After a long break, mostly due to finals at school, I'm back. And as Christmas is just around the corner, I'd like to share with you my fave version of the old classic A Christmas Carol. The Disney-version. It's in different parts, but here goes.
No, I don't have any plans for a trip around the universe. I'd just like to share my thoughts on two great movies. If you are observant (don't really have to be all that observant to be honest), you've already figured out which two movies I am talking about.
500 Days of Summer came out last year (2009), and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. It's what one might describe as a delighful movie, and also very importantly in this context.. the soundtrack is brilliant. I love it when the music does so much for a movie as it does in this one. Some of the scenes are wonderfully done.
Here are some of my faves from the soundtrack of 500 Days of Summer:
Regina Spektor - Hero
Regina Spektor - Us
The Smiths - There is a Light that Never Goes Out
Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends
The Smiths - Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
Across the Universe came out in 2007. It's a musical-ish movie where the music of The Beatles is at the centre of the movie throughout. Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood and Joe Anderson plays the main parts, and they do a great job interpreting a number of Beatles-tunes. Eddie Izzard also has a small appearance in the movie, which also features small appearances by musicians Bono and Joe Cocker.
Here are some of the music-clips from the movie: (obviously these contains a few spoilers...)
The Beatles... they obviously don't need an introduction. They had so many great tunes it's hard to know where to start. I'd like to share with you some of my faves. Obviously not all of my faves are included here. There are simply to many of them.
Helter Skelter
One of the hardest-hitting tunes from the Beatles, known for the "I've got blisters on my fingers" line at the end as well as having been listened to a LOT by a certain Charles Manson who had his own idea about how to read the song...
Because
Some fantastic harmonies in this tune
Elanor Rigby
Always have been, and still is, one of my faves. There's something beautifully tragic about the song.
All My Loving
Classic Beatles. On a scale from 1 till 2 on being catchy, this is a definite 2.
Money (That's What I Want)
Another very catchy tune from George, John, Paul and Ringo. Even though they feel the best things in life are free, they wanted money. And money they got.
From Me To You
Again, truly catchy.
I've Just Seen a Face
Can't really remember if I re-discovered or discovered this when I saw "Across the Universe" recently. A great song.
Blackbird
The guitar in this song is so ridicilously wonderful. And the lyrics are also wonderful. High five!
Last, I'd like to share a wonderful Beatles-cover from Jeff Beck... His haunting version of A Day in The Life is simply magnificent.
"If you ever go to [insert city], you will always wanna come back".
I think most people have this feeling when it comes to certain cities. I know I do. There are some cities I know I will always come back to. It's not that there are specific things I have yet to do in those cities (even though there are). I just need to be there from time to time. I need the atmosphere. I need the buildings around me. The streets, the people, the corners, the food, the smells...
For me, two cities stand out. Roma and New York. These are two cities I can travel to without any agenda. I can just be there, and that's enough.
Some reasons why I miss New York (in no particluar order):
- Starbucks - Nancy Whiskey Pub - Inwood Park - Playing football for Landsdowne Bhoys in the Bronx - Village Underground - All the great people I've met over there - Food - Central Park
The Village Underground downtown Manhattan
Why I miss Roma (Rome):
- Food - Amaro del Capo and Amaro Montenegro - The streets - The language - The people I've met there - The weather
I need gloves. I don't have any, and as I was biking earlier to play football I realized I need gloves (and I re-realized it as I was playing football). Autumn only made a brief visit to Oslo before Winter came creeping in. I am not a huge fan of cold weather. I like warm weather, and cold weather is totally the opposite. Then again, there are some upsides to Winter as well, Christmas obviously being one of them. The food, the vacation, the food, the traditions (movies, songs, etc)... and the food. Also, it's easy to underestimate how ridicilously awesome it is to get inside after being outside freezing. Being warm is nice. Freezing, not so much.
Christmas is still a couple of months away, but here is a teaser. One of my fave Christmas-tunes from one of my favorite artists.
So, what to do when it's uncomfortably cold outside? Well, obviously a lot of people go skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating etc. Winter-sports. I'm not very good at either, and although I'm not opposed to going outside during Winter, (which would be silly, as Winters in Norway can be quite long), it is a time where one easily can stay indoors in good conscience. Here's a random selection of good movies to keep you company when inside-activities beats outside-activites.
