But his voice was sublime and his manner more than engaging!! Ok so I saw 10 seconds on my rewind but it was worth a glimpse. More tomorrow

The sideburns were interesting in profile!!

Pouffy hair?! Just what I was dreading.;-) At least the voice is intact. Lizza, I'm afraid to find out what was so interesting about the sideburns in profile. Thanks, Ann and Lizza, for checking in. Details tomorrow?

The sideburns, yes well!! - thank goodness for those lovely eyes!! -- and that voice. Now if only we could have him in something where he is on our screens for the entire 2 hours!! I really do think that it was very misleading to people who did not know, to introduce it as "starring Jodhi May, Pam Fereris & Colin Firth" -I mean it was barely 5 mins. Any CF fans not in the know will be sorely disappointed.

Not one of my favourite CF looks, but any port in a storm!!

Barely five minutes? So then I take it no sexy dreams from the Miss. Well, at least Henry James isn't rolling in his grave.

I'd recorded it and have just watched it. It was very true to the book, lots of dialogue directly transferred. Good production. Excellent photography. Under 5 minutes of CF, I'd say. Literally the opening scene. Have very mixed feelings about it. I would really prefer not to see him in any more cameos, especially on television and especially after Darcy. Cameos may be okay in Oscar winning movies, but on television he should go for a leading role in a major production or nothing at all! Voice, eyes, smile were all great, but I prefer his hair brown and natural!

No sexy dreams, but she wanders round his empty bedroom, strokes his clothes in the wardrobe, gazes at his portrait and picks irises (the flowers he smells in the interview scene). Obviously very smitten.

In case I sounded too negative, it's a classy production, with an intelligent screenplay and faithful adaptation by Nick Dear. The sexual repression of the governess and the knowingness of the precocious children are well portrayed. It will, I'm sure, get good reviews.

When in the book does she go into his bedroom? Did I miss that part?

(AnnW)The sideburns, yes well!! - thank goodness for those lovely eyes!! LOL, Ann! Does this fall under the category of "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?" Now I'm really frightened to see those sideburns ;-).

Thanks all for your prompt reports about TOTS. she ....... gazes at his portrait How was the portrait? Hope they didn't use the same painter as in P&P. :-/ Ann, Boxing Day was renamed into, yes, Boxers Day? ;-) But we haven't fixed dates for Breeches Day yet, or Wet Shirt Week.

sorry I missed the joke Murph and thanks for enlightening me, Renate.

Well done UK fans. Chat Room Today: Thanks to Ann and Lizza who have consented to be our TTOTS Reporters. Hope Bethan and Allison can make it too. 9 PM GMT 4PM ET 3 PM CT ~~~~~~~~ (Ann) Any CF fans not in the know will be sorely disappointed. Well, they could have gone to see 90 minutes of him in SLOW which apparently not many did!

I much preferred the painting of him in this as it is a good likeness and having watched it today, it is an excellent production all round, as has been said. His look does "grow" on you, and having seen 3 DOR recently, the familiarity of him is quite tantalising. Gi, have you secretly been at work on his hair? But I do agree about the "cameo" thing. It is also frustrating in the sense "now you see him, now you don't". See you all later.

Our phoneline seems to be constantly in use at the moment so I don't think I'll be able to join Chat but I'll post my thoughts off-line and see if I get the chance to submit! Firstly, TOTS is a very good production, crisply edited with contrasting use of light and dark locations and photography. Nick Dear's screenplay is very true to the book, often using the exact dialogue from the text, and relects the ambiguities....also explains the expresssion "the turn of the screw". It will certainly meet with the approval of Henry James' fans...but the "horror" might be too subtle for the "Scream" generation. It's not really a horror story, or even a ghost story... it is more about s xual repression and (I think) a certain precosity in the children, certainly in Miles, who seems very mature for his age. The film opens with the suicide (by drowning) of the previous governess. The Master's role is a cameo one, but his presence is there throughout the film. The governess admits that she has fallen for him, and Mrs Gross says something along he lines of "You won't be the first or last" and later on she says that "He liked them (governesses) young and pretty." Flora, the young girl, (deliberately?) shows Miss the Master's bedroom. Miss later on enters the room, looks at the bed and then strokes the clothes in the wardrobe. At this point, you might start wondering whether the Master is responsible for the previous governess' suicide, but then the apparition of Peter Quint appears, and the story takes a different tack. The children seem fond of their uncle...they want him to come down to join them, and the little girl says he is "sweet" and the boy talks about going to London to see him. This seemed a slight weakness in the screenplay, (and novel)...why is he so determined not to be involved in the affairs of th children, when he has obviously gone to a lot of trouble on their behalf? My initial reaction to TOTS was coloured, as usual, by cameo-itis, and I wasn't really sure about CF's appearance. He always looks different and it takes me time to adjust. I think they were going for the Victorian gentleman look, which means sideboards (although not those awful fuzzy mutton chop whiskers, thank goodness) which don't look real to me, and a lot of dark styled hair. I guess I just prefer him with his natural colouring and hair! Also (really nit-picking here!) they've given him a soft collar and a very untidy necktie, and his shoulders look too broad for the frock coat. Having said all that, eyes, voice and smile are all very much up to scratch! The portrait is also, as Lizza says, a good likeness! There's a lull in the phone use, so I'll try to go back on-line for a second and submit!

