The Rickmanista Review

rick-man-is-ta n., f., m., an admirer of actor ALAN RICKMAN, his work, or his physical attributes, especially his hands or voice (British RICKMAN, Spanish mano, Spanish -ista)

The #1 haptic website!

Update, Monday, April 4, 2005

Update, Wednesday, 28 July

Thursday, July 15 Emily tells us AR's been nominated for an Emmy in the category Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie for his work in the HBO TV movie Something The Lord Made. The Emmy website tells us, "The awards presentation telecast awarding Emmys in 28 categories before a black-tie audience will be televised by the ABC Television Network on Sunday, September 19, from the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium". As fans know, HBO was lucky for AR, since he won his first Emmy for Rasputin in 1996.

Friday, 11 June Jenny sent a link to YCTV Charity Screening and Q/A with Alan Rickman,London, 3rd June 2004

Friday, June 4: In today's paper, a review of HP3 says Cuaron does follow what by now should be a cardinal rule of filmmaking: If you have Alan Rickman in your cast, then by god, use him. He doesn't exhaust Rickman, but uses him enough to show why he's the best actor in the entire cast. Nice.
Michelle went to the London premiere of HP3 and took photos; she says AR was the only adult actor to sign autographs all around the crowd.

Tuesday June 2: Courtesy of Manuela, clips of HP3. Don't miss the German dubbed version -- the actor doing the dubbing conveys a "Rickman" effect.

Monday June 1: STLM was on HBO Sunday. Nice articles on AR from Caroline and Manuela. M tells us there's a video of the HP3 premiere at Mugglenet but neither one of us has been able to open the file.

Friday, 28 May: Nice review of STLM in today's New York Times, courtesy of M & Manuela. Watch STLM on HBO, Sunday night at 9, Eastern and Pacific times; 8, Central time.

Wednesday, May 26: PH&tPOA opened last Sunday, on a hot & humid afternoon, in NYC. AR wore long sleeves and a blazer, but the weather was more for this type of clothes. I'll post photos when time allows. Meanwhile, today I received the following, My name is Nicolette, I run the Alex Winter fansite.
I've got an article up on my site, about an upcoming new film titled "Acts Of Charity", written and directed by Chips Hardy and Alex Winter.
Alan Rickman is attached to play the role of British ex-pat journalist in this new film, which follows the trials and tribulations of a young corporate executive sent on a hopeless humanitarian mission deep into the jungles of a struggling African nation. You can find more at the Alex Winter Fansite (scroll down the sidebar to Acts Of Charity)

Saturday, May 22 The Sunday NYTimes has a nice photo of the Private Lives set, with AR & LD. The dead-tree article shows the B&W photo in half-page size.

It says And "Private Lives," named best revival of a play in 2002, made more in ticket sales in the month before the awards than in the month after, which is easily explained: a lot of eager fans showed up before the awards!

Thursday, May 20 Manuela sent photos from Rasputin.
Melanie sent a link to this article, on the RADA centennial,

Alan Rickman initially wanted to be a graphic designer, but won a place at Rada at the age of 26. After graduating, he jumped straight into a role in 1988 Hollywood action movie Die Hard.
Since then, his film CV has included Truly Madly Deeply, Galaxy Quest, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and the Harry Potter movies, in which he plays Professor Snape.
Rickman is also known for his theatre work and as a director.
He was nominated for various awards for his role in Noel Coward's play Private Lives, which ran in the West End and on Broadway in 2001/2002

Friday, May 14 I just found out that Something The Lord Made can be "saved" into your waiting list at Netflix, which is nice since I don't get HBO. For those of you who don't use Netflix, I highly recommend them.

Wednesday, 5 May: Laura sent a link to AR photos at the University Of The Arts London - Celebratory Dinner May 4, 2004 - Tate Modern

Tuesday, May 3 Stacey sent photos for Something The Lord Made's own page.

