Judy and Sadie, sitting too long in a puddle of drool may lead to a nasty yeast infection. (LauraMM)...to remake Fever Pitch with a bigger budget. 'Someone has tried to develop Fever Pitch into being about the Boston Red Sox'...Oh my beloved Sox (The Curse of the Bambino, be damned!) However, what a great story!!! Who'd play Paul/Nick???? Could CF do a Bahstin accent???? The casting of the Paul character may well go to either Ben Affleck or Matt Damon, as they are both from Boston. Then again, there's always Mark Wahlberg. (Evelyn) Brendan"George of the Jungle"Fraser is doing it with his co-star from his latest film...what's her name? Rachel Weisz.

The Rachel Weisz thing was a mistake. I had misread the article. They haven't said who is playing Maggie the Cat yet.

(Cheryl)Leads to a nasty yeast infection. Yes its the hot,damp conditions experienced here on drool.

Seems like an great excuse for another NYC trip in 2001! Am v. excited. Speaking of JE, we are going to see "Sunshine" this weekend. Cannot believe it, but it is in our LOCAL, chain theater! We thought we would have to drive hours to an "art house". Warned DH that it is 3 hours, with mixed reviews, but I think he just wants to see JE and her mom again ;-) Meredith (already planning spring in NYC...)

(Merdith)Sunshine:Warned DH that it is 3 hours, with mixed reviews... Excellent reviews from all the major newspapers across the country...go to the JE website and hit Articles:NYTimes, AP, Chicago, LA, Dallas, WSJ .S&E gave it a glowing review.Village Voice, and some of the on-line reviews were "iffy"...but even those praised RH/JE performances. It's playing across the country and holding for the fifth straight week in the major cities. Playing in my cineplex too...not art-house. Paramount went all-out for this film and it paid off.

Hi Guys, just a quick post to say that I'll be incommunicado for a week as I'm off to the wilds of Derbyshire for a holiday and I think I'm unlikely to find an internet cafe where I'm going (So you're free to bitch about me all you like ;-D)! Must dash as I still haven't packed and I'm supposed to be leaving in an hour..so why am I still logged on?!

Have a great time Tracy (I'm probably too late) We have had a couple of dry & warm days so Lyme will be drying out ,must have known you were on your way;-)

In case you take a last peak here before leaving, have a great time Tracy!

From Saturday's Times, Metro Section: An interview with David Morrissey. Seems like he's nabbed himself a good one... "He's filming John Madden's highly anticipated adaptation of Louis de Berni�res's Second World War love story Captain Corelli's Mandolin with Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale and Penelope Cruz. He plays Captain Gunther Weber, a German Nazi officer who is sent to the island as an overseer." Doesn't mention his role in 3 DOR.

Aug 14 Times: Matt Wolf meets Alan Cumming, the Scotsman who is Hollywood's hottest new property Who's been a bad boy then? Time was when Alan Cumming was half of the comedy team Victor and Barry, not to mention the frequently Olivier Award-nominated alumnus of numerous London shows (he won the prize in 1991 for the National Theatre's Accidental Death of an Anarchist). But that was before one particular musical - Sam Mendes's revival of Cabaret - polevaulted the Scottish actor to renown (and a Tony Award) in America, since when the now fully bi-continental performer has scarcely looked back. "Here, being famous is the best thing you can be; it's a bit weird to be in a culture like that," Cumming says of America and, specifically, Los Angeles, his adoptive home. "In Britain, you kind of have to play fame down. It's all a bit embarrassing; people think you're slightly naff." Cumming's eerily omnisexual performance as the Emcee in Cabaret in London in 1993 led, four years later, to his Broadway debut in the same role. In the city where the Kander and Ebb classic was born, Cumming managed the impossible, supplanting the memory of Joel Grey with a wounded (and often semi-naked) ferocity of his own. "What that show did for me in America was massive," recalls the 35-year-old Cumming, who appeared opposite four different Sally Bowles-es, from Jane Horrocks and Natasha Richardson to the co-star of his currently shooting film, Jennifer Jason Leigh. "I never grew up thinking the theatre could make you famous; in Britain, doing theatre doesn't mean the rest of the country knows who you are." In America, of course, people positively burn to employ someone newly anointed as hot. That explains Cumming's virtually constant output of work in recent years, up to his imminent turn as the emperor Saturninus in Julie Taymor's film of Titus. "I saw him, obviously, in Cabaret, like everyone else did," says Taymor. "His persona was just so out there, so out front. Not only is he a wonderful actor with great comic timing, but he has this tremendous sexuality that works for everybody: he's dangerous because he can turn on a dime." "What's been great is I get to do what I like," says Cumming, who admits to "meaning to take more time off, but it's hard when you just kind of fall into things". How is he viewed in America, a country that tends to categorise British actors as either baddies or floppy-haired fluffs? "They definitely think I'm eccentric, although I think I'm normal. I get to be myself, and people respond well when you're just yourself and happy with that, happy with what you want to be." As for the screen offers, he laughs, "sometimes I play baddies, sometimes I'm the bad boy with little horns. I've just been lucky: I would get bored playing the same part all the time." In a cinematic output encompassing Spice World - The Movie, Plunkett and Macleane and Cumming's memorably eyebrows-arched hotelier in Eyes Wide Shut, in which he kept a dewy gaze fixed on Tom Cruise, one particular strand undeniably emerges. "I was only in it for a nano-second," Cumming says of Stanley Kubrick's final movie, "but it was almost as if people were expecting me to be quite naughty. It helped that my scene was so memorable and funny that a lot of people noticed it." By then, the actor notes resignedly, "I'd cornered the imp market." Small wonder, then, that a website exists called alanuncensored ("people I'm supposed to have shagged that I've never met," he says drily), which Cumming is countering soon with an official one of his own. Elsewhere, there's little apparent logic to Cumming's CV of late, beyond his own assessment that "you get more choices if you're working all the time". His first American movie was Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, with Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow, preceded by the Irish-set Circle of Friends, with Saffron Burrows, to whom Cumming was romantically linked (he is divorced from Hilary Lyon, who played Ophelia to his Donmar Warehouse Hamlet in 1993). He took time off from Cabaret on Broadway to film Titus, unaware of quite what the venture would become. "We all thought we were in a little independent film; a few weeks in, we realised it was Ben Hur. It was a huge undertaking." But it did enable him to cavort, albeit heavily rouged, with a no-less-made-up Jessica Lange, long one of Cumming's favourite actresses. "I told Jessica I've loved her since I was a little kid. She told me to f*** off." Now, an ever restless Cumming has forsaken ever more salubrious flats in London and New York to take on four jobs (producer, writer, director and star) creating a low-budget digital movie. The $3.5 million The Anniversary Party, set in contemporary LA, co-stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Kline and his wife Phoebe Cates, and John C. Reilly (Magnolia) - "all our friends", says Cumming, who clearly has no shortage of them. Indeed, it's not everyone who could obtain a Green Card to work in America on the basis of being an "alien of extraordinary ability", complete with signatories to that fact like Pierce Brosnan and Brad Pitt. (Cumming met Pitt on the set of the film Emma, starring Pitt's then girlfriend, Paltrow.) In January, he'll start rehearsals for his first Broadway outing since Cabaret - Noel Coward's Design for Living, alongside Jennifer Ehle. What, then, of Britain? "I'll be back for my brother's wedding," says Cumming, exulting about the views over central London from his new top-floor flat. Beyond that, he sounds dismayed to hear, for instance, that his once-beloved National has recently stooped to Singin' in the Rain. "They're doing Singin' in the Rain at the National?" cries Cumming. "My God, London needs me." Next page: Edinburgh Festiv

Wow, this guy is everywhere. And I still can't remember what he looks like! Thanks for posting this Karen.

