I just saw that Sir Ian Holm has passed away at the age of 88.

Variety Magazine has posted an obituary, and a synopsis of his brilliant career: https://variety.com/2020/film/global/ia ... FzDFYLUVI4

They describe his as 'an actor's actor', and 'chameleon-like'.

I certainly agree with that. The last thing I saw him in was 'Last of the Blonde Bombshells', and I had NO IDEA who was playing the part of the lovable rogue, Patrick, until the credits were rolling!

Apparently he was struggling with Parkinson's disease towards the end of his life, something few people knew.

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When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.

RIP.

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In gratitude forever … .

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*title copyright: Teremia

'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude

Ah no. He'll always be my Frodo.

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The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End

I've seen that comment a couple of times now... When did he play Frodo? Was it a radio drama or something?

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The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.

"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF

Yes, the BBC Radio production. Still the definitive version for me.

Its available on Soundcloud if you search for Inkmore, but I won't link here as I'm pretty sure its copyright infringement

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The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End

Found it on Youtube. Or at least part of it - haven't checked how much is available, but listening to the beginning now.

_________________
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.

"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF

I was surprised to learn he did one of the voices for Ratatouille, one of my favourite movie-length cartoons! He voiced Skinner, the cook who was jealous and suspicious of Remy's new talent.

The moment that moved me the most deeply at the end of Return of the King was when Bilbo boards the ship that is going to take them away from Middle Earth forever. His eyes light up and he announces, "I'm always ready for one more adventure!"

That was the indomitable spirit, RIGHT THERE that started this whole marvelous tale rolling! It was just such a fitting final line!

_________________
When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.

Ooh I didn't realize that. I think one of my first memories of his acting was The Fifth Element as Cornelius. He was magnificent in that movie.

_________________
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.

"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF

I find it remarkable in retrospect that he was in his early 70s during the LotR films, his performance was so active and energetic.

I forgot that he was in Fifth Element.

It's a sad loss.

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Dark have been my dreams of late.

RIP Sir Ian. Agreed, he will always be my Frodo.

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1. " . . . (we are ) too engrossed in thinking of everything as a preparation or training or making one fit -- for what? At any minute it is what we are and are doing, not what we plan to be and do that counts."

J.R.R. Tolkien in his 6 October 1940 letter to his son Michael Tolkien.

2. We have many ways using technology to be in touch, yet the larger question is are we really connected or are we simply more in touch? There is a difference.

Lets not forget he was also Ash in Alien. Wonderful character actor.

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The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End

And Fluellen in Branagh's Henry V.

Hoping someone who has seen Ian in The Sweet Hereafter can help me out here. I watched this film tonight, but missed the start of it. I missed SOMETHING, because the final scene made no sense to me.

In that scene, a young woman is putting her 2 small children to bed. Once they are bedded down, and the lights out, she walks towards the door, which suddenly lights up with a bright light, then daylight is shining all around.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out who that woman and the two kids are! When I first saw her, I thought she was Nicole, but Nicole was permanently paralyzed from the waist down in the accident that the movie is centered around.

Can someone explain, please?

Ian did an excellent acting job, and some people say this was his best film. I found it good, but flawed by that strange ending, and also by the way the director leaves Ian's character's relationship with his drug-addicted daughter unresolved.

_________________
When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.

Suny,
I just watched it on YouTube. It was distorted so I'm not sure I caught all of the nuance, but from what I understood, that bit at the end is a flashback. The girl/woman at the end is Nicole and it is a scene from before (the night before?) the accident when she was babysitting Billy's children (presumably Nicole is seeing lights from Billy's truck returning from his affair with Riza). Perhaps Nicole is thinking of that night that she read the 'Pied Piper of Hamlin' to the children and how she is the lame one who was left behind when all of the other children were taken. What I couldn't figure out is if Nicole's father had an incestuous relationship with her or if that was some sort of fantasy (although the film does not seem the 'fantasy' type). I'm not quite sure why she lied.

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My heart is forever in the Shire.

Rose, in the book, the author makes it plain that her father is having an incestuous relationship with her. In the movie, it's not so clear.

Yes, that makes it plain - it's a flashback. I knew it was Nicole, but couldn't figure out why she wasn't in a wheelchair any more.

_________________
When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.

Icky freakin' creep!

I was very uncomfortable with how the film portrayed the barn scene. Glamorized/consensual. That's why I was wondering if it had been a fantasy. What I saw was years of (abuse) promises and conditioning to get her to act as he wished, for his pleasure. Just so awful and creepy. Perhaps after the accident she saw her father for exactly what he was.. someone who wanted to use/abuse her for his own personal gain. She feels anger/pain/guilt for surviving/not following all of the other children into the sweet hereafter where she no longer has to deal with her abusive situation and grief. Now she's trapped.

I think Ian Holm's character was also wondering if it wouldn't have been better (as awful as it would have been) for his daughter to have died from the spider bite than to have become the drug addict that she became, contracting AIDS, etc... As if he had stolen her from death and now they were paying an awful price.

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My heart is forever in the Shire.

Yes, I can certainly see that! The movie left a lot unsaid, or under-stated. I wish it had been more forthright on certain things. It leaves a lot to the viewer's own interpretation.

I've seen a number of Ian's movies recently. My favourite is Blonde Bombshells, in which I definitely did NOT recognise who he was until the credits rolled. I'm also rewatching Fellowship of the Rings, and am amazed at how different his face was as Bilbo. Would like to know what makeup techniques they used to change it! He probably had pads stuffed in his cheeks, but it had to be more than just that!

The obituary I posted described his acting ability as being 'chameleon-like' and indeed it was!

_________________
When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.