(Karen) I don't get to see it until NEXT week Du-uhh. Sorry. *perpetually disoriented to date and time* Told ya. Thanks for sharing your responses from Len the curler, Anne R and Karen. (Evelyn) BTW is curling akin to ice hockey? It looks more like bowling (or bocci ball) to me. The broom bit is curious, though. I think during the last winter olympics a piece was done on this odd (to most of the world) sport. The ice is furiously swept to create some sort of pull on that lump of granite. before the movie was originally going to be titled: "The Roaring Game". Wasn't the first title "World of Moss?" There is only one line referencing 'the roaring game'. We groused about how often the title was changed but MLSF is the most fitting.

Any plans to go a second time Eileen?

I'm scanning the picture of P&P in Stratford tonight. Don't quite know how I'll get to html it, but will work something out. The man who played Darcy is Geordie Johnson and he's also playing Richard II (title role) in Stratfod. They work a gruelling schedule! I like him better in the Richard II pic, if I can find that one, I'll scan it in also.

Have more from our curler Len and he explains a bit more about curling as well. Will post later. ;-D

More from our Head Curler: He first spoke with Colin after the curling demo. Both he and 'wee Fraser' wanted to know how heavy the old curling stones were as well as how you got enough swing to throw them 42 yards on the ice. He explained it was all about technique (the subject of his demo). Also, there are all the calls and commands the 'skip' gives to the team members to sweep or not to sweep the stone. Len said, "It's all the yelling that brings the atmosphere to the game." Then Malcolm McDowell interjected that the only tim he had seen curling was on TV in Toronto and 'to be frank, it was fucking boring!!'. Len did call him a 'Nice chappy' though, who was only trying to be a prat. On another occasion, he commented to Colin that he had just seen TEP and that it must have been warmer in Tunisia than Scotland at 3am. Colin said that, in some of the desert scenes where he is covered in sweat, they had had to spray him as it was early in the morning and freezing. Len also watched a scene where Colin and McDowell are going at each other about a bet concerning Heloise (or as he calls her a French lassie) He thought it was very interesting how it changed with each take. Finally, Len said that he was always nothing less than very pleasant, as all the actors were.

do you guys realize how BORING curling is? Anyway, here is the pic of the two leads in P&P. I couldn't find the one with GJ as Richard II, will look harder. The costumes were interesting.

Did you say Lucy Peacock was playing Lizzie's mother? ;-D

(Laura)The costumes were interesting. Thank you Laura, for sharing the program with us.The Canadian wet- shirtless Mr. Darcy bears a striking resemblance to Lawrence Olivier....I am sure it was a most enjoyable performance....Lucy Peacock looks a little...hmmmm....mature

and it isn't CF as Darcy, the nose and mouth are no where near as cute!

and LP looks a little like MEM (MLSF)

I have a great picture of the two them in the other program, that I can't find where it was taken outside. LP is only about 28/29. She was amazing as Lizzy. The production obviously was very different from the miniseries. And Geordie Johnson is a blonde (or dirty blonde), what he has on is a wig;) If I can find the other pic, I'll scan that one in too. GJ is very handsome too. I have a cast photo with them all, will try and scan that one in later today. Off to the swimming pool!

Many thanks to Karen for a very interesting report from a Scottish head curler - all about an English head turner. But I must protest against turning this place into Geordie Johnson discussion board. Why not start a separate one for him, if you must. Or post it on RoP, they will appreciate different takes on Austen heroes much more. The chap is OK, but to me there is only one Darcy and he ain't Geordie... nor even Olivier... And that actress doesn't look right to me, either.

Geordie looks rather, how shall I put it, ummm, David Rintoul-ish. Sorry, Laura, but you knew you'd be in for it. Love the reports from Scotland, Karen.

I too was just going to post that the P&P (Stratford) discussion be moved over to #72. These Colin topics fill up fast enough as is, without extraneous material like that. If you're going to scan in more pics, please post them there, Laura.

Sorry...I think I started it all..by posting the review from FT about the P&P in Stratford P&P. In it the reviewer mentioned Colin and wet-shirt.The discussion then took off from there on a different tangent....as so often happens around here.Thanks for the reminder....#72 sounds good to me, Laura. Would like to see the other pics.

I just saw MEM on Breakfast with the Arts, and she was full of praise for ODB. They asked her specifically about him (and they mentioned P&P of course). She said she and her husband attended his wedding. Hurray for MEM!

Just saw MEM on Breakfast with the Arts (A&E). She mentioned Colin and how much of a wonder actor he is. Also said her husband and Colin were great friends and that they worked together in AMITC. She also said that during filming she met Livia and then they all went off to C&L's wedding. (Someone from this board did mention this). She also said she was glad that her and Colin did not play lovers--which is very taxing on individuals. (Especially since they are buddies).

Lidya your reporting skills are much faster than mine.

Jana, wasn't it lovely to hear him praised so much? I was all giddy!