Tuesday, 27 April Just received this email Dear Fausta,
I work for a video distributor in the UK. As you have the biggest and best Alan Rickman website on the net I thought you would like to know that Close My Eyes will be released for the first time on DVD in the UK on 14th June! We are very excited about this release as we have filmed exclusive interviews with Alan Rickman and the other stars Saskia Reeves and Clive Owen and also with the director, Stephen Poliakoff. As you well know Alan Rickman rarely conducts interviews so we are very lucky indeed to be able to include this as a feature on our DVD!
The interview is approximately 15 minutes long during which Alan speaks about his feelings on the subject matter of Close My Eyes and playing 'Sinclair'. He also discusses his various other roles in films such as Die Hard, Robin Hood Prince of Theives and Harry Potter.
Claire Bosak
Sales & Marketing Co-ordinator
Cinema Club

Also, Luanne's new drawing of AR in LA

Monday, 19 April Forty landmarks from BBC Two: 37) Alan Rickman and Alfred Molina were the original actors cast in the Red Dwarf lead roles - eventually filled by the successful cult duo of Craig Charles and Chris Barrie as Lister and Rimmer. Thanks to Maureen!

6 April Kate tells us there's HP2 scheduled on ABC Sunday, May 9 at 7/6c, "There will additional footage not shown in the original theatrical release and a ten minute preview of Prisoner of Azkaban."

Samizdata has a commentary on Love, Actually

Friday, 25 March Stacey sent photos of Snape, where his hairdo reminds me of that wig Michael Jackson's been wearing

Maureen sent a link to an article Faces You Trust that mentions AR>

24 March: "Turn to page 394": Six contributors sent a link to the latest HP3 trailer. Thank you all!

23 March Yet more from ARgentina: AR's done more intereviews in a week in Argentina than in the past 3 years. Laura, on a roll, sends a link to yet another interview, from La Capital, titled, "I'm sure I'd rather starve than work for money". Lucky AR. Since I have to work for money I don't have time to translate.
Same newspaper, another article states Ken Russell attended AR's acting master class, wine glass in hand. KR does work for money, and proudly so, which caused the reporter to sniff his disapproval.

Maureen tells us AR's in the cast of another new film! "Harry Potter" star Alan Rickman will play the role of a British ex-pat journalist in Crossroads Films' new dark comedy spec, Acts of Charity, written by Chips Hardy, read about it in Coming Soon! This makes four upcoming films with AR: Something The Lord Made, HP4, Manhester United Ruined My Life, and now Acts of Charity

22 March: More on AR in ARgentina Laura sent an article on an press conference AR held while at the Mar del Plata film festival. He's glad that RADA didn't follow the Stanislavsky o Strasberg methods. Sorry but presently I don't have time to translate.

Friday, 19 March
Rickman in Australia: Looks like AR's doing a tour of the Southern Hemisphere, next going to a wedding (info courtesy of RF) on March 21.

Rickman in Argentina: Lisi sent us a link to this interview of AR while he was attending the Mar del Plata Film Festival. He gave a master class in acting, was given a prize, and wanted to view Ninagawa's new film, The Blue Light.
Here's a quick translation of the interview (sorry folks, this is also the only translation I'm doing!). As you'll see, Prof. Snape is Prof. Snipe in Argentina.