Don't you sometimes wish the day had more then 24 hours? I most certainly do. There are so many things I need to get done during the day, of which none are really of any true importance. I need to watch another episode of a fave show, I need to relax, I need a power nap, I need to study for my finals (that one is pretty important) etc...
Speaking of having more time, here's a catchy tune which most certainly does not speak of the subjects I need to fit into my daily schedule, but the title fits. And that's enough, cause it's a great tune, which a friend of mine shared with me many, many years ago. True story.
Give Me Just a Little More Time - Chairman of the Board
Anyway, I've recently started watching an old favorite of mine when it comes to TV-shows. The West Wing ran for 7 seasons between 1999 and 2006, and even though one might think a drama about politics seems like a boring premise, it certainly isn't. In my opinion, there are several reasons why this show must be considered one of the greatest TV-shows to date.
1. The brilliant writing of Aaron Sorkin.
Even though I'm not usually a fan of fast-paced dialouge in TV-shows, this show is the exception to the rule for me. The dialogue is smart and witty, and the "hey, let's just talk while we are walking around in the building" works quite brilliantly. (sidenote: a funny scene where Sorkin's love of this kind of dialogue is shown when the characters Josh Lyman and Sam Shepard stop up after a chat realizing they've both just followed the other character without having any idea or plan about where they are actually going)
2. The characters.
The characters in the show are written wonderfully. They are far from one-dimensional. They are also very likeable, in that although they have their flaws, they still strike you as pretty normal (and at often times, very funny) people.
3. The actors.
And this is a big one. Rarely have I seen such wonderful casting for a TV-show as is the case in The West Wing. Martin Sheen is arguably the biggest name in the cast, and he does a wonderful performance as the President of the United States, but he is in my opinion not a stand-out in this show. Bradley Whitford might be my personal favorite as Josh Lyman, with John Spencer (Leo McGarry), Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler) and Allison Janney (C.J. Cregg) pretty much up there with him. Also the chemistry between Bradley Whitford and his secretary Donna Moss (played by Janel Moloney) is amazing. According to trivia I've read on the show, Donna Moss wasn't supposed to have as big a part in the show as she ended up having, but the chemistry was too good not to take advantage off. The rest of the cast are also pretty much perfect in their roles, notably Rob Lowe (Sam Shepard) and Dulè Hill (Charlie Young).
Obviously, as the seasons pass by, lots of new characters are introduced, but this is written on the basis of the first 2 seasons. Also worth mentioning is the appearence of Elisabeth Moss, whom you might know as Peggy Olson in "Mad Men", currently in it's 4th season.
Josh Lyman screwed up in a press conference. Josh Lyman is cool. Fact.
I'll pretend to be IMDb (or amazon) for a little bit, and to the whole "If you like this, then you might like..."
Like I said, Aaron Sorkin's writing is brilliant in this show, and if you like The West Wing, I'd recommend another show he's created. Unfortunatly it only lasted one season, but reunion of his writing and Bradley Whitford, in addition to Matthew Perry (which forms a great duo with Bradley Whitford, is still more then good enough reason to check out "Studio 60 at the Sunset Strip.
Here's a little sample:
Promo for Studio 60
Matt Albie trying (without much luck) to explain that he writes the show...
It's Sunday. Ridiciously early on a Sunday, to be honest. As the week comes to an end, there's a couple of things I'd like to say. One, some tunes are awesome. And just the fact that you can listen to them anytime you want to (not litteraly, but almost?) is pretty freaking amazing. It would be even easier if my iPod touch didn't have a problem with the left sound-channel, but that's another story. (That story isn't really that long. Basically there's a problem with the left sound-channel, and yes I have tried several sets of earphones, and yes, all the stores say I might as well buy a new one.)
This first tune is one that might seem familiar for several reasons. It was featured in the movie Boyz n the Hood from 1991, and is also sampled in Tupac's "Keep Ya Head Up". This performance from Five Stairsteps is from the show Soul Train.
Five Stairsteps - O-o-h Child
Next tune is another song from Melanie Safka, who has featured in this blog before. I can't miss the 60s and 70s, as I wasn't born then, but if I had been born to experience the 60s and 70s, I probably would miss it. Sometimes. Not all the times. (Hence what I wrote about listening to great tunes anytime you want...)
Melanie Safka - Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma
Next tune is one of my fave tunes from The Rolling Stones.
The Rolling Stones - Paint it Black
Also, I am looking forward to the new movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis called Due Date. It's not out until early November, which is annoying, since... well, it's October.
