The "Brit a Day" series

What does a months-long parade of attractive British men have to do with fiction, you might well ask? These gentlemen have inspired some lovely scenes, part of the life I live in my head. Over time, some of these scenes reach out to one another and begin to form a story. For the present, each one of these pictures provides a writing prompt for me, a way to keep me writing with a sense of passion and narrative, even when the stories are not yet fully formed.



Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A Brit a Day [#934]

I've seen a number of cute pics of even cuter kids this year who are doing Halloween as one of the Doctors. Matt, however, is going to be a California Raisin.

HAPPY HAUNTING!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A Brit a Day [#933]




I'm spamming you with Lokis today, and there are still more in my files.  I only have attribution for the last one which is by the inimitable alicexz of deviantart.  All credit to the other artists, all found on Tumblr.

Monday, October 29, 2012

A Brit a Day [#932]

Is it a screenshot from 'Sherlock's third season?  That's how it was labelled on Tumblr, but if so...from where?

Sunday, October 28, 2012

A Brit a Day [#931]

Alan Rickman, ladies and gentlemen.  He looks so sweet here, so mellow.  Don't believe it for a second.....

Saturday, October 27, 2012

A Brit a Day [#930]

Asgardian with a decidedly British sensibility, Loki's presence fits this blog's original purpose to a T.  He has inspired reams of fan fiction [none of it mine, sadly] and a whole lot of amateur sibling psychology.  This lovely drawing is signed by the artist, but I found it, as always, on Tumblr.

True story:  I was looking for a particular piece of vintage art the other day that had absolutely nothing to do with Marvel or the Avengers or Norse mythology.  My online search presented me with a list of possible sources as long as my arm with no promise that any of them held the treasure.  I clicked on 'Asgard Press' for no reason other than the obvious, and HA!  In a few clicks I had what I was looking for.

Friday, October 26, 2012

A Brit a Day [#929]


These two edits [not mine] ended up in my folder in this [position? juxtapositioning? ..um..][ok] orientation and I thought it was interesting so I'm sharing it.  And Tom Hiddleston has a Nike-swoosh-shaped scar on his left hand.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

A Brit a Day [#928]

Here is your assignment:  See these two people [Henry Ian Cusick and Nicki Aycox, from 'The Girl on the Train']?  Try to find them in the bottom picture.



I'll just be over here....

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

A Brit a Day [#927]

And now it's Matt Smith's turn to upstage Ben Cumberbatch--it would be hard not to with those socks.  How do I know that this picture hasn't been photoshopped to place the two Moffateers on the same stage?  Because I'm pretty sure this one is real too:


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

A Brit a Day [#926]


I apologize immediately for not knowing the identities of today's fan artists.  Above is a beautiful stand-alone rendering of Frigga and her two boys, Loki and Thor.  The four awesome pieces below came as a set.  All of them offer heartbreaking back-story to "Thor" and "The Avengers."





Monday, October 22, 2012

A Brit a Day [#925]

I apologize if Capt. Nicholls' upstaging Major Stewart offends, but I had to post this artfully edited movie still today because of its beauty, its autumnal tone, and its truth to the the incredible design of the stage play.  All credit to the artist--the work is as I found it on Tumblr.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

A Brit a Day [#924]

Alan Rickman between takes as the voice of God in "Dogma." Just don't know what to say about the attitude, but I've heard those wings were really heavy.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

A Brit a Day [#923]

Today's Brit was going to be The Bard Himself, but while I was looking for something poetic to quote, I came across this magnificent rendering of Hamlet and his father's ghost--


The artist is an 18th century Swiss who lived most of his life in England [and therefore gets to be today's Brit of the Day], Henry Fuseli.  Fuseli was a very complicated cat who is best known for his painting "The Nightmare"--


Wikipedia offers up this explanation of the painting:

A few years before he painted The Nightmare, Fuseli had fallen passionately in love with a woman named Anna Landholdt in Zürich, while he was traveling from Rome to London. Landholdt was the niece of his friend, the Swiss physiognomist Johann Kaspar Lavater. Fuseli wrote of his fantasies to Lavater in 1779: 

"Last night I had her in bed with me—tossed my bedclothes hugger-mugger—wound my hot and tight-clasped hands about her—fused her body and soul together with my own—poured into her my spirit, breath and strength. Anyone who touches her now commits adultery and incest! She is mine, and I am hers. And have her I will.…[10]"

 Fuseli's marriage proposal met with disapproval from the woman's father, and in any case Fuseli's love seems to have been unrequited—Landholdt married a family friend soon after. The Nightmare, then, can be seen as a personal portrayal of the erotic aspects of love lost.

I think Fuseli would have fared better in his marriage proposal if he had kept his wet dreams about Anna to himself rather than exposing them to her uncle, but who am I?

If you want to read more about "The Nightmare", go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightmare

And more about Fuseli, who had the uncommon good fortune to be famous for his art in his own lifetime, is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Fuseli


Friday, October 19, 2012

A Brit a Day [#922]

OK, you know the drill--click on the picture then right click on it and open it in a new tab and it should be big enough to count his pores.

