From Lotho Sackville-Baggins:
The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles still has its 10th anniversary show “The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibit” up and running.
They have a single costume from the past 10 years worth of nominees in the entryway. Then the galleries opened to this year’s nominees (and a few others).
Totally dominating the room was none other than Sauron! He was flanked by Gandalf, Strider, Frodo (from Bilbo’s party), a Gondorian warrior, Saruman, and Galadriel. These costumes blew the competition out of the water! Sauron points his finger menacingly across the room at Satin (Nicole Kidman) from Moulin Rouge… you expect him to bash the cast of Gossford park out of his way with his mighty mace to seize the French courtesan for his own. Or perhaps he is only after her necklace – having a thing for jewelry himself.
But seriously, nothing else comes close to the utter detail – the care – the realism – of the Lord of the Rings costumes. Harry Potter looks sadly plain. Planet of the Apes looks flea bitten. Only Moulin Rouge could possibly hold a candle with its flash and detail come March 24th when the Oscars are announced.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a definite win on this nomination!
I snapped some shots before being stopped by security. I would have gotten some closer shots had it been allowed. Hopefully these shots will encourage folks in the LA area to go see the exhibit – it is well worth it.
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Orlando Bloom was a guest on So! Graham Norton last night in the UK. Norton introduced him dressed as Gandalf with fake beard, staff and cheap wind effect. Norton didn’t know how to pronounce ‘Legolas’ and deliberately called him variants like Leggylooloo instead. Orlando humbly denied Graham’s suggestion that he is ‘the next Leonard DiCaprio’.
Bloom talked about his acting career, from doing theatre work to British soaps like Casualty and joked about an awfully over-acted death sequence in drama series A Midsummer’s Night Murder. This brought Orlando nicely into talking about his next role as an Irishman in the remake of ‘Ned Kelly’ with Heath Ledger of ‘A Knight’s Tale’. Norton, an Irishman himself joked that he can train Orlando with the accent if he needs it.
Norton then produced a Legolas figure still in its packaging and with some difficulty (they’re tricky buggers to get out) he handed Orlando the figure, who subsequently showed his moving action pose and attempted to fire a plastic arrow from the bow. Cybill Shepard, who was another guest, promptly took the Legolas figure and placed it between the cleavage of her dress, to the embarassment of Orlando.
Later on in the show, Orlando participated in a contest where himself, Cybil and other guest Cilla Black were appointed by Graham Norton a member of the crowd who had a strange reminder of their youth. Orlando got a person who kept their umbilical cord from birth in a box, which met with disdain from the crowd but interest from Bloom who eagerly look at it. Bloom’s crowd member lost the contest for a trip to Mexico, then the show ended in a cloud of Confetti and Brazilian dancers.
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World Entertainment News Network
Actress GWYNETH PALTROW has hit out at the pressure put on female stars to stay thin in Hollywood.
The blonde SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE star was outraged at recent articles saying that she and sexy LORD OF THE RINGS babe LIV TYLER were fat.
The beauty says, “In the NEW YORK POST there was this article that said that I was getting fat from my macrobiotic diet. It said I was retaining water and that my body was no longer as good as it was.
“I read an article on Liv Tyler where they were suggesting that she was not thin enough. That disgusts me. She is a beautiful, talented, young, working actress.
“Imagine how women who might be just 10 pounds overweight must feel. I’m sick of studios and corporations trying to make us feel bad about ourselves.”
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The interview below has been translated from the Japanese Flix site by Yukiko Nakahata.
A characteristic actor of “Patriot Games”, Sean Bean plays Boromir, a human being fellow of the hero Frodo. Boromir is the key character in the first story of “The Lord of the Rings”. First of all, I asked Sean what he thinks about the character Boromir.
Sean Bean: I think Boromir is a very interesting character. He is a very strong man, but as he was very anxious about the danger in his motherland, he gets weak inside his mind. As the journey goes on, he was obssessed with the idea, “if he had the ring,” which would enable him to rule the world. He has very complex feelings and it meant a lot for me to play him. I think there should be something you can feel sympathetic to Boromir, for every human being.
Interviewer: I wonder if there were any specific requests for acting from the director Peter Jackson while shooting the film .
