Tiger Woods pulled out of a golf tournament this week, the latest fall-out from a minor car accident that has left a swirl of mystery and a hint of scandal around the world’s top golfer and pushed him into full damage control. Skip related content

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Woods of the U.S. watches his ball during Australian Masters golf tournament in Melbourne Enlarge photo

The Florida Highway Patrol said in a terse statement on Monday that it was pursuing the crash investigation but had still not been able to interview Woods, who declined to meet with investigators during the weekend.

Woods pulled out on Monday of the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California, a tournament he has hosted for nine years. He said he could not attend the event that starts on Thursday because of injuries suffered in the accident.

The greatest golfer of his generation and an unparalleled product pitchman whose personal fortune is estimated at $1 billion (608,294 pounds), Woods was hospitalized briefly on Friday after his Cadillac Escalade hit a fire hydrant and a tree as he left the driveway of his Windermere, Florida, home after 2 a.m.

Woods met Florida’s legal requirement by providing police with his driver’s licence, car registration and proof of insurance, and is not obliged to volunteer medical records, video from home security cameras or anything else investigators might want, prominent Florida lawyer Roy Black said.

“Any lawyer with a brain in their head is not going to allow him to talk to the police because nothing good can come of talking to the police,” said Black, who defended William Kennedy Smith, a member of America’s Kennedy clan, against a rape charge, and radio host Rush Limbaugh in a drug fraud case.

Woods said in a written statement on Sunday that the accident was his fault and was “obviously embarrassing to my family and me.” He called irresponsible the “many false, unfounded and malicious rumours that are currently circulating about my family and me.”

TABLOIDS AWASH WITH SPECULATION

Tabloid media and celebrity websites are awash with speculation that Woods and his wife, Elin, had been arguing before the crash. The National Enquirer has reported that Woods had an extra-marital relationship with a “New York City party girl.” The woman named in that report has denied a relationship.

The Florida Highway Patrol said it had not made any comments on Woods’ medical information, an apparent reference to a published report that investigators were seeking a search warrant for the hospital where the golfer was treated to obtain his medical records.

Under Florida law, Woods has a right to keep medical information private, but Black said under certain circumstances police have been able to seize hospital records.

“Unfortunately, yes. That was the issue in Rush Limbaugh’s case and the court upheld the use of a search warrant to seize medical records,” he said. “But they (police) would have to convince a judge that there was probable cause to believe a crime had been committed.”

One of the world’s most recognizable figures, Woods has lucrative endorsement deals with companies such as Nike and AT&T. So far, signs are that companies are standing by the popular golfer.

The chatter about the greatest golfer of his generation and, according to Forbes magazine the world’s first billionaire athlete, was fuelled in part by the circumstances — why was he leaving home at 2:25 a.m.? — and in part by a hint of trouble in the Woods household.

The Enquirer report said that a New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, had been “telling friends about a jet-set liaison” with the golfer. Uchitel has issued a denial.

“I did not have any involvement with him,” E! News quoted Uchitel as saying.

Woods’ handlers have done the right thing by keeping their client away from the police, Black said, citing the recent case of U.S. television talk show host David Letterman, who two months ago revealed he was the target of a $2 million blackmail plot, then admitted having affairs with women on his staff.

“By reporting that blackmail attempt to the police, all he did was guarantee that all his dirty laundry would be played out in the news media,” Black said. “Tiger Woods is a lot smarter, so far at least.”

But William Moran, an attorney whose practice with the New York office of McCarter and English includes crisis management, said Woods would have been wiser to meet with the police.

“His problem that he’s now facing is that he’s possibly running the risk of turning himself from a victim into an offender here, if the police determine that he is obstructing justice or tampering with evidence,” Moran said.

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The 2009 Guangzhou Auto Show has been an acknowledgment by the world’s manufacturers of the importance of China to the future of the automotive industry.

