Rasmus maximus

Rasmus is a Scandinavian boy name, but its also the name of a Finnish ROCK band which put a “the” in front of the name in order to avoid being mistaken for the Swedish singer by the same name. Hence “The Rasmus” and strangely none of the band members is named Rasmus! Anyway, these guys broke through internationally back in 2001 with the MEGA-HIT “In The Shadows”. The band has since then had minor hits here and there and has recently released their best of compilation, just in time for Christmas.

There are two different editions of the album and although the numbered book edition is great content-wise I personally prefer the ordinary digipak edition with a design that basically sums up The Rasmus. The silhouette of the singer with his feather-attired hair, which just like Jamiroquai’s Indian head-wears has become more or less the image of the band. The composition and the colour-combination is coherent with the design of the recent albums of the band, which all have been released as digipaks. I highly recommend this album as an introduction, since even though I don’t like all of the band’s songs most of their best ones is featured on it. Here is one of my favourite tracks from their latest studio-album, if you listen closely you hear inspiration from Kool and the Gang’s “Cherish the Love” in there! Sadly this is the best quality I could find:

See you in the next decade!

Since decades back Sweden and some other European countries have shown this classic sketch on new year’s eve. So it is a tradition that I thought sharing with you guys this year. Admittedly its 10 minutes have always got me down and depressed ever since I watched it for the first time at the age of 10! Because even though it is a comedy and meant to cheer people up there is an air of sadness and solitude about its ambiance and characters. Not to mention its title! Perhaps its the black and white that evokes the gloominess in me, and the fact that its everything stands in contrast to what you experience on this night of the year. It basically drags you away from the spectacles outside into a dark dungeon! Anyways, at the risk of projecting my perception on you its worth watching it once in its entirety. Especially those of you residing in America. Have a great night my friends and I see you in the second decade of the 21th century! Happy new year!

Who robbed who?!

Last Saturday was the Boxing Day, which for me and many others means the big bargain day! As many shops officially open their annual sales during that day and often extend to the following week. However the best items are often few and grabbed on the opening day (opening hour even if its an odd size!) so the early-bird strategy applies even here. And an early bird that is smart strikes even earlier than early! hehe, I often locate and lock in my most wanted items by visiting the stores minutes before they close on Christmas eve. This gives me the advantage of knowing exactly where to go to get that particular clothing (since the stands are rearranged for the sale) while everyone else run around like headless chickens on the opening day!lol This year the Spanish ZARA, which has grown to take over the retail market of Europe by storm, had the deepest discounts in town and most of their stock went for half of the original price! Needless to say I shopped ’til my both arms almost dropped!lol And the jury is still out on whether it was me who robbed ZARA or it was ZARA that robbed me clean!lol I guess we both came out rather pleased from this deal! hehe

299

Thanks to all the free publicity our vanguards of the 2500 years old Persian civilization gave Miller’s “300″ through their hysteria, Miller has now decided to once again tap on and cash in on the controversy by this time focusing on Xerxes himself! In the follow up entitled “Xerxes” he will be exploring the life of the Persian king, in particular the decade before the events of “300″ taking place. In other words this will be a prequel and Zack Snyder has already expressed interest in filming it. Now if you freaked out when you saw the king being depicted as a giant fairy freak in “300″ then get ready for a total loss of sanity! Since it wouldn’t surprise me if this comic biopic presented that creature as the offspring of a ghoul and a jinn!lol

“Who called me a fairy freak?!!!”

One kick ass mic!

Forget about Steven Tyler’s trademark scarf attired mic-stand or Mariah Carey’s bling-bling mic, Rihanna spins further on the whole tough broad image (which in fact contradicts her music) with her own custom-made mic. A crossing between brass knuckles and machete! Now this looks … interesting!

My Xmas pressie to myself!

