It’s driving me Mad!

More than a month left ’til the 4th season premiere of Mad Men and I’m going mad already, thanks to the newly released teaser poster. Talk about an image telling more than a thousand words! Its a solid voucher for amc’s claim and tagline, “story matters here”. The relatively low profile network seems to have yet another top-notch series up its sleeve, which will be running as of August but the pilot is already available for free sneak previewing online. Most likely amc has learned a lesson from Fringe’s unconventional (albeit unconfirmed but highly likely) hyping technique, which was a “supposed” leaked pilot months before the premiere! Even though with the final twist excluded (which further indicates a deliberate leakage) it helped to build a massive fan base and anticipation before the official launch. Anyhow, “Rubicon” is a political conspiracy thriller which is really a genre previously unexplored by the television in serial format. Making it a potential trend-starter and bar-setter, it will be interesting to watch it unfold its mystery.

Longest day of the year

While we Iranians celebrate the winter solstice aka “Yalda” (longest night of the year) we do not really celebrate the summer solstice (longest day of the year) six months from that, like they do in the northern hemisphere. I’m all for pagan celebration of nature, so I had a great day celebrating in the nature yesterday. If you’re still on the 21th enjoy the sun and have fun as the darkness slowly but surely will take over the next six months!

Looking smurfelicious!

These little blue lads and their only blond lass used to run around in our household when I was little. As late as yesterday I found a couple of them hiding in an old box! So the kid in me is looking forward to see Peyo’s creatures coming to life, all the way from Belgium to USA next summer. In 3D even! Gotta say that it looks rather smurfelicious! Even Hank Azaria’s smurf hating “Gargamel” looks spot on. This is clearly targeting the same group as the Chipmunks and I can already see sequels being made. Check out the first teaser.

I hate football, therefor I love vuvuzela!

Feel free to quote me on that, because I hereby declare my support for the vuvuzela! This south African instrument, which’s name you can hardly pronounce without twisting your tongue or write without double checking the spelling, has come to be internationally known via the ongoing World Circus Cup and thereby also the hate object for almost all football fans out there. The problem starts when thousands of these unite in a stadium, then it turns into a bee nest and it sounds like a swarm buzzing their azz and your ears off in 90 minutes non-stop! I personally don’t watch the games but you hear them just being in the same building as someone who watches the bloody games! But as unbearable this sound is it is also my only comfort through this month of hellball! For the first time in my life I don’t even need to start complaining in order to let off steam, to hear all the football fans being stung by the bees and tortured by the buzz is comfort enough for me!lol And in case you haven’t figured it out yet, yes, I hate …HATE football!! Except from moments of confusion and occasional lapse of reason every now and then, when even I get swept away by the national hysteria and let the frenzy get the best of me (the historic Iran vs. US game for instance, that got me running out on the balcony singing the national anthem on top of my bursting lungs), I have never liked it! I hate it as just as much as I love music! And don’t you even dare to get me started on the reason why!lol hehe

Dastan, on a stand!

Prince Dastan is getting a premium format treatment from the masters of memorabilia, namely Sideshow Collectibles. The statue comes in two versions, one with two swords and one exclusive with a changeable hand holding the so called “dagger of time”.

The latter is limited to 175 and already sold out, even though tagged $299 and scheduled for a late 2010 relesae! The likeness to Jake is there, despite slightly thicker brows and lighter facial shadow. Not to mention the absence of the characterising subtle smile which would have given it some life!

But overall it looks rather decent, even though I would have preferred a diorama. However Sideshow have disappointed in past when it comes to the final product, so we’ll have to wait and see how this turns out. By the way, here is fun fan-made recap of Prince of Persia’s 20 years as franchise.

Secrets of a master sartorialist

A while ago I mentioned my admiration for Cary Grant as a master of the sophisticated style and source of inspiration. In my quest and research on the sartorial skills and secrets of the icon I have come across a book which has managed to capture exactly that!

“Cary Grant: A Celebration of Style” has put finger on the man and the phenomenon Cary Grant. Through never before seen pictures and interviews the book explores and further elaborates on his importance as a fashinisto and timeless constant in a historical context of trends and cultural variables. Recommended to the fans of the man, fashion and cinema!

Summer jam 2010

Darren Styles’ fresh from the oven song and video were an immediate success at my place today! This is exactly the kind of summer jam I was looking for. A music that is energizing yet melancholic! A guy who looks like a geek yet also a freak! A voice that is POP soft yet tops a frenetic DANCE song! A video that is pitch-black, yet with highlights! What a scene with him, all alone on top of the building with the mic lit up. What a feeling! Epic! This is good shiat, my friends! Press *repeat*!!

More than just a shoe?

I leave the actual prêt-à-porter practicality of Julian Hakes’ Mojito shoes for the ladies to judge, but I personally wouldn’t mind displaying it as a decorative piece in my home! Just for the cleverly minimalistic design alone. Its like a signature made by a quick and light hand move! A ribbon which starts at one end, flows smoothly, whirls elegantly and stops at the other. Pure art!

