Mark Kermode: "Hello to Jason Isaacs"

kjshd05 · Post by **kjshd05** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 6:31 am

an article about Mark Kermode...he always says Hello to Jason
on his Friday radio show. MK reviews movies, and went to school with JI.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/ja ... ie-extract

If my life were a TV movie of the week, who would play me?

. . . But looks aren't everything (did "Sir" Anthony Hopkins look anything like Nixon? Was Kevin Spacey a dead ringer for Bobby Darin?) and since we're in the realms of fantasy here I should get to choose whoever I like to play me. And I choose Jason Isaacs.

Hello to Jason Isaacs. In case you don't know (in which case shame on you), Jason Isaacs is just about my favourite actor in the whole gosh-darned world. He's done everything from gritty TV dramas to romcoms, war flicks, fantasy films and sci-fi blockbusters. To some of you, he'll be best known as the fiendish Lucius Malfoy from the Harry Potter films, but to me he is, in the words of David Bowie, chameleon, comedian, Corinthian and caricature.

More important, he is also the person whom I most wanted to be as a child. You see, Jason and I were at school together, in the same class, although we never really spoke or even acknowledged each other's existence. I thought he was incredibly cool and aloof, being one of the first people at school to own a skateboard and the very first to swear out loud in an English class. If truth be told, I had a sort of schoolboy crush on Jason Isaacs and I've never really got over it. And if I get to choose who plays me in the movie of my life, then it's Jason all the way – he knows the background, he's done the research and he would look really good with a quiff.

So, the lead role in The Mark Kermode Story (we'll need to come up with a better title – Easy Writer perhaps or The Man Who Watched The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) goes to Jason, with John Malkovich co-starring as Werner Herzog (same shaped head and I'm pretty sure Malkovich could do Bavarian). Then, in the other assorted supporting roles, I'll have Toby Jones as David Lynch (I've heard his impression and it's really quite unusual), Samantha Morton as Linda Blair (because she's tough and smart and great in pretty much everything) and David Morrissey as Noddy Holder (he's got stature, plus he had good sideburns in Stoned, plus he was really funny in Basic Instinct 2 for which I retain a foolish fondness).The role of my long-suffering partner in crime Linda Ruth Williams will be filled by four-time Academy Award nominee Julianne Moore who will have to work pretty damned hard to look unimpressed by all the zany scrapes into which Mr Isaacs will get himself.

Angel Tavington · Post by **Angel Tavington** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 6:52 am

Very nice reading, thanks Kj!

He seems to love Jason as much as we do.

~me

Chari910 · Post by **Chari910** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:41 am

That was great! Thanks Kim.

catloveyes · Post by **catloveyes** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:39 am

What a dear article....yes, I would say he feels just as we do about our fabulous Jason. Thanks Kim.

Post by **Gillian** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:41 am

*teehee*

Mark Kermode has a man-crush. Not that I blame him. I'm sure there are other guys who'd admit to the same.

a.p.k. · Post by **a.p.k.** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:45 am

Enjoyed that. Thanks.

thunder · Post by **thunder** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:11 pm

That was fun reading...

...he would look really good with a quiff

I'm not sure that good is the right term, but it would definitely make a deep and lasting impression...

VittoriaZ · Post by **VittoriaZ** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:46 pm

thunder wrote:That was fun reading...

...he would look really good with a quiff

I'm not sure that good is the right term, but it would definitely make a deep and lasting impression...

Had to look up "quiff". I hope we're talking about the hairstyle.

edited to add: Thanks for that find! Always delightful to see Jason getting some love in print.

Post by **Hilary the Touched** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:01 pm

Teehee indeed! I love Mark Kermode, though I really think wearing of the quiff should be limited to TinTin (who was apparently supposed to be 14 . . . ).
I don't always agree with his assessments, but he cracks me up.
And he has great taste in men.

mrsmcclnt · Post by **mrsmcclnt** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 12:08 am

Gillian wrote:*teehee*

Mark Kermode has a man-crush. Not that I blame him. I'm sure there are other guys who'd admit to the same.

lol

I bet money that Daniel Craig is one of them...

The hair scene is hilliarous with Jolie in it. I can almost picture JI, acting it all out in the way Mark describes.

Angel Tavington · Post by **Angel Tavington** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:46 am

And he has great taste in men

Indeed he does.
I like Mark Kermode too, just recently started listening to his podcast online- entertaining and often hilarious.

He also has a nice film blog:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/

~me

Post by **Hilary the Touched** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:15 pm

Can't believe I forgot this for so long--some weeks ago, Kermode and Mayo were talking about the upcoming movie version of The Last Airbender, and joking around about the title. The next week they read an e-mail reminding them of its earlier incarnation as a television program including the voice talent of none other than their good friend Jason Isaacs--the e-mail was from our pal Carole in Oz!