Pardon My Fangirling: Iwan Rheon

It will be my goal to avoid mentioning Game of Thrones (of which I am a fan) beyond the introduction of this article. I will freely admit, prior to a random Google search roughly a day ago, my knowledge of Iwan Rheon’s career 100% tied to his amazingly vivid portrayal of the fantastically maniacal villain Ramsay Snow (Bolton). This writer has since had her eyes opened to the extensive layers of this versatile performer’s career... not only is Iwan Rheon a talented actor, he’s is also a skilled singer/songwriter.

Last year, Rheon released his first album (Dinard), which at present seems to be primarily available through digital download sources. I was stunned (and pleasantly surprised) to find a large percentage of his music readily available through my typical go to source (Apple Music... still waiting on you, Sigma... but that’s another blog). Prior to Dinard, Rheon released three EP’s (“Bang! Bang!”, “Changing Times”, and “Tongue Tied”.) I’m working my way gradually through the selection (which is fairly extensive, especially considering the fairly short period he’s been releasing work) and I find myself definitely becoming a fan.

The music has strong acoustic leanings, Rheon’s strong and layered vocals and acoustic guitar make up most of the songs. Would mellow be the best word? This writer’s initial thoughts compared his work to an early Ed Sheeran... a trifle raw and acoustic. A man and his guitar. Not only does Rheon seem to be a fairly prolific songwriter, his songwriting is style is complex and interesting. I hate to fall back on a cliche, but the lyrics definitely paint rich and vivid portraits of the narratives told within the lyrics.

So, to make a long story shorter, if you like singer-songwriter, acoustic based music, definitely check out what Iwan Rheon has released. I can only hope his well deserved acting break-out (Ohhh.... Ramsay, Ramsay, Ramsay, what will you do next?) will not hinder the incredible musical work he is doing. Here’s to hoping for more music soon...

Here’s a music video for the title song off his EP, “Bang! Bang!”. Check out his YouTube for more.

If You’re Not Watching, You Should Be: Houdini and Doyle

I remember the dark days... raise your collective hands if you remember the days of NBC’s poorly received remake of Coupling or CBS’s... notorious... take on the British musical police procedural Blackpool (blog post to come...) titled Viva Laughlin. I first learned about Houdini and Doyle (which initially aired in the UK on ITV) when I was catching a Graham Norton rerun with series star Stephen Mangan. I was supremely disappointed that I wouldn’t get to see what sounded like a fascinating series. However, then I learned Fox had picked up the historical police procedural, and I will admit that I was a bit nervous...

 It seems... though I’m hesitant to type this... that the television industry be gradual wising up to some of their mistakes of old. Fox didn’t remake the series!!! The network did the smart thing, and aired the original series (can you believe it!). The two men are assisted (and occasionally shown-up) by police officer Adelaide Stratton (Rebecca Liddiard). 

The series follows Arthur Conan Doyle (Stephen Mangan) and Harry Houdini (Michael Weston) as they investigate crimes (usual with a paranormal, or unexplained nature) on the streets of London at the turn of the twentieth century.

This writer was initially struck by Mangan’s extreme likability. It was his charisma on the above described Graham Norton Show, which initially convinced me to take a look at Houdini and Doyle. Not being a Showtime subscriber (or a huge Matt LeBlanc fan...) I had yet to catch an episode of his long running, Showtime hit Episodes (A problem which has since been remedied). His portrayal of author Arthur Conan Doyle is one to watch. He manages to not only play the comedic elements, but can switch to the more dramatic elements involving his family with ease, injecting a note of sobering realism to the character.

The entire cast is beyond stellar. Manga is partnered with Michael Weston, who has also been a new name for me (despite having been making his way around Hollywood as far back as Garden State). *Smacks self out of nostalgic college refection*. His portrayal of the always interesting Houdini is a constant breath of fresh air, giving new life to a figure who is no stranger to viewers the world over. He will be one I be watching from now on.

I feel a write up praising (which I wholeheartedly would) Rebecca Liddiard’s portrayal of Adelaide Stratton will not receive enough justice in a general piece like this. So I beg the readers forgiveness, and say I’d like to save this for a longer, more specialized post. The character, a lone female police constable in a completely male dominated society is a fascinating one, and I applaud the creative team for their decision. I hope we get to see more of this character.

Blackadder fans will recognize comedic genius Tim McInnerny as Horace Merring. The comedy veteran brings his usually interesting and dynamic screen presence to Houdini and Doyle as the police commander operating over Houdini and Doyle.

Houdini and Doyle has been chugging along (readily available on your local Fox affiliates... watch it live on Monday nights!). And it has been with much glee that it was been holding enough numbers to avoid the cancellation axe in the quiet early days of summer. Some ratings figures I’ve seen show a ratings uptick as episodes have gone along. So, if this show even sounds remotely up your alley, check the show out. While, I’ve seen rumors (as official as IMDB can be...) that there might be a second series, let’s make it so Fox doesn’t have a reason to not bring it back next summer. 

