Good news, everyone! Sony has bought worldwide rights to Austenland.
Which means:
AN INDIE FILM WITH JAMES CALLIS
IS GOING TO HIT THE CINEMAS!!!!
You can see. James Callis. In the theatre.
I might even see him in cinemas in Finland!
The reviews have been overall good and it sounds like a funny movie with a great cast.
My cup runneth over. There are a few videos, but I'm just too excited to post anything else today.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
James Callis on Austenland: Sundance!
So the big Austenland premiere took place on Friday, and there are so many pictures and links I can't even keep up. Apparently when it's a con, it takes a while for people to upload their photos, but when it's a big movie festival, there are reporters with cameras all around, and the pictures are online the same day.
Where do I start? There's an article here with several photos. Sadly no quotes from James, but you can see him at the premiere. And this outfit, I have to stop here and say that he was wearing FOUR LAYERS. Four. Two flannel shirts apparently (or is one a flannel COAT?), one suede coat, one undershirt. And red pants, which was slightly baffling. (Bret McKenzie also had red pants on, so maybe there was some connection.) I checked the weather in Utah that day, and it was -6 C/35 F. Incidentally, in Finland we had -24 C/-11.2 F that day; I wore my down coat, which I would never ever wear for -6. I don't think James could survive a minute in Finnish winter. (And no, it's not always -24 here.) I know it's a matter of what you're used to, but man.
In some pictures, he's wearing a green hoodie, but here some of the other things are taken off. I like that hoodie. He looks good in green. The flannel shirts look good too, it's just... so many layers! And I'm mystified by this eye patch. Nice winter boots, though.
Before I go any further, here's a tip to James. This is how I survive the coldest days of winter. (Maybe it's not the best idea for an actor though, if he wants to look good for press photos.) Here's a possible idea of how it might look on him:
Look how happy he is! About the pants, he's leaning a bit or something, and his torso is.. Ugh, I drew the pants before the coat. Oh whatever, it's not the Mona Lisa, you get the picture. (Note that I'm not saying his torso is that big, just that down coats can be HUGE.)
Speaking of leaning, adorable lean-in picture of the cast and crew who were present. Ricky Whittle is apparently strong enough to hold them all like a bookend.
Cute group shots, everyone's happy, and James hugs Keri Russell, and I'm not going to launch into an "OMG Keri Russell, I've watched her things since I was 11" thing, but I did watch Daddy's Girls back in the day... Also, Keri is totally gorgeous and seems lovely.
Shots from the Austenland party later on. I think the tall bearded guy is Jared Hess, whose wife Jerusha directed the film. She looks like a cute pixie, by the way. And James getting cuddly with Jane Seymour! Ah how worlds collide, I used to watch Dr Quinn - Medicine Woman before I even heard of James etc. etc. (I've gotta stop doing this every time James meets an actor I have seen in something else. He exists in the same universe so it's only natural.)
Lovely shot here. Looks like an official photo shoot they had. EYES. Oh my giddy aunt.
James posted some Austenland-related pictures on his Twitter. Colonel Andrews in uniform! A must-see.
Also, there was a Q&A! Here's a more official video from Sundance Institute, and there's another one on YouTube taken from another spot, apparently by an audience member. You can see a bit more of James in the latter, but sadly he was standing on the very far left and there were many people on stage. So he's sort of lost from the frame for a lot of it. A lot of Bret McKenzie, who's very funny too. James and JJ Feild seem to talk the least.
James is cute as usual, though. He starts by saying, "I wasn't aware that Steve Austin actually wrote any books, but I was always a huge fan of Steve Austin." Huge laugh from the crowd. "And I actually modeled my performance.. bits of it, seem to have been cut out, those bits." *Indignant look and headshake * "But yeah I read the script and obviously just, yeah I wanted to be involved, (in pretty much any character). Yes I'm just echoing everything that everybody's said already, it really was a lot of fun to make. And it looks like you enjoyed it too." The last part is for the audience, so that sounds good. I didn't know who Steve Austin was, but he's someone from Wrestlemania. I wonder if James is really a fan (probably not).
Someone - it might be Shannon Hale, the author of the book, but I'm not sure, and I'm sorry - says, "I remember one night we were sitting around and just chatting, and a PA came up to James and said, 'You're wrapped for tonight.' James said, 'Oh really? Usually that's good news, but here one wants to linger.'" That made her so happy. "I wasn't acting," James says, and everyone laughs. Then they hug. Awww! It's clear James has a great chemistry with these people, and that making this movie was a fun experience. So I feel all happy and gooey inside.
Other cute moments:
Ricky Whittle says Jerusha Hess told them, "You know the story, you know the characters, now have fun with it." This is where I got really excited, because if you tell James that, what can the result be besides comedy gold?
Bret McKenzie shows off his "abs", and I started to wish James had done the same, but no. Ricky Whittle, the resident ab, pec, and bicep man of the movie, attributes his looks to good genes. He also said his chest and crotch got him the part.
Speaking of bodies, Keri Russell was pregnant during the film, and they had to try and hide the belly with scarves. Awww!
There's also an exclusive clip of Austenland on MTV's website. James' faces are hilarious! :D
The reviews are mostly positive - breezy and modestly funny; "plenty of life in old Austen yet"; "a delightful mix of charm, satire, romance, and irreverence"; "pleasant comic romp". However, at least one reviewer found it lifeless and typical rom-com fare - "a Katherine Heigl movie minus Heigl." Ouch!
James is described as "campy comic relief character" and "clownish". Well, that's something he does well. I'd love to see him in more serious roles, because he does the soul-crushing guilt stuff even better. But I really love watching him be funny, and some of these reviews list him as one of the best. And then there's this:
Finally, I have to applaud James Callis’ Monty-Python worthy comedic performance. His over-the-top, expertly timed parody of the 19th century romantic gentleman gave me more laugh-out-loud moments than I’ve had in a long time.
Monty Python worthy. Is there higher praise than that?
In short, it sounds like a real triumph for James, and I think I'm going to enjoy this film. He has a lot of scenes with Jennifer Coolidge, who some reviewers scolded for being too over-the-top, but we'll see. I'm not too keen on the idea of her trying to hit on James' character and failing; such narratives are often based on the idea of the female character not being as attractive (whether it's done by making her look bad or act bad). Also, in reality, there are way more often men who throw themselves at women. But this also means James will be a sex object in the film, and that's something I can definitely get behind. Coolidge's character can be like the biggest fangirl ever.
It seems like the film might even get into cinemas, unless I'm being way too optimistic. It would be awesome to see James on the big screen again. I'll be watching closely for Austenland news. I have got to see this movie!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
James Callis on Arrow: Pictures!
OK, YVR Shoots has been alert and we've got our first James in Arrow photos! Unfortunately, it seems to be a no on the long hair. But look at him! So cute!
As per usual, he looks to be a little cold. He's donning business attire for the role, by the looks of it. Some business-clad men are accompanying him. I really know nothing about the show, so this will all be very new to me.
The episode James appears in, titled "Dodger" like his character, will air on February 20, according to imdb. Of course, it's possible there will be more than one episode. We'll see!
As per usual, he looks to be a little cold. He's donning business attire for the role, by the looks of it. Some business-clad men are accompanying him. I really know nothing about the show, so this will all be very new to me.
The episode James appears in, titled "Dodger" like his character, will air on February 20, according to imdb. Of course, it's possible there will be more than one episode. We'll see!
Monday, December 24, 2012
James Callis Christmas Movie Ideas! ;)
With this, a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka, Tip Tot Tet, Kwazy Kwanzaa, and a solemn dignified Ramadan. And a Happy New Year. :) Also to James, in case he's reading. I would wish him Merry Christmas on Twitter, but sometimes I just get shy because he's really going to read it. I feel more comfortable writing silly things on the blog.
