Error on the Poster!

A VERY GOOD movie except for its few badly edited animal scenes where u could clearly see the “puppets”! Yeah, such details bug the hell out of me, especially when the rest of the movie is excellently done! Another bugging detail is that the “hunted” man on the cover is actually one of the man “hunters” in the movie!lol I hate such production slips! Anyway, its Interesting to know that the movie is co-written and -produced by the Iranian-born Farhad Safinia!

I ...EAT ...YOU!!!

Yesterday was the so called “fettisdag (fat Tuesday)” in Sweden. A day in which the Swedes traditionally prepare for the fasting by stuffing themselves with a “naane-khaameyi” pastry called “Semla”! Although these days no body really cares about fasting anymore, the devouring of Semla is still practised broadly! Not only on this particular Tuesday but starting now one month earlier! The delicious Semla in the pic has, as you can imagine, seized to exist (jaatoon khaaaliiii!lol) but its sweetness is still lingering in my mouth! YUMMMM!! ;p

tip: A Semla is preferably washed down with a glass of milk and a few cheesy R’n’B ballads!lol

Fairytale for Adults

Finally managed to see this one last night! A movie that I’ve been recommended by both critics and friends. It’s a story about a child’s journey into imagination in order to escape a ruthless reality! Guillermo del Toro’s work of art is a “fairytale for adults”. Yes, that is indeed the best way to describe it! If you enjoy an engaging story told with historical references and a suggestive approach in audio and vision then “Pan’s Labyrinth” is a MUST! This is a movie that is grand and majestic without being pompous or pretentious!

Club Classics

I’ve just bought this triple CD!

From its earliest underground days till now, FANTAZIA presents a solid anthology of CLUB CLASSICS! A release with a sexy cover and fine package design! A gem for all collectors!!

Website:

http://www.fantaziamusic.co.uk/

Corny is Cute!

The annual Valentine’s Day is approaching and at a risk of sounding corny I must admit that I actually enjoy VD! I dislike even Birth Days but somehow this cookie cutter commercial Lover’s Day and all its clichés make me feel warm and fuzzy inside! A feeling I welcome any day! hehe! Of course celebrating VD doesn’t mean that you stop appreciating and manifesting love the other 364 days! Not at all, its just a day that you share with others! A mass-manifestation of emotions in other words!

And at a risk of sounding even cornier, I must say that my absolute favourite VD-gift to give/get is a MIX-TAPE (hey, I grew up in the 80s!lol)! Or better said a MIX-CD, since the cassette tapes despite their retro-charm are functionally obsolete! Unfortunately!

Custom-MIX CDs for the people you love! Put a little personal touch on the covers as well! Whoever they now might be, some actually prefer this personal item over a generic BLING BLING!! Any day and especially on THIS day! I know I do!

PS. Speaking of MIX-TAPEs, “High Fidelity” is a movie to be recommended to music fans on Valentine’s Day:

http://www.amazon.com/High-Fidelity-John-Cusack/dp/B00003CXGA/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_0_0/104-8016936-4711140

About Valentine’s Day:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine’s_Day

Poetry POP

The former Italian supermodel Carla Bruni has in her second album “No Promises” performed the poetry of Dorothy Parker, Emily Dickson and William Butler Yeats, among others, to her ambient POP tunes! A different CHILLOUT collection for those who enjoy the music of Norah Jones, Katie Melua and Aimee Mann. I should also mention that the album comes in a beautifully designed dig pack edition!

Djalili! …Omid Djalili!!

Finally!!! Omid Djalili has released his comedy routine on a DVD!! This long-awaited release is a must have item for my collection! I simply LOVE this genius comedian who has found a unique way to bridge the Eastern and Western cultures through an eclectic blend of humour! He is also a brilliant but underappreciated actor! His portrayal of the young Pablo Picasso was extraordinary in “Modigliani”, one of my absolute favourite movie of all times!

short bio:

“Omid Djalili is an award-winning British-Iranian actor/comedian. Not only acclaimed as one of Britain’s funniest stand up comedians, he has also featured in films including ‘The Mummy’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Spy Game’, ‘Modigliani’, ‘Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow’, ‘Casanova’, and will soon be seen in ‘The Allottment’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean III’. On TV he did two seasons of ‘Small Potatoes’ on Channel 4. In the States he signed a talent holding deal with NBC in 2002 and co-starred with Whoopi Goldberg in her sitcom ‘Whoopi’ which ran from 2003-04. Most recently Omid has been commissioned to do his own series for BBC1, ‘The Omid Djalili Show’ to be seen in 2007.”

Buy the DVD:
http://www.omidnoagenda.com/blog/static.php?page=shop

here is a clip of what you can expect:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmRRC4QU-As&mode=related&search=

Robbie is a Pet Shop Boy!

