_mumble.jpg

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERESHKIGAL!

And from Elijah... (http://www.imag.us/x/blossom/Ereshkigal.gif)

Honey - Aaawww! Mumbles is sooooo cute! :)

Honey - Aaawww! Mumbles is sooooo cute! :)
Aaaww yes!! And the .gif with Elijah laughing is very sweet, too! :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/young_mumble.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/Hey.jpg


Happy Birthday, Ereshkigal! from these two brothers... cousins... or something - and me, of course! :)

Thanks so much for the birthday wishes C4, Blossom, Whiteling and Honey. I definitely right-clicked-saved the gif--very cute.

I've had a quiet day since my oldest daughter and I just returned from a ski trip in West Virginia last night. We had a wonderful trip--the weather was just perfect. I've really been bitten by the ski bug and am already planning another little trip in February. I hope it's considered brave of me to take up such a sport in my 40s (45 today, to be precise). Or is "brave" spelled "f-o-o-l-i-s-h"? At any rate, I'm a very careful skier and rarely fall--although hardly anything else on my body works like it used to, I still have good balance as long as I don't think about falling.

I loved the article with Elijah geeking out about music. My tastes are varied, but I tend to like one band at a time. I listen mainly to rock/punk/metal right now, bands like Good Charlotte and Wheezer and Linkin Park and my long time favorites Nirvana and Pearl Jam, but my absolute favorite is Green Day. When I talk about this band, people's eyes glaze over, so I think I'm a bit of a geek for them.

Or a learner, for a better term. I took a spiritual gifts test this weekend as part of the ski trip and scored perfect on both learner and teacher. A common pitfall for both gifts is that the owner tends to talk a bit more about these topics than "ordinary" people would find interesting.

Of course, none of us here is ordinary. And I think that's a badge of honor.

Cheers, everyone.

Happy Birthday to Ereshkigal and a Happy Belated Birthday to Quicksilver I brought you guys a little something -- I hope you don't mind sharing it:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/aquila0212/hooligans05.jpg

Here's a cool coincidence I thought you might appreciate -- over the weekend, Pelagia, ceefour and I watched a DVD called "The Directors: Barry Levinson". I had rented it thinking it might show some interesting behind-the-scenes stuff from Avalon. It actually had segments about all of Barry Levinson's films, including one called "Sleepers", about a group of young boys who were harassed by a priest, growing up in Hell's Kitchen (remember it? Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt and Robert DeNiro were in it).

Anyway, one of the young boys looked very familiar, and I thought it was the same actor who played Anna Paquin's boyfriend in "A Walk On the Moon" (which is also coincidental since it starred both Viggo and Liev). I checked on IMDB and it was indeed the same guy. Guess who it was?

Joseph Perrino, who was Mazzo in "The Bumblebee Flies Anyway". And we just happened to have watched that Saturday too, without even realizing it was the same person.

So of course, the coincidence is that Joe Perrino and Elijah both made films with Barry Levinson, Viggo and Liev Schreiber -- and each other! :cool:

I just love these weird little pieces of trivia -- in fact, here's another -- Elijah has been in three films *if you count LOTR as one film* with an actor named Orlando -- Orli, Orlando Jones (Chain of Fools) and Orlando Seale (Bobby). This is far from a common name too.

Oh, no! I missed Quicksilver's birthday! And Ereshkigel's!

http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/2e8864c0.jpg

I need more light so I can see my calendar better!

http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/2e91ef30.jpg

Some more...

http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/2eaa2680.jpg

Still not enough...

http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/2ed864c0.jpg

Ehhh...

http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/2eebd880.jpg

Blew a #$%*# fuse!

http://www.frodolivesin.us/picsfrodo/2ec965c0.jpg

Hope both birthdays were great!

----------

But I'm in time for Viola's!

http://www.frodolivesin.us/Pics/11ffcb60.jpg

An ulterior motive in choosing that particular pic -- I finally got the nerve to post a few of my Elijah "effects shots" at the PaintShop site, and this was one of them. So far only one comment, from a site regular who said it looked "blurry." Now, I've always considered that one to be a work of art! Blurry? I said, "Yeah, it's supposed to be." Oh, well...

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

Whiteling - What an uncanny resemblance between those two... uh, relatives! :haha: And I'll add another awwwww for Mumble -- thanks for posting that, Honey.

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

Achila - Great trivia! Of course, with Elijah and Kevin Bacon involved, there had to be some connections. ;) Speaking of which, ever since I saw The Producers, I've been wondering if there's an Elijah/Mel Brooks "six degrees" connection lurking somewhere - Well, I'm sure there is one (or more); I just haven't figured it out. Anyone else come up with one?