(I might or might not do a silly picture thing, but at the moment I don't have my James pictures to draw on, so I'll just be verbal.)
Once again, these are NOT real movies. I'm just being silly in the style of Awful Movie Database. Which, by the way, is hilarious and should update more often.
(I might or might not do a silly picture thing, but at the moment I don't have my James pictures to draw on, so I'll just be verbal.)
Once again, these are NOT real movies. I'm just being silly in the style of Awful Movie Database. Which, by the way, is hilarious and should update more often.
Ho Ho Holly
Scott (James Callis) is a typical dudebro. He has strong feelings for and against. For: hot chicks, beer, bros, giving wedgies. Against: ugly chicks, vegetables, hos, receiving wedgies. But Christmas gives him mixed feelings!! Especially when he falls for the hot Holly (Tricia Helfer), who wants to teach him the true meaning of Christmas - and it's giving and loving. He feels icky girl germs getting all over him - how will he fight this?! His bros Rock (Aaron Douglas) and Brock (Jamie Bamber) to the rescue. Who wins, bros or hos? Will Scott find the true meaning of Christmas? Who gives the final wedgie?
Dialogue sample:
Brock: Hey dude, wanna give the nerd next door a wedgie?!
Scott: Uh, I dunno. Holly says wedgies are mean and not fitting to the Christmas spirit.
Rock: You've changed, man.
Brock: Bros before hos, man!!!
(Rock and Brock give Scott a wedgie.)
Jingle (Wedding) Bells
Bobby (some no-name actor) and Stacey (Katherine Heigl) are about to be married! They are soo happy, and everything is full of joy and love, especially since it's December 21st. But right before the wedding can take place, Bobby is hit by a car and goes into a coma. Despite the tragedy, Stacey pulls herself together and tries to rejoice Christmas with the help of empathetic and sexy doctor Seth (James Callis). As it happens, Seth's family is far away in London, and Stacey invites him to their house for Christmas. Will Seth put up with her wacky family? Will Stacey and Seth fall for each other (duh)? What happens when Bobby wakes up from a coma right as Stacey and Seth are kissing?!!! Warning: this movie is not recommended for intelligent people.
Bobby (some no-name actor) and Stacey (Katherine Heigl) are about to be married! They are soo happy, and everything is full of joy and love, especially since it's December 21st. But right before the wedding can take place, Bobby is hit by a car and goes into a coma. Despite the tragedy, Stacey pulls herself together and tries to rejoice Christmas with the help of empathetic and sexy doctor Seth (James Callis). As it happens, Seth's family is far away in London, and Stacey invites him to their house for Christmas. Will Seth put up with her wacky family? Will Stacey and Seth fall for each other (duh)? What happens when Bobby wakes up from a coma right as Stacey and Seth are kissing?!!! Warning: this movie is not recommended for intelligent people.
Stacey's Grandma: You know, Seth, you are quite the fetching young man.
Seth: Uh, t-thank you, that's so kind of you. (blushes adorably)
Stacey's Grandma: Oh boy! I've been thinking of becoming a cougar, actually.
Stacey: Grandma!!!!
Seth: (alternately spits out his drink or squirts something)
Stacey: I feel like Christmas came for me after all.
Seth: It comes to everyone, Stacey. Always.
(kiss)
Bobby: Hey, wait a minute! What are you doing kissing my girlfriend!
Stacey: Bobby, you woke up!
Stacey: It's so great you understand, Bobby.
Bobby: I'm heartbroken. But I love you and want you to be happy.
(sob-story music)
Seth: You're a good guy, Bob. Here's something for your heartache.
Stacey: What did you give him?
Seth: Oh you know, just some extasy.
Stacey: SETHY!
Seth: What, did you want some too?
Santa Clones
Mick Hallis (James Callis) is an ordinary, slightly goofy family father. When Christmas morning comes, he finds a stray dog in the snow and brings him in as a Christmas gift for the kids. As the family rejoices, their neighbor Joaquin Phoenix (Joseph Fiennes) shows up to ask about his missing dog... In the spirit of Christmas sharing, Mick and Joaquin decide to get the dog cloned. Wacky inventor Hermes Rotschild (Tim Allen) makes a little mistake, and now, much to the dismay of Mick's sensible wife Elmie (Julie Delpy), there are two of Mick! What will become of Christmas, and their lives?!
Elmie: Mick, we don't know whose dog this is.
Mick: Oh I'm sure he's just a stray!
Elmie: Really? He looks remarkably well fed and trusting.
Mick: Who knows what old lady has been feeding him. I name him Belchy.
Elmie: Mick, I really don't think you should give him beer.
Generic children: What's this!!! Do we get to keep him!! He's sooo cute! We name him Chris, because he came at Christmas!
Mick: I prefer Belchy.
Joaquin: Howdy neighbor!
Mick: Howdy J-quin! How's life?
Joaquin: Not so good partner. Our dog Morby went missing.. Oh there he is!!!
Mick: Uh oh.
Hermes Rotschild: This is so exciting!!! *fiddles with 100 computers*
Mick: Are you sure this is safe, Inventor Rotschild?
H.R.: Safe? Hahahaha! Ahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahahaahaaa!!!!!!
Mick: Uh oh.
Elmie: Mick, this is insane! What am I going to do with you? You both.
Mick: Elmie, this could be GREAT! Think about it. Double the fun... One of me can go to work, the other one can stay and pleasure you all day...
Elmie: I'd be satisfied with either of you doing the yard work.
Generic boy: Hey, Daddy's here AND Santa's here!
Generic girl: *gasp* This must be the REAL Santa!
Mick: Heh heh! *winks at camera*
(End credits)
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Holy Frakking Casting News, Batman. (About James Callis.)
(Sometimes the weaknesses of Google search cramp my titling style. The thing is, Google will not find this post unless I say James Callis in the title so...)
It's been quiet for a while, but yesterday we suddenly got TWO casting news in one day. Awesome!
Firstly the officially announced one: James will play jewel thief Dodger in Arrow. Here's the link from TV Guide, and here you can see the character. It's interesting when you have a visual idea, instead of just a description of what the character is like. I'm slightly dismayed to find that it's a long-haired British character. (Not that I object to long hair!!) Many people consider Baltar a villain, so a long-haired (dodgy!) villain in a sci fi/comics thing, well, slightly smells of typecasting. However, seeing the quote - "Big fan of your wars, and the telly" - gave me a joyful feeling. I can hear James say it, and I'm loving it. This might be just the role for him, with his comedic timing. Sadly it's one episode only, but hopefully an unforgettable performance! This show will air in January.
Secondly, this is not on the imdb page of the movie or any other official source, but so far two actors on Twitter have expressed their joy of working with James. So it's out there: James will be in British movie Dreck, a thriller about a near future dystopia where all recreational drugs are legal. The trailer certainly looks interesting. James posted a picture of himself on set with a rather.. different look. O.o Umm.. Eh.. It's n-not that I have anything against James aging, but I'm rather stunned by this. I think it's because when I imagine James older, I imagine this smiling, warm-eyed, perhaps round-cheeked man with lots of flowy white hair. This is some business tycoon hardass with a piercing look in his eyes and oddly silvery hair. He looks downright dangerous! This may give us some idea as to the character in the film.
I've lost the majority of yesterday's tweets in a sea of today's news about Arrow; Twitter is a great source for quick news, but terrible for repetition. So I can't say who it was who lauded James as an actor. Some guy affiliated with Dreck. Good stuff either way.
