David Tennant, ladies and gentleman!

So, a few weeks ago I started watching Doctor Who. It was high time. And I am so glad I did. I've got chills! It is fantastic! Then I thought - I will write about it.

David Tennant

As you may know, the fellow up there plays the main character in the TV series. Born in Bathgate, Scotland he has worked as voice and stage actor as well.

Should we go on a short trip around his roles?

Probably the role that first draw attention on him was in the TV mini-series Casanova

Or you may have seen him in Harry Potter ?

What about the stage ? David Tennat describes it as his "default way of being". Two of his title roles in the theatre are Hamlet and Richard II. What is more, Hamlet has a TV adaption.

Richard II

Hamlet

And of course, the Doctor:

David Tennant's childhood dream was to play the Doctor and says he even has his own TARDIS. When Tennant was cast as the Tenth Doctor, he wanted to use his native Scottish accent and become "the first kilted Doctor". However, this was possible only in one of the episodes.
David Tennat has also been voted as "coolest man on TV"

Interesting facts:

• Tennant made his professional acting debut while still in secondary school. When he was 16, he acted in an anti-smoking film made by the Glasgow Health Board which aired on television and was also screened in schools
• He decided to be an actor at the age of three.

 Random quotes:  

'I love characters who are clever and smart, and you have to run to catch up with. I think there's something very appealing and rather heroic in that.'

'I've been quite lucky in that I've managed to tick off a few of my dream roles, really. Beyond that, you wait for the next script to come in that will have the dream role that you don't know exists yet, I suppose.'

'Twitter! It's like being stalked by committee!'

Indeed, he is!

The many faces of Ewan McGregor

Well, hello, everyone!

It high time we talk a little bit about my favourite Scotish actor Ewan McGregor.

First, let me start with a short bio.

Born on the 31 March 1971 in Perth, Scotland, he was encouraged by his parents to leave school and pursue his acting goals rather than be unhappy. Isn't that just awesome? I mean, how often do you hear these stories where the parents didn't approve of their child's ambitions. It a breath of fresh air to hear quite the opposite.

Before we dig into his acting career, here is another fact of his personal life. Ewan is married to the French production deignser Eve Mavrakis and they have four daughters.

Probably the film which first draw attention to Ewan McGregor was Shallow Grave (1994)  for which he won an Empire Award.The film, directed by Danny Boyle tells the story of three friends who discover their new flatmate dead but loaded with cash.

Here we come to the role he is mostly associated with - Renton in Trainspotting (1996) The role which was his breakthrough. Deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene,Renton tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends. And, hey,who is the director? Danny Boyle! I absolutely love Trainspotting, it is an amazing movie.

You could not have missed Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. Actually, as I go through all the films he's been acting I can hardly believe how many and how different they are.

Obi- Wan Kenobi

As Christian in Moulin Rouge with Nicole Kidman

With Hugh Jackman in Deception

The Ghost Writer

With Ryan Gosling in Stay

All of these films are worth the watch. So, so much! It is not only because of Ewan McGregor, they are real quality films as well. And not to mention there are many other films, which have to be written about.(As The Island, Casandra's Dream, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Perfect Sense) It always strikes me when I see an actor in so many roles and yet not a single one reminds of another one.

However, there is one Ewan McGregor film I consider my current favourite: Mike Mills's Beginners (2010)

   

   It tells the story of Oliver, a man reflecting on the life and death of his father, Hal,who came out as gay shortly after his wife's death. During that time Oliver and Hal become closervthan ever.Oliver is also  trying to forge a new romantic relationship with a woman, Anna, dealing with father issues of her own. Inspired by his father's attitude towards the end of his life and their relationship, Oliver decides to pursue a romance with her.

The film is based on the true-life coming out of Mills' father at the age of 75. 

Beginners is a beautiful film, that runs smoothly on the screen and you love every second of it. 
With its simplicity and yet wisdom Beginners is a ray of sunlight that warms your heart.

Here is one of my favourite quotes:

  

'Here. Here is simple and happy. That's what I meant to give you.'

And just because I cannot help myself, the last thing I'll share today is about Arthur the dog, one of the main characters of the film and Oliver's main listener.

 Seriously, this is one of the most adorable dogs on the screen I've seen. This dog can easily win an Oscar or something.









Feels like I went a little too far with this post. But when it comes to Ewan McGregor it is normal to do so. If you haven't seen some of these films, be sure to check them.
See you later!
:)

In search of the Scottish film part 2

As I told you on the previous post, now I will talk about different genres of films.

 For a total contrast from last time, I will start with Filth(2013). Based on Irvine Welsh's novel and starring the Glasgow-born actor James McAvoy, it tells the story of a bipolar, bigoted junkie cop who manipulates and hallucinates his way through the festive season in a bid to secure promotion and win back his wife and daughter. Filth was one of the most talked about films in Scotland in 2013. It is a great psychological thriller, although I wouldn't recommend it to everybody as some people might find it too disturbing.


