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Jonny

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!

Esta noche he vuelto a soñar. Todas las noches tengo sueños. Esta vez ha sido con el trabajo.

Soñar o tener pesadillas -¿no es lo mismo?-  es algo que me ocurre muy a menudo. Desde el mes de junio me encuentro de baja laboral. Cuando duermo, siempre con la  ayuda del Noctamid, toman las riendas mis obsesiones más recurrentes dando forma, en guiones disparatados, a los miedos y angustias que reprimo despierto.

El trabajo, la ansiedad que me produce, el miedo al error y al fracaso, ocupan una parte importante de mi pensamiento. Y de mis energías.

Maitena

*Diccionario intepretación sueños

*Spotify: Dream/F. Sinatra

I’m headed to Vegas with the wife today.

We’re going to get (re)married by Elvis for our ten year anniversary.

Personally, I hope it’s by a fat, jumpsuit wearing Elvis, but any Elvis will do.

It makes sense.

I love the Rat Pack, she loves Elvis—The movie Swingers was somehow a strange cornerstone of our budding romance so many years ago, it’s soundtrack becoming our own.

Quite frankly, I’m still somewhat amazed we didn’t run off to Vegas the first time around, when we were young and impetuous.

As we stroll down the busy streets, stare in wonderment at the bright lights surrounding us and watch the fountains of the Bellagio dance, I’m going to squint my eyes really hard and try to see the old Vegas—Sinatra’s Vegas.

The martini swinging, mob run Vegas.

Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the new Vegas—quite frankly I’m excited to see that one, too; the lights, the roller coasters, the fountains…all of it.

But…

I just want to catch a glimpse of the old Vegas—the original Vegas, no matter how dusty and dirty it may be.

Though I hear that Vegas is merely a ghost now, hovering over the new, family friendly version, laid to rest in the wake of the Sands.

I’m going to do my best to chronicle my first Vegas experience, from the Elvis wedding, to cocktails in Old Town, to my first attempt at gambling…but I can’t make any promises. I don’t even know if I’ll have wifi where I’m staying.

For you, however, I shall try my hardest.

Though, don’t expect a madcap tale of hallucinogens in the desert and imaginary bats swarming around us.

Maybe a few cocktails, but there is nothing gonzo about this trip.

Aside, perhaps, from vacationing while unemployed.

I may be jumping the gun a bit here…but my child is writing a screenplay….apparently.

While cleaning the den (den: [den], noun; large room located on lower level of house that is a haven for legos, army men, nerf bullets, foosball table sans mini soccer balls, Xbox 360 with controllers, wires, games out of several empty game holders scattered about and more depending on given day of the week.), I came across a sheet of paper.  There wasn’t much written on it, however I believe I have found the makings of a movie.

This 8×10 looseleaf page is in my son’s handwriting and says this:

John:

Darien:

Mike:

Bounty Hunter

first setting: New Yerk

I’m not sure where New Yerk is, or what criminals are crawling all over that city, but I am positive that John, Darien and Mike can get the situation under control.  I can only hope, as they are rolling the credits and Lewis’ name is on the big screen, that the song, “New Yerk, New Yerk” will be blasting in the theater.

“Start spreading the news…..”

P.S. Happy Birthday Ellen!

I may be jumping the gun a bit here…but my child is writing a screenplay….apparently.

While cleaning the den (den: [den], noun; large room located on lower level of house that is a haven for legos, army men, nerf bullets, foosball table sans mini soccer balls, Xbox 360 with controllers, wires, games out of several empty game holders scattered about and more depending on given day of the week.), I came across a sheet of paper.  There wasn’t much written on it, however I believe I have found the makings of a movie.

This 8×10 looseleaf page is in my son’s handwriting and says this:

John:

Darien:

Mike:

Bounty Hunter

first setting: New Yerk

I’m not sure where New Yerk is, or what criminals are crawling all over that city, but I am positive that John, Darien and Mike can get the situation under control.  I can only hope, as they are rolling the credits and Lewis’ name is on the big screen, that the song, “New Yerk, New Yerk” will be the theme  song.

“Start spreading the news…..”

]]> http://pcjurnal.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/the-hat-situation/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:57:32 +0000 Attila Vago http://pcjurnal.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/the-hat-situation/

Honestly, I need to get myself a hat. I wanted a hat for a very long time and never got one. I still don’t know why. But I need to have a fuckin’ hat. Now, I don’t mean caps and any other head-protecting shit, I need a real serious-guy hat. I’m tired of baseball-caps and condom-like hats you pull on your head in winter, or whenever you feel like your brain might freeze to a comatose state of being.

