Evelyn) if you enjoy this "Whine Fest"...who am I to spoil it? (Karen)While you prefer Chardonnay, may I remind you of your published letter to Movieline. Ah...but that is productive "Whining" (Oops, I mean, Chardonnay):-D I put my name on the line for a couple of thousand (mil?)readers... for a cause:-) ~~~~ Sorry..to interrupt...keep going ... we could make a game out of this: "How Many Ways Can You Say That Colin Is Not Appreciated"

-it is just possible that neither Colin nor Stephen were actually available when the interviews were filmed - it is possible of course, and I expect there was also a reason why he was not shown on the Morning News programmes following the SIL Premiere in London, even though I personally saw him doing interviews!!!

Ann, do remember to close your tags, there's a good girl... ;-)

I did, I am sure!! re: "Whine Fest" and "recommence whining", (I won't do italics), I don't consider it whining, just sharing one's thoughts with good friends.

I don't consider it whining, just sharing one's thoughts with good friends. Quite so and we're here (Napa Valley) for support...anytime or place. About those tags, sometimes people use the wrong slash to close and then it won't work. It should be /i surrounded by <> OK? :-D

WARNING: My turn to "share my thoughts with friends" (formerly ,AKA "Whining") Will soon come.....won't tell you when or... what about...but you better be there with the Chardonnay :-D

I don't consider it whining, just sharing one's thoughts with good friends. Damn right Ann. Go on sharing please!

(Cymbeline) How many of us are there, anyhow? And does his agent know we're here begging for the chance to see him? (Heide), Moon? I'm surprised you haven't jumped in here yet. ;-) His agent is very aware of us. We have sent questions to him repeatedly about upcoming Firth projects and they NEVER answered them. We have given up on his agent. It is a shame when one considers the fact that the woman who created the Jonathan Firth Web site has frequent communications with JF agent and JF has forwarded a message to her via his manager. Colin has lots of very creative Web mistresses he could gracefully thank them, yet he does not. Why? I am sure they do not do it for his thanks, but his brother understood that it is very polite to do so. IMO, if his brother can do it...

(Karen)...are you sure that the Fever Pitch you are ordered is the one with Colin? There was another movie by the same name in the '70s or '80s with Ryan O'Neal that typically comes up in searches. Oh, my! I was over joyed as soon as I saw the title came up (I've been waiting for that moment for months). I did not even check to see if it was the one because I DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE WITH THE SAME NAME! After I read your post and went back to reel site, there was nothing on this title any more, I don't know what's going on. Am I in a dream?? I've sent an e-mail to reel.com. Hopefully can get some anwsers soon. (Heide)I bought mine from a UK video store and had it shipped, then converted That's a real good idea! I found FP on blackstars UK site a while ago (now I'm not sure if it was FP with ODB :() and did not buy it because of PAL. I remember that a friend of mine who works in a college's language lab mentioned once, he could convert videos from PAL to NTSC or the other way around. Right now, just keep my fingers crossed...

(Moon)Colin has lots of very creative Web mistresses he could gracefully thank them, yet he does not.Why? I knew we could get one going.... REASONS WHY COLIN DOES NOT THANK HIS WEBSITE MANAGERS VIA AGENT... 1. He is in Italy when they arrive...and agent forgets...

The resemblance of some of the Firthettes with Paul is truly amazing! ;-D "You can't remember if life is shit because Arsenal is shit, or if it's the other way around." - Paul Ashworth - Replace "Arsenal" with "Miramax marketing", "Buena Vista distribution strategy", "Film industry" etc. etc., make your choice :-) Oh, and before you bite my nose off: I really like Paul.

Oh, no! Another Top 10 list! REASONS WHY COLIN DOES NOT THANK HIS WEBSITE MANAGERS VIA AGENT... 10) He does not have phone. 9) Too busy learning Italian. 8) Will has told him about his Web sites too and he does not thank him either. 7) Never seen them, Livia is always on the computer. 6) Much too busy buying new furniture. 5) Spends too much time trying to teach Livia the correct way to make California roll. 4) He will not leave his house since Helen Fielding has been hounding him outside his doorstep everyday. 3) He has been catching up on all the Flashman books, just in case! 2) He no longer speaks to his agent. 1) He is just one big **%#&&_(*)$#& dude. ;-D

No he does not want to make California roll, he is not Geo-centric. I meant make a California roll (#5).

Moon...You did it again. LOLROTF How about 11. Still trying to figure out how to mount the stereo speakers, so they don't fall on his nose. 12. Is busy learning Iowa accent "for the next time"...

I think it's good to share thoughts (aka whine)...and even a stiff upper lip deserves an occasional wobble! :-) Evelyn, you quite frighten me....that warning sounds as though you've got a mega thought-sharing session stored up for us! I'll shut up about MLSF/Miramax and Buena Vista. Your comparison with Paul is very apt, Renate, but Paul has my every sympathy!! BTW is MLSF opening in Australia soon? I ask out of genuine interest and am pleased you'll be getting the chance to see it!