In an example of this, Volkswagen has revealed its China-only Tiguan facelift due for local production from February 2010.

The changes are minor, with a few sharpened, squared-off lines around the grille and front bumper, but they are an indication of how seriously VW is taking the individual tastes of a booming new market.

VW is China’s largest foreign car manufacturer, selling more than one million vehicles in the first three-quarters of 2009 and aiming for two million by 2018.

Last week it announced that it was investing $1 billion in a plant in Dalian, northeast China, which will produce 300,000 DSG gearboxes in 2010.

General Motors has shown off two new China-only vehicles of its own.

The Cadillac SLS is powered by Holden’s locally produced SIDI 3.0 and 3.6-litre V6 units mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Standard features include adaptive headlights, parking camera and electronic stability control, as well as a 15-speaker audio system, satellite navigation and three screens with DVD and TV functions.

The second is the Buick Exelle XT, which is a mildly restyled Opel Astra, and is set to enter China’s premium compact segment.

The Excelle XT (also called the Yinglang) will come with a choice of three 4-cylinder petrol engines and a six-speed auto.

The German design replaces the outgoing Excelle range which was engineered by Daewoo, and is an aggressive yet risky and high-cost attempt to raise Buick’s image in China.

And local manufacturer Changfeng – well-known for its SUVs – is also entering the medium car market with the Acumen.

Yes, Acumen.  The English word meaning “mental acuteness” and “quickness of perception”.

The Changfeng Mental Acuteness is based on the Mitsubishi Lancer and has been revealed in both sedan and coupe form – the latter sharing many cues with the Evo.

It will also be offered with three 4-cylinder engines, but production is not set to start until 2011.

The seventh annual Guangzhou Auto Show concluded on November 30.

by Tim Beissmann

Four people are rescued from flood waters by firefighters attending three different incidents in Essex…. From BBC News. Full story

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Artist: Jani Jakovac
CD Release: Take Cover
Year: 2004
Home: Chatham Ontario
Resides: Vancouver

Notes: Jani records a collection of songs by other artists that she likes, which makes “Take Cover” a great  name for this collection of covers.

Bio:
Who is this Jani anyhow? Where has she been hiding? Well, actually it is Jani (jay-nee) Jakovac (jack-o-vack) but who she is can be as tricky as the name. Because she is many things. She is a singer, songwriter, pianist, actor and an athlete to name a few. She’s funny, she’s intense, she’s energetic, she’s controlled, she’s sweet, but don’t ever get on her bad side…not so sweet. She is chic while she owns 6 pairs of slippers and wears flannels to bed. Clearly, she is a Gemini with issues.
          She studied drama and played varsity volleyball at the University of Guelph in Ontario. The day after graduating, she moved to Vancouver to pursue an acting career. This led her to few acting roles and many bartending jobs. She then moved to Europe to benefit from something else she had put many years into…. volleyball.  She played and coached professionally in Denmark for three years.
          So, that was where she’s been “hiding”. If hiding was her intent, this would be about the only place this 6 foot blonde could have remained inconspicuous. But inconspicuous she definitely was not when she was hopping up on stages in Copenhagen and joining bands in impromptu performances.
          Growing up in a house that thrived on music, it was always a part of her, a necessary element of her being. She knew she could sing, but strangely enough, she did not think it was “a big deal”. And since the only people that had ever heard her sing were friends and family, Jani assumed that they were merely being polite when they told her that she had talent. Belting out the blues or luring people into a trance with her sultry sounds was just her own act of passion. But the response to her music made it undeniably clear that people wanted to hear more. The music she writes is a soulful mix of the different styles she grew up listening to. The diverse music she appreciated were just a turn of the radio dial away from one another. The stations were numerous. The stations were from Detroit.
          She grew up in the small city of Chatham, Ontario, 45 minutes over the border from the Motown.  Her influences, ranging from classical to funk, are revealed in every song that she writes. Her often autobiographical lyrics leave audiences thankful for the living she has done. No, music has not been the only part of Jani’s life, but it has been the strongest, most dynamic, most necessary, always with her, traveling to every place she has been. The ever positive, vibrant, energetic Jani, admits that her music is a therapeutic device that she has used for many years to keep the smile on her face.  Audiences are thrilled she has lived enough life to have stories to tell with her songs and young enough to make it interesting.

