Alan Rickman was the first actor who if I saw him walking down the street or sitting on a park bench (inside joke), I'd hyperventilate. The first movie I ever saw him in was "Die Hard." It's my favorite Christmas movie. It's my favorite movie overall. I remember laying down on our carpet, my wrists holding up my head, watching this truly sophisticated, villain, outsmart every person in the building, even the hero until practically the end of the film. Again, it was the voice. When I found out about filmographies and other stuff like that, I was already half way to the store looking for his other movies. I scanned the t.v. guides and taped any movie that was on too late or too early. When he was cast as my favorite Potter character, I knew it was fate. As of now I have seen every movie except Dark Harbor. That one has eluded me. I anxiously await his other films, including his role in Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" as the Caterpillar. I don't think he gets enough recognition in the world of films. He does have large fan base though. I'll still be the lone figure at the cinema, blushing whenever he speaks and having the people in the theater wondering why in hell am I fidgeting so much.I didn't even know what the second guy looked like until years after I first heard his voice. When we went camping, my parents would have a ton of tapes that my brother and I could enjoy and fall asleep to. I can remember listening to ballads sung by Luis Miguel and waking up to Freddie Fender. Queen was always high on our list since my parents would sing along with us. Yes, we are a sappy wannabe Partrich family. There was one precious tape that beat every other out of the water. Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Phantom of the Opera" was our first choice. We drove our parents nuts with it. We made them buy a second tape when we overplayed and broke the first. They had seen the original performances of Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in LA and had bought the highlights tape (since CDs weren't even common or made yet). I had looked through their playbill mesmerized by the costumes and darkness of the stage. I didn't even know the story but had a faint grasp of it through the lyrics. Michael Crawford's voice lulled me to sleep or had my heart racing as the music rose and sped through a crescendo of violence and misery. Thinking on it now, I realize I've always been a creepy kid. Now, I'm just an adult with morbid tastes and humor. Like I mentioned earlier, I had never seen his real face. All the photos I had seen were of him in full, disfiguring makeup, wearing a black tux and cape. It was only when I was off of middle school, sick as a dog, that I saw him on television. I was curled on the couch watching "Hello Dolly!" dozing through the long dance sequences and wishing to God there was something else on, when I heard something familiar. This skinny white guy was trying to pull a Yonkers accent but his British one was too strong. All the vowels were still too strongly sung. It bugged me throughout the whole movie. When the credits rolled I couldn't believe it. This young guy became one of the most successful men of the stage? Nevertheless, when they used the songs in "Wall E" I was more excited than the kids in the theater. This was love at first note.
The eyes were the attraction for the next man. They were blank and desolate. He had "goat's eyes," a term used for sociopaths, implying they had no soul. Anthony Hopkins scared me. It took me a year to watch "Silence of the Lambs" in its entirety. Jonathan Demme's awesome viewpoints in the film helped fill the film with the horror mood. The closeup on Hopkin's eyes in his prison cells made me cringe away from the screen. I was afraid he'd bite me if I risked being any closer. Well, like the pattern goes, I watch and read everything he's in. I'm looking for a rare tape that has a conversation between Laurence Olivier, Peter O'Toole, and, I believe, Richard Harris. The only thing is none of them are really there. Hopkins taped himself impersonating their voices. This is usually a "black market" item because it has never been released to the public. I wish he would do more voice work in his films. Anyway, him being in "The Wolfman" is going to be awesome!
So I have autographs, photos, posters, hundreds of DVDs in my room and apartment all dedicated to the men in my life. David Selby and David Duchovny share the same wall space. Rickman and Crawford have their own spaces since I have framed photos and letters. (Crawford personalizes everything and is a fangirl's dream when answering questions.) Anthony Head has caught my eye and ears for now after seeing "Repo!" I've watched two seasons of "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer" (which is more about demons than vampires, but still has me interested) and am looking for links to "Little Britain." "Macbeth" looks like it will take forever and a day to get a release date in the States.
I really think I have OCD. But is it really a problem when I enjoy it so much?
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