-----------

Or a learner, for a better term. I took a spiritual gifts test this weekend as part of the ski trip and scored perfect on both learner and teacher. A common pitfall for both gifts is that the owner tends to talk a bit more about these topics than "ordinary" people would find interesting.

The definition I have on my site for "geeks" is "people who are passionately interested in a particular subject to which normal people pay little or no attention." (Followed, of course, by Elijah's statement that geeks are "generally the most interesting people." :k )

Speaking of which, ever since I saw The Producers, I've been wondering if there's an Elijah/Mel Brooks "six degrees" connection lurking somewhere - Well, I'm sure there is one (or more); I just haven't figured it out. Anyone else come up with one? Here's one, TG, off the top of my head --

Young Frankenstein (directed by Mel Brooks) starred Terri Garr.
Terri Garr was in "Oh, God!" with John Denver
John Denver was in "Higher Ground" with John Rhys-Davies and

JRD was (of course) in LOTR with Lij.


BTW, I love that "blurred one", TG -- just great!

Lots of stuff I should be doing, but here I am... :rolleyes:

With help from IMDB--

Mel Brooks -The Producers-Zero Mostel
Zero Mostel-The Front-Woody Allen
Woody Allen-Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* But Were Afraid To Ask-Lou Jacobi
Lou Jacobi-Avalon-Elijah Wood

C4

And another-

Mel Brooks-Robin Hood:Men in Tights-Roger Rees
Roger Rees-The Bumblebee Flies Anyway-Elijah Wood

And Joseph Perrino was in Homicide:Life on the Street in Season 5,the same season as EW, but in a later episode.

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Achila and TG.

Cool photoshopping, TG, as well.

And yes, I totally agree that geeks are the most interesting people. In fact, when my youngest daughter came home in tears because someone called her a geek at school, I told her to take it as a compliment, reminded her that Elijah Wood (on whom she has an enormous crush) is a geek, and gave her $5.00. Being a geek pays, I was trying to say (and I also showed her a picture of Bill Gates).

Next time someone called her a geek? She said, "thanks for the compliment."

Just dropping by to deliver:

A MESSAGE FROM YOUNG MR. BAGGINS TO MISS TOOK! (http://www.imag.us/x/blossom/Viola.gif)

HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A LOVELY DAY, VIOLA!

Don't know if you guys saw this -- once again, Contact Music has totally misconstrued something and seems to be attempting to start trouble where there isn't any --



IGGY POP REFUSES TO TAKE PART IN BIOPIC


IGGY POP is refusing to have anything to do with his biopic after learning LORD OF THE RINGS star ELIJAH WOOD is to play him in the project.

The punk icon has nothing against the actor, but he thinks it would be a terrible idea to get involved in his own movie life story.

He says, "The script ain't chopped liver... It was a work of art. But subjectively, I don't want to be involved in any way.

"A producer and the writer sent me a very decent letter, and asked me to write back if I didn't want them to do it... I don't feel negative about it at all."

Iggy Pop admits that, like many, he was "curious" about the casting of Wood.

He adds, "I don't really know about him... I saw him on TV the other day, and he seems like a very poised and talented actor."


That first line is not what Iggy said at all! :mad:

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says:

Main Entry: geek
Pronunciation: 'gEk
Function: noun
Etymology: probably from English dialect geek, geck fool, from Low German geck, from Middle Low German
1 : a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake :eek:

2 : a person often of an intellectual bent who is disapproved of
- geeky /'gE-kE/ adjective

Ugh - I very much hope that my esteemed fellow geeks in here don't rank among definition #1! :rolleyes: :p


Tg, I *loved* your "Fuse of Galadriel" and "blurry" Huck Finn! :)

Happy belated birthday, VIOLA! :)

Blossom, lavender Frodo makes a beautiful gif . :)

Look! they finally figured out how bees fly!

http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/060110_bee_fight.html

;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Viola Took! :k :k :k

Am I late?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/honeyelf/ubergeek.jpg

Chattergise, interesting news about the bumble bee! I'll refrain from making political commentary! But geeky indeed, and so fits with the recent topic of conversation perfectly! ;)

Ladies, I'm afraid I bring a bit of tragic news. It's true I'm afraid. It appears that the general movie going public are a bunch of Philistines! "Revenge of the Sith" won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie and Favorite Movie Drama! (http://www.nynewsday.com/news/env-peopleschoice10jan10,0,7997733.story?coll=nyc-manheadlines-movies) How depressing is that? Well, maybe a little more depressing for me, because I'm still kicking myself that I didn't have the courage to ask Elijah what he thought of the final Star Wars installment when we were both at that GSH premiere party! Had I done, I'm sure we'd have looked up to see the lights coming on, and Ms. Pamela Racine tapping her foot many hours later! ;)

And lastly, I apologized to anyone who got spammed because of my inexpert handling of the facultylounge Yahoo! user group. The offending message has been deleted, and the mod controls adjusted so that it won't happen again.

honey!

