Matt Smith and the flaming torch

Or what did Stephen Moffat say about Matt Smith, Mr. Clumsy: link.

Terrifying Fact Number Two, is that I’ve just watched Matt Smith carrying a flaming torch on screen. Oh, it’s for such a thrilling scene in Episode 12. Really and truly, magnificent and epic. A proper movie moment. But never mind that, it’s Matt carrying a FLAMING TORCH. Look, Matt’s lovely, he’s a magnificent, brand new, hilarious, heartbreaking, heroic Doctor — but the fact is, if that man walks into a room with a coffee then it’s only so long before you’re wearing it. No, really, clumsiest man on earth. He walks like he’s in a constant state of surprise at his own limbs. I remember when he turned up at a Worldwide meeting really early on, and the first thing he did was spill a cup of coffee over a rather lovely woman. Naturally she giggled, flushed and introduced her mother. (Ahh, life when you’re Matt ! I accidentally made eye contact with the same woman — she phoned the police and shot me in the face.) On the way out he apologised to a completely different woman for the coffee incident. “That was the wrong woman,” I said, as he went out the doors. “Nope,” he replied, “That was the second cup.”

Oh, and there was the top secret, very special, extra readthrough for Episode 10 (I’m talking that up, but what the hell) and Matt came striding in with a GUITAR ON HIS BACK. I have honestly never seen a whole roomful of people flatten themselves against a wall with such a high-pitched squeal of terror. Except Karen, of course, who trotted along behind him without a care in the world. Oh, the horror as the Doctor spun and chatted and coffeed a series of delighted women. How that guitar arced and scythed! Swish! Get down, Karen! Swish! Karen, save yourself! Swish! Not her face, Matt, NOT HER FACE!! Ah, the memories. You know, to this day I’m not sure if Matt knew he had a guitar on his back — he might just have collided with a musician.

And I thought I couldn't love Matt Smith more! \o/

30 Days Relationship Challenge #3

Charles & Erik, X-Men: First Class

This is the movie that introduced me to James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. And their casting? A stroke of genius! Their chemistry is off the charts. Whenever they are on-screen together, it's hard to notice anything and anybody else because their interplay is so intense, it's like they see only each other. The actors get along fabulously - they have the same sort of wicked sense of humor! - and I think it shows.

Erik and Charles are... They're amazing in this movie. I know that some fans of the first trilogy will forever swear by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen but I'm definitely a McAvoy and Fassbender girl. Nothing against Stewart and McKellen, both amazing, fantastic actors, but XMFC's Charles and Erik feel much more intense and real. Especially Erik feels, for the first time ever for me, terrifying - the scene in the Argentinian pub made it clear exactly WHY Magneto becomes such a menace later on.

I've seen people describe Charles as arrogant - some Erik!apologists just love to make Charles an ass in their fics - but I don't see him that way. He's cocky and too self-assured, sure, and dangerously naive for thinking that people will be honest and logical and kind when faced with a change. Does that make him arrogant? I don't think so. When all is over and done, his way is still the better one, changing people's minds through education and support not by force and through genocide, the way Erik wants to take over the world. And, to be honest, I thought it was quite terrifying that after the film had aired, so many people condemned Charles and praised Erik for their attitudes. How is Erik's war on humans any different from what Hitler did? Boggles the mind.

But I think that's the reason why these two work so well together. Charles is too soft. Erik too hard. If they had stayed together, they might have done great things together, they might have achieved so much in their lifetime, they might have changed the world. And that's why it's so heartbreaking that they end up fighting each other in the end, it feels like such a loss...

It made me insanely happy when Jane Goldman, one of the writers of XMFC, said that this film is not really a prequel, it's a reboot, set in its own universe so what happened in the first trilogy might never happen in this timeline. I know that they are characters in a movie, not real people, but I got all sniffly with happiness when I read it because the way Charles and Erik's relationship ended in X3 literally broke my heart. That was so, SO badly written. Charles and Erik deserved much more - and it made me bouncy with glee when Michael Fassbender mentioned that, in his opinion, Charles would forever remain Erik's best friend. And when James McAvoy said that Charles would never have a deeper bond with anybody than he had with Erik - remember the scene on the ship, when Charles' mind latched onto Erik's?

As someone in their review of XMFC remarked, in the last battle, all the soldiers, both Russian and American, were saved because Erik loved Charles. How could you not love them, then?

Soccer Aid!

James McAvoy joined this year's Soccer Aid...



And here's a nice compilation of links regarding his appearance: link. He's so incredibly sweet in the interviews! When he said he was a "wee bit mediocre" at soccer in that incredible accent of his, it set my heart aflutter!

I especially loved this Q&A:

Which of your movie characters do you think would perform best on the football pitch?
James McAvoy: "Mr Tumnus! Goat boy? Yes! In there, heading the ball at the goal, ball gets stuck in the horns; we'd have 100% possession in the team."

*giggle-snort* Oh, James...

ETA: Aww, James is so tiny compared to Gerard Butler! (And everybody else!)



It just makes me want to squish and cuddle him some more! \o/