OK, have been frantically transcribing the *relevant* part of MEM's interview: EF: The man who plays your husband is Colin Firth, who of course did P&P for us at A&E. Can you tell us a bit about working with him? MEM: Well, Colin and I are old friends. Colin is actually an old friend of my husband's because they did a film together called A Month in the Country, which was a lovely film with Ken Branagh, Natasha Richardson. Beautiful film [eyes closed, nodding]. And they've known each other for years. And Colin and I thought, well, the only way we could ever portray any kind of couple is if we were married. Because if we had to be lovers it would be impossible because the demands of lovers on screen are other han those of a married couple. So confined to chaste kisses and all that. But he's fantastic and he's a dear family friend of ours and who was actually getting married that summer. And it was lovely to spend time with his fiancee. All of us up in Scotland and before we all traipsed off to the wedding. And oh. And he's a fantastic actor [closed eyes, head nodding]. I'd say it's, if you were to read the script and then you watch these scenes and see the humor and pathos that he's extracted and imbued hem with, it's astonishing. It's not astonishing, it's just bloody good acting and you don't see a lot of it. It's not, you're not allowed to see it, it's not that people don't know how to do it, it's just that we're not allowed to see it very often.

FYI, MEM was wearing the same white blouse she wore on her appearance on the Regis and Kathie Lee show. So that must have been *promotions* day!

Wonderful of her to talk about him so warmly, it�s almost overflowing......sounds like she really sincerely likes and respects him. And why wouldn�t she? Thanks for the transcription, Karen. Too bad that Colin couldn�t be in the show.

Oh yes, I'd love to see him interviewed again. Too bad that it only seems to be MEM banging the drum for this film. What is this? Women's work? So glad you got the transcription done, Karen. I didn't tape it and then regretted because she did say so very many lovely things. I'm glad you brought up what we seem to love most about his skill...if you were to read the script and then you watch these scenes and see the humor and pathos that he's extracted and imbued them with, it's astonishing. I think it is astonishing as well as "bloody good acting." The clip did not contain Colin. We could also move the P&P Stratford discussion to 112 if you'd care to continue it. Evelyn and Lidya brought the Darcy topic to life again and Marcia and I have pounced.

shame on me.

It would appear that MEM was only given one cassette that day, as the clip was the same shown on the Regis & KL show too! Bugged me that MEM didn't mention Colin's name until Elliot asked her the question. She kept saying "my husband" every time she referred to him in the movie. She did mention something very new and interesting: that there had been another version of the movie script, done by someone else, which was very different. Probably stayed closer to the real story in Forman's book.

(Karen)She did mention something very new and interesting: that there had been another version of the movie script, done by someone else, which was very different. Probably stayed closer to the real story in Forman's book Now we know why it took so long....a screen version based on the book would have been a real yawner!! Thanks Karen, for the transcription. I thought it was super..."all is forgive MEM for the Kathy & Regis interview!!" ******* And thanks to Silvie for alerting to the interview...Was anyone else watching the clock??I thought Seigi Ozawa would never finish conducting!!

I thought Seigi Ozawa would never finish conducting!! ] HEY!!! It's Seiji and he holds a dear place in my heart!!! :) (Well I am a Bostonian!)

My thanks too for transcribing the interview, Karen. There's a big article on MEM in today's Boston Globe. In it, there's a comment from David Puttnam that Cate Blanchett had been considered to play Moira -- first I had heard about that -- but in the end they thought her too young. (Actually, I think CB is even younger than Irene Jacob, so that would have indeed been weird casting.) Nothing about Colin, though. Relieved to see MLSF does indeed open in Boston this Friday -- albeit at only one theatre in Harvard Square.

No big deal transcribing the *one* answer and besides, it wasn't perfect. Left out a lot of ums and ohs! Thanks for pointing out the MEM article in the Globe, Susan. Very intereting. MEM has certainly thrown herself into being a one-woman publicity machine. Can do nothing but help her odds of being nominated for Limbo. Here's the link to the article: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/213/living/Mother_knows_best+.shtml

Back from our hols in a thunderstorm! Very enjoyable (and hectic!) culture dash round Europe ...Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. Too much driving, but well worth it, and surprisingly few complaints from sons. The big movie in Paris is "The Blair Witch Project" which has been very cleverly marketed. Rupert Everett (star of SIL!) (le merveilleux Rupert) is also Big. Lots of pics and interviews with him in the magazines. Hate to say this, but marketing and selling oneself (in the nicest possible way) does matt r! Hey, what about it, Monsieur Firth!? It's not astonishing, it's just bloody good acting and you don't see a lot of it. It's not, you're not allowed to see it, it's not that people don't know how to do it, it's just that we're not allowed to see it very often. Oh, sadly too true! Especially in the case of CF! November for MLSF in the UK? Unbelievable. Unless (always look on the bright side of life) Miramax are hoping for a Big Occasion (royal charity premiere or suchlike) The curling scene sounds as though it's been severely truncated...I'd love to see the original 2 hour version of this movie. Seems to me it's a victim of unfavourable first previews last year. Probably shown to an Austin Powers type audience. I like curling ....it's also a major growth sport since last year's TV coverage of the Winter Olympics. Interesting comments from MEM on playing husbands and lovers. I thought all screen kisses were essentially chaste, not the real thing! So TOTS is a Christmas special...great news! I think the Master could be a good role (at least he's handsome and rich and attractive to women). Call me superficial, but sometimes I'd settle for less versatility!

