30 Saturday Apr 2016
Posted in Music reviews and opinions
I wanted everyone to know that this song is my song of the moment. I have always been a fan of Ariana Grande and her music, but this has to be my favourite song by her so far. I love her vocals in this song and the video has a definite sultry feel. If you haven’t heard this song or seen the video yet, give it a look.
30 Saturday Apr 2016
Posted in Television Reviews
Tags
1990's, Chris Owens, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mimi Rogers, Mitch Pileggi, Nicholas Lea, The X-Files, The X-Files Season 6, Veronica Cartwright, William B. Davis
Continuing after the shock ending of Season 5 and the events of the movie, Season 6 of The X-Files is still a very enjoyable season that knows how to thrill. It has its fair share of flaws here and there, sometimes with the tone, but all in all it is still extremely watchable and thrilling, with some neat tricks involving the conspiracy. Spoilers will be following in my review of this sixth season.
Mulder(David Duchovny) and Scully(Gillian Anderson) are back from the finale in Antarctica of the feature-length movie. Their discoveries regarding alien life forms gestating in humans because of The Syndicate’s plans are discredited because of a lack of evidence. 
They are also taken from under the eye of Skinner(Mitch Pileggi), even though he tries to help them, despite it being against policy. And though The X-Files are reopened after Cigarette Smoking Man(William B. Davis) burned them down , there is a shock in store for the agents. The X-Files have been reassigned to Agent Jeffrey Spender(Chris Owens) and Diana Fowley(Mimi Rogers), much to the chagrin of Mulder who sees Spender as opportunistic and a non-believer and old acquaintance Diana as a backstabber( which isn’t far off the truth). He is right about Spender in one respect, but he is also being used by his father The Cigarette Smoking Man who pushes him to tip Mulder over the edge, but is he having some second thoughts. Skinner is poisoned by a deadly form of nanotechnology controlled by none other than slimy Krycek(Nicholas Lea) , who continues to manipulate him for his own gain. With the prospect of colonization now turning to full on take over of the human species, doomsday is around the corner. The return of Cassandra Spender(Veronica Cartwright), who is now a hybrid after being tested on, heralds The Syndicate’s plans for colonization, which don’t go to plan. 
Alien rebels, who we have glimpsed in the past seasons, put a stop to the plan and kill the Syndicate members. Cigarette Smoking Man and Diana manage to escape, while Cassandra, as an alien-human hybrid perishes. Cigarette Smoking Man gets enraged when he sees that Spender has betrayed him after realizing that his father has been using him all along and Spender is seemingly killed by his father. Mulder and Scully are eventually assigned back to The X-Files, but not without danger. Although the Syndicate’s plans have failed, the discovery of more alien life forms and activity involving a new mythology puts both agents on a course filled with surprises, especially in a dangerous case for Mulder.
I think that with Season 5 and the movie, The X-Files was at its peak and nothing could touch it. Season 6 is still very enjoyable, but you can begin to see some signs of fatigue in it, which is only to be expected because a show can’t run for such a long time and not expect to hit a road bump or two. For starters, I do usually like the way The X-Files has a controlled sense of humour, but there are numerous occasions here where it veers out of control and becomes too much. Some of the plots of certain episodes also feel a bit rehashed and uninspired, like ‘Alpha’ and ‘Trevor’ that don’t really show the series in the best and most engaging light.
And now I’ll discuss the positives that Season 6 has to offer, which is still numerous and inventive. I particularly enjoyed the conclusion to the main conspiracy, as everything was built up so effectively and the ringing together of it all was done with excellence. And the fact that a new conspiracy is born is further reason to keep watching as it can open up,a whole other set of possibilities. There is some excellent plotting and writing to be found and when it works, it really works wonders. Season 6 has no shortage of ambitions and various episodes are deserving of praise. ‘Triangle’ represents the show at some of its most inventive and spellbinding as Mulder finds himself journeying back in time to the war on a doomed ship caught in the Bermuda Triangle, where he encounters people who resemble modern counterparts such as Scully and Cigarette Smoking Man. 
Employing ambitious editing and camerawork that gives the appearance of many continuing shots that never seem to cut, it gives the episode the required dreamlike effect that is just outstanding. An accidental body swap for Mulder and a government brought on by an investigation into Area 51 has a real wit to it in the two parts of ‘Dreamland’. The mid-season two parts of ‘Two Fathers’ and ‘One Son’ are unforgettable as they draw the Syndicate mythology that has been built so well to a close with betrayals, shocks and answers all given. The wonderfully structured and remarkably tense ‘Monday’ centres on a time loop that only one woman seems to know of as she tries to warn Mulder and Scully of imminent death before the day repeats itself again. 