Well I guess that confirms it, Liz Smith's information was spot-on, thanks Karen.

Here's an Alan Cumming's pic, Sadie:

I like Alan Cumming, he really has a definite range. And he's quite brilliant in anything he does. I hope to see him at future Oscar Telecasts!!!

Jennifer's agent confirmed Design for Living role. No Forsythe Saga or Queen Mum (*evelyn, getting up off her knees*). Long holiday ahead. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you Karen. I hope Colin reads that.(As he's slogging along with his TV roles :-((

I've always enjoyed AC's work but find him slightly creepy. Karen I read the following info & thought of you.I know we talked about it on 134 but thought it might be better here. This was reported in todays Daily Mail & they are blowing their own trumpet but their source is Audit Bureau of Circulations Ltd. Once again the DM continues to lead the way with its highest July sale for 34 years. In a market where overall newspaper sales are falling the Mail increased its circulation last month by almost52,000 copies a day-a rise of 2.19 per cent compared to a year ago.The six-monthly official figures, regarded by the industry as the most reliable index of a newspaper's performance,show that,in the period from Feb to July,the Mail sold 2,386,770 copies a day- an increase of 32,500, or 1.38%,on the same period a year before.Meanwhile overall newspaper sales fell by 1.43% The decline of The Daily Express continues,with last month seeing it record daily sales of just 1,032,361- its lowest july figure since records began in 1932. Over the last six months,the Express has lost an average of 30,000 copies a day (down 2.75%)compared with the previous year,despite a hugely expensive campaign of price-cutting. The Mails dominance of the market means it now sells more copies per day than the Daily Telegraph,the Times,the Guardian & the Independent combined. The Telegraph only manages to keep its sales above the psychologically-important million mark by a costly subscription scheme.Figures for July show an average sale of 1,023,793 (down 1.24%) but when the heavily- discounted subscription copies are allowed for,the full-priced sales drop to less than 730,000. I'm sorry its a bit long-winded but I hope its of some interest.

(Karen, from Times article) producer, writer, director and star creating a low-budget digital movie. The $3.5 million The Anniversary Party, set in contemporary LA, co-stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Kline and his wife Phoebe Cates, and John C. Reilly (Magnolia) Thanks for the Alan C. article, Karen. A good one. This guy "gets it." He can add "hard working," "smart," and "ambitious" to the list of things that it's ok to be here.;-) He's certainly networked wisely in the U.S. (dare I draw a parallel? nah;-) judging from the list above, working with some of the top people in their field. Good for him. The success he has, he deserves.

Thanks for the pic, Gi! I do recognize him now. Can see why he'd be cast in a Joel Grey role. Funny though, I still can't remember him in the various movies I've seen him in. He looks like he belongs in white flannel trousers or evening wear in a thirties screwball comedy. Has a certain sophisticated look. (Judy)From the Daily Mail: The Mails dominance of the market means it now sells more copies per day than the Daily Telegraph,the Times,the Guardian & the Independent combined. The Telegraph only manages to keep its sales above the psychologically-important million mark by a costly subscription scheme. So I guess that explains why Conrad Black is looking to get out of the newspaper business, and in to the internet. Thanks for this article, Judy.

(Sadie) I still can't remember him in the various movies I've seen him in COF Sean, the creepy salesman in Minnie Driver dad's store. EMMA Rev. Elton Lots others. In '93 he played with JE in Rik Mayall's MICKY LOVE (a v. forgetable production!)

Thank you for the report on the Daily Mail's circulation, Judy. Unfortunately, the papers you read (meant in a broad sense) are the ones that celebrities avoid like the plague. Except of course for Liz Hurley who has the tabs on speed dial. ;-)

Ah, Rev. Elton. They didn't mention that one, but that rings a bell. Thanks Evelyn.

I was enquiring whether she had landed any big film roles since her tony The woman just finished the play last night, waddaya expect? She has been working all year...Donmar May til August, Summerfolk at the National August til November, Albery Jan til March, Barrymore March til August. C'mon give her a break, Ann.

Of course, you are quite right Evelyn, and she deserves a break, I just don't want her to miss out on any good roles and get forgotten. (a week is a long time in politics! urh, oh well you know whatI mean) Strike whilst the iron is hot, so to speak.

(Ann) Strike whilst the iron is hot,so to speak. I agree.Is it safe to say that I would like to see her back on TV? or am I going to start an Anglo/TV- American/film discussion/war :-)

Ann) Strike whilst the iron is hot,so to speak. (Judy)I agree.Is it safe to say that I would like to see her back on TV? or am I going to start an Anglo/TV- American/film discussion/war :-) I won't even comment on this...I've said it all before several posts back.

Thanks for reminding us of AC's roles; Evelyn. I remember those.

See, you should've gone ;-) Acting novice wins part in top American TV show A 50-year-old Philadelphia woman whose only previous acting experience was in a play at school has won a part in the hit American TV series The Sopranos. Marie Donato was chosen ahead of 28,000 wannabes at an open casting session in New Jersey last month. She says she only went to the casting session to see if she could spot any of the stars from the top-rated show. None of the real actors were there. But one of the casting directors spotted her and, five days later, she was in New York meeting the show's executive producer. Donato, a grandmother, may even be written into the series on a permanent basis if the producers like her. No details about her role have been released yet, and she has been made to sign a contract promising not to reveal any information. "I'm still in shock," she told the Philadelphia Inquirer (www.phillynews.com). "This was a miracle."

Another Soprano item today: Peter Riegert...has nabbed a recurring role on "The Sopranos." Riegert, who will appear early in the season as a New Jersey politician, also co-stars in Steven Soderbergh's upcoming pic "Traffic" and the comedy "How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog."

Peter Riegert Ha ha! The pickle man! a New Jersey politician Awww, they coulda got Jim Florio. Heard he's available ;-D Marie Donato Hmmm. Marie. Mari. Philadelphia. Hmmm.....

LOL you guys. I guess my cover is blown. Hey, who needs a stool at Schwab's? Harrison, NJ is da place to be!;-) Marie has been all over the media here; told the Philly Inquirer (which had her pic on the front page yesterday) that Livia used to be a fave character because she reminded her of her own mother. "She's 82, God love her. With her age, sometimes she just comes off as nasty." Eileen, all Florio would have to do is mention taxes, and BADA-BING!;-) I like Peter Riegert!