I cannot believe what I found. A movie with The Proclaimers songs! Sunshine on Leith (2013) is named after band's album and also, Leith is where they are born. The film follows the stories of Davy and Ally, who have to re-learn how to live life in Edinburgh after coming home from serving in Afghanistan. Both struggle to learn to live a life outside the army and to deal with the everyday struggles of family, jobs and relationships.
No, seriously, how I didn't know before this existed? I am so excited!
And now, I couldn't help it -  the one and only 500 miles!

Lastly, I found information about Burns. First, I thought the film existed, but as I dig the internet I came to the conclusion that for a few years now it is in development.Starring Gerard Butler, in the main role, the movie sounds really promising. It goes through Burns life with hectic passion and presents his still living talent. I really hope to see this film one day.

This is it for now, see you soon.
:)

In search of the Scottish film part 1

In the following posts we will discover a few Scottish films and actors.

Starting with the one and only Braveheart(1995). The most Scottish film of all Scottish films. A classic. With Mel Gibson in the role of William Wallace and also a director and producer of the film, it tells the story of  Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edward I of England. The story is based on Blind Harry's epic poem The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace. And here is the main soundtrack:

Next is Brave (2012). Although is an animation and quite different of the pattern, it is pretty nice. It is set in Scotland in a rugged and mythical time. Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse. And here is one of the songs in Brave, performed by Mumford and sons

This is it for now. In the next post we will take in a different direction.

See you later!

:)

Scotland as the dream setting location

So here we are, slowly diving into the world of Scottish films.

First of all, lets notice that Scotland has been the setting for many films. The settings for filming in Scotland are undeniably breathtakingly beautiful: from the haunting beauty of Rosslyn Chapel in Roslin, Midlothian which featured in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code to the visually stunning Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Highlands which set the backdrop for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Also, as a result of the versatility and accessibility of its filming locations, Scotland has provided the setting for a number of high profile films over the last few years including Fast and Furious, Cloud Atlas, The Dark Knight Rises and Skyfall.

Harry Potter

Cloud Atlas

Fast and furious was even filmed exactly in Glasgow as the production was looking to film several chase scenes through a modern city centre and Glasgow fitted the brief perfectly. the wide streets are easily controlled due to the Glasgow grid system, which offers great opportunities for car crashes.

Or another breathtaking scenario from The Dark Knight :

Last but not least, we have Perfect Sense, filmed in Glasgow and starring Ewan McGregor (for who I'll tell you more about later on)

As you can see Scotland is a perfect location for filming as it offers both nature in the highlands and vibrant cities. These films are just a few to have appreciated its value.

See you on the next post, where I will talk to you about Scottish films.

Glasgow film festival

Hey hey hey!
In my latest post I talked you a little about Sherlock Holmes and his Scottish origins. Following that it is high time we pay attention to this years's Glasgow film festival. Mostly happening in this very building,
this festival is known for celebrating the entire spectrum of cinema-going experiences, from star-studded, mainstream crowdpleasers, to groundbreaking art house experimentation.        
Seriously, as I looked at the programme , Glasgow film festival is like heaven of film. So much to choose from that you cannot make a decision! You have international cinema, emerging talents and all time classics like Singing in the rain. 
Glasgow Film Festival is the fastest growing Film Festival in the
UK and aims  promote the city as a national and international centre for the arts. And it is working!

This years festival had over 187 events to chose from. What is more, it was its 10th birhday. The grand opening was with Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. 

Also, 2014’s diverse and relevant focus strands include Cinechile, exploring the resurgence of film-making in Chile, Cats Go Miaow, ideal for gamers who love their movies and 1939: Hooray for Hollywood, showcasing Hollywood’s golden year. Each of the Best Picture Oscar nominations from 1939 was screened during the festival, including Gone with the Wind, Stagecoach, Of Mice and Men and Mr Smith Goes to Washington.

This is the finest year for Glasgow film festival. But its scale is becoming bigger and bigger every year. So beware for 2015!

All roads lead to Scotland

Well, hello, everyone!

I can't believe how the past few weeks have gone so fast. Guess that's what happens when you're enjoying life.

So, as you may know I created this blog for one of my uni modules and I have chosen the topic I'll be focusing on (yey!). Glasgow film scene it is.While preparing the upcoming posts I came to notice some of my favourite films and TV series have something to do with Scotland and even Glasgow. Which will make my job so much more exciting. But we don't want to be too narrow, do we ? That's why I'll talk to you about film festivals around the world and probably some Hollywood. Another thing I look forward to is to tell you all about some of the most outstanding Bulgarian movies. Cause, lets be honest,they are not that popular around the world, but they should be. Here I'm to prove that.
Meanwhile, here is an inspiring quote from a great book, movie and TV series character:

 

I can't help to mention that Arthur Conan Doyle is from Edinburgh. We can say that Sherlock Holmes's origins came from this very city,not from the well known Baker street 221b.As being a fеn of everything that made Sherlock come to life I cannot possibly decide which from these three is my favourite. Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Downey Jr or Benedict Cumberbatch? Too difficult to chose. Sometimes no answer is the best answer. This is from me for today.I will leave you with three pictures of the people because of who we can enjoy some quality literature and fine movies :

Anyway,hope you will enjoy reading as much I enjoy preparing the upcoming posts.
See you later, guys!
:)