I agree about the clothes Bethan, the coat seemed one size too big and the collar and tie were very untidy , however, he is such a chameleon, how does he do it, he looks so different in everything he does. He is never Colin Firth acting Colin Firth, he is Colin Firth acting whoever and so convincingly. The only good thing imo about the cameo role is that it has put in the the TV eye again and perhaps next time he will have the starring role. It seems incredible that he has only done Nostromo since P&P. no wonder people write to Teletext/Ceefax saying they are getting Firth withdrawal syptoms, I can sympathise.

An FOF sent me to this link for TOTS. Nice interview with CF. Thanks, Bethan and Anne, for your comments.- Murph ******************************* Colin Firth Plays The Master Colin Firth is set to charm viewers with his portrayal of another classic literary character in The Turn of the Screw. He wooed thousands as the dashing Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, now he's back in period costume to play the charismatic Master in Henry James' famous ghost story. "The characterisation of the Master is very much a creation of this adaptation. In the book he is a presence by implication. But the young governess is so motivated by her feelings for him that we have tried to establish that relationship in this adaptation," explains Colin. "It is one of the most argued over books of this century. Are the ghosts real, or is the governess psychotic. The Master manipulates this girl and tries to make use of what he perceives as his power to exploit her vulnerability." But he admits he is not a fan of watching costume drama. "Despite my reputation for costume drama, I am not drawn to watching it on television. But I have not steered away from it as a result of playing Darcy. I don't want to be held hostage to that. If I am offered something irresistible, and it means wearing a costume like Darcy's, then I will do it," says Colin. "In some ways there is more artifice in wearing modern dress than period costume. If I am putting on breeches, I know I am putting on a costume. If I am putting on jeans and a t-shirt for a role you have to be more specific. They're not my jeans and t-shirt. When we made Fever Pitch for instance we had to decide whether black jeans were in vogue at that time." Colin says he certainly found the Henry James story irresistible. "I love The Turn of the Screw. I love the mystery of it. When ghost stories are told well, they are brilliant. But they are incredibly rare. It is a perpetually misjudged form of story telling. "The Turn of the Screw is one of the models of ghost story telling. It is a gripping portrait of a person's psychology. The overwhelming majority of people who attempt such stories fall into the trap of wanting to explain everything. The golden rule of ghost stories is don't reveal all. And that is the beauty of this Henry James story." Colin recalls reading the book, and watching the chilling film The Haunting. The terrifying Don't Look Now, is one of his favourite films, he says. "I like the mood of a ghost story. It is perfect for a wintry night, sitting by the fire, watching a ghost story which gives you a chill and provokes the imagination. If I am here at Christmas that is what I will be watching,"says Colin. He says he doesn't believe in ghosts, but admits he had some "uncanny and inexplicable" experiences. "When I was a teenager I dreamt up all sorts of things, but as I've got older I've found explanations for those experiences." The son of two university lecturers, Colin spent the first four years of his life in Nigeria, before the family moved to England. He has a younger brother and sister, Jonathan and Kate, who are also actors. Inspired by his grandmother's performances in amateur theatre, Colin decided as a teenager to become an actor. He trained at the London Drama Centre. When he left he was cast as Tommy Judd, in the stage and screen versions of Another Country. Colin quickly earned a reputation for versatility and has played a wide range of roles including a Falklands veteran in Tumbledown, John McCarthy in Hostages, an Arsenal supporter in Fever Pitch, Lord Wessex in Shakespeare in Love, and the cuckolded officer in The English Patient. Colin has had a busy year making four feature films, due for release in 2000. He plays the title role in Donovan Quick. His other films are My Life So Far, Londinium, and Relative Values. He is currently starring in Richard Greenberg's Three Days of Rain at the Donmar Warehouse with Elizabeth McGovern and David Morrissey. Away from acting Colin has developed a passionate concern for the plight of refugees, and offers his help to support groups all over Britain. "The arbitrary detention of refugees is a source of appalling shame. It is shocking that refugees should be arrested when they have committed no crime. They should be treated as heroes when they have managed to flee their own countries and cross several continents to find refuge,"says Colin. Turn of the Screw

(Bethan).why is he so determined not to be involved in the affairs of th children, when he has obviously gone to a lot of trouble on their behalf When I read the book....(and there are some scholars who agree...but more of that later as we discuss it on #98..)I felt that the Master knew of the "special relationship" between the governess and the children(read: pedophile). ~~~~~ A Big Thanks to Ann and Lizza who were gracious enough to come to Chat and be "grilled" on TTOTS.(*clap, clap*) We had 9 to 11 on board at one time. Good Show. Now we can't wait for Feb. 27th.