I need to get myself a hat that tells people that I’m a serious guy, I will never fuck anyone over, I’m as honest as a businessman can be, that I’m all together the guy you wanna shake hands or – if it’s a woman, other things - with. Have you noticed that guys with hats are taken instantly seriously. He’s the man. Why? He has a hat. He must have something very valuable under that hat. Hats make you important. How do you think Abraham Licoln got famous. He was no genius, he was just like you and me, except… he had the damn hat. Nobody wrote about “Ab Lincoln’s brain”. No! They wrote about “Ab Lincoln’s hat!” The hat, people, the hat can make you the freakin’ president. Frank Sinatra, wonderful guy, exceptional voice and never seen without the hat. And of course he became famous as hell. Frank Sinatra would be no Frank Sinatra without the damn hat, I tell you that. Without the hat he’d just be plain Frank. See? When you have a hat, people instantly feel the need to call you by your full name. You aint just Billy, Frank or any other lame-ass name, no… you get respect, cuz you have a hat. They respect you hat. You try and take off your hat, nobody’ll give a shit. You’ll become a nobody. People might even put out their cigarettes on your head or suit, that’s how unimportant you’ll become, but once you put your hat back on, they’ll offer you a beer for free. Cuz you’re the guy with the hat. The Godfather… he had a hat, look how famous he’s become. People are still watching the movie. Sunday, monday, tuesday, wednesday… he had the damn hat. No problem he was maffia, people still liked him, cuz he had the hat, they had to like and respect him. Robin Hood… the guy who ripped off rich people to help the poor, had a hat, and he became famous history. Even the Wizard of Oz had the freakin’ hat! This is unbelievable! A wizard who otherwise is considered a bad person, one that has to be burned damn it, if he puts on a damn hat, he’s instantly ok, even more.. he becomes the wizard of all times.

So I need the hat, maybe not a wizard hat, cuz that might not make me look too good, but I need one of those Frank Sinatra hats, who knows I might become the next biggest swing-jazz musician… The hat does miracles. Have you seen a bald guy with a hat on? No!

L’Orquestra de Cambra de l’Empordà no para i acaba de presentar les seves produccions pel 2010:

• La Simfònica de Cobla i Corda de Catalunya
• Sinatra en concert
• Cançons populars andaluses, amb Jean-Marc Padovani
• Tocats per Broadway, amb Montserrat Cristau
• 200 anys del naixement de Chopin
• Pep Sala & l’Orquestra de Cambra de l’Empordà
• Songs of Time Square
• Polifònica de Puig-Reig

Fins que arribi el 2010 podeu gaudir dels concerts de la formació.

Divendres 13 de Novembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a VILABLAREIX

A la Sala Polivalent

A les 8 de la tarda

Dissabte 14 de Novembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a TORTELLÀ

A la Sala El Casino

A les 6 de la tarda

Diumenge 15 de Novembre

SIMFÒNICA DE COBLA I CORDA

Concert a Palamós

Teatre La Gorga

A les 7 de la tarda

Divendres 20 de Novembre

SIMFÒNICA DE COBLA I CORDA

PRESENTACIÓ DEL SEGON DISC:

INOBLIDABLES EN CONCERT

Concert a l’Auditori de Girona

A les 9 del vespre

Dissabte 21 de Novembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

A la Parròquia de Beasain

A 2/4 de 9 de la nit

Diumenge 22 de Novembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a TAUSTE

A la Casa de Cultura

A les 6 de la tarda

Divendres 27 de Novembre

Simfònica de Cobla i Corda

Concert a Lleida

Auditori Enric Granados

A les 9 del vespre

Dissabte 28 de Novembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a Almussafes

Casa de la Cultura

A les 10 de la nit

DESEMBRE

DE L’ 1 AL 6 DE DESEMBRE

GIRA PER CAP-VERD

Divendres 11 de Desembre

Concert de Nadal

Simfònica de Cobla i Corda de Catalunya

Al Teatre El Jardí de Figueres

A les 10 de la nit

Dissabte 12 de Desembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a ROSES

Teatre de Roses

A les 9 del vespre

Diumenge 13 de Desembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a CASTELLDEFELS

MESSIES DE HÄNDEL

Amb la CORAL POLIFÒNICA DE PUIG-REIG

Església de Santa Maria

A 2/4 de 6 de la tarda

Dilluns 14 de Desembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a GIRONA

A l’Auditori Joan Viader

A 2/4 de 9 del vespre

Dimecres 16 de Desembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

SANTA MARIA DEL MAR. BARCELONA

MESSIES DE HÄNDEL

Amb la CORAL POLIFÒNICA DE PUIG-REIG

Hora a determinar

Dijous 17 de Desembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’ EMPORDÀ

Concert a Figueres

Auditori Narcís Monturiol(Cercle Sport)

Concert de Nadal

A les 9 del vespre

Dissabte 19 de Desembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a El CATLLAR

Auditori Centre Cultural

A les 10 del vespre

Dissabte 26 de Desembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a PALAFOLLS

Concert de Nadal

Teatre de Palafolls

A les 7 de la tarda

Diumenge 27 de Desembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a VALLROMANES

