tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2191085109884123972024-03-14T07:34:33.096+01:00Lime Reviews and Strawberry ConfessionsMettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.comBlogger380125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-83321901300768820322014-08-18T00:19:00.001+02:002014-08-18T00:19:13.090+02:00Leaving Hogwarts, the Deathly Hallows and This Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Almost four years ago (in another life, we would have celebrated this October), I went to blogger.com and hit the button 'create your own blog'. I was a teenager with a strong passion for (Indian) cinema in search of a virtual playground. A place that would be mine to design, maintain and fill with thoughts on film and eventually other parts of pop culture. It was a struggle to get the word out there - do you remember the way Harry, Hermione and Ron met in <i>The Sorcerer's Stone</i>? For Ron and Harry, there was an instant bond and a relaxed bro relationship formed immediately. Meanwhile, Hermione had to struggle to make friends, and it took a while until the trio formed and became as kick-ass as they were in <i>The Deathly Hallows</i>. This is what I feel like blogging was for me. But here I am with 100 official followers and many articles that I feel proud re-reading. The blog has been the creator of many things I would never have imagined joining or that I never even knew of. Tumblr, Twitter, me writing for a German Bollywood magazine and the online pop culture mag The Artifice ... and last but not least, me joining the podcasting world. Which has now become my favorite output and playground for my cinematic passion.<br />
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For me, the best thing about blogging has always, <i>always</i> been the community. I would never have met all these wonderful people, most of which live thousands of miles away from me, without this blog. I have never met any of you in person but I have talked to some of you on podcasts, and through Facebook and Twitter I follow your lives and you follow mine. It's like a virtual Marauder's Map, somehow. I wish I could explain how important all of you have become to me, how much fun you insert into my everyday life and how a nice comment used to save my day. Though the latter was probably somewhat unhealthy and is another reason I'm stopping the blogging thing (for now). In some place of my brain, there is an unsatisfiable hunger for achievement, recognition, fame. A piece of this is wonderful and I believe that competitiveness is healthier than lazy satisfaction. But I would like to use this energy in another way for a while, channel it into several different directions and try other things. Finishing my A levels and leaving for a gap year in Alaska seems like the right place to start.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I'm not at home I'm somewhere else in the world.</td></tr>
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I want to watch more movies without knowing what they're about. I want to enjoy them without thinking about the next blog post, the next marathon, the next update of my 100 Favorites. Meanwhile, this does NOT mean I'll cut off commenting on or philosophizing about film. You will always be able to read my mini reviews (including the Blind Spot series and possibly texts for other blogathons) on <a href="http://letterboxd.com/mette/" style="font-weight: bold;">Letterboxd</a>, my movies reviews and editorials in <b><a href="http://www.ishq.de/">ISHQ</a> </b>and my articles on pop culture (including film) at <b><a href="http://the-artifice.com/">The Artifice</a></b>. You will be able to read my comments on your own blogs now and then, and especially, you will be able to hear me discuss cinema in various podcasts. <b><a href="http://acrosstheuniversepodcast.wordpress.com/">Across the Universe: The Chicks With Accents Podcast </a></b>is one of my proudest achievements so far, and my co-hosts Sofia and Nikhat have become very dear to me. Please stay with us in this chaotic thing called life - I'm sure we're not turning off our microphones any time soon.<br />
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It's like I've achieved my goal with this blog - I have made friends (mutual ones, I hope), written my teenage heart out while I've grown up to be a crazier and funnier person than I was when I started this. (Seriously, the Mette before the blog was kind of a bore). I've grown out of my Hermione fixation - realizing she's a bit of a caricature was part of my maturing process (from lame book geek to, ahem, cool geek). The fact that it has turned into an Emma Watson fixation doesn't lessen than achievement. Seriously, who doesn't want to save the world, stand by the F-word (feminism), study and work hard and look fabulous while doing that, and at the same time admit to have flaws? Sorry about that. What I was trying to say is: I have found the Deathly Hallows. I have conquered Voldemort and okay, I guess I have grown into a nerd since I'm comparing my mile stones to a fantasy novel series. But you know what - this is what makes me happy. I'm happy. I have never been this happy in my life!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promise I won't take it too seriously, but I've got to start somewhere.</td></tr>
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Many more mile stones are ahead of me, of us (*gollum* - trying to be less egotistical since I realize I have written a <i>lot</i> about myself here) and who knows, perhaps I will return to blogging some time. Or maybe I'm going to finally write some more articles on The Artifice. Maybe we will gain some more listeners on our podcast. Maybe I will invent the next Facebook (this is the most likely of all these suggestions). At any rate, I will choose what makes me happy. A lot of people dislike the closing scene of <i>The Deathly Hallows</i> - the trio has grown older and seemingly more boring. I am one of the people that disagree; we don't know what's going on in Harry's, Ron's or Hermione's lives, but hey, they look happy. They're doing their jobs, building their own families, perhaps traveling the world. The war is over, life continues. This is not what I call boring. This is what I call pretty cool.<br />
(And yes, I'm not mentioning the fact that Ginny doesn't look like the awesome Quidditch player she's supposed to be).<br />
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Thank you for four wonderful years of reading my tipsy scribblings, for the loveliest digital conversations and for an enlightening cinematic and cultural journey that I'm sure is never-ending. Take care and don't forget me, as I surely won't forget you. Keep up the fun on all the social media, 'cause this is definitely not the end of any of my accounts on those.<br />
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<b>"Her fingers hadn't itched to write a blog post for nine-teen weeks. All was well".</b><br />
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<br />Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-17540154081094028572014-07-27T17:23:00.000+02:002014-07-27T17:23:02.861+02:00The Gold Rush | The ALASKAthon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The Gold Rush </i>is the last new-to-me film in the ALASKAthon, which means that my gap year is coming closer. This, I hope, is a good enough excuse for this review being somewhat <i>rushed</i>. There really aren't enough hours in the day, especially when in some of them, you get to see your friends for the last time in a year.<br />
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It might interest you that my aversion towards silent films has lessened quite a bit during the last year. From vehemently stating that "I hate silent films" to finding them okay to actually finding myself enjoy them once in a while, I have undergone what some call "a snobformation". Jokes aside, Chaplin delivers another heart-felt and fun comedy on a serious enough topic in this film. He once more shows off his physical skills and talent for physical comedy, while the story - of course - isn't complicated at all. The sets are amazing and the pieces that were actually filmed in real snow are rather impressive too. Sadly, Chaplin outshines most of the other actors, and the girl in particular doesn't get a very important or rememberable role. His "cabin friend" makes for a funny side character though, and he and Chaplin play off each other very well.<br />
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I'm happy I watched <i>The Gold Rush</i>, since it makes for an interesting change in the many recent films I watched for this blogathon. It seems that Alaska was never very popular among filmmakers but Chaplin saw its charm already in the dawn of the days of filmmaking. Again, I'm sorry if this review seems rambly and short. There was no other way.<br />
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-85878247151062310722014-07-19T23:15:00.000+02:002014-07-19T23:15:34.438+02:00Alone in the Wilderness | The ALASKAthon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The wish to just pack up our dearest belongings and burn or leave the rest, to wander off into the wilderness and start a new life without the complications of modern society - I think most of us have felt that wish one or several times in our lives. It's something that I've always associated Alaska with - the goodbye to society, that crazy breed as Eddie Vedder calls it in one of his songs. In the course of history, there have been a number of women and men who succumbed to this wish, which I do not doubt burnt much harder in them than it does in most of us who have not succumbed to it.<br />
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One of those people was Dick Proenneke, who left his home in the late 1960s and built himself a cabin somewhere in Alaska. He would stay there for 35 years, until he felt too old to endure the harshness of living in nature. During this time, he filmed and wrote about much of his adventure of building his home and exploring the wilderness around him. The TV film <i>Alone in the Wilderness</i> assembles some of Dick's early footage and underlines this by excerpts from his journals. The result is a simple yet fascinating documentary on an astonishing man who made an astonishing choice.<br />
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A few months ago I had the opportunity to watch the cinematic adaptation of <i>Tracks</i>, a non-fiction book on a woman who traveled the Australian outback by camel. I was intrigued by her story and her strong will that in the end got her what she wanted - not without losses though. At the end of the story, I wondered what would become of her, going back to "normal" life, perhaps in a big city. There is no wondering at the end of <i>Alone in the Wilderness</i>, for as a voice from the off explains, Dick continued to live in his cabin for 35 years - a surprise for me, who didn't know his story and had expected that he would only live there for a year or so. It's that choice that fascinates me most about this film. We never wonder about Dick's life after wilderness - surely it was spent either with friends and family or in a home for the elderly - but his before, his past.<br />
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What could make a man choose solitude for the rest of his life? What harm had civilisation done to him? Had he experienced something horrible? Or was he just someone who liked to be on his own, undisturbed, had always been like that? There may be answers to these questions, but to be honest, I don't really want to know. It's the riddle that made me enjoy this film so much - and of course awe at someone who can build a cabin like that on his own.<br />
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<i>Alone in the Wilderness</i> is a quiet documentary, easy to watch and digest, yet lingering on the viewer's mind for a while after the credits roll. Its amateurishness is rather intimidating when one understands the beauty that lies in many of the Super 8 (?) shots of Dick working on his little projects or of the nature surrounding him. It's like <i>Into the Wild </i>but without the people and the tragedy.<br />
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<b>SPECIAL ALASKATHON MOVIE BREAKDOWN</b><br />
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<b>How capturing/ engaging/ interesting is the film? (out of 5 northern lights)</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS</span></b></div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-33722674585173419192014-07-17T17:53:00.001+02:002014-07-19T23:06:14.479+02:00Mystery, Alaska | The ALASKAthon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>-Note!- My blind spot entry for this month will be posted on <a href="http://letterboxd.com/">Letterboxd.com</a>, as was last months (<i><a href="http://letterboxd.com/mette/film/12-angry-men/">12 Angry Men</a></i>). I want to get used to and make you get used to my blind spot entries and possible (mini) reviews appearing on that platform. Just wanted to make sure you know.</b></div>
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Even though it should be the cinephile's highest aim to be able to approach each genre and subgenre without prejudice, we all have our own little preferences when it comes to the films we watch. Last year, I started keeping a diary on what decades I watch most films from and what suffer most of my ignorant teenage - of course I found my viewing habits concentrated on the last 5 or so centuries. With the 2000s and 2010s taking a lead that is much too strong in my eyes. But it's not only that (sub-contious) skirting of old films that dictates my film viewing habits - much more prominently and, I have to admit, self-consciously, I omit war and sports films.<br />
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My main problem with sports films is that I'm not generally the biggest sports fan. Sure, I have no problem with a game of soccer with friends now and then or watching parts of the Olympics or the World Cup - but that's where it ends. I chose ballroom dance and later ballet and a bit of swimming as my personal sports, and trying to understand the complicated rules of something like Cricket (seriously, I hate Indian films for taking general Cricket knowledge for granted) or Baseball is not what I consider a fun evening. Another problem is that sports films tend to go very heavy on elements like patriotism and pathos, which I can't stand for long periods of time. They're also often constructed the same way, focussing on the sport itself instead of the characters - the latter exemplifying what I would call a good sports movie.</div>
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<i>Mystery, Alaska </i>tries to be a mixture of both - it takes hockey seriously but also constructs an ensemble of interesting characters. Well, sort of. Russel Crowe takes the lead as small town Mystery's sheriff, who is also the oldest member in the local hockey team. A lot of unknown actors play the other members, most of them having trouble in their love life/ marriage. Some of them are old, others are young. The team has to play a big match against the New York hockey team. It all works out in the end.<br />