So, lots to look forward to in the coming year! :)
It's been quiet for a while, but yesterday we suddenly got TWO casting news in one day. Awesome!
Firstly the officially announced one: James will play jewel thief Dodger in Arrow. Here's the link from TV Guide, and here you can see the character. It's interesting when you have a visual idea, instead of just a description of what the character is like. I'm slightly dismayed to find that it's a long-haired British character. (Not that I object to long hair!!) Many people consider Baltar a villain, so a long-haired (dodgy!) villain in a sci fi/comics thing, well, slightly smells of typecasting. However, seeing the quote - "Big fan of your wars, and the telly" - gave me a joyful feeling. I can hear James say it, and I'm loving it. This might be just the role for him, with his comedic timing. Sadly it's one episode only, but hopefully an unforgettable performance! This show will air in January.
Secondly, this is not on the imdb page of the movie or any other official source, but so far two actors on Twitter have expressed their joy of working with James. So it's out there: James will be in British movie Dreck, a thriller about a near future dystopia where all recreational drugs are legal. The trailer certainly looks interesting. James posted a picture of himself on set with a rather.. different look. O.o Umm.. Eh.. It's n-not that I have anything against James aging, but I'm rather stunned by this. I think it's because when I imagine James older, I imagine this smiling, warm-eyed, perhaps round-cheeked man with lots of flowy white hair. This is some business tycoon hardass with a piercing look in his eyes and oddly silvery hair. He looks downright dangerous! This may give us some idea as to the character in the film.
I've lost the majority of yesterday's tweets in a sea of today's news about Arrow; Twitter is a great source for quick news, but terrible for repetition. So I can't say who it was who lauded James as an actor. Some guy affiliated with Dreck. Good stuff either way.
So, lots to look forward to in the coming year! :)
Monday, December 10, 2012
James Callis on Austenland: Tightpants!!
Entertainment Weekly offers us a first look at Austenland in the form of a very dapper promo picture. (Edit: the link has expired but the picture is here.) And honestly, those pants. Those pants! They are so tight! They.. so tight. This, that is.. unprecedented tight.
I promise that when and if I see Austenland, I will be able to focus on other OMG those pants.
Um, I'll just leave you with this and perhaps blog on another day when I'm not quite so.. preoccupied.
PS. That hat!
I promise that when and if I see Austenland, I will be able to focus on other OMG those pants.
Um, I'll just leave you with this and perhaps blog on another day when I'm not quite so.. preoccupied.
PS. That hat!
James Callis Will Be at Sci-Fi Expo (Dallas) 2013!
Yeehaw! (Is that right for Texas? I feel like such a phoney.)
James Callis has been announced as a guest for next year's Sci-Fi Expo in Dallas, Texas! (Hey, Dallas Texas, James Callis, it all ends with S's! Fitting.) The con will take place on February 9-10. The other announced BSG guests are Tricia Helfer (eeeee OTP gush), Edward James Olmos, and Sam Witwer.
And on this happy occasion, allow me to say that I wish they used some picture other than that one with the oily hair and the haunting/haunted look at the camera from 200-frakking-5. I don't think it does his handsomeness justice.
The con's page is here. More news/photos/gushery as it draws closer.
..Draws, or lassoes..? OK, I promise, no more jokes pertaining to the location of the con.
PS. I shot JR.
James Callis has been announced as a guest for next year's Sci-Fi Expo in Dallas, Texas! (Hey, Dallas Texas, James Callis, it all ends with S's! Fitting.) The con will take place on February 9-10. The other announced BSG guests are Tricia Helfer (eeeee OTP gush), Edward James Olmos, and Sam Witwer.
And on this happy occasion, allow me to say that I wish they used some picture other than that one with the oily hair and the haunting/haunted look at the camera from 200-frakking-5. I don't think it does his handsomeness justice.
The con's page is here. More news/photos/gushery as it draws closer.
..Draws, or lassoes..? OK, I promise, no more jokes pertaining to the location of the con.
PS. I shot JR.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
James Callis on DCI Banks, part 2: Whew. And Drool.
SPOILERS. I tried to avoid them in the Midsomer Murders episode, but in the end, do people really care whodunit in a British cop show?
Linkage: There's an interesting article here about typecasting and James' role here. As usual, I feel the need to mention that Gaius Baltar was more than just a villain, more than just a traitor, more than just... Well, he was more than any other character I've seen, and James has said before that he did so many things in that role, he may never get a similar chance again. So whatever he does from now on, it could be said to be typecasting in some way. It's inevitable. As such, I don't see this role as typecasting, even if he does some Gaius-like facial expressions. But it's an interesting read, and gives a better recap of the episode than I feel I have.
If I'd done my research last week, I would have known that Innocent Graves, part 2 aired the day after the first part. But I was too shocked by part 1 and probably wouldn't have watched it last week anyway.
The second part is a great relief for me, as it turns out Owen Pierce is... innocent. He's being set up, he's not a molester or a rapist either. There are some shocking, rough scenes, and for a moment there I was worried I'd have to watch James kill himself in character. That would have been horrible. But his character turns out OK and in psychiatric care. I'm so glad of how this ended. The murderer, as it happens, is neither Pierce nor the creepy boy who was the other suspect. Well played.
We begin on a sad note, as Pierce reports the vandalism on his house and gets the cops in - seven hours late. There's lots of tension between him and Banks, who says he will knock Owen's door first, no matter what crime is committed in Yorkshire. Great acting moment here. James' eyes look almost yellow in this light, transparent. His sadness and lonely desperation burn me.
Speaking of burning - Owen shows them what happened to him in prison: scalded with sugar water ."Sugar intensifies the burn. You did this to me."
Maybe I'm a horrible person or maybe it's a coping mechanism, because I can't stand to think of James scalded, I just can't. But look! He gets to show his belly a bit! I get so many "James Callis shirtless" searches, and here it is - James Callis at least partially shirtless. It's.. drool... gush... OMG... He's so beautiful. I just... Wow.
I mean, after all, the burn is not real. It looks bad but it's just makeup. We can just look past it and focus on all the sexiness going on. I do wish he got to be shirtless in a more positive (and longer) shot, but this still made me very happy.
Maddy, one of his students who was just telling the cops he likes rough sex, has been writing love letters to prison. She acts like they're going to be together after this. But I think us viewers know what she really wants: a scandal. My heart breaks again here, because all he wants is for someone to trust him, to love him. He's so desperate and she betrays her.
In the meantime, someone kills Ellie's best friend Becca, and the police find a destitute Owen in his home. Oh James, don't cry! We love you, we do. All is well. (Edit: Blogger went nuts because of my heart icons, so I'll just rewrite this bit. HEART HEART HEART.)
I can apparently tell James and the character apart, but only when it comes to overwhelming fetishes like his body, or how tiny he looks in a hoodie. But when he's crying like this, and all alone in the world, I just feel it's James there and my heart breaks for him. (Of course, they didn't show him being scalded - gah, now I thought of him being scalded in prison. This show is a mindfield. Um, minefield. A minefield for the mind? Nevermind.)
Luckily someone saw Owen with Maddy around the time Becca died. But then he sees the paper. Maddy has sold his love letters as "sick letters to Ellie".
And his world comes tumbling down. I can't even really think about how he must be feeling.
This scene was perhaps the hardest yet. Owen goes off the deep end and kidnaps Maddy, but the police find him in time.
He asks what it matters now, everyone thinks he did it, he might as well do this to Maddy. Banks tells him he'll have to live with a murder on his conscience. Also, Banks is so sorry for his doubts, and they caught the real killer now. In the end, Owen is able to drop the knife. James does some stellar work here. He does desperate, and pained, and even murderous.He blows me away here.
