A Brit a Day [#55]

Jason Isaacs, camera in hand.

A Brit a Day [#54]

Dan Radcliffe and two words: fingerless gloves.

I love what director Mike Newell had to say about taking on the Harry Potter series in the fourth act. He's quoted on the scan and you can read it better if you click on it--and get a better look at those fingerless gloves.

A Brit a Day [#53]

Christian Bale and a very lucky wall.

I know in polite society a ring on the fourth finger of the left hand is supposed to signal that someone is taken. But on some men, there is nothing sexier than a wedding band.

A Brit a Day [#52]

"Haptic poetry, like visual poetry and sound poetry, is a liminal art form combining characteristics of typography and sculpture to create objects not only to be seen, but to be touched and manipulated. Indeed, in haptic poetry, the sense of touch (and, to a lesser extent, the other senses) is equal to, if not more important than, the sense of sight, yet both text-based poetry and haptic poetry have the same goals: to create an aesthetic effect in the minds of the intended audience."

Thank you, Wikipedia. To what I hope will be the delight of my girlfriends at HID, this week's posts are dedicated to the haptic arts--or simply, hands. [Wait till you see what I have for Thursday, sistahs...]

Here is Alan Rickman in a scene from 'Sense and Sensibility'. Studying this scene intensely, I'd never wanted to be a door so much in my life. Or Kate Winslet, but that goes without saying.

A Brit a Day [#51]

Dan Radcliffe and Mike Newell, the director of 'HP and the Goblet of Fire.'

I may have to revisit this topic again. As I said at the beginning of the week, I have a fascination with observing actors and directors at work. There is an interesting power structure in that relationship. The director of any production has the final word on the set. It's his/her vision that is being expressed and fulfilled. But that can't happen without the actor as his conduit. The power, though it is still the director's, ends up in the actors' hands.

I could do a week of posts with just pictures of Daniel Radcliffe and directors.

A Brit a Day [#50]

The perfect picture of Eddie Argos to stay on topic would have been one with Frank Black of The Pixies advising Art Brut on their last album--he produced 'Art Brut vs. Satan'. But I have made myself a commitment to being "psychologically green" on the Brit a Day Project--recycling pictures I've already collected through hours I diddled away image-searching the internet instead of using it as an excuse to look for more. Actually, I think this picture is more to the point, and a nice way to close out the week of director pics--Beautiful Dyan has been Eddie's girlfriend for many years. They've recently formed a band together in addition to their other established bands. I'm sure she offers a lot of direction, and Eddie is happy to receive.

A Brit a Day [#49]

Henry Ian Cusick with 'Lost' director Jack Bender. I'd like to think they are discussing the episode titled 'The Constant', but I don't think they are. 'Lost' fans pretty much agree that 'The Constant' is one of the most emotionally satisfying eps of 'Lost' ever. On the DVD Commentary for that episode, Bender and the ep's film editor can't say enough nice things about Ian's performance. Bender says, 'I told Ian you know what this is and I think you have to go there, and he did it.' The editor says Ian is an editor's dream with the amount of material Ian gave him to work with from each scene's series of takes. With 'Lost' coming to an end, I hope they give him a few more scenes worthy of his talent.

A Brit a Day [#48]

Jason Isaacs taking direction for 'Peter Pan'. Since I've used this pic before, I'll throw in a couple of other photos under this theme--Alanis Morissette and Alan Rickman w/ Kevin Smith on 'Dogma', and Cuaron and Radcliffe reuniting at the DVD launch of 'HP:PoA'.

A Brit a Day [#47]

Here are Daniel Radcliffe and director Alphonse Cuaron on the set of HP3. That marvelous oversized pendulum from the Hogwarts set hangs in the background. Prisoner of Azkaban isn't my favorite Harry Potter novel, but it may be my favorite of the films. Cuaron turned the conflict between the Dementors and Harry's ability to produce a superior patronus into a parable of love conquering death.