Yes, I'm back. I've been gone for months, but I shall return! After a long summer-vacation spent mostly in Bergen and Oslo, it's back to reality. Having spent the summer visiting friends and family in Bergen, working in Oslo and going to Italy for a week, school is once again upon me. Spending thousands of Norwegian Kroners on school-books is always a great joy. I wouldn't want them to be any cheaper so that I could spend money on other stuff. Edu-ca-tioooon! Nah... too expensive, but ah well. Gotta be done. I'll be back soon to update the blog with everything film, tv, music and true stories. Well, not everything. That would be impossible. But a lot. Some. A nice selection.
In a few hours I'll get my last finals before the summer. I'll be working on it until Friday. Until then, here are a few funny clips for you to enjoy.
Paul Rudd and Jason Segel probably did a LOT of interviews during the promotion for the movie "I Love You, Man". That was their third movie together, and it's easy to see that they have a special connection... This interview cracked me up.
Danny Bhoy is a Scottish stand-up comedian, and a great one... Here's a clip from the DVD from his show in Sydney.
Another short clip with Danny Bhoy
Ross Noble talks about the tv-show 24 and ice cream vendors... Why not?
Zach Galifianakis clip from one of his stand-up shows... Gotta love the timid pimp and 5-year old characters...
May 28th. That's the date. I'll have delivered my last finals before the summer, and the first year as a student in Oslo will officially be over. Although this summer will probably be one of working mostly, it will be quite swell to put away the books for a bit and engage in other activities for a couple of months.
Hopefully the summer will be as long and hot as the winter was cold and agonizingly long. Hopefully the BBQ's will overlap eachother, the parks will be filled with people enjoying a nice summer. Having been in Bergen for a week, (working, meeting friends and family, going to a concert and studying for my finals) this blog has not been updated for quite some time.
Anyways, here are a couple of (random collection of good) tunes to enjoy while I get back to reading about "Young People and New Media". Oh joy!
Tonight Boyz II Men will be performing in Norway for the first time ever. These Philly boyz have broken quite a few impressive records, and have sold over 60 million albums. And that's not really so shocking, cause these guys can sing. And if you're looking for harmonies, look no further. Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris will be performing tonight at Sentrum Scene in Oslo. Here are a couple of tunes you might or might not have heard.
I'm not gonna write a lot here, just share a couple of great tunes I appreciate. A lot of people tend to be skeptical about this artist due to his somewhat special behaviour/appearence and what-not, but this dude has music in every ounce of his body.
HBO's slogan "It's More Than You Imagined. It's HBO" certainly is a one that rings true. Up until 2009 their slogan was "It's Not TV. It's HBO." And I couldn't agree more. They've made some of the greatest TV-series ever. Period. Here are a couple of shows from HBO which are highly watchable. And THAT is an understatement.
Six Feet Under
Wonderful show. Great characters. Epic.
Band of Brothers
Show about a group of paratroppers during the 2nd World War. Based on true events, and just the intro gives me goosebumps. The music for the show is also wonderful.
The Sopranos
Again... Characters, charecters, charecters.
The Wire
This show is epic. Shows not just one side of every story, and again it gives the viewers such a great inside look on the characters. Omar's coming!
Spring is here. Easter is here. A lot of people take this opportunity to take a little vacation, and maybe even travel. I'm not doing that this year. Then again, I've never been in Oslo during Easter before, so it'll be a new experience anyway. Sort of.
I do love travelling, though, and one of my favorite cities in the world is Rome. Rome and New York, but I'll get back to New York on another occasion.
Last year I was fortunate enough to spend three wonderful vacations in Rome. First trip was a week in March, then a week and a half in May/June, and then another Weekend in October (for the concert mentioned in the previous post about Gianna Nannini).
I've never been inside the Colosseum. I've never really did any of the big touristy things. I much prefer just walking around the city and explore it by myself. And Rome is definitely a city to explore. Here's a couple of pictures from the beautiful city that is Rome. Or Roma, if you prefer the Italian version of the name. And I do.
Spring 2007
Colosseo
AS Roma plays Juventus at Stadio Olimpico, March 2009
Pantheon
Fontana di Trevi
Well, this not much of a tour guide is it? More a quick look into some of the sights in Rome. I'm honostly not that great at taking pictures, and especially not of the scenery. First of all, I have a shit camera. Second of all, I just sort of forget. Most of my pictures are from other settings. Out drinking with friends during night, etc. And well, those pics tend to be even more out of focus.
