Happy New Year, Everyone!

Below you will find a recap of all of the Byrne-ing News for December, including a holiday appearance by Mr. Byrne, film and TV series news, and a new Mega Movie Page.

On a personal note: I will be moving into my new house over the next few weeks. Internet access will be installed at some point, but I do not know when exactly. And my little wireless hotspot does not work up on the mountain.

In the meantime, the Facebook Page is very active these days (thanks, Verónica!), and you can always read previous articles here at the main site. Finally, don’t forget to visit the Gallery to view the 8,000+ images waiting for you there.

Here’s to a wonderful 2014 for us all!

Stella heart

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an Irish Christmas

Gabriel Byrne participated in the annual An Irish Christmas, a benefit series that occurs each holiday season, put on by the Irish Arts Center and this year taking place at Symphony Space. There is lots of music, of course, and readings, and I don’t know what else, but each performance apparently has different guests and, on December 15, Mr. Byrne was one. You know, it is sometimes difficult to report on events one has never attended. What excites us the most about this event is the news that Mr. Byrne read from his “work in progress.”  We are waiting for this new book like we are waiting for Quirke: with faith and patience. Well, a lot of faith and not much patience…

Gwen Orel at New York Irish Arts [This article is no longer available on the Internet]:

Gabriel Byrne was one of the special guests at “An Irish Christmas,” presented by the Irish Arts Center at Symphony Space last weekend. Dr. Mick Moloney has been organizing these events which blend music, dance, interview and readings. Byrne discussed his fond memories of actor Peter O’Toole, who had just died that day, and also read some of his own works-in-progress.

Paul Keating at Irish Central describes the evening in great detail, so be sure to read his report:

Actor Gabriel Byrne, a long-time supporter of the center and a former cultural ambassador for his native Ireland, sat for some questions before sharing some of his work in progress on his memoirs in readings that gave us a greater insight to the artist who gives as much as he gets from his craft.

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Oh, to have been there!

vampire academy

The US opening of Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters (I am not certain this is the official title now, but I am sticking with it until I see something official) is just six weeks away!

Valentine’s Day–February 14–will be a “red letter day” indeed for fans of both the book series and Gabriel Byrne.

Promotional materials have begun appearing and some of them actually include Mr. Byrne in his role as the enigmatic and multifarious Moroi Royal, Victor Dashkov. If you really want to know what is going on the with this film, you should check out the hashtag #VAMovie on Twitter–information and images are flying by at light speed!

Here is an official look at Mr. Byrne: torturing poor Lissa Dragomir and showing us his fangs!

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Lucy Fry, who plays Lissa Dragomir in the film, said this was one of her favorite scenes to shoot. Ouch!

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Don’t faint. Just some incisors on steroids…

In a less dramatic frame of mind, some behind-the-scenes shots:

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With Sarah Hyland, who plays Victor’s daughter, Natalie

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Discussing philosophy, we think, with Zoey Deutch (Rose Hathaway in the film)

More promos and behind-the-scenes pics are available in the Gallery.

 Many thanks to Det. Logan for the heads up on these promo pics!

quirke

There is no news about Quirke, so I’m making stuff up now. Not really. There are tiny rumblings across the pond.

Quirke promos are currently showing on BBC and RTÉ, a sign that the series may be popping up on television screens sometime in 2014. When, you ask? No idea!

The folks at The Look, a high-end post production company in London, have a lovely page devoted to Quirke, including the behind-the-scenes trailer that you have probably memorized by now. It is very nice of them to showcase their work on this series, about which they say:

It’s a very exciting project to be involved with and it looks absolutely beautiful…

Tantalizing, ain’t it?

The Independent.ie notes that Quirke is one of 14 reasons to be cheerful in 2014, so let’s be cheerful and have faith that the good doctor will indeed finally appear this Spring.

And finally, Digital Spy, calling Gabriel Byrne “legendary,” notes:

The three-part detective serial was originally intended for a winter 2013 broadcast, but now we’re hearing that Quirke could be held over until early 2014.