Interesting comments from MEM on playing husbands and lovers. I thought all screen kisses were essentially chaste, not the real thing! Essentially they are... but trying to make a modern passionate mouth-to-mouth look believable on screen or stage, one has to suck the other's lip, there's no way around it, it has to be physical - and then there are looks and the whole body language, etc. - what is commonly termed as chemistry. Actors often go as far as persuading themselves that the attraction is indeed real... that's why we hear about "location flings and romances" (like CF and JE in P&P). And there's nothing wrong with it if the screen partners are unattached in real life - but not so good when married actors fall for it, as they sometimes do. So wise spouses should not leave their real life partners on their own for too long... But nothing can beat a happy marriage and loyalty to one's spouse, of course. In which case, you close your eyes and think of your fat pay check and hope to shoot your passionate love scenes with someone you wouldn't need to meet again too soon.

From britishtheatre.about.com NEWS today "Turn of the Screw begins filming A new version of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, to be shown on ITV next year, has begun filming. The film stars Pam Ferris, Jodhi May and Colin Firth." **** Is this old news?I though RV was currently filming. Does this guy have the power of bi-location?

Also, is TOTS to be shown on ITV or BBC? The first report said ITV and the second mentioned BBC. Wouldn't it be highly unlikely for any of the ITV affiliates to produce TOTS for airing on BBC? (another snowball situation?) Bi-location? Bettah that than bi-something else! ;-D

you don't know how I'm dying to get over to Topic 121!! Only a few more days. argh!

I love curling. It's very interesting when you try it and don't fall on your a---

Article in Monday's Times: Supreme wit finds eager audience in centenary year, writes Dalya Alberge AFTER Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen, film-makers are turning to No�l Coward. The 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the century's supreme wits has inspired at least eight films, not to mention countless theatre stagings, recordings and books. Negotiations are under way for Nicole Kidman and Rupert Everett to star in an adaptation of Blithe Spirit, and for Joanna Lumley to appear in Hay Fever. A �3.5 million production of Relative Values, starring Julie Andrews, Colin Firth and Stephen Fry, has just started its six-week shoot on the Isle of Man. Christopher Milburn, producer of Relative Values - a 1951 social satire - said that Coward had been "underexposed for some time" but his "wit and writing are as relevant today as when he wrote". Mr Milburn said that, long after Coward's death in 1973, his presence could still be felt in everyday conversation: "Don't put your daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington" and "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun" came from the pen of the playwright, actor, composer, lyricist, producer, occasional painter and scathing critic of the second-rate. While producer Joe Abrams is planning to make Easy Virtue, and also has options on The Young Idea and I'll Leave It To You, a production of Quadrille is in the pipeline - delayed because Kristin Scott-Thomas was unable to take a part. The Vortex, the 1924 play about drug addiction with which he made his name, is said to be the subject of a remake by MGM. Hay Fever, his 1924 play, is to be filmed by John Boorman's company, Merlin, with a budget of some $6 million (�3.7 million). Apart from Lumley, the cast is yet to be found for a shoot likely to start in the spring or summer of next year; it is being adapted for the screen for Robert McKee and Charles Crichton - whose films include A Fish Called Wanda. Kieran Corrigan, one of the producers, said: "I've always loved Coward, who always said that Hay Fever was his greatest work." Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Coward had objected to it being made into a film. British Lion Films, one of Britain's oldest film companies, founded in 1927 - in collaboration with Universal and Danny De Vito's Jersey Films - is fine-tuning the script for Blithe Spirit, the story of a novelist whose late first wife cannot resist upsetting his second marriage. It was made in 1945 by David Lean with Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings and Margaret Rutherford. One of its producers, Peter Snell, whose films have included Don't Look Now with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, said: "Blithe Spirit has such a contemporary adaptability. What you have - the first wife comes back as a ghost to haunt the second - is pretty contemporary, particularly in America where most marriages end in divorce." Although Lean's version was set in the 1940s, the remake will be set in 1990s England. The language will be "contemporised", said Mr Snell, "but it will not be blatantly changed. It will still feel like Coward." Other Coward events later this year are a season at the National Film Theatre; a republishing by Faber and Faber of his screenplay for Brief Encounter; West End stagings of Masterpieces, a Coward revue presented by Duncan C. Weldon, and Song At Twilight, starring Vanessa and Corin Redgrave; and a two-day conference in November at Birmingham University.

(Karen) Negotiations are under way for Nicole Kidman and Rupert Everett to star in an adaptation of Blithe Spirit... Oh no, is CF going to have to go up against an RE film again? I just hope RV comes out before Blithe Spirit. Don't want another Valmont/Dangerous Liaisons anti-climax to happen!