Visit Jani online. Visit her website to order the CD.
http://thejanireview.tripod.com
___________

Hello,

In this post, considering I have just bought Windows 7, I thought I would compile an article which reviews the new features of Microsoft’s new OS.

Desktop:

The first contact you will have after installing Windows 7 is the desktop, as you can tell from the screenshot above, quite alot is different, i.e. the taskbar. Let’s have a look at this in greater detail!

Taskbar:

Yes, this is one of the biggest updates of the taskbar I have seen. Instead of displaying the full programme name, only the icon is displayed. In the example above I am hovering over the Internet Explorer tab, in which I have 3 browsing tabs open, just by hovering over the IE logo, a screenshot of all tabs open in IE is displayed.

When you right click on a specific icon (in this case iTunes) a programm-specific menu is displayed – with items such as “Shuffle all library” and “Shop on iTunes store”, these factors increase the ease of access.

Start Menu

At frist glance, you could say that the taskbar looks the same as in Vista. Well you are wrong – take another look, you will see that your default programmes for E-mailing and internet browsing are no longer displayed above the line – in fact the line has gone!! This leaves you with more space to pin more items that you frequently use to the start menu, this again leading to faster access to the items you use the most.

In addittion, if you take a glance at, say the Adobe Dreamweaver label, you will see that a “>” is displayed, if you hover over this, in the sidebar of the start menu, the most recent documents opened with Dreamweaver will be displayed.

Windows XP Mode:

Just a few notes:

Windows XP is mode is only available on Microsoft Windows 7 Proffessional and Ultimate (Which I Use). It is also required that you download this extra content from the Microsoft Website.

Yes, if you have programmes which only work with Windows XP, you are in look (if you have Windows 7 Proffessional or Ultimate) you can download the extra content, and run Windows XP inside Windows 7.

Documents Browser

In Windows 7, even the document window got a make over! As you can see, in the sidebar, there are now more links to:

• Your favourites
• Your library (e.g. Documents, Pictures)
• Computer
• Network

I feel that this is a very easy tool to help you navigate around your files and folders.

A Few Bad Points:

• In Windows 7, the parental controls software has been removed, however, you can download Windows Live Family Safety (similar to parental controls) - this can be downloaded from the Microsoft website.
• It may take you some time to get familiar with the new look operating system, especially the taskbar (to be honest, this baffled me for a while.)
• If you have portable devices (such as iPods, USBs and phones) your computer will need to install the driver software again.

My Overall Personal Opinion:

Well, in just under 490 words, I have managed to summarise the best new features of Windows 7, and overall it would be a good idea to upgrade to the new OS. Why? well, if you are a user of Windows Vista, you will be familar with the UAC (User Account Control), this became very annoying after a while, in Windows 7, this feature has been removed (or you can turn it off!). Also, this latest release also appears to speed up your PC. You also get the new IE 8, which is a bonus – as this runs quite fast!

My Rating:

4/5: Excellent, however you may struggle at first to get familiar with the new features, this shouldn’t take long though!

Thanks for reading my review!

A steam train takes passengers from Swanage in Dorset to London for the first time in more than 40 years…. From BBC News. Full story

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Pregnancy-The Mystery Of The Additional Week

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Applying this Wisdom Pregnancy Remedy to Abundance and Pregnancy

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A quote given to us by this influential organization.

George Seldes is the perfect one to be bringing us this moving and well thought out approach to undermine the country that has been set forth today. In fact his credentials are amazing. He was a war correspondent in world war 1 and claimed that an actual documented battle never happened, it’s ok we never landed on the moon either. In fact most of his work was black listed, he was cast out as an communist and most of his interviews were never released to the public.