Hora i lloc a determinar

Dilluns 28 de Desembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a CORÇÀ

Concert de Nadal

A l’ Església de Corçà

A 2/4 de 10 del vespre

Dimarts 29 de Desembre

ORQUESTRA DE CAMBRA DE L’EMPORDÀ

Concert a OLOT

Al Teatre d’ Olot

A les 8 del vespre

  เริ่มกันที่สองหนังเพลงเอาใจวัยรุ่นขาโจ๊กันก่อน เรื่องแรกเป็นหนังรีเมคที่ดังเอามากๆในอดีต FoOtlOose ของผกก. Herbert Ross นั่นเอง ที่ส่งให้ดาราหนุ่ม Kevin Bacon ดังทะลุฟ้าในสมัยนั้น และเมื่อ Paramount มีแผนจะเอามันมาทำใหม่ ก็สมควรแล้วที่ Zac Efron จะถูกวางตัวให้รับบทนำ ที่มาพร้อมผกก.ผู้ปลุกปั้นจาก High School Musical ในเวอร์ชั่นใหม่นี้ ซึ่งถ้าหนังได้ฉายจริงๆ หนังต้องได้แฟนหนังรุ่นเก่ามาช่วย พอๆกับที่ความแรงของดาราหนุ่ม Zac Efron ต้องเกื้อหนุนอย่างเต็มที่ และหลังจากผ่านงานมาทั้งซีรี่ย์ฉายตามทีวี มาจนถึงหนังโรงฮิตๆไปแล้วสองเรื่อง รวมทั้งหนังอินดี้ขนาดเล็กแต่ฝีมือใหญ่คับจอ Efron ต้องพกพลังดารามาขึ้นจอพร้อมแรงเชียร์อีกมากที่จะทำให้หนังดังระเบิดอย่างที่มันควรจะเป็น เป็นข้อได้เปรียบกว่า Fame ฉบับพ.ศนี้เป็นแน่

แต่ก็นั่นล่ะอย่างที่รู้กันว่า Chace Crawford ดาราหนุ่มขวัญใจสาวๆทางจอแก้วอีกคนนึงก็เข้ามาแทนที่ทันที หลังจาก Efron ให้เหตุผลในการออกจากโปรเจคส์ว่า ไม่ต้องการให้ผู้ชมจำภาพเขาในฐานะนักเต้นอีกแล้ว และถึงเวลาที่จะไปโลดแล่นในวงการด้วยฐานะนักแสดงมากฝีมือเสียที Crawford ที่มาแรงจากการเล่นซีรี่ย์ Gossip Girl ในขณะนั้นก็มีโอกาสจะได้เป็นดาราดังและมีหนังฮิตของตัวเองเสียที และมั่นใจได้ว่าเขาจะพกพาความเป็นผู้ใหญ่กว่าและน่าจะทำให้หนังได้ใจผู้ชมผู้ใหญ่ไปพร้อมๆกับแฟนๆรุ่นเล็กๆ ซึ่งเป็นข้อได้เปรียบกว่า Efron เห็นๆ ซึ่งหนุ่ม Zac เองก็พยายามอย่างมากเช่นกันที่จะสร้างภาพให้ตัวเองดูเป็นผู้ใหญ่ขึ้นเช่นกัน แม้ว่าในหนังใหม่ทุนเล็กของเขาจะเปิดทางให้โชว์ฝีมือมากขึ้น แต่ก็ยังวนเวียนอยู่กับละครเวที ที่ต้องร้องเล่นเต้นรำอยู่นั่นเอง แล้วมันจะดีกว่าเรื่องนี้มั้ยเนี่ย?

แต่แล้วข่าวล่าสุดรายงานมาว่าผกก. Kenny Ortega ได้ตัดสินใจโบกมือลาไปแล้วอีกคน หลังจากพระเอกคู่บุญของเขาจากไปได้ระยะนึง ซึ่งนั่นแปลว่าหนุ่ม Chace จะได้ผู้กำกับคนใหม่ และโปรเจคส์นี้จะไม่มีคู่หู HSM มาเกี่ยวข้องและหนังเพลงรีเมคเรื่องนี้จะเริ่มงานโปรดักชั้นในเดือนมีนาคมปีหน้า หลังจากหาตัวผู้กำกับสำเร็จ ก็ได้แต่หวังว่ามันจะกลายเป็นหนังรีเมคในระยะหลังๆที่ไม่น่าผิดหวังตามพี่ๆน้องๆก่อนหน้านี้ละกัน

ตามมาด้วยหนังเพลงภาคต่อที่ภาคแรกเพิ่งฮิตทั่วโลก สร้างปรากฏการร์ แจ้งเกิดสองดารานำ และทำเงินอย่างเป็นประวัติการณ์ และถ้าไม่ใช่เรื่องนี้ เราคงไม่ได้เห็น Meryl Streep ออกเสตปให้เราได้เห็นเป็นบุญตาในวัยหกสิบนิดๆอย่างนี้เป็นแน่ๆ พูดมาขนาดนี้ถ้ายังไม่รู้ว่าเป็น Mamma Mia! ก็แย่แล้ว และใครที่ยังประทับใจหาดสวรรค์ บทเพลงเพราะ และเรื่องราวดีๆอยู่ล่ะก็ คงต้องดีใจเตรียมซ้อมร้องเพลง ABBA อีกครั้งนึง เพราะภาคสองมันกำลังจะมา!