As Achila was kind enough to lend me her copy of Sin City, I have been researching the extras. I'm not so sure the screen cap of Marv and Kevin (when the nose looked wrong for EW) is EW. The DVD has the entire movie in 10 minutes as shot on set with green screen. This is what I was watching rather than the movie, so the picture is brighter.
In the shot questioned, the camera is on MR for a take of Marv's dialogue, so only the back of Kevin's head is seen and the hair doesn't look like EW's. It looks like a longish crew cut and the hair is rougher and bristle-y. This could be EW's stand-in for takes with Mickey Rourke. The two actors didn't meet until the premiere, right?

There isn't anything in EW's other charcters' expressions that look like Kevin. Other characters have been still and watchful, but Kevin is different. "Creepy" was used frequently when the movie was released, but it's more than just creepy. I'll need to get my thesaurus!

C-don't forget Lost starts at 8 PM EST tonight with 2 new episodes!-4

I figured there'd be some Mel Brooks connections out there. :p

Achila -- I'll join in your :mad: . Those were really very nice comments from Iggy, and hearing that Elijah was cast as him certainly didn't seem to turn him against the project. But how many people just read the headlines :rolleyes: ?

For myself, I feel a lot better about the project after reading Iggy's comments about both the script and Elijah.

Whiteling -- you mean when a few Faculty members get together in Europe you don't bite the heads off of some chickens? :eek: :haha:

--And Honey must have found that pic in the dictionary next to the second definition. :haha:

Blossom, you're getting way techie with the gifs. :) Were you using some kind of image slicing in the latest one?

Hi, chattegrise - Yeah, the "bumblebees shouldn't be able to fly" thing was shown to be an old wives' tale some time ago. It's only true when they're compared to bigger objects (like us ;) ), which doesn't work when you're talking about physics. I'll give some slack to the book of The Bumblebee Flies Anyway, because it was written in the early 1980's and because the character who makes the statement (Cassie, in the book) wouldn't be expected to know a lot about science. By the time the movie was made, a scientific researcher (who makes the statement in the movie) should have known better. But the movie has worse scientific problems than that one :rolleyes: - I like the movie, but I have to keep a "willing suspension of disbelief" active throughout when it comes to the science/medicine involved. :)

tg, a "willing suspension of disbelief" is definitely necessary. The nursing care shown in The Bumblebee Flies Anyway was poor, if not negligent. The shot of Barney, sedated, being wheeled down the hallway with the siderails of his stretcher down was one instance. The abysmal technique of the attendants transferring Mazzo from the bed to the litter was another.

However, the film makers would cleverly insert a close-up of EW after one of these goofs, thereby causing all critical thinking to stop. :haha:

C4, R.N.

Blossom, you're getting way techie with the gifs. Were you using some kind of image slicing in the latest one?

Tg - For Viola's gif I used an image transition called 'sliding boxes,' at the end of the 'loop.' It's fun trying out the different effects with Animation Shop 3, (which came included with my version of Jasc Paint Shop Pro) though it doesn't really call for any special technical ability on my part. You simply click on the effect you want to use, and hey presto - there it is!

Btw, thanks for the Shelob's Lair caps on frodolivesin.us. I spent a couple of angsty hours with Frodo a few days ago! And he's still in there. Poor love! :)

Achila - Thanks for the Iggy Pop quote. As you say, the opening line is totally misleading to anyone who merely glances at the article. Iggy himself seems impressed with the script, and not exactly adverse to Elijah's participation. Personally, after reading more on the subject, and given the nature of the material ( :eek: ) that may be included in this music biopic, I'm fairly sure I'll give this one a miss - though it will be interesting to discover whether TOL can actually sing! :)

Sin City is #12 on the Critics' Top Ten site!

C-Oh no, Charlie!-4

for a Golden Groundhog Award! This is an award for the Best Underground Movie of 2005 --

To be eligible for a Golden Groundhog, a film must meet three criteria: the film must have been released during the previous year, grossed less than $1 million at the U.S. box office, and received rave reviews from the limited audiences who watched the film. For 2005 there are five nominees for the Golden Groundhog:

Green Street Hooligans is the story of a wrongfully expelled Harvard student (Elijah Wood) who moves to London and falls in with a violent group of football (soccer) hooligans. With visuals reminiscent of Fight Club, deeply engaging characters, and a satisfying conclusion, Green Street Hooligans is a film richly deserving of a Golden Groundhog. U.S. Box Office: $344,000.

