It is summer! One might think that things would slow down a bit in the world of Byrne, but no. Things are hopping!

Mr. Byrne himself appears to be in Ireland taking a bit of a very well-deserved vacation. Here you see him arriving at The Bord Gais Energy Theatre for the opening night of the play Noises Off in Dublin on Monday, July 8, 2013. It is good to see him out and about and looking relaxed after so many months of work, work, work!

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But while he is relaxing, all kinds of Byrne-ing stuff is happening, especially in the arena of DVD news. So here we go!

the gathering

Independent.ie reports: “Begorrah! This just might work…We’re past the halfway mark and the Gathering is on course for success says Kim Bielenberg”

Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the number of visitors from abroad has increased by 6.4pc in the period from January to May this year.

In the crucial North American market, the numbers are rosier still with an increase of 13pc.

The Gathering was perhaps given the celebrity kick it needed when actor Gabriel Byrne attacked the concept last November.

Proof that even negative vibrations can yield positive results. Go, Gabriel!

vikings

The Vikings Season One DVD is one step closer to being released. No release date is available yet, but it will probably be here soon!

We should stay tuned for Emmy news…It may be that both Gabriel Byrne and Travis Fimmel will be nominated for the series!

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i, anna

Bold and Unexpected Reviews: Review of I, Anna by SillyMummy [This article is no longer available on the Internet]

I prefer to think of I, ANNA as a character study. I love this kind of film that explores the character instead of the issue at hand – a murder. It’s about what they do, how they take it, how they react, the things they say, and so on. I feel such relief when I watch a ‘thriller’ but don’t have to suffer through overly-done special effects, car chasing and trigger-happy characters.

I quite enjoyed watching Gabriel Byrne. He’s a favorite of mine. Whichever story (good or poor) you throw at him, he puts his best into it and does a fantastic, powerful work with his portrayal of the character. As for Charlotte Rampling, I haven’t seen her in many films but she was very good in I, ANNA. She’s elegant and a pleasure to watch.

I, Anna will be released in theaters in Belgium on July 24. Thanks to DeMonk for this picture! And remember: the DVD is available at Amazon UK.

i-anna-poster-belgium-from-demonk

hbo: in treatment

Sydney Morning Herald: “How the fabulous creatures of the HBO universe made cinema (almost) unnecessary,” by David Dale [This article is no longer available on the Internet]

HBO stands for Home Box Office. It’s a pay television network in America, but because of the quality of the programs it commissions and onsells to downloaders and networks around the world, the HBO brand has come to signify the best in black comedy, savage violence, frequent nudity, complex storytelling, shocking twists, weird lifestyles and challenging ideas.

Above all — and this is why it inspired the law students’ costume party — HBO means memorable characters. These are some you may recognize (and if you don’t, you’ll want to chase them down)…

#10: Paul Weston: An Irish-born, Brooklyn-based psychotherapist who is an empathic listener but is more damaged than many of his patients. “I cannot shrink her. She’s too complicated. And then I say to myself, do I really know any of these people? Or are they all just one big fiction that I’ve constructed in my head?” (In Treatment).

Almost singlehandedly, HBO is the reason critics now say television is more interesting than movies and why thousands of Australians buy and steal so many stories from the net.

The other characters in this list include Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones), Tony Soprano (The Sopranos), and Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City). Dr. Weston is in good company!

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vampire academy

I’ve scoured Twitter and Facebook and blogs and websites and there has been not one word about Gabriel Byrne and this film. I think he’s already completed filming his scenes, though shooting in London continues.

If you would like to join me in this detective work, here are some resources:

Author Richelle Mead’s Blog and her website; Ms. Mead visited the London set during the first week in July and posted about her experience.

Follow Official Vampire Academy Movie on Twitter and on Facebook.

Follow the hashtag #VAMovie on Twitter to catch most of the fansites and fans tweeting, but be prepared for lots of “trending” activities and other stuff.

Be like me, though, and try to follow this advice:

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SarahR’s latest rendition of Gabriel Byrne as Victor Dashkov
in “Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters

le capital

Le Capital opens in theaters in Montreal on July 26. It will open in October in the USA as well. Yay!

You can get the DVD at Amazon.fr. I’ve ordered mine and it should be here shortly. There is a 13-minute interview with Mr. Byrne included in the extras.

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Screencap from the “Le Capital” DVD interview

all things to all men

All Things To All Men is getting a name change for the DVD version: The Deadly Game. You can sign up to be notified when the DVD is released at Amazon UK.

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quirke

The Alt Entertainer: “The BBC Breathes Life into Benjamin Black’s Books”

This first series will contain three episodes covering the book titles ‘Christine Falls’, ‘The Silver Swan’ and ‘Elegy for April’. The episode I was treated to was ‘Christine Falls’. I won’t say too much as I do not want to spoil it for you but what I will say is that Quirke does exactly what every good crime drama should – it hooks you with a plot littered with twists and keeps you guessing right up to its very end.

After the screening author John Banville said: “We as humans have an amazing capacity to know and not know what is happening. Ambiguity is the essence of life and the soul of crime fiction, which is why I have admired it all my life. I am very excited to see my character Quirke incarnated by Gabriel Byrne.”

