The Woman In Black

Let me tell you that the only thing that could have made me purchase a ticket, walk into the theatre and sit through almost 90 minutes of a ridiculous fright fest willingly is the idea that I would not be able to live with myself if I didn’t watch Daniel Radcliffe in his first post-Harry Potter adult role on a big screen. Other than that, I will never ever enter a cinema willingly and watch a horror movie, let alone admire and like it.

As it stands, though, The Woman In Black is one of the finest horror films made in recent films. Despite thoroughly hating the genre (although not as much as I loathe slasher films), I have seen a few horror movies (mostly due to familial obligations), I think The Woman In Black does what many Western (read: non-Asian) horror films usually fail to do: scare the knickers off you and make you scream properly.

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part Two Special Coverage: TF Interview: Daniel Radcliffe

This a continuation of the Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part One coverage that I did for Total Film Indonesia magazine. This Daniel Radcliffe interview is part of the Deathly Hallows press junket that the magazine attended (but we weren’t allowed to publish it until last month). The rest of the Deathly Hallows cast interview can be found in the archives.

THE TOTAL FILM INTERVIEW: DANIEL RADCLIFFE

Jack Kipling. Alan Strang. Arthur Kipps. J. Pierrepont Finch. And, of course, Harry Potter. After 10 years, Daniel Radcliffe’s journey as the young wizard whose name is on the mouth of every people in the world will end in July 2011. “I actually miss Harry,” said Radcliffe of his on-screen alter ego, “like you would miss a friend who you haven’t seen for a while. I do feel the fans’ pain.”

In early March 2011, Total Film Indonesia has its eyes glued to a YouTube video of the 21-year-old Brit actor Daniel Radcliffe singing “I Believe In You”. The song, from Broadway musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, is beautiful and not only owns the song, but he should be able to own the world with it. Or, at least, should he ever feel inclined to join the reality TV show, he could really impress the judges of American Idol.

A month later, Radcliffe and his fellow How To Succeed cast performs live at The Today Show, this time singing “Brotherhood of Man”. Agile and acrobatic, Radcliffe sings and dances as if he was born for it. It is now wonder, then, that Rob Ashford’s How To Succeed gets nine Tony Awards nominations and a generally positive reviews from all corners. And surely the Harry Potter alumnus will not be begging anyone for jobs after the Warner Bros. film franchise ends its run on multiplexes.

The young actor has proven he can work in any media: he’s a live action film actor who has done TV (Extras), stage (Equus) and even animation (as the voice of Edmund, a parody of Twilight’s Edward Cullen in The Simpsons‘ “Treehouse Of Horror” episode). What next? Forming a band and releasing an album with Rupert Grint, Tom Felton and Matthew Lewis? “No. I would not be good in a band. I don’t think I particularly have a rocky kind of sounding voice.”

That’s what he said to TFI when we interviewed him last year in August in Claridge’s, London, a couple of months after the Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows shoot wrapped up. Radcliffe had waited for us with a firm handshake and a warm greeting and, like a good host, offered us a drink as we sat down. On that day, the actor who was born on 23 July 1989 did not resemble any character he has played. But despite his jeans-and-t-shirt-clad slight frame and completely fluffy hair, he still manages to exude poise, presence and professionalism.

Radcliffe may sidetrack himself and tell an unrelated story but he always remembers the original question at the moment you find yourself about to despair. Then he returns to it unprompted. His stunningly blue eyes will be focused intently on you as he answers your question. During our chat, he faltered – very slightly – only once, when he forgot the name of his ‘eldest son’, which we had to remind him of. But on the whole we found it was quite impossible not to fall at least a little bit in love with the charming Mr. Radcliffe…

Very soon all the Harry Potter fans will experience withdrawal syndrome. What do you suggest for them to be able to deal with it and how would you deal with it?
I’m fortunate because of course all my friends worked on it as well, so we sort of… we talk a lot so I don’t have to miss it too much. Because the thing I miss most is hanging out with the people. So I think I’d just maybe read the books again. That’d probably be a good thing to do. I think they might do that, anyway. I suppose, treasure it for what it was, while it lasted. It ended at the right time, I think.

