New trailers for Season 2 of Downton Abbey!

Here's a look at Downton Abbey's television ad that appeared today on ITV

giving us a sneak peek at what's ahead for the upcoming season!



Song: Scala and Kolacny Brothers - With or Without You

Thanks to everyone for uploading the videos!



More information on season 2

Phenomenon of Downton (video from ITV)

Video includes:

Julian Fellowes, Phyllis Logan, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Jim Carter, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville and Zoe Boyle.



Thanks to misfolly for uploading for those of us outside the UK!

See also:

Video: Introduction to Season 2 of Downton Abbey

Video: Joanne Froggatt and Amy Nuttall (Anna and Edith) discuss season 2



More info on Downton Abbey 2

Deconstructing Downton Abbey: A Masterclass

Neil Midgley of The Telegraph hosted a discussion "Deconstructing Downton Abbey: A Masterclass" which features Lord Julian Fellowes (writer) , Joanne Froggatt (actress), Gareth Neame (producer) and Laura Mackie (ITV director of drama). [54 minutes]

More on Downton Abbey

New preview scene from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, based on novel by Le Carré, stars Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Stephen Graham, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Dencik, John Hurt and Ciaran Hinds

New preview scene courtesy of Rope of Silicon

More information

Love Begins (2011) - trailer

Love Begins, a prequel to the Love Comes Softly series,

will air on the Hallmark Channel on September 17, 2011.

Synopsis: "Clark Davis’ (Wes Brown) adventurous dreams of seeing the world are put into jeopardy after he and a friend start a fight which damages a local cafe. Through a plea deal with the Sheriff (Jere Burns) and café owner Millie (Nancy McKeon), Clark works off his sentence as a farmhand for the Barlow sisters, Ellen (Julie Mond) and Cassie (Abigail Mavity).



Older sister Ellen doesn’t understand Cassie’s friendly nature with Clark; she agreed to the Sheriff’s offer only because the farm has become too much to maintain alone. Clark is slowing winning Ellen over, but suddenly suffers a traumatic head injury in a fall. After Ellen nurses him back to health, her former fiancé returns to win her back. Will Clark travel on or stay behind where love begins?"

View trailer

More information on Hallmark's website

Downton Abbey - Did I Make the Most of Loving You?

Mary-Jess discusses singing the theme song to the upcoming series 2 of Downton Abbey.



The soundtrack is available Sept 19 and includes songs from season 1.



Mary-Jess official site

Soundtrack listed on Amazon.uk

Seven Days in Utopia

Released in selected theatres today...

(I thoroughly enjoyed Get Low which featured both Robert Duvall and Lucas Black and now they're both featured in this inspirational film.)

Film description:

"When Luke Chisolm (Lucas Black) has a catastrophic meltdown at a mini tour golf tournament, he is left broken and bitter. He is at the end of his rope. Embarrassed, he drives off from the tournament down the back roads of Texas and begins to analyze the destruction he is so desperate to leave behind. It is apparent that this is a defining moment in Luke’s life. His golf game is in turmoil and as a result, his relationship with his caddy/father is seemingly strained beyond repair. It seems as if Luke’s life is spinning out of control and he doesn’t know how to stop it.



Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, Luke soon wrecks his car at a fork in the road and finds himself stuck in a small town called Utopia, Texas….far from home.



Dazed and despaired, it is here in Utopia that Luke meets a man who will change his golf game and his life forever…Johnny Crawford (Robert Duvall). Johnny asks Luke to stay for seven days and embark on a journey that he will not soon forget.



Over the next week while he is stranded in Utopia, Luke learns more about golf, life and faith than he ever bargained for.



(Shown on right: Lucas Black, Robert Duvall, Deborah Ann Woll, Melissa Leo)



Utopia is indeed a place of mythical proportion. But make no mistake about it….Utopia, Texas is real and its teachings are profound and everlasting. Join Luke on his journey in Utopia as he discovers his purpose through actions such as fly fishing, painting and flying planes. Follow him as he explores relationship with the likes of Sarah Hawkins (Deborah Ann Woll), Lily (Melissa Leo), Jake (Brian Geraghty) and Mabel (Kathy Baker). The lessons of Johnny Crawford and the values of Utopia, Texas effect Luke in a way he never thought possible.



Only in Utopia can you enter one day with the weight of the world on your shoulders and leave a week later ready to conquer life. Only in Utopia can you find love and your sense of purpose all over again. Johnny is no ordinary teacher and this is no ordinary town."



Official Site

Buck (2011)

~ There's no wisdom worth having that isn't hard won ~

"Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes, you will.” So says Buck Brannaman, a true American cowboy and sage on horseback who travels the country for nine grueling months a year helping horses with people problems.



BUCK, a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. A real-life “horse-whisperer”, he eschews the violence of his upbringing and teaches people to communicate with their horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment.



Buck possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses – and people – with his understanding, compassion and respect. In this film, the animal-human relationship becomes a metaphor for facing the daily challenges of life. A truly American story about an unsung hero, BUCK is about an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds."

Awards

Winner - Audience Award, Sundance Film Festival 2011

Winner - Audience Award, Full Frame Film Festival 2011

Winner - Best Documentary, Crossroads Film Festival 2011

Source: Buck the Film on Facebook

Official Site

Release dates: check official site for theatres

Video: Gentlemen of Period Drama

Here's a great montage video created by DreamyViper featuring clips
from a variety of period dramas highlighting some of our favourite gents!

