I am so tired that I can barely type this sentence, but I promise to post more on my and SO’s adventure. Thanks for understanding. :)
Styling With George Stroumboulopoulos
Obviously, George backstage with Richard Armitage after the interview:
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I was tempted to say “George What’s His Name” or some other lame joke. But if a man gets hung with a last name like that, and he makes it to adulthood still smiling, he deserves for others to spell or say his name correctly. ;-) Okay, it’s Stroumboulopoulos. Man, what a tongue twister and does harsh work on the fingers too. :D This word has FanstRAvaganza beat!
I also love that George is a smiler (although he’s not in this picture), and I love his dimples. Yes, this is a Richard Armitage fan blog, but I had to take time out to give some praise to George. :D
Love this:
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A Little Story of Will
Life is funny how it jerks you around, but when I look back, I wouldn’t have it any other way. There are fantastic things I’ve experienced that would have never happened if circumstances hadn’t pushed me. Until several years ago, I was comfortably ensconced in a beautiful little mountain town, raising my children, spending wonderful times with SO, cooking a lot and sometimes inviting the whole town to my house to laugh and eat or to mourn if the occasion warranted, and always having an open door to whomever may need to unburden themselves.
SO and I, who grew up in the city and came from corporate culture, had more or less become part of a family in this little town, and we were loving it. It was the realization of a dream that started when we were both busting our backsides in our 20s and 30s. The plan had been to build a business and make enough money that we could then go and freely do what we wanted. There were two things we wanted: to serve a community and to spend a lot of time with our kids and not necessarily in that order.
Us at 36 with the kids in a shot taken about 2 hours from where we would eventually live three years later:
Things were humming along nicely in the little town. We had learned to live way below our means in order for our savings to stretch and keep us in “retirement.” We also had a wonderful relationship with our kids and each other (despite our sometimes tempestuous interactions). Two of the kids were successfully doing college with another one getting ready to go. They had also enjoyed running and excelled at it. SO being a running coach was helpful, and we spent considerable time going to meets. It was at one such meet where our son was doing really well when something happened. SO had a pain, and it was bad enough he had to go to the car. This was the guy who usually ran all over a 5K course to keep up with the progress of a race and no obstacle ever got in his way. When he slunked off toward the car, I knew something was seriously wrong. A few moments later I jogged over to see what was going on. His face was deathly white, but he almost threw his stop watch at me and was adamant I watch the finish line.
I reluctantly went back to watch, and as I turned around, he was behind me. Still looking like a ghost and not able to walk so vigorously but trying to make it near the finish line. He didn’t quite make it and had to watch from afar as our son easily came in first. When I turned to say we should go to the hospital, he was stubborn about just going home. Home was 20 minutes away, so we went there quickly. All the way home, I was trying to get him to call an ambulance, but he refused (yep, he’s a typical male). Then as we walked into the house, he stopped and said, “Please call 911!” Thankfully, I had already called them, and they were on their way. SO sat on the local Fire and Rescue Board at the time, and I had actually called the fire chief’s house first, and then 911. They were there lickety split and SO was so anxious to see them that he stumbled into the front yard toward the ambulance.
At the hospital, we of course learned from tests that he had had a heart attack, and they were discussing care flight options with me. Such is the price of living in the boonies — anything really serious goes wrong, and you’re on a plane or helicopter heading for the city. Thankfully, SO’s situation stabilized and he was able to be taken by car to the other side of the mountain. They ran even more tests on him at the big city hospital, and we learned he would not be needing bypass surgery as there was no blockage or even damage to his heart. A miracle. But we also had a bomb dropped on us. We learned he had kidney disease and was a few steps away from dialysis.
We were quickly hooked up with a nephrologist, and a month later, SO was told to get a living donor or get on the kidney transplant deceased donor list. We started the process, and I was not a match, his sister was not a match, his parents were too old, several friends were not a match. Our children volunteered to give their kidneys, but considering the family history, we told them it was best to hang onto theirs — they may need them! The work began to get him on the deceased donor list. This took a year and was quite a roller coaster ride. But even while this was being done, I and other family were working to find him a living donor. Meanwhile, his doctors had told him to do everything possible to stay off of dialysis, and as a result, he became too weak to do much of anything.
All of this was going on a few months after I started this blog. Tomorrow night I’ll continue the story.
continues here
Maybe I Spoke Too Soon
Rob Cain at ChinaFilmBiz just posted the weekend’s gross for The Hobbit in China. It falls short of projections and will probably not reach the billion dollar club until sometime in early March. Of course this will be considered a loss of which piracy is a contributor, but Cain has a point about the mood of the Chinese viewers. And now I’m also second guessing my scoffing at the insider assessment Peter Jackson was forced to make the film in 3D. Maybe he understood something Warners didn’t. Maybe he reads Rob’s blog? ;-)
And I had to snaffle that cool Chinese Hobbit poster. Thank you, Rob. :D
edit: I’ve had a few minutes to think and still believe Jackson was not strong armed into making The Hobbit in 3D. He is too curious about technology and is in such a glorious position to push the envelope on 3D HFR.
