Alan Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016)

21 Feb 1992 — British actor Alan Rickman — Image by © Didier OlivrÈ/Corbis

“If you want to know who I am, it is all in the work.”

“I don’t play villains, I play very interesting people.”

“When I’m 80 years old, I’ll be reading Harry Potter. And my family will say to me, “After all this time?” And I will say, “Always”. (Alan Rickman)

British actor Alan Rickman sadly passed away on 14 January 2016. My first introduction to him was through “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” (1991), which I watched at a young age on a VHS. Rickman was the perfect villain there, impersonating Sheriff George of Nottingham with such passion, zeal and enthusiasm, he becomes a truly feared man there, and I do not think that impersonation would ever leave me, so powerful it was. Then, of course, we also have Rickman’s “great villains” in “Die Hard” (1988) and “Quigley Down Under” (1990). I have always admired people playing villains. Unlike action-heroes or “goodies”, villains in films are people whom no one likes, but they are very important because without them, there will not be any praises for glorious heroes. It also takes real acting skill to play a villain, and Alan Rickman could do so not just superbly and convincingly, but with that originality in his presentation that would be simply enviable.

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Academy Awards Nominations 2016: Some Thoughts

Best picture

1. The Big Short 
2. Bridge of Spies
3. Brooklyn 
4. Mad Max: Fury Road
5. The Martian
6. The Revenant
7. Room 
8. Spotlight

It seems it is all about “action and impact” with this 2016 Best Picture Academy Awards. I am rooting for “Spotlight” to win, but am also glad that “Room” was nominated. In my view, “The Revenant” had its fair share of flaws to be seen here so proudly taking the nominee’s place. We don’t see here either “Carol” or “Steve Jobs”, surprise, surprise, and what about “Inside Out”? The Academy had no trouble nominating the animations “Toy Story 3” or “Up” in the general film category of Best Picture in 2011 and 2010 respectively. Why such a perfect animation as “Inside Out” is ignored here now? 

20 “Must-See” Dystopian/Futuristic Films

What life could be in the future? In no particular order:

1. A Clockwork Orange (1975)

2. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

3. Ex-Machina (2015)

4. Never Let Me Go (2010)

5. The Fifth Element (1997)

6. Children of Men (2006) 

“Concussion” Mini-Review

Concussion (2015)

In “Concussion”, Will Smith plays a Nigerian forensic pathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, who comes to the US for work, but later becomes the centre of media attention and the big companies’ pursuit when he makes the first discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. The disease is a football-related brain trauma that is characterized by dizziness, headaches, memory loss and depression, among other symptoms. Far from being acknowledged and praised for his discovery, Dr. Omalu soon sets on a dangerous path fighting for truth and justice for CTE victims as the grand American football establishment tries to put a stop to Dr. Omalu’s experimentations.