A Brit a Day [#46]

It's only the second day of a theme directive, and already I come up short. I don't have a picture of Christian Bale talking with a director. That's sort of a sore subject with his fans anyway, ever since the Terminator incident. So here is a picture of Christian Bale either in an airport or on set or both on set in an airport. The man really knows how to rock a blue dress shirt.

A Brit a Day [#45]

What makes these two images irresistable is the idea of Prof. Snape laughing out loud. A character acting out of character seems to occur frequently when the actor portraying said character is conferring with his/her director. So this week, as much as possible, let's adher to a theme--Pictures of Actors on Set with Directors.

A Brit a Day [#44]

Alex Turner, The Arctic Monkeys.

Some automobile ad on TV has recently approriated a riff from their "Fake Tales of San Francisco." The ad only uses music, but we know that song pretty well around our house. Best lines from it are:

And as the microphone squeaks
A young girl's telephone beeps
Yeah she's dashing for the exit
And she's running to the streets outside
"Oh you've saved me," she screams down the line
"The band were fucking wank"
And I'm not having a nice time."

A Brit a Day [#43]

Eddie Argos is a painter as well as the frontman to Art Brut. At the release party for Art Brut's first CD--for 'Formed a Band', I think--the covers were blank, paint was provided, and everyone got to design and create their own cover.

A Brit a Day [#42]

You have to see this wonderful 15-minute film. It is posted in 2 parts at these links:

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMyuoKsr1VM

Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdpnnsAMr5M

Big hugs to TrixtySix who found this. I'd been hearing about it for a while, but only now have I been able to watch the whole thing.

A Brit a Day [#41]

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I'm going off the grid and posting an Irish actor, Gabriel Byrne. Of course, if one is Irish, one is technically not a Brit. But everyone is welcome here, right?

The first movie I became aware of Gabriel Byrne in was 'The Usual Suspects.' It is one of my favorite films. For several reasons, I think my friend Donna, who finds most of my objects of desire too young for her taste, would approve of today's post. And she's not even Irish.

A Brit a Day [#40]

This is certainly one of the best looks ever created for Daniel Radcliffe to wear as Harry Potter. This magazine scan is from the 'Goblet of Fire' era. Read Romanian, anyone?

A Brit a Day [#39]

It's Monday and the focus is Christian Bale, but Michael Caine is a marvelously [no DC-comics slight intended] sexy brit as well. Mr. Bale's shirt is quite flattering in this pic. Something worthy of Bruce Wayne, probably cashmire, don't you think?

A Brit a Day [#38]

This post is for Sunday. It's posting on Saturday, but it's for Sunday. My kids and I saw the Tim Burton "Alice in Wonderland" this afternoon. We got to see a lot of Helena Bonham-Carter, and although we heard the voice known as 'oil dripping on velvet,' we did not see his lovely face. Here is Alan Rickman and Ms. Bonham-Carter as we love them most, in 'HP and the Half-Blood Prince.' [You should click on this picture. It's fairly enormous.]

A Brit a Day [#37]

I'm bringing Henry Ian Cusick back today to expand on his role as Nat in the movie-in-my-head of Daphne du Maurier's 'The Birds'.

A Brit a Day [#36]

Eddie Argos.
This is from Art Brut's first trip to LA, I think. Eddie had just written a song called 'I'm Considering a Move to LA.' And for all intents and purposes, he did [consider a move to LA]. The picture was taken in front of the liquor store right next to The Viper Room. To the best of my knowledge, Art Brut has never played The Viper Room. Someday.

A Brit a Day [#35]

Henry Ian Cusick.

Last night my daughter let me read what she's reading in her English class. She just read the short story 'The Birds' by Daphne du Maurier. I never knew 'The Birds' was a story before it was a movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock, let alone a story by such a master as du Maurier. I love Hitchcock--at times he is my favorite director--but I think his movie 'The Birds' is just scary and gross. So my mind was ripe for a new interpretation when I read the story.

The main character of the story is farmhand Nat, who is also a husband and father to two small children. Nat is heroic in a fatalistic and practical sense. In the movie in my head, here is Henry Ian as Nat in the fields in happier times, in the autumn before the odd winter winds began, before the scores and scores of gulls rode the waves, waiting for the turn of the tide.

