Alle andre gjør det, så hvorfor ikke jeg også? Neida, har faktisk tenkt ei stund på å la mine søte lesere få stille meg spørsmål. Jeg synes jo det er så morsomt å lese sånt selv, så derfor utfordrer jeg dere. Hva vil dere vite? Spør om det dere føler for. Kanskje jeg finner ut at jeg vil gi en av mine lesere en liten overraskelse også.

Ellers så hadde jeg siste dag i praksis i går. Det var på samme tid godt og litt vemodig. Vi fikk til og med en liten gave fra praksislæreren vår. En kjempefin glass-skål med lokk, som var fylt med sjokolade. Ble nesten rørt jeg. Kjempekoselig. Det har vært en veldig spennende og annerledes praksis, glad jeg har den erfaringen til senere. I tillegg har jeg nesten kommet halvveis i oppgaven min. Alt føles så mye lettere nå når jeg faktisk er i gang. Hurra for det!

Her har vi en veldig rolig lørdag. Godt etter en lang uke. Har spist taco og sett film nå nettopp. The Aviator. Føler at jeg ble litt skuffet, historien var ikke så engasjerende i grunn. Helt grei film. Nå tenker jeg å ta å kose meg med litt blogglesing mens min kjære spiller fifa. Forresten så har jeg fått dilla på denne sangen her. Den er bare nydelig. Hvordan “feirer” dere halloween?

Kasimir Malevich

The Aviator 1914

Kazimir Severinovich Malevich (Russian: Казимир Северинович Малевич, Polish: Kazimierz Malewicz, Ukrainian: Казимир Северинович Малевич [kazɪˈmɪr sɛʋɛˈrɪnoʋɪtʃ mɑˈlɛʋɪtʃ], German: Kasimir Malewitsch, Belarusian: Казіме́р Мале́віч), (February 23, 1879, previously 1878: see below – May 15, 1935) was a painter and art theoretician, pioneer of geometric abstract art and the originator of the Avant-garde Suprematist movement. Malevich worked in Russia, although he was of Polish descent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazimir_Malevich

The movie that started the love fest between Scorsese and Leo.

The film centers on Hughes’ life from the late 1920s to 1947, during which time he gained success as a film producer and an aviation magnate while simultaneously growing more unstable due to obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Scorsese, one of the best of all directors, has made an enormously entertaining movie about one of the most fascinating American lives but also the saddest. The production here is incredibly ambitious, Scorsese creates early Hollywood movies, stars, and the real-life airplanes. Its also very interesting to see the different types of film stock and colors he uses to reflect various periods in which the movie takes place in. This is a traditional rise and fall story that could’ve gone too many wrong ways but simply stays in the right direction.

The best thing of this movie has to be the great performances from Blanchett and DiCaprio. When playing these real-life figures sometimes actors try to go overboard with trying to act too much like the person their portraying, but these two don’t. Leo does a strongly effective job at playing Howard Hughes and creates this sympathetic character that we feel the need to like, because of all his time put into his film making and planes. Blanchett does the best job because it looks like she is just having a lot of fun, and totally captures the energy that many knew Katherine Hepburn had. The full energy of the film comes from these two performances and what makes the film fully effective and real.

Though the film was boasted with some great direction I thought that the special effects were pretty brassy and could’ve been better, especially when it came to some of the flight scenes. The film itself is 169 minutes and for about 120 I was really entertained but then there were just some really dry spots that didn’t keep me glued to the screen like many others from Scorsese.

The film may not be Scorsese’s best work but it unquestionably a very creative piece of moviemaking.

8/10=Matinee!!!

يوم الأربعاء ليلا .. مررت بذلك الممر المليء الأفلام في محل التأجير .. نفس الأسماء لم تتغير .. لا يتغير فيها شيئا ماعدا كميات الغبار عليها
شاهدت غلاف الفيلم واللي شفت غلافه مرارا وتكرارا على نفس الرف
لا أعلم ماهو سبب التجاهل .. مع انه وعلى الغلاف صورة لـ واحد من الممثلين المفضلين (جدا) عندي

انه الفتى الإيطالي الوسيم .. ليوناردو ديكابريو
أخذت الغلاف في يدي .. هل أستأجره وأشاهده اليوم ؟ .. أم أعيده يكمل تجميعه للغبار حتى ميعاد آخر ؟
بعد تفكير (( لا أعلم لم كل هذا التردد !!؟ )) أخذته معي الى البيت .. وكان هو إختياري لفيلم سهرة الأربعاء

قمت بتجهيز طقوسي الخاصة للمشاهدة عند الـ 12 فجرا
بداية وللأسف لاحظت انه الصورة مو وايدسكرين .. أعرف انها أشياء بسيطة لكن لما تتكلم عن صورة بروعة آفيتور من “كاميرا سكورسيزي” وقتها تتمنى انك تعيش التجربة الكاملة زي ما المخرج يبغاك تشوفها .. وأي شي صغير ممكن يخرب جو الفيلم عليك

وبما إني أخذت الفيلم “على البركة” وما أعرف منه الا الغلاف وماعندي أي خلفيه مسبقة عنه .. فكان ظهور إسم سكورسيزي لوحده على الشاشه كافي إنه يصدمني .. فما بالك بظهور كيت بلانشيت ؟
برأيي انه كل عناصر الفيلم الناجح موجوده بالسطر اللي فوق .. بالإضافة لوجود ديكابريو في دور البطولة

عنصر آخر في الفيلم صدمني .. انا لما أخذت الفيلم من على الرف توقعته فيلم حرب “آخر” .. ديكابريو يروح يحارب وفي آخر الفيلم يرجع لـ العاشقة اللي تنتظره
وأعتقد انه لـ هذا السبب انتظرت كل هذه السنين عشان أعطي الفيلم فرصه

Howard Hughes الفيلم يحكي القصة الحقيقية لـ
… ولا أنا كنت أعرف عنه شي أبدا !
إنصدمت جدا بهالشخصية .. ماتوقعت انه في شخص مو قادر يشوف طموحه أبدا .. لأنه أبعد من انه يقدر يشوفه
وطول حياته وهو يحاول يشوف هالحدود .. وظل إلى آخر لحظة وهو يعمل ويصنع ويدير .. ومات بدون حتى مايشوف حدود ذلك الطموح

ومهما بلغ نجاح أي شخص .. مستحيل يخلو من المشاكل والعقبات .. والكثير من السقطات
وأنا أقصد بالـ “السقطات” هو : السقوط “الفعلي” من السماء إلى الأرض

