Messages

271

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: If you could remake 'Nicholas and Alexandra'....

« on: July 20, 2004, 11:01:32 AM »

I can see Joaquin Phoenix having a part in there, perhaps playing Felix. He was fabulous in Gladiator, Signs, and Quills. Haven't seen Brother Bear yet cause my STUPID LAZY BROTHER WON'T GIVE IT BACK!!!! lol sorry venting. He's had it for MONTHS!!!! sorry venting again LOL.

272

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: If you could remake 'Nicholas and Alexandra'....

« on: July 16, 2004, 12:54:39 AM »

hey LOL she was great in Evita HAHA.

LOL Ben Affleck. If he were in the movie it would surely be up for Razzies hahaha.

273

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: If you could remake 'Nicholas and Alexandra'....

« on: July 15, 2004, 05:17:35 PM »

I agree with everything everyone has said, and have one thing to add.

I would have a first-class composer write the score, and it would have to be as emotionally compelling as Titanic. But I wouldn't necessarily commision Horner. Goldenthal and Goldsmith and of course the master Williams are all excellent with emotional scores. Goldenthal's Interview With The Vampire is masterful at conveying sorrow and melancholy, Goldsmith's Secret of NIMH is absolutely spectacular in the emotional sense, and Williams of course has tons of emotional scores under his belt. E.T. is his most thrilling, but I think the most emotional would be Schindler's List and The Patriot, but that is an offhand guess.

Of course I wouldn't limit myself to well-known names. I didn't know Howard Shore till I heard Lord of the Rings.

274

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Odd Places To Find Romanovs - TV Series - Comedy Shows - Movies

« on: July 15, 2004, 04:47:07 AM »

You asked the right girl!

go to

www.rinkside.org and follow the instructions there to download the software program DC++ and then once you have it, and it's set up to RinkSide (the instructions are all there!) Search for Rasputin, you should be able to find it! The best performance (well the only performance I saw) was 1995 Legends.

RinkSide is a JACKPOT for skating programs. We're talking Peggy Flemming's Olympic program, Toller Cranston, Torvil and Dean, even junior programs. I even have Gordeeva and Grinkov's 1982 Junior Worlds program, they skated an adorable program to Ice Castles. The audio is poor and it's in black and white but it's still amazing. Of course you can get recent stuff too, like the 2004 Marshall's Challenge. You can even have Japanese, Canadian, Russian, and French National Championships. Also, most of the stuff I downloaded has Japanese commentary, how cool is that? I downloaded Ina and Zimmerman's program to At The Beginning (this was one of their very first together!) and it was wonderful. You can hear American commentary and in the background you can hear Japanese commentary too.  And you can chat. I'm sure you'll be right at home there! Should you see me, my SN is AnyaNikolaievna hehe.

275

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Odd Places To Find Romanovs - TV Series - Comedy Shows - Movies

« on: July 14, 2004, 10:40:32 PM »

Someone asked on the Nijinsky thread if anyone skated any programs about the Romanovs. Here are two photos of the only one that I know of. 4 time world champions and Olympic champions Natalia Bestamianova and Andrei Bukin, 1988 Olympic ice dance champions.

http://home.snafu.de/eberl/archiv/photodir/photos/dance/bestemianova-bukin_rus_1991_frankfurt_ex2.jpg

http://home.snafu.de/eberl/archiv/photodir/photos/dance/bestemianova-bukin_rus_1991_frankfurt_ex1.jpg

I don't know what the music is, but the program is titled, RASPUTIN. It is one of their trademark programs and is regarded by many to be "over-the-top." But I must say those who say that probably don't know the story/legend. Bukin "dies" four times in the 7+ minute program, and that's just at the beginning. At the end he and Natalia both die, to my recollection, to the sound of gunshots.

276

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Rough List of Romanovs on DVDs and VHS

« on: July 14, 2004, 06:32:38 PM »

Sadly, yes, Ian was too old to play Nicky in Rasputin. He was 57, if my math is correct. He was born 1939, the movie was made 1996. But in his official site he has a lengthy journal entry on it, and he said he was puzzled because he was an inch or so taller than the Tzar.

277

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Romanov "home movies"

« on: July 14, 2004, 09:49:11 AM »

Hmm, Anastasia 1999? I don't recall an Anastasia being made in 1999. I know the animated Fox production was 1997, what's the 1999 one? lol I don't know why I'm so curious

278

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Young Catherine

« on: July 14, 2004, 09:16:02 AM »

Oh the one with Catherine Zeta-Jones?

That's actually titled simply Catherine The Great. Young Catherine starred Julia Ormond and was made in the 1991. Catherine The Great was made in 1995, originally given the title Katharina die Große, and A&E has broadcasted it more than once. Young Catherine was broadcasted on The Hallmark Channel, I'm not quite sure what channel it aired on originally.

There are some excellent quotes in Catherine The Great. I had one of them for my e-mail signature.

Catherine: Advise me!
Lady in waiting (can't spell her name): Advise you?
Catherine: My dear, I am about to seize the throne of Russia. *opens watdrobe* What on earth shall I wear?