Meant to add that one of the Sunday papers (browsed, didn't buy) had an article on the new Blackadder movie, of which they'd had a preview. The article said it was "feature length" which I think is wrong (although �3 million for 30 minutes seems a lot). The theatre will have a capacity of 2500 and the movie is expected to be a major draw and to be seen by millions. "Blackadder" is definitely an "Event". The movie features a time machine and one of the visits is to the time of Elizabeth I. Baldrick also m nages to accidently kill off all the dinosaurs.

Moon, you've done it again. Am particularly fond of #7 and #10. Can't you just visualize that: Livia spending hours on the computer. Could really make a man hate the technology. Good selection, Renate, and no one (not even Evelyn) is going to bite anyone's head off. ;-D (have some more whine) A Blackadder article! How did I miss it? Pretty soon, there are bound to be items "placed" in the newspapers about the 3DOR cast. :-D

BTW is MLSF opening in Australia soon? Hi Bethan, the last date I heard was 11 November. My guess is that will be in the cities but HOPEFULLY it will spread out to the other areas soon after. My contact at my local Art Cinema is away today but I will phone him again tomorrow. My closest city is about two hours away and I will certainly be making the trip as soon as I see it advertised. Then if it comes closer I'll get to see it a few more times. Cathey

Another reason why Colin does not thank his Website managers via agent: * Every time his agent wants to send out the email, AOL breaks down

(Heide) But I wouldn't say Jeremy Northam's career is ahead of Colin's. An Ideal Husband's given him a little edge but the man has made some bad film choices. I don't mean to re-start the whining, but this comment made me crack up. I like JN and he's made some good films, but did anyone see Mimic? I sat through the entire thing wondering what JN was thinking when he took that role and how could one imagine a movie about giant sized cockroaches would be anything other than ludicrous?!? (Karen) I was going to tell you all about the directorial/writing/acting abilities of Mike Binder, as displayed in The Sex Monster, but will hold off until you're all in a better mood. I know I just said I wasn't going to whine, but since Karen mentioned this it reminded me I had been meaning to post about The Sex Monster. I'm hoping that my negative reaction to this film was partly due to general crabbiness on my part, but I pretty much despised it. The combination of unappealing, self indulgent subject matter, unlikeable characters, poor acting and weak dialogue pretty much killed the film IMHO. I hope Mike Binder has a better film in him than this one! I refuse to be depressed abo t Londinium as we know CF can shine in any material. There - how's that for a positive spin :-)?

Newbie question here--who is Mike Binder and what is The Sex Monster? Is the latter a bad movie directed by the former who has now gone on to direct Londinium?

Yes, Mike Binder wrote, directed and starred in The Sex Monster and is doing the same for Londinium, which also stars Mariel Hemingway. This is his most recent work and, like Jana, I was not impressed. In TSM, Binder plays a Woody Allen, nebbishy character. He's married to Mariel Hemingway (totally unbelievable as a hair stylist) but wants to inject some excitement into his sex life by talking his wife into a menage a trois with another woman. Like a Woody Allen character, he keeps picking away at her refusal. (you want to swat the little pest) Finally (and under the influence of lots of alcohol), she breaks down when a fellow hair dresser (who has the hots for her) is over for dinner and they all have a wild evening. BTW, with the exception of some kissing, there is absolutely no sex/skin shown. But the problem is that the wife and her lover discard Binder; have no use for him (who would?) She turns into The Sex Monster, not able to keep her hands off women. As a comedy, it's a very lightweight sex farce. From the opening sequence with the credits and the disco-dancing women, it will have you shaking your head. I can't imagine how Binder will look next to *real* actors like Colin, if even Mariel Hemingway makes him look bad. Cymbeline, if you go to this url, you will find a synopsis of Londinium and some pics. There are also publicity pics of Hemingway and Binder from TSM on page one of that grouping. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4144/london3.html

Good News here....Nia Long's new film "The Best Man" was the #1 Box Office hit in the country....took in $9.1 Mill. Heide, if Nia can bring SLOW along to half of that...Go Nia!! Jana ...you didn't like JN with those little glasses on. (Bethan)Evelyn, you quite frighten me....that warning sounds as though you've got a mega thought-sharing session stored up for us! And when I do....I want everyone to be kind....:-)))) SLOW will open in a month....the next time someone calls the distrib would you ask if they have any interviews (print/television )in the pipeline? This is a new company...they need help. Likewise 3 DOR....there should be some interviews soon. The Donmar publicist is v. good...remember last Feb...I think Colin gave two interviews... (his last!). ~~~~~~~ Don't let me stifle the thought sharing....I should really just scroll down..I just hate to see our board degenerate to only that Bad manners on my part. Like Bethan said: I'm a member of the "Stiff Upper Lip Club" Didn't mean to offend...AAA.