(Mari aka Marie) Livia used to be a fave character because she reminded her of her own mother. Didn't realize arranging to have your child whacked was so prevalent? ;-) I like Peter Riegert! Yes, who can forget the pickle man. ;-)

ok, for the confused amoung us (namely me) who the heck is the pickle man?

SB, Peter Riegert played Sam the pickle man in Crossing Delancey, opposite Amy Irving. Her grandmother plays matchmaker for her and the pickle maker. Karen)Didn't realize arranging to have your child whacked was so prevalent? ;-) Hey, nuthin' personal . . it's business . . .;-)

I just wanted to say a quick hello to everyone. My work schedule has gone crazy due to a crisis, and on top of that, my operating system conked out for two days! V. little time to drool at the moment, but I just wanted to touch base.

(Mari) Peter Riegert played Sam the pickle man in Crossing Delancey LOL! i wracked my brain, and that was the only pickle guy i could come up with, but figured it was to random to possibly be the one of which you spoke. :-) Thanks Mari Luck at work Sadie

From The Expresss: Why I feel at home at last As he launches a new BBC series on the meaning of home, journalist and former Beirut hostage JOHN McCARTHY writes exclusively on what the word means to him THE word "home" is an integral part of our language but what does it really mean? Is it where you live, where you used to live, or where you'd like to live? Or, rather than being a physical place, is it more a feeling - of community, belonging, security? As a child I remember getting back to our house after the summer holiday and my mother always saying: "East, West, home's best!" In captivity in Lebanon I thought about home all the time. I'd dream of building my own house, creating an environment that would be my private, secure domain rather than the alien and frightening confines of a Beirut dungeon. Sometimes, I'd take imaginary trips to my parents' house for Sunday lunch. But after a while, rather than being comforting, those daydreams only served to remind me how far away home was and that I had no idea what was going on there, what might have changed. And every time I "went home" for a while, coming back to the reality of the cell was even more depressing. I began to realise that however much I thought about it, I had to get on with the situation I was in. Being deprived of the familiar support mechanisms and distractions of normal life, I had to find the strength within me to remain sane and keep my spirits up. I had to look closely at myself and accept my strengths and weaknesses. As time passed, home became less exclusively a real, physical place back in England than a state of mind - somewhere in my head where I could retreat when the going got tough. After a lot of soul-searching I reached a point where I felt pretty much "at home with myself". But home - the place - wouldn't go away. It was impossible not to think of it, to yearn for it and to think to myself: "All will be well when I get back again. That's all I need." As the plane that brought me back from the Middle East touched down, I was overwhelmed with relief at being somewhere that was completely familiar and where I would be surrounded by people who understood me, and me them. Things had changed, of course. My mother had died, so my parental home had changed, and relationships with some friends had also altered. But the main thing was that I was back and could start making plans for a place of my own. After living in one or two rented places I bought a house with my wife Anna at the end of last year. Although I've been back from Lebanon for nine years now, setting up together has been a very positive "homecoming" in its own right. So it seemed very appropriate to be making a Radio 4 series on the theme of Home. The idea was to find out what it means to people and the many ways they go about creating one. Is the idea universal? I asked a range of people what it meant to them. For some, such as interior designer Anne McKevitt, it was a place where you could kick off your shoes and relax, a private place where you could just be yourself. For others, such as Sir David Frost, it was essentially where your family were. To some it was an emotional, spiritual location, somewhere inside you. Anthropologist Desmond Morris described it as "a sort of extended overcoat" - one of the layers of protection we need as human beings. I met people for whom home doesn't become complete until they've added a spiritual element to it, such as the Hindu man who told me that he wouldn't feel comfortable without a shrine in the house where he could worship, or the young family in London who invited me to witness their local priest blessing their house. Wherever I went, people emphasised the importance of security and privacy, often using the phrase "an Englishman's home is his castle". But this widespread idea has a dark side when it allows terrible events and tragic lives to remain hidden from view. Given that such a high percentage of the crime in this country is committed at home, against family members, it's an irony that the person charged with protecting us - the Home Secretary - has historically been hampered by our love of privacy and so been able to do little to change this situation. Talking to Tara, a refugee, reminded me that home is not just about a roof over your head, security and designing your own space but about being part of a community as well; it is also your neighbourhood with its familiar surroundings and faces. Like Tara, I'd been fortunate enough to have had a happy family background and it's perhaps only through my experience of being torn away for so long that I can understand a little of what she is going through and missing. But after my ordeal I returned. People often ask me if anything good came out of my captivity and I feel that that painful period of learning to be at ease with myself has indeed been beneficial in some ways. Certainly, I appreciate better the joy of being able to set down your physical roots in the place where you feel comfortable and safe. In the end, luck has been on my side. Those two sides of home - the physical one and the inner one - have come together for me and at last I do feel at home, in all senses of the word. One afternoon last week I was walking down the street where I now live when a stranger passed by, nodded and said: "It's nice to see you, welcome home!" I smiled back at him: "Thank you very much. Yes, it's good to be home!" John McCarthy's four-part series, A Place Called Home, begins on Radio 4 on August 21 at 9am.

Hope you can get to this link. Long, interesting article in the NY Times today by Ben Brantley on what's happening on the London stage http://www.nytimes.com/library/theater/081700london-theater.html Glad I dropped by. Love reading about Sopranos. I'm ready for the new season....too bad we have to wait so long. I like the pickle man too.

Murph, i've been meaning to tell you this for months.... but last Feb (i think) i was in a resturant and saw a lady reading a print out of your continuing story for Shakespeare in Love- i walked by a couple of times (very slowly) trying to read over her shoulder just to make sure. i was going to strike up a conversation along the lines of "hey! isnt that Murph's story? you must be a CF fan" but i think i freaked her out on my third pass by, cause she gave me a dirty look and i chickened out.

but last Feb (i think) i was in a resturant and saw a lady reading a print out of your continuing story for Shakespeare in Love- See Murph...your legacy lives on....."You should publish".... Thanks Karen...I thought John Mc Carthy had emigrated to Australia. He has aged...doesn't look like ODB anymore.Still feel sad that he and Jill broke up....

Wow, the silent legion of Droolers. BTW, that was a great story Murph. I wonder if I took printed-out fanfic somewhere, if a fellow drooler would approach? With my luck, no drooler, only pervert. Karen, you find the most wonderful articles to post. Amazing that it's been nine years since his release. I was twenty-one, so you can imagine how much attention I paid to who he was. Still, Hostages set off real viseral reactions. I'm sure he has some remarkable insights to share about "home". Too bad Joseph Campbell is gone. That would have been a fascinating conversation. Desmond Morris should be v. interesting (said more like Freud than Bridget).