Film: Mar del Plata Film Festival: Alan Rickman interview “I spend my life acting”: The actor from Die Hard and Sense and Sensibility came to give a Master Class and received an award.
By Diego Lerer
In tourist mode, Alan Rickman isn’t too enthusiastic for facing the press: he was given an award and gave a Master Class, but they didn’t show any of his films. If they had, what would he choose? Die Hard, his first film, which made him famous for his role as a villain? The outstanding Sense and Sensibility? Or his mysterious professor Snipe (sic) in the Harry Potter saga?
In his calm and slightly sinister tone that we’ve seen so often in his characters, the 58-year old London-born actor, says that he “didn’t know what to expect from Argentina, or from Mar del Plata. After I leave here I’ll get to know well Buenos Aires, and I think the North and South of the country”.
One of Rickman’s nice idiosyncrasies is that he has a very early breakfast in the Sala of the Auditórium, ready to watch movies from 9AM. “I love film festivals”, he says, “I've been to all the major ones and always have a great time. It’s the filmgoer’s ideal place. And I love watching movies. I love to watch movies from countries that I normally wouldn’t see in London”.
The proof is that he had to finish the interview early since he was late for a screening of The Blue Light, a film by Japanese theater and film director Yukio Ninagawa, who directed him on stage.
Rickman, who still lives in his native London (“I’m in many places, depending on filming, but that’s where I keep my underwear”), isn’t here just as an actor, but also as director, of only one film, The Winter Guest, with Emma Thompson.
Would you want to direct again?
Making movies is very difficult. On one hand, you have the issue of finance. On the other hand, if you’re also an actor, you have to leave aside everything for two years of your life. When directing, you’re responsible for beginning to end. I’m not one that, like other directors, has a lot of projects. Right now I have two things in mind. We’ll see . . .
Your last films, Love Actually and Harry Potter, are great international hits, but you could do them in London. Do you like working there?
Yes, I do, but I’ve also spent a long time in New York with a stage play (Private Lives) that did very well.
Nowadays a lot of English films, like Love Actually, have too much of a Hollywood style. Does that bother you?
In Love, Actually everybody made a small film. I never had the total experience until I watch the completed movie. The part I played with Emma was so English that we never noticed anything. I feel that it has to do with Richard Curtis’s personal experience, wrapped in something universal.
That was Curtis’s first film Was it easy to film?
Very smooth. Emma and I have worked together many times, I directed her, so I felt very comfortable, We spent a lot of time exploring the dangerous comfort that can exist between a man and his wife, into which a third person can intrude.
Do you prefer big movies or small movies?
I like both. In big films you can find nooks in which you can place eccentricities, which is what people remember. Something human . . . Does it bother you, that, more than 15 years later, people still remember you from Die Hard, your first film?
Some prefer Sense and Sensibility. Now I’ve come across a lot of Galaxy Quest fans (released on video in Argentina). But no, it doesn’t bother me. It’s a movie they play all the time on TV. I had never made a film before. It was a strong beginning.
They cast you, being an unknown?
They saw me on stage and they liked me. Besides, I came cheap.
”I don’t talk about Harry Potter”
For youngsters, Rickman is Harry Potter’s Professor Snipe (sic), the teacher that’s never as evil as he appears. But he doesn’t want to talk about it.
What can you tell us about the new Harry Potters?
I don’t talk about Harry Potter
Does your contract forbid it?
No, because I don’t want to play with something that has to do with children’s innocence.
But you’re in the third one?
Yes
Have they started on the fourth one?
They have. I haven’t.
Will you be in it?
Eventually . . .

15 March: Tai sent photos of a very young AR, from the Ruby Wax book.
Too-Sexy Snape Jenny sent a link.

Thursday, 11 March: I invite all of you to visit my new blog, The Bad Hair Blog. Thank you.

Not AR related, but for those of us who thought we'd seen everything, there's a 128MB swiss army knife. (With greetings to other gadget-oriented AR fans. You know who you are.)

3 March The Internet Movie Database has AR listed in the cast of HP & The Goblet of Fire.

Not AR-related, Alistair Cooke retires his Letter From America. I've listened to his LFA on and off most of my life and owe him an appreciation for a topic well-reasoned, well-developed and clearly presented.

Following his success with Love Is All Around Bill Nighy denies rumors that he's starting a rock band. ". "I've been asked if I want to put together a band and tour universities, " sighs Nighy, "but I can't really sing, I'm not cruel to the public and I also spend far too long away working to see any benefit in having beer thrown at me in student union bars." (item courtesy of RF).

Tuesday, 24 February Maureen sent a link to an article where Kevin Costner says good things about his co-stars, "He smiled when I remarked that Duvall was on scene-stealing form in Open Range. 'I've never been frightened of that,' said Costner. 'I knew when I made Robin Hood that Alan Rickman would do that. And I wanted that to happen. It helped the movie to succeed.'"