(Cymbeline) Picture me at the dining room table. I stamp my foot. I throw my napkin down. I groan petulantly. "Oh, I want to see all his videos!" And down at the other end sit the ogrish distributors, smugly saying, "And yet I am unmoved," and stalking off to their study, slamming the door and leaving me with unendurable feelings of Firthlessness. My, my, what a good laugh! I do hope you've e-mailed Heide/Karen by now. Soon you'll be purring "a whole campful of soldiers!" ;-D BTW, I think the Dodgers will come back to Brooklyn when they rebuild the polo grounds. (Renate) Replace "Arsenal" with "Miramax marketing", "Buena Vista distribution strategy", "Film industry" etc. etc., make your choice :-) Ooh, you've learned my trick. I do that with a certain NY football team that's getting really good at blowing a lead and losing the game in the final seconds. I also find myself shouting "Oy! Number 9! You're a donkey!" whenever the kicker (#9) misses a field goal. It's very soothing :-D Kudos for the top ten list, Moon! LOL! But what happened with #1? Attack of potty-mouth? :-P I can readily picture ODB with his nose in a Flashman book, no error (hee hee)! However, I still don't think the Firths are active with computers or the internet (well, perhaps she is now--wasn't in March, right Gi?). Stars and movie distributors are catching on to the free publicity, but our Colin's never been one to chase publicity. And we know his sentiments about 'too much information' being available on he internet. (Evelyn) 11. Still trying to figure out how to mount the stereo speakers, so they don't fall on his nose. Which reminds me...remember those pictures taken when he had the cut on his nose? KJArt and Karen posted a couple at (I think) the 'drool help' topic. You can clearly see a pierced left ear in one of them.

(Eileen) Soon you'll be purring "a whole campful of soldiers!" Yes! And "Let's go see him before he's dressed. Aaaah! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!" That having been giggled, we continue with an immensely earnest disquisition on forms of publicity. To wit --- (Eileen continues) And we know his sentiments about 'too much information' being available on the internet. To which I reply (not to Eileen but to CF or his agent or whoever is not responding): Internet. Schminternet. The medium is not the message. The message is the message. And the message has been available in various forms since Debrett's Peerage firth came out. Fanzines, papparazzi with zoom lenses, gaggles of shrieking girls have been around far longer than cyberspace. As with all human enterprises, it is the use made of it that is the key. Which is better, to download a P&P snappy from a website or have a photographer in a tree outside your bedroom window? All the CF sites I've seen are well-done, respectful, and clearly state that their purpose is to thank him for the work he's done and express our admiration of it. At least one specifically warns against papparazzi. So he meets with a few tongue-tied fans after a performance who come off looking a little fluttered. We're not professional actors are we? But neither are we Leonardo groupies. Dumbbelles don't run sites like these, and without fans where is an actor? Sitting in the unemployment office, that's where he is. So I'll gladly lay my heart at his feet, but I would appreciate the occasional thankyou note. And less fuzzy thinking.

A Blackadder article! How did I miss it (Karen) Sunday Express...perhaps there's no on-line version (no loss!) Hi Bethan, the last date (MLSF) I heard was 11 November. Thanks Cathey! Hope it gets a good press. Londinium....well, the new positive me thinks it may not be too bad. Mike Binder also directed "American Gothic� which I thought was very good (but he didn't write or star) Sometimes good supporting actors can save, or part save a film, if the material is okay-ish. Maybe Binder won't be in it too much and didn't the scene in Little Venice feature Colin with the two gals?. And London was bathed in glorious weather when they were shooting, so it should look good. My guess is that Colin was looking for London based work at the time....probably just wanted to go home at night to his new house and wife...and who could blame him? :-)

I've just been to the Londinium pages and am very surprised to find no signature, no webmaster, nothing to identify the author... As to why HE doesn't thank anyone: I think there's only one Jonathan Firth site, so naturally he may feel flattered and it's easy to pass on a word... but there are so many different sites for Colin that - assuming he knows more about them than just the fact of their existence - he may feel a little overwhelmed, and not necessarily in the positive way. Quite honestly, we know that the chap is a bit (???) reserved with strangers (Hello, Mr D!!!;-)) and perhaps undecided about the whole business. Maybe in h s view we don't deserve any thanks. For what? Why should he thank us? He worked successfully before the arrival of the net publicity. He doesn't owe us anything. He hasn't hired us. If we want to play with the html, that's our choice. Don't let his lack of response affect you. Enjoy the actor and his opus. Forget Colin the private man - something tells me we may never really get through to him. And now despise me if you dare. ;-)