بالنسبة لي الفيلم عبارة عن التشكيله المتاكملة لعناصر الفيلم اللي أعشقها
إخراج سكورسيزي
إقتباس من شخصية ذات تأثير في التاريخ .. ومناقشة الكثير من محاورها
أعشق جدا جو الأفلام الأربعينية .. والفيلم أخذني في رحلة تاريخيه من العشرينات الى الأربعينات ومابعدها
وجود كيت بلانشيت بدور لا ينسى استحقت التمثال الذهبي عليه
وبطولة ديكابريو
واللي قدم دور لن ينساه  كل عشاق “فتى سكورسيزي المدلل”

بالتأكيد راح أحرص على إقتناء نسخة أخرى من الفيلم تكون بـ كواليتي أفضل .. الإضافه الى خلوها من التقطيعات المزعجة واللي تركت علامات إستفهام كثيرة
والفيلم يستحق وبكل جدارة عشرهـ” تي” الكاملة

10-10

دعوة لـ مشاهدة التريلر

إضافه : أعتذر عن قلة التحديثات .. مشاهدتي قليلة والإخبار شحيحه .. ووقتي ضيق جدا
أحاول جهدي بتقليل فترة الإنقطاعات

]]> http://mysinz.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/convincing-her/ Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:02:15 +0000 Atif Siddiqui http://mysinz.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/convincing-her/

“Something getting in the way, something’s just about to break…” the song starts, and I am writing this blog. Just before doing that, before starting this blog, I went through the many other blogs that were left undone and categorized as draft. There are so many things that would’ve changed my writing style. There are so many things that changed my writing style. I don’t know why am I writing all this. I don’t anyone to read, why should I post it ? There were times when I was happy, but then the definition of happiness varies from person to person. My definition of happiness: A feeling still undefined to me and by me. Had I been able to define happiness, I would’ve done something to achieve it. Or maybe I am doing something to define it.

Life, now, has no meaning. The other night I was talking to God, asking him to reveal me the purpose of my life. Talking to God. This should be the title of this blog. Day before yesterday I watched the movie The Aviator and I realized that Howard Hughes was gifted in many ways, though he suffered a lot for being gifted, but still his achievements were brilliant. The Hercules and all the other crafts that Hughes delivered and didn’t deliver were remarkable. For once, though I have seen that movie many times now, I realized that just like Howard, I made some commitments to myself too. Not the once like he made but something like it. Those commitments can be called a child’s wishlist. But why would a three or four years old child likes a BMW on the first sight. What does he know of luxury and vehicles? What did I know of it? Why would I commit to myself that one day someday I will buy my own luxury sedan. I guess I was unrealistic from the beginning. People often call me idealist, I think both are same for me. The point in life where I am right now, I am far away from affording a new cellphone, let alone any car of that stature. But then what did I get from being honest to myself? I love my work although now I have truly realized why my VP called my field of work as Thankless Job.

Anyways, I am still in office, there is still a lot of work pending but I alone cannot do it, so here I am writing this blog convincing myself that I am utilizing my time. “Where goes the honesty for your work?” A part of me asked me. The other part of me and I know that this blog has an honesty to my work but me and my that other part cannot define how. I guess that I am divided and this whole blog is the result of this division. Whatever me and my division are saying and talking to each other comes up in this blog. God please have mercy.

A friend of mine once said to me that I think too much. It was back in year 2004. I negated her and asked how do I think too much and what made her think that about me? She said that you never take quick decision, you are not happy with your life or anything in it. OK so what? everybody thinks and thinks too much. She said no, if you weren’t thinking too much, you would’ve made quick decisions and be happy for what you have rather than thinking of what you didn’t have. I somewhat agreed to her, because back then I wasn’t divided and I didn’t talk to myself much, so I said to her that I always see the glass half empty. She said see you are not happy with the glass being half full. I asked her do you have a cellphone? She said that she has a cellphone. I asked her do you have an internet connection at home? She said I just took a shower and came online. I asked her do you have a laptop? She said no. I asked her out of these three things what will you buy? A cellphone, an internet connection or a laptop? She said that she’ll buy a laptop. I asked her how is it that you don’t see the glass half empty? She said that I know that I don’t see the glass half empty because I don’t want a laptop. Maybe she was right or I wasn’t in mood of thinking and convincing her on my statement that I am happy and the glass is always half empty, so I ended the topic by simply agreeing to her.

Just now I messaged Srvr asking him if he’s still in the office cause he’s not online on Google Talk. His message came confirming that he is still at work. Anyways that’s it for this blog. I have to change the title of this blog cause this is not talking to God.

by The Great White Gypsy

A Serious Man – Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Set in 1967, this black comedy follows a Jewish professor as he attempts to stop his life from unraveling after his wife announces she wants a divorce. It would appear that the Coen dynasty is back in full swing after their three year hiatus between The Ladykillers (2004) and No Country for Old Men (2007). Though longtime Coen teammates Carter Burwell (composer) and Roger Deakins (cinematographer) are back again, the cast for this one is largely unknown. I can’t wait.
Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed
October 2

Whip It – Directed by Drew Barrymore, Written by Shauna Cross
Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut about a punk rock outcast (Ellen Page) living in small town Texas who rebels by joining an all girl roller derby league. I’m a fan of Page and Barrymore, and though it was filmed almost entirely in Michigan and features an esoteric chick-indie-punk soundtrack, Barrymore managed to get some good names on the roster. Not cast-wise, as Page and Marcia Gay Harden are the only recognizable ones, but she borrowed longtime Wes Anderson cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman, as well as editor Dylan Tichenor (Doubt, There Will Be Blood), and Art Director Kevin Kavanaugh (The Dark Knight, The Prestige). Call me impressed.
Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden
October 2

Zombieland – Directed by Ruben Fleischer, Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Sure, the writers and director of this Americanized Shaun of the Dead are newbies. And yes, British humor often times prevails when put toe to toe (except the Office, Steve Carrell is a silly bitch). But after watching the previews, how can you not smile and say, “Yeah, I’ll see that eventually.”? If for no other reason that watching little miss sunshine kick some zombie ass would be sweet.
Woody Harrelson, Jessie Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone, Amber Heard, Bill Murray
October 2

An Education – Directed by Lone Scherfig,Written by Nick Hornby
Wait…Peter Sarsgaard? In a low profile dramatic role you’ve never heard of until now? Yeah, that sounds about right. About a 17-year-old girl in 1960’s London who abandons her college plans for a wealthy socialite twice her age. You may not recognize any of the names behind the scenes, but Nick Hornby (author, High Fidelity) is enough for me.
Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson, Rosamund Pike
October 9

