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癲狂院 Vixen Owl Cigar..。o○

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☆★ Color Blindness and Autism ★☆

Case-Studies of the Bizarre & Fascinating Gr8 Primer on the Power of the Brain..This is one of my top 30 favorite books of all time (and I'm a huge reader). It's amazing; the stories are true, but they are so far-out that the book title couldn't be more perfect. Oliver Sacks's title "An Anthropologist from Mars " suggests detachment(35 million miles) yet he investigates the intimate details of human perception. It took me nearly 50 pages to remember to see that it is his literary zoom lens that I find so fascinating. From the 5x of historical perspective to the 500x of a patient's diagnosis he twirls the lens. Neurological disorders create some of most fascinating situations & persons I've ever read about (including fiction ). Highly entertaining, educational, funny, & absolutely fascinating. Obviously I can't suggest this book highly enough.I have to keep re-buying it because I give it away all the time. Oliver Sacks has terrific stories to share. His intelligent, witty & thoughtful writing is a bonus.Dr. Sacks weaves the tales of seven human beings, each having a different neurological "difference " and portraying them in a matter of fact, logical light. Instead of viewing each person as having a disability, Dr. Sacks focuses on the remarkable way they have learned to adapt and make the best out of all situations. What to make of a painter that is colorblind ? How can a person with Tourette Syndrome possibly be a surgeon ? Why does an autistic teenager seem unable to verbally communicate appropriately, yet shows signs of immense, almost sacred "feelings" in his drawings ? All these questions are anwered and mostly with more questions. However, this book differs than most in that it manages to bring a "soulful spirit " to those of which Dr. Sacks writes. A spirit that eludes most human beings. 【Oliver W. Sacks】An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales Underscores the complexity of the human mind Sacks has, again, succeeded in compiling an anthology of case-studies which dazzle with their ability to entertain and inform.The lay public & physicians alike will enjoy this collection of extremely diverse patients, each suffering from a (in some cases very rare, in others not uncommon ) neurologic disorder.As a physician, I've found almost everything Sacks has done extremely interesting, well-written and educational. As a reader, Sacks' style is crisp, entertaining & compelling. For a medical writer, he knows how to churn out a page-turner like almost no one else. You'll find a case about the loss and return of color vision and the devastating neuro-psychological effects that can have; about an autistic child artist with an unbelievable visual memory; about a woman slowly poisoned by materials she works with every day; about a surgeon with Tourette's syndrome. These are extraordinary tales about exceptional individuals, and Sacks handles them with the appropriate amount of both professionalism and journalism. He never exploits his subjects, but he lays them bare for stringent analysis; his compassion for his patients always comes through, even when his intention to educate others becomes easily apparent in his conversations with them. Sacks never makes his work seem like the cataloguing of freaks or oddities.This is my favorite book by Sacks; "Island of the Colour Blind" is a close second (it was also translated into a fabulous PBS special ) and "The Man who Mistook..." would be third in line. He is certainly among the finest popular medical writers of our time. The time Sacks takes to just be with each special person, and appreciate the uniqueness of each, is commendable, and goes way beyond a mere call of duty. When an autistic person, featured in this book, commended that she feels like "an anthropologist on Mars ".... because she has to study human behaviour and interactions to be socially adaptable, Sacks picked up on her standpoint, and recognised, with unusual humility, that as a psychiatrist of special persons, he too is like an anthropologist on Mars , not always understanding their world.... but not being too quick to pronounce them stereotypically abnormal and himself normal...a sensitive, insightful work that reflects a sensitive, insightful author. The power went out in my apt this morning and as I was stumbling about looking for matches I noticed a glowing line on my bookshelf. I touched it and realized that one of my volumes had a glowing dust jacket ... sure enough the publisher (or maybe Dr. Sacks? ) really wanted us to know that this book **IS** illuminating. It seems that the front cover has been treated with some kinda florescent material.... Trivia at its BEST..

Oct 31, 2007

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●○●○ Everybody Wants Happy Endings.............

Happily Ever After ???? Yep !!!!The Politics of Life... Gay writer/director Don Roos (The Opposite of Sex) returns in prime form with a wicked ensemble comedy about a group of gay, lesbian and hetero friends and family connected by secrets and lies.. In this amazing ensemble comedy about the messes of life, Roos opens and heals family and romantic wounds with grace, intelligence and wit..... "Happy Endings " is written and directed by Don Roos, who wrote a Gr8 film back in the '90s called "The Opposite of Sex ." "Happy Endings " is a very misogynistic movie about liars, cheaters, and abortion. It's one of those films with multiple running plot lines that all interconnect at the end. It stars Lisa Kudrow, Steve Coogan, Jesse Bradford, Laura Dern, Tom Arnold, Jason Ritter, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. This film has an opening that certainly catches your attention.It shows Kudrow running down a street and crying while somebody behind her shouts at her. She runs out into a street and is hit by a van, then we get a nice bloody close-up shot of her face. You think she's dead , but she's not, thanks to an informative little text block that appears. Through much of the first act of the film, a bunch of text blocks appear on screen to give us background info on the characters or their feelings. It is a neat little gimmick at first, but used too much. This film deals with a lot of issues, the same way that film did, and for a while this film was better. It's certainly more original, in the format and everything...I the actors in this film better, but this movie suffers from one major flaw.It's too long. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind long movies or anything...It's just that this is a movie that should run 90 minutes. Tops. This film runs 128 minutes. Too long. But the film is pretty interesting. The movie opens with a woman (Lisa Kudrow, 'The Opposite of Sex' ) running down as street and then she's hit by a car. As this happens, the movie goes split-screen and we're told that she isn't dead and no one dies oncamera in this film... 【Lisa Kudrow】 Happy Endings 【Steve Coogan】 Dirty Great Omission Bobby Cannavale is very funny in his role as Mexican-born masseuse Javier who steals the scene every time he's in front of the documentary camera while revealing a strange dark side that gives him more edge into his performance. Jesse Bradford gives probably his finest and most abrasive performance to date as a scruffy, post-Fragile Trent Reznor-look-a-like, wannabe filmmaker with his artistic drive and surefire attitude. Bradford really gives the film not just a comic edge but also a brooding tone as he shines in his scenes with Cannavale and Lisa Kudrow. Kudrow also steals the show in her best performance to date as the cautious , secretive Mamie as she just brings a bit of humor but shows more range in her ability in drama as she really brings the emotional center of the film with Bradford as her confrontational partner. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a fantastic, dark performance as a malcontent bohemian who is looking for ways to break things down.Gyllenhaal uses her sassiness, sexiness, and demeanor to give her character an angst that is needed for the film. It's probably her most fulfilling performance since her 2002 breakthrough performance in "Secretary " as this performance nearly tops it as she along with Kudrow and Bradford give out masterful, realistic performances. The film's best performance overall goes to Steve Coogan as the openly-gay but troublesome Charley who tries to be opportunistic but fails. Coogan uses his British, slapstick-comedy style in classy ways for lighthearted humor while delivering some of his best dramatic work in heart-punching scenes as his character represents the flaws and foolishness of all the characters in this film. I do have minor complaints with this film. First was the use of title cards as a narrative device. Instead of a voiceover, the screen would split and one half would contain a description of something that I should be figuring out on my own. They actually started to aggravate me because they took me completely out of the film. Well, some of them anyway. As I got more comfortable with the film and they got less frequent and began imparting more peripheral context, I appreciated them a bit more. I just think they were overused..... I also wasn't completely convinced about Charley's (Steve Coogan) motivation in lying to Pam (Laura Dern) in such a cruel way to try and confirm his suspicions. I won't reveal how, but let's just say that he should have expected what was going to happen when the truth was revealed. That seemed like a misguided decision on Roos' part to doom that set of relationships so he could get to the ending that he wanted. I think that whole storyline, in fact, could have been handled a little more elegantly. Lazy writing in an otherwise carefully crafted script. "Happy Endings " is a flat-out, dark comedic masterpiece from Don Roos helmed by a superb cast led by Kudrow, Gyllenhaal, Bradford, and Coogan. This film is no Magnolia; a superior ensemble film with a similar set of interconnecting stories but with a heavy dose of style to go with its substance.This is much more straightforward storytelling. It's billed as a dark comedy, and while it has some comedic elements, don't expect hilarity. Instead, expect to be absorbed by the story, emotionally connected to the characters, and charmed by the presence of some fine actors at work. While it's not a safe film to watch with some scenes to be flat-out funny for all the wrong reasons, it's one of the smartest and more original films to come out. Don Roos proves himself again to be a king of shock with a dose of heart and questions about the moral values of America. Might not be the film of the year but it's certainly one of the best and smartest comedies to come out at an age of cheap humor that doesn't add much. Plus, like the title itself, it too wants to wish its audience of a real idea of happy endings.

May 9, 2007

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◇ A Truly Enjoyable Teen Coming-of-age tale of Young loLve... ◆

Beautifully Youthful & Charmingly Crazy Nicole Needs Help...I was expecting "Crazy//Beautiful " to be HORRIBLE...from the commercials and previews it looked like another one of those teeny bopper chick flicks. I did not walk into this movie expecting to be impressed. Truth be told, I have a crush on Kirsten Dunst and just wanted to see her in something I could laugh at and still gaze upon the wonder of her face, body and emotions. I was disappointed. Because the movie was good. Well...it may be that, but it also has pretty good acting and a deep plot. Kirsten Dunst plays Nicole, a disgruntled daughter of a congressman who's always out looking for some fun.One day, while cleaning up trash on the beach (yeah, community service hours ) she runs into Carlos Nunez, played by Jay Hernandez and they realize that they go to the same highschool. After she gets him in trouble and has her way with shameless flirting she decides that this guy is for keeps and a lot of the movie is based on some of the crazy things that they do. But surpisingly that's not all this movie is about. It also has to do with the struggles of family. Nicole lives in a house with her dad, her sister and her stepmom, who obviously doesn't appreciate her presencese. Throughout the movie, you get hints of the control that her stepmom takes over Nicoles father, and its whats making Nicole drift farther apart from her him. It seems as if Nicole doesn't want to deal with the struggles of her mom being gone and so she takes it out by being stupid and crazy. Anyways, although it seems stupid, its actually a pretty good movie with good acting and a meaningful plot. In addition, the film is made with real perspective.It is subjective in the way that information is revealed to us and how our emotions change.. It feels like adolescence felt.. This is partially due to fantastic performances by the two leads and by Bruce Davison.. It is greatly due to the fabulous direction John Stockwell.. Good performances are also given by Taryn Manning and whoever played Carlos's mom.. The film is held back at times by its script, but it is made so well that it nearly overcomes these moments totally.. And it will leave you talking.. Because it's trying to say things and it says most of them.. And there are people you care about and understand.. Because it's a good movie.. And I hope that people will believe me.. Because I sure don't.. 【Jay Hernandez】Crazy/Beautiful【Kirsten Dunst】 Call me CRAZY, I thought it was BEAUTIFUL !!!!! Kirsten Dunst plays Nicole.I carefree teenage girl that is a little bada$$. She drinks, she stays out late, she cuts class, she does everything her father doesn't want her to do. Still dealing with her mothers suicide she thinks she is alone in the world. She meets and falls in with Carlos, played by Jay Hernandez. They are exact opposites. He really works hard in school, she doesn't. He respects his parents, she really doesn't. He is working real hard trying to plan for his future, she's not.Nicole is so carefree and is just living life one minute at a time with no worries, where Carlos is planning everything out and has worries. Carlos struggles with being with Nicole, who he has so much fun with and has fallen for, or focusing on school and working on getting into the naval academy. Kirsten and Jay do a wonderful job in this film. Both of the really bring their characters to life. I really can't see anyone else playing either of their roles. I really think Kirsten Dunst is an awesome actress. I don't think I have ever seen her in a bad role. The actress who plays her best friend also did a gr8 job. I how this movie was not stereotypical at all. One of my favorite parts is when Nicole's Dad is telling Carlos to stay away from his daughter for his own good, because she is destructive and will hold him back. You wouldn't think the father of a white girl would be telling his daughters latin boyfriend to stay away from her for that reason. On the other hand, Carlos' family does not want him seeing Nicole, not because she is white, but because she is making him lose sight of school. It is almost like he had two worlds. He had the one world, when he was in school and with his family and then his other world was with Nicole. When he was in that world he had so much fun and he never knew what they were going to do and he didn't have have any worries. It was like his two worlds could not co-exist, and he had to find common ground so he wouldn't have to choose. In the movie Nicole says to Carlos, "I want to be good for you ." I think this is where she realizes that she wants to be with him, but she doesn't want to hold him back from his dreams. Try as he might, Carlos just could not resist seeing Nicole.As Nicole is about to be sent away to special school, Carlos takes her away for a night. Nicole sees that her actions are bringing Carlos down, and when she sees that someone truly does her, she makes a move to change. Carlos takes Nicole back home and she and her father have a good talk. Finally they begin to understand each other. Crazy Beautiful was really a very decent film.I was very surprised and very pleasantly so I might add. Kirsten Dunst was very good, and Jay Hernandez was also. I have always thought that Bruce Davison is a very good performer, and one that is rarely recognized for being so. I can really recommend this film as a real life "Feel Good " film. And trust me, you don't have to be 17 or under to appreciate it. Crazy/Beautiful is a very sweet love story about overcoming the obstacles to romance.

May 1, 2007

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■ FREQUENCY: Into The Wavelength Of Friendship...

Tune in & Ignore the Static... What would you do with "one more day"? Think about it."Frequency " presents itself with some nostalgic surprise and a family oriented story. Thrown in, is the 'what if ' factor. What if you could make contact with someone in the past? What if an atmospheric experience caused a time warp and you were on your ham radio and the next person you talked to was your dad? WOW !!!!! Frequency was directed by Gregory Hobit with sober humor and mild suspense. Starring Denis Quad as the dad and James Caviezel as the son, Frequency has a long list of nice supported cast. The story line evolves around atmospheric phenominom showing up in the year 1969 over the home of he Sullivan family and again over the same home of the son 30 years later. Time can be a friend or an enemy, delving into murder and strange lights. Can a person change destiny? And would you want to? What if you could talk to yourself…., I mean really talk to yourself literally?What if…….? That old videotape came back to haunt me as I watched Dennis Quaid and company in FREQUENCY.In the movie, through a freak accident of nature, connected to the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis ) a son is able to talk to his father across time on a HAM radio setup. And now the son (whose father died when he was six ) is all grown up and a cop, and the father realizes he can help his son prevent crimes that are yet to happen. Likewise the son gets a bright idea -- he wonders if he can save his father from dying back there in time. The movie starts out pretty good but the plot slows toward the middle and stays slow on out to the end. Yet there is something else beyond the plot here that becomes very interesting, and that is what happens to the relationship of these two men who now interact not as father and son, but rather as friends. That is a beautiful thing to see. Time travel movies are a lot of fun. And while we used to think such a thing was physically impossible, the science of quantum physics is raising the question of the actual possibility of time travel all over again. But the physics (or metaphysics) in this story actually take a back seat to the father/son-friend/friend relationship. That is the real focus of this movie. I really the part of Elizabeth Mitchell in this movie. She did a fine job, but I wish she has a bigger role in it. As the mother/wife; she was a pivotal part of what was happening with these men, and it would have strengthened things to see and hear more of her as the link between them. The whole scientific idea behind this movie is shot full of holes when you really hold it up to a microscope. Left-brained perfectionists will probably not like it all that much. But for those of us intrigued by the idea of transcending the parent-child relationship and emerging in the friend/friend relationship, the movie is a treat. I guess you just have to be on the right, er, wavelength. 【Dennis Quaid】Frequency Movies【Elizabeth Mitchell】 Daddy, Are You There??? I movies that have imagination. This one has all the elements to make it entertaining and intriguing. While, as screen writer Toby Emmerich says, it is closer to the realm of science FANTASY than FICTION, it plays well, it is convincing and I enjoyed every gut- wrenching moment. It features performances by Dennis Quaid, and John Caviezel, directing by Gregory Hoblit, and some decent special effects. Throw in a good supporting sound track by Michael Kamen , and a well written screen play by Toby Emmerich and we have a movie something like an extended episode of TWILIGHT ZONE, in color. My friend and I kept looking at each other and discussing it through the whole movie trying to figure out who did the killing.I don't want to tell you to much because it will give all the suspense away. But all I can say is that if there is anyone out there that has lost a loved and wishes that he or she could change the outcome of a certain event and bring them back, this movie is for you. I'm sure that all of us at on time or another has experienced some kind of set back and would like to change the out come. I'm sorry I really shouldn't tell you any more accept that movie is different and you will not be dissatisfied with the out come. The movie is adventurous but keeps a solid story line. BUT you must not lose your place in your viewing. And you will be surprised with the results. I have tried to give enough in the review to tease your decision but not to give full detail away. I think anyone who enjoys mild suspense and drama with a little 'sci fi' realism will enjoy this movie. The video runs 119 minutes. This movie should appeal to sci-fi fans, murder drama fans, ?movies with feel-good ending??? Fans, and baseball fans... 　It is easy to poke holes in how the "consequences of time travel changing history " are handled in this movie. But if you go into the movie wanting to be entertained, remembering that the whole premise is implausible by its very nature, then you should thoroughly enjoy this movie.Get this movie !! Watch it more than once. Buy a ham radio set and wait for the Northern Lights, if you are looking to change your present. Communicate with your Dad. I will settle for acting now to change the future. I will limit my interaction with the radio to turning it on.....