(Arami) Quite honestly, we know that the chap is a bit (???) reserved with strangers (Hello, Mr D!!!;-)) and perhaps undecided \ ... \ Why should he thank us? He worked successfully before the arrival of the net publicity. He doesn't owe us anything. He hasn't hired us. If we want to play with the html, that's our choice. Good point, Arami. I find that all my reasons for logging on are selfish ones ... I am so delighted to meet with so many others with whom I have so many things in common (es . exquisite taste in actors) and am so grateful that they are always ready to share the goodies. The only motives I might have for furthering the DB's career are frankly so he'll produce more goodies that we can share (I sometimes feel like an evangelist sharing the gospel of St. Firth!! :-D). If trumpeting his worth to others while leaving him alone to pursue this worthy goal is the best way to get him to create new goodies, so be it. Don't let his lack of response affect you. Enjoy the actor and his opus. Oh, I do, I do. The way I see it, as long as he remains a professional actor (and please Lord, let that be a long time ...), all he owes me is the effort to produce a good performance. ...And now despise me if you dare. ;-)Indeed, I do not dare ... 8-D

I've just been to the Londinium pages and am very surprised to find no signature, no webmaster, nothing to identify the author... I thought this blurb at the top answered a few of your questions. "The Latest on Londinium Thanks to Karen R for the text and the pictures" Of course, you know it is Murph's site and if you follow the links backwards, her name would appear somewhere. (Eileen) remember those pictures taken when he had the cut on his nose?...You can clearly see a pierced left ear in one of them. I sure remember the pics and have studied them. Can't see anything. This is going to have to be an IRL assignment. (Cymbeline) The medium is not the message. The message is the message. Hold the presses! I love this one. Start printing the t-shirts. (is McLuhan still alive?) Which is better, to download a P&P snappy from a website or have a photographer in a tree outside your bedroom window? Am thinking about this one. ;-D

(Karen) I sure remember the pics and have studied them. Can't see anything. Here's the URL. It was the pic actually used by the Telegraph, not the one we liked better (where he's looking off to his left). Telegraph Picture Check out ODB's left earlobe. I can see it better in MSE 5 than in my version of Netscape. I'm with you, KJ. Frankly, I'd rather see Colin working than surfing around the internet. The way I see it, as long as he remains a professional actor (and please Lord, let that be a long time ...) Amen!

That Telegraph picture is divine. Makes you just wanna run your tongue over the computer monitor. *lick, lick* *nibble, nibble* (ewek! cough, sneeze, sputter! Gotta remember to dust that monitor a little more often) ;) btw- does anyone else think his left ear is double pireced?

Yup...double pierced ....clearer in Ex. 4. than Netscape. (Pack a magnifying glass for January, Karen)

(Arami)Don't let his lack of response affect you. I absolutely agree. Of course it would be great if he showed some interest in the sites but I think it�s really not fair to expect him to thank for them. What he�s prepared to give us is his work, that�s all. But note, his lack of response does not necessarily mean that he is not grateful or happy for the sites! I�m sure he�s aware of them and that he�s happy for them as well as having fans. It�s simply his style not to take any contact and I believe he has his reasons for this.

While I enjoy a whinefest as much as anyone,let us ponder the fact that Emma was JN's breakout role. Now let's see, JN is the love interest, in about a quarter of the scenes, definitely second banana to the title character of Emma as played by the media Gwynnie. Now let's analyze BJD. MD is the love interest, will hopefully get a quarter of the scenes, and will be second banana to the title character hopefully played by a media darling so that the film will get a lot of pubicity. Colin plays MD and will get the recognition that his fans want for him even if we are not sure if he wants it himself. I think he does want it even if he will not admit it. My wish would be a little fame would open up more and better roles for him. He could start turning down great roles because he would be so busy working which makes his stalwart fans deliriously happy. Of course this is all wishful thinking based on the hope that he plays MD and that BJD will be a monster hit.

I second all you said here, Sue :-)

Of course, you know it is Murph's site and if you follow the links backwards, her name would appear somewhere. I know it's Murph's site from her unmistakable style, but I couldn't find any links back. Maybe I was drunk, I don't know... I prefer the "brow & nose job" photo with him looking straight at us. The other one looks like he's trying to check out the hole in his own earlobe without a mirror. :-)

(Arami)The other one looks like he's trying to check out the hole in his own earlobe without a mirror. Perfect! I agree. I always thought the other one looks as though he's about to swivel his eyes straight and look right at me--and blow me a kiss of course.

Re: Ear Piercing: Good angled light shows the upper left one: (From Murph's prior Front Page) and the Right One, earring and all: (Obviously in his younger days in the Chatsky role -- Thanks to meluchie!)

Courtesy of MarkG, here's a picture that accompanied The Times review of Flashman and the Tiger. I think Colin would do well in such a uniform. ;-D Thank you, Mark.