I thought he would do it. The suicide would have been even worse, but him spending life in prison, and me having to watch James kill someone in character - I'm so glad it didn't come to that.
In the end, Owen Pierce gets psychiatric help. We no longer see him, but he know he'll be OK, or at least better than he was. Not alone.
It strikes me that James may have spoken with his Yorkshire/Aerilon accent all through this. It's a show set in Yorkshire, after all. I didn't really notice, so maybe that means it was a really good, natural Yorkshire accent? I'm not a good judge of that.
Either way, amazing performance. This was a hard watch, but for the ending, and the shirtless bit, I feel like it was worth watching. Caution is still adviced to those of sensitive persuasion.
Linkage: There's an interesting article here about typecasting and James' role here. As usual, I feel the need to mention that Gaius Baltar was more than just a villain, more than just a traitor, more than just... Well, he was more than any other character I've seen, and James has said before that he did so many things in that role, he may never get a similar chance again. So whatever he does from now on, it could be said to be typecasting in some way. It's inevitable. As such, I don't see this role as typecasting, even if he does some Gaius-like facial expressions. But it's an interesting read, and gives a better recap of the episode than I feel I have.
If I'd done my research last week, I would have known that Innocent Graves, part 2 aired the day after the first part. But I was too shocked by part 1 and probably wouldn't have watched it last week anyway.
The second part is a great relief for me, as it turns out Owen Pierce is... innocent. He's being set up, he's not a molester or a rapist either. There are some shocking, rough scenes, and for a moment there I was worried I'd have to watch James kill himself in character. That would have been horrible. But his character turns out OK and in psychiatric care. I'm so glad of how this ended. The murderer, as it happens, is neither Pierce nor the creepy boy who was the other suspect. Well played.
We begin on a sad note, as Pierce reports the vandalism on his house and gets the cops in - seven hours late. There's lots of tension between him and Banks, who says he will knock Owen's door first, no matter what crime is committed in Yorkshire. Great acting moment here. James' eyes look almost yellow in this light, transparent. His sadness and lonely desperation burn me.
Speaking of burning - Owen shows them what happened to him in prison: scalded with sugar water ."Sugar intensifies the burn. You did this to me."
Maybe I'm a horrible person or maybe it's a coping mechanism, because I can't stand to think of James scalded, I just can't. But look! He gets to show his belly a bit! I get so many "James Callis shirtless" searches, and here it is - James Callis at least partially shirtless. It's.. drool... gush... OMG... He's so beautiful. I just... Wow.
I mean, after all, the burn is not real. It looks bad but it's just makeup. We can just look past it and focus on all the sexiness going on. I do wish he got to be shirtless in a more positive (and longer) shot, but this still made me very happy.
Maddy, one of his students who was just telling the cops he likes rough sex, has been writing love letters to prison. She acts like they're going to be together after this. But I think us viewers know what she really wants: a scandal. My heart breaks again here, because all he wants is for someone to trust him, to love him. He's so desperate and she betrays her.
In the meantime, someone kills Ellie's best friend Becca, and the police find a destitute Owen in his home. Oh James, don't cry! We love you, we do. All is well. (Edit: Blogger went nuts because of my heart icons, so I'll just rewrite this bit. HEART HEART HEART.)
I can apparently tell James and the character apart, but only when it comes to overwhelming fetishes like his body, or how tiny he looks in a hoodie. But when he's crying like this, and all alone in the world, I just feel it's James there and my heart breaks for him. (Of course, they didn't show him being scalded - gah, now I thought of him being scalded in prison. This show is a mindfield. Um, minefield. A minefield for the mind? Nevermind.)
Luckily someone saw Owen with Maddy around the time Becca died. But then he sees the paper. Maddy has sold his love letters as "sick letters to Ellie".
And his world comes tumbling down. I can't even really think about how he must be feeling.
This scene was perhaps the hardest yet. Owen goes off the deep end and kidnaps Maddy, but the police find him in time.
He asks what it matters now, everyone thinks he did it, he might as well do this to Maddy. Banks tells him he'll have to live with a murder on his conscience. Also, Banks is so sorry for his doubts, and they caught the real killer now. In the end, Owen is able to drop the knife. James does some stellar work here. He does desperate, and pained, and even murderous.He blows me away here.
I thought he would do it. The suicide would have been even worse, but him spending life in prison, and me having to watch James kill someone in character - I'm so glad it didn't come to that.
In the end, Owen Pierce gets psychiatric help. We no longer see him, but he know he'll be OK, or at least better than he was. Not alone.
It strikes me that James may have spoken with his Yorkshire/Aerilon accent all through this. It's a show set in Yorkshire, after all. I didn't really notice, so maybe that means it was a really good, natural Yorkshire accent? I'm not a good judge of that.
Either way, amazing performance. This was a hard watch, but for the ending, and the shirtless bit, I feel like it was worth watching. Caution is still adviced to those of sensitive persuasion.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
James Callis on DCI Banks, Part I: Oh All the Feels.
WARNING: This show disturbed me so it might disturb others. Murder, possible rape, really difficult to watch.
Wow, this really traumatized me. I've seen James in most of his roles, and I've usually been able to enjoy them in some way. But this... I just felt incredibly uncomfortable watching this. I can't hate this character because it's James, but I also can't like him very much because we aren't given much to go on. This is a two-parter, so he might turn out be the murderer. He might like rough sex with really young girls, or the girls may have set him up. He's weaselly and he's lying and there's something really off about him - but he may be innocent, and now his life is ruined. I give the show credit for not showing us the murder, like some shows do; we don't know who did it and why. There are two creepy main suspects, but it's not obvious who did it.
When I say it's James, just to clarify, I know it's just a character, and he said on Twitter that it was an "unwelcome" role. He's not this guy. But this guy looks like him. It's the same hairdo, and the same stubble, and even his clothes look like what James might wear. There are many Gaius Baltar mannerisms when he's obviously lying, and these are mannerisms I've come to know and love. He's done them in many Q&As to show what a weasel Gaius is. But now he's doing them here and he may have murdered a young girl, and I can't help but feel for him because it's James, but really I should probably hate him. My feelings are confused.
I did feel disgusted at Mason Duryea on Numb3rs, but Mason looked and acted nothing like James. He had a Southern accent, his hair was wild, his look was haggard and disturbed. He talked and looked like a madman. I applaud James for making that happen, but I don't really see James in that role, so it's not so disturbing. I was able to distance my fan feelings from him completely. Mason isn't really that attractive; he's too haggard and violent and awful to be admired or gushed over.
I find Owen Pierce attractive though, because I find James attractive. He has James' face, hair, and body. He has the sad puppy eyes at some bits, and the Gaius mannerisms. It's only when he yells at the female detective that she obviously hates men when his eyes obviously aren't James's. I see him as someone else there. But then we go back to troubled Owen, and hated Owen, and broken Owen, and that looks similar to the troubled hated broken Gaius Baltar. And I do hate when people see him only as Gaius Baltar, but there are similarities here that I can't overlook.
And I don't know, maybe this is just because I'm a fangirl and I have so many feels about James from over the years. Maybe I can no longer watch a performance of his without feeling something for him as the actor. Or maybe it's just too close for comfort.
I'm really not sure if I can rewatch the episode but here's a brief recap with pictures:
We open on lights going round and James telling someone, in his gravelly voice, to "show me your fear." But wait, he's only being a good drama teacher! He's not killing a young girl! Psych! A pretty powerful beginning. Also, chest hair, but I'm having trouble even drooling over him here.
