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 | Ricky Gervais - Extras - Wizard! You shall not pass! Ricky Gervais - Extras - Wizard! You shall not pass! |
 | Ian Mckellen In 'Richard III'--"Now Is The Winter Of Our.." Shakespeare's 'Now is the winter of our discontent' soliloquy performed by Ian McKellen in his film version of 'Richard III' from 1995.---tho with the long introduction in this modernized version, the soliloquy actually starts about 5 and a half minutes into this clip.I really like the re-created 30s style jazz tune here, but for those who want just THE SPEECH, go here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5-SUDrHMUStacey Kent (born 1968 in New Jersey) is the fine jazz singer in this clip (and in real life!). Excellent music by Trevor Jones for this film. Christopher Marlowe. 1564--93The Passionate Shepherd to His LoveCOME live with me and be my Love, And we will all the pleasures prove That hills and valleys, dales and fields, Or woods or steepy mountain yields. And we will sit upon the rocks,And see the shepherds feed their flocks By shallow rivers, to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals.And I will make thee beds of roses And a thousand fragrant posies; A cap of flowers, and a kirtle Embroider'd all with leaves of myrtle. A gown made of the finest wool Which from our pretty lambs we pull; Fair-linèd slippers for the cold, With buckles of the purest gold. A belt of straw and ivy-buds With coral clasps and amber studs: And if these pleasures may thee move, Come live with me and be my Love.The shepherd swains shall dance and sing For thy delight each May morning: If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me and be my Love. Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250--1900.from an interview with Sir Ian McKellen:Now, why the Thirties? If Shakespeare was offering a commentary on comparatively recent events for his audience, shouldn't we look for what to us is a modern period? The Thirties are close enough for us to relate to them in the Nineties. Characters dressed in Thirties fashions are easier to distinguish from each other than if they are all done up in floppy hats, feathers and wrinkled tights. In such medieval costume, of the period when the original Richard III was alive, everyone looks the same. For instance, you cannot tell in the Olivier movie what people do for a living, how much money they've got, what their social standing in relation to each other is, simply by looking at them. You can by listening to them; but in a drama about the way individuals interrelate (and their professions), what they wear and own, the sort of buildings they use are as important as their manners. The Thirties was perhaps the most recent time when the English royal family might have played a major part in politics. Richard III centres on power and the structure of politics. It was a period when a tyrant reminiscent of Richard III might just have arisen in the United Kingdom. On his abdication, Edward VIII visited Hitler with approval and Oswald Mosley aped Germanic fascism in the streets where I live in the East End of London. These reverberations were helpful for the play's credibility, presenting not real history but events that might have happened -- an aid to the audience's suspension of disbelief. |
 | Ian McKellen - [Jan-2002] - interview [16-Jan-2002] 5 Questions |
 | Secret LOTR Audition Tapes! Ian McKellen Taken from the feature mockumentary "Guerrilla Distribution".Shirley and John audition Flora, Robin Renny and Ian McKellen for their production of Lord Of The Rings. |
 | Part from "Neverwas" with Sir Ian McKellen This is the best part (for me) from the movie "Neverwas" with Sir Ian McKellen."Somethings worth dieing for..." |
 | Charlie Rose - Ian McKellen / Richard Eyre / Uta Hagen Segment 1: Sir Ian McKellen, Actor, "Richard III" (orig. air: 1/5/96)Segment 2: Richard Eyre, Director, Royal National Theatre, play: "Racing Demo"n (orig. air: 11/16/95)Segment 3: Uta Hagen, Actress, "Mrs. Klein" (orig. air: 11/28/95) |
