Oh Yeah, It’s Cool

But not for the reasons you may think.

Richard Armitage has managed to impress one of the toughest demographics — fan boys. Okay, it was one guy out of the demographic, but I’m running with it. I have encountered enough fan boys over the years to know how picky they can be. My first encounter taught me. He was into monsters and those monsters had to be just so. The right kind of plastic molded to perfection. He went on to become Ivan Stang. Excuse me that’s Reverend Ivan Stang, founder of the Church of the SubGenius. “Ivan” was going to have things his way. LOL!

So our resident fan boy, Eric Vespe, aka Quint from Ain’t It Cool, gave us his report and saw what so many of us see and rave about. How good it was to hear from someone else — and a hard case to boot:

It’s late in the day and the idea is that this is a suitable place to make camp, but Gandalf wants to push on and seek Elrond’s council at Rivendell.

This scene is all about Thorin and my first real chance at seeing Richard Armitage craft a layered performance with the character. Thorin’s a stubborn dwarf, very much a leader, but is smart enough to heed the council of Gandalf.

He is a man torn in this scene. His deep resentment at the elves (he believes they have betrayed his ancestors by not stepping in when they needed their help) pulls him one way, but his respect for Gandalf pulls him the other.

Sir Ian had to be here for this moment since a full performance was required from both men, so he spent the day as he does most days on this movie: standing on a platform a good 2-3 feet off the ground. Peter was getting mostly medium shots and over the shoulders (or beside the shoulder for the shots from Gandalf to Thorin if you want to be anal about it) so there shouldn’t be any need for digital augmentation here.

Armitage does a great job with Thorin’s inner struggle. The look on his face isn’t someone locked into a decision. Gandalf urges him to seek Elrond’s help, for the good of the quest. Instead of playing it like a stone-faced general, Armitage does weigh his options and mostly in reaction to Gandalf’s words, not in his own dialogue.

Read the rest of the report here

But that’s not all. He saw something that most of us don’t get to see often, Richard Armitage as himself, and I would say this is a glowing report:

https://twitter.com/#!/EricVespe/status/200719955501662209

Feelin’ the love!

Thank you, Eric. :) and if you read this, I have a question. Is fan boy two words or one?

May 11, 2012
Categories: Interviews, Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 26 Comments

MrCere, We Are Experiencing a Strange Emotion

I’m finally getting ’round to catching up on my reading of TORn and have discovered Larry D. Curtis (aka MrCere) is an embed on the set of ‘The Hobbit.’ Something ugly flickered in the middle of my being. It was a foreign feeling. One I’ve only felt perhaps two or three times in my life, but one I hope never to experience again, or I may not be responsible for my actions.

From the looks of things here, it might seem I’m jealous of MrCere meeting the cast and in particular, you know who. Nope. But I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to watch him work! I would love to do that — much more than meet him. C’mon what would I say to him or he would say to me that I couldn’t completely predict? I could write that script. Boring.

But to watch him work?! And the rest of the cast? And Peter Jackson?!! That would be something wonderful. A fantasy! Yes, I’ve had others — mainly where I cook and he talks, but this is my ultimate fantasy of an encounter with Richard Armitage, and Larry’s tweet has inflamed my envy:

https://twitter.com/#!/MrLDC/status/192225794565734400

To hell with sports. No, I don’t mean that but mean it for the moment. :D

I would so love to be a fly on the wall. Yes, I can see it. Me up there:

No, higher:

And maybe a little less obvious:

Looking down on all that creativity!

But then I suppose I would actually need to stand on one of these:

Can a fly really hang out on one those?

Or would I need to morph?

Wondering how Larry Curtis feels about now. Fly or Goat?

Dear Larry,

We are awaiting your report(s). Yes, it is a royal we. When you have as many personas (personae?) as I do, you can become royal too.

Signed,
One of Richard’s fans who may become a boom, a boulder or a horse in the near future. ;-)

P.S. Of course you rate a fake fan letter. *looks coyly*

Screencaps of Hobbit Set vlog from my stash.

April 20, 2012
Categories: Fandom, Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 19 Comments

Where To Next?

That really is a question I need to answer. With 396 posts in draft mode, and assuming only 10% of those are worth finishing, I’ve got plenty to draw from. But sometimes that’s the problem. Yeah, I know too much is a good problem, but it is a problem. And I really need to finish my diary entries even if they bore some of you. They’re cathartic for me, and as much as I love interacting with all of you (have I told you how much I enjoy that?! ‘Cause I do!), this blog is for me to let my hair down and maybe flex my creative muscle at times. Yeah, can you believe it, this is supposed to be creative. LOL!