Couples Retreat – Directed by Peter Billingsley, Written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn
Apparently, Ralphie from A Christmas Story is all grown up and wants to be a director. Starting with a screenplay by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn will either be his ticket to greatness, or a nail in his mediocre comedy coffin. Still, Swingers and Made were great, and the cast in this one has me more than confident. If the plot isn’t obvious by the title, you should not see this movie, you might shoot your eye out (fuck you, you knew it was coming).
Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Ken Jeong, Jean Reno, Faizon Love, Tasha Smith, John Michael Higgins
October 9

Peter and Vandy – Written and Directed by Jay DiPietro
In the style of (500) Days of Summer, this relationship film set in New York City jumps back and forth through time telling the story of how Peter and Vandy went from friends to lovers, and how they ended up as a comfortable, yet manipulative couple. The chemistry between Ritter and Weixler looks good, and Sundance apparently loved it. My only worry is, in a non-linear feature film, editor Geoffrey Richman has been limited to documentaries. Ok, he did Murderball and God Grew Tired of Us, but still, a lot’s riding on this guy’s shoulders. DePietro’s first.
Jason Ritter, Jess Weixler
October 9

Trucker – Written and Directed by James Mottern
James Mottern’s first endeavor gives Monaghan an amazing role as a long distance truck driver who must care for the son she abandoned while his father is in the hospital. Interesting cast (I like Adams and Fillion), and behind the scenes, names like Mychael Danna (composer: (500) Days of Summer, Girl Interrupted) and Lawrence Sher (cinematographer: Garden State, The Chumscrubber) intrigue me. Assuming Monaghan’s role is as great as it appears in the preview, I will make a bold statement: If Melissa Leo can be nominated for Frozen Rivers, this might be Monaghan’s year.
Michelle Monaghan, Benjamin Bratt, Joey Lauren Adams, Nathan Fillion, Jimmy Bennett
October 9

Law Abiding Citizen – Directed by F. Gary Gray, Written by Kurt Wimmer
Gerard Butler’s wife and daughter are killed. The D.A. (Jamie Foxx) gives the murderers a plea bargain. Years later, Butler starts exacting his revenge on everyone involved…from the comfort of his jail cell. Wimmer wrote and directed Equilibrium (freaking awesome), but he also wrote and directed Ultraviolet (freaking garbage). Aside from editor Tariq Anwar (Revolutionary Road, American Beauty), everyone involved is a so-so list of random action film participants. So why would you see this one? Cause it’s Friday…you ain’t got no job…and you ain’t got shit to do.
Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, Viola Davis, Regina Hall
October 16

New York, I Love You – Directed by Faith Akin and Yvan Attal, Written by Emmanual Benbihy and Tristan Carne
I’m sure even the most skeptical among you can’t say you didn’t enjoy Paris, Je T’aime. It was a great cross-sectioning of different views and stories around the city, told by some great directors (The Coen Brothers and Gus van Sant among them). I gotta say, I’m a little disappointed about the young cast and director lineup (where the F are DeNiro and Scorcese?) But as an overall project, I’m really looking forward to this film. With segments directed by Allan Hughes, Shunji Iwai, Wen Jiang, Shekhar Kapur, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Natalie Portman, and Brett Ratner.
Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Shia LaBeouf, Blake Lively, Robin Wright Penn, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen, Christina Ricci, Rachel Bilson, Ethan Hawke, John Hurt, Justin Bartha, James Caan, Maggie Q, Anton Yelchin, Andy Garcia, Chris Cooper, Olivia Thirlby, Drea De Matteo, Julie Christie, Cloris Leachman, Eli Wallach
October 16

Where the Wild Things Are – Directed by Spike Jonze, Written by Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers
Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s story about a boy who invents an imaginary world populated with large creatures who name him King. Jonze hasn’t really done many films (Being John Malkovich and Adaptation), but he’s an accomplished music video director, and with an adaptation by Dave Eggers, he can’t really go wrong. Effects look good, voice casting is solid.
Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, Chris Cooper, Forest Whitaker, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Dano, Lauren Ambrose
October 16

Amelia – Directed by Mira Nair, Written by Ronald Bass and Anna Hamilton Phelan
From the director of The Namesake, this biopic of Amelia Earhart covers her romance with flight, and her rise to the level of cultural icon. Can’t say it looks like anything really spectacular, but Swank has won multiple Oscars, Phelan wrote Girl Interrupted, and The Aviator was warmly received. Look for this to show up on some Academy Award lists regardless.
Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccelston
October 23

Antichrist – Written and Directed by Lars von Trier
Danish director Lars von Trier has won numerous awards for his films. He has also shocked a lot of people not only by his style, but by his tendency to add super realism to his films by actually having the actors doing whatever the characters are supposed to (meaning if there’s a group sex scene, chances are those people are actually having sex on camera). Antichrist is the story of a couple trying to reconnect in a cabin after the death of their son. What happens next is ridiculously graphic, violent, and spiritually disturbing. While the wide theatrical release will no doubt be heavily edited, the uncut version is something you have to see to fully understand.
Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg
October 23

Saw VI – Directed by Kevin Greutert, Written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton
Don’t think I really need to explain this one. Jigsaw’s dead, but we’re gonna try to fit at least four more storylines into the original script. Director is new, writers have worked on the last three Saw films. I’ll see it, but when an original horror franchise with an awesome theme song allows a Texas Chainsaw Massacre motif into their preview, it worries me.
Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Shawnee Smith, Betsy Russell
October 23

(Untitled) – Directed by Jonathan Parker, Written by Jonathan Parker and Catherine DiNapoli
Shelton plays an art gallery director who falls in love with a struggling artist/musician in New York. Should be good for a few laughs if you can’t stand newagepostmodernretroindieavantgardeabstracthipsterbullshit. Also, Vinnie Jones as an artist, and Adam Goldberg kicking a bucket on stage should be hilarious. Rookie writer/director.
Adam Goldberg, Marley Shelton, Vinnie Jones
October 23

Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day – Directed by Troy Duffy, Written by Troy and Taylor Duffy
We’ve had to wait ten bloody years for this film to actually see the light of day. Now it’s here. If you didn’t see the first one (what the hell is wrong with you??) it’s about two Irish brothers who are “called” by God to administer justice and vengeance to society’s scum. I’m actually impressed that after so long on the shelf, the writer/director of the first film is still on board. Can’t freaking wait.
Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Clifton Collins Jr., Julie Benz, Judd Nelson, Billy Connolly, Peter Fonda
October 30

