Quiz No 4 - The Halloween Edition

Eallra Hālgena ǣfen. Samhain. Calan Gaeaf. Summer's end. The beginning of the 'Celtic New Year'.
Let's start the darker half of the year with yet another quiz. Rebecca compiled this Halloween edition for you, centered on hair, eyes and makeup. Pretty, huh?
So ... who's who and what's what? Anyone can participate. Just hit the comment link at the bottom.



Happy Halloween everybody!

And for the blissfully happy melancholics among us, a poem entirely unrelated to Michelle Forbes.
* Chris off to a long walk along the autumn canals *

Herbsttag

Herr: es ist Zeit. Der Sommer war sehr groß.
Leg deinen Schatten auf die Sonnenuhren,
und auf den Fluren laß die Winde los.

Befiehl den letzten Früchten voll zu sein;
gib ihnen noch zwei südlichere Tage,
dränge sie zur Vollendung hin und jage
die letzte Süße in den schweren Wein.

Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr.
Wer jetzt allein ist, wird es lange bleiben,
wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben
und wird in den Alleen hin und her
unruhig wandern, wenn die Blätter treiben.

Rainer Maria Rilke
------
The following translation is by Edward Snow 1991:

Autumn Day

Lord: it is time. The summer was immense.
Lay your long shadows on the sundials,
and on the meadows let the winds go free.

Command the last fruits to be full;
give them just two more southern days,
urge them on to completion and chase
the last sweetness into the heavy wine.

Who has no house now, will never build one.
Who is alone now, will long remain so,
will stay awake, read, write long letters
and will wander restlessly up and down
the tree-lines streets, when the leaves are drifting.

Meet the True Blood Hounds

(From left - Rutina Wesley, Michelle Forbes, Kristin Bauer and Mariana Klaveno)

Last night Michelle Forbes was among the cast of True Blood who showed some well-needed love to our homeless four-legged friends on the first night of the “Bow Wow Beverly Hills” dog adoption event. The occasion benefits The Amanda Foundation animal rescue and comprises three days of dog adoptions in some of the most stylish establishments throughout Beverly Hills. Duffy who plays Dean/Sam on True Blood was also in attendance.

About The Amanda Foundation:

The Amanda Foundation was founded in 1976, and has since placed thousands of homeless animals. It is a nonprofit organization that rescues dogs and cats who, through no fault of their own, are spending their last days at City and County Shelters[...]

Every year, Los Angeles County's 28 shelters are forced to destroy well over 200,000 pets. These animals were either strays or brought into the shelters by their owners. We believe they all should have a second chance, and we will work tirelessly to rescue as many as possible.

You may go here to support The Amanda Foundation.

Quiz No 3 - Animalistic

Apparently, there's a charity event tomorrow in L.A. (True Blood Hounds, The Amanda Foundation animal rescue, Michelle Forbes to be expected one of the hosts. I know nothing about it, Randy is our exclusive Hollywood reporter;-). What about a warming up here on the blog?

You know the deal, don't you? Which movie/TV show/whatever do you recognise on the pictures? And do you happen to know the name of the cutie? No rules, all comments are welcome. Just guess! I can't wait to read your posting.



P.S.: There's hope that we return to post substantial stuff sometime. We're working on it.

Update :: True Blood Hounds :: The Doggie Benefit







--> Direct link to ABC 7 video

Quiz No 2 - The Ears

“Oh! dreadful is the check - intense the agony - / When the ear begins to hear, and the eye begins to see; / When the pulse begins to throb, the brain to think again; / The soul to feel the flesh, and the flesh to feel the chain.” Emily Brontë

There are no rules, you may guess as often as you wish. I'd like to ask Deb (she knows it all) to wait with her answers and give the mere mortals a chance, but Deb: you may want to confuse or help the participants ;-)
Comments are open. It's (almost) Sunday, midnight, Greenwich time. Will we outnumber the 49 comments from the legs quiz?

