Who Played Lord Voldemort?

Who Is Voldemort? 

Are you wondering who Lord Voldemort is? The Voldemort that is shown in this movie poster? That is, who played the most important villain in the Harry Potter movies?  

Why that would be Ralph Fiennes, an English actor. The character of Voldemort was played by a number of different actors as it developed in the movies. However, this page is focused on the fully developed Voldemort as pictured here.

Even if you know actor Ralph Fiennes from his other films, you might not recognize him in this role as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who but you will probably know him from the list of movies that he has appeared in, which includes The English Patient, The Constant Gardener and Maid in Manhattan.

I believe that Lord Voldemort was brilliantly played. On this page you will learn a bit more about both Ralph Fiennes' and Lord Voldemort. If you are a fan, I think you will especially enjoy the videos, which discuss the development of Lord Voldemort's onscreen appearance and personality.

Photo shown above on the left is by

Dick Thomas Johnson, Tokyo, Japan

and above on right is available from Amazon

by clicking here.

Lord Voldemort's Biography

As if Lord Voldemort needs any introduction...Lord Voldemort is the main evil character in the Harry Potter book and movie series. He was born Tom Marvolo Riddle and is a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, who was one of the original founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Voldemort is featured as part of the story in all of the Harry Potter books except Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He is often referred to by the other characters in the story as "You-Know-Who," "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" or "the Dark Lord" because everyone is terrified to speak his name aloud.

Picture courtesy of the artist, Artful Babies, on eBay.

Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort Trailer

See for yourself, the evil Dark Lord Voldemort. In this YouTube video you will be acquainted or reacquainted with Lord Voldemort. It is Voldemort as the child Tom Riddle that appears at the very beginning...

Ralph Fiennes' Biography

Ralph Fiennes was born the first of six children in Ipswhcih, England and is the son of a writer and a farmer and photographer. He trained in the dramatic arts and has been seen on the stage, in movies and on television.

Fiennes' film debut was in the 1992 and since then he has appeared in numerous movies including Wuthering Heights, Schindler's List (which saw him receive his first Academy Award nomination), Quiz Show, The English Patient (another Oscar-nominated performance), The Prince of Egypt, The Avengers, Maid in Manhattan and The Hurt Locker.

In the Harry Potter world, Fiennes became Lord Voldemort in 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He stayed on in that role in the movies Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 and 2.

Ralph Fiennes About Lord Voldemort Trailers I

In the following two YouTube videos you will hear from Ralph Fiennes and other cast and staff members about the process that they went through in developing the ultimate evil character, Lord Voldemort, including discussions about his appearance and his character.

Did you know who played Lord Voldemort before you visited this page?

See you

at the movies!

Brenda

More Reading:

Learn about the Lego Harry Potter Motorized Hogwarts Express Train Set (10132).

Check out the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition Book.

Pour your favorite steaming hot beverage into one of these Harry Potter House Mugs.

Lego Harry Potter Motorized Hogwarts Express Train Set (10132)

RECREATE A PART OF HARRY POTTER'S WORLD 

My family was fortunate enough to own a few of the Harry Potter sets but of course we missed many of them like this discontinued and now rare and hard-to-find Hogwarts Express motorized train set from 2004. It is a 544 piece set, recommended for individuals aged 10 and up that works with other Lego train sets and it includes four mini-figures - Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Professor Lupin and a Dementor. 

The first 30 seconds of this video shows the real train that was used in the film to recreate J.K. Rowling's and Harry Potter's Hogwarts Express. It will come as no surprise that they chose one of the most spectacular railroad journeys in the world for the Harry Potter movies.

Unfortunately, now that Lego's Harry Potter Motorized Hogwarts Express is discontinued, you will find that the price has gone up. However, if it is a set you are wanting to add to your Harry Potter collection, you can find it on eBay by clicking here. If you would like to have a train set but you do not need it to be the 2004 version, you can see all of the Lego Harry Potter train sets on eBay by clicking here.

See you

at the movies

sometime in 2021!

Brenda

Quick Links:

Buy Lego's Harry Potter Motorized Hogwarts Express Train on eBay.