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It's not that I dislike simple stories - <i>Gravity </i>is the proof - but <i>Mystery, Alaska </i>is as big a cliché of a "heart-warming film for the whole family" that my currently graduated and by now restless mind can not stand at this moment. As always, the Alaskan setting is breath-taking and in this case very cute - houses made of wood are still the best - but that's not really enough to make almost 2 hours of my life more interesting than if I were reading Jane Eyre (which is awesome, by the way). Russel Crowe has been much more annoying but also much better - and his Irish accent really doesn't fit into the setting - and sports films have been more boring but also much more intriguing. I have even disliked films in the Alaskathon more (<i>Wendy and Lucy</i>), but unfortunately for this one, most of the others were much better.</div>
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<i>Mystery, Alaska </i>is nowhere as mysterious or original as its title suggests and is as far from indie as James Cameron. It's rarely funny and much too dramatic at most times, including its score. Basically, it is as meh as meh gets.<br />
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<b>SPECIAL ALASKATHON MOVIE BREAKDOWN</b></div>
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<b>How capturing/ engaging/ interesting is the film? (out of 5 northern lights)</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>MYSTERY, ALASKA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1999 • Canada/ USA • English</b></span></div>
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<b>director </b>Jay Roach</div>
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<b>writers </b>David E. Kelley, Sean O'Byrne</div>
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★ Russel Crowe, Burt Reynolds</div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-54758336366350210502014-07-15T13:25:00.000+02:002014-07-15T13:25:01.745+02:0030 Days of Night | The ALASKAthon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When the success of the <i>Twilight </i>franchise precipitated a swarm of mediocre, over-eroticized vampire novels and cinematic adaptations of these, the vampire trend was officially a thing. Before that, vampire films had been mainly limited to the horror genre for a long period - as far as my limited knowledge of film history goes. <i>30 Days of Night</i> was released one year before the first <i>Twilight </i>movie and hence its vampires are ugly brutes that want nothing but to kill and feed. Which is a nice exception from the mass these days...<br />
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Set in Barrow, the northernmost town in the US, the film takes place during the 30 days of darkness that the inhabitants of the town experience every year. While the sun never sets, the vampires are free to roam Barrow day and night and leave behind them a trail of destruction. <strike>The gorgeous</strike> Police officer Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett) is the first to find out what's going on and along with a few other people he manages to survive the attacks for a long time.<br />
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I haven't seen <i>World War Z</i> but the zombies in the trailer remind me a lot of the vampires in <i>30 Days of Night</i>. As mentioned, the vampires are rather ugly but never truly intimidating unless you're a 12 year old or not accustomed to horror films. The super-speed is nowhere near the action-pumped version we've seen in <i>Man of Steel </i>or the artistic interpretation from <i>Only Lovers Left Alive</i>. However, it feels like the technique brought CGI one step closer to creating a believable and intimidating depiction of fast vampires. Interestingly, <i>30 Days of Night </i>includes some pretty realistic CGI fire - and we all know how rare <i>that </i>is.<br />
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The acting is solid and so is the plot - there are only few scares and quite a few obvious jump scares and horror traits. For example, the vampire children are used as a means to shock both the audience and the characters, but like most other twists or happenings in the film, it doesn't really surprise you. Still, the Alaskan setting works well as an extra underlying fear, much like the Antarctic setting worked in <i>The Thing</i>. Just the idea of 30 days without sun is unnatural and scary.<br />
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<i>30 Days of Night </i>is a decent horror film although its monsters aren't actually very scary. While most horror fans won't be scared, they might enjoy the unusual setting and the straight-forward premise - scaredy cats are sure to jump more than a few times though. In the end, it's a perfect film to watch with a group of friends that is a mixture of both.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2007 • USA/ New Zealand • English</b></span></div>
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<b>★ </b>Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston</div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-38670165432311942922014-07-14T15:36:00.001+02:002014-07-14T15:36:33.601+02:00Insomnia | The ALASKAthon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>I've decided to finish the left-up work and continue the ALASKAthon as a final installment on this blog. Maybe it's because I cut my toe and am thus excluded from most fun summer activities or maybe it's because I just don't want to leave my blog as a half-baked mess. Better to end things neatly if you really have to end them. </b></div>
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When I started the ALASKAthon, people told me that I might not want to go to Alaska anymore after having seen these movies. This prepared me for many unlikable, cold characters and the quietude and brutality that I've found in many of the films I chose. While this may sound off-putting to many readers and filmgoers, I have found many of the characters in films like <i>Insomnia</i> to be less black-and-white than just very realistic human beings. People that struggle with morals and their past, who (in most cases) have come to Alaska to start a new life. </div>
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In <i>Insomnia</i>, there are two people who fit that profile: Los Angeles police agent Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and mediocre author Walter Finch (Robin Williams). The nature of the story, a crime thriller with quite a few twists, forbids me to talk more in-depth about these two characters and their internal struggles. But their similarities and differences and the shared insomnia make for a fascinating, character-driven film that questions every human's ability to commit homicide and whether the end justifies the means. </div>
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Al Pacino and Robin Williams deliver two haunting performances and play off each other most of the movie. Their quiet conversations on the phone and in other places are hypnotizing and deeply psychological. Hilary Swank as a clever police officer workaholic is the obvious antipole to the two bitter men and once again convinces me that she is a highly underrated actress. </div>
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The marooned Alaskan small town setting, the ever-present sunlight and the variety of grey tones in the characters are what make <i>Insomnia </i>one of the most intriguing crime thrillers of the 2000s that I've seen. Being the first 'real' Hollywood installment in this blogathon, it's an interesting mixture of a stylized approach to the Alaskan wilderness and the human conflicts it contains and a cunningly scripted emotional thriller that leaves you on the edge of your sledge. </div>
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<b>How much does the film itself make you want to go to Alaska? (out of 5 sledges)</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>INSOMNIA</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2002 • USA/ Canada • English</b></span></div>
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<b>director </b>Christopher Nolan</div>
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<b>authors </b>Hillary Seitz, Nikolaj Frobenius, Erik Skjoldbjærg</div>
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★ Al Pacino, Hilary Swank, Robin Williams</div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-13005618061817382802014-07-06T14:14:00.000+02:002014-07-06T14:14:29.927+02:00Keeping Your Followers Up-to-date 101Yes, I'm still alive.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z8tLvrntcz4/U7k7k7Z5qnI/AAAAAAAAIDs/AYxGfTP8lyw/s1600/10464364_10203147378819688_7858654261879191439_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z8tLvrntcz4/U7k7k7Z5qnI/AAAAAAAAIDs/AYxGfTP8lyw/s1600/10464364_10203147378819688_7858654261879191439_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's me, proud graduate, the 2nd from the right.</td></tr>
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More or less so, I mean the last week has been heaven and hell in one. I graduated from high school on the 27th of July and since then everything has been on chaos mode. The thing is that here in this weird place between Denmark and Germany, we have a tradition of wearing our graduation hats for two weeks after that graduation and there is a party or something similar almost every day during that time. After the two weeks, there's an official event and the prom. I started out thinking that once the exams are over I will have enough time to post my Blind Spot entry and watch a movie every week for the ALASKAthon and write about it - turns out I was wrong. In between re-watching TFIOS in cinemas, indulging in coming of age flicks anywhere between high (<i>The Dreamers</i>) and low brow (<i>Freche Mädchen</i>, no you don't really need to know what that is) and a drinking game flavoured LOTR party, there hasn't even been time for me to <i>watch </i>the last two ALASKAthon films. Let alone comment one anyone else's blogs. Since Ed Sheeran's new CD has come out, I haven't even been listening to podcasts.<br />
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So what does the future hold? I don't know. <b>I said I was going to write an official big-hiatus-goodbye thingy and I certainly will do so before I leave for Alaska August 4th</b>. Who knows, perhaps I will marathon the Alaska films sometime after the graduation-hat-weeks and write all about it. Otherwise, keep an eye on my <a href="http://letterboxd.com/mette/">letterboxd profile</a>, <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/blog/m-e-t-t-e">Tumblr blog</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/mettekowalski">Twitter account</a> - those are the places I'm most likely to find online (and talk about movies) these days.<br />
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What can I say - I'm sorry for being such a bad blogger. But I have had plans to take a break from blogging anyway and sometimes it's hard to say whether something will come to and end quickly or slowly. Perhaps a slightly modified quote from a certain Mr. Green will help express my feelings: "I stopped blogging like you fall asleep - at first slowly and then all at once".<br />
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See you soon - either for some more posts or for the last one in a long time.<br />
<br />Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-29660457556731146042014-06-15T12:00:00.000+02:002014-06-15T12:00:04.388+02:00Wendy and Lucy | The ALASKAthon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>- </b><a href="http://t.co/91XRt4kLCH"><b>Chris from </b>Movies and Songs 365<b> also reviewed </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Wendy and Lucy</i></a><b> -</b></div>
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In the ideal case, an independent movie is more than just a movie produced by a small studio or on a small budget. It's a movie that aspires to walk off the beaten path, to swim away from the mainstream as we like to say. To achieve this, independent films can tell stories that big studios find too risqué to produce, explore themes that won't please a large percentage of the shrinking amount of moviegoers. Or it can use uncommon ways to bring its message across, play with the technical side of filmmaking or choose the long way instead of the easy one. </div>
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In the last weeks, I have been lucky to experience many of the aforementioned techniques or paths an indie film can choose. I had the chance to see Linklater's brilliant interpretation of a coming of age film, <i>Boyhood</i>, to luxuriate in Ayoade's twisted stylistic rhythm in <i>The Double</i> and to experience the orgasmic fusion of low-budget South Korean filmmaking and Captain America gone dirty in <i>Snowpiercer</i> - among others. This week's film choice for the ALASKAthon is another indie movie that takes a different perspective on a certain story than a big studio would have abandoned - a very unusual perspective, indeed. </div>
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<i>Wendy and Lucy</i> could have been a road movie, it looks like it and it sometimes feels like it. The title refers to Michelle William's stoic, quiet character of Wendy, and her loyal companion, the dog Lucy. Wendy has set out to start a new life in Alaska when life happens in the worst ways imaginable. First the car breaks down, then Wendy gets caught stealing dog food and finally, Lucy disappears. The movie centers on Wendy dealing with these problems in a desolate small town in Oregon, so nothing much actually happens after the quiet hurricane that is the first 20 minutes.</div>
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Call it the influence of mass media or mainstream or call it evolution: it's hard to like a story with unlikable characters. Surely, there are moments of pity connected with Wendy, and the film manages to keep her characters mysterious enough for the audience to keep wondering what her backstory is. But the coldness and awkwardness she displays are hard to feel sympathy for. Surely, something has happened to her and surely, there are places in this world that can make people react like she does. But for the main character in a story, even a story as short as this one, she does little to keep us invested. </div>
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There are humorous scenes in <i>Wendy and Lucy</i>, but they are so few, I could count them on one hand. The parking lot guard and Lucy are the most lovable and fun characters in this story and they don't appear often enough to lift the movie out of its swamp of sadness. Everything appears evil and untröstlich?, despite the short glimpses of something beyond that facade - undoubtedly, what we see is what Wendy sees. And how she sees it. </div>
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<i>Wendy and Lucy</i> is an interesting experiment in independent narration and execution of a simple story, but it never manages to touch the audience in a way that would make it care about the film. While it offers a curious idealisation of Alaska that seems to be common (think <i>Into the Wild</i>), it hovers on the stuck-in-between side of the journey too much to be pleasant or even challenging.</div>
