Belated Celebration

It's been a long time ladies and I've been revived - yes I am back from oblivion. First of all, thank you to you who have been taking care of making this blog buzzing all these time I was gone (yes, you Kelly) as well as all the commenters and regular and devoted SU fans here, I've missed you all.

I have shamelessly neglected to welcome our anniversary and now barely missed the 70k mark. I hope to make it up. I apologize even though I know you gals are capable of entertaining yourselves here, in the forum or at Kelly's site.

Got some plans ahead while the first season of Jericho comes to an end. We are doing a Miracles-like discussion where you all will be subjected to watching Jericho re-runs during this summer, indeed a lovely prospect for us all Skeet Ulrich fans. We can't possibly let the public at large forget Jericho and Skeet Ulric while it goes on hiatus for we want this series back for another season. We certainly can't follow CBS's mistake of putting it on break when it was clearly running on full steam in the beginning of the first season. So, don't you agree and don't I have your support on this?

Now to make up for my neglect, I've somewhat ripped this off Ray Singleton's diary while you all were busy discussing Jericho and Skeet sightings the last few months. It starts that fateful day when he got proposed...

Tuesday, June 20, 1944

Today had been a strange day.

Reverend Case came to see me today at the farm. I was in the
barn and I heard a sound coming up the driveway. I walked out and saw him
getting out of his car. The look and the sight signaled some feelings I
have been trying to forget but now it hit me full force and reminded me of the
time he came over and delivered to me Daniel’s terrible news.

Read on.....

News on Skeet's Latest Project

This is from the Shreveport Times and the link to the original article follows.

The blogger posting format would not allow me to break this into the original paragraphs.

NEAR CLOUTIERVILLE — Louisiana's movie industry literally buzzed April 20. Filmmakers were shooting "For Sale by Owner" outdoors at Magnolia Plantation near Cloutierville. The sound of bees hummed from a nearby live oak tree and the weathered plantation home's second floor. "I caught at least 200,000 yesterday," said beekeeper John Melder. "That's five to six pounds of them."

Director and line producer Bob Wilson didn't mind the bees, or the white paint flaking off the home's exterior walls, or the pungent smell of freshly cut grass enveloping the grounds.

"We needed something that was distressed enough to allow for restoration," Wilson said. "I looked everywhere in Shreveport."He was finally led 20 miles south of Natchitoches to Magnolia Plantation. The site will serve as the mystery-thriller's main set.

"For Sale by Owner" is about an architect who is restoring the home of America's early colonist, John Smith. In the movie, the home is set in Virginia and was burned down and reconstructed in the 1800s. The low-budget independent feature is the first project for Shreveport-based Port Pictures. It is being co-produced by Robert Duvall's Butcher's Run Films.Wilson is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker who has worked on "Ruffian," "The Year Without a Santa Claus," "Snow Wonder," and "The Madam's Family" in Louisiana. The time was right for him to become part of a Louisiana-based venture.

"It was something I have been wanting to do for a long time, to do films without any kind of studio involvement," Wilson said. "My movie is small and doesn't have the pressure of the big studio movies." The project has not secured a distributor yet, but Port Pictures hopes "For Sale by Owner" will earn a theatrical release.

The architect is played by Scott Cooper, who also wrote the script. Rounding out the cast are Kris Kristofferson, Tom Skerritt, Frankie Faison ("The Wire") and Skeet Ulrich ("Jericho").

Cooper will be on set every day. The young actor works closely with Duvall. He acted with Duvall in "Broken Trail" (2006), a western that aired on AMC, and "Gods and Generals" (2003).Duvall will produce three of Cooper's screenplays, Cooper said. "For Sale by Owner" is the first.

"To a lot of people and me, he's considered America's finest screen actor," Cooper said. "For me as his protégé, it's a dream come true."Cooper speaks to Duvall daily by phone. "We talk about the craft of acting. We talk about movies we like or dislike," Cooper said. They even talk about political and geopolitical affairs. "I count him as one of my best friends."

In shooting "For Sale by Owner," Cooper said he keeps his roles as actor and screenwriter separate."I try not to really know the text so well," Cooper said. "You want a certain sense of spontaneity. It's about learning the dialogue and then throwing it away. As the master Robert Duvall said, you start at zero and you end at zero."

