So, just two days after I lifted my self-imposed political ban, I love nothing. Now, is there a correlation? Probably. To that end, here is the love song of the day. It’s All Out of Love by Air Supply–a particularly apt song for my mood, I think, if you take the title words literally. Hm. I cannot embed the official video, so here Air Supply singing a live version of the same song–in Hawaii!
Ok. It’s not true that I don’t love anything today because I always have love for Alan Rickman. How did this start? Well, sit back, relax, and I’ll tell you.
I was watching one of the Potter movies because I was lusting over Jason Isaacs as Lucius. As I drooled over him, though, I started to notice something funny. Snape was hot! When he spelled, um, Professor Lockhart, he (Snape) looked so masterful and commanding. He goes around cloaked in black capes and scowls to great effect. He’s also the most interesting character in the Potter series, but I digress.
I became obsessed. I watched every movie I could get my hands on (some of them, illegally, I belatedly realized), and read up on him compulsively. I don’t know why I was so attracted to him at first as he is twenty-five years older than I and British to boot. Actually, being British was a plus. I love the English accent (as well as the Welsh accent, the Irish accent, and the Scottish accent).
Professionally, I like the fact that Alan is willing to play any type of character. One has to look to his British oeuvre to see the full range of characters he’s played as Brits tend to get cast as villians in Hollywood movies (though he did a tour de force as baddie, Hans Gruber in Die Hard).
In his personal life, he seemed to shun the limelight. Any interview I hear him give, he utters blandishments and gives as little personal info as possible. In addition, he’s been with his life partner, Rima Horton since he was nineteen, but he never mentions her. They are not married, and they do not have children. They’ve been together forty-four years!
I am not one to get crushes on celebs, at least not ones that last, so my obsession with Alan Rickman is an ongoing source of bemusement for me. I’m not the only one, however, trying to pin down the elusive Mr. Rickman. The lead singer of the band, Texas, thought of him immediately to star with her in their video, In Demand. It was really difficult for me to get a copy of this video, but of course, it’s now on YouTube. I watched it several times, desperately wanting to trade places with the lead singer–especially in the gas station scene. Watch it and see what I mean.
The last time I was in England, I thought I spotted him (yeah, right), and I almost had a heart attack. Fortunately, I didn’t do anything stupid (like throw myself at the poor bloke) because I managed to retain a shred of sanity.
A friend of mine thinks he’s too in touch with his feminine side to be attractive, but that’s part of why I find him so alluring. I have always liked people who fuck with gender stereotypes, but not self-consciously so. Plus, he is really someone who I could have a pint with, if I drank beer, that is.
In the end, I decided it’s because he’s so damn enigmatic. I like unpeeling layers upon layers upon layers and feeling that I’ll never reach the end of a person. He seems like the kind of person who would constantly surprise.
Plus, his voice. He could read the phone book and get me in the mood. I love his sexy, silken voice. With that thought, I leave you with one last video–it’s of him reading Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130.
I know I am a bit incoherent when describing my obsession with Alan Rickman, but I can only shrug and smile. What else can I do?
I’m right up there with you on this whole Alan Rickman thing! I love the sonnet reading. And evil or not he is one sexy guy!
I have the sonnet reading on a CD. Yes, I am obsessed like that. I would love to see Alan as the leading man in a movie, but that won’t happen here in the States. Oh well. I can but dream.
Hello Minna! A couple of comments: 1) Rickman’s performance in Die Hard was a big part of the enjoyment for me. I thought it fell in the template of older James Bond movies when Connery (and, in the first couple, Moore) would be all cool and controlled while the villains stole the film with their flamboyance. b) I hesitate to ask, but by any chance have to seen Galaxy Quest? It’s a great comedy — the absolutely dead-on but affectionate parody of a certain iconic science fiction TV show and its fan base is wonderful — with Rickman as the hero’s sidekick, in a role where he gets to kvetch about being the hero’s sidekick. And the moment when he delivers the line he swore he’d never say again is a standout moment in a great performance.
