Unscripted: A Student's Life Update

So, turns out, I got one more exam to do. And it's next Monday, so one more week of not blogging, one more week of awkward delay (damn it, I WILL do the Tony Awards post) , one more week of endless research, trying to surpass the inadequacy and inefficiency of our school books and teachers. It's History, as in 100 years of every continent - and it's actually very interesting, but like I said, they don't exactly make it easy.

I'm just glad I'll never have to walk those hallways again, again (this is the second time I'm going to college). But back to the point - for a few hours yesterday I believed I was on summer break - you can image the happiness, I even started looking for a job - but a doubt emerged, a doubt about the required admission exams... and apparently college demands Portuguese and History, so...

gif not made by me

Unscripted: A Student's Life

I'm sure many of you know - for you're probably in the same situation - that I'm right in the middle of my exams. It's a time when we students go into isolation mode, and thus loose any perspective of a social life. I'm confident that mine will return on Tuesday, but in the meantime, blogging is most definitely not a priority. You may be aware that The List of Shame kind of stopped, and that this week there was no Small Talk. That's because I haven't watched a single movie this past week - in fact, my TV time has been news and debates, the always dashing Tony Awards, and a four-days-per-week dose of The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. However, and to my utter desperation, ideas for articles keep coming, and so amongst poems and poets, I've managed to subconsciously design some future posts. Allow me to fill you in:

As you know, the last Harry Potter film is about to premier (June 14, PT), and tons of challenges have been going around, perfectly in tune with the tons of excitement and nostalgia that I'm sure hoping you're feeling too. So I decided to combine my favorite questions from those memes, to make one that I could actually answer. It's a 40 days challenge, but because I don't even have 30 days, I will make it shorter, answering at least two questions per day. Due to the current alarming chaos that is my life, I rather not say when I will begin this "project", but you can expect it next week.

I'm also working on a look back at nearly 90 years of Disney, because I just can't wait until I'm 30 to make the 100 Years of Disney article. 

The Smallville Tribute is slowly in the making, and I know I'm terribly late for it. Tonight I'll probably work on my Tony's post, which I expect to be dazzlingly fun.

So everything is late, postponed and uncertain, and I really can't provide dates for any of it - but not to worry, summer is coming, and with it comes way too much free time. 

Agyness Deyn in Chateau Dreams

Since his oscar nomination for 127 Hours, James Franco is no stranger to cinephiles. Perhaps what you're not aware of, is just how prolific he is. Besides being an actor, Franco is also a movie director, a published author, a painter, a model, a future professor, and amongst numerous MFAs and PhDs, you can also expect to see him direct some kind of musical number, as well as an actual musical debut in an upcoming album with Kalup Linzy, which is erm... well, just watch it. 

And now, James Franco engaged in yet another medium, working with the charismatic model Agyness Deyn, as well as Imogen Poots and Natalia Bonifacci, in a Rebel Without a Cause themed photoshoot, a story entitled Chateau Dreams, featured in ELLE magazine. But fashion is not the ultimate purpose of this project, for the photos are actually a part of his upcoming exhibit at the La Biennale di Venezia, that also celebrates Rebel's "ripples and echoes" through american culture and society, particularly cinema and homossexual iconography. Incorporating various art mediums, it's described by the artist as "extreme bondage... crazy stuff." The three models embody the style and essence of James Dean/Jim Stark, in an interesting androgynous approach of the subject, as you can see from the pictures below. 

This is not the entire photoshoot, only the pictures with Agyness Deyn. It will be featured in the July issue of ELLE.

Friday Nights In: Judd Apatow

While most people can concur on the quality of a certain drama or romance, with comedies such a vast agreement does not happen. Some people love Judd Apatow's work, some people hate it. We don't all laugh at the same jokes, but from my previous reviews, I believe it's pretty clear that I laugh quite loudly at his. However, trying to explain why I enjoy a certain kind of humor it's the hardest thing, but I suppose whether it's Woody Allen or Charlie Chaplin, we all see more than a joke there, and that's what makes us take it one step further, saying that we like his movies.