Thanks, Karen, for posting the "edited down to the good parts" version of MEM on BWTA. Hooray for Mary! Personal friendship aside, she joins Gwynnie (and likely others) in the 'Actors Who are Fans of Firth' club. Too bad that it only seems to be MEM banging the drum for this film It's early yet. I'm curious to see how Miramax will herald MLSF's expansion to the rest of the top ten markets. Friday should be the big day for ads or (dare one hope?) TV commercials. Also, of all the actors, MEM is likely the most recognizable to US audiences. Too bad Colin's just started RV. If he hadn't, I would have thought it quite possible to see him publicizing the film.

Newspaper Slueth-hounds....be on the look-out for reviews of MLSF in the regional newspapers of the next Ten City tier on Thursday or Friday. Susanne kindly sent a comment in the weekend Dallas Morning Post... Movie Buzz column.. where it lists next week's openers it said..., " a lot of warm buzz surrounding this one" about MLSF by Dallas's premier movie critic. The most positive thing said about any movie opening next week-well some nice things about The Iron Giant but that is a kid's movie so it does not count" Thanks Sue..

Two more days!! ;-D I can barely contain myself.

The Positive Side of the Torrid Temp:!!!! Someone posted this on V V Re: MLSF in NYC "I went to see it this Sunday, but it was so hot here (@ 102F) and the line so long I gave up. Will probably see it this week ..." I am eager to see what it did at the BO.

Hi, there is a lovely review for MLSF and Colin particularly "Firth is the standout" at http://www.boxoffice.com/justinadditional.html scroll down the page and click onto MLSF. I think the "fors" and "againsts" are pretty even.

are pretty even now. forgot to mention they gave it 31/2stars.

AFTER Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen, film-makers are turning to No�l Coward. How does Colin manage to do it--be on the edge of what is happening that is. (Karen)Two more days!! ;-D I can barely contain myself. I'm sooooo jealous. I have a feeling the movie will never make it here and the more I hear about it the more anxious I become.

Ooops, how clumsy of me.

What I meant to say was how does CF know what's hot. Is it just luck i.e., the English Patient, Shakespeare in Love. etc. Not counting P&P because he didn't have a clue.

I give up I can't close the tag. Help! Promise never to do it again.

Don't worry, Jana, the tag is and was closed. You just can't have a *bad* message on the screen at the time. It infects the rest. Once you leave and return, it will disappear. Did you notice that the boxoffice.com site rates films on a 5 star system. (Jana) Not counting P&P because he didn't have a clue. LOL!! You're so right. He didn't have a clue about this one and probably still is bewildered.

Jana!! What's going on in Tucson? There's a User Comment posted for MLSF at the IMDb. That Tango person couldn't possibly have seen the movie? Redgrave? Dover? What movie did he/she see? Why don't you give the local art house a ring to find if and when they're going to show MLSF.

(Evelyn) "I went to see it this Sunday, but it was so hot here (@ 102F) and the line so long I gave up." Pshaw! Clearly not written by a diehard CF fan. What's a little heat (heck, it's been like this since Memorial Day) when ODB awaits inside?? I am eager to see what it did at the BO. By now you've probably read that it did well again this past weekend, based on per screen earnings. Good news! 20/20 hindsight: We were so concerned about EWS and the other summer blockbusters taking screens away from MLSF. Now Blair Witch Project is grabbing all the headlines. Who'd have thunk it?

Now Blair Witch Project is grabbing all the headlines. Who'd have thunk it? A fool and his money are soon parted. ;-D

Jana) Not counting P&P because he didn't have a clue. (Karen)LOL!! You're so right. He didn't have a clue about this one and probably still is bewildered. Colin wasn't the only one....Someone asked JE in a TV interview if she knew at the time that P&P was going to be such a phenomenal success...and she looked scared and said " Oh, no.If I had, I'd still be under a sofa in Derbyshire".

Now Blair Witch Project is grabbing all the headlines. Who'd have thunk it? [ You know, I predicted that this movie would overtake the box office a few weeks ago. Despite what ONE person thinks, it's a cleverly packaged movie. You know, movies without CF are good too. There is more to life than just his movies.

.... There is more to life than just his movies. Not much more.....:-D

(Laura)You know, movies without CF are good too. There is more to life than just his movies. Not in this lifetime.

(JanaC)...how does CF know what's hot. Is it just luck i.e., the English Patient, Shakespeare in Love. etc. Not counting P&P because he didn't have a clue. I don't know whether the DB knows what's "hot"...I think when he consciously tries to connect with "hot" (i.e.: ATA) the outcome can be very iffy. (Pulitzer prize and cast not withstanding). But he certainly knows what's GOOD...( and having discovered that a classic may work even better than expected, one can't go far wrong with Noel Coward...) The only trouble with knowing Good is that there are aften dry spells when good just isn't available and one must eat (and pay the mortgage). He's caught the ttention of some very good people (Minghella, for example) simply because HE'S so damn good!! (pardon my french).

I agree with you, he is good and therefore doesn't want to make a mistake. Unfortunately most moviegoers want action and more action and he is 'too delicate for that.

Laura, we are here because we DO think movies with Colin are the BEST, why are you here?

