Berlinale 2

Some pictures from this week's #Berlinale, where the film Nigth Train to Lisbon had its world premiere. This is a short video on Lee and his wife (ext link) in front of the cameras at Berlinale. That is an international moviestar! From Berliner Morgenpost.

Here are some LOVELY picts from the red carpet of the premiere night!


Previous blogpost.

#Berlinale

Three hours ago, British Council Film (@BC_Films) on twitter wrote:

Legendary Christopher Lee - on our flight to #berlinale & causing much excitement all round

During this filmfestival, the film Night Train to Lisbon is having its premiere. I wrote about it in this post. In March, it will go nationwide in Germany and then in Belgium as well, I think. Since the Scandinavian filmmarket is so dependent on only a few distributors, I, alas, can't hope to see it here. Sadly. Well, just have to order it on Amazon. It seems to be a wonderful film. SCL by the way deserves all excitement he can get. Wonderful. I can only hope they will all have a wonderful #berlinale. An that the film will be well recieved! :-) Good Luck!

Night Train to Lisbon

March 7th, the film Night Train To Lisbon is having premiere in Germany. This is after its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.

The synopsis is based on a novel by Pascal Mercier, sold in 1,8 million copies in Germany. In short it is about a Latin teacher who abandons his life in Berne to look for a woman on a train on its way to Lisbon. The film is directed by Bille August. Jeremy Irons stars as the Latin teacher. (Wonderful actor, absolutely brilliant. What a voice!)

But I wouldn't write about it here if it wasn't for SCL in the role as Father Bartolomeu. I am so utterly pleased that he is still, STILL, making movies, even though the parts are small nowadays. But he is indeed starring with the best, and it seems as all influential directors are queing up to cast him.

I really do hope it comes to Scandinavia - or else...! :-)


Below - the trailer. Here is the website with cast, synopsis and everything. Ahhhh! What drama it seems to be!

Gormenghast at last

This night I started to watch Gormenghast (2000). Never knew of the story before I ran into it through reading about SCL. Call me illiterate, but to my defense I might say I do not belong to the anglo-saxon world. Not in that sense, anyway. Had no expectations what so ever, not knowing anyhting of the main theme.

But very atmospheric! Mr Flay!

Additional note: It is not like anything I have seen. Incredibly well set, acted and filmed. Terrifying, cruel. There are lots of criticism on society, lots of dark observations on human nature here. NOT a story for kids. Not in any way. It is acutally very odd. Is this really a children's story to begin with? Would they understand it? I know I would just have thought it to be very either odd or scary, or probably both at once. I will for certain see both part 3 and 4, but everything is so twisted and that evil, evil kitchen boy. I really hope he will get his in the end.

SCL on Saruman

This is a great vid. It is obvious why they chose an actor of SCL:s caliber to play the role of Saruman. However, I would have loved to see him as Gandalf. The part he always figured himself in. 

I cant't wait for The Hobbit to hit the theatres!!

Hugo Cabret - Pure magic

This is waiting for me right now. Looking forward to it. Have heard all sorts of nice things about it.

Additional note: Have just finished the absolutely wonderful and magic film Hugo Cabret (2011) by Martin Scorsese. Not only is it a good film in all senses of the word, it is a friendly movie, without ever loosing distance to itself or being surgary.

It is enchanting to see Sir Christopher Lee in this delightful piece of art.

Originally it is built on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. "Not exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things. (Wikipedia)"

In short the book is on George Méliès and his works at the turn of the last century. The theme is fantastic to make a film on. Not only because it works for children to watch and learn who this first fantasy-filmmaker was, but because it puts a frame to the film that makes it full of layers, and layers upon layers.

Of course it really is a homage to everything that film and moviemaking stands for: The magic and the dreams. And to se Lee in this film, playing a keyrole in a sense, is really touching. He himself, a great part of film history, with a career stretching well over 60 years, has certainly contributed to that dream making in the fullest. I am sure Scorsese put him in that role for a very certain reason.

That is without a doubt a fantastic homage to Sir Lee as well.