ได้ฟังแล้วคงดีใจแต่อดประหลาดใจไม่ได้ ก็แหงล่ะ หนังมันสร้างจากละครเวทีนี่นา แล้วเนื้อเรื่องก็ถ้าตามที่แสดงกันจนฮิตกันทั่วโลกก็จบไปแล้วเรียบร้อยในภาคหนึ่ง แล้วถ้าจะมีภาคต่อ ก็แปลว่าจะเป็นการสร้างเรื่องราวออกไปอีก ซึ่งต้องมาคิดกันใหม่สด แต่ยังไม่สำคัญเท่าเพลงที่จะใช้ในเรื่อง เพราะ Mamma Mia! เป็นละครเวทีจุ๊กซ์บอกซ์ที่มีจุดมุ่งหมายคือนำเพลงของวง ABBA มาร้อยเรียงสร้างเรื่องราว ซึ่งในหนังภาคแรกก็ใช้เพลงไปอย่างคุ้มค่าถึง 22 เพลง แล้วภาคสองนี่มันจะเหลือให้เต้นให้มันกันสักกี่เพลงกันเชียว

ล่าสุดหนึ่งในนักแสดงนำของเรื่องอย่าง Colin Firth ยืนยันมาแล้วว่าตัวหนังกำลังอยู่ในขั้นตอนดำเนินการสร้าง และเขายังเผยให้ฟังว่าทางผู้สร้างกำลังหารือกันว่าจะใช้เพลงจากวงอื่นกันดีมั้ย ซึ่งเขาก็เห็นด้วย “ ทำไมจะไม่ได้ล่ะ แต่นั่นยังเป็นเพียงแค่การคาดเดา “ สอดคล้องกับคำสัมภาษณ์ของ Benny Anderson หนึ่งในสมาชิกวง ABBA ที่เล่าว่าเขาไม่ได้อยากให้ภาคสองมีแต่เพลงของวงเขาอย่างเดียวหรอกนะ

 และถ้าเป็นอย่างนั้น…ก็น่าจะเป็นอย่างนั้นขึ้นมาจริงๆ ก็แปลว่าเราจะได้ฟังเพลงจากวงอื่นๆ และนั่นต้องช่วยขยายขอบเขตเรื่องราวออกไปกว้างขึ้นแน่ๆ แต่ยังไงซะก็ต้องมีเพลงของ ABBA อยู่ด้วยแน่นอน ตามที่นักแสดงนำหญิงของเรื่อง สาวน้อย Amanda Seyfried บอกกับสำนักข่าว BBc อย่างจริงจังไว้ว่า “ ฉันคงทำ Mamma Mia! 2 ไม่ได้โดยปราศจาก Benny and Bjorn (สองสมาชิกวง ABBA นั่นเอง ) หรอกนะ “ ….แต่ไม่ว่าผลจะออกมาเป็นอย่างไร พวกเราในฐานะแฟนเพลงและคอหนังก็ยังอยากดูหนังอยู่ดี จะมีใครบ้างล่ะที่ไม่อยากกลับไปเกาะสวรรค์นั่น ที่เต็มไปด้วยผู้คนหัวใจหนุ่มสาว รักอิสระ และมีเสียงเพลงกู่ก้องในหัวใจ

ที่น่าคิดอีกอย่างนึงคือ เมื่อตอน Mamma Mia! ยังเป็นแผนการสร้างนั้น Meryl Streep คือกุญแจสำคัญที่ทำให้มันได้สร้างเป็นหนัง และถ้าภาคสองเรายังไม่ได้เห็นเธอด้วย ก็คงจะยังไงอยู่ ซึ่งรายังไม่ได้ข่าวจากปากนักแสดงมากฝีมือคนนี้เลย

พูดถึงนักแสดงมากฝีมือแล้ว เราอาจรวมบุรุษสามคนนี้ว่าเป็นนักแสดงมากฝีมือในยุคปัจจุบันด้วยได้ ทั้ง Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp และ George Clooney และที่เราพูดถึงพร้อมๆกันนั้น เพราะทั้งสามคนกำลังเป็นตัวเลือกในหนังเรื่องเดียวกันอย่าง Sinatra อยู่น่ะสิ โปรเจดส์หนังชีวประวัติคนดนตรียิ่งใหญ่ระดับโลก ที่จะถูกกำกับโดยผู้กำกับระดับตำนานเช่นกัน
ย้อนไปในเดือนพฤษภาคม Universal ได้รับสิทธืสร้างหนังเรื่องนี้มาจาก Mandalay Picture และวางตัว Martin Scorsese ให้มากำกับชีวิต Frank Sinatra ฟังดูเป็นงานช้างที่น่าสนใจมาก ทั้งเนื้อเรื่องคนใหญ่คนดังและเรื่องราวที่ย้อนไปในอดีต ล้วนเป็นองค์ประกอบในหนังมาร์ตินมาแล้วเท่านั้น คำถามที่น่าสนใจต่อมาคือใครจะได้รับบทนี้ และจากตัวเลือกสามคนที่ได้ฟังมา ล้วนน่าสนใจไปคนละแบบครับ และมีความเป็นไปได้ในแบบที่ต่างกันออกไป

ถ้าถามตัวผู้กำกับมาร์ตินเอง เขาก็ต้องการ Leonardo DiCaprio นักแสดงที่ร่วมงานกันบ่อยมากในระยะหลังๆ และไปกันได้ดีสุดๆ รวมทั้งหนังเรื่องใหม่อย่าง Shutter Island ด้วย

และถ้าถามสตูดิโอ ซึ่งหลังจากได้ผ่านสายตาไปกับ Johnny Depp ในบทบาทจอมโจรผู้ยิ่งใหญ่ใส่หมวกใส่สูทหรู ดูเข้าท่าสำหรับบทนี้ไม่น้อยเช่นกัน