Creepy face, but it's acting, so it's OK. I like this shot a lot, with the two young girls' profiles. It sets up a nie theme for the episode. (Although I have to mumble to myself that it's always attractive young girls who get killed in these shows.)
They burst into laughter and he's suddenly their buddy. We see how he tries to be one of them and wants to be liked. (Perhaps desperately?)
Ellie - our murder victim - is given friendly advice. Just the teacher's hand on the shoulder, it's not sexual. OR IS IT??
After class, various sexy young girls try to get his attention, but he's still staring at Ellie. It's creepy.
Also, even more creepily, he reminds me of a professor I had, who shall remain nameless. He was a sexy older* man, and he flirted with everyone, he even flirted with me. (Maybe I'm more attractive than I think, or maybe it's just some universal "I love women", I don't know.) It was flattering and I think many of us had a crush on him, although I don't know if he had any affairs with students. It strikes me that I see him as a good guy, but if someone accused him of rape or sexual harrassment - I'd probably buy it. That sort of attention with women can usually go both ways, and some girls weren't comfortable with it. If you don't know the person that well, and you felt sexual tension between him and you, there might be a feeling of fear that leads you to believe he did it. Someone could definitely abuse this underlying fear and lie about him. This thought makes this episode even more disturbing. (* = considerably older than James, but we were 20-25, not 15 like the girls here.)
Viewers, this guy is creepy. Please hate him and suspect him, OK?
Nice closeup though. I like the lines on his face. I haven't really seen them until the last couple of years, but they look like a friendly person's lines. Like his eyes have laughed a lot.
Talking to the cops, Owen tries hard to come off as totally normal. "She was always such a bright young thing! So... vital!" He sounds like he's thinking of her boobs, or their sex together, or something. He's doing a lot with his eyes here, trying to give a wide-eyed look of innocence.
Gaius lying faces!!! He ends up looking something like a frog when he does these faces. Maybe it's his bulging eyes and the mouth positions. My boyfriend didn't like Gaius based on screenshots, because "He's always bulging his eyes!!" But he did like Gaius then, when we were actually watching. He said it makes James look less attractive when he does these faces. I think it's rather adorable. Not really sexy but.. adorable.
Ribbit, ribbit. I think it's just his natural comedian coming out, trying to do something fun to a role that's about to get very dark.
And then it gets very dark and at this point, I may not be able to recap much longer.
Awww! James, don't worry!! We don't hate you! We love you! :* :* :* ..Um, fangirl mode kicks in.
Notably, he lies some more, nothing he says can be trusted, he's really arrogant and desperate, and "Let's just say I appreciate the female form". So dirty old man (although he's not that old), possible murderer, all kinds of icky. But also all kinds of desperate and sad and miserable. Then, when he's already lost his reputation and been beat up in prison, he's let go on a technicality - and finds his house wrecked. And then goes stalking another young girl, so did he do it? DID HE?! More next week.
Some pictures below. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, because I feel really awful. But it's a great performance from James. There are Gaius mannerisms, but that doesn't mean he's stuck in a rut and does them in every role. In fact, I haven't seen them since Gaius. The sad eyes, the misery - he does a lot with this character, and it couldn't have been easy.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
James Callis at F.A.C.T.S. Belgium - Watch this Space
Wednesday, October 31: Eeee Full Q&A!!!
I wasn't hoping for this anymore, but: someone's uploaded James' whole Sunday Q&A on Youtube!! Link here. Thank you so much! (Embedding is disabled for this video.)
I'm super busy today, it being the last day of the month and thus a day when you can still plump up your paycheck a little bit. I get very skinny paychecks, so I can't make a lot of commentary, but I will later. As a whole, the Q&A covers a lot of familiar ground. There are quite a few "on some level"s. ;) James appears very cutely bundled up, in the blue plaid shirt, cap, scarf, and leather jacket of con glee. (There are so many zippers on that jacket, including in the sleeves. I find it quite fascinating.) The audience seems a bit stiff and doesn't laugh at many of his jokes. WTF? Are Belgian people different when it comes to humor? This must be a cultural thing. He should come to Finland, we're all crazy.
Highlights:
-He apologizes for the French things he wrote in the autographs, some of which apparently weren't correct. Heee! But he used Google Translate to check, so maybe it was actually Google Translate that was wrong. He promises a new autograph to those who got something nonsensical. I'd hang onto a nonsensical French autograph, it's more unique.
-In one of my favorite con moments, he tells people it's Sunday so he will now conduct a religious service, please kneel. Nobody laughs. *facepalm* It was really cute though.
-Edward James Olmos and his warmth comes up again. His children call EJO "Uncle Eddie". Awww! He doesn't do his EJO voice, maybe because this audience doesn't seem to get his humor too well. Too bad.
-He talks a bit about Eureka and the science of the shows, how so much of it is based on real science. He seems fascinated by this aspect, as am I.
-He mentions Baltar being very recognizable, and he's happy about "stepping into a new avatar" soon. Hmm????!!! Does he mean a main role or something else that will be really recognizable? Commence the Dr Who etc. rumors. He can't actually give any news about future projects, but he is working on something.
-There's talk about the finale of BSG and how he doesn't even know what Baltar and Six were, and how it was more about the dangers of technology (he mentions being quick on your thumbs on Twitter - hee! But some of use an actual keyboard for tweeting, James.) He's worried about people reading books less, which might lead to losing some of our cultural inheritance.
I think that's the most important stuff that came up. More later, possibly tomorrow when it's the first of the month and my work motivation takes a sudden slump.
Sunday, October 28
Hmm, I thought I made an update on Thursday but apparently I never published it. It's been a crazy week, but then there weren't that many updates anyway.
We have video! It's a bit of an answer about the old Battlestar Galactica. James watched it as a child and was shocked that they had to leave some people on the planet when it was destroyed.
:D :D The disco planet! I wonder what he means about the world maturing, but not in a great way. Does he mean the world is less innocent? Or that it hasn't matured greatly or anything?
I don't think I've heard him say this stuff before. That's interesting. Shallow side note: his shirt is kind of insufficiently tucked in, so maybe his shirt, as well as his hair, has a life of its own.
And here's an article about him loving single malt! With two very.. awww-inspiring pictures, where he is qutite bundled up again! Apparently this guy sells the whiskey? And he ended up giving James some samples. That's - really kind of cool.
Edit: I need to brush up on my reading stuff properly before linking to it. This guy was responsible for driving him to the hotel from the airport, and whiskey just came up during the drive. And likes - the "peated malts from Islay". I have no idea what that even means, but cheers!
I don't know anything about such drinks, but apparently James is a TOSHAN MAN and that sounds so adorable I might start using this as his new nickname. (Why do I always love when he smokes, drinks, or eats anything? Ingesting things through the mouth = adorable?)
And - holy fucking cheekbones, Batman. The cheekbones seem to be making the form of a question mark, but the wrong way around. So he asks questions, but the other way around? He... thinks of stuff from a different angle? He.. Oh whatever, I'm trying to be deep and failing miserably. Time to call it a day and publish.
Tuesday, October 22: Les Con Temps Sont les Bon Temps.
Second Tuesday Update:
OMG - this is a really cool photo/drawing by *Boredman. The calm exterior hides a fanboyish interior, apparently. Awesome! I don't think anyone else has done this before. I hope James sees this, I think he'd appreciate the artistry.
Also, chest hair. But I'm trying to be slightly less gushy, because I just re-read the post and it seems a bit... dribbly. Bear with me, I have the flu. And stress. And he's just too cute. I've decided that I said "cute" too many times, by the way, so I will no longer use such a word in this post. (I'm not saying anything about the blog as a whole..)
