Avengers News
08/11/98 Great Article on Hollywood Online-Interview
w/Ralph
For Ralph Fiennes, 'Avengers' is Sweet
by Iain Blair, L.A. Times Syndicate
When British star Ralph Fiennes was offered the plum
role of John Steed in the eagerly awaited ``The Avengers'' (which
opens Aug. 14), he didn't hesitate. ``I've played a lot of
tortured souls in movies recently, like `The English Patient' and
`Oscar and Lucinda,' so in a funny way it was a big relief to go
from someone like Oscar, who is so impractical, to someone like
John Steed, who can handle anything,'' he says.
``Nothing is too much for John Steed. The only time he is deeply
angry is when someone punctures his bowler hat with a dart; that
makes him very cross.''
Based on the popular British television series of the '60s, ``The
Avengers'' stars Fiennes opposite Uma Thurman's Mrs. Peel. They
play a pair of ultra-hip crime fighters who prefer to dispatch
the villains of the world with a minimum of weaponry. But while
Fiennes retains Steed's strict, very '60s dress code of suit,
bowler and umbrella, and Thurman sports Mrs. Peel's sexy leather
catsuit, the movie version has been updated to the '90s. And this
time our heroes have to do battle with a larger-than-life evil
mastermind, Sir August De Wynter (played by Sean Connery), who is
determined to dominate the planet by controlling its weather.
Fiennes, who says he was a ``big fan'' of the TV series, reports
that the movie version is ``very much tongue-in-cheek'' and will
feature a surprise appearance by Patrick Macnee, the British
actor who played the original Steed. ``Actually, I felt slight
trepidation doing it, because Patrick created Steed,'' Fiennes
admits.
So how does he play the famous role? ``I just thought Steed was
that perennial English gentleman, from any time in this
century,'' the actor explains. ``He sort of has no age, whereas
Emma Peel is the real modern. Everything in her flat is
ultra-modern, and she is sort of the new modern woman and in
charge of herself.
``(Steed) is a traditionalist, and the film, as in the old TV
series, focuses on the play between her independence and
femininity and sexuality and his somehow very dressed-up
containedness and precision. It's in that sort of sexual tension
that their partnership works.''
Mrs. Peel may be the ``really cool and sexy'' one of the pair, as
Fiennes puts it, but in real life the quicksilver actor who
appears to be equally at home playing a murderous Nazi in
``Schindler's List'' as a hideously disfigured spy in ``The
English Patient,'' has become quite the sex symbol himself.
Fiennes squirms uncomfortably at mention of this. ``I'm always
bemused by that because I don't quite know what it means
really,'' he says. ``I sort of feel that's a media term, 'sex
symbol.'''
So how does the reluctant sex symbol feel about fame? ``I feel
it's sort of the double-edged sword,'' he says. ``The feeling of
being successful is a great feeling, and a hit like `The English
Patient' helps you get movies like `The Avengers,' and people
come up to you and say that they like your work and that's
wonderful. But I think it can distort your approach to living
everyday life, (then) I think it's very dangerous.''
However, he does not allow fame to limit his freedom, at least
not severely. ``No, I don't really feel that,'' he states. ``But
increasingly I feel I do get recognized going out, and it's all
very complimentary and flattering, but it's not the same as it
was. I'm not anonymous now if I walk around London, which is
where I live. So the downside is that people want you to become
public property. They want you pretending to be someone as on
film. So I don't really enjoy it, although I think I'm beginning
to accept that it's part of the job.''
Advice from a veteran, his ``Avengers'' co-star Sean Connery,
helped Fiennes out in that department. ``Meeting Sean Connery,
who for a whole lifetime has had this sort of intrusion and just
shrugs it off -- that taught me a lot about how it doesn't
matter,'' he notes. ``It's like water off a duck's back to him. I
saw from that that it's not going to kill me.''
Fiennes also has come to terms with the pervasive feeling that he
was ``just the latest flavor of the year. It's past now,'' he
says, ``and there are other flavors and other films, and you
recognize that that's the pattern that goes on. The focus is on
the hot films, the hot actors, and (the media) will talk about
them and write about them, and six months later it's something
else. So I think you have to just be consistent in the private
areas of your life, and just let each moment unfold for itself.