Hmmm...I've developed a soft spot for Flashy (even if CF doesn't play the part! But always hoping....) By a strange coincidence I'd ordered the latest Flashman from the Times Bookshop (an early Christmas present to myself!) and it arrived today. Three stories in one. I've had a quick skim through, and I must say that Flashy is definitely becoming an old softy, doting on his wife (and she on him) and being willing to spend his entire fortune to save his grand-daughter's happiness. The first story (and by f r the longest) returns to the days of his youth, when he still had a wandering eye! Now, some news of Bridget Jones (the book)...I hope. If you check amazon.co.uk (not amazon.com) you'll see that there's a new BJ novel listed..."Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason". Listed for publication on November 19th, price �12.99, with 20% off. Can be ordered now. ISBN 0 33036734 X. I rang Waterstones and they've also got it listed for November 19. They are checking with the publishers for me. There have been some false sightings of the sequel....but there are more details here than I've seen before. Could be the one. Will post at #80 when have a spare moment. BTW how do you scan onto an internet site? We have a scanner and I don't know how to use it! That pierced ear...surely not both! Perhaps it's a reverse image photo, you know, when you get an identical image, but in one, the right hand will be holding a cigarette, while in the other it's the left hand.

Bethan, first learn how to use your scanner to get the image into a usable .jpg or .gif format. Then we'll figure out how to get it onto the internet because in order to post here, an image must have an http:// address. If you don't have your own webspace, then you can email the image to any of us who do (me, Arami, Renate, Marcia, etc.) and we can upload it and provide you with the address for posting purposes or just post it ourselves. If you have any questions, email any of us.

That pierced ear...surely not both! Both, I fear... ;-)

Bethan at the bottom of the page at cf.com I found this: If you want to support Spring, join Visto. With a (free) registration through this link: http://www.colinfirth.com you help Spring with a small contribution. Why? Spring, is a private and non-profit place, which hosts all these wonderful drool boards. I believe you can set up a page there for any html. Your html, it is worth doing. Remember, once you are at cf.com go to the bottom and click on Visto. And that goes for the other Firthettes with scanners. :-D

Hi: I just found a neat interview with CF that is new to me: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/5640/interviews/shakespeare/firth.html Has a lot of good insights. I have one quote from it on my news page that I thought was telling: "Firth, 38, now lives in London -- "the pickings are richer for me there" -- and is quite content with his place in the cinema. "I didn't want [fame] at the beginning because I just thought it would never happen to me," he explains, "and I don't know if that's really the best thing that could happen either. I think that sometimes being slightly marginalized can be a durable position. Flavors of the month are high turnover whereas people who are kind of second choice are always there." Murph P.S. Karen, are you posting the boxer shorts picture here? I bet a lot of people will want to see it!

Boxer shorts, coming right up~ courtesy of Murph, although processed in Chicago ;-D

Isn't he awfully thin? Those of you who've seen the whole film can tell better. Should we be worried?

Naw... He wears lots of bulky and loosely layered clothing in most scenes, topped off by a leather jacket. The man's a clothes hanger. ;-D

Murph - Thanks for the interview tip. Well-read--oh, joy! Hard to know what the interviewer meant by that (we know he'd never read Jane Austen before 1994), but if it's true, it's the icing on the cake for me. You know, I only watch his movies for the articles.

Speaking of Murph you have till Monday to go to her sight and vote for it at the vote for the best British Theater. They give you several things to vote for but one of them is the best site for a British actor. We need all the votes for CF's site we can get.

My family is Dutch, Portuguese, Italian I had no idea he was Italian and Portuguese (Gi?). I bet he told Livia right away, I am also latin, cara. :-D Thanks for the interview Murph! And Karen for letting me wake up with Colin this morning. ;-)

(Moon) Thanks for the interview Murph! And Karen for letting me wake up with Colin this morning. ;-) Cheating on DH, are we? We want the details. ;-D

Cheating on DH, are we? We want the details. ;-D I could never do it without your help. ;-D

And I've got GOOD News and BAD News on Londinium. First the BAD News. Londinium will not surface until next fall. This spring, they will be submitting it to the Toronto Film Fest, which is held in September. I will have the GOOD News later since I have to work on it quite a bit. (nasty, aren't I)

Thanks for all of the pictures, everybody. Karen, do you have one of Paul in his grey boxers, one with his thighs. Thanks for the interview link, Murph. There's no getting around it: Colin Firth is a charming man. Articulate and well-read, he talks with passion and lucidity and is strong but unaffected. What a guy! Charming *sigh*, but the rest of the adjectives are pretty appealing too. Sounds like the writer is a real fan - one of us, perhaps? I haven't read the posts for a while. Come on, everybody, cheer up. Since there is the remotest chance that CF or his nearest and dearest might read our comments, we don't want to depress him into early retirement. Londinium coming to the Toronto Film Festival? I've lived near T.O. (as we fondly call it) for decades and have never gone yet. Guess who's going to be there next fall? Unless I find out that DB has only 10 minutes on screen.