List of movies, in order shown:
Beau Brummell : This Charming Man
Pride and Prejudice 1995
Abduction Club
Lost in Austen
The Tudors
Merlin
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Vanity Fair (BBC)
Lorna Doone
Amazing Grace
Under the Greenwood Tree
Sherlock Holmes
Elizabeth
Hornblower
Becoming Jane
Wives and Daughters
An Ideal Husband
Casanova (BBC)
North and South
Brideshead Revisited 2008
The Painted Veil
The Illusionist
Sense and Sensibility 1995
Mansfield Park 2007
Kate and Leopold
Somewhere in Time
A Room with a View
Emma 1996
Downton Abbey
Mansfield Park 1999
Daniel Deronda
Sleepy Hollow
The Count of Monte Cristo
Excalibur
Emma 1996 (TV)
Sharpe's Sword
The Importance of Being Earnest
First Knight
The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
The Shadow in the North
Little Women
Sense and Sensibility 2008
Emma 2009
The Tide of Life
Jane Eyre 2006
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Persuasion 2007
Angel
Dorian Gray
The Other Boleyn Girl
Elizabeth : The Golden Age

Video: Costume Drama Montage "Sleepsong"

There are so many great period drama videos out there created by talented people!
Here's a really lovely one created by Valsvision which features
22 different costume dramas and 25 of our favourite couples!
Thanks for sharing Val!

Song: Sleepsong by Secret Garden

LIST OF FANDOMS IN ORDER:
* repeated fandoms

0.12 -- Girl with a Pearl Earring : Griet / Vermeer
0.23 -- Bright Star : John Keats / Fanny Brawne
0.31 -- The Remains of the Day: James Stevens/Miss Kenton
0.40 -- Game of Thrones : Daenerys/Khal Drogo
0.48 -- Pirates of the Caribbean 'At World`s End' : Will / Elizabeth
1.03 -- Persuasion : Anne / Captain Wentworth
1.11 -- Ever After : Danielle/Prince Henry
1.20 -- The House of Mirth: Lily Bart/Lawrence Selden
1.28 -- Pride and Prejudice: Elizabeth/Mr Darcy
1.39 -- The Fountain: Queen Isabella/Tomas
1.47 -- The Phantom of the Opera : Christine/The Phantom (Erik)
1.55 -- Camelot : Guinevere/Leontes
2.03 -- The Count of Monte Cristo: Edmund/Mercedes
*2.08 -- The Remains of the Day
2.15 -- Downton Abbey : Sybil/Branson
2.23 -- BBC Merlin : Arthur/Gwen
*2.28 -- Ever After
*2.31 -- Bright Star
2.35 -- The Young Victoria: Queen Victoria/Prince Albert
2.37 -- Downton Abbey: Anna/Mr Bates
*2.40 -- Camelot
2.43 -- Shakespeare in Love : Will/Lady Viola
2.51 -- Emma : Emma/Mr Knightley
3.00 -- The Painted Veil: Walter/Kitty
*3.08 -- The Young Victoria
3.17 -- Downton Abbey : Mary/Matthew
3.26 -- The Last of the Mohicans: Hawkeye (Nathaniel)/Cora Munro
3.35 -- Game of Thrones: Ned/Catelyn
*3.43 -- BBC Merlin
*4.00 -- Shakespeare in Love
*4.12 -- North and South : John Thornton/Margaret Hale

Break Your Heart - The Regency Remix

My daughter and I both thought this fanvideo was so much fun! I love how it's been edited and it appears as if they are dancing to the modern beat of Taoi Cruz's song. And I love the heads turning and the shifting of the eyes ...playfully matched to the song!

Great job by Katie! (southcolumbiarecords)

Featuring clips from: Sense and Sensibility (1995), Persuasion (1995), Emma (1996), Mansfield Park (1999), and Pride and Prejudice (2005).

Be sure to comment on Katie's Youtube channel!

Found via Vic at Jane Austen's World!

Love Story - Taylor Swift video

There are 57 million views for this video which has been around since 2009
but I just stumbled across it and had to admire its period drama & costumes!

Taylor Swift's "Love Story" with Romeo and Juliet...

The Beauty of Pixar - video montage

"After spending 11 days re-watching all 11 Pixar feature films, Leandro Braga took 500 hand-selected scenes and made an amazing tribute to the best animation studio on the planet. This mash-up is a tribute to the films of Pixar Animation Studios. "

Nothing to do with period films but thought this was too good not to share!

Toy Story (1995)
A Bug's Life (1998)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Finding Nemo (2003)
The Incredibles (2004)
Cars (2006)
Ratatouille (2007)
WALL-E (2008)
Up (2009)
Toy Story 3 (2010)

Songs: "Intro" by The XX by Young Turks, La Vie En Rose" performed by Louis Armstrong, "Down to Earth" by Peter Gabriel, "You've Got a Friend in Me" by Randy Newman

Masterpiece Theatre: Creating the Past through Drama

Fans of PBS Masterpiece might enjoy hearing Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton discuss how historical dramas have shaped popular perceptions of past eras.

Presented by the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Video: 60 minutes