Anne Bancroft was an American Academy Award-,Golden Globe-,Tony-,and Emmy-winning method actress.

Anne Bancroft was born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano,the daughter of Mildred (née DiNapoli), a telephone operator, and Michael Italiano, a dress pattern maker. Anne Bancroft's parents were both children of Italian immigrants.

Anne Bancroft graduated from Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx in 1948, and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Actors Studio, and the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women at UCLA. After appearing in a number of live television dramas under the name Anne Marno, she was told to change her surname for her film debut in Don't Bother to Knock in 1952.

Anne Bancroft was a contract player in the early days of her career just as the studio contract system was ending. Anne Bancroft left Hollywood and returned to New York due to the quality of roles she was being offered.

In 1958 she appeared opposite Henry Fonda in the Broadway production of Two for the Seesaw, for which she won a Tony Award, and another in 1962 for The Miracle Worker. Anne Bancroft took the latter role back to Hollywood, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1962.

A highly acclaimed television special, "Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man" won her an Emmy award for her singing and acting. Anne Bancroft is one of a very select few entertainers to win an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony award.

Anne Bancroft as Mother Miriam Ruth in Agnes of God Other major film roles were in The Pumpkin Eater, 7 Women, and what is unquestionably her best-known role, Mrs. Robinson, opposite Dustin Hoffman in the film The Graduate. Ironically, Anne Bancroft, then only 36 years old, played opposite a 30-year-old Hoffman. Although Anne Bancroft is now iconically identified as Mrs. Robinson, she was not the first choice for the role; Patricia Neal(who had recently suffered a stroke), Doris Day and Jeanne Moreau turned it down. Anne Bancroft was ambivalent about her appearance in The Graduate; she stated in several interviews that the role overshadowed all of her other work.

In 1980, she made her debut as a screenwriter and director in Fatso, in which she starred along with Dom DeLuise. Anne Bancroft was also the original choice to play Joan Crawford in the 1981 movie Mommie Dearest, but backed out at the 11th hour, and was replaced by Faye Dunaway. Anne Bancroft was also a front-runner for the role of Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment, but declined in order to act in the remake of To Be or Not to Be (1983).

From 1 July, 1953, to 13 February, 1957, she was married to Martin May. The marriage produced no children.

In 1961, Anne Bancroft met Mel Brooks in a rehearsal for the Perry Como variety show. Mel Brooks bribed a studio employee to find out where she was having dinner so he could meet her again. Once Anne Bancroft met Mel Brooks, she went to her therapist and told him they had to conclude the therapy as fast as possible because she had met the man she was going to marry.

They married on 5 August, 1964, in New York City Hall and were together until her death. They had one son, Maximillian, in 1972. They were seen 3 times on the screen together: once dancing a tango in Brooks's 1976 Silent Movie, in Brooks's 1983 remake of To Be or Not to Be, and in the episode entitled "Opening Night" of the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm. Mel Brooks produced the 1980 film The Elephant Man, in which Anne Bancroft acted. Mel Brooks also executive-produced the 1987 film 84 Charing Cross Road in which she starred. Anne Bancroft is on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6368 Hollywood Boulevard.

Anne Bancroft was survived by Mel Brooks, their son, a grandson, her mother and 2 sisters. Anne Bancroft is interred at the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York, near her father, Michael Italiano. A white marble monument with a weeping angel adorns her grave.

Keep visiting: www.lifechums.com more Celebrities featuring Shortly .............

But we're interested in one in particular.

Our friend, Jilon Ghai, an actor in Los Angeles, has submitted an audition for a contest to appear on Mad Men! Mad Men is an Emmy award-winning original series on AMC. It was created by Matthew Weiner and it is one of the most clever commentaries on the "Golden Age" of advertising I've ever seen!

[brightcove vid=1672667207&exp=980289705&w=440&h=373]

Help him get to number 1!! VOTE HERE!!!

(FYI, He is the SECOND one down)

 The first movie I watched was “ I am David”. The story was of the life of a boy who left the concentration camp filled with brutal memories of war and death and how he learns to smile one day. While watching this movie it reminded me of the other day when me and my friend Akhilesh were walking down the Norwich street, we met up with an old lady, she appeared lost, not sure where her next destination would be, her eyes greeted us with curiosity and we could not help her much but exchange a casual “Good Morning, How are you?” in the most cheerful tone. It did cost us nothing, but she felt a bit more relaxed and shared a smiling glance at us. Anne Holm in his 1963 written novel has similarly portraited David’s life. David grew up in the concentration camps seeing deaths as the most obvious sights everyday, this made him have the most unsual eyes which any painter finds tough to depict and explain!

How many a times we come across such interesting expressions in our regular journey by tube ? I know , we live by our own worries and curse our destiny for  our miseries, only perhaps if we could know the more deeper sorrows hidden in the many Davids around us, the eyes we look at but could not comprehend what it means, it could be the eyes of agony or pain or of confusion and mistrust……there might a hidden language telling us a story !!!

