Last night I have watched 1.5 episodes of Nodame Cantabile and as the show gets weirder and wackier (and not in a good way) the music gets better and better. Episode 8 was Brahms heavy and I suspect Ep.9 will be Schubert (which I listened to today although not the Klavsen as shown in the show but Piano Concerto). Nodame cured Chiaki's fear of flying by hypnotising him and she learned how to from a "how to" book! Anyway she is a cute character and at least doesn't really annoy me.
War and Peace though gets better and better with each page. I'm now in Part II and predictably started to fall for Prince Andrey. A man of morals and principles who is intelligent, clever and aloof. Now we are at a camp in Austria and I was concerned since I don't like war as a genre in anything but the book is more about characters, their behaviours, actions and reactions and none of them are actually at war yet.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Nodame Cantabile and War & Peace
Last night I watched 2.5 episodes of Nodame Cantabile and apparently wacky manga adaptation dramas are not really my thing. I remembered that I also watched much loved Hana Yori Dango and found it boring. Third time is not the charm as far as this type of drama goes. But I don't want to stop watching. There are two main reasons for this: one is the music, I love classical music and I'm enjoying different performances, second the lead actor is very pleasing to the eye.
Thank God that War and Peace is great. I'm now at Chapter 22 of V1 P1 and Count Bezukhov just died. I'm really curious on what will happen...
Thank God that War and Peace is great. I'm now at Chapter 22 of V1 P1 and Count Bezukhov just died. I'm really curious on what will happen...
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Making Up for the Lost Time - II
Sunday found me rested and ready to embrace the suprises Digiturk will throw my way.
Miller's Crossing Written by Joel & Ethan Coen, Directed by Joel Coen (1990)
Predictably I loved this one. Great script, wonderful cast and pleasing visuals. I love Coen brothers and this story of gangsters fighting for power with one of them trying to outsmart them is highly recommended. Incidentally this is the only film I liked Gabriel Bryne in (yeah I have seen The Usual Suspects).
A Mighty Heart Written by John Orloff (adapted from Marienne Pearl's book), Directed by Michael Winterbottom
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It was a matter of fact film as devoid as melodrama as it can possibly be. Angelina Jolie is a woman I love, but as an actress she is not that good. In this film she was well directed and her lack of acting didn't marr the film in the least. I also liked how the film didn't condemn all the Muslims and managed to take a stance against the terrorists separate from the good Muslims. Irrfan Khan, another actor I don't really care for really impressed me in this one. His understated acting suited the film very well. Recommended
Miller's Crossing Written by Joel & Ethan Coen, Directed by Joel Coen (1990)
Predictably I loved this one. Great script, wonderful cast and pleasing visuals. I love Coen brothers and this story of gangsters fighting for power with one of them trying to outsmart them is highly recommended. Incidentally this is the only film I liked Gabriel Bryne in (yeah I have seen The Usual Suspects).
A Mighty Heart Written by John Orloff (adapted from Marienne Pearl's book), Directed by Michael Winterbottom
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It was a matter of fact film as devoid as melodrama as it can possibly be. Angelina Jolie is a woman I love, but as an actress she is not that good. In this film she was well directed and her lack of acting didn't marr the film in the least. I also liked how the film didn't condemn all the Muslims and managed to take a stance against the terrorists separate from the good Muslims. Irrfan Khan, another actor I don't really care for really impressed me in this one. His understated acting suited the film very well. Recommended
Making Up for the Lost Time - I
Last week was full of work and social commitments and I had to take a break from my usual routine of watching films/TV shows and reading as much. Thank God I was able to make up for all this weekend.
Aglayan Melek (trans. The Crying Angel) Written and Directed by Safa Onal in 1970. This is a melodrama starring my favorite Turkish actor Turkan Soray. She is gifted both in drama, melodrama and comedy. The film is not great but a good example of the melodrama of those days which closely resemble Korean TV dramas. Turkan plays a young woman blinded when a small kid. She lives with her drunken father and a guy who is sort of adopted. Even though she is suffering a lot and not only due to her disability, she is a kind, gentle soul who only does and thinks good things. Also very forgiving. Someday a rich guy sees her at the sea side at the little island where her father and adopted brother make a living as fishermen. The guy offers to give the money to be examined by famous eye doctors, with the understanding that she is a "good girl". Of course the rich guy falls in love with her (well she is Turkan after all). But the adopted son is secretly in love with her too...