It is not to say that this man did not achieve great things, but this organization using free thinkers and people of old to influence is not only backwards but confusing. The founding fathers were free thinkers. So I’m guessing that your saying they’re wrong and these men and women are right? They should have founded our country. On what values do you suppose? The man writing and whining about the terrible days he spent in Sunday school, many have written that even schooling unrelated to biblical teaching was a prison. Do you expect me to believe that this man had it right all along?

In fact now i fully agree. Let’s be free thinkers, NO MORE SCHOOL!

Please read the next posting.

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Sper sa placa, voi ce ziceti ? Cum suna? Merita pus la petreceri?

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Lovely song…

A woman who was stranded in her County Fermanagh home because of rising floodwaters is rescued…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: oceanic water. The blog is also related to: oceanic.

So people moaned about the name, moaned about what we wore onstage, ignored the fact we drove around the country, booking our own shows, assumed we were making mega bucks and discounted us from the race…

and far from fragmented.”

5 years left…

and after that???

A European medical society has expressed alarm at the widespread opposition in Europe against the swine flu vaccine. Meanwhile, experts say the number of deaths in Europe from the H1N1 virus are doubling every two weeks…. From VOA. Full story

This site may contain information about: virus. For a different topic see great peach recipes. The blog is also related to: virus.

Security analyst Praveen Swami examines whether India is now better prepared to counter a Mumbai-style attack…. From BBC News. Full story

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Every so often I’ve updated the list of films that I have already seen with brief reviews.  Call it the complete-ist in me, but when I’m done with reviewing each of the films in the book, I’d like to have reviewed every single film in the book.

Anyhow, here’s another batch for you to read.

Enjoy!

Shichinin No Samurai AKA Seven Samurai (1954)

The Seven Samurai is the first movie that I had the pleasure of seeing from the master director Akira Kurosawa, and it is also one of his most praised works. Without a wasted frame, the story takes place over the course of almost 3 hours. Kurosawa, as he does in each of his movies, explores more than just the action and injustice featured in the plot. He is a humanist first and foremost, training his lens on the interpersonal relationships of the characters, tracking growth across this epic. As good as this film is, I would have to say that Kurosawa has numerous films that are even better, check out Stray Dog, Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and my personal favorite High and Low.

The Ladykillers (1955)

Existing as a special combination of dark humor, and slapstick farce, The Ladykillers is exceptionally funny and unsettling. Alec Guinness stars as the leader of a group of criminals staying at the home of a hardy, vivacious older lady under the guise of being musicians. The plan is simple, rob a bank, and utilizing the trusting nature of the kindly old lady, and the remoteness of her home to their advantage, get away with it. Easily my favorite of Alec Guinness’ films (thanks in part to the Star Wars prequels that is), The Ladykillers features a solid cast of great actors, including a very young Peter Sellers.

Bob Le Flambeur AKA Bob the Gambler (1955)

My introduction to the fantastic Jean-Pierre Melville, I was captivated immediately by the cool as ice gangster come gambler Bob. This film is filled with signature Melville-isms. Glorious post war street scenes in Paris. Trench-coats. Honor among thieves. And who could forget the caper. To talk too much about this film is to give too much away, and to do that is to ruin it for those who haven’t seen it. Other classics by Melville: Le Cercle Rouge, Le Samourai, and the recently released in the U.S. Army of Shadows. All are fantastic, and deserve to be in this book! Incidentally, Bob le Flambeur was recently re-made into The Good Thief starring Nick Nolte and directed by Neil Jordan, and while I’m not generally a fan of re-makes, I really, really liked this film. Not quite as good as the original, but it was one of my favorite films of 2002.

