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Who passed their screen-life and curdled early, and who only got better as they ripened on the reel? It’s as easy to romanticise the past as it is to focus only on what is familiar to us in the present day. I think the well-known actors listed below are a mix of those who have taken a more relaxed, less ambitious view of their career after roles for which they will be forever remembered, those who are as steady as ever, and those who are still climbing, and for whom the best may be yet to come.

Sean Connery: James Bond to King Arthur

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Meryl Streep: Manhattan to Mamma Mia

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John Travolta: Fever to Fireman

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Helen Mirren: Hermia to Her Majesty

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Robert de Niro : Godfather to Father-in-Law

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Julie Andrews: Poppins to Princess

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Frances McDormand: Mississippi to Miss Pettigrew

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Emma Thompson: Howard’s End to Harry Potter

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Jack Nicholson: McMurphy to Mob Boss

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Anthony Hopkins: Elephant Man to Wolf Man

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Michaelie Clark

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Lead Me Into Temptation...

March 29th 2009 07:13

Danger is an alluring thing. I know I’m not alone. Why else do people have sex in public, surf trains and/or wear six-inch heels? I tell you, it’s the irresistibility of a risky situation.

It should be no surprise then, to find that villains are quite regularly more appealing than heroes. It’s a given for the ladies – femme fatales like Bond’s Xenia Onatopp and O-ren Ishii of Kill Bill are by definition attractive and overtly seductive. With the men, it’s not always so obvious. Is it simply that evil often seems to be paired with wit and charm, or is the danger of wickedness itself enough to tempt us to the dark side?

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Let’s consider: John Malkovich in Dangerous Liasons, Gerard Butler in The Phantom of the Opera, Guy Pearce in The Count of Monte Cristo, Christian Bale in American Psycho and Alan Rickman in… just about any role you care to name. Would they still be so good if they weren’t so bad?

What about someone with less aesthetic appeal, like Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs. He’s occasionally effeminate and might eat your face off, but he’s also forceful and daring, compelling and intelligent, and has a warped, incongruous sense of honour. In short, he makes Prince Charming look more than a little dull.

So who does it for you? The hero or the villain, the angel or the demon? If you were enchanted by the snake, would you bite?

Michaelie Clark

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Flick Wit in a Flash: Richard Armitage

December 21st 2008 19:03

Richard Armitage: a villain in a jerkin; a hero without a cravat; a romantic, a comic, a wicked, heavenly, sensual, tenderly menacing god!

Ahem.

Photographic tribute below, for the benefit Armitage admirers.

As the brooding but passionate John Thornton in the film adaptation of North and South:

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As the dastardly but irresistible Sir Guy in the BBC adaptation of Robin Hood:

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As his own rakish self:

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Michaelie Clark

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Literal Petit Mort for Second Round of 'Sex'?

November 23rd 2008 19:03

Sex and the City sources are putting the word out: the sequel is afloat, but someone is going to be tossed overboard. Those in the know predict that one of the Sexettes will be killed off in the follow-up to this year’s blockbuster, in order to keep the story ball a-rolling.

The Sexettes - Image courtesy of newsday.com

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Film Classifications - How Restricted is Your Choice?

November 17th 2008 19:03

How often do you replace DVD rentals on the shelf due to their rating? Is it because that rating is too high, or too low? Have you bypassed a film, heedless of all else, because the spine of the cover indicates it contains an explicit scene? What if you picked up a PG rated adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover? Would you put it back, assuming the content had been compromised? Likewise a film that has been re-edited and re-released in order to downgrade from R 18 to the more accessible MA 15 ?

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Sex and the City: A Short Note on the Extended Cut

November 13th 2008 04:29

I bought Sex and the City: The Movie – Extended Cut on the day of its Australian release with the faint wan hope that my initial cinema-based impression was off the mark. If anything, I have come closer to detesting the flick with each subsequent viewing.

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A Cut Of The Action: Top Ten Female Directors

October 4th 2008 07:36

It’s still a field very much dominated by the males of the movie world, but when it comes to the direction of films, the ladies are definitely turning a corner. Since Dorothy Arzner, many women have taken their place in the director’s chair, often exploring – among other things – politics, sexuality, identity and humour, and in the process have examined, deconstructed, and created their way into a whole new dimension of cinema.

Here are ten female directors who have shown us their view through the lens

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SATC On DVD And The Past Life Of Carrie Bradshaw

September 26th 2008 10:07

The DVD of Sex and the City: The Movie – Extended Cut will hit Australia on October 16th, after its launch in New York earlier this week.

Prior to the event, leading lady and executive producer, Sarah Jessica Parker, spoke out about the enormous financial success the film has had, and the likelihood of a sequel. “It's all about the story. If we can't tell a story that's really worthy of an audience, then we won't do it,” she said

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Stop-Loss: Close, But No Salute

September 8th 2008 18:33

While not usually the type of film I would gravitate towards, I found myself seeing Stop-Loss with something approaching mild anticipation. I was somewhat intrigued by the controversial plot concept, and wanted to see what Joseph Gordon-Levitt could pull out of the hat. I’d read a few decent reviews, was interested by the presence of Timothy Olyphant in a uniform, and was ultimately convinced by the front-line involvement of Aussie actress Abbie Cornish and Boys Don’t Cry director Kimberly Peirce.

Ryan Phillippe as the dishonourable hero - Image courtesy of metro.co.uk

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Birthday Girl of Flick Wit: Celebrating YOU

August 23rd 2008 04:24

This post marks one year to the minute since Flick Wit nudged its way into the virtual Orb, with what was effectively an apology for the hiccups that were surely to come. Luckily, there were plenty of people around willing to slap me on the back, coerce me into drinking water backwards, and sometimes, jump out from darkened corners and scare the bejesus out of me. So the hiccups were kept (for the most part) at bay, and I could get on with the business of shamelessly self-indulgent writing.