#scenery-chewing

[thebricolageure]

Moriarty {Andrew Scott} and Sherlock {Benedict Cumberbatch} finally have a proper meeting up, poolside, and converse in a rather intense manner about what happens to Sherlock if certain actions are not discontinued. From The Great Game, episode 3, season 1 of Sherlock. Some burning might be involved. Disappointment and other topics are then covered. Actors Scott and Cumberbatch are both utterly superb, as is Martin Freeman, whose character, Watson, is also involved.

[thebricolageure]

Reluctant prognosticator Clyde Bruckman (the great Peter Boyle) is stymied, not so much by the pitfalls inevitably bound and fettered to foretelling future events, but by the Official Title of a certain music festival. Afterward, a "chance" encounter with an "inconspicuous" man foreshadows a great deal of homicidal activity to come. Season 3, episode 4 of The X-Files.

Clyde Bruckman demonstrates that his brand of augury does not necessarily extend to winning the lottery, prompting Existential (of the rhetorical persuasion...) queries, and despair. Mulder (David Duchovny) is then set straight about other matters.

Peter Boyle, with a brilliant performance as Clyde Bruckman, reluctant sage/soothsayer, not only quasi-uncannily detects the authorship of a newly received missive, but (politely) passes along the author's (polite) greetings to the FBI agents at hand: Scully (Gillian Anderson), and the aforementioned Mulder (David Duchovny). Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose, 1995.

[thebricolageure]

Robert Carlyle employs his wendigo culinary skills and highly evolved private amusement abilities in this wry scene from the 1999 cult film/dark comedy/weird western Ravenous, starring Carlyle and Guy Pearce.   Major Knox (actor Stephen Spinella, battling off The Hal Holbrook in the Mark Twain portrayal sweepstakes) quite unwittingly volunteers to "contribute" (in RC’s words) to Carlyle's entrée, much to the inner dark delight of his character Colonel Ives (whom he is actually impersonating...F.W. Colqhoun is character’s REAL name). Carlyle shines throughout this brilliant film; his finest performance by far, methinks, in the motion picture industry.

Mr. Robert Carlyle, the great Scottish actor, continues his tour de force performance as Colonel Ives (sort of...) in Ravenous. Here he really brings it, describing in detail his wendigo exploits, credos, and ambitions. He does *not* shy away from voicing his opinions, including those critical of others. Mesmerizing. So powerful.

Carlyle appears here early on almost mutant-like, and possesses an eerie air of vulnerability/shyness and....something else. Almost...menace. He attempts here, at Pearce’s bequest, to recall certain....feelings which the Aussie’s character (the recently and dubiously promoted Captain Boyd) is currently, as a (secretly!!) nascent wendigo, undergoing. And, faintly, yet certainly, the at-this-point-still F.H. Colqhoun does seem to be able to recall. With no problem. A little extra dollop from the maestro. And from director Antonia Bird, the third such for this project, at Carlyle’s recommendation; the remainder of the crew busied selves quasi-mutinying during the coup of director #2. Bird does quite nicely. Uneasy tensions abound.

[thebricolageure]

King Ecbert (actor Linus Roache) and Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) discuss the need for religion (or not, as the case may be...) and the death of a mutual friend on the series Vikings. Two top-notch performers. The relationship between these two, to me, lies at the heart of this fine show.

Linus Roache gives a stunning tour de Force in giving this speech. And the award goes to.....

Wow.

[thebricolageure]

Marcus Licinius Crassus (portrayed iconically by Laurence Olivier) discusses the rate at which the night passes with Antoninus (a younger, hipper Tony Curtis), and **then**, in a very measured, intense "conversation" (Spartacus, portrayed by Kirk Douglas, says nary a word...), Crassus uses the famed predicate nominative (”You are He”) to identify the rebel. A bit of slapping ensues. The incremental, steadily increasing rage of Olivier is the work of a maestro. A truly great scene from the film Spartacus (1960), directed by a 30 year old Stanley Kubrick. Right up there with “By Gad, sir, you **ARE** a Character” (Maltese Falcon) as far as climactic, epoch-defining moments go.

Behold.

Occurrences, Slappy.

[thebricolageure]

Walter White {Bryan Cranston} makes a definitive statement about who is "in charge" of his life, in episode 8, season 4 of BB. This bold proclamation is then summarily refuted, as Gus Fring watches over all.

[thebricolageure]

Steve engages in an interesting conversation with a helpful farmer in The Devil and Mr Frog.

[allofthemarvels]

Don't sugar-coat it, Namor, tell us how you really feel. From Sub-Mariner #68, 1974, by Steve Gerber, Don Heck and Jim Mooney.