SB: The most splendid thing about him is that he made us confident. He made us think in a way, “Peter chose us for these roles so we can do whatever we like and we think.” I think that is the most important thing to a performer, rather than being told to do this and that precisely.
Interviewer: Jackson is a New Zealander and prodigy who filmed splat-stick horror movies such as “Bad Taste” and “Brain Dead”. But his appearance was something different to Sean – he seemed an enjoyable man, like a Hobbit.
SB: I think I met him for the first time at Covent Garden in London, and he was really funny, he was exactly like a Hobbit! Round shape, hairy, fat man and his eyes were glittering. Then he asked me to read Boromir’s lines, the scene of Boromir about to steal the ring from Frodo. After that, there was no contact at all for six months and I was wondering what would happen, and then, finally, I got a phone call. I was very glad to know that I got the part.
Interviewer: When Sean received the first script and looked at the top page, there was a word “Jamboree” (i.e., an international mass meeting of Boy Scouts). He got confused and called his agent to ask if it was the real script for LOTR.
SB: At first I really couldn’t understand the meaning and wondered, Boy Scouts?? (laughter) Actually, the producers and film company didn’t want to make the project public and did it in secret as much as they could. So they put a word you wouldn’t understand, instead of the real title.
Interviewer: Sean played an IRA terrorist in “Patriot Games” and the leader of crime organization in “GoldenEye”. He was also the criminal who gets Michael Douglas into a corner in “Don’t Say A Word”. He plays many “bad guy” roles and gives the impression of being tough looking. But Sean, in front of me, seems stoic and sensitive rather than a “tough guy”. So I asked what he thinks about himself for my last question. He looked down and seemed at loss and said, “difficult question…” He was thinking for a while and then told me the answer as if he was speaking to himself.
SB: I always think I want to do things absolutely when I do them, even if it’s difficult. I want to definitely succeed. I feel strong in this way. So maybe I might have a very strong will.
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Nona from The Compleat Sean Bean writes: Here is the text from a new interview with Sean Bean in Impact Magazine, February 2002 (thanks to Deb for typing it):
Impact Magazine
February 2002
As Impact continues its coverage of “Fellowship of the Ring,” we talk more to director Peter Jackson, the cast and, in particular, Sean Bean, about the tough days making this ultimate sword and sorcery epic.
“Myth Conceptions” by John Mosby
“The Fellowship of the Ring” is now a guranteed bona fide phenomenom, but years of work went into making the film that millions have been flocking to for the last month. Peter Jackson had been prepping the film for three years, but had almost spent as much time again thinking of ways it could be made. Most of the actors themselves spent over a year in New Zealand, filming scenes from all three chapters of the story. All were determined that this was a story that should be character-driven. Though CGI effects would have to play an important part, the story had to take centre stage.
“The most important thing about the effects on ‘Lord of the Rings’ is that at no time should they begin to grandstand and get in front of this incredible story that we’ve come to love. It was imperative that they take on a cohesive and tight world that creates a tapestry and backdrop for the story and characters. The subtlety, this incredible level of reality was needed to give the feeling the story needed. The effects had to look real. That was the challenge to live up to,” costume designer Richard Taylor explains.
Sean Bean may have proven himself both here and abroad, but at heart he’s still a ‘Northern lad’ just as much at home in his native Sheffield as he is in New Zealand or Middle Earth. However the scope of the movie and the amount of emotional input amazed even him…especially when he finally got to see the finished film.
“I was impressed. I’ve just seen the finished film in New York and it was the first time I’d had the chance to see it in full. I was quite daunted on seeing something that I’d been imvolved with for such a long length of time. I guess we all have memories and high points. Just to see the complete picture was overwhelming. There had been moments when we were fighting thin air and imaginary tentacled beasts. To see that come alive, in such a seamless way, was very satisfying,” he explains.
“I just think the battle scenes were great, the effects were great…but what I found most moving were the times between those scenes,” he continues. “There are moments of intimacy and stillness, where you can see into their souls and discover the kind of people they are. You see their weaknesses and strengths. Certainly it’s not very often that you work on a film of this magnitude and still get the time and space to make such well developed characters. We befriended each other as actors and that was mirrored in the film. I think it’s unusual to do something on such an epic scale, but we intended that should always be first and foremost in our minds.”
