Damian-Lewis.com

kathyv — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:27:31 +0000

Empire magazine has selected The Escapist with Damian Lewis as one of the Fifty Films That Defined The Year 2008:

“The Escapist
File under ‘Tragically Overlooked’. Brit helmer Rupert Wyatt’s prison-breakout debut features one of Brian Cox’s finest performances.

Defining Moment
The escapees discovering a Stygian underworld stretching out before them.”

The Escapist will be released in the UK on region 2 DVD on January 12th (for rent) and February 9th (for purchase).
The Escapist is also mentioned in this Australian ABC News article about the recent resurgence of classic movie genres.
After January 7th the season one episodes of Life will no longer be available in the US for free, online viewing at the NBC.com or Hulu.com sites - so don’t miss them!

Season one Life episodes are available in the US for rent or purchase on DVD!
Here’s more praise for Life - Season Two and Damian Lewis’s brilliant portrayal of Detective Charlie Crews.
Life – Season One will premiere in Finland on Monday, January 5th on MTV3; click here for more information.

Damian’s Scandinavian fans are also enjoying The Baker on Canal Plus this month.
Reminder! Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (the teen spy film with Damian Lewis as Yassen Gregorovitch) is on US television during January and February on Cinemax.

kathyv — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 05:28:37 +0000

Happy New Year! Best wishes for health, prosperity, and joy in 2009!
Spoiler warning! The January 5, 2009 issue of TV Guide offers several tidbits about upcoming episodes of Life starring Damian Lewis:

“Where we left off: Ted was in prison on trumped-up charges and finding protection from Charlie Crews’ jailhouse pals. Crews lay near death after being shot in his home by an unknown assailant. ‘The goal was to get Crews’ personal and professional and conspiratorial life all crashing together,’ says Life executive producer Rand Ravich.

What’s next: ‘The fun of his shooting is that Charlie saw who did it and he’s not telling anybody!’ says Ravich. ‘When he recovers, he’ll track that person down and deal with it on his own.’ On other fronts: Crews works to get his roomie Ted out of jail, and Dani questions Crews about her father’s role in the conspiracy to frame him for murder.”

Here is the scan of the TV Guide article in the Warehouse; also thanks to Ann for the transcript.

NBC is running ads for Life on their home page at NBC.com; the show will return on February 4, 2009 with episode 2.13 titled “Re-entry”. Click here or here to find episodes of Life online.
Thanks to Virginia for the news that the complete season one of Hearts and Bones (2000) is now available in multiple parts on YouTube.

There are many scenes featuring the young (pre-Band of Brothers) Damian Lewis in this terrific series. The region 2 DVD set for Hearts and Bones is offered for purchase in the UK. (Note: Damian only appears in season one; he left the show to begin filming Band of Brothers after the first season.)

kathyv — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:26:43 +0000

Alex Billington of FirstShowing.net has selected The Escapist with Damian Lewis as one of “The 19 Best Movies That You Didn’t See in 2008” -

The Escapist
Not Released in Theaters Yet
Directed by Rupert Wyatt

“Frank Perry is an institutionalized convict twelve years into a life sentence without parole. When his estranged daughter falls ill, he is determined he make peace with her before it’s too late. He develops an ingenious escape plan, and recruits a dysfunctional band of escapists — misfits with a mutual dislike for one other but united by their desire to escape their hell hole of an existence.

Why it’s on here: It was my favorite film from Sundance this year and could’ve been my favorite film of the entire year if it had ever actually been released in theaters. THINKFilm picked it up at Sundance but that company went under part of the way through the year, so it never hit theaters. It was in theaters in June in the UK and will be out on DVD over there in January. This is one of the best films that no one has ever heard of. It’s one of the most intense and thrilling modern escape movies ever made, and that’s a huge compliment!”
A fan named Baxley sees a strong resemblance between Damian Lewis and Jimmy Stewart; click here to decide for yourself.
Click here for photos (taken by Chewie711) of “The Major Dick Winters Exhibit” at Pennsylvania’s Hershey Derry-Township Historical Society. The exhibit includes these side-by-side pictures of Richard Winters and Damian Lewis.
Check your local PBS television listings; WYCC in Chicago is running a “New Year’s Mystery Marathon” and Dead Gorgeous starring Helen McCrory will air at 2:44pm Central Time on Wednesday, December 31st.
New FanArt:

» “Life Charlie Crews: Bringing Down Kyle Hollis” video posted on YouTube by ChuckR7 (spoilers!)