Mar 25, 2007

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●○● Who's Going To Get Married??? ●○●

Wedding Belle Blues Is it Possible to LUV Julia Roberts More My Best Friend's Wedding is a story about two friends, Michael and Jules, who made a pact that if they were both still single when they turned 28, they would marry each other. Well, a few days before Michael is to turn 28, Jules remembers their deal, and also suddenly realizes that she is in with Michael. When he phones her that evening to tell her the news of his pending marriage, she is shocked. He persuades her to come to New York for his wedding. She agrees to go, and decides that she will break up Michael and his bride to be during the 4 days she is there prior to their wedding. What happens next is a variety of attempts on Jules part to try and split up the couple and at the same time make Michael realize he still has feelings for Jules -- if in fact he still does. Does Jules succeed in getting Michael for herself ?You will have to watch this video yourself to find out what happens, I don't want to give it away.The four main characters of this movie are superbly played by Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, and Rupert Evertt.This movie has a little comedy and a little romance, IMO a perfect blend. If you are looking to watch a lighthearted and fun , this may be the one for you.While I really enjoyed watching this movie and could easily watch it again, my lover did not particularly like the story line of this movie. He would not want to watch it again, perhaps this is a video best watched with a group of girlfriends.Shocked, and more than dismayed, Julianne hops on a plane to Chicago, prepared to break up the wedding.The best part of this movie isn't related to this little threesome at all. It's Rupert Everett, playing Julianne's editor and current best friend. As Julianne begins to go insane, he pulls her back from the edge, allowing her to pretend he's her fiancee to make Michael jealous. But unable to stop there, he spends the entire morning humiliating her in front of the entire wedding party. The reception dinner makes the movie, and made me buy the soundtrack If you like romantic comedies you will this movie. It makes for perfect slumber party watching. Think "French Kiss " without any French accents. 【Julia Roberts】My Best Friend's Wedding【Cameron Diaz】 Hit Home with Me... Sometimes life can really put you into some sticky situations as this movie shows. Julia Roberts superbly portrays Juliette "Jules ", a food critic, who is called one day by her best friend Michael. He shocks her with the news of his upcoming nuptials to "Kimmi ", a wealthy college gal , to whom Jules really thinks is kind of flakie. It seems Jules once made one of those "if we're not married to other people by X, then we'll get married " pacts with her best friend, who happens to be a man named Michael (Dermot Mulroney ). Naturally (this is Hollywood! ), Jules realizes she's in with Michael, just as he tells her he's getting married to someone else (enter Cameron Diaz ). Once that premise is set up, the bulk of the film is devoted to watching Jules try to come up with some way to stop the wedding in a matter of days.Employing tactics that range from embarrassment (one of the film's best scenes is watching Diaz try to sing "I Say A Little Prayer For You" at a karaoke bar ) to a downright devious plot involving Michael's job, Jules desperately tries to find a way to break up the happy couple, ultimately leading to the aforementioned car chase.The eventual outcome is not especially surprising, nor does it need to be. The film is simply good fun, with a cast that plays each line to just the right effect. Diaz plays the almost clueless Twinkie of a bride-to-be to just the right level, and one almost feels bad for her as this interloper tries to break up her relationship. Jules may be engaging in some dirty tricks, but Julia Roberts portrays her in a way that you can almost understand why she's acting the way she is.. Rupert Everett adds the voice of reason as Jules? confidant, who tries, albeit without much success, to keep her from heading down a self-destructive path.. As for Dermot Mulroney... well, he doesn't have much to do except play the not-so-swift groom who's too blinded by his own love to notice that Jules happens to be crazy about him. (D'oh! )...... After realizing that she her best friend and will do anything to stop him from marrying anyone else but her, Jules stoops to an all time low and tries desperately to get Michaels attention. Being known for shying away from all of the "mushy stuff " and not being one to commit seriously to love, Jules realizes that Michael needs to be happy, she sacrifices her own happiness for him.Im not going to go any further in telling about this movie, you need to watch it and see what "Jules " does to get Michaels attention. Im certain you will enjoy.I guess the old saying proves true: Love will make you do crazy things. I really don't feel that this was one of Julia's better movies but it impressed me. The story line was very strong and the humor was very light-hearted. I would suggest anyone who just needs a good laugh to definitely watch this movie it is delightfully funny.So guys, listen to me on this one. Show what a sensitive lug you can be by picking up this movie instead of another shoot-em-up, special effects bonanza. You might score some points for being a romantic deep down in your heart. Just Don't tell Her you only rented it for the Car Chase...

Feb 24, 2007

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■ Hot Models, Cool Clothes, Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page on Guitars...

A Corpse in a Park... Emphasizing Reality And Imagination..."Blow Up " is still gratuitously mysterious, even in comparison with the story by the avant-garde writer Julio Cortar on which it was based. (The movie also heterosexualized the story. ) Like such other "daring " films from the early 1960s such as "Darling " (and "La dolce vita",,, or "Girl on a Motorcycle" ) the "decadence" is the most dated aspect of the film. What tame (indeed, boring ) orgies! The Merry Pranksters at the beginning and end are also very dated (besides being pretentious symbols ). During the era 50's and 60's, a series of films began to self-consciously question the filmmaking process itself and even address these questions to the audience itself. They raised the issue of voyeurism as it relates to cinema, and especially as voyeurism relates to you -- the audience -- watching a film in a theater. Why we do we watch movies and photograph people?How are cameras and photography and film related to watching someone's private life, whether it's fictional or realWhere do we draw the line between infringing on someone's rights to photograph them (a la paparozzi) These issues have become even more poignant in contemporary times, what with the recent (and I think disturbing) advent of strangers inviting us into their homes to view their web-cams, as well as successful television series like British and now American "Survivor " and "Big Brother "."Blow-Up" (1966) is one of these films that strives to, well, pose more questions than it answers.. In my mind, it is possibly the most purist film that broaches the subject of voyeurism.. And it's good It seems to captivate people from a broad range of movie taste -- I have recommended it myself to many friends, all of whom have enjoyed it and in turned recommended it to others..... 【Vanessa Redgrave】Blow-Up【David Hemmings】 A Psychedelic Murder Mystery...This is a complex and ambiguous film about which reams have been written.There are uncertainties and alternative interpretations, with this film. Nobody, least of all I, can definitively explain what each nuance of this film signifies. The broad thematic contours are clear enough, however. This is a film about metaphysical and philosophical issues, not a simple thriller. Viewers who approach the film as primarily a thriller are bound to be disappointed. There is no final resolution to the mystery element. We can't be certain that a murder occurred, much less why. The core issue of this film is the nature of reality and the various kinds of representations of reality that comprise individual perception, social consensus, and art.Ultimate reality is something unknowable. We may be able to peel away a layer or two of the obscuring factors, but additional ones always remain. An individual's impression of the reality of an event is colored by his physical position in relation to the event, his belief system, and his biases. Every personal experience and recollection has a subjective component. Individual perceptions can acquire increased credibility if validated by the perceptions of other witnesses (and the more witnesses the better ), but even viewpoints validated culturally by an entire population of people are contextually based and may not appear valid to persons from another culture. Although the script for Blow-Up was based loosely on a short story, Las Babas del Diablo, by Julio Cortazar, the film bears only a loose connection to the original. The script was co-written by the director and Tonino Guerra.. The resultant screenplay is vintage Antonioni, transformed from a simple story into a philosophical meditation.. There's a Hitchcockian twist to the script, but no Hitchcockian resolution.. The film provides a fabulous evocation of swinging London, with the rock bands, pot smoking, casual sex, and stylish outfits....... In order to distinguish between reality and imagination, the audience must carefully pay attention to the photographic images and the sounds that are being provided at different points throughout the film, even if the images are not clear-cut and the sounds are not accompanied by a visual. The blurs could have been a trick of the camera and the sounds could have been in the protagonist's imagination.Antonioni's clever use of techniques shows things that seem to be something they are not. The modernist style allows him to expresses a situation that would normally be unclear by any other means of expression. Therefore the audience will never know if what was captured on film was a murder and are further dumbfounded by the delusion of the tennis match. They are left to question every occurrence. Watching "Blow-Up " is a kind of challenge because there are not many movies like it. Nowadays they'd call this film "independent ," although even that contemporary movement has largely become mainstream. See this movie if you're up for thinking a lot.Incidentally, you might recognize some of scenes in this film as being the sources for parodies made in the Austin Powers films.

Feb 17, 2007

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◇ The Old Dog Learns New Tricks ◆

Charming Widow... More Real than Real...John Irving has a tendency to overcharacterize his novels, which sometimes turns them into little more than amusing character sketches, rather than a coherent work rich with memorable characters.This is thankfully not the case with "A Widow for One Year ."From beginning to end, true to form, Irving has imagined a series of interwoven scenes and situations which provoke alternately laughter, disbelief, bemusement, shock, and tears ; unlike his earlier "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and "The World According to Garp," these vignettes come together to express the story of an aching need to adapt to and understand one's place in society against incredible twists of fate. A few notes on the reading: Once again, a riveting novel by my absolute favorite author.. The characters were more real than those in any of Irving's other novels; I can tell because they do and think the kinds of things I would do and think.. The events of the novel are not so extraordinary, nothing you might not see on the evening news on a bad day......What makes this novel gr8 is that the characters seemed so real, I thought about them even when I was not reading. I remembered things from the book as if they were stories a friend had told me, or events I had witnessed myself. Things don't always happen the way you think they're supposed to - you get disappointed in the characters and in the story - reading this book feels just like a day in the life. The novel watches the development of Ruth Cole from precocious, adorable "replacement child ," born after the death of her two older brothers, to a grown woman, a gifted writer, learning to be comfortable with her history and her fate. Ruth's journey is riveting and touching, but more than just sentimental. Her story engages the reader to the point where the reader's way of thinking about the world has changed as a result of being exposed to Ruth's worldview.For anyone who John Irving and would like to see his evolution into a better novelist; for anyone who loves to write and read about writers; and for anyone who is sensitive to what it is like to spend one's whole life fighting against a history they had no hand in.【John Irving】A Widow for One Year It's Still In Him - and How... Like many of the loyal John Irving readers, I have been waiting for a novel to match (or even come close to ) the joy and sophistication of a "Prayer for Owen Meany". Needless to say "A Widow for One Year" does not eclipse Irving's previous masterpiece -- but it comes close. Without revealing any of Irving's characteristic twists and turns, I will say that the story focuses on a female protagonist, Ruth Cole (a writer and novice squash player ) along with her father (the famous children's book author Ted Cole ). Ted's strange sexual habits, Ruth's mother's exploits with her husbands young writing assistant, and Ruth's journeys to the Red Light district in Amsterdam to research a novel create a typical Irving patchwork weave of stories, lives, and humor. We follow the characters through much of their lives, and each page leaves you thinking it can't get any better. Rest assured it does. The story unfolds masterfully, and the writing is as good as any I have seen in any of Irving's novels.You'll be laughing out loud by page two and awe-struck by page four when you learn the significance of the picture hook on the book's cover.Irving's exploration into a female main character is also a pleasant surprise and is carried out quite successfully. I felt there was an interesting self-reflexivity in Widow for One Year ; the main character, Ruth, is a novelist who in many ways reminds me of what I know of Irving. I would never stretch so far as to posit that this novel is any sort of autobiography, but interesting issues of authorship and autobiography are addressed in regard to Ruth's work which I find in some way reflexive of Irving's body of work. Also interesting to me was the relationship between each author and his or her work. Ruth, her father Ted, her missing mother Marion, and a family "friend ," Eddie, are all writers. Each uses interacts with his or her writing in ways which correspond to that character's interaction with other characters (if that makes any sense ). One last note: the pace of the narrative is directly proportional to the tension of the event that narrative is describing.. What Ruth witnesses (I won't give it away) is rather disturbing, and the scene is more slowly paced, which increases the tension of the scene..... The ending of the novel is one of Irving's most satisfying yet (minus Owen Meany of course ) and shows the sophistication and development that Irving has undergone through the years. Although it's title implies a brief span of time, Im confident that Irving fans and novices alike will savor the characters and stories of this book for a long time to come. Everything is finally wrapped up in the end and I leave thinking that these characters have not developed as adults despite the long time span of the novel. I continue to try to understand them and their motivations. Irving has done an excellent job of providing us with a cast to analyze. In addition he has presented a strong, well-developed female character which is uncommon of male writers. (He does give her very large breasts that she talks about often, but he does develop the character none the less .) It's Definitely in that Caliber, & Clearly Worth Your Time.

Feb 7, 2007

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■ CHARLIZE THERON and a fantastic screenplay !!!!! □

The Things You Do for LOVE... Questionable MessageJust as the comparisons between Robert De Niro's Raging Bull metamorphosis and Charlene Theron's work continue to surface, it is hard to avoid comparing the subject matter and what critics may have to say twenty years from now after the furor over this celebration of female serial killer Eileen Wuornos has subsided. Theron, like De Niro, put on thirty pounds and did a superlative job in becoming possessed by the spirit of one of the most truculent figures in American folklore.Wuornos, like Jake La Motta, was the victim of a deprived childhood, a dysfunctional family, a non-existant home life, a brutal street life and a subhuman legal system. For people like these, life is a survivor series that makes the boob tube version a pathetic joke. Theft, abuse, self-degradation and violence are all part of daily living for such people, and only by cinematic depictions of such lifestyles are we able to acquire cursory understanding of how the horror stories in our headlines come to pass.. Filmmakers such as Scorsese and Jenkins do not offer these works as excuses, but rather explanations.. Without actors such as De Niro and Theron, however, we could hardly arrive at the level of empathy that Bull and Monster provide.... Wuornos, referred to as "Lee " throughout the flick, is a hooker nurturing suicidal tendencies when she comes across Selby Wall (Christina Ricci ) at a gay bar one night. Selby comes on to the paranoid Lee and entreats her to spend the night at her home where she lives with her stepmother and live-in beau from the Church community. The one-night stand blossoms into a torrid affair as Lee eventually convinces Selby to run away with her. Only Lee's narrow escape from a sexual predator ends up as a theft and murder that plunges her into the abyss. Her ill-gotten gains provide the only means of keeping her relationship with Selby alive, and it eventually turns into a spree of serial murder as Lee does whatever it takes to pay for their creature comforts. 【Christina Ricci】Monster【Charlize Theron 】 Some Thoughts On Charlize Theron's Monster.. Charlize Theron gives the best female performance of the year in capturing Aileen physically and emotionally, in both cases a wreck. The film opens with a suicidal Aileen sitting in the rain getting ready to snuff out her existence. Having five dollars left from her last john -- her only job since her early teens has been prostitution--she enters, unknowingly, a gay bar to have a final drink.She struts into the place with a gruff and manly persona, an obvious mask to hide the cowering child inside. A younger and more obviously vulnerable Selby (Christina Ricci) immediately is attracted to her. Aileen quickly opens herself to Selby and develops perhaps the first real human connection of her life. Aileen may or may not be gay, but following her experiences, a woman is the only person with whom she can possibly relate. Aileen is brutally raped by a john, and probably saves her life by grabbing a gun from his car and killing him first.In stealing the rest of his money , Aileen envisions using that seed to grow a life for herself and her girlfriend. She springs Selby from the family she's been staying with, cronies of her father, and they run off to a motel together. Aileen, searching for any straight job available, tries to wedge herself into a society she's never been part of and that coldly rejects any advances she attempts. Selby, seeing the idealistic mirage starting to fade, explodes at Aileen one night thereby pushing her onto exactly the wrong path. Aileen cannot be forgiven for committing her murders, which should go without saying. But, at the same time, how much culpability can be placed on the shoulders of a person who never received a moral compass and whose only education was victimization? If a dog is beaten by its owner in puppy hood and shown no , can one possibly be surprised when that dog becomes a vicious adultIf there is nobody willing to guide the victimized back onto the right path, the outrage we rightfully feel when blood is spilled may be tragically misdirected. This is a very good movie but it is nowhere near the five star rating.It is closer to three stars but the amazing performance of Charlize Theron earns the fifth star. The Oscar is well deserved. Even though her face is filled with makeup and prosthetics she manages to portray all the emotions the character is experiencing. The makeup team led by Toni G (Dawn of the Dead, Planet of the Apes ) also deserves a big applause for their work. Her performance is a Gr8 example of total immersion in the role. She had to gain almost 30 pounds to give her the required look. The biggest problem of the movie is its apologetic story toward the main character.The movie is full of references to Aileen's hard life and the abuse she suffered as a child. But hard life is no excuse for murder. Half the population of the planet would be murderers if it was so. The script is based on the stories Aileen told her bunkmate in prison. But are those stories true or are they the product of a deranged mind of a convicted killer, we will never know. So this story is one dimensional, from a point of view of a killer. There is no mention of the suffering she caused by killing those men, the loss their families had to endure. Her first victim, the rapist is a despicable human being but, what are his reasons to act that way.For movie buffs, action flick fans and pro-feminists alike, "Monster " is a Gr8 addition to your library. Theron's work may well go down alongside De Niro's as another Movie of the Decade. Only Time Will Tell...

