Saturday TV Special: 20 favorite characters in TV series, part 2.

(read part 1)  

10. Joey Tribbiani
played by: Matt LeBlanc
in: Friends
description: I love all six of Friends - I saw the series so many times, beginning when I was a little girl, that I practically grew up with those people. When it comes to the boys in the group they are all hilarious - sarcastic Chandler, unlucky Ross and adorable Joey. But it was Joey who always made me laugh the hardest. Struggling actor, ladies man and a guy who isn't very smart, but is always there for his friends. He loves food and girls the most - if he had to choose between the two it would be impossible  for him - he "wants girls on bread". He usually takes his time in connecting the dots, he can't lie and he is awful at math. He loves Die Hard, sports, Baywatch and his pet penguin Hugzy.
favorite quote: 1) Sky is blue Ross and I had sex yesterday. 2) You know there already is Joseph stalin? 3) I thik it's ridiculous you haven't had sex in 3 months 4) I'm gonna take that book and beat you to death with it. 4) Rach, I do not love Hugsy. I like him the appropriate amount! 5) Chandler? 45 minutes? Well something is not right!

Soundtrack Wednesday - Brave

 

Track: Remember to Smile

Artist: Patrick Doyle 

Movie: Brave

Prometheus - symbols, theories and observations.

95/100  (124 min, 2012)
Plot: A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof
Stars: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green and Michael Fassbender
(spoilers in the article and the images)

Paradise Lost

“This man is here because he does not want to die. 

He believes you can give him more life.” 

- David, speaking to the Engineer.

Why are we here? Who created us? Why did they create us? Why do we die? Why do we live? These are all the questions people were asking themselves for as long as there was human life. If you think Ridley Scott's Prometheus, movie set in the same universe as Alien but with the events preceding those shown in classic science fiction.horror will answer these questions you will be wrong. Nobody can answer them, can they? But Prometheus offers some theories and ideas that are very thought provoking and not necessarily completely impossible.

The film opens in 2089 when Dr Elizabeth Show and her boyfriend Charlie Holloway discover curious cave paintings. Soon they are part of the mission sponsored by powerful Weyland Industries to the distant planet - they know how to get there because Shaw and Holloway found several of such cave paintings, each containing pictograms which put together create a star map. They are going there, because as the paintings are from many centuries set apart, spread through the history of human existence they believe they are being led to the beings that created us. They call them Engineers.

Rising Stars: Taissa Farmiga

Today in Rising Stars segment I'm looking at the extremely lovely and incredibly talented Taissa Farmiga, younger sister of mesmerizing Vera Farmiga. I first noticed her last fall when I started watching American Horror Story - I love horror films and TV series so this one was a must see for me and every week I'd end up being genuinely freaked out by that excellent series and impressed by the acting of the cast. When I was watching the first episode I thought to myself "Hey, that girl looks just like Vera!" and then it turned out to be her sister. No wonder she is so great - apparently acting talent is something that runs in their blood.

Taissa was born on August 17, 1994. She is the youngest of seven children and is the younger sister of Vera, who is 21 years her senior. Unlike her older sister, Taissa had no interest in becoming an actor. However Vera managed to persuade Taissa to make her acting debut in Vera's directorial-debut Higher Ground - Vera wanted to cast someone who was physically similar to play the younger version of her character. Taissa was 15 and, apart from a school play, had no previous acting experience. The film showcased at the Sundance film festival and she received great reviews. It was after Sundance that Taissa officially decided to pursue acting.

Saturday TV Special: 20 favorite characters in TV series, part 1.

20. Queen Sophie Anne LeClerc
played by: Evan Rachel Wood
in: True Blood
description: The Vampire Queen of Louisiana who enjoys playing games, pretending she is sun bathing and having relations with her servant Hadley. Always impeccably groomed and stunning, Sophie Anne sits on her throne not caring much about the politics or intrigues, which is eventually the thing that will get her into trouble. Still, she is very resourceful and can manipulate and lie her way into anything. Since she likes expensive things money is one thing she really is ready to risk a lot for.
favorite quote: Gods only exist in humans' minds, like money or morality

19. Temperance Brennan
played by: Emily Deschanel
in: Bones
description: Brilliant anthropologist who is completely at loss when it comes to pop culture references and other people's emotions.She uses scientific vocabulary to describe almost everything. Temperance has nickname "Bones" given to her by her partner Seeley Booth. She is a very strong person, who cares about others and has kind heart.
favorite quote: Two plus two equals four. I put sugar in my coffee and it tastes sweet. The sun comes up because the world turns. These things are beautiful to me. There are mysteries I will never understand, but everywhere I look I see proof that for every effect there is a corresponding cause. Even if I can't see it. I find that reassuring.

Keira Knightley shines in the first trailer for Joe Wright's Anna Karenina

While the recently released poster for the movie is a complete eye sore, the first trailer is just beautiful - Joe Wright is one of my favorite directors, despite being responsible for awful The Soloist. Under his supervision Keira Knightley always shines and she delivered her finest work to date in his Golden Globe winning Atonement. Though she also managed to create work so awful in last year's A Dangerous Method it made me want to poke my eyes out just not to see it anymore, she really looks impressive here and as for now she seems a lock for Best Actress nomination.

Nicole Kidman Appreciation

Nicole Mary Kidman

20 June 1967, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

“She looks a little bit like Marlene Dietrich, a little bit like Madonna, a little bit like Marilyn. She’s all those iconic women.” - Baz Luhrmann on Nicole Kidman.

