Posts

Showing posts from April, 2011

#111: I am...

Image
The movie has probably the maximum number of producers in a film. Here's how- since director Onir wasn't getting a producer to fund his movie, he reached out to people on Facebook for donations. So even someone like me who is so unconnected in the circle of Bollywood, could've contributed to the film and seen their name on the end credits. It wasn't just a novel idea, it was effective as well for it would've been a shame if a movie that dealt with such explosive issues had fallen through because of lack of financial support. I am is a collection of four short films titled Afia, Megha, Omar and Abhimanyu - stories dealing with themes of artificial insemination, child abuse, treatment of Kashmiri Pandits and gay rights. Like any anthology, there had to be a standout piece amongst these. That segment is very clearly Omar, a story based on gay rights. With Rahul Bose and Arjun Mathur, the film focusses on exploitation of gays in the mainstream society. Since it'

A Life in Movies Blogathon

Image
Andy 's idea. Of course, you'd think this'd be easier since I've only got 16 year to cover. The Day He Arrives 1994: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (duh) 1995: The Usual Suspects 1996: Trainspotting 1997: A Life Less Ordinary (shut up) 1998: Uh. The Truman Show . I guess. 1999: The Iron Giant 2000: Barking Dogs Never Bite 2000: The Emperor's New Groove . 2001: Mulholland Drive . 2002: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance 2003: Please Teach Me English 2004: The Spongebob Squarepants Movie 2005: Lady Vengeance 2006: Children of Men . 2007: Grindhouse (released as one, so fuck you) 2008: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist . 2009: Inglorious Basterds . 2010: The Social Network/Black Swan

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Image
I've made Stuffed Cabbage Rolls  and love the flavor, but doubt that I'll ever make them again. Just too much fuss with having to boil the leaves, stuff the leaves, then roll the leaves. I'd thawed some antelope burger and was trying to decide what to do with it for dinner. When I saw that Pam made Loose Savoy Cabbage Rolls , I got the half head of cabbage that was in the fridge and whipped this up in no time. I made a few changes, based on what I had on hand. I really liked this dish. You get all the goodness of stuffed cabbage rolls with none of the fuss! Thanks, Pam for a great dish! PRINT RECIPE Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls 1-1/2# ground meat 1/2 onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 T Worcestershire sauce 3/4 cup uncooked rice 8 oz. canned mushrooms, drained 2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes 1 cup white wine 1/2 head green cabbage, sliced Brown meat, onion, and garlic in a large skillet until meat is cooked. Add Worcestershire, rice, mushrooms, tomatoes, wine and cabbage. Pu

Diane Kruger Pictures

Image
Diane Kruger born 15 July 1976 is a German actress and former fashion model. She is known for roles such as Helen in Troy, Dr. Abigail Chase in National Treasure and its sequel, and Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds. Diane Kruger was born as Diane Heidkrüger in Algermissen, Germany, near Hildesheim. She is the daughter of bank employee Maria-Theresa and computer specialist Hans-Heinrich Heidkrüger. Diane Kruger was raised Roman Catholic and attended a Catholic school. Diane Kruger did not drink alcohol until she was 20, because she saw the negative influence of alcohol on her father. She was raised in Germany with her younger brother, Stefan. Her mother sent her to student exchange programs when she was a teenager to improve her English. As a child, Diane Kruger wanted to become a ballerina and successfully auditioned for the Royal Ballet School in London. However, after an injury ended her ballet career prematurely, Kruger moved to Paris and turned her energy towar

Sean Bean Wallpapers

Image
Shaun Mark " Sean " Bean born 17 April 1959 is an English film and stage actor. Sean Bean is best known for starring roles in the films Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, GoldenEye, Patriot Games, Troy, National Treasure and Silent Hill, as well as the television series Sharpe. Sean Bean has also acted in a number of television productions, most recent being HBO's Game of Thrones, as well as performing voice work for computer games and television adverts. As a boy, Sean Bean ran with his local street gangs, but turned to boxing in his teenage years. Aimless and discontent, Sean Bean worked in the cheese department at a supermarket, and eventually as a welder in his father's shop. He was 20 when he signed up for his first acting class, and friends thought the idea was so out of character they teasingly suggested he might be gay. Soon, however, Sean Bean was a working actor in local stage productions, and soon after that he was finished with selling c