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<b>How gorgeous does the film - or the Alaska in it - look? (out of 5x Timothy Treadwell's hair)</b></div>
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<b>How much does the film itself make you want to go to Alaska? (out of 5 sledges)</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>WENDY AND LUCY</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2008 • USA • English</b></span></div>
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<b>director </b>Kelly Reichardt</div>
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<b>★ </b>Michelle Williams, Lucy, Walter Dalton</div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-56879197777951646012014-06-08T12:00:00.000+02:002014-06-08T19:13:33.867+02:00Grizzly Man | The ALASKAthon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The concept of craziness is a crazy one. Though it may seem like there's far between the people who see themselves as normal and someone with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, depression or anorexia, there is something seemingly 'crazy' about everyone. Think about it: haven't you called most of your friends crazy at least once (probably more often)? What's more, haven't you called yourself crazy at least a dozen times? Having quirks is part of having a personality, being a grown-up person. Though even babies and animals are often describes as 'acting crazy' or 'having a crazy fit' or simply being 'a little crazy'. Where is the line between an actual mental illness - insanity - and the common craziness of humanity, of life?</div>
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Timothy Treadwell, the curious protagonist of Werner Herzog's 2005 documentary <i>Grizzly Man </i>was probably more than 'a little crazy', but at the very least, this describes him pretty well. The self-proclaimed protector of the grizzly bears spent more time in the company of those animals than any other human has ever done. For 13 summers, he set up his tent in remote areas of Alaskan national parks and studied grizzlies, of which 5 years were recorded on camera, adding up to 100 hours worth of material. Treadwell's remains were found at the end of summer 2003 along with those of his girlfriend Amy Huguenard - they had been killed and torn apart by a gigantic male bear. </div>
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Roger Ebert wrote that someone who got himself and his girlfriend eaten by a bear deserves Werner Herzog and I couldn't agree more. Timothy Treadwell is a tragic character and shares many similarities with the leads of Herzog's early films like <i>Aguirre</i>. In fact, with his mid-long blonde mane and astonishing enthusiasm and agility, he resembles one of Herzog's most frequently used actors, Klaus Kinski. Unlike the Herzog-esquian archetype, he has a very harmony-seeking and frail side to him though. We see him weep over the body of a dead animal, even stating that he <i>loves</i> a dead bee. Treadwell describes himself as "the kind warrior" and the stubbornness and precision with which he creates that persona is astonishing. Herzog wonderfully illustrates this by showing some of the shots that Treadwell shot countless times, repeating himself until he thought he had got it just right. </div>
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It is most certainly Herzog's skill that makes <i>Grizzly Man</i> the impressive documentary that it is. While Treadwell has a talent for setting up scenes well and making the most amateurish shots seem interesting and beautiful, the film would've been completely different if Treadwell had been to make it. Herzog's objectivity that is only seldom punctuated by personal remarks and the way he chooses to let the audience decide what to think about the bear enthusiast is remarkable. Many good and/ or popular documentarists have a tendency to be rather personal and subjective about their topic but all Herzog does is to let various people, including Treadwell, express their own opinion on the themes discussed in the film. </div>
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<i>Grizzly Man </i>is a surprisingly neutral film about a person who did very little to prevent people from thinking he was insane. While the many summers in the sunlit Alaskan nature are a treat for the eye, Herzog's delicate German accent is one for the ear. This documentary does just what a documentary should do: inform the audience and inspire it to think. </div>
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<b>How capturing/ engaging/ interesting is the film? (out of 5 northern lights)</b></div>
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<b>How gorgeous does the film - or the Alaska in it - look? (out of 5x Timothy Treadwell's hair)</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">GRIZZLY MAN</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2005 </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b>• USA • English</b></span></div>
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<b>director and author </b>Werner Herzog</div>
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<b>with </b>Timothy Treadwell, Werner Herzog, Jewel Palovak</div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-19984475827440096692014-06-03T16:36:00.002+02:002014-06-03T16:36:13.209+02:00The ALASKAthon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>„I'm going to Alaska“ </b>-<b> </b>I remember the moment I first heard that line a few years ago very clearly. I also remember the longing it inspired in me and that has since caught me every time anyone mentioned Alaska, whatever the connection. It's not that I'm brave (or stupid? - it's a fine line) enough to burn all my money and leave civilisation, nor do I have the guts or the money to go on some sort of literal walkabout for a whole year. I'm simply going to Alaska as an au pair, to take care of kids, become a member of my new Alaskan family and spend the money I earn on trips around Alaska or maybe even farther, skiing and visits to the IMAX theater. But even though I'm not really going full on 'into the wild', I think that it will be almost as adventurous - or perhaps even more so - than doing work and travel in Australia like everyone else. It might be a stupid prejudice, but I always connect Alaska with a certain sense of freedom that you can't find anywhere else in the world. It seems like one of the 'rawest' places in the world and I know that this is a hazy explanation but I always say this about things that I love the most in the world. Like my favorite film <i>Dil Se..</i>, which I think is one of the rawest films out there. It means as much as unpolished, uneven, rough - which I hope isn't just a romanticized view of nature. Although who knows, it might be, after all I often find myself romanticizing things like danger and melancholia. </div>
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However my year in Alaska will turn out to be - and only the future can tell - I am most definitely excited to go. I know that some people think being an au pair is boring and conservative, but I am determined to prove them wrong and have the most adventurous, enlightening, philosophically satisfying gap year of them all. Due to the big change that moving up north and actually working instead of lazying through high school classes, this blog will probably be on a light hiatus between August 2014 and 2015 (with exceptions like the Blind Spot series). I won't be completely gone and will write an official post on the future of Reviews and Confessions before I leave, but my internet activity is sure to drop for a year. That and my intense excitement to finally go to Alaska, is the reason why I'm hosting a blogathon for the following months, that is June and July. </div>
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<b>During the ALASKAthon, I will watch seven new-to-me movies set in (and, for the most part, filmed in) Alaska, and then re-watch <i>Into the Wild </i>as a cherry on top. You will find posts about these eight films each Sunday and if I have time, I will pop in some other Alaska-related posts about music, art and what-not. Be free to send me any existing posts on Alaska-related movies or other themes or write something completely new. I will include posts in my reviews each Sunday, so if you review or write about a film I'm also writing about, I will include your post in my own post about that film. You can see the schedule I have set up below. Send me your links on twitter (@mettekowalski), via email (limereviews@googlemail.com) or in the comment section. Please link to this post in any new post you write for the blogathon and include one of the banners. If you could include a banner in your sidebar, that would be awesome as well!</b></div>
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<b>08. June: <i>Grizzly Man</i> (2005)</b></div>
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<b>15. June: <i>Wendy and Lucy</i> (2008)</b></div>
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<b>22. June: <i>Insomnia</i> (2002)</b></div>
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<b>29. June: <i>30 Days of Night</i> (2007)</b></div>
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<b>06. July: <i>Mystery, Alaska</i> (1999)</b></div>
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<b>13. July: <i>Alone in the Wilderness</i> (2004)</b></div>
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<b>20. July: <i>The Gold Rush</i> (1925)</b></div>
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<b>27. July: <i>Into the Wild</i> (2007)</b></div>
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<b>Have fun, Cheechakos!</b></div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-60217104504207239452014-06-01T19:13:00.000+02:002014-06-01T19:13:29.715+02:00Wrapping Up May 2014 | Happy New Month!<div style="text-align: justify;">
May was an odd month - I don't have any classes anymore so basically, I sleep for hours, spend most days either in the hammock or working at the local supermarket (the first thing is awesome, the latter sucks) and watch a bunch of movies if I'm not meeting friends. Nobody has suggested studying to me yet... well, okay, some have. I will start this month, there are still three weeks until the exams so I'm good. The greatest news I have for you is that I finally found an au pair host family... in Anchorage, Alaska! So I will be moving way up north in August and honestly I have no idea how I will handle blogging and all that jazz for the following 12 months. So be prepared for a hiatus. As a little compensation, I will host an Alaska-centered blogathon during June and July so look out for that post pretty soon. And no worries, the podcast is definitely going to continue. Speaking about which, we finally found a way to get all of our old episodes on iTunes and Stitcher. If you follow us on iTunes or the Apple Podcast app, you need to unfollow the old feed and search for Across the Universe Podcast. You should find the up-to-date feed with all previous episodes. (Let's hope so!)</div>
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<b>THE LEGO MOVIE (2014) 8.3 </b>| This was my most anticipated film of the year so it was bound to disappoint just a little. But there was definitely awesomeness in here. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/indiandramaoverdose.html">HAZAARON KHWAISHEIN AISI (2003) 5.0</a> </b>| Big let-down for me, very uneven and bland. <b>EK THA TIGER (2012) 7.5 </b>| Once in a while, a really stupid movie is really good. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/indiandramaoverdose.html">PARZANIA (2005) 8.9</a></b> | Much more shocking than watching the news and the reason why I watch movies instead of watching the news. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/its-across-universe-podcasts-1-year.html">CAT PEOPLE (1942) 7.6</a> </b>| Very atmospheric and effective for a rather short film with rather unknown actors. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/its-across-universe-podcasts-1-year.html">THE BLOB (1958) 6.7 </a></b>| I generally like B-movies but this one was a tad meh. Great intro song though. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/its-across-universe-podcasts-1-year.html">THE HOST (GOWEMUL) (2006) 8.9</a> </b>| One of the most impressive monster films I've seen. There's something about South Korean cinema. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/thegrandbudapesthotel.html">THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014) 9.7</a></b> | Epic in pretty much every way. <b>LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI (2006) 7.5 </b>| Fun but just silly enough to make me like instead of love it. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/indiandramaoverdose.html">MUMBAI MERI JAAN (2008) 7.7</a></b> | Your typical Indian realistic drama with some great performances that save it. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/indiandramaoverdose.html">GULAAL (2009) 8.0</a> </b>| Stylized as hell and probably very deep. In another mood I would've completely loved it. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/indiandramaoverdose.html">THE GOOD ROAD (2013) 7.9</a> </b>| Very slow and heavy - it almost made me angry. But there's something fascinating about it. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/indiandramaoverdose.html">B.A. PASS (2013) 7.8</a> </b>| A movie that is growing on me more and more. There's something about these stories.<a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/benvenuti-to-cannes-2014-8.html"> </a><b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/benvenuti-to-cannes-2014-8.html">8 1/2 (1963) 8.8</a> </b>| Italian cinema is sexy and knows it. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/rearwindow.html">REAR WINDOW (1958) 7.8</a> </b>| It's hard to talk about this movie without gushing about Grace Kelly. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/musical-chairs-2011-thin-line-between.html">MUSICAL CHAIRS (2011) 6.9</a> </b>| Enjoyable fluff that's sort of better than the rest. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/05/blueisthewarmestcolor.html">LA VIE D'ADÈLE (BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR) (2013) 8.0</a> </b>| I love-hated it but the love part sort of won.<br />
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<b>RE-WATCHED WITH THE PURPOSE OF INTENSE EXAMINATION</b><br />
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<b>THE LUNCHBOX (2013) 8.8 </b>| Holds up pretty well and I'm so happy this got released on DVD in Germany. <b>DUMBO (1941) 8.0</b> | Absolutely disturbing. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/search/label/Harry%20Potter">HARRY POTTER</a> 1,2,3,5,6,7,8 - 10.0 </b>| Yes, Epic Harry Potter Night (or rather Day) happened and we watched everything minus the fourth movie.<br />
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<b>AMOUNT OF FILMS WATCHED: 26 (APRIL +12)</b></div>
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<b>AVERAGE RATING: 8.2 (APRIL +0.3)</b></div>
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<b>SHORTS AND TELEVISION</b><br />