Skål tjejer!

I’m not much for nationalism or celebration of any so called “national pride”, but I like to send my love to all my Swedish countrywomen (I’m sure the countrymen forgive the discrimination!lol) on this Swedish national day.

Clothes for the modern Robin Hood

I love Nicholas K’s clothes for mainly two reasons. First, they don’t make clothes that only fit the thin and tiny, in fact its on the muscular and masculine type of guy which the clothes get properly displayed. Second, their aesthetics are a unique blend of romantic chic and urban bohemian, with a monochromic look and organic feel to their pieces. Something which I happen to love. Also the whole wrapping and draping gives the image an air of heroism and drama. Basically, they make clothes for the modern Robin Hood! You can clearly see it in the men’s ensembles from their Fall 2010 collection modelled here by Christopher, one of the siblings behind Nicholas K (as I’m sure you’ve concluded, Nicholas is the name of the sister!). If only I could, I would get every single piece in their fall collection!

Go to NicholasK.com for the rest of their collection, for men and women.

Cute winner in a crappy contest

For the first time in the 25 years of my Eurovision watching life I’ve managed to guess what entry would win! Overall it is a rather difficult task, even for the most seasoned Eurovision expert (there actually exists such experts!) to pin this down. In particular after the expansion of Europe and the genres and the fact that viewers around and beyond Europe are involved directly by voting, which makes it many factors at work. Cultural relations and flirtations aside you never know what artistic trend or even deviation from a trend might tickle the fancies of the countries in this cultural melting-pot a particular year. Even when there is also a jury involved (this year the jury was reintroduced after decade of absence, in order to balance the bias of televoting. Keep in mind that the jury itself was accused of political flirtation during the cold-war era and therefore dismantled and replaced by direct public voting!). Sometimes they go for the most obvious choice, sometimes for the craziest. This year however I managed to pick the German entry as the winner, based on mainly two reasons; the rest in the line-up were incredibly terrible and the German song, being up-to-date with current POP trend coming from UK, had already found its way to other countries in Europe via commercial radios. So it had more or less secured its place in the hearts and minds of many, plus that the young and cute Lena’s off-beat charm and peculiar vocal style did its trick, despite one of the most boring stage performances ever. This was by the way perhaps the most boring Eurovision set-ups and stage-designs in history, not to mention stiff and ill-mannered hosting! So me picking the least crappy entry in the crappiest contest ever might not be that much of a trick, but considering that its a contest in which the crappiest actually could win (and have in the past) its something of an achievement for me!

Meet my date!

If you do any kind of hardcore resistance training and do not like to consume processed products for preparation, like yours-truly, then I suggest you to try dates (both kinds will do, though I meant the fruit!lol Thought saying the sweet, juicy and eatable ones but the way my mind works both are, in their own way! Hehe, so just look at the picture for reference! ) But seriously, recently I intensified my resistance training sessions to maximum level and found that bananas do no longer provided the fuel I needed for that kind of resistance. So I switched to dates, not the tiny ones but these jumbo dates, and what a difference these power patrons of the nature made. One of these and you will notice 200% difference in the power boost and your performance! Try them (both of them, hehe) and you wont be sorry!

Lost respect for LOST

It all did end at last but what a disastrous end it was! A conclusion of catastrophic proportions! In the end LOST, the show I once worshipped the foundations of, became one of the biggest disappointments of my life. I say life because it wasn’t only a television show for me but almost a school of philosophy and mythology. Almost like a new religion, a cult! The cynics were however right all along, the producers didn’t have everything figured out from the very start but made it all up along the way. Even though at the end they so desperately needed us to believe that they had a masterplan all blueprinted out, so badly that they turned to unorthodox storytelling and desperate editing measures in order to make sure that we noticed the tiny bits of consistency while forgetting the enormous amount of inconsistency. They had dragged out the last season on such empty and slow pace, so that we would forget all the mass of mess the loose ends and retroactive-continuity corrections had left behind. The production value and story substance of this season dropped so low that it hit rock bottom and ruined the legacy of three excellent and two great seasons preceding it. The motif of the puzzle suddenly changed and everything in a previously complex mystery was simplified to one single dimension of banality. Making a mockery of the show and its faithful followers, something simply unacceptable for me personally! It clashed with everything the producers had claimed and promised in their weekly follow-up podcasts. As a loyal follower I felt betrayed! However I did sit and see through the show and what was supposed to be its grand finale, but became its grand fall and failure instead. Mainly as a sign of respect and obligation to my good self for having been devoted and engaged by all its allure and viral world through the years. But I can honestly say that, knowing what I know now, I will never watch LOST again! This is one show that you can’t suggest that it was good while it lasted! The charm of LOST lasted only as long as the “box of mystery” remained sealed and the mystery unsolved, once opened the lack of content and underwhelming answers undid the questions raised so skilfully and thereby its appeal and attraction. JJ Abrams should have adhered to his own principles of maintaining a mystery!

