Time grows short - I don't leave for the big
FAMILY THING until tomorrow, but there is so much packing and cleaning to do I'm not giving my flist much attention before I go. Internet connection looks pretty non-existent but I will be so desperate for contact with my own world in the next 5 days that I will probably find a way to post here and
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You can tell the Brits are better at the stage also because so many of our actors are going over there to be in shows. But on the US side...I would say people like Robin Williams (looks aside for whoever doesn't like him) and Dustin Hoffman are high caliber...wouldn't you say? But I gotta say...when people like Leonardo DiCaprio are getting lifetime achievement awards...I mean the guy is what in his thirties? It's a joke. I personally think that the US Hollywood scene is just...too edgy, too "young eye-candy", too flavor of the moment, too tawdry. The US is the one who came up with abominations like Survivor and American Idol (yeah I know Europe's got it's own version..but it's just annoying anyhow. I think we came up with the idea) But when we have a British actor in a lead role...it gets good suddenly (i.e. Hugh Laurie in House. That show would be crrrap (insert Scottish burr) without him in it, period. And he doesn't even use the British accent.)
The only British actor I would say that is too...Hollywood...most of the time for my tastes is Hugh Grant. But some of his lesser known roles (like in Awfully Big Adventure) are actually quite good...he makes a pretty good prick, lol! That is a complement. It's only his usual romantic lead roles that I get tired of. Colin Firth makes a damn good psycho. I wish he'd redo Eraserhead, I could totally see him in that.....
Totally unrelated, I have noticed that a large percentage of British leading men have blue eyes. Robbie Coltrane, the guy in Touch of Frost, John, Martin Shaw, Hugh Grant, on and on. Only ones I can think of that don't are Alan Rickman (I think...not sure) and Colin Firth.
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Another favorite -- Gary Oldman. The man is a chameleon. He never looks the same in two flicks. Probably a great advantage if you want to go browsing in book shops without being recognized! Maybe some of the great acting comes from having a difficult early life? Many come from broken homes and extremely poor conditions. Could Frank McCourt have made up 'Angela's Ashes' without having suffered through the ordeal personally? I don't think so.
They have the ability to make even great 'little' films with very little fanfare, like "Billy Elliott" and "Waking Ned Devine." I'm reminded of the big hoopla, premieres, weeks of marketing and merchandising that goes on over here for big splashy productions. Cosmetic surgery, boob jobs, Botox can't take the place of acting ability.
Yes, we do have home-grown garbage on our TV sets --not worth turning the damed thing on. I haven't watched network TV in over 11 years. I moved to an area that has very poor broadcast reception and I'm too cheap to get cable! I borrow A&E, PBS and Masterpiece Theatre DVDs from Blockbuster or my library and enjoy really good English stuff whenever I want it. In fact, I had to ask someone who Jessica Simpson and Kim Cattrell are after seeing them on magazine covers so frequently.
Other favorites from the Isles, and we don't have anything to compare: Ian Holm, Emma Thompson, Joan Plowright, Ian McKellen, Derek Jacoby, Kenneth Branagh, Geraldine McEwan, Glenda Jackson, Julie Walters, Liam Neeson, Michael Maloney, Eileen Atkins, Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Imelda Staunton, and Hugh Laurie.
Lunch hour is over -- have to get back to work.
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