Just had a quick TOTS replay and as Bethan says the costume is not fitting , the waistcoat is almost voluminous on him, but we do get a good deal of facial close ups. I would say about 4 minutes max (I had meant to time it) of ODB. will try and time it to give a more exact picture for you. Makes the hype of a "starring role " and the billing all the more amazing! Evelyn, we much enjoyed your company on Chat tonight, thanks everyone who was able to support Ann and myself. :@))

Just timed ODB in TOTS and he is actually on screen for LESS than 4 minutes. Althou' his voice is heard later on, briefly, reading out a letter, we don't see him again. Hope this helps to put it in context for you, those of you who have not yet seen it.

Sorry I missed you all. Company (my daughter) here this afternoon. Can't wait until February either. The TOTS story is always compelling, and seeing CF even briefly will be a bonus. Murph

Good details, Bethan, Lizza, and Ann. I actually can't think of anything else to ask you! Although he's in it for such a short time, I'm glad you think the production is worth seeing through its entirety. Looks like my power tape of TOTS will easily fit on the same cassette as The Secret Garden. ;-) Chat was fun. Thanks girls!

I would like to have been in the chat room this p.m. but my son and his family were leaving at 6:00 and I wanted to spend as much time with my 2 grandsons as possible

Review of TTOTS from Monday's Times: "At two hours, The Turn of the Screw (ITV, Boxing Day) had the opposite problem. Henry James's story relies on generating a supernatural frisson, and the two children, Miles and Flora, had a perfect blend of innocence and sinister precocity. Perhaps it was because the evil, malevolent ghost of Peter Quint reminded me of Wurzel Gummidge. Perhaps it was because Jodhi May as the Governess went through the film with her mouth ajar and was clearly bonkers, but the hairs on the back of my neck refused to stand p. Her anguish was plain. Was she really seeing ghosts? Were the children possessed? "For heaven's sake, woman," I shouted at her, "phone a friend" ~~~~~~ For US fans I understand the latter phrase refers to the show "How to be a Millionaire"in the UK where the contestants are allowed to "call a friend". ( Hee, hee) But who is Wurzel Gummidge?

Hair comparison time and even coordinating vests!! ;-)

Hmmm, well come to think of it I've never seen the Master and Richard in the same place at the same time. Karen, you may be on to something! Everyone said that CF seemed to be walking home from the Donmar. Perhaps he was sweatin' to the oldies ;-).

The Times TV reviewer was the same one who who made disparaging comments about Jodhi May in his preview review. All other previews were very good! Sorry to have missed Chat...too much competition for the phoneline!

OT but I wanted you to know I saw Valmont for the first time last sunday evening, and loved it. Colin is so droolable, and plays such an interesting character. I had seen Dangerous Liaisons and must watch it again for comparison. I seem to remember Malkovitch's Valmont as a much more malevolent character, while Colin's is just childish. He hurts women because he does not even realize they have feelings. I am not excusing him, BTW! Annette Benning was fantastic (and beautiful) and her character totally believable. Is Meg Tilly of asian descent? Is ODB attracted to foreign women? Do I stand a chance? (;-)Just kidding)

Valmont sounds like it's right on topic, Gi. I hadn't realized that was your first viewing! I remember it was the first Colin video I rented after seeing P&P and I was so startled by the grin. I hope you were able to tape it so you can watch it again and again. He's a fascinating character and we can debate his attraction to Madame Tourvel forever - real or manufactured? I wonder too if there's a South Pacific or Asian connection to the Tillys. Both she and her sister Jennifer have an exotic look around the eyes which to me is their best feature.

I did tape Valmont, Heide. I came home early to make sure nothing was wrong... It is almost impossible to find this movie nowadays - even online they didn't have them in the sites I looked for. Valmont's attraction to Mme de Tourvel - IMO, fake at the beginning, later more real. However, no woman was really important to him. I agree with you on Meg Tilly's best feature (only good feature?)