As a producer, writer and director, Judd Apatow has been involved in numerous projects, through which you can find the silliest humor, with the much needed creativity and uniqueness, and a clear interested in the so-called outcasts. His work is also particularly (and perhaps unknowingly) vast, from popular films like The 40 Year-Old Virgin, to Funny or Die bits, and tv series like Freaks and Geeks, which despite having had only one season, eleven years ago, still maintains a kind of ongoing subculture of old and new fans. Another thing I appreciate about Apatow's projects, is the cast - if you recall my Funniest 10 list, most of them actually star in his films.

So without further ado, here are my current four favorite films in which, in one way or another, Judd Apatow was involved:

SUPERBAD (2007) IMDb Trailer  (producer)

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (2008) IMDb Trailer (producer and writer of the story)

KNOCKED UP  (2007) IMDb Trailer (producer, writer and director)

THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN (2005) IMDb Trailer (producer, writer and director)

Note: I still need to watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall, from the above Pineapple Express is by far my favorite, and I couldn't choose three out of them. This feature is now done on FILMflare's facebook page

Happy Birthday: Johnny Depp

Just remembered an interesting poem Tim Burton wrote about him, considering their relationship I believe it suits this post. It was a big image, so edited it a bit. You can check out the original, with Burton's handwriting here.

Happy Birthday: Natalie Portman

Unscripted: Layout Changes

So, I changed it again. I widened the blog to the most common standard resolution (since 2000 according to wikipedia), that so many websites have. But if you still use the 800x600 screen, this is for you:

1. Don't feel bad, I have one of those too, it matches my ancient, slow, and annoyingly loud PC. Thankfully I also have a Mac, so it looks good here. 

2. You should be used to this, but I know it looks weird with whole lateral scroll thing, so I'm sorry about that. 

I also made it a three column layout, and tried my best to make it the least confusing, though an initial shock is perfectly normal. I'm seriously pondering this move, for when there is text on all three columns, I'm afraid it may be hard to concentrate on the main post. But I'm going to leave it like this for a few days, to see if this feeling is just part of that initial shock or an actual design flaw. 

Also added the much needed archive, a list of all you cinema lovers that I follow, a simpler version of the facebook like box and a bigger version of the blogger 'about me' widget, with a photoshoped polaroid of me, and the interest section below, just like I had once. I hope it's not corny.

This is it for now, as always I hope you like it. I always enjoy feedback, and again, I'm letting it sink in for a couple days. Oh, and sorry for that typewriter font - I don't know what went through my mind.

Note: I think the FOLLOW link is fixed now

here's how it looks on my laptop (meaning, how it's supposed to look)

Thank you for all your great feedback, but as I explained on one of the replies, I can't change the width for that would require a complete re-design of all the posts, and they are just too many. Right now the width is at 1250px, my screen is 1280px wide, so it looks like that (above). Sorry for any inconvenience, I hope you all use at least the same screen resolution as I do. Maybe one day I'll change it again, and if I do, I'll be sure to make it 1200px max (thanks to Bonjour Tristesse's tip on that). 

Small Talk: Kill Basterds Tangled in Lost Eclipses

KILL BILL (2003) ★★★★
It's been quite the Tarantino week! Kill Bill may be the only martial arts film that I enjoy, a lot. I adore the vivid colors, the exaggerated blood, the action sequences, the actual asian people and language - combined with a peculiar but suitable soundtrack - all wrapped up with immaculate visuals. And also... it's just so badass.

LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003) ★★★★
A mysteriously weird, yet lovely relationship between two strangers in a city like Tokyo it's always a wonder. Also, the candid acting by Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray (how great to see him) is, well... comfortable, in the most positive way - it just invites you to sit back, and enjoy such an ethereal story.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) ★★★★★ 
I already wrote a full review for Inglourious Basterds, though I believe I haven't translated it yet. I'll do it one day, but for now I'll leave you with a five star rating for a film that I've watched countless times, meaning that I praise every second of it.