(Laura)You know, movies without CF are good too Not really :-) (KJ)one must eat (and pay the mortgage) WHAT is this mortgage of CF that you guys keep talking about? Have I missed out something? I did read all the hundreds of postings when I came back from hols but didn�t see anything about this.

From yesterday's Evening Standard: On the theatre listings page, there is a display add entititled "Coming and Going". BOOK NOW Theatre Three Days of Rain: Richard Greenberg's remarkable play, the sell-out highlight of the theatre's American Imports season, returns for a second run with the same impeccable cast. It opens wiht Colin Firth and EG [picture of CF and EG below] as brother and sister, trying to make sense of their architect father's will and of his enigmatic secret journal. Together with DM's brilliant Pip, the son of their father's business partner, they compare memories and recreate their version of the past. After the in erval, the play moves back to the Sixties to see how the children's notions differ from the reality of their parents' lives. Greenberg's writing is witty and lyrical and Robin Lefevre's elegant production is so beautifully acted that this is really unmissable. Good huh?

When does MLSF go nationwide? Or very selected nationwide? A few thoughts on marketing (yet again!). It seems to me that Miramax are giving MLSF very little help...it's a case of throwing it onto the water and seeing whether it sinks or swims. There's also zilch coverage of the "star"...not a single interview in any of the media. If you compare coverage of AIH...I only saw what happened in the UK. But the focus was on RE, he got a lot of coverage in the press at Cannes (unlike CF!) reports of Harvey pushing RE for an Oscar nomination etc, there were trailers on S y 1, and also frequent reports on CNN Entertainment. And there may have been much more that I wasn't aware of. I understand that in the US AIH transferred eventually to over 700 screens. So that's a big push and I presume it was heavily promoted. I think that at the moment MLSF really is in a David and Goliath situation, and I really hope it comes through. But all it's got going for it is word of mouth (very cheap!). There was an article in one of the papers about "The Blair Witch Project". It may have been cheap to make, but an awful lot of money was spent on a very astute marketing strategy. By the time it opened people were desperate to see it (and it may well be very entertaining...I'm not disputing that!). Who would know that MLSF had opened nless they read the NY Times from cover to cover? Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed! BTW, users commewnts on MLSF are surfacing at IMDB. Murph has posted her excellent review, but the other comments seem to be by Irene Jakob fans, and one singles CF's performance out for special criticism! These comments stay on IMDB forever and a lot of people check it out. Registering to vote and comment takes 24 hours in the sense that you are emailed your registration form. But I think that we should try to redress the balance! If you've seen the movie, please try to post, otherwise as usual CF will be overlooked! On spotting winners and losers...must be the most difficult part of an actor's job, and commercial and critical success aren't the same. I guess it's a case of getting the right product to the right market. I noticed in Paris that there's a very vibrant West African community..lots of shops, music, eating places etc. A film like SLOW (hey, I can't leave this alone!) set in Cannes, would definitely attract some attention there in the arthouse outlets.

Another great review for MLSF and again especially for Colin at Film Journal "CF is close to brilliant" at http://www.filmjournal.com/DisplayReviews.cfm?ID=618&UI=9607

Elena, re: Mortage From all the articles, it appears that Colin has three residences (apartment in Rome, condo in LA/Santa Monica, and flat in Hackney). He may have recently also purchased a home in Islington, selling the Hackney flat. So this boy may have some substantial mortgages and must therefore keep working to pay them. ;-D Excellent review, AnnW. Thanks for posting. Notice, another woman has written it. Oh goodie!! Publicity for 3DOR. And Colin's name is mentioned first. Finally. Thanks, Allison. [Isn't the Evening Standard a broadsheet? ;-D] MLSF It's *real* competition this weekend is with The Thomas Crown Affair, which opens too. There has been a ton of publicity: Pierce Brosnan has been on all the shows and TV is saturated with ads. They are really playing up the love/sex angle and the sexiness of a mature woman. Many articles are emphasizing how refreshing it is to see Rene Russo (a woman of 45) bare all and wear a see-through dress. Hey, even I'm dying to see this one.

Isn't the Evening Standard a broadsheet? Well it is tabloid size.....

There has been a ton of publicity. Pierce Brosnan has been on all the shows.. Hmmm. Oh well, the sexiest man on screen is also the most invisible and least promoted! Mind you, I would hate to see him on the front of Cornflakes packs and Sugarpuffs (a la Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson in "Starwars"!) Great reviews, Ann and Allison...and not many actors can get critical acclaim on both stage and screen these days. BTW Ann, did you mention that Miramax told you that MLSF might screen at the London Film Festival? The Fesival runs from the second to last week of November, which would mean an even later commercial release for MLSF (December?). Gritting my teeth here! It is so difficult to see his movies!!!!

Yes I did mention it and at first when she told me about it and not knowing the date of the LFF, I thought it would be a chance to see it early, perhaps Sept/Oct. but there is not much to be gained if it is at the same time as the possible UK release, think I would prefer for to see it in Brighton.