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<b>FULL CIRCLE (2008) </b>| I finally gave Alex Withrow's shorts a watch and really enjoyed them. This one was very quiet but still interesting. <b>EARRINGS (2012)</b> | Definitely more approachable than <i>Full Circle</i> and very well-made. <b>THE GREATER GOOD (2014) </b>| Fan-made, non-profit short on the fight between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Pretty impressive for that!</div>
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<b>HANNIBAL, S. 2 FINALE (2014) </b>| Trying to come up with a better word than "yummy". Oh well, let's just stick with that. <span style="font-weight: bold;">PENNY DREADFUL, TWO EPS (2014) </span>| Looking good so far, especially after all the Gothic stuff we read in the last years of high school. <span style="font-weight: bold;">SUPERNATURAL, HALF OF S. 3 (2009) </span>| Still awesome. </div>
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LITERATURE<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://criminalnails.blogspot.com/">criminalnails.blogspot.com</a></td></tr>
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<b>JUST SAYING (2013) by Rae Armantrout **** </b>| The first step on my quest to read more poetry. It was rather hard to get into but I liked most of the poems a lot.<b> FIGHT CLUB (1996) by Chuck Palahniuk </b>| Favorite book-to-movie adaptation ever. And the book is epic on its own too.<b> EINE UNBERÜHRTE WELT (2008) by Andreas Eschbach *** </b>| Some German sci-fi stories. I didn't love all of them but there were some pretty cool ideas here. </div>
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and finally, TIME FOR A VIDEO</div>
Reading <i>Fight Club </i>and surfing through some globetrotter blogs plus all the fresh air and free time evoked some deep, philosophical dialogue with myself (not loud, just inside my head... I'm normal). Anyway, this video was one of the steps on that, shall we say, enlightening journey. Anything I say now will sound even more pretentious.<br />
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<b>Tell me about your month. Or don't. You are not your blogger profile. The comments you write end up writing you. Maybe.</b></div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-28322020451675867242014-05-28T11:48:00.000+02:002014-05-28T11:48:07.788+02:00Leaving Hogwarts and the Half-Blood Prince<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jhj2zF2ugEQ/U39B-r6apjI/AAAAAAAAH-s/6TAzIs_ADAg/s1600/HALFBLOODPRINCE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jhj2zF2ugEQ/U39B-r6apjI/AAAAAAAAH-s/6TAzIs_ADAg/s1600/HALFBLOODPRINCE.png" height="411" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>HARRY POTTER AND <i>the half-blood prince</i></b></span></div>
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<b>book </b>2004<b> movie </b>2009<b> first read </b>2004<b> first watch </b>2009</div>
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A sixth-in-a-row return to the school of witchcraft and wizardry, where love is in the air and each laugh is followed by a sob.</div>
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Considering how the Harry Potter series reaches its most serious peak until then with <i>Order of the Phoenix</i>, the lightheartedness and actual funniness of<i> Half-Blood Prince</i> always gets me by surprise. Despite all the unraveling of dark secrets going on here, this is also the installment that focusses most on that awkward first, or in some cases second, love. Even Dumbledore suddenly seems interested in Harry's love life. In fact, no one is spared; Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny - everyone seems slightly confuzzled by the hormones that are suddenly filling each and every corner of the Hogwarts castle. The new Potions teacher Professor Slughorn isn't really helping with his socializing parties, nor is Quidditch. However, luckily for the audience, both provide for some of the funniest moments in the whole series (cue: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/cormac-mclaggen-licking-ice-cream-off-of-his-finger/190134501033399">Cormac McLaggen and a bowl of ice cream</a>).</div>
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Meanwhile, Voldemort and the Death Eaters are gaining more power and influence every day, infiltrating the Ministry of Magic and even the school. Draco Malfoy, who gets the chance of a lifetime to prove his loyalty to the Dark Lord, is one of the most interesting side characters in this part of the series. While he's always seemed like a bit of a wanna-be dark wizard, hiding his cowardice behind empty threats and arrogance, you actually feel pity for him at this point. It turns out he's not really a bad person, just someone born into the wrong environment - and Harry's hatred towards him looks almost unfair at times, since you know (or can guess) what's going on inside Malfoy's mind. The same goes for Snape. Even though it's <i>always</i> very interesting to analyze his behavior with the knowledge of what happens in <i>Deathly Hallows</i> - something that has brought me a lot of pleasure during this project - it's not until <i>Half-Blood Prince </i>that it really pays off to know what's <i>really </i>going on. It breaks your heart to see the things from Harry's perspective, completely ignorant of the true circumstances behind the fight between Snape and Dumbledore. By the way, as you've probably guessed, Dumbledore's death was when I cried - and only in the book. Because no matter how well-made the film adaptation is, I can't forgive it for not showing Dumbledore's funeral. (And why did The Burrough have to burn?).</div>
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The movies managed to capture another core theme of <i>Half-Blood Prince </i>very well though, and that is Tom Riddle's childhood and the creation of Lord Voldemort. While there is much more material and snack for thought in the book, the movie filters out the most important scenes from the Pensieve and makes the story understandable enough to the unread viewer. At least that's what I could gather, never having seen the film without having read the book. Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Frank Dillane were perfectly cast in the roles of 11-year old and 16-year old Tom Riddle, respectively. In fact, I had to look it up before realizing they were <i>not</i> the same actor morphed to be older/ younger with CGI. Speaking of which, the effects are improving vastly with each school year. Hogwarts is growing darker but also more realistic in every film, and the attention to detail in any of the interiors and exteriors of the wizarding world is amazing.</div>
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<i>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</i> is the most dually toned film of the series, but it works. The result is neither a dark comedy nor a funny drama - but there is no point in trying to find a name for You-No-Poo meets Dumbledore's Death anyway.</div>
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<b>Make sure to NOT WEAR THE LOCKET FOR MORE THAN A DAY before next month to read about the SEVENTH entry in the Harry Potter franchise; <i>The Deathly Hallows, Part 1.</i></b><br />
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<b>Previously...</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.com/2013/12/leavinghogwarts1.html">The Sorcerer's Stone</a> • <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/01/leaving-hogwarts-and-chamber-of-secrets.html">The Chamber of Secrets </a>• <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/02/prisonerofazkaban.html">The Prisoner of Azkaban</a> • <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/03/gobletoffire.html">The Goblet of Fire</a> </b><b>• <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/04/leaving-hogwarts-and-order-of-phoenix.html">The Order of the Phoenix</a></b></div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-41283625654218316112014-05-25T21:09:00.000+02:002014-05-25T21:09:04.867+02:00Au Revoir to Cannes 2014 | Blue Is the Warmest Color<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday was the last day of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. It was also the day that I saw last year's Palme d'Or winner <i>La Vie d'Adèle, Chapitres 1 et 2 </i>or <i>Blue Is the Warmest Color</i> for the first time.</div>
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Do you remember the time when a beautiful, fresh French face made a short but effective appearance in Woody Allen's <i>Midnight in Paris</i>? Back then, it was still questionable whether there was more behind that intriguing smile. Not anymore - last year, Léa Seydoux (the actress behind selfsame smile) was awarded the Palme d'Or along with her director Abdellatif Kechiche and co-star Adèle Exarchopoulos. The two ladies are the only women to have won the award beside Jane Campion. <i>Blue Is the Warmest Color</i> is indeed a very feminine film that explores women in various ways. Firstly, there is the most apparent theme - homosexuality. The films main character, Adèle, finds out that being with men doesn't give her the same sort of satisfaction as being with a woman does. More so, there is one particular woman that Adèle falls head over heels in love with: the artistic and charming, blue-headed Emma. The two spend several years together as Adèle finishes high school and starts studying to be a teacher. Meanwhile, Emma is becoming an acclaimed artist and doesn't have as much time for her girlfriend anymore. After Adèle cheats on Emma with a male colleague, the two break up, leaving Adèle cold and lonely. </div>
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It's not suspense or an unusual story that sets <i>Blue Is the Warmest Color</i> apart from the other films of 2013, and it fits into the anti-story trend that we saw in <i>Gravity, The Great Beauty, Inside Llewyn Davis</i> and - to varying degrees - in other films of the year. In fact, this film is probably one of the best examples of that trend, and maybe that's one reason it won the Palme d'Or. The film is a simple story about relationships and emotions - yet it doesn't feel long after three hours. The characters are as real as people you know or have once known and it helps that Adèle pursues a profession as normal as that of a teacher, instead of following Emma's advice and becoming a writer. She says that drawing out story-lines isn't exactly her thing - and I can't help but get personal here and say <i>Hell, yes!</i> So many people have told me I should start writing a novel since I "write well" - but what if writing my diary, the blog and a couple of other non-fiction things satisfies me? What if I want to continue dabbling with poetry and write one good piece in ten years? But enough of that: Adèle Exarchopoulos and Lèa Seydoux truly deserve the Golden Palm Tree because they deliver the most realistic and natural performances since the <i>Before</i> films - and definitely cross more boundaries than Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy ever did. However, it's not the graphic scenes that necessarily linger with you- it's small details like that shy smile after the first kiss, the way Adèle gulps down her food and the way Emma's gets angry. </div>
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<i>Blue Is the Warmest Color </i>isn't a perfect film but it's one of those things that everyone will find something to like - and perhaps love - in. It came at the perfect time to counter the anti-gay movement and discusses a topic that is still a tabu among many teenagers and even adults. Elevated by fantastic performances from two fast rising European stars, it is an essential film for everyone interested in contemporary cinema.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR</b></span></div>
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<b>ORIGINAL: LA VIE D'ADÈLE, CHAPITRES 1 ET 2</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2013 • France/ Tunisia/ Belgium/ Spain • French/ English</span></b></div>
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<b>director </b>Abdellatif Kechiche</div>
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<b>authors </b>(Julie Maroh), Abdellatif Kechiche, Ghalia Lacroix</div>
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★ Adèle Exarchopoulos, Lèa Seydoux</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>FINAL FRAME</b></span></div>
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<b>„It's incredibly enriching. Very interesting.“ - Adèle</b></div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-1755295731322230352014-05-23T14:20:00.001+02:002014-05-23T14:20:43.122+02:00Favorite Movie Titles Blogathon<div style="text-align: center;">
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The brilliant Brittani Burnham from <b><a href="http://ramblingfilm.blogspot.com/2014/05/please-join-me-in-my-favorite-movie.html">Rambling Film</a> </b>sets out on her first quest in blogathon land with the Favorite Movie Titles Blogathon. If you would like to join, click on the link above to read the instructions. The theme is as easy as the title suggests. As I have chosen some foreign language titles, I will explain those in English. Off we go!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L-mlUQiFWh4/U3UgQFtvruI/AAAAAAAAH6o/OKIIsBuW9IQ/s1600/8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L-mlUQiFWh4/U3UgQFtvruI/AAAAAAAAH6o/OKIIsBuW9IQ/s1600/8.jpeg" height="133" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8 1/2</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mulWLtVB2QQ/U3UiHzXHzaI/AAAAAAAAH8c/eO26sQjSAcY/s1600/Priscilla-TitleL.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mulWLtVB2QQ/U3UiHzXHzaI/AAAAAAAAH8c/eO26sQjSAcY/s1600/Priscilla-TitleL.png" height="235" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6B_zq6_XH48/U3UifTzbTkI/AAAAAAAAH9I/_ZQklAbNt7A/s1600/title_biutiful_blu-ray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6B_zq6_XH48/U3UifTzbTkI/AAAAAAAAH9I/_ZQklAbNt7A/s1600/title_biutiful_blu-ray.jpg" height="136" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Biutiful</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--sk_q58jM9U/U3Ug_tSoJ7I/AAAAAAAAH7A/0r3IZNsHkXc/s1600/CBDC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--sk_q58jM9U/U3Ug_tSoJ7I/AAAAAAAAH7A/0r3IZNsHkXc/s1600/CBDC.png" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cherrybomb</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u0_UngD5XWQ/U3Ug1eIvhkI/AAAAAAAAH64/f1NZg8OiMcs/s1600/Bildschirmfoto+2014-05-15+um+22.05.18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u0_UngD5XWQ/U3Ug1eIvhkI/AAAAAAAAH64/f1NZg8OiMcs/s1600/Bildschirmfoto+2014-05-15+um+22.05.18.png" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Dreamers</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-McC4ZpMmcpw/U3UhWZFi9zI/AAAAAAAAH7g/LTxUUEGGdrI/s1600/key_art_eternal_sunshine_of_the_spotless_mind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-McC4ZpMmcpw/U3UhWZFi9zI/AAAAAAAAH7g/LTxUUEGGdrI/s1600/key_art_eternal_sunshine_of_the_spotless_mind.jpg" height="155" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q3yKa3nYH-g/U3UhGbeC-UI/AAAAAAAAH7I/ABLY21of67I/s1600/Fish_Tank_Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q3yKa3nYH-g/U3UhGbeC-UI/AAAAAAAAH7I/ABLY21of67I/s1600/Fish_Tank_Title.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Fish Tank</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-COXa9B1haME/U3UhGzS-8PI/AAAAAAAAH7M/wufB-srI7fA/s1600/guzaarish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-COXa9B1haME/U3UhGzS-8PI/AAAAAAAAH7M/wufB-srI7fA/s1600/guzaarish.jpg" height="400" width="337" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Guzaarish</span></b><br />