Another Wild Librarian Party

Image
I woke up at 6:00 this morning, the usual time for me on a work day.  Knowing that coverage of the Royal Wedding was supposed to have started at 4:00 am on the television, I turned it on to see how far along the ceremony was.  As it turned out, the procession was just then starting up the aisle at the church, so apparently I didn't miss too much.  It wasn't worth missing any sleep over. My husband watched some of it with me providing his own running commentary to accompany the ceremony "Mystery Science Theater 3000" style.  For example, as the bride was coming down the aisle, Prince Harry turned and said something to Prince William.  Husband chimed in with, "You can still back out if you run now!" When the camera panned across the faces, husband said, "Oh look, there's the Queen--oh no, wait--that's Elton John."   Young son joined in too.  Noticing the long train on the bride's dress, he contributed, "Don't step on her dress!  

What I Think About the Royal Wedding

This morning, Prince William and Kate Middleton got married. I admit to being a gigantic Anglophile, so I've been looking forward to this for some time; also, I study history, and it's hard to miss the significance of seeing the future king getting married. Also, I never give up a chance to gawk at the luxurious interior of Westminster Abbey whenever I can. As it happened, the TV was still on when I fell asleep last night, so this morning I woke to the coverage of the wedding, with the couple standing at the altar, literally seconds before they spoke their vows. It was pretty magnificent. I can understand some people not wanting to watch the wedding. It's cool, I get it, it's not your thing. That's fine, we all have our different things. When I cannot understand is the people who spend an inordinate amount of energy tearing it down, to anyone and everyone who will listen and some who won't, saying that the coverage pre-empted their TV show, or the process

Kate Middleton Wallpapers

Image
Catherine Elizabeth Mountbatten-Windsor , Duchess of Cambridge usually known as Kate Middleton , born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton on 9 January 1982 is the wife of Prince William , Duke of Cambridge. Their wedding took place on 29 April 2011. Catherine grew up in Chapel Row at Bucklebury, a village near Newbury, Berkshire, and studied in Scotland at the University of St Andrews, where she met Prince William in 2001. They started a romantic relationship that continued until a break-up lasting for several months in 2007. However, they continued to be friends and rekindled their relationship later that year. Prior to her wedding, the Duchess attended many high-profile royal events. She has been admired for her fashion sense[citation needed] and has been placed on numerous "best dressed" lists. Once their relationship became public, Catherine received widespread media attention and there was much speculation that she and Prince William would eventually marry. On 16 November 2

Prince William Pictures

Image
Prince William , Duke of Cambridge KG FRS (born William Arthur Philip Louis on 21 June 1982) is the elder son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and third eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He is second in the line of succession, behind his father, to the thrones of sixteen independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. Consequently, he is also second in line, again behind his father, to the position of Head of the Commonwealth (figurehead of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations) and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. He was educated at four schools in the United Kingdom and obtained a degree from the University of St Andrews. He spent parts of a gap year i

Here's the thing

Image
About not sleeping a single goddamn second all night before school. It's terrifying. On a normal sleep schedule, you're groggy in the morning, you're still half asleep. It goes by a second at a time, and all you're thinking about is coffee and making the bus. You don't have energy to think about anything until homeroom. But being up all night is a completely different shade of madness. You've been lying about, thinking of all the things you didn't do while trying to get to sleep. And then, shit, it's fucking morning, and those thoughts are still clearly in your mind. Yesterday You has spilled over into Today You, causing a paradox that can only end in your complete...something. On top of homework, you start thinking about all the notes you're going to have to sit through, all the reading and typing and droning and walking that awaits your joyous return. If you're like me, with a death-defying fear of social interaction, being within enough