‘Milagro’ uses an unique concept of an obsessed writer’s work coming to murderous life and becoming entwined with desire for an unsuspecting Scully to fashion a creepy and inventive episode.
The cast is once more delivering stellar work, having grown so much into the characters by this point in the show’s run. David Duchovny rocks it as Mulder, whose humour and often questionable antics are balanced with a serious and undying determination, that could very well lead to something bad for him. 
Likability is definitely on the side of Duchovny as it shines through in his work here. Gillian Anderson continues to shine as the pragmatic and plucky Scully, who is a lot more open to possibilities than ever before, yet still retaining scepticism when required. Imbued with an undercurrent of emotion and filled with a steely strength and resolve, Anderson captures the character of Scully so well, even showing us a fun side that is very delightful to see. The chemistry between the two is palpable as anything. I love the way that they can just look at each other and without words convey so much emotions that you feel the special bond between them that has been growing since the day they met. There are more than a few hints that a romantic connection is being formed, without either acknowledging it which makes it more intriguing to watch their interactions with one another.Mitch Pileggi as Skinner is featured a lot more and used for an intriguing story of him being manipulated by Krycek, with the fear that he can just flick a switch and render him near dead in a matter of seconds. It was great to see one of my favourite characters having something very integral to do and Pileggi presents Skinner’s plight with assurance and credibility. As the used and easily lead Spender, Chris Owens is marvellous at showing how he is so heavily manipulated and a such an unsuspecting victim in all of this that he will eventually meet a possibly bad end. As usual, William B. Davis cuts a fine figure as the main villain, and he still has the sinister presence that burns into the mind whenever he appears. Nicholas Lea is somewhat underused this time around as the nefarious Krycek, and I would have liked to have scene more of the weasel like character that is a continuous thorn in everyone’s side. 
Hopefully Season 7 can give him more to do. Thankfully in the backstabbing stakes there is Mimi Rogers as the sultry and double-crossing Fowley, who Scully is right not to trust from the very beginning but is still good at turning Mulder’s head. And I can’t forget to mention the wonderful Veronica Cartwright who reappears as Cassandra and gives her a tragic impact that is deeply felt.
So while there are senses of tiredness that can be glimpsed during the unfolding events, The X-Files Season 6 continues to make for cracking and ambitiously drawn television, despite some flaws along the way. Some of it may not be vintage X-Files, but the show still knows how to hit the mark and do it with panache.
29 Friday Apr 2016
Posted in Photography Discussion
Tags
After my last magazines cover post turned out to be successful, I thought it would be good to do another one. I decided this time to focus on Rolling Stone, specifically the naked covers which seem to be very prominent over the years. Enjoy the nude covers.
28 Thursday Apr 2016
Posted in Movie opinions and thoughts, Television Opinions
Tags
I noticed that as of late I have reviewed some steamy movies and it got me thinking about what people consider sexy in a movie or TV show. So today I ask, what for you is the sexiest movie or TV show you’ve watched? Is it smoldering and subtle? Or in your face and brash? Whatever your preference, please give it as this could be a very interesting discussion.
27 Wednesday Apr 2016
Posted in Movie Reviews
Tags
1990's, Drama, Husbands and Wives, Judy Davis, Juliette Lewis, Liam Neeson, Mia Farrow, Sydney Pollack, Woody Allen
Film Title
Husbands and Wives
Director
Woody Allen
Starring
One of Woody Allen’s most lacerating and stark movies, which centres on the dissolving of marriages and infidelity, Husbands and Wives is far from his standard stuff. If you are used to seeing Woody Allen’s movies as light-hearted and sweet, then prepare for something at the other end of the spectrum with this unforgettable entry into his canon.
Gabe and Judy Roth are a seemingly solid couple who have been married for ten years. 
Gabe is a writer and professor while Judy works at a publisher’s. The main crux of the film begins when the close friends of the couple, Jack and Sally come around to their house on a night when they are all supposed to go out for dinner. They announce that they are separating from each other and both seem none too fussed, later we will see that both are putting on a brave face. The announcement of their separation bemuses Gabe, who is cynical to say the least but has a more lasting impact of shock on Judy. The news seems to hit a nerve with her and after this she too begins questioning how ideal her marriage is and what flaws may very well lie in it. Meanwhile, Jack(who has a history of philandering with women he finds less demanding than the tightly wound Sally) has moved in with an attractive but none too bright aerobics teacher, while Sally tentatively begins to see nice editor Michael, who she is introduced to via Judy. Judy though harbours secret feelings for Michael that she tries to suppress, yet having been put in a tailspin, she is now questioning her own marriage. Gabe as well has begun to be infatuated by one of his writing the students, the effervescent Rain who has a thing for older men. 