When you sing, the world stops turning to wait for you

In the past 24 hours, I have been spoiled by the lovely voices of two very young actors and I can’t stand it. They are just too good to be true.

The first one, I am not exactly surprised that he manages to wow me. He is, after all, a tried and true performer who sings for one of the most watched high school musical series in the world. And he already won a Golden Globe, so you know he can and does sing beautifully. He can do show tunes and Lady Gaga with so much ease. He’d even tackled on a legendary Beatles song and owned that song. And we have all agreed that his moves in a cover of Madonna song is sexy and hot as all hell. Except that lately he hasn’t been singing in the show. And I – like many of his fans – miss hearing him serenade his audience on-screen. Instead, they are giving all the songs to his so-called ‘love interest’ in that show who, while having a marvelous voice, is still not as divine a singer as this guy is.

[+] Listen to Chris Colfer singing Blackbird for next week’s Glee episode (spoiler alert).

His voice is BEAUTIFUL. Enough said. Listen for yourself. You’ll see what I mean.

Now the second guy… it came as a surprise to me what a wonderful singer he is because he’s definitely not known for his singing skills! He is best known for playing a bespectacled boy wizard in one of the most successful movie franchises oin this history of cinema. He is also known for shedding his clothes on stage a few years ago. He is one of the best young actors the United Kingdom has produced in the last decade. But he is NOT known for being a bloody good singer or dancer. So when I heard that he can and does sing extremely well in his newest Broadway musical, I am just blown away.

[+] Listen to Daniel Radcliffe sing the songs from How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.

Marvelous voice, especially in I Believe In You. And I hear he’s dancing beautifully, too. Do you hear that? That’s me swooning.

I envy them. So much. They are young, talented, successful, handsome and… did I mention young? They are under 25 and they are already accomplishing so much. And I have a feeling they will only get better as they get older.

Now may I make a little bit of ‘proposition’? Can we bring Daniel Radcliffe to Glee? I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought of having him on the show – especially after Kevin McHale and some of the Glee cast made a huge deal about watching Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 last November. I think, if any, Daniel should play Kurt Hummel’s love interest (I mean, if you want to have a guy who has played Harry Potter somewhere to play Kurt’s potential boyfriend, you might as well cast the ORIGINAL one).

Now imagine them singing together.

Are you imagining it?

How explosive would they be together, joined in harmony? I, for one, will be having days of FANTASTIC GOOD NIGHT DREAMS if that ever happens.

Now if you’ll excuse me… I will be sitting here and putting both of their songs on loop. For, oh, I don’t know… forever?

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part One Special Coverage: BONNIE & BEAUTIFUL

BONNIE AND BEAUTIFUL

The hero gets the girl. That girl is Ginny Weasley – brave, loyal and resourceful. The actress who plays her is just as special.

Bonnie Wright won’t turn 20 until next year on 19 February, but she has definitely attracted plenty of attention. The girl who plays the future Mrs. Harry Potter on screen is stunningly gorgeous. As if the limelight that Potter brought upon her is not enough, she is creating another sensation by dating one of the new Potter actors, who has also worked in Twilight, Jamie Campbell Bower. And the paps are certainly eating their relationship up. Not only that, this tall and thin actress just signed a modeling contract last October with Next Models, which will ensure she will have a post-Potter career.

But before she goes on to tackle modeling, TFI is curious about her experiences as one of Hogwarts’ warriors and asks her about her behind-the-screen interests…

So Ginny, Luna and Neville are leading a resistance against the Death Eaters’ tyranny at Hogwarts. What was that like to play?
It clearly takes courage. This is the thing those three characters step up to, beginning in the fifth film, with the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore’s Army, and they really take on the responsibility. They’re the only ones left continuing this resistance. Obviously Hogwarts becomes a completely different place, it becomes incredibly threatening and stands for everything it didn’t stand for before, such safety, and everything we had there is completely gone. Because we have new headmasters and all these new rules.