23 February -- Good news (so to speak, as it's maybe not official) for Snapeanistas: Laura tells us that The Leaky Cauldron implies that AR's in HP4

Rickman is in a break between filming the third Potter movie, PoA and the upcoming Goblet of Fire, due to begin production in late April 2004.

Tuesday, 17 February Greg Wise, Juliet Stevenson, Robbie Coltrane, Beatie Edney, and Michael Gambon are among the many actors that contributed to the 1st National Doodle Day auction to benefit the UK's Neurofibromatosis Association and Epilepsy Action. No AR doodles are oferred, but fans might be interested in Alan Bates's, Nick Park's, Richard E. Grant's, Jeremy Irons's and Hugh Jackman's.

16 February At the Baftas: Best actor in a supporting role Bill Nighy - Love Actually

Thursday, 12 February
RF tells us Bill Nighy & Emma Thompson won Evening Standard British Film Awards for their work in Love Actually: Emma's Best Actress, Bill got The Peter Sellers Award for comedy. Bill's also going to be the voice of Dylan.
Kim verified that there was a preview of HP3 during the Superbowl.

Friday, 6 February
Laura tells us that The Museum of Costume in Bath, England, has a show on Jane Austen: Film and Fashion from Wednesday 4 February 2004 to Sunday 7 November 2004, in case you're in the area. Bath is a particularly lovely place and I wouldn't mind going back.
SuzanneS clarifies that the version of the Pachabel Canon by Half (see January 29 update below) has a version performed live in concert, so this isn't the one used in the play.

Thursday 5 February
M asks if there was a Prisoner of Azkaban trailer during the Superbowl. If there was, could someone please verify (I tend to nap during the Superbowl, but they had a preview of Van Helsing with lots of Hugh Jackman). She also tells us, Love Actually was Best British Film and Emma Thompson Best British Actress in the Empire Awards 2004.
Please note there's a preview of PoA on line.

Saturday, 17 January New Sherriff drawing from Luanne in the RH, POT page.

14 January
Maureen sent a link to this article, with the question, "Mr Rickman to don a kilt?"

JenniferF asks, I was just viewing the Rickmanista Review website. It seems that the cookbook has not been updated some quite some time. Any reason?.
Sorry I haven't updated the cookbook. Been overwhelmed with work and family obligations so I've posted recipes on the monthly, which I should link to the cookbook page!

Friday, 9 January
Sorry I haven't updated but this week the flu? cold? got me (it still has me, but much more loosely).

Maureen sent Alan Rickman sees the sights. Money quote: Alan Rickman looked positively Brit-cool in black leather.
Arielah tells us the The Voice site has a video clip of In Demand. Anette also found it at the Texas site.

Saturday, January 3
Many thanks to everyone who emailed about Alan Bates. My condolences to all his fans.

Nikki sent a link to an article on Daniel Radcliffe, my favorite actor in the HP series, "During POA, Alfonso and Alan Rickman put a whoopee cushion in my sleeping bag in the Great Hall and when I started to move it went off. The scene was a very quiet one so you can imagine the hysteria which took place once everyone heard it. "

30 December
Wishing all visitors a happy, healthy, prosperous 2004 filled with joy and wonderful good luck.

The January 2004 Monthly Rickmanista is now on line: special issue dedicated to Alan Bates.

26 December
Helen wrote with the following,The Orlando Sentinel has a review of Peter Pan with this quote:
"That's where the Lost Boys, Peter's gang, live in a treehouse, laugh and carouse all day, and occasionally brawl with Captain Hook. He's played, "with eyes as blue as forget-me-nots" and with more menace than glee by Jason Isaacs, of The Patriot. To think of what Alan Rickman could have done with the part is to imagine a happier, funnier movie."
I can see the funnier part (though I haven't seen the movie yet) but I've never heard of Alan playing a "happier" villain. Would we want Hook to be happy? Clearly, I'll have to see for myself.
Wouldn't Alan have made a great Hook, though?
And he did, too, albeit briefly, in AABA. (I do like Jason Isaacs a lot myself, though!)

Tuesday, 23 December
Merry Christmas!