The Hobbit on the Threshold of the Billion Dollar Club
The Hobbit’s box office receipts are recorded at $960,001,896 as of today, but this time next week, it’s likely to officially join the small number of other films which have reached a billion dollars in revenue. The film’s release in China this weekend is cause for such confidence. What happy timing considering the broadcast of Oscar presentations and the dearth of nominations for The Hobbit — excepting the wonderful Tami Lane and Weta Digital bunch.
I wasn’t always this optimistic it could reach the benchmark this quickly. After reading about the piracy which can ensue when there’s a considerable lag time between a film’s release in other countries and China, it was hard not to think The Hobbit would go the way of Skyfall. But I forgot something, and it wasn’t the love affair the Chinese seem to have with fantasy. They also love 3D. This was so easy to forget since it’s never been very popular in America. In fact it has been talked about for years as being dead. I will admit 48fps might resurrect it some, but people have to be willing to give it a try first. I’m not confident that enough in the U.S. did that with Jackson’s movie. But in China, 3D is the rage and will go a long way toward pulling the Chinese to the cinema.
At Comic-Con last year someone in the film industry told me Peter Jackson was more or less forced by Warner Brothers to make it in that format. I’m not sure I agree that Jackson had to be forced especially when I consider his business savvy. But now that I understand the piracy issue a little more, it makes sense Warners would be adamant about it. It’s a kind of insurance policy against piracy. And when considering the box office receipts of the top grossing movies, e.g., Avatar, it’s abundantly clear the format will survive well beyond The Hobbit. But even if the receipts hadn’t been so bent toward 3D, the fastest growing area of the film market is in China, so it more than the U.S. is dictating what we will be seeing. And all of it makes me wonder if indie films will suffer, but that’s for another post.
If you didn’t click on the Skyfall link, I hope you will at some point. It leads to the China Film Biz blog written by Rob Cain who has been been doing business in the industry in China since 1987. He is a wealth of knowledge.
And now a poster featuring our guy since we can’t get enough of looking at him. :D
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The facial features are very finely done and the entire poster seems to have an Asian quality. Whatever that is. Someone more articulate than I am may explain.
Speaking of Richard Discoveries…
I love this!
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But who drew it? I can’t make it out, but I want to know. I want to know! And I’ve already searched the egloos site but by all means try it again if you think you can unearth something. :D
It seems to originate with this tumblr, but I’m not sure if the tumblr owner drew it. I’ve sent a message to find out. In the meantime, if you have seen it somewhere, and my eagle eye just missed it, let me know please.
edit: the artist can be found DeviantArt
Leicester AR
What will Leicester be like After Richard? Kathryn, a resident, explains a bit about Leicester and how the discovery of Richard III has already affected the city and will in future:
Will Richard III change us?
King Richard III by Unknown artist.
National Portrait GalleryIt was a cold, dull and damp day in Leicester last Friday but I was determined it wouldn’t spoil the afternoon. A friend had come to stay for the weekend and I was going to show her around Leicester. I’ve never been hugely fond of the city, feeling a far greater affinity with the south of the country, but, on Friday, I saw it through someone else’s eyes for the first time and realised that it’s a far more interesting and friendly place than I ever gave it credit for.
Does It Matter If Richard Armitage Looks Like Richard III?
It doesn’t matter to me if anyone who plays Richard III looks exactly like him. Way too much is made of this as a prerequisite especially when considering the use of prosthetics and special effects. Does it help that Richard Armitage has some resemblance to Richard III? Yes, there’s no question.
As for those who don’t think our guy looks like Richard III, certainly RA doesn’t look like RIII all the time. He has some features that resemble the King, but remember Richard Armitage is a chameleon. It’s one of his greatest assets. After his voice, it is my second most loved aspect of him and watching Sparkhouse for the first time and seeing how differently he played John Standring from John Thornton, Harry Kennedy and Guy of Gisborne made me a life long fan. Yes, I can say that with confidence since I doubt his ability is going to go away. And it would certainly be beneficial in playing Richard III.
Just another photo that had me seeing some resemblance to the maligned monarch.
Screencap is mine.
Does Richard Armitage Look Like Richard III?
So were they separated at birth or not? :D
Mashup pic is my crude photoshop work. LOL!
RAFrenzy 