How to Seduce Difficult Women – Written and Directed by Richard Temtchine
Although there are no recognizable names or faces attached to this one, imagine if someone combined Hitch and School for Scoundrels, and then made a GOOD film. The main character, Pierre, decides to teach the ways of French seduction to the floundering American men who have lost the art (stupid French guys with their…sexy accents…). Interspersed with NY street interviews about sex and seduction. Could be interesting.
Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Stephanie Szostak, Jackie Hoffman, Rachel Roberts
October 30

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

The Ministers – Written and Directed by Franc. Reyes
Kinda like Boondock Saints…except Latin. And they’re serial killers. And Leguizamo plays twins. And I’d bet money Keitel gets naked for no reason. Reyes is a weird cat, but he directed Empire and Illegal Tender, which weren’t bad. Leguizamo’s always good, so we’ll see. Rumored limited release date, nothing solid yet.
John Leguizamo, Harvey Keitel, Wanda De Jesus, Florencia Lozano
October 1 (Limited)

Aladin – Written and Directed by Sujoy Ghosh
Shut up and let me talk. Yes, it’s an Indian film. Yes, it appears there is a bit of singing involved. However, the story of Aladin is one of the most widely known and adaptable myths to come out of the area. And the preview actually gives me a Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer) kind of feel. Excuse the hell out of me for trying to broaden your minds. Only release date in India so far. Check it out.
Ritesh Deshmukh, Jaqueline Fernandes, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt
October 23 (India)

Pope Joan – Directed by Sonke Wortmann, Written by Heinrich Hadding
Based on the German novel, this is the story of an English woman born in Germany, who disguises herself as a man and ascends to a seat of power in 9th century Vatican. A German film about gender disguise, and John Goodman’s in it, but Hilary Swank isn’t? That’s so confusing it has to be fattening. Limited release in Germany so far.
David Wenham, John Goodman, Ian Glen
October 22 (Germany)

LaToya Jackson still maintains that her brother Michael Jackson was murdered. And she’s going on a national media tour, showing up on The View, and appearing on 20/20 with Barbara Walters to prove it.

I’ve said before that any one setting great store by LaToya’s or Joe Jackson’s brainless meanderings about someone conspiring to kill Michael need their own heads examined. This isn’t about Michael. It’s about Michael’s money.

Bryan Monroe, former Ebony Magazine editor, who conducted the last official interview with Michael Jackson, has this to say:

In the days after Jackson’s June 25 death, I was inundated with questions and concerns from many who were close to the superstar throughout his life and career. They killed him, they would say to me. They finally did it.

What did they mean? Who were “they?” And who would stand to gain at the death of a legend?

Who indeed? Michael was cash-poor, it is true, but he was NOT a poor man by a long shot.

[...]

Dick Gregory, the civil rights activist and natural health proponent who had been an advisor to Jackson for years, told me that singer was often concerned for his own privacy and safety. In the days before Jackson’s 2005 trial ended, Gregory was abruptly called to come and look after Michael’s deteriorating health. The once-regal superstar was noticeably exhausted, dehydrated, worn out.

“Michael’s mother sent word to me, come quick,” Gregory recalled to me two days after Jackson died. “When I got there, Michael told me, ‘Dick, don’t leave me, they’re trying to kill me.” He never said who “they” were.

Gregory and Jackson ultimately checked into a nearby hospital, after taking a circuitous route that originally had the two driving toward San Francisco, nearly three hours away. “When we got there, they rushed him straight to the emergency room,” Gregory said. “At 5 p.m., they hooked him up to IVs. At 5:15 a.m. the next morning, they were still putting fluids in him. He was fighting for his life. They said if we had waited 12 more hours, he’d have been dead.”

I doubt whether this episode was engineered by John Branca, Frank DiLeo or the others involved as attorneys, executors or managers for Michael Jackson. It’s also identical to an episode I mentioned in an earlier post in which Jackson was said to have nearly suffered an OD. I think the “they” were Jackson’s hangers-on or members of his entourage.

As one reader has written, quoting John Lennon, it is always the courtiers who kill the king; that is, it is always the people immediately surrounding people like Michael Jackson, for whom the word no was in a foreign language, who can inadvertently or not kill or injure a star/celebrity. Just like would-be courtier Dr. Conrad Murray, who keeps repeating that he did nothing wrong. Except to accede, despite common sense, to every manipulation and command Michael Jackson gave, to the point where Michael was infantilized and nearly unable to make a life-saving decision on his own.

How? I remember reading a passage from the writer Eduardo Galeano’s trilogy, Memory of Fire, that one 17th century Spanish Hapsburg king, the product of centuries of inbreeding, died literally on the throne as the nobility around him watched. Why? Because the protocol-bound grandees were forbidden to touch the royal person unless he or she was specifically asked to do so, even as the mentally-retarded monarch convulsed and choked his way into oblivion.

Few of you Gen X, Y, Z remember how the last days of billionaire Howard Hughes were depicted. No, not in the film The Aviator with Leonardo di Caprio. The true Howard Hughes ended his life as a grey-haired, emaciated old man who had long hair and a long beard like Sir Ian McKellen’s Gandalf, but who didn’t bathe or clip his nails and was obsessed with germs. Hughes was showing signs of mental breakdown even when he was married and chasing skirt, including Katherine Hepburn’s, in the 1930s. By the 1950s, sex ended for Hughes, as contact with another human being meant that he had to meet up with germs as well.

Ultimately, he was surrounded by Mormons who gave in to his almost every whim, which were partly fueled by obsessive compulsive behavior. The “Mormon Mafia,” as they were called, allowed him to continue his addictions to codeine and morphine, instead of getting him medical and psychological treatment that he needed. Such treatment would have indeed thrown them out of their jobs, and transferred the Hughes billions to a less pliable relative. Particularly in the case of Hughes, some people still believe that the Mormons surrounding the billionaire were hopeful that he would eventually tithe his billions to their already very rich and conservative and weird American church. So they let him do whatever he wanted.

I am going to say it: Michael Jackson follows the behaviors and situations of both these men, even Elvis. He died just about by his own hand, assisted by incompetents and sycophants.

Michael Jackson was also a drug addict, surrounded by courtiers who would do anything for him. as long as they were able to bask in his presence. That included his pick for personal physician Murray, that shady dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein, and others who haven’t yet been exposed to public view. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Now, just because one is a recurring drug addict, doesn’t mean that s/he would always make mistakes. For example, I don’t think Michael made a mistake in drawing up his will, a will that some in the Jackson family would like to see broken in their favor. I include LaToya Jackson and her father in that picture. They’re pissed because the money didn’t come to them. They only want their mitts on the cash. Frankly, these people shouldn’t measure someone else’s supposed greed on their own grasping.