Though many of the cast were British or European, the central role of Frodo went to US star Elijah Wood. The story of him sending in his own audition tape is now widely circulated, but is it true?
“Yeah and it’s becoming something of a frickin’ legend now!” Wood laughs.
“They were looking for an English actor, so it was hardly all on my side at that point. So I thought I’d make my own tape . I’d get my own Hobbit outfit and go off into the woods and really give it to ’em. Peter saw the tape and called me at home. I didn’t give a second thought to it when I was offered the role. I took it immediately, it was the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“It wasn’t something I gave a second thought to, either,” Sean agrees. “I thought ‘If I’m not doing this, what else would I be doing? What could live up to this?’ We all knew that this was something special. I was just flattered to be asked to be part of it. It’s been a life-changing experience for me. New Zealand is just amazing. In many ways it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It was a very warm and supportive place to work. Everyone was so passionate and you were totally immersed in it.”
Almost all the cast now have a personal reminder of their times together. Sean admits that he’s made a host of new friends and they marked that in a symbolic way…
“I was there about a year, thrown together as individuals. I hadn’t met any of the other cast before and I don’t think any of us came to the film with any pre-conceived ideas. There were no tantrums or egos. It was all democratic and fair and everybody was made to feel very welcome. We’ve all got tattoos now. It was late one night after everyone had had a few drinks and it seemed like a good idea (laughs). Elijah and a few of the guys had them done in New Zealand, but I’d left by that point. I was the last one to get mine done. I was dragged by Orlando Bloom and Elijah to a steamy little tattoo parlour in New York where I got my shirt off and had it done. But it was done as a permanent reminder of our own fellowship which says a lot about the experience.”
The only significant controversy about the casting occured when Stuart Townsend left the production shortly after shooting began (being replaced by Viggo Mortensen). There have been many rumors that Townsend did not fit in well. However, Jackson says that some of the blame must be laid at the casting door itself.
“We take responsibility. Stuart is a fantistic actor and I wanted to work with him. We tried to cast the film in a way that felt authentic to the book. Stuart himself auditioned for Frodo and we liked him as an actor. We didn’t think he was right for Frodo, but we thought he would make an interesting Aragorn. We came to realise that it was a classic situation where we miscast the role. He was too young. It was a difficult and emotional situation to come to a parting of the way,” Jackson explains. “I do believe in fate and that it’s been there in the six or so years that I’ve spent connected to this film, that it’s smiled on us. I think the day that Viggo Mortensen joined the film, fate dealt us a beautiful hand.”
All the actors agree that the training was hard. To be convincing in a sword-fight, it takes time and patience and a lot of skill. Luckily, the film had the services of legendary choreographer Bob Anderson. Bean speaks highly of Anderson and the whole stunt team.
“We spent nearly six weeks rehearsing with Bob and his team. That was the great thing…the fact that we had the time to do that. The people were all fantastic and committed. I think you can do a certain amount of swordplay, but it’s better when you have the time to approach it from the character’s point of view – to see HOW someone would approach it, their style. Viggo/Aragorn has a gritty wild quality. Legolas is more graceful. Most of the stuff you’ll see on screen is the real thing. There was a wild dirty quality about the fighting that really got me going.”
“You got to recognise the stunt-people even in their full make-up. You’d notice the limp or their body-language. ‘Oh, he’s coming at me from my left, it must be Andy. I better watch out, he’s good!’ It helped to have that kind of shorthand, to be able to improvise when there wasn’t much time,” Viggo agrees.
The film is now an instant classic, but with two further chapters still to be seen (at yearly intervals) it’s sometimes hard to realise that the films were actually shot back-to-back and that the actors have now moved on to other films. Sean admits that though there are a few projects that might be coming up next year, but nothing solid as yet. But, he acknowledges as he leaves, that he had some great scenes in “Fellowship of the Ring” and it’s bound to raise his profile even further. With yet another villainous role in the current thriller “Don’t Say a Word” and a CV that now includes entries with Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, Jean Reno, Lady Chatterly and a bunch of Hobbits, few other actors can boast quite as broad a canvas of experience.
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Ringer Spy milaya sends along these scans from ‘Telescope Magazine’ with a great article on Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn).
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