Eric Close's Life-Changing Journey Aug 7, 2008
(2:43)"CBS News RAW:" Stars Eliza Dushku, Freddy Rodriguez, Bill Pullman, Alan Rickman, Rachael Taylor, filmmakers Randall Miller and Jody Savin discuss their new wine-infused summer comedy "Bottle Shock.". (3:00). (CBS News -- Early Show)
'Rocky' With Wine Aug 7, 2008
Starring Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman ... It took the oddball idea of a transcontinental competition from English oenophile Steven Spurrier (played by the lisping and lion-headed Alan Rickman) and the tenacity of Napa winemakers like the father-and-son duo of Jim and Bo Barrett (Bill Pullman and Chris Pine in the film) of Chateau Montelena to refine the world's palate. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Film review: 'Bottle Shock' Aug 7, 2008
Alan Rickman as a British wine dealer with French aspirations in "Bottle Shock." (Freestyle Releasing). REVIEW. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
'Bottle Shock' takes a famous case of wine and lets it breathe Aug 6, 2008
In Paris is Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman), a transplanted Englishman and full-time wine snob whose little shop is dying on the vine ... Starring: Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Bill Pullman, Freddy Rodriguez, Rachael Taylor, Dennis Farina. (Boston Globe)
Plaid Suits, Prize Grapes and the Rise of Napa Aug 6, 2008
Alan Rickman portrays Steven Spurrier, the British wine dealer who organized a famous blind wine tasting near Paris in 1976, in Randall Millers Bottle Shock ... The first is Steven Spurrier, played by Alan Rickman, whose parched low voice and air of beleaguered pomposity are never unwelcome ... WITH: Bill Pullman (Jim Barrett), Alan Rickman (Steven Spurrier), Chris Pine (Bo Barrett), Freddy Rodriguez (Gustavo Brambila), Rachael Taylor (Sam Clayton), Dennis Farina (Maurice Cantavale),... (New York Times)
'Bottle Shock' uncorks a good story of California wine Aug 6, 2008
Meanwhile, across the pond, Alan Rickman plays the owner of a struggling vintner's shop and wine academy in Paris who is seeking publicity for his foundering business. Spurred on by the suggestions of a neighboring shop owner (Dennis Farina), he decides to expand his wine collection to include global offerings and heads to Napa Valley to see whether the wines grown there are any good. (USA Today -- Life)
Say that again, please Aug 6, 2008
Then again, since this film really belonged to Alan Rickman (portraying the Sheriff of Nottingham), no one noticed when Costner forgot to speak English. In fact we happily ignored Costners train wreck of an accent every time Rickman made an appearance. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Bottle Shock Aug 6, 2008
Starring Chris Pine, Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman ... A British caviste named Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) contrives to put his obscure wine shop on the Parisian map by hosting a taste-testing - the "Judgment of Paris" - that will pit the widely mocked California vintages against the French ... All praise to Alan Rickman, I say. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Decant Keep A Good Wine Down Aug 6, 2008
It may sound antithetical to everything we think we know about vino, but as dramatized by "Bottle Shock," a new movie opening today starring Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman (see review), wine produced in California consistently bests the French stuff in blind taste tests. The movie centers on an infamous 1976 contest organized by a Paris wine merchant named Steven Spurrier (played by Rickman) as little more than a publicity stunt. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Racing Roundup: Fellows, Kovalainen, Wilkins all win Aug 5, 2008
SPECIAL Alan Rickman makes an interviewer work for it but the payoff is a chance to hear that incomparable voice, which warms considerably. A little over 100 years ago on a bitterly cold and windy spring night, a fire swept through the downtown destroying a huge swath. (Yahoo News -- Auto Racing)
'Bottle Shock': Uncorking reality on a new wine film Aug 2, 2008
As played by Alan Rickman, he is much older in the film and a bit of a stuffed shirt. His desire to discover new wines is replaced by skepticism. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The day California wines beat the French by a nose Aug 1, 2008
Bottle Shock: Alan Rickman plays Steven Spurrier, the British wine authority who organized the 1976 blind tasting that had surprising results and made California wines a respected product ... Bottle Shock, starring Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman, opens Wednesday; another film, based on journalist George Taber's book Judgment of Paris, is in the works. (USA Today -- Life)
Dry, with a distinctive British bite Aug 1, 2008