Let me tell y’all something. I can truly believe that there was conspiracy involved with John and Robert Kennedy’s shootings, and with those of Malcolm X and Martin King. The Sixties, for all of its wonders and triumphs, was a dirty, violent, and turbulent time as well. I can only hope that I live long enough to see and hear what is the truth behind all of these slayings before I leave this lifetime. We needed all of these men; I wish the Universe had spared all their lives.

But you can’t go on just a feeling. Conspiracy is hard to connect and hard to confirm. That’s why there is not just one, but several conspiracies involving all these Saints of the Sixties. LaToya Jackson, from what I understand, didn’t complete higher education. Compared to Janet, her singing career hasn’t followed the same trajectory. Her only claims to fame is that through her book, LaToya, she put the kibosh on all that PR about the Jacksons being a happy family; and that she was close to being pimped out by her manager, Jack Gordon, a representative that her own father, to his detriment, chose for her. Later, Gordon forced LaToya to marry him and physically and emotionally abused the woman. She’s since survived to reinvent herself, but it’s here is where to reverts back to the old LaToya. The only things, I believe, LaToya still has in her favor about this conspiracy-murder theory is a vivid imagination, and how much she wants to show that she’s in with the family. Otherwise, the scenario that LaToya lays out just does not add up.

In order to prove conspiracy, LaToya has to have at her disposal motive(s), names of possible conspirators, phone records, proofs of payoffs, faxes, phone messages, wires. bank statements, records of or witnesses to clandestine meetings, etc., and et al. Particularly, credible witnesses. I don’t think she has access to this kind of thing at all that the cops would be interested in pursuing, unless she really has something up her sleeves. And then again, she would be accused of withholding evidence if she did. I don’t think that she was privy to how Michael drew up his will. I don’t think that she was privy to every change in his household or with his hangers-on.

I know she, like her father, wishes to accuse the executors of Michael’s estate and the AEG people who set up the concert tour. But wishing is not the same as hard facts and reality. Bryan Monroe goes on to say:

Secrecy was also part of the life Michael lived. His close friend and attorney, John Branca, who is also co-administrator of Michael’s estate, recently recovered $5.5 million that the artist had secretly squirreled away with occasional financial advisor Dr. Tohme Tohme, money Jackson wanted hidden away for a rainy day, perhaps to buy his next home.

“He said, ‘Don’t tell anyone about this money,’” Tohme told the Associated Press earlier this month. “But when he passed away, I told them I had this money, and I gave it to them.”

That’s why LaToya was unable to find those garbage bags full of money that Michael used to have at his residences. I think they were long gone, that it was a phase. He changed. Michael no longer needed to have all that cold cash around to prove to himself how powerful or rich he was.

Third, Michael shared something in common with most druggies. He was paranoid. But it wasn’t the CIA or the FBI that was after Michael; at least, not yet that we know of. It was those yes-people close at hand who kept acceding to him until he could only call out for help to someone outside that claustrophobic circle, as with Dick Gregory. It was this same circle and lifestyle that Michael himself helped to create and to whom he returned time and again. He would clean up, and then relapse; rehabilitate himself, and then regress into addiction once more.

Think about how many celebrities and actors and such haven’t been able to get over their addictions, landing back in rehab time and again. La-La Land, Lotos Land or Los Angeles–it’s still a dangerous place in which to be.

I’m sure LaToya stands to gain exposure and money from all these appearances and speechifying. Maybe she really believes what she believes. Maybe she can convince people that there are others who participated in a sinister cabal against her brother. But unless more credible evidence emerges, Michael Jackson is just as much a participant in his homicide as the incompetent Dr. Murray is. Not murder one, but manslaughter. Not conspiracy, but perfectly logical and predictable steps towards oblivion.

As impatient and demanding as a infant, the fifty-year-old Michael told Dr. Murray he wanted his ‘milk,’ which is what he called Diprivan/Propofol.

He got it.

En 2004, le meilleur film de l’année selon les Oscars:

MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Pourquoi ça a gagné: Parce que TOUT LE MONDE aime Clint Eastwood. Parce qu’il est cool, en effet. Et plus il vieillit plus on le vénère. On se prosterne même quand il pond des grosses bouses problématiques. Parce que c’est beau. Parce que ça fait pleurer. Parce que personne ne l’a vu venir, ce film-là. Parce que Mystic River l’année précédente.

Mon choix:

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

Pourquoi: Parce que Charlie Kaufman est un génie. Parce qu’il est un intellectuel et un artiste, qui parle au cerveau et au coeur en même temps. Parce qu’il ne fait pas semblant d’être original. Parce que peu de films traitent des rapports amoureux de façon adulte. Parce que n’importe quel être doué de raison ne peut que s’émerveiller devant tant d’acuité et de poésie déjantée.

Meilleur Réalisateur:

Clint Eastwood
pour Million Dollar Baby

Pourquoi il a gagné: Voir ci-dessus.

Mon choix:

Jonathan Glazer
pour Birth

Pourquoi: Parce que voilà un film risqué. Parce qu’il n’a pas eu peur de prendre son sujet très très au sérieux. Parce qu’il sait mettre en place une atmosphère en un plan. Parce que la précision et l’assurance de sa mise en scène me font crier ‘KUBRICK!’ Parce que ce gros plan de plusieurs minutes sur le visage de Nicole Kidman. Parce qu’il a été hué a Venise ET à Deauville.

 Meilleur Acteur:

Jamie Foxx
dans Ray

Pourquoi il a gagné: Parce que BIOPIC! Personnage célèbre! Transformation physique (il porte des lunettes c’est pas rien), mimétisme (la voix! oooooh!). Parce que Ray Charles, et que tout le monde aime Ray Charles. Parce qu’il chante EXACTEMENT comme Ray Charles (sans blague cousine, c’est du play-back). Parce qu’il lui ressemble troooooozzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… Réveillez moi quand c’est fini.

Mon choix:

Jim Carrey
dans Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Pourquoi: Parce qu’il arrive à rendre inoubliable un type ordinaire. Parce que sa douleur est si palpable qu’elle fait mal. Parce que malgré sa sobriété, chaque émotion s’imprime avec clarté sur son visage. Parce qu’on ne sent jamais le comique qui veut faire l’acteur sérieux. Parce que Man on the Moon et The Truman Show.

