ROME (AP) – October 17, 2006 – For Viggo Mortensen, it’s loyalty to friends – not to flag or country – that keeps soldiers on the battlefield, as depicted by his character in the film “Alatriste” about a soldier in 17th century Spain. “Alatriste is not really fighting for his king, but for his friends,” the 47-year-old actor said Monday before presenting the movie at the Rome Film Festival. “There’s a sense of honor and pride, some of them, of course, fight for their countries, but for some, first comes friendship, the people you’re there with,” Mortensen said, going as far as to compare his character, an aloof and loyal hero to “the American, Italian or even Spanish soldiers who fight in Iraq.” [More]
Month: October 2006
Miranda Otto, who filmed the final “Lord of the Rings” film in New Zealand, will head back home to Australia for her next project. The Aussie actress and Joe Mantegna will join Debra Messing in “The Starter Wife,” a USA Network limited series set in the world of Hollywood, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Starter Wife” is adapted from the novel of the same name by Gigi Levangie Grazer and revolves around how Gracie (Messing) copes after her husband, the powerful head of a studio, cheats on her and then divorces her. Used to being a “Wife Of,” Grace is homeless, until a friend allows her to temporarily crash in a home in Malibu. [More]
A ton of interesting new films are out on DVD this week. Take an early look on our ‘DVD Tuesday’ feature…every Monday! Check out some TV goodies like ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents – S2’, ‘Big Love – S1’ & ‘C.S.I. New York – S2’. Some great animation out today as well, ‘Nick Picks Boxed Set’, ‘Over the Hedge’ & ‘The Very Best Of Sabrina – The Animated Series’. Some Blu-Ray & HD DVD offerings include; ‘Reds’, ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’, ‘Dark Water’ & ‘The Brothers Grimm’. Personally I’m interested in ‘Over the Hedge’ & ‘Predator: The Boxset’! Check out the whole list here! [More]
From BBC.co.uk: Birmingham’s historic Moseley Bog, said to have inspired JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, is to get a major revamp. The area’s Wildlife Trust will use up to £500,000 of lottery grants to transform the wetlands, adding new car parking, footpaths and public art. The news has been welcomed by fans of Tolkien. The author used the bog as a childhood playground. His great nephew, Tim Tolkien, says he hopes the spirit of the site will be preserved throughout the work. Moseley Bog dates back to the Bronze Age and is thought to have inspired the “Old Forest” in the author’s books. The city council has entered into an agreement with the Wildlife Trust to jointly manage Moseley Bog. The council will retain the freehold lease while the Wildlife Trust will manage the site for the next 25 years.
Colleen writes: Craig Parker is the model for this character in Marvel comic’s The Book of Lost Souls. Art featuring him is being auctioned off on ebay to benefit his favorite charity. [More]
Naomi Novik has written three fantasy novels chronicling the Napoleon-era adventures of a swashbuckling ship captain and a heroic dragon named Temeraire who fight to rescue Britain from a French invasion. Ms. Novik has just sold the film rights to all three of her books to Peter Jackson, the director of such blockbusters as “King Kong” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The deal has completed her ascent from a computer programmer to a virtually unknown writer to a newly minted member of a select group of authors — J. R. R. Tolkien among them — whose novels could receive the extravagant high-tech, big-budget Jackson treatment. [More]