Hey one has got to spoil himself ever now and then, right?! Though it happens more often in my case! Hehe, so what do you think? I know its a bit cold for a trench right now but I couldn’t help falling in love with this slim fit milky white beauty and its shiny black details from H&M! You can’t really see in the photo but the fabric has a blank synthetic finishing which makes it look more comic-book stylized than classically relaxed. The way I like it. By the way, excuse the mess behind the model!lol

Holy mother of Hollywood!

I’m speechless! How can you rate something that is not comparable to anything that has ever been done before? It just has to be experienced! As simple as that! In all its 3D glory! Just don’t expect a Shakespearean dramaturgy, but as far as cinematic experience goes this is the ultimate! James Cameron’s “Avatar” is what it claimed that it would be, the dawn of a new cinema!

By the way, meet Neytiri! My baby blue! Although I’ve always loved ladies with a nice tail (pun very much intended!lol) I never knew I’d fall for ten feet tall blue warrior women from outer space! hehe

Rest in peace baby girl!

I can’t believe it! Brittany Murphy has died!! At the age of 32! I loved this quirky cute girl! Truly tragic!

Leto brothers, U2’s baby brothers?

Jared Leto is pushing forty, yet still looking like a teenage pretty-boy from “Gossip Girl” or one of those popular television series! However despite his boyish charm he is an acclaimed method actor who has done much for his roles, including gaining an extreme amount of weight for “Chapter 27″!

This Hollywood heartthrob has also proved himself to be one hell of a rocker. A pretty one but nonetheless a serious rocker! He actually started acting in waiting to break through as a musician! Now his band 30 Seconds to Mars has finally released its third album, after four years of legal dispute with the label.

In “This is War” the Leto brothers’ quartet-turned-trio might sound as if they were U2’s baby brothers, nevertheless the material is rock solid and the production is clinically clean. And they have made a smart move to let the fans actively contribute by both singing on the album and picking their album cover. The result is impeccable! My favourite song from the album is the epic “Hurricane”, here featuring Kanye West who puts his small touch to the song with a mood similar to his own latest album. A version which due to unclear circumstances didn’t make it to the actual album!

Things that I would NEVER wear! (#1)

As much as I love fashion and consider myself daring enough to try new things there are certain things that I just wont wear! These nightmares I intend to present in a series of posts, without any particular order. Starting with quilted jackets, or anything quilted for that matter. I hated quilt when it covered my bed back in the 80’s and now I hate it even more when it is suddenly supposed to cover even my body! I’m setting my foot down on this trend. There is no chance in hell that I’ll wear this and look like a walking talking bed! I simply refuse! Quilts may cover the interior of my coats but it stops right there! I will leave them to the elderly ladies instead, who’ve for some strange reason always loved wearing them.

Jingle kindle!

I’m putting up the Kindle on my Christmas wish-list! With already thousands of books in my private library and as someone who hates audio-books this is the space-saving compromise that I’ve been waiting for. Don’t get me wrong though, I love the feeling of holding an actual book in my hands and nothing beats the associative scent of its either new or vintage pages with each turning. I will still hunt down those collectible coffee-table books or editions that come in a clever cover and design, however the majority of text-book paperbacks that consume the shelf-space I rather do without! Not to mention the convenience and capacity to bring many times the reading material that has been possible in paper-format with you on the road. It’s like the CDs and the respective portable media players, not really a replacement but rather a practical complement!

Big boots, big bargain!

This baby is not only big in size (euro 46/ US 12.5) but perhaps also the biggest bargain I’ve made in my life in terms of clothing! The Vagabond outlet had reduced down this single pair by an entire 97%!! Which means I paid only 50 Swedish crowns (6-7 US dollars) for premium leather boots! Now if that’s not a big bargain I don’t know what is!

POV

Sometimes only one man, …

gets the point …

of view!

My man-crush!