Where was the restaurant? I am all amazement! Karen, my Radio Times Newsletter mentions the John McCarthy thing: WHAT WE WILL BE LISTENING TO John McCarthy looks into the emotive subject of our home, that place where the heart is, and where the people look familiar. He's talking to historians, architects and even psychologists and anthropologists to learn both what makes a home and why they mean so very much to us in A Place Called Home (Monday, 09:00, BBC Radio 4). Here's something else that's kind of fun that I got from Anne R. No CF, just film related: SUSAN WLOSZCZYNA CREDIT:USA TODAY Heard any good movies lately? The summer's likeliest candidate for a line of dialogue that will resonate in years to come: "At my signal, unleash hell!" It's the command given by Russell Crowe at the beginning of "Gladiator" to rouse his troops. You can imagine a parent parroting it when unloading the car-pool kiddies out of the SUV. But it also boasts a trait often shared by the most popular cinematic quotables: aggression. That is just one finding from a recent nationwide survey that asked 1,083 people for favorite film catchphrases. "The predominant ones are those that allow us to vent spleen, to put people down," says California State University, Los Angeles, media psychologist Stuart Fischoff, who led the study. "It fills in the words that often aren't available to us." That's why such monosyllabic tough guys as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Clint Eastwood are prime sources of verbal bullets such as "I'll be back" and "Go ahead, make my day." As Fischoff notes, "Even President Reagan said, "Make my day.' " But the group surveyed (ethnically mixed with a nearly equal male-female split and an age range of 10 to 90) also showed that repeating quotes in everyday speech can be a badge of hipness. That may be why three phrases from the "Austin Powers" spy spoofs - - "Yeah, baby," "Do I make you horny?" and "Oh, behave" -- made the top 15 for people 26 and under, while none made the cut with those 50 and older. Top quotable source for seniors: 1942's "Casablanca." Some lines, however, transcend generations. "Gone With the Wind's" "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" made every age group's top five. Other findings: -- When men talk, we listen. Of the quotes in the top 20 (27 total, counting ties), only four are spoken by actresses. Two of those, "There's no place like home" and "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," are from Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz." In the entire study, 63 percent are from men, 23 percent from women, and the rest from animals, cartoons or objects, including computer Hal from "2001: A Space Odyssey." Blame Hollywood sexism. Says Fischoff: "Most movies are made for men. The dialogue is written by men for men." Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson are the most quoted actors, while Katharine Hepburn and Bette Davis had the most lines among actresses. -- Anger speaks louder to men. While men and women both picked aggressive quotes more often, female respondents were more apt to pick up on lines such as "You complete me" from romance "Jerry Maguire" (1996) and "That'll do, pig, that'll do" from sentimental fantasy "Babe" (1995). If men had a soft side, it came out in their fondness for Bogie ("Here's looking at you, kid") in "Casablanca." Half the phrases named by women were aggressive. "We thought there would be a bigger difference," Fischoff says. "It could mean that certain quotes just naturally seep into everyone's consciousness." There was room for some individualism. Fischoff says probably the funniest and one of the most obscure phrases mentioned came from "Oblivion" (1994), a sci-fi Western: "I have hemorrhoids smarter than you!" The top 10 "I'll be back." -- Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The Terminator," 1984 "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." -- Clark Gable in "Gone With the Wind," 1939 "Show me the money!" -- Cuba Gooding Jr. in "Jerry Maguire," 1996 "Go ahead, make my day." -- Clint Eastwood in "Sudden Impact," 1983 "Mama always said life is like a box of chocolates ..." -- Tom Hanks in "Forrest Gump," 1994 "You can't handle the truth!" -- Jack Nicholson in "A Few Good Men," 1992 "Hasta la vista, baby." -- Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Terminator 2," 1991 "May the Force be with you." -- Alec Guinness in "Star Wars," 1977 "There's no place like home." -- Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz," 1939 "Yeah, baby!" -- Mike Myers in "Austin Powers," 1997

I'll make it CF-related... Wot!! "Would you please, please, please go away, etc." didn't make the list? Says Fischoff: "Most movies are made for men. The dialogue is written by men for men." Duh!

LOL Sadie 'With my luck no drooler,only pervert' sounds good to me! AS has said two of the most memorable lines-oh I give up!

(Murph) Where was the restaurant? I am all amazement! Foster City, California :-)

Hi Guys..the wanderer has returned. Judy & Sadie - I had a great time, v relaxing - stayed at Monyash so quite central for the Peak experience. Lyme was my first excursion of the week - conned the National Trust lady into giving me a Pemberley Trail map (aparently they no longer give these out as a matter of course because they have removed some of the markers and have let the trail go somewhat) nevertheless managed to navigate the trail and trod in the footsteps of Mr.D. Unfortunately when I got to 'The Pond' somebody was occupying the hallowed spot - (own up now who was it) so I couldn't put my bum where ODB had deftly put his! It is a great place and you're v lucky Judy to have it on your doorstep. Also managed to get in some time walking up in the Dark Peak, visited Kedleston Hall and later in the week Sudbury Hall. The Pemberley connection was more low key here - one A4 size sheet containing episode numbers and locations that featured. Will now, of course, have to watch P&P again just to make sure that I haven't been diddled into paying mucho dosho to traipse round big houses and grounds weighed down with cameras in manner of packhorse to see large rooms filled with equally large paintings of old people which may or may not have been walked past by Elizabeth or 'Mr Darcy with his dogs'. I jest of course, with or without P&P connections the houses I visited were wondrous and well worth every penny.

Switching sides: Hornby's new novel is through female eyes Hornby changes sex to write novelthrough woman's-eyes by Tom Robbins NICK HORNBY, the bestselling author who defined the experience of being a man in the 1990s, is to abandon his sex and write his next novel through a female narrator. Until now the heroes of Hornby's books have been commitment-shy obsessive men. The author of Fever Pitch (man mad about football wins girl), High Fidelity (man mad about music wins girl) and About a Boy (man mad about women wins single mother) is to reinvent himself as a middle-aged woman GP. The adoption of a female voice by a male author - especially one who has been so influential in chronicling the minds of modern men - is his toughest test. Hornby's characters - eternal adolescents who are losing the battle of the sexes - have been credited with showing men that they need not fear admitting weakness. His books have sold well, especially to women in their twenties eager for a road map to their boyfriends' brains. He has notched up sales of more than two million and earned a �2m transfer fee when he switched publishers last year. Hornby is putting the finishing touches to the new book, How to be Good, which will be published next May. "When he first said he was writing as a woman, I didn't know whether he would be able to pull it off or not," said Tony Lacey, Hornby's editor. "It has been read here by women in the office and they are all amazed how well he gets their voice." Fever Pitch and High Fidelity have been turned into films, starring Colin Firth and John Cusack, and About a Boy is being cast. The new novel is narrated by Katie, a GP living in north London who is married with two children. Her husband, David, is a cynical journalist and author, who writes a column called "The angriest man in Holloway" for his local newspaper, railing against OAPs taking all the seats on his bus. David undergoes a sudden transformation and decides to become a better person. The book focuses on Katie's reactions as her husband invites the homeless to stay with them and gives his computer to the local women's refuge. Last week the writer Tony Parsons said that using a female narrator was "the decathlon" of novel writing. He found inventing a convincing female voice for a lead character so difficult that all the female dialogue in his book Man and Boy was taken from real conversations. "A lot of the dialogue is the greatest hits of girlfriends I have known," he said. "For my new book I did toy with the idea of telling it from a female point of view and in the voice of a 12-year-old girl - but frankly I just couldn't pull it off." While few doubt that Hornby will succeed in finding his feminine side, there is a risk that male readers may desert him. Women, who buy 66% of all fiction, will happily buy books about men - with Hornby, Parsons, and even the SAS writer Andy McNab winning a large female readership - but few men buy books that are written by, for or about women. [now why doesn't that surprise me] Fay Weldon, the feminist author, said that writing the book through a woman's eyes might be a natural progression for Hornby's 1990s men. "In a funny kind of way, that is how men have to live now," she said. "Men have become so self-conscious that they do try to look at themselves through women's eyes, and I'm afraid that what they get flung back at them is a not very flattering portrait."

