Month: March 2023

Bobby Axelrod in Billions Season 6 *UPDATED*

If you are not living under a rock, you know that Damian Lewis announced on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that he was returning to Billions! While we followed the clues and called it before everyone else that Damian would return to Billions, I believe the biggest clue we have had is Billions Season 6 itself. Here is what I wrote in my post back in April 2022.

“Now, the writers’ room not shying away from having characters mention Axe regularly makes me feel they do not intend for us to forget the character and they may even want us to compare and contrast him with Prince. And Bobby Axelrod still having a presence, if in spirit, in the show, gives me hope that he may show up again at some point in the next season – maybe not as a regular character but at least as a recurring one.”

BINGO! Variety has announced that Damian will be back for half of the new season – certainly a recurring role!

Continue reading “Bobby Axelrod in Billions Season 6 *UPDATED*”

A Spy Among Friends on MGM+, Episode 3: Allegory of the Catholic Faith

Allegory of the Catholic Faith is a painting by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. The painting, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York since 1931, depicts a woman with one foot on top of a globe representing the dominance of the Catholic Church across the world. The  Crucifixion scene on the wall is based on a painting by the Flemish artist Jacob Jordaens that Vermeer had in his collection.

The painting makes such a fitting title for this episode since the episode does not only have a direct connection to the painting itself but also to the Catholic faith as well as to the Crucifixion.

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Fan Fun Movie of the Month: The Escapist

“You know the one thing you’ve got going for you, Frank? You’re too old to die young.” – Rizza

source: superiorpics.com
source: superiorpics.com

The Escapist is a prison escape movie. But not your typical prison escape movie. It is a healthy combination of an action movie and an art house movie giving you the grim prison life. You feel the brutality. You feel the daily presence of threat. You, in fact, live the violence without even seeing it. You feel very disturbed by the place.

An Ireland-UK co-produced ensemble piece directed by Rupert Wyatt, the film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival to critical applause.

The Escapist premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, source: Getty Images
The Escapist premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, source: Getty Images

Frank Perry (a BRILLIANT Brian Cox for whom it turns out Rupert Wyatt wrote this role!) is in prison for life and he has made his peace with the fact that he will never see outside life again… Until he gets a letter, the first one in 14 years, that his beloved daughter is a drug addict and, following an episode of overdose, she is critically ill. This makes Frank to think about escaping. He plans his escape with fellow prisoners Lenny Drake (Joe Fiennes, a Guildhall class mate of Damian’s!), Brodie (Liam Cunningham), Batista (Seu Jorge) and Lacey (Dominic Cooper). These five “good guys” make the movie poster. Continue reading “Fan Fun Movie of the Month: The Escapist”

Throwback Thursday to a Lesson in Rhetoric: Damian Lewis as Antony

To be filed in the category of “This is a guy who makes you want to go back to school”, we learned and reported (on our lovely sister site damian-lewis.com) that Damian’s version of Antony’s funeral speech from Julius Caesar, for The Guardian’s video series Shakespeare Solos, was featured in a seminar on rhetoric. This wasn’t an avenue for literary criticism or drama theory, but a newsletter on effective public speaking.

How is speaking any different from writing and reading, you may wonder? Well, there are components to classical rhetoric, when dissected, can show you what makes one speech different from another. Such an analysis would reach your brain (or at least attempt to). Alternatively, we can talk about how a speech makes you feel. Granted we’re not seeing much great oratory from our current elder statesmen, so examples are few and far between. But, there was a time, wasn’t there? In our not too distant history, when a leader spoke, it did a heart good to hear, didn’t it?

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A Magical Evening with Damian Lewis and His Band at Hoxton Hall

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I had a 48-hour lightning trip to London for fun with fan friends and a fantastic evening of music at Hoxton Hall in East End with the one and only Damian Lewis and his fabulous band. And when I asked my blog mate Gingersnap before my trip that whether she thought I was crazy, I got this response.

“You’re not crazy. But you have a new name. Groupie!”

Seriously, how many times do you need to travel to see a musician in action to qualify as a groupie? 🙂

It was such a magical night that, ten days later,  this groupie still the under the spell of Damian’s spectacular performance and ready to tell you all about how our Ginger Elvis has ruled on stage and off – he has made time for everyone, his guests and his fans, after the gig. He had pictures taken, gave autographs as well as bear hugs.

So please come join me in the historic and intimate music hall that is Hoxton Hall, and live or re-live ( if you were lucky  enough to be there!) every single detail from that terrific evening.

Continue reading “A Magical Evening with Damian Lewis and His Band at Hoxton Hall”