When I was a wee boy about yay high, my family and I went on Holiday to Italy. This was back before cd-players were the standard for cars, so when we bought some Italian music to listen to in the car, we bought a tape. We bought Gianna Nannini.
So, basically, Gianna Nannini is one of the first artists I was introduced to. It was 88-89, and I was 5-6 years old. Luckily for me, she is still going strong, and last October I went to Rome and saw her live in concert. It didn't dissapoint.
From the concert at Palalottomatica in Rome, October 2009. I was way in the back, so could only get pic of the atmosphere with my cell-phone cam
It was just amazing to go to Rome for a concert, and sit there with thousands of Italians singing along to an artist I had been listening to for about 20 years.
So I really recommend you checking out these videoes and live clips. Personally I love her voice, and the versatility in her tunes. And I also love the fact that sometimes when you listen to the songs, you can almost hear her smile. Nice.
This tune, Aria, is from the album "Perle", an acoustic-ish album with some of her greatest tunes played down. Great album. No video for this, just the tune.
This next is a live clip, and she is great live, from 1984. "Ragazzo dell'Europa" and "California".
Music-video for "Voglio Fare L'Amore"
"Sognami" Live
Music-video for "Meravigliosa Creatura"
Music-video for "Maledetto Ciao"
Music-video for "Bello Impossibile"
Last one for now (I could go on forever) is the theme from the World Cup 1990 (Football... or soccer for those in America)
Just the other day, as I was having dinner at some friends place, we started listening to some golden oldies. And I said "Next time I'm home, I'm gonna make a playlist on Spotify with tunes from the Woodstock-era". I actually said it in Norwegian, but that's not the point. And so I did. Or at least, I made a list with songs that have that feel to it. Maybe it's because some of those songs really just makes me wanna sit around in a big park with friends, drinking a beer, enjoying the sun and some of the amazing music that were created before I was.
Anyway, here is a little selection of some of those songs. Enjoy!
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit ( Live from Woodstock 1969 )
The sun has started to go Hannibal Lecter on the remaining snow in Oslo, and if I wasn't looking forward to the Spring earlier ( which I was ), then I am definitely doing so these days.
I've opened my window, and the sounds from the streets are quite nice. The cold air, not so much. Still a little too early to go for a BBQ in the park, but not too early to start dreaming of those long days of just reading/listening to music/BBQ'ing/socializing outdoors in general....
So, here are a couple of good tunes to listen to when you are sitting/laying down in the park this sping/summer.
Matt Weddle - Hey Ya ( Cover tune )
Jamie Cullum - Don't Stop The Music ( Another cover... not intentional, though )
As an avid lover of film, I chose to stay up all Sunday Night to watch the 82nd annual Academy Awards. ( For those of you who find it weird that I stayed up all night to watch it, Norway is several hours behind Hollywood-time, so there you go. ) The show being broadcasted on NRK, which do not show commercials, meant that there would instead be a studio discussing the events of the show during it course. On several occasions, I'd sort of preferred the commercials, though... ( there were people in the studio, btw... the studio itself didnt discuss the movies )
As usual, there were one movie who did stick out from the bunch, this time "The Hurt Locker". Kathryn Bigalow became the first female director to ever win the "Best Director" award. The movie won 6 trophies altogether, also winning for Best Motion Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Sound Mix and Best Sound Editing. Not as many as last years big winner, Slumdog Millionaire, but definitely enough to be considered this years Academy Award Favorite.
In my opinion, The Hurt Locker was not a bad choice for either of those awards, although I was hoping for "Inglorious Basterds" for both Directing and Film. Quentin Tarantino's movie not only had a vast diversity in it's brilliant cast ( Mike Myers, Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz to mention but a few ), but some of the scenes stood out as just pure magic.
Christoph Waltz won, not surprisingly, for his magnificent portrayal of Hans Landa in the Quentin Tarantino movie. Best Supporting Actor was the only Oscar for Inglorious Basterds thought. Another big favorite that also took home the Oscar was Mo'Nique, for Best Supporting Actress. She was absolutely breath-taking in Precious, and deservedly took the little golden geezer back to her home.
I've seen all the 10 movies which were nominated for best film, and I must say that I did like the fact that they raised the numbers of nominees this year. There were a lot of great movies competing this year, and by having only 5 nominees movies I predict movies such as Up, Up in the Air, An Education and District 9 probably wouldn't have been found amongst the them. This does not mean they are not good movies, though. It's differcult to rank such diverse movies as Inglorious Basterds vs. Up, Precious vs. Avatar or An Education vs. District 9.