Are they going to succeed?
There’s an amazing scene in the second part, where obviously Harry, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts, and the other three have made this kind of hideout and haven, continuing Dumbledore’s Army in their own little way. I think that their dedication is pretty amazing, to keep that going, and I think that’s why people kind of love the three of those characters, really.

You’ve shot the Epilogue. Have you gone through an aging process?
Yes, it was a very bizarre thing to go through, really, to be able to have that chance to be suddenly made up to look mid-thirties. It’s was an exciting day but bizarre. Obviously, for me, it almost felt like a real cycle, because I started on that same platform, at the same age that Lily Potter, the youngest daughter of Ginny and Harry was, so it’s almost literally like looking back at myself.

How does it feel to have three kids?
The three kids who played the children were just… they just epitomised all of us, when we were that age, so it was lovely to look back. They were so excited on the day, it was a massive dream come true, and they’d been through such a massive process of auditioning. I think it was probably the most auditions any person has been through to get a part in a film. In the auditioning process Dan and I sat down with different children and talked to them, because obviously the dynamic is incredibly important… to try and portray the idea that they are this family unit, that they’ve spent every living moment together, since they were babies in their hands to how they are now. It was challenging to get that warmth with someone you’ve barely met and some children don’t want to get close to someone they don’t know. But they understood it was incredibly important to make the scene work, so they were very giving to the situation.

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part One Special Coverage: GRINT ON FIRE

GRINT ON FIRE

Rupert Grint talks trees, kissing Daniel Radcliffe and being on fire. And these are all facts from England’s most laid back young actor…

PORTRAITS LORENZO AGIUS

When asked what kind of relationship with Grint, Tom Felton does not hesitate to say, “‘Rupert is the most laid-back person you’ve ever met. You might tell him that his scene has been pushed back for three hours and he’ll be fine and mutter: “I’ll just play ping pong for a few more hours. He’s unfazed by the fans and the fuss but he remains a ferociously talented actor. He has expert timing and delivery with no effort whatsoever.’

“It’s really hard to hate him,” adds Daniel Radcliffe, who also explained that while Grint used to be a chatterbox when they first met in Philosopher’s Stone, these days he’s not a man of many words.

When TFI came to interview the actor who created some controversy by appearing in Cherrybomb (released earlier this year), a journalist that had a turn before us reported that all of her 35 questions were answered in 15 minutes. But before we could panic, we were called in. Inside, Rupert sat on an armchair. He rose to shake our had. We greeted him cheerfully because, honestly, this was the interview we had been waiting for. This immediately put him at ease. It’s true that he doesn’t rattle off 650-word answer to a question, a la Radcliffe, but our questions made him laugh.

So here’s the trick: don’t ask 35 things that will make him feel interrogated by the police. Make him relax. Pepper the questions with “oh really?” and “surely not?” and he will sit back, fiddle with the laces on his beloved Converse, while giving us the most interesting facts and anecdotes…

What was it like having Dan study you, to mimic you for the Seven Potters?
Yeah, it was really good, actually.

James and Oliver Phelps said he discovered things they never knew about themselves…
I know, I’m the same… I’ve got quite a complex about it now, actually. He discovered the fact that I kind of really move my hips, my pelvis, when I walk… I never was really that aware of it until he started kind of mimicking it… yeah, it’s really a… kind of Elvis kind of movement.

And this time around you have a whole new Weasley, your big brother, Bill. What was it like, acquiring Domhnall Gleeson?
Oh, yeah, it was brilliant. Domhnall, it’s quite an unusual name. He fitted into the family. He was great. It was surprising that we haven’t kind of met him earlier on, really. I suppose he’s been away but it was great to finally meet him. It was quite strange kind of how… to try and create that illusion of a relationship that’s like I’ve known him all my life. But he’s such a nice guy. We have a kind of chemistry, I suppose… He kind of looks like all of us, as well.