» “Drawn On Photograph” by MatthwJ.

kathyv — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:24:31 +0000

Rupert Wyatt’s acclaimed film The Escapist with Damian Lewis is being released on Region 2 DVD in Germany by Senator Home Entertainment under the title of Raus aus der Hölle. The German DVD will be available for rental on January 28th and for purchase on February 23rd.

In the UK The Escapist Region 2 DVD will be released for rental on January 12th and offered for sale on February 9th.

The Escapist is scheduled for theatrical release in The Netherlands on April 16, 2009.
Alan Sepinwall of the Star-Ledger offered the comments below about “Trapdoor”, episode 2.12 of Life starring Damian Lewis:

“Life,” “Trapdoor” (NBC, 12/17): The drama about Zen-quoting cop Charlie Crews (the wonderful Damian Lewis) often struggles to balance its one-shot stories with the longer arcs about the conspiracy that put Crews in prison for 12 years for a murder he didn’t commit. The show’s fall finale managed to bring together all the disparate threads, while reintroducing “Deadwood” alum Garret Dillahunt as a cold Russian gangster, in a concentrated burst of comedy, surprise and sheer coolness.

In the US you can watch “Trapdoor” online for free at NBC.com.
Thanks to Stacy for the news that Best Buy, the US retailer, has cut the in-store price of HBO DVD box sets by 50% and are currently offering Band of Brothers for $32.49 on DVD and $37.49 on Blu-ray! Click here for more information.

kathyv — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:40:23 +0000

John McGinley of The Washington Post reported that “if acting hadn’t panned out” for Damian Lewis he would have liked to become a professional ping pong player!

DAMIAN LEWIS (”Life”)
“I’d be a professional Ping-Pong player. I’m not that good. I’m not Chinese good. But I hold [the paddle] like a pen. I hold it orthodox Western style. And that’s all I’m prepared to give up about my game, in case anyone reads this. . . . I don’t want people winning.”

(A September message from Sharon, Damian’s Los Angeles Assistant, revealed that he had purchased a ping pong table as a gift for the cast and crew of NBC’s Life.)
More praise for Damian Lewis’s wonderful portrayal of Detective Charlie Crews on Life!

» Matt Norris of CinemaBlend selected Charlie Crews as his “Favorite TV Character Of 2008” stating:

“Cop shows have been done over and over again. Never has a cop show gone so far to give the main character such an interesting back story and quirks… Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers) turns out the most underrated performance on television as the fruit loving, falsely imprisoned, Zen master Charlie Crews who simultaneously tracks down weekly criminals and the people who framed him.”

» Al Norton of 411 Mania’s “Two Tivos To Paradise” picked Life as one of the “Top 10 Dramas of 2008.” He described the program as:

“Currently the best police series on television, Life excels because its quirkiness is organic, feeling like it comes from the characters and their stories and not from a writer’s room. Damian Lewis’ Charlie Crews is a Detective for the ages, exploring mysteries both external and internal; while some actors wear their hearts on their sleeves, Lewis wear’s his thought process on his face, letting the audience in on what Charlie is thinking at all times. While I can’t mention Sarah Shahi without talking about how beautiful she is, it’s her acting ability that deserves even more raves…”

» According to the Malaysian Star:

“Ex-cop Charlie Crews (a brilliant Damian Lewis) gets out of jail after being wrongfully sentenced for 12 years and re-enters the police force as a detective and pockets millions of dollars as compensation. Even as he’s solving cases, he secretly investigates his own case in an effort to find out who framed him. A cool concept that has so many twists and turns.”
This recent NBC press release offers some great news about viewer ratings for Life:

Wednesday at 9 p.m., “Life” (1.7/5 in 18-49, 5.2 million viewers overall) ranked #2 in all key adult-male demographics men 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54. It is worth noting that “Life” has been adding an average 22 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from “live plus same day” to “live plus seven day” results. In total viewers, “Life” has been adding an average 870,000 viewers overall to its previously reported “live plus same day” numbers. Counting all time-shifting (going from “live only” to “live plus seven”), “Life” is gaining 38 percent in 18-49 when going from “live only” to “live plus seven.”
Scandanavia’s Canal+ will be showing The Baker starring Damian Lewis throughout January; click here for the schedule. The DVD for The Baker is available for rent or purchase in these geographic regions:

» Region 1 (Canada and US)

» Region 2 (UK, Europe, N. Africa, Egypt, and Japan)

» Region 4 (Australia, NZ, Pacific Is., Mexico, C. America, S. America, and the Caribbean)
New on YouTube:

» “Damian Lewis - Christmas” by Jolaniafi

» “Dedication To Damian Lewis” by kspower01

» “Rebirth” from “Trapdoor” (episode 2.12 of Life) posted by LifeTVZen

» “Life: Charlie Crews and Dani Reese-Love Lockdown” by ChuckR7

» How to Eat Kiwano (African Horned Cucumber) by ebusch00

kathyv — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 05:48:20 +0000

Happy holidays to the Lewis Family and to Damian Lewis fans all over the world!