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

The ultimate in hardboiled private eye crime stories, Kiss Me Deadly is a full on assault on decency. Kiss Me Deadly proudly presents itself as a grimy PI story, littered with bodies and intrigue. If you even have a passing interest in film noir, this should be your first stop. Violent, misogynist, brutish, and glorious, Kiss Me Deadly begs to be watched and dares you to look away. I myself, loved it!

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Apparently based on a book, The Ten Commandments is an epic in every sense of the word. Colored in bright explosive candy hues, and featuring huge sets, as well as a cast that number in the thousands, The Ten Commandments is more spectacle than great movie. Certainly not a waste of time, but not my first choice when choosing something light to throw in.

Det Sjunde Inseglet AKA The Seventh Seal (1957)

A classic, and well-loved film by Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman, The Seventh Seal stars an extremely young Max von Sydow as a knight who faces Death at a game of chess to decide his fate. This film is filled with themes that find their way into each of Bergman’s works, ranging from courage in the face of death, religion, and humanity. The Seventh Seal still holds up to this day, with luminous black and white photography that, thanks to Criterion’s Blu-ray edition, has never looked better.

Note: Don’t be fooled by the similarly themed, but much worse, “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey”

Kumonosu Jo AKA Throne of Blood (1957)

Kurosawa’s retelling of Macbeth set in feudal Japan. Shakespeare has never looked better as it does in the stark black and white, twisting shadows and swirling mists as seen through Kurosawa’s camera. Toshiro Mifune doesn’t disappoint in the lead role, but the real stand out is Isuzu Yamada in the as Mifune’s opportunistic, poisonous wife. The plotting and scheming starts right from the get go, all the way up till the frenzied end of the film.

Touch of Evil (1958)

One of the many trouble spots on Orson Welles’ resume due to studio interference, and financing issues, still Touch of Evil remains as possibly the best B-Movie ever made. Iconic (and sometimes hilarious) performances by Janet Leigh, Charlton Heston (as a Mexican) and Welles himself as the crooked cop willing to do almost anything to ensure justice prevails (just so long as it’s his justice). The movie is almost as famous for its long tracking shot opening as it is for any of the performances, featuring a nearly 4 minute shot done in one take which travels around cars, actors, and buildings. The film The Player, payed homage to it by mentioning it a few times during a similarly complex shot in that film.

Vertigo (1958)

Flopping on its initial release, Vertigo didn’t gain the acclaim it deserved until much later after it was released on video. Vertigo visits themes present in each of Hitchcock’s other works, including the obsession with blondes, innocence tainted with corruption, and the schlub who get in over his head. Jimmy Stewart plays the schlub, Kim Novak plays the blonde, and gloriously technicolored San Francisco plays the innocence and the corruption. Vertigo has a twisty convoluted story with elements of surrealism, an interesting watch.

Mon Oncle AKA My Uncle (1958)

My favorite of Jacques Tati’s Monsieur Hulot films, Mon Oncle was also the first of them that I had seen. Tati, playing Hulot, is a master of visual comedy, and not in the same way as the Three Stooges, or even Buster Keaton. Tati is an artist whose work is appreciated the longer you watch. The plot of the movie is not so much important to the film as it is simply a guide to get our characters into interesting situations so we can watch them get out. If you liked this film, check out other films featuring the bumbling Mr. Hulot, including Trafic, Playtime, and Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot.

Les Quatre Cents Coups AKA The 400 Blows (1959)

My personal favorite of the French new wave movement was this small-scale film, personal piece from Francois Truffaut. Featuring the director’s alter ego, Antoine Doinel, The 400 Blows is the first in a series of movies, each about a different stage of life and the challenges that go along with them. The period from childhood to young adult is covered heart-breakingly here, following Antoine through the rough waters of his home life and his interaction with the outside world. Later chapters deal with finding love, getting married, having children, and growing old, but Les Quatres Cent Coups remains the directors most personal and his best.