Edit: Everyone can post comments. As anonymous, or with a name of your choice, or logged in with your Google or LJ etc account. Lurkers, come out of your coffin ;-)



Good luck!

Can We Start Again

Some Battlestar Galactica fans would have preferred a different story, for Laura Roslin and Helena Cain. At this point fan fiction emerges. A written text or a video.

* A Roslin-Cain fan music video:



While I usually don't read fan fiction, I like the Julianna Cox (Homicide: Life on the Street) roleplay on LiveJournal. Give it a try!

* HBO has renewed IN TREATMENT. Production on Season 3 will begin in New York in early 2010.

"HBO announced Friday that it has ordered a third season of the drama "In Treatment," which stars Gabriel Byrne as therapist Paul Weston.
A third season had been in some doubt, as Byrne has said in interviews that he finds the role (which he plays very well) quite challenging. That's understandable; his character is in almost every scene and much of his work involves reacting to and working through thorny issues with the sometimes challenging patients in his care.
The show is changing head writers again, as it has done every season so far. Anya Epstein of HBO’s “Tell Me You Love Me” and Danny Futterman (“Capote”) will take over from Season 2 showrunner Warren Leight."
Source: Maureen Ryan@chicagotribune.com

* The UK audience and critics keep raving over the first season In Treatment. But the most exciting news about IT comes from France:
"Selon Hagai Levi, BeTipul, également adaptée au Portugal et en Serbie, pourrait prochainement faire aussi l'objet d'un remake français : "J'ai bon espoir pour que ça arrive, cinq producteurs différents se sont montrés intéressés, un pilote a même été tourné, réalisé par Diane Kurys, mais il est très difficile de trouver un bon diffuseur. Je pense qu'Arte serait idéal mais rien n'est fait"."
A French adaptation of IT, the pilot already shot, and the chance that ARTE, the European Culture TV channel, will broadcast. YaYYY!!



* The human body has many parts. And several senses. I think we might be able to cook up more intriguing puzzles. Which one would you like to see? And how meeeeean do you want me to be?

Quiz No 1 - The Legs

You know what's odd? I browsed my screen caps and found lots of hands but only a few pics with legs. D'oh!

Here's your quiz. 6 pictures. Shouldn't be too difficult. Which film/movie/TV show/appearance do you recognise?
There are no rules. Comments are open, guess as many times as you like :)



There might be a prize, you never know on the Internet.

Saturday Snippets

As I'm heading to Paris and won't be back before Sunday night, your weekend entertainment comes a bit early. No legs, no fun? Wrong!

* There's a beautiful interview with Gabriel Byrne about In Treatment at guardian.co.uk:

Q: In Treatment has been a huge critical hit in America. Were you impressed by the script?
A: I immediately understood it was special. It was extremely intense; just me and another actor facing one another in our chairs. It's more like theatre than television and, like all the best drama, it shows people connecting on an emotional level. It's been seen as breakthrough television in the States because there's no action, no sex scenes, no car chases, no drugs or drink. It's just people with real problems talking to this man who has his own real problems.

* Let The Spirit Move Me - Maryann Fan video:



* Alternate Ending of Pegasus: Cain is in a bad mood



* Twitter excitement

David on Twitter: There's very little in the world that can't be improved by the simple addition of Michelle Forbes.
Sarah on Twitter: Michelle Forbes. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD.

Note: Sarah The Vampire Slyr seems to be a candidate for the Halifax pilgrimage. A cold shower may help too. --chris

* Your own Maryann Forrester Show

Two fan voices at atforumz.com:
"I saw Razor for the first time yesterday and am in love with Michelle Forbes! Cain is one of the most fascinating characters from the series and I was thrilled to see more of her...
Ah, I've seen some of the first season of TB but it didn't hold my attention at all. Perhaps I'll just youtube the Maryann parts!"

Here's how. In HD quality. 1280x720p.