If you are looking for some holiday cheer then click here to enjoy Detective Charlie Crews and his partner Detective Dani Reese solving a Christmas crime in Life episode 2.08 titled “Black Friday” which originally aired in the US On November 12, 2008 on NBC.
This viewer rated Life as one of the top television shows of 2008, saying:

“How refreshing it is to watch a show about cops that seems to have a genuine love for the human spirit in all its quirky variations…Even the mediocre moments are redeemed by British actor Damian Lewis…”
During January The Situation starring Damian Lewis will broadcast in New Zealand on Rialto Channel 25 on the dates and times below:

07/01/09 10:20 PM
08/01/09 10:15 AM
19/01/09 4:20 PM
20/01/09 1:45 AM
31/01/09 12:00 AM

kathyv — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:24:10 +0000

If you are suffering from CCWS (Charlie Crews Withdrawal Syndrome) because Life will be off the air in the US until February 4th; click here to view terrific new screencaps from episode 2.12 titled “Trapdoor” (spoilers!)
And don’t forget to take advantage of these upcoming opportunities to enjoy other Damian Lewis performances on US television:

» December 27th starting at 10:42 am ET the History Channel will offer a Band of Brothers marathon.

» December 30th at 1 pm ET don’t miss Keane on Sundance.

» Starting January 2nd at 4:30 pm and playing throughout the month, see Damian as “Yassen the Assassin” in Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker on Cinemax.

Peque is also doing her part to help fight the CCWS blues; click here to enjoy her new Damian Lewis wallpaper.
Feeling a little better? No! Then click here or here to re-watch Life episodes!

kathyv — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 06:44:36 +0000

Los Angeles Times TV Critic Mary McNamara has selected Life starring Damian Lewis as one of the best shows of 2008, saying:

“I am going to beat the drum for Rand Ravich’s show — about a cop wrongfully convicted of murder who is now, Zen-like, stalking his adversaries — until it becomes a hit or is canceled. And since it was recently moved from the dead air of Friday night to the balmier climes of Wednesday, I’ll take the former. Stars Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi are the hottest cop duo since … well, ever. Throw them some magazine covers already.”

Click here to watch a video review of Life from Ms. McNamara.
Click here for a new Crews and Reese music video from ChuckR7.
Here’s more information about the London Critics’ Circle Awards; the ceremony on February 4, 2009 will raise money to prevent cruelty to children. Director Rupert Wyatt has been nominated in the “Breakthrough British FilmMaker” category for The Escapist with Damian Lewis.

The date for the UK release of the region 2 DVD for The Escapist has been delayed again! It is now scheduled for release on February 9th instead of January 5th.

kathyv — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:14:53 +0000

Click above to watch the hilarious “blopper reel” (posted on YouTube by CalicoJill) from the Life: Season One DVD.
Rupert Wyatt has been nominated for the “Breakthrough British Filmmaker Award” by the London Film Critics Circle for his debut film The Escapist featuring Damian Lewis. The awards ceremony will take place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on February 4, 2009; click here and here for more information.
Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory were recognized in Santa Monica, California today:

12/18 — Just saw DAMIAN LEWIS of Life and Band of Brothers and his wife having a helluva time trying to ship a package back to England at the FedEx on Wilshire and 6th in Santa Monica. Hoorah for normalcy! (Posted by STV)

kathyv — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:25:40 +0000

Reminder! Wednesday, December 17th will be the last chance for US viewers to see a new episode of Life starring Damian Lewis for 7 weeks!

Episode 2.12 titled “Trapdoor” will air on NBC at 9pm ET. The show then goes on hiatus and will return on February 4, 2009 with “Re-Entry”.

Click above to view a promo for the American Film Institute’s “2008 Top Ten Film and Television Award” winners including Life!

Here is the AFI press release announcing the awards.

Click above for a new promo for Life and Law & Order tomorrow night on NBC (source: SpoilerTV.)
YouTube update:

Spoilers! Ascensions86 has posted this very funny “Awkward Moment” from Life episode 2.09 titled “Badge Bunnies”.

This “Creese” music video was created by backpacker128.