Out of the 10 movies, there were actually no movies I really disliked. Up in the Air was one I really enjoyed, and especially the performances from George Clooney and Vera Farmiga. ( I'm still puzzled as to why Anna Kendrick was nominated, but maybe I was just annoyed by her character, more then the actual acting... )
Sandra Bullock was also a favorite for Best Actress ( who would've seen that coming? ), and won her first Oscar. Her role in The Blind Side was a great one, though, and in my opinion - and obviously the Academy's opinion - her career best. Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe, for An Education and Precious respectively, were also strong candidates, though.
Jeff Bridges finally got his award, and he gave an emotional acceptance speech. It was weird to see "The Dude" emotional. I was very happy for him, although I can't wait to see Colin Firth's performance in "A Single Man", which from the clips I've seen seems like a fantastic job by the Englishman.
Other then that, other highlighs/weird moments were:
- Ben Stiller dressed as an Avatar handing out the Oscar for Best Make-Up ( in which, as Stiller himself pointed out, Avatar wasn't nominated ) - The Kanye-moment of the Oscars, as Elinor Burkett took the mic from Louie Psihoyos as he held his acceptance speech for the Best Short Subject Documentary - Barney Sti.. I mean, Neil Patrick Harris opening the show. Wasn't a great song... but, come on... it's the Barnacle!
Anyway, here are a few clips from some of the movies that were nominated ( or had actors/actresses nominated for their parts in ).
Precious ( 2 wins, 6 nominations in total )
The Hurt Locker ( 6 wins, 9 nominations in total )
Up in the Air ( 6 nominations )
Crazy Heart ( 2 wins, 3 nominations in total )
An Education ( 3 nominations )
A Single Man ( 1 nomination )
And a little bonus:
From last years Oscars, Ben Stiller doing an amazing impression of Joaquin Phoenix ( as he was when interviewed by David Letterman ).
It's Friday, which means it's Weekend. Although some people obviously have to work Weekends as well - in order for us others to be able to buy necessary ( and not quite as necessary ) items when we're off - for many of us this means a couple of days of: ( about 41 words in that sentence.. definitely too many )
a) relaxation
b) drinking
c) spending time with family & friends
d) reading
e) nothingness
f) watching movies
g) ...
well, the list goes on...
Anyways, from all of me, to all of you ( probably not that many ( yet? ) to be honost ), here are a couple of tunes to enjoy.
Have a great Weekend!
Stevie Wonder: "Sir Duke" & "I Wish"
Kanye West feat. Jay-Z: "Never Let Me Down"
Alicia Keys: "Empire State of Mind Part 2"
Sam Cooke: "A Change Is Gonna Come"
Hope you'll enjoy these tunes. I most certainly do.
Having caught up with some of the nominees, I'd like to reflect a little bit about some of the nominated movies and actors/actresses for this years Academy Awards.
First of, Jeff Bridges. The Dude. There's something very likable about this guy. And he's done some great performances, and some brilliant movies. He is nominated for his lead role in the movie Crazy Heart. He plays Bad Blake, a country-singer who is pretty much finished. Playing in small bars and even a bowling-alley ( reference to "The Big Lebowski", anyone? ), drinking a little bit too much Whiskey and with a somewhat troubled relationship with his former protege, he is struggling with money and himself. And yeah, I never thought I'd see Colin Farrell singing country in a movie. ( Well, now I have )
The story is definitely not a revelation. We've seen similar stories before. I did enjoy the movie, though. I enjoyed Jeff Bridges performance, and also really loved the chemistry he had with Maggie Gyllenhaal. The movie itself it not nominated for best picture, which is totally understandable. It's not a great movie. It's just a good movie. Jeff Bridges, though... He makes no mistakes here. Sad, lonely, pathetic, but also funny, nice and with a good heart. Nominated for the 5th time this year ( 3 times for supporting, 2 for leading ), he is yet to win an Oscar.
He is up against George Clooney ( Up in the Air ), Colin Firth ( A Single Man ), Morgan Freeman ( Invictus ) and Jeremy Renner ( The Hurt Locker ). Having seen Up in the Air and The Hurt Locker, I'd say out of those two Jeremy Renner is his biggest threat. I do hope Jeff Bridges wins the award, but I have my doubts.
