So Sean, Flashback or Not? Game of Thrones

Beautiful but Sad - New Thorin Video I Love

Beautiful new Thorin video by Eamane99

 Getting closer to Extended Edition time for BOTFA.

"East"

I set out to rule the world
With only a paper shield and a wooden sword.
No mountain dare stand in my way,
Even the oceans tremble in my wake.

The tide is brave, but always retreats.
Even the sand, it cowers under my feet.
My kingdom towers above it all,
While I sleep safe and sound in my cardboard walls.

Now I bear little resemblance to the king I once was.
I bear little resemblance to the king I could become.
Maybe paper is paper, maybe kids will be kids-
Lord, I want to remember how to feel like I did.

So I draw my sword with the morning sun,
I summon the moon as soon as the day is done.
The clouds march on, on my command.
Even the rain, it falls according to plan.
The trees bow down and give their leaves.
I humbly accept their offerings of peace.

The years wore on and changed my heart,
The leading role for a smaller part.

Now I bear little resemblance to the king I once was.
I bear little resemblance to the king I could become.
Maybe paper is paper, maybe kids will be kids.
But Lord, I want to remember how to feel like I did.
'cause I bear little resemblance to the king I once was.
I bear little resemblance to the king I could become.
Maybe paper is paper, maybe kids will be kids.
But Lord, I want to remember how to feel like I did.

I set out to rule the world
With only a paper shield and a wooden sword

Getting to know a bit about Berlin Station Writer Olen Steinhauer

Olen Steinhauer

So now that Richard Armitage is starring in the spy thriller Berlin Station for Epix, I'm enjoying doing a bit of research about the creative team behind the series. I always enjoy the adventure of Richard's new projects. 

Today I found a New York Times interview with series writer and producer, and successful spy novelist Olen Steinhauer.  Below are some excerpts from the interview that may give us some ideas about the direction Berlin Station may take. 

 

What makes a good spy novel?

Depends on the reader. For me, it’s the moral muddiness of the ends/means equation that comes up more often in spy fiction than in, say, murder mysteries. The best espionage stories not only ask questions about how spying is performed, but they also question the value of the job itself. And when the profession becomes a metaphor for living, the spy novel can delve into the very questions of existence, while thrilling the reader with a convoluted plot. Do all that well, and you’ve got a potential classic on your hands.

What’s the best spy novel you’ve ever read?

I’d love to have an original answer here, but I always return to John le Carré’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.” It’s a truly exquisite book, full of mesmerizing voices, acute social commentary and a moral weight that is, to me, on a par with the Great Books of English literature.

What book made you want to write spy novels?

“The Spy Who Came In From the Cold” led me from crime fiction to spy fiction (Raymond Chandler originally brought me to crime), but it was “Tinker, Tailor” that really sealed the deal. Having spent my 20s wrapped in a self-consciously literary cocoon, shunning genre, it was a shock to the system to realize that a great novel could be written with international intrigue and the occasional gun, and not only about suburban malaise.

What kind of reader were you as a child? Your favorite book? Most beloved character?

Influenced by my father’s collection, I was very definitely a sci-fi reader, finding imaginative worlds that took me away from the mundane sidewalks of late-’70s America. By my teens I’d moved to other pastures — a lot of Baudelaire and Rimbaud — but in those early years I remember being obsessed with the Well World series by Jack L. Chalker. (Though by now I’d be hard pressed to remember any of the story lines.)

Of the books you’ve written, which is your favorite or the most personally meaningful?

My second book, “The Confession,” focuses on a police officer whose marriage is falling apart. Halfway through the book’s composition my own marriage collapsed, and after months of writer’s block I got back to the book and was able to see the many details of that particular brand of despair that I’d gotten completely wrong. So I tore up a lot and went back to it, eventually writing what I still consider one of my “truer” novels.

If you could pick one of your books to be turned into a movie or TV series, which would it be and why?

While there’s been some recent action on this front, in particular with “All the Old Knives,” I would still like to see my first five novels, which take place in a fictional Cold War Eastern European country over 50 years, grow into a film or television series. I’d love to see how someone else reimagines that world and takes its characters down a half-century of European history.

 Sunday Book Review

Olen Steinhauer: By the Book

APRIL 23, 201

 Berlin

I've been to Berlin once in my life, West and East, before the fall of the  Berlin Wall.   Yes, long time ago.  I'm very excited about this new series for Richard, since I love spy stories, and look forward to seeing his character, Daniel Meyer, on the streets of Berlin. 

