Malveaux (from Nemesis) sighting

[DrPaul]

Hey Guys,

I went to see "The Prestige" a couple nights ago.  Very cool movie, but more about that later.

Anyway, there was an actor in it who played a character named Merrit who looked and sounded a lot like the guy who played Bishop Francois Malveaux (in the Zork Nemesis Monestary).  So I looked carefully in the credits for the actors name and it was W. Morgan Sheppard.  In Nemesis, he spells Shepard with only one 'p', but it's the same guy.  He has, like, seven different versions of his name.

I think you Zork fans would enjoy this movie.  It's a little dark and confusing, but very cool.  Interestingly, David Bowie plays Nikola Tesla, of all people.  Main characters are played by Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson and Michael Caine.  Check it out.

[DiamondGenerator]

Cool. I already wanted to see it--but a little more now. If I get the chance to see it, I'll watch for the guy.

[Siriusstar]

I saw this last Friday. It was a good movie. One needs to pay very close attention to understand what happens at the end. I think adventure game fans can especially appreciate its wonderfully tricksy puzzles. I didn't recognize Malveaux, though. I always find it amusing to recognize actors from the Zork games.

I don't want to hijack your thread, Dr. Paul, but the subject is really similar...

Eric Avari (Mir Yannick) is going to be in the TNT TV movie 'The Librarian: Return To King Soloman's Mines' on December 3rd at 8pm. He plays a mercenary 'very bad man' villain opposite a hero (Noah Wyle) who could come straight out of Zork with a treasure hunt premise to boot. If it's anything like the last 'Librarian' movie it'll be about as close as we can get to a Zork movie and a ton of fun.

[DataAngel]

cool, i may see the movie...

as for the librarian, sounds fun, I'll be sure to check it out, thanks for the heads up.

[DrPaul]

I didn't see the first Librarian, so I looked it up on IMDB.com (Internet Movie Data Base).  From the description, it sounds like fun, and certainly sounds Zorkish.  The description of Flynn Carsen sounds like a Bruce Campbell character.

With regard to The Prestige, there are many plot twists and some unexpected revelations near the end.  I am anxious to see it again and look for any evidence of the revelations earlier in the film.  I love movies like that, where you have to go back and look for details you didn't know about until the end - just to see if the film-maker is consistent.

[DrPaul]

Hey, I noticed that Bob Newhart and Jane Curtin are in the Librarian, too.

[DrPaul]

Here's yet another recent Zork sighting:
IN the newly released movie by Clint Eastwood, "Flags of Our Fathers", Sean Moran (who played the Mad Monk in Nemesis) plays a waiter.  So now, we all gotta go see Flags of Our Fathers, too.  

Let's see if I can find some more recent stuff.  Searching the IMDB is fun.

Ok, David Lander, The Bickering torch was in "Zoom" with Tim Allen.  He played a Wendy's employee.

[DataAngel]

Funny... anyone want to just compile those scenes of the actors into one short video? ;-}

[Siriusstar]

Bob Newheart is great in the first Librarian movie. It is essentially one big adventure game. Flynn solves puzzle after puzzle in all these exotic locations with the bad guys hot on his tail in order to find the Spear of Destiny. It certainly owes a lot to Indiana Jones, but with a very different kind of hero.

Here's another Zork sighting from the IMDB: Michael McKean (voice of Dalboz) is going to be in the new version of 'The Year Without a Santa Claus' as the Snow Miser.

A video would be amusing. We could call it 'The secret lives of Quendorian Notables.'

[DataAngel]

LOL

[DiamondGenerator]

Now that I've looked up 'Librarian' on IMDB and laughed at the quotes, I'm going to have to see that, too...even if I have to look in a maze of twisty passages to find a video verson...
And I'm curious on how one would make a video like that. If someone does, they ought to post it here!

Oh, and while we're on the topic of Zork actors' other roles, the guy who plays Port Foozle Denizen #4 in ZGI has a small role in 'The Departed'...

...just kidding.

[DataAngel]

Well, I rented The Librarian, I liked it. Some things were kinda cheesy, but at the same time I kept thinking Return To Zork heh. I can't wait till the second one is on TV so I can see it. Thanks for the recommendation.

[DiamondGenerator]

I had a very easy time finding The Librarian outside of the TV, much to my surprise--shows how often I rent movies.

Overall, I thought it was a pretty fun movie. I had a better time watching that than a lot of movies I've seen lately, and it reminded me of Zork a lot as well. Since I had this topic on my mind as I was watching it, I couldn't avoid imagining (with a chuckle) during the part when the main character tours his new workplace: "over there is the first totemizer--I wouldn't press any of the buttons".

Mostly, though, I love it when a book or film (or a game) doesn't try to take itself too seriously. Thanks for the reccommendation, Siriusstar, and I'm awaiting the sequel.

[Siriusstar]

I'm glad you guys liked it. Even Flynn's role as the protector of the magic artifacts in the library is very like to the duty of Zork's Dungeon Masters. I liked it- and the novelization, too- because it was pure, unpretentious (and Zorkish) fun. We need more of that in our lives sometimes. I'll be tuning in December 3rd!

Flynn actually reminds me a bit of the Dalboz of the Strategy guide history, which is another reason I'm looking forward to his face off with Eric Avari's villain. I am a geek. lol.

[DrPaul]

I hope I'm not too late, but this is a reminder that The Librarian is on tonight on TNT.  Check your listings.