Category: TV/Film Projects

In Memory of Hilary Mantel: Revisiting Henry VIII in Wolf Hall

“Henry VIII is a monster, but he’s our monster. No other nation has a king who had six wives and cut the heads off two. We’re perversely proud of Henry.” – Hilary Mantel

The world lost a true literary genius yesterday. Hilary Mantel’s style was unique. So was her imagination. Her wit was matchless. She published 17 books that received literary applause. Yet Wolf Hall Trilogy stands out as her Magnum Opus. She once said she knew Wolf Hall would be the best thing she would produce when she started writing it. Mantel became the first British writer and the first woman who won the prestigious Man Booker Prize with Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up the Bodies. As we all know both books have been adapted for a BBC miniseries which I many times called “the best thing that ever happened to TV” as well as for plays produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company. I am privileged to have seen them both. Multiple times. That is how much I love Wolf Hall. Continue reading “In Memory of Hilary Mantel: Revisiting Henry VIII in Wolf Hall”

Throwback Thursday to D-Day’s 70th
Anniversary on Utah Beach: In Memory of Jim “Pee Wee” Martin

When Damian attended the ceremonies for the 70th Anniversary of D-Day on Utah Beach back in 2014, he met the WWII veteran Jim “Pee Wee” Martin. A member of the 101st Airborne Division, Martin got his nickname because he was the lightest man in his regiment. He parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and was also a part of the ill-fated “Operation Market Garden” and the Ardenne Forest Offensive aka “Battle of the Bulge” during the WWII. He was 93 years old on the 70th Anniversary of D-Day but this did not  hold him back from parachuting  into Normandy to re-live that day all over again! And he did it again, in Holland this time, on the 75th anniversary of Operation Market Garden. He was 98. Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to D-Day’s 70th
Anniversary on Utah Beach: In Memory of Jim “Pee Wee” Martin”

REDUX: ‘Keane’ with Lodge Kerrigan and Damian Lewis at Film at Lincoln Center

After the screenings at Film at Lincoln Center in New York and American Cinematheque in Los Angeles in  August, the recently digitally restored ‘Keane’ is going to Boston’s Brattle Theater for screenings on September 23 and 24. In celebration of these new screenings, I would love to share, one more time, my account of  the recent ‘Keane’ screening and Q&A with director Lodge Kerrigan and Damian himself at Film at Lincoln Center.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, August 2022 marks, after three years of famine, a month of delicious feast, a Damian Lewis one to be precise, for me! In early August, I was so privileged to be in the audience at Damian’s very special first gig at Omeara in London. And then I was there at the newly 4K restored Keane screening followed by a lively Q&A discussion with director Lodge Kerrigan and Damian himself. It was full house at Francesca Beale Theater at Film at Lincoln Center. Lodge Kerrigan and Damian introduced the movie together, they watched it with us, and then took the stage for more than a half-hour Q&A which actor Christopher Abbott led with his questions and kindly made room for audience questions towards the end. As a huge admirer of independent cinema and its fearless warriors that take risks and do art without taking the ‘box office factor’ into account,  I was honored to share the evening with Mr. Kerrigan, Damian, and fellow independent movie fans. The evening felt like a collective celebration of independent cinema!

Continue reading “REDUX: ‘Keane’ with Lodge Kerrigan and Damian Lewis at Film at Lincoln Center”

Fan Fun Movie of the Month: The Silent Storm

Today we travel back to Damian Lewis in The Silent Storm. I wrote about Norman Harris, probably the most romantic Damian Lewis character here. And as I was thinking about kind and caring Norman, I was also thinking about Damian’s versatility that he does not have a “screen persona” and he can play any character that comes his way. And I asked myself a question: What Damian Lewis character is the anti-thesis of Norman Harris? Well, the answer came to me in the form of the stern Presbyterian minister Balor McNeil.

source: The Times

Have you seen The Silent Storm yet?

The Silent Storm is slow. It is heavy. It is intense. And, lucky me, that is exactly how I like my movies. So the movie, with powerful performances by two seasoned actors (Damian Lewis and Andrea Riseborough) and a brilliant new comer (Ross Anderson) coupled with the stunning island scenery and psalms sung a capella speaks to me just right. And here is my take on the movie, without any major spoilers, studying Damian’s character more than anything else. Continue reading “Fan Fun Movie of the Month: The Silent Storm”

Band of Brothers at 21: Revisiting Dick Winters

Band of Brothers is 21 years old. Currahee!

As one of the most iconic mini-series of all times, Band of Brothers may have turned 21 but it has never got old. People are still in love with Damian Lewis’ Major Winters and his Easy Company and thousands of families and friends enjoy a Band of Brothers marathon (multiple times!) every year.

To celebrate the 21th anniversary of the mini-series, HBO had Roger Bennett host an official Band of Brothers 12-episode podcast that followed the Easy Company’s footsteps from Normandy to the Eagle’s Nest, episode by episode, with insight from Tom Hanks as well as actors who brought the members of Easy Company to life  – including Ron Livingston, Donny Wahlberg, Matthews Settle, Scott Grimes and our beloved Damian Lewis. Continue reading “Band of Brothers at 21: Revisiting Dick Winters”