Throughout the film, scenes of each character are interspersed talking to an unseen interviewer, baring their secrets and emotions on love and the state of affairs each has encountered. With all the upheaval of emotions, which unions can be saved and which will ultimately drift apart?
Woody Allen paints a dark and unrelenting picture of marital disharmony, that shows that his movies can be as unromantic as they are sweepingly romantic. You can’t help but feel ounces of cynicism and bitterness towards the institution of marriage and it really bleeds into the film. And those expecting a lot of humour will be in for a shock, because even when there is moments of humour it is on the brooding and subdued end of the spectrum. Also of note is the fact that Husbands and Wives strangely parallels the real life drama of Allen and Mia Farrow’s breakdown in relationship and scandal that engulfed it. 
Because of this, there is something of a realistic tone that comes close being almost autobiographical throughout the movie that can’t be ignored, whether it was intentional or not. The hand-held camerawork of the piece is just splendid in projecting the fragile relationships on display and the instability of love in general. I’m not usually a big lover of hand-held camerawork, but when employed successfully here by Woody Allen and filled with expressive and almost intrusive close-ups, it throws us straight into the maelstrom of emotional fallout and questions regarding marriage. The interviews with the characters that forms part of the movie may put some off, but for me it was a real gamble that payed off. We gain a genuine insight into these character’s thoughts and feelings on themselves and each other that at many times they won’t share face to face with each other. A subdued colour scheme further highlights the uncertainty of all the romantic parties involved with mauve and dark browns acting as the primary components.
Woody Allen as an actor seems to be on familiar ground with the befuddled character of Gabe, but he injects the role with a deep cynicism that marks an edge to the character and makes him somewhat different from what he could have been. Mia Farrow is extremely evocative as the fragile and shaken Judy, who comes to question her own marriage in the shock of seeing Jack and Sally’s end. Farrow has that ability to portray a large amount of melancholy and it is ideally suited to the part here. Though with everything that occurred off-screen, it does make me wonder how much of Farrow’s performance is acting and how much could be the real thing. Either way, it’s an excellent performance surrounded by sadness and desolation. Sydney Pollack, best known for being a director, makes his mark as the philandering jerk Jack who says he wants a change but can’t let go of the past. 
The two main standout performances to be found in Husbands and Wives belong to Judy Davis and Juliette Lewis. Judy Davis is exceptional as the difficult and neurotic Sally, who can spit venom when needed and find flaws in just about anything you put in front of her. Davis burrows into the character finding sadness, humour and unusual tics that the character possesses and how despite her separation, she can’t live without her husband. It is a truly dazzling performance from a hugely talented actress, who clearly understands the role of Sally as a bubbling cauldron of anger that is going to boil over. Juliette Lewis has a deep vibrancy, strange sort of sensuality and opinionated tendency that she adds to the role of Rain, who has a real passion for writing and a tendency to attract older men. Liam Neeson provides some excellent support as the editor taken with Sally, yet secretly suspecting that Judy has feelings for him too.
Bruising, dark and more than a little bitter on the subject of marriage, Husbands and Wives gains power and wounding impact due to the choice to shoot events with an up close and personal camera style, excellent writing and smashing performances from the cast.
26 Tuesday Apr 2016
Posted in Photography Discussion
Tags
If you’ve had a bad day and want something to brighten it, let me do that for you. Following in this post will be some sexy magazine covers that will certainly blow those cobwebs away and bring smiles to you, and even a shock or nice giggle. The sexiness will be balanced out to include men and women as I agree with equal opportunities.
26 Tuesday Apr 2016
Posted in Music reviews and opinions
Tags
Shakira is one of my favourite artists. With her seductive voice, charisma and melding of genres and languages, she is definitely someone different from a lot of the stuff out there. Below are two songs of hers that always get me dancing, even if my dancing is pretty abysmal and not exactly challenging anyone on the dance moves front. Enjoy having a boogie to these songs.
25 Monday Apr 2016
Posted in Movie Reviews
Film Title
The Pillow Book
Director
Peter Greenaway
Starring
A highly unusual movie that adheres to the genre of film known as not for everyone, The Pillow Book is still a visually arresting and intoxicating experience; covering dark eroticism, obsession and revenge into an intriguing film that is hard to forget once you’ve viewed it.