The Evening Standard is in the netherworld between tabloid and broadsheet. It's not complete crap, and there is no naked woman on Page 3, but as news goes, it's sort of "Entertainment Tonight" poised between "Hard Copy" and Tom Brokaw. [Let me apologize in advance for the totally North American analogy, which will be lost on many from outside the US and Canada.] It's the only evening paper in London, I think, and it's the one you pick up on the way to the train, ergo the tabloid form factor.

(Laura) You know, movies without CF are good too. There is more to life than just his movies. *Scratching my head* This is a CF discussion board, right? Presumably for CF fans who prefer to discuss CF? *mumble* I must be confused and disoriented again... (Bethan) A few thoughts on marketing (yet again!). It seems to me that Miramax are giving MLSF very little help Having watched ET last night with their highlights of the opening bash for Talk magazine, it's clear where Miramax is investing alot of their money. Did anyone else see that piece? A glimpse of MMcD...RE was there, of course (as Madonna's escort--LOL). Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick said it was the most expensive party they'd ever seen. Harvey looks like a walking heart attack--he better lay off the ciggies and red meat. Seriously, we knew from Cannes that Miramax was putting all its proverbial eggs in the AIH basket. Nothing's really changed (much as we all disagree with that strategy :-( ). users commewnts on MLSF are surfacing at IMDB Check this out again. There's more about CF. Who would know that MLSF had opened unless they read the NY Times from cover to cover? Apparently alot of people do. MLSF is playing on only two screens in NYC and has been doing very well. Whether it's the positive reviews, the ads or word of mouth (or a few out-of-luck sold out Blair Witch moviegoers), something's working. The real test will be next weekend, when it expands to more cities and theaters. (Karen) There has been a ton of publicity: Pierce Brosnan has been on all the shows and TV is saturated with ads. I heard a TV commercial this a.m. claiming TCA had "the most sizzling performances of the decade!" Yowza! Sounds like it'll push Runaway Bride out of first place at the BO this weekend. TCA should be renamed 'Entrapment With Two Actors Far More Compatible in Age'. Naahh--too long :-D

Liked what Arty-4 wrote at the IMDb: "Especially fine is Colin Firth, who plays the narrator's boyish, sexy and definitely oddball father. Every time I see this actor I marvel at how he manages to display so many conflicting emotions and thoughts while seeming never to move a muscle. And he's gorgeous to look upon, too...My only reservation about the acting is with Robbie Norman as the kid; he is cute in a freckle-faced way but not very expressive (especially set beside Firth)." He/she is an excellent judge of acting abilities! (she adds objectively) (Allison) Well it is tabloid size..... Hmmmm, on my monitor, they look about the same! ;-D

(Bethan)I noticed in Paris that there's a very vibrant West African community.. A film like SLOW (hey, I can't leave this alone!) set in Cannes, would definitely attract some attention there in the arthouse outlets. Bethan, the French film marketaudience is v. small. Pl. do not take this as perverse nationalism...but a film really has to make it in the US..more$$$. Incidentally, I do keep my monthly call to the bank...ask them if they put SLOW through the shredder yet.No, they say..."still here" ***** Hey Pierce Brosnan has been working his buns off on TV...as did Tom Cruise and Nicole for EWS. And these guys don't even need exposure (pun not intended). They're A-1 bankable stars!! I don't think Colin "get's it".But's that's ok by me. ****** (Ann)Re; MLSF... think I would prefer to see it in Brighton I think it would be" more funner"to see it at the London Premiere. Maybe "The Star" would even show up since it's in his own backyard. **** Did I mention that I heard from Adi who missed MLSF by a day in LA, but hopes to see it in Chicago. Karen gave me the theatre and address which I passed on.

(Evelyn) Hey Pierce Brosnan has been working his buns off on TV... LOL!! And I hear we're going to see those 45+ year-old buns on the screen! Yippee!! I'm all for equal-time exposure. Unlike a certain short stocky guy who let his wife take it all off! ;-p ...just a few more hours... I'm hyperventilating ;-D

(Karen)...just a few more hours... I'm hyperventilating ;-D Here's a brown paper bag for you--breathe deeply--wouldn't want you passing out in the movie theater. Have a great time!

Maybe "The Star" would even show up since it's in his own backyard. Sure hope so! Though I have to say (in his defence!) that even when he does turn up for things (SIL premiere in the UK, Cannes MLSF premiere) the camera never seems to pan in his direction. BBC News 24 carried a nightly report on the Cannes Film Festival for its duration, with a Brit focus, so the coverage was almost always on British actors...Catherine Z-J, Ewan McG, Jude Law, Nigel Hawthorne, Emily Watson, RE, etcetera, etcetera. On the night of the MLSF premiere, they showed Liz Taylor and Minnie Drive , and mentioned AMFAR, and then foused on Ben Affleck, either going to or leaving the event, and devoted the rest of the slot to him! No mention or shot of CF, although he must have been milling about in the background. I've yet to see him on British TV as "himself", although I'm still hoping! :-) Glad to hear that SLOW hasn't hit the shredder yet, Evelyn. Thanks for keeping in touch on this one! I'll phone Working Title again in a few days re BJD...their pre-production office must be up and running by now!