Wall Street Written by Stanley Weiser and Oliver Stone, Directed by Oliver Stone (1987)
I liked this film even better in this second viewing. The cast, the camera, the screenplay, the message are all spot on. We see our protagonist Bud Fox to regain basic morals which he discarded for power and money earlier in the film. Being an 80's teen I remember being really impressed with it the first time I watched it in theaters. Glad to say that this is one oldie which is still a goodie.
Then I started watching
Nodame Cantabile Written by Etou Rin (adapted from manga), Directed by Takeuchi Hideki, Kawamura Yasuhiro, Tanimura Masaki (2006)
This is the second Japanese Drama I have seen (first was Gokusen years ago). I chose it mainly because of music. The story is about a gifted piano player who wants to be a conducter and another piano player who is a prodigy. It is one of those wacky manga adaptations with special effects that make it more like a cartoon. The leads are Tamaki Hiroshi as Chiaki (who is a great looking guy) and Ueno Juri as Nodame. 4 episodes in I'm enjoying it a lot but not really in love with it. I love the music though and so far the soundtrack is mostly Beethoven and Mozart (with some timely instered arias from The Magical Flute and Don Giovanni - in a hillarious scene). Chiaki got to direct an orchestra in the music academy and it was a success of course Nodame helped a lot even though she is just a mascot - being a piano player she is not included in the S-Orchestra.
And Dark Mountain is finished. Predictably the baddies died gruesome deaths and even though there was a casualty the team managed to overcome the weird and terrible experience. It was good and I can recommend it if one enjoys the genre.
And finally I have started
War and Peace written by Leo Tolstoy in 1869.
Despite loving Anna Karenina, I didn't dare to start War and Peace and not because of its considerable length but because all the editions I have seen so far were in such small fonts that it was uncomfortable to read it. Yeah there are Turkish translations but I have found that Russian to Turkish does not really translate well (as opposed to French to Turkish which is a LOT better than French to English) I'm reading the Anthony Briggs translation by Penguin. And understandibly it is a rather large and heavy volume.
Now I'm in Chapter 18 of Part I, Volume I and I'm LOVING it. Tolstoy is great at introducing characters, describing their surroundings, their manner of clothing and their inner thoughts at just the right place right time. So far this novel deserves all the praise it gets as far as I'm concerned.
Aglayan Melek (trans. The Crying Angel) Written and Directed by Safa Onal in 1970. This is a melodrama starring my favorite Turkish actor Turkan Soray. She is gifted both in drama, melodrama and comedy. The film is not great but a good example of the melodrama of those days which closely resemble Korean TV dramas. Turkan plays a young woman blinded when a small kid. She lives with her drunken father and a guy who is sort of adopted. Even though she is suffering a lot and not only due to her disability, she is a kind, gentle soul who only does and thinks good things. Also very forgiving. Someday a rich guy sees her at the sea side at the little island where her father and adopted brother make a living as fishermen. The guy offers to give the money to be examined by famous eye doctors, with the understanding that she is a "good girl". Of course the rich guy falls in love with her (well she is Turkan after all). But the adopted son is secretly in love with her too...
Wall Street Written by Stanley Weiser and Oliver Stone, Directed by Oliver Stone (1987)
I liked this film even better in this second viewing. The cast, the camera, the screenplay, the message are all spot on. We see our protagonist Bud Fox to regain basic morals which he discarded for power and money earlier in the film. Being an 80's teen I remember being really impressed with it the first time I watched it in theaters. Glad to say that this is one oldie which is still a goodie.
Then I started watching
Nodame Cantabile Written by Etou Rin (adapted from manga), Directed by Takeuchi Hideki, Kawamura Yasuhiro, Tanimura Masaki (2006)
This is the second Japanese Drama I have seen (first was Gokusen years ago). I chose it mainly because of music. The story is about a gifted piano player who wants to be a conducter and another piano player who is a prodigy. It is one of those wacky manga adaptations with special effects that make it more like a cartoon. The leads are Tamaki Hiroshi as Chiaki (who is a great looking guy) and Ueno Juri as Nodame. 4 episodes in I'm enjoying it a lot but not really in love with it. I love the music though and so far the soundtrack is mostly Beethoven and Mozart (with some timely instered arias from The Magical Flute and Don Giovanni - in a hillarious scene). Chiaki got to direct an orchestra in the music academy and it was a success of course Nodame helped a lot even though she is just a mascot - being a piano player she is not included in the S-Orchestra.