 | Ian Mckellen in 'Richard III'-Lady Anne mourns, gets wooed McKellen delights in showing Richard's humor and arrogance as he dances off at the end of this scene to the jazz music of the first. What Is Worth Dying For... Is Worth Killing For.Kristin Scott Thomas ... Lady Annefrom an interview with Sir Ian McKellen:---You're not suggesting that the audience should have sympathy for him?---I'm not suggesting that they do anything, but if they don't I'd be very disappointed. He's very engaging. I think they will catch their breath, hopefully, at his bravado. I hope at times that they will be so convinced by his acting that they will forget what he's up to, which is why he has to keep reminding the audience. "You know what I've just done..." I hope they're going to see not just one person all the way through. They're going to see the different facets of this man's ability and his potential which he channels to absolutely the wrong purposes; but he is undoubtedly an attractive figure and that's why Lady Anne is momentarily seduced by him. ---Yes. I find that rather hard to believe.---You find it hard to believe on the stage but you won't when you see it on the screen. The reasons are many, but one is Richard's overwhelming force; the other is her own heightened emotion, she's at a very vulnerable state emotionally. She's exhausted with grief. She cannot keep it up even faced with a man who legitimately killed her husband in battle. She is totally destitute at the point when she was about to become First Lady, Queen of England. She has no family support, apparently. Where is she going to live now? Who's interested in her? Overnight that happens and along comes a very powerful man who is old enough to be her father and says: "Marry me and you can have it all back." Now in her state of confusion, who's to say that Lady Anne is a totally innocent child? She may be, probably is, considering her social class and her upbringing, extremely ambitious on her own behalf and she's fooled, not realising that Richard's wife is never going to get a look in and she regrets it for the rest of her life, of course. Basically, she believes him when she says he loves her -- at a moment when she is bereft of love.---You mentioned his sense of humour. Would you elaborate on that?---His sense of humour comes from the same place as his conscience. He knows what he's doing. It's irony; but he's observing himself and he's pleased with himself, admires himself and asks the audience to admire what he's done, along with him. So he's extremely arrogant; but he just hopefully wins the audience into wanting him to succeed. The audience are accomplices in this journey to power. I hope, when the film is over, they will remember how much they wanted Richard to succeed in becoming king and how like many people in the story they got seduced by the excitement of it. In other words, I hope they're not just going to sit back and watch this story. I hope they're leaning forward and that humour is one of the ways that they're drawn in. It wouldn't be right to say it's a comedy! In fact, it's interesting that Shakespeare calls the play The Tragedy of King Richard III. |
 | glbtHistoryMonth.com - Ian McKellen Ian McKellen is one of the world's most highly-regarded actors. Since the late 1980's, he has been an activist for gay rights. To learn more, visit: glbtHistoryMonth.com |
 | Othello: Iago (Ian McKellen) tells of a handkerchief, 1/2 Shakespeare's "Othello", Act III, scene 3, lines 294 to 384.......Emilia's "I am glad I have found this napkin" to Othello's "Nay, stay, thou shouldst be honest".go here to see Laurence Olivier do this same bit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDXG04pIH_0Ian McKellen ... IagoWillard White ... OthelloZoë Wanamaker ... EmiliaOthello (2006 film) from Leo Africanus' A Geographical History of Africa (Trans. John Pory. 1600): The commendable actions and vertues of the AfricansThe Arabians which inhabite in Barbarie or vpon the coast of the Mediterran sea, are greatly addicted vnto the studie of good artes and sciences: and those things which concerne their law and religion are esteemed by them in the first place.....Likewise they are most strong and valiant people, especially those which dwell vpon the mountaines. They keepe their couenant most faithfully; insomuch that they had rather die than breake promise. No nation in the world is so subiect vnto iealousie; for they will rather leese their lives, then put vp any disgrace in the behalfe of their women.... As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair,And shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy!--"The Merchant of Venice" (3.2.115-16) |
 | Othello: Iago (Ian McKellen) tells of a handkerchief, 2/2 Shakespeare's "Othello", Act III, scene 3, line 384 to end.Ian McKellen ... IagoWillard White ... OthelloOthello (2006 film)Iago is "an unbeliever in, and denier of, all things spiritual, who only acknowledges God, like Satan, to defy him" (William Robertson Turnbull, "Othello: A Critical Study", 269).'For where Love reigns, disturbing JealousyDoth call himself Affection's sentinel;Gives false alarms, suggesteth mutiny,And in a peaceful hour doth cry 'Kill, kill!'---"Venus and Adoins" (600) |