Londinium coming to the Toronto Film Festival? If (1) it is ready...only a rough cut so far, (2) it really is submitted, and (3) Toronto accepts it. Let's not start any rumors or runs on hotels in T.O. ;-D

(Lynda)Guess who's going to be there next fall? Unless I find out that DB has only 10 minutes on screen. LOL...some of us are going to London in January...paying an exhorbitant fee to see him at The Dome in Blackladder for ten minutes...**if we're lucky**!!

Well, when you're in London, pop into Waterstones! The publishers have confirmed that the sequel to Bridget Jones Diary....Bridget Jones:The Edge of Reason....will be in the bookshops in three weeks on November 19th. It seems to have been brought forward (was going on sale early next year). The novel continues from where BJD finished and is based on "Persuasion".

Karen, what is the good news? Thanks Bethan! BJD was probably pushed up because the film is still nowhere near pre-production and they want to get the media interest back on Bridget. I am curious to see how she will carry on the Persuasion theme with her characters.

Mark will ask Bridget to marry him but Bridget will have doubts because Mark on close acquaintance has proved to be a seriously flawed new man (doesn't do the washing up, won't push the trolley in Sainsbury's etc). Urged on by Jude and Shazzer, Bridget says "no". Mark, deeply hurt, goes to Japan and becomes even richer and more successful. Twelve months pass (seven years is too long). MD returns and their social paths cross. MD gets engaged to someone else, but in the nick of time realises that Bridget is his true love. Happy ending. They probably want to catch the Christmas sales, and (I hope) tie in with some announcement about the movie and casting!!! No doubt HF will be doing promotional interviews. Nonember will be interesting, 3DOR, SLOW, and hopefully an upsurge of interest in Mark Darcy! So Colin's got Dutch, Portugese, Italian blood??? Or does he mean his family have married Dutch etc. "Firth" is 100% Yorkshire, and for some reason the combination of the name "Colin" and Methodist missionary associations always made me think of Scotland.

Highlights from a FAX that the bank sent me :Taken from the trade magazine INTERNATIONAL SCREENING New UK Distributor Optimum Releasing Packaging Short Films with Features: . An interview with the marketing manager of Optimum reveals that the company plans to put short films with features. ...giving them a distinguishing trait. �The audience is paying to see a particular genre, so we look for a short that will complement the film .� �An Evil Cradling� is based on poetry inspired by Brian Keenan�s experience as a hostage...powerful stuff that suits a strong feature such as �The Secret Laughter of Women.� He says they plan to use various marketing tools...adverts in the printed press,cinema trailers,poster campaigns on the Underground. �We are also using festivals to platform the films. The Secret Laughter of Women will be screened at the London Film Festival.� ~~~~~~~ They are the first distributor to do this (short films +features). I wonder if they know Colin�s connection with Brian Keenan (�Hostages�) However I notice that in the program of the LFF, SLOW is being shown with �Akbar�s Cheetah�. However, I am sure the Festival organizers selected their own short films. The article goes on to give the background of the company. But they seem aggressive and creative in their approach to distribution.Also as a start-up company with limited cash flow, they won�t want to leave their film on a shelf! , I think. Karen and Bethan have been in contact with them. ~~~~~~ I know this isn't much...but hey, I get a rush when I see SLOW and screening on the same line:-)The bank is impressed with the company, I think....and we're still friends. I told them they would miss me!!

Wow! Suddenly the board springs out of depression! (No pun intended) I loved reading the interview, thank you Murph. Portuguese blood, the man says! I am all astonishment! :-) The Toronto Film Fest - I might try to go for my new (first) niece's first birthday! ;-)

Bethan I like your BJ/Persuasion synopsis. Looks very real. Am looking forwards to reading the book.

(Gi) Portuguese blood, the man says! I am all astonishment! :-) Better go in January and ask him about that branch of the family tree. You might be related!!!

My long lost cousin! I'll try to do that ;-)

Kissin' cuzzin? Go to it!

(Bethan) Happy ending. That doesn't describe the look on Helen's face when she talked about the sequel. She did keep mentioning how some times love just doesn't work out because of those "flaws" you cited. Perhaps you should've collaborated with Helen, Bethan. Would have gone to press a lot sooner. Your version IS very Persuasion-ish. How interesting, Evelyn, about Optimum Releasing's strategy of shorts plus a feature. Beats watching "Toy Story 2" previews!! The Brian Keenan/Colin angle. We probably won't get that "An Evil Cradling" short here...ever (although the book sits about 6 feet from me now).

What gets you excited gets me excited, Evelyn. SLOW being pushed as a "strong feature". Great news. And I like that Keenan/Colin connection. Symbiosis. (Gi) My long lost cousin! I'll try to do that ;-) Perilously close to incest, Gi. Thank God you've got Antonio.