Mari was kind enough to find this : There's a Film Scouts video interview with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio re: MLSF at: http://www.filmscouts.com/scripts/clips.cfm?Film=my-life Takes a while to load... and there are pauses...hang in there..it's worth it. Thank you , Mari.

I give up! there is MORE to life!!!! and there are MANY good movies out there that don't have CF in them.

(Laura) ....I give up! Sorry, Laura, you won't convert us.... it's a hopeless case....m'dear.. But why don't you try another cause? **** BTW Re: the MEM video...I looked at it on the Real Player link.

Laura, you crack me up. Can't you tell we LOVE to pull your chain? Guess 'cause it's so easy! Love that Arty-4. Got to be a woman. Karen, I hope your IMdb review is already to post full of exaltations about DB. No need to edit your comments after you see it, I'm sure. ;-)

I give up! there is MORE to life!!!! and there are MANY good movies out there that don't have CF in them. Oh, please... And I really hoped you had gone to live it somewhere else in that Firthless world of yours.

Well, since I know you're going to want to respond to the above, Laura, let me say first that most of us are kidding you. It's fun to be outrageous about Colin. This is the place to do it. You can't really think that we can't expand our horizons beyond him so you must be kidding us too. Joke noted. Next subject.

...and here I am, huge smile on my face, having seen a perfectly adorable movie to be greeted by.... argh. No more.

(Karen) Jana!! What's going on in Tucson? There's a User Comment posted for MLSF at the IMDb. That Tango person couldn't possibly have seen the movie? Redgrave? Dover? What movie did he/she see? Why don't you give the local art house a ring to find if and when they're going to show MLSF. Checked it out and MLSF is not on their schedule (local art house). Will keep inquiring at other places though.

and arn't you going to tell us about it Karen, please, please, please.

Yes Karen, please! November is a lo-o-ng way away for us poor folks in the UK. In fact, I think it's odds on that up here in the provinces, I'll see "Turn of the Screw" before MLSF if it only gets a limited release. :-( News of a kind. I phoned Working Title and asked yet again about BJD and when they will start filming. Answer "in a couple of months, most likely October, although no actual date has been scheduled yet". So it is this year. Hope it doesn't clash with 3DOR. If he does do MD (remember that mortgage!), he'll be very busy, but at leat everything is London-based.

Sorry I didn't post last night, but I felt a little deflated after reading the ugliness here. So here goes, AnnW: Arrived early, as I didn't want there to be any possibility that I would be turned away for lack of seats. The most bizarre crowd had already assembled. Most were of retiree age, although there were younger people here and there. The most bizarre stood right behind me in line. [I know I digress but I haven't seen anything like this in ages.] She had dyed blonde big hair and foundation makeup in a tanned tone about an inch thick. Under the makeup, who knows what age, but likely in her 50s or better. Escorting her was a younger man with dyed strawberry blondish wavy hair that was plastered to the sides of his head. I'm not sure where these people came from. I asked where she had gotten her tickets and she said a co-worker had given them to her. Behind them was a nice older couple and I spoke to the wife. She said they had done a radio call in for the tickets. I checked my other ticket and sure enough a classical radio station was listed as a sponsor, along with the Chicago Sun Times and Crabtree Evelyn. The classical station was not the main one in town either. I hope Miramax is reading this as the firm that handles its publicity here couldn't promote itself out of a paperbag. These people are not going to get people to this film. They are not opinionmakers! They should have given it to Cinema Chicago and let its membership see it. Those people love film, see it all, and can appreciate film. Off my soapbox and onto the film. This film is Godiva-level eye candy for Firth followers. Yowza!! From beginning to end not only does he look fantastic in all the white pants and especially the glasses, but his acting!! Oh Louisa, the acting! I have to say that this is his best role to date. He is the film, even more so than wee Fraser. Initially, I was apprehensive that he was another buffoonish character or a dislikable character like Wessex. But it is neither. I wasn't at all cringing at the laughter. It was genuinely funny. This is an eccentric character with the financial means to spend his time in pursuit of outrageous inventions of all sorts. Nothing at all painful to watch about his comical pursuit of newfangled thingamabobs. Colin really acts his socks off in this one but in his patented subtle way. The facial expressions you are going to love, especially the one at the end. When I said that this isn't a Geoffrey or Wessex type character, it runs closer to Paul Ashworth as he was another man-child. But it isn't Paul either. Edward is a totally different incarnation of that basic type. Edward, as you all know, is capable of lust and betrayal. More on this on Topic 121 [Yeah!! I'm finally able to go see what's going on there and to put in my two cents about you know what!!] Contrary to some of the reviews, I didn't find anything dragging in this movie - not even the first half. Yes, it would appear that certain aspects of the movie suffered as a result of the editing process - certain insufficiently explained characters. I'm sure there must have been more because all the others are so well-fleshed out. Strangely enough, one of the most enjoyable aspects of viewing the movie was watching as the scenes we've all seen in the photographs came unto the screen. It was a very weird feeling as you'd see the scene and the characters moving into place for the still shot. I can't add anything about the cinematography that hasn't already been said. Gorgeous, positively gorgeous. All the actors were marvelous and I had no problem with the kid. As for my personal highlights, I'd have to list in no particular order: Colin racing up the stairs (several times), Colin teaching the kids to cast to Beethoven's Fifth, Colin in the kilt with sporran prominently displayed (too bad there wasn't a huge gale of wind), the infamous dinner table scene (he looks sooooo good), watching th home movie with Fraser and of course the dancing. yum yum The audience reaction was very good. Lots of laughter and a smattering of applause at the end. There were audience reaction cards to fill out for Miramax and will tell you about that elsewhere. The nice lady behind me in line saw me in the lobby and asked how I liked it. She thought it was very funny and enjoyed it immensely. I forgot to mention that I had told her and her husband all about it beforehand and pointed out that they should take particular notice of Colin. That's all for now and I have to run off. More later and on 121. Can't wait to see the movie again either Friday or Saturday or Sunday or all of the above!

