I’m usually not a fan of British TV-series since their rather slow pace and rigid sense of humour is not really my cup of tea. But ironically enough one of my all time favourite sitcoms is COUPLING which is because of its British twist a gem of grown-up comedy in my collection! Its smart, fast and witty! With a lot of sexual intrigues that the generations of today can relate to (God knows I can!lol)! Lets say its like FRIENDS meeting SEX AND THE CITY in LONDON! Of course just like ”the Office”, there was an attempt to Americanise the sitcom with American actors back in 2003. A failed attempt that should not been associated with the original in any way! So if you have seen some episodes on BBC America then you know what I’m talking about and if you have seen the American version you better forget what you’ve seen and get a hold of all the four seasons of the British original! I highly recommend it, watching the brilliant Richard Coyle as the hilarious Jeff is worth every money spent on this box!
A nice album by the Swedish singer-songwriter Sofia Talvik for the fans of AMERICANA/Alternative Rock. Feat a great duet with the SUEDE vocalist Bernard Butler! I love the colourful cover image, by the way!
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!
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
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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:
