Tolkien and WWI came to Oxford today

Today Oxford was transformed into Oxford of 1914, at the beginning of World War 1, with young soldiers, horses, and gowned students walking about town.  It felt a bit like a time-warp. 

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Brasenose Lane and the Radcliffe Square was the site of today's film shoot for the movie "Tolkien",  a biopic film of the author JRR Tolkien.  

The movie is about the the early years of the author as he attended college, made friends with a group of outcasts at school, and found love and artistic inspiration.  

Actors waiting on their marks to rehearse a scene on Brasenose Lane, across from Exeter College where Tolkien attended in 1911 to 1915.  

Nicholas Hoult stars as Tolkien and Lily Collins is cast as his love, Edith Bratt

Tolkien enlisted as a second lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1915.  He married the love of his life, Edith Bratt,  in Warwick on 22 March 1916 before shipping out.  Tolkien met Edith as a freshman at his boarding house in 1911, he was 16 and she was 19.    

After enlisting, Tolkien was sent to active duty on the Western Front, just in time for the Somme offensive. After four months in and out of the trenches, he succumbed to “trench fever”, a form of typhus-like infection common in the insanitary conditions, and was sent back to England, where he spent the next months in hospital in Birmingham. Many of these experiences became inspiration for his Lord of the Rings novels.  

The movie is directed by Finnish director Dome Karukoski and the script is by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford.

I was told the movie will be released in 2018.  I can't wait to see it.

For more information about the film:  http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/tolkien/259843/jrr-tolkien-biopic-cast-story-and-everything-to-know

For more information about JRR Tolkien:  https://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/biography/?gclid=CjwKCAiA6K_QBRA8EiwASvtjZaZvdIaMApn6CbGVh7MGjX5GH1dwsfI4goLM1_5ygwxKF4Ar3vjsChoC93IQAvD_BwE

Endeavor is back in Oxford filming season 4

If you walk down New College Lane today, you'll find yourself in a time warp taking you back to 1967.  

The production team of Endeavor is back today filming season 4 at New College

Extras gathered in the lane, waiting for their scene to be filmed.  A classic 1960 car and production trucks filled the lane. 

Inside the college, in the first quad, Shaun Evans, who plays the young Morse, watched the filming of a scene. 

The scene was quite a production, with singing, dancing and 1960's go-go dancers.  I can't imagine what the plot line will be.  I'm just glad to know that there will be another season of Endeavor and that it will continue to be filmed in Oxford.  

Finally, this photo is from the day before, taken by my friend Michelle Kendall. They were filming at Radcliffe Square.  I love the sign on the bus that says "Keep Britain Decent" and all of the wonderful 60's clothing.  

Filming the movie Dr. Strange in Oxford

Filming season has already started in Oxford.  This week dozens of production trucks are scattered around Exeter College and in front of the Bodlelian Library.  When there are so many trucks, you know it's a movie with a big budget.  It is clear the filming is going on inside Exeter College which is closed to the public and quite well guarded.  I asked a few of the security guards standing about what is being filmed and they either said they didn't know or they couldn't say.  It is all very hush hush.  

That made me curious so I when I got home I did a little online research. The movie that is being filmed is a Marvel comic movie, Dr Strange, staring Sherlock himself, Benedict Cumberbatch with Rachel McAdams.  No wonder there is such tight security and closed doors.  I doubt I'll be lucky enough to see any actual filming -- that will take place behind the walls of the college. Let's hope that whatever action there is doesn't include blowing up the Sheldonian or the Radcliffe Camara.  I'll post more pictures if I get to see anything any more interesting than production trucks.  

Here's a few links to the Dr. Strange movie:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1211837/

http://www.theknowledgeonline.com/the-knowledge-bulletin/post/2015/10/23/doctor-strange-nearly-ready-to-shoot

http://www.comingsoon.net/movie/doctor-strange-2016#/slide/1

Trucks on Catte Street

Turl Street in front of Exeter College

Turl Street

Catte Street in front of the Bodelian Library

Catte Street in front of the Sheldonian

 Broad Street with location signs (SWP) pointing to Exeter College

Look what is in the window of Blackwell's poster shop on Broadstreet!

Filming Endeavour in University Park

I saw this film shoot for Endeavour yesterday while walking through University Park. I'm looking forward to Season 3 and especially want to know what happens to Inspector Thursday.

People sometimes ask me how I know about where the photo shoots are in and around Oxford.  The answer is:  I don't!  I've just learned to recognize and then follow the signs.  Yesterday I saw this pink arrow with NDVR LOC  which translates as "Endeavour Location" and I just followed the sign.  I'm guessing they will be filming in various locations all over Oxford this week.  Watch for the signs. 

 

Big trucks that say "Movie Makers" are another great give-away.  Follow the trucks. 

Lewis is Back in Oxford -- June 2015

It's always fun to come across a film shoot of Lewis.  I think this might be the last season for Lewis so it's is especially meaningful to see this beloved series come back to Oxford for one last time.  There was a scene being rehearsed on Catte Street today with Angela Griffin as the lead.  No sign of Lewis or Hathaway -- at least not in this scene. 

  

Filming Endeavour in Oxford, May 2015

It is always such a delightful surprise to go around a corner in Oxford and find a film shoot going on. Today as I walked down St. Giles, I first saw the sign that there was a shoot up ahead, and then saw the crew in front of the Lamb and Flag pub. The film shoot was for a scene in season 3 of Endeavor. 

Endeavour is a popular British television detective drama series. It is a prequel to the long-running and beloved Inspector Morse which ran from 1987 to 2000. Morse was followed by the equally loved series Lewis which has had 7 seasons and hopefully there will be one more.  Like these previous dramas, Endeavour is set primarily in Oxford but in Endeavour's case takes place in the early 1960s.   Shaun Evans portrays a young Endeavour Morse beginning his career as a Detective Constable with the Oxford City Police.  I admit I'm a fan of both Lewis and Endeavour, partly because I think they are smartly written, beautiful acted and well crafted television, and it part because Oxford plays a major role in each series. 

For more takes of this scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjmHcgVanN8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFRa3_EgVvc

Translation: Endeavour Location

Shaun Evans plays young Endeavour Morse

Jack Laskey and Shaun Evans

Jack Laskey plays a Detective Sergeant 

I couldn't stay for the second film shoot that was being set up on Upper Fisher Row.  This one involved a firetruck and firemen from the 1960s, the time period for Endeavour.  It looks like Endeavour will be filming throughout the week at various Oxford locations.