And Dark Mountain is finished. Predictably the baddies died gruesome deaths and even though there was a casualty the team managed to overcome the weird and terrible experience. It was good and I can recommend it if one enjoys the genre.
And finally I have started
War and Peace written by Leo Tolstoy in 1869.
Despite loving Anna Karenina, I didn't dare to start War and Peace and not because of its considerable length but because all the editions I have seen so far were in such small fonts that it was uncomfortable to read it. Yeah there are Turkish translations but I have found that Russian to Turkish does not really translate well (as opposed to French to Turkish which is a LOT better than French to English) I'm reading the Anthony Briggs translation by Penguin. And understandibly it is a rather large and heavy volume.
Now I'm in Chapter 18 of Part I, Volume I and I'm LOVING it. Tolstoy is great at introducing characters, describing their surroundings, their manner of clothing and their inner thoughts at just the right place right time. So far this novel deserves all the praise it gets as far as I'm concerned.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Dark Mountain
Things started to get really bad for our heroes, one of them killed the pervy bad guy and his mother put a hex on all of them. Weird things started to happen, a mother and one of the twins hit and killed a dog. Put it in the car and it suddenly started to come to life and attack them. The twin girl had to kill it.
I plan on start Nodame Cantabile on Friday! Waiting is hard but work commitments have priority.
I plan on start Nodame Cantabile on Friday! Waiting is hard but work commitments have priority.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sandglass Finished
I watched 12 episodes in two nights. And I may as well admit that it is not the first time I'm doing this. Yeah total drama addict here. Sandglass picked up speed when our heroes and government clashed. It ended badly for Tae Soo and even though I was expecting a sad separation for our OTP it still shook me that it was so final. Woo Suk, the man of principals had some hard stuff to do and I still do not like Hye Rin but as I grow older I learned not to judge even the fictional characters. More on this tomorrow insaallah.
Meanwhile Dark Mountain is easily going forward. Not much happened yet but the villains and the heroes are about to meet eachother.
Meanwhile Dark Mountain is easily going forward. Not much happened yet but the villains and the heroes are about to meet eachother.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Sandglass and a Film
The Untouchables - directed by Brian De Palma (1987)
This second viewing was not as good as the first one. And I don't think it is because I knew what was coming. The suspense was all there at the famous baseball bat scene after all and I admired the stairs scene even more this time. But as a whole the film didn't feel as sincere and the acting, from all parties, didn't feel as good. One of the few distadvantages of having watched too many films reared its ugly head in this viewing. Well at least I was not bored so it is not a totall loss.
Meanwhile I have finished three episodes of Sandglass yesterday and I'm still not 'feeling' this drama. This is partly because I can't feel for Hye Rin. She got functional, seen her school friends who were cold towards her and she turned to Tae Soo for comfort. To his credit Tae Soo was not scared even when he learned who her father was, but maybe he should have been since the father put poor Tae Soo into first prison then to a gangster rehabilitation facility ruled by the army. It was not a nice place. And the couple were engaged and moved together when that happened. We learned that father choose Hye Rin as his successor in business, instead of her brother. So he manipulated his way into getting Hye Rin work for him. Hye Rin went to Woo Suk who was shocked to find out that Tae Soo and Hye Rin were engaged. He, against all his principles, bribed an officer to get Tae Soo an early relase but Tae Soo was not behaving well. He got into a fight protecting another ganster boss he knew way back and two of them and the boss' loyal follower, once a rival gangster of Tae Soo were sent to an even worse place. He managed to break out (while planning the boss made Romance of the Three Kingdom references and I was shallowly so happy to get all of them) and the boss jumped off the train since the other guy was killed trying to save him. Tae Soo was caught right after he got off that train - a thing Iike about Korean dramas is you have to expect the unexpected. Meanwhile Hye Rin told her father that she will work for him when Tae Soo was released and she promised her father that she will never see Tae Soo again.
When our OTP whose love I really can't believe, were busy with these difficulties, Woo Suk's father had cancer and before he died, he made Woo Suk promise that he will be judge. I admired Woo Suk not to be one since he killed people, bribed etc. and he felt like he is not qualified to pass judgement on people who committed these crimes. A man with principles. Too bad that the actor is not really good looking and a bit old for these young parts of the story...