Discover a Harry Potter Movie List

Find a page full of Fantastic Beasts gift ideas!

Tom Hanks' Greyhound Movie Review (2020)

Last night we watched the new Tom Hanks movie, Greyhound. Greyhound is non-stop World War II movie based on the C.S. Forester 1955 war novel called The Good Shepherd. (Find the book here on Amazon.)

The story is based on true events during the Battle of the Atlantic, which for those who might not know, refers to everything that happened in the Atlantic during World War II. Truth be told, I did not know that until my husband told me last night.

The movie takes place almost entirely onboard the American ship the USS Keeling, whose call name was Greyhound. In 1942, she was one of the ships that escorted a convoy of 37 allied ships carrying soldiers and supplies across the Atlantic through an area know as the Black Pit to the battlefields of World War II.

For five days the apparently inexperienced U.S. Navy Commander Ernest Krause, played in this movie by Tom Hanks, led the effort to fight off Nazi U-boats and help the convoy arrive safely at its destination.  I think that Hanks does a fine job of portraying Krause as a personally modest but professionally decisive man.

OFFICIAL MOVIE TRAILER

WHAT IS IT RATED?

In the United States, Greyhound is rated PG-13 for war-related action/violence and brief strong language. It was definitely intense with a few tough moments but overall it was far from the toughest war movie that I have seen in terms of violence or language.

IS IT RECOMMENDED?

Greyhound is a very focused movie intent on showing one trip across the Atlantic and it did so with little in the way of character development. Some might be disappointed to not know more about the main characters and yes, I think that would have made the story richer, but historically, this movie is a fascinating look at what allied heroes did on the ocean during World War II. Yes, I recommend it for those who are interested in history and want a look at what it might have been like to be part of the convoys that helped bring goods necessary to Europe to end the war.

Writing for Roger Ebert's website, Brian Tallerico gave the movie a scant two of four possible stars. With reference to the sole focus of the movie of one trip across the Atlantic Ocean, he called it one of the "most purposeful war films ever made." He goes on to say that it is a "simple story of well-told heroism that’s almost refreshing." However, he also calls it more "shallow than lean." I think those are fair comments and good ideas to have in mind when you sit down to watch the movie. However, Tallerico closes with, "Hanks reminds us that heroes don’t wear capes and almost never call themselves heroes. Even with the minimalism of Greyhound, it is a comforting reminder in a time when it feels like we could all use a bit more heroism." A good reminder though I think that this year, 2020, with the world battle against coronavirus, we are surrounded by heroes.

Viewers on Rotten Tomatoes give the movie a better score, of 79 percent, with comments like "the role brings out another in the Tom Hanks gallery of seemingly unremarkable men rising to meet extraordinary challenges" and "a really interesting watch, even if it's stripped of the traditional creature comforts of the genre."

WHERE TO WATCH GREYHOUND?

Originally scheduled for release at the movie theaters on May 8, Greyhound fell victim to the coronavirus and eventually the theatrical release was cancelled. Instead it was released for streaming on Apple TV on July 10. As I write this, that is the only place you can watch this movie. It is unfortunate that such a big, loud film cannot be seen on the big screen.

If you do watch Greyhound, be sure to come back and let us know what you think!

Happy viewing! I look forward to the distant day when it is safe for us to return to the movie theater.

Brenda


Quick Links:

Buy C.S. Forester's The Good Shepherd on Amazon.
Tom Hanks in Saving Mr. Banks: A Review.

Ultimate Peggy Lee 100th Birthday Recording

I love Peggy Lee's sound, a mixture of American jazz and popular music though I do not own any of her records. I can, however, imagine that they would sound amazing on my turntable and I am adding this new release to my birthday wish list.

The record represents a celebration of sorts in what would have been Peggy Lee's 100th birthday year and is available on CD and vinyl or for MP3 or streaming. The album contains the songs Fever, It's a Good Day, He's A Tramp, Big Spender, I'm A Woman and the unreleased Try A Little Tenderness. It is being released by Capitol on June 19, 2020 but you can order your copy now on Amazon by clicking right here.