Tracy, your trip sounded amazing. Too bad about the bum. So close and yet so far. V. glad you had such a great time. (I asked you to tell about it on another board, just before I hopped here, so was a nice surprise.) Problem is Judy, most perverts aren't good-looking. I have to have some standards! BTW, who said: I'm mad as hell and I'm not taking it anymore, or something like that? Surprised it wasn't on list. Judy, Judy, Judy, whot's wrong with AS? (And how come 'Judy, Judy, Judy' didn't make the list) My God, this entire message is riddled with cliches. See what you've started Murph? *or maybe my messages are always like this, she speculates quietly to herself*

Am staring at my previous message Tracy. It looks ungrammatical but am too tired to know why.

Tracy am glad you enjoyed your trip.It wasn't me on 'the spot' but I was in Derbyshire last week,Haddon Hall & later on Matlock-sat in the park with chips & gravy-jeans still fit after a choc week so thought I could get away with a bit more. I'm glad you managed to see Sudbury.I have to admit to being disappointed with the empty music room,it never occurred to me that the furniture wouldn't be there,naive I know but I grew up fast that day:-)Did you recognize the village from P&P1? Karen interesting article about NH writing thro' eyes of a woman.I think we touched on something like that in our discussion on FP. (Sadie)Judy, Judy, Judy. Whot's wrong with AS? as a mum of a 10 year old son who rates AS as one of his fave actors,I've seen quite a lot of his work,found it enjoyable,more so if I didn't think:-) (And how come Judy, Judy, Judy didn't make the list) LOL Sadie,I want a petition started,I insist on my 15 mins of fame. (Sadie) Am staring at my previous message Tracy. It looks ungrammatical but am too tired to know why. It looks the same as usual Sadie (me* duck*)

(Judy)it never occurred to me that the furniture wouldn't be there I know what you mean, I was also surprised at how small the room is...it looked huge on screen...of course I did the gazing out of the window bit (as did every other woman of a certain age from what I saw!). Didn't get to see much of the village really as we came in from the A something which bypasses it. Went to Matlock but it was chucking it down so no sitting in the park for me!

Nice to see you back from your P&P vacation, Tracy. Didn't realize that THE Pond was actually at Lyme Park as well. Ah, but while you didn't get to sit on the exact spot (am questioning why you didn't push interloper off), you were there. That counts. :-) (Judy) about NH writing thro' eyes of a woman.I think we touched on something like that in our discussion on FP. Yes. Hornby actually mentioned that he was going to do it during his book-signing tour a while back. I have my doubts about its authenticity and that it will be cliche-ridden... But maybe HF has been giving him pointers. ;-) "For my new book I did toy with the idea of telling it from a female point of view and in the voice of a 12-year-old girl - but frankly I just couldn't pull it off." Shocker!! Of course, he couldn't pull it off because during this time he was obsessed with Arsenal and music. Do you really think he even heard anything a girl actually said?? And here's a pic of Katy Murphy: airbrushed, of course ;-)

Love that pixie look. Thanks Karen. Welcome back Tracy. When you got home, did you re-view those Pemberley scenes and marvel? At Lyme Park did you "do" the stairs? Did you buy a lot of junk at the gift shop? (I couldn't help myself.) Were you able to get into that sunken garden? - the Dutch Garden, I think. I couldn't find a way in. Maybe Judy knows if it's open for the hoi polloi. I've never been to Sudbury Hall but I would have been shocked to see the Music Room bare. Wot? Not even a pianoforte? No case of miniatures? ;-) Still sounds like a fruitful pilgrimage.

I'm sorry I asked :-) She does look familiar,I'm sure she was in a kiddies programme a few years back with a very broad Scottish accent-if she's the one then I won't understand a word she says.

Sorry Heide I missed your post. The Dutch Garden is open to the public & there are 2 entrances one near the small bridge (where the path leads around the back of the lake,about opposite the boat house) and the other around the side of the house (sometimes closed).

(Judy)....with a very broad Scottish accent-if she's the one then I won't understand a word she says. I looked at it several times before I understood her...to this day I have a problem with Clive.But folks on the board translated for me....it's worth all the trouble.Great cast.But I can see a problem with an American audience who have difficulty with British accents!

Re Kathy Murphy. I believe she was also in Our Mutual Friend, playing a crippled seamstress. Judy on cliches: You know how to whistle, don't you????? Karen: The plot of the new Hornby sounds great fun. And you can see it as a movie already. CF would be grand as the guy with the change of heart. Totally off topic: Anne R sent me this Cole Porter gem to put on my Clive Owen site. Had to share: I went to Monte Carlo the other day I went to Monte Carlo to have some play I went to Monte Carlo and straight away I went and fell in love with the croupier. The croupier advised me to back the red, The croupier was handsome, I lost my head; And when the game was over and love was dead, I realized I'd played on the black instead. [refrain] For I'm unlucky at gambling And I'm unlucky in love Why should I go on scrambling To get to heaven above? It's bad enough to lose your purse But when you lose your heart it's even worse. Oh, I'm unlucky at gambling, And I'm unlucky in love. I took the croupier to a picture show, I took the croupier to a picture show, And though I snuggled close when the lights were low, The croupier impressed me as rather slow. I said "I like John Gilbert a lot, don't you?" He didn't answer, but when the show was through I realized that he liked John Gilbert, too. [refrain] For I'm unlucky at gambling And I'm unlucky in love Why should I go on scrambling To get to heaven above? It's bad enough to lose your purse But when you lose your heart it's even worse. Oh, I'm unlucky at gambling, And I'm unlucky in love.

Can't we send wav files here?