TANGLED (2010) ★★★½
Not being a fan of recent animated films - partially because I'm not a kid anymore - once in a while there are some that spark my curiosity. Such was the case of Up, Ratatouille, Toy Story 3, and now Tangled. It's incredibly sweet and adorable, yes, but it had some of that classic disney feeling, in the wit of some lines and situations and the overall moral of the story, making it bearable and even enjoyable for adults. The little chameleon is a gem of physical comedy, reminding me of Flit, the hummingbird from Pocahontas.

ECLIPSE (2010) ★½
First contact with Eclipse was rather unpleasant - I was bored, and extremely irritated for spending all that money in tickets and popcorn. Back then, I would've give it -100 stars. But that was just the initial shock talking. A couple of nights ago it was on TV, and I found myself watching it, finally figuring out exactly what makes me so desperately bored and annoyed at this teenage phenomenon. It's certainly not Edward/Pattinson - the character itself is not bad, the actor is pretty good, they just can't help it if the lines suck - and it wasn't Bella/Stewart either, just because she was already the huge problem in New Moon and I don't want to ditch on her again. The overall plot is, as we all know, a cliché - and that's the film's doing, for the book's version is actually better - but the real issue was Jacob/Lautner. I know he was there in New Moon, but I just find that everything about him is amplified in Eclipse. It may be the combination of Bella's repetitive freak-outs and indecisions/insecurities, with brain-dead scenes of masculine rivalry and a lack of the necessary aggressiveness - for these are vampires, not fairies - that make Jacob look even worse. Whatever it is, it's not working. But, you know, I'll be there when Breaking Dawn premieres.

List of Shame #6 | Pulp Fiction (1994)

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★★★★★
Directed by QUENTIN TARANTINO

Starring UMA THURMAN, JOHN TRAVOLTA, SAMUEL L. JACKSON, BRUCE WILLIS, TIM ROTH, AMANDA PLUMMER, MARIA DE MEDEIROS, CHRISTOPHER WALKEN

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF THE LIST OF SHAME PROJECT: 100 MOVIES THAT WILL SHATTER MY CREDIBILITY

Writer's block, mainly due to how amazingly insane this movie is, and the consequent feeling that my words will never match up to its quality. But I'll try anyway. 

All the stories are precious, every character is unique and equally relevant, and the way they crossover is truly ingenious. The cast is insane (I may use this word a lot) and Tarantino's passion for filmmaking is in every single detail, as his enthusiasm becomes our enthusiasm. It's also through his films that my adoration for the work of certain actors is renewed or reenforced: such is the case of Uma Thurman and Bruce Willis. Their latest career moves weren't of the utmost interest to me, but watching them in Pulp Fiction (and right after re-watching Kill Bill Vol.1) reminded me of how great their talent can be in the right hands. 

You can imagine how hard it was to choose one quote, if I could I would paste the whole script here. Even picking the actors for the graphic was a headache - hence the bunch of actors in starring - and still, so many are missing. All the remarkable acting, peculiar situations and witty dialogues could only be brought together so wonderfully by Tarantino and his much talented cast and crew. 

It's also nice to see John Travolta dance again.

imdb | trailer

The Ones Whose Voices You Did Not Recognize

OR MAYBE YOU DID. 

I know I didn't, and in part that's due to the fact that while being an illiterate portuguese child, all the Disney films I watched were in my native language. But even having seen Pocahontas (it's my guilty pleasure) a thousand times in english, I didn't recognize Christian Bale's voice in Thomas. Nor Tim Allen's in Buzz. Or any of the following - apart from Tom Hanks', obviously.