Soundtrack Wednesday - Haywire

Track: Haywire
Artist: David Holmes

Movie: Haywire

Jean Dujardin Appreciation

Jean Edmond Dujardin

 19 June 1972, Rueil-Malmaison, Hauts-de-Seine, France 

Summertime!

Summer - heat, sunlight, ice cream and sand. There are several works of art that, for me, capture the season so well that you can experience them in the middle of snowy winter and you still feel as if you were standing on the beach, looking at the waves, feeling sunlight on your skin. In music it's Lana del Rey's songs - they really feel as if the sun, the heat and the desire to feel a little bit of wind on your face was enclosed in them. When I listen to her songs I feel as if I was in the apartment complex much like the one in "Leaving Las Vegas", next to the pool or in some diner, like the one in Twin Peaks seeing everything around me melting, while looking thankfully at the ceiling fan.

Same goes for certain movies (U Turn, The Rum Diary) where you can really feel the summer vibe in every single shot. Here is the collection of images from various films, that for me capture this season of the year perfectly:

100 film facts about me

Inspired by Stevee, Tyler, Lesya and asrap virtuoso here is my list of 100 film fact about me, random trivia, pretty much everything that comes to my mind related to movies and my love for them.

1. My nickname is a short version of Satine from Moulin Rouge. On account of me being so tiny. The nickname was taken not because I'm in the same profession as her but because it was a movie that made me go to cinema a lot. And Nicole Kidman used to be my favorite actress.

2. I always laugh when Bruce Willis yells about his clock and the kangaroo in Pulp Fiction

3. I will watch anything with Jean Dujardin, Michael Fassbender and Robert Downey Jr in it.

4. I roll my eyes when people say Aliens is a better movie than Alien.

5. I always watch Casino when I'm drunk.

6. If I could look like any actress I'd chose to look like Nicole Kidman in Practical Magic

Soundtrack Wednesday - Game of Thrones (2)

Track: I Am Hers, She is Mine

Artist: Ramin Djawadi

Movie: Game of Thrones (season 2)

Visual Parallels: Amelie + The Artist

Amelie and The Artist - two lovely, charming movies, that infect the audience with incredible dose of happiness and optimism. Both French films, both shot in a gorgeous way, both using many scenes without any dialogue, simply focusing on the images. Along with the unforgettable performances by respectively Audrey Taoutou and Jean Dujardin, those films manage to capture the emotions, feelings and even the souls of protagonists in single frames. There are many similarities between the two - not just the fact that the main hero/heroine is an outsider with certain flaws that prevent them from opening up and embracing life to its fullest (Amelie is shy, George is too vein) but then a person comes along that through the gift of love and understanding gives them the happiness they really deserve.

Johnny Depp Appreciation

John Christopher Depp II

9 June 1963, Owensboro, Kentucky, USA 

Today is Johnny Depp's 49th birthday. The guy is 49! The biological clock obviously stopped for him around 15 years ago as he looks the same as he did back then.

He is extremely talented, though in recent years his finest work was a cameo in "21 Jump Street". Like him or not, you know he is a living legend. He is wonderfully weird, he is so kind to his fans, he loves kids - one time he even dropped by nearby school in his Jack Sparrow costume - and I do not think I have ever seen him deliver weak performance. Even in The Tourist he managed to be quite funny.

I saw almost all of his movies and from his wonderful work in Don Juan De Marco through deliciously deranged CIA agent in Once Upon a Time in Mexico to his legendary work as Jack Sparrow, he is always enjoyable to watch. I know there are many movies out there he did like Astronaut's Wife that people don't like, but I actually enjoyed that one.

I didn't like his directorial debut - Brave which was one of the most boring movies I've seen and recent film he was in - Dark Shadows - but that one was not his fault. There are many celebrities out there that feel fake and phony but Depp is not one of them - I always tune in when he is on Letterman as the interviews with him are always fun to watch.

Snow White and the Huntsman

57/100 (127 min, 2012)
Plot: In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.
Director: Rupert Sanders
Writers: Evan Daugherty (screenplay), John Lee Hancock (screenplay)
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron

Not the fairest of them all

Snow White and the Huntsman was really shaping out to be a good movie - all the trailers, TV spots and pictures promised darker, more exciting and mature take on the famous classic fairytale. Unfortunately, the film falls flat because of the very poor script and film's unnecessary prolonged run time. Even when some elements do work here, because there are so many story arcs the film frequently abandons its greatest achievements and replaces them with boring sequences that at times make the film quite a snoozefest.

After the loss of her mother, Snow White is living alone with her father, the King in the castle and spends a lot of time playing with her friend - William. Soon the land is attacked by the mysterious, magical army. When the King defeats them he finds a prisoner - beautiful woman named Ravenna and instantly falls prey to her charm. Ravenna murders him during wedding night, takes over the kingdom and imprisons Snow White.

Movie of the Month - June - Repulsion

 I must get this crack mended

Repulsion, the movie by Roman Polanski, is a chilling tale of the young, strange and very beautiful woman named Carol. She is very timid and fearful of everything around her and she looks as if she was made out of porcelain - so delicate that if you touched her, she would break into million pieces. Carol is especially afraid of men, whether they are just passing by her or trying to have a date with her.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star - deliciously creepy Prometheus TV spot

From the Princess to the Sadist - the evolution of Snow White.

With the release of Snow White and the Huntsman with Kristen Stewart as the iconic princess with pale skin, red lips and black hair I decided it's time to look at the other versions of Snow White's story. There is something about those pure girls from fairy tales that is a great source of inspiration for musicians, writers, poets...it's the same with Sleeping Beauty and Alice in Wonderland. Here are some of the versions of the story which while always have the familiar elements also contain some crucial differences to the classic fairytale.