Mirrormask takes us on a stunning visual journey as Helena, a 15 year old circus performer, finds herself in an alternate universe torn by an epic battle between good and evil. The movie, brought to us by the Jim Henson company, has an original plot set against the familiarly fantastic settings of Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, and is a worthy nominee for a Golden Groundhog. U.S. Box Office: $865,000.

Nine Lives is an engaging glimpse into the personal stories of nine very different women, portrayed by an all-star cast including Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Sissy Spacek, and Robyn Wright Penn. Each woman's story is individually gripping, but as the episodic narration unfolds, the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. U.S. Box Office: $347,000.

Sunnyvale is an often offensive but thoroughly hilarious comedy centering around a porn-watching, food-obsessed loner whose life is changed when a slightly lost (but insanely attractive) pot delivery girl (April Wade) decides to "improve" him. Although viciously funny, Sunnyvale also manages to deliver intricate character development and great production values on a budget of under $100,000. U.S. Box Office: $0.

Up For Grabs is the absurd and humorous true story about the legal battle over possession of Barry Bonds' record setting 73rd home run - a memento valued at over $1 million. This engaging documentary showcases a real life drama that is a dark reflection of O'Henry's classic "The Gift of The Magi" set against a background of baseball. U.S. Box Office: $1,880

The awards are being hosted by William Shatner and will take place on Feb 2 (*hehe -- Groundhog Day)

Hi, folks! I've been away for a while but have returned. I did a quick scroll back and gazed at the pics, anyway. :)

Whiteling, that was a superb drawing of EW, a worthy addition to your portfolio. Your draftsmanship amazes me. Bravo! Thanks so much for sharing your work with us. :k

I mean this drawing: http://www.khazaddum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=315185&postcount=134

~ Mechtild

Remember this? I nosed around on IMDB's message board, looking to see what was going on with this film (especially since Elijah's not even on the cast list) -- and IF what's posted there is to be believed, his appearance in the 8th arrondissement has already been filmed. It's a vampire story, that was filmed in black and white. :cool: Apparently, the director Wes Craven is in this segment as well.

It's a vampire story, that was filmed in black and white. :cool:

I think I saw that movie; it was called Basin City J'taime! ;)

I think I saw that movie; it was called Basin City J'taime! ;)Hehe -- someone on the message board made a similar comment.

It's a vampire story, that was filmed in black and white. :cool: Oooh, Elijah in black and white. *savors the idea* And, by "black and white", I mean "grey and white", because while Sin City was b&w, it was dark enough to obscure his face much of the time. Which is how it should be for that sort of thing. But, if this is more traditional b&w photography, it (and he) should be lovely.

But, anyway, it will be interesting to see if the rumor about his segment (if he's even in it at all) is true.

But, anyway, it will be interesting to see if the rumor about his segment (if he's even in it at all) is true.Actually, I'm inclined to believe it, since two people provided those cpmments, both of which appeared to have seen the finished print.

cristiel has posted an article with her translation to her LJ. She asks that people not quote from it but use a link, but since I can't link it from here I will say that Elijah's asked if he is deliberately avoiding large productions like LOTR and he replies that, much as he enjoyed LOTR, he is now trying to "concentrate on making smaller and more intimate movies. They also don’t take that much time to do."

Just thought I'd add that to the ongoing, "Does EW have a strategy or not?" discussion. :D

He also disses Hollywood for its greed and for making bad movies. :p And says, "I only want to take roles where I really believe in. And if that means that I’m stuck with small, independent films that nobody’s interested in for the rest of my life, than I can live with that."

And he gives his mother credit for why he didn't go the Macauley Culkin route. :)

Sheryl

And says, "I only want to take roles where I really believe in. And if that means that I’m stuck with small, independent films that nobody’s interested in for the rest of my life, than I can live with that."Aw, Elwood... *cuddles him* You'll always have a core fandom that is interested and will go to great lengths to see anything and everything that you ever do.

While it makes me sad that sometimes his films are incredibly difficult to see (as in: limited, if any, release), I've got to admire him for his integrity. I hope he can always afford to be picky and stay true to himself. :)

I am really suprised that you girls missed this. Intersites in it's 2006 edition of 100 Sexiest Men has listed Elijah Wood as #19!

http://www.intersites.co.uk/21555/

Thanks for pointing out that article, Shilohmm!

Whiteling, did you read it yet? He's envious of you! :D Well, and people like you who can draw!