For some reason, Tom Hiddleston just looks so freakin sweet in this picture.  And you get a good view here of that signature constellation of three freckles on his neck that I've tentatively christened Kisshereus.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

A Brit a Day [#921]





More photos of Ian and his co-stars from behind the scenes on the set of 'The Girl on the Train.'

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

A Brit a Day [#920]


Is this Matt Smith filming season 7.2?  Is that a new coat?  In any event, Matt is still the eleventh Doctor Who.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

A Brit a Day [#919]


Edible fan art:  A pretty awesome birthday cake made by Tardis-in-purgatory's mom.

Monday, October 15, 2012

A Brit a Day [#918]

I don't usually tolerate cigars, but this one is in Beautiful Hands.  Benedict Cumberbatch, everyone.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

A Brit a Day [#917]

I was so close to the Endeavor yesterday in LA that I could almost touch it.  As the starboard wing rolled past just above our heads, my daughter squealed, "It's been in space 25 times."  So, with a nod to space travel, I thought it would be fitting if  today's Brit was Sir Alexander Dane [Alan Rickman in Galaxy Quest form].

Saturday, October 13, 2012

A Brit a Day [#916]



....and thus, the brit of the day, perhaps woman of the year, who made the brave choice to allow Tom Hiddleston to continue his journey from Prince Hal to King Harry, right through Henry V's premature demise, is director Thea Sharrock.  I hope she is as pleased with her decision as I am.  These photos are all by Nick Briggs, whose work can be seen here:

http://www.nickbriggs.com/henryv.html

Other photographers whose 'Hollow Crown' photos I have enjoyed include Charlie Gray and Ian Derry.

Friday, October 12, 2012

A Brit a Day [#915]

OK, I got all kindsa things to say about this picture.  1] Spoiler Alert!  Henry V dies!  But an even bolder choice on the part of the BBC production was to open the play with a sequence from King Henry's funeral, thus making the whole of the action a flashback--brilliant.  2] Seeing Tom Hiddleston playing the dead king is one of the most beautiful and disturbing things I've ever seen--he's my New Favorite Corpse [NFC]; and finally, 3] What is going on with the two crowns here?  Was there a special lying-down crown made for not poking the back of his head?  I guess it would be difficult to play dead if you are wincing from the pain of your crown.  "Uneasy lies the head..."  In any event, it seems to be a serious matter for the two costumers on set.  And Hiddleston hasn't even broken character as he lifts his head.  How DO you get in character to play a dead monarch?

Thursday, October 11, 2012

A Brit a Day [#914]




More goodies from 'The Girl on the Train.'  Henry Ian Cusick looks particularly compelling behind the camera in that last screen cap.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

A Brit a Day [#913]

Sweaters....FINALLY.   Matt Smith knows the weather's changing.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

A Brit a Day [#912]

Matt Smith's portrayal of Eleven.  I found this on tumblr and don't have a credit for it, but the style is ever so reminiscent of Brett Helquist, the illustrator of 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' and other brilliantness:

http://bretthelquist.com/christmascarol4.html


Monday, October 8, 2012

A Brit a Day [#911]

Benedict has invited Dan Radcliffe in today to give him tips on How To Be Your Own Dragon.  I realize I'm probably missing something here with this picture.  Feel free to enlighten me.

Ed note:  Oh look, the internet saved me again from my own ignorance.  Read more here:
http://geektyrant.com/news/2012/10/2/first-look-at-daniel-radcliffe-sporting-some-horns.html

Sunday, October 7, 2012

A Brit a Day [#910]

This beautifully edited screen cap evokes a chill in the night air that prevents you from getting out of bed unless you really, really have to. [credit to the artist, not me]

Saturday, October 6, 2012

A Brit a Day [#909]

Let's try to erase all memories of watching 'Fringe' episode 'In Absencia' last night, shall we?  As I said to my husband during that climactic scene, "Did you hear that?  That was the sound of 850,000 people punching a hole in a wall."

One of Ian's upcoming movies, 'The Girl on the Train,' has an awesome-looking trailer out now.  You can see it here:

http://www.8180films.com/girltrain_video2.html

Watch it, and then you can go like it on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Girl-on-the-Train-US/368766779865634

And try to have a nice day, hear?

Friday, October 5, 2012

A Brit a Day [#908]

This is one of my favorite interviews with Tom Hiddleston ever [thank you, tumblr friend who scanned and posted it] from a while back.  Reading it, you'd fall in love with the guy, even without the great picture.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

A Brit a Day [#907]



I'm getting pretty anxious here for Ian's indie-noir film 'The Girl on The Train' to come out.  I'm also hoping that it is no coincidence that the title evokes Hitchcock's 'Strangers on a Train' which is one of the darkest thrillers of all time.  I'll post links to GOTT' Facebook stuff and the trailer later this week.