How about when he swings her around the room in his arms? To me that was one of his better love scenes. They were playing it for real. I know Mari would disagree, but I like Meg Tilly! Glad you got to see it, Gi. Murph

(Gi) Valmont's attraction to Mme de Tourvel - IMO, fake at the beginning, later more real. Yesssssssss!!! ;-) (Murph) How about when he swings her around the room in his arms? On our list of claimed items/scenes at #113, that one has my name on it. :-) (Heide) which to me is their best feature Well, we know it is NOT their voice, especially Jennifer's.

Glad you finally got to see Valmont, Gi. That twirling scene is Karen's favorite.I think he looks gorgeous, but he never convinces me of being an aristocratic lothario. ~~~~ MT website doesn't mention any asian affiliation. But then Jennifer has almond eyes too:-)) ~~~~~ shhhhh...I like Meg Tilly too, Murph....

Hello again to all of you. I just got back from Mom's and had a wonderful Christmas in scenic central Pennsylvania. No, that's not a joke, central Pennsylvania is very pretty. The landscaping outside Mom's entrance was really nice -- with small colored lights wrapped around the dwarf European cypresses and lights sprinkled through the boxwood shrubs, but none on the holly bushes, those leaves are sharp. I've especially enjoyed reading your comments on "The Turn of the Screw". Thank you Murph for posting the CF interview. So he enjoys a really good ghost story, such as Henry James's celebrated novella. He also mentioned getting a really good shiver from the films "The Haunting" and "Don't Look Now". CF must have been referring to Robert Wise's original adaptation of "The Haunting" from the sixties, the one with Julie Harris and Claire Bloom. I first saw that on tv when I was about 14 and it scared me silly; it's still when of the scariest movies ever made, and I am one of the "Scream" generation. I wonder if CF has read the basis for that film, Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House"; it's a great read. He probably has, as well as the Daphne du Maurier piece on "Don't Look Now" was based. He seems as though he can be very literary in his reading choices, even ghost stories, so I'd guess he's also read Edith Wharton's ghost stories and those of M.R. James. I don't know if the Tilly sisters have any Asian ancestory, but I thik I read something which said that they had some Native American background. That could qualify as Asian if you go back far enough.

twirling scene Gentlemen - if you ever ask yourself "what do women want?", watch this scene. Granted I don't expect to be twirled around the room in my beloved's arms every night but once or twice in my lifetime might be nice. At least while I can still be hefted.

Gi, yes to your earlier question - ODB has been quoted stating that he finds non-British women especially attractive. And I'm trying to figure out why I should not like MT... not easy. Just because she and ODB couldn't make it work is not enough, IMO.

Gi . . .are you trying to give me the Tilly Willies?;-) Yes, Meg's father was/is Chinese--I read this in recent interviews with Jennifer. According to her, they never advertised that fact early in their careers as they felt it might limit the roles offered to them. She's not my favorite actress, and don't even get me started on the voice.;-) But I like her personally. She seems very nice and unassuming, and is a good woman for encouraging and facilitating a relationship between her son and his father. Thanks for the TOTS comments, ladies. Four minutes is disappointing; I was hoping for at least 5;-) I'm still looking forward to seeing it though. A little CF is better than no CF. Karen, those comparison pics of Richard Simmons and The Master are a scream. Now we know why Colin is so thin--he's been doing Deal A Meal! ;-)

Hi all... (Gi)It is almost impossible to find this movie nowadays Yep. If anybody knows where to get Valmont I�d be most grateful. I saw it in the movies when it was first released and never since, and Valmont is the first movie that made me interested in Colin. It�s a good film (at least I remember it was) and it�s a big pity that it seems to have �disappeared�. Speaking of his old movies, I finally ordered A Month In the Country, TA and COF from Video Direct to watch during the Christmas holidays. I knew what would happen and it did too, I loved AMITC and fell for Colin even more than before, I�m afraid. He�s absolutely wonderful as Birkin, as you all know. I think I�ve postponed seeing it because I was afraid of getting deeper into my firthoholism! I even made my DH watch it but that was a mistake, he started to yawn and read a newspaper after the first 20 minutes (probably not because he didn�t like the movie but because he just doesn�t want to see Colin regardless of the quality of the film). (Murph)I like Meg Tilly! So do I. I think she was very pretty in Valmont and Colin obviously has a thing for the girlish ballerina type with dark hair and beautiful dark eyes....btw I�ve always suspected that his mother is the same type!!! He has praised Meg more than any other of his ladies in his interviews, you know, "I had never met anybody like her and still haven�t".

murph

Elena try Critics Choice video at www.ccvideo.com Thats where I got mine. Their service is quick too.

Elena, are you able to play NTSC or do you have to have PAL? I have an extra previously viewed Valmont that I picked up at a rental store. Let me know if you can use it.