Jan 30, 2007

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□ Goodnight, Fuzzy...■

Cider House Rules - Let's get STRANGE !!!!! John Irving Finds Success in Hollywood... Watching a movie that has been adapted from a book , especially a well-loved book can often be a painful and horrifying experience. But every once in a while, they manage to get it just right. And I'm happy to say that the movie adaptation of "Cider House Rules " was one of those times. Being a fan of John Irving's novels, I watched the movie with an extremely critical eye. I was especially worried after seeing what an utter disaster "Simon Birch " was. It was so far from the original that John Irving refused to let them use the book's title, A Prayer for Owen Meany, for the movie. However, with this project, Irving wrote the screenplay and was actively involved in the project and that is what made the difference. The screenplay is excellent.Irving managed to take a novel that spanned decades and make it work on a much smaller scale and time period (just two years ). To be able to do that and still maintain the integrity of the novel itself, is no small feat. Considering he'd been working on the project for over a decade and had already gone through four directors before the movie went into production showed his dedication to the project. And throughout the filming he always made sure that the story went in the proper direction. It is clear to see that his of the story and his need to see it told properly has shone through.For those who don't know what the story is about, here's a quick overview.Homer Wells (Toby Maguire )is a child of St. Cloud's orphanage and is guided by the benevolent, although often flawed, Dr. Larch (Michael Caine ) to "be of use ". Dr. Larch Homer and sets out teaching him the only thing he knows, how to help women who are pregnant and in need of help. He teaches Homer both to deliver babies and to perform abortions for those who want them. Homer, however, feels that he is having Larch's ideals thrust upon him when he doesn't believe in the same thing. So he decides to set off on his own, with the help of a young couple who came for an abortion, and experience the world outside of St. Cloud's to find his own path. Whether that path returns to St. Cloud's is yet to be seen. I'll let you watch the movie to find out.【Tobey Maguire】Cider House Rules【Charlize Theron】 The Princes Of Maine, Kings Of New England.. One day Homer is visited by a young women in labor Candy (played by Charlize Theron ) and her husband Wally. They visit St. Clouds to undergo an abortion. Abortion in the pre Roe v. Wade days is illegal, but Dr. Larch is one of the few doctors who still perform this operation. While visiting St. Clouds, Homer decides that he wants to leave his home and find himself in the world. He hitches a ride with his travelers to make himself "useful " and discover who he is. Well, young Homer soon finds work on Wally's farm as an Apple farmer. The work is mundane, but Homer finds peace in the physical labor. And while young Wally is called off to war, his beautiful wife Candy "educates " Homer about life. Candy and Homer soon become an item, and this is further complicated by Wally's tragic accident while flying over Burma. Wally is left paralyzed and Candy is left to struggle with her misgivings. Homer's "wait and see " approach to problem solving is wonderfully innocent and xxxxx. His inability to confront his problems is played beautifully by Maguire. Yet, he cunningly tackles issue after issue while on this Apple farm. Finally, when Homer is confronted with another horrid event (the incestuous rape of a 14 year old ) he comes to the self-realization that he will become a doctor. Homer heals the young girl, only to find that her father commits suicide. It is a wonderfully complex emotional ride. The entire movie is wonderfully cyclical The movie does however, end on a positive note.After learning of Dr. Lark's death, Homer returns to St. Clouds to take his place as physician and caretaker at St. Clouds. It leaves a pleasant feeling of resolution to a roller coaster of a movie. If you have not experienced the Cider House Rules then you are depriving yourself of an excellent movie going experience. If you really want to discover the imagination of Irving however, read the book. Movies are wonderful things, but they can never be a good substitute for the detail and the imagination of a good novel.I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.I found Michael Caine to be a bit stiff, but otherwise solid in the role and found everyone else to be excellent, especially Tobey Maguire. There was more to this than meets the eye and we got even more than we expected. Although the adult issues make it inappropriate for children, most others should find it an extremely entertaining experience.

Jan 22, 2007

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■ "Jude" the Obscure, and Sue the Misled.. ■

Michael Winterbottom's Jude... Sad Jude....I read the novel before watching the movie and have to say that the movie captures the spirit of the novel. My only complaint was that the movie didn't show Jude's death scene at the end of the novel...Jude laying dead on his floor on a university graduation day.. very symbolic of Jude'd unfufilled dreams. Of course, Winslet is both beautiful and an intelligent actress that lights up any screen.. and Eccelston is also very good.. both make a fine match ....This film is brilliant - that's undeniable.This is another of the independent films my lover and just happened upon. When I saw that Kate Winslet was in it, I knew it would be good.It's accomplished in every aspect: acting, direction, script, story line.... everything.It's also one of the greatest tragedies ever to be filmed and is by no means an "enjoyment " to watch. Nonetheless I watching drama and emotional disembowelment and I loved this film. The title character, Jude, is played by Christopher Eccleston, but it really is Kate Winslet (in her pre-Titanic days - when she made her best films ) who is the star of this film. While both actors are brilliant she brings such life to her character you find yourself being constantly drawn to her: and for this reason alone it's worthy of watching. It's about a poor man (Eccleston ) who's academic aspirations are crushed by a stringent society, but on another, more memorable, level, it's about the he feels for his cousin (Winslet ), and the ultimate hopelessness of their relationship. It's a period film but expect no flashy costume and setting aesthetics here: this is hard, grey, bleak England of centuries ago, and the settings reflect the dismal nature of the lives of the leads.. Much of the film is set in Christminster, where the grey buildings and stone predominate and contribute to the general aura of lifelessness.. There is, however, brief reprieves.. The earlier part of the film is set on the farm upon which Jude lives, and the scenery is infused with the lightness and hope Jude feels before fate grasps and has vicious fun with his life..... Though even in this relatively carefree setting the signposts of his harsh and vicious life begin to rear their wretched head: the skinning of a pig earlier on in the film is particularly disturbing (not so much for the act, but Jude's adverse reaction to it. ) The only other scene not set in gloomy England is one in the middle of the film, featured at a beach. It's a beautiful albeit brief scene and is one of the few parts of the film where the viewer feels hope without anguish for the characters. 【Kate Winslet】Jude【Christopher Eccleston】 Do not Expect a Happy End... This scenery is focal in the movie in creating atmosphere though was not as predominant in the book, which I feel was not as good as the film. I read the book before I saw the movie and was shocked to find the turn it took about three-quarters of the way through. I felt emotionally as though, without warning, someone had punched me in the gut, and then repeatedly kicked me until I died. The feeling was repeated when I saw the film and wasn't helped by the fact that I knew what was coming. It's a twist of the worst kind: I can't imagine fate dishing out anything worse to a person. From this point onwards the book remains quite dismal, though the movie ends with more hope than the book, and that's really saying something. But the acting is brilliant, the pain is real, and it's compelling. This is a story in the vein of epic tragedy of Anna Karenina and Tess of the d'Urbervilles (another Hardy story which is actually a better book than Jude ). This is a dark movie that is really quite sad. The story presents two people who were soul-mates, but who were otherwise completely different. Jude Fawley was, like all idealists, well-meaning but weak. Sue Bridehead was a woman ahead of her time - brilliant, independent, perverse.Their tragedy was that the world of 1890 would not allow two people to live life by their own rules. This movie could not be more different from the genteel, decorous Merchant-Ivory productions. The images are stark, nothing is prettied up (there's a particularly graphic and gory childbirth scene ), but the film benefits from that. Hardy's world is perfectly recreated - from the coarse village of Marygreen, to Oxonian Christminster, to middle-class Shaston. You believe you are in 1890s England. It was some time ago that I watched it, so I'm not sure if I remember all of the details. I think it is basically about a girl who chooses to live a "life of sin " with her cousin.He has one child from another woman and they have two together, I believe. The movie follows their lives as a result of their decision to be together and the impact that decision has on both themselves and their children. It is a story, but it is very sad.The actors are perfectly cast, and acting is excellent throughout. Screenwriter Hossein Amini is to be commended for updating the speech rhythms and wiping the script clean of sentimentality. Warning: This is not a cheerful movie.But for the intelligent viewer, it's well worth it. If you Kate Winslet in this movie you should also watch Heavenly Creatures and Titanic. If you the disturbing quality of this movie, you should also check out Breaking The Waves (this was too disturbing, in my opinion ), Funny Games, Kids and The City of Lost Children.

Jan 19, 2007

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□ Henry and June ■ - or Enery and Spoon???

Sexual Awakening at it's Finest !!!!! Legal Voyeurism Nowadays, when a movie gets an NC-17 rating, it usually means very few people actually get a chance to see it and most of the public write it off as being "racy " and no one ever considers it great. It is perhaps important to understand the history behind this story.Miller was the author of Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer. Novels so scandalous in their time that they were banned until after the author's death. It is fitting then that the first film with this explicit rating was a biography of a man who in some ways fathered the genre of eroticism. The problem here is that the rating instantly grabbed a connotation of explicit sexuality. The belief that NC-17 means pornography has turned many away from this cinematic masterpiece. Without getting into an argument about the difference between pornography and eroticism, I think its necessary to point out that Henry & June hardly qualifies as either. Were Im porn fan who purchased the movie unaware of its subject matter and based purely on the rating, I believe I would be sorely disappointed. The nudity in the film is comparable to what might be found in many R rated movies. The depiction of sex is anything but hardcore. Make no mistake though, "Henry & June" is about sex. Kaufman has done a superb job of telling the tale of two people who have found their genius and their sexuality completely intertwined though their lust for each other and their love for their spouses. This is a brilliant character study on the mind of the writer. An age old adage says that the writer must draw from his experience. Nin and Miller wrote of depravity, sexuality and the sensuality of Miller's wife June, and thus they were forced to completely immerse themselves, mind, body and soul, in these topics. Kaufman, with the help of his cast (Fred Ward, Maria de Mederios and Uma Thurman ) takes us into this world without resorting to obscenity or cheap titilation. He does this through strong character development, intense acting, brilliant direction and absolutely stunning camera work. To watch the film is to be lost in a depraved world totally unlike the one most of us live in and yet so seemingly real... so beautiful that we as viewers may never wish to leave. 【Fred Ward】Henry & June【Maria De Medeiros】 Is this a Failure as a Porno or a Brilliant Work of Art This movie is definitely for one who revels in secret pleasures, and not-so hidden desires.. I will say that this movie is NOT for the easily offended.. This is a movie about sex.. If you can't handle that, then don't watch it.. Based on the diary of erotic writer Anais Nin, I found the movie Henry and June to be very sensual, and very realistic.. It gave me the feeling of being a voyeur, spying on the life of this incredibly confused woman, and knowing it's based on factual events made this movie even more alluring..... Henry and June is a movie about the growth of Anais, as a person, and as a sexual being. The triangle that ensues between Anais, author Henry Miller, and Henry's equally confused wife, June (played very well by Uma Thruman ) is equal to that you'd find in any soap opera. More fun is that everyone (including Anais' husband, Hugo, although he never truly lets on ) knows what is going on, and no one says a word. They just go on with their regular lives. We see the normal progression of any relationship, from the hot and steamy first moments of the affair, to the time when it fizzles out.I will say that compared to Anais' writings, this movie was a bit tame (which is a rather odd thing to say, considering this movie saw the first NC-17 rating ), but you'd have to compare them for yourself. I really don't know another movie to compare this to, because no other movie I've seen handles this subject. Interesting, intriguing, almost shameful to watch at times, this movie will captivate.Throughout the affair of Nin and Miller, they manage to write gr8 works ; the film is set during the time Miller wrote one of his classic books, Tropic of Cancer. Another great scene is where Nin and Miller critique each other's work. Very funny !!!!!The sex scenes are beautiful and artistic.Extremely done in good taste , but keeping that very erotic edge at the same time. The most erotic and hot scene, in my opinion, is when Nin and her husband go to a brothel and watch two female prostitutes have sex. !!!! Wow !!!!The cinematography is dark mostly, with earth tones making very sensuous looking photography. The costumes equally matches the cinematography with nice earth tone colors matching the era. Please give this film a chance. Keep an open mind and watch it for what it is, not for what one might fear it would be. You will not be disappointed. I give Henry & June my highest possible recommendation. If you want to get someone in the mood and are a bit shy about doing so this is the movie to rent. It's dreamy 1930's Paris backdrop, wonderfully sexy cast and fashion, and the sensual story-line will set anyone ready for their own Sexual Awakening !!!!!!!!

Jan 6, 2007

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〇 Great Expectations ● Captivating !!!!

Gwyneth Is Such A b*tch !!!!! Timeless & Enchanting This movie is my favorite movie of all time. It's a modern day version of Dicken's novel "Great Expectations ", there are some differences between novel and movie, but this is the first time I say see the movie, it's better than the book itself. Much more romantic and interesting. It's about a first kiss , first and all the emotions involved. Dramatic, beautiful, but also sad. The colorful & vibrant scenes of the novel written by Charles Dickens was once again beautifully portrayed on screen. Starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke, Great Expectations is romance on the edge.From the beginning of Estella's (Paltrow) life, she had been taught to prey on men to get what she wants.. Learning from her aunt (Anne Bancroft), Estella captures the love and soul of young Finn (Hawke).. Despite the many warnings given, Finn devotes his life at winning Estellas .. As a young aspired artist, Finn sets out on the shores of the gulf to fulfill his dreams of painting and drawing for the rich .. Throughout his years of struggle, Finn encounters his future benefacator, which leads him to New York.. With love and lust in his mind, Finn sets out to make his dreams come true in the art world and in his own.. Throughout this movie you will see beautiful scenery and lush gardens.. The apparel worn in the movie is equisite and fitting..... One thing you must notice is the choices of color picked throughout the movie. Green has been chosen to dress every character at every moment of the movie. From tints to shades, you will notice almost every spectrum of green worn at least once by a character in this astounding film. Green was chosen to represent jealousy and envy. Seperated from different worlds, Finn and Estella shared something in common with most the characters of the movie, which is jealousy. Whether it is jealousy of wealth and control or just pure happiness, it is not only illustrated in the characters acting, but in the choice of clothing they wear. Definetly take time to see this wildly romantic film. It is soulful and enchanting, one of my personal favorites.【Ethan Hawke】Great Expectations【Gwyneth Paltrow】 QUITE A TWIST ON DICKENS Great Expectations was a beautiful movie.I liked it more than the book. It reminded me of my own first kisses, and how much surprise was there, and how much feeling. Unlike most movies, it really captured the emotions involved and the beauty of love. Finn doesn't get Estella for a long time, but it doesn't seem that long, and it also just appears to be his only option There is no one but her, Estella, whom he loves. A love since he was ten years old. I wouldn't call it true love, but it certainly had a degree of endurance to it. Ever enduring, everything he did, he did it for her. The modernization was done well, taking away a lot of Dicken's dryness and made the story easier to follow, easier to identify with. It still left his story intact, and the theme and key elements were untouched. The settings fit the story wonderfully, and the actors did a gr8 job of working with their characters. While not being Dicken's historic classic, this film has potential to become a classic. I read the Dickens novel after having seen this adaptation and found the differences to be appreciated. The underlying current of the story remained the same in both pieces, but the way in which the modern adaptation ebbed was enchanting.I found it to be a little less dreary than the original and a little more uplifting. The cast fit wonderfully together, very noteworthy actors and actresses who lent a certain distinction to each role and made each character endearing. Gwyneth and eathan meet while they are still very young and there is always this weird tension between them (yah it's weird when two 10 year olds french-kiss in the middle of a drinking fountain ). Gwyneth is raised to be a b*tch and to break men's hearts by her insane and excentric, but loveable, grandmother.　Gwyneth learns her 'profession ' very well and does a good job breaking eathan's heart a couple of times. They lose contact and meet later on (grown-up ) in york, where they are both involved in the art-scene.The movie ends differently than you would expect and it surprises you a lot, especially because of little tiny disturbing things that happen. The storyline is simple, but it still grabs you and makes you never turn your head away from the screen. The film is one of the best films I've ever seen, as far as shots and composition go. I have NEVER seen so many good shots and such a good colaboration of colors and scenery in a movie.Both support the storyline, the gr8 actors and the weird things that happen with such an intensity that you still have the images in your head a week after you watched the movie. Basically "Great Expectations " offers all a good movie needs: wonderful actors (both, eathan and gwyneth do a fabulous job (for a second i thought lovely gwyneth WAS a b*tch!!)), great scenery and shots, a not-too-confusing storyline and little things that shock you while watching it (things that keep you awake and surprise you ).It is a gr8 first date movie and it makes you believe in eternal and finding the right person to spend your life with....and I believe that's always a reason to watch a movie. This movie would be a perfect match for someone who is very visually oriented. It's not at all fast-paced, and the plot is not overly-involved. It's a story, really, about one person's account of his younger days and the lessons he's learned, or at least begun to.