The next movie I watched was  “Big Fish”. It depicts the picture of a story telling father Edward Bloom who tells the most simplest of stories of his life with unusual fantasies and creativity which his son , Will, never believes.The movie is a store-house of simple philosophies of life with the message of helping everyone and leaving your footprint in someone else’s life with sheer determination and honest effort. While watching this movie I could not help thinking of 3 years back when one my mentor Sir Aravind Srinivas, asked me , “What would you like to be ? A Big Fish in a small pond  or A small fish in a sea and growing up to a Big Fish one day” Well, I chose the later , It was not that the transition was a smooth one, I am spending lot of my times making mistakes , but every mistakes only teaches me one new secret which might help me becoming a Big Fish one day. Looking around me I find today lot of my friends are constantly lost in conflict whether they would stay in the Small Pond and live like a Big Fish, or get lost in the challenges of the sea and struggle everyday to become a Big Fish someday. I know there is nothing like a perfect answer to solve this dilemma, all I hope that we keep recognizing the effort the Big Fish has made in a small pond and helping all the small fishes, in whatever way we can, to become a Big Fish in the sea one day. Who knows!!! someday you may become a Big Fish in the sea in this process!!!

Ho comunque voglia di dedicarvi (e in particolare a Monte, oserei dire) una citazione di Al Pacino, tratta da "Scent of a woman", un rifacimento dell'italiano "Profumo di Donna" di Dino Risi (è uno dei miei idoli, ormai si sa) e con Vittorio Gassman che ha vinto un premio Oscar (miglior attore) e tre Golden Globe.
Al Pacino per interpretare il suo ruolo di non vedente ha imparato a muoversi come un cieco grazie ad alcune associazioni per non vedenti.

"Le donne... Sai cosa ti dico?
Chi le ha create... Dio deve essere proprio un genio.
I capelli, i capelli sono tutto, lo sai: hai mai affondato il naso in una montagna di capelli sognanti? Di addormentartici sopra?
O le labbra, quando toccano le tue come il primo sorso di vino dopo che hai attraversato il deserto...
Le tette, belle tettone, tettine, capezzoli, capezzoli che ti puntano addosso come baionette in estate...
E le gambe, non importa che siano colonne greche o gambe di pianoforte,
e quello che c'è in mezzo, il passaporto per il Paradiso...
[...]

Sì signor Simms,
ci sono solo due sillabe sulla faccia di questa Terra che sono degne di ascolto...
FI-CA"

(Frank Slade)

Since it's Cher's 62nd birthday, let's celebrate her style, versatility, and talent. She's won an Academy Award, a Grammy, an Emmy, three Golden Globe Awards and then some. Her career has spanned four decades; she's appeared on the big and small screens; and she's scored with hit records during each of those decades.

Let's take a look at Cher's long and varied career. Click on the links below to see Cher (and her outfits) through the years.

With Sonny:
I Got You Babe
The Beat Goes On

Solo:
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
Dark Lady
Half Breed
Take Me Home
A Song For The Lonely
If I Could Turn Back Time (Almighty Edit)
One By One (Junior Vasquez Mix)
Believe

Order Just Outside the Spotlight: Growing up with Eileen Heckart from Amazon for $9.99

Other Kindle Books of Interest
How I Lost 10 Pounds in 53 Years: A Memoir
Female Brando: The Legend of Kim Stanley
My First Five Husbands..And the Ones Who Got Away
Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life
I Could Have Sung All Night: My Story

You’d think that after 18 years, a guy like Eddie Vedder would start to re-evaluate his rockstar life and maybe throw the towel in, but in fact his career is more vibrant now than ever. At 43, the man is still making headlines. Last year, Vedder teamed up with Sean Penn to write the original motion picture soundtrack for Into the Wild. The result was an astounding solo record that not only amplified the film, but had strong enough legs to stand alone as an album. On January 13, Vedder took home a Golden Globe for “Guaranteed” in the Best Original Song category, which he lost five years ago for his song in Big Fish. Ah, sweet victory.

Aside from Kurt Cobain, the former grunge rocker was the face of the alternative music movement of the 90s. Back then, people threw the word “alternative” around as much as they do “emo” now. It was a period of angst-ridden, guitar-driven music with introspective melody that many of us grew up listening to. Today, as a grown man, Vedder has used his celebrity to support environmental awareness and renounce the war on Iraq. Most recently he contributed a live version of “No More” (featuring Ben Harper) for the two-disc Body of War soundtrack.

The documentary follows the story of one U.S. soldier named Tomas Young who enlisted in the war after 9/11 and was eventually shot through the collarbone and paralyzed from the chest down. “I see how he relies on the strength of the songs to help him through each day,” Vedder said of Young. “It is a true living example of the power of music.”

The power of Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder’s music is its ability to heal, not only Tomas Young, but also millions around the globe. The intimacy between music and its listeners is unique with every play, and this April, Vedder brought that magic closer to his fans with a short seven-date solo tour in California (with one show in Canada). The venue capacities were a sliver of the arenas that Pearl Jam is used to playing, but they were all too appropriate for showcasing his solo work. Getting into one of these shows was like finding the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory – except with a hefty price tag.

