Alan Rickman News & Information

(August - September 2004)

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...and one more thing. Did anyone catch Alan when he was a guest on this show?:

Allan Havey

SF
- Thursday, September 30, 2004

Thanks, Claudia, for the full scan of the "Night & Day" article. I'm sure AR is too busy on the GoF set to worry about a little tabloid action. Heck, he should be flattered! *LOL* Tabloid interest means you've really "made it".

Okay...on to the reason for this post. Thought some of you might like to see the photos of AR and Mos Def from the Emmy Program. Here they are:

Emmy Program Peektures

(Let's hope Photobucket is cooperating today!)
SF
- Thursday, September 30, 2004

Copyright 2004 Derby Evening Telegraph
Derby Evening Telegraph
September 28, 2004
SECTION: Features; General; Others; Pg. 6
LENGTH: 1577 words
HEADLINE: The stars are out for Sir Alan

On Sunday, a celebration of the Allestree-born actor's life and work was held at the Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London. It was attended by a galaxy of stars from stage and screen, as well as his friends and family. Feature writer Robin Johnson was there to capture Sir Alan's final encore.

In his career, actor Sir Alan Bates played thousands of scenes - but there was one scene that he kept coming back to.

And that was the view from his house in Bradbourne, near Ashbourne, in his home county of Derbyshire.

Despite worldwide fame for his work in film and on stage and the showbiz trappings that accompanied it, Sir Alan never forgot his roots and always found himself returning to Derbyshire.

The eldest of three brothers, Sir Alan was born and raised in Derwent Avenue, Allestree, the son of an insurance broker and a housewife who were both amateur musicians.

They both encouraged him to think about a career as a concert pianist. But, aged 11, while he was a pupil at Herbert Strutt Grammar School in Belper, he discovered his love of acting.

He proved to be a natural. Before he succumbed to liver cancer in December last year aged 69, Sir Alan had appeared in more than 50 films and numerous stage productions.

As well as being regarded as one of the country's finest actors, who always made a big impression on his audience, Sir Alan also had the same effect on the people he met in "real life".

On Sunday, his friends and family gathered at the venue where his acting career first took off in the mid-1950s - London's Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, where he was a member of the English Stage Company.

To have called it a memorial service would have been wrong - instead, it was billed as a celebration of his life and work.

The gathering, which was a Who's Who of British stage and screen, packed into the intimate little theatre to pay tribute to their friend.

The tributes were warm, funny, moving, sometimes gushing, but undisputedly heartfelt.

The celebration saw distinguished colleagues take to the stage, sharing their own personal memories, interspersed with some of his greatest moments on film projected behind them.

It began with the lights dimming and a fascinating five-minute montage of some of his work, which brought laughter and coos of admiration.

The lights went up slightly for playwright Harold Pinter, who cast Sir Alan as Mick, opposite Donald Pleasance, in the stage version of The Caretaker in 1960 and the film version in 1964.

"I'm still finding it very difficult to accept the fact that Alan has died," he said. "He had the flame of life in him. He inspired love and admiration in so many people - the remarkable gallery here testifies that to great effect.

"He had a sense of humour that was mischievous and wicked in a droll way. As an actor, he was a man of quite extraordinary range." Perhaps one of Sir Alan's most poignant performances came in 1961's Whistle Down the Wind, an allegorical tale of a man on the run, played by Sir Alan, who is mistaken by a group of children for Jesus. One of them was child star Hayley Mills.

Hayley, and the film's director, Bryan Forbes, took to the stage.

"On the way here, I thought, wouldn't it be nice if we had this kind of celebration when the person was alive," said Bryan.

"I would have wanted to say these things to Alan's face - such as how lucky I was to have him as a leading man in the first film I ever directed.

"Someone once said that acting is like carving a sculpture in snow - Alan's performance has not melted.

"He was a beautiful man and actor. I don't think I ever heard anyone speak ill of him.

"Today, the will of celebrity has debased the word 'star'. But Alan had star quality in spades." "I was enormously privileged to work with him," said Hayley. "I remember sharing a car with him as we drove to the set and he was so sweet, gentle and unassuming. He was really quite shy.

"I loved working with him. I always wished I'd told him how much he meant to me." Following a clip of Whistle Down the Wind, Sir Alan's sense of fun was celebrated by a former fellow student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and flatmate, Keith Baxter.

"The first thing I ever said to Alan was 'you've eaten my sticky bun'," laughed Keith. "I was at the academy and someone knocked my hand. It flew across the room and landed in Alan's lap, who then proceeded to eat it. I went over and he put out his hand. I knew then he was going to be the most instantly likeable person I'd ever meet." Keith shared stories of parties at Primrose Mansions, the house they shared as drama students.

A recorded message was played from Michael Cacoyannis, who worked with Sir Alan on one of his greatest films, Zorba the Greek, in 1964, and who thanked him for his friendship.

Perhaps a memory of Sir Alan that will live on in the minds of cinema-goers is that famous scene from Zorba, where Anthony Quinn's character teaches him to dance.

But up there, too, is that scene in Women in Love (1969), when Sir Alan wrestles naked with Oliver Reed in front of the fire.

"Everyone goes on about that scene," said co-star Glenda Jackson. "No-one seems to remember that I never wore any clothes in the film.

"I have many memories of being in freezing Derbyshire lakes." (Some of the filming took place at Chatsworth House).

"One of the things I admired about Alan was that, over the years, he became better and better as an actor, he shared himself with the most amazing generosity. It was a great privilege to watch him act." Nickolas Grace, who worked with Sir Alan on a production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew in 1973, said: "Working with Alan, I've never laughed so much." Malcolm McDowell, his co-star in a film called Royal Flash in 1975, told the audience the secret of how to be Sir Alan's friend.

"Alan was given a white costume and he thought that it made him look fat," he said. "I found that, if you said to Alan 'wow! You've lost weight', he would be your friend.

"We had a fun relationship, teasing each other all the time. In fact, I can't remember us ever having a serious conversation." Sir Alan's good looks bagged him many parts with talented leading ladies. Sheila Ballantyne, Celia Imrie, Joanna David, Felicity Kendal, Charlotte Rampling, Frances de la Tour, Gemma Jones and Eileen Atkins all took to the stage to give their tributes and read poems.

Celia Imrie, who had starred with him in the film Love in a Cold Climate, in 2001, said: "He was my hero. He was the most modest, naughtiest and nicest man I'd ever met." It was a moving evening, but you knew that the next moment of mirth was never far away.

Perhaps the biggest laugh of the night was reserved for playwright Alan Bennett, for whom Sir Alan had starred in the 1983 film An Englishman Abroad.

"He'd invited me up to his home in Derbyshire and we went to his local butcher's shop in Ashbourne," he recalled. "When we got in there, the butcher said: 'Aye up, Alan, still living well and doing nowt?'.

"That was it - to Alan, acting was a pushover." After the celebration, Sir Alan's colleagues and family retired to the theatre bar to share their memories.

Every which way you turned there was a star name: Alan Rickman, Edward Fox, Tim Piggott-Smith, Nanette Newman, Sandra Dickinson and Zoe Wanamaker to name but a few.

Edward Fox starred alongside Sir Alan in The Go-Between in 1970 and had been a friend ever since.

"To have a life so genuinely lived makes him a very remarkable human being," he told the Evening Telegraph.

"The celebration was marvellous. Theatre people always do the right thing by their own and I think that was shown tonight." "Acting came so easily to him. I hated him a lot for that!" joked Alan Rickman.

Mingling among the stars were some of Sir Alan's family, including brother Martin and Alan's niece, Lauren (17).

"It was a memorable and fitting night," said Martin.

There was also a sizeable Derby contingent among the crowd, including former Derby Playhouse artistic director Mark Clements and Andrew McIntyre, from the Metro Cinema, in Green Lane.

"Alan was always very keen to come back to his roots," said Andrew. "I had the privilege of meeting him on a couple of occasions.

"My earliest recollection of him as an actor is in Whistle Down the Wind. It's a wonderful film." Also there was Allestree film-maker Jason Millward, now of London, who was with mum Dorothy, a good friend of the Bates family when they lived in Derby.