I have heard criticism that Lee should have been used more. I can't agree. It is absolutely perfectly put together. I initially thought it was a children's movie. I found out that, as it always is with films about children, the best are those that everyone can enjoy and get something out of, regardless of age. I am so happy I finally saw it. I am happy to own it.

But why on earths name is SCL's name not on my DVD-cover?

Christopher Lee - Working with a Master

Sir Christopher does the Devil's Island voice over, London 2007. Great to see him in action.

Christopher Lee - Working with a Master (Devil's Island voice over) from Jules Verne Festival on Vimeo.

The Resident

The Resident (2011) is undoubtedly a Hammerfilm in many senses. The scenery: An old, dark house with lots of secrets. Just a few actors. Obviously low budget - the film is only 87 minutes.

The film actually connects visually to the past - the logo is formed by scenes from the old, classic Hammer films. That is a neat detail. In a intial scene Hillary Swank's character is doing some surgery, and just for a second the camera holds still on those bloodsmeared hands. Read wine over white bathroom floor. A dark sky with a full moon. Those details are winks to the audience - we know that you know.

Then of course the presence of Christopher Lee himself. Unfortunately, I have to agree with someone who wrote: Why did they not make better use of him? Frankly, Jefferey Dean Morgan is too much of a teddy bear to convince me he would be a maniac of any sort. They could have used Lee's presence to develop a nice phsycological drama between them.

Now there's just an embryo of a good story here - instead the filmmakers have just hurried past those possibilities in the story, to get to the "point".

One of Hammer's specialities used to be to scare the crap out of the audience, but to a modest budget.  In those days the films did not leave the audience untouched. One wished that that leagacy could have lived on. It doesn't.

However, I have seen far worse films. It was more like: So what?

But that must, on the other hand, be a deadly sin for a Hammer film.

The trailer.

This is a report from CNN on Hammerfilms coming to live again, called "Back from the dead?" With some shots from the set of The Resident.


Back from the dead? by CNN_International

Golf with Fred Astaire

Sir Lee on the Alan Titchmarsch show - april 2009. 

His voice is like hearing a tiger talk. And - he golfed with Fred Astaire. 

Excuse me, but I think this man has met with all of the 20-th century, and then some.

"I will hate you forever" says Titchmarsch. 

"I don't play golf, but gosh, would I like to have met with Fred Astaire."

Well, there are some of us that'd like to be in your shoes, Titchmarsch...

A proper legend!

A trailer on The Resident with Hillary Swank. Can't help to think that this is a description of a proper legend!

A look and a smile

The best evil laughter is none at all. Just a look, and a smile.
Ohhhh, don't we know it!!!

Fanmade documentary on Metal Lee

I shed the blood of Saxon men!

Officially - the blood of Saxon men is now shed.

Nuff said. Epic.

Charlemagne arrived today!

I have waited for this album for many weeks now, and today it arrived by mail. Have heard mixed reviews of it. Some are blown away, others more reluctant. I really, really, want to like this. Please be good!!!

The album is dedicated to all of us fans. I really feel it is us that ought to say Thank You!
Sir, you are the best!

Additional note:  Just listening to to the last minutes of the last track of this album - The bloody verdict of Verden (instumental version). I can honestly say I had very little idea of what to expect from this album. I had read some good reviews, some bad ones. The music is a crossover, in my inexperienced ears (I know nothing of metal), of opera, symphony, heavy metal, saga and extremely brutal history.

It does not suprise me why the phrase "I shed the blood of Saxon men" is so frequently qouted from this album. That part is truly astounding. Heavy guitars, Lees dark, extremely powerful voice - it makes my hair stand on end, and I find myself headbanging.

I had wished for shorter narrative chapters and more of those heavy guitars and more of that god all mighty voice! I really, sincerely, hope that there will be more of that on the next album.

This man is the true essence of coolness. Versatile? Yup.

Here is a fanmade video on Metal Lee. Seems very much like him to go to a stage and, after having shed the blood of 4000 Saxon men, appologizing to anyone Saxon in the audience. Squee.

Epic Epicness

Don't really need to comment on this one. Just listen! (Yeah, it does exist in four different versions. Italian, French, German and English.) Be blown away.