One last thing and not a spoiler. Colin has a new walk that he does in addition to his characteristic loping one. There's this hip-hopping thing with Moira after the church scene. It's set in a field and the same rock where everybody seems to sit and pose for pics. Adorable!! ;-D

I'm not sure where these people came from Planet Zarg? C'mon over to 121!

Ann, Bethan, I believe Karen has probably posted her comments on 121... Haven't been there yet, but check it out, I may be right!

Ooops! I should have checked again before posting. I'm sorry. Loved reading the repost, Karen, it's almost as good as having been there! (Ok, ok, I'm trying to be brave about it too- but it is, in a sense!) I *shall* read the "spoilers" ;-)

I have visited on and off for the past couple of years and wanted to say hello. It's nice to see so much activity. I've missed the private pictures--how can I see them? I don't even know who all to ask. I also wonder if anyone has had trouble logging in one day with a password that was perfectly good the day before. Anyway, it's nice to see that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Great, Karen. His BEST role to date??!!! Sounds almost scary. Just how good can he get? Hello, quimby.

Laura, I agree there are some good films out there without CF, but they would be even BETTER if he was in them!!! No publicity in my part of Australia yet for MLSF. My sources from another part of the country are saying 2 September - 27 days.

Thanks for your review Karen. I can't remember when I so looked forward to seeing a film. I have already advised my friends that I am cancelling any arrangements previously made for the weekend that MLSF starts in my area. Of course, they all realise that they come second to Colin, so they were not surprised.

The anticipation for MLSF is heightened even more. Thanks, Karen. Would you say he's in even more scenes than Fever Pitch where I must say I usually fast forward through Paul as a kid scenes. How delightful to see him featured so prominently and beautifully.

Joke noted. Next subject. Spoilsport. ;-)

Joke noted. Next subject. ] Um, shall I start one?

Sorry I was at the "friendly confines" today, most painless way of getting a tan but probably cost me more than your going to Dallas to see MLSF, Evelyn. And the Chicago Cubs aren't anywhere near as cute as Colin and they lost. Oh well, the kiddies had fun. :-) I haven't been to 121 yet but will do so shortly. (Elena) Just how good can he get? Very very good. Colin and his character carry this film. What's so interesting is that Edward runs a full gamut of emotions. He's basically a child so think about it and what you can expect from a child. Try picturing that in the body of a grownup) without it looking ridiculous. (Cathey) I have already advised my friends that I am cancelling any arrangements previously made for the weekend that MLSF starts in my area. What excellent organizational and interpersonal skills you have! ;-D Thank goodness I have no *family* commitments this weekend for they shall not see me. (Heide) Would you say he's in even more scenes than Fever Pitch That's hard to say because the *other* scenes (non-Colin scenes) aren't as long as the young Paul flashback scenes. There are a few here and there of Gamma and Morris; Gamma and Fraser; Fraser alone doing various things; Heloise and Fraser; and Heloise and Moira's duet with Fraser watching. But they are short and we're back to Colin in no time at all. So it will be minor fast-forwarding in the future. And last, but not least, my welcome to quimby! Look forward to seeing your comments on all the boards. ;-D

And ladies, pay close attention to the curling scene. At the very beginning you will see two men walking across the ice doing an inspection. The bigger guy is our Head Curler Len!! :-)

This from Mari, bless her, who was in contact with Miramax: "I just talked to Miramax, and here are the U.S. cities in which it will open tomorrow. Note: it's a different list than what we previously thought--some of you will be very pleasantly surprised: Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, Seattle, San Francisco. More info: They hope to expand in the coming weeks--but it will depend on how it does. " ***** Sounds as though the demographics don't include the very young who patronize the movies. **** ACTION -TIME: SF that's you SB....Seattle,.. KJArt?.....Washington DC...Emma? Boston...c'mon Laura..be a sport...we want your input, (and quit the sh**! we don't have time for that now!!) I'll do Dallas; Heide and Mari... Philly. Any lurker out there from Minneapolis? We want reviews from all over. And then on to IMDb..for an earful!! Busy weekend!!