James McAvoy: 'Filth' trailer, 'Trance' reviews, 'X-Men' portrait

 photo courtesy of James McAvoy MB (Twitter)

• Filth

Down and dirty: watch the first trailer for Irvine Welsh's Filth
A talking tapeworm is the least of James McAvoy's problems in Filth, the new adaptation of Irvine "Trainspotting" Welsh's novel. In this definitely 18-certificate trailer, we see booze flow, punches thrown, sex had – but that's hardly a surprise, this is Irvine Welsh after all
Read more and watch the trailer at The Guardian

Red band trailer also available at Aces Showbiz and BBC America

• Trance

Reviews are coming in. Here's a selection from Montreal Gazette, Washington Examiner, Courier Journal, and Huffington Post.
Interview at Interview Magazine.

• X-Men

From Flicks and Bits:

Stunning ‘X-Men’ portrait of James McAvoy’s Professor X

Imaliea has drawn this incredible digital portraits centering on Michael Fassbender’s Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto and James McAvoy’s Charles Xavier/Professor X. Both characters will next be seen on the big screen in 2014 in X-Men: Days of Future Past, the seventh installment in the ‘X-Men’ film series. X-Men: Days of Future Past is scheduled to go into production this month in Montreal, Canada. It will be the first film in the ‘X-Men’ film series to be filmed in 3D.
Head on over to Imaliea’s page for more top-notch artwork to feast your eyes on.

 Source: Flicks and Bits

Peter Capaldi: two BAFTA nominations, and portrait for Parkinson's

Two BAFTA nominations for Peter Capaldia

Peter Capaldi, whose run in The Thick Of It finished with his alter ego Malcolm Tucker facing imprisonment, has received a nod for Best Male Comedy Performance, but also for Best Supporting Actor for his much more understated but equally effective turn in The Hour.
Source (including photo): Huffington Post
Also reported by Digital Spy 
Full nominations list at The Independent


Famous faces painted for Parkinson's

'Facing the Light: Portraits for Parkinson's' by artist Timothy Cumming shows people whose lives have been affected by Parkinson's, including actor Peter Capaldi.
Read more at BBC Scotland 

Billy Connolly: art and museum exhibitions

Billy Connolly's art work at the Castle Fine Art on The Promenade in Cheltenham
Comedian Billy Connolly's art work is coming to a Cheltenham gallery.
Ink drawings from the BAFTA nominated actor, comedian, musician and presenter will be hanging his work at the Castle Fine Art on The Promenade.
His collection of six prints is his second foray into the world of contemporary art and is influenced by his filming of The Hobbit.

Read more at This is Gloucestershire 
Billy's art work will also be on show in Cambridge and Liverpool.

Billy Connolly's trike goes on display at North-east museum
A trike used by comedy legend Billy Connolly is the star attraction at a Grampian Transport Museum as it gets set to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Source: Evening Express 

Billy Connolly set for Aberdeen Art Fair

Scottish comedian Billy Connolly is displaying a collection of his art in Aberdeen this weekend.

The Glaswegian's work is featuring at the second annual Aberdeen Art Fair at the city's Music Hall.

Connolly has produced pen and ink drawings based on characters from his imagination, which are being showcased by Castle Galleries.

The fair will be open from 09:30 to 17:00 on Saturday and from 10:00 to 17:00 on Sunday.

Laura McBeth, marketing director of Castle Galleries, said: "Connolly's characters are faceless, completely anonymous. It is perhaps, the simplicity of these characters that allows the viewer to connect with them so deeply.

"We feel very honoured to be able to work alongside Billy to exhibit this stunning and inspirational collection and we are in no doubt that the people of Aberdeen will love his work."

Source: BBC Scotland

Billy Connolly is a man of many talents it would seem. The Scottish comedian, who was previously a folk musician of some repute, has just opened his first exhibition to showcase his ink drawings, entitled Born On A Rainy Day and tells us that although he’s very attached to his work, he doesn’t analyse it.
“I don’t want the drawings to be judged,” he reveals to Day & Night. “I love them. They’re little pals of mine.
“I don’t want to offend the drawings but I really don’t know much about them. I’m lacking in information. I don’t know any art-speak so I can’t waffle on. I believe there’s a website that teaches you some art lingo so I’m going to learn some pretentious rubbish for the next time.”
Billy, 69, is keen to know what people feel about his work, although even an expert might find it tough to interpret it when the artist isn’t sure what he was trying to portray.
“I’d like to hear what people think the drawings mean. My wife (Pamela Stephenson) won’t tell me and she’s a psychologist. Sometimes you see them for the second time and have a different opinion because they don’t mean anything.”
Billy, who has reportedly ended several comedy shows recently because of heckling from the audience, is off to New Zealand for a few weeks and can’t wait to get away from the hustle and bustle to enjoy a spot of fly fishing.
 Source: Express

Billy Connolly's debut art show - video
The Scottish comedian and actor Billy Connolly talks about his first art exhibition, Born on a Rainy Day, which showcases his pen and ink drawings. Connolly, star of Mrs Brown, The Last Samurai and The Hobbit, launched his art show at London's Halcyon Gallery.
Prints of Connolly's work are on sale via Castle Galleries across the UK
Read more and watch the video at The Guardian

Also reported by Daily Record and Scotsman