Also available for fans of the songstress is a new book called Peggy Lee: A Century of Song by Tish Oney. The description of the book says that the book talks about Lee's musical talent, her more than fifty albums, her radio and TV performances, her contributions to the film industry and her live performances. To do so, it draws on interviews with family, friends and others in the music industry. The book is being released on July 20, 2020. Once again, you can pre-order it from Amazon by clicking right here.

With an advance purchase of either item, you will be protected by Amazon's pre-order price guarantee.

Finally, since you are reading this and I assume interested in Peggy Lee, here's the Panel Discussion and Birthday Toast that the Grammy Museum put together in celebration of 100 Years of Peggy Lee. The documentary is hosted by Scott Goldman who is the artistic director of the Grammy Musuem and features Holly Foster Wells who is Peggy Lee's granddaughter, Dr. Tish Oney who authored Peggy Lee: A Century of Song, and by Eric Burton of the Black Pumas, Billie Eilish and k.d. lang.

Do you enjoy Peggy Lee's music? Do you know much about her?

See you at
the record store!

Brenda

Quick Links:

Find the Ultimate Peggy Lee recording on Amazon.
Find the book Peggy Lee: A Century of Song on Amazon.
Discover the vinyl records in my eBay store. 

Moana Movie Review (2016)

Moana was the movie of choice, my choice that is, on our recent Friday Movie Night. My husband traveled with me to Polynesia willingly I must say. Armchair travel. Who would have thought there would be a day when this was the only way to travel?

Anyway, Moana was a movie that I wanted to see when it came out because it felt Hawaiian and I love everything about Hawaii. However, being empty nesters with no little people around, we tend now to miss animated movies when they arrive at the movie theatre and then, well, there are just so many great movies and programs to watch that Moana slipped out of sight for awhile. I am happy to say that I have finally seen it and that I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed our trip. It was a great escape from the virus and pandemic that is gripping the world as I write this post on March 23, 2020.  

STORYLINE

A fictional mythological story done with computer-generated animation, Moana tells the tale of a teenage princess who stands up to protect her people when a fiery demon threatens them. She loves the ocean and sets out upon it learning navigational skills as she goes. Helping here is the demi-god Maui who was the original creator of the Pacific Islands. Together they sail onward, fighting difficulties as they look for the particular island she will conclude her mission.

Moana is a princess, the daughter of a Chieftain. However, she does not think of herself as a princess. She certainly does not fit the stereotype and definitely does not need rescuing. She is a strong, curvy girl with a mission. The Guardian aptly puts it when they say that "Moana is the story of a female leader-in-waiting who is independent and progressive, who cares about the environment and who looks beyond the borders of her homeland to face the challenges of the future." I say don't get in Moana's way!

TRAILER

Here's a peek into the movie via the official movie trailer:

LOVE INTEREST

This princess movie does not feature a love interest. The New York Times says, the Disney princess tradition continues to be charming (in this movie) but also widens "its cultural frame of reference and allows heroines to travel down paths other than the one leading straight to matrimony." There are important men in Moana's story but they are family and friend and one of the strongest characters is most fittingly, the ocean.

HEI HEI

Another, ah, interesting character is the ridiculous chicken sidekick named Hei Hei. He stuck out to me in the beginning as totally over the top but, in the end, he was definitely part of the fun.  (Find your plush Hei Hei on Amazon by clicking right here.)

REVIEWS

As Roger Ebert says, this Disney movie has "dazzling visuals, catchy tunes, enjoyable performances, clever running gags and overall sense of fun." I agree. If you did not already want to go to Polynesia or Hawaii, this movie will make you want to go. It was beautifully done and a lot of fun. As always, I particularly loved the humorous moments.

The Verge says, "After 80 years of experiments, Disney has made the perfect Disney movie." That will give you a pretty good idea of the reception that this movie had. Moana follows the Disney formula but it is brilliantly executed.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Moana is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by all of the reviewers on this page and by me.

Have you seen Moana? What did you think? Will you be adding it to your movie list? You can buy your copy of Moana on Amazon by clicking right here.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Find your copy of Moana on Amazon.
Check out all the fabulous Moana merchandise on eBay!