TxTac, where you done been, boy? I mean - ahem - nice to see you again! And you brought a goodie with you! I think TOL's star is on the rise, don't you?

Just, you know, malingering. Carry on!

honey!

I just wanted you all to know I recant on anything I may have said about what film acting ought to be, talking about EW.

I know absolutely nothing about it. :D

Why, "obviously"? Because I have seen and loved "Brokeback Mountain," especially the quality of the direction and acting. Subsequently, I came across an interview with Heath Ledger, who plays Ennis (superbly), from The Advocate (a very good interview, by the way). Here's an excerpt about how Lee directed his actors.

I feel totally ignorant. Acting on stage is nothing like acting in films. I repent repent repent of whatever bs I said about what EW "ought" to be doing.

Interviewer: Did Lee get any chatter as the shoot went on? How is he with actors?

Heath Ledger: He's very selective about the words that escape his mouth. He doesn't seem to have too much interest in getting to know you as a person. He's completely consumed by the story and by filmmaking and the process. That's just the man he is -- it absolutely consumes him. And working with him, it wasn't as collaborative of an experience as I thought it was going to be, in terms of putting together our characters, talking about the movie, talking about the objectives of each character. There were no group discussions about this; it was Ang who pulled us aside individually and injected us with just the right amount of information on our characters, and then just left us. So I didn't really know what Jake had been told or was gonna do; I didn't really know what Michelle had been told or what she was gonna do. It was a curous thing, a curious way of approaching it, because we ended up discovering each other and meeting on-screen, as opposed to over the table.

I: So no rehearsal at all?

L: Not really, not that I can recall. Little bits and pieces. I know Michelle and I rehearsed in little bits and pieces. There was one day I can remember that the three of us kind of sat around.

I: That last kitchen scene?

L: That was the very first scene we shot!

I: Which is one of your most challenging scenes in the film.

L: That was the very f***ing first day! I remember sitting in the trailer with Michelle and kind of just sitting there talking about what we were gonna do, and then Ang just walks past the door and is like, "Ha ha ha ha! You make hard scene first day! First day, very hard! Ha ha ha ha ha!" [Alonso laughs.] And he's walking off laughing at us, and we're just looking out the door at him and I'm like, "Oh, f*** -- I've gotta be 40 on the first day!" So he really threw us in the deep end, but I think in doing so he forced us into doing all our homework and absolutely figuring out every aspect of our characters, because so much of the story had already passed by that time. (...)
"So no rehearsal at all?"

"Not really, not that I can recall."

Wow. *sheepish face*

~ Mechtild

Interesting interview about Ang Lee's process, versus Heath Ledger's anticipation for how it might have been, Mech. In that case it was appropriate that the two actors essentially meet on camera, because their characters were meeting for the first time too.

We know from what Elijah's said in the past that this is not always the way Ang Lee works; the actors were presented with gobs of information about the Nixon era before The Ice Storm began filming. And I'd be willing to bet that the actors were encouraged to interact before the cameras started to roll, since they were playing as families and neighbors.

And PJ was keen on getting all the hobbits to be friends before filming started, since again they were playing characters who had a close association before the action began.

So I guess that every film might be approached in a different way. There are probably as many approaches to preparing for a film as there are directors, multiplied by the nearly infinite number of stories to be told. I'll bet we could dig up names of some directors who demand alot of rehearsal time before anything is committed to film, and there are probably films where that kind of studiousness would be particularly necessary.

I'm just taking a wild stab in the dark here, but since Iggy Pop essentially invented Punk, there mayn't be a lot of material for Elijah to study in regards to that (not that he doesn't know from Punk!); if I were the director I might want to create a sense of discovery and novelty in that way, to present (what is now) history freshly. But Elijah might do more study of Iggy's pre-show-biz history, mannerisms, and the like somewhat, more to have an emotional base to work from . Just guessing from a purely intuitive sort of sense, because I know less than nothing about directing, and only what moves me about acting.

Nevertheless, I trust that Mr. Gomez saw something in Elijah that has him convinced that he can create the illusion that he is Iggy.

If you all want a sort of glimpse of what 'Lijah Pop might be like, hop over to Bunnie's LJ. She's unearthed a couple of Iggy's performance vids from 1970 and 1977. There are moments in them that make me think that this role is going to amaze all us, and the naysayers too! (Two words: Peanut butter!)

honey!

Thanks Shilohmm for pointing us to Cristiel’s article. It is nice to read an interview done around the time of Hooligans, where he is given the opportunity to talk in depth about anything other than the controversy of the film content, and the original scans in Dutch will be of great help to me for learning the language for a trip later this year.

