Friday, February 25, 2011

Dabangg

I liked it very much. Entertaining in that particularly over the top way. I'm still feeling under the weather (and coughing like mad) and the film put me in a good mood.

Meanwhile I'm enjoying Lorna Doone more than I thought I would.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Band Baaja Baaraat

I liked it a lot. The actors looked like real people. The plot was nice and I'm a sucker for romcoms. I just wish they didn't steal that scene from When Harry Met Sally (no, not that scene).

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Various Films, In The Dark - End, Lorna Doone

I have been very ill these last four days. I have watched (and rewatched) some films and finished a book in the meantime.

The Last Song I don't see the appeal of Miley Cyrus. The film was only so so. I bet the book was better. I have cried so much though, probably due to being ill.

Paul Blart:Mall Cop It was that type of unnecessary film. I only watched it since I literally didn't have the willpower to change the remote. I cried during this too.

Red Eye This rewatch wasn't bad at all. I liked the film just the same.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Of course it was silly but I was entertained.

No One Killed Jessica Now this film, I liked a lot. The real life story was interesting and well told. The message is universal. The two lead actors were great. I'm a fan of Rani Mukherji and it was simply joyous to watch her on screen. Vida Balan is again very good but she doesn't have the spark of Rani.

I have also finished In The Dark and started R.D Blackwell's Lorna Doone, I don't really know much about this book except that it is 1800's English literature - which is sort of enough for me - and I enjoyed the first chapter and looking forward to read more.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Uydurukçu-End, In The Dark

After falling asleep during Death Bell, I rewatched Texas Chain Saw Massacre to prove myself that I'm not as jaded as this yet. And it worked, TCSM is a great film, not just in horror genre but as cinema in general. Wonderful storytelling, economic script, great art direction and nice acting. And it still made me cringe and look away (not due to goriness).

I have finished Uydurukçu which was only so so (so a fail as far as I'm concerned) and started Richard Laymon's In The Dark. Now I love Raymon and I don't particularly feel guilty about it. His prose is lively. Descriptions spot on and the horniness doesn't bother me that much. In this one our heroine is enticed to play a game with a freak who calls himself MOG (Master of Games) by receiving 50 and 100 USD respectively first by deciding to play, second by finding the first clue. Now she has to "horse around at midnight" and based on other Laymon novels I have read I see gore and perversion coming.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Death Bell

Death Bell was really bad, so bad I fell asleep towards the end and had to rewatch the last third of the film. Fail.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Touristas, Yiğit Karaahmet'in Şahane Hayatı - End, Uydurukçu

Touristas was not bad, it was not very good either. At least it didn't put me to sleep.

I liked Yiğit Karaahmet'in Şahane Hayatı. The guy has a nice prose and I'm eager to read more of him (too bad he is not currently writing anywhere but that mean blog of his).

I have started a book of short stories written by another columnist, Onur Baştürk. The book is titled "Uydurukçu" which I find suprisingly hard to translate. It means a person who makes things up, but it is closer to "liar" than a "storyteller". Anyway this guy doesn't have a nice prose. The book is weak but it is an entertaining read due to its subject matter. The first two stories were about rich people and their fantasies. The second one was specifically about swingers. And it is very detailed. It is an alien, and to be honest not a very attractive world to me but I intend to finish it despite the non talented writing. The guy did better in his column.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Ruins

I liked the book and despite the fact that the book was so much better than the film, I enjoyed the film as well solely because of the beautiful cinematography. I do have a fondness for clean looking films (clean in the sense of non cluttered) and The Ruins certainly was that. The light, the set, the actors were all well filmed. I shouldn't complain about the screenplay since it was written by the same guy who wrote the novel. In the end The Ruins was good timepass but not much more. I recommend the book if one is into horror genre.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Groundhog Day, Shirley - End, Yiğit Karaahmet'in Şahane Hayatı

Last week my uncle (my mother's brother) has passed away suddenly. It was a shock to everyone and I hope that he'll find peace in the after life. I was really sad but even more than that I was afraid that my mother would become ill due to shock and sadness. Thank God it didn't happen.

On weekend I have watched Groundhog Day and found it an OK film but not as good as many film lovers make it to be. I do like Bill Murray but I don't love him. Andy McDowell was a delight though. She looks so lovely.

And I have finished Shirley yesterday. It was a suprise that it ended the best way possible. Caroline and Robert - Shirley and Louis. The prose was realistic and dramatic but not very romantic. The strongest the novel was when Caroline and her mother is united.

I have started to read Yiğit Karaahmet's "Yiğit Karaahmet'in Şahane Hayatı" lit. translation The Fantastic Life of Yiğit Karaahmet. I didn't realise that it was a compliation of his essays in the daily national newspaper. I do like his style and his viciousness (especially because it is directed just as strongly towards himself as to others).
I had to stop myself from reading his gossip blog which was really fun, gay heavy and brutal. I needed to stop because it was so mean and being mean is not included in my numerous faults and I didn't like always feeling guilty when reading it.
Anyway the book is going great, a blast from the past. His prose is very good, smart and entertaining.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Orphanage

Wow! I recently purchased some horror films (a collegue mentioned about one and suddenly it occurred to me that I didn't watch any these days) so I started with The Orphanage and it turned out to be such a beautiful film with a very good story and perfect performances. I loved it.

Meanwhile it turned out that Mrs. Pryor was Caroline's mother and Robert's brother Louise was actually Shirley's tutor. And it is obvious that Shirley is in love with Louis. So Robert will marry Caroline and Louise will marry Shirley - and I'll go back to being 10 - heh. I really like the book much better now. I even cried during reading.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Sexy Beast

I have watched Sexy Beast on Sunday and liked it very very much. I was never interested in it despite loving Ray Winstone (great actor) and I was happily suprised. It is a small story but very well told and my -very- minor complaint would be the dream/hallucination sequences.

I continue reading and loving Shirley and still team Caroline.

Friday, February 4, 2011

The Talented Mr.Ripley

I watched his last night and this second viewing made me appreciate the film. I didn't like it when I first saw except Jude Law but this time I was very into the story and thought it a fine, well made film. I remember reading the novel (Turkish translation) ages ago and not really liking it that much. Maybe I should give it another try.

Meanwhile Shirley is great. It is not Jane Eyre but I'm enjoying Ms.C. Bronte's prose very very much. I hope it will have a happy ending but two friends in love with the same man? One will end up not getting him. I'm definitely team Caroline.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

La Reine Margot

La Reine Margot was just not my type of film. It was a fast forwarded story and despite the fact that the set design and costumes were great along with most of the performances, it just was not really enough to satisfy me. Isabelle Adjani is very beautiful in the film. And Vincent Perez has full frontal nudity (which didn't do anything to me since he is definitely not my type of man)