Excuse me, before you all get carried away again (as you usually do, anyway... ;-P)- can we just get (at least) this thing right, please? He didn't appear to say anything about his blood. He just said "my family". :-)

If you're interested, there is a site you can vote for your favourite man. Can't imagine who you would chose ....;-) URL is www.freevote.com/booth/ladyviola. Colin is nowhere near winning at this stage, but maybe November is a chance if we all "go to it". You can vote up to five times per day. Cathey

Cathey, if just type the full URL, with http etc., it becomes an active link: http://www.freevote.com/booth/ladyviola Wow, in the last 30 hours or so Colin went up from fourth to third place, and from 504 to 1452 - no - 1457 now ;-)) Every voter is allowed 5 votes a day.

Thanks Renate. Hope we can get him to number 1 either this month or next. Cathey

Renate - thanks for the tip about the Hall of Fame. I've made my five votes for the day. Firthettes! Rally to the polls! Maybe we can't get him to first place in Oct., but I bet we can get to 2000 votes, and in Nov we can start again.

Thanks, Cathey. I've got the site bookmarked. Now, dumb question...Who is Adrian Paul?

A little food for thought on this Fan thing - item posted on 72

Thanks for the link to that article, Murph. I swear I read bits of the last paragraph before: "It was the atmosphere of doing a play and the relationships you form and the exhilaration, the stakes are very high, you're all in it together. If it works, then joy. If it doesn't, then you go down together and it's an intoxicating thing. It's like a drug. But it's not something you can have every time. That's the thing that hooks you. In fact, it's a very distressing thing to see people who spend three years in drama school and being given these extraordinary values. My drama school, particularly, considered its job to produce fresh blood with a real vision who would change theater and bring values back to the theater. We were all really fired up with this stuff and then you go out and it's "Now try and get an agent." It was just making phone calls begging somebody to see you, seeing if you can do a walk-on in the police miniseries. Seeing these people that had been given this vision of the Holy Grail suddenly crawling to be recognized just for the simple practicalities of earning a living is terrible." Too long to be a stock quote from ODB, IMO. Where was it? The 'Good Taste' article, perhaps? Does anyone remember? Or am I suffering from that syndrome known as "CF Overload?"

(Cymbeline) Renate - thanks for the tip about the Hall of Fame. That was Cathey, not me. I only gave a hand on the geeky side. BTW, November may be not the best month to vote him to the top - too many Firthettes and Firthians away from their keyboards, because they are in London. ;-) (Karen) Now, dumb question...Who is Adrian Paul? Was my first reaction, too. But now ......... I think he is the "Highlander".

Phaedra is selling the US Fever Pitch Poster. Here's the scoop: To order: Please send a check to Phaedra Cinema 5455, Wilshire Blvd., #1403, Los Angeles, CA 90036 One poster: $25 including handling and shipping. Each additional poster (any titles) add $15 ea. No Phone Calls Please! Go to Phaedra's site, then to the Fever Pitch page. You gotta see the link! Not the one from the home page, but the one from the FP page. It's a classic!! ;-D http://www.phaedracinema.com/ And BTW, this is a reasonable price for the poster.

(Bethan) They probably want to catch the Christmas sales, and (I hope) tie in with some announcement about the movie and casting!!! I think you're on to something here, Bethan. Could it be that Colin is holding out on committing to Mark Darcy till he sees how the BJD sequel does? Before an actor signs on for a part that involves possibly committing to a sequel, I imagine he would want to have an idea of how his character will develop. Perhaps the possibility of a larger role for MD in the sequel would appeal to him. (Eileen) Too long to be a stock quote from ODB, IMO. Where was it? The 'Good Taste' article, perhaps? I think you're right, Eileen; several things from that interview sounded like comments in the Good Taste article. Or more precisely, looks like the Good Taste article was culled from this longer interview. Hmmm, possible Portuguese and Italian bloodlines? So that's where he gets those beautiful dark eyes:-)

Latest on Londinium Mike Binder completed the edit on the first rough cut of Londinium, which was screened October 21 by a select few. The movie was pronounced very good. Running a bit too long, it will undergo some fine tuning and trimming. Colin's performance was deemed "absolutely magnificent" and "subtle and nuanced." In the role of Alan, a very cultured and thoughtful character, Colin is simultaneously "strong and acerbic and yet undergoes a tender transformation that is thoroughly believable. He also looks every inch a matinee idol." Stephen Fry plays a psychiatrist who handled a number of labor relations cases for Alan. Alan is not keen on his wife's insistence on seeing a psychiatrist to discuss their flagging sex life, so he recommends Fry, who is wonderfully and hilariously uncomfortable discussing the topic of-- s-e-x. The scenes are few, but choice, and the two play very well off each other. Distribution Plans: This will occur after a finished version is screened for distributors. The producers also believe the film should be released in the fall and have targeted the Toronto Film Festival, as a possible launch pad. (Note: The Toronto selection process does not begin until March/April.)

which was screened October 21 by a select few Karen, was this a focus group (i.e., were these 'regular joes' or industry folks)? Colin's performance was deemed "absolutely magnificent" and "subtle and nuanced." /.../ Colin is simultaneously "strong and acerbic and yet undergoes a tender transformation that is thoroughly believable. He also looks every inch a matinee idol." YEESSSSSSsssss! Now let's hope everyone else thinks so. Thanks for the info, Karen. XXOO, dearie. IMO the 'bad' news isn't all that bad. What's a little wait, as long as a release looks possible--favorable, even?