Sir Alan provided a eulogy for a funeral scene in Jason's film Meanwhile, one of the last projects he took on before his death.

"I grew up in Allestree, just one street away from him," Jason said. "My mum used to get the bus in with his dad." Away from his successes on screen, Sir Alan's personal life suffered two great tragedies.

He was the father of twin sons, Ben and Tristan, and was devastated when Tristan died at the age of 19 in 1990 following an asthma attack.

Two years later, his wife, actress Victoria Ford, died from a suspected heart attack.

So, it seemed fitting that the final word was left to Ben, who is also an actor.

"It was a very special night for me and my dad," he said. "He had the ability to make you feel like you were his best friend. He was our best friend." He was also Derbyshire's best friend.

Georgiana (This one's for you, Fausta!)
- Wednesday, September 29, 2004

I was just about to ring for tickets until I saw the price... Four Enchanted Evenings

Alan Rickman and Victoria Wood host four Enchanted Evenings to be held on 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th November in the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre.

Following an intimate gourmet dinner, each evening will feature a unique cabaret hosted by Alan Rickman and Victoria Wood with stars drawn from this never to be repeated line up: Jamie Cullum; Belinda Lang; Robert Lyndsay; Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio; Elaine Paige; Griff Rhys Jones; John Sessions; Mel Smith; Imelda Staunton; Ruby Wax and Richard Wilson, with nightly surprise guests (all subject to availability)

Tickets £1000 per person. For further details please contact patriciamyers@rada.ac.uk or book your tickets direct at the RADA Box Office 020 7908 4800.
Slope
Canada - Monday, September 27, 2004

I think he looks great

Night and Day Rag

Claudia
- Monday, September 27, 2004

Brand new 'Night and Day" magazine issued today (9-26-04)in the UK and available for one day only! Large A3 format magazine includes:

ALAN RICKMAN: brand new pics of Alan on a visit to his local supermarket and accompanying article titled "Lord of the Aisles."

AlanShopping1

AlanShopping2

SF
- Sunday, September 26, 2004

I wanted to share what I found out about the upcoming release of the Harry Potter Trilogy on 11-23-04. Apparently, the DVD collection comes with 6 disks. All three movies are included which I talked about two posts down. I found out that on the other three discs there will be extra footage, (hopefully more AR as Snape!) puzzles, Interactive games, interviews and more! Should be a really neat collection to get. It looks like it is cheaper through the Columbia House DVD club if anyone is a member there. If you are, you may pre-order it now. Have a nice evening. Off to bed. Pam
Pam H.
- Saturday, September 25, 2004

Thought you may like to know that "Closet Land" is available on region 2 (Europe) DvD. You can get it from DVD Go, yes the box is in Spanish but it does have the English language track as well as a Spanish one.

sheena , <dragon@amberdragon.freeserve.co.ukfoo>
Berkshire, UK - Friday, September 24, 2004

Also a pic on WireImage
Sue
- Friday, September 24, 2004

I have just been sent two photos that my friend in New York has received from his contact in LA

alan at emmys aftershow 1

alan at emmys aftershow 1

You know that if you'd like to buy a copy, just email me.

And next Alan at the LAYER CAKE Premiere last night. I WAS GOING TO GO - but thought it would not be worth it. NOW I find that Alan was there - can you imagine how 'gutted' I am?

I am in London for Premieres on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week (one of the reasons I passed on last night). I will ask who got pics of him and see if I can get you some.
KEITH , <screentwo_uk@hotmail.comfoo>
BEDFORD, UK - Friday, September 24, 2004

Looks like Alan has arrived back in good old Blighty:

Actor Alan Rickman arrives at the UK Premiere of "Layer Cake" at The Electric Cinema, Portobello Road on September 23, 2004 in London:

Alan Sept.23.04

He seems to have recovered quite well from that Emmy loss! ;)
SF
- Friday, September 24, 2004

Thanks again to our fellow AR fan that gave me the info!
Claudia
GA, - Wednesday, September 22, 2004

For a side by side comparison this is the London Features photo
redbird
-Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Just saw this report in the RADA Magazine and thought it might be of interest

"The second annual RADA In Business lunch....held at the Savoy on 9 July, raised the handsome net total of £105,000 for the Academy. Sponsored by Nicholas Cooper, chairman of Sterling Insurance Group.....it found 40 companies from the insurance industry buying tables and enabling their guests to meet the notable RADA figures at each one, including Lord Attenborough, John Witney, Alan Rickman, Richard Wilson, Richard Briers, Sylvia Sims, Adrian Lester, Mel Smith, Jonathon Pryce and many others.

Greeted on arrival by Lord Attenborough, guests mingled in the River Room for pre-lunch drinks then were welcomed by third year students with a rousing rendition of Company. Nicholas Parsons, once again a skilful host, organised a riotous game of True or False, based on questions about RADA, which was won by Jonathoin Pryce...The auction included fantastic items such as a holiday in Mauritius, a cruise on the QM2, lunch with Lord Attenborough, a visit to the set of Harry Potter with Alan Rickman and many other exciting donations from RADA alumni, and the afternoon was rounded off with more songs and entertainment from third year RADA students."

Anyone want to be an Insurance agent?
Elaine
West Country, UK - Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Here is a bit from Marc Evans Director's diary on the BBC page today. He was bemoaning the bad reviews for his new film Trauma then goes on........

......."And of course there's plenty left to worry about; the weekend press for a start and the opening weekend's figures... but luckily, by Saturday morning, I have other things on my mind. Like my hangover. And my next film, Snow Cake (see Diary No. 1).

We have already met with Sigourney Weaver in Toronto, who also has a film in the festival (Imaginary Heroes). She has told the local press that Snow Cake will be her next project and she tells us that she has spent time over the summer with some autistic adults to try and get a feel for her character in the film (a high-functioning autistic woman called Linda). This really impresses us, her commitment is a real inspiration and we get to work. Andrew Eaton and Gina Carter the two producers from Revolution Films have come over to forge relationships with Canadian producers and financiers and I am sent off on a recce, or a "scout" as they say over here, to look for locations. We want to shoot the film here in January, in the snow. It's hard to imagine that right now as Anthony, the locations finder, drives me three hours north of Toronto in bright sunshine. But as the September sun sets over the vast golden cornfields and Miles Davies blows his horn on the car radio I can't help but feel a certain optimism. Hopefully another journey has just begun. Or maybe it's just another mood swing?

Check out Marc's eighth and final diary entry from Tuesday 28th September."
Sue
- Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Is this old news? See the BBC page on 'Four Last Songs."
Georgiana (a lovely piece by Richard Strauss...)
Seattle - Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Copyright 2004 Reed Elsevier Inc.
Variety
September 20, 2004 - September 26, 2004
SECTION: SPECIAL REPORT: SPOTLIGHT: WORLD REPORT: SPAIN; Pg. A
LENGTH: 1753 words
HEADLINE: Pics in the pipeline

. . . . . . . . .

FOUR LAST SONGS (Mate/BBC) Wannabe musician's big plans are thwarted by an unexpected arrival. Drama. Stars Alan Rickman, Greg Kinnear.

. . . . . . . . . .

Georgiana (HOORAH!)
Seattle - Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Copyright 2004 Reed Elsevier Inc.
Daily Variety
September 20, 2004, Monday
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 27
LENGTH: 382 words
HEADLINE: Bashes build on drama
BYLINE: BILL HIGGINS

Luckily for Emmy revelers, the majority of the weekend's parties didn't suffer the sad fate of the BAFTA/LA tea party: termination by threat of picket line.

The Brit org was set to have its second annual Emmy-eve soiree at the St. Regis, but there was a chance hotel workers would strike. The org (and its co-host, the TV Academy) didn't want to risk putting 400 guests in the awkward position of crossing a picket line of chanting maids and laundry workers. The result: No party and, as yet, no strike.

The TV Acad's Friday night performer nominee reception went off as planned at Spago, always a safe haven from labor turmoil.

"In a perfect world, the show is entertaining, provocative, a 25 rating and off in three hours," said ATAS chairman Dick Askin. "In an imperfect world, there are surprises."