Jan 4, 2007

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◆ Lost in Translation - An Odd Couple For The New Millenium ◇

Almost Lost in Tokyo Sushi-king Express: Lost in TranslationBesides realising what gr8 actors Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are, this movie opened my eyes to the beauty out there. Not having a job and being able to lounge around an expensive Japanese hotel would also be nice. From start to finish, this was a beautiful movie. It was shot with amazing angles and lighting, really picking up on Bill Murray's subtle beauty. Bill Murray has to be commended for not succumbing to the hollywood requirement that the macho guy always get the girl. He stars as a famous actor that has landed a lucrative endorsement contact in Japan.Well, he doesn't speak a word of Japanese nor understand it. He might as well be on the moon. He bumps into this beautiful young woman who is married to a workaholic photographer. Totally unappreciated by her husband and as alone as Murray, they strike up a relationship born of their identical isolations. What results is screen magic, as the direction, acting and screenwriting are beautifully weaved into a story about friendship, romantic attraction and restraint. The scenes of the young wife staring wistfully out the window of the hotel harken back to the days when we were all young and beautiful and we were just waiting for some thing good to happen,somebody to take us away from our loneliness. Slow, and yet entertaining, and as real as it can be, Lost In Translation, deserves every award it has recieved. "Lost in Translation" gives hope that it's okay to be lost. Being lost can help revitalize one's life. It also gives the very true message that sometimes you will find yourself in the least likely of places. For Bob and Charlotte that was not only in Japan, it was also with each other. In the end of the film, Bob whispers something inaudible (to the film's audience ) in Charlotte's ear. It doesn't really matter what was said, it was that something was said, that Bob and Charlotte were both there, that they had met. That is something neither one of them will ever lose. 【Scarlett Johansson】Lost in Translation【Bill Murray】 Lost In A Foreign Homeland...Lost in Translation has been making waves recently with various award nominations. Its a Bill Murray film, and it's his best since "Groundhog Day " . Its got that girl from Ghost World, and she's very pretty. And its all about how weird Japan is, which strikes a chord with the Western world's uneasiness about that island nation's culture of extremes. Because of all this, the cinema was packed when I saw it this afternoon, and it was very clear that most of the popcorn-munching morons were decidedly unprepared for a couple of hours of art-house musings on cultural barriers. "Lost in Translation" is not a comedy. Yes it has Bill Murray in it, a man who has looked exactly the same for 20 years and has perfected the art of looking as though he loathes the entire human race. He has some good one-liners, most notably when facing barely intelligible instructions at a photo-shoot, but basically this is an old-fashioned romance of the kind no one is supposed to make any more. All sorts of suppressed chemistry rages between Rob and Charlotte, but all he ever does is pat her foot. Apathy and jet lag bring the two characters together, and the film's suspense hinges on the question of whether either of them has the motivation, not the desire, to move the relationship on a step. Bill Murray delivers this performance in a sort of insomniac stupor, walking around feigning bemused anonymity even when confronted with the daunting presence of his own picture on a billboard advertisement, in a world where everyone is shorter than he is and they have the shower heads to prove it. Scarlett Johansson (who is gorgeous, by the way ) is just as sleepless and somnambulant as Charlotte.. When she applies a pink lipstick , she looks like a little girl just faking adulthood until she gets the hang of it.. She's smart, but by her own admission, she's mean.. Vulnerable and depressive, she goes looking for "her soul " in Buddhist temples and cheesy self-help CD's. And the Truth is, not much Happens.Except that they meet.And they have some drinks together. And they have some laughs together. And they have some karaoke together (Bill Murray singing Roxy Music's "More Than This" is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen ). And the city grows up large around them. And it gets dark and the blinking grid of red transmitter lights lights up, and cars keep driving down the freeways, and all around them are signs, neon, and electric, and in a million colors, all in a language they cant read, and the kids at the arcade do their weird little video game dances. And they lay awake together, and watch bad Japanese TV together, and in quiet conversations that feel delicate and doomed, they find each other. To the point where even the familiar things feel foreign. Like the preposterously annoying ring of a wireless telephone. Here is an impossible friendship. But there's beauty in the impossibility. And there's possibility in it too. When Bob Harris leans over to whisper something in Charlotte's ear, we in the audience don't hear it. We have no clue what he says. All Sofia Coppola gives us are the two actors' reactions to it as they go different ways. I it when Movies Keep their Biggest Secrets.

Dec 26, 2006

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【Gattaca】 Discrimination is now a Science

Gattaca Looks Pretty "Valid" to me... Genoism: taking discrimination to its full expression If ever the world would come to this...I'd be very sad. I already have some concerns about playing with genetics, but this movie brought them all back together at once. When I say a movie is my favorite movie ever , it generally lasts only until another movie has recaptured my affections. Over the last few years I have gotten hung up on a number of movies including Swingers, Go, Final Destination, the Beach and the Thomas Crown Affair. But when I am talking about movies that I love and that are truly amazing, "Gattaca " is always on that list. Your date of death. Your intelligence. Your probability of heart failure. Everything about your genetics is already known at the time of your birth. Throughout your life, all this information can be determined through examining a piece of DNA. A hair that fell stray, a cell from your handshake or off of something you came into contact with..... The story is about an average guy that does not have particular handicaps as we see would them today. In his time, his glasses and possible heart failure are handicaps so gr8 that he has no shot at choosing his career. His dream is to be part of an elite that designs space missions and than accomplishes them. Even though he has the mental capacities to do all of this, he still has to go trough the selection process. This procedure includes severe physical tests which he most certainly will not be able to pass. He trains and trains, but he will never meet the requirements. The worst part is that even if he did train enough and was able to meet the physical requirements, he would still have to pass an AND test and that would throw away everything. He is a part of the lower class, whose parents did not procreate with the help of a genetician.【Uma Thurman】Gattaca【Ethan Hawke】 A Sci-Fi without Ticked Off Aliens or Plasma Guns Vincent (Ethan Hawke) was born by natural birth, he didn't get any of the perks that genetically altered children get. He was thought of as a waste of space and chronically ill. He gets a younger brother Anton, who his parents seem to favor. Vincent always seems to be competing with Anton. One day he wins a swimming match of chicken testing who can swim out the farthest before getting scared and turning back. That gives him the motivation to go out on his own and pursue the life he wants.Vincent wanders around getting odd jobs where he can, mainly janitorial work. People born from natural birth get all the unglamourous jobs that nobody wants. There's a law against discriminating against the genetically imperfect, but no one takes the laws seriously. They can always find out from a handshake, saliva on an application or a legal substance test could become their illegal peak at your future in the company. After all, why should they take the time to train someone for a job when they don't believe that you will meet their expectations. After realizing how close he was yet far away from his goal of space travel he takes drastic measures. He hires someone to help him transform to look more like Jerome Marrow (Jude Law). He takes on his identity so he seems as though he is genetically perfect when he really isn't.He becomes a borrowed ladder a relatively and detested segment of society. A person who refuses to play the hand they were dealt. Vincent meets Irene (Uma Thurman) and is fascinated by her. They go out on a couple of dates and they fall in love. All his life he wanted to get off earth and right before he left he found a reason to stay, her. I've wanted to get out of western New York my entire life, now that I'm closer to being able to get out I have found a reason to stay, my boyfriend.It is a gr8 example of how we don't know what we are capable of doing. Humans can do practically anything that their passionate about as long as they are determined and put their mind on succeeding. There is no gene for the human spirit. People can not be altered to gain motivation or passion to succeed with what they want to do with their lives.Genetic perfection ruined their lives.Jerome attempts suicide by stepping out in front of a car , he finally succeeds by jumping into a incinerator at the end of the movie.Vincent hated earth so much that he schemes and plots a way to leave by going on a space mission. Irene was miserable with her life and lonely. Everyone seemed like they were trying to live up to a goal or an idea, constantly trying to achieve perfection in their lives. No one really seemed happy with their life. Gattaca is a Gr8 drama.I really liked the message that Gattaca displays. Gattaca is a drama about how characters strive to acheive and it is not to be mistaken for a science fiction movie. The science fiction elements in Gattaca are not significant.The movie is sadly not a harbinger of things to come. The traditionally middle class obsession with laziness, retail outlet stores (T.J. Max et al.), aluminum siding, irrational thought process, and outdoor plastic furniture pervades logical reasoning and smothers all hope for a culturally rich future. Give up hope...but consider doing what i intend to...When I get out of here I'm headed to the Cayman Islands to grow tomatoes...If you liked Gattaca and my other epinions...chances are I'll see you there !!!!!

Dec 23, 2006

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** Slip Inside the Eye of Your Mind **

Jim Carrey (obviously), a Real Mind Trip... Eternal Sunshine Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be, But The Movie IsDo you ever just wake up and think, "How did I end up here?"Do you sometimes get so lost in the past that you lose all awareness of the present? Do we erase who we are to make our lives more palpable? Do we think we're the only ones who do it? Well, if those are questions of interest to you, you might just be ready for a shot at Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a movie that is quite unlike any other I've seen. While jotting down notes of the movie the next day, I became the (willing) victim of a myriad of emotions. It's still sinking in. It's hard to say exactly what kind of story this is. You find yourself starting out with something simple, something you can make sense of. Man is standing at train station, man makes a sudden run at the last possible second to a different destination. He meets a girl, they talk a little bit, they start going together, and everything seems fine...Well, if you are a fan of the Memory Movies, you might recall a certain Leonard Shelby who once said, "Memories are an interpretation, they're not a record. " What does this have to do with it ? You don't want to know.【Jim Carrey】Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind【Elijah Wood】 Memories may Come & Go, but Love is Eternal Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ventured into realms that haven't been touched before by Hollywood. It is true that the basic premise of the movie is the traditional theme, but it was tackled in a different way. Not only was the couple the opposite of conventional, (as Kate Winslet's hair changed from blue, to red, to "tangerine" ), but they were darkly humorous and quite nearly tragic. The movie starts out much as Adaptation did, with a voice-over from our main character, Joel, played by Jim Carey. He is weak, pathetic, and easily lured in by the "seductive " powers of a blue-haired female, Clementine. Joel represents the fatalism of our personal love lives, and is brought to life ingeniously by Carey. Jim Carrey's performance is Oscar worthy, without a doubt. He is truly amazing. It is hard to believe that he is the same actor who portrayed Ace Ventura, pet detective. Kate Winslet is tolerable, but she didn't really add much to the film. The pleasant surprise was Kirsten Dunst in a limited role. She really did the most she could with her character, and played her role very well. Well, I've spent all this time telling you about the schema of the movie's plot, but I have only written a bare minimum about the actors, and nothing about the writer (Charlie Kaufman ) or the director (Michel Gondry ). Good, good, good...they all do a good job. As a matter of fact, they do a Nice job (that's an inside joke you'll understand if you see the movie. ) So there you have it. Forrest Gump once said that life was a box of chocolates and that you had to unwrap them to get to them etc., etc, etc. Well, maybe so... To many, this movie may seem like they are unwrapping nothing more than empty wads of paper from beginning to end.But if you will "read between the lines ", so-to-speak, and try to see what is really happening to the characters, you may come up smiling at the end. Overall, I was so awestruck that I simply cannot criticize the film. It was a breath of fresh air from every film this year. Kaufman definitely has talent, and he did not hesitate to use it. The meaning is hardest to analyze. On the surface, it's a story about relationships, not just man-woman but human relationships on a larger scale. There is also a theme of cherishing life, enjoying every moment. The movie takes the old adage of "you don't appreciate things until they are gone " to the extreme. But I get the feeling after the initial viewing that there is something else that Im missing. In any case, it is a very tightly written and woven story. You will have found your chocolate bob-bon, and it will taste very, very sweet. Maybe even, in the words of Try To Remember, maybe even...mellow...... Beautiful . Genius . Five stars out of five:

Dec 12, 2006

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● One Boxer's Rebellion 〇

Not all Prisons have Bars THE BOXER - GREAT WITH DAY-LEWISBoth Daniel Day-Lewis and Emily Watson give knockout performances in one of the most compelling movies to date, and directing that is absolutely brilliant just adds to the frankness and honesty of the entire film. The stunning photography is such an asset, and the intriging story holds onto you. THE BOXER is an elite movie, in a category of its own; mesmirizing.What I like about this film is the intimacy of it. Not just with the main characters but in the whole movie, we learn much more about the men in the organization and their families, like Joe Hamill and his daughter Maggie. Or like in the beginning, how secretively Joe has to arrive at a wedding. Walking through the walls of a series of flats and how ordinary and unsurprising it is for the families who live in the flats to see a group of men walk through their living room and into another. Another thing you learn about is the hallowed title of "Prisoner's Wife ". Its a title that carries a lot of pride to it, its like a protest but of the highest kind: To stand by the men who are sacrificing their lives for what they believe. The IRA are very protective with these women, or is it dominating. No man can date or even make a pass at these wives because it would be slap in the face to the cause. The IRA also makes sure the wives don't cheat on their husbands as well, which leaves some of these women in a prison without bars. Maggie is one of these prisoners. Maggie was never really in with her husband and now that she has Danny back she doesn't want to lose him again, but she will if she continues her relationship with him, because fooling around with a prisoners' wife gets you an automatic bullet in the head.【Daniel Day-Lewis】Boxer【Emily Watson】 Powerful lead performances, Atmosphere, Moving story. A continuation of Jim Sheridan's depictions of Ireland and its natives, THE BOXER tells the story of Danny Flynn. A former IRA soldier who changes his ways after spending fourteen years in prison after taking the blame for a crime that was committed by one of his superiors Harry (Gerard McSorley ). This is Sheridan's second film dealing with the IRA. The first, being the powerful, "IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER ."But where the latter is more straightforward in its story, THE BOXER is more of an exercise in symbolism. However, the movie is strongest when it deals with Danny and Maggie's forbidden relationship. The scenes between the two lead characters are intense, and their chemistry nothing short of mesmerizing. In one scene, Danny bemoans the fact that he lost 14 years of his life while in prison, and Maggie intently responds "You don't think I haven't been in prison the last 14 years too? " Both characters realize and accept, with a sort of melancholy resignation, that under the circumstances in which they find themselves, they cannot risk the consequences of romantic involvement. Daniel Day-Lewis (My Left Foot/Gangs of New York ) delivers a powerful performance as the boxer, turned pacifist. Likewise, Emily Watson's (Breaking The Waves/Gosford Park ) performance is brilliant, as her expressive eyes and searching facial expressions, poignantly convey the depths of her moral and emotional conflict. Gerard Mc Sorley and Brian Cox add strong supporting performances. The only real weakness in this film is the fact that in shuffling between the politics, boxing, and romance, some of the themes are a bit underdeveloped, especially Maggie's ambivalent relationship with her son, Liam, who sees her relationship with Danny as a sort of betrayal. The film would also be a little stronger with more emphasis on Danny and Maggie's relationship, and less footage of boxing matches, which add little to the main story line. In this film, Sheridan and Screenwriter Terry George (Some Mother's Son* ) once again, personalize the conflict in Norther Ireland through the development of multi-dimensional, sympathetic, characters involved in circumstances beyond their control. The Boxer is a gloomy, but realistic, look at people caught up in a political landschape where and redemption cannot co-exist with hatred and violence ; where the paradoxes are too gr8, and where there are no winners. The fight scenes are the most realistic I have seen on film (Day Lewis trained for two years in preparation ), the acting is excellent and the soundtrack is moody and emotive.Highly recommended.

Dec 8, 2006

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◇ Possessed by Love ◆

Intelligent Romance Par Excellence... Cinematic Foreplay in the Highest Sense Although is a primary theme in this movie, "Possession " is too smart to be labeled as a "chick flick ."The romance occurs differently than in most movies. Rather than simply meet, click, and fall in , the lead characters (Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart ) become interested in each other through their collaboration on an historic literary mystery. The events around them bring the to them, through exploration and information. Yes, they still jump into bed a little too quickly, but the pace of the relationship seemed more reasonable than normal. The mystery portion of the film is also unusual.Most viewers (like myself) won't know anything about the story, so everything that happens is legitimately fresh and new. As Paltrow and Eckhart unravel the backstory, small twist after small twist is revealed, and these twists constantly maintain the interest of the audience. One side story is unnecessary and forgettable, but it isn't overly emphasized and can be easily ignored. This was a pleasant suprise to me. The acting was top notch, with Gwyneth Paltrow obviously standing out. The other characters were well-acted as well, although Christabelle Lamont's character looked suspiciously like Meryl Streep, but it was all good. The story, in my opinion, was extremely interesting !! It kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me wanting to find out more about the secretive affair. Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle, however, succeeded admirably in their portrayal of Randolph Ash and Christobel Lamotte. The moment they first set eyes on each other you could see the trembling in Ash's face and the KNOWING in Christobel's when they realize that their fate has arrived. Jennifer Ehle seemed to completely capture the essence of Christobel I had imagined her mouth just so...a little tight, a little ironic. Their restrained, then released passion for each other was very well done...it made the movie worthwhile.【Aaron Eckhart】 Possession 【Gwyneth Paltrow】 Passion Inspires Passion "Possession " is a story filled with romance and emotion about young academics learning about the life of an admired poet. Was the noted Henry Ash true to his wife, or did he have a secret The search leads to twists and turns in the revealed facts of their search, and developments in their own relationship. It plays out like a mystery story with one clue leading to another. One of the realities of life exposed by the story is that we often think we know more about someone than we really know. The film is beautifully filmed, acted, and directed. To those who have done such research, such as in history or even genealogy, the story is perhaps more believable than it may be to those who have not.. It is a story better appreciated by those who see love as an emotional and psychological relationship than by those who see it primarily as hormonal consequence and validation of reproductive function..... Technically, the film is very good. It looks gr8, whether in the vivid and lush countryside of England or the urban exteriors and interiors. Even when using basic fall and winter hues, "Possession " feels alive with color. The transitions between the parallel stories are efficient, effective, and enjoyable. Often a mere pan of the camera covers hundreds of years, smoothly switching between romance stories. Nothing is particularly ground-breaking, but director Neil LaBute uses established and little-used techniques perfectly. The script is solid as well. Although it does occasionally feel overly literary, that type of dialogue still works because of the style of the film. "Possession " is not without its faults, but it is also a very solid movie. The film combines the ease of modern day culture with the properness of a period piece drama. Emotions unleashed in period pieces are, I find, always more interesting, as the people of that time are typically supposed to be more restrained than those inhabiting the present. The characters of Ash and LaMotte are long dead, but we are able to catch a glimpse of their lives, and of their , and it perhaps touches upon a sad note that such intensity, such emotion, must one day go the way of all things.But for a brief time in the grand scheme of things, they were in love. That is what "Possession " so movingly uncovers.The cinematography was lovely, and the juxtapositions between the Victorian lovers and the modern academics was very well done. I particularly liked the moments when the camera panned in a continuous shot from the past to the present, and vice versa. This film is worth seeing , and if it makes people want to read the book after seeing it, all the better.....