``I think the dangerous thing is to feel that if you are not in
the papers, there is a problem. If your film is not a success,
there's a problem. There isn't a problem really.'' Link
to Hollywood Online source...
More Negative Hype on the E! Online
page..Here's an excerpt
One mole for the Hollywood-insider Ain't It Cool Website
sounds dubious that The Avengers' shy act is for any other reason
than, you know, the thing is "abyssmal."
"I saw a trade screening of it this week, and it looked
awfully finished to me," the mole reports, adding that the
print even had a trailer attached.
Buzz on the movie has been bad for weeks. Asked the London Times:
"Will our cult fop be a flop?"
The stars are already diving for cover to avoid the bomb blast.
Instead of working the publicity trail, Fiennes is on a movie set
in Budapest (possibly the scheduling coup of the year), Thurman
is in New York doing the mommy thing and Connery is in London,
also at work on a film.
Come the weekend, Warners executives may wish they were in that
far-away set trailer with Fiennes. The studio is on a two-year
losing streak thanks to masterworks like Steel, Major League 3:
Back to the Minors and The Postman.
This time, it's got between $60 and $70 million in production
costs alone riding on The Avengers.
Can Steed and Peel save the day? The answer: Starting Friday.
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08/10/98 Ralph Fiennes Will not Be at Avengers Opening
The Avengers hit the screen - but not the launch party A big
screen revival of cult 1960s TV show The Avengers will get a
lavish launch as celebrities gather for a party - but the stars
who play the lead characters will not be there.
The film's producer is reported to have ploughed hundreds of
thousands of pounds into throwing a party for select guests at
London's trendy Leopard Lounge, instead of the traditional gala
premiere.
Film company Warner Brothers took a worldwide decision to let the
public see the film first, when they release it on Friday, rather
than show it to critics or unveil it at select screenings.
Few, if any, of the film's stars are expected to be at the launch
bash. Ralph Fiennes, who plays dapper hero Steed, is busy filming
his latest movie and new mum Uma Thurman, who takes on the Emma
Peel role, is busy at home with her baby.
Sean Connery, who plays villain Sir August De Wynter, is also
believed to be staying away.
However the party, a joint launch for both the film and
soundtrack, will attract some of the stars who contribute the
music to the film.
Former Madness singer Suggs will be performing for guests, who
are expected to include Malcolm McLaren, Denise Van Outen and
Lily Savage.
In the film Steed and Mrs Peel are reinvented for the 1990s and
bid to defeat evil Sir August who is masterminding a plot to play
havoc with the British weather..
Link
to Source
08/10/98 The Avengers Press Roller Coaster Continues...
ALL'S NOT FIENNES
By SU AVASTHI
AT first glance, "The Avengers" seems to have all the
makings of a summer blockbuster.The big-screen $70 million
adaptation features a pair of stylish Cold War spies based on the
cheeky British TV import popular during the late '60.
It showcases the dual talents of Ralph Fiennes (of "The
English Patient" fame) as dapper-hero-in-a-bowler John Steed
and Sean Connery (of worldwide fame) as
ruthless-villain-in-a-kilt who threatens to wreak havoc after
harnessing control of the weather.
And, of course, Uma Thurman - poured into a skin-tight leather
jumpsuit - makes for a stunning update of Emma Peel.
By all rights, when this popcorn flick hits theaters on Friday,
it should be a runaway hit for Warner Bros., a studio in dire
need of a of solid summer performers.
But early signs indicate that "The Avengers" is more
likely to be yet another high-profile flop from a studio that
lately has been responsible for more turkeys than Thanksgiving.
Hollywood insiders say all the warning signs are obvious.
"Clearly, they don't think this is going to be a big
film," said Kevin Skislock, a Hollywood-based entertainment
analyst at L.H. Friend, Weinress, Frankson & Presson.
"The buzz is not particularly good, and it might turn into a
bit of disappointment."
Anne Thompson, West Coast editor of Premiere magazine, agreed:
"If you read the tea leaves, it's pretty clear that Warner
Bros. doesn't consider it to be that strong a competitor."
Here are some signs of trouble:
No early screenings: As Post Plus reported Saturday, the studio
is not holding advance screenings for critics, meaning no reviews
will appear in Friday newspapers. When a studio refuses to hold
screenings for critics, it generally means a movie is a turkey.