And don’t forget to check out the transcription of the BBC preview Panel. The audio from the panel was often quite poor, so I did the best I could in transcribing it for you. It is a great read, so give it a go!

You can pre-order the Quirke DVD, set for release on August 26, at Amazon UK.

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Quirke, incarnated by Gabriel Byrne

just a sigh/le temps de l’aventure

The film was a hit at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, in the Czech Republic. A report from a friend who attended the festival included some great pictures and this news:

Please find attached a picture showing director of “Le Temps de l’Aventure” in front of his audience at the first screening in the famous Grand Hotel Pupp (also used for the James Bond movie Casino Royale with Daniel Craig).

Tweet from July 6:

yes I went there this morning, large crowd of 750 people (sold out) and five minutes applause, they loved #JustASigh

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Bravo, Mr. Bonnell!

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Lucky Karlovy Vary inhabitants were treated to this!
Just A Sigh indeed…

all that jazz

Miss Ella Said: “The First Ladies,” Posted on July 9, 2013 [The link to this posting is no longer available]

My love affair with everything Jazz happened when I watched Point of No Return starring Bridget Fonda and Gabriel Byrne. This rendition of La Femme Nikita was mixed with the soulful, haunting sounds of Nina Simone. Soon after watching that movie I dived into the sounds of Jazz and the women that gave it voice and life. Some of my favourites include: Ella Fitzgerald, Astrud Gliberto, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday. The list is endless really.

This summer, Verve Remix released First Ladies. If you are hesitant about Jazz, then I recommend getting your feet wet with this mix.

Enjoy your summer with some cool Jazz on those hot nights!

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The always inspiring Gabriel Byrne with the inimitable Nina Simone

Many thanks to DeMonk, Claudia, Angelle, SarahR, my Anonymous festival-going friend, and other Byrneholics who contributed to this edition of The Byrne-ing News!

Happy Summer to all!

Added July 15

I completely forgot to include Alex Withrow’s wonderful “In Character” study of Gabriel Byrne, which he posted over at his film blog “And So It Begins.”

The study begins:

If you watch Gabriel Byrne’s work closely, there is almost always a moment when his characters doubt themselves. Through his strong, Irish accent, Byrne will often deliver a loud, imposing monologue in which he cements his point. And then he’ll look away. For a half a second, his eyes dart to the side. He’s wondering if he’s actually right, or trying to convince himself that he’s right. It’s a little moment, the slightest of gestures, but it’s almost always there.
In those brief moments of panic, I want nothing more than to follow whatever Byrne character I’m watching. I want that man to expose his insecurities and make me believe what he believes. Which, more often than not, Byrne does quite easily.

Alex then examines 5 essential Gabriel Byrne roles and throws in a sixth–Paul Weston in In Treatment–at the end, calling it “The Best of the Best.” He compares Mr. Byrne’s work in the HBO series to James Gandolfini’s role in The Sopranos, suggesting the comparison is fair:

A few weeks ago in this column, I asked if James Gandolfini’s performance on HBO’s The Sopranos was the best television performance of all time. And while I won’t declare that Byrne’s work as Paul Weston is better, I certainly would like to throw his name into the conversation.

Yes, Alex is a Gabriel Byrne fan, but he still has tons of Gabriel movies to watch. Check out the comments section of his posting and see what other Gabriel Byrne fans had to say to him!

You can follow Alex on Twitter, where he is @shiftingPersona. He is a fine blogger on film!

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7 Comments

  1. I know it is summer but with all the Gabriel related DVD’s coming soon, it is almost like Christmas time.
    It is so wonderful that Gabriel is working so much now. I wonder if he has time to write a new book… Probably not, but it is allowed to hope.

    Thanks for this July edition of Byrne-ing news Stella!

    Gabriel in Dublin looks great!

  2. Yes, Nora, so many DVDS are on the horizon! It really is Christmas in July.

    I added an article I forgot about: Alex Withrow’s “In Character” study of Gabriel. It is at the end of the posting. Be sure to check it out–he is very enthusiastic in his assessment of Mr. Byrne. Also, Alex is a really good film writer and I enjoy his blog immensely. Thanks, Alex!

  3. Kim Serrahn

    great coverage on the happenings of The Squire

  4. Great recap Stella! LOVE that pic of him relaxing in Ireland… must be nice to visit his homeland. He’s been keeping busy these days, yay! Can’t wait to see him in Vampire Academy, that’s a project that wasn’t even on my radar until he was cast :D

    Have a great week, Stella!

    • Hi, Ruth! Thanks for dropping by.
      I can’t wait to see Vampire Academy. His character has quite an arc in the story. It will be great fun!
      I’m glad you are back and wish you all the best, Ruth.

  5. I have sooo many dvds to buy…. I’m lucky it was my birthday last monday, I’m expecting a check from my folks (for your travels they said – might decide to travel in Byrne-land!)

    • Byrne-land. Yes!

      You can purchase Le Capital and visit Paris, Florida, Japan, etc. All Things To All Men will give you a chance to explore London. If you want more London, then catch I, Anna. Then on to Just A Sigh for a long vacation in Paris. Next up is Vikings which will take you to Norway or Sweden or somewhere and also to the past! And finally Quirke, which in Ep. 1 promises a visit to Dublin Ireland and Boston USA. Wow. You will be a world traveler by the time you are done!

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