The party had multiple sponsors, including Daily Variety and Ethel M. chocolatier. United Airlines showed off first-class seats on its overseas flights with an instructive demo.

Among those awed by the improvements in airline furniture were Alan Rickman, Stockard Channing, Jeffrey Tambor and Cloris Leachman.

. . . . . . . . . .

Georgiana
Seattle - Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Copyright 2004 Associated Press
All Rights Reserved
The Associated Press State & Local Wire
These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press
September 20, 2004, Monday, BC cycle
SECTION: Entertainment News
LENGTH: 636 words
HEADLINE: Scenes from the post-Emmy party scene
BYLINE: By BRIDGET BYRNE, For The Associated Press
DATELINE: WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif.

. . . . . . . . . .

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) - "Everything certainly is coming up roses for HBO," said Marlo Thomas as she eyed the lavish crimson decor of the Emmy-rich HBO party at the Pacific Design Center.

Roses were everywhere: in bunches on the tables and projected with color slides on the walls, ceiling and even on the carpet.

"Very sexy," said comedian Billy Crystal, while Alan Rickman, star of the winning TV movie "Something the Lord Made," joked he hadn't been inside anything so red "since my mother's womb."

. . . . . . . . . .

Georgiana
Seattle - Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Found a pic of our Man in an old Radio Times mag in an article on Dr Who (who should play him etc). Pic is very small and have tried my best to enlarge it. It's a nice one; though.
AFNH
UK - Tuesday, September 21, 2004

FilmMagic have one AR Emmy pic and Here is the one Glowbox found.
Sue
- Monday, September 20, 2004

Several of these are dup pictures of others given earlier on the list, but I believe one or two are new, or at least larger versions than ones we've already seen. (Forgive me if that's not the case.) Nicked the following link from TPMM group on Yahoo---the pics are so lovely, they're worth seeing again.
Carol
Monday, September 20, 2004

Here are some more pics Wire Image and LFI. Enjoy and thanks to all the others who have posted links to pics. It is a shame that Alan was robbed of his award.

Sheena , <dragon@amberdragon.freeserve.co.ukfoo>
Berkshire, UK Monday, September 20, 2004

Did we see this one yet? the Man
Glowbox
France -Monday, September 20, 2004

FilmMagic have one AR Emmy pic and Here is the one Glowbox found.
Sue
Monday, September 20, 2004

*argh* Al Pacino won best actor
ARdent Fan
Sunday, September 19, 2004

All right - STLM won!!! Whooo-hoo!
Carol
Michigan, Sunday, September 19, 2004

Well I'll be dog gone...I do believe that is Judy Hofflund sitting next to our dear AR tonight! Yippee!!!!

AR in audience 2004 Emmys
Claudia
GA, Sunday, September 19, 2004

AR's arrival at the Emmy Awards.
Claudia
GA, Sunday, September 19, 2004

Interesting article on STLM: STLM Article

September 18, 2004

SLV High grad courts Emmy
By JONDI GUMZ
Sentinel staff writer

San Lorenzo Valley High graduate Mike Drake recalls eating out in Baltimore with hip-hop artist Mos Def and actor Alan Rickman, known worldwide as "Professor Snape" from the Harry Potter movies.

Their table attracted a crowd of admirers, from teenagers to middle-age moms, but no one asked Drake for his autograph.

Sunday night, it will be his turn in the spotlight.

"Something the Lord Made," the film he produced starring his two dining companions, garnered nine Emmy nominations, including one for best made-for-television movie.

Needless to say, he’s excited.

"It’s nice to get a little acknowledgement," he said. "It feels good."

Drake, 32, is a veteran producer whose works include "The Whole Nine Yards" with Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry, and "Against the Ropes" with Meg Ryan for theatrical release.

"Something the Lord Made" was his first venture into the world of television. "It’s more provocative than most TV," Drake said in his understated way.

Based on a true story, the film depicts the relationship of a white surgeon and a black lab technician who defied 1940s conventions to perform the first heart surgery in America.

It’s the kind of story that sends chills down your spine.

Drake signed on at the request of Robert W. Cort, one of Hollywood’s most successful producers, with credits like "Runaway Bride," "Three Men and a Baby" and "Mr. Holland’s Opus." Cort’s production company had a deal with HBO.

The average TV movie costs $5 million to $10 million to make, but HBO was willing to spend a little more. In preliminary discussions, everyone agreed that if the film were made right and on time, it could have Emmy potential.

"We backed everything into that date so we could qualify," Drake said.

HBO’s insistence on quality paid off this year with 124 Emmy nominations, twice as many as any other network.

‘The Right Stuff’

One of the most successful aspects of the film was the casting.

Rickman, a British actor who trained on the stage, portrays the doctor with a Southern drawl. Mos Def, the Brooklyn-born talent who’s branched into acting, plays the black lab technician.

Because the film wasn’t a theatrical release, it wasn’t necessary to hire marquee actors like Robert Redford or Denzel Washington to bring in an audience.

"You can cast interesting people," Drake said.

The surgery was pioneered at Johns Hopkins University, so the movie was filmed in Baltimore. The schedule meant they had to be there in January, during a month of brutally cold weather. Temperatures fell below zero.

But as people saw the movie come to life, the crew started talking about how good it would be. An Emmy buzz was in the air.

The buzz was real. Both Rickman and Def are nominated for best actor.

‘Time Bandits’

Drake described the filming schedule as "aggressive." Ordinarily crews would have 60 days; Drake’s schedule cut that in half. Post-production time was a month shorter than usual.

Moreover, the film required working with kids and animals, something professors in film school warn against.

"You can’t control them, that’s the problem," Drake explained.

The story depicts how Dr. Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas developed a partnership and pioneered surgical techniques in 1944 to save infants suffering from an incurable heart defect. Their teamwork shocked Blalock’s colleagues: In those days, blacks were treated as second-class citizens.

In fact, it took decades before Johns Hopkins University recognized the role played by Thomas, who had to leave college because his family was wiped out financially in the Depression. In 1976, the university awarded an honorary degree.

Surgeons had told Blalock the heart was off-limits. But Thomas, who had worked as a carpenter before Blalock hired him, developed a clamp to temporarily close the pulmonary artery, making cardiac surgery possible. The technique was tested on dogs before the first infant surgery was scheduled.

The SPCA was on hand for the filming, making sure the dogs that appeared in the film were well-treated.

The filmmakers had to make everything look real.

"You have to be clever," said Drake. "It’s like ‘ER.’ You’re obviously not cutting into real people."

A pair of twins played the part of the "blue baby." With children on the set, everyone watching the clock because there are legal limits as to how long they can work.

One of the film’s heart-stopping scenes comes as the surgery is complete and the baby’s skin tone miraculously turns from blue to pink.

"We took a little creative license," Drake said. "It probably wasn’t that quick."

The Emmy reviewers liked what they saw. Peter Silverman and Robert Caswell, were nominated for their scriptwriting; so was director Joseph Sargent.

‘Against All Odds’

Drake has his tuxedo ready for Sunday night, but he hasn’t been sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring.

He has some new projects in the works: "King’s Ransom" featuring Anthony "Barbershop" Anderson, a comedy for New Line Cinema.

He took some time off in August for his honeymoon in Majorca, Spain. His wife, Amanda Hayward, is Canadian. The couple met on the set of "The Whole Nine Yards" in Montreal. Amanda is as busy as her husband, working with Chris Moore, partner with actor-producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

The competition for Sunday’s awards is tough.

Drake’s movie is in the same category at "Angels in America," the blockbuster based on the Broadway play with Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson.

"Angels" snagged 21 nominations, more than any other show.

The lead actors of "Something the Lord Made" are up against Pacino of "Godfather" fame. Sargent, who won an Emmy for "A Lesson Before Dying," vies with Hollywood legend Mike Nichols; writers Silverman and Caswell compete against Tony Kusher, who won the Pulitzer Prize for "Angels."

Still, when the winners in the technical categories were announced Saturday, "Angels" did not sweep.

Drake’s co-workers had nominations in four technical categories, and "The Lord" trumped the "Angels" twice, in cinematography and editing.