But officials at Warner Bros. downplayed that assumption.
"We've decided that we want the press and audiences to
discover the movie together," said Don Buckley, a senior
vice president at the studio.
An August opening: A late-summer release, especially for a campy
action/adventure flick, tends to signal a studio's hesitation.
Said Thompson: "Opening a movie in August is usually a sign
that they don't consider it to be strong enough to compete
against the other summer movies."
Bad buzz on the Internet: At Harry Knowles' Ain't it Cool News
site, for example, nine out of 10 viewers gave the picture the
thumbs down after seeing it at test screenings.
Limited hype: New mom Thurman begged off the usual roundup of
morning and late-night shows to hype the movie. And Fiennes
reportedly is working on another project and unable to promote
"The Avengers." Without plugs, it could be harder to
generate audience interest.
Despite the negative buzz, officials at Warner said they are
optimistic about "The Avengers."
"The movie is based on an enormously popular TV program, so
there's a legacy there, and the filmmakers have taken that and
updated it and made a stylish, bold movie," said WB's
Buckley. "We're very proud of the movie and we're happy with
the results."
This comes at a time when Warner Bros. badly needs a hit.
Once one of Hollywood's most respected and powerful studio - it
served up "Casablanca," for example - Warner has turned
out a spectacular string of failures during the past two years.
New York Post, Link
to Article
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08/09/98 Nice Article in Washington Post about
Avengers Style
Nice to hear some good press for a change. This article is all
about the different style aspects of The Avengers. It focuses
primarily on the Emma Peel look and Uma.Here's
a link to the article.. ..
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08/08/98 Ralph is EVERYWHERE!!!!
Ralph on VH1's Hollywood and Vinyl (sp?)
The Avengers was featured on VH1's Hollywood and Vinyl this
morning at 10:30am EST. It will replay at the times listed below.
I was able to catch most of it on tape. The show presents the
artists from the soundtrack mixed with interviews from the cast,
the directors, etc. of The Avengers. I will try to put up some
shots of it on the web, and also will add it to the video
compilation tape.
VH1, August 8
11:00am ,Hollywood & Vinyl (Variety) ``The Avengers.''.
Friday, August 14 VH1 11:30am
Hollywood & Vinyl (Variety)``The Avengers.''.
VH1 Saturday, August 15
2:00am Hollywood & Vinyl (Variety)
``The Avengers.''.VH1 7:00am
Hollywood & Vinyl (Variety)``The Avengers.''.
Also E! Entertainment Channel will be focusing on "The Avengers" in it's Behind the Scenes Program, and I also think on it's Coming Attractions program today...
Here are the dates and times for the Behind the Scenes stuff:
Behind the Scenes
30 minutes-
On the set of ``The Avengers,'' starring Ralph Fiennes and
Uma Thurman.
Sat Aug 15 01:30P E!- Entertainment Television
Sun Aug 16 04:30P E!- Entertainment Television
Mon Aug 17 02:30A E!- Entertainment Television
Mon Aug 17 05:30P E!- Entertainment Television
Tue Aug 18 06:30P E!- Entertainment Television
Thu Aug 20 02:30P E!- Entertainment Television
Fri Aug 21 07:30A E!- Entertainment Television
Sat Aug 22 06:30A E!- Entertainment Television
As far as Coming Attractions, that is on at 1:00pm
today. So, I will be taping that one as well. Check www.gist.com
for listings of when Coming Attractions repeats, I'm unsure.
************************************************************
08/07/98 HBO First Look, OK,OK,we know it's surreal!!
Well, the HBO First Look show could have been an ad for London Tourism frankly. Although there were many yummy clips of RF talking about the film, and I must say whoever did the interview lighting did a great job. He didn't look ghastly pale as in some other interviews. Uma said some well, not so inspired remarks about the film. It's funny but it always came back to Uma in the catsuit representing something. Blech...Anyways, they had interviews with London people on the street about why 60's still part of culture, etc. There were multiple references to surreal artwork, and the sets not having people. That was probably the most interesting part of the whole thing, because I had noticed that watching the old shows. It's as if the world is strangely silent, except for in Avengersland, which is what they called London.