I was basically initiated into the world of music by the PET SHOP BOYS! The legendary British duo who ruled the dancefloors of the 80’s and 90’s with their magical brand of AMBIENT DISCO music. The first record I ever bought was their “It’s a Sin” single on vinyl back in 1987. On an autumnally cloudy Friday 13th, I remember it as if it was yesterday! And one of the bands I formed as a teenager was called the School Boys, image-wise and musically inspired by these gentlemen! Unfortunately the duo whose every single song caused Goosebumps back in the early days has managed to lose their touch for CATCHY HIT manufacturing this past decade and as a consequent fallen in the background of the dance music scene. Robbie Williams, one of their biggest fans, has however decided to pay a tribute to the duo in a song on his latest album called “We’re the Pet Shop Boys”! A song co-created by and featuring the duo. A song filled with word-association references to the old HITS, topped with soaring sensitizers and clapping drum-machines! A nostalgic revival of the OLD-SCHOOL style of the former KINGS of the DISCOS! If you too have been or still are a fan of the duo don’t miss out on this song!

Lyrics:

Suburbia’s a slipstream
To a memory
Of a time when you were
Close to me
I pretend
I’m there again
I close my eyes and see you
Better than before
Then I feel you touch me
And it’s 1984
I know what you will say
Before you startIn my heart

We’re the Pet Shop Boys
We’re the Pet Shop Boys

Every thought’s a fashion
Or a crime
And every boy is just
A waste of time
But I pretend
It was different then
Maybe it’s a habit
Maybe it’s a sin
But I find out
When I try it on
It crawls beneath my skin
Once it gets inside me
It won’t go
Now I know

We’re the Pet Shop Boys
We’re the Pet Shop Boys

Rent
Shopping
Being boring
It’s alright
It’s a sin
I’m not scared
In denial
I want a dog
I want a lover
Can you forgive her?
Do I have to?
What have I?
What have I?
What have I done to deserve this?

We’re the Pet Shop Boys
We’re the Pet Shop Boys

Prince of Persia, the Movie

The Prince of Persia, one of my all-time favourite GAME characters (and not only because he is Persian! Hehe!) is to be adapted into a motion picture by Disney and the crew behind the Pirates of The Caribbean movies! Unfortunately most computer games-turned into-movies have been failed attempts so far, just as much as movies-turned into-computer games aka licence games! Its as if this whole marriage is unholy and cursed! However I’m truly hopeful about the PoP-movie project since the concept and story of the game-trilogy itself is like a movie to begin with, all required elements provided. Now managed in the hands of such a skilful team with similar projects in their past (though I’m not the biggest fan of the PoC movies) I’m sure that it will be turned into something spectacular! At least I hope so! The casting has not yet been announced though and hopefully we wont see Jude Law or any other blond fellow (nothing against blonds!) inflicted as our brave Persian prince!

The Snowman

In 25 years I have been enchanted by the animated masterpiece “The Snowman”! Each winter it comes along and takes me back on a nostalgic trip to a long lost childhood of hope and innocence! Still today its amazing blend of flat yet vibrant colours, melancholic yet euphoric melodies bless me with a warm and fuzzy feeling that lasts through the cold and nurtures the soul!

And then the Heroes came along!

As a devoted LOST fan I’ve had a hard time finding other series in the same calibre that can satisfy my hunger for “intelligent entertainment” and at the same time keep me craving for more and more! Until I was recommended “Heroes” by fellow LOST fans who had seen the sought-after potential in the new TV-series! Now that I’ve personally watched all 11 episodes of the first season I must admit that I’m truly impressed! I began watching it with almost no doubt in my mind and with a high level of anticipation and faith! Unfortunately the pilot managed to almost put me off! However slowly but surely the show started to grow in its concept and accelerate in its narrative to a full-fledged EPIC tale!

Ximer

XIMER (REMIX reversed) is a CLUB ACT consisted of singer/songwriter/producer Al Nakari and singer/songwriter Sandra. I personally love the dreamy dance music and angelic vocals of the duo! Check them out at:

http://www.ximer.com/

http://www.myspace.com/ximermusic

Killing Game

I am a fan of computer games! But just as I’m very fussy about comic books there is also only a few stylistic approaches and themes that appeal to me when it comes to game. One of my absolute favourite games these past years has been the Prince of Persia (PoP) trilogy! The game has in a miraculous way met all my expectations from a game and in a way also realised my childhood ideas about how a great story/movie should be! A balance blend of action and adventure combined with historic exoticism and mythological mysticism. Now that the Prince of Persia series is put on hold I’m eagerly waiting for a forthcoming game from the same creative team at UBISOFT. The game entitled “Assassin’s Creed” is neither stylistically nor thematically far from the PoP games, but at the same time while the PoP was a linear game AC got the entire environment as an interactive field to explore! And while PoP was more of a fantasy game AC is based on actual historic facts which makes it credible! Its about Altaïr and his clan of assassins (Hashashin) in the ancient cities of Jerusalem, Damascus and Acre amidst the third Crusade. The game is to be from the Next Generation series created for XBOX 360 and PS3, and from the demos I’ve seen so far its gonna be a hell of a game! You can practically freeze and cap each frame of this promising game and print it for wall-hanging!