(Karen) - When you got home, did you re-view those Pemberley scenes and marvel? At Lyme Park did you "do" the stairs? Did you buy a lot of junk at the gift shop? Certainly did with an air of "I've been there, I stood there etc etc". The stairs were well and truly done, several times but the junk was nowhere to be seen at the gift shop. There was the Radio Times Darcy pic displayed in the Park Shop and they were selling copies of the vid and spurious Darcy-esque novels but very little Lyme stuff to choose from it was nearly all National Trust tea towels and presentation boxes of mint imperials - so I declined to buy anything except the Lyme Park guide book. But I did take a few snaps so I'll have some great momentoes. Didn't realize that THE Pond was actually at Lyme Park as well Yes it's a way from the house if you make towards the Paddock Cottage there's a dry stone wall to your left with Drinkwatre Meadow beyond (this is where the post-swim walk was filmed), just the other side of a stile theres an extremely mucky pool called Mill pond and it is instantly recognisable as THE POND! Politeness prevented me from shoving the interloper plus her DH and dog into said pool so I had to content myself with taking in the ambience from a discreet distance. BTW if anyone is planning to go to Lyme and wants a copy of the trail, (I believe that they are phasing the leaflets out and some of the trail has been changed) I have a map which I can copy and email to any interested party. Don't trample each other in the rush ;-D I've never been to Sudbury Hall but I would have been shocked to see the Music Room bare. Wot? Not even a pianoforte? No case of miniatures? I would recommend Sudbury, like I said before they don't seem to 'cash in' on the P&P connection but do have a little handout (20p) to guide you as to where thuings were filmed. It was a bit disconcerting to find the music room empty but the pianoforte was in the next room. They obviously did a spot of furniture removal when filming because the 'case of miniatures' I'm sure had lots of other junk in it and was in another part of the house entirely. Darcy's study (where he wrote Wickham the cheque) and his bedroom with the sumptuous red drapery(where he's choosing his jacket before setting out to see Lizzy at Lambton) were exactly as in P&P - gorgeous!

(Evelyn) But I can see a problem with an American audience who have difficulty with British accents! Unfortunately this Brit has problems with British accents as well :-D Tracy since you can't take photos on NT properties did you by the postcards of the relevant rooms at Sudbury? Your not on your own if you did:-)

Judy - No we bought yet another guide book which has most of the rooms in it. I was very restrained when a girl, clearly a confirmed Darcian, was snapping away in the Long Gallery without anyone stopping her...annoyed only because I'd left my camera in the car.

Oh BTW Tracy 'extremely mucky pool' how could you my fave picnic place (even with all the frogs).I have to confess to being jealous over the pond,it's a place I've visited since childhood,from being a secluded spot it became the place all P&P fans wanted to see.Talking of that couple made me think of the times I've sat there & had to move because people were 'doing' the Pemberley Trail-the funny thing is that most people whispered about it as if they didn't want to admit to it. I hoped you remembered to walk with your hands clasped behind your back:-)

I missed your next post ,I would have been annoyed about the girl with camera,my hubby was asked to leave his camera behind the ticket desk.I must admit he did look a bit eager with his tripod etc (he was on a photography course at the time)

Judy - sorry about the mucky pool reference, it's just that I can imagine anyone wanting to dive in it that's all - Elvis impersonator or no! I can quite see why you're protective of the place it's a lovely spot. I was far too busy being too excited and loud quoting from the guide to my totally non-plussed, non-P&P parents to put on the "let's pretend that we're out for a pleasant walk and not on a Darcy pilgrimage" facade. Because no-one else seemed to have the trail guide - there were no others out on the walk but I did come across a few very confused and lost people hanging around the lake trying to work out from where he dived in only to be told by me that they were in the wrong place xcompletely *tee hee* . I suppose I should have offered them my copy of the Trail like the kind spirited person I am.........Nah!

Here I was feeling guilty over being resentful at having to share it & you're telling people they're in the wrong place *snort* I like your style.It's strange how we all share a love of something yet want to keep it to ourselves. I still walk my hubby & son theretelling them all about it-doesn't matter that they've seen P&P numerous times plus know Lyme like the backof their hands:-)

(Murph) Can't we send wav files here? Yes, as a link (direct to url or as an "a href" type). Has the Pilgrim Progressed to get her film developed? ;-) Remember you can always upload the pics to Sfolks.

Another thing. Saw Kyle MacLachlan on TV this past week; was talking about his role on Sex and the City. Was asked if he appeared in any hot scenes (I assume with Charlotte). He answered, "Yes" and that it "got him to the gym." So... that take me to BJD and a bit of anticipation perhaps. BTW, for those who care, he will be wearing a kilt at the wedding. For those who don't....

From the Press Assoc: Play's West End revival The play that launched the careers of Rupert Everett and Kenneth Branagh in the early Eighties, Another Country, is to be revived in the West End next month. Julian Mitchell's award-winning play is set in a boys' public school in the1930s, where the activities of two rebellious pupils threaten to undermine the school's reputation. Since his success with Another Country, Mitchell has become one of the UK's top screenwriters, his credits including the 1997 film Wilde, and numerous episodes of Inspector Morse. Another Country will open at the Oxford Playhouse on September 6 before coming to the revitalised Arts Theatre in Great Newport Street on September 20. ~~~~~~~~ Did they forget someone else? :-( ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From the London Theatre Guide: Visit Another Country at the Arts Theatre Another Country, by the stage, television and film writer Julian Mitchel, is to open at the Arts Theatre, London for 12 weeks, following a run at the Oxford Playhouse from September 6. The play tells the story of two idealistic, rebellious students in an elite public boys school in the 1930s, and how their personal revolutions threaten to shake the school to its very foundations. Another Country first opened in the West End twenty years ago and heralded a resurgence of great British drama, inspired a film and launched the careers of Rupert Everett, Kenneth Branagh, Daniel Day Lewis and Colin Firth, as well as winning an Olivier (then SWET) award for Best Play in 1981. Stephen Henry directs the play, his most recent project being the controversial Corpus Christi which played at the Edinburgh Festival 1999 and transferred to The Pleasance in London. The cast includes Alex Avery, Jamie de Courcey (Plenty, Albery Theatre, 1999), Martin Hutson, Neil Jones, Ben Meyjes, Edward Purver, Ferdy Roberts, Patrick Ryecart (A Letter of Resignation, Savoy Theatre, 1998) and Tom Wisdom.

Never heard of any of them... However, guess who I met on Friday afternoon???? He's British, He's done Shakespeare and Rosamunde Pilcher and Three Muskateers, give up???? Michael York!!! (he's not very tall, I had about an inch on him (no heels either!):)) He has a new book out "A Shakespearan Actor Prepares", he was talking about the difference between the Theatre and Film. Of course, perfect opportunity for me to ask why he thought the British people supported their theatre as opposed to their films ( with American backing films being prosperous), he said that Movie making in general in considered "American", and we make the best movies here. The British public adores the theatre because its is so accessible to them. As opposed to Broadway in NY (US is quite larger than Britain;)). Anyway, mom was quite perturbed as she's a HUGE fan of his. Told him that mom forced me to see Logan's Run when I was nine (don't think he cared for that;)), but that I adored his Tybalt and D'Artagnan;)

Michael York is on a lecture circuit. I heard and met him two years ago...he gave a compelling lecture on the History of the Theatre. Not only handsome, but he has a great sense of humor and is a brilliant actor. Lives in LA.Wish I would have thought to ask him your question, Laura.

Yes, GREAT sense of humor! And he's very handsome!!! Very personable and amiable on all counts! (Friday was not good day for me, but he made it better!)

(Laura) Never heard of any of them... I believe that is the "hook." Will this play do for these actors what it did for those also then-unknowns: Rupert Everett, Kenneth Branagh, Daniel Day Lewis and Colin Firth.