Well, I have it on tape, and as soon as I have all the interviews compiled, I will make a PAL version. I just need one volunteer among overseas folks to be a point of contact for PAL copies. They are pretty expensive to have done here, so I thought it makes more sense to have a European be the copy contact over there, so it's cheaper. Volunteers please email me at fiennesite@yahoo.com.
Avengers Get-together for folks in the Washington DC, Maryland,and Northern Virginia Area
A few of us are trying to get together a group to go see The Avengers here in DC. If you're interested in attending, please contact Mary K. at fiennesite@yahoo.com.
We're not sure what we're doing yet, but maybe go for drink or dinner after or before depending. We shall see.
Also, even if you're not going in a group, I thought it might be nice to carry some symbol of being an RF fan when you go, so others might know you're a fan of RF. How about carrying an umbrella in your left hand. I know if it's raining next Friday, it'll be a toss up, but that's all I could think of. I was trying to think of something subtle, yet definitive. If you have other ideas, please email me too.
Even More Bad Avengers Press...
Who Will Avenge The Avengers?
"How bad could The Avengers be?
That's what movie critics are wondering now that Warner Bros. has
told them it won't be screening the remake of the beloved '60s
cult TV series until its release in theaters next Friday.
For industry insiders, such a move indicates the movie —
which stars Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman as a pair of hip crime
fighters — got an extremely poor reception from test
audiences. When studios suspect they've got a turkey on their
hands, they cancel preview showings for critics whose negative
reviews could kill the all important opening weekend box-office
receipts.
A Warner Bros. spokeswoman, however, says the heavily hyped film
simply won't be ready in time for preview screenings. "In
this particular case," she tells Dish, "it's a matter
of them working to the last minute on the print with the special
effects."
Another Warner staffer, however, is a little less
convinced."We do not have a print of the film yet," she
laughs, barely upholding the company line, which, she tells us,
was distributed by memo. "I don't know if that's the case
for sure, but that's what we've been told. There are no
screenings. Period."
Since the film will open in more than 2,500 theaters, it is
unlikely the studio has no prints to show reviewers. An exec at
Deluxe Laboratories, a Hollywood film processing company, says
Warner Bros. is in a jam if its story is true. "2,500 prints
and it opens next Friday? I hope it's not [one of our
jobs]," he tells Dish. "Oh, they're in trouble. Your
shipping takes time as well. I'd say you've got a big
problem." — Jonathan Barrett " Link
to Source...
08/06/98 More Bad Avengers Press
Thanks CT, for this
tip...Looks like the press are going to bash TA, since they
aren't being allowed to sneak peak it. Here's a link if you want
to read it on Cybersleaze...
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08/05/98 Sneak Peak at The Avengers on Entertainment Tonight
Was lucky to catch Avengers clipon ET tonight. They showed a sword fighting scene between Uma and RF. Slightly playful, but now that I've seen some of the original Avengers shows on video, it looks like Uma trying too hard to carry off Rigg's cool humour, and well, she doesn't cut it from what I'm seeing. Also, RF's lines so subtle they almost sounded muffled. I hope that was just part of it being played back on TV, and that they will be clearer in the theatre. Here are two screen shots from the video clip...Click Here to see Photos
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08/04/98 Fan Contributed News Flash
Thanks Heather, for this news....
There is a small mention of Ralph in the August 7 issue
of Entertainment Weekly. The cover story is the 25 greatest
actors of the 90s, and quite fittingly Ralph is one of them.
There is a small article, photo (lovely-black turtle neck with
piercing eyes), a list of films not to miss, and upcoming films.
Hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did!
08/04/98 Picture of Uma and RF on French Premiere
Cover
Thanks to Cristina for this tip about the cover of
French Premiere Magazine. I think there is an article but my
French skills are tres pauvre, so I will have to wait and see if
one of our Euro fans can translate. But for now, here's the link
so you can look at the picture:
PREMIERE
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08/04/98 Article from UK Yahoo about Top 25 Actors of
Decade
Four Brits Make Top 25 Star Actors
Four of Britain's biggest movie stars feature in a new
rundown of the decade's top 25 actors.
Sir Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Daniel Day-Lewis and Ralph
Fiennes have been listed in the round-up of stars of the
Nineties compiled by US magazine Entertainment Weekly.
But the once smouldering movie legend Marlon Brando and popular
favourites like Harrison Ford and Jack Nicholson have been left
on the cutting-room floor because of strict guidelines for
entries. Stars of stage have been left out, as have any who set
the screens alight in past eras and those whose greatest works
were filmed before the 90s.