Locals will have to tune in Sunday to see whether "The Lord" or "Angels" will triumph in the four categories where they go head to head.

Drake doesn’t mind being the underdog.

"Just the nomination alone is a kind of compliment in itself," he said.

Contact Jondi Gumz at jgumz@santacruzsentinel.com.

SF
- Saturday, September 18, 2004

I am on the hunt Getty
redbird
- Saturday, September 18, 2004

And, yet another photo! LOL

AlanPre-Emmys
SF
- Saturday, September 18, 2004

Just found this photos at London Features. Hope this works.
redbird
- Saturday, September 18, 2004

Here's one photo:

AR2004EmmysSpago
SF
- Saturday, September 18, 2004

I always did prefer Getty Images!

Thumbnail and Watermarked
Sue
- Saturday, September 18, 2004

I bring you THESE!! (wireimage.com pre Emmy)
Sue
- Saturday, September 18, 2004

Well everyone - here is the news you've all been waiting for....

ALAN IS AT THE EMMYS - WITH RIMA !!! (editor's note: not Rima)

First photos can be found here (filmmagic.com)

ALAN AT THE PRE-EMMYS NOMINEES DINNER, SPAGO, BEVERLEY HILLS
KEITH
BEDFORD, UK - Saturday, September 18, 2004

From Sigourney Weaver interview:
What she's doing now: "Playing a woman with autism in a wonderful independent movie called Snowcake, with Alan Rickman. We're shooting it six hours north of Toronto. Again, my character is good company. People with autism tend not to care about social niceties, which makes her very refreshing."
Slope
Canada - Friday, September 17, 2004

BBC News
Stars to pack Empire celebration

£18m has so far been raised to pay for the new building A host of celebrities are to attend the completion of a multi-million pound refit at London's Hackney Empire. Former Spurs boss Sir Alan Sugar, who gave £13m to the project, will open the new Marie Lloyd building on Tuesday.

He will be joined by comedian Griff Rhys Jones, chair of the fundraising campaign, at 1130 BST.

Sir Michael Caine, Alan Rickman, Barbara Windsor and Eddie Izzard are later expected to attend a performance to celebrate the end of building work.
Sue
- Tuesday, September 14, 2004

A piece on icwales about director Marc Evans. Relevant info about Snowcake:
As he awaits Trauma's UK theatrical release, Evans is far from resting on his laurels, as he's got plenty of other film projects to be mulling over.

He's especially excited, and quite rightly, about a movie he's set to direct, having secured the casting of Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman; all they're waiting for now is the financing.

"It's called Snow Cake, and it's not a horror or genre movie. It's more a relationship comedy-drama, an indie kind of film set in a North American snowy landscape.

"As soon as I read it, I knew I wanted to do it.

"I'm really thrilled, yet, ironically, this time I've got the script, and I've got the talent, but we haven't yet got the money.

"I've been speaking to Sigourney and Alan, we all love the project, so fingers crossed! God, can you imagine? Me geeking on about Alien to Sigourney?"
Sue
England - Friday, September 10, 2004

Londoner's Diary
Evening Standard, 10.9.04
"Ralph Fiennes, Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman were among the crowd who joined Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins at the opening night of Embedded, his antiwar play about Iraq, at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. Fortunately Robbins, the writer/director, doesn't act in the show since he was struck down by food poisoning yesterday."
Sue
England - Friday, September 10, 2004

Copyright 2004 Express Newspapers
Daily Star
September 1, 2004
SECTION: BUSINESS; Pg. 46
LENGTH: 301 words
HEADLINE: IT'S THE BUSINESS; MOVERS & GROOVERS
AMSTRAD-founder among an all-star cast featuring the likes of Sir Michael Caine, Alan Rickman, Barbara Windsor and Eddie Izzard when the new complex at the Hackney Empire, east London is unveiled in a couple of weeks time.

The entrepreneur will be opening the revamped theatre after donating GBP 1.3 million to the work.

Caine, Rickman, Windsor and Izzard will be attending the carbaret performance Best Of The Empire being held in celebration on the same night.

. . . . . . . . . .

Georgiana (whichever night that was--looks like they read the same vague press release...)
Seattle - Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Copyright 2004 EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS
The Express
September 1, 2004
SECTION: CITY; Pg. 63
LENGTH: 385 words
HEADLINE: CITY AND BUSINESS EDITED BY STEPHEN KAHN; AMSTRAD BOSS TAKES ON ROLE IN THE EMPIRE
BYLINE: BLACKFRIAR

AMSTRAD founder Sir Alan Sugar will join an all-star cast including Sir Michael Caine, Alan Rickman, Barbara Windsor and Eddie Izzard when the restored Hackney Empire in East London is opened in a few weeks.

The entrepreneur, who brought word processors and phones with e-mail to the masses, will open the revamped theatre in recognition of his GBP 1.3million donation towards the work.

Caine, Rickman, Windsor and Izzard will be guests at the cabaret performance, Best Of The Empire, held to celebrate the event. The fundraising campaign to save the theatre is chaired by comedian Griff Rhys Jones.

. . . . . . . . . .

Georgiana
Seattle - Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Renie if you go here RADA Centenary you can then see all the pictures. If you click on Faces and Anecdotes followed by Alan's name you get rewarded with a nice anecdote and a nice B&W picture of him. Hope that helps
Sheena <dragon@amberdragon.freeserve.co.ukfoo>
Berkshire, UK - Wednesday, September 08, 2004

I'm told that on the cover of the RADA Centenary Brochure (sent to Friends of RADA contributors) there are 100 b&w head shots of former RADA students--and inside 14 associates are profiled including Alan Rickman, Kenneth Branagh, Timothy Spall, Richard Briers, Glenda Jackson, Fiona Shaw and Adrian Lester. Someone might have a look. Claire?
Renie
Marin, CA - Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Thanks for that info SF. Here is a link to official page and trailer. Looks a fascinating subject.
Sue
- Monday, September 06, 2004

Breaking News:

"Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson."

A Florentine Films production, produced in association with WETA Washington, D.C. Produced by David Schaye, Paul Barnes, Ken Burns. Executive producer, Burns. Directed by Ken Burns. Written by Geoffrey C. Ward.

Narrator: Keith David. Voice of Jack Johnson: Samuel L. Jackson. Other voices: Adam Arkin, Philip Bosco, Carolyn McCormick, Kevin Conway, Brian Cox, John Cullum, Murphy Guyer, Ed Harris, Derek Jacobi, Carl Lumbly, Amy Madigan, Joe Morton, ALAN RICKMAN, Studs Turkel, Jack Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Courtney D. Vance, Eli Wallach, Jeffrey Wright.

In his career-long examination of race as one of the defining issues in American history, Ken Burns has hit on a great subject in "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson." Even those with a passing knowledge of the tumultuous career of the first black heavyweight boxing champion will be amazed by the depth and range of detail in Burns' irresistibly engrossing study of "a self-defined man" who behaved as though prejudice didn't exist and enraged most of the white population in the process. World premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, this masterly two-part, nearly four-hour docu will be a jewel in the crown of PBS' season next January before becoming a staple in homevid collections.

Shortly after the dawn of the 20th century, a period the film describes as the worst for blacks since the end of the Civil War, Johnson emerged as a force of nature that could not be ignored, as much as many would have liked to. Imposingly large, eloquent, well-read, a man of the world, hugely talented in the ring and a "sport" with the fatal habit of consorting with white women, Johnson would not be denied the title even though the white champions of the time mostly wouldn't fight men of his color. His life had the classic arc of triumph and tragedy, a fact used by playwright Howard Sackler to his benefit in his 1968 play "The Great White Hope."

Although Burns, as ever, relies to a great extent on black-and-white stills accompanied by expert talking heads and well-spoken snippets of letters and commentary, he has the advantage here that Johnson flourished during the early days of motion pictures, so there is plenty of footage of the subject in the ring. What will strike even the casual viewer is how different the sweet science was then, when fights were scheduled for up to 40 rounds, resulting in lots and lots of holding, even by Johnson, who above all was apparently a superb defensive tactician.