แต่ถ้าถามลูกสาวของ Sinatra เอง เธออยากได้นักแสดงมากฝีมือและอาวุโสด้วยอย่าง George Clooney ครับ

และในเรื่องนั้น ทีมงานเลือกที่จะใช้เสียงของ Sinatra เอง โดยที่ไม่ต้องใช้ความสามารถในการร้องเพลงของนักแสดง แต่อาศัยความเนียนเป็นพอ เหมือนที่ Marion Cotillard ทำใน La Vien Rose นั่นเอง ทำให้ความสนใจในการเลือกคนแสดงในตอนนี้พุ่งไปที่ความเหมือนและกิริยาท่าทางมากกว่าความสามารถอื่นๆ

แหล่งข่าวบอกมาว่า DiCaprio ที่ร่วมงานกับผกก.มาแล้วหลายครั้งอาจไม่ได้บทนี้หากดูจากเกณฑ์ข้างต้น ส่วน Depp นั้น เราได้เห็นเขาทั้งในเสื้อผ้าหน้าผม และการโชว์พลังเสียงใน Sweeney Todd มาแล้ว รวมทั้งสามารถแสดงด้านมืดอย่างที่สตูดิโอออกมาด้วย และยังเป็นนักแสดงที่งานชุกมาๆในปัจจุบันด้วย อาจจะเป็นตัวเลือกที่ดีได้  ส่วนที่มีชื่อ Clooney ติดโผมานั้น เพราะลูกสาวของแฟรงค์ต้องการให้หนังโฟกัสมาที่งานเพลง ไม่ใช่เรื่องของความรุนแรง เพศ และอาการดื่มเหล้าหนักๆ เธอเลยคิดว่าคลูนี่ย์อาจช่วยทำให้พ่อของเธอในเรื่องดูอ่อนโยน สุภาพขึ้นมาได้ แต่แน่นอนว่าสตูดิโอต้องการทั้งด้านดีและด้านร้าย Depp จึงมาวินในการจะได้บทนี้ไปในณ วินาทีนี้ และถ้านี่เป็นจริง คงไม่ต้องบอกนะว่ามันจะน่าสนใจมากๆแค่ไหน

I’ll make it ANYWHERE!

New York, NY – 04 November 2009 – the final hours of my 23rd birthday were dwindling simultaneously as the Yankees were closing in on the Phillies to snatch the trophy for World Series Champions 2009.  Upon clinching the final out of the Series, Bar None (yes, I’m classy like that) erupted with joy and passion – the most intense energy you could possibly imagine.  Strangers wrapped their arms around each other as this great city’s theme song blasted at high frequencies:

Start spreadin’ the news, I’m leavin’ today.  I wanna be a part of it: New York, New York!

Yeah yeah yeah – we’ve all heard these words before, the melody is nice, Sinatra’s voice is exquisite, so the tune is slightly embedded in our souls.  But something about this particular moment stands above the average experience: strangers swayed left and right with plastic cups of warm, piss-like beer raised high into the air, a common gesture of glory and domination, smiling at times, screaming the words at other times.  But time stopped the moment Frank belted, If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere! Every single soul sang that line with absolute honesty and conviction.  Those two seconds served as the most magical moments of the evening, reducing me to tears.  For the first time in almost 4 whole years of living here, I felt like a New Yorker.

Let’s face it, New York City is no cake walk for anyone.  People that move here typically have dreams.  They tend to be overly ambitious, self-driven, highly motivated individuals who will never settle for anything less than the best.  This city is competitive and requires a tough exterior, but if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

This is the positivity that I have been preaching for months: the light to your fire, the push to your shove, the whatever-it-is-that-will-get-you-outta-bed-and-into-your-life!  Am I saying that in order for you to “make it” you must move to the Big Apple?  Absolutely not.  Allow me to draw a little analogy for you:

Finding success in New York City is equal to the greatest thing imaginable to you at any given moment in time.  This is something that is certainly attainable, but only if you are willing to dedicate your life to getting there.  One person may want most in life to get married and raise a gorgeous family.  One may want to be President.  One may want to buy out Heinz Ketchup and outsource all of the workers to Mexico – oh, wait, that already happened!

This “ultimate” goal must have high value, because once you finally accomplish this desire, once you’ve successfully climbed up the hill and travelled over the hump, you can do anything in the world of which your little heart dreams.  Nothing is impossible so long as you always leave your house wearing your wings of positivity.

Soar my angels.  Have faith in what you do.  If you don’t like where you are headed, remember that you are in the driver’s seat.  Take a detour.  Turn around.  Fly against the wind.

Stay Blessed,

Bry

So proud to live in the greatest city in the world!