I do have more interviews coming, and from fans some of you haven’t heard of. Are you interested in more of that? :D Or would you rather hear me wax on about my issues with Spooks?

Okay, a picture to explain why I have trouble continuing my rant about it:


[oh yeah, you can click to enlarge]

Candid shot courtesy of KuchingGirl

March 20, 2012
Categories: Spooks . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 11 Comments

A Confession on Valentine’s

Imagine that.

Isn’t that what Valentine’s is really about?! Of course it is! Every time February 14th rolls around most women I know start spilling their guts, and I must admit I feel the need to do it as well and drafted a post with great detail about my passion for SO, and how it’s survived despite his refusal to participate in Valentine’s Day. But I thought better of it, and sent it to the trash bin. You can thank me now for that bit of wisdom. I also came with a piece about the music I habitually think of on Valentine’s. Yep, I trashed that one too. And just about the time I was saying valetines shmalentines, up popped some inspiration in the form of a Google Alert (God love Google. :D). “An Open Love Letter to Richard Armitage”, and what a letter it is. Made me feel ever so much better about my addiction, and now I can do what has been on my mind for the last hour — go to bed and get a good night’s sleep for the ides of February.

Night all, and I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

And just one sop to my musician gene; can’t think of a more fitting tune for this frenzy:

Okay, a picture too since Harry is Valentine’s:


[As Usual, Click to Englarge]

Screencap courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.Com

February 14, 2012
Categories: Fandom, Musicilove, Vicar of Dibley . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 8 Comments

A Do Over

About twenty minutes ago, it occurred to me I hadn’t posted a blog piece today, and once midnight was here, I couldn’t turn back the clock and keep on track with the Project 365 bondage commitment. But even if I had skipped today, it wouldn’t make me lose sleep. I’ve neglected or just plain screwed up so many things during my life that missing a day of posting is probably 100,396th on the list.

It would take me a couple of years to list all of the things on which I placed too much emphasis, but most of it was on being responsible and mature, doing the right thing. I spent so much time trying to get things right and scared to death of messing up that I didn’t let myself be a kid. And I still messed up!

This blog is a bit of an attempt to manifest the childhood I’ve been recapturing, and as with any child, I’m going to cross a boundary at times. Such as saying the word fuck. I don’t mean actually saying the word. I’ve said it many times in my life. I mean typing it on this blog for anyone in the world to read. Perhaps that sounds a lame excuse to be crass. Yeah, I know some of you think that, and I can’t really do much about you thinking it, but I am aware that you do, and it’s really not my intent to offend you. But I also know even if I walked on water, there would be some of you who wouldn’t like the angle of the video clip.

If it’s not clear by this point in the post, then let me make it crystal. I’m trying to work something out. You can come along with me or not. I hope you stay and continue the ride. And no, I don’t intend to parade a sting of profanity to prove that I can be carefree, but there has been something freeing in saying pretty much what I think. I said “pretty much” because I’m not quite sure the world is ready to hear all of my (or anyone’s) reckless thoughts. There is such a thing as discretion.

So what does this have to do with Richard Armitage? Stick around and you’ll find out. :D

For now a little peek at the man who wanted a do over:


[click to enlarge]

Candid shot courtesy of KuchingGirl

edit: I canned the 365 program several weeks into this year. It was a good experience but not necessary to continue.

February 2, 2012
Categories: Spooks . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 15 Comments

Encounters of the Misty Kind

It has to be apparent I love technology and have a special fondness for the Web. But it’s not just because it feeds this info junkie’s habit, it’s also for the people I’ve met. From the first time I participated in a bulletin board using 80 byte files that were appended and all in lovely monochrome display, I’ve been hooked on communicating with people who had a shared interest and wanted to talk about it, to offer some knowledge or glean some knowledge from others. For those who have never participated in something like that, they usually don’t get it. They usually don’t understand that it’s possible to form relationships where you are edified by others whom you never see or hear. I do hate that I can’t hear your voices, and that’s the chief reason I wanted to do voice as my subject for last year’s FanstRAvaganza. I’m deeply affected by what I hear. Much more than by what I see.