Pardon my Fangirling: Tobias Menzies

In scrolling through his IMDB page, it was a struggle to remember when I first discovered the awesomeness that is Tobias Menzies. His presence has been a common one lately on television screens, with a dual role in the Showtime hit Outlander, the competing HBO series Game of Thrones and The Night Manager (most recently on AMC in the United States). He’s not new to television screens, the talented performer is just in the middle of a well deserved (and long-overdue) breakout.

Menzies has undeniable skill at playing villains (is it the eyes? Perhaps the accent?),which is a casting note which has seemingly followed him through his career. This dates back (at least) to the role in which I realized I had discovered Menzies work, playing Brutus in the 2005 HBO television series Rome. From his oddly villainous bureaucrat Geoffrey Dromgoole in The Night Manager, to his turn as Jack Randall in Outlander, as an actor he certainly has a flair for playing antagonists (and government bureaucrats... but that’s completely different blog post...). He’s chameleon like in his ability to plunge into the most complicated and complex of characters.

This writer found herself completely bowled over at the breadth and complexity of Menzies performance in Outlander. While I admit to being unforgivably behind in working my way through the series, he does fascinating work, playing not only one, but two unique and challenging characters in Frank Randall and Jack Randall. The two characters couldn’t be more different, but Menzies succeeds in breathing completely unique breath into the two distantly related men.

It could very well be the case that for many readers out there, Tobias Menzies is one of those faces. It's more than possible to have seen him around (*cough Game of Thrones *cough), without really putting a name to the face. He's been a name on the periphery, dating back to a bit role he played in Casino Royale, who's only now beginning to get some of the recognition he deserves. He’s definitely one to follow as he moves through his career.

Outside of his television roles, Menzies has an active film schedule, with a handful of movies of varying size and scope slated for release in the next couple of years. Has been announced to have a role in the upcoming Underworld sequel, Underworld: Blood Wars, which is currently in post-production and is scheduled for a October 2016 release.

In Case You Haven’t Seen It: Sigma ft. Take That - Cry (Official Music Video)

Regular readers will know I have a shameless, shameless schoolgirl liking of the early 1990’s boy-band turned man-band Take That. Ever the musical chameleons, the band has been experimenting with different sounds (drifting away from their usual pop). Their most recent single ‘Cry’ features them teaming up with Sigma ( a UK based drum and bass duo) is being billed as a unique blend of techno and dance music.

This writer has been waiting on pins and needles for the release of the new music video (I’m only mildly ashamed to admit I stayed up till 2:00am my time for the release for Take That’s last music video). This morning, I was filled with teenage glee when I learned the video finally dropped. While I’ve yet to be able to download the single from my United States based network (...stupid regional restrictions...) the song is growing quickly on me (and is stupidly catchy...). 

Have you seen the video yet? Thoughts? 

Thank you to 3 Beat for posting the video on YouTube.

Musicians You Aren’t Listening To, But Should Be: Måns Zelmerlöw

Faithful readers will know, I’m a sucker for a light, fluffy pop song. So, I had my eyes pried open when I watched the Eurovision Song Contest this year. I’ve followed Eurovision off and on for a few years now, but have been stymied by that whole living in the United States thing. As an aside, squee to Logo for picking up Eurovision this year. I’ll even forgive you for the decidedly “Meh” commentators.

Anywhoo...

I must have missed last year’s show, because I found myself watching the hosts with unadulterated, schoolgirl glee. And then he sang. *Fans self* So, to make a long story short, Mans Zelmerlow (I should figure out how to do the Swedish punctuation...) won the Eurovision in 2015 with his song Heroes. 

The singer has been working steadily in Sweden, with 6 albums currently released. This writer has been living vicariously through YouTube, the primary place where American audiences can hear his work. As I type, I’ve found my way over to some videos of his Christmas album, (Christmas with Friends). His most recent singles (per YouTube) Fire in the Rain and Should’ve Gone Home are particularly great, and have served to only further my interest in following this still burgeoning performer’s career.  This writer is planning for an Amazon UK CD binge, very soon.

In Case You Haven’t Seen It: Beauty and the Beast Official US Teaser Trailer

This girl has been waiting anxiously for this trailer to drop ever since the first casting announcements started to drop. Between Emma Watson as Belle, my first serious crush (yes... Obi-Wan Kenobi) Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, and Dan “Cousin Matthew” Stevens as the Beast... all I can say is “Squee!” While we still have a year to wait, I love, love, love the direction this is going.



Thoughts?

In Case You Missed It: The Light Between Oceans Official International Trailer #1 (2016) - Mich...

I just stumbled on the official trailer for a little film entitled The Light Between Oceans. A huge thank you to the Movieclips Trailers YouTube page for their continued awesomeness. Definitely check them out.

I know very little about this film. However, upon watching the trailer, I can say that combination of Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz makes it smell like an Academy Award acting nomination waiting to happen.

Tentative release dates have this film being released September 2016 in the US, France and Russia while the UK will see it in January 2017.