Up next for this busy guy is the Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, TN this June. Pearl Jam will be headlining the entire four-day event that corrals roughly 100 bands in a massive field with 13 stages. This year, the bill boasts a potpourri mix of rock, folk, hip-hop, electronica, and metal so it will interesting to see the veterans take the stage for the closing of the whole weekend. The band and their frontman are always up to something, and it’s incredible to watch this career band write history while we’re living it. I, like many, have grown up with Vedder and Co., and even though I no longer deal with the burden of high school, am old enough to rent a car, and count my parents as my best friends, it’s still comforting to hear the vibration of that familiar voice when life gets a little tough.

"A young man leaves his middle class existence in pursuit of freedom from relationships and obligation. Giving up his home, family, all possessions but the few he carried on his back and donating all his savings to charity Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) embarks on a journey throughout America. His eventual aim is to travel into Alaska, into the wild, to spend time with nature, with 'real' existence, away from the trappings of the modern world. In the 20 months leading up to his Great Alaskan Adventure his travels lead him on a path of self-discovery, to examine and appreciate the world around him and to reflect on and heal from his troubled childhood and parents' sordid and abusive relationship. When he reaches Alaska he finds he has been insufficiently prepared for the hardships to come. Despite making it through the winter his plan is ill-judged and prepares to return home in spring, only to find the stream he crossed in the snow has become an impassable raging torrent and that he is trapped. With no means of sustaining himself adequately he eventually starves to death in his so sought after isolation. Throughout his epic journey the people he meets both influence and are influenced by the person he is and bring him to the eventual and tragic realisation that "Happiness is only real when shared". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758758/synopsis

This movie is actually based on the real-life story of Chris McCandless back in the early 1990's. Apparently, he kept a journal that chronicled his ill-fated journey into the wilderness. I never read the book version, but I am sure it had to be better than the movie one. The movie in itself had a lot of potential, but just was not that great. It dragged out entirely too long. I could have summarized my own synopsis of the movie, but since imdb did such a wonderful job, I thought I would give them the credit they deserved.

At times, I have wondered what it would be like to just abandon everything to live such a simple life. But then, I realize how rude and selfish that would be. Personally, I did not enjoy this movie, and although what Chris did was for good reasons, it was also for very selfish reasons. Just dropping a postcard in the mail would not have hurt him just to give his family some peace of mind. I felt like this was his form of rebellion and punishment to his parents, and in the end, it bit him back. He was very ill-prepared for someone who just wanted to drop off the face of the planet and disappear. I could say I felt sorry for him, but I don't because IMO, it was quite cruel. I really would NOT recommend this movie to anyone unless they are really bored with plenty of time on their hands. Wait for it to come out on cable.

 MPAA Rating: R (for language and some nudity)

Alla älskar listor. Jag också. Så jag tänkte införa en ny kategori på min blogg – mina favoriter. På sikt tänker jag lista mina favoriter inom en mängd olika fält - artister, kompositörer, konstnärer, författare, fotografer, skådespelare, regissörer – allt möjligt, företrädesvis inom det konstnärliga området. Men det kan även bli arkitekter, maträtter, bilmodeller eller vad helst som dyker upp i mitt huvud.

Mina favoriter blir inte listade i nån slags numrerad rangordning, typ från 10 till 1 – det kan ju skifta från dag till dag i bland – men nån slags 10 bästa-variant blir det säkert, inte nödvändigtvis rankade i den ordningen de är uppräknade. Fast det kan ju också ändras.

Hur som helst tänkte jag börja med en radda favoriter i en kategori som i sig är en favorit - kvinnliga skådepelare. Och det blev 12 den här gången.

Mitt främsta kriterium på en bra skådespelare är att hon/han ska beröra mig på djupet, med äkthet, närvaro, trovärdighet, teknisk skicklighet och allt som man kan tänkas förvänta sig av en skådespelare. Sen är det ju inte fel om hon är vacker också – men det är i allra högsta grad en sekundär egenskap, och jag föredrar alla gånger den slags skönhet som kommer inifrån. Om en skådespelare av egen kraft kan få mig att se en film eller pjäs, så platsar hon på denna lista.

Eftersom jag själv har flera års skådespelarutbildning, med en del yrkeserfarenhet som såväl skådis som dramalärare och även regissör, så har jag väldigt höga och specifika krav. Men jag kommer också att motivera varje val ordentligt.

Välkommen till min lekstuga!

Cate Blanchett
Cate är definitivt en av mina absoluta favoriter. Hon överraskar ständigt med att spela helt olika karaktärer i varje film – från drottningar av olika slag till arbetarklass-underdogs, mördare och narkomaner, från sydstatsdialekter till överklassengelska, vackra, fula, nervösa, överjordiskt stillsamma. Ingen roll verkar främmande för henne. Hon utstrålar intelligens, integritet, naken sårbarhet, uppriktighet och sökande, nerv – hon gör aldrig ett dåligt jobb. Paradoxalt nog fick hon en Oscar för den roll jag nog egentligen var minst imponerad av, i hennes serie av fascinerande rolltolkningar. Men intressant är hon alltid. I "Coffee and Cigarrettes" spelar hon två roller, mot sig själv, och bevisar än en gång sin bredd.