Will Quentin finally win an Oscar for directing? Inglorious Basterds was, in my opinion, a great movie. The cinematography was fantastic, and some of the scenes are truly brilliant. The long, opening scene of the movie is amazing in so many ways. Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa steals most ( if not all ) of his scenes in the movie. Let this man win the award for Best Supporting Male, and I'll be quite happy no matter what the outcome in the rest of the award ceremony.
On other notes, Gabourey Sidibe should definitely be one of the faves to win for her lead role in Precious. A very solid performance in her very first movie. Oh, some of the scenes in the movie were filmed where I lived during my 5 months in New York. I recognized my subway station on Dyckman Street in Inwood. I saw it, and I said "Hey, that's my subway station from where I lived in New York." True story.
For actress in a supporting role, ( not yet seen Nine, for which Penélope Cruz is nominated for ), I'd say both Maggie Gyllenhaal ( Crazy Heart ), Vera Farmiga ( Up in the Air ) and Mo'Nique ( Precious ) are good contenders for this. Anna Kendrick ( Up in the Air ), not so much.
A lot of movie-talk these days, but it's Oscar-time.
Next Sunday night will see the 82nd Academy Awards take place. A lot can be said of the Oscars, but the discussions before and after are almost half the fun. The first Academy Awards show was held in May of 1929, where "Wings" won the award for best picture. Here's a short look at some of the nominees for Sunday's big show.
Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart George Clooney in Up in the Air Colin Firth inA Single Man Morgan Freeman in Invictus Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon in Invictus Woody Harrelson in The Messenger Christopher Plummer in The Last Station Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side Helen Mirren in The Last Station Carey Mulligan in An Education Gabourey Sidibe in Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia
Actress in a Supporting Role:
Penélope Cruz in Nine Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air Mo’Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Cinematography:
Avatar -Mauro Fiore Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Bruno Delbonnel The Hurt Locker - Barry Ackroyd Inglourious Basterds - Robert Richardson The White Ribbon - Christian Berger
Directing:
Avatar -James Cameron The Hurt Locker - Kathryn Bigelow Inglourious Basterds -Quentin Tarantino Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire - Lee Daniels Up in the Air - Jason Reitman
Best Picture:
Avatar - James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers The Blind Side - Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers District 9 - Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers An Education - Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers The Hurt Locker - Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers Inglourious Basterds - Lawrence Bender, Producer Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire - Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers A Serious Man - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers Up - Jonas Rivera, Producer Up in the Air - Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers
Writing (Original Screenplay):
The Hurt Locker- by Mark Boal Inglourious Basterds - by Quentin Tarantino The Messenger - by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman A Serious Man - by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen Up - by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
Well, there's some of them. I don't wanna come with too many predictions, although I do feel Christoph Waltz definitely deserves an award for his Supporting Role in Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds. I haven't seen all the movies involved here, though, so it's hard to come with too many predictions. But how can anyone outplay Christoph as Hans Landa in the Tarantino movie, which I also hope will land a couple of other awards in itself, namely for cinematography and directing.
Movies. That has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. So, in a moment of clarity I realized that movies should be one of the central parts of my blog. An epiphany, you might say. So, I've decided that my blog will probably mostly focus on movies and music. Movies I liked, movies I didn't like, music I like, music I hate, movies that puzzle me, directors I admire etc.
This blog will most definitely be updated a lot more in the near future, as I've finally found out what I am going to blog about. Before I was like "what am I doing?", hence I did nothing. Now this blog will most likely be to film-lovers what the Bible is to... no, probably not, but it'll hopefully be an interesting blog for those of you who have at least a vague interest in movies and music.
I might also share some more personal views on other stuff. That's for you to find out, and for me to decide.
I guess I was a bit ambitious with this whole idea of a blog when I moved to Oslo. It's quite obvious, considering this is the first time I'm actually writing something in it since I started it about 5 months ago. I choose to see that as a good thing, though, as the first months in Oslo has been quite grand, and I basically never got around to blogging about life, more then just living it.
The first semester at the University of Oslo was quite fun. I'm taking a bachelor in Media Science, and as my main interest within the world of media is Film, I was quite happy to learn that the making of a Short Film was included in the first semester. And I was also quite happy that the culimination of that process would be a premiere party with all the movies. This of course including an award ceremony, which of course took place in a boat. On water. It was nice.
Anyway, Christmas Holidays are over, and after being in Bergen for about a month, I am back in Oslo for the next semester. This time there will be no Short Film production. There will however, hopefully, be more blogging on my part. So stay tuned. Or don't.