<b><i>'Request', </i>but more than the meaning, I like the sound.</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3us6HX8ZU4I/U3UiG7ronbI/AAAAAAAAH8U/Fb0uykwkOeM/s1600/PZytt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3us6HX8ZU4I/U3UiG7ronbI/AAAAAAAAH8U/Fb0uykwkOeM/s1600/PZytt.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Happythankyoumoreplease</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jMkiVOGSGBI/U3UifcXfiPI/AAAAAAAAH8s/WrPEglpFRSE/s1600/title+into+the+wild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jMkiVOGSGBI/U3UifcXfiPI/AAAAAAAAH8s/WrPEglpFRSE/s1600/title+into+the+wild.jpg" height="166" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Into the Wild</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LIYhRyh6RdA/U3UhWTGsq-I/AAAAAAAAH7o/uRMD0Hf8VNs/s1600/jagten_4387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LIYhRyh6RdA/U3UhWTGsq-I/AAAAAAAAH7o/uRMD0Hf8VNs/s1600/jagten_4387.jpg" height="155" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Jagten</span></b><br />
<b><i>'The Hunt'</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OprgMjmCX64/U3UhWQNPs8I/AAAAAAAAH7k/fP1D3nE7gyM/s1600/kahaani-vidya-balan-movie-review-ratings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OprgMjmCX64/U3UhWQNPs8I/AAAAAAAAH7k/fP1D3nE7gyM/s1600/kahaani-vidya-balan-movie-review-ratings.jpg" height="262" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Kahaani</span></b><br />
<b><i>'Story'</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0XeVpeH6W5w/U3UhpCS7YdI/AAAAAAAAH7w/smbUo5-yk9w/s1600/love_sex_aur_dhokha_01_10x7_30277_420x315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0XeVpeH6W5w/U3UhpCS7YdI/AAAAAAAAH7w/smbUo5-yk9w/s1600/love_sex_aur_dhokha_01_10x7_30277_420x315.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">LSD: Love, Sex Aur Dhokha</span></b><br />
<b><i>'Love, Sex and Betrayal'</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aEOVDV-J6WE/U3UhzvAPUnI/AAAAAAAAH70/YgkQCSTOsig/s1600/mysteriousskin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aEOVDV-J6WE/U3UhzvAPUnI/AAAAAAAAH70/YgkQCSTOsig/s1600/mysteriousskin.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mysterious Skin</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a2a3ei2wp30/U3UgQNZrEUI/AAAAAAAAH6s/R3lhSuQR2gQ/s1600/936full-nanook-of-the-north-poster-rsqu62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a2a3ei2wp30/U3UgQNZrEUI/AAAAAAAAH6s/R3lhSuQR2gQ/s1600/936full-nanook-of-the-north-poster-rsqu62.jpg" height="310" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Nanook of the North</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O04YZd4eG-E/U3UgPz07gjI/AAAAAAAAH6w/80T37gvgPd0/s1600/936full-ordinary-people-screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O04YZd4eG-E/U3UgPz07gjI/AAAAAAAAH6w/80T37gvgPd0/s1600/936full-ordinary-people-screenshot.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ordinary People</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jReTYYvakaI/U3Uh84u-XFI/AAAAAAAAH8A/rbh6ixCVkcw/s1600/placebey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jReTYYvakaI/U3Uh84u-XFI/AAAAAAAAH8A/rbh6ixCVkcw/s1600/placebey.jpg" height="245" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Place Beyond the Pines</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8BNFFLqMQeY/U3UiIFWyoHI/AAAAAAAAH8g/AbG6ibflvGM/s1600/qivitoq-movie-poster-1956-1020494772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8BNFFLqMQeY/U3UiIFWyoHI/AAAAAAAAH8g/AbG6ibflvGM/s1600/qivitoq-movie-poster-1956-1020494772.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Qivitoq</span></b><br />
<b><i>'Wild, lost man who walks around the ice'</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLHPXyGJtxc/U3UiGSmZ-YI/AAAAAAAAH8M/yDtzDb4xfHs/s1600/Raincoat-Wallpaper-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLHPXyGJtxc/U3UiGSmZ-YI/AAAAAAAAH8M/yDtzDb4xfHs/s1600/Raincoat-Wallpaper-001.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Raincoat</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c0fEit5-EYc/U3UihLJPkEI/AAAAAAAAH84/6iPa2YO1SyM/s1600/tumblr_m4zpwyOR8h1qbd9iyo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c0fEit5-EYc/U3UihLJPkEI/AAAAAAAAH84/6iPa2YO1SyM/s1600/tumblr_m4zpwyOR8h1qbd9iyo1_1280.jpg" height="215" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Somewhere</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bgGCaEYrFR8/U3UifUZKPCI/AAAAAAAAH8o/kD-2Ip5kKdM/s1600/tgiyb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bgGCaEYrFR8/U3UifUZKPCI/AAAAAAAAH8o/kD-2Ip5kKdM/s1600/tgiyb.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">That Girl in Yellow Boots</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wSSOU00ZaJk/U3UgHJZC1kI/AAAAAAAAH6Q/BOq1ToGy6pg/s1600/01sld6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wSSOU00ZaJk/U3UgHJZC1kI/AAAAAAAAH6Q/BOq1ToGy6pg/s1600/01sld6.jpg" height="400" width="276" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Umrao Jaan</span></b><br />
<b><i>Name of a legendary courtesan.</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gc3hc_EuRUw/U3UgRICTBUI/AAAAAAAAH6g/apzfMgnSE9I/s1600/968full-vicky-cristina-barcelona-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gc3hc_EuRUw/U3UgRICTBUI/AAAAAAAAH6g/apzfMgnSE9I/s1600/968full-vicky-cristina-barcelona-poster.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Vicky Cristina Barcelona</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8EWvsx8JNAY/U3Uih0vfH4I/AAAAAAAAH9A/TYEHHfC-Rhs/s1600/tumblr_mnyh66TI3C1rgw0ado1_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8EWvsx8JNAY/U3Uih0vfH4I/AAAAAAAAH9A/TYEHHfC-Rhs/s1600/tumblr_mnyh66TI3C1rgw0ado1_1280.png" height="211" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What's Eating Gilbert Grape</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qXEjUdtCl9w/U3Ui8KjzSjI/AAAAAAAAH9Q/zi93cNp7zgE/s1600/X-Men-Days-of-Future-Past-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qXEjUdtCl9w/U3Ui8KjzSjI/AAAAAAAAH9Q/zi93cNp7zgE/s1600/X-Men-Days-of-Future-Past-poster.jpg" height="400" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">X-Men: Days of Future Past</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWOKEx3HAgU/U3Ui7yQ0bwI/AAAAAAAAH9M/_7kQgAyjE70/s1600/YM_webstill06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWOKEx3HAgU/U3Ui7yQ0bwI/AAAAAAAAH9M/_7kQgAyjE70/s1600/YM_webstill06.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Yes Man</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Jl2CjbCgZU/U3Ui7-WKCII/AAAAAAAAH9c/X89OMgMQgvA/s1600/zero-dark-thirty-title-card.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Jl2CjbCgZU/U3Ui7-WKCII/AAAAAAAAH9c/X89OMgMQgvA/s1600/zero-dark-thirty-title-card.png" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Zero Dark Thirty</span></b></div>
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<b>Blog on!</b></div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-39482415190996488992014-05-22T12:59:00.000+02:002014-05-22T12:59:00.266+02:00Blind Spot Fixed: Rear Window<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tCzDHxz8dew/U3nfkw8wzXI/AAAAAAAAH9w/_iP3oW0xbr4/s1600/rearwindow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tCzDHxz8dew/U3nfkw8wzXI/AAAAAAAAH9w/_iP3oW0xbr4/s1600/rearwindow.png" height="386" width="640" /></a></div>
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With the recent release of <i>Grace of Monaco (2014),</i> there has been more talk than usually of the immortal ghost of the fabulous Grace Kelly. I knew about Grace before I ventured into the art of film for my leisure time, since my favorite topic used to be fashion once. She's your go-to choice for random photo collages that are supposed to express <a href="http://grace1956.tumblr.com/">'glamour'</a>,<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/wichyk/grace-kelly-timeless-beauty/"> 'timelessness'</a> or simply <a href="http://vintageclothing.about.com/od/1950s/tp/Dress-Like-An-Icon-Grace-Kelly.htm">'the 50s'</a>. Much like Marilyn Monroe, she's a confusing persona and most people would find it hard to determine what kind of celebrity she was. Apparently, she started a promising career in acting before venturing into princesshood by marrying the Prince of Monaco. When you type her name into the IMDB, it says <span style="font-size: x-small;">'Actress, Rear Window (1954)'</span> in a smaller font below an attempt to capture her breathtaking beauty - it was shortly before she met the prince that my blindspot for this month, which is the film she is best known for, was filmed.<br />
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Despite James Stewart's charm, Grace Kelly is the dominating star in this light-hearted murder mystery: She plays Lisa, a New York socialite who is in an on-off, love-hate relationship with adventurous photographer Jeff (Stewart). Due to an accident, Jeff is bound to a wheelchair for a few weeks in the hottest time of summer, a time he fills by regarding the goings-on in the backyard of his apartment complex. Most of the evenings, Lisa goes to visit Jeff and tries to talk him into considering a more serious relationship with her. When Jeff thinks he has overseen dangerous happenings from his rear window, Lisa tries to help him figure out the mystery.<br />
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Perhaps <i>Rear Window</i> was in fact huge enough for me to know its concept, or perhaps I have seen some sort of Indian remake of the story, but the film seemed oddly familiar to me. Not in a déja-vu kind of way (if you look apart from Hitchcock's self-induced déja-vus in shape of The Blonde, The Mystery and The Accidentally Troubled Man) but I had the feeling I knew where everything was going. Of course, this is not one of Hitchcock's most unforeseeable films at all. By now, someone who has seen about a dozen of his films and knows enough about murder mysteries (thank you, Sherlock) should figure out the development of the story soon enough, with the exception of the mystery itself perhaps. This brings up the suggestion that maybe this film is not merely about suspense or tension, at least not from a modern perspective. What will excite a modern viewer however, is the dense atmosphere of being trapped in a wheelchair during the hot summer months, Grace Kelly's effortless elegance and the voyeuristic pleasures that the rear window symbolizes. The latter is a little overdone, for example the ballerina next door behaves more like a pin-up star than anything else and Lisa's remarks about the two of them being alike don't seem fitting. If the ballerina is roller girl, Grace Kelly is Julianne Moore. Perhaps the two have similar lives- but if you look close, they don't really.<br />
<br />
<i>Rear Window </i>isn't one of Hitchcock's best to me, but it's harmless fun - a sort of murder mystery thriller <i>light</i>. Something you can enjoy without paying attention a hundred percent of the time (although I would recommend staying glued to Grace Kelly's scenes). James Stewart's narration is always a pleasure and the play with shadows and such makes for a visually interesting film as well. It's hard to go wrong with a film like this, but it still doesn't reach the level of brilliance of films like <i>Psycho</i>, <i>North By Northwest</i> and <i>Shadow of a Doubt </i>for me<i>.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>REAR WINDOW</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/search/label/1950s">1954</a> • <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/search/label/USA">USA</a> • English</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<b>director </b>Alfred Hitchcock</div>
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<b>authors </b>(John Michael Hayes), Cornell Woolrich</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
★ Grace Kelly, James Stewart, Thelma Ritter</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/search/label/Strawberry">FINAL FRAME | <i>STRAWBERRY</i></a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>How's that for a bit of homespun philosophy?</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I'll be back soon with... <i>12 Angry Men (1957)</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-42741848696695574642014-05-20T13:34:00.000+02:002014-05-20T13:34:00.024+02:00Musical Chairs (2011) | The Thin Line Between TV-Trash and Guilty Pleasure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wfd2zFw2WC0/U3nm_kDCYpI/AAAAAAAAH-c/g8k3rby7fJM/s1600/MUSICALCHAIRS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wfd2zFw2WC0/U3nm_kDCYpI/AAAAAAAAH-c/g8k3rby7fJM/s1600/MUSICALCHAIRS.png" /></a></div>
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With tv-shows gathering more viewers than many films and producing higher quality than ever, the bad reputation of the tv-film is nowhere near upgrading itself. For centuries, tv-films have been regarded as the black sheep in the world of film - and there is a reason for this. One half of the tv-films I watch are German, the other half are Disney Channel movies - and few of them are rememberable for cinematic quality. Tv-films have low budgets and lower pressure than the next blockbuster, they are filled with clichés, stereotypes and most of the time don't have to be seen from beginning to finish. They are escapism in snack form - a little bit of adventure to finish up your ordinary work day.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Uvg7ftRUGvzShWBw1-0Sih-Rmy0Mn3vNaC4HL7M5diMKUH4VU1nhBv1VD62hCuXt5BZK8z5rGTkFjvNj-mmRIxDsGexRb-871xspsg7Mb4UIPKJgPI8-BTyD5Y50fJD1">Musical Chairs</a></i> fits in to much of the criteria I just summed up, yet it has something else to offer as well. Telling the story of a group of people in wheelchairs who decide to start ballroom dancing, it's a typical feel-good, joy-of-life story that is supposed to be inspirational and uplifting. There's a couple of love stories involved, many typical rom-com elements and characters bounding to stereotypes. But <i>Musical Chairs </i>manages to make its character just realistic enough, the dialogue just cheeky enough and the story just fresh enough to be different from the rest of its tv-film siblings. The performances range between okay and really good, especially leading lady Leah Pipes makes the struggle and the fear of her character seem relatable instead of whiny. Some of the side stories are very cute while others are a bit unnecessary, so the runtime could've been cut with 15 minutes or so. But it's not like the film ever gets boring. You know where it's going but still, you are invested in the journey of these characters and the execution of the plot. Furthermore, the visuals look less cheap than expected and some shots have a cinematic quality to them, while the sound design is delicious. It's okay that most of the soundtrack is composed of the same ballroom track then and that there is your usual dose of melodramatic slow-motion.<br />
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This isn't the renaissance of the tv-film or the rise of feel-good films but an enjoyable flick that won't hurt anyone and really does add some adventure to your ordinary day.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">MUSICAL CHAIRS</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/search/label/2010s">2011</a> • <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/search/label/USA">USA</a> • English</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>director </b>Susan Seidelman</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>author </b>Marty Madden</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