North by Northwest (1959)

One of Hitchcock’s best, North by Northwest features Cary Grant, suave as ever, being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies. Just like in Hitchcock’s most famous works (of which this is one), the witty one-liners, suspense, and drama are heaped on generously. I can’t help but feel sad that a similarly themed, but better film featuring Cary Grant was left off this 1001 list. Charade, also featuring Audrey Hepburn, James Coburn, and Walter Matthau, is one of my favorite movies ever! Check out both Charade AND North by Northwest as a double feature! You won’t be sorry.

Some Like it Hot (1959)

Now this is an example of a classic, well-loved film, with actors that I really love (Jack Lemmon I’m looking at you), a premise that is more than suitable, yet the finished product never really caught me. It’s sort of like Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. I never really saw what all the hype was about. That being said, I didn’t hate it either. It never made fun of me when I had braces, or turned me down for a date, my affections and this film have just always been mutually exclusive. Perhaps it deserves another watch…then again maybe I should just watch The Last Boyscout again.

A Bout De Souffle AKA Breathless (1959)

Jean-Luc Godard is nothing if not a sacred cow of French cinema, and while I have loved some of his other films (Le Mepris, Bande A Part, and Masculin Femenine), Breathless or A Bout De Souffle never really did it for me. I can still rationalize why it was so revolutionary (use of jump cuts, editing, non-actors, and subscription to the aesthetic of the French new wave style), and see it’s importance, but I prefer other examples of New Wave cinema. If you are interested in seeing a Godard film, try Masculin Feminine, it is just as revolutionary and a bit more accessible.

Psycho (1960)

A prime example of Hitchcock in his prime. Psycho was so good, and so affecting that some of its actors were type cast just on the strength of this one film (Anthony Perkins, and Janet Leigh), so much so that without a little research it’s hard to think of what other films either of them has been in. Psycho may not be as visually shocking and gory as horror films of today, but it still manages to hold up over time and be just as unsettling as it was back in its day. Hitchcock has always excelled at making the comfortable un-comfortable (motels, birds, tea, dreams, the list goes on…), and the subtle touches in this film work perfectly. Consider for a moment that Perkin’s Bates is an amateur taxidermist of birds, and then that Janet Leigh’s name is Marion Crane a type of bird, or the fact before the crime Marion is wearing a white bra and a white purse, while after it she is wearing a black bra and purse. His attention to detail, and knack for foreshadowing is demonstrated in full force in Psycho and remains one of his best films. Despite all the uproar over the Gus Van Sant remake, I thought it actually did some justice to the original film and if nothing else brought it a little more deserved attention.

Note: This film also has the distinction of being the first American film to ever show a toilet flushing on-screen.

Peeping Tom (1960)

Released the same year as Psycho, and dealing with similar subject matter, Peeping Tom wasn’t received with the same acclaim and attention that the former was. On the contrary, Peeping Tom was seen as subversive, perverted, and generally too shocking. The story revolves more around the killer than the victim in this one, whereas Psycho is presented more from the victim’s point of view. Either way, Peeping Tom is a fine film, one worth watching, however it is so similar to Psycho that I’m not sure it needs to be on the list of 1001 films.

The Apartment (1960)

As far as light-hearted, touching movies about someone recovering from a bout of depression, this one is my favorite. Billy Wilder directs Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon in a sweet touching comedy without losing any of his trademark cynicism or the pointedness of his dialogue. The Apartment is another chance for me to champion the somewhat maligned talents of Mr. Fred MacMurray as Lemmon’s boss. MacMurray plays a fantastic creep who really defines the term “heel”.

Spartacus (1960)

Containing almost none of the trademark elements that make up a Stanley Kubrick movie as we know it (Kubrick apparently dis-owned the film before it’s release), Spartacus remains an interesting movie that isn’t great. It is, however, another example of a film that enabled an up and coming filmmaker to gain his voice, and define himself later on in his career. If only for that reason, Spartacus is a great film, but luckily for the studio, it has some other things going for it. Kirk Douglas plays the title role of Spartacus, and despite all the lavish set production, and concentration on spectacle, brings some heart to the slave who defied Rome.