Nov 20, 2006

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● Red Shoe Diaries ●

Erotic Recipe for Disaster 5 Star Adult FlickThis movie is the true meaning of the old famous hit song, "When a man loves a woman ".This is a true story. David Duchovny was a man who was in with Brigitte Bako who played his girlfriend.His loving proposal to her for marriage, caused her to search her true feelings for him. She became involved with a blue collard worker, with a bad boy image; played by: "Billy Wirth".The soft erotic sex scenes between Brigitte Bako and Billy Wirth , speaks for its self.She was torn between the bad boy who stimulated her sexually, and emotionally, and the white collard highly successful boyfriend. Her confusion became so overwhelming for her, that the bad boy who sold her the red pumps was her obsession; she wrote in her diary. David Duchovny responded to her writings, and acted out his frustrations when he decided to pay the bad boy a visit; challenging him to a basketball game. This gave David the chance to confront Billy face to face, and angrily express to Billy the girl's horrific tragedy. A touching story, I recommend it. Duchovny is gr8 in this "Red Shoe " debut movie. If you ever caught one the series on Showtime, but often wondered how did "Red Shoe Dairies " ever start, this explains it all. It keeps one guessing throughout the emotional rollercoaster of . Too bad David didn't make more of these types of films. He is much better as one of the stars (such as in this title ) rather than just the narrator, as the series goes. It's nice to see him sensually interactive on film, pure enjoyment, especially if you're one of his fans.【David Duchovny】Red Shoe Diaries【Joan Severance】The Agony & the Ecstasy of Red Shoe Diaries Many of you may be familiar with Zalman King's "soft" porn series of movies that follow Jake, a poor guy trying to figure out why his fiancee would cheat on a perfect relationship. He does this by placing a want ad, eliciting stories from women on their extracurricular experiences. It's a formula that introduces the movies, which then move in to their own stories, and we don't see Jake again until the end, when he comments on the women's behavior. But to understand Jake, you have to see this first movie... I thought, seeing the follow-on flicks, that Jake was simply a divorce victim. I don't think I'm giving anything away from this movie to say that you'll see, fairly graphically, why Jake is a little more messed up in his head than that.David Duchovny (of television's X-Files fame) plays an architect with a perfect life. He has a pretty, sensuous, live-in fiancee, and life is beautiful. Is it ?His girl has Issues, capital "I ". Brigitte Bako knows she should be happy. So why is her perfect little life so easily derailed by a stranger She doesn't know either. The movie offers the controlling mother influence, the loving-but-distracted man excuse, and the "wild child " excuse, and even the "dark stranger was just too yummy and I had to " excuse- but none of them add up for me to the ultimate suicide of Jake's fiancee. Let's talk about what's enjoyable about this movie, instead of the downer aspect. Billy Wirth plays the lust interest.Bako encounters him on the street, doing construction work, with all the cliches in place of Manly Men doing Manly Things for women to ogle. They have a brief moment of physical contact when she stumbles and he catches her. This somehow engages her interest in this "perfect man " enough to stalk him to his second job, at a shoe store. Flirting reaches an indelicate level in the shoe store. He offers her a pair of red high heels, hence the title of the movie. If you can mentally edit out some really ridiculous dialog, this scene is a drooler. (no shoe salesman ever looked like Billy Wirth! )At this point, the girl is lost. She's sliding down a slippery slope to almost-adultery with a vengeance. (this not-quite-married thing clouds the adultery issue, but she feels that strongly about it ) Poor fiance Jake is oblivious as she becomes more and more conflicted and frantic.Her behavior DOES bother her, but not enough to stop.After a passionate evening together, Wirth begins to become possessive of Bako, and that is what breaks her mentally. She commits suicide, over this turmoil, and issues from her past- and Duchovny and Wirth are left to meet each other and figure out that the thing they have in common was Jake's woman. (I want to say wife...it makes more sense!) If you are a watcher of Red Shoe Diarys then I also recommend seeing this movie, as it is how the series began. I must add, this is not one to watch with the kiddies around. Several sex scenes, much nudity, language, and really it is just full of things you don't want to try to explain to a youngen...

Oct 27, 2006

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／／／Fresh／Enjoyable／Genuine／／／

No Words can describe Delta ... Better than Celine Dion...This is undoubtedly the BEST album I have ever heard. Delta has performed some of her singles on Neighbours where she starred as Nina Tucker, before tragically being diagnosed with cancer at the age of only 17. It couldn't happen to a more undeserving person, especially when she is achieving something so wonderful on the music scene. She writes her lyrics herself which is very admirable, and this debut album really has struck a chord in the life of this teenager. Now in my possession， it’s hard to pick other musicians to compare her to. But then again， unique can be good， and that is exactly what Delta is.While I was trying to think of similar artists， I thought of Mandy Moore for most of her music and then Celine for her more powerful vocals..right before I saw the aura of a lurking migraine.I can definitely tell you who she’s not -- that would be Miss Britney Spears. Why ???Delta can actually sing and doesn't need an almost-naked body and 50 gazillion special effects and dancers to make a show good.Delta writes most of her songs， plays guitar and piano， and is a cast member of Australian daytime soap Neighbours (just like fellow pop stars Kylie Minogue and Natalie Imbruglia).She signed with Sony at age 15 and has since then worked with many talented people， such as Ric Wake (Celine Dion， Jennifer Lopez)， Matthew Gerrard (Mandy Moore， BB Mak)， Vince Pizzinga (Danielle Spencer)， David Nicholas (INXS， Elton John)， The Rembrandts and Mark Holden (various film and television orchestration)... Each song tells a story that everyone can relate to whether they want to or not. That is the magic of Delta and whilst we all hope she returns to full health.... We cannot wait for a NEXT album although in my opinion it has a hard act to follow. Delta Goodrem is truly a brilliant singer/songwriter. so much devotion and effort has been put into this record and it really pays off for delta.!! With a wonderful, balanced mix of jazz, pop, ballads and contempary song, "Innocent Eyes " is innocently brilliant and point Delta's eyes on the road for success.!!!! * * Innocent Eyes * *【Delta Goodrem】 Big Hit, No Mistake.. Delteriffic.. More talent in her little finger than Kylie and Holly put together. A Fantastic debut album from a girl with an amazing voice, and A Must Have for anyone who liked 'born to try'. Cant wait to hear more from her.Keep up the brilliant work Delta, you'll go far. I don't know about this one... It’s slow beyond what I can usually take in pop music, but once again, the piano part is well written. And if you haven't figured it out by now, the whole album has great piano work. It's kinda nifty how by the time the bridge comes along it sounds like a completely different song.... But I think Delta tries too hard on her vocals with this one ...that or she just needs to relax and not grit her teeth so much. Maybe when she wrote it (or whoever did, I can’t find it anywhere ) she was mad he wasn't taking notice.... But then decided to make the whole song sound like, "Please Im so innocent. Look into my Innocent Eyes.. " When I think of the album overall, its pop, soft rock, and ballads all rolled into one great album. Delta is one of those musicians who doesn't care about making a big fuss over exposure -- no outlandish photography or major stunts -- her musical talent and character make her the star that she is in Australia and the UK... Most of Delta's songs are..well , it's hard to explain the tempo.. they're not slow because they have alot of life to them but they're not exactly the standard pop songs.They are harmonic, similiar to Celine's style but not melodramatic like Celine.(Im not into Celine..;)) How embarassing,I wouldn't know how to explain music. I just know that Delta is GOOD and that I like her songs. I'm sure Delta Goodrem will be much more known in America in the not too distant future. She is.....Amazing to say the least. This CD, as well as "Mistaken Identity ", are well worth the cost of the import. I questioned buying it at first, but now the price seems trivial for the almost medicinal quality of Delta's amazing voice. Delta’s quotes taken from the "Track by Track " page on her website. Delta's ALBUM's are imported so they cost more and I think they are well worth the extra price.【Track Listings】 01. Born to Try02. Lost Without You03. A Little Late 04. Last Night On Earth05. Flowed ～埋まらないパズル06. Almost Here (Duet with Brian McFadden) 07. Extraordinary Day 08. Innocent Eyes09. Not Me, Not I10. Never Fades Away11. Predictable12. My Big Mistake13. Be Strong 14. Out Of The Blue

Oct 21, 2006

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** Either You Love it or You Hate it...**

OZ we will All miss U... Loved it to the End..."Oz " is one of my favorite television shows on cable . After staying glued to my television each week anxiously, waiting to see the next episode of "Oz " I was always in for a surprise. Well in the second season of "Oz " things get more intense at Oswald Penitentiary, a maximum-security prison. At the opening of the program we hear from Augustus Hill (Harold Perrneau Jr.), the show's narrator; he dramatically introduces, and ushers us to each episode of "Oz ." His vivid description of each prisoner's identity beginning with their assigned prison number, name, the crime they commented, and the expected duration of their sentences is an excellent opening to the show. His philosophies of life and life at Oz also gives the show a unique lift. "Oz " is an entertaining & enjoyable program because of its attempt to depict the harshness and realities of prison life is very successful. The vulgar language is raw, along with the atmosphere, and the crude crimes and lifestyles of prison life. Gritty, raw, and larger than life, "Oz" is the HBO show that takes you behind the walls of the Oswald State Penitentiary and into "Emerald City," an experiment in managing the prisoners. You occasionally get to see what it's like in the rest of the prison, and Em City seems like paradise - no bars on the cells (they're more like airlocks, with giant windows so everyone can see into the cells ), brighter colors, and a slightly better class of criminal...I have to really express how graphic these episodes are. In these discs you'll see men in the clutches of serious drug use, men burned to death, people getting stabbed by shards of glass, full frontal male nudity, and just about everything else you could imagine. IF you're a sensitive person, I suggest that you avoid it because it will disturb you greatly. And, yeah...Don't watch it with the kids.【B.D. Wong】Oz:THE SOUNDTRACK 【Ernie Hudson】 "Oz " also includes commentary from the show's creator Tom Fontana and Lee Tergesen (Beecher) on the first two episodes (the first commentary is hilarious ), a feature about the making of the show, deleted scenes with commentary and a music video from the soundtrack. If you're anything like me, it will definitely grow on you.The basic gist of the show is that in the Oswald Maximum Security Federal Penitentiary (known as "Oz" ) is an experimental cellblock known as "Emerald City " where certain prisoners are sent to be a part of Tim McManus's (Terry Kinney) vision of the "perfect " prison. Along the way, we meet some of the most disgusting people that you could ever imagine which include Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen, who is in my opinion the best actor on the show), a lawyer who was convicted of killing a little girl while drunk driving.... Augustus Hill (Harold Perrineau, who also serves as the show's narrator), a former crack addict.... Vern Schillinger (J.K. Simmons), a white supremacist who beat a man to death after he caught him trying to sell drugs to his sons.... Kareem Said (Eamonn Walker, who has the honor of being the first person to ever play a Muslim major character on a TV show), a famous Muslim leader who was convicted of blowing up a white-owned building.... and Ryan O'Reily (Dean Winters, just about everyone's favorite character...mine included), who was convicted of just about everything. There are so many spectacularly interesting characters that I couldn't possibly list them all. The chaos which ensues when you bring all of these men together is repulsive, heartbreaking, fascinating, and just plain old fun to watch once you can get past the initial shock of seeing images like this on . Overall "Oz " is an outstanding ground braking television program. Tom Fontana, the creator of "Oz" does an outstanding job with this weekly TV drama. "Oz " is an original program because it's the only weekly television program with a direct focus of prison life, and the events that surrounds it along with a unique creation of stories. The cast in this weekly sitcom is outstanding in their realistic roles of prison inmates, the acting by this cast is also excellent. As for the direction, and setting I enjoy its realistic depiction and appearance inside of a prison, it sends chills up my spine. "Oz " scores , it's a must see television program.Without ruining too much more of the plot, there's some murders, some rapes, and all kinds of other prison hi-jinks. It's a compelling story, and the camerawork is beautifully done. The actors are quite convincing in their roles, and you never now what new twist is going to develop off of some harmless-seeming remark.

Oct 3, 2006

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+++ Bad Bad Bad Education +++

A Powerful ＆ Memorable movie.. Gael Garcia Bernal in hot pants & high heels. Gael Garcia Bernal is Hot. Even disguised as a girl he's extremely sexy - which is a bit disturbing. I think he looks like Julia Roberts. Anyways, besides from being cute he's also a very good actor and gives an outstanding performance. So do the other actors in this movie.!!!!They all make the story believable. I especially liked the guy who plays Father Manolo at the end of the movie. The movie is a visual & musical treat. When the choir of children sing "Cuore Matto " or when one child is singled out to sing for a gathering of priests, the singing is done with enough musicianship and feeling to bring anyone to the verge of pure metaphysical joy. On another level the integrity of the artist, in this case the film maker, is vastly addressed in the movie. The film maker is above all an artist and his attitude about his discipline obeys only to the highest of ethics. The film maker will not become part of the circus. As an artist he will work in it, but will remain sober and not compromise his vision.What a timely & beautiful lesson for so many "artists " and audiences.Have you ever left a movie house with the feeling that you did not want it to end ? .. or that your connection with the world that you witnessed on the screen is so strong that you can't get yourself out of it ? ..... Or that a movie has gone inside you and touch you in ways you did not dare to poke yourself? ...... Then you know what "Bad Education " will make you feel like.Don't miss it, whatever you do. You owe it you yourself... 【Fele Martinez】Bad Education【Gael Garcia Bernal】 Abuse, Acting and Retribution.. "Bad Education " is easily one of the most complex, yet inventive thrillers in recent years. With its Saul Bass style opening credits, initial Bernard Herrmann styled score by Alberto Iglesias.... and the mysterious figure of Ignacio one easily could describe the film as a Hitchcockian thriller filled with an air of evil blended with an element of dark humour. In its stylistic and plot functions, Almodovar's film alludes to aesthetical constructs found in Hitchcock pictures such as Stage Fright and Vertigo. Yet, Almodovar adds his own unique touch to this haunting tale and adds a brutal and gloomy denouement reminiscent of film noir with its brief elements of the crimes of passion & evil in unlikely forms. "Bad Education " raises the unfortunate but all-too familiar issue of the abuse of children by members of the clergy, but the director’s approach to this scenario gives it a different slant. In real life, adults sue the Church. In the movie, the characters seek revenge in a different way. Regardless of the outcome, everyone is affected and there are few winners at the end. Don’t see this one if the theme turns you off or you feel squeamish about witnessing intimate homosexual scenes... However, while it is a sobering experience, the insight into the world of the transvestite/transsexual.... The movie maker and the actors is fascinating and the guys are gr8 to look at. Also, there is sufficient humour and irony to keep the story from sliding into the maudlin, and leaving you feeling depressed. There are quite a few images that will probably shock young teenagers. Had I been a couple of years younger , I don't think I would have been able to understand the meaning of this story and to enjoy it. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone under 16.