How terribly I've treated you

Image
I mean, really. No reviews for, like...a week or something. Why do you put up with me, dear people? I offer nothing but heartache and poor organization skills. But I have excuses! Oh, so many! I've been watching both seasons of Black Butler , which is awesome in part because it brought about this: And one day I'll find a person who loves it as much as me, and we'll talk about it, and then I'll write a thing about it here, but probably not. I've been prepping for Andy's A Life in Movies blogathon, which you'd think would be easier since I only have to work from 1994. But it's not. It's annoying. I've got to write a ten-paragraph rough draft of my Nikola Tesla paper, which should be awesome, because nikolateslafuckyeah, but I'm faced with the hell-double-dildo of parenthetical citations and turnitin.com, the worst invention by man ever , including that whole socializing thing and Claire's perfume. In short, I've written two-ish

gratitude

Image
this week flew by! i mean, i hardly know the week from the weekend, since i have no purpose in life am unemployed, but doesn't it feel like the weekend just happened? and here it is again! i'm not complaining though.  i have a super fun day planned tomorrow, for which i am really thankful. i'm also grateful for all of these awesome things: * that my family & friends were safe in the storms wednesday.  a bunch of tornados struck the area where i grew up, where many friends still live, and where my own momma lives.  many of my their houses were damaged/destroyed but so far, all the reports have come in that everyone is safe and alive.  thank god! * a last minute {and free} ditty bops concert. * finally getting to see a show at the hotel cafe. * all of the singing i've been doing lately {it's good to have something to work towards again}. * diet coke {oh get used to me being thankful for this bad habit on a regular basis. what can i say, it's a full-on, nasty

Lucy Hale Pictures

Image
Karen Lucille Hale born June 14, 1989, better known as Lucy Hale , is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Becca Sommers in Bionic Woman, Rose Baker in Privileged, Sherrie in the horror film Scream 4 and as Aria Montgomery on the hit ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars. She is also known for her appearance on the reality show American Juniors. Lucy Hale first appeared on the reality show American Juniors in 2003. She was part of the vocal quintet formed with the top 5 finishers. This was followed by guest roles on shows such as Drake & Josh, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, The O.C., and How I Met Your Mother. She appeared in two episodes of the Disney show Wizards of Waverly Place. Lucy Hale appeared in "NBC's" short-lived re-imagining of the Bionic Woman as Becca Sommers, younger sister to title character Jaime Sommers (played by Michelle Ryan). In The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, she portrayed Effie, the younger si

Anna Paquin Wallpapers

Image
Anna Helene Paquin born July 24, 1982 is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history. Her acting career took off almost half a decade later when she appeared in a string of successful films including She's All That, Almost Famous and the X-Men franchise. Anna Paquin has received critical acclaim for her role as Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO series True Blood, for which she won the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. Anna Paquin is the star of several major motion pictures, including her first Oscar winning performance in The Piano (1993), the role of the young Jane in the 1996 film Jane Eyre (1996), and the role of Amy Alden in the charming family film, Fly Away Home (1996). With a well-developed vocabulary and gentle sense of humor, Anna Paquin proves herself to be t

#110: Shor in the City

Image
It's not often that yours truly gets excited about a Tushar Kapoor movie on a Friday night. This was different. The directors were Krishna and Raj - 2 engineers from A.P. who like all well-behaved 'gults' studied engineering and packed off to US. Since their job was getting monotonous and they wanted to do something exciting they thought why not make some movies for fun. For the next five years, they made short movies, saw a number of films and did some basic workshops on lighting, editing etc. Gradually they did enough to make a delightful movie centered around match-fixing called 99 that released a couple of years ago. It's a pity that movies like 99 get buried under the trash that Bollywood unfailingly dishes out ever so often. If anything, it was one of the best movies of the year. So when Krishna and Raj were coming back with their second mainstream Bollywood movie, I did have good reason to look forward to it. After all, the promos were looking cool too. Shor i

MOVIE REVIEW: Water for Elephants

Image
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS-- 2 STARS Official Website Internet Movie Database Whether it's Harry Potter, Tom Clancy spy tales, The Da Vinci Code, a measly comic book (ahem, excuse me, graphic novel), or a classic piece of fiction from a century ago, once a literary work gets annointed to become a movie on the big screen, the fan outcry of "the-book-is-better-than-the-movie" gets played to death.  The "ruined" label too is also thrown around.  Of course, the book is better than the movie.  A book has hundreds of pages to tell its story in every engrossing and rich detail possible to create a picture for the reader where there isn't one on the page.  A movie has to impossibly condense everything in a book into two hours of something shoot-able and coherent.  Book will always beat movie like rock beats scissors.  It's certain that same debate will surround the new release, Water for Elephants. As you may have heard, Water For Elephants is based on the highly-accl