Mae West
Mae West var definitivt en av 1900-talets roligaste människor, med ett bett i repliken som är få förunnat. I citatsamlingar dyker tre personer ständigt upp som de stora humoristerna – Oscar Wilde, Groucho Marx och Mae West. Och man kan se hennes 30-talsfilmer än idag, och de är fortfarande roliga, med vara och varannan replik som en av de där klassiska replikerna vi alla känner till. Hon skrev alltid sitt eget material, och författade flera teaterpjäser som hon satte upp på Broadway. Så hon var en stjärna i alla avseenden. Hon var rolig, fräck och provokativ utanför scen och biosalong också – en klassiker är när hon står inför rätta (förmodligen för att ha sårat sedligheten på ett eller annat sätt), och får hela rättssalen att skaka av skratt - domaren hamrar hårt med sin klubba, och följande replikskifte uppstår:
"Miss West, are you trying to show contempt for the court?"
"No, dear, I'm doing my best to hide it...!"
Kommentarer överflödiga.

Jessica Lange
Debuterade i 1970-tals-remaken av King Kong (vilket får sägas vara dåliga odds), men lyckades t.o.m. att göra den rollen intressant (hon vann en Golden Globe för bästa debuterande filmskådespelerska). Sedan dess har hon gjort nästan 40 filmroller, blivit Oscarnominerad 6 gånger, vunnit 2 gånger, och därtill en mängd andra priser - Emmy, Golden Globe m.m.
Hennes oerhört känsliga och sårbara spelstil är ofta på gränsen till någon slags lätt skruvat utanförskap, vilket passade alldeles särskilt bra i t.ex. "Frances", om skådespelerskan Frances Farmer, som hamnade på sinnessjukhus och blev slutligen lobotomerad. Lange verkar ständigt leva lite på gränsen, hur behärskade hennes rollfigurer än är, och vad hon än gör, så berör hon med sin alldeles speciella karaktär och personlighet.

Helen Mirren
Den som inte har sett Helen Mirren i en TV-film om den bittert bitchiga polisinspektören Jane Tennison har något fantastiskt att se fram emot. Tlll och med som en sur, lätt alkoholiserad, ensam och bitter medelålders kvinna lyckas Helen Mirren att vara helt oemotståndlig. Det är omöjligt att inte fatta tycke för denna starka karaktär. Och som Drottning Elisabeth i The Queen, vann hon äntligen en synnerligen välförtjänt Oscar, efter tre nomineringar genom åren. Och coolare än Helen Mirren blir man bara inte, när hon efter detta konstnärliga stordåd (och efter att ha blivit adlad!) blir bjuden på te hos drottningen - och hon tackar nej. Hon hade inte tid. Cooooool...

Laura Linney
Det finns skådespelare som verkligen tar sitt jobb på allvar, som verkar som att de aldrig kan göra ett dåligt jobb, som alltid imponerar – och som dessutom lyfter en redan intressant och spännande rolltolkning till något oväntat, överraskande bra. Laura Linney gör det oupphörligen. Som överspänt leende skådespelerska i "The Truman Show", till Sean Penns urstarka hustru Annabeth i Clint Eastwoods "Mystic River". Laura har en självklar integritet och en stark personlighet, som dock aldrig tar över, utan snarare bär hennes rolltolkningar till oanade höjder.

Judi Dench
Här snackar vi klassisk, brittisk teaterskådespelerska, med hur många Shakespeare-roller som helst, hur många utmärkelser som helst (vet ej hur många Laurence Olivier Theatre Award hon har vunnit, men det är många!), och hur mycket erfarenhet som helst. Hon fyller varje roll med tyngd och dignitet, om det så är drottning Elisabeth I, sötsugen dam i Chocolat, eller M i James Bond. Alltid ett stort nöje att se!

Katherine Hepburn
Drottningen bland skådespelerskor - legendarisk rekordhållare i Oscarsammanhang, med fyra gubbar av tolv nomineringar. Hennes långa, långa karriär (över 70 år i branschen!) med allt från komedi med Cary Grant till "Afrikas Drottning" med Humphrey Bogart. Och i "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" fick hon återigen spela mot sn hemliga kärlek Spencer Tracy, i en oförglömlig roll som gav henne ytterligare en Oscar. Katherine Hepburn var egentligen helt osannolik som Hollywoodstjärna, med sin frispråkighet och oglamorösa personliga stil – men ändå vann hon i längden. Mer än någon annan.

Holly Hunter
Holly Hunter gjorde tidigt i sin karriär en liten, liten roll som en av Goldie Hawns kompisar (Jeannie) i en film som utspelar sig under andra världskriget. Kompisarna arbetar på en stridsflygplansfabrik, som så många kvinnor under kriget, och vid ett tillfälle kommer en ung soldat för att meddela Jeannie att hennes man har dött i strid. Hennes reaktion är så hjärtskärande äkta, och skitjobbig, att jag är övertygad om att just denna scen öppnade dörren för större roller. Hennes breda sydstatsdialekt och intensiva energi passade utmärkt för komedier som "Arizona Junior" och "Broadcast News", men den film som hon nog är mest känd för är Jane Campions "Pianot", som också gav henne en Oscar för bästa kvinnliga huvudroll. Hennes enorma närvaro och fokus gör henne alltid intressant att se, och hon behärskar både komedi och drama. En av de roligaste rollerna i senare produktioner är som George Clooneys ovilliga hustru i bröderna Coens "O Brother, Where Art Thou?". Det finns liksom i Jessica Langes skådespeleri en krydda av något lite skruvat, lätt surrealistiskt, och det blir alltid spännande, ofta roligt.