Thanks for the great exchange about Lyme and Sudbury, Tracy and Judy (and others too). I would like a copy of the trail most definitely. Thanks for the offer! Have already emailed you, Tracy. Karen, thanks for the pic of Kate Murphy. LOL Judy: "sorry I asked". I'm sure the harsh lighting didn't help. Also, people tend to look better when they are caught in motion, because it captures all the nuances of the face and soul. That being said, I confess I thought she looks a little like Leonard Nimoy in this pic. You know, Dr. Spock from Star Trek... Kilts are always worth mentioning ;-D Am surprised Judy has not taken dive under it yet *I'd say I was ducking in return for earlier remark, Judy, but I know just how you'd interpret that! -D Ah, Michael York. A very handsome guy in his day. Was actually my model for George Wickham's "appearance of good", & "soft, captivating manners". The opposite of Darcy's dark, satanic appeal. It all leads back to Darcy.

(Karen) Did they forget someone else? :-( I don't now why it still surprises me when they miss him out but it does. Ear.ear Sadie what's Leonard Nimoy ever done to deserve that comparison :-) (Sadie) Kilts are always worth mentioning :-D Am surprised Judy has not taken dive under it yet If something's worth doing do it straight away but thetruth is I've been reduced to lurking today,even though I logged in there was no box to reply in! (somebody trying to tell me something?) (Sadie) * I'd say I was ducking in return for earlier remark, but I know just how you'd interpret that! -D You got there first but I'm sure he's big enough for both of us so move over:-D BTW Karen before I lose myself completely what kilt, what wedding? I'm surprised to see Michael York described as handsome I've always considered him insipid sorry!

I think Michael York has good features. Personally, I'm attracted to dark hair and brown eyes(and slightly rougher-looking features) but I can still see his appeal, as far as faces go. Am curious about you thinking him "insipid". What particularly about him? I haven't seen him in a movie in years and years. Over here, I would say most women our age haven't even heard of him.

(Sadie) I'm sure the harsh lighting didn't help Some might argue that the lack of lighting was for the best. ;-) (Judy) I've been reduced to lurking today, even though I logged in there was no box to reply in! How unusual. No box usually indicates you haven't logged in and are in "public" mode. If that ever happens again, take a look at the url and whether it says public or restricted. (Judy) what kilt, what wedding? Kyle MacLachlan will wear one for his wedding to Charlotte on Sex and the City. Another article about Hornby's forthcoming novel: http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/women/story/0,3604,356998,00.html

(From Empire) Back To College For Gwyneth he production unit for the latest Gwyneth Paltrow movie Possession, currently filming in Shepperton, have been searching for suitably academic-looking extras for a location shoot in Lincoln next week. 'We've been inundated with applications,' said a location publicist, 'I haven't even begun to sort through them!' The fantastic response is probably due to the press release that went out for the shoot which told prospective applicants that, 'Gwyneth will be in all the scenes which we are shooting in Lincoln.' Maybe fans didn't stick around to read the proviso that said the filmmakers 'can't promise that the extras will be able to get close to her!' Possession, which is based on the Booker prize-winning novel by AS Byatt and directed by Neil LaBute features Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart (last seen in Erin Brockovich) as two modern-day academics who discover a love affair between their respective objects of study which they, in turn, mirror. Early reports had Ralph Fiennes in the role opposite Paltrow, but that seems unlikely given his current stage commitments. ~~~~~~~ Not only that, but the reports said Eckhart was going to England. Roland visits Maud at Lincoln, where she teaches. Fiennes must then be playing Ash, the Victorian poet. But who is Christabel?

But GP or as Ted on E! calls her "fish stick!"? They'll probably get Emma Thompson as Christabel, or they'll write her out;)

( Karen) Has the Pilgrim Progressed to get her film developed? ;-) Not yet but I've got a few digital snaps which you may recognise just to whet your appetite - which I've uploaded at Sfolks!!!

Tracy I've just seen your pics-wonderful! Karen I've no idea of what went wrong yesterday but I didn't do anything different so hopefully it was just a one-off.

(Tracy) If you don't know where this is - there's no hope for you! LOL! Do tell! Great pictures.

Am heading right over there to check out pics Tracy. BTW, I got your emails, I hope you got my reply. Thanks! Lots of interesting news here. I confess, I started Possession but did not finish it! (Am too cheap to buy it.) I am v. curious to see how Hornby does, how believable his character is.

Just saw them, Tracy. Love the Lizzy impression! And indeed I do know where that was!

Unbelievable!! This film has had wonderful reviews... The House Of Mirth bound straight to Showtime It appears that Terence Davies� critically acclaimed period piece The House Of Mirth will bypass a North American theatrical release and get its premiere outing on cable channel Showtime, despite a last ditch effort by Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) to buy theatrical rights. Showtime Networks co-financed the film, a lavish adaptation of Edith Wharton�s novel which was warmly received at its Edinburgh Film Festival screening this week, as part of a 12-picture production deal with the UK�s Granada Film. In return it controls North American rights. But while in the past, Showtime has sold theatrical rights to films such as Gods And Monsters (to Lions Gate Films), the cable channel is understood to want to premiere The House Of Mirth on Showtime, rejecting a reportedly generous bid by SPC to buy out the theatrical window. SPC was unavailable for comment at time of going to press, Showtime would only say that there were no negotiations with SPC. The situation highlights the increasing crossover between movies made for US pay-TV and independently financed film. Showtime movie Rated X premiered at this year�s Sundance Film Festival, while The House Of Mirth has screened at Locarno and Edinburgh and is lined up for a North American premiere at Toronto next month. Meanwhile Rodrigo Garcia�s Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her, which played at Sundance and Cannes, will also go straight to Showtime even though it was originally bought for theatrical distribution by United Artists - which subsequently negotiated the straight-to-TV deal with Showtime. The House Of Mirth features Gillian Anderson, Eric Stoltz, Anthony LaPaglia, Laura Linney, Elizabeth McGovern and Dan Aykroyd and has won praise for Anderson�s performance and Davies� direction. For Anderson it represents a breakthrough into film acting after gaining fame playing Scully on TV�s The X-Files, while for Davies, it marks a return to form after 1994�s lacklustre The Neon Bible. However, if the film premieres on TV, it would of course forfeit any Oscar consideration, as would have Gods And Monsters which won Best Adapted Screenplay and two acting nominations in 1998. The film's other backers include FilmFour, which has UK distribution, plus the Arts Councils of England and Scotland and the Glasgow Film Fund. Capitol Films is handling international sales. Olivia Stewart produced and Bob Last and Granada's Pippa Cross executive produced. Stewart said she was still optimistic that a deal would go through with SPC, adding "I can't understand why it would not do so, when it is in everybody's interest."

*delurking/decloaking* I've been in the shadows here for a while, and I just had to talk about "Sunshine," which I just returned from seeing... Someone here must have seen it, I'm sure. What did you all think of it? I think that there were a bunch of loose ends that weren't tied up at the end; such as the significance of the clock on the wall, where the recipe book had been all those years, and others. I'd love to hear what you all have to say about it...I hope this is the right board to do it on. Thanks.