For my paper I will focus on Frank Sinatra’s career from around 1935-1960’s and how it affected his fans.  Sinatra had a huge impact on that generation and his career reflected that.  I’m really interested in finding out just why his career “died” and was “reborn” in the ’50s.  I plan on watching the movie credited with revitalizing his career, From Here to Eternity (Zinneman 1953) for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and The Man with the Golden Arm (Preminger 1955) for which he was nominated for Best Actor.  His appeal to teenage girls revealed a whole new audience for his genre of music which was mainly targeted towards adults before that time.  I really don’t know all that much about his career, other than his hit single’s that everyone knows, so I’m looking forward to learning more about how people perceived him and his public image.  I’m also looking forward to exploring his associations with organized crime and how that affected his followers.  He was the source of much adoration as well as much gossip for his activities during this time. I plan on consulting the Chicago Tribune, LA times, NY times, Variety and Time magazine, as well as my grandmother who was a huge fan and went to a lot of his concerts, to gather information for the paper.

Amigos, la CiudadenLlamas cumple con esta 100 entradas y hemos querido celebrarlo por todo lo alto.

Es un orgullo poder ofrecer otra pieza cocinada en nuestras mazmorras con ayuda de google images. Se trata de Moon River, una de las más bellas canciones jamás escritas, arregladas e interpretadas.

Música: Henry Mancini

Letra: Johnny Mercer

Voz: Frank Sinatra

Con todos ustedes, La Voz.

Por supuesto, va dedicado a Juan sin Tierra, insigne colaborador gastronómico de éste nuestro blog. No llores, Jon.

Como habéis podido notar, los subtítulos han sido todo un embrollo logístico que hemos tratado de solventar con imaginación. A pesar de que a veces se superponen blanco con blanco y negro con negro, garantizamos que a la hora de cantar con Frank, no tendréis ningún problema. Haced la prueba. ¡LaCiudadenLlamas también es un blog que anima a cantar!

Por cierto, que hubo algún problema y Youtube rechazó en un principio el vídeo a petición del dueño del copyright. Sin embargo, después de reclamar, bastante indignado, la verdad, pues está claro que este blog no tiene ánimo de lucro, y sí de difusión de opiniones, noticias y cultura, youtube ha decidido acceder a publicar nuestro karaoke en llamas. Si en lo sucesivo el video fuera de nuevo retirado, rogamos nos lo hagan saber mediante un comentario.

LaCiudadenLlamas quiere agradecer al intrépido lector su tiempo y su interés, al igual que su participación. Desde el principio se quiso elaborar aquí un espacio acogedor con el amigo, correcto con el discrepante e implacable con el despotismo y la idiocia de la vida pública.

Y que nadie piense que esto se acaba. LaCiudadenLlamas sigue al pie del cañón, y tiene preparada para mañana una batería de artículos y entradas motivados por las noticias más indignantes que imaginarse pueda. O sea, nada nuevo bajo el sol.

Hasta mañana, amigo e intrépido lector.

The new album from Jonny Blu, “Taboo!” is officially available now!!!
Exclusively at CDBaby.com and Amazon.com!
*and get a free mp3 of the unreleased track “Fascination” with CDBaby order!

Go to: www.jonnyblumusic.com (click below)

And the best thing is that there are 23 Tracks on the album! Including all the instrumentals and 3 Bonus Tracks with 2 Songs in Spanish and one duet!

Album Description:

“Taboo!” was 2 years in the making! It is an amazing mix of classic “Latin Standards” with my own contemporary spin and some stellar arrangements by the extraordinary Bob Malone. Tunes like Babaloo, Taboo and Frenesi will have you swingin’ the night away, while smooth vocals and instrumentals on songs like Be True To Me, Amor and Besame Mucho will have you swooning and makin’ you think ooh-wee… the whole album, including the bonus instrumentals will be a new standard in your music world.

If you happen to know any radio stations in your area that may be the right format for playing my music then give ‘em a call and lettem’ know that you wanna hear Jonny Blu!

If you like artists like Michael Bublé, Norah Jones, John Mayer, Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall, and Jamie Cullum, you will love the music of Jonny Blu!

FOR THE OFFICIAL TRACKLIST AND ALBUM DETAILS GO TO: WWW.JONNYBLUMUSIC.COM

[embed]http://jonnyblu.com/music/taboo/Babaloo-Jonny-Blu.mp3[/embed]

Can Jonny Blu compete with Michael Bublé and Jamie Cullum in the Swing/Pop music market?

(polls)

Today EMI/Capitol continues its “From the Capitol Vaults” series where the major record label reissues long out of print vinyl records of essential albums. These come on thick, 180-gram slabs of wax in packaging that mimics the original release. Sometimes there are nice bonuses, like the large posters reproducing the Roxy Music covers or the liner notes in the newly reissued Faust IV album.

Also released in this series are:

The Band’s Cahoots and Stage Fright

The Beach Boys’ Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) and Today!

Frank Sinatra’s Come Dance With Me!, Come Fly With Me, and In The Wee Small Hours.

                            

The series was also to include David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs, and Young Americans, however their release dates have been pushed back to Jan. 26, 2010.

Speaking if the Bowie reissues, a source at the label told me that the sources used for these are all digital. Specifically, for Diamond Dogs, they used the digital master from 1999, Young Americans, comes from the 2007 digital master and Aladdin Sane, the 2003 digital master. So no official, reissued Bowie vinyl has yet to be sourced from the original analog master tapes and none are planned for the near future. I have the Space Oddity reissue coming on the way from the label (it’s due for release on Nov. 17), so it’s a wait and see on that.