The Queen should recognize Colin in the New Year's Honors List.... No one else has done as much for tourism .He doesn't need a title.... Any ole OBE would do;-) ~~~~~ Elena, if you can play NTSC, I have an extra Wings of Fame and TA

...and I have another AZ. Elena, when you said you had purchased "The Advocate" which is the American NTSC version, is it that or the PAL original "The Hour of the Pig"?

Gi I hope that you were not hit by the storms that roared through Europe. I know that Spain was hit.

If anybody knows where to get Valmont I�d be most grateful. Ebay. I recommend it most highly. I've gotten 11--count 'em--CF films there. There are almost always multiple copies of several available, and the prices are right, sometimes incredibly inexpensive (that's the advantage of his being a stealth star). The sellers I've worked with have been prompt, reliable, and pleasant with one exception, and even there I got the film; they were just a bit slow.

Valmont was my first CF film after P&P too, and I was amazed at the acting range and of course the grin. I think it's one of his best and an excellent film in general--the dance scene where he reacts differently to each of the four women is great as is his treatment of little Cecile after he decides to give in to Mme M and seduce her. The combination of bossiness, fatherliness, and lechery is masterful. I agree that he is less malevolent than John M. He reminds me of an 18th century fraternity boy--never occurs to him that women are people, just toys. So he doesn't have the strength of character to recognize when he does fall in love with Meg, doesn't know how to change his behavior, and then gets swept up in the chain of events that leads to his death. That's what makes it a tragedy and I think is how the book plays it. Mme M is unrelievedly nasty and scheming for her vengeful ends; Valmont just thi ks it's a lot of fun and doesn't realize what either of them is doing.

Thank you Cymbeline for your assessment of Valmont....I shall have to look at it again with a "18th Century fraternity boy" in mind. I think is how the book plays it. IMO that's how Milos Forman interpreted it. Stephen Frear (was that the other director?) made JM more of a lothario and that's how I envisioned Valmont when I read the book. I prefer Colin's of course.

Lucie, thanks for the tip. Karen, the reel I have is the tHOTPig PAL version. What�s the difference? I suppose that some seconds of the funny shagging with Maria was cut off from the US version?? I like Colin in the film, a subtle performance with humour isn�t it, but I was almost appalled with the rest of it the first time I watched it. The second time I could somehow adjust to the beastly athmosphere in it but I still don�t like the movie. Does anybody really? Karen and Evelyn, I�ll email you about the videos. I can easily get the NTSC converted to PAL.

btw Lynda, where are you? I have eagerly waited to hear about your recent 3DOR experience & encounter w. Mr. F.

Des anyone know if Portugal was hit by those storms, I read in the paper today that 6 were dead in central Spain . I have been wondering about Gi. It didnt's say anything about Portugal but I still worry.

Hi, everybody. I'm here, but with Christmas and all, I just haven't had a chance to post. When we returned from our trip we learned that we had been burgled while away and I had to replace all of the presents I had bought my husband and son and prepare for Christmas dinner, which we were having this year.Also my brother arrived from Denver, so I haven't had much free time. I did keep a diary, so I do have some things to share if you can wait until after the new year.I will say that we all very much enjoye 3DOR (well, not my son so much, my fault, I'm afraid)and SLOW and my husband and I were impressed with meeting dear Colin. Just a quick comment on Valmont. I also saw CF's Valmont as a self-centered boy, not a malevolent lady-killer. He liked sex and variety, it was all just a game to him. He seemed much too innocent to deserve his fate, unlike JM's Valmont, which is why I find it very hard to watch this film.I really, really hate it when Colin gives us a sympathetic character who is then killed off. Elena, I very much like The Advocate, all of it. I brought back a copy of THOTP and had it converted and cannot see why the shortened NTSC version. I did not see anything offensive in the original version at all, unless one considers Colin's (presumably)naked stroll by the water, miles from the camera, offensive. Most of the cuts were perplexing to me and some of the changed dialogue in the NTSC version was baffling. Perhaps one of you more knowlegable women could explain. I was left wondering if the whol business was a Miramax publicity stunt. Next week, I promise that I will post about 3DOR, SLOW and ODB.

I look forward to hearing you report Lynda, I am very sorry to hear that you were burgled whilst you were away, how awful for you. I hope it did not upset your Christmas too much, although I sure it must have done, I am very sorry for you all, what a horrible end to a lovely holiday. I would have hated it, can't think of anything worse. Take Care.