Sep 26, 2006

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+++ Great Dance Tracks & Vocals...+++

Pop-radio Friendly, but Not just Teen Pop This album by Stacie Orrico is a winner.The songs tell a story of girl that is realizing that there is more to life..."More to Life ", one of the songs on this album, will just make you think about where you life is going and why.This girl has toured with Plus One and has won the hearts of millions of fans.She is going to be around or along time.!!!!! Voice of An Angel I have the first album by stacie orrico called "Genuine" that is more about gospel music. Fortunately she grew out of the overly religious stage just as I did. I think these songs are more relatable to average people like me. As a matter of fact, Im listening to the song "That's what love's about " right now.Im one for the slow songs, and this is a gr8 one. It's the type of song you can play dancing with your boyfriend, after a breakup, or at a sleepover... It's that versatile... But enough about this song. The entire album has songs that have grown on me. Though, even the most beautiful rose has thorns. Songs like "Tight " and "I could be the one " are not as strong as others like "Stuck " and "There's gotta be more to life "...I still think it's worth the purchase.!!!! As I mentioned before, Im not very christian , but I still like this one. Not to mention what a great voice she has, and had, at such a young age... 【Stacie Orrico】 by Stacie Orrico An inspiring Christian teenage artist...You may or may not have heard her single "Stuck". More likely than not, you haven't. "Stuck" has a lot of different elements to it. Its a little (well, alot) pop, a little soul, and a little rock... Confusing Yes.But blame that on me, kids.. Don't let it ruin the album.. Anyway, "Stuck" has no dramatic musical intro. It starts off immediately which earned it mucho brownie points in my book. I can't stands those minute or two intros (e.g. Alicia Keys "Rock Wit U") so this was a welcomed break. The best thing about this song is the hook; a strong, very rock "dance in front of the mirror and belt it out " kind of deal. Stacie's vocals on the hook are slightly watered down because of the musical intensity but her sassy attitude outshines everything. The beat in the rest of the song gave me lots of problems, just trying to think of how to describe it. To me, it's a veeery synth bouncy pop song with a layer of soul underneath it.!! Dude, I need a backbone. Or a thesaurus. Anyway, the lyrics aren't as strong as the rest of the album. They're pretty ok but aren't up to the high standards she set for herself. I mean, these would be like the centerpieces to other popstars' albums but aren't up to the Orrico way. They're rather average and not that though provoking.. Overall, Orrico makes a record far beyond her years. She puts a lot of distance between her and her Christian contemporaries such as Rachael Lampa. She has such maturity in everything she does, vocals, lyrics, and just presence. Stacie shows she can go pop ("Bounce Back"), hip hop ("Tight"), or kind of rock ("More To Life"). She has a flair to her that should keep her in the business for years to come...【Track Listings】01. Stuck02. More To Life (There's Got To Be)03. Bounce Back04. I Promise05. Security06. Instead07. Hesitation08. Strong Enough09. I Could Be The One10. Maybe I Won't Look Back11. Tight12. That's What Love's About13. Stuck（Thunderpuss Radio Remix)

Sep 10, 2006

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◇ ！！ S p l a s h ！！◆

Angel of an Album, Fallen to Earth Adding My Voice To the Choir: Fallen Has Captivated Me..Once in a Gr8 while I hear music which moves me in such a way that stirs up emotions in me that I didn’t even knew I could feel.When I saw the movie Daredevil I was bored out of my mind.... but there were two songs included in the movie that sort of made it worth seeing anyway.I still remembered that there were two shockingly good songs in the movie .. I immediately ordered the album from the US (it’s not available here yet), and I was in for a big surprise when I got the album. This is, hands down, the best album so far this year.!!!!!Evanescence has a sound totally their own, and don't try to ROCK you near as heavily as the kidneythieves would. Amy Lee also doesn't depend on four-letter words to get her points across. Although Lee's voice is hard to look past to even begin to think about the talented musicians behind her, the guitars & drums in Evanescence are heavy enough to satisfy those with a hunger for the hardest Rock. The piano in the majority of the songs adds the nessesary touch to make the gothic songs, well, gothic.....The music is a blend of gothic sounds, all delicious... The base is rock, but they add strings and strong piano (or light when it needs it), adding to the darkness of the sound... There is also the Millenium choir hovering in the background for several of the songs - they add to the haunting mood, and sound breathtaking behind Amy's voice. (Vienna boys they are not.!! )Give Evanescence a try. If you like an angelic singer or cruncy metal guitars (or both) you are sure to like this album. 【Fallen】 by Evanescence Amy Lee's Vocals, Nice Songwriting, Nice Riffing here & there..Bid my Blood to Run Evanescence is a quartet that hails from Little Rock, Arkansas. The vocalist Amy Lee met guitarist Ben Moody at a Christian youth camp a few years ago, and in the late 90’s they formed a band called Evanescence together with another guitarist, John LeCompt & drummer Rocky Gray. They were featured on the Daredevil OST, and got a huge hit with their song "Bring Me To Life " which features Paul McCoy from 12 Stones. In March 2003 they released their debut album "Fallen" which has sold thousands of copies already. If you read the lyrics & the song titles of "Fallen" you can see the gothic element.It's like Lee & Moody are trying to produce the soundtrack for an Anne Rice movie or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The band did get its big break with 2 songs making it into the soundtrack for the movie "Daredevil".. Jennifer Garner plays a vengeance driven Elektra , armed with a pair of sais, who slashes her way through suspended bags of sand in a martial arts exercise to the music of Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life." The song's energy does fit the scene despite the subject of the lyrics. "My Immortal " was the other song in the soundtrack. Besides "Bring Me to Life ," I have several other favorites on this album: album opener "Going Under ," "Haunted " which has it's name for obvious reasons when you hear it and for its choral arrangements, and the closing song "Whisper " for its background Gregorian-style chants. If Evanescence's later work is like their debut, "Evanescence" won't be.This music will grab hold of you at your root and it will not let go. More than hypnotizing, You will not regret owning this music.【Track Listings】01. Going Under02. Bring Me To Life03. Everybody's Fool04. My Immortal05. Haunted06. Tourniquet07. Imaginary08. Taking Over Me09. Hello10. My Last Breath11. Whisper12. Father Awey

Sep 8, 2006

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*** Never the End, Always the Beginning ***

It's Godard. It's therefore A "Challenging Film" The film charts the intertwined lives of three characters: Paul Godard (Jacques Dutronc), a filmmaker whose marriage is on the rocks; his ex-girlfriend Denise Rimbaud (Nathalie Baye), who wants to escape to the country; and Isabelle Rivière (Isabelle Huppert), a prostitute who sells her body to lead a free life...... This is a shame, as this is easily on a par with those other works.During the 1970’s Jean Luc Godard abandoned the notion of making normal commercial films for cinematic distribution in favour of his Marxist-Leninist "Dziga Vertov " propaganda films. Absolutely gorgeous use of image & sound, as well as history and memory.The director returned to regular filmmaking in 1980 with "Sauve Qui Peut (La Vie) ", his first theatrical release since his furious outburst against modern bourgeois society in 1967 with "Weekend ". Delivering another hate-filled attack on almost every aspect of modern society, it’s like he had never been away. In Praise of Godard...Sort Of...The title of the film literally translates as "Save If You Can (Your Life) " or "Every Man For Themselves ".... but is titled in English as "Slow Motion" , reflecting some of the unusual experimental techniques employed here by Godard. As such, there is not much point in describing the film's plot but it involves a television director, Paul Godard who, divorced, has an on-off turbulent relationship with his girlfriend Denise. Denise is keeping her distance, moving out of the flat that both of them share in the city in favour of settling down in the country to write articles for a provincial newspaper or journal.. She knows Godard cannot be relied upon and that he needs her too much to support him through a difficult period in his life.Paul takes a lot of this anger out on his ex-wife, and rather unpleasantly, he makes sexually suggestive comments about his own daughter Cécile, who he picks up after her football practice. Paul meets a prostitute, Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert) , who seems to be able to put up with whatever humiliating experiences her clients put her through. Looking for a flat, Isabelle answers Denise's ad for the flat she is moving out of. 【Isabelle Huppert】 Every Man for Himself 【1980】 Godard consolidates his ReputationLike Weekend's attack on bourgeois life, "Sauve Qui Peut (La Vie) " takes a particularly bleak view on life....But seems to be even bleaker in its outlook by pouring scorn on just about every aspect of society and modern ways of living - the city life, the country life, intellectuals, artists, businessmen... Everything about their actions and behaviour is turned up, amplified and exaggerated.Script is the best of Godard's works in terms of content up to "Flirt ".Somewhere about 30 minutes into the DVD it struck me how much Godard something about movie-making..That's a rare feeling.. to watch a movie & feel the director's , passion, or fascination for/with the medium.There's a character named Godard in the movie.With "Sauve qui peut " Jean-Luc Godard's maturity level and development of his own style really comes into fruition in his film making career. He has accomplished so much more than perfecting his unique sensibility....But also displays his ability to convey complex subject matter on his own terms. At one point, he says, "The only reason I make movies is because I haven't the strength to do nothing at all. "... One thinks that the Real Godard would have us believe the words were coming from him. But !! Seeing his frames, his cuts, the way he sets the light..The inventiveness of all of it..!!You just feel his joy in the enterprise.!!Not as darkly humorous as first films. If you like Godard's work at all, you'll this film. If you dislike "pretention " in film, you should probably avoid it... ... But you're missing a lot. If you enjoy a challenging film, "Sauve Qui Peut (La Vie) "(the original title) is certainly that.This ignored gem represents an important step in Godard's development as a filmmaker of unique talent.

Sep 1, 2006

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+++ "No Nudity" Sex Scene +++

The Ultimate "OH YEAH!!" Experience!! Timelessly Special I've Had The Time Of My Life."Dirty Dancing " Probably one of my all-time favourite movies. I have probably watched this more times than I can count.I like the music, the story, and the romanticism, all of it.The music is upbeat and nice to listen to, and the dancing is definitely unique.It's the kind of movie you can watch a million times and never get tired of. (Trust me on this one, I speak from experience.)I absolutely adore this movie. Everytime I see it I want to get up and dance!! Makes you want to dance along and be in the movie yourself.!!The plot is perfect...Baby Houseman (Jennifer Grey) is a young woman going on vacation with her family to a resort in the Catskill mountains and isn't anticipating the boring times to come. Well, she happens to take a walk one night in the woods and comes across the staffs' quarters where all the young people live. She happens onto a party and that's where she meets Johnny Castle (Swayze).He's a young sexy guy from the wrong side of the town (the perfect guy who your mother doesn't want you to meet). His dancing partner, Penny, gets pregnant and chooses to have an abortion. So Johnny needs a dancing partner and Baby offers to help out so that they can keep their jobs.. Very true to life.. as real as it can get.【Jennifer Grey】Dirty Dancing Patrick Swayze Danced Right Into My Heart..Dance!!! This movie will make you want to dance all night!! Guranteed!!A majority of the movie is spent showing Baby learning how to dance. It's so sweet & romantic.!! A Perfect Daydream...perfect guy, learning to dance, and falling in love. Magnificent, astonishing, two-thumbs up.!! WAY UP.!! The ending is such a perfect romantic scene that I don't want to ruin it for you...Trust me, if you miss out on this movie, then you're missing out on a soon to be classic...The music makes you want to dance along with the characters and the storyline leaves you wishing that you had had a teen romance of your own... The final dance in the movie is the highlight of the movie.!!It was when they decide to do the final dance even though the resort and Baby's father told them not to do it...This movie has it all of LOVE, DRAMA, SEX, VIOLENCE, COMEDY and some of the best music of all time. I'm a big fan of oldies music and "Dirty Dancing" has some of the best. Ladies, If You want to Get Your Juices Running... ..........SEE IT !!..........Viva La Swayze !!...........

Aug 21, 2006

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** Insightful Look through a Female Sub’s Eyes **

Woman with a "Keen Mind, Fearless Spirit " The essential kimono b*** This book is one of the most beautifuly written on kimonos... A very nice and easy book to understand the basics of kimono wear,and traditions.Excellent reference book...This is neatly divided into sections...The use of kimono in festivals, Kimono you see in the street, Tradition in its manufacture (weaving,spinning, dyeing), The commercial side of kimono (fitting, kimono shops)... Hurrah !! Always a winner !! This is definitely a must-read. Here, for the first time, the reader is given the wonderful treat of meeting Takarajima's parents.The parents are so much fun.Apart from the beautiful pictures this book has an informative introduction by many actress/talent...... and with each picture you get a caption that gives you some little piece of insight that changes the way you look at the picture.Having been to Japan this book to me is a souvenir of some of the things I've seen, the people wearing kimono in the street, the festivals...If you have been to Japan you too will recognize some of these pictures. If you have not been to Japan this book gives you a great impression of what to expect (kimono wise that is). Last but not least the book has a beautiful design, it's a great coffee table book.【InRed】Kimono Vanishing ClubSexy & Fun..Challenging & Untimately MysteriousThe bool is a good one, introducing the reader to a little known world of the art of the kimono. The book, "Okimono Club ", is an excellent example of the potential for the integration of real life experiences with sociological theories.It is also extremely well written and tends to read like a novel. Lavished with full-color photographs throughout to show examples of colors and styles of kimono textiles. Hundreds of photos.It fully explains fabrics, periods, etc and includes a glossary of terms. I'm a beginner kimono collector, and this is a very useful book for my needs. Finally, this parents are in this book.. They are cool & fun, I can see where its spunk comes from. It was hilarious when her parents were dealing with her romantic escapades..I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

Aug 15, 2006

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+++ Not A Sex Movie mhhh..+++

Hardcore Fun for The Entire Family Be A Dear & Pass The Butter Please Marlon Brando is an aging American in Paris whose wife has just committed suicide..He meets a young woman..and attempts to work out his despair with her through sex. He falls in with her and wants to start a new life with her, only she's in luv with someone else.!!! Brando is simply marvelous as Paul, frightening in his intensity as this man whose life has become a black hole. "Last Tango in Paris" certainly ranks among Marlon Brando's Gr8est acting achievements he improvised a significant portion of his part, as he makes us care about his distraught, damaged, misogynistic character...The characters of Paul and Jeanne - Maria Schneider, in an often overlooked but remarkably vulnerable performance - spend the film enveloped in a sexual cocoon, engaging in animalistic acts of passion in order to escape or ignore their lives on the outside. Such subject matter has rarely been treated with such Emotional & Intellectual Seriousness.　Erotic, Intelligent, & Mesmerizing... 【Marlon Brando】Last Tango in Paris A Carousel of Torment There's an anonymous person riding next to you..!!Both of you have to laugh at it all, just to keep from crying..... Sexuality Grows Up Marlon Brando & Maria Schneider, anonymous & nihilistic sexual relationship reflected their inner torment. They let their unguarded selves show with each other because of the anonymity.There are so many memorable scenes in the movie..That it is almost impossible for anyone to say they completely dislike the movie.It made me laugh when I read someone's review saying Bertolucci was a dirty old man.... When he wasn't that old when he made the movie..... The SEX scenes are all artfully done, and I don't get the sense that he had any bad intentions in making the picture. "Last Tango in Paris" is obviously not a film for everyone. It has been called obscene, and worse. However, there are many, like myself, who think it is a great Movie.. This is Bertolucci's masterpiece.For fans of Marlon Brando, it doesn't get better than this. Bravo!!!!See the Movie, by all means, for an incredibly Cathartic Experience.

Jul 30, 2006

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『 The Man Who Cried 』

Suspend Disbelief, Even If You Don't Like Ricci 1927, Russia, and a Yiddish singer father sings to his beloved daughter, knowing of the impending gloom that seethes over Russia.. With his family's interests at heart he flees to the USA..and encourages his daughter Suzie to follow.. Politics knock and Suzie's attempts to join her father results in her landing in England where she is accepted as a foster child by an English couple who try fervently to rid Suzie of her Jewishness for her protection.....A Haunting movie for the Eyes, Ears ＆ Soul.."The Man Who Cried " is an unusual, beautiful and touching glimpse at a decadent Europe on the brink of war, the vibrant Gypsy culture..The Jewish shtetls of Russia & the world of opera, all intertwined with romance & connections to the past..Not quite historically correct but it doesnt really matter. "The Man Who Cried " is a Great "Acting " movie.The stars are Great, but the rest of the movie was missing something **my interest...No, it isn't for the action junkies... but then... I wouldn't be recommending it if it was.!!! It is artistic, sensitive fare for those who prefer that to mindless action & violence, or juvenile humor. Certainly not a MOVIE for those who want a bit of candy with their popcorn !!【Christina Ricci】The Man Who Cried A Wonderful Exploration of how Human Lives are affected by upheaval Christina Ricci , Her performance was Excellent !!The look on her face throughout the MOVIE shows her haunted......Yet with a quiet strength in her determination to eventually reconnect with her father. Her rejection of Dante causes her friend and Dante's ex-lover Lola-- played brilliantly by Cate Blanchett who's Russian accent was excellent --to leave Paris and go to USA because her life was in danger. One of Johnny Depp's BestIn the interim Suzie has fallen for Cesar, a gypsy horseman played by Johnny Depp, yet another excellent performance. Some people are comparing this gypsy role with the one he played in "Chocolat". There is no similarity except for him being softspoken & unassuming.!!!Johnny Depp plays one of the gypsies hired as bit players. It takes a while, but eventually Ricci & Depp meet and share their lives. It's an unfortunate time because the Nazi war machine is steamrolling across Europe and jackboots come marching into Paris. It's not a safe time for any Jew...Ricci's dilemma is whether to stay with her new LUV and risk their lives, or pursue her dream of finding her father.The chemistry between Christina Ricci & Johnny Depp is palpable, and the one SEX scene between them is strikingly tender & passionate..LOL

Jul 28, 2006

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*** One Of The Best Jazz Albums ***

Yummi ★ A Lisa Ekdahl album is a Happening A Blossum Dearie voice with Gr8 Arrangements.. Charming & Unique at the same time...A real listening treat !!If you love the sounds of Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holliday, then you'll Lisa. Her sound is smoother than and ice-cold glass of lemonade on a Hot Georgia summer day.!!!　　Tudo o que faltava.!!After a long hard day at work or just for a short drive to the store, this ALBUM is perfect to keep you calm and relaxed.I hear the Swedish stuff is also good but I have not heard it.Billie Holiday certamente se orgulharia de Lisa, um talento a ser reconhecido mundialmente. Quero mais, muito mais...iYo odiaria pensar que yo podria perderme tal un talento increible..Su acento de Scandanavian presta simplemente bastante singularidad a estas normas guardarlos fresco y agradable... 【Lisa Ekdahl】　Sings Salvadore Poe Wonderfully nonchalant Italian Bossanova..Swedish Jazz This Swedish singer's "Little Girl" voice..and phrasing reminded me of none other than Billie Holiday...Perfectly blended with a trio of musicians I've not heard of before, but whose other work I'll snap up immediately.I don't understand the criticism over Lisa's girlish voice.....That is EXACTLY why I LUV her singing..because she sounds like a lovely angel, not some jaded or wary mortal. Lisa expresses emotions perfectly, while I find other jazz singers tend to hide their emotions and sings with a "pokerface".Lisa's vocal techniques are also abundant...having an angelic voice doesn't mean she lacks technique or experience. Her expressiveness is right up there at Billie Holiday's level...The music on this album is more comparable to Bebel Gilberto. Lisa is the Swedish version. The album starts off wonderfully with "Daybreak". "The Color of You" and " I've Never Seen Anything Like You" are also standouts. 【Track Listings】01. Daybreak 02. Rivers Of Love 03. Sunny Weather 04. Only You 05. The Color Of You06. How Many More Times 07. I Will Be Blessed 08. Since You've Been Gone 09. I've Never Seen Anything Like You10. I Don't Miss You Anymore 11. Nightingale 12. The Rhythm Of Our Hearts 13. Sun Rose14. Of My ConceitSmashing & Irresistible..Great mellow vocal jazz..