A Brit a Day [#34]

Jason Isaacs as Captain Hook. I have a long standing relationship with 'Peter Pan'. It was my favorite animated Disney movie as a child, complicated by the fact that I lived in a pre-VHS era; I was at the mercy of Disney's distribution schedule and could only see PP when it was in theatres. Karma reversed itself one summer when I thought I'd been hired to paint scenery for summer-stock at Penn State and arrived to find that I'd really been enslaved to the running crew. Then I got to see the musical version of the stage play everyday for about 5 weeks, twice on days with matinees. One of my backstage jobs was handing Captain Hook the bomb.

A Brit a Day [#33]

Here's an update to my recent post about Dan Radcliffe's movie 'The December Boys': I was curious and checked Amazon. Apparently it went straight to DVD when it was released in 2007. It would have never occurred to me at the time that the film would bypass a theatrical release. Film distribution is a fickle sport.

A Brit a Day [#32]

We've seen a lot of the dapper Bruce Wayne incarnation of Christian Bale; today I thought we'd go frowsy. Here he is in '3:10 to Yuma'--a fantastic film. Love, love, love a man on a horse.

A Brit a Day [#30]

Another great photograph by Henry Diltz featuring Davey Jones and iconic fangirls of the 1960's.

A Brit a Day [#31]

Today is Sunday, so this must be Alan Rickman. I started composing this post on Friday, so that's what the blog robot thinks it should be dated. But trust me, this is Sunday.

I decided it was time to get a bit more organized. Otherwise, I have started to agonize that I'm not doing the rotation fairly. So I've set up a schedule. I'll stick to it awhile and see how we like it.

Sunday=Alan Rickman

Monday=Christian Bale

Tuesday=Daniel Radcliffe

Wednesday=Jason Isaacs

Thursday=Henry Ian Cusick

Friday=Eddie Argos

Saturday=Editor's Pick, e.g. Davey Jones, Alex Turner, James Blunt, etc.

A Brit a Day [#29]

I haven't updated my Daniel Radcliffe file since 2006. He was making a movie in Australia then called "The December Boys." I was really looking forward to it, but it was never released in America, and as far as I know wasn't seen anywhere else. That was prime-picture collecting time in the life of a Dan fan--he was still just a beautiful teenage boy.

Hadrian's Wall--part 3

After he stitched up my arm, Dr. Ethan Forester set it gently in a sling. As he was making his final notes in the chart, I sighed "Oh no, I never did get through the window to get my keys. I'm still locked out."

"What are you doing here over the break anyway? Aren't you scared of being in the dorm by yourself?" he asked.

to be continued...

A Brit a Day [#28]

Henry Ian Cusick: My favorite Brit for A-Brit-a-Day. He's Scottish of course, that definitely keeps him near the top of the list, and otherwise....just look at him. This happily married father of three had as one of his first major film roles the part of Jesus Christ in 'The Gospel of John.' He recently described himself as someone who was "a struggling actor in the UK" who got cast in a hit show ['Lost'] and now his life has changed completely. I think he is truly grateful for all that.

A Brit a Day [#27]

Professor Snape....protecting children. 'A Brit a Day' is brought to you this evening by a surge in my hormones.

A Brit a Day [#26]

Christian Bale: Remember the scene in 'Laurel Canyon' where he and the [other] beautiful medical student talk dirty to each other in the front seat of her car in a parking deck. Prophetically, she was in the driver's seat.

A Brit a Day [#25]

I tried like mad to find a way to justify this post as A Brit a Day. Jack Simpson is an incredible designer of men's dresswear. I re-invent my wedding memories every time I look at this clipping. His suits are so flattering to the male shape. But he is all American. I couldn't find a Brit connection. Here is the next best I can do: Jack Simpson, not this one, was a legendary golfer in Scotland in the nineteenth century. If you want to know more about him, try the wikipedia. If you want to see more Jack Simpson gorgeous designs go here:
http://jacksimpsoncouture.com/