Another adorable photo by kmeron. I like the faded tones, and this is a particularly nice shot of James's KindEyes. He does the delighted face, and it's one of those looks that just melt my heart. It's not a purely sexual thing, it's just that he looks so kind. His hair looks amusingly like it has its own life back there, which James may or may not be aware of.
On a more sobering note, a blogger says they felt very uncomfortable meeting James. This is always sad to read, especially since I worry about it happening to me - paying lots of money to meet him, looking forward to it, and then either making a fool of myself, or catching him on a tired day, or just feeling our chemistries don't match at all. And feeling sad, when everyone else is happy after meeting him. I don't know this blogger, but I got a feeling they might be like me, more comfortable observing than interacting. Half the time I don't talk to James on Twitter because I'm just so damn shy. And I've talked to him several times before, and he's talked to me. It's odd.
His Q&A later that day was inspiring. We got good background information, thoughts on acting and the techniques of the show, and some reflections on his identity as a Brit, and what that implied for the story arc in which Gaius was president.
Oo, that sounds fascinating. I hope there will be quotes and/or video. Am I too greedy? It's awesome that people are reporting anything at all.
Not to make this all about me, but I'm about 100 % sure I'd enjoy being in one of his Q&A's, even if - especially if - I wouldn't be asking a question. Maybe I identify too much with the meeting stories, like when someone has a good meeting I feel I had a good meeting, and vice versa. But maybe that's part of the fun - maybe part of the function? - of con posts. Hmmm.
First Tuesday Update:
(The con times are the good times - not sure if I got that right.)
Sorry for the day with no updates. I've been working hard while having the flu and it's.. my brain is totally hazy, so I apologize in advance for any weirdness. I mean, more weirdness than usual. Um.. nevermind, you probably can't tell the difference anyway.
James himself sounds like he had a blast! He praises Belgian beer and speaks French. I would have gone for Belgian chocolates myself, not a fan of beer. But then they say that Finnish beer is terribly sour, because when it first came here on ships, it got ruined on the way. So Finns began to make bitter, sour beer that Brits think is horrible. I wonder if I'd like the Belgian types.
And I love con times, because James always sounds so happy and benevolent to the whole world. He mostly does, but especially during and after cons. It's good to see how much he enjoys meeting the fans.
"Branchez - connect". Hmm. OK. "sont super" = are super, so.. the people are super connect? I'm missing something here. I need to brush up on my French. There's a super cute picture of him with a beer, too, so check that out.
A cute pic here - he seems to be posing, so it's not a totally candid shot, but it looks self-deprecating. Heee. Also, it must be his Coke! How awesome is that! He drank Coke! I... I can be calm about this, really.
A better version of kmeron's Twitter pic, in black and white. Here you can also see his shadow. James has a lovely profile, really. I love his nose! The black and white gives a strangely old feel, like he's a professor in the 50's, telling the students about life, philosophy, and the joys of smoking. Actually, you can see TWO of this shadows, can't you? One is just wider. That's really deep and philosophical. Maybe that's the alternate reality James, who's much fatter. Either way, really cute hair tuft at the back.
And a cute - I should think of other adjectives but I'm too tired - one here of the signing situation. I'm getting curiouser and curiouser about that thing on his right wrist. Is it a con thing? Is it a watch? It kinda looks like leather. This is a mystery that needs to be solved. Also, COKE!!! This one's also from kmeron.
Here we learn that James was "chaleureux et accessible", chaleureux meaning warm or hearty. Awww. Also, one of his funniest autographs ever! (Note that Lee is also in the picture. Fanficcers alert!)
Awww, sweetie pie. He remembers people's names! Maybe he has some super strong memory, or maybe, if I go really fangirl here, the fans mean so much to him that he just revels in meeting each and every one of them and remembers it forever? The latter seems unlikely, but would be intensely flattering to all fans, so maybe I'll go with that one.
Also, someone tweeted that James was the best part of the con, but I can't find that one now. Either way, sounds like an awesome con.
And. I realized I could have gone. I mean, it's Belgium, it's really close to Finland compared to the US, the flights can be quite cheap. I could have been there and met James but I didn't even consider it. It came to my mind on Saturday, and I beat myself up a bit. There aren't that many cons in Europe, after all, and I may never meet James in person at this rate. But as it happens, a friend had her mother's funeral on Saturday, and my boyfriend's father had bypass surgery yesterday. I might have felt really bad to be far away from them at this time. So all is good.
Sunday, 7:12 PM Belgian time. SNUGGLY PIC!!!
OK, I guess I can stop with the Belgian times because the con is almost over.
I just saw this picture, from Marie who is very lucky indeed. While my fan envy meter reached a new high, it's a lovely picture, and look how snuggly he is with her and how his hair is. And I do like the plaid, which is obviously much brighter than it looked in the earlier pictures. Also, this is the first picture that wasn't from Twitter, so I can start advertising my post on Twitter. I'm needed again! Ye!
Another lovely one from GregNoirfalise. James' face looks slightly burned. Maybe he burned it in the California sun, or maybe it's just hot in those photo op studios. (Or maybe he hugged too many girls?)
And from crossbowwarrior here. It's a bit blurry but I love that you can see an expression, as well as a hair-pression(?). (Why do I feel like all of my comments amount to "gush, his hair/outfit/etc."? Well, as long as we don't have any quotes, that's all I have.
*swoons in an embarrassing fashion*
Sunday, October 21, 13:25 PM Belgian time. OMG Cute! :D:D
This just in: cutest outfit ever? It's cute because it's just so - James! Was he cold again? (Well, he did spend some weeks in LA according to his tweets. But I like the idea that he's just perpetually cold, it's very cute for some reason.) THE leather jacket! The cap! The scarf! He looks tiny and bundled up inside the protective clothing layer. Awwwww unbearably cute! Also, today it's blue plaid. I do like the plaid. Thanks to Radeon_sk for the photo!
Also: the cap again (C for Cylon?) and a bit of chest hair! Cheekbones ftw, btw. What strikes me about this picture is the red eyes - we seem to have two cylons here, one of them being James. Har har. Okay, old joke but still. Thanks to Greg Noirfalise!
And a signing picture - are those patched elbows? Ah, is that the coat he had on at "An Evening with James Callis", rocking the whole English professor look? I love his expression, it looks.. genuine. It's not a posing picture at all, which is why I love candid shots. And is that his Coke is that his Coke is that.. *calms down* OK, it's no big deal whether he drinks Coke or not, just because it happens to be my favorite drink. Ahem. I'm normal. Thanks to Robert (Rossert?) Leach.
It's a bit problematic that all updates seem to be on Twitter. I don't even feel like advertising this post on Twitter, because all people have to do is read the Twitter search for "James Callis" or "Gaius Baltar". I feel unnecessary. But then, Twitter search only pans for a couple of days, and then the updates are lost. So if I don't blog them now, they will be forever lost to those who don't follow the tweeters - right? I'm still doing the world a favor. I think. I will advertise when they no longer show in the search.
Saturday, 20:24 PM Belgian time. First Photos!!!
Oo, we have our first photos!!!! We have our first photos. I'm calm. I'm still calm.
Look, he's wearing red plaid! I love that shirt. He's looking quite fabulous indeed and look at that hair, swoon.
A blurrier photo, but you can see - more hair. That's a lot of hair. Wow. Also, James seems to have one of his touched, friendly looks on. I wonder what he talked about.
A close up reveals that his hair is very long indeed! That is some thick, long hair. Luscious, thick, long hair. Dark, luscious, thick, long, oh you get the picture. GUSH!!!
So these pictures are from his Q&A earlier. Thanks to ttinycourageous, Wilidrine, and kmeron!