PHILOCTETES by DANNY DEVITTO Hercules

HADES by JAMES WOODS Hercules

DORY by ELLEN DEGENERES Finding Nemo

GILL by WILLEM DAFOE Finding Nemo

ESMERALDA by DEMI MOORE The Hunchback of Notre Dame

WOODY by TOM HANKS Toy Story

GENIE by ROBIN WILLIAMS Aladdin  - that actually explains a lot 

ABIS MAL by JASON ALEXANDER Aladdin

JOHN SMITH by MEL GIBSON Pocahontas

MUSHU by EDDIE MURPHY Mulan

HUGO by JASON ALEXANDER The Hunchback of Notre Dame

List of Shame #5 | Carlito's Way (1993)

★★★★
Directed by BRIAN DE PALMA

Starring AL PACINO and SEAN PENN

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF THE LIST OF SHAME PROJECT: 100 MOVIES THAT WILL SHATTER MY CREDIBILITY

This is not my first Brian De Palma film, though I believe it is the first one of his best of's. I've quite obviously watched Mission: Impossible. I've also seen Black Dahlia, though completely unaware it was a De Palma film - but honestly, it was 2006, I was 14 years old, all I cared about was that Josh Hartnett was in it. So between Hartnett and some stylish sunglasses, my perception of this director wasn't that great. But with a record like Scarface, The Untouchables and Carlito's Way, one cannot be unaware of him. 

Carlito's Way came across to me as a rather funny film. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be that way, but the characters seemed almost like a caricature of the typical latin-american-gangster. I'm a big fan of gangster movies. I rejoice with that sleek hair, those over-the-top gold rings, and of course, the character's names. Carlito's Way actually has some good ones: Carlito Brigante, Pachanga, the traditional Vinnie, Tony and Frankie Taglialucci, Guajiro, Rolando, and perhaps the film's most iconic name, Benny Blanco - played by the amazing John Leguizamo. Such musicality.


But now on a more serious note, the acting is superb. Al Pacino is Al Pacino, that owl-like look is unforgettable. But Sean Penn was the one that truly surprised me: I knew it was him playing Kleinfeld, but I had a hard time believing it, and not only because of that flashy hairstyle, but mainly because of his voice. The last two Sean Penn films I saw were Milk and I Am Sam, and the variation of his voice in these three films is astonishing - not only concerning accents but, most importantly, in terms of tone and rhythm. From the entire length of this film, the only part that I didn't particularly like, and actually annoyed me a bit, was that last scene - she cries don't leave me, Charlie way too many times. Or maybe that's just me.

trailer | imdb

Happy Birthday: Marilyn Monroe

I couldn't make a Birthday Graphic for the lovely Marilyn Monroe, sadly - but there's always next year. Instead I found this wonderful graphic here.

Marilyn Monroe was born June 1st, 1926.

Small Talk: Strange Hearts of the Uncertain

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (2011) ★★½

I was rather disappointed with this one, for it appears Jack Sparrow has lost his savvy. The problem was not the many new characters, nor the lack of the old ones, but the many unsatisfying action sequences and lack of witty jokes. Also, 3D was just an unnecessary headache.

CRAZY HEART (2009) ★★★½

 I can see why it received so many positive reviews, and though Jeff Bridges is great as usual, and the story is truly interesting and moving, what really stood out for me was Maggie Gyllenhaal, she is incredibly alluring, I'm stalking every film she has ever made. 

UNCERTAINTY (2009) ★★½ 

I missed the first 20min so it took me long enough to realize we were dealing with parallel realities. Still didn't get the whole phone thing, though. So thumbs up for acting, meeh for everything else.

THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE (2010) ★★
It got a bit better the second time I watched it, but overall it's the same old story we've heard a thousand times before, with the exact same old lines, and same old outcome. A great talent wasted (Alfred Molina) and a great talent discovered (Jay Baruchel).

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (2007) ★★★½

It's an all-star cast, with Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams who I believe fits right up there with them. It's great if you enjoy political dramas, but there is, however, one big flaw: in some scenes - particularly the one with the boots on top of the coffee table, and the Charlie's dialogue with Joanne in the bathroom - the dialogue is far too technical, fast, and confusing. But I believe it's only on these two occasions, and they're near the beginning, so not to worry, for the rest of the film is wonderfully entertaining. Emily Blunt stars too, though in a small part, as well as John Slaterry - it's nice to see him outside Mad Men, these days.