And thanks Bunnie for those video clips in your LJ. They brought a smile to my face, which, from all I had read and seen so far, is not something I had thought Iggy would do. I can see Elijah playing him, but I also think that unless there is a real extrovert in there that only his close friends see when he is relaxed at concerts and into the music, it may be the most difficult thing he has done. We are so used to seeing Elijah portray a character’s emotions through his eyes and his facial expressions, and this Iggy guy, when performing, seems to me to let his body do the talking for what he is feeling inside. He didn’t seem as emaciated live as some of the pictures posted have suggested he was, which I found rather a relief. If Elijah does pull it off, I think it will be a huge boost for his long term career, leading to roles no-one would have considered him for before. Hooligans should have proved him as a more physical actor, but because of the aggression people associate with hooligans, and the problems with authenticity in certain aspects of the film, it was just too much if a stretch for many people to accept him in as credible in the role. I read the Dougie Brimson tirade against the film, and despite enjoying the film myself, I had to agree with much of what he said. I only wish EII had got the same amount of publicity here in the UK as Hooligans did.

Whiteling – Elijah says he envies people who can draw, so perhaps you should offer to teach him next time he is filming in Europe and has to spend time sitting around between takes on the shoot.

Whiteling – Elijah says he envies people who can draw, so perhaps you should offer to teach him next time he is filming in Europe and has to spend time sitting around between takes on the shoot.
Sounds good to me! Ahem, as you can well imagine I wouldn't mind at all giving him lessons :D. Anytime! I'm sure he'd be a willing student. (Don't you think his confession explains his hesitation to give the signed drawing back to Eandme in Edinburgh? ;))
Thanks, Sheryl for pointing the way to this interesting interview. :k

Bunnie, thanks for the Iggy videos on your LJ. The somewhat ribald word that came to mind was Bühnensau :p - I reckon there is no proper word in English. It means somebody who enjoys himself tremendously on stage, whooping it up in all ways imaginable.

Mechtild, you made me really curious about Brokeback Mountain. I haven't planned to see it, but since I am still waiting for EII in my area :rolleyes: I could use my next cinema visit appointment for that one. :)

And thanks Bunnie for those video clips in your LJ. They brought a smile to my face, which, from all I had read and seen so far, is not something I had thought Iggy would do. I can see Elijah playing him, but I also think that unless there is a real extrovert in there that only his close friends see when he is relaxed at concerts and into the music, it may be the most difficult thing he has done. We are so used to seeing Elijah portray a character’s emotions through his eyes and his facial expressions, and this Iggy guy, when performing, seems to me to let his body do the talking for what he is feeling inside. He didn’t seem as emaciated live as some of the pictures posted have suggested he was, which I found rather a relief. Two things here, Skater girl -- first, Iggy was not emaciated when he was young (and that's the time period that Elijah is going to portray). It was only later, when he became heavily involved with heroin (and lately, since he kicked drugs and became a gym rat) that he looked like you could see through him. With a bit of toning, I think Elijah may be there already (judging by recent pics), in terms of weight.

As for "talking with his body", let's not forget Elijah's quote, "I make my whole body sad," when asked how he did it as a young child. I'm sure this ability will come in very handy now!

ETA -- Here's another of my weird coincidences -- I watched "Liberty Heights" last night, a film directed by Barry Levinson. Of course, as you know, Barry Levinson directed Lij in "Avalon". Two interesting co-stars of Lij's were in this film -- Orlando Jones ("Chain of Fools") and David Krumholtz.

Now this' where it gets really interesting. David Krumholtz was in "The Ice Storm" -- he played Tobey Maguire's school roomate Francis. He's also in Bobby!

As for "talking with his body", let's not forget Elijah's quote, "I make my whole body sad," when asked how he did it as a young child. I'm sure this ability will come in very handy now!
And don't forget Stu and Huck (and Day-O, although in that role I think he was basically playing himself.) IMHO, Elijah's resume isn't loaded with introverts because he has difficulty playing extraverts. It's just that it's easier to find actors who can do a good job of playing extraverts, and difficult to find ones who can play introverts anywhere close to Elijah's ability to do so -- so he's gotten cast in a lot of those roles.

RL has been #$%@ the last couple of days and will be for a couple more, and this is my first chance in awhile to even get online, so I hope I'll be forgiven for not responding to everyone's posts -- but I have read them all. :k

Posted this over in Hugs Haven; however, speaking of making your whole body sad and all, this is Elijah, the one tear, and the one turn...

:( On this day in history...

'Grief at last wholly overcame them, and they wept long: some standing and silent, some cast upon the ground.'
--FotR, "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Shelbyshire/189cd2e0.jpg

Screencap and quote from tgshaw's site. Thanks!