"For Sale by Owner" is just the first project planned by Port Pictures."Our goal is to shoot eight movies within the next three years," said Executive Producer Rudy Hines. "This is our first movie, and we want to come out of the gate extremely strong."

Port Pictures consists of Hines, Wilson and Executive Producers Bob Vazquez and Rich Hobaica.Hines is a Benton-based real estate developer, general contractor and business entrepreneur. He declined to specify the budget of "For Sale by Owner" but agreed it was a low-budget feature film. He is one of six financial investors from Shreveport and Bossier City funding the project.

"I'm very well invested in this movie," Hines said, "but I feel very strongly about it. I feel people don't understand how profitable investing in movies can be."

Vazquez, who also is coordinating special effects for the movie, said working in northwest Louisiana is easy. He and other producers said the city of Natchitoches has been extremely helpful in getting them the services they need. When they shot a rain scene on the plantation, the city and the Fire Department had the wherewithal to bring water to their rural location, Vazquez said.

Ninety to 95 percent of the "For Sale by Owner" crew is from Louisiana. By maximizing in-state spending, the production can take advantage of the state's tax incentive program for the film industry. Production companies can claim a 25 percent tax credit by buying goods and services in Louisiana. They also can claim a 10 percent tax credit by hiring Louisiana residents.

"There really has been no greater incentive than what we have found in Louisiana," Vazquez said. "It just works."

* http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070427/LIVING/704270388/1004/LIVING

The Magic of Being Extraordinarily Dazed

Guess what I finally watched tonight.

I had every intention of coming here and writing an intelligent review, a guy's perspective on the movie, but I find that, having been blessed (or cursed) with the "sensitive male" gene, and these Hallmark productions never failing to move me, I've been reduced to a puddle by this achingly lovely film.

So I'll make a few observations, jot down the moments that moved me, while I gather my wits.

Coming to this movie fresh, as I did, knowing only that it starred Skeet Ulrich and Keri Russell and that she was somehow his wife without having planned to be, I wondered from the start just what sort of "mean supper" she'd been coerced into consuming, and why.

"You're so fine, I can't believe no man ... I can't believe any man would ever do this to you."

Having seen him primarily in "Jericho," Skeet was a revelation in this movie, having a strength of a quiet sort, but not at all like the action-hero Jake Green. And I thought Jake was awkward with women! For much of this movie, Ray can hardly look Livy in the eye.

Livy's cynicism about people ("People judge, people gossip"), quickly countered by Ray's honest reaction ("They won't say a thing ... They want the best for us").

The dance, where Livy says she won't, and then she does, and the walls between Ray and Livy begin to come down, and despite how awkward they are at first, they start to enjoy themselves, and each other.

Ray, sitting at the dinner table, suddenly and unexpectedly saying "I've been thinking about Troy." I wanted to reach into the TV screen and bear-hug him. The smile Livy gives him at the end of that scene melted me. And then, the kiss that almost was.

Ray changing his mind about the dog staying indoors.

"I'd do anything to make you happy."

(No wonder you love this movie!)

The awful moment when Ray hands her the envelope from Edward, and we know what he must be feeling.

"Ray, I made a mistake."

"Which mistake would that be?"

And the two moments of revelation, where Livy tells Martha what has really happened, and Ray finally says what he must say to Livy, the things I wish Jake would have said to Heather before she headed off to New Bern on "Jericho."

"I can't let you go without telling you how I feel. I've fallen in love with you ... For me, you're the best thing that's ever happened."

Ray wasn't the only one trying to hold back his tears at this point.

I liked the "B" story with the Japanese women workers, the tragedy of their interrupted lives, Livy's support of them in the store, and the subtext, not thrown in our faces, but enough to show us that in this place and time they were not truly considered Americans, even though they were.

Some lovely light moments with Livy learning to drive the "beet box" and Ray trying to figure out how to operate the claw, and just the right amount of tension at the end with Florie's foolish decision and the imminent birth of Livy's child converging at the climax of the story.