Meilleure actrice:

Hilary Swank
dans Million Dollar Baby

Pourquoi elle a gagné: Parce qu’elle joue une battante et que ça force l’admiration (cf. Rocky). Parce qu’elle joue une victime et que tout le monde a de la peine pour son personnage. Parce qu’elle meurt à la fin, et que tout le monde pleure. Parce que Clint.

Mon choix:

Kate Winslet
dans Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Pourquoi: Parce que comme je le disais ici: “Sa Clémentine Kruczynski, à l’image de ses cheveux qui changent de couleur toutes les trois scènes, est une boule de contradictions, à la fois insaisissable et lumineuse, et Kate, maintenant un équilibre miraculeux entre comédie et drame, et refusant de se plier aux canons de la comédie romantique, façonne une figure vigoureuse, incarnée et fantaisiste, rappelant plus les modèles des années 30-40 de Claudette Colbert ou Barbara Stanwyck que les ersatz édulcorés de ces dernières années.” Parce que c’est Kate Winslet. Parce que Heavenly Creatures, Raisons et Sentiments, Jude, Hamlet, Titanic, Holy Smoke, Quills, Iris…

Meilleur second rôle masculin:

Morgan Freeman
dans Million Dollar Baby

Pourquoi il a gagné: Parce que c’est Morgan Freeman, légende vivante, et qu’il n’avait toujours pas gagné, malgré trois nominations. Parce que ce rôle est une synthèse de tous ses autres rôles.

Mon Choix:

Morgan Freeman
dans Million Dollar Baby

Pourquoi: Parce qu’avec rien d’autre que sa présence, il fait du narrateur, l’observateur en retrait, le personnage le plus poignant du film. Parce que sa voix donne des frissons. Parce que personne ne l’a aussi bien filmé que Clint.

Meilleur second rôle féminin:

Cate Blanchett
dans The Aviator

Pourquoi elle a gagné: Parce qu’elle joue Katharine Hepburn, authentique star de cinéma (BIOPIC!). Parce que le mimétisme (la VOIX! C’EST K(c)ate Hepburn!) Parce que c’est Cate Blanchett, la nouvelle Meryl Streep, et que oups, elle n’a toujours pas d’Oscar parce que oups, en 98, plutôt que de la sacrer pour Elizabeth, on a trouvé ça plus judicieux d’oscariser Gwyneth Paltrow. La gêne.

Mon choix:

Cate Blanchett
dans The Aviator

Pourquoi: Parce que sa maîtrise technique est ahurissante, mais ça n’est pas son seul atout : pour réussir à incarner la femme la plus charismatique de l’histoire du cinéma, il faut avoir soi-même une dose de charisme comparable pour ne pas se ridiculiser (voir Kate Beckinsale dans le même film): ça tombe bien, Cate en a à revendre. Parce qu’elle donne un telle énergie au film que lorsqu’elle est à l’écran, plus rien d’autre n’existe.

Martin Scorsese’s – The Aviator (2004)

Martin Scorsese’s biopic of the entrepreneur and aviator Howard Hughes is a marvelous, entertaining, and interesting look into the life of one of the most unique, oddest, and accomplished individuals ever to capture and live in the public eye; all grounded by an extraordinary performance by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Howard Hughes was the heir to a fortune that came from drill bits in Texas but he moved on to bigger and brighter lights in Hollywood with the dream of making movies in between his love for flying. Fueled by his dream to build the fastest planes possible and the most successful films of their age Hughes found much success and translated that into romances with the biggest Hollywood starlets of his age. He was able to accomplish all of the even while his mind slowly faded into madness due his OCD and germ phobia that would plague the later years of his life and almost destroy his reputation when trying to take on the government and Pan Am in their historic dispute over the monopoly of the sky.
The film is one of Scorsese’s best looking to date and pops with rich colors that take you back to filmmaking of the day. The color in the film is actually quite intriguing as Scorsese made the pallet look only as good as the color photography of the year the scene takes place in throughout the film. So greens have a bluish tint and so on and so forth, giving the film a unique and timely look that lends itself to encapsulating us into the era of Hollywood the film constantly intertwines with. The scenes in the air are also equally impressive with some fantastic CG work and a real sense of excitement, terror, and speed depending on the situation.
With a number of amazing scenes to site in the film we can’t really take the time to mention them all. Though one of my favorite sequences of the decade came from this film and that is the scene in which he goes for the air speed record with his long engineered plane that we follow through its multiple interpretations leading up to its big day. Howard Shore’s magnificent score, the cinematography, and the editing of the scene all some together in a real think of beauty as we see Hughes finally take his baby for spin and culminating in a crash in a beat field that is almost to amazing to believe. A couple other scenes of note, the in the air filming of Hell’s Angels, the spy plane crash, and the Hepburn family dinner are the real standout scenes but the film flows so well it is almost hard to discern one from another.
DiCaprio in this film will go down as one of the truly great and amazing performances of his much herald career. He become Hughes, from his voice, his attitude, his mannerisms, he just nails it. You never feel like you are watching an actor his performance just grabs you by the neck and pulls you along for the ride. Scorsese was also able to assemble an incredible supporting cast around his lead. Cate Blanchett becomes Katharine Hepburn capturing everything about her that never feels like she is just doing an impersonation as she is effectively emotional as well. Her portrayal, along with DiCaprio’s, are so natural it makes the experience seem just that much more realistic. Alec Baldwin is nasty and a lot of fun as Pan Am C.E.O. Juan Trippe, plotting to stop Hughes and his growing TWA, Baldwin gets to play an unconventional villain in the film. Baldwin’s Trippe is supported by the just as excellent Alan Alda as the smearing Senator Brewster leading the Hughes hearings. Alda is so good in a lunch meeting with Hughes where the two are sizing each other up as the friendly fronts slowly erode into a lacing of the gloves before the big event. The back and forth between Alda and DiCaprio is also just perfect at the hearings exposing Brewster for the weak puppet he is. The rest of the cast is just as good and rounded out by a number of superiorly talented individuals in roles both big and small, John C. Reilly, Ian Holm, Kate Beckinsale, Jude Law, Danny Huston, Adam Scott, Matt Ross, they are all just great and playing on the level by the others around them.
The Aviator’s greatest accomplishment is its ability to capture the essence of this individual, Hughes, in less than three hours. His paranoia, his love for women, his oddness, and his secrecy, his amazing skills as an aviator and engineer, the list can go on and on. You really feel like you got a fantastic look into the life of this man and why he is the way he is. And you sit back and marvel and all that he was capable of accomplishing with so many issues to overcome. Constantly on the verge of sinking the ship, he would right his course and find a way to move on.
In the end, The Aviator is one of the finer biopics in a decade littered with them and is a wonderful filmmaking experience that takes you back to the days of old. Grounded by an A++ performance by DiCaprio, Scorsese and his amazing supporting cast fill in the rest as they created a wonderful and brilliant film to enjoy for years to come. Should be a go to film on how to craft a winning biopic and is a crown jewel in the crowded crown upon Scorsese’s talented head.