(Eileen) was this a focus group No, it was a handful of agents, managers and cast.

Super Sleuth Strikes Again!! Thanks Karen for the "Londinium" News...:-)))

FP Page is terrific....exciting to see Murph's Page as Colin's Link #2. But the first link didn't work for me and Karen...pl. tell them how to spell "available".

Well done Karen....what would we do without you and Evelyn and Ann, all our star SuperSleuthers. I can quite cheerfully wait for "Londinium" if it's going to be good! What's ten months anyway? I really liked your Optimum Releasing marketing strategy fax as well, Evelyn. Will comment later on both the above, but real life calls at the moment!

Hi, according to my copy of Empire Magazine, the reviewer for SLOW has some nice comments for Colin but only gives the film ** out of *****. Will type some excerpts later.

Colin's performance was deemed "absolutely magnificent", Karen who was it who actually makes this comment, sorry if I am being a bit thick.

and sorry about the grammar!!

The scenes are few, but choice, and the two play very well off each other. Those two wonderful actors together will be such a treat! He also looks every inch a matinee idol." I have never heard anyone say this about him in print. And, at the ripe old age of 39! :-D (Eileen) was this a focus group (Karen,), No, it was a handful of agents, managers and cast. I wonder if Colin went. Do you know where they screened it?

It would have been screened in LA and, when he said cast, my guess is that it would be Binder's friends who appear in his films, like Mariel Hemingway and Chris Lawford, perhaps others. I can ask specifically if Colin was there, but I think not, otherwise he would have told me. He know who/what I'm interested it! I thought the "matinee idol" reference was odd as well and did question him about it and from that I got a lot more detail about Colin's performance. To me it seemed incongrous given the first press release's description of Colin. To me, that didn't describe a matinee idol part. Besides, it's such an old-fashioned term. Reminds me of "Purple Rose of Cairo" or maybe I have Woody Allen on the brain (and some people will understand why). ;-D

Murph has posted the Empire review of SLOW and the picture of Colin as Matthew. We haven't seen it before and boy, oh boy, do I love Colin in that kind of lighting, like the Paul Ashworth picture I posted a little while ago. Here's the link: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4144/slow/slow.html

(Karen)... the picture of Colin as Matthew. We haven't seen it before and boy, oh boy, do I love Colin in that kind of lighting [!!!] And lots of beautiful red curls and those eyes the color of ripe chestnuts. Best way to start the weekend. Today in town I kept seeing him--the guy leaning against a building across the street with dark hair and a shirt just the blue color in the SLOW wall picture, Tom Birken driving a van in the oncoming lane, my house painter wearing a (white) Henley and singing in a nice baritone. Is there any treatment for this? I sincerely hope not.

(Bethan)....what would we do without you and Evelyn and Ann, all our star Super Sleuthers. Thank you Bethan...undeservedly you have included me in illustrious company indeed. But after SLOW premieres I'm out of the "CF sleuthing business"...no kidding.( And out of the autograph business as well):-))

Thanks Murph! I agree with you Karen, that light is so becoming. As for the reviewer: Fresh from his cracking turn as the dastardly villain in Shakespeare in Love, Colin Firth must have had enough of grimy England and decided that a brief sojourn to the idyllic French countryside was the perfect antidote This person does not know when this film was made.

My last vote brought him to 1573

Obsession with ODB has released the juices of -uh - creativity in many of us. Dedicated Firthettes have given us poetry on Murph's site and a wealth of fiction posted in many places on the net. But, as far as I know, we have not yet had a song to rally around Since we are celebrating our favorite's elevation to the status of matinee idol, I bring to your attention the fact that in 1925 (the heyday of the M.I. and about the time of Relative Values?) Irving Berlin wrote a beautifully romantic song called Always. You may know it. Here is a an apt adaptation. I wasn't sure where to post it, but this seems like the place. Those of you moved join the Firthette chorus and sing along under his window, please join in. We'll be loving you - always. Long for something new - always. When the raves you've planned Turn out to be panned, It's editing - we understand - always, always. Release dates - not a prayer - always. That's when we'll be there - always. Not for just a show, Not for just a run, Not for just a flick, But always.

well, swell! The first time I checked the posting, it loaded the pic and now it isn't!

If the above picture goes away, we can add the Tripod site to the "Don't Use for Posting Purposes" List. Sorry. :-(

I know this one will stay put, Cymbeline: