FanX Flashback - John Rhys-Davies and Alison Doody Panel Highlights (FanX 2023)

I was reminded late last night how weird FanX 2023 was. It was in the midst of that dang SAG-AFTRA strike, so none of the celebrity guests were talking about the things we all wanted them to talk about. It was three days of "What's your favorite color?" "What was your favorite subject in middle school?" "Did you have any pets as a kid?" Some guests handled the weirdness better than others, and some even kind of straddled the fence a little bit, when it came to mentioning movies and shows they had worked on in the past.

John Rhys-Davies and Alison Doody seemed to be a little bit looser-lipped than others during their Grand Ballroom panel, so we did get a little bit of insight into their time working together on "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

Here are some of the highlights or otherwise noteworthy moments from their panel last September:

On concerns over the use of AI in Hollywood:
John Rhys-Davies: If we could get an agreement limiting the rights of copying us – getting some restrictions on the use of avatars based on us – it would provide a precedent for all of the other claims that would be made in the future… because artificial intelligence is going to take 20-50 percent of your jobs in the next 10, 15 years – by 2034, I believe. That prediction was made in 2016.

It is crucial that we hold out and get some sort of control over our image, and that becomes a precedent… [Audience applauds] …It becomes a precedent because you are not immune to this displacement that’s going to take place. We’re living in a momentous moment in history, but our technology has outstripped our ability to adapt to it, at this moment. We’ve left a demon out of the bottle, and I’m not sure if we’ll ever be able to control it, and we certainly cannot put it back.

On whether they have ever gone on the Indiana Jones Adventure ride at Disneyland:
JRD: I did it – we did it about 30 years ago, and, um, the first few times I went there, they broke down. I never actually got to do it. [Audience laughs] But I did take my daughter there, I think about … 10 or 11 years ago, 12 years ago, and it was working. She was quite impressed, actually – probably the only time she’s ever been impressed with me.

Alison Doody: I haven’t, but I… some years ago, I actually went and I saw the show [at Disney World}. I was sitting in the audience, watching the show, and people were looking at me and going, “[Imitates curiosity and confusion].” Everybody loved it, but I have only gone and watched the show once, but I haven’t gone and done any of the rides. I would like to do that, though. [To John:] We should do it together.

JRD: Very scary. “Don’t look into the eyes of the idol!” [Audience cheers]


Alison’s thoughts on Elsa from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”:
AD: [Elsa gave] the wrong grail to the bad guy, and without her getting rid of him, he would have shot all of them. [Audience cheers]

JRD: You mean, the irresistible charms of Indiana Jones persuaded you to halt, briefly, on the path of evil? [Audience laughs]

AD: And… I landed softly, so I didn’t die. [Audience laughs] I kept saying that on set, actually, after it said, “And… cut!” I kept saying, “I’m alive! I’m alive!” They kept saying, “No, you’re dead.” [Audience laughs]

On what may have happened to Elsa in “The Last Crusade,” if she actually did survive:
AD: She hung around for quite a while and then got a little bored. I thought the knight looked particularly bored. He had longevity, but it didn’t look like much was happening there. She took off and she’s going to come back, if they have another [movie].

JRD: You know, actors create characters in their imaginings. We see the script, and then we start thinking about it. We create a task. We create a parentage, a lineage, relationships, and that character lives in our imagination. Do you find that, as well?

AD: I do, but I just wish she wasn’t as nasty as she was because – it’s very strange – I really do get type-cast as the nasty priss. Even in my last film, I was particularly nasty. I keep thinking, “What? Why? I’m a nice person. Let me play a nice [character].”

JRD: Well, it’s all right for her! I got cast [in “The Lord of the Rings”] because they saw my inner dwarf!” [Audience laughs and cheers]

On the SAG-AFTRA strike, the legacy of Indiana Jones, and Sean Connery:
AD: “[Seeing the finished product of a film] on the large screen, [it’s] so impressive. And that’s why, again – even for everybody that’s involved, from the actors, the writers, directors, producers, the caterers, the crew – that’s why we’re really emphasizing how important it is for everyone to get sorted with this strike that’s going on. I truly believe that – when you see that film that’s lasted for over 40 years, and people [who watched] it as children […] are now watching it with their children or their grandchildren – that everybody […] who’s been a part of that journey and made it so special [deserves] to be treated in a way that they can continue to be in the industry.

For me, I was quite young when I got the role [of Elsa]. My agent even said to me, “You’re not going to get this. You’re in your early 20s and you’re Irish, and they’re looking for a 29-year-old Austrian.” And I said, “Well, just wait and see. I was so blessed to have been a part of that. So, to be a part of that franchise, and I think that character [Indiana Jones] who, as a main character, I think, is one of the best movie heroes because he’s a normal guy. He’s someone who makes mistakes. He messes up, but he has perseverance, and he’s a good guy. He takes the audience on such an incredible journey, which is full of action and amazing stunts. And the storyline, I think, is very, very good in our movie because it talks about father and son and their disagreeable past, and they talk through that on this journey and they forgive each other. So, I think that was a very strong element that appealed to me, watching it. [Audience cheers]

JRD: Can I ask you a question? What about the alpha male in the picture? [Audience laughs, likely assuming that he is referring to himself] Have you ever encountered a greater alpha male than Sean [Connery]?

AD: Sean. Oh, Sean. God rest his soul. He was truly unbelievable, wasn’t he? And he actually, in a lot of our scenes, improvised. So, one of those funny, quirky little one-liners – [Imitating Connery in the film] “She talks in her sleep.” […] And, you know, when… [Imitating Elsa] “I’ll never forget how wonderful it was.” [Imitating Connery] “Why, thank you.” [Audience laughs] It all was Sean. He was a true professional. All male. All male.

JRD: I’ll tell you what: I’ve seen some alpha males, in my time, but Sean was, I think, the most alpha that you could ever imagine. He had a charm and a dangerously seductive quality about him that no man that I’ve ever known or worked with has ever quite matched. You knew he was a man, and girls from 12 to 94 all looked at him… Those wonderful eyes just crinkled up slightly here, and those thin lips sort of pursed together in a wee smile, and you could just see women falling over.

*****

In case you missed it, I got a chance to do an exclusive interview with John Rhys-Davies at FanX 2023. You can read about his memories of working with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square here.

What's your favorite thing about Indiana Jones? Do you agree with us that "Last Crusade" is one of the greatest movies ever made? Let us know in the comments below, find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (here and here). And, of course, for everything else FanX-related, as we ramp up for FanX 2024, keep it right here.

Until next time.

FanX 2023: John Rhys-Davies recalls working with the Tabernacle Choir

One of the true unexpected delights of FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention 2023 was the opportunity to interview acclaimed actor John Rhys-Davies, who is best known for his roles in Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones. He made himself available to speak to the media before the convention opened for its first day on September 21 and couldn't have been kinder to us. He even offered to take selfies with us when we were done chatting.

Because FanX took place in the midst of the SAG-AFTRA strike, we were not permitted to ask any of the actors about their work - past, present or future - which meant we couldn't ask him about Gimli or Sala or anything else he'd done in Hollywood, and we had to get a little creative with our questions.

One thing that was not off limits, however, was Rhys-Davies' experience performing with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square; he was a guest for the choir's Christmas concert in 2013. When we asked him to recall his time spent with the choir, he had some nice things to say.

Well, I knew of the Tabernacle Choir, really, from very early on. I’m a Welshman, and I spent time in a little village in Wales when my parents were out in Africa. The one choir that everyone knew of and admired was the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

I did the Christmas show a number of years back. I expected to be impressed by the musicianship, and Mack [Wilberg] is […] probably the greatest choral authority in the world, I think, and I love him immensely and admire him immensely. The choir is superb – the musicianship, the range of their musical interests is enormous – and, as I’m a classical music fan, obviously, it was a match made in heaven, as far as I was concerned. 

But the welcome you get… I will be staying on for the service ["Music and the Spoken Word"] on Sunday [September 24], and I had the great privilege of attending the 95^th birthday of your prophet, who stood up and made one of the most moving and articulate speeches that I think I’ve ever heard. Wonderful man. 

To an outsider, on first coming in, you’re a rather strange community, but the more I come, the more I see the real strengths of the community. The measure of friendliness to strangers is really unmatched. You’re a warm, welcoming, intelligent, rational, committed community, and I love it here.

Social media posts by some in attendance at "Music and the Spoken Word" can confirm that Rhys-Davies and fellow LOTR alum Andy Serkis were present to hear the Tabernacle Choir perform that Sunday, following the convention. So hey, how about that? Pretty cool.

For more FanX content, you know where to keep it.

Until next time.

Bing AI writes 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' as a children's book

Deeply invested in parenthood and the youth of tomorrow are we, here at Signs of the Times: Underground. One of our favorite things to do at night is read our kids children's versions of our favorite movies. Right now, we're big into Back to the Future with our kids. We wondered if AI would be able to write us a simplified, kid-friendly version of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Of course, it did a pretty good job, and we might have to read this one to our little ones in a coming day. We made a few minor tweaks to grammar and punctuation, but other than that, what you're about to read was all AI. Take a seat and enjoy!

** INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE: THE CHILDREN'S BOOK **

Indiana Jones is a brave adventurer who loves to explore ancient places and find hidden treasures. He learned to be an explorer from his father, Henry Jones, who is also a professor of history and knows a lot about the past.

One day, Indiana receives a package from his father, who has been missing for a while. The package contains his father’s diary, which has clues to the location of the Holy Grail, a special cup that can give eternal life to anyone who drinks from it. Indiana decides to follow his fathers trail and find the Holy Grail before the bad guys do. The bad guys are called Nazis, and they want to use the Holy Grail for evil purposes.

Indiana travels to Venice, Italy, where he meets Elsa, a beautiful lady who helps him find the entrance to an underground library that has a secret map to the Holy Grail. But Elsa is not really a friend; she is working for the Nazis and she betrays Indiana. Indiana escapes from the library and finds out that his father is being held prisoner in a castle in Austria.

Indiana goes to rescue his father, but he is captured by the Nazis, too. They take him and his father to a desert in the Middle East. They have found the Temple of the Sun, where the Holy Grail is hidden. The temple has three challenges that anyone who wants to reach the Holy Grail must pass: a path of blades, a word puzzle, and a leap of faith.

Indiana manages to pass all three challenges with his father's help, and he enters the chamber where the Holy Grail is kept. There are many cups there, but only one is the real one. A wise old knight guards the cups and tells Indiana to choose wisely. Elsa tries to pick the fanciest cup, thinking it is the Holy Grail, but she is wrong and she dies. Indiana picks the simplest cup, which is the right one, and he uses it to heal his father, who has been wounded by a bullet.

Indiana and his father leave the temple with their friends Marcus and Sallah, but they have to leave the Holy Grail behind, because it belongs there and it cannot be taken away. They ride away on horses, happy that they have found each other and shared an amazing adventure.

THE END

How'd that go? What other grown-up stories would you like AI to turn into a children's book? Let us know in the comments, find us on Twitter - or X or whatever it's called now - (here and here) or find us on Facebook.

Until next time.