But beyond providing a fine account of Johnson's wild career, the film fashions an extraordinary portrait of white supremacist thinking at its American pinnacle, when the notion of racial superiority was so important to the majority that a challenge to it could not even be allowed, let alone accepted.

Burns, working once again with his invaluable writer Geoffrey C. Ward, demonstrates throughout that Johnson's rise, which as far as blacks were concerned might have been the best thing that had happened to them in 40 years, represented "a danger to the natural order of things," as Stanley Crouch puts it.

After offering a teasing taste of "The Battle of the Century," the epic fight on July 4, 1910, in which the undefeated former white champ Jim Jeffries came out of retirement to try to wrest the title away from Johnson, docu methodically begins spinning the subject's colorful life story, which began in Galveston, Texas, in 1878 and saw him, after running out of men to fight on the Negro circuit, clamoring for a title shot in his early 20s.

Pic brings the nature of the fight game in those days engagingly alive. Even though it was one of the three most popular sports of the time, along with baseball and horse racing, it was also outlawed and railed against by religious moralists, in many states. The first two great white heavyweight champs, John L. Sullivan and "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, adamantly refused to fight blacks, as did Jeffries, who stood atop the heap when Johnson arrived on the scene.

For his part, Johnson was always a larger-than-life figure, a brilliant physical specimen who earned the then-exceptional sum of $1,000 per night, always donned stylish tailored clothes, drove the fastest cars and partied with the fastest women. Offending such "establishment" black figures as Booker T. Washington with his effrontery and desire for total integration, Johnson made waves when he and a hooker moved into an all-white neighborhood in Bakersfield, Calif., while giving interviews about his admiration for Napoleon.

After Jeffries retired and a Canadian named Tommy Burns became heavyweight champion, Johnson pursued Burns all over the world until the white man finally agreed to a fight and an Australian promoter stepped forward to stage it. The heavily documented battle took place in Sydney on Dec. 26, 1908, and it was a case of "Too Much Johnson"; after the American taunted and toyed with the hopelessly overmatched Canadian, police stopped the fight in the 14th round and, in an extraordinary move, demanded that all motion picture cameras be turned off to spare the white world the spectacle of a black man knocking out one of their own.

So at 30, Johnson was champion of the world and on top of it. But not for long. A huge uproar ensued when Americans learned that Johnson was traveling with a white woman, and Johnson settled in an area of Chicago's South Side dominated by bars and whorehouses. Among his countless subsequent women was a well-known socialite; managers came and went, and so did hopeless opponents, one of whom was the future Oscar-winning actor Victor McLaglen.

Finally, Jeffries, who had ballooned to 300 pounds during six years out of the ring, was persuaded to return in order to restore white America's honor. Naturally this showdown, which was moved from San Francisco to Reno at virtually the last minute, was hugely covered by cameras, giving Burns a lot to work with, and he makes the most of it, not only pugilistically -- the bulldog-like Jeffries looks game but simply over the hill -- but sociologically: The sight of an all-white audience dressed in dark suits in 100-degree weather is alone a spectacle to behold.

Part one ends with Johnson's triumph, which leaves him a very rich man but which also sparked racial rioting around the country that caused many deaths.

If Johnson could not be defeated in the ring, the establishment reckoned he would have to be brought down outside of it, which it did by aiming at his Achilles' heel -- his sex life. Three years after his victory over Jeffries, Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act -- transporting a woman across state lines for immoral reasons -- but during his appeal he escaped (posing as a member of a Negro league baseball team) to Canada and ultimately to Europe.

In 1915, an out-of-shape 37-year-old Johnson finally got his comeuppance in the view of white society, at the hands of "the giant," Jess Willard, a young white fighter who towered over the champion and knocked him out in the 26th round of a scheduled 45-round fight in Havana.

Suddenly a "non-person" as well as a fugitive from justice, Johnson and his mate continued to live in Europe and then Mexico until 1920, when he willingly returned to the U.S. to serve a year in Leavenworth, Kans., where, as fate would have it, the promoter of the Reno fight was now in charge and permitted Johnson to sleep late, stage fights and enjoy the run of the place.

Remainder of Johnson's life, which ended in a speeding car accident in 1946, was hardly lacking in lively incident, although it had its sour aspects, perhaps none more so than his total repudiation by the next black fighter to claim the heavyweight crown, Joe Louis.

One of the docu's most fascinating sidelights is its interlude on D.W. Griffith's 1915 epic "Birth of a Nation," the massive success of which in this context represents a concrete manifestation of generally held public views at the time. Even President Woodrow Wilson, who had campaigned for black rights, lavished praise on the film's view of history.

Quotations and passages from texts are wonderfully read by an illustrious group of actors, with Samuel L. Jackson clearly relishing the quasi-poetry and philosophy of Johnson himself. Interview subjects, many of them vet sportswriters, provide excellent color and insights, notably Crouch, Bert Sugar and Randy Roberts.

Craft aspects, including Wynton Marsalis' bluesy score, are superb. Title comes from a phrase by W.E.B. DuBois.

Only annoyance is the narration's politically correct insistence on using the verbally laborious contempo term "African-American" at every occasion, when the interviewees never use it themselves and Johnson himself is quoted as considering himself 100 percent American. As Crouch remarks at pic's end, Johnson's story, for better and worse, could only have happened in the United States.

Camera (Duart color/B&W), Buddy Squires, Stephen McCarthy; editor, Paul Barnes; music, Wynton Marsalis; sound, Brenda Ray, John Osborne; associate producer, Susanna Steisel. Reviewed on videocassette, Los Angeles, Aug. 28, 2004. (In Telluride Film Festival.) Running time: 213 MIN.

With: Stanley Crouch, Bert Sugar, Gerald Early, Jose Torres, Randy Roberts, Jack Newfield, W.C. Heinz, George Plimpton.

SF
- Monday, September 06, 2004

There is a very good and concise piece about the Captain Swing Riots.

Alayne
- Sunday, August 29, 2004

Captain Swing Photo Enjoy!

Captain Swing, 1978, written by Peter Whelan, directed by Bill Alexander, designed by Kit Surrey. The cast, from left to right, includes ?, Gemma Beech (Zoë Wanamaker), Farquarson (Alan Rickman), Daniel (Hilton McRae), Matthew Hardeness (David Bradley).

Even the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) doesn't know who that actor is, Martha!

Note to Harry Potter fans: Three future HP actors are in this photo: Zoe Wanamaker (Madame Hooch), David Bradley (Filch), and of course, Snape.

And, one more piece of trivia: Hilton McRae is married to Lindsay Duncan.

Captain Swing (play, RSC production) was written by Peter Whelan.

The Captain Swing Riots of 1831 in Dorset, England were the basis for the RSC play, "Captain Swing." Supposedly, a mysterious "Captain Swing" sent letters to the villagers, but the identity of this mystery person was never revealed. There is some doubt whether Captain Swing and the letters ever existed. At any rate, Whelan brought "Captain Swing" to life in the guise of one John Farquarson, played by Alan Rickman. More on the history behind "Captain Swing" can be here:

Captain Swing Riots

Secret Friend
- Sunday, August 29, 2004

Copyright 2004 National Post, All Rights Reserved
National Post (Canada)
July 27, 2004 Tuesday All but Toronto Edition
SECTION: Arts & Life; Pg. B2
LENGTH: 617 words
HEADLINE: The mature, scholarly side of Pottermania: No uber-geeks here: Finally, a convention that doesn't compare the homoerotic literature of fans
SOURCE: National Post
BYLINE: Adrienne Blair

As any Harry Potter fan knows, the bespectacled teenage wizard's birthday is this Saturday, and to mark this signal occasion a group of Muggles is gathering at the University of Ottawa to discuss all things Harry.

Most of the denizens of Convention Alley, as the conference has been dubbed, are members of Harry Potter for Grown Ups (HPfGU), a massive online chat group dedicated to giving readers "the chance to join with other fans in mature discussion of the Harry Potter universe." The conference was conjured by the Laurentian Normal School for Consolidated Magicks -- a Canadian "wizarding academy" created by HPfGU members to ward off lawsuits by Warner Bros., which sets strict guidelines for the use of Potter-related copyrighted material.

