Mr. Darcy in a Heineken Commercial

Oh, dear. Oh, my. Mr. Darcy's Heineken commercial is a bit dependent on, er, hunting.

Heineken Darcy

A crazy commercial video, but only one minute long - and fun! Would you be tempted to purchase this ale after this commercial? (We hope you can access it.)


Graham Rose - Heineken from The Ant Company on Vimeo.

Posted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Português

Jennifer Ehle: I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, Colin Firth

When I espied that photo of Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, I could not stop myself from singing "I can't take my eyes off of youuuu!"

Jennifer Ehle, Tom Hooper (director) and Colin Firth, The King's Speech

They are lovely, aren't they?

Colin and Jennifer in 2011. Image from @Bonnets and Bustles

In 1995

Also see Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth 16 Years Later.

Posted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Portugues

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth 16 Years Later

Geoffrey Rush, Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth in The King's Speech

Have you ever wondered how Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth would look after fifteen years of marriage? Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle (Pride and Prejudice 1995) shared only a few moments together on screen in The King's Speech (she played Myrtle Logue, Geoffrey Rush's wife), but my heart rejoiced. My question was finally answered: How well would this couple fare in the looks department several decades on? Very well, as you can see.

Where Are They Now? Jane Austen Character Actors

The Daily Mail recently published an article that featured three Jane Austen character actors: Colin Firth, Jemima Rooper, and Felicity Jones. Click here to read it.

Colin Firth (Mr. Darcy) and Helena Bonham Carter in The King's Speech

Jemima Rooper, Amanda Price in Lost in Austen, now in Me and My Girl

Felicity Jones (Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey) as Luise Miller, a woman in love with a prince.

Images from the Daily Mail

Mr. Darcy Interrupted

Inquiring reader,

Recently Roberta asked:

"Can you possibly identify the creature that makes all that ruckus outside of the window of Rosings, in the early morning hours, after Mr. Darcy wrote his letter of defense to Lizzy, in P&P, the miniseries of 1995....?

I am hoping that you can help me to solve this mystery. It has been bugging me for years, now."

Well, Roberta answered her own question a few days later. The mystery sound was caused by a fox cry, such as one you can hear below:

Video found on dizzo95 YouTube channel

Thoughts About Jane Austen

Poking around the internet always leads to interesting new trails and information. Case in point, the Bookstove, a site that collects articles and reviews. Two anti-Jane posts caught my eye:

Going off Austen: This writer is considering taking Pride and Prejudice off her book shelves. Do you agree, disagree? Inquiring minds want to know.

Five Reasons Why Mr. Darcy Can't Satisfy Today's Woman is sure to get your goat. Or perhaps not if you are a Mr. Knightley, Colonel Brandon, or Henry Tilney fan. Enjoy the article, then let us know what you think of the author's opinion!

(Icons created for a 2007 Jane Austen Today contest)

Pride and Prejudice Film Mistakes

Usually I am so absorbed watching a film that I fail to catch any but the most egregious mistakes. But some people are ever vigilant. This list of movie mistakes notes that 16 were made during the filming of Pride and Prejudice. Here is the link to the site.

Here is one of the observations:

"Continuity: In the scene at Pemberley when Darcy gets ready to dive into the pond, notice that in one shot, he is looking at the pond, the next shot shows him stepping down, and the third shot (right before he dives) shows him looking at the pond again - in the exact same place as the first shot, as if he never took the step down."

I can't see what this critic is talking about. Can you? Or do I need new glasses. After watching the first 4o seconds of the film clip, do you agree or disagree with the above statement?

Dissin Gerard Butler and Mr Darcy is Bad Form

Dissin’ Gerry Butler and Mr. Darcy is bad form! A recent NPR review by Linda Holmes about the new film, The Bounty Hunter, is wrong on SO many levels. First, do not dis my MAN, Gerard (Gerry) Butler! Ever since Phanthom of the Opera and his turn as hunky Spartan King Leonidus in 300, I have been waiting for him to CLAIM ME as his own. Miss Holmes, a most nonsensical reviewer, does not realize that die-hard Gerry Butler fans will PAY to see him clean toilets and act in tripe worse than The Bounty Hunter.

Linda could still have redeemed herself until she made THIS worthless statement:

It is time to let Mr. Darcy go. I have nothing against Mr. Darcy. In fact, I had nothing against the original Mr. Darcy when he became Bridget Jones' Mr. Darcy, because har-har, I get it.

But then You've Got Mail brought Mr. Darcy into things, and there was another movie, and at this point, Mr. Darcy has been played out. Overplayed out. So if your next idea is to call your guy the head of Darcy Industries, or a club figure named DJ Darcy, or a professional hockey player who goes by "Fitzie"? Please forget it. There are other references.

How this Linda person found a job as a critic is beyond me. Read the rest of her ridiculous words at this link .

Sincerely, Vic

The duo of Craig Ferguson and Gerard Butler chat it up in this great video. What can be better than two Scots men shooting the bull?

Ten Things About Colin Firth

Mirror.com.UK featured an article: Colin Firth: 10 Things You Need to Know About the Oscar Nominated Actor.

Among the tidbits: In a 2006 interview Firth reveled that the three women in his life were “my mother, my wife and Jane Austen.”