Cheryl, welcome back from the wilds of PA. I may not have been that far from you. I'm so sorry you came home to a burgled house, Lynda. I'm sure it was horrifying and I hope nothing sentimentally valued was taken. I look forward to hearing about London. Hurry if you can though because before you know it, the next contingent will be there and back! I can't believe it's coming up so soon! (Evelyn) The Queen should recognize Colin in the New Year's Honors List.... No one else has done as much for tourism . LOL!! and I second that. Mari, thanks for clearing up the Tilly ancestry. I will say no more about it. (Cymbeline) Mme M is unrelievedly nasty and scheming for her vengeful ends; Valmont just thinks it's a lot of fun and doesn't realize what either of them is doing. I agree that's how Forman portrays it and our DB conveys it oh so well. He's a spoiled rich kid who's not so jaded that he can't fall in love. MM is beyond even that, I think. the dance scene where he reacts differently to each of the four women is great I love that scene. And don't you just love Fabia Drake as his aunt? In that scene she looks at him so adoringly as they dance. She knows he's a rascal but she can't help loving that boy. Elena, HOTPIG/TA is one of my faves and always has been. I take it mostly as a comedy. The seigneur and his dysfunctional family are a hoot. I think it's that one particular sexual position in Hotpig that gave the US censors pause. Does seem silly. Ah, but AMITC and Birkin - what a love. Also in my own particular Firth Top 5.

Look what I found, can't recall having seen it before: "INGRID BARES ALL TO SAVE STARS' BLUSHES". Ingrid, who "played hundreds of body doubles in her three years as an actress", claims to have had her most embarrassing moment with ODB in a hot bathtub. ;-) http://www.britishnews.co.uk/lifeandlovearchive/baredouble.htm

Wow! Thanks Renate.... Ingrid from Luton says:But afterwards,he was a bit taken with me and kept coming up and talking to me. Wonder what his opening sentence was..."Read any good books lately?" "The crew all started singing 'Falling in Love Again'.That was really embarrassing." Embarassing for whom? This chick bares it all and then gets embarrassed when the crew sings? ~~~~~~~~ OK...so what film is this from:THOTP? Or (I hope!)"Londinium"?

Thanks for the article, Renate. What a great scoop! But I'm with Evelyn and am having a tough time thinking which film this could be from. The only thing that comes readily to mind is Femme Fatale, but I don't think even I could mix up Billy Zane and a naked blonde woman ;-). Hmmm, come to think of it Joe and Elijah were in a wading pool, weren't they? I guess that doesn't qualify as a hot tub.

Lynda, how terrible to come home to such a scene. It seems that there was so much of that this year. It leaves you feeling so violated and fearful in your own home I hope your Christmas wasn't spoiled and that your son was happy with what he received. Jana was she the blonde who was posing in the nude for Billy Zane?

(Ingrid) "and then he had to get his kit off as well. He was clearly embarrassed by the whole thing." How could she tell? ;-) Renate, this is a hoot!! What kind of sites are you visiting? ;-) Ingrid doesn't look like Colin's type, although she does have dark roots. HOTPig doesn't seem right. Who would ever call a communal bathhouse a hot tub? I'm betting on Londinium. Will send off an email and maybe we'll find out. ~~~~~~~ Awful news, Lynda. Hope everything is getting back to normal. Probably put a damper on the whole trip. :-( Looking forward though to hearing about your encounter with The Man.

Great job for Ingrid! :-D (Heide)it's that one particular sexual position That position goes very well with the rest of the movie and the animal/human theme. But Colin�s job is sometimes pretty awful, imagine doing all that with "Maria" in front of cameras and all the film crew. Or going naked into a bath tub with an "ingrid" who would later report in papers about your embarrassment, whatever she means with that! Gaah, I say. Has THOTP been discussed here? I think it�s altogether a very interesting piece of ****** even though I don�t like it.

I definitely don't think Ingrid was referring to HOTPig. If you remember the bath house scene, there are several women who get in or are already in the water. They are all "extras." Ingrid is a body double. That is only done for a movie star who won't do nude scenes. There were no big name actresses in HOTPig. I'm betting on this being Londinium and probably for Mariel Hemingway, since I've recently seen Irene Jacob in her all-together in a made for cable film called the Big Brass Ring.

Very interesting about this Ingrid (is this her real name?) girl. I too, don't think the scene with ODB was in THOTP or we call TA because she did say that it was a hottub. I just wonder... why is ODB not among those actors who won't do nude scenes? Or why deos he want to do it himself? For money? It is a puzzle for me ^|^. I have watched TA for five times and not dislike it that much as I initially did but I still don't like it :-(

KJArt is the one that put TA in perspective..."a historical picture of the times"etc. Maybe she'll do it again.We can't judge those times with modern day norms.Having said that....I don't like it either...everyone is so ugly, dirty and smelly. I don't know if shagging Maria is any worse than the gypsy! ~~~~ (Xian)..why is ODB not among those actors who won't do nude scenes? Cause he wants to work....and if a good role calls for a nudie.... Also European actors have a different attitude than American about their bodies. ~~~~ Hey gang..I think we ought to give Renate the Spring Web WOW Award..for the WOW Scoop of the Year on the Web.!!Way to go, Renate !Keep lookin:-))

(Evelyn)We can't judge those times with modern day norms Actually what disgusts me in the HOTpig is that it�s a picture of medieval times made with so clearly modern day norms and attitudes. Colin did his best with it. give Renate the Spring Web WOW Award I second to that! Wonder what Livia might think of that story?!