My Secret Agent Men

Fabulous news for Richard Armitage fans and spy story lovers:

 “We are very happy to have found our ‘Daniel’ to join this incredible ensemble cast,” said Mark S. Greenberg, President and CEO of EPIX. “Richard is a singular talent who has the presence and attitude to bring this character and story to life.

 Premium TV network EPIX® announced today that Richard Armitage (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, “Hannibal”) has been cast as the lead in Berlin Station, the 10-part contemporary spy series produced by Paramount TV and Anonymous Content. 

Armitage will portray Daniel Meyer, the cerebral, newly-anointed CIA case officer who goes from being an analyst at Langley to an undercover agent in Berlin tasked with finding an informant....

Berlin Station follows Daniel Meyer, who has just arrived at the CIA foreign station in Berlin, Germany. Meyer has a clandestine mission: to uncover the source of a leak who has supplied information to a now-famous whistleblower named “Thomas Shaw." Guided by jaded veteran Hector DeJean, Daniel learns to contend with the rough-and-tumble world of the field agent—agent-running, deception, the dangers and moral compromises. As he dives deeper into the German capital's hall of mirrors and uncovers the threads of a conspiracy that leads back to Washington, Daniel wonders: Can anyone ever be the same after a posting to Berlin? 

****(Yes, I noticed it says the conspiracy leads back to Washington.  Are you coming my way, dear Richard?)

Richard Armitage boasts a diverse resume in film, television and the stage, gaining momentum on UK shows including “MI-5”’ and “Robin Hood.” He achieved international recognition with his performance in the 2011 box office smash ‘Captain America: The First Avenger opposite Chris Evans and Hugo Weaving before following it up with his iconic performance as ‘Thorin’ in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, which has grossed over $1 billion to date. 

Armitage’s other recent leading roles include John Swetnam’s Into the Storm for New Line, alongside Sarah Wayne Callie and Jeremy Sumpter, as well as Elliot Lester’s independent feature, Sleepwalker, opposite Ahna O’Reilly. This spring, Richard was seen in a recurring role on NBC’s “Hannibal” and just wrapped shooting in Ireland and Belgium for Pilgrimage opposite Tom Holland. 
 
 Armitage also returned to the stage this year, delivering a critically acclaimed performance as the lead of Arthur Miller’s modern drama, The Crucible, at the Old Vic Theatre
 
 http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150911005834/en/Epix-Announces-Richard-Armitage-Lead-Michelle-Forbes#.VfOE3pdArU5

____

Oh, I can hardly wait! 

And my other Secret Agent Man, Sean Bean, has been busy in Prague finishing up the new and improved second season of Legends.

http://www.critictoo.com/news/legends-saison-2-trailer-1/



Bonus:

The Dicken's you Say!

Richard Armitage is also recording right now a new audiobook (is this heaven, or what!) for Audible:  David Copperfield

.@audible_com 😀😃😄 pic.twitter.com/U9NsLwHpAf

— Richard Armitage (@RCArmitage) September 10, 2015

and Sean Bean's new film, The Martian, had it's world premiere today in Toronto at TIFF, and is getting great reviews! 

So happy today for my two special men, my two favorite actors.

Very proud to be a long time fan of both talented and hardworking men.

Going to see Yael Farber's Salome in DC? Some Free Events

I you live in the Washington DC Area, or are visiting Washington DC in October there are several free events related to Yael Farber's 

Salomé:

 Page and Stage
October 11, 2015
5-6 p.m.
FREE
The Forum at Sidney Harman Hall
The Lansburgh Theatre Explore the production with STC’s Artistic staff and local scholars.


 AsidesLive Symposium: Where Are Women's Voices?
October 24, 2015
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
FREE (reservations required)
Sidney Harman Hall Forum
This 3-hour event will give audiences and artists an opportunity to look at this issue from a variety of perspectives. The conversation will range from historical looks at the consequences of missing voices, whether there is a unique quality to female language and female dramaturgy.

Reflections
October 31, 2015
6:00 p.m.
FREE
The Forum at Sidney Harman Hall
Discuss the play from multiple perspectives. 

Tickets now available:

 Salomé

Adapted and directed by Yaël Farber

Oct 06 — Nov 08 Lansburgh Theatre

Washington DC

 Though it's no to be this fall, hope to see Yael Farber and Richard Armitage working together again soon, and hopefully in the US this time. 

Official Trailer for Urban and the Shed Crew - Spread the Word

New photo from Urban Director Candida Brady of Richard Armitage as Chop

New Official Trailer:

Thanks all for all the support...! Much appreciated. Please keep it coming! Need all the help we can get-:) pic.twitter.com/PvWtXoBFrT

— candida brady (@candidabrady) September 2, 2015