And there were some parallels to "Jericho" as we went along. Livy, the minister's daughter, as Heather is supposed to be, arriving in La Junta by train, as Jake did in Denver in the opening scenes of the pilot (and the "main street" of La Junta looking just a little like downtown Jericho).

Livy writing letters to Edward that (until the end) go unanswered, looking for love in the past and not finding it, while the future is standing right in front of her and she doesn't see it at first. I thought of Jake, and Emily (his past), and Heather (hopefully, his future).

Ray, carrying the guilt of his brother's death at Pearl Harbor just as Jake bears his burden over the little girl in Iraq (and who knows what else), standing at his brother's tombstone, echoing the scene of Jake at his grandfather's grave in the "Jericho" pilot.

And the key moment of dialogue, the one that brought me to tears.

"I don't know if I deserve you. How do you know this can work?"

"Because, someday ... you're going to forgive yourself."

That could just as easily be Jake's question and Heather's answer.

Beautifully shot (in Alberta, if I read correctly), magnificently scored, and might I add, Keri Russell is a lovely actress and has matured nicely since the girl who followed what's-his-name off to college in "Felicity." Like Heather, Livy shows a woman's heart.

Well, I guess I've written my review after all.

Ladies, I am with you.

C.

Jericho Screen Caps, Skeet Audio Clips

Skeet caps from yesterday's episode, AKA, have been added to the gallery. It was an excellent episode and it sounds like the last four are going to be just as action packed! We are getting down to the wire and I hope we hear soon that Jericho gets a green light for a second season!

See all >>

Also Skeet was busy yesterday doing a lot of different radio interviews around the country. I have managed to hear about three of them thanks to lgl, Kay and my alerts. I have added an audio page to capturingskeet to try and keep track of all the audio clips. You can find the three new ones, along with some others all here >> I love when the radio personality ask him new questions and don't recycle the same old ones. There are some great moments in the clips. I have no idea how many interviews he did all together but if anyone comes across more please let us know!

Skeet on ET Canada

Geesh, now I am double posting... I had been out all day and just opened my mail and there was a package from lgl with Skeet's appearance from ET Canada!! I encoded same and here it is for everyone to view. Thank you so much lgl for sending that to me so we could share with everyone!!



I will upload it to capturingskeet in the next couple days for anyone who wants to have a savable copy!

Is it just me or is that not him in the Into the West clip? I think that is Tyler Christopher who plays his nephew.

Jericho Screen Captures, Save Jericho

Well since no one else is posting at the moment... Hello my name is Kelly, and I am a Skeet Ulrich addict... ;-)

Skeet caps from last Wednesday's episode have been added to the gallery.


See all >>

There are lots of articles out there about Jericho being down again in the ratings. I really wish there was more we could do. I ran across a site for Friday Night Lights in my Jericho searches, I have never watched the show but it is always mentioned in the same articles as Jericho regard the cancellation possibilities both shows seem to be facing. Anyway, FNL fans are doing a campaign, a very original and brilliant one see here, to show their support for their fav show. I feel like we should be doing more for Jericho but I just don't know what. I have been emailing CBS and getting everyone I can think of to email them and watch. If anyone has any ideas at all beyond that please share!

One last thing, an article came through my alerts yesterday but unfortunately you have to be registered and pay to read it. This is as much as it shows:

Still Time to Save "Jericho" and "Lights."
(Author: Column by Susan Young|Date: April 6, 2007|Publication: Oakland Tribune)

NOT TOO LONG ago, Skeet Ulrich came to the Bay Area to pump up some interest in his faltering series "Jericho." Sitting in Grumpy's down by the Embarcadero, eating runny eggs and sausage, Ulrich says he doesn't hold out much hope that his series will get a second season. This despite the fact that the show was an early favorite. "I think when we went into that long hiatus, we lost momentum," Ulrich says. Source Link. If anyone comes across this article, could you please post it or a link. Thanks!

Skeet Wallpaper

I wanted to share a couple backgrounds/wallpapers with you that my wonderful friend Leezadee made for me and is letting me share! Click the picture for full size and then right click and save as background!

Leezadee is the one that also made the gallery banner. Her work is gorgeous!