And knowing that the history's cutest game programmer/producer Jade Raymond is leading the project doesnt exactly kill the excitement! hehe!

No smoke, No mirrors!

I had looked forward to this movie and luckily it wasn’t a disappointment! It met all my anticipation and expectations! Great casting, a well-established balance between a nonlinear story and subtle effects! The kind of movie I wanted to see as a child! No smoke, no mirrors …but REAL magic!!

The Legs

The leggy corr sisters, Oh! and their four-is-a-crowd brother as well lol, have summed up their decade and a half career in DREAMS with 20 songs! Enjoy the length of the legs ...sorry, the album!

High Pitched Mika

I’ve just discovered Mika’s ”Relax, Take it Easy”, an amazing tribute to the 80’s Electro-POP and ITALO-DISCO! I simply ADORE this marvellous track!! Its RETRO approach and nostalgic vibe give me the goosebumps that I hardly get from hearing music anymore! The ”I Just Died in You Arms” inspired opening alone makes me go nuts! This style holds such a sway over my heart that I just cant find words for it! Unfortunately the rest of Mika’s "Scissor Sisters" music does not share the same style! Listen to the song on Mika’s myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/mikamyspace

Natural Discrimination

Not that I oppose the purpose and effort of the animal rights activists, but one question has always bothered me! What does it take for an animal to have its rights protected by humans? How comes its always those animals that look and behave closer to us as a specie that get the attention and worry? The mismanagement of cows as cattle is rightfully campaigned against, but not the boiling of living lobsters!? You don’t see many activists rally against that! Why? Cause the cows look cuter or make a sound when they are hurt? Aren’t these campaigners aware of the silent yet cruel mass-murder of hardworking ants they happen to commit on a daily basis without having a single thought on where they embark and what they step on, let alone remorse about it? What about spiders and all other bugs that have been unfortunate enough to be endowed with a ”creepy” look by nature, don’t they deserve a life without getting discriminated by us self-righteous humans? Are they less worth as creatures because of their appearance? I guess even the better nature of us humans discriminates against our ”others”, no matter what specie!

Retro Princess

The Swedish POP-ROCK band Lambretta was one of the 90's most successful acts in Sweden! Today their cute blond vocalist Linda Sundblad has released her solo album "Oh My God!" made of pure melodic POP hits a la 80's Madonna!

Lost Loose Ends

50 reasons why I love AND hate LOST! I want to know what hides inside the box, NOW! But they take their time to unwrap it for me! Pleasantly teasing and tormenting me to revelation, like a skilful lover on the way to an orgasmic climax!!

The mind-puzzling and attention-consuming enigmas of both pleasure and frustration, all listed here! Read and remind yourself of why you just HAVE TO have patience and wait until the show returns in February 2007!

http://tv.ign.com/articles/745/745595p1.html

Get Get a Life!

I have always been a fan of comic books! Though I seldom find a theme that captures my interest ever since I was a child I have been mesmerised by comic art! In recent years however the focus has been shifted from the classic superhero themes to more mature and satirical themes with a post-modern caricature-sque style! Recently I discovered a graphic novel (collected comics) in hardcover which I highly recommend! Read the description below and if you too find it appealing do not hesitate to get your hand on one copy!

”Only a few of French cartoonists Dupuy and Berberian's delightful Monsieur Jean stories have previously appeared in English, but this volume collects translations of the earliest ones, originally published in the mid-'80s. Jean is a smalltime literary figure—a novelist, translator and jazz collector—on the cusp of 30, realizing that life is moving faster than he is. He's got an apartment too cheap to leave, with a landlady he can't stand; his old friends are getting married, having children, casually revealing long-ago betrayals and inflicting their own life disasters on him. He's fine at attracting women, but can't sustain a serious relationship for long. By the end of the book, he's repeatedly playing daddy to other people's babies and recalling the days when the life of an artist and culture-vulture seemed a lot easier. Dupuy and Berberian play Jean's not-quite-midlife crises as whimsy, though, with occasional goofy fantasy sequences in which he imagines himself guarding the castle of his bachelorhood. The book's artwork is breezy, simple and very European (everyone's got gigantic, near-abstract noses, and the landscapes of Paris and Lisbon are lovingly caricatured); its smooth playfulness helps to alleviate the sting of its well-aimed darts toward the moments when the bohemian life begins to curdle.” - Publishers Weekly