Rachel Weisz
Vann en Oscar för bästa biroll i filmen "The constant gardener", i vilken hon spelade mot Ralph Fiennes. Rachel Weisz har en kvalitet som är svår att fånga, men som gör henne oändligt fascinerande. Hon är så oerhört mänsklig, så sårbar och samtidigt obändigt stark och övertygande. Hennes känslosamma, engagerade, temperamentsfulla rollfigur i "The constant gardener" erbjuder en fantastisk motpol till Ralph Fiennes behärskade, lugna, diplomatiska portfölj- och slipsnisse. Men båda är innerliga och passionerade, på sitt sätt. Darren Aronofskys film The Fountain är egentligen bara konstig, och känns inte alls färdig, men just Rachel Weisz gör att jag ändå ser hela filmen, och fascineras. Av henne. Och i Jean-Jacques Annauds WWII-drama "Enemy at the Gates" har Weisz ett legendariskt, magiskt kärleksmöte med Jude Law. Kort sagt – allt Weisz tar i blir innerligt, vibrerande och fängslande.

Isabelle Adjani
Nu har jag en viss svaghet för skådespelerskor med alla nerver utanpå huden, och i just detta måste nog Isabelle Adjani sägas vara i särklass. Hennes fanatiska förälskelse i en ovillig soldat i L'Histoire d'Adèle H. är smärtsam att skåda, och hennes gestaltning av titelrollen i "Camille Claudel" är lika hängiven, lika dödsföraktande. Hon är den begåvade skulptrisen som blir den store Rodins elev, modell och älskarinna (Rodin spelas lysande av Gerard Depardieu, men det är ändå Isabelle Adjani som äger denna film), och hon fortsätter alltjämt att fascinera – som i "La Reine Margot" från 1994. Hon är den enda skådespelerskan i Frankrike någonsin som har vunnit hela fyra César (fransmännens Oscar), och därtill två Oscarnomineringar.

Julia Ormond
Det finns somliga skådespelare som kan gestalta smärta så att det gör ont i betraktaren, sorg så att betraktaren gråter, och lycka så att betraktaren blir alldeles euforisk. Julia Ormond är en sådan sällsam skådespelerska. Till och med i de mest osannolika roller som i Peter Greenaways blodiga meta-surrealistiska "The Baby of Mâcon", bibringar hon betraktaren någon slags känsla av realism. I "Höstlegender" skildrar hon övergivenhet och smärta på ett sätt som stannar kvar länge efter filmens slut, och till och med i en sådan patetisk kalkonfilm som "First Knight", med en trött Sean Connery som Kung Arthur, och en förvirrad Richard Gere som Lancelot, så gestaltar Julia Ormond den unga Guinevere på ett alldeles vibrerande, levande, totalt närvarande sätt. Förtrollande!

Hanna Schygulla
Drottningen av tysk film, Rainer Werner Fassbinders favoritskådespelerska (hon var med i 19 av hans filmer, bland andra "Maria Brauns äktenskap" och "Lili Marleen"). Hanna Schygulla är en fantastiskt skicklig aktör, och hon har en närvaro och en utstrålning som få kan matcha. En film jag gärna rekommenderar för den som vill ta del av hennes säregna, hypnotiska skönhet och intensiva närvaro,och trovärdighet i rollen – se henne som drottningens kammarjungfru i "Natten i Varennes".

BUBBLARE:

Kate Winslet, Nathalie Baye, Julie Delpy, Iben Hjejle, Madhuri Dixit, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Sophie Marceau, Jennifer Connelly, Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling, och några till jag inte kommer ihåg namnen på just nu...

Ok so let me start with...

It was supposed to be an AWESOME movie.... It won 2 Oscars with another 46 wins & 40 nominations. Am I crazy for not liking it? Maybe I am, or maybe the critics are on something. Give me some of what they have! I am VERY glad I did not see this movie in the theater (I had thought about it). I am a bit disappointed I rented it from Blockbuster and not Redbox because it would have been cheaper.

The movie was very slow. It jumped forward in time without making note of it. At times it had me scratching my head and WORST of all I thought the ending was so stupid.  The cinematography was good I will give the critics that but everything else pretty much blew. I liked the acting. I HATED the score (background music, sounds, etc). The movie gave me a headache.

Speaking of this movie. My husband came home yesterday and told me his co-worker bought There Will Be Blood. He then told me of the conversation that transpired.

 My husband: "did you open it yet?"

His co-worker "No... WHY?

My husband "DON'T, rent it first and then decide if you want to own it".

So it is not just me people. I give the movie 2 stars with a reminder to myself not to watch anymore Academy Award Winners before hearing a review from someone who has seen it first.

Next let's go with...

I saw the cover of this movie and thought "why have I not heard anything about this movie before". Usually that is a bad sign... though I have found a couple of good movies that way. The movie had some really good actors in it. One being Jennifer Connelly, who happens to be one of my husband's favorites because he thinks she is hot, not because of her acting skills (even though he will tell you otherwise). I do not think she is hot but I do like her acting.