Mark Fujii – CollegeNews.com
   During Epic Games’ Gears of War Panel at Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego California, the director, Len Wiseman, and writer, Chris Morgan, of the upcoming film adaptation shared some details with fans about potential casting selections for the movie.

According to IGN, amongst the prospects to play Maria, the wife of one of the game’s protagonists, Dominic Santiago, Len Wiseman said he was interested in British actress Kate Beckinsale.

   “If I can convince [Kate Beckinsale]—and I think I have a shot—I’d love to see that,” said Wiseman. He is also currently married to Beckinsale. Minor detail, that.

Though best known for her more dramatic roles in films like The Aviator and Pearl Harbor, Beckinsale is no stranger to making action flicks either. She starred in 2003 action movie Underworld as a sultry, leather clad vampire, and co-starred opposite Hugh Jackman in 2004’s Van Helsing.

   However, contrary to Internet rumors that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would be starring in a Gears of War movie, Wiseman was quick to announce they were currently not pursuing the former WWE wrestler.

   “A Doom connection would not be smart for us,” said Wiseman, referring to the 2005 film adaptation of the classic PC shooter franchise which was a box office flop. The Doom movie starred recognizable actors like Johnson and Karl Urban, but was scorned by critics and currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes rating of only 20%.

Wiseman said he wasn’t looking to “throw a bunch of strongmen into the ring and see who comes out victorious… I’m looking for an actor for the role and then put him into shape,” according to IGN.

   Wiseman also added that he’s “always thinking who could play the best Marcus [the leading protagonist in Gears of War]. You want to get hooked into the character and then all the amazing spectacle.”

In addition to talking about some of the casting choices for Gears of War, the game’s executive producer, Rod Ferguson, talked about how they were taking steps to avoid the failures of past video game movies.

“You can be too tied to what is the game,” Ferguson said.

   Ferguson then elaborated that creators “so oriented at grabbing the gaming audience, we don’t leave behind what shouldn’t be in the movie. We’re about making the best movie possible, not about making Gears of War the game into a movie” before adding that previous movie-game adaptations “haven’t been willing to let go.”

According to Ferguson, Epic Games, developers of the Gears of War video game series gave the film’s director and writer “basic stuff that are important” but otherwise only requested that Wiseman and Morgan “”make the best movie possible that fits [their] medium.”

   One change that gamers could see in the movie that differs from the video game is the appearance of female COG soldiers. In the Gears of War video games, the cast is almost exclusively male. When asked if women soldiers would play a bigger part in the film than in the games, Wiseman said, “I’d love to see it happen. I’m a big supporter of that.”

   Though a script or a firm plot has yet to be written out, Morgan told Comic-Con attendees that “Emergence Day is making its way into the film. That will be big.”

Emergence Day is a pivotal moment in the Gears of War video game’s storyline where an alien race called The Locust dig their way to the planet’s surface and begin waging war on humanity.

   However, Emergence Day takes place before the events of the first Gears of War game, leading many to believe that the movie will be a prologue for the series rather than a sequel.

Len Wiseman’s last film as director was for Live Free or Die Hard; Morgan is known as the writer for the Angelina Jolie shooter Wanted.

“Tall…. Terrific…. and Trouble!” screamed the ad line for “The Outlaw,” the 1943 film that introduced the world to Jane Russell – and her spectacular cleavage.

Millionaire Howard Hughes produced and directed the film specifically to challenge Hollywood censors and the notorious Hayes Code. After an extensive talent hunt, he discovered Russell working in his dentist’s office and cast her as “Rio,” the love interest for Billy the Kid played by Jack Buetel.

Russell, who is now 88, tells me that the most memorable part of her film debut was, “the fact that a picture that should’ve taken eight weeks to make took nine months. Howard had never directed a film before and we thought he should never do another.” He never did.

“He was a nice guy and very polite, but he made us do take after take after take,” she says. “Jack and I didn’t know any better because we had never done a film before, but Thomas Mitchell finally flipped his wig. He screamed at Howard, stormed up and down, threw his hat on the floor and stomped on it. Howard looked up and said, ‘Tom, did you say something?’ Jack and I were in hysterics.”

Hughes also designed a bra for Russell to wear in the film, or as she puts it: “He tried. I threw it under the cot in the dressing room and never wore it. He was trying to make a smooth bra without seams, which they now have. He really was a brilliant man.”

Jane Russell & Adam Sandel

“The picture that couldn’t be stopped!” had its premiere in San Francisco. “It was jam-packed because people wanted to see this ‘naughty’ picture,” says Russell. “But there was only one scene with some bosom in it – when I had to lean over Jack. It’s rated PG today. Now you get cleavage from the back and the front!”

For the premiere engagement, Hughes planned for the stars to perform a live scene on stage before the film. “They had this big beautiful curtain with leaves on it and as it was going up, the curtain got stuck at about Jack’s knees and that was it,” she says.

“As we went back to the hotel, Howard was hanging off the cable car and he felt so bad because we never got to see the picture because it was so packed. We finally got in and sat on the steps in the balcony,” she says. “The ushers tried to kick us out but we said, ‘We’re Jane and Jack and we haven’t seen the picture yet’ so they let us stay.”

When Hughes’ life was immortalized in Martin Scorsese’s 2004 film “The Aviator,” to research his role as Hughes, Leonardo DiCaprio paid Russell a visit in her Santa Barbara home. “Leo wanted to know what Howard was like. He asked me about his mannerisms and he was very dear.”

A Girl’s Best Friend

One of Russell’s most memorable films was “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” the 1953 musical in which she starred with Marilyn Monroe.

"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"

“It was Marilyn’s first starring role but I’d been doing it for years,” says Russell. “She was like my little sister. She was always nervous about going out on the set so I’d go to her dressing room and take her out with me.”

“She was constantly reading and working with her acting coach every night,” says Russell. “After each take she would look to her acting coach, not at the director Howard Hawks. Directors don’t like that so Hawks had her acting coach taken off the set.”