Sounds like a Star Trek convention, right? Uber-geeks in slavishly detailed costumes, trading trivia and lining up for Q&A sessions with a D-list cast member? Don't bet your broomstick. Convention Alley is strictly literary: three days of presentations, panel discussions and chit-chat about J.K. Rowling's best-selling series. No actors autographing parchment scrolls, no Hogwarts-as-Rydell-High Grease parodies performed every two hours in the rotunda.

Those fans are out there in the Potterverse: The first-ever Harry symposium -- Nimbus 2003 -- in Orlando, drew more than 600 enthusiasts, including fan-fiction devotees, amateur Quidditch players and filksingers (the folks who like musical parodies). There was some literary discussion, but many felt it was overshadowed by cliquey Trekkie "fandom culture," focusing on who had the most elaborate costumes; who knew the most movie spoilers; whose slash (erotic fan-fiction, often with a homosexual theme) had the largest following.

Convention Alley is a smaller, more intimate affair and, most importantly, all about the books. There will be 48 sessions over the weekend on such topics as Jungian Archetypes in Harry Potter, A Jewish Perspective on Harry Potter and No Wizard Left Behind: Education at Hogwarts. Some presenters are academics, but many are simply avid readers who believe Rowling is a literary genius whose work is worth serious scholarly examination.

This is not to say the literary types are immune to the cult aspects of Potter culture. Some are members of LOON, the League of Obsessive Nitpickers, gleefully dedicated to finding inconsistencies in the books and films. There is also a contingent of Snape-philes: At least four discussions will revolve around this complex is-he-evil-or-isn't-he Potions teacher. One session -- Severus Snape: Romantic Byronic Hero or Unredeemable Greasy Git? -- takes a poetic view of the misanthropic figure, while another examines him through the prism of Presbyterianism (it doesn't hurt that sinister Snape is played by Alan Rickman in the films, as several members of of Convention Alley's planning committee are Rickman groupies).

Clearly, earnestness is not the hallmark of this gathering: Evening activities include a haunted tour of Ottawa, a birthday banquet and an excursion to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. And there will be a few light-hearted presentations, notably by librarian Steve Vander Ark (known on HPfGU as Lexicon Steve for his monumental Web miscellany of Harryiana -- spells, potions, maps, glossaries, characters and the like). He is delivering a keynote address at Harry's Birthday Banquet that will caution against overanalysis of the books -- because sometimes a wand is just a wand.

- Convention Alley: www.conventionalley.org

Harry Potter for Grown Ups: www.hpfgu.org.uk

The Harry Potter Lexicon: www.hp-lexicon.org

Convention Alley is a fan conference that is all about the books.

Georgiana
Seattle - Thursday, August 26, 2004

Copyright 2004 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest
Global Communications Corp.
All Rights Reserved
The Gazette (Montreal)
August 19, 2004 Thursday
Final Edition
SECTION: ARTS & LIFE; Pg. D6
LENGTH: 792 words
HEADLINE: I wouldn't want to be Harry, J.K. Rowling says: Author gives up few hints at book festival. Readers turn to Web site for latest on Harry Potter, but they won't get real news until next book is out
BYLINE: BERNIE GOEDHART, The Gazette

J.K. Rowling, author of the enormously popular Harry Potter books, has acquired a level of fame that makes it impossible for her to respond to fans on an individual basis. She does not give interviews and she does not sign books any- more. At least, not often.

Now that she has two children, one of them only 18 months old, and is expecting a third, her free time is at a premium. Especially given the fact she still has two books to write before the series is finished. So it's no surprise to find that Rowling, who clearly values her fan base and likes to keep in touch with her readers, has opted for the Internet as a means of communication.

Her Web site - www.jkrowling.com - is where she lets readers in on her latest news, and where she debunks rumours - like the one that says Harry is going to die. At the Edinburgh Book Festival last weekend, in a Q&A session that now appears on her Web site, Rowling promised "he will survive to Book 7 ... but I am not going to say whether he grows any older than that because I have never said that." The author has always maintained the series would total seven books - no more, no less.

Rowling was her usual cautious self at the Edinburgh festival, taking care not to spill too many of the beans. But she clearly enjoyed matching wits with her fans, many of whom have been tenacious and sly in trying to get her to let loose some of the plot twists awaiting them in Book 6, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, currently in the works.

"Fans are very good at that, and I have to be very awake," she said. Sometimes she's tempted to give in and answer her fans' questions, "but at the same time I know that I would ruin it for everyone."

Still, she provided some broad hints. When someone asked, for example, which of the characters she would choose to be for a day, Rowling's response was quick and strong: "Definitely not Harry, because I would not want to go through it all. I know what is coming for him, so there is no way that I would want to be him.

"At the moment, I would not want to be any of them, because life is getting quite tough for them."

Peeves the Poltergeist is the only character Rowling said she might be willing to assume, because it would be a laugh "causing mayhem and not bothering."

In real life, Rowling's existence is hectic enough. "When I'm not writing or looking after the children, I read and sleep," she said. "To be totally honest with you, at the moment sleeping is probably my favourite thing in the world to do."

In response to questions about specific characters and their development, the author gave some insights into the writing process. Harry's friend Hermione Granger, for example, was originally meant to have a younger sister, "but she was very hard to work in. The younger sister was not supposed to go to Hogwarts (School of Witchcraft & Wizardry). She was supposed to remain a Muggle (nonwizard). It was a sideline that didn't work very well and it did not have a big place in the story."

Rita Skeeter, the ruthless journalist who plays a big role in Book 4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was originally to appear in the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - where her name was Bridget, not Rita.

But Rowling said as she wrote that first book, she was planning the rest of the series "and Book 4 was where Harry's fame became a burden to him. ... So I thought that would be the perfect place for Rita to come in. She was still called Bridget at the time.

"I didn't realize that by the time I wrote Book 4, I would have met quite a lot of Ritas and people would assume that I was writing Rita in response to what had happened to me - which was not, in fact, the truth.

"However," she added with a smile, "I am not going to deny that writing Rita was a lot more fun having met a few people I had met."

The author said she also enjoys writing Severus Snape, the professor of potions who always seems to have it in for Harry. When someone in the audience said she loves Snape, Rowling expressed alarm. "You do? That is a very worrying thing," she said. Then she asked if the person was "thinking about (actor) Alan Rickman or about Snape?" It brought a knowing laugh.

"Isn't this life, though?" Rowling added. "I make this hero - Harry, obviously - and there he is on the screen: the perfect Harry, because (actor) Dan (Radcliffe) is very much as I imagine Harry. But who does every girl under the age of 15 fall in love with? Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy.

"Girls, stop going for the bad guy. Go for a nice man in the first place. It took me 35 years to learn that, but I am giving you that nugget free, right now, at the beginning of your love lives."

For a full transcript of the Aug. 15 Q&A session, visit www.jkrowling.com and click on Daily News.

Georgiana
Seattle - Thursday, August 26, 2004

Copyright 2004 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Ltd.
Daily Record
August 20, 2004, Friday
SECTION: FEATURES; Pg. 47
LENGTH: 334 words
HEADLINE: THE RAZZ/TRAILERS: MOVIE QANDA SIGOURNEY WEAVER; BEST KNOWN FOR HER ALIEN ROLE AS RIPLEY - AND AS ALIEN VS PREDATOR SHOOTS TO NO.1 IN THE US BOX OFFICE - SIGOURNEY WEAVER HAS A NEW SCARY MOMENT IN THE VILLAGE

. . . . . . . . . .

Q DO you think you need some time off?

A YES, that's why I'm spending a little time with my daughter. But after that, I'm doing a film with Alan Rickman called Snow Cake. It takes place in the US, but it's an English company and the director is Marc Evans. It's a touching comedy-love story, and I play an autistic woman.

. . . . . . . . . .

Georgiana
Seattle - Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Copyright 2004 Financial Times Information
All rights reserved
Global News Wire - Europe Intelligence Wire
Copyright 2004 Independent Newspapers (UK) Limited
The Independent
August 17, 2004
LENGTH: 325 words
HEADLINE: EDINBURGH FESTIVAL: FESTIVAL DIARY
BYLINE: Julian Hall

. . . . . . . . . .