Also, someone posted something in Dutch, but I think my dictionary-usage was of no help. I, uh, don't think James looked anything like a "matrimony battleship", so I must be misinterpreting.
Saturday, October 20, 12:48 PM Belgian time.
Eee! So another con and another con watch post. This time, it's in Belgium, which is not a hundred hours behind Finland, so I might actually get some updates while still awake. But who knows? It's a smaller con, so there will be fewer updates, and some will not be in English. I'm trying to brace myself here. Also, while James seems delighted at puns like "F.A.C.T.S. are Gaius Baltar is coming to Belgium", I'm not so happy because when you search for "James Callis F.A.C.T.S.", it (Google) just gives you - James Callis facts. It's a little more frustrating than usual, but I think I will be bitten by the con bug all the same.
The schedule is here at the F.A.C.T.S. homesite. There will be two Q&As, as well as two photoshoots, and in addition James will be signing autographs. Or is signing, or has been signing, more aptly, since it started at 10 AM Belgian time.
Wow, Belgium is only ONE hour behind Finland! You see, we're at the top of the world and thus ahead of most other countries. A great place to be, except for the climate and distances. So James will be having his Q&A in approximately one hour. Eeee exciting!!!
So, updates later! In the meantime, I want to link to this: James appeals for Mexican playwright Legom. Donate if you can - you can help save someone's life. More videos for Legom here. The website with more details here.
I wasn't hoping for this anymore, but: someone's uploaded James' whole Sunday Q&A on Youtube!! Link here. Thank you so much! (Embedding is disabled for this video.)
I'm super busy today, it being the last day of the month and thus a day when you can still plump up your paycheck a little bit. I get very skinny paychecks, so I can't make a lot of commentary, but I will later. As a whole, the Q&A covers a lot of familiar ground. There are quite a few "on some level"s. ;) James appears very cutely bundled up, in the blue plaid shirt, cap, scarf, and leather jacket of con glee. (There are so many zippers on that jacket, including in the sleeves. I find it quite fascinating.) The audience seems a bit stiff and doesn't laugh at many of his jokes. WTF? Are Belgian people different when it comes to humor? This must be a cultural thing. He should come to Finland, we're all crazy.
Highlights:
-He apologizes for the French things he wrote in the autographs, some of which apparently weren't correct. Heee! But he used Google Translate to check, so maybe it was actually Google Translate that was wrong. He promises a new autograph to those who got something nonsensical. I'd hang onto a nonsensical French autograph, it's more unique.
-In one of my favorite con moments, he tells people it's Sunday so he will now conduct a religious service, please kneel. Nobody laughs. *facepalm* It was really cute though.
-Edward James Olmos and his warmth comes up again. His children call EJO "Uncle Eddie". Awww! He doesn't do his EJO voice, maybe because this audience doesn't seem to get his humor too well. Too bad.
-He talks a bit about Eureka and the science of the shows, how so much of it is based on real science. He seems fascinated by this aspect, as am I.
-He mentions Baltar being very recognizable, and he's happy about "stepping into a new avatar" soon. Hmm????!!! Does he mean a main role or something else that will be really recognizable? Commence the Dr Who etc. rumors. He can't actually give any news about future projects, but he is working on something.
-There's talk about the finale of BSG and how he doesn't even know what Baltar and Six were, and how it was more about the dangers of technology (he mentions being quick on your thumbs on Twitter - hee! But some of use an actual keyboard for tweeting, James.) He's worried about people reading books less, which might lead to losing some of our cultural inheritance.
I think that's the most important stuff that came up. More later, possibly tomorrow when it's the first of the month and my work motivation takes a sudden slump.
Sunday, October 28
Hmm, I thought I made an update on Thursday but apparently I never published it. It's been a crazy week, but then there weren't that many updates anyway.
We have video! It's a bit of an answer about the old Battlestar Galactica. James watched it as a child and was shocked that they had to leave some people on the planet when it was destroyed.
"..with the idea that there's been a genocide on a planet. The one memory I have frmo being a kid is watching, Captain Apollo come down in his viper, and there's a sea of people who are refugees, but like he's only got two seats. And I remember thinking: Well they gotta save them, cos like it's a TV show, and it can't end badly, and whatever. I'm a lot older now and I still remember that one scene, because it really hurt! And we carried on that kind of legacy. The world has matured, not necessarily in a great way since the 70's. The thing that is interesting is in the 70's, after the world had been destroyed, they went to the disco planet, which we didn't do."
:D :D The disco planet! I wonder what he means about the world maturing, but not in a great way. Does he mean the world is less innocent? Or that it hasn't matured greatly or anything?
I don't think I've heard him say this stuff before. That's interesting. Shallow side note: his shirt is kind of insufficiently tucked in, so maybe his shirt, as well as his hair, has a life of its own.
And here's an article about him loving single malt! With two very.. awww-inspiring pictures, where he is qutite bundled up again! Apparently this guy sells the whiskey? And he ended up giving James some samples. That's - really kind of cool.
Edit: I need to brush up on my reading stuff properly before linking to it. This guy was responsible for driving him to the hotel from the airport, and whiskey just came up during the drive. And likes - the "peated malts from Islay". I have no idea what that even means, but cheers!
I don't know anything about such drinks, but apparently James is a TOSHAN MAN and that sounds so adorable I might start using this as his new nickname. (Why do I always love when he smokes, drinks, or eats anything? Ingesting things through the mouth = adorable?)
And - holy fucking cheekbones, Batman. The cheekbones seem to be making the form of a question mark, but the wrong way around. So he asks questions, but the other way around? He... thinks of stuff from a different angle? He.. Oh whatever, I'm trying to be deep and failing miserably. Time to call it a day and publish.
Tuesday, October 22: Les Con Temps Sont les Bon Temps.
Second Tuesday Update:
OMG - this is a really cool photo/drawing by *Boredman. The calm exterior hides a fanboyish interior, apparently. Awesome! I don't think anyone else has done this before. I hope James sees this, I think he'd appreciate the artistry.
Also, chest hair. But I'm trying to be slightly less gushy, because I just re-read the post and it seems a bit... dribbly. Bear with me, I have the flu. And stress. And he's just too cute. I've decided that I said "cute" too many times, by the way, so I will no longer use such a word in this post. (I'm not saying anything about the blog as a whole..)
Another adorable photo by kmeron. I like the faded tones, and this is a particularly nice shot of James's KindEyes. He does the delighted face, and it's one of those looks that just melt my heart. It's not a purely sexual thing, it's just that he looks so kind. His hair looks amusingly like it has its own life back there, which James may or may not be aware of.
On a more sobering note, a blogger says they felt very uncomfortable meeting James. This is always sad to read, especially since I worry about it happening to me - paying lots of money to meet him, looking forward to it, and then either making a fool of myself, or catching him on a tired day, or just feeling our chemistries don't match at all. And feeling sad, when everyone else is happy after meeting him. I don't know this blogger, but I got a feeling they might be like me, more comfortable observing than interacting. Half the time I don't talk to James on Twitter because I'm just so damn shy. And I've talked to him several times before, and he's talked to me. It's odd.
His Q&A later that day was inspiring. We got good background information, thoughts on acting and the techniques of the show, and some reflections on his identity as a Brit, and what that implied for the story arc in which Gaius was president.
Oo, that sounds fascinating. I hope there will be quotes and/or video. Am I too greedy? It's awesome that people are reporting anything at all.
Not to make this all about me, but I'm about 100 % sure I'd enjoy being in one of his Q&A's, even if - especially if - I wouldn't be asking a question. Maybe I identify too much with the meeting stories, like when someone has a good meeting I feel I had a good meeting, and vice versa. But maybe that's part of the fun - maybe part of the function? - of con posts. Hmmm.