But back to the current releases… For me, the gem in this batch is the Faust record. I’m not denying the importance of the other releases, which are definitely popular classics for many, but, as a hardcore fan of Krautrock musik, Faust IV blew my mind. Before listening to this album all the way through I had only given Faust cursory listens: a track here and there. But a few listens of this gorgeous slab of wax, has made it one of my all-time favorite records from the scene, not to mention the early 70s in general (Here’s my review).

I’ve bought many records in the series, including most of the Radiohead reissues and all the Roxy Music reissues, and have been impressed with the sound quality of these reissues. The records barely make any noise at all, and they are up there in pressing quality with the likes of releases from Matador Records, who clearly are affectionate about their vinyl pressings. However, as I have noted, some “Capitol Vaults” records do come from digital sources instead of the ideal source of the original analog master tapes, which hold much more realistic depth to the music as compared to the compressed sound of digitally stored music.

I plan to investigate further as to the sources of all the records in this series. At least in the case of the Faust album, I had to open the record and read through the tiny liner notes to learn the source.

In 1969 he had a substantial hit with ”My Way,” an adaptation of a French ballad, ”Mon Habitude,” by Claude Francois, Jacques Revaux and Giles Thibaut, with English lyrics by Paul Anka. Along with ”New York, New York,” which he recorded for a three-disk set, ”Trilogy: Past, Present, Future” (1980), it became one of the signature songs of his later years.

The moment when Sinatra and his style of music seemed the least fashionable was in the late 1960’s, when the youthful rock counterculture dominated popular music. Sinatra was no fan of rock-and-roll, having once dismissed it as music ‘’sung, played and written for the most part by cretinous goons.”

He did make tentative efforts to adapt to changing styles, trying his hand at songs by Jim Croce, Jimmy Webb, Neil Diamond, Neil Sedaka, John Denver, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Peter Allen, Billy Joel and the Beatles, among others. But even singing soft rock, he never sounded entirely comfortable.

His surprise marriage in 1966 to the actress Mia Farrow, then 21 (30 years his junior), seemed in part to be a search for a youthful connection. They were divorced in 1968.

As a film actor, Sinatra continued to work steadily through the 1960’s. Besides his Rat Pack jaunts, his films included ”Come Blow Your Horn” (1963), ”Von Ryan’s Express” (1965), ”Tony Rome” (1967), ”The Detective” (1968) and ”Dirty Dingus Magee” (1970).

Retirement? Could It Be? Doing That His Way

In June 1971, Sinatra announced his retirement during a gala concert at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, but it lasted only two years. He returned with the album ”Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back,” the title of which gave him his last show business nickname.

In 1976 he married for the fourth time, to Barbara Blakely Marx, who had been married to Zeppo Marx. She survives him, along with his daughters, his son and two grandchildren.

His recordings and films became less frequent. In 1980, after a six-year hiatus, he released ”Trilogy: Past, Present, Future,” a concept album in which a Gordon Jenkins oratorio imagined the singer as an intergalactic traveler. It was followed by the moody ”She Shot Me Down” (1981) and the jazzy ”L.A. Is My Lady” (1984).

Sinatra returned to film in 1977 with a television movie, ”Contract on Cherry Street,” which was poorly received, as was his last major Hollywood role, as an aging detective in ”The First Deadly Sin” (1980). In 1984, he briefly appeared as himself in ”Cannonball Run 2.” For his 75th birthday in 1990, Capitol and Reprise each released extensive, elaborately packaged Sinatra retrospectives. Columbia had released a six-disk anthology four years earlier.

Sinatra worked vigorously for the 1980 Presidential campaign of his close friend Ronald Reagan, and produced and directed a three-hour inaugural gala that was shown in an edited form on television in 1981. In 1985 he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.

Even after he stopped making records and movies, Sinatra continued to give concerts. In the early 1980’s, he was paid $2 million for four concerts in Argentina and $2 million for nine concerts in Sun City, South Africa. Sun City appearances by Sinatra, who had always supported civil rights causes, drew sharp criticism from anti-apartheid groups.

In 1982, he signed a $16 million three-year contract with the Golden Nugget Hotel in Atlantic City. In 1988 and 1989, Sinatra was still listed in Forbes magazine as among the 40 richest entertainers, with an annual income estimated at $14 million in 1989 and $12 million in 1988. But when he was required to submit a financial statement to the Nevada Gaming Commission for a renewal of his gambling license in 1981, he claimed a surprisingly modest net worth of just over $14 million.

Sinatra’s life was rocked in 1986 by the publication of ”His Way,” Kitty Kelley’s best-selling unauthorized biography, which focused on his volatile personality, his personal feuds, his streak of violence and his relationships over the years with organized-crime figures. It was a harsh portrait that nevertheless acknowledged Sinatra’s role as a musical icon.

Pernilla Rydmark skiver på bloggen Stjärnkikarn ett trevligt inlägg

När jag gick i skolan fick vi ibland leka en lek om att skriva tillsammans. De gick ut på att skriva början på en text och sedan låta någon annan skriva vidare. Men man fick inte läsa allt som skrevs utan texten veks bort så man bara såg slutorden. Det blev ofta väldigt galna och roliga historier. Jag tyckte detta var jättekul. Här kommer ett tips om en webbtjänst som jag och Kristina testat som leker denna lek.