Jul 25, 2006

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*** Heart-Stopping Sensuality ***

A Sensual , Riveting Love Story This is not smut. It's about the business of smut, which as it turns out is a lot like plain old business..It's beautifully written, lively, uninhibited, the very best of what anyone expects from a good ad agency... Sometime the writing is a little TOO smug, like she's trying too hard to be clever, but overall a captivating read.!!!!Nude bodies bring easy money for clever Lady..It has every cliche one expects from the Dangerous Woman format...It's every man's fantasy come true, as in "See, there really are some intelligent, witty, perceptive, thoughtful women who are incredibly erotic ".. But don't get the idea these women are "easy", they have nothing but contempt for every man who goes to a strip club. It's the ultimate male fantasy, uplifting a woman from sin to a life of purity & virtue so she will have utter devotion for the man who braves the disdain of strip clubs to rescue a really fine woman at heart. I don't consider myself to be naive or innocent but found many things in this book that I never would have expected...■Ryo Makimura■xxx Dark Desire xxxA sheer pleasure! Historical romance at it finest. The book didn't have many surprises considering I had been following M since the beginning of his blogging career...XOXOXO M-- I'm still a big fan..!!"Kick-ass" also describes his writing style..This isn't the tale of a blushing innocent being corrupted, nor that of a jaded, embittered husk of a woman, spent and empty at the end...For the most part, he's brash, hip, tossing twisted images and pop-culture references around like...well...As for the fake sex , what else can you expect from people who live in stucco houses , drive Escalades and chase ****d girlfriends under the delusion that it is all real. Very passionate about his writing, i think mr. Makimura　delivers the book well, and Ive recommended it both my male & female friends. Hilarious and Savage

Jul 16, 2006

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■ Jazzy, Elegant ＆ Vibrant Mix ■

Under A Groove...WxxxxxxL As An Accoutrement to Anything You're Doing ★★★★★ One of the best of Hotel Costes Series. Classy, Chic, & GroovyOKAY, I CAN DIG IT !! I'm new to the Costes series.Listening to this CD make you feel like a Million Bucks..!!!!!I found out the CD looking for some electronic lounge music to add to my collection (which is mostly rock, jazz & latin music...). I actually saw excellent comments on the whole Costes series..Classy mix of music and soothing sounds that can relax you at some times and get you out of your chair on others...There is a significant price difference but it looks like all the same tracks...BUYIN' THEM OUTTA ORDER !! 【Hotel Costes】Best of CostesA Completely "Adult-Urban-Contemporary-Cosmopolitan-Chic-chillout-Martini-＆-VooDoo-Lounge" CLASSIC.I decided to branch out after the Buddha Bar series introduced me to the world/chillout/lounge music scene...the Costes Best Album is quite refreshing and chic, good for day or night time, versatile, fun..　 Cool Chillout ...and even a little cheeky (One night in Rio :) )definitely, DEFINITELY worth a listen !!Lounging the night away...My first album was "La Suite" (the second in the series). A Gr8 album indeed Immediately after that one I bought "Costes 1", then "Costes quatre","Costes 5","Costes 6","Costes 7",and finally "Costes 8".I had the chance to listen to the "Costes 3" collection ... But I really Never liked it as much as the rest..Great for Groovy-late gatherings, super frenchy, unabashedly filled with pop hooks and melodies... 【Track Listings 】01. Sympathique - Pink Martini 02. London in the Rain - Variety Lab 03. Amour - Rouge Rouge 04. Adore - I:Cube. 05. My Funny Valentine - Big Muff 06. Latazz - The Funky Lowlives 07. Morenito [Bossa Mix] - Clementine, , Stéphane Pompougnac, 08. Café de Flore [Charles Webster's Latin Lovers Mix] [Mix] - Doctor Rockit09. Where Do I Begin [Awayteam Mix] [Mix] - Shirley Bassey10. Surround Me With Your Love [Mental Overdrive Remix][Mix] - 3-11 Porter 11. Night Over Manaus - Boozoo Bajou12. Métropolitain - Emanuel Santarromana 13. One Night in Rio - Louie Austen14. No Communication, No Love (Devastating) - Pompon, , Charles Schillings 15. S.O.S. (The Sounds of Silence) - Trinity FM16. What It Feels Like for a Girl [Stéphane Pompougnac Remix][Mix] - Madonna

Jul 7, 2006

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◇The Red Currant◆ **Votivo**

Mmmmm... A Good Housewarming／Hostess Gift Light one up and your house will smell divine I received the Votivo candle as a gift and was so thrilled !!The box itself is decorative and... I re-used it as a pen holder on my desk.The scent is very aromatic and long lasting.!!I had relatives over and they remarked on the scent as soon as they entered my home.The Red Currant Votivo should Break some kid of candle scent world record.. It smells like Heaven...in fact, it smells a lot like my favorite spirit, Lichido... I have a closet full of the stuff (the candles ＆ the liquor)... MERCI Votivo◇Votivo Aromatic Candle◆The candles burn evenly and nice and slowly...　The scents are Gr８Natural smelling and strong enough but not overwhelming in any way.I can burn one of these on my first level and scent the whole floor unlike most other candles where I need to burn multiple candles to get the same level of scent... It is ELEGANT... Would be Gr8 for open house Gift.So Votivos' are more expensive than candles you can get but when I burn this one, its the only one I need to burn at a time... ...With cheaper candles I don't really end up savings because I am burning several at once.The Red Currant is fabulous !!...Truly the Best !! You'll be sure to LUV it as much as I Do

Jun 16, 2006

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+++Have ＆ Produce Better Orgasm+++

Every Woman's Orgasm is Unique The Clitoris has the highest concentration of nerve endings in the body..As this opening graphic fades, a woman enters the bedroom and soon will take you with her to share her intimate experience of masturbation..She gradually will build and extend her orgasm making it possible for the viewer to feel it too...A Exceptional BOOK that shows female masturbation as a full blown sexual activity that can take your Sex Life with your partner[s] to a new level of pleasure. I definitively recommend this for both women & men !!!!!Most of what I have seen on the subject of sex has been much more erotic...I was almost blown away... I had never seen anything like it !!Really it was a totally new experience for me and lovers !! Very intimate, UP-CLOSE and REAL !!Jack Morin『Female Masturbation』Longer, stronger Orgasm I have to say !!...I was pleasantly surprised by the book. The lady enters my room in a pretty negligee and lays down on a bed with lots of pillows For me it was simple in a way, she lays down on the bed and touches her thighs ...Then there is a brief yet thorough view of her anatomy and she begins to masturbate...I liked seeing the way she stroked her clitoris directly.There is no mystery about what is the most sensitive & pleasurable part of her body and I appreciated seeing that.. I felt my own body relax with LOVERS's With each strokeThat spot was a darker crimson color compared to the rest of her clit..Beautiful, eloquent and arousing Frankly, I was blown away by lovers' orgasm !!I have been a person who has been very open about SEX & masturbation......And I have looked for ways to have longer and more intense orgasms. I felt like I finally found what I am looking for. It ROCKS !!My LOVERS think I'm a Geniass !!

Jun 10, 2006

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●Secret Sealed Seductions for Fun-Loving Couples○

Go Ahead !! Tears That Pages !!WOW，Only 100 more to go... LOVERS had multiple orgasms Add fun to your lifeThis is a great book for couples who want to add a real sense of fun to their lives. If I could give this book 10 stars I would.My lovers and I have had this book for 6 months and has been a TREMENDOUS help."101 Nights of GRRREAT Sex " is so much fun!!Sure, others may say that it costs money or takes too much planning...【Laura Corn】101 Nights of Grrreat SexGo ahead !!...then we would certainly hate to be their partner!! If you can't afford a certain page [dinner out or maybe a hotel ], save it for when you can..Laura Corn's suggestions will loosen the imagination as well as residual inhibitions. Everything is done with a sense of great humor and fun.This book gives great new techniques and ways to make love that really works. To our pleasant suprise, though, this book really lives up to its name. This gives you 101 different ways of satisfying your partner[s], and each one works incredibly well.The scenarios may seem a bit hokey, but obviously they work. Nice way to enhance one's sex life and enjoy your lover even more. Highly recommended for any couple who want to heighten & intensify their sexual　pleasure...An excellent choice!! Go for it, and have the best and most creative sex of your life!!Passion, Sex and Intrigue-reignite that spark　　Great book to spice-up your sex life　

May 6, 2006

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** See You Naked **　Search + Destroy **

　Erotic Lounge Definitely Delivers the Lounge 　I purchased this CD while on vacation in Europe and was blown away. It made every hotel my lover and I stayed in very enjoyable!!It is a great CD to listen to from foreplay to finish. So whatever the mood you want to set - from "Lounge " where you can easily converse over the instrumental tracks to tracks...That will get you in the mood for a fun samba or tracks to lead to you to the bedroom - they're all here.Pick and choose or get them all - you can't go wrong with this series...All Great And HEY, the CD cover alone is worth a star Ultra-Erotic Lounge【Mondo Exotica】Great CD to listen to in the bedroomThis CD is wonderful & sensual for the home or the drive or hotel there..The initial track had my lovers concerned about me, what with the wild yelling and all on it...But it smokes along nicely after that... Great after-SEX listening for the lovers out there. You can move to this, but fits better in the lounge catagory. It combines all the wonderful elements of "Ultra Exxxx Lounge" music--the mystery, the humor, the dreamy mood, and the originality. This particular CD is excellent for "the novice" ultra exxxxx lounger who wants a good introduction into the world of ultra exxxx lounge.Great for any lounge lizard. All in all, this is a pretty good CD.【Track Listings】01. Swamp Fire - Martin Denny Listen Listen Listen 02. Moon Mist - The Out-Islanders Listen Listen Listen 03. Caravan - 80 Drums Around The World Listen Listen Listen 04. Hypnotique - Martin Denny 05. Atlantis - Les Baxter 06. Alika - Webley Edwards 07. Misirlou - Martin Denny 08. Lust - Bas Sheva 09. Hana Maui - Chick Floyd & His Orchestra 10. Voodoo Dreams/Voodoo - Les Baxter 11. Jungle Madness - Martin Denny 12. Babalu - Yma Sumac 13. Simba - Les Baxter 14. The Girlfriend Of The Whirling Dervish - Martin Denny 15. Bali Ha'i - Tak Shindo 16. Pyramid Of The Sun - Les Baxter 17. Quiet Village - Martin Denny 18. Wimoweh - Yma Sumac Other Part of Title Up to You　

Apr 28, 2006

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***Absolutely Enchanting***

　Amazing and Gorgeous ROUGE　Lovers currently own Jungle Red, and it is absolutely fabulous. The colour is fantastic, brightening up my very pale face. It is absolutely matte, which is great for chanelling a very "old Hollywood" look, and a very rich shade. One application lasts about two hours (and more) of chattering and it lasts well through a meal. It also absolutely doesn't budge and is easy to apply - ergo, no ugly red smudges. It also never sticks to their teeth. It goes on smoothly, silkily and the color stays.Their only complaint is that it tends to dehydrate their lips - but it's nothing some Vaseline doesn't fix. They've had good luck in mixing Chanel shades to come close to the hue lovers want for a specific outfit.【Chanel】 Aqualumiere Sheer Colour LipshineA high performance glossy lipstick to protect and beautify your lips. Shea butter nourishes and soothes lips. Continuous hydration leaves lips soft and supple. Safeguards skin against harmful effects of UV. Vitamin E helps slow aging and prolong youthfulness of lips. Incredible shine in semi-sheer shades reveal fullness of you lips. Lovers have been a long time user of CHANEL as they used to be a session stylist Even though I now have to buy it, it's worth the money because the tonality lasts and it has a luscious texture.Perfect and makes you look great and naturalA great beauty buy.Another beautiful NEW color is Kiss which is a metallic/shimmer brownie plum color. Anyone-the expense is worth it 100X over

Apr 22, 2006

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+++The Magic of Christian Dior Fashion+++

Magnificent A must have These books are Gorgeous--fabulous photography, lots of detailed shots...(I luv the way they concentrate on the dresses and don't feel obliged to get the manniquin's head in every shot)-- Glorious Get it now!!Every garment is beautifully captured. The detail photographs are exceptional.As a coffee-table book, this is a must-have for fashion afficianados. For those who can visualize and appreciate the complexity of drape and construction in some of the garments, there is no excuse not to own this book Christian Dior『The Glory Years』Treats Dior's work with the reverence it deserve.『Autobiography of Dior by Dior』The photographs of Christian Dior's magnificent creations are breathtaking.These are thorough and well written, Dior was a fascinating man and he is really fleshed out here. Very good books on a singular talent.These are a beautiful tribute to the work of one of the most famous couturiers of the 20th　century. The dolls portray two of Dior's favorite models, Renee and Lisa , and are drawn wearing typical post war foundation garments. A touching detail is that each doll holds a sprig of lilies of the valley, Dior's favorite flower.All of the designer's "lines" are covered with a selection of outfits for every occasion, including two magnificent ballgowns.　Ah, The Great Dior　

Apr 18, 2006

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+++Condoms Not Included+++

WHAT A COOL MUSIC　c'est magnifique★★★★★Raw & IntenseI luv this CD, it is one of the best albums I have so far. She is even better than Vanessa Paradis. I never expected anyone to make better songs than Vanessa, but Axelle Red sure proved that I was wrong about that.This album is so good...all the tracks in this album is just amazingI am still listening to every track over and over again and never get bored of them... If you don't have this CD than you are missing something here!!SO GET IT REALLY REALLY FAST... **Axelle - sa voix me seduit**Axelle's breathy, honest voice is wonderful, her songs are really good. Her talent and the evocativeness of her voice is amazing.Truly unsurpassed. After so many days, her music is the one that I constantly play over many times.I recommend "Rester Femme　" (this is a hot song)..."Parce Que C’Est Toi", actuallyALL the songs are good. I also like the "ghost track" with Isaac Hayes (!!!wow!!!) "A 82 Ans Live" it is pretty Cxxxool too. Les chansons ici sont le mêmes qu'aux autres disques mais une version assez différent pour meriter l'achat　

Apr 17, 2006

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+++Hal Lifson's Sex and the 60s+++

