On Paul Newman’s passing

Paul Newman

In 1981 I was 18 years old and a big fan of Paul Newman. Fandom in those days wasn’t as concentrated as it is now. Apart from my best friend, with whom I went to see his movies, I didn’t know anyone else who was a fan and all I knew about the man was what I read in the printed press. I kept a scrap book with cuttings from newspapers and magazines and saved up to buy posters and picture books from a movie memorabilia shops in The Hague and London.

When I spotted a birthday card with the text ‘You have something in common with Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Marlon Brando’ on the front and ‘You’re all over 40 years old’ on the inside, I bought it and sent it to Newman. I had learned the name of his house, in Westport, Connecticut, and that’s where I sent my card. I didn’t expect anything of it.

A few weeks later I received a large envelope. In it was a signed still from his latest movie – Absence of Malice – and a letter, written by Newman’s secretary on ‘Paul Newman’ embossed stationery. I didn’t know at the time a lot of actors would send out autographed pictures to fans when written to. So for me, a – somewhat immature – girl living in a small village in the Dutch countryside, it was a wonderful surprise.

Learning of Paul Newman’s death today through Twitter made me dig out my old scrapbook to find the picture and letter. I’m not sure the autograph is Newman’s own, his secretary may have signed the photo. It doesn’t matter, really, and I’m way past the autograph-phase, but I’m glad I still have it, a reminder of the person I was back then.

On rewatching Battlestar Galactica

Easter. Wanted to travel, but everywhere was too wet, too cold, too dear. And so I am rewatching Battlestar Galactica, Season 1, for the fourth or fifth time.

Starbuck: Now, if you were human, you’d be just about ready to start offering up some false information about the location of the nuke. Some tiny thing that might get you a reward and maybe spare you a few minutes of this. But then I keep forgetting, you’re not human. You’re a machine.
Leoben: I am more than you could ever imagine. I am god.

Battlestar Galactica is a weird show for me. I stopped watching it back in 2003 when the first season was in progress, finding it too dark for my mood back then. I like darkness a lot, but at the time I wasn’t up for it. When my head was in a better place, I started re-watching everything and now think it’s fantastic. I can’t wait for more and I am sad it’s ending, but happy it will end before it starts to suck. I’m also pleased a spin off, Caprica, will be made.

Starbuck: Permission to speak off the record, sir?
Tigh: Granted.
Starbuck: You’re a bastard.

The strange thing is I don’t like anybody in the show. ‘Like’ on lots of levels. I am not a fan of any of the actors, I don’t find anyone particularly attractive, I don’t care much for them as individual characters… they’re all bastards. But I love the show, love the ensemble, love how they interact, love the way everything looks and I love how smart the show is and how it touches on various political and religious topics.

Romo Lampkin: There is no greater ally, no force more powerful,
no enemy more resolved, than a son who chooses to step from his
father’s shadow.

If I had to pick a favourite on the show, it would probably be Romo
Lampkin, who only appears in a handful of episodes in Season 3. Played
by the always charming British actor Mark Shepard
(Firefly, Medium)  Romo’s presence managed to make me forget the utter
drudgery of the Starbuck/Anders relationship, if only because I kept
wondering why Shepard was putting on an Irish accent for the part.

Shepard himself is a fan of he series, he called it
‘the most political show on television’ in a Q&A session last year and practically begging Ron Moore, the show’s creator, for a part.
His love for the material shines through in his performance.

Baltar: Congratulations… You’re not Cylon. 100% human, and
very, very bright green as well… You couldn’t be more human if you
tried.

BSG in ways is like the West Wing, another show so dense I can watch it again and again and again and never get bored. What’s so good about Battlestar Galactica is that it’s not about the scifi, just like the West Wing wasn’t about the President. It’s about us. Which everybody who is watching the show already knows, but now you know too.

I’m bloody tired of those Taiko drums though.

Short trip to Dub

ireland-met.jpg

‘Mostly dry’. That doesn’t sound too bad then. I’m hopping over to the Emerald Isle for a day’s worth of photo recce (for a shoot next month), perhaps some shopping, and a late night 30 Seconds to Mars show. Not that I’m a big fan or anything, but I’m sure both band and audience will be a sight to see.

Talking about a sight to see… (Yeah, grasping at straws here) Torchwood S2e02… now that’s more like it! This director gave Barrowman much less time and space, which cut down on his showiness. Now all they need to do is clean out his ears… that’s the only reason I can think of why he is always SO MUCH LOUDER than the other actors. Or is it just the Tom Cruise school of acting?

Loved the Monster of the Week. The woman playing Beth did so awesomely and the steely eyed sleeper dad was just the right amount of creepy and silly.

Whedonesque supports the WGA writers’ strike

fans-support-180.jpg To show their support for WGA writers currently on strike, members of Whedonesque.com, the Joss Whedon community weblog, delivered pizza to the picket lines at Universal, L.A. with flyers stating “You fed our minds, we’d like to return the favor.”

The gesture was much appreciated by Whedon-related writers and others on scene:

“Seeing you guys with your pizzas and your poster… It was very touching…”,

“It was such a touching gesture and they were hungrily gobbled up.”,

“…your pizza was well-appreciated during our picket at gate 1.”

Plans for more pizza runs and other efforts to support the writers are currently underway. Some writers expressed surprise. In general, TV shows writing staff do not have close relationships with their fandoms, but the Buffy, Angel and Firelfy communities have always been as passionate about the actors as they are about the stories and their writers.

Editable banner images are available to post on your blog. Other fandoms are encouraged to join in.

Why strike? Brian K. Vaughan, executive story editor on ‘Lost’ explains.

Joss Whedon posts to Whedonesque.com

TV- and filmmaker and creator of the Buffy, Angel and Firefly series Joss Whedon posts to our site, Whedonesque.com:

Honestly, I come here so often it’s embarrassing. But this is the source. I get to find out what my actors and writers are up to, what movies I’m directing… it’s excellent! See, I’ve secretly been kind of a fan of me for some time now. I’ve seen everything I’ve ever done. I’d love to meet me, but I’d probably just stare and not be able to say anything witty or anything.

But also:

So many people are acting like there’s little difference between Kerry and Bush and that is not the case. If you’re for Bush I doubt I can sway you but if you’re one of those people grumbling about politicians all being the same I’m begging you to look hard at the facts and at the smirking face of the man who is doing more damage to this country than any president in my lifetime. We cannot let apathy decide our fate. I’m sounding all soapbox-y but I am truly afraid for our economic infrastucture, our dwindling natural reserves and most of all our place in the world. We need to act.

Whedonesque.com is a relatively new site to the Buffyverse, unlike places like The Bronze where Joss and the other Mutant Enemy writers generally post. Which is why we’re quite chuffed.