Hi,

I'm a long term Lord of the Rings fan who has only slowly become an Elijah Wood fan (I'm not quite sure how it happened really).

I thought this article about young actors in Hollywood and the knife edge they tread was interesting (although Elijah isn't mentioned, he's in some what of the same boat).

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/film/features/article338991.ece

BTW: I think the article is only free to view for a day or two.

Welcome to The Faculty, sneaking! Yep -- I think that's probably how it happened for a lot of us here!

Thanks for the article, pull up a chair and I hope you enjoy your stay.

Welcome, sneaking, and thanks for the article!

C4

Welcome, sneaking, to the Faculty Lounge and to KD. :)

Thanks for the article - very interesting. Did anyone else get the feeling it was almost written around Elijah, talking about what LotR did for Orlando's and Viggo's careers, but no mention of EJW? Two of the actors discussed were also born in 1981. Adds to the disappointment that EII wasn't supported more than it was. If that had broken out of the arthouse pack, Elijah would probably have been in there.

I do think that what was said about Viggo could also fit Elijah:
...learning your craft gradually; improving over the years; and becoming a very good actor who can hold the screen with simplicity and confidence...

...although Elijah's "over the years" started a lot younger. ;)

Welcome Sneaking! What an interesting article you've brought with you!

I had several thoughts reading it:

- I think Jude Law was a little over-exposed in the years he made all those films listed in the article. As Chris Rock said at the Academy Awards that year, "Who is Jude Law, and why was he in every movie this year?" Well, he said something like that anyway, and he had good reason for saying it. As the old adage goes, "always leave 'em wanting MORE!"

- Elijah is walking a perilous tightrope, sticking to movies he "believes" in and avoiding the Oceans Elevens . Having your name out there and known is part of the game. If he keeps making odd little independent flicks that only his loyal fan-base seek out, how will he continue to build that fan-base?

- Leonardo di Caprio's star may have gone down post-Titanic; is it possible that Elijah's role as Frodo will drag his career over the sea to the West yet, as the LoTR films fade into the cultural landscape, and out of favor?

- I was tickled by the way Mr. Gyllenhaal's name was deliberatley mis-spelled once in the article. Hard to misspell "Wood" unless you add an 's' to the end, maybe that's one plus on Elijah's side!

- The good news: Of the cast of The Outsiders it was the "short guy", Tom Cruise, who's still a household name!

- That same "short guy" never met a blockbuster he didn't like, while our "short guy" eschews blockbusters like they were the plague.

honey!

ps. like my new sig-line? | :)
|
|
V

ETA: Hey, my TiVo says that Elijah's appearance on Conan tonight is new. Could be wrong, but I'm taping it just in case.

Also, I noticed that the 2003 Primetime Glick episode is being re-run on Comedy Central on Sunday night, January 22. If you missed The Giggle last time, set those VCRs!

ETAA: False alarm, the Conan was the one from last September.

I'm throwing this post in mainly as a "bump" -- for some reason, Honey's post didn't show up in the list of new posts, so I didn't realize it was here for over a day. Hopefully this one will show up.

Honey, yes I very much like your new sig. :) Among other things, it demonstrates the fact that while, as you said, "Wood" is hard to misspell, "Elijah" is not. ;) ;) ;)

Elijah is walking a perilous tightrope, sticking to movies he "believes" in and avoiding the Oceans Elevens . Having your name out there and known is part of the game. If he keeps making odd little independent flicks that only his loyal fan-base seek out, how will he continue to build that fan-base? Yep, and he knows it, based on his other comments about making money. But ultimately, if he's happy with what he's doing, it's the right choice for him (and we just have to be content with that).

:o :lol: Hi, TG! Why, I I'll have you know that I was merely emphasizing that it's pronounced "Eli-J-ah" not "Eli-zha." Yeah right. More like I just can't type. I'm going to fix it now! :o :o

Bunnie, are you going to post that lovely EII review over here?? :)

Hi, Sneaking! I really enjoyed reading that article. Thanks so much for linking it. I never would have seen it otherwise.

~ Mechtild :)

Bunnie, are you going to post that lovely EII review over here?? :)I hadn't thought about doing that, but why not? Share the love!