Hi. I wanted to introduce myself. I've never done this before so bear with me, please. I'm guaranteed to make mistakes. I'm sorry to say I've been lurking for several weeks now, but I'm glad I did. I'm thrilled to find a group of gals with the same obsession as mine. Can I ask a question (which probably has a very obvious answer). Why do y'all call Colin ODB?

Noelle asks: Can I ask a question (which probably has a very obvious answer). Why do y'all call Colin ODB? ***************** Can I answer? Maybe you guys have a different source, but years ago now I invented a guy who looked exactly like Colin who I called Dear Boy. He climbed into my bedroom window at all hours and we had great fun fooling around. He ate my chocolate chip cookies and watched old movies on the VCR, while wearing my favorite boxer shorts. It was divine, my dears! No one else in the family knew he existed, and I loved waiting for that tall figure to come in view under the streetlights, striding up my street from the NY bus. I wrote some tales about him to the FOF list. MDB soon became ODB. Murph Welcome, Noelle.

Why do y'all call Colin ODB? Because he is Our Dear Boy. ;-) Welcome Noelle! I have made a little firework on http://www.firth.com/ . Perhaps it will take very long to to load, and be too much for some smaller pc anyway. Please let me know if it is too slow for you. BTW, I really enjoy HOTPig - it is a great little comedy. Oh, and thank you very much for the WOW title ;-). How I found that site? It's a mystery ;-D.

Welcome, Noelle! ODB stands for Our Dear Boy ;-)

Hi Noelle...Welcome to our group....we love newbies.Glad you decided to de-lurk and join us. What a pretty name...so apropos of the season... Don't be concerned about making mistakes..we do them all the time. Why do y'all call Colin ODB? ODB=Our Dear Boy DH= Dear Husband After a while you'll catch on.. ..Feel at home ...stick around.

Mary, loved your little story about YDB/ODB! Are you sure that he worn your favourite boxer short? Somehow, I think it was the other way around ;-)

That's beeeeuuuuutiful, Renate. Oh how I wish he could see that...he'd be so pleased . Colin ...bringing in the New Millennium :-)))*Sigh*

Wow, can't keep up with all these postings! Welcome Noelle! Lynda, so sorry to hear about the burglary. The Hot Tub...I agree, it must be Londinium! I think it must be tough for CF on set sometimes...he definitely needs a sense of humour, especially if he gets embarrassed. If the crew were singing "Falling in love again" I guess they were teasing him about his reputation (promoted by the tabloids!) for falling in love on set! I think nudity...or part nudity..is seen as more acceptable/natural in European films than in Hollywood products. In fact, it's almost de rigeur. And I think CF avoids it more than mo t! Murph, I saw your news update about CF's favourite movie period...the forties. (I'm really with him on this!) He mentioned two great movies..and if you look at the writing credits....W. Somerset Maugham, Thornton Wilder and Howard Koch, you can see why the writing is so good. I've always thought that CF would have had much more choice of roles in the forties than contemporary cinema! I'm in the pro HOTPIG/TA camp! I like it and I think (from what I recall of the director's notes) that it was intended to portray a clash of periods and social norms, medieval and modern. Tongue in cheek at times. Meg Tilly...I remember reading an interview with Jennifer Tilly. She said that they initially had a very middleclass upbringing...father a stockbroker, mother a teacher, but then her parents divorced and her mother took them to live on Prince Edward Island. MT went to the New York School of Ballet to train as a ballerina, while Jennifer stayed at home. I think that CF and MT do very well to maintain an amicable relationship which benefits their son, especially given the geographical split. TOTS....the final shot of CF (at the end of the four minutes!) is a great one. TOTS retains all the ambiguities of the book and as such may lack popular appeal (particularly the ending). But I thought it was well done..helps to have read Henry James though. I'm still not sure what really happened!!

Oh, BTW, should have mentioned that the Colin/fireworks collage was made by Nan ......... Nan, are you there?