The acting was pretty good. The story was ok nothing out of the ordinary. Everything else was alright. This movie was very depressing. After the movie ended I seriously was crying and I was feeling horrible. I was like WTF.  (read: I had no idea why I was crying). I do not know if I would have liked this movie more if I had not been a parent but since I am one I guess I will never know.

Note: I do hope I never have to find out what the parents were going through. I give the movie 3 stars. If you like depressing movies then watch this one.

Usually one saves the best for last but not me...

I was ALWAYS a fan of this T.V. show. I was very excited when I heard the movie was being made and even more so when it came out. I wanted to see it in the theater but never got a chance to, so when it came out on DVD I just HAD rent it. I wanted to buy it but my husband would not "let me" because he was did not have a much faith in the movie as I did. I am very glad he did not "allow" me to purchase it.

I was EXTREMELY disappointed in this movie. I did not like the acting (even though I like the actors), the music was way to trendy (I am not even that old), and a lot of the movie seemed forced (read: they were trying too hard). I think the movie was directed at the tween and teen age groups. I should have paid more attention to the movie poster. The movie was so bad my two children were not even interested in it... Let me take that back and instead say the only parts my kids liked were the singing ones.

I have one friend who LOVED this movie (she happens to be just outside of a teenager).  I think true Alvin and the Chipmunk fans will be just as disappointed as I was. This movie gets 1 star.

This weekend, we're showing the long-awaited Mira Nair masterpiece "Salam Bombay!". Created in 1988, this film is among three Indian films (Mother India, Salam Bombay and Lagaan) that have made it to the final five nominees at the Oscars.

Mira worked with "real" street children in this film. Long before the shooting started, she was in Bombay doing theater workshops and short performance with street kids as a part of her auditions for the film. The real life characters portrayed by the kids in this film are astonishing.

This film was nominated for Oscars and BAFTA awards, but won several others including Cannes, Cesar, Filmfare, Golden Globes, Montreal World Film Festival and National Film Awards India.

The Director: Mira Nair
One of the most successful Indian directors of her generation, Mira Nair started off making documentaries on the streets of Delhi before turning to feature films such as Salaam Bombay and Mississipi Masala.

She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University.

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For the time being, each film will be screened twice, on Friday and on Sunday, mainly to accommodate working people.

So, the second screening of this film will be held on Sunday 13th April, 2008 at 5 PM.

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Awami Complex? Where's that?!

You can find the synopses here.

Into the wild is a tragic, heart breaking true story based on the adventurous life of Christopher McCandless, a brilliant young strong willed fearless man, scarred by childhood memories of domestic violence in a dysfunctional materialistic American family.

* Self clicked pic of Chris from his wiki.

Chris was a straight As student, strongly influenced by the likes of Jack London, Leo Tolstoy and Henry David Thoreau, who gave it all up in the classic way of the ascetic donating his savings and burning whatever money he had left, began traveling, using the alias "Alexander Supertramp". He traveled all over America, He dreamed about leaving society for a Thoreau-like period of solitary contemplation in the Alaskan wilderness.

There is this invincibility in youth- a lack of fear, a certain unexplainable arrogance, a belief that you can never be harmed, beat overwhelming odds. One can see it in Chris and why his "Alaskan Odyssey" where he would live off the land, far away from civilization, failed horribly , due to his unpreparedness and lack of experience tragically leading to his death due to starvation. I agree with the Park Ranger's analysis.

I had tears when i saw this movie, as i could directly relate to him due to certain events in my life.

Rating 9.9 out of 10.

This is a must see movie , especially if ur into trekking and going into the wild. I expect this one to go into and is rated 126 in the imdb top 250 chart.The American Film Institute listed the film as an AFI Movie of the Year, 2007

To keep things in perspective id also recommend viewing The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) based on the true life story of Chris Gardner.

It was not until the next time I was at the theater that I remembered about Sweeney Todd. As soon as I walked through the theater doors it was like a light bulb went off in my head. I hauled butt over to the cutout. I was shocked to see it was Johnny Depp.

Side note: I LOVE Johnny Depp's work and I have followed his career since 1986 when I first saw him in A Nightmare on Elm Street (which happened to be my favorite movie for years).

I also noticed that the movie was not merely titled Sweeney Todd but Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Here I see Mr. Depp sitting in a barber's chair holding up a straight razor and blood is splattered  on the floor and over the movie's title. Immediately my heart starts racing and flashes of From Hell and Sleepy Hollow filled my mind. I was SO excited! When I got home I rushed to the computer to look up the details of the movie. There was not much listed except some teaser items (at that time I had no idea it was a play or that it had been made into several movies before). The only thing I found was that it was being directed by Tim Burton (who would have guessed lol).

Another side note: Mr. Burton is a wonderful director. Tim has this way of directing that just engulfs me with his vision. I just knew that the two of them (Johnny and Tim) pairing up yet again for a movie had to be an awesome one indeed, yet I have been wrong before (read: Ed Wood). 