Dark Mountain is resting now waiting for me to pick it up probably on Monday.
This second viewing was not as good as the first one. And I don't think it is because I knew what was coming. The suspense was all there at the famous baseball bat scene after all and I admired the stairs scene even more this time. But as a whole the film didn't feel as sincere and the acting, from all parties, didn't feel as good. One of the few distadvantages of having watched too many films reared its ugly head in this viewing. Well at least I was not bored so it is not a totall loss.
Meanwhile I have finished three episodes of Sandglass yesterday and I'm still not 'feeling' this drama. This is partly because I can't feel for Hye Rin. She got functional, seen her school friends who were cold towards her and she turned to Tae Soo for comfort. To his credit Tae Soo was not scared even when he learned who her father was, but maybe he should have been since the father put poor Tae Soo into first prison then to a gangster rehabilitation facility ruled by the army. It was not a nice place. And the couple were engaged and moved together when that happened. We learned that father choose Hye Rin as his successor in business, instead of her brother. So he manipulated his way into getting Hye Rin work for him. Hye Rin went to Woo Suk who was shocked to find out that Tae Soo and Hye Rin were engaged. He, against all his principles, bribed an officer to get Tae Soo an early relase but Tae Soo was not behaving well. He got into a fight protecting another ganster boss he knew way back and two of them and the boss' loyal follower, once a rival gangster of Tae Soo were sent to an even worse place. He managed to break out (while planning the boss made Romance of the Three Kingdom references and I was shallowly so happy to get all of them) and the boss jumped off the train since the other guy was killed trying to save him. Tae Soo was caught right after he got off that train - a thing Iike about Korean dramas is you have to expect the unexpected. Meanwhile Hye Rin told her father that she will work for him when Tae Soo was released and she promised her father that she will never see Tae Soo again.
When our OTP whose love I really can't believe, were busy with these difficulties, Woo Suk's father had cancer and before he died, he made Woo Suk promise that he will be judge. I admired Woo Suk not to be one since he killed people, bribed etc. and he felt like he is not qualified to pass judgement on people who committed these crimes. A man with principles. Too bad that the actor is not really good looking and a bit old for these young parts of the story...
Dark Mountain is resting now waiting for me to pick it up probably on Monday.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Watching and Reading
Sandglass got more interesting last night but I still can not get into it like I usually do with other dramas. It is easy to leave it after an episode ends. One of the reasons for that is there is no OTP here yet. Hye Rin is totally separated from the guys who are also away from eachother. Woo Suk is really messed up after what happened in Gwangju. Army life does not suit him at all. Tae Soo is in deep trouble since his bosses are all arrested and he couldn't see how the slimy traitor gave them up. It looks like he is going to stick with him. Poor Hye Rin gave her friends up under torture and finally got saved by her father. I like the bodyguard though and not only because the actor is lovely Lee Jung Jae. The character is the silent strong type which I usually am attracted to. And he loves her deeply so it was not a suprise that he was the one to help Hye Rin out of her catatonic state.
Meanwhile Nodame Cantabile has arrived and I'm really tempted to start it but if I do then it will take me a while to return to Sandglass and some of the plot points will be forgotten. So I have decided to delay anticipated pleasure and stick with Sandglass for now.
Dark Mountain is exciting but not captivating. With Laymon the reader is an observer and I'm not really affected by what's going on in the book. I don't invest in any of the characters either. Unlike Stephen King where one gets into the book so bad that I got scared while reading it and often burst into tears one a bad thing happened to a character I liked.
Meanwhile Nodame Cantabile has arrived and I'm really tempted to start it but if I do then it will take me a while to return to Sandglass and some of the plot points will be forgotten. So I have decided to delay anticipated pleasure and stick with Sandglass for now.