Russell recalls that Monroe was painfully insecure throughout the shooting of the film. “After she did a love scene with Tommy Noonan, somebody asked him what it was like to kiss Marilyn Monroe and he said, ‘It was like being eaten alive.’ When Marilyn heard that she burst into tears and ran into her dressing room. She was just very vulnerable.”

Having worked with many Hollywood legends, Russell says it’s hard to choose her most memorable co-star. “Robert Mitchum, Clark Gable, Richard Egan… I had a ball with all of them.”

Or as Howard Hughes reportedly said of Jane Russell’s success: “There are two good reasons why men go to see her. Those are enough.”

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Funky Beefy Cool

I normally wouldn’t talk about brands if I didn’t believe in them, but this historical brand certainly has something to say! With classic, stunning ‘masculine’ lines that will leave broken hearts in your tracks, this exceptional fashion brand creates its timeless pieces from the highest grade of leather. I nearly passed out on the smell of ‘cow’ when I visited the London store so I know this to be true. I could have stayed in their all day gazing at the craftsmanship of each piece, but had a date with Emily Blunt so had to move on.

If you’ve never heard of Belstaff, then you are well behind the times. Belstaff has been around since 1924 and has dressed everyone from James Dean to Steve McQueen, as well over 70 Hollywood stars in films, including the Academy Award winning The Aviator and the upcoming Terminator 4, Harry Potter the Half Blood Prince and Amelia Earheart.

Initially designed for motorcyclists and aviators, Belstaff was the first fashion company that made waterproof garments for men and women (waxed cotton). Its logo is the Phoenix rising, resembling the continuity through times of good and bad. And we all know how bad they are right now – but Belstaff has had a killer year with new designs showing on the European Runways.

Tip; Wear one of these rockstar leather jackets over an organic cotton T, with Ksubi jeans and distressed Blundstones. Choose to wear a belt, and if so – make it the original green and red Gucci strip – perfect.

In 3rd place is a fantastic actor (who in my view is underrated for his acting) . . . Leonardo DiCaprio.

Yes I very much was “one of those girls” when Titanic came out and was totally in love with Leo. He was just WOW and I was only 10! Probably one of the first big celebrity crushes that I really had. I was not one of the girls who went to see Titanic over 10 times though, I went once and have to admit I did not cry back then . . . but now I cry my eyes out and beg Kate not to let him go. They were meant to be and he was drifting away, ok yes I have become softer with stuff like that since I have gotten older . . .

Before Titanic he had some fantastic roles in which is showed how great an actor he was and could be. But Titanic kinda put him with so many female fans I think for years it had a negative effect on his career. He was more dubbed a pretty boy rather than an actor which I have always felt sorry for him, but now he is older he has more than proven how fantastic of an actor he is. Working a lot with Martin Scorsese, and not really working with anyone else, he helped him grow up in the roles he was getting.

So when he was young he was cute, when Titanic hit he became hot and sexy. Also as Romeo around that time too, he really was the perfect choice and at least he was getting young girls to watch Shakespeare right? haha. But now I really think he is sexier than he was when he was younger, he has grown up and is still a very hot man.

I have really enjoyed his more recent movies for his acting ability such as “The Departed” in which he really enthralled and had you routing for him. Being able to act the way he did with Jack Nicholson also on the screen and manage to hold you really is fantastic. “Revolutionary Road” being the other role which really made me say WOW he is an incredible actor, he had a certain innocence in that role. Being back on screen with Kate again both far away as possible from their Titanic characters, married and having unreal arguments nearly all the time. They both put so much into those roles and really should have been Oscar nominated!

I really do think Leo will win an Oscar at some stage, he has already had 3 nominations for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”, “The Aviator” and “Blood Diamond”. I am yet to see the first two (in netflix queue) and he was incredible in “Blood Diamond” with the South African accent and playing a man who was so determined.

He is very big on trying to battle against global warming and fighting for good causes (see picture above) and he often does fundraisers and things to try to make people more aware of what is going on in the world. He really has had to grow up in front of everyone. He has a lot of movies in the works so is going to be very busy over the next few years, hopefully he will be picking up an Oscar at some point.

(Via Split Scren)

Willem Dafoe & Kevin Bacon

           The Aviator is a movie about Howard Hughes, set in the 1920’s. It begins with his childhood, as he is quarentined because of a contagious illness he has. They show this scene to help you understand the inciting moment of his mental illness. The movie then jumps to his teenage years, where he is directing the biggest war movie of the time. He is a typical rich brat, who does not care for anyone’s advice, and lives for the moment. This is a consistent theme throughout his life. As the story continues, you observe how his life degenerates as he throws himself more and more after the newest thrill, the prettiest girls, or the faster airplane. As each scene in the movie passes, his mental illness brought upon himself by his obsessive neatness and matierialism becomes more and more apparent.

           This movie has a really good implicit moral to it, although it is not apparent unless you are looking closesly for it. Howard had everything he could have dreamed of wanting and wealth beyond imagination, and it still could not satisfy him. Although he had all the pretty girls he could want, the love of his life could not stand him, and ended up leaving him. This movie is a perfect example of  Matthew 16:26a, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” Howard had everything a person could want, and could not find satisfaction. He drove himself mad looking to fill that gap in his life, and went insane.

And in case you wanted to know, this is my favorite movie of all time.

Screen veteran Terry Moore, being honored with a lifetime achievement tonight during opening ceremonies at the Gasparilla International Film Festival, was interviewed by St. Petersburg Times film critic Steve Persall for a piece appearing in today’s paper.

Persall, the last of the Tampa Bay area’s full-time film critics*, chats with Moore (Come Back, Little Sheba; Mighty Joe Young) about meeting Marilyn Monroe; working on 1956’s Beneath the 12-Mile Reef in Tarpon Springs; being (secretly) married to Howard Hughes; and advising Leo DiCaprio on his portrayal of Hughes in The Aviator.

“I remember getting very seasick,” Moore tells Persall about her experience during the Reef production. “Every day we’d go out in a sponge-fishing boat that was anchored, so it would just bob up and down like a cork. First I’d throw up over the side, then (Robert) Wagner would, then Gilbert Roland would, for that entire picture. But I loved the people of Tarpon Springs, the fishermen and those wonderful Greek restaurants.”

Persall also offers his picks of this weekend’s GIFF highlights.

See both stories here.

*(following the unceremonious departures of Bob Ross from the Tampa Tribune and Lance Goldenberg from Creative Loafing)