Thanks for the SEX...Notes From The Producer Hal LifsonHal Lifson has done it again. This is a great trip down memory lane. I have so many visuals to the songs. Fran Jeffries singing Sex and the Single Girl....Edie Adams doing Big Spender with a cigar. Noxema and Take It All Off!　made me want to shave at the age of nine. And then there is Ann-Margret....is there anyone better？I say NO!!　Hal - this might sound corny - but Thanks For The MemoriesIt's All Happening Want to put a huge smile on your face V.A.『Hal Lifson's Sex and the 60s』This CD is a fabulous collection of cool & sexy '60s music of singles, TV themes and commercials!!This CD put together by Hal Lifson is probably the closest I'll ever get to living the '60s without me actually having to go back there in a time machine. A bonafide guilty pleasure, for sure.【Track Listings】 01. Goldfinger (Single Version) - Shirley Bassey 02. Music To Watch Girls By (Single Version) - The Bob Crewe Generation 03. Girl Don't Come - Sandie Shaw04. Big Spender (Muriel Cigars Commercial) - Edie Adams 05. Sex And The Single Girl - Fran Jeffries 06. Over And Over - Twiggy 07. Guide For The Married Man - The Turtles08. Another Day, Another Man - Sex And The '60s 09. Love's A Secret Weapon - Donna Loren 10. Come And Stay With Me - Jackie DeShannon11. Little Things Mean A Lot - Jayne Mansfield 12. Take It Off! Take It All Off! (The Stripper: Noxema Shaving Cream Commercial) 13. The Swinger - Ann-Margret 14. The Avengers: Main Title - Laurie Johnson 15. Bad Time To Stop Loving Me - Linda Thorson 16. Barbarella - The Bob Crewe Generation 17. The Sex Machine - Sex And The '60s 18. 99 - Barbara Feldon 19. Alfie - Cilla Black20. The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. - Teddy Randazzo21. How Does That Grab You, Darlin'? - Nancy SinatraThanks again Hal, you're a Prince...not to mention a Mensch

Apr 8, 2006

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■ Vanishing Vision ■

From The CD, Their LEGEND Had STARTED　Vanishing Love is some of the hardest speed metal I have heard...They are the best. They are "Forever Love ". Their music and heart have spread all over the world.I am so please with their music. They are my first group I fell in-love with and so highly admired. I'm really not a huge fan of rock, but I respect X-Japan because they've been through a lot. Their music is so heartfelt. They are my inspiration. My gratitude goes out to each one of them. Dreams do come true and to this day, I still talk about them... X ■　Vanishing Vision　■"KURENAI " is easily one of the better tracks on here... My favorite track "KURENAI ", it starts out slow and melancholy, then stops completely, then... kicks into what has to be one of the fastest metal tracks I've ever heard. The guitars shred, the drums pound, and it doesn't stop for a breather till its over. The fial track "Unfinished " is just that -- unfinished!!"Unfinished "-- A short piece, barely clocking in at 1:30. However, in that period of time, your treated to a sad and beautiful ballad-esque song. The ending leaves a lasting impression by catching you off guard. A great closing to this album.They have the "real" version on their second album, and their major label debut, BLUE BLOOD, which is now OOP and hard to find (but which I own, thank God!!!)The music showcases that X is not just another metal band...But that they are much deeper than that, with soulful lyrics, great melodies, and incredble compositions courtesy of Yoshiki... who I feel is really the heart and soul of X. He makes X what it is...X-Japan actually knows how to play a variety of instruments that sound very well put together. You have hardcore song like one of my favorites "Phantom Of Guilt" that will blow your mind to the softer songs "Un-Finished" that will suprise you when it's finished.If you like good metal/visual rock, then X is for you. 【Track Listings】 1. Dear Loser 2. Vanishing Love 3. Phantom Of Guilt 4. Sadistic Desire 5. Give Me The Pleasure 6. I'll Kill You7. Alive 8. Kurenai 9. UnfinishedIf your looking to hear X Japan's first album...If you want to know what these legends of J-Rock sounded like in their indies days...If your just looking for some good old fashioned speed metal, well... Give Vanishing Vision a shot, you won't be dissapointed...

Apr 3, 2006

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・・・無限の愛と感謝を込めて・・・

　　！！　弥生３月も　暴れん坊将軍でイケっ　！！　　　　　　　　　　　　***　AromaSHOXX　***トリノで日本人で唯一のメダリストになった　しーちゃん　おめでとうデス＾＾惜しくも4位の村主姐さんもミスというミスがなかったと思うケド．．．しーちゃんと比べると　紅香忍法帖★あをによし的には“迫力美”を感じなかったDEATH...ミキは見るからに調整不足に思えた。もっとカラダ搾らないと・・・。カラダを搾って　シャープになれば　もっとワザが美しくみえるから。って優香ぁ～・・・しーちゃん観てて　TOSHI　に　似てると思った(微) TOSHI『LIVE　is　BEST』荒川静香『Moment Beautiful skating』

Mar 1, 2006

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＋＋＋百の鬼が欧州を行く＋＋＋

　　　！！　陰陽座旋風　欧州にて"も"吹き荒れた　！！本日リリース　陰陽座ツアー・ドキュメンタリー・ブック『百の鬼が欧州を行く』！！キタコレ！！紅香忍法帖★あをによしが　陰陽座の熱狂的式神となったキッカケだけに　即買い !!まだ　隅々読んではないケド・・・コストパフォーマンス高いDEATH．そもそも　式神だから　価格度外視　ハートの問題DEATHケドね(微) 陰陽座著『陰陽座百の鬼が欧州を行く』異国の地においても・・・　陰陽座メンバーの　日本と変わらぬ　魂の迸り　を　感じてくれ！！おいっちにぃのぉ　さんよいどぉ・・・おいっちにぃのぉ　さんよいどぉ・・・おいっちにぃのぉ　さんよいどぉ・・・　　　　　　　　　おいっちにぃのぉ　さんよいどぉ・・・

Feb 28, 2006

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＋＋＋我屍越行＋＋＋

　　　　　　　！！・・・２秒で終わりだ・・・！！昨年秋の陰陽座の欧州ツアーからの式神の紅香忍法帖★あをによしなんですが・・・久しぶりに　陰陽座　自己ライブ敢行♪DVD持ってると　いつでもヤレるからイイょね☆☆☆☆☆この『我屍越行』のときは　黒猫姐さんの声の調子がよくて　ラストまで歌いきった感→1000％　「サイコー！！サイコーだぁぁぁ」(瞬火風)それにしても　瞬火兄者の話はいつも長い！！(核爆)陰陽座のメンバーからは　ファンを大切にする気持ち　がすごくストレートに伝わってきて・・・楽曲の秀逸さだけぢゃなくて　そういう意味でも「最高」のバンドだと思う。陰陽座DVD『我屍越行』紅香忍法帖★あをによしが　陰陽座の式神になった最大の理由は　音作りの妙かな。ちょっと変わった「作り」をしてると思う。ありそうで　ないorなかった　感じ。山田風太郎の忍法帖シリーズファンの紅香忍法帖★あをによし的には．．．陰陽座の「忍法帖」ナンバーだけのアルバム作って欲しいカモｗとにかく　ロックバンドは　ライブ命　DEATH!!!もっといえば　ライブがショボいロックバンドって存在価値ないと思うYO!!ライブで　逝けないバンド　聴くに値しない！！　　　　　　　　　　　　聴きし者よ　恋い候え

Feb 27, 2006

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☆Mini drames★ by Kiraz

楽天ブックスでも　まともに洋書を扱って欲しいDEATH．．．CDとかDVDも販売するようにはなったケド　まだまだ不満ありありｗでも　扱ってくれても　かなり割高になりそうだけどね。洋モノは。紅香忍法帖★あをによしが好きなイラストブック“KIRAZ”シリーズから　！！最新版リリース！！これ　フランスで買うと　5000円弱　で買えるんだけど・・・日本では　7000円前後になるという・・・本屋ボッタクリ・・・当然　紅香忍法帖★あをによしは現地調達♪決まってる♪ それにしても　キラジェンヌ最高DEATH★★★★★今年　83歳になる爺とは思えない　エッチさ(誤爆)まさしく　フレンチエッチwwwKIRAZ爺のイラストは　オサレ＆SEXY・・・そして　ちょっぴりエッチ♪小悪魔ちゃん好きには　たまらないシリーズDEATH．．．(微)

Feb 26, 2006

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■ オペラ座の怪人 ■

日本でも　なかなかチケットが手に入らないくらいヒットしてるみたい。BellaDonna★Viceも　以前　観たことあるケド...『オペラ座』の舞台装置は凄過ぎっっ！！ロンドン(HerMajesty's Theatre)で観たのも凄かったケド　日本のも♪どういう　仕掛け　になってるのか　サッパリなシーンがいくつもあるょ。。。何度観てもわかりません(苦笑;チケット代の倍払うから　舞台裏で　鑑賞させて欲しい！！ww 『PHANTOM of the OPERA』とにかく　怪人　が　切ない.....この「切なさ」の表現は　日本人はヘタかな。ロンドンで観たときに演じてた役者さんに比べるとネ。あと　歌唱力も負けてるかな...

Feb 11, 2006

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■ ヴィジョナリーズ ■

この本は　まさに　Collection　として持っておくとイイDEATH．ファッション関係者でなくても　オサレさん　ならば＾＾BellaDonna★Viceとしては　持つべきモノ　として持ってますが・・・ある意味　こういう持ち方はつまんないんだけど(自爆)世界で活躍するデザイナーたちのインタビュー＆コレクションのフォトも掲載。トップ・デザイナーたちが「仕事」と「人生」について語ってます。読む＆見る価値のある本だと思う。インタビューの時期が　1997～2001年あたりなだけにヘルムート・ラングなど　今ではなくなってしまったブランドもあるケド...そういう意味でも「Collection」として　この本はイイと思う。 Susannah Frankel著『ヴィジョナリーズ』ファッション・デザイナーたちの哲学【CONTENTS】01.アレキサンダー・マックイーン02.ソニア・リキエル03.マルタン・マルジェラ04.三宅一生05.アズディン・アライア06.フセイン・チャラヤン07.ドルチェ＆ガッバーナ08.ヴァレンティノ09.ヘルムート・ラング10.ヴィヴィアン・ウエストウッド11.マノロ・ブラニク12.タニヤ・サーン13.山本耀司14.トム・フォード15.ドナテーラ・ヴェルサーチ16.サンドラ・ローズ17.川久保玲18.ポール・スミス19.ジョン・ガリアーノ20.渡辺淳弥21.クレメンツリベイロ22.ジャン・ポール・ゴルチェ23.イヴ・サン・ローラン BellaDonna★Vice的に面白かったのは↓ヤッパリ・・・悪童ALEXANDER McQUEENかな(爆)McQUEENのフレグランスラインは　SEXY　で好き♪もっと云えば　McQUEENのフレグランス　エロい！！(誤爆)それとVIVIENNE WESTWOODの受け答えもおもしろかったDEATH．．．ぶっちゃけ　惚れ直した　(微)

Feb 6, 2006

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● 珈琲豆まき ●

大黒珈琲党のBellaDonna★Vice宅も「豆まき」しました。今年は初めて珈琲豆で豆まきしたYO!!アイ犬は　豆まき中なのに　ガリガリかじってました(爆) ○ｏ〇｡2006節分使用豆→【ハイマウンテン】相当もったいない気がしたっっ！！これまでBellaDonna★Viceたちが楽天メルカート内のコーヒー専門店を80店舗以上は試してきた中で→最高のコクとアロマを放つ広島珈琲の珈琲豆DEATHカラ...(微)ちなみに　珈琲豆をかじると　ストレス解消　にもなります！(爆)珈琲豆はカラダにも良いので一石二鳥♪ストレスやイライラで　甘いモノや脂っこいモノに走ると　カラダ壊すからwwというワケで...愛人たちの感情の荒波に備えて...BellaDonna★Vice宅には　常に大量の珈琲豆があるんです。「ある」というより「必要」・・・もっと云えば「必定」DEATH★★★★★修羅場には　珈琲豆　をそっと差し出す．．．これが　！！イチバン！！(マジで)そして　過去の“不始末記”に書いているように・・・「広島珈琲＝官能珈琲」ゆえ→修羅場　が　濡れ場　へと・・・このBellaDonna★Vice必勝パターンに持ち込むためにも...広島珈琲の官能珈琲豆は　一刻足りとも　欠かすことはできません(微)【Reference】【Antigua】　誰もが恋する　魔法の液体　【Lovers】

Feb 3, 2006

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***　パリ恋　***

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　---Florence Deygas---YSLのフレグランス、ブルジョワなどさまざまな広告ヴィジュアルを手がけるイラストレーター☆日本でもFigaro JaponとかVogue Nipponなどの・・・ファッション誌で活躍してるょね。彼女はモードとのつながりが深い！！最近では　スピルバーグ監督『キャッチ・ミー・イフ・ユー・キャン』のオープニングタイトルを担当したクリエーターとして一気にメジャー♪Florence Deygas著『エメとジュール、パリの恋人たち』この本は　パリDEデートしてる感じDEATH...BellaDonna★Vice的には　めちゃくちゃなつかすぃ～(微）イラスト＆フォトで綴った　おしゃれなラヴ・ストーリーってとこ。パリのフォトやフレンチテイストな　イラストが満載なので　眼　だけでも楽しめるYO!!ちなみに　オールカラーDEATH.

Feb 2, 2006

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【365日前戯本】　X的オルガスムなベッドタイムのために・・

ちびじゃり向けの民話＆童話集と思いきや！！全くの　アダルト向け　DEATH(爆)爆笑モノからしっぽりモノまで・・・ぶっちゃけ　365日　持ちませんっっwww愛人たちからのリピート率が高いのは「ひねくればあさん」(間違いないDEATHwww)笑いすぎて　おなか　痛めます(誤爆) Christine Allison『365日のベッドタイム・ストーリー』テーマ別／作家別／エリア別などなど・・・さまざまなチョイス方法があるので　夜の気分次第でチョイスできちゃうのが偉い！！まさにベッド上で楽しめる本DEATH...★★★世界の童話・神話・おとぎ話から現代のちょっと変わったお話まで★★★スウィートな話あり～の　ビターな話あり～の　へヴィな話あり～の！！

Jan 20, 2006

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■ Happiness？ ■YOSHIKI & ROGER TAYLOR

『HAPPINESS？』というアルバムを初めて聴いたとき・・・あの激しい曲を作るROGER TAYLOR のアルバムとは思えなかった。。。これが第一印象かな。このアルバムの中の「Foreign Sand」という曲は　YOSHIKIの作曲だけに　美しいDEATH．．．この曲に限らず　アルバム全体を通して　激しさはなくて　しっとり。ROGERの渋くてハスキーな声が重なっていて・・・静かでいてハードなアルバムに仕上がってると思う。それと時期的な要素もあると思う。あのフレディが逝去した後、しばし沈黙していたROGERが・・・1994年に第3作目となるソロアルバム『HAPPINESS？』を発表したからね。ちなみに、1995年にフレディの最後の作品をフィーチャーしたアルバム『メイド・イン・ヘヴン』をリリース。『Foreign Sand』 YOSHIKI & ROGER TAYLORあのQUEENとXJAPANのDrumsのコラボだけはある！！価値あるNumberだね。これ一曲だけでも　買い　DEATH．

Jan 11, 2006

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☆★ Color Blindness and Autism ★☆

●○●○ Everybody Wants Happy Endings.............

◇ A Truly Enjoyable Teen Coming-of-age tale of Young loLve... ◆

■ FREQUENCY: Into The Wavelength Of Friendship...

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■ Hot Models, Cool Clothes, Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page on Guitars...

◇ The Old Dog Learns New Tricks ◆

■ CHARLIZE THERON and a fantastic screenplay !!!!! □

□ Goodnight, Fuzzy...■

■ "Jude" the Obscure, and Sue the Misled.. ■

□ Henry and June ■ - or Enery and Spoon???

〇 Great Expectations ● Captivating !!!!

◆ Lost in Translation - An Odd Couple For The New Millenium ◇

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** Slip Inside the Eye of Your Mind **

● One Boxer's Rebellion 〇

◇ Possessed by Love ◆

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／／／Fresh／Enjoyable／Genuine／／／

** Either You Love it or You Hate it...**

+++ Bad Bad Bad Education +++

+++ Great Dance Tracks & Vocals...+++

◇ ！！ S p l a s h ！！◆

*** Never the End, Always the Beginning ***

+++ "No Nudity" Sex Scene +++

** Insightful Look through a Female Sub’s Eyes **

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*** One Of The Best Jazz Albums ***

*** Heart-Stopping Sensuality ***

■ Jazzy, Elegant ＆ Vibrant Mix ■

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+++Have ＆ Produce Better Orgasm+++

●Secret Sealed Seductions for Fun-Loving Couples○

** See You Naked ** Search + Destroy **

***Absolutely Enchanting***

+++The Magic of Christian Dior Fashion+++

+++Condoms Not Included+++

+++Hal Lifson's Sex and the 60s+++

■ Vanishing Vision ■

・・・無限の愛と感謝を込めて・・・

＋＋＋百の鬼が欧州を行く＋＋＋

＋＋＋我屍越行＋＋＋

☆Mini drames★ by Kiraz

■ オペラ座の怪人 ■

■ ヴィジョナリーズ ■

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*** パリ恋 ***

【365日前戯本】 X的オルガスムなベッドタイムのために・・

■ Happiness？ ■YOSHIKI & ROGER TAYLOR

Slip Inside the Eye of Your Mind

Either You Love it or You Hate it...

* Never the End, Always the Beginning *

Insightful Look through a Female Sub’s Eyes

* One Of The Best Jazz Albums *

* Heart-Stopping Sensuality *

◇The Red Currant◆ Votivo

See You Naked 　Search + Destroy **

Absolutely Enchanting

*　パリ恋　*

【365日前戯本】　X的オルガスムなベッドタイムのために・・