According to Hollywood, there are three types of British men: drunken but kind-hearted dolts (the Simon Pegg type); oafish Oxbridge twits with floppy hair and equally unstable morals (the Hugh Grant type); and villainous fops with permanently curled upper lips (the Alan Rickman type - in fact, almost always Alan Rickman) ... Alan Rickman stars as an obnoxious but likeable wine dealer in Bottle Shock, a perfect vehicle for the actors brand of arch Britishness. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' Trailer... Jul 31, 2008
Other stars include Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith. The film will be released on Nov. 21. (Fox News)
Taking an a indie approach to distribution, too Jul 30, 2008
It had a name cast, including Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman. The director came with a track record and a critically acclaimed short film. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
Stars come out for premiere Jul 29, 2008
Alan Rickman plays snooty wine shop owner Steven Spurrier, who organizes the winetasting to drum up business, never suspecting that California wines could hold a candle to French wines. The cast is rounded out with Gustavo (Freddie Rodriguez), the passionate winemaker; Sam (Rachael Taylor), the sexy and determined intern; and Maurice (Dennis Farina), Spurrier's accomplice who's mainly in it for the free wine. (Sonoma Index-Tribune, CA)
Wine connoisseurs – I call them cons Jul 23, 2008
Bottle Shock, a rollicking comedy-drama based on true events that stars Alan Rickman, opens in Toronto on Aug. 6 and is slated to roll out to theatres across the country later in the summer ... Alan Rickman in Bottle Shock. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Fire up your remotes Jul 4, 2008
He drops into the office tower where his estranged wife works and ends up battling dozens of high-tech Eurotrash crooks, headed by a smooth German named Hans, played by Alan Rickman in his first film appearance. My Cousin Vinny (1992) AMC, 8 p.m.. (Globe and Mail)
Movie characters we hate loving and love hating Jul 1, 2008
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) in Die Hard (1988): Granted, hes a diabolical super-criminal whos willing to blow up an entire skyscraper to cover his tracks, but Rickman makes this Eurotrash villain such a smoothie that its hard to resist his purred evil. Rickman brings some of the same qualities to Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies, but die-hard Hogwarts fans know that Snape is ultimately noble and lovelorn, albeit something of a cold fish. (MSNBC -- News)
Bodice-rippers, tear-jerkers and hot drama Jun 25, 2008
Alan Rickman, Chris Pine and Bill Pullman star in the story of the events leading up to the test. Boy A (July 23)Recently released from juvenile prison for his involvement in the murder of another child, Jack (Andrew Garfield) is now 25 and ready to start over. (MSNBC -- Movies)
The hairdresser continues to play a key part in films Jun 1, 2008
"Blow Dry" has Alan Rickman launching him self over the top as a championship hairdresser fallen on low times: He's barbering now. "The Big Tease" stars the future late-night host Craig Ferguson doing the same in swishy Scottish style. (Boston Globe)
Salon selectives: Highlights from hairdressing at the movies Jun 1, 2008
Rivals: Alan Rickman vs. Bill Nighy ... Lesson you'll learn: Nothing can shame Alan Rickman. (Boston Globe)
What is the formula for the 'perfect voice' ? May 30, 2008
Alan Rickman and Jeremy Irons did best for the men. The research was conducted by linguist Andrew Linn, of Sheffield University and sound engineer Shannon Harris. (BBC News)
Win 'Sweeney Todd' Collectibles May 30, 2008
Directed by Tim Burton, "Sweeney Todd" stars Johnny Depp as the title character: a barber seeks vengeance on the evil Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) with the help of his devious associate, the meat pie-making Mrs. Lovett, 16 years after Todd was wrongfully imprisoned and lost his family. Rated R, "Sweeney Todd" also stars Sacha Baron Cohen and Timothy Spall. (KCRA 3, CA)
Rachel Taylor-made for Hollywood May 16, 2008
An official selection at this year's Sundance Film Festival, the film also stars Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman. Once she's finished her promotional duties for Shutter, Taylor will stay on in Sydney to film Cedar Boys, an adrenalin-charged $1. (NEWS.com.au)
My Name Is Rachel Corrie May 9, 2008
British actor Alan Rickman and Guardian journalist Katharine Viner wrote the play using Corrie's own eloquent words from her journals, letters and impassioned emails home ... " Murphy won over the Corries when she wrote imploring them to grant her the right to stage the play in Sydney. "I was so passionate about it - when I wrote to them I almost didn't give them the option," Murphy says. "I was like, 'You just don't understand - I know you think I'm young and new and probably have nowhere near... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
'Liaisons' revival is dangerously good, seductive May 2, 2008