Dark Mountain is exciting but not captivating. With Laymon the reader is an observer and I'm not really affected by what's going on in the book. I don't invest in any of the characters either. Unlike Stephen King where one gets into the book so bad that I got scared while reading it and often burst into tears one a bad thing happened to a character I liked.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Currently Watching
Sandglass - directed by Kim Jong Hak, written by Song Ji Na (1995)
This is a 24 episode Korean TV drama I purchased long ago but never felt compelled to watch. Now that I have properly started I find that I'm enjoying it. Already watched 8 episodes and got into the story of two friends and a woman they met along the path of their lives. Woo Suk comes from a poor family but he is smart and hardworking. Tae Soo also lead a hard life with a communist father whose grave is hidden so well that his mother couldn't find it again to visit. He wanted to be soldier but due to his father he was not accepted to school. He then gave his school money to Woo Suk since he wants to be a lawyer but doesn't have the money.
Tea Soo grew up to be a gangster, Woo Suk is in the university studying Law and enter Hye Rin. She comes from a very rich family but her father is doing shady business and she doesn't believe he loves her. She somehow got involved with anti goverment student associations and left home when her father ordered her to stop. She starts to live with Woo Suk and got friends with Tae Soo who often comes to visit.
I like this fine and looking forward to episode 9 tonight.
This is a 24 episode Korean TV drama I purchased long ago but never felt compelled to watch. Now that I have properly started I find that I'm enjoying it. Already watched 8 episodes and got into the story of two friends and a woman they met along the path of their lives. Woo Suk comes from a poor family but he is smart and hardworking. Tae Soo also lead a hard life with a communist father whose grave is hidden so well that his mother couldn't find it again to visit. He wanted to be soldier but due to his father he was not accepted to school. He then gave his school money to Woo Suk since he wants to be a lawyer but doesn't have the money.
Tea Soo grew up to be a gangster, Woo Suk is in the university studying Law and enter Hye Rin. She comes from a very rich family but her father is doing shady business and she doesn't believe he loves her. She somehow got involved with anti goverment student associations and left home when her father ordered her to stop. She starts to live with Woo Suk and got friends with Tae Soo who often comes to visit.
I like this fine and looking forward to episode 9 tonight.
Currently reading
Dark Mountain - written by Richard Laymon
An easy read. To be enjoyed going to and from work (they provide a shuttle service for the employees)
A violent book with sick scenes but I'm not one to shy away from fictional violence and gore. Laymon is a good storyteller and the book flows by. So far our unlucky protagonists are hiking and what they don't know but we do is that there is an extremely disturbed woman accompanied by I suspect, her mentally deficient son in the area that they are about to visit. They have already killed a couple and she conducted some witch ritual to avoid their bodies to be found. The ritual involves eating the hair and nails of the people her son killed. The unsuspecting group involves a guy, his girlfriend and his two teen kids and his best friend with his family of 5. Wife, 17 year old son and 10 something old twin daughters. I'm curious about what is going to happen next.
An easy read. To be enjoyed going to and from work (they provide a shuttle service for the employees)
A violent book with sick scenes but I'm not one to shy away from fictional violence and gore. Laymon is a good storyteller and the book flows by. So far our unlucky protagonists are hiking and what they don't know but we do is that there is an extremely disturbed woman accompanied by I suspect, her mentally deficient son in the area that they are about to visit. They have already killed a couple and she conducted some witch ritual to avoid their bodies to be found. The ritual involves eating the hair and nails of the people her son killed. The unsuspecting group involves a guy, his girlfriend and his two teen kids and his best friend with his family of 5. Wife, 17 year old son and 10 something old twin daughters. I'm curious about what is going to happen next.
Beginning
I start this blog to keep a record of the books I read and films I watch. Through the years I have read blogs and found in them recommendations that appealed to me. So here is hoping that someone else will also find a recommendation that will appeal to them. I decided to write in English since the majority of what I read and watch are either written or subtitled in this language. I hope that I'll be able to add a few thoughts about them from time to time but this seems hard to do for the ones I have already read and watched. Maybe if I feel like it.
First things to write about are my all time favorite book and all time favorite film.
Book:
Pride and Prejudice - written by Jane Austen, first published in 1813
Film:
Chungking Express - written and directed by Wong Kar Wai (1994)
Starring
Tony Leung Chiu Wai
Brigitte Lin
Takeshi Kaneshiro
Faye Wong
First things to write about are my all time favorite book and all time favorite film.
Book:
Pride and Prejudice - written by Jane Austen, first published in 1813
Film:
Chungking Express - written and directed by Wong Kar Wai (1994)
Starring
Tony Leung Chiu Wai
Brigitte Lin
Takeshi Kaneshiro
Faye Wong
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