If I had a man-crush then it would be on George Clooney! Like I’ve said before I’ve always wished for that kind of salt ‘n’ pepa hair. But I never really liked him as an actor, until just recently. I don’t know what it was that put me off, but I didn’t like him in ER. He did strike me as very arrogant and self-absorbed. In recent years however I’ve come to appreciate him through his real-life character and sense of style. The man basically lives my ideal life! Looking iconic handsome, has fun with his profession, dates hot women, doesn’t intend to get married or have kids, lives far from the industry in a mansion by a lake in Italy, is intelligent and engages in all kinds of international goodwill projects. I tell you, he’s got it all figured out! hehe, and after the superb political thriller “Michael Clayton” he has also proved himself to be a daring actor who is not afraid of taking on diverse roles. Love how the guy is selfless in a way that he can play a wacky role in one movie, while being serious in another. He is also very productive, despite all his side-projects. At the moment he has three movies out which couldn’t be more different from each other, in terms of everything basically! I can’t wait to see the critical “Up in the Air“, the outlandish “Men Who Stare At Goats” and the stop-motion animated “Fantastic Mr. Fox“.

The latin red riding hottie!

Jaydin Maria is the first artist signed to Ne-Yo’s brand new label and man this American-born Latina is a hottie! She got that exquisite mix of sweet and sexy, which is well displayed in her video for one of my personal summer jams “Good Girls Like Bad Boys” (something which is true by the way! hehe) featuring Flo-Rida. Full of sinful innocence, just the way I like it! There is a HOT remix out now which makes both the song and its video hotter. I wouldn’t mind being her big bad wolf! Hoooooooowling and groooooooowling!

Caught in a snood

Maybe you’ve seen them before, the so called “snoods”! The scarf-like head/neck-wears that come in different designs. They are originally part of women’s fashion, given a masculine twist. Basically like bottom-less turtlenecks that can be pulled over the head like a hoodie. I am still not sure how I feel about them, in terms of both form and function. However I’ve just bought a knitted one with a zipper that might work, we’ll see!

Caine kicks ass, again!

I highly recommend you the brand new “Harry Brown” movie, story-wise reminiscent of Eastwood’s overrated acclaimed “Gran Turino” but without the overreacting and the typical American ending. This is simply British cinema at its best! With fine measures mixing action and social realism to a credible level. A truly impressive work of art. Sir Michael Caine (whom I have always loved, maybe because of his facial resemblance to my late grandfather) proves once again that none of the new so called action heroes got anything on him! The man is 76 years old and still kicks some serious ass!

Here is the trailer, however I must say that the style and content of it doesnt really convey the substance of the movie:

Undercut is hot!

I don’t know about you but I’m starting to develop some kind of fetish for girls with an undercut! Admittedly it doesn’t become everyone but for the right face it does wonders! Giving her softness a jagged edge and turns her into a Mad Max type of ragged beauty. The half-Moroccan missy above is the lovely Amelle from the British girl-act Sugababes, who’ve recently gone for a shorter style along with an undercut. Hot!

Homemade stuns Hollywood

In case you have missed the sensation this 5 minutes long short film by the Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez has created then here is your chance to check it out! This FX specialist created something that has taken Hollywood by storm and allegedly opened doors for him to create full-length features. If he has managed to create this with basically nothing than I don’t even dare to imagine what he can achieve with the kind of budget the big companies can offer!

Le grand provocateur

If you know me then I surely don’t need to explain why I am eagerly waiting for this French cinematic biopic of Serge Gainsbourg! If you are not familiar with this French icon, I don’t think that one can really describe him and his work with words. Let’s just say that he means for the popular music what Salvador Dali means for the popular art. A true provocateur of the progressive kind, for better and worse!

His perhaps most famous opus, sang here together with his lover and muse Jane Birkin (parents to the equally provoking actress Charlotte Gainsbourg), which has been recognized as a historic soundtrack to sex!

As dynamic and uneven as this artist’s character and career happen to be, it is truly a difficult task to make him justice in a couple of hours of film, However based on the trailer of “Vie Héroïque” they seem to have been able to gather the essence of the legend. Romanticized in a way only French films can be. Not to mention finding an actor with such extraordinary physical resemblance that you at times forget that its not a documentary you are watching!