Season 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RsO-nUANxI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNd1VY9KKt8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db69SZV1VCU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFjsH-4rQc4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2ISsRV1m-4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O097_UYX0Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O097_UYX0Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWJFUhVgY-w

Season 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q__LV3J8v18

- Highlight the URL and paste it into keepvid.com, one at a time. Push the download button.
- Right click the last link (.mp4 files), save as... The files are big, it's the HQ/HD version, 100-170 MB each.
- Do it now, you never know when YT or the uploader takes the videos down.
- Sometimes keepvid.com is busy, try again later.
- You may want to convert the mp4-files to xvid/divx videos in order to burn a DVD disc and watch the Maryann Forrester show on your divx compatible DVD player.

Voilà, le show Maryann Forrester :)
La gloire, c'est l'audience.

Durham, Recycling and Dark Comedy

Sad news for everyone in the US who has been eager to see Michelle in the second season of Durham County. You will have to be patient for a couple more months. 'Promotional' art by moi.



The official press release:

Mystery, Betrayal and Terrifying Secrets Are Unleashed When ION Television’s Durham County Launches Its Second Season in January 2010

“True Blood” and “In Treatment” Actress Michelle Forbes Joins Durham County Cast for Season Two

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The lesson that “love hurts” is well learned by the characters who inhabit the eerie suburb of Durham County when the original scripted primetime series launches its second season on ION Television in January, 2010. The series, which debuted this fall, returns to the bleak and disturbing landscape of an alienated suburbia with a new star villain – Michelle Forbes, known for her intense portrayals on the hit HBO series “True Blood” and “In Treatment” this year.

Produced by Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Films, Durham County unfolds season two in the aftermath of the devastating impact of serial killer Ray Prager (Romano Orzari) on the lives of its characters, anchored by Homicide Detective Mike Sweeney (Hugh Dillon, CBS’ “Flashpoint”), his now estranged wife Audrey (Hélène Joy) and their traumatized teenage daughter Sadie (Laurence Leboeuf). While the true villain of the first season turned out to be Sweeney’s former high school classmate and new neighbor, the evil threat in the second season comes from a woman who develops a close bond with Mike, the brilliant, but deeply troubled forensic psychiatrist Pen Verrity (Michelle Forbes). Rejected by her husband and grieving for a daughter we can’t be certain she didn’t kill, she sets her sights on having Mike Sweeney – at any cost.

“Durham County has more than fulfilled our expectations for our first original series in its successful debut this fall, particularly with our key 25–54 demographic,” said Leslie Chesloff, Executive Vice President, Programming, ION Media Networks. “In season two, our protagonist is trying to keep his broken family together in the aftermath of a serial killer, while he is lured into an incredibly dangerous place by a seductive woman. Viewers will be on their seats wondering what Pen will do next, who she might target and whether Mike will realize the terrible threat she poses before it’s too late.”

“We are thrilled at the way audiences have embraced this series and are excited that ION Television is bringing this award-winning show back for another electrifying season in January,” said Michael Prupas, President of Muse Entertainment and executive producer of Durham County.

Co-creator and Executive Producer Janis Lundman of Back Alley Films adds, “We think viewers will be intrigued by the new female villain, Michelle Forbes, who they will recognize from her portrayal of an equally menacing character on ‘True Blood.’ In addition, they will be drawn into our hero’s struggle to heal his broken family and deal with the separation from his wife while he becomes increasingly drawn to this damaged woman.”

“This season we explore what happens to people after their lives have been affected by a serial killer and the darkest side of their psyches are exposed, which also shows them the way to true compassion,” said Co-creator and Executive Producer/Director Adrienne Mitchell. “Season two also shifts more focus to the complex characters of the Sweeney’s daughter Sadie, played poignantly by Laurence LeBoeuf, and the neighbor’s abandoned son, Ray Jr., portrayed by the talented Greyston Holt,” she adds.

Durham County is written by Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik (“Bliss”) and helmed by directors Adrienne Mitchell, Alain DesRochers (Nitro) and Rachel Talalay (Terminal City). Michael Prupas (“Human Trafficking”) of Muse Entertainment and Janis Lundman and Adrienne Mitchell (“Bliss”) of Back Alley Films serve as executive producers. The series has received 13 Gemini Award nominations, including five wins: Best Actor for Justin Louis, Best Actress for Hélène Joy, Best Direction for Holly Dale, Best Writing for Laurie Finstad Knizhnik and Best Sound. In addition, the show was nominated for four Director’s Guild of Canada Awards, winning two and taking home the CFTPA’s Indie Award for “Best Dramatic Series.”

The program was also recognized with nominations from the Writer’s Guild of Canada and ACTRA Montreal. In a deal signed last January with ITV Global Entertainment, ION Television acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to the critically acclaimed and award-winning original TV series, Durham County. In addition, the network secured all U.S. television, digital media rights, internet streaming and video-on-demand rights for the program.

Bits and pieces:

Mother Nature Network has shed some light on the environmentally friendly ways of celebrities. Michelle Forbes, it claims, keeps her energy output low by driving as little as possible, or getting hybrid-owning friends to drive her. “And I’m a Nazi about recycling.”

Hands up! Who's recycling and driving or pedalling their way around in an environmentally-friendly way?

According to IMDB, Michelle has now been officially cast as Sylvia. Hollywood Reporter is letting us know that Highland Park will follow the formula of a 'dark comedy'. Cinematical remarks: "I wish more filmmakers would get creative and do similar to keep these institutions running. I mean, if we can have a bajillion stripper movies, can't we have a least a handful or 50 library flicks that not only entertain, but also do great things for the communities across the country?"

There can be a lighter side to Durham County :)

Respect for Diversity

Videos of the Respect Awards, Los Angeles, October 9, 2009.

Sam Trammell & Michelle Forbes@GLSEN:




Alan Ball & Michael Lombardo@GLSEN:



---> Watch In The Gloaming (mentioned by Lombardo in his acceptance speech), co-produced 1997 by HBO. I cried my eyes out when I watched this film some years ago.

Danny (Robert Sean Leonard), dying of Aids, returns home for his last months. - His mother (Glenn Close) sings Danny Boy:



And again I feel I'm probably not the right person to post about this Hollywood event. My knowledge about the US and the media industry and the struggle for lesbian and gay rights in the US is very limited. My first reaction was: Why do they send two straight actors to represent HBO? Where are the gay actors and actresses? And, more importantly, where are the lesbian characters in the HBO productions?

Highland Park

Nightshift for the blog. 2am in Amsterdam here. And I'm happy to inform you that Michelle Forbes has indeed joined the cast of the indie movie Highland Park. And if I can trust my in-built chip, well, you never know ... but ... hellooo, Michigan?

"HIGHLAND PARK — A school teacher living in this enclave suburb wins the lottery. No, he doesn’t move out, he spends his money to get the shuttered McGregor Library renovated and reopened after nearly a decade of neglect.
Sound like Hollywood? It is, sort of. It’s Michigan’s focus on film making as economic development at work.
With state tax incentives backing them, the Highland Park Productions LLC, will begin shooting Sept. 28 on a $5 million movie to be set in Highland Park. Danny Glover stars as the lucky, lotto-winning teacher.
Hundreds of locals will be used and local banks, homes and institutions, including the Library, will provide the setting for what writer, director and producer Andrew Meieran said is the story of the “quintessential American town,” Highland Park. [...]
When the state took over the city of Highland Park in 2001, the emergency financial manager Ramona Pearson closed the library. At the time historic treasures were removed from the building by then chair of the Library Commission Katherine Clarkson and alledgely stored at a local company. Mayor Yopp said in an interview Mon. that the city had an inventory of those items and all would be returned upon the library’s opening. [...]
Meieran said he came across a photo of the McGregor Library while surfing the internet and its classic architecture and contrasting, boarded up façade, in a city with the rich history of Highland Park, made it the perfect movie set to tell the story of the American Dream."
Source: michigancitizen.com