Faith. We gotta have faith.

The DVD is set for release on April 28, 2014 at Amazon UK.

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The waiting is killing us! Is there a doctor in the house?

just a sigh

The US release is set for March 21 and Distrib Films has provided a new poster, stills, and a press kit for the film. We are so happy to see this amazing film come to America with English subtitles! Will an English-subtitled DVD be available soon? We wait and hope.

From the new press kit (I really love the way Mr. Bonnell talks about his film!):

We will privilege high angle shots – both discreet and more obvious – with the camera often overhead, tracing the romantic (or divine) movement of the destiny being played out, while sustaining the tension, the suspense of an absolute present. The camera will move freely, but without any needless agitation. It will never leave Alix, as it accompanies her POV. It will also film her eyes, her hands, and each clock she encounters. It will treat Paris (terra incognita for me until today) and its shifting cityscapes like the episodes of a tale, like the background for a treasure hunt or an initiatory journey, with the idea that Alix, on a trip or brief visit, is experiencing a parenthesis between two performances in Calais.

We will breathe with her, we will identify with her fears, her lies… and her truth. We will be there with what she sees and hears. We will never film a body whole during scenes of lovemaking, but we will not deprive ourselves of doing just that during the onset of desire. We will favour sequence shots for “set pieces” (onstage, in audition, during disputes…), but intercut intimate scenes, although never losing sight of the overall musical rhythm in which time becomes in turn threatening, and then hovers in suspension. —Jérôme Bonnell, director of “Just A Sigh”

Various US release dates and venues:

February 2, 2014 – Sneak Preview – DC – Avalon Theater
Opening March 21, 2014 – New York, NY – Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
Opening March 28, 2014 – Los Angeles – Laemmle’s Royal Theater
Opening March 28, 2014 – Los Angeles – Laemmle Town Center 5
Opening March 28, 2014 – Pasadena – Pasadena Playhouse
Opening April 4, 2014 – Santa Ana – Regency South Coast Village
Opening April 4, 2014 – Palm Springs – Camelot Theaters
April 11 and 13, 2014 – Sonoma – Sonoma Film Institute
April 23, 2014 – Spokane International Film Festival

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 Just A Sigh new promotional still

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Just A Sigh new US poster

Harry Guerin over at RTÉ TEN (The Entertainment Network) reviews the film and has this to say [This article is no longer available on the RTÉ website]:

From Brief Encounter to Before Sunrise, the premise of Just a Sigh is as familiar as the song from which it takes its title, so credit to writer-director Jérôme Bonnell for making such a compelling romantic drama about chance, fate, the different parts we all play and the journeys we are taking. As in life, so on screen: how quickly time goes by.

For Byrne, this is a great role, allowing him to see-saw between well-worn sadness and long-buried joy, while Devos’ tender yet tenacious turn makes you wish, yet again, that a wider audience would discover her talents. Both their characters are as believable as they are likeable, and the way in which Bonnell handles their emotions and expectations is immensely satisfying.

He’s right: we’re all just works in progress who never really know what’s around the corner. It’s good to be reminded of that.

Yes, it is.

There are so many images from the film in the Gallery that you will sigh with happiness, so head on over there!

And kudos to Angelle for sharing the Just A Sigh US film news with us!

all things to all men/the deadly game

The DVD, newly titled The Deadly Game, is set for release on January 6 at Amazon UK. The Blu-Ray comes out on January 6, too!

We have a new still and a screencap to whet your appetite!

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 Gabriel Byrne as Joseph Corso

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 Click on this BIG screencap to download it and be sure to thank Det. Logan!

And here’s the TV spot alerting you to the DVD/Blu-Ray release:

emotional arithmetic mega movie page

This new Mega Movie Page went live during the holidays and I never published a posting about it, so consider yourself officially alerted now!

Note: the original film title is Emotional Arithmetic; the DVD title is Autumn Hearts: A New Beginning.