A lovely, intelligent review of EII (http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=141094&buy=open&Tab=reviews&CID=13#tabs)

:) :) :)

Thanks, Bunnie. Yes, great review. I'd copied the entire glowing paragraph about Elijah's acting, but I want to focus on the end of it, because I think it says something very important that's usually overlooked, in a way Elijah's "obvious intelligence and sensitivity" and, especially, his "large blue eyes that seem capable of taking in the whole world at once" aren't:
...a certain lack of vanity that gives him access to Jonathan's lesser qualities.
Yes, yes, yes!! Someone gets it! IMVVHO, the essence of Elijah Wood's acting at its best -- It's because he's not full of himself that he can allow himself to be fully the character, even when the character has flaws. He has no need to wink at the audience with a "But we know I'm not really like that, don't we?" so he doesn't view the character from someplace above or superior to the character, but from within. Because he doesn't have any need to show the audience himself, he can show us the character. Goes with his statement a few years back that if he watches a film he's in and doesn't see himself on the screen, he knows he's done a good job.

--In a few years, EII is going to be on all the lists of "the best movies you never saw."

Firstly, welcome, Sneaking (love the name!) and thanks for the link to that interesting article.

What a wonderful EII review, Bunnie, written by someone who apparently recognizes the intrinsic worth of a truly generous actor. I’m still waiting to see this film - I cannot understand why it was not widely released in the UK! Thanks for sharing. :)

Because he doesn't have any need to show the audience himself, he can show us the character. Goes with his statement a few years back that if he watches a film he's in and doesn't see himself on the screen, he knows he's done a good job.

Tg, I still don’t see Elijah Wood at all when I watch the LOTR films - or in fact when I look at a screen-cap or picture of his Frodo - I simply see Frodo! I could say the same of several other EW characters, most notably little Mikey from Avalon; Huck Finn; Stu from The War and The Ice Storm’s Mikey. Of his more recent films, I haven’t seen either Green Street or Sin City, but I’m so looking forward to watching Elijah disappear into Jonathan - that is, if the EII DVD ever sees the light of day over here! :z:

I haven’t seen her around here in a while, but I’d like to wish:

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YLLA!

Look who's rushing to your party.. (http://www.imag.us/x/blossom/Ylla.gif)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/billiep/elwood.jpg
So YOU have a January birthday too he says........

saile

Welcome, Sneaking!

Every time I see your name in these messages, I hear Gollum's voice in my head saying it!

Happy Birthday, ylla!

C4

Thank You Saile and Ceefour for your birthday greetings...and as always Blossom...your gifs are always a joy :)

And yes indeed I haven't been talking much in this wonderful Lounge...haven't really been talking much anywhere I guess...RL has finally won the battle it's been waging in my world for the last few years...I'm afraid my "cheery" nature has taken a hike. Don't want to bring my tales of woe over in here (as I don't think that would be terribly appropriate) but I felt I did need to tell you all why you don't hear me over here as of late. I usually lurk on over every few days or so...so I do keep up...but I'm rarely online much...just have no energy to turn the laptop on. I'm still working...but haven't been feeling well...back and forth to doctors and on gazillions of medications..it certainly is tough getting old...but what do they say? "consider the alternative!" TG...congrats on your mod position...you are perfect for the job!! and feel free to delete this post if it's too morose.
Just wanted to thank those who remembered my birthday...it was pleasant to see and was much appreciated.
and if I may give you all a gift to celebrate the day:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/ylla/be8ce2d0.jpg
;)
Because this pic makes me smile :k :k :k

Because this pic makes me smile :k :k :kAs it did me. Happy Birthday, sweetie -- and how hobbity of you to give US a present! Here's one from me


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

Happy Birthday, YLLA! :k :k :k Sorry to hear things aren't going so well for you. Here's hoping this will be a better year.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/honeyelf/flower3.jpg

Achila, that picture you posted has got to be one of the sexiest pictures I've ever seen, of anyone, period.

honey!

Achila, that picture you posted has got to be one of the sexiest pictures I've ever seen, of anyone, period.
Sexy?! Really?! hehe

Sexy?! Really?! hehe

Yeah. I know. It's sad really. I am, I mean. A sad case that is... :o

Honey, I have that picture really big, if you want it. Really, really big. As in: you can see his toenails. I'm just saying. ;)

Happy Birthday, Ylla!
Sorry that RL has not been treating you kindly of late. Come back and visit when you feel up to it! Here's another sexy one to send along with you:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/bunniebugs/Elijah%202/762524_07.jpg

Ylla :k , I hope the doctors can be of some help soon, and that the coming year turns out to be a good one for you.


In the meantime, here's a blue-eyed cutie who wants to cheer you up and wish you a Happy Birthday!

http://www.frodolivesin.us/new/0eac9aa0.jpg




"So you were expecting, maybe, Elijah Wood?"

http://www.frodolivesin.us/new/0eb12a30.jpg



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As you might guess, I had my March of the Penguins DVD in my computer for the first time tonight. As you also might guess, I haven't exactly gotten to the March of the Penguins yet, as I haven't made it past the Dance of the Penguin. :p