Oh, my deer!

When you live in a country with low population density like Sweden you have the privilege of living right next to the green and unspoiled nature, even though living in a big city. It gives you the opportunity to easily get away from the urban life for a quality time in the wild life. The other day when walking in the woods next to my home my lovely friend Daniela snapped a few shots of the late spring scenery, of which one managed to capture one of my two dear deer neighbours. A couple which I have the pleasure of greeting on the same spot, almost every time I pass by! This privilege is one of the main reasons why I have always found my way back to Sweden.

A man with a scarf

Sadly due to my hectic schedule on this side of the globe I wasn’t able to make it to our 7th anniversary events in Canada. I’m sure you have checked out the lovely photos from those faithful nights already, but as I myself was going through the album one detail caught my eyes. And that is Babak’s chic scarf, a double length and double washed scarf in shades of blue from ZARA. No how do I know this? Well I happen to own one! Hehe, all three of them in three different colours as a matter of fact. The nuances allow a wider range of expression through shaping and draping, the blue one I particularly love for its tendency to simulate the waves and to associate with the cool and calm of an ocean. A poetic nod to the new-romantic era. So that is one perfect pick Babak jan, that is what I call Pièce de résistance! You’ve got an excellent taste in scarfs my friend.

Happy post-day!

The good old post-it note celebrates its 30th year today. This internationally used sticky piece of paper was originally an invention that came to be by an accident, a product of a failure! Yet it has been successfully in business in three entire decades, no matter the technological evolution and digital advancements. The post-it reigns supreme when it comes to practicality. And it has looked just as simple and boring in all these years, proving that ultimately its function that counts and makes a product last, not style! So make sure to post at least one today, to show your appreciation for this loyal servant of society. Happy birthday, good old yellow friend!

Prince Dastan was quite fun!

This makes it two movie reviews in a row but I’ve been writing about “Prince of Persia” in all these years in the making and in the waiting, even before the production kicked off, so I felt that it was something of an obligation to put a conclusion to the obsession now that I’ve finally watched it. Yes, I’ve finally watched it but not in all its glory! Oh no, in fact Prince of Persia is a rather humble movie for being a Disney/Bruckheimer production. Not necessarily in a bad way though, it keeps things to a minimal level when it comes to an FX extravaganza. But not at the cost of a suffering story. The movie had been promised by the makers of “Pirates of the Caribbean” as something similar for the fans of the trilogy, I have never been a fan of the pirate trilogy (perhaps due to my Johnny Depp allergy) but this I really enjoyed. Despite its stylistic resemblance to the Bruckheimer trilogy. Jake Gyllenhaal is a perfect Prince of Persia if you wanna take the source game prince into account.

The guy also embodies any Disney-made prince charming with his puppy eyes, naive smile and wit! And the chemistry with the princess played by the breathtaking Gemma Arterton works like in a Nobel prize winner’s lab.

In fact the entire cast look the parts, haven’t you always found Ben Kingsley born to do an evil vizier of some sort? And the visual translation of the unique acrobatic prince and other characterizing aesthetics of the game is right there, even though not always fully supported by the cinematography and editing. Except for the spectacular panoramas and the precise close ups other scenes’ focus are all over the place, anywhere but on the subject matter! I have always been a big fan of the Prince of Persia games franchise, in particular the Sands of Time trilogy, so my expectations reached even higher levels when the trailer was released back in November, showing itself to be an exact epitome of the trilogy. However now in retrospect it has proved itself to be a fact with modification! The movie with the same tag-line is only loosely based on the game’s story-line and it is all edited into the few minutes of the trailer. The rest of the movie is completely different material, again not necessarily bad but still completely different, and that was something of a let down for a fan like me. But if you have no expectation of that kind you wont be disappointed with this family-fun and action-packed adventure matinée movie. Just keep in mind that it’s a fable, not an historic account!

Ford’s orchestration in pure perfection

I finally got a chance to watch “A Single Man“. Tom Ford is an omnipotent perfectionist and thus his directorial debut is an orchestration in pure perfection! Everything from the micro details to the macro perspective find themselves in perfect harmony and cohesion without the slightest pretension. Ford’s smooth crossover from fashion to film makes the Isherwood novel the justice it deserves, through a poetic style of visualization which benefits from a powerful soundtrack. “A Single Man” evokes empathy and sympathy yet never relies on sentimentality. Never before has anyone managed to handle the still controversial theme of homosexuality in such an impartial manner. As hard as it might be to believe and Ford, of all people, comes along and dramatizes and contextualizes it so skillfully that he completely neutralizes and naturalizes it for the general public. In the end “A Single Man” becomes a desexualized sensual story about any man or woman who has ever felt a feeling and thought a thought about life!