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Sir Sean Connery To Receive Bafta Scotland Award

[sub]Cineworld, Fountainbridge on Friday, 25 August[/sub]

And he's getting it on his birthday.

Didn't even notice that. Nice catch, bonded56!

EXCUSE MOI!!!!!! from 3 weeks ago:

http://debrief.commanderbond.net/index.php...st&p=574254

I must have overlooked that thread, Dr. B.

No problemo ... I am forgiving ..

Now on the CBn main page...

Sir Sean Connery Honoured With BAFTA Award

[sub]Honoured in native city[/sub]

Good evening fellow members,

The good Dr B and King & Country were at the BAFTA Scotland Award ceremony this aftenoon in Edinburgh.

The format of the afternoon was firstly, the showing of "The Bowler and the Bunnet" directed by Sean Connery and starring him. The film was about shipbuliding on The River Clyde in Glasgow in the late 1960's. Very interesting with some astute references as to how shipbuilding might or might not progress.

Following the screening of the film. Sir Sean appeared on stage with Edinbugh International Film Festival Artistic Director Shane Danielson. Shane did a quick intro noting that it was in fact Sir Sean's birthday today .... and there was rapturous applause.

Next up, and the most interesting & illuminating part of the afternoon was a lengthy (good!) discussion of Sir Sean's work. Shane Danielson ask the pertinent questions and Sean waxed lyrically. He was in great form... displaying his hilarious sense of humour ... he referred to a previous director as the w word (rhymes with tanker) and he also made some hooting comments about some actors ... one of whom he said "could dance.." .. apart from that he did not have a good word to say regarding this actor, but held back just, when he was pushed by Shane Danielsen.

He talked about Marnie not being successful when it came out, and when asked what was his favourite Bond film.. he hesitated not and said "From Russia with Love".

On Daniel Craig he was most positive. He said "No" Craig had not asked him for advice and neither would he expect him to. He said that the press was giving Craig a hard time for no good reason ... he said the press was a law unto itself. He said Daniel Craig was an excellent actor and that he should be given a chance to perform. All this bad mouthing of Craig was unwarranted and why were all these people being so negative! Sir Sean could hardly have talked of Craig in higher repect.

He talked about a good number of his films and had the audience in kinks with some of his observations and language.

He said he was wrong about The Avengers. He thought it was going to be very successful when in fact it took a dive.

As to Indiana 4, he said that he had spoken to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg at the American Film Institute Award ceremony.... a couple of months ago. There was a script floating about, but if I remember correctly he said Lucas was not happy with the script and it was going to be redone. he said he had not heard from anybody since and that's how things were. "Maybe they cannot afford me .." he said jokingly.

The whole discussion/interview by Shane Danielsen was most relaxed and Sir Sean seemed to be in his element. He made no mention of retiring or anything of that ilk ... quite the reverse in fact. He seems up for producing anything that takes his fancy.

At the end of the discssion Sir Sean was presented with the BAFTA Scotland award and he made a brief impromtu speech of thanks.

There was REGRETFULLY no audience participation, and I was unable to ask the 2 questions that I had selected from here and daltonswendy.com This was a change to the initial programme and I can only think that this change followed George Reid's intimation of difficult/tricky questions at the Festival of Politics discussion that Sir Sean scuppered. This was disappointing indeed with no questions taken from the audience at all!

THe press came in and took photos, Sir Sean said a few words and then left with Shane Danielsen.

All in all an exciting afternoon .... hearing Sean talk so frankly about his career was stimulating and not to be missed !!!

If you want to ask me anything ... please do.. whilst my memory is still fresh!


Ciao

Dr Blockbuster

from The Scotsman

http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment.cfm?id=1257762006#new

Connery's Hollywood home truths

FROM Audrey Hepburn and Alfred Hitchcock to Nicolas Cage and Ian Fleming, he has worked with them all. And yesterday Sir Sean Connery told the world what he really thought of them, dishing out bouquets and brickbats in equal measure for the cream of Hollywood.

Sir Sean told a packed audience at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where he picked up a BAFTA Scotland award for outstanding achievement in film, that he avoids watching his own movies and even revealed the secret of his good looks - Scotch.

Asked for his favourite directors, Connery talked warmly about Alfred Hitchcock, who directed him in Marnie in 1964.

"I found him marvellous, he was terrific with me. He knew exactly how he was going to shoot the movie before he started shooting. So he used to sit on a chair under the camera.

"I don't think people in Idaho would be interested in your dental work," Hitchcock told him during the film, then explained: "You are listening with your mouth open."

With other directors, it was a different matter.

Of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, his last screen appearance, he said: "I liked the idea of it, but I didn't find out until the first day of shooting, some considerable time later, that the guy was insane and certifiable."

Connery's clashes with director Stephen Norrington are well known. Reaching for water as he spoke of Norrington, he said: "Talking about him dries my throat."

He said he couldn't continue in the Bond movies because of the "cost and frustration". James Bond writer Ian Fleming was "such a snob, an old Etonian" when it came to giving him the part in the first place. The writer wanted a major star like Cary Grant or James Mason, but the film's budget was too low at a million dollars.

He described working with Audrey Hepburn on Robin and Marian in 1976. It was one of her last films, and she was nervous about keeping up with the fast pace of shooting. "There was something sad about her in the end," Connery said.

Working with the legendary director John Huston was another high point, and the actor Nicolas Cage, who starred with Connery in The Rock, was clearly one of his favourites.

Connery walked slowly yesterday down to the podium, and did not deny he had retired from films. Calling himself a "bit of a gypsy", he had not lost his ability to charm, amuse or surprise.

He was asked the secret of his health. "Scotch," he said. Asked what he thought of the award, he said: "I thought they should have arrested me by now."

Connery has spent nearly two weeks at this year's film festival, hosting its glamorous 60th birthday party as patron, but also turned up at publishing parties, political receptions, and even the National Library.

He stunned the director of the film festival, Shane Danielsen, in an on-stage interview, when he named not a film but a play, Black Watch, as the best thing he'd seen.

"It's breathtaking," he said, of the National Theatre of Scotland play, where last night actor John Hurt was joining the audience for the Fringe's hottest show.

"It's a different scene, but there's no film attempting what is going on there. It's unbelievable and you can't get in there."

Yesterday's BAFTA is the first time the industry in Scotland has formally recognised the star's success.

Connery revealed how he had passed up on the Matrix role that was passed to Lawrence Fishburne. "I read it and I couldn't understand it," he said.

But plans for a fourth Indiana Jones film, in which Connery plays the father of Harrison Ford's character, had been put on ice because George Lucas didn't want him for the serial, he said. ***SEE BELOW***

He revealed yesterday how he does not watch his own films unless he stumbles on them while surfing the channels at his Bahamas home.

"Sometimes the grandchildren come and they are funny. They know the jokes, they know the dialogue."

*** On Indiana Jones 4 what he DID say was (as I was present):

"As to Indiana 4, he said that he had spoken to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg at the American Film Institute Award ceremony.... a couple of months ago. There was a script floating about, but he said Lucas was not happy with the script and it was going to be redone. Sir Sean said he had not heard from anybody since and said "that's how things were". "Maybe they cannot afford me .." he said jokingly."