The Highland Park page on the IMDb tells us that Michelle Forbes will be playing 'Sylvia', Deborah Ann Woll is listed as 'Lilly'. Both are 'rumored'.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

From our blog contributor D.:
"I was cruising around this evening looking at houses, I came across a listing for one on Forbes Street. >giggle< So I thought that I'd check out the neighborhood. It was dark and rainy by the time I drove to W., which is north of B. Map Quest gave me really good directions, I got a good glimpse of the neighborhood, and found it had way too many families with kids. Nice. The house I was looking at looked okay but I wasn't thrilled. A little big for just me. But I'd rather be in an area that was a little more gay friendly. I went to drive out of the area, and turn onto another street. My eyes popped out of my head. I started laughing. Grabbed my camera and took this picture:"



* Twitter: "Michelle Forbes is too damned hot for words."
Welcome to the club, katemonkey

* No news about Durham County season two airing in the US on ION TV. Do fans have to revert to Plan B?

* Imagine, you're not that much into True Blood. Imagine, you do like Maryann. How do you save 16 GB space on your harddisk by creating a Maryann Forrester show in HD quality? A step-by-step guide will follow next Sunday. You can't wait? Hints: Go to our True Blood Maryann playlist on Youtube, find the Maryann scenes in HD, and use http://keepvid.com/.

* Next week: a quiz for leg fetishists, looooong legs.

In Treatment in the UK - What the Critics Are Saying

The first season of In Treatment had its premiere last week in the UK. Though Kate will have her entrance not until episode 6, FYI a couple of reactions. What the critics are saying:

"[...] acted with the kind of subtlety, intelligence and smouldering power that makes you want to hug the television while you are watching it."
Source: telegraph.co.uk

"Nancy Banks-Smith in the Guardian: "Each episode is a perfect little pearl, luminous on its own but better still as a necklace... In Treatment reminds us that TV is essentially claustrophobic and intensely personal. The enormous audience is an illusion... The therapist (Gabriel Byrne) appears to do very little. It is a treat trying to catch him at it."

Brian Viner in the Independent: "It's exceedingly classy drama, reliant almost more on the pitch-perfect acting than on the excellence of the writing. It's impossible to take your eyes off Byrne's performance, which is all the more remarkable given that he has so little to say."

Benji Wilson in the Sunday Times: "You barely leave Paul's front room in the entire series, yet it is as addictive as a morphine drip."
Source: thefirstpost.co.uk

And from a negative review - yes, I kind of liked it, made me grin, though I differ in opinion. The author Rachel Cook has yet to encounter Michelle:)

"OK, cards on the table. In one sense, In Treatment (10pm, weekdays), which Sky Arts has bought from HBO following much acclaim and many awards, was never going to appeal to me. I am morbidly suspicious of therapy - where's the science bit? - and throughout my life have always found repression to be a vastly under-valued psychological tool. That and good old compartmentalisation. The inside of my brain looks not unlike the bottom of my wardrobe: basically, it's crammed with a load of old shoeboxes, some of which I'm willing to have a good rifle through now and then, and others that I would simply prefer to leave closed, thanks very much. [...]
Then the titles rolled. Oh dear. This show - which is based, sometimes word for word, on an Israeli series of the same name - is a complete disaster and I am at a complete loss as to why it has had American critics so bedazzled. Yes, its format is moderately brave, at least by the standards of US television. The saga is doled out to us in daily half-hour episodes, each focusing on a different patient, or on one of Paul's sessions with his own therapist, Gina (Dianne Wiest). In other words, each show is basically a two-hander and as static and wordy as a piece of theatre. But just because something appears to be "demanding" doesn't mean that it is also, merely by extension, good. This isn't good. The dialogue is hammy and clichéd, and you can see every kink and fold of what passes for its plot coming from about eight miles away."
Source: newstatesman.com

"In Treatment is stunning stuff that in just five half hour episodes has been shocking and thought-provoking. I can’t wait for the rest."
Source: thestage.co.uk

Pink Paper Magazine published an interview with series creator Hagai Levi:

"Given the programme's success in such a crowded TV marketplace, what makes its creator proudest when he looks at back at the first year?
Levi smiles and thinks for a moment: “The fact that, even with all this noise all around them on television, people will listen to two people sitting in a room and talking makes me very happy.”