★ Leah Pipes, E.J. Bonilla, Laverne Cox</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TM703-H_9N4/UXQcJkk-H9I/AAAAAAAAGE4/1J_8hK8maG8/s1600/4-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TM703-H_9N4/UXQcJkk-H9I/AAAAAAAAGE4/1J_8hK8maG8/s1600/4-2.png" height="441" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/search/label/Strawberry">FINAL FRAME | STRAWBERRY</a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Beyoncé, eat your heart out!</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-81697907333129808442014-05-19T11:32:00.000+02:002014-05-19T11:32:02.760+02:00Harold and Maude: The Best Wes Anderson Film that Wes Anderson Didn’t Make | Guest Post<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>by <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandonEngel2">Brandon Engel</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-journey-in-wes-anderson-land.html">Wes Anderson</a></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;"> is the darling of
contemporary populist filmmaking. Most people love him, and everyone is
familiar with him. The scripts for his films are well written. His music
choices are distinctive and usually fit the tone of his films nicely. His
characters are well-constructed and relatable. One of the things that makes his
work so endearing to fans is that he manages to integrate elements of nostalgic
sentimentality without his films feeling overwrought — a little too cutesy at
times, maybe, but he usually manages to temper this.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Whatever your personal feelings are about the
man and his work, Anderson is one of the most distinguished contemporary
filmmakers. Obviously though, as with any sort of artmaking, nothing is born
from nothing — which is another way of saying that everything is informed by
something. Anderson owes much of his trademark aesthetic sensibility to the
directors who influenced him, and perhaps none more so than Hal Ashby. Hearken
back a few decades to Ashby’s cult comedy <i>Harold and Maude </i>(1971), and
you can see that the film essentially sets the template for virtually every
film that Anderson has ever made — if not thematically, than at least in terms
of style.</span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Harold and Maude</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;"> tells the story of a young man named Harold
(Bud Cort) who lives in the United States in an opulent home with a mother of
undisclosed European ancestry (Vivian Pickles). Harold has a peculiar
fascination with death, which stems from his equally peculiar relationship with
his mother. Harold drives a hearse, routinely stages </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJQs6esE2WQ"><span style="color: #1155cc;">elaborate
prank suicides</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;"> to
shock her, and prefers to spend his time attending funerals. Never funerals of
anyone he knows, however.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Already, you can see a major similarity to
Anderson’s work. The comical ennui of wealthy, disenchanted children, set
against the backdrop of an affluent (albeit, dysfunctional) household, a la </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.vulture.com/2013/10/how-wes-anderson-made-the-royal-tenenbaums.html"><i><span style="color: #1155cc;">The Royal Tenenbaums</span></i></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Harold’s mother insists on setting him up on a
series of dates, and Harold manages to sabotage every single one with his
pranks. He does become smitten eventually though, with a rambunctious,
free-spirited woman sixty years his senior named Maude (Ruth Gordon). The pair
meet at a stranger’s funeral, and afterwards, Maude offers to drive Harold home
in a car she steals from the priest. The two begin an odd courtship. Together,
they steal vehicles, eat picnics in front of housing demolition sites, sing
songs, and generally make merry.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">If you haven’t seen the film, this might all
sound nihilistic and deranged. And to some degree, it is. But it also manages
to be strangely life affirming and light-hearted. The </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ycjX3rLzyE&list=PL5D331EFF1CCD0833"><span style="color: #1155cc;">soundtrack is provided by Cat Stevens</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">, which provides additional aesthetic similarity
to Wes Anderson’s films, particularly his soundtrack for </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZVxCNwBqXI"><i><span style="color: #1155cc;">The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou</span></i></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">. It is the sort of lilting acoustic guitar
music which manages to accentuate both the melancholic and pleasant undertones
of the film. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Its ending is less than uplifting, but on the
whole, it is what you might call a “feel good movie” in spite of, or partially
because of, its darker themes. It bears repeated viewing also; there are a
number of subtle narrative devices that you might not catch on the first
viewing (pay particular attention to the picnic scene, and also the sequence
where Harold speaks with his psychologist, priest, and Vietnam veteran uncle).</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">It didn’t perform phenomenally at the box office
upon its initial release, and the film was most certainly not without its
neighsayers (Ebert </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/harold-and-maude-1972"><span style="color: #1155cc;">particularly disliked the film</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">). But, Hal Ashby’s classic should be required
viewing for any die-hard Wes Anderson fan, and while it was rather difficult to
find rental copies back in the day when Blockbuster dominated that market, it
has enjoyed something of a resurgence in popularity in recent years, due
largely to the fact that it can be </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://fuckyeahnetflixinstant.tumblr.com/post/2406965371/harold-maude-hal-ashbys-cult-classic-harold"><span style="color: #1155cc;">streamed off sites like Netflix</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;"> or found “on demand” with </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://direct-ticket.net/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">DTV</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;"> and similar cable providers.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Perhaps one day, <i>Harold and Maude</i> will
get the mainstream attention it deserves. I suppose that we can at least be
thankful that Wes Anderson has kept the spirit of the film alive within his own
body of work.</span></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-69631630354227431172014-05-17T21:26:00.000+02:002014-05-17T21:26:10.015+02:00Why The Grand Budapest Hotel Is Definitely Worth a Visit<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-990l1IwOLzY/U2-7gpNQhxI/AAAAAAAAH4I/9FQwkwIYqlA/s1600/tumblr_n3xqz8QM2g1txl3g4o1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-990l1IwOLzY/U2-7gpNQhxI/AAAAAAAAH4I/9FQwkwIYqlA/s1600/tumblr_n3xqz8QM2g1txl3g4o1_1280.jpg" height="640" width="576" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><i>- http://thegrandbudapestrp.tumblr.com/</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Aren't we all more or less attracted by shiny objects? As toddlers we were. In kindergarten we were. In high school we really were. And even though we're getting better at hiding and transferring this primal instinct, we still are: attracted by shiny objects.</div>
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Wes Anderson is one the most talented, living craftsmen who make shiny objects. He taps the sunshine, freezes the quicksilver and literally blows the dust from the treasures of ancient (European) families. I have talked about Wes Anderson and his films before, <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2012/09/a-journey-in-wes-anderson-land.html">at length</a></b>. With the surprising arrival of <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel </i>to a cinema "near" me, I finally have more to talk about. A <b><a href="http://www.thematinee.ca/">wise man</a></b> once said that it is "the most Anderson that Anderson ever Andersoned" or something among those lines, and it's about the truest thing you could say about this film. It has the carefully and lovingly designed sets that create an atmosphere of a doll's house, the craziest... oh well, there's no evading the word, <i>quirkiest</i> characters, played by the most hyped actors. It has the props, the songs and the poetry. And - this is probably the most important thing - it has Europe. If we're being very black-and-white about it, Hollywood produces glamorous, entertaining movies while European films are thought-provoking and low-budget. Europe would not have made a film like <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel</i>. Nor would the United States. It's an inbetweener, a curious outsider, a cinematic weirdo. And that's part of why I love it so much.</div>
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<i>The Grand Budapest Hotel </i>is not just a film though, it is a place as well - and this is important to remember. It's a similarity that the film shares with <i>Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited</i> and <i>Moonrise Kingdom</i>, which just so happen to be some of my favorite Wes Anderson movies. To be true, most of his movies are some of my favorite Wes Anderson movies. Still, his latest work stands out from the little crowd. It's a pink bubble of nostalgia, romance and Ralph Fiennes being funny. Shining bright till the credits. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2013 </b></span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25.200000762939453px;">• USA/ Germany </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><b>• English/ French</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><b>director </b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2012/09/a-journey-in-wes-anderson-land.html">Wes Anderson</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><b>authors </b>Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness, (Stefan Zweig)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.200000762939453px;">★ Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Tony Revolori, Saoirse Ronan</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZqcZ6PadjQ/U3UAcm5mMJI/AAAAAAAAH6A/QHTawkSBYY8/s1600/5-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZqcZ6PadjQ/U3UAcm5mMJI/AAAAAAAAH6A/QHTawkSBYY8/s1600/5-2.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><b>FINAL FRAME</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><b>„You're looking so well darling, you really are.“</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-41882105876290498032014-05-16T19:07:00.000+02:002014-05-17T21:06:34.243+02:00My Big Fat Indian Drama Overdose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2zbQTB_8d5M/U3Ttd6WeIiI/AAAAAAAAH4s/2URJJuzWFp4/s1600/overdose.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2zbQTB_8d5M/U3Ttd6WeIiI/AAAAAAAAH4s/2URJJuzWFp4/s1600/overdose.png" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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Try to imagine '<b>Bollywood'</b> in one picture. What do you see? Is it, by any chance, a massive, colorful jumble of different spices and beautiful people you think must be too white to be Indian, embroidered with glistening pearls and golden sequins? If so, you are not wrong- but you're not exactly right either. 'Bollywood' is often used to describe a certain <i>kind</i> of film. Genre is the wrong word, but something among the lines of how indies or arthouse represent a certain kind of film. 'Bollywood' reflects a certain trend that has been predominating a big chunk of the Indian and Hindi language film industry, always. But something I like to point out whenever someone asks, and whenever someone doesn't, is that 'Bollywood' is not equal to Indian cinema and that yes,<br />
<b>- there <i>are</i> good Indian dramas</b><br />
<b> - there <i>are </i>good Indian dramas that feature song-and-dance </b><b>and most importantly,</b><br />
<b> - there <i>are</i> good Indian dramas that don't feature song-and-dance.</b><br />
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Song-and-dance in this context also represents any other trademark most people associate with Indian films (or Bollywood), like over-acting, strange side plots, strange side characters, extravagance and a long runtime. This month, I have seen a comparatively big amount of Indian drama of different quality, style and purpose- films that had been hovering on my DVD shelf for too long. My big fat apologies to the cool friend who borrowed me these and a few other films last summer, it has taken me far too long to watch them. All of these films had caught my interest either recently or a very long time ago and are on the 1001 Indian films you have to see before you die list that I've been secretly putting together for about two years. No, it's not done yet. Each of the films proved to be worth the watch, some more than others, but most of all it has been delightful to delve back into the rich and different world of Indian cinema for so long at a time. <b>Here's what I take away from this adventure in a serious land.</b><br />
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The journey begins with <b style="font-style: italic;">Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi</b>, a 2003 political drama that was by far one of the films that I had most expectations for (due to an incident of me watching the 2004 Zee Cine Awards a couple of times too often). It stars - like many of these films - the great Kay Kay Menon, Chitrangda Singh, whom I knew was an indie darling, as well as sleazebag Shiney Ahuja who was involved in a rape case recently. The inevitable love triangle between the three characters is a sticky cliché and the politics are never really accessible from any angle. You don't know whether you're supposed to feel with the (seemingly poor) left-wing activists or the (undefined) other side, nor is it easy to relate to the characters. The narration that involves many voice-overs of reading letters in very accent-filled English is tiring and camera and sound choices feel wooden and amateurish. Shiney Ahuja delivers a convincing performance bordering to craziness in the end, but apart from that, it's a forgettable, mediocre movie that tries too hard to be important. Yes, I said I was happy I had seen all of these films - in this case because I can tell people it's not that great.<br />