279

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Rough List of Romanovs on DVDs and VHS

« on: July 14, 2004, 05:01:32 AM »

Ian Holm?! OMG I LOVE him! Wasn't he the original Frodo in the BBC radio show of Lord of the Rings or something?

He was such a wonderful, charming Bilbo. I cried so much at the end of Return of the King. I'd love to see him reprise the role in The Hobbit.

280

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Rough List of Romanovs on DVDs and VHS

« on: July 14, 2004, 04:20:13 AM »

Yes, Sir Ian McKellen LOL.

Timothy West also played King Francis in Ever After with Dougray Scott and Drew Barrymore. He's a great actor in that, I love his lines.

"You, son, are restricted to the grounds."
Prince Henry: "Are you putting ME under house arrest?"
"Do not mock me, boy, for I am in a foul disposition! And by God you will do as I say-
"Or what? You'd ship me to the Americas like some criminal? All for the sake of your stupid contract."
"YOU ARE THE CROWN-PRINCE OF FRANCE!"
"AND IT IS MY LIFE!"
Queen: "Francis, sit down before you have a stroke. Really, the two of you. Sweetheart, you were born to privelage, and with that comes- specific obligations.
"Forgive me, mother, but, marriage to a complete stranger never made anyone in this room very happy!"
King: "You will marry Gabriella by the next full moon or I will strike at you in any way I can!"
Prince: *sigh* What will it be, father? Hot oil or the rack?
"I will simply... deny you the crown, and live... forever!
"Good! Agreed! I DON'T WANT IT." (leaves)
"He's your son!"

haha couldn't help it!

281

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Nijinsky tribute by Evgeni Plushenko

« on: July 13, 2004, 01:31:51 PM »

Plushenko's tribute to St. Petersburg has a part in which he acts like he is shot and stabbed, who knows it may be referring to the execution, or it may be WWI, or WWII. Lanie and I like to think it's NAOTMAA. You can see his tribute to Petersburg on King On Ice.

www.kingonice.com click video and audio, and I say the best performance of St. Petersburg 300 is the 2003 Grand Prix Final.

The music for both Nijinsky and Petersburg 300 were both specially arranged just for him. To my recollection no other skater has done that. This year, I believe his program will be specially composed, a whole new piece.

His short program this year is a guitar version of Moonlight Sonata.

Also, Tara Lipinski and Ina and Zimmerman have done programs to Anastasia (1997) but niether captured the essence of the story in any way.

There were other skaters who skated to that music but I've never seen them because they're so obscure.

I saw Anastasia On Ice, it was my first ever ice show, it was wonderful, but I was disappointed a little. They circled Marie in a photo and said she was Anastasia LOL.

282

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Rough List of Romanovs on DVDs and VHS

« on: July 13, 2004, 01:26:39 PM »

Oh, I can see Orlando Bloom playing Dmitri though, he is the romantic type, haha.

283

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Rough List of Romanovs on DVDs and VHS

« on: July 13, 2004, 01:23:48 PM »

I was VERY upset with the way they portrayed Aleksey in N&A. It wasn't fair to him. Suicide? The kid was bored and defiant, and too religious to even think of suicide IMHO.

The best Rasputin is and always will be Alan Rickman. I'm sure he'd be happy to reprise his role if they were to make a better N&A.

Yes, a lot of things are beign remade. A Christmas Story, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory too, with Johnny Depp as Wonka.

The casting ideas are awesome. There are a few actors who I can think of who would be good Alekseys.

the boy from Master and Commander
the boy who played Alex from The Mummy Returns

Haley Joel Osmont is AMAZING, however he is a year and plus older than Aleksey

Someone suggested Elijah Wood? I hate to say it, because he is such a gifted actor, but a 25 year old man playing a 13-14 year old kid?

284

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / o, I Re: Nijinsky tribute by Evgeni Plushenko

« on: July 13, 2004, 11:56:21 AM »

No, I go to Golden Skate and ezboards about skating, mainly Plushenko. You're welcome to join me there! My SN at Goldenskate is anya_angie, I'm the gal who has Shakespeare In Love as a signature. That will change soon though, when I find an astounding quote to replace it.

www.goldenskate.com/

285

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Operas About the Romanovs

« on: July 13, 2004, 02:13:56 AM »

Songs are amazing things. They're like little aside monologues/sililoquoys that allow the audience to hear and feel what the character is feeling.

Take for example Les Miserables. Few musicals can deliver the emotional power that this one does, and it mostly lies in the solo numbers. Like Javert singing just before his suicide. Were we to simply watch a film on Les Mis, and not hear such powerful words, even if they are just paraphrased and spoken instead of sung, we wouldn't know why he's killing himself because he let Valjean go. And Marius' song, one of my all-time favorite pieces in history, how else would we be able to feel his pain at losing his friends, and the guilt of being the "only survivor?"

"Oh, my friends, my friends, don't ask me what your sacrifice was for!"

Those words are haunting enough without the music, but the mourning bassline makes you feel the pain even moreso, not to mention the actual tone of the singer helps too, a great deal.

When choosing the perfect Phantom for Phantom of the Opera coming out in September, someone on IMDB put it perfectly:

Just ask the actor to sing this:
"You alone can make my song take flight, it's over now, the music of the night."

Whoever has the best emotion singing that is your man for the Phantom.