Fulfilling a dream (a natural history diversion with David Attenborough) - And Hank Azaria talks Love and Other Drugs

This post comes with a warning of some off-topicness although it does try to make a break for it a little bit of the way through and behave itself. As we speak, Jake Gyllenhaal's hard at work trying to stir up a bunch of pharmaceutical reps in Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena, so hopefully he won't mind a diversion. Call it a tea break.


You know me, BIG wildlife and natural history fan - so much so I nearly got tipped out of a canoe by a perplexed hippo while being set upon by an eagle that thought I was a goose. An easy mistake to make, I thought, so I don't hold a grudge, despite the crocodiles. A big reason why I have spent a considerable part of my life living in tents and travelling to see and photograph animals in their natural habitat can be summed up in two words - David Attenborough (possibly three words - Sir David Attenborough). To me he has always been my imaginary Uncle David (I do get teased for it, I assure you), since before Life on Earth back in the late 70s. And I've read every word and seen every film. Last night, a new series began - Life - and it contains images of familiar and unimaginable beasts living extraordinary lives. I'm trying to forget the image of the insect that blew its eyes up with air bubbles sucked into its head...


But today, I got the chance to see David Attenborough for the first time in person. His book signing in Oxford's Waterstones (in the Philosophy section) was attended by more people than there are krill in the sea - they filled three floors. I got pictures, I left happy with another ambition ticked off, fulfilled. So, you have to indulge me, because this was a biggie.


Back on topic...

Hank Azaria has been talking about his role in Love and Other Drugs - already! Not even in the can and we're already getting some info. 'Right now, Azaria's attention is also on "Love and Other Drugs." In fact, he tells us that with the health care debate raging on, he and Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal and the rest of the "Love and Other Drugs" team keep saying to each other, "We wish this movie was coming out next week. It just has so much to say about the effect big pharma has really had on the medical profession and the health care world. It's greater than people think," Hank declares. "This really goes into what that system has created and how it works in a day-to-day way."'


'As it is, the comedic drama/romance has weeks of production left to go. Azaria is playing "a doctor of questionable ethics, who engages in some things dealing with pharmaceutical companies that you wish your doctor wouldn't do" in the feature. Drawn from "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman" by Jamie Reidy, the film's depiction of "this whole world -- the pharmaceutical world -- and the Viagra story itself are all true. The love story between Jake and Anne, that part is fiction," he says.' It may be fiction, but can we at least have pics? More here.


Co-star Jamie Alexander has been showing off her 90s' Love and Other Drugs hairdo - gotta say, I like it.

There are two videos to show today - one shows the dedicated Doctor Parnassus fans of London Town trawling the streets of the capital to get people into theatres, on to seats, to see this much loved movie. Thanks to a good mate for sending this through!



The other clip, here through a link, is a teaser of Maggie Gyllenhaal's new Nanny McPhee movie which features Emma Thompson (who also appears in An Education) in frightening form: 'You've been very naughty' - gulp.


Includes pictures from IHJ and WDW.