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On it goes with <b><i>Parzania</i></b>, by far my favorite of this selection of films. It's a very unknown and overlooked 2005 film that did very poorly at the box-office, yet earned leading woman Sarika and director Rahul Dholakia a National Award each (just about the only "big" Indian film award to be taken seriously). Parzania is a family drama with highly realistic characters that charm you with their naturalness and warmth before the movie takes a u-turn and grows completely dark. I don't want to say anything else because that would affect your experience, but this is one of the best films I have seen recently. It's powerful in the slow way and has a subtle approach to the conflict depicted in it. One exception is the rather unnecessary American character Allan, who is a bit too straight-forward to fit with the rest of the film. Otherwise, it's almost a flawless film.<br />
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From there I went over to<i style="font-weight: bold;"> Mumbai Meri Jaan</i>, an episodic drama from 2008 that explores the lives of different characters before and after the bomb attacks in Mumbai. It has the advantage of an ensemble cast compiled of relatively small actors that are known for supporting roles - Madhavan, Soha Ali Khan, Irrfan Khan ("the guy from <i>Slumdog Millionaire</i>") and Kay Kay Menon. Its disadvantage lies in a jumbled narrative that doesn't really know where to go, some unrealistic character developments and some mediocre cinematography. As in most (Indian?) episodic films, some parts of the film work better than others. Soha Ali Khan gets an interesting part with the journalist who has to experience journalistic, emotional exploitation herself, and so does Irrfan Khan as an underclass worker. The other characters and their story were a bit too obvious with their message, some subtlety wouldn't have hurt here. But it was interesting enough to see the effects of the bombings and what they meant to different parts of the city, how their impact was different for different people.<br />
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The most surprising of the films was surely <i style="font-weight: bold;">Gulaal</i>, a film that I don't remember wanting to watch or ever having heard of. It's a 2009 production from India's Lars von Trier Anurag Kashyap, the director of some of my favorite films of all time. As expected from a Kashyap film, Gulaal was - if anything - one hell of a stylish thing to look at. In some places, I felt a stronger need to just indulge in the visuals and their carefully constructed, imperfect beauty than take notice of the plot. But it is an exciting story in places and especially the finale is very powerful and well-constructed - almost Shakespearian.<br />
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Further down the way, I caught up with this year's Indian Oscar submission<b><i> The Good Road</i></b>, also known as "The-film-that-isn't-Lunchbox". Whatever one's personal opinion may be, this is certainly a much less accessible and less known film than the Cannes darling, while it is also a more visually ambitious one. The questions this film raises about fate are very intriguing but also very abstract and the execution can be tiring. Bordering to infuriating, depending on the viewer. Personally, I felt aggressive when I watched it, but I think that's something the makers wanted to evoke in the audience - a strong reaction. It's an interesting film but I still think that it was the wrong choice for the Oscar submission.<br />
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I reached the climax of my two-week marathon with one of 2013's most critically acclaimed Hindi-films,<i style="font-weight: bold;"> B. A. Pass</i>. It's strange how films with obviously sexual content always appeal to me, or at least make me curious. This one tells the story of a typical MILF scenario; a young boy being seduced by an older woman. However, that's not the truly interesting part and the sex scenes do seem quite staged, although maybe that's how they're supposed to look. At any rate, the protagonist turns into a capable lover and somehow slithers into becoming a kind of male escort for unsatisfied Indian housewives. The rest of the film is about the conflict of that existence and the risks it includes. Like in Gulaal, the ending is very Shakespearian.<br />
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In addition to this selection of rather depressing dramas, I also caught up on<br />
- <b><i>Ek Tha Tiger</i> (2012)</b>: One of those meaningless, crowdpleasing Masala flicks that are a ton of fun once in a while.<br />
- <b><i>Lunchbox</i> (2013)</b>: The film that should've been submitted to the Oscars and is still delicious on a second view.<br />
- <i><b>Lage Raho Munnabhai</b></i> <b>(2006)</b>: It's not as great as some reviews let me think but still adorable. The Indian definition of comedy has definitely (and thankfully) changed since this film was made.<br />
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This leaves me a bit paler than before, with swollen eyes and bloodless lips - but I'm still glad I committed to overdosing on Indian drama. I feel braver now, like nothing can ever bring me down this far again. There's something else too, something glittering in the dark of... oh, wait, I know: I think I really feel like watching some of those bollywoodian films again!<br />
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-56753711545928268492014-05-15T20:42:00.001+02:002014-05-15T20:42:53.790+02:00Benvenuti to Cannes 2014 | 8½<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday was the first day of Cannes and it was the first time I saw a film with the intriguing title of <i>8½.</i></div>
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I'm not talking about that blending mode or the amount of films Fellini had made up until 1963 - or am I? <i>8½</i> premiered at the Cannes Film Festival that year and it became an instant success. 41 years after its release, it was honored by being selected for the official poster of the festival and it became one of the two films I decided to watch in order to forget I wasn't attending the festival. <i>8½</i> is a strange film that plays with your perception of reality and the world of dreams and also is fully aware of its sexiness as a black-and-white Italian film. Never again have the screens of our cinemas experienced such stylishness and they perhaps never will. Marcello Mastroianni strolls the hotel hallways, Dolce Vita beaches and film sets in a film set like a God who just so happens to pay us peasants a visit while also maintaining an oddly fragile flavor in his character. Obviously (question mark?) he represents director Fellini himself, who - according to film bibles - directed himself out of an existential crisis with this film. Fellini blends the oddity and dreaminess of <i>La Strada </i>with the hedonism from <i>La Dolce Vita</i> into some of the most delicious, intriguing cinematic mush I have tasted yet. (Or did I just say that because those are the Fellini films I have seen?). Beside the clever script, abstract imagery and intellectually stimulating dialogue, it's also, surprisingly, the sound that makes <i>8½</i> stand out in cinematic history. Whether it's the buzz from the door, the clicking of polished heels on marble or that all-Italian beach swoosh, the sound of this film sweeps you away and draws you in at the same time. </div>
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I think I know what the title stands for now: the 8½th heaven.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8½</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1963 </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b>•</b></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"> Italy </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b>•</b></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"> Italian/ English/ French/ German</span></b></div>
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<b>director </b>Frederico Fellini</div>
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<b>authors </b>Frederico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi</div>
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★ Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimee</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FINAL FRAME</b></span></div>
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<b>„What is this flash of joy that's giving me new life?“</b></div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-87837818228334926712014-05-11T23:08:00.002+02:002014-05-11T23:08:21.257+02:00Spread the Word | Happy Mother's Day!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8htwPIcP6eI/U2_mZnihTWI/AAAAAAAAH4Y/YCv1cNNC-I0/s1600/tumblr_mh95ccMPiX1ro77gpo1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8htwPIcP6eI/U2_mZnihTWI/AAAAAAAAH4Y/YCv1cNNC-I0/s1600/tumblr_mh95ccMPiX1ro77gpo1_500.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">www.fuckyesjennifermorrison.tumblr.com</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">NEAT BLOG POSTS</span></b><br />
<b>Alex </b>seems to have seen a lot of <b><a href="http://www.andsoitbeginsfilms.com/2014/04/the-directors-tim-burton.html">Tim Burton films</a></b> - and as always, put them into a cool list.<br />
<b><a href="http://beingnormajean.blogspot.de/2014/05/happy-mean-girls-day.html?showComment=1398891814572#c5182869088233596770">Nik</a> </b>and <b><a href="http://www.cinematicparadox.com/2014/05/10-years-of-mean-girls.html">Stevee</a></b> celebrated <b>Mean Girls Day</b> without mentioning Lars von Trier.<br />
<b>Gaja Gamini </b>reviewed <b><a href="http://bollywood-ish.blogspot.de/2014/04/hasee-toh-phasee.html">Hasee Toh Phasee</a></b> and I still don't know what to expect.<br />
<b>Jaina </b>continues to wow me with her photographies for <b><a href="http://time-wellspent.com/2014/05/03/photo-challenges/project-365/project-365-2014-april#comment-24022">Project 365</a></b>.<br />
<b>Veracious</b> looks back at her <b><a href="http://sotheydance.blogspot.com/2014/05/filmi-year-2013-better-late-than-never.html">Filmi year of 2013</a></b>. She also invents the fitting phrase of "Saif Ali Khan -ing one's career".<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> + NEW BLOGS!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://whatiknowisthis.blogspot.de/">Chronicles in Frame</a> </b>is an exciting pop culture blog with a lot of movie content.<br />
<b>Jdbrecords</b> seems to write about almost everything - that's how I discovered these <b><a href="http://jdbrecords.blogspot.de/2014/05/poems-by-chocolate-waters.html">great poems by Chocolate Waters</a></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">INTERESTING VIDEOS</span></b><br />
What other way to celebrate<b> mother's day</b> than with a dose of <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0DeIqJm4vM">Lonely Island's <i>Motherlover</i></a></b>?<br />
I skipped <b>ESC</b> this year and good thing because no, I'm not a fan of <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaolVEJEjV4">this song</a></b>.<br />
People who use the site player may have noticed that <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg_-IVEZwcU">Jimmy Franco by LOLAWOLF</a></b> has been hovering there for a while now - one of the best videos of the year so far.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">GROOVY PODCASTS</span></b><br />
<b>Reel Insight </b>(a podcast I highly recommend) looks back at <b><a href="http://reelinsight.podomatic.com/entry/2014-05-01T12_57_33-07_00">2009's</a></b> box-office bonanza <i>Avatar</i> and Oscar winner <i>The Hurt Locker.</i><br />
<b>FTS </b>did a similar episode to our last one with <b><a href="http://www.frenchtoastsunday.com/2014/04/fts-podcast-episode-189-redux-movie-we-love-that-others-hate-vice-versa.html">REDUX: Movies We Love That Others Hate & Vice Versa</a></b>. Such fun!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING ELSEWHERE</span></b><br />
I spent one day writing about <b><a href="http://the-artifice.com/joanne-rowling-works-connected/">J.K. Rowling's Works and How They're Connected</a></b> so you'd better read it. Right now.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Spread the word!</span></b></div>
Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-72329618326174648522014-05-08T15:30:00.002+02:002014-05-08T15:32:10.364+02:00Words Have Been Flowing Out For 1 Year!!<h5 style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: small;">The following post was reblogged from acrosstheuniversepodcast.wordpress.com - thank you for 12 great months, Nik and Sofia. It's been a great adventure so far and I will never get tired of explaining people what a podcast is or that you are not people I met through online dating (who ever thinks of this stuff?). I hope we will have the possibility to meet some time although it probably won't be in the next year. Here's to another 12 months of discussing Mads Mikkelsen (how to pronounce his name, I mean)!</span></strong></h5>
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<a href="http://acrosstheuniversepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/podcast-banner-youtube1.jpg"><img alt="across-the-universe-banner" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-31" src="http://acrosstheuniversepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/podcast-banner-youtube1.jpg?w=646" height="363" width="646" /></a></h5>
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<span style="color: #ff6600;">Welcome to the Across the Universe Podcast blog! </span></h5>
Exactly one year ago today, we <a href="http://acrosstheuniversepodcast.wordpress.com/about/"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Chicks with Accents</span></strong></a> published our very first podcast episode. Celebrating this milestone, we redesigned the podcast's image and came up with new ways to spread our work and improve it, in order to serve <em>you</em> better. So<strong> here are some of the news:</strong>
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<li>First and foremost, you can now stay tuned with everything <em>Across the Universe</em> related through <strong>our <a href="http://acrosstheuniversepodcast.wordpress.com/">Wordpress Blog</a>.</strong><span style="color: black;"><strong> </strong></span></li>
<li>From now on, <strong>all our episodes will be available for you to listen online</strong> or download, completely free.</li>
<li><strong>New episodes will be structurally optimised</strong>, along with a few more surprises...!</li>
<li>The podcast now has a <span style="color: #ff6600;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/acrosstheuniversepod" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Youtube channel</strong></span></a></span>, where<strong> episode trailers</strong> will be uploaded.</li>
<li>We've made a <span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><a href="https://soundcloud.com/niksofiamette-zahratexeirakowalski/" target="_blank">new podcast trailer</a>:</strong></span></span></li>
</ul>
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/148349650&color=ff5500" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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As always <strong>we encourage your feedback</strong>, so leave us a <strong>comment</strong> below or get in touch through our<a href="https://www.facebook.com/acrosstheuniversepodcast" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong> facebook page</strong></span></a>.