Jules Et Jim AKA Jules and Jim (1962)

One of director, Francois Truffaut’s most well thought of films, Jules and Jim may be the Lost In Translation, or Juno of its time. Viewed from a certain angle, the plot is a completely moving and emotional story that you believe, so much so, that you can see yourself and those around you in the roles that these characters embody. Viewed from another perspective, it can seem a little precious or purposefully manipulative. Depending on what is happening in your life (I’m mostly thinking about whether or not you are in a relationship, and if you are happy), this movie can preach the glory of love and the pain of rejection. On the flipside, if you have shaken free the angsty, teenager-esque feelings everyone has had in their youth, you may feel like you’re being talked down to.

Cleo De 5 A 7 AKA Cleo from 5 to 7

Taking place, as the title suggests, from 5 to 7, we get a slice of the life of Cleo played out before us. Sometimes we, along with Cleo herself, are a voyeurs into the lives of people around her, and other times we are focused on her as she roams around Paris. By and large Cleo lives a carefree, spoiled life, yet we still sympathize with her when times are hard, and cheer for her when they are good. This is a small film in a lot of ways, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t impacting and beautiful.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

I have to admit.  I didn’t like Lawrence of Arabia that much.  Perhaps I was too young to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of Lean’s desert panorama camerawork, or just maybe it was the epic length that decided it for me.  One way or another, I didn’t appreciate it as much as everyone else seems to think I should. 

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Overly reliant on gimmicks and quick editing techniques, The Manchurian Candidate doesn’t flesh out the story nearly…wait, no that was the terrible re-make that came out in 2004.  The original 1962 version, is just as taught, and well executed today as it was at its release.  While the story between the two versions remained virtually the same, the consistent building of tension and anxiety, combined with the pitch perfect acting of Lawrence Harvey, Frank Sinatra (yes…Frank Sinatra), and the devilish turn of Angela Lansbury as the Queen of Hearts, makes for a fantastic film.

Lolita (1962)

It took me forever to finally see Lolita.  I have known the basic story (older man, younger girl) but had just never gotten around to seeing it.  And while I’ve been told that the book is much better, I thought the film was pretty good.  Not great, mind you, but definitely solid.  The shocking and controversial nature of the relationship was toned down a bit for the screen, and maybe as a result doesn’t seem all that shocking in today’s day and age.  Memorable turns by Peter Sellers, and Shelley Winters, not to mention it’s an early film of Stanley Kubrick.

The Birds (1963)

Despite being one of Hitchcock’s most popular, I actually think that The Birds is one of his most over-rated.  I think I owe it to myself to give this one another look someday, but right now I feel that it was too heavily based on the gimmick that had to rely on special effects.  Though it is not necessarily the fault of the movie, but the special effects seemed particularly dated and old fashioned.  Worth a watch, but not my favorite by a long shot.

8 1/2 (1963)

Federico Fellini is, by most accounts, a master of cinema.  One, that I have always had a little trouble getting fired up over.  It’s not that I don’t like his films once I’ve seen them, the problem comes in when it comes to motivating myself to see them.  I couldn’t tell you why, but his films consistently get pushed off when they come up on my Netflix Queue or when I see the one or two I have on my shelf.  I shouldn’t feel this way, considering I really loved the moving poetry, and soul baring passion in 8 1/2, yet it still happens.  One very definite reason to watch this film is the man-crushable Marcello Mastroianni, swaggering through as the alter-ego of Fellini himself.  Dealing with all the reservations with women, making movies, childhood, and the future that the director very famously dealt with himself, Mastroianni embodies a certain cool, yet believable character that begs to be watched.  Combined with imagery that leaves the audience wanting more, 8 1/2 is a fantastic film.

Well, that’s it for this time.  Thanks for reading!