NOELLE!!!! Nice to have you join us. Ask all the questions you like. Somebody here is likely to have the answer...no matter what the question or need! ;-) I like HOTPig as well because it is poking fun at the times and the institutions. Now, about that beastial poke ;-)... From what I've read the ratings people were giving it an NC-17, which everyone knows is the kiss of death for a movie unfortunately. Miramax hired William Kunstler (as I recall reading) to fight the rating. As it was, they snipped little bits here and there. Like who doesn't know what is going on with Maria when we see her head peaking out from the curtains! BTW, far more was shown f Jeremy Northam performing the same in Carrington.

Great fireworks display at firth.com Renate!! It took a while to load, but it was fantastic. :-) Go check it out: www.firth.com

A happy New Year - everyone and no glitches. Anne H

Spring Reunion 2000:Welcome in the New Millennium... I have sent everyone attending (that I know of) an email giving details. If you plan to attend 3 DOR Reunion in London on Jan. 15th, and have not received an email, pl. let me know. ~~~~~ Renate, I bet he'd like to autograph that fireworks pic!

Thank you, Renate! Your New Year page is beautiful! I love ODB picture on it and all the fireworks is fantastic!!! I just start working on my New Year wish list for ODB and will try to post it at the first minute of the year 2000. Hope some of you will join me ;-)

Many people are having problems acessing Spring....Karen, Gi, Mari, Tineke, Ann and others .That is the reason for the dearth of Firth postings today. I hope somone in admin is trying to resolve the problem....it seems to be geographic rather than individual. Meanwhile, this is the emergency message Drool Board:Karen is there. http://www.insidetheweb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi/mb49898 Bookmark this in case this happens again. Keep fingers crossed. Check cf.com....real cute New Year greeting . More later...

Terry is moving his tail and a lot of sand to make the new ISP correct their errors. I am bereft of my heart's home and it is most lonely out here!

Hi whoever can get in here. Marcia just showed me how telnet in here, but it's very weird. Happy New Year and hope that a fix is made so that we can all have fun together here.

Looks funny in here on telnet, doesn't it?! No pretties or anything but black and white. congratulations, Karen! You did it!!! Happy New Year everyone!

but what good is it if no one else can play? ;-)

Got you online...that makes someone for Evelyn to talk to...and for me...by the time we get proficient at this it will be fixed (I am devoutly hoping, that is!)

I'm in but unable to go back to read anything previous. Can One call up individual entries and then go from there? (i.e.: 123.1338).

I sound like I am talking to myself but KJArt is the one who posted 1386. Yup! You can by using the r -3 command at the OK prompt. or r -5 or whatever... Congrats, KarenJ, You did it! Another telnetter strikes again!

Maybe it's the Millennium but I can get in now. Yeah! Welcome Noelle. Poor girl, you probably thought you made the board disappear when you posted. Tell us what you like about Colin, favorite films, etc. We never get tired of hearing about it. Love the scoop on Ingrid. Didn't she say she's just been acting for 3 years? So it can't be anything made before 1996 or so. Could Ingrid pass for Julie Andrews? We can't be sure it's Londinium. ;-) I'm tired but happy to be back here. Going to bed now.

Well...since Renate can't get on....I'm gonna try and bring back the pic she wanted to post on cf.com to usher in the new year... HAPPY NEW YEAR FIRTHFANS WORLD WIDE

Sorry so many people can't get on Spring. I mean...I'm gettin a guilt complex. Even Karen is seeming to sound a little hostile... before ya' know it I'll be getting hate-mail;-) Of course, I view this as an reward of the exemplary life I lead.... I keep telling ya'...I'm a saint!! Anybody else out there...."who hasn't been naughty"?:-D

Happy New Year, fellow Spring Firthers, Firthians, Firthettes, Firthists and everything and everybody Firth.

(Evelyn) Even Karen is seeming to sound a little hostile LOL!! You ain't seen hostile yet ;-)

For those who come here and aren't on the Springfolks mailing list, Sprinhaving major technical problems that will take time to resolve. For the time being we are using Springfolks and the Emergency Drool Board at this url to communicate. http://firth.com/chat/talk.cgi

Telnetting my happy New Year is not the way I planned it, but that is actuality. At least my computer still works!

Happy New Year, fellow Spring Firthers, Firthians, Firthettes, Firthists and everything and everybody Firth.

Oh, sh.... Forgot the Firthologists. ;-)

Hauoli Makahiki Hou, fellow Firthians, even if you cannot get in here to read it!

Well...crap! The first time I can get here in months and no one can get on. someone is trying to tell me something :-/ I'll go over to Drool in Exile and see what's happening over yonder. But for anyone who is able to get in here Happy New Year, chickies ;-)

How the !@#$ did you get in here, Nan?

Hi Nan, Sweetie! Welcome to telnet =P