.... a few months went by and I FINALLY found out the movie was a musical.......... I was stunned. I was confused. I was mislead! A musical... I know Tim Burton did a great job on his animated ones (The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride-which Johnny worked on with him) but a live action one and one that stars Johnny... I did not even know if Johnny Depp could really sing. Had he had previous voice training? I did not know. I was torn and I was a bit sad.

I went around talking to everyone I knew about the movie until one person said "You know that is a play and it has been made into a few movies before, right?" I was like "Oh, really?!?" I was drawn in yet again. I went home and searched for the previous movies and looked up the play info. Even though musical movies are not my favorite (not by a long shot) I do not dislike them. I love Fiddler on the Roof and I like Mary Poppins (there are a few others). My mind was made, I would definately see it. It couldn't hurt, right? Well, nothing more than my bank account!

I went and saw the movie opening weekend (like I usually do for movies I am super excited to see). During the opening scene Johnny Depp's character starts singing. I was so relieved, he did not not suck! He actually did it very well. He did great just like 90% of the other movies I have seen him in.

yet another side note: I found out he did not have previous voice training.. he decided he would just wing it!

Tim Burton's vision shines through the darkness creating a beautiful masterpiece. One that is full of blood, romance, gore and love and dark humor. The scoring for the movie was fantastic and the storyline was very awesome too (I hear that it kept very close to the play)... Maybe I will see that someday too!?!

The movie is now out on DVD. I was so excited for the release UNTIL I found out it is not being released on Blu-Ray... yet, if at all. I will NOT buy it on DVD (the same goes for Transformers and Stardust). I will just have to wait for the Blu-Ray release. Some might ask why don't I just buy it on standard DVD. Well the answer to that question is there is no way to turn back from Blu-Ray once you've see the differences it has from standard DVDs... the picture quality and the sound quality are enough to make a real movie lover cry!

Below I have added the movie info (provided by imdb.com):

Plot: After hard years in exile for a crime he didn't commit, Benjamin Barker now Sweeney Todd, returns to London to find his wife dead and his daughter in the hands of the evil Judge Turpin. In his anger, Sweeney goes on a murderous rampage on all London, with the help of Mrs. Lovett, he opens a barber shop in which he lures his victims in with a charming smile before casually ending their life with a flick of his razor across their neck. But not one man killed, nor ten thousands men can satisfy Sweeney's lust for revenge on those who've caused his years of pain. Written by: O.G.

Genre: Musical, Thriller, Drama, Crime, Suspense, Horror

MPAA Rating: R for graphic bloody violence

Starring: Johnny Depp (as if you didn't know), Helena Bonham Carter (was engage to but perhaps now married to Tim Burton - "Bellatrix Lestrange"  from Harry Potter ), Alan Rickman (also part of the HP cast "Severus Snape"), Timothy Spall ("Peter Pettigrew"/"wormtail" also from HP), and Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat").
 

*Note:  I think this movie should be watched by everyone (minus anyone under 17) I say watch it even if a person does not like one of the genres, the director, the actors, or they have any other reason. What do they (or you) have to lose?

Sweeney Todd DVD comes out today. Here's my review. If you don't watch this movie you will be better off and will save 2 precious non-reclaimable hours of your life. Oscar nominations, Golden Globe wins...HOGWASH. This movie is HOG SHIT. In fact, I am a gigantic Tim Burton (Director) fan having seen every one of his movies in the theater and he is right up there with Steven Spielberg and Alfred Hitchcock for me. And, I am a huge Johnny Depp fan. I mean, I even loved From Hell, Secret Window, and The Ninth Gate if that means anything to you.

Anyway, this movie sucks ass like a Rainbow vacuum cleaner on Rosie O'Donnell's ass. Now that's a lot of suction and a lot of ass.

So instead of those two movies (which I will rent EVENTUALLY) I rented Feast of Love and Awake.

Awake

Genre: Drama/Thriller

MPAA Rating: R (for language, an intense disturbing situation, and brief drug use)

Plot: While undergoing open heart surgery, a man's failed anesthia leaves him completely alert, but paralyzed and unable to tell his doctors (this is called anesthetic awarenss)

Starring: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, and Terrence Howard

Awake was an ok movie. It had really good actors/actresses in it and the acting was good too but since I had read the synopsis on the back cover (which spells out the plot) it was pretty obvious what has going on. There were a few times when I was just a tad off but I pretty much pegged everything. If I had not read the back cover I would have said 4 stars but since I did read it I will have to say 3 stars. It is worth seeing just don't read the back cover!

Feast of Love 

Genre: Drama/Romance

MPAA Rating: R for strong sexual content, nudity and language.

Plot: Eight couples, four uncouplings, two weddings, two graves, an angry father, a grieving couple, love, sex, heartache, and a dog.  What is loves nature: blindness so we will make babies,  or is it everything? Will they discover the answer?

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear and Selma Blair 

Feast of Love was a pretty good movie. If it weren't for Morgan Freeman's character I do not think the movie would have been a good. The movie was a bit hard to follow at times. I kept thinking "is this still in the past or is it the present or the future" because the story moves around some. It also follows quite a few couples and it goes back and fourth between them at times it is a little much too. It is kind of like a book that rotates different characters per chapter (I am not fond of this method). I would give this movie  3 1/2 stars. This movie has a lot of sex in it so I would not recommend watching it with anyone under 17.