One thing I like about the British is they cast Rickman in romantic comedies. If only Hollywood would show such creativity.
Drat it all, I forgot it to add that he’s amazing as Snape.
Gregory, he made Die Hard into something more than just an enjoyable popcorn movie. He was so good at being coldly evil, I could forgive the not-great American accent. However, he was TOO good because it was completely impossible for me to believe that Bruce Willis could kill him.
I have seen Galaxy Quest, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did a review of it, so I will probably post it at some point. It cracked me up to see him in that giant head, and to have him bitching and moaning about being a Shakespearean actor was priceless. I am sure he had great fun doing a send-up of himself.
When he delivered his famous line in that scene, well, I am not ashamed to say I teared up. Yes, my massive crush on his is based on more than his looks and his voice. He is one talented man.
As for him playing Snape–did you know that Tim Roth was the first choice for the part? He backed out, and Alan got the nod. I can’t imagine anyone else as Snape. Since I have the hots for two other actors in the Potter movies, I call them porn for Minna.
I could forgive the not-great American accent.
I thought the non-great American accent was part of the joke, since he uses it to fool Willis’ character, and it works. “You should be on TV with that accent, Hans.” Heh.
When he delivered his famous line in that scene, well, I am not ashamed to say I teared up. Yes, my massive crush on his is based on more than his looks and his voice. He is one talented man.
What an amazing scene that is — all his kvetching about the line, and being a Real Actor, pays off in that one moment when it’s all he can do for the poor guy.
And then he hulks out and puts a hurting on the bad guys.
(By the way, I also have to shout out for the mostly-anonymous cast who played the alien crew; what great quirky performances!)
As for him playing Snape–did you know that Tim Roth was the first choice for the part?
Roth’s a good actor too, and I think he’d have done a good job — he did a great villain turn in Rob Roy, again stealing the movie — but while they could replace Dumbledore, it’s really hard to imagine anyone but Rickman in that role.
One of the things I love about the Harry Potter films is watching all these veteran British actors having *such* a good time. That, and being amazed at the spot-on casting of the young actors — no mean feat, that, and the fact that they’re batting a thousand truly amazes.
Watching actors having fun with a role can be just as satisfying as watching a Great Performance. I love bad movies, and one often sees an actor who knows he or she is in a piece of crap and just kicks back and enjoys him- or herself. Robert De Niro in Angel Heart comes to mind: “Mephistopheles is such a mouthful of Manhattan, Johnny.”
I thought the non-great American accent was part of the joke, since he uses it to fool Willis’ character, and it works. “You should be on TV with that accent, Hans.” Heh..
Huh. That makes more sense than what the director (or writer or whomever) said. He said that Rickman couldn’t do the accent and they just went with it. Which is bollocks because Rickman does a great American accent in Dark Harbor.
I don’t like Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. I much prefer Richard Harris. Anyway, the new movie is coming out in a few weeks. The last book is being cut into two movies. And then, no more delicious Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, or Lucius Malfoy.
He said that Rickman couldn’t do the accent and they just went with it.
Feh. Rickman’s great, so I don’t buy that. It reminds me, though, of something I heard about Marlon Brando: He’d do two takes, one in which he acted and one in which he’d phone it in. If the director couldn’t tell the difference, he’d phone it in for the rest of the movie.
And then, no more delicious Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, or Lucius Malfoy.
Except on DVD… 😉
Gregory, that’s a great story about Marlon Brando. I can see him thinking, “If you can’t fucking tell the difference, I’m not gonna break my back over it.”
As for DVDs, I have all the Potter series on DVD, and I will buy all the rest. My only frustration is that since the movies are kids movies, most of the adult scenes (scenes featuring adults! Get your mind out of the gutter!) are cut from the book. Still, Snape is featured prominently in the last two books, so he can’t get totally cut out of it.
Get your mind out of the gutter!
Can’t. 😉
Seriously, I know Rowling didn’t put anything like that in her books. You’d have to go to online fan fiction for that kind of thing. Um, not that I do or anything…