The conniving Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, her former lover and ally in seduction and destruction, were introduced on Broadway 21 years ago by Lindsay Duncan and Alan Rickman. They're known to movie fans via Glenn Close and John Malkovich, who in the 1988 film adaptation evoked the tortured passions underlying the Marquise's ice-queen malevolence and the Vicomte's cavalier cruelty. (USA Today -- Life)
The Royal Shakespeare Company undertakes the History Plays Apr 22, 2008
"Richard II," by contrast, is about a divinely anointed child-king who in front of our eyes matures into manhood, albeit at the price of his crown and, thanks to the usurping Bolingbroke (Clive Wood, resembling a craggier Alan Rickman), ultimately his life. More must and will be said when the plays hurtle forward next month. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
Donmar unveils 2008-09 slate Apr 20, 2008
Thesp Alan Rickman will continue his directing career helming David Greig's new adaptation of August Strindberg's "Creditors" (Sept. 25-Nov. (Variety)
Altamont Speedway still holds dark meaning for rock fans Apr 6, 2008
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET Wronged by the unscrupulous Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp) returns to London, determined to be avenged. He is befriended by Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who finds a use for the dead bodies that are piling up around Todd. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
`Chipmunks,' `Sweeney': Musicals for very different audiences Apr 4, 2008
It seems a foolhardy idea to cast actors not noted for their singing (Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Sacha Baron Cohen, etc. in what often amounts to an operetta with some typically tricky Sondheim lyrics, many of which must be sung at a breathless pace, and bizarre harmonies that alternately rattle and massage the ears. (Kalamazoo Gazette, MI)
New On DVD: 'Sweeney Todd,' 'Alvin' Apr 2, 2008
"Sweeney Todd" tells the tragic tale of a barber named Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp), who seeks revenge on a Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) a corrupt official who unjustly sends him to prison for 15 years and destroys his family in the process. Escaping incarceration and emerging a ghoulish shadow of his former self, Barker, who renames himself Sweeney Todd, returns to London and Fleet Street where his family once lived, only to happen upon Mrs. Lovett, a destitute pie shop owner who allows him to... (Click2Houston, TX)
How about extra-close shave? Apr 1, 2008
Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen lead a terrific supporting cast. (116 min.; rated R). (OregonLive, OR -- Living)
Minghella: Truly, madly, deeply missed Mar 22, 2008
"Truly" was a tear-jerking drama about a bereaved woman (Juliet Stevenson), who literally wills her dead lover (Alan Rickman) back to life. The film focuses on her relationship with his ghost and is dealt with in a compassionate and sometimes humorous, manner that stopped it descending into mawkish sentimentalism. (CNN -- Showbiz)
Juliet Stevenson pays tribute to Anthony Minghella Mar 21, 2008
If you and Alan Rickman were dancing around, the whole crew would be dancing to bebop. He created this atmosphere and made everyone feel extraordinary. (Times Online)
For Minghella, compassion was a cinematic signature Mar 21, 2008
In "Truly, Madly, Deeply," the grieving wife played by Juliet Stevenson (with all faucets open) misses her husband (Alan Rickman) with such ferocity that she wills him back into ghostly existence. It's as though she never really knew him while he was alive and demands an extension on their time together. (Boston Globe)
Truly, Madly, Sadly Mar 20, 2008
The story of a grief-stricken pianist (Juliet Stevenson) whose cellist lover (Alan Rickman) comes back from the dead to hang around the house they once shared, Truly, Madly, Deeply is on my semisecret list of all-time favorite movies ... By the time Jamie is ready to rejoin the world of the shades, you sense the true magnitude of what both he and Nina have lost (and if you're me, you've also developed a debilitating, lifelong crush on Alan Rickman). (Slate)
Patient's Minghella Dies Mar 19, 2008
The Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson film came together so well that it bypassed its intended television release and opened in cinemas, subsequently earning the filmmaker critical acclaim. Minghella won the Best Director Oscar in 1997 for his work on The English Patient. (IGN FilmForce)
Oscar-winning director Minghella dies Mar 19, 2008
He worked as a television script editor before making his directing debut with "Truly, Madly, Deeply," a comedy about love and grief starring Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman. In a 1996 interview with The Associated Press, Minghella said "English Patient," which starred Binoche, Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas, was the pinnacle of his career at the time. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
The talented Mr. Minghella: Late director crafted ambitious epics Mar 19, 2008