I respect this film. And I enjoy it, too. That’s rare. I appreciate each performance–there is a perfect balance in these performances that is often quite breath-taking. Paolo Barzman, the director, has created something remarkable and so special. This screencap, a snapshot of hilarity in the face of danger, is a counterpoint in this serious study of people who have survived one of the most terrible events of the 20th century. Humor plays a big role in the movie, but love and healing are the core, and I cannot think of another film that treats the subject matter with such tenderness and understanding. What happens to people who live through these traumas? Emotional Arithmetic offers several examples of how life might be post-horror, for survivors and for family who did not share the experience. Everyone is different. There is no single path. We are recalled to life in myriad ways, but we are recalled. And there is no insurance that the innocent will not be overwhelmed in the process…

I loved the book by Matt Cohen, too. I can recommend both to you (the film diverges from the book in interesting ways, but only in terms of plot, not tone or meaning) with the highest praise and regard.

I hope you enjoy the Mega Movie Page for Emotional Arithmetic, which brings together trailers, promotional images, screencaps, interviews, and reviews. Many thanks to Angelle for her help in making the page possible!

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Gabriel Byrne as Christopher and Susan Sarandon as Melanie,
cracking up over a stunt with a train and a pick-up truck…

annual statistics

Well, this popped up out of nowhere! I received a very nice statistical analysis of website activity at Byrneholics from JetPack, a service I added when the last redesign was done in August.

While I found the entire report illuminating (it is brief but very helpful for achieving an overview of activity), here is the information that really interested me:

Jetpack World Visitors Stats 2013

 Over 70,000 visits in the past 5 months from all over the world.
Byrneholics Rock!

5 Comments

  1. Stella, have an easy moving :-)

    All the news are known for the moment, so just waiting for Quirke, ehh.

    PS Pity, that Greenland is not very involved ;-) :-)(thinking of Smilla))

  2. This post from Stella really made me smile, for many different reasons.

    The first one was her words:
    ” We are waiting for this new book like we are waiting for Quirke: with faith and patience. Well, a lot of faith and not much patience…”

    That is so true Stella!
    You said it, and we feel it, in that kind of a bit desperate way, especially when it concerns Quirke. But we still smile hopefully about it.

    Then I just had to smile AND laugh when I saw the photo with Victor Dashkov and his fangs. But I don’t laugh in an evil way, just in a very kind way… I want this Victor to get what he needs, but in a way I can’t take this seriously… Shame on me, I guess I am too old for vampyre stories, but I promise I will see this one, because of a certain Victor…

    Then I smile in a more “normal” way because I love to be reminded of all the different projects Gabriel is involved with. There are so many interesting movies and things he is working at.

    And last, but not least: It is so exciting to hear that Stella will soon move to her new house. I am sure she will get a great new home and I wish her all the best with the preparations for the new life there.

    Nora
    Norway

    • Those fangs made me laugh as well =)
      And the book is still being worked at, it is a bit different than situation with Quirke(

  3. OMFG Gabriel with THOSE FANGS **KERPLUNK–THUDS** I swear to gawd he’s just one on my numero uno list for vampires I love….second would be Gary Oldman as Dracula. Gary Oldman was first till Gabriel.

  4. Just a Sigh opens in U.S. to great reviews in NY Times, and other places. Here’s a sample:

    http://www.ioncinema.com/reviews/just-a-sigh-review

    http://www.cinemit.com/article/review-just-a-sigh

    “Gabriel Byrne is a great complement to Devos matching her scene for scene as he is wont to do. He displays such tremendous pain and does it so well, you can’t help but to feel for him even though his relationship he had with the woman who passed away remains rather nebulous. It’s palpable in his walk, his frown, his kisses. This is really a standout performance for Byrne. That these two end up together at all makes for an interesting story, but when they’re together we are unsure where it will lead. That is the strength of the film, that it always keeps us guessing.”

    Go see it. It’s enthralling.

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