Reading / watching / listening to...

Reading

* A Cat's Life by Gemma Correll. My boyfriend gave me A Cat's Life the day my little Avalon crossed his rainbow bridge and dedicated the book to him. Therefore it'll always have a special place in my heart. It's a collection of drawings of cats who perform their day to day activities. Very funny and recognizable. I'm currently also addicted to Gemma Correll's blog: http://gemma-correll.blogspot.be.

* Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper. When twenty-something Gwen Cooper adopts Homer the blind cat, she still has to build up a career, a relationship, a life. The positivism and bravery of her cat (he even chases off a burglar), however, help her learn and grow and make the right decisions. Homer's Odyssey is so much more than a memoir about a blind cat. It's also an honest account of how the author overcame life's obstacles and how she survived September 11. Homer's Odyssey was extremely well written and touching, but never sentimental. I cried on multiple occasions, not because bad things happened, but because the emotions were so pure. A jewel of a book.

 * Cross-Eyed by Sarah Allen. The seven short stories in this collection each describe a slice of life. But where most stories of other authors focus on change, Sarah Allen focuses on how life remains the same. If there is any change, it's only minimal and temporary. The style is subtle. By holding back on important information, you get a feel of the situation as if you were an observer instead of being right in the middle of the drama.


Watching

* Mud. Two young boys encounter a fugitive (Mathew McConaughey) and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and to reunite him with his true love. Mud is a beautiful coming-of-age story in which the boys learn that life and love don't always resemble a fairy tale. A very good film, but too much on the nose and kind to be truly effective.

* Sharknado. Sharks are literally flying around town and eating everyone on their way. Kudos for the idea which sounds way funnier than it actually is.

* The Unborn. At the time of its release I liked this horror movie about a girl whose dead twin brother wants to be reborn by taking possession of her. Funny how one's opinion changes as we grow older.

* Back To The Future. Still a hugely enjoyable classic. Original, funny, entertaining, cute, suspenseful. The perfect feel-good movie.

* Back To The Future 2. The first half of the film fails because of the bad make-up and ridiculous view of 'the future' which is now the present. The second half, which takes place in 1953, is way funnier. Overall, Back To The Future 2 tries too hard for its own good.

* Sirius. Stephen Greer claims in this documentary that there are existing (alien) energy technologies that would change the world as we know it. To prove his theories about alien life, he concentrates on the Atacama humanoid, a 6-inch skeleton that was discovered in the Atacama desert in Chile.Didn't learn much from it.

* Before Midnight. What happened to Julie Delpy's charming character from Before Sunrise? In Before Midnight she's become highly unlikeable, constantly starting fights and misinterpreting everything as if she's doing it on purpose. Luckily there's Ethan Hawke and the beautiful Greek setting.

* St. Elmo's Fire. Self-centered and obnoxious characters... a weak story line... plot holes... Was this ensemble movie really a classic in the eighties?

* Tales From The Hood. This Tales From The Crypt with an African-American spin was recommended to me by a friend as one of the most entertaining horror movies of the 90s. Don't believe him.

* Stridulum / The Visitor. Household names such as John Huston, Lance Henriksen and Shelley Winters parade in this little-known horror movie about an evil girl who bears the seeds of an alien criminal. Followers of that alien want to impregnate the girl's mother with a new evil creature while a strange man tries to save the world. There's also a Jesus-like figure, a legion of bald children, a flock of killer birds and an exploding basket ball. Stridulum is a very weird, hypnotic film that is deliberately slow at times. Monologues and observational scenes last for several minutes. And just when you start to fall asleep, the film changes its pace with loud music that seems to come right out of an Italian police movie from the seventies. Minutes later you're dozing off back to your hypnotic Stridulum state.

 * Metro Manila. A Filipino family exchanges the rice fields for Manila, hoping for a better life. What they will encounter is poverty, violence and abuse. Metro Manila is a hard but realistic film, interspersed with rare moments of kindness and hope. Although written and directed by a Brit, the film is entirely shot in the Philippines and spoken in the Tagalog dialect. A beautiful and supenseful thriller that will get to your very core. Winner of the Sundance audience award.

* Vinyan. Fabrice Du Weltz knows what makes a good movie and he knows how to translate that vision into his own work. There's much to be admired in this film: the stunning visual finds, the film's structure, the actors, the slight reminiscence to classics such as Don't Look Now and Who Can Kill A Child, the depth of the story (a couple looking for their missing son in Thailand)... Vinyan had only one weakness: the lack of emotional attachment.