The ghostly romance Truly Madly Deeply, with Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson, picked up a small loyal following that eluded his next effort, which he did not write. Mr. Wonderful (1993) did not have a premise to portend Patient or even Minghella's future tenure as director of the British Film Institute. (USA Today -- Life)
Tributes pour in for director Minghella Mar 19, 2008
First shown on television, the tear-jerking drama starred Alan Rickman and follows a woman's relationship with the ghost of her dead boyfriend. It drew attention from Hollywood and led to 'The English Patient', a lush Second World War drama starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche and filmed in Tunisia and Italy, for which he was named best director at the 1997 Academy Awards, making him a major player stateside. (iAfrica.com)
Obituary: Anthony Minghella Mar 19, 2008
Minghella's international breakthrough came when he wrote and directed the film Truly Madly Deeply, about a bereaved woman (Juliet Stevenson) who literally wills her dead lover (Alan Rickman) back to life. This rather sentimental drama, a very English riposte to the Demi Moore vehicle Ghost, was transcended by sincere performances and some telling dialogue. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Anthony Minghella, 54; director won Oscar for 'English Patient' Mar 19, 2008
Minghella was a critically acclaimed playwright and a successful TV writer in England when he wrote and directed his first film, "Truly, Madly, Deeply," a 1991 British romance starring Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman that Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers called "the thinking man's 'Ghost.' ". That was followed by "Mr. Wonderful," a 1993 comedy romance starring Matt Dillon and Annabella Sciorra. (Los Angeles Times)
Director Anthony Minghella, 1954-2008 Mar 19, 2008
After his feature debut, the 1990 comedy Truly, Madly, Deeply, starring Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson, there was the low-key comedy Mr. Wonderful with Matt Dillon and Mary-Louise Parker. Then came The English Patient, which won nine Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture and suddenly people started paying attention. (Time.com)
Rachel Corrie play debuts in Israel Mar 15, 2008
The play is based on Corrie's diaries and emails edited by the actor Alan Rickman and the Guardian journalist Katharine Viner. It has been translated into Arabic and adapted by the director Riad Masarwi and the actor Lana Zreik, who most recently appeared in the film Lemon Tree, which won the audience award at last month's Berlin Film Festival. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Fests go in for a piece of the action Mar 15, 2008
After casting Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman, the film shot in the summer of 2007. Since then, Lhormer has been getting a river of scripts for the fest. (Variety)
Who's afraid of 'Rachel Corrie'? Mar 7, 2008
New Repertory Theatre has faced its own set of challenges in mounting the play, whose text was shaped and edited by actor Alan Rickman and British journalist Katharine Viner. Stacy Fischer will star as Corrie. (Boston Globe)
Sentinel Lunchtime Blog (TV & Movie Edition): Child stars act too grown up Feb 21, 2008
Just take a look at the where Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman and David Thewlis take on a rather complicated conversation in The Prisoner of Azkaban, and you can see what the real actors are doing vs. what the children are not doing. But the children aren t that bad at it either, at least not enough to warrant any laughter from the audience at inopportune moments. (Carlisle Sentinel, PA)
Austen Powers Feb 17, 2008
The next: Alan Rickman, both good guy and bad guy. Firth Factor: 4. (Boston Globe)
Movies with heart Feb 14, 2008
Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman lent star power to Sense and Sensibility in 1995, while Keira Knightley and a dreamy Matthew Macfadyen gave life to Pride and Prejudice in 2005. But for Austen at its best and the Darciest Mr. Darcy around check out the BBC's 1995 version with uber-Darcy Colin Firth. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Pitt 'furious' at Shiloh death threat claim Feb 8, 2008
Fergie, Art Brut, Alan Rickman, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, Harold Bishop, and Eva Longoria Parker. Soap Spoilers. (Digital Spy)
Sweeney Todd U.K. Review Feb 8, 2008
Based on the classic Sondheim stage show but edited by the director and scribe Jon Logan down to a manageable two hours, Sweeny Todd is the tale of the titular Victorian barber from London (Johnny Depp) who is framed for an unspecified crime and exiled to Australia by evil judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) because he coveted the hair cutter's wife ... Indeed, all performances are first rate, from Alan Rickman's customarily ripe turn as the villainous sexual predator Judge Turpin, to the fresh-faced... (IGN FilmForce)
Potter stars film in Gloucester Feb 8, 2008