Note: I did not add the movie trailers for either movie because they contain spoilers.. sigh what is the trailer making industry coming to! They should leave some things for guesswork!

Aveva 93 anni ma il suo volto era ancora fra i più cattivi del cinema di Hollywood.
Si è spento, infatti, il 24 marzo, Richard Widmark, a Roxbury, Connecticut, dopo una lunga malattia.
Originario del Minnesota, completa gli studi di arte drammatica a Chicago e raggiunge il successo a New York, a Brodway, dove esordisce nel 1943 con Kiss And Tell.
Ma solo il grande salto nel campo cinematografico gli fa raggiungere la più grande fama. Già con il suo primo film, nel 1947, riceve una nomination agli Oscar e vince un Golden Globe come miglior attore non protagonista. Il Bacio Della Morte rimane, ancora oggi, un classico del cinema mondiale nonché il punto di partenza per la grande carriera dell'attore: celebre è la scena in cui Widmark spinge giù dalle scale una vecchia paralitica, ridendo e immedesimandosi, perfettamente, nella sua parte di assassino.
Le pellicole a cui Widmark partecipa superano la cinquantina e contano anche la collaborazione con grandi registi e attori del cinema statunitense.
La duttilità dell'attore nel muoversi fra diversi generi cinematografici, conferma la sua grande capacità di interprete, sempre migliorata negli anni, anche in qualità di docente di recitazione. Conosciuto per le parti assunte nei thriller e nei noir, il genere in cui più ha lavorato è il western: celebre è la sua partecipazione in Alamo di John Wayne.
Pur interpretando sempre la parte del cattivo, Widmark, nella vita quotidiana, era tutt'altro che violento. Importante è stato, infatti, il suo impegno nel promuovere delle leggi più severe per il controllo delle armi negli Stati Uniti.

 As we move into the multimedia age, many of us choose to enjoy watching movies over reading "boring" books. As a child I sometimes had an impulsive urge to read and then I would lose complete interest. Reading is just so time consuming, movies on the other hand are so much easier to do! The thing about watching a movie is you get to merge with a technological master piece. A piece of art that shows how far we have come since sticks and stones.

I grew up in India during the cold war era. India was (and still is) a socialistic country. India had close ties with the soviet union and nationalism was still big. While watching Top Gun the first time something just clicked inside of me. All through my childhood I wanted to be a fighter pilot.

With the breath taking cinematography and flight sequences, Top Gun looks as good today as it did when it came out in 1986! There is just something special about traveling 3 times the speed of sound. With my dad being an Aeronautical Engineer, my family was able to see a lot of fighter planes. Every opportunity I had I would run to get my picture taken in a cockpit.... It feels like it was just yesterday when I got to touch a piece of French machinery, called the Mirage 2000. It sure was a mirage... gave me goose bumps just to be in 'Maverick's' shoes.

There's just something special about a plane being catapulted off an aircraft carrier's deck. Top Gun was made into a movie to attract young American guns into the military. It might have helped recruit thousands in Nations worldwide. Such is the power of this Hollywood flick!

My brother always used to make fun of me for being short but when he tried out for the military they told him he would be too tall! In my final year of college, I weighed my option of joining the navy as a pilot or doing my masters. My masters felt far more career building. A few dreams I guess are just not meant to be.

Top Gun is a movie truly well made; from flight sequences, to story line and the "OST" is one of the best ever. The young rash top cat showing the establishment how its done. A bit of romance thrown in and the chances you need to take. Some of which horribly go wrong.

Garden State is one of my favorite movies, partly due to the fantastic chemistry she shared with Zach Braff. When she won the Golden Globe for Closer, her humble shyness proved to be her most endearing quality. It's nice to know that someone can do a mega-blockbuster like Star Wars and stay grounded. On a side note, her talents in gangsta rap are pretty epic. Click HERE if you haven't seen the SNL short.

She's the kind of girl I would love to just sit in a BLENZ with and let loose on whatever topic came to mind. Be it medieval mythology, Guitar Hero, global warming, or the rise and fall of MySpace, I'm sure her nerd factor would keep me occupied for hours.

Click HERE for the ELLE magazine article.

The film '4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days' (4 luni, 3 săptămâni şi 2 zile) is a film created by Romanian film director Cristian Mungiu. The film, made in a very modern way (it represents a current actually, but I`m not going to write about this now) shows how during communist times a young girl wants to make an illegal abortion, as she was not allowed to do one legally. This was something very popular before the `89 revolution, people were actually forced to have babies, they had no means they could use in order not to have children.

The film hit it big at Cannes film festival (which is something like the European Oscars) and won the greatest award, the "Palme d`Or". After this, it has won award after award. It has recieved even a nomination at the Golden Globes, for best non- English language film, but it did not win. He almost made it up to the Oscars, but it was not ment to be.

It has become a world wide thing. Some cinemas were against the film, others promoted it even in schools, everybody has seen it everywhere. What makes it so big? Watch it and tell me.

I`ve seen it and I don`t know if I want to see it again.