But even if I have never heard your voice, I am affected by what many of you have typed into your keyboards, and I’ve come to know some of you and know you’re real people with real lives which have highs and lows. I never forget that when I’m online. So when one of you goes away and there’s no clue as to where you went, it leaves a hole where you used to be. I’m never quite sure what to do with that. Part of me thinks I should adopt society’s demeanor and throw you away and move on, but I’ll never be able to do that, because I don’t want to do that.

Years ago I participated in a forum and one of the members who became an online buddy was a gentleman named Fred. He was a delight and had such wisdom. Everyone on that site loved him, and then one day Fred stopped talking, and for months we wondered what happened. Only one of the forum members had ever talked to Fred offline, and he offered to find out what he could. It was a long time before that member got a response and came back to tell us that Fred had died and his family sent us a message. I’m so glad they did that, and whether Fred really died or not (I’ll never know the truth of that), he was dead to us, and we could mourn him and not just throw him away in our minds.

That incident had such an effect on me that I’ve left instructions with my will that in the event anything happens to me, SO is to get online and say goodbye. When I told him about that, I thought he would laugh, but to his credit, he understands relationships whether online or not and knows how very important it is to gain closure. I’ve now worked with countless people who have experienced death of a loved one, and closure is imperative. If someone can’t say goodbye, they’re never over it. In the case of being online, I think it’s as important for the one leaving cyber space to say goodbye as it is for those left behind. So I hope our friend will at least give herself a chance to say it’s been fun, but I’ve got to go, and take care.

More thoughts on this later and in regard to Richard Armitage and his relationship with fans in cyber space and beyond. For now a close up of a fan’s encounter with RA:


[click to enlarge]

Spooks behind the scenes candid shot courtesy of KuchingGirl

January 21, 2012
Categories: Fandom, SO, Spooks . Tags: , , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 20 Comments

A Few Items of Note From Down Under

[Note: It’s come to my attention that I have misapplied the description of Oz to NZ and neither parties like it! So this post is now titled “A Few Items of Note From Down Under and Slightly to One Side.” Thank you for the suggestion, Maegwen. :D]

I was awaiting the return of Joanna Scarratt and her report from New Zealand. In my head the report had taken on a life of its own. For those not familiar, Joanna is part of the Brand Partnership Department at United Agents, and my snark gene wants to go off on what it means to develop Richard Armitage as a brand. Tough work but someone has to do it. And the report? Wonderfully brief. You can read here. It confirms the idea that the first rule of branding is to leave the public wanting more. :D Maybe a shirt color would have been welcomed. It’s amazing what my mind can do with that little.

The bidding on Peter Jackson’s offer to host two people on ‘The Hobbit’ set is final, and the amount was a bit surprising to me. I made the assumption it would end with a much higher figure. Surely someone will take issue with my expectations, but I can’t help my gut reaction: c’mon, people! it’s Peter Jackson! Then again Peter Jackson is more low key and under the radar at times than I first imagined, and I suspect this unassuming demeanor is part of his charming heritage as a Kiwi. Net: if I had known the bidding was within my capabilities, I might have bid. SO has always wanted to go to New Zealand.

If I ever do go to New Zealand, I have to visit Lake Wanaka. The area is very familiar since friends and some acquaintances have visited, and it’s also the home of Jossi Wells, who spends a lot of time in my neck of the woods and is very well known here:

New Zealand has been on my bucket list for years. It’s obviously a beautiful place, but frankly, so is the area where I live. So the attraction to the country is not just its beauty, and no, this has nothing to do with Richard Armitage. Of all the people I’ve met from New Zealand (both face to face and online), to a person they have been down-to-earth. That is quite a statement about the country. I may have said this before, but it doesn’t matter. It’s significant enough that it bears repeating.

January 9, 2012
Categories: Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 13 Comments

Oh Dear, Gerry!

I must:

Dear Gerry,

I feel for you, since you are a classic case of damned if you do/damned if you don’t. But you did say something, and now I have to make hay of it. Too good to pass up, and my mercenary gene is controlling today.

When I first saw the video of the Graham Norton show, I thought perhaps he had set you up and was in need of some payback, and maybe he is. But I can’t forget that you are a lawyer, and as such you know that highlighting your crazy fan is the perfect way to lay foundation (or continue to lay it) for any legal action should she even think about stepping over a line. Definitely worth some short lived fan angst.

Of course I could be completely wrong, but I wasn’t raised by a lawyer for nothing.

None of that is the point of this letter. I was wondering if sometime you might run into Richard Armitage and advise him — as a fellow actor and certainly not as a lawyer. ;-)

Signed,
One of Richard’s crazy fans, who is too clever to ever out herself.