"You wouldn't think a drama filmed almost entirely in one room could be that compelling, but this is state-of-the art dialogue and brilliantly acted. Superb."
Source: culturejunkies.blogspot.com
_____________

Some of our gentle readers may know how biased I am when it comes to In Treatment, so you won't be surprised that this is a golden opportunity for me to post screencaps:



"I knew it deep down that if I came here it would turn into this history between you two. I’m sorry, it’s really not helpful to me." Kate (Michelle Forbes) to Paul (Gabriel Byrne) & Gina (Dianne Wiest) ~leaves~





"Kate: She's Tammy Kent.
Paul: WHAT?
Gina: Who's Tammy Kent?
Paul: How-how is she Tammy Kent?
Kate: You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.
Gina: May I ask who this is?
Kate: This was a girl that Paul was in love with when we first met....
Paul: A long, long time ago.
Kate: ...well, WHATEVER, they're EXACTLY the same type....
Paul: No they're not.
Kate: ....and he....yes they are, and he made Laura out to be this fragile little girl, and I'm telling you what I saw was this highly sexual woman who was wearing stilettos at ten in the morning....
Paul: I...
Kate: TAMMY KENT!"





Randy gave officially his OK: I'm allowed to keep posting - if I'm not hammered. We settled on the wording that my writing style is not odd nor is it weird, but it's eccentric :) And our visitors are a forgiving tribe of geeks and nerds, just as we are. Besides, this blog has become much too serious anyway, it was once meant as a simple refuge and replacement of a non-functional forum and website.
So, prepare for the next article tomorrow, titled: Lazy Sunday Afternoon. --chris

Good Vibrations

Yesterday GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, honored HBO at the fifth annual GLSEN Respect Awards in Los Angeles.

"The Respect Awards, held annually in Los Angeles and New York, recognize individual and corporate leaders who have helped propel GLSEN's efforts to ensure safe schools for all of America's students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
Corporate Role Model: HBO
HBO has been instrumental in GLSEN’s growth and visibility the last few years. Its body of work is second to none in portraying positive images of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community through their exceptional series and movies. They also they stand as an example of diversity both on camera and as a corporate leader."

"About GLSEN:
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established in 1990, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community."

GLSEN website

Michelle Forbes, Sam Trammell and Alan Ball were attending the event at the Beverly Hills Hotel.







If anyone heard more about vibrating activities at this orgy, let us know!

Sunday's Giggle

* Michelle has her own song on Youtube - Michelle Forbes song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWs2BVeIMJo
(Watch the video at our sidebar)

"If I had all the awards/ I'd hand them out to Michelle Forbes/ For all her sterling work as a supporting actress"

Cute, isn't it? *giggles*
Looks like the author is a genre fan or hasn't had the chance to watch In Treatment, Durham County, Messiah, Wonderland ... or these words don't rhyme well ;-)

* Johnny on Twitter: "Admiral Cain is on #trueblood. Michelle Forbes is awesome."
Welcome, Johnny :)

* True-blood.net published on Friday that Michelle joined the cast of Highland Park, an indie movie about the history of the McGregor Library (Detroit, Michigan). This is unconfimed, True-blood.net didn't give any source or further details. Shooting started some days ago according to michigancitizen.com.

* Can you imagine how a blogger feels when he/she for months can't decide if it's ok to publish a certain photo shoot? The source, the date is unknown. And I'm not 100% sure if it's a portrait of Michelle Forbes. What do you think?