* Hatchet 3. I loved that Hatchet 3 reminded me of eighties slashers such as Twisted Nightmare. What I didn't love was the comedic aspect that ruined most of the movie.

* Pretty In Pink. This was one of my favorite romantic comedies when I was a kid. I've outgrown the genre, but I can see why I liked Pretty In Pink so much before. It's cute to the extreme. The main characters are super sweet for a change, not those foul-mouthed, self-centered characters of today's cinema. Still enjoyed this a lot and I'm sure today's youth will too.

* The Conjuring. If movies such as Insidious, Mama and A Haunting In Connecticut scared you, then The Conjuring, which is similar in style and scares, will put you out of your skin as well. Just not my kind of thing.

* Dexter season 8 (episode 4 - 7). Still a fun series, even though the twists are a bit silly. I wonder how they will end this last season. Any ideas?

* Under The Dome (episode 4 - 7). The main reason I'm still watching is because I want to know where that mysterious dome comes from. Can anybody please tell me how the story ends so I can stop following?


Listening to

* The dark ambient music of Lustmord's The Word As Power.

* Victim Of Love by Charles Bradley and The Menahan Street Band, a soul artist who lived in poverty for over sixty years and who recently became an overnight succes. His music brings you right back to the seventies.

* Angelo Badalamenti's soundtrack for The Comfort Of Strangers, one of my favorite films.

Have you read any of the above books or seen any of the above movies? What do you think of them?

Also, it's time again for a new chapter of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. A lot has changed this past month for me, changes so profound they have influenced my writing a great deal.

As most of you know, I was working on new supernatural thriller that was moving along just fine. That book, however, has now been (temporarily) shelved.

July was characterized by the death of both my grandfather and my cat, two people (by lack of a better word) who meant the world to me. Writing about my cat had become my way of dealing with the pain. I currently have over fifty pages and it'll become a cat memoir, a little like the Homer book mentioned above. By writing about my cat, some of the things I got stuck with for my supernatural thriller also fell into place. It's amazing how my cat inspires and helps me even when he's not there anymore.

It may not have been a logical decision to stop working on my supernatural thriller and start something that is so entirely different than what I usually do, but I'm so certain that this was the right thing to do.

Do you sometimes stop writing a story and begin something entirely different, just because your feeling tells you you should? What are your experiences with it?

Reading / watching / listening to...

Reading

* The Ritual by Adam Nevill. Largely influenced by movies, The Ritual reminded me in the first half of The Descend and The Blairwitch Project and in the second half of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The result is claustrophobic, unsettling and clever. I'll be reading more of Adam Nevill's books.


Watching

* Under The Dome (episodes 1 - 3).  Stephen King's novels are usually too long for me (especially Under The Dome with its 1,088 pages) but I can proudly say I've seen every film adaptation of his work except for a rare Bollywood adaptation. Under The Dome announces itself positively in the first episode, but then declines in quality due to the stereotypical characters and their unnatural reactions. King repeats himself and he has been a cliché of his own work since years. Meanwhile, he knows how to intrigue and build up suspense and there hasn't been a dull moment in Under The Dome since the beginning. By the way, did you see that limited collector's edition of Under The Dome? It's already on my wish list just for the packaging. Check it out here and tell me you don't want this.

* Dexter season 8 (episodes 1 - 3). It's getting a little silly and repetitive, ins't it? But it's still the perfect TV series to unwind after a long day. And I love the twist at the end of the first episode.


* Passion. Brian de Palma goes back to his roots with this remake of the French film Crime d'amour / Love Crime by Alain Corneau. Passion may be over the top trashy and unbelievable, but I can't deny I had lots of fun with this story full of mystery, sex and murder. With Noomi Rapace and Rachel McAdams.

* The Burning. Gilles hadn't seen The Burning yet, so it was a good excuse to rediscover one of the better slasher movies of the 80s. Sometimes a little silly, sometimes delightfully suspenseful. The famous scene where half of the cast gets slashed in a matter of seconds is still memorable and surprising after so many years.

* The Brass Teapot. The teapot from the title is a magical object that sprouts money every time someone around it is hurt.When a white trash couple steals the brass teapot, things get out of hand. Several twists keep this movie fresh and funny.

* I Think We're Alone Now. Does this title ring a (musical) bell? Then chances are you're a child of the 80s and that you'll enjoy this documentary about the stalkers of former pop icon Tiffany. It's funny to see how these men are convinced they're meant to be with their idol. But it's also sad, because they're so lonely and unhappy.