Contact us via <strong>email</strong>: acrosstheuniversepodcast [@gmail.com]<br />
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The Chicks:
<strong>Mette M. Kowalski</strong> -- <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.pt/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Blog</span></strong></a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reviewsandconfessions" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Facebook</span></strong></a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/mettekowalski" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Twitter </strong></span></a>-- Germany<br />
<strong>Nikhat Zahra</strong> -- <a href="https://www.blogger.com/beingnormajean.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Blog</span></strong></a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Being-Norma-Jeane/308296192536767" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Facebook</span></strong></a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Nikhat_Z" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Twitter </strong></span></a>-- India<br />
<strong>Sofia da Costa</strong> -- <a href="http://www.filmflare.pt/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Blog</strong></span></a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FILMflare" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Facebook</strong></span></a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/filmflareblog" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Twitter</span></strong></a> -- Portugal
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On our next episode we'll discuss <strong>Monster Movies!</strong>
Join the conversation on <strong>Friday, the 16th.</strong></div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-52832404548203850272014-05-01T16:56:00.000+02:002014-05-01T16:59:55.654+02:00HAPPY NEW MONTH! - Wrapping Up April 2014<div style="text-align: justify;">
The sun is shining, the house is clean and I've almost finished my Harry Potter read-a-thon already. So it's a great time isn't it? If only I manage avoiding to think about next weeks exams (well, I'm not that afraid anyway), find the perfect au pair family soon (lots of great contenders) and find a way to stay happy and relaxed during work three days in a row (nobody in their right mind works at the supermarket these days three days in a row) - everything will be better than ever! In fact, my cinema has started showing good movies in the original version feature - finally! Just this past Tuesday, I went to see <i>Divergent </i>with a bunch of friends and my dear sister and next week I will be celebrating my finished German exams with <i>Transcendence </i>(which I hope is better than what I've heard). Anyway, if everything else fails I can always sing "Just aaa SPOON FULL OF SUGAR MAKES THE MEDICINE GO DOWN" all day long. So far it has worked.</div>
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<b>WATCHED FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME</b><br />
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<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/04/big-league-blogathon-field-of-dreams.html">FIELD OF DREAMS (1989) 8.3</a> | </b>One of the best sports films, since luckily, it wasn't really about sports.<b> CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011) 8.0 |</b> Should've caught up earlier but it was still a very enjoyable and fresh superhero movie. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/04/leon.html">LÉON (1994) 5.4</a> | </b>Not all praised films hit my nerve and this one proved that well. <b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/04/across-universe-podcast-eps-24.html">CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014) 8.6 </a>|</b> Marvel is on a roll. <b>THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT (2009) 7.4 |</b> Finally, a good horror movie once again. The ending had a few problems as do most horror endings, but I liked it for what it was. <b>KAI PO CHE! (2013) 8.4 |</b> Another good sports movie - which was more about friendship than anything. <b>LOOTERA (2013) 9.0 | </b>Haven't seen anything as un-sulkily yet ruthlessly romantic and heart-breaking as this from India for too long! <b>NOT ANOTHER HAPPY ENDING (2013) 7.2 | </b>Would watch Karen Gillian in anything and this one wasn't as bad as it looks like. Great outfits (sensing a Fabulous Fashion post). <b>MARY POPPINS (1964) 10.0 | </b>Someday, I will write an essay on films I regret never watching as a child - this won't happen to <i>my </i>future children. <b>DUCK SOUP (1933) 2.0 | </b><i>HOW</i> this ever became a classic I will never know - there was one good joke in there, literally. Oh <i>HOW</i> I wanted to kill those spies. <b>FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (1943) 8.1 |</b> Ingrid Bergman is an angel yet the true scene-stealer in this one was clearly Katina Paxinou. What a performance. <b>HARVEY (1950) 9.4 |</b> Now this one deserves to be a classic. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the existence of such a movie. <b>DIVERGENT (2014) 8.6 | </b>Just as good an adaptation as expected - great action, not <i>too </i>much romance yet a good look at Theo James' sexy back and a perfect Shailene Woodley.</div>
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<b>RE-WATCHED WITH THE PURPOSE OF INTENSE EXAMINATION</b><br />
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<b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/04/leaving-hogwarts-and-order-of-phoenix.html">HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (2007) 10.0</a> | </b>I still can't get over the perfection of this one when I forget about the lack of Quidditch.<br />
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<b>AMOUNT OF FILMS WATCHED: 14 (MARCH -8)</b></div>
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<b>AVERAGE RATING: 7.9 (MARCH -0.5)</b></div>
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<b>SHORTS AND TELEVISION</b><br />
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<b>SHORTS: <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/04/short-break-no-time.html">NO TIME (1994)</a> | </b>Aronofsky sure was a lot funnier than I had expected.</div>
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<b>TV: SUPERNATURAL, S2 (2008) | </b>Great storyline throughout and great finale - there's no way turning back for me now. <b>HANNIBAL, HALF-WAY THROUGH S2 (2014) | </b>It's getting better all the time, isn't it? <b>MIRANDA, ALL SEASONS (2009 - 2013) | </b>My new-found love for this show is undying. After a bit of a weak start in season three, it ends with a true what-I-call BANG. Please come back soon!</div>
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<b>LITERATURE</b><br />
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<b>THE CUCKOO'S CALLING (2013) by Robert Galbraith/ JK Rowling **** | </b>Another Strike (haha) from our Queen - I don't care about the accusations, this is a great mystery/ detective novel with great characters and a wonderful twist. Excited for the follow-up! <b>THE FOREVER SONG (2014) by Julie Kagawa **** | </b>The <i>Blood of Eden </i>trilogy has come to a wonderful end with this super suspenseful, thrilling outro. </div>
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<b>and finally, TIME FOR A VIDEO</b></div>
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Last month I had some food porn for you, this time we're talking real people. And yes, watching all of this pays off - McAvoy has a fantastic little explosion just before the end. YES HE DOES!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="351" mozallowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" src="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/video/hugh-jackman-michael-fassbender-james-150610303.html?format=embed&player_autoplay=false" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="624"></iframe><br />
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<b>Tell me about your month then - or have we had enough excitement with this for today?</b></div>
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Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-8503487688914027002014-04-29T17:15:00.000+02:002014-05-01T17:15:29.086+02:00Across the Universe Podcast, Eps 25: Movies People Hate That We Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For our first jubilee - number-wise - we are joined by the always cool and brilliantly British Cherokee from <a href="http://isaidcanyoudigit.blogspot.co.uk/">Can You Dig It?</a> to discuss a rather embarrassing topic. As always, <a href="http://beingnormajean.blogspot.de/">Nik</a>, <a href="http://filmflare.pt/">Sofia</a> and my own humble self reveal more and more secrets about ourselves and our movie blogging personas as we talk about the movie that we secretly enjoy watching. </div>
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00:21- Chick-chatter<br />
03:28- Trailer<br />
04:05- Guest questionnaire<br />
14:03- The chicks and Cherokee list their favourite films that are hated by most people<br />
1:05:24- Plugs and Goodbyes<br />
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<b>Soundtrack</b><br />
Guest's choice- <i>Comeupoutdawahta</i> (by Gmcfosho)<br />
<i>Mamma Mia!</i> (by Meryl Streep)<br />
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<i>Across The Universe</i> (by Rufus Wainwright)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="85" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://acrosstheuniversepodcast.podomatic.com/embed/frame/posting/2014-04-30T14_38_45-07_00?json_url=http%3A%2F%2Facrosstheuniversepodcast.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2014-04-30T14_38_45-07_00%3Fcolor%3Dadadad%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85%26objembed%3D0" width="440"></iframe><br />
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<b>Please give us your feedback on facebook.com/acrosstheuniversepodcast, Podomatic, iTunes, Stitcher or acrosstheuniversepodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @Nikhat_Z, @filmflareblog or @mettekowalski. Old episodes can be found on <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hb8tj7mo5fnrrw3/CdaE6PyM3p">Dropbox</a>.</b>Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219108510988412397.post-51165712241021533852014-04-28T18:54:00.000+02:002014-05-23T14:52:09.907+02:00Leaving Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>HARRY POTTER AND <i>the order of the phoenix</i></b></span></div>
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<b>book </b>2003<b> movie </b>2007<b> first read </b>2003<b> first watch </b>2007</div>
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A fifth-in-a-row return to the school of wizardry and witchcraft, where I realize the upside of growing up and that Professor Umbridge is really Goebbels.<br />
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Something strange happened last night: I fell in love with an old enemy. Not Professor Umbridge, if that's what you're thinking. Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough there:<i> Order of the Phoenix</i> has never been an enemy but it's always been my least favorite of the series. I remember when it came out, two years after the previous movie, and the raving reviews started getting published. "The best Harry Potter film so far", "The first Harry Potter film adults love" and similar irritated me before the movie had come out - hadn't the other Harry Potter films been good enough for adults? How good could this movie be, compared to <i>Prisoner of Azkaban</i>? When I watched the movie, my suspicions were confirmed -<i> Order of the Phoenix </i>was a solid yet not overly exciting adaptation and by no means better than the previous two movies. Everything in the movie felt rushed, since so much was left out and so it was just like listening to a friend recounting the book - nothing hurtful, still something I enjoyed, yet nothing very extraordinary at all. Somehow, I managed to re-live this feelings even during later re-watches.</div>
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Seven years later, here I am: loving the movie to bits. Loving it perhaps even more than the book which already intrigued me so much more this time over. The similarities to the situation in Germany just before World War II that stroke me while reading - in a good way - were perfectly echoed in the movie. Professor Umbridge outshone even Voldemort in this installment, Imelda Staunton being 100% perfectly cast in the role. I know that she has talked about the irony of people telling her she was perfect for the role of a horrible, ugly, sadistic woman - but in my opinion it's her outer sweetness that makes her a wonderful villain. From the pink costumes to the kitten decorations in her office to her awfully sweet smile, Professor Umbridge is <i>the</i> Devil in Disguise. Her speeches remind me of Goebbels if anything.</div>
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What once made <i>Order of the Phoenix </i>my least favorite movie of the eight may be the self-same reason why it's my favorite of the five I've re-watched so far: the way it adapts the story to the screen. The film gorgeously uses its visuals in just the right way to induce just the right emotions in the audience, thereby making many of the book's scenes seemingly unnecessary. For the first time in a Harry Potter film, each shot from this film is a picture I'd be willing to hang on my wall and all of the effects are believable. I am fascinated by Harry's inner demons in this film, the war between good and evil that is roaring <i>inside him</i>. I adore how the story is about keeping your friends close and trusting them and that it's okay to be wrong if it's because you care too much about someone. I love the small funny bits in between, like the scene where Hermione accuses Ron of having "the emotional range of a tea spoon". So does it really matter that we don't find out why Dumbledore assigned Umbridge or that Firenze doesn't appear or that we don't get to see the wizarding hospital? Okay, maybe except for that last thing, but otherwise this is a perfect adaptation to me. </div>
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<b>Make sure to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY before next month to read about the SIXTH entry in the Harry Potter franchise; <i>The Half-Blood Prince</i>.</b></div>
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<b>Previously...</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.com/2013/12/leavinghogwarts1.html">The Sorcerer's Stone</a> • <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/01/leaving-hogwarts-and-chamber-of-secrets.html">The Chamber of Secrets </a>• <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/02/prisonerofazkaban.html">The Prisoner of Azkaban</a> </b><b>• <a href="http://limereviews.blogspot.de/2014/03/gobletoffire.html">The Goblet of Fire</a></b></div>
Mettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094234448852441633noreply@blogger.com6