Celebrities, including Daniel Radcliffe, who plays the eponymous hero, Alan Rickman, and Dame Maggie Smith, are on set in the city. It will be the third time the Cathedral and nearby King's School have been used for the Potter movie series. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
'Bottle Shock' at Sundance Feb 1, 2008
Across the pond in Paris, Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman), a wine shop owner looking for ways to stir up business, decides to host a blind wine tasting pitting the exalted French wines against a selection of wines from California. The tasting became known as the Judgment of Paris and solidified California's prominence in the wine industry after Chateau Montelena's 1973 chardonnay took top prize. (Sonoma Index-Tribune, CA)
Lessing receives Nobel at last Jan 31, 2008
At the reception, actress Juliet Stevenson and actor Alan Rickman read extracts from Lessing's work and HarperCollins announced it would donate 10,000 books to schools in Zimbabwe. Lessing addressed the lack of teaching resources in Zimbabwe in an acceptance speech delivered on her behalf last year. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Sentinel Lunchtime Blog (TV & Movie Edition): Stage singers not meant for big screen Jan 31, 2008
If you re not part of the age population of fans for Hannah Montana, watch and see why Johnny Deep, Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter are so much better singing and acting than their Broadway counterparts. For those of that age range, check out Amy Adams and James Marsden in Enchanted. (Carlisle Sentinel, PA)
Lessing receives Nobel in London Jan 31, 2008
Actors Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman read excerpts from Lessing's new novel to the audience. Due out in May, Alfred and Emily speculates about how her parents' lives might have gone if there had been no first world war. (Guardian Unlimited -- Books)
Depp and Burton's dark demon barber Jan 29, 2008
Due to the amount of blood spilled, the film - which also features Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Sacha Baron Cohen and Timothy Spall - has been given an 18 rating in the UK. ... Alan Rickman (r) plays the judge who wrongfully imprisons Todd. (BBC News)
Movie review: ‘Sweeney Todd’ not for the squeamish Jan 29, 2008
A young barber, Benjamin Barker, (Depp) along with his wife, Lucy, and their child, Johanna, are threatened and tormented by the evil and corrupt Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman). Wishing to take Barker s wife for himself, the judge has the bewildered barber set up on false charges and banished to Australia. (Santa Maria Times)
Sweeney Todd - the Sunday Times review Jan 27, 2008
Bonham Carter is dishevelled and sardonic as Mrs Lovett; Alan Rickman employs his usual supercilious purr as Judge Turpin, whose villainy fires Todd s homicidal rage; Timothy Spall is in gargoyle mode as the judge s henchman, Beadle Bamford; and Sacha Baron Cohen does a comedy Italian accent as Pirelli, Todd s foppish rival in barbering, who wears trousers almost as immodest as Borat s swimming trunks. You don texpect microscopically nuanced acting in a musical, but if the film s performances... (Times Online)
Bits & pieces Jan 26, 2008
It's a quirky British comedy-drama starring Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson, rated PG.. Anheuser-Busch is paying 16 million for 7 Budweiser commercials during this year's Feb. 3rd Super Bowl. (W. Yellowstone News, MT)
Twisted tale of 'Sweeney Todd' captivating from start to finish Jan 25, 2008
The supporting crew is equally well-cast, both as actors and singers, including Alan Rickman as the slimy Judge Turpin ... Starring: {M3Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman. (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
Sundance crop too starry Jan 25, 2008
"Bottle Shock," starring Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman and Chris Pine: "Director Randol Miller has assembled an amazing and talented cast, but he uses them on a disjointed script, which never seems to find its focus." -- Cinemablend's Josh Tyler. Every festival, whether Toronto, Cannes or Berlin, makes deals with distribution suppliers to show certain films in exchange for getting others. (Variety)
Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street Jan 24, 2008
Alan Rickman is a sinister pleasure as Judge Turpin. And Timothy Spall is equally effective as his ultra-violent enforcer, Beadle Bamford. (Times Online)
Sundance sales continue slowly Jan 24, 2008
Also not feeling immediate love were Groundswell's Michael Chabon adaptation "Mysteries of Pittsburgh," starring Peter Sarsgaard and Sienna Miller; the wine country family drama "Bottle Shock," starring Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman and Chris Pine; "Diminished Capacity," starring Matthew Broderick and Alan Alda; "The Merry Gentleman," directed by and starring Michel Keaton; Sharon Maguire's darkly political "Incendiary," starring Michelle Williams and Ewan McGregor; "The Wackness," starring Ben... (Variety)