As a young girl, Nagiko delighted in calligraphy as her father every year on her birthday, wrote characters on her face, while her mother read aloud from The Pillow Book. 
The eponymous book concerns a lady in waiting’s observations, primarily on the nature of love and desire. This ritual left a huge impact on Nagiko who grows up to be a beautiful young woman with a passion for literature and scripture. Yet, Nagiko also remembers her father being blackmailed and degraded by a publisher that she can’t forget. This is more prominent because she is forced to marry his boorish son, who refuses her love of writing and mocks her. Fleeing from him, Nagiko relocates to Hong Kong, where she encounters some success as a fashion model. Yet while she still derives joy from calligraphy, as an adult she now finds it to be sexually stimulating too. The problem is she can’t find a lover who can indulge her unusual passions and connect with her. That is until she comes across British translator Jerome. She soon begins a relationship with him in which they often make love and write on each other’s bodies, even though Nagiko knows that Jerome is bisexual and is intimate with a publisher. Nagiko continues to write and sends her work to a publisher, who rejects it. she is shocked to discover it is the same publisher who ruined her father and is the man in the relationship with Jerome. Yet Jerome sees this as an opportunity to help Nagiko; he asks her to use his body like pages and send him to the publisher so he can see the work and because he likes Jerome, reconsider refusing the work Nagiko sent him. But Jerome’s refusal to break off his relationship with the publisher spells dire and tragic consequences for all as Nagiko feels eventually betrayed.
Now as I mentioned earlier, The Pillow Book is a polarizing movie, much like a lot of the movies directed by Peter Greenaway. Depending on your viewpoint, you can see it as overly arty and pretentious or strikingly adult and challenging. I feel I fall into the latter category. I must give props to Peter Greenaway for his directing prowess, that lets his imagination run wild and employ arresting visual techniques. I will try to list the many visual tricks he employs that really make the movie an experience. There is switches between black and white and colour, overlapping images combining past and present and words that float across the screen. The way these nifty tricks are used is phenomenal and the melding of all of them imprints itself on the mind from the start to the finish. Greenaway is a filmmaker who really understands the concept of cinema as art and The Pillow Book is a very good example of this. 
Subtlety isn’t his strong suit, but his overblown style compensates for that and the fact that the characters often take a back stand to the imagery. Sexuality and pleasures of the flesh play an important part in the film and this may have a reason for people either liking it or not. There is nudity and sex to be seen, with a lot of nudity from both sexes for a change. But anyone expecting it to be erotic and steamy will be surprised at the unusual nature of it and the practices shown. The scattershot soundtrack combines songs of different languages and genres to a bizarre yet very intriguing effect. It’s safe to say that this film will really divide opinions and while I did find there were some flaws to be found, I was really immersed in the film for the most part.
While the characters present within The Pillow Book often play second fiddle to the style, the actors in the parts are all very credible it must be said. 
Vivian Wu portrays the very extreme emotions and pleasures of Nagiko without resorting to melodrama. In turn, the character becomes a lot of things and Wu handles them all very capably. Her well-spoken voice is heard through narration which adds another layer of dimension to the character of Nagiko. Ewan McGregor is suitably great as the insincere Jerome, imbuing him with a charm and tragedy yet an inability to compromise that provides the film with drama. In the role of the odious publisher who Nagiko plots revenge against, Yoshi Oida is very good at putting forth his careless nature and disregard for others.
Dark, painterly and experimental to say the least, The Pillow Book will either have you scratching your head or in total awe. Whichever way you see it, one can’t deny the impression it makes.
25 Monday Apr 2016
Posted in Announcements
Tags
The last two days have been very busy for me so I’ve only had a bit of time to blog, which accounts for the lack of material. Everything will be back to normal now. I just wanted everyone to know that I hadn’t forgotten them and that I was just ridiculously busy. I’m back to normality now.
21 Thursday Apr 2016
Posted in Rest In Peace
Tags
I’ve just read the news of the death of musical legend Prince at the age of 57. I’m am so shocked by this news. Prince was a real icon of music who burned himself into pop culture. With his mastery of instruments, massive voice, outrageous dress sense and button-pushing lyrics, he was one in a million. A true visionary who did things his way and crossed genres with finesse and style. I’m choosing to remember the amazing talent of this man, despite the sadness. Prince will be missed for his superb talent.