Alan Rickman dropped in to see his pal Christopher Simon in the one-man show "When the Bulbul Stopped Singing" last weekend at the Traverse. Word of his visit quickly carried across Lothian Road to the Filmhouse, home of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. In the time it takes to change a reel, the artistic director of the Film Festival, Shane Danielsen, was in the Traverse bar chatting away to Rickman. No doubt, having been denied what was to be the closing film at the festival and with no glamorous red carpet party in sight, Danielsen was hoping Rickman might provide the pizzazz.

Georgiana (Sorry for the delay--I've been working like a dog)
Seattle - Tuesday, August 24, 2004

More Info on the "Degrees Project" (Diabetes UK Photographs, direct from Andy Gotts himself.

There are two types of print for sale;

A) There are 50 limited edition Giclée prints, per actor’s photographs, for sale. These have been printed on fine-art 308gsm archival paper and have been printed to the size of 297mm x 420mm (A3). Each of the prints have been numbered and signed by the photographer. This is a unique opportunity to purchase a piece of photographic history. The cost per print is £300 (GBP), there will also be a postage charge to wherever in the world you reside.

B) We can also supply normal c-type photographic prints at the size of 10” x 8”. These will be at the price of £75 (GBP), there will also be a postage charge to wherever in the world you reside.

Payment will have to be made by cheque and made payable to the ‘Degrees Trust’

Normal turn-around time for shipping prints is 48hours once receipt of cheque.

Please send payment and relevant postage details to;

Degrees Project, c/o Gotz Imaging Ltd., PO Box 4249, Dunstable, Beds. LU6 1YP. ENGLAND.

Kindest regards,

Andy Gotts

Sheena <dragon@amberdragon.freeserve.co.ukfoo>
Berkshire, UK - Sunday, August 22, 2004

I am not sure if this have been posted before but the RADA site now has pictures up from the RADA Centenary Luncheon. I could only see one photo of Alan Rickman you can find this and others of other celebs at RADA Lunch.

Sheena <dragon@amberdragon.freeserve.co.ukfoo>
Berkshire, UK - Saturday, August 21, 2004

More information about Andy Gotts from my friend Jude:

The photograph edition being offered through his website at this time is limited to 30 per subject, are huge/museum quality, and cost 300 GBP each. There will be a less expensive, smaller print, less limited edition offered at a later date. The book of photographs is due to be published in June, 2005.

The way the subjects have been selected is one person suggests the next person to photograph. Sir John Mills suggested Kenneth Branagh. Ken suggested Kevin Kline....

Renie
- Saturday, August 21, 2004

Here is the photo from the Daily Mail (thanks, Sheena! And Laura, too!).

Suzanne <webmistress@alanrickman.netfoo>
TX USA - Thursday, August 19, 2004

Further to Laura's post I have a copy of the Daily Mail, the photographer is selling the prints from his website Andy Gotts. According to the article he has 8 more celebs to shoot then I guess we will hear more about the book. He has taken some nice pics and I love the one of Alan, I have scanned it from the paper but I don't have a way to post the picture here, someone who can want to help I will happily email the pic to you.

Sheena <dragon@amberdragon.freeserve.co.ukfoo>
Berkshire, UK - Thursday, August 19, 2004

Sorry that this is long winded. Don't know if anybody's seen the Daily Mail today; there's an article about a photographer who, after watching a programme about diabetes-sufferers, decided to write to more than 300 actors asking if he could take their photos to publish in a charity anthology, the proceeds of which go to Diabetes UK. Apparently only Joss Ackland wrote back, but then he told Greta Sacchi about it and this started a kind of chain-letter effect, resulting in 97 celebrity photos and £57,000 six years later, includimg - as published in the Mail - none other than Mr Rickman! There is such a cute little black and white photo of him, winking and looking gorgeous. I don't know how you can actually get hold of the anthology, but the link to Diabetes UK is http://www.diabetes.org.uk. I think this is a brilliant thing, because my sister has had diabetes since she was a child. I just thought you guys would be interested.
Laura from Wales
UK - Thursday, August 19, 2004

Another interview with Marc Evans and a little tidbit about Snow Cake.

[source: Telegraph.co.uk - Aug. 14, 04]
snowbunny
- Saturday, August 14, 2004

An Awfully Big Adventure is being released in DVD (region 4) in Australia on 13 October and is available for pre-order. No information on any extras so presumably there are none. Cost is $19.95 Aud (postage included if in Australia) and $14.22 US; 7.78 UK; 21.82 NZ and 25.62 NLG. (postage extra for overseas) Website to order from is ezydvd.com.au.
Judy
- Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Alan Rickman gets a brief mention in this article The Guardian.

Sheena <dragon@amberdragon.freeserve.co.ukfoo>
Berkshire, UK - Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Copyright 2004 Associated Newspapers Ltd.
The Evening Standard (London)
August 9, 2004
ACTRESS HARRIET WALTER REVEALS HOW SHE FINALLY FOUND LOVE IN HER FORTIES, ONLY TO HAVE HER FIANCe CRUELLY SNATCHED AWAY

BY LIZ JONES
Harriet Walter arrives at our rendezvous - an olde worlde pub in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire - soaked to the skin. She has just driven from her home in Dorset in possibly the worst storm in years and her nerves are shot to pieces. She orders a neat double whisky at the bar. 'This is totally out of character,' she says, knocking the drink back in one and peeling off her steaming coat. 'But driving round the M25 in torrential rain was absolutely terrifying.'

Harriet Walter, 53, one of our most pre- eminent stage actresses, who started her career as Ophelia opposite Jonathan Pryce's Hamlet at the Royal Court, doesn't seem the sort to frighten easily. She is, after all, here to talk about the death of her fiance, the actor Peter Blythe. His funeral took place only last month.

He was, as she readily admits, 'the love of my life, very nearly a saintly man'. They had been together for eight years and had planned to get married in September, on his birthday. Then, five months ago, after going to the doctor for tests when a chesty cough wouldn't go away, he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

'They always said, this is going to kill you, but on the day he died I wasn't expecting it, I thought we would have a few more months together. But no, I don't feel anger, I just feel this terrible sadness that he had to suffer.'

Her face is wet, but I can't tell if it's just that she's still damp from the rain. Why on earth would she agree to this interview, when everything is still so raw?

'I'm the one who was always being photographed and interviewed. Peter was never in the limelight,' she says. 'I wanted people to see how special he was.'

She got through the funeral, she says, by playing a part. 'It's an awful thing to say, but I thought to myself, 'I'm going to play the role of this dignified, self-controlled widow'.'

The turnout at the small church near Dorchester was a roll call of the great and the good: the opera singer Sophie Daneman sang Purcell, Alan Rickman read Shakespeare. There were kind words from Harold Pinter, Peter Hall, John Mortimer, Judi Dench ... Although Peter Blythe was what Walter calls a 'jobbing actor', the tall, silver-haired actor had found public recognition as a regular in Rumpole of the Bailey and Inspector Morse, and had never stopped working.

Walter had found love relatively late in life - as a young actress at the Royal Shakespeare Company she was so fiercely driven by work to the exclusion of ever having a domestic life she was known by one director as 'the nun'. She says she had never particularly liked being in a relationship anyway because she always attracted the wrong sort of men.

'People saw me in roles and assumed I was this strong, independent woman who didn't want commitment, who wouldn't make demands. I'd had relationships, mainly with actors, and I think I was frightened of men in a way, but Peter blasted through all that. He didn't mind saying, I absolutely love you, there is no secret about it, we're not going to play funny games. He unfurled me.'

A few years before they met she had even, she says, joined a dating agency to try to find someone who wasn't in the business, but 'it was hopeless because people would often recognise me, although I gave a false name. I thought, I can't go through with this'.

She met Peter in 1996. They were both appearing at the Chichester Festival Theatre: she was Hedda Gabler; he was Brack.

. . . . . . . . . .