P.S. I’m also struggling with Armitage Protection Mode today, so have some pity on me.

P.P.S. I liked ‘The Ugly Truth’. :D

Oh yes, it’s a fake fan letter, and if Richard Armitage doesn’t read all of this crap, Gerard Butler certainly doesn’t. So relax.

A picture for your troubles?


[click to enlarge]

Sweet Harry Kennedy is good for what ails you, and this is in my top five most favorite pictures of Richard Armitage. I’ve got to do a piece on this picture alone. :D

Okay, okay, one for the Gerard Butler fans too:


[click to enlarge]

Behind the scenes picture from Vicar of Dibley courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.com.

Gerard Butler courtesy of some fan’s Photobucket. I’m sure one of them will tell me where it’s from as I have no clue.

January 8, 2012
Categories: Fandom, Vicar of Dibley . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 39 Comments

Tolkien Juxtaposition

No, this isn’t going to be heady. I’m too busy being heady in real life to bring it here.

Onward.

How wonderful it’s been for us Richard Armitage fans to brush up against the Tolkien fans. The association has had definite advantages with the most important being the diminishing of my self-consciousness. I thought I was rabid. Ooooh, I am nothing. I don’t even know how to er, fan properly, and really none of you do either. We are so lacking by comparison. We don’t have a YouTube channel, we don’t have an annual convention, we don’t have tours. So relax, we’re not quite there.

Give it time. :D

One thing we do have is a wicked sense of humor about the object of our affection, and our “object” returns it. Go here to begin. And I have to say thank you again to Richard.

Dear Richard,

Thanks for the laughs. In keeping with your admonishment, I forgive you for not making a verbal message. It wouldn’t have been nearly so much fun.

Signed,
A crazy fan, who enjoys Tolkien but not quite as much as I enjoy your version of it. :D

We also have better pictures:

Wait! That’s one of their pictures. See what I mean?! ;-)

This is better:

As always, you can click on any photo to enlarge, and then click again for the original size, which is even larger.

Top photo is from my stash of screencaps of Hobbit Vlog #5, which might make you go blind looking for RA.

Bottom photo courtesy of KuchingGirl and enhanced by Sheepa.

edit: before anyone takes me too seriously, I have to say that I love the last Vlog by Sir Peter. He’s a class act, and it’s only fitting as such that he would highlight his crew.

December 26, 2011
Categories: Fandom, Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 36 Comments

Diary of an RA Fan — Part 27 The Unbroken Line

See Diary Part 26 here, or to access all entries, hit “The Diary” tab above.

Entry — October 28, 2008:

Finally finished the Stanislavski book, and I also watched the first episode of Spooks 7 last night. It was good, but then I’m so in the bag for Richard Armitage. Can he do something mediocre? Probably, but I haven’t seen it yet. And I was so curious about this character after watching one of his promo interviews:

When he talked about being water boarded, I kept thinking of Stanislavski’s point about the unbroken line:

‘The life of a person or of a part’, explained the Director, ‘consists of an unending change of objects, circles of attention, either on the plane of reality or of the imagination, in the realm of memories of the past or dreams about the future. The unbroken quality of this line is of utmost importance to an artist, and you should learn to establish it in yourselves…

‘Tell me: does it seem normal to you that an actor’s mind and feelings should wander away, for long spaces of time, into the audience and beyond the premises of the theatre? When they come back to the stage it is only for a brief moment, then they fade away again.

‘In that sort of acting the actor and his part only occasionally belong to each other. To avoid that use all your inner force to build an unbroken line.’ — From An Actor Prepares

It seems all of my life I’ve been trying to establish this unbroken line, but I’ve been too distracted by what I think is supposed to happen instead of letting things happen and embracing them for what they are. Too impatient, but then I, well, I don’t know what I think anymore.

I talked to Mom today, and she still has yet to get a clean bill of health, but if she gets it, I hope we can make our trip. It would be so much fun to maybe get on the set of Spooks and see how it’s filmed. Still think it would be cool if she met Richard Armitage. I can’t buy her anything she can’t buy herself, so if I could pull that off, it would be wonderful. As for me, certainly, I would love to watch him at work. Probably won’t happen, but it’s fun to ponder.

Diary Part 28 here

Behind the scenes photo courtesy of KuchingGirl, and as usual it can be enlarged by clicking on it, and then clicking again for a larger format.

December 18, 2011
Categories: Interviews, Spooks . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 19 Comments

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