Hi Liz, Welcome. I too loved Sunshine, I have only seen it once, several months ago, it opened here in the UK in early April, so I am a bit hazy on particulars but I thought it was a wonderful film. The 3hours just flew by and there were some marvelours performances, particularly Jennifer Ehele and her mother Rosemary Harris, whom I think deserves to be nominated for a Supporting Actress nomination come the Oscars, I thought the scene jwhere she collapses just before she dies was wonderfuly done. I thought RF was very good too, particularly Ignatz and the last character, Adam, is it? Willima Hurt was also good. I could easily have sat through it a second time but unfortunately it did not last too long in the UK. Some characters especially in the last two sections of the film were not fully developed and I missed the fact that Valerie left Ignatz to be with Gustave. I'm afraid I don't remember the clock on the wall just the photo of Valerie in the courtyard which remained there throughout the film. I l ved the upbeat hopeful ending with Adam? walking off down the street to a new future.

soor Liz, for Adam read Ivan, Adam was my least fazvourit Feinnes character, I thought he was rather cold and distant.

that should be "Sorry Liz", its obviously too early in the morning.

(Sadie), I started Possession but did not finish it! (Am too cheap to buy it.) I am v. curious to see how Hornby does, how believable his character is. Reading Possession and Hornby in the same sentence worries me. Have I missed something? I will NOT let my imaginination run with that one. ;-) Ciao tutti!

Welcome Liz. Yes, this is the right topic. I'm sure many of us have seen Sunshine, but our main booster/devotee is out of town at the moment. Perhaps, she'll check in later. I've seen the movie twice because I wanted to double check on several things that I thought I'd missed. Unfortunately, I hadn't. Sunshine had way too ambitious a storyline to be told adquately in the three hours. It really should have been a miniseries or made the bold leap to a film event, which is very seldom done. As the movie was originally 5 hours, the loss of 2 hours of storyline and character development shows. Too many unanswered questions. Too many gaps. Frankly, they could have (and should have) cut out that beginning, with its cartoonish depiction and amateurish acting in the old village. On the subject of acting, all of it was excellent. I thought RF did a great job differentiating the characters; he did far more than rely on different hairstyles and facial hair as has been written up in some of the reviews. I did want to laugh a bit when he showed up the third time at the door, however. ;-) About the recipe book (its significance), I know Evelyn has some interesting observations about it, but will let her tell you. I'm drawing a blank on the clock.

WELCOME , Moon!

Thanks, all, for your plaudits re my holiday snaps..unfortunately the picture I thought I'd taken of THE pond must be on my film (yet to be developed...*slap wrists* - I know it's just too slack of me. If there are any others worth uploading I'll see what I can dig out.

(Moon)Reading Possession and Hornby in the same sentence worries me. Have I missed something? I will NOT let my imaginination run with that one. ;-) The only connection is of course CF. He will not be in the upcoming film version of Possession, but it was discussed awhile back how good he could be in it.

Moon, some things you missed while away (my take on it anyway)... New fanfic treats, by Gail, Esbee, newbie Katherine, and a sci-fi discovered by Hanne. New Drool word coined by Danielle: "sexactly". New Tracyism to express Drool state of Being: "going all unnecessary". Many newbies delighted us by delurking, but I won't attempt to name names for fear of leaving someone out. You also missed usual lively banter about ODB's career and whether or not his fans are devoted enough. Also, some snickering about HG after Liz H revealed unsurprising news that he's not that great in bed. Judy and Sadie forced to watch NH in attempt to give HG fair shake --- then decided that he's still not worth shaking, and certainly, not shagging. Lots of discussion about RZ, and basic worry about whether or not ODB will get limelight he deserves in the film. Many lewd comments by hard-core droolers which shocked innocent little me. Seasoned droolers continued to elevate discussion with knowledge of film and theatre and/or dig up great articles about signicant Colin-related events with impressive detective smarts. The Film discussion board buzzed with a Fever Pitch. Conversation still remained in gutter though, thanks primarily to Judy and Tracy. Incidently, Tracy professes to be mild-mannered, but we all know that she really did deck that other tourist at Lyme for taking Colin's bum's spot. You an read all about it in the tabloids: Mild-mannered Firth Fan engages in Frenzied Activity, Lyme Visitor Sports a Shiner. Details inside. Quote from Firthette. "I don't know what came over me. There it was. The place where Colin's bum once sat. I suddenly felt all unnecessarily. The rest is all a blank." ;-)

Sadie ROTFLOL Loved especially your Tracy skit Innocent you ha ha :-) :-)Put that bottle down girl:-D

This from the Business Press Wire - Partial: Overseas Filmgroup is one of the few truly independent worldwide film distribution companies specializing in the acquisition, financing, packaging and distribution of independently produced feature films of all genre. The upcoming slate includes Cheri (adapted from the novel written by Colette and starring Jessica Lang); Gein (based on the true life story of the serial killer Ed Gein); Till the End of Time (based on the love affair between Georgia O'Keefe and Alfred Steiglitz, and starring Linda Fiorentino and Ben Kingsley); Proximity (starring Rob Lowe and James Coburn); Relative Values (based on the Noel Coward play, and starring Julie Andrews, William Baldwin and Jeanne Tripplehorn); and, Greenfingers (starring Clive Owen, Helen Mirren and David Kelly). Previous films include Titus (directed by Julie Taymor and starring Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange); Waking Ned Devine (which grossed over $25 million in the U.S. box office); and, The Prophecy (starring Christopher Walken - achieved $17 illion in U.S. box office). Overseas Filmgroup's domestic division is First Look Pictures. First Look currently has The Opportunists (starring Christopher Walken) in release. First Look's next releases are Me & Isaac Newton (directed by Michael Apted and produced by Clear Blue Sky Productions); and, Blessed Art Thou (directed by Tim Disney). Previous films include: A Map of the World (starring Sigourney Weaver and Julianne Moore, and produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall); Antonia's Line (Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film of 1995); Mrs. Dalloway (starring Vanessa Redgrave); and, The Secret of Roan Inish (directed by John Sayles). First Look Pictures also specializes in the video and DVD release of films in the U.S. and is focused on exploiting non-theatrical rights and new distribution opportunities.

Hey Girl, we are actually here at the same time! Nice to run into you again. *wears demure expression as befits innocent state of being* *Hiccup*

Moon: Welcome home -- I loved Possession. Can't wait for more news of the film. One of the most clever things in it is the poetry "supposedly" written by the two lovers. The Christabel ones remind me of Emily Dickinson. Sadie, you aren't too bad yourself! Very funny.

Oh now I'm really worried demure expression indeed You need to wear a bit more than that to keep warm in this gutter with Tracy & myself :-)

Last comment was to Judy. Thanks for this article Murph. They certainly have an impressive line-up of films. It will be interesting to see how much attention RV gets here in the U.S. *Fingers crossed* BTW, I have forgotten RV's current status with regard to overseas release. Can someone tell me?