Georgiana
Seattle - Monday, August 09, 2004

Two articles from automated AR newsfeed: [Edinburgh] Festivals actually changed my life - Rickman and He's truly, madly and so deeply chagrined [for calling TMD "Cello"].

Full text fromTHE SCOTSMAN:

Mon 9 Aug 2004
Festivals actually changed my life -
Rickman

TIM CORNWELL
ARTS CORRESPONDENT

HARRY Potter actor Alan Rickman has told how Edinburgh festivals have delivered some of the seminal experiences of his working life.

Nearly three decades ago, in his first appearance on an Edinburgh stage, Rickman appeared in the playwright John Barnes’ adaptation of Ben Jonson’s play The Devil is an Ass. He was just out of drama school, and it was his first major part.

Rickman, now an acclaimed stage and screen actor made famous for a new generation by his Harry Potter role, made a lightning visit to Edinburgh at the weekend to see the play Swansong, directed by his friend Conor McDermottroe. The two men are working on a film project together.

He was hoping to catch actors Christian Slater and Frances Barber in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but the show has been delayed by Slater going down with chickenpox.

"I was hoping to see Christian and Frances, but I think I will wait until he’s better. We were in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves together," he said.

The actor said he thought the Fringe had lost some of its "theatrical clout" in recent years due to the growing role of comedy shows. "Its reputation now is more about stand-up, which I find sad," he said.

But he added: "I’ve had some of the most profound theatrical experiences of my life up here. Scotland is inextricably tied up with my life."

Rickman grew nostalgic when he drove past the university halls where he once stayed.

"He has fond memories of doing shows here," McDermottroe said. "He tries to get up here for every Festival, even if he is not working."

Rickman picked out two plays to see at the weekend: When the Bulbul Stopped Singing at the Traverse Theatre, and Fatboy, starring Mike McShane. He also worked with McShane on Prince of Thieves.

Rickman first acted in Edinburgh in 1976, in a double bill at the Assembly Rooms. He played Friar Peter in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, and Wittipol in The Devil is an Ass. He would later describe his part in Jonson’s play as his first major role.

"It just defines the word theatre when you come to the Festival," he said. "I’ve had amazing times here."

Rickman recalled seeing the work of legendary Japanese director Yukio Ninagawa for the first time. Ninagawa’s Macbeth, set in feudal Japan, electrified the Festival in 1985.

"There are things that change your working life when you see a production," Rickman said.

In 1991, Rickman was fast becoming a film star, partly on the back of Prince of Thieves. It was after seeing Rickman as the villain in Die Hard, and as the ghost of an amusing lover in Truly, Madly, Deeply that Ninagawa cast him in another Edinburgh production.

Rickman appeared in The Tango at the End of Winter, with Ninagawa as director, at the King’s Theatre.

"That was the last time [he appeared on an Edinburgh stage], and it seems long ago," he said.

Recently, Rickman has become one of the most memorable figures in the series of Harry Potter films as the flamboyantly sinister Professor Severus Snape. It is the latest in a long line of villainous screen roles he’s played - including the Sheriff of Nottingham.

He said he would be starting work next month on his part in the latest to be filmed, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

"I haven’t reported for duty yet. I’ve no idea even where the locations are. My contract doesn’t give out much."

Rickman wouldn’t be drawn on his plans for any future Harry Potter films. "It’s looking at one movie at a time from here on. It just depends what else you are up to."

Last year, Rickman was in Love Actually, along with Emma Thompson, with whom he also starred in The Winter Guest.

Rickman and McDermottroe met on the set of Quigley Down Under in Australia about ten years ago.

"I was an actor, playing a character employed by Alan to kill Tom Selleck," he said. "We were in Alice Springs in the middle of Australia for about ten weeks. It was not high art."

They renewed their friendship when McDermottroe later moved to London to work at the National Theatre and start writing.

Rickman is executive producer on McDermottroe’s film script Waiting for the Healer. It has backing from the Irish Film Board, and Edinburgh’s Moonstone International - linked to the Sundance Institute in the United States - has taken it on for development.

Swansong is a one-man play set in 1960s Ireland. Its story is launched when a young woman leaves the country to have an abortion. Rickman gave the play glowing praise, saying it had all of the Irish literary inheritance about it. "It’s incredibly powerful, and has brilliant, brilliant acting," he said.

A Shy Librarian
FL USA - Monday, August 09, 2004

This is what happens when you don't have anything to do at weekends ;). I've found another teensy, weensy morsel about Snow Cake, which might be of interest. And there's a (seen before) picture of Alan as Snape. Ho ho.

BBC - Films - Marc Evans Director's Diary:

Director's Diary homepage

Lara from Wales
UK - Sunday, August 08, 2004

Copyright 2004 Associated Newspapers Ltd.
The Evening Standard (London)
August 5, 2004
LENGTH: 131 words
HEADLINE: MUTU JOINS JUVE
BYLINE: MATT HUGHES

Stand up for Barenboim

JOANNA LUMLEY, Julie Christie, Alan Rickman and British Museum director Neil MacGregor were among an appreciative crowd who came to hear Daniel Barenboim conduct a memorial concert for Palestinian thinker Edward Said at the Barbican. The audience gave a standing ovation for Barenboim and the East West Divan Orchestra of young Arab and Israeli musicians that he and Said founded.

The orchestra won the admiration of actress and activist Vanessa Redgrave. Her friendship with Said's widow, Maryam, led her to make a generous donation that helped to make the concert possible.

Barenboim himself was upbeat although he wasn't in the mood to discuss Middle East peace. 'The future of the Jewish nation - how long have you got?' he quipped to me.

Georgiana
Seattle (with the Blue Angels flying overhead, and where we have presently on stage a marvelous "Lohengrin") - Thursday, August 05, 2004

Sorry if this is a duplicate but I don't remember seeing this exact quote before from an interview with Sigourney Weaver: "So what's on tap after The Village? She'll play an autistic woman in the movie Snowcake. "Alan Rickman called me up and said, 'There's a wonderful part for you in this movie'. And I read it and, gosh, I was just blown away by it."" This link to the article is here
Carol
Michigan - Thursday, August 05, 2004

A broadsheet distributed at the Cambridge Film Festival says "Snowcake" (they list it as one word) is to film in November.
Georgiana
Seattle - Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Just a little bit more about Snow Cake from Sigourney Weaver herself.

[Editor's note]:

Relevant except:

Q: What's up next for you?
A: I thought I should spend a little time with my daughter 'cause I've been working all year. But then after that, I'm doing an English movie, ``Snow Cake,'' with Alan Rickman. It's a very touching comedy-love story and I play an autistic woman.
Q: Does that mean your character shows few emotions?
A: This is a very emotional and rather witty person. It's quite surprising, but I have yet to do my work on autism so I don't know how typical she is. She's certainly very complicated and unpredictable.

Possible new AR projects (my apologies if this has been mentioned before now).

For the New York premiere of "The Prisoner of Azkaban," the staff of The Leaky Cauldron website (the-leaky-cauldron.org) managed to get short interviews with many of the cast, including AR.

He mentioned two new projects he hoped to get in before the filming of the next HP movie began. One was called "For Our Sons," and the other was called "Snow Cake."

Now a new reference to AR and "Snow Cake" has just popped-up in a new article on Sigourney Weaver...so this sounds like a go at this point.

I've nabbed both references, so here ya go: ----------------- From TLC inteview:

[edit] TLC: What’s your next project?

AR: Well, I have to do Harry Potter four, and I am hoping to do a really interesting couple of films if we can get them in in the meantime. One is called “For Our Sons,” one is called “Snow Cake.” It’s a really wonderful script about a man who meets a woman who’s an adult autistic. ------------------------------------

And here's the new reference:

From the Sunday Mail:

"[edit]... Next, she's teaming up with Alan Rickman for Snow Cake, in which she'll play an autistic mother." [edit]

I hope all works-out well for these projects...and judging by how well AR and SW worked together in "Galaxy Quest" (though she was more opposite Tim Allen's character), I'm looking forward to seeing them together in what looks to be a very touching film.

BM
BackstageMystic
- Sunday, August 01, 2004

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