Fencing and the Shakespeare Meme
There is proper all hell on about the GB wild-cards for the fencing. Personally, I believe the BFA saw all the press taekwondo were getting and weren't letting their place as most incompetent British sports federation go without a fight - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9298569/London-2012-Olympics-legal-wrangles-over-selections-spark-fears-best-athletes-may-not-be-representing-GB.html Apologies for the Torygraph link but they're the only ones who cover fencing in any depth.
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Shakespeare Meme - Day 20 - Your favorite movie adaptation of a play
Shakespeare Re:Told - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1062205/ - I know they're not films but they're brilliant.
The Much Ado About Nothing has Damien Lewis and Sarah Parish as Beatrice and Benedict and they're wonderful and you want to punch him at the start and then by the end your shouting at the screen for them to kiss already. I'm not exaggerating, the whole house shouted that at the tv.
Also, it gives Hero something to do and she doesn't end up with Claudio at the end, which is a good change. She goes travelling to find herself.
The Macbeth doesn't work as well, but there's a fantastic joke about 'the Scottish chef' and it features James McAvoy in leather trousers. I am easily impressed I know.
The Taming of the Shrew remains the only version of the damn play that I like because well, the Shrew is not tamed and instead ends up as Prime Minister. She does however, become a lot less abrasive in the process.
I still haven't managed to watch the S RT version of Midsummer Nights Dream but with that cast list it can't be bad.
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I'd suggest West Side Story but while I adore the music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HS7qeQvNJU) (also have Three Tenors doing the chorus 'I Want To Be In America' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXWXCz_482w ) but I'm not a great fan of the rest of it.
I love the Nureyev-choreographed Romeo and Juliet as well.
While not strictly a Shakespeare adaptation, Peter Sellers doing Olivier's Richard III speaking 'A Hard Day's Night' remains one of the few things that reduces me to helpless laughter every time - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLEMncv140s
Discussing Olivier, his Henry V is brilliant, spectacular and wonderful, but the opening, where it really is in a theatre is still my favourite - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOQozTk5Gj0
(The Branagh opening is here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5dI65LvbrE , included because the comments tell me the Jacobi Hamlet is available on DVD. I sense a buying about to occur.)
Day #1: Your favourite play
Day #2: Your favourite character
Day #3: Favourite hero
Day #4: Favourite heroine
Day #5: Favourite villain
Day #6: Favourite villainess
Day #7: Favourite clown
Day #8: Favourite comedy
Day #9: Favourite tragedy
Day #10: Favourite historical
Day #11: Least favourite play
Day #12: Favourite scene
Day #13: Favourite romantic scene
Day #14: Favourite fight scene
Day #15: First play you read
Day #16: First play you saw
Day #17: Favourite speech
Day #18: Favourite dialogue
Day #19: Favourite film version of a play
Day #21: An overrated play
Day #22: An underrated play
Day #23: A role you've never played but would love to play
Day #24: An actor or actress you would love to see in a particular role
Day #25: Sooner or later, everyone has to choose: Hal or Falstaff?
Day #26: Your favorite couple
Day #27: Your favorite couplet
Day #28: Your favorite joke
Day #29: Your favorite sonnet
Day #30: Your favorite single line
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Shakespeare Meme - Day 20 - Your favorite movie adaptation of a play
Shakespeare Re:Told - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1062205/ - I know they're not films but they're brilliant.
The Much Ado About Nothing has Damien Lewis and Sarah Parish as Beatrice and Benedict and they're wonderful and you want to punch him at the start and then by the end your shouting at the screen for them to kiss already. I'm not exaggerating, the whole house shouted that at the tv.
Also, it gives Hero something to do and she doesn't end up with Claudio at the end, which is a good change. She goes travelling to find herself.
The Macbeth doesn't work as well, but there's a fantastic joke about 'the Scottish chef' and it features James McAvoy in leather trousers. I am easily impressed I know.
The Taming of the Shrew remains the only version of the damn play that I like because well, the Shrew is not tamed and instead ends up as Prime Minister. She does however, become a lot less abrasive in the process.
I still haven't managed to watch the S RT version of Midsummer Nights Dream but with that cast list it can't be bad.
~~~~
I'd suggest West Side Story but while I adore the music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HS7qeQvNJU) (also have Three Tenors doing the chorus 'I Want To Be In America' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXWXCz_482w ) but I'm not a great fan of the rest of it.
I love the Nureyev-choreographed Romeo and Juliet as well.
While not strictly a Shakespeare adaptation, Peter Sellers doing Olivier's Richard III speaking 'A Hard Day's Night' remains one of the few things that reduces me to helpless laughter every time - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLEMncv140s
Discussing Olivier, his Henry V is brilliant, spectacular and wonderful, but the opening, where it really is in a theatre is still my favourite - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOQozTk5Gj0
(The Branagh opening is here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5dI65LvbrE , included because the comments tell me the Jacobi Hamlet is available on DVD. I sense a buying about to occur.)
Day #1: Your favourite play
Day #2: Your favourite character
Day #3: Favourite hero
Day #4: Favourite heroine
Day #5: Favourite villain
Day #6: Favourite villainess
Day #7: Favourite clown
Day #8: Favourite comedy
Day #9: Favourite tragedy
Day #10: Favourite historical
Day #11: Least favourite play
Day #12: Favourite scene
Day #13: Favourite romantic scene
Day #14: Favourite fight scene
Day #15: First play you read
Day #16: First play you saw
Day #17: Favourite speech
Day #18: Favourite dialogue
Day #19: Favourite film version of a play
Day #21: An overrated play
Day #22: An underrated play
Day #23: A role you've never played but would love to play
Day #24: An actor or actress you would love to see in a particular role
Day #25: Sooner or later, everyone has to choose: Hal or Falstaff?
Day #26: Your favorite couple
Day #27: Your favorite couplet
Day #28: Your favorite joke
Day #29: Your favorite sonnet
Day #30: Your favorite single line