18 December
Love Actually has been nominated for a Golden Globe in the best musical or comedy category. The other 4 films in the category are "Big Fish", ``Finding Nemo'', ``Lost in Translation,'', and ``Bend It Like Beckham''. Richard Curtis was nominated for Best Screenplay

17 December
Valerie sent two links to Potter Cartoons, http://www.eviltrailmix.com/extra/Potter.swf and http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view.php?id=140341

11 December
Maureen tells us you may want to let UK fans know that BBC1 are showing AR in Rasputin at 12:10am on Thursday 18 December

9 December This soliloquy by Lawrance M. Bernabo doesn't have much to do with Rickman (other than AR played Hamlet a few years ago), but since this is the fans' review site -- and many of the fans shop through Amazon, I thought you'd enjoy it.

To review, or not to review: that is the question:
Whether 'tis better to post reviews and cover
The pros and cons of action figures,
Or to write reviews about best sellers,
And by reviewing diss them? To critique: to review;
No more; and have a life again we end
The long-nights and the thousand misspeeled words
and buy things instead, 'tis a consumption
Amazon devoutley wish'd. To critique, to review;
To review: perchance be voted: Yeah, there's the fun;
For in those votes for reviews what ranking may come
Whence we may achieve a cute little badge,
Must make us crazed: such obsession
Surely makes such big time fun of reviewing life;
For who would bear the wit and scorns of posts,
The counter review, the second page oblivion,
The pangs of negative votes, posting delay,
The insolence of edits and revisions
The steady rise of the unworthy reviewer,
When anyone might their ascension make
With some extra accounts? who would freebies take,
To read and review someone’s new book,
But that the fun of something never reviewed,
The undiscover'd product for the nounce
No reviews critique, inspires the mind
And makes us rather review everything we have
Than review those things that we know not of?
Thus ranking does make competitors of us all;
And thus the constant cry re: ranking
Is debated o'er with constant call for reform,
And reviews of great length and insight
With words counts the elves judge too high,
Do lose the chance of posting.-- Submit you more!
Fair Amazon.com! Jeff, on thy pages
Be all my reviews spotlighted.
(Jeff refers to Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.)

Friday, 5 December The Love Actually paperback is now available at Amazon.

The December Monthly is now on line. Please visit.

Thursday, 4 December Dawn & an anonymous contributor sent a link to The Independent Student article on AR, written by Abi Doyle.

3 December M sent a link to the Weekend Edition Richard Curtis interview on NPR that aired on Saturday, Nov. 8. There's also a link to a Fresh Air Interview with Colin Firth.

Could someone please distribute this film to cinemas around the world?

New at The Rickmanista Review:

AR in People Magazine

In the Films: New pages: Love Actually, Tango At The End of Winter, and Helen's review of Blow Dry and An Awfully Big Adventure.

In the Theatre: two new photos of AR 20 yrs ago in The Grass Widow

In the Cookbook: The Asian Slaw

In the Wallpaper: The wallpaper page is now closed, but read this page before you bid on internet auctions.

In the Audio: SuzanneS's review of A Trick To Catch the Old One.

Not the official sequels: New ones

In the Monthly Rickmanista: November and December

For Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, click on Prof. Snape:

Original art courtesy of Ren; animation courtesy of Petra

All the pages on this site are best viewed on full-screen in your monitor.

Would you like to contribute a review, a photo, a recipe, or some artwork? Then e-mail webmaster@rickmanistareview.com. Please make sure all photos do not exceed 75K.

The small print
The Rickmanista Review and The Monthly Rickmanista are registered trademarks of Fausta Rodriguez Longo.

The Rickmanista Review is not in contact with Alan Rickman, his agents or representatives. This site does not post any information on Mr. Rickman’s life outside of his work.
All copyrights to all reviews and articles remain with the writers. All copyrights to photographs, artwork, or recipes remain with their creators. This site does not profit from any commercial endorsements.

My thoughts, sympathy and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the people affected by the tragedy of September 11 in New York City, Washington, D. C., and Pennsylvania, and by other acts of terrorism around the world. Fausta