Frankenstory är en engelsk webbplats. Webbtjänsten erbjuder vem som helst att starta en historia mellan två personer. Du kan skriva två inlägg var på 40 ord vardera.  Det går alldeles utmärkt att skriva på svenska. Man måste ha tillgång till e-post. Det blir en kort men rolig historia. Läs vår saga. Det skulle vara roligt om ni som testar vill skicka in er historia till oss här på  Webbstjärnan så alla kan få läsa.

För den som är lite mer teknikintresserad så är applikationen programmerad i Sinatra.

Stjärnkikarn är en del av tävlingen Webbstjärnan 2010 – Gör en webbplats av skolarbetet och vinn 20 000 kronor. Webbstjärnan erbjuder lärare möjlighet till fortbildning i ämnen som rör webbpublicering.

Sinatra remained a top box office draw for nearly a decade, and his success as both singer and actor led the New York radio personality William B. Williams to nickname him Chairman of the Board of show business. The name stuck for the rest of his long career.

At a time when restraints on sexual and social behavior had begun to loosen a bit, the high-living Sinatra, who enjoyed gambling and womanizing, became in the popular press the embodiment of the swinger, a concept repeatedly invoked by his album titles. In the 60’s, Sinatra appeared to be America’s quintessential middle-aged playboy.

”Ocean’s Eleven” (1960) was the first of three Sinatra films to feature the star surrounded by the hard-drinking, high-living clique — nicknamed the Rat Pack — that included Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop. The group was an outgrowth of a social circle that had centered on Humphrey Bogart, who died in 1957. The Rat Packers would appear together in three more lighthearted capers: ”Sergeants Three” (1962), ”Four for Texas” (1963) and ”Robin and the Seven Hoods” (1964). This was the other side of Sinatra. As carefully as he plumbed his music, after 1960 he seemed largely to be walking through his movies.

Las Vegas Playground And Kennedy Campaign

One of the Rat Pack’s favorite playgrounds was Las Vegas, where Sinatra was a pioneer entertainer. In 1953, he bought a 2 percent interest in the Sands Hotel, and eventually became a corporate vice president. He earned $100,000 a week in his frequent performances at the Sands and used the hotel for recording albums and making movies.

After supporting Adlai Stevenson’s bid for the Presidency in 1956, Sinatra worked avidly for John F. Kennedy in 1960 and supervised the newly elected President’s inaugural gala in Washington in January 1961. But his pro-Kennedy sentiments cooled after the President canceled a weekend visit to Sinatra’s house because the singer had played host to the Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana and his associates. And in 1963, the singer lost his Nevada gambling license after Giancana was seen in the Cal-Neva gambling casino in which the singer held a major interest. The license was restored in 1981. By the 1970’s, Sinatra had turned to the right. He became a supporter of Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

Sinatra’s recording career entered a major new phase when he formed his own record company, Reprise, in late 1960. Since the new label overlapped his Capitol contract, for about a year he recorded for both labels. In 1963, he sold his record company to Warner Brothers, retaining a one-third interest. In association with Warner Brothers, he also set up his own independent film production company, Artanis.

Beginning with ”Ring-a-Ding-Ding!” in 1961 and for the next 20 years, Sinatra recorded more than 30 albums for Reprise. By this time, his voice had hardened and coarsened. Except for ”Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim,” a remarkable 1967 collaboration with the Brazilian songwriter, guitarist and singer in which he sang very softly, his ballad singing tended toward the stentorian, often with a noticeable edge of macho toughness. The coarsening of his voice, however, helped give his singing an extra rhythmic punch.

Looking Back Brings Its Rewards

Increasingly, his albums had a self-consciously retrospective air. ”I Remember Tommy . . .” (1961) looked back to his days with the Dorsey band. ”Sinatra’s Sinatra” (1963) consisted entirely of newly recorded Sinatra favorites.

His 50th birthday in 1965 was celebrated with the release of two deliberately monumental albums, ”September of My Years” and ”A Man and His Music,” an anthology of his career that he narrated and sang. ”September of My Years,” whose title anthem of middle-aged nostalgia was custom-written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen and arranged by Gordon Jenkins, won Grammys for album of the year and best male vocal performance. Sinatra scored a double triumph in 1966 when ”A Man and His Music” was voted album of the year, and ”Strangers in the Night,” his first No. 1 single in 11 years, won record of the year. The string of hits continued with a Top 5 hit, ”That’s Life” (1966), and ”Something Stupid” (1967), a duet with his daughter Nancy.

Klassiker der Filmgeschichte:  Frank Sinatra in “PLÖTZLICH”.

Zuerst dachte ich, es geht irgendwie um Toilettenpapier und dann doch noch gelingenden Stuhlgang nach Einnahme des Eßöffels Leinsamen. Doch dann fragte ich mich, ob das die neue Methode der Deutschlehrer ist, endlich mal die Wortarten ordentlich unter die Leute zu bekommen.

Ich wünsche mir noch mehr Filme, die wie Temporaladverben heißen. Zum Beispiel: Bald! oder Nachher! oder Häufig!

Jetzt! gab es ja schon als Magazin, die haben die Zeichen der Zeit erkannt und sind bei Sinatra auf den Zug aufgesprungen.