First Tuesday Update:
(The con times are the good times - not sure if I got that right.)
Sorry for the day with no updates. I've been working hard while having the flu and it's.. my brain is totally hazy, so I apologize in advance for any weirdness. I mean, more weirdness than usual. Um.. nevermind, you probably can't tell the difference anyway.
James himself sounds like he had a blast! He praises Belgian beer and speaks French. I would have gone for Belgian chocolates myself, not a fan of beer. But then they say that Finnish beer is terribly sour, because when it first came here on ships, it got ruined on the way. So Finns began to make bitter, sour beer that Brits think is horrible. I wonder if I'd like the Belgian types.
And I love con times, because James always sounds so happy and benevolent to the whole world. He mostly does, but especially during and after cons. It's good to see how much he enjoys meeting the fans.
Merci Belgium - the beers here r beyond belief, name & number & the people whether they speak Flemish or French Sont super branchez! Merci x
"Branchez - connect". Hmm. OK. "sont super" = are super, so.. the people are super connect? I'm missing something here. I need to brush up on my French. There's a super cute picture of him with a beer, too, so check that out.
A cute pic here - he seems to be posing, so it's not a totally candid shot, but it looks self-deprecating. Heee. Also, it must be his Coke! How awesome is that! He drank Coke! I... I can be calm about this, really.
A better version of kmeron's Twitter pic, in black and white. Here you can also see his shadow. James has a lovely profile, really. I love his nose! The black and white gives a strangely old feel, like he's a professor in the 50's, telling the students about life, philosophy, and the joys of smoking. Actually, you can see TWO of this shadows, can't you? One is just wider. That's really deep and philosophical. Maybe that's the alternate reality James, who's much fatter. Either way, really cute hair tuft at the back.
And a cute - I should think of other adjectives but I'm too tired - one here of the signing situation. I'm getting curiouser and curiouser about that thing on his right wrist. Is it a con thing? Is it a watch? It kinda looks like leather. This is a mystery that needs to be solved. Also, COKE!!! This one's also from kmeron.
Here we learn that James was "chaleureux et accessible", chaleureux meaning warm or hearty. Awww. Also, one of his funniest autographs ever! (Note that Lee is also in the picture. Fanficcers alert!)
James Callis, at the photoshoot : "Hi Valerie, how are you". He basically just remembered my name from the autograph session the day be4 ♥
Awww, sweetie pie. He remembers people's names! Maybe he has some super strong memory, or maybe, if I go really fangirl here, the fans mean so much to him that he just revels in meeting each and every one of them and remembers it forever? The latter seems unlikely, but would be intensely flattering to all fans, so maybe I'll go with that one.
Also, someone tweeted that James was the best part of the con, but I can't find that one now. Either way, sounds like an awesome con.
And. I realized I could have gone. I mean, it's Belgium, it's really close to Finland compared to the US, the flights can be quite cheap. I could have been there and met James but I didn't even consider it. It came to my mind on Saturday, and I beat myself up a bit. There aren't that many cons in Europe, after all, and I may never meet James in person at this rate. But as it happens, a friend had her mother's funeral on Saturday, and my boyfriend's father had bypass surgery yesterday. I might have felt really bad to be far away from them at this time. So all is good.
Sunday, 7:12 PM Belgian time. SNUGGLY PIC!!!
OK, I guess I can stop with the Belgian times because the con is almost over.
I just saw this picture, from Marie who is very lucky indeed. While my fan envy meter reached a new high, it's a lovely picture, and look how snuggly he is with her and how his hair is. And I do like the plaid, which is obviously much brighter than it looked in the earlier pictures. Also, this is the first picture that wasn't from Twitter, so I can start advertising my post on Twitter. I'm needed again! Ye!
Another lovely one from GregNoirfalise. James' face looks slightly burned. Maybe he burned it in the California sun, or maybe it's just hot in those photo op studios. (Or maybe he hugged too many girls?)
And from crossbowwarrior here. It's a bit blurry but I love that you can see an expression, as well as a hair-pression(?). (Why do I feel like all of my comments amount to "gush, his hair/outfit/etc."? Well, as long as we don't have any quotes, that's all I have.
*swoons in an embarrassing fashion*
Sunday, October 21, 13:25 PM Belgian time. OMG Cute! :D:D
This just in: cutest outfit ever? It's cute because it's just so - James! Was he cold again? (Well, he did spend some weeks in LA according to his tweets. But I like the idea that he's just perpetually cold, it's very cute for some reason.) THE leather jacket! The cap! The scarf! He looks tiny and bundled up inside the protective clothing layer. Awwwww unbearably cute! Also, today it's blue plaid. I do like the plaid. Thanks to Radeon_sk for the photo!
Also: the cap again (C for Cylon?) and a bit of chest hair! Cheekbones ftw, btw. What strikes me about this picture is the red eyes - we seem to have two cylons here, one of them being James. Har har. Okay, old joke but still. Thanks to Greg Noirfalise!
And a signing picture - are those patched elbows? Ah, is that the coat he had on at "An Evening with James Callis", rocking the whole English professor look? I love his expression, it looks.. genuine. It's not a posing picture at all, which is why I love candid shots. And is that his Coke is that his Coke is that.. *calms down* OK, it's no big deal whether he drinks Coke or not, just because it happens to be my favorite drink. Ahem. I'm normal. Thanks to Robert (Rossert?) Leach.
It's a bit problematic that all updates seem to be on Twitter. I don't even feel like advertising this post on Twitter, because all people have to do is read the Twitter search for "James Callis" or "Gaius Baltar". I feel unnecessary. But then, Twitter search only pans for a couple of days, and then the updates are lost. So if I don't blog them now, they will be forever lost to those who don't follow the tweeters - right? I'm still doing the world a favor. I think. I will advertise when they no longer show in the search.
Saturday, 20:24 PM Belgian time. First Photos!!!
Oo, we have our first photos!!!! We have our first photos. I'm calm. I'm still calm.
Look, he's wearing red plaid! I love that shirt. He's looking quite fabulous indeed and look at that hair, swoon.
A blurrier photo, but you can see - more hair. That's a lot of hair. Wow. Also, James seems to have one of his touched, friendly looks on. I wonder what he talked about.
A close up reveals that his hair is very long indeed! That is some thick, long hair. Luscious, thick, long hair. Dark, luscious, thick, long, oh you get the picture. GUSH!!!
So these pictures are from his Q&A earlier. Thanks to ttinycourageous, Wilidrine, and kmeron!
Also, someone posted something in Dutch, but I think my dictionary-usage was of no help. I, uh, don't think James looked anything like a "matrimony battleship", so I must be misinterpreting.
Saturday, October 20, 12:48 PM Belgian time.
Eee! So another con and another con watch post. This time, it's in Belgium, which is not a hundred hours behind Finland, so I might actually get some updates while still awake. But who knows? It's a smaller con, so there will be fewer updates, and some will not be in English. I'm trying to brace myself here. Also, while James seems delighted at puns like "F.A.C.T.S. are Gaius Baltar is coming to Belgium", I'm not so happy because when you search for "James Callis F.A.C.T.S.", it (Google) just gives you - James Callis facts. It's a little more frustrating than usual, but I think I will be bitten by the con bug all the same.
Wow, Belgium is only ONE hour behind Finland! You see, we're at the top of the world and thus ahead of most other countries. A great place to be, except for the climate and distances. So James will be having his Q&A in approximately one hour. Eeee exciting!!!
So, updates later! In the meantime, I want to link to this: James appeals for Mexican playwright Legom. Donate if you can - you can help save someone's life. More videos for Legom here. The website with more details here.
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