**************************************************************
08/02/98 Avengers First Look on HBO this Week!!
HBO has The Avengers First Look, on HBO this week, Thursday, 10:30pm EST.
Here are the times for it to show in August on Eastern
Standard Time.If you are in a different time zone, please check
HBO's superschedule at:
http://www.hbo.com
You can plug in your region,etc and it will show you the
schedule.
Here are the times for EST:
Aug. 6, Thursday, 10:30PM
Aug. 9, Sunday, 6:30pm
Aug 12, Wednesday, 10:30pm
Aug.14, Friday,7:30PM (can watch right before you see it!!)
Aug. 15, Saturday, 6:30AM
Aug 18, Tuesday, 11:30PM
Aug 21, Friday, 12:00PM noon
Aug 25 Tuesday,10:30pm
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This was sent to me courtesy of MusicNews:
Avengers Soundtrack Contest
July 31-Aug 20, 98
http://www.rocktropolis.com
After a long run of popularity on TV in the late 60s,
The Avengers have been catapulted into the 90s with a big flashy
movie starring big flashy actors like Uma Thurman, Ralph Fiennes,
and Sean Connery. It still set in London, good is still fighting
evil, and Emma Peel still wears a black leather catsuit. Here's
your chance to win cool prizes from the movie. The grand prize is
a reproduction of the bowler hat worn by Mr. Steed, provided by
the J. Peterman Company. Five 1st place winners will receive an
Avengers movie T-shirt, and ten 2nd place winners will receive an
Avengers movie poster.
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7/18/98-Article about Avengers Soundtrack
" TheAvengers soundtrack is released on August 3.
Other artists to contribute new material to the album include
Roni Size, Babybird, Sinead O'Connor and Grace Jones. It also
features a collaboration between Iggy Pop and Utah Saints.
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J. Peterman Captures
"The Avengers"; J. Peterman to Sell Reproductions of
Costumes and Props from Warner Bros. Film Based on Popular
British Spy Series of the 1960s
Wednesday, July 15 7:03 AM
ET
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ENTERTAINMENT WIRE) - In the wake of tremendous
public response to its sale of original and reproduced costumes
and props from the 20th Century Fox film "Titanic," The
J. Peterman Co. has announced an agreement with Warner Bros. to
offer reproductions of the clothing and selected hard goods from
the upcoming Warner Bros. summer release, "The
Avengers," starring Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman and Sean
Connery.
Few spy serials have had as widespread and enduring popularity as
the original TV series "The Avengers," a
quintessentially British program starring Patrick Macnee as
secret service agent John Steed and a succession of three female
co-stars, including Diana Rigg as Emma Peel.
The slightly tongue-in-cheek action/adventure series launched in
Britain in 1961 and reached U.S. audiences through ABC Television
from 1966 to 1969.
"The program took the mystique of espionage and gave it a
wardrobe replete with sophistication and refined style,"
said Arnie Cohen, president of The J. Peterman Co. "We view
'The Avengers' as an opportunity to bring the romance and fashion
of this period to an entirely new audience."
Items available through the J. Peterman catalog and retail stores
include John Steed's (Fiennes) signature blue pinstripe
three-piece suit with a unique horizontal-striped vest, his green
velvet smoking jacket with frog closures, a black bowler; Emma
Peel's (Thurman) zippered black cat suit, her three-piece mint
suede outfit, her pink two-piece coat dress with matching skirt,
her three- piece lounging pajamas set; and arch-enemy Sir August
deWynter's (Connery) black velvet two-piece suit with shirt, tie
and pocket square, and three-piece cream single-breast suit, with
accompanying shirt tie and suspenders.
"The Avengers" items will be available exclusively
through The J. Peterman Co. starting in August.
The J. Peterman Co., a privately owned mail-order and retail
company, sells upscale unique, romantic and authentic
furnishings, apparel and gift items. The company publishes such
catalogs as its original "Owner's Manual,"
"Peterman's Eye" and the holiday "Gift Book."
All J. Peterman catalogs are complimentary and can be requested
by calling 800/231-7341 or by visiting the company on the World
Wide Web at http://www.jpeterman.com.
7/15/98
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