He also was mentioned as the Sexiest Man Alive in People Magazine in 2007.

Read an interview with Colin in the Times, 2007: Colin Firth's Darcy Dilemma

Mr. Darcy Cat

Of course Mr. Darcy is a black cat with white paws!

This print can be yours if you visit TaraFlyPhotos Etsy Shop. His fine amber eyes might just rival Lizzy Bennet’s.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Meet the next Mr. Darcy – Caleb Grusing

Yes Janites. Just when we thought that Aisha, the new Bollywood take on Jane Austen’s Emma was the last new adaptation in the pipeline, indie production company PaperCut Productions LLC has announced a new contemporary movie of Pride and Prejudice. According to the Pride and Prejudice 2005 blog, who seem to be the only source of information at the moment, filming will begin in Colorado in June 2010. Check out the cast and photos on the official P&P 2010 web page on the PaperCut’s website. Of particular note is actor Caleb Grusing who will be portraying the iconic Mr. Darcy. Big boots to fill for sure, but he is certainly easy on the eyes.

Follow PaperCut Productions on Twitter
Follow actor Caleb Grusing on Twitter

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Interview with Matthew MacFadyen

In this interview in the Telegraph.co.UK, Matthew Macfadyen discussed his role as Mr. Darcy:

He got slightly miserable having to prance about so gravely in Pride and Prejudice, he reveals. “All the Bennets were having a great time; it was all very cosy. Then I’d come along and be a bit sullen for a couple of days and then f--- off again! It didn’t help that my wife was pregnant at the time, but I wished I’d enjoyed it more.”

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

A Grand Giveaway of Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape, by Marsha Altman

Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape, a new Austen inspired sequel is in bookstores this week. It is the third book in the Pride and Prejudice Continues series which also includes The Darycs & the Bingleys (2008) and The Plight of the Darcy Brothers (2009).

This "campy, madcap adventure" series continues the story of many of the beloved characters from Jane Austen’s classic novel in imaginative and comical ways. Here is the publisher’s description:

Straight into danger, daring Elizabeth Darcy rushing to the rescue.

Hilarious and action-packed, this installment brings the Darcy and Bingley families to the year 1812 and the intrigues of the Napoleonic war. When a coded letter alerts Elizabeth that her husband and his traveling companion Dr. Maddox, have run into trouble in eastern Europe, Elizabeth sets off on a daring and dangerous mission. While Darcy and Maddox are both worse for wear, Charles Bingley has his hands full holding down the fort at Pemberley, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh sets out to kick up a truly shocking scandal. Can Elizabeth get her husband out of harm’s way and both of them back to Pemberley in time for the impending blessed event? Will Darcy be able to recover from the dark revelations of his imprisonment? And what are the Darcy’s going to do about the demented Asian assassin circumventing the globe to get to Pemberley before they return? With danger, intrigue and psychological depth, this action-packed Pride and Prejudice sequel bring the Darcy and Bingley families closer together as new bonds are forged, lovers are reunited, and unforgettable adventures change their lives forever.

Intriged? Read the first chapter of Mr. Darcy's Great Escape.

GIVEAWAY CONTEST

Enter a chance to win one of three sets of the Pride and Prejudice Continues series by Marsha Altman which includes one copy each of The Darcys & the Bingleys, The Plight of the Darcy Brothers and Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape. Leave a comment stating who your favorite character is in Pride and Prejudice and why by midnight PST February 16th, 2010. Winners to be announced on February 17th, 2010. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only.

Author Bio:

Marsha Altman is a historian specializing in Rabbinic literature in late antiquity, and an author. She is also an expert on Jane Austen sequels, having read nearly every single one that's been written, whether published or unpublished. She has worked in the publishing industry with a literary agency and is writing a series continuing the story of the Darcys and the Bingleys. She lives in New York.

Reviews:

Austenprose

Becky's Book Reviews

Books Like Breathing

Good luck, Vic, Jane Austen's World & Laurel Ann, Austenprose

The giveaway contest has now concluded and the winners have been announced. Thanks to all who participated and congrats to the lucky winners!

Lost in Elliot Cowan?

Can't get enough of British actor Elliot Cowan since he emerged from the Pemberley pond and into our hearts as Mr. Darcy in Lost in Austen, the 2008 twisted bonnet parody of Pride and Prejudice? Here's some eye candy video for you from Littleviper. Enjoy!

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

A Darcy Before I Die - Nuff Said!

A Darcy Before I Die - An ode by Aussie Ronnie Tahney to our favorite iconic romantic hero. No qualms from his corner on that!

Complements of Austenesque author Enid Wilson's blog Hot and Steamy. Oh thanks Enid, you made my week!

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Darling Mr. Darcy: Why is the Unattainable so Irresistible?

Teresa Medeiros, bestselling romance author, recently published a post about Mr. Darcy on her blog, Squawk Radio.

"It’s not what we know about Darcy that intrigues us from his very first appearance on the page, but what we don’t know. Jane Austen could have made us privy to every one of Darcy’s thoughts and motivations long before they are revealed to Elizabeth. But she wisely realized that a hero stripped of his inscrutable nature is also a hero stripped of appeal."

Click here to read Theresa' article, and check out her recent (and fabulous) novels at this link.