* The Purge. For twelve hours a year all crime is legalized, including murder. A couple (Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey) with two children barricades themselves into their home, hoping to make it through the Purge alive. Then a stranger comes knocking on their door, asking for help. The beginning of The Purge is wonderfully suspenseful and promising; the second half is just flat. A film with a lot of potential that just doesn't bring it home.

* Komodo vs. Cobra. Yes, I watch this kind of stuff... And I like it too. Monstrous animals are cool, especially komodos. Who cares about bad CGI, story and acting, when there's a giant komodo eating people? And you know what's worse? This was a re-watch. First time was in a hotel room in Ostend ten years ago.

* World War Z. It's like Steven Spielberg's War Of The Worlds, but with zombies. After a memorable and heart-pounding opening, the movie succeeds in keeping its pace and originality up until the third act. From then on World War Z is still clever, just slower and more like many other zombie movies. An alternate, grimmer ending exists and I would have preferred that one.

* Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father. This documentary started as a message to a young boy whose father had been murdered by the woman that is now raising him. Whereas the documentary was fait-divers in nature, it brought to light criminal legislation flaws and succeeded in realizing necessary changes. There's also a book about the same subject: Dance With The Devil: A Memoir Of Murder And Loss.

* American Gigolo. This is one of those movies that defined my youth. Still fascinating and not aged a bit.


Listening to

* Alela Diane. The ideal background music for an afternoon of blogging in bed. My boyfriend's presence, scented candles, and my favorite drink (Tao) make the scene complete. 

What are you reading, watching and listening to lately?

Currently reading / watching / listening to

Reading

* Seed by Ania Ahlborn. This novel about a child possessed by a demon took me by surprise. It's one of the better horror novels I've read in a long time. Written with style, well-structured, and so entertaining and creepy.

* The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing. The Fifth Child was a good example of how to create in-depth characters. Good build-up and theme (a mother trying to love a horrible child), but a weak ending.

* The Influence by Ramsey Campbell. Campbell's writing is controlled and lyrical, so I get why he's considered one of the most influential British horror authors. For me, it was too descriptive though and I couldn't get into the story, despite all the good elements.

* Strange Seed by T.M. Wright. A couple moves into a new home and finds several children living in the woods surrounding their house... But are they really children? The premise is intriguing, but the editing is non-existent, the characters unbelievable and the action repetitive. Also, characters repeat each other's names incessantly which makes the dialogue almost unreadable: "I'll understand, Paul." "I asked why I would want to stay, Rachel." "How soon will they die, Paul? It's their last night, isn't it, Paul?" "Rachel, they want us to stay."

* Nightmare Child by Daniel Ransom. Daniel Ransom is the pen name for horror author Ed Gorman. In Nightmare Child, he tells the story of a couple who kills the child under their custody for the financial benefits and the child comes back from the dead to seek revenge. Ed Gorman's writing is sleek and concise, but Nightmare Child never turns into something satisfying.

* That Sadie Thing and other stories by Annalisa Crawford. I'm IN LOVE with this new short story collection. I read the first story out of curiosity and while I had the intention of finishing Nightmare Child first, I just wasn't able to put That Sadie Thing aside for so long. The stories are short yet profound, simple yet stylish, emotional yet grounded... A delight.

* Chi's Sweet Home volume 9. Don't even try to understand how hooked I am to this cute cat manga series. Volume 10 has just been made available for pre-order and I can't wait till it comes out on August 27.


Watching

* Orphan Black (episode eight to ten). Maybe not the most stylish and intelligent TV series around, but definitely one of the most suspenseful and fun.

* Shame. I loved the minimalist and intimate style of Shame and Carey Mulligan was excellent as usual. Just a pity that the characters were too scarred and bizarre to identify with.

* The Dark Half. I was still in college when I first saw The Dark Half and I was a fan from the start. It's still fun, but does the second half really have to be so silly?

* Come Out And Play. This was the remake (read: exact copy) of Quién puede matar a un niño? (Who Can Kill A Child?) from 1976. In this extremely atmospheric and sinister film, a couple goes on an excursion to a Mexican island where the local children have murdered the adults. Fun fact: the director of Come Out And Play (Makinov, as he calls himself), prefers to stay anonymous and directed the movie with a mask on.

* The Bad Seed. Made in 1956 and based on the novel The Bad Seed by William March, this story was pretty shocking and progressive for the era, but not entirely devoid of flaws. The Bad Seed is too talkative (it's like a filmed play) and a good forty minutes too long. The last fifteen minutes in particular were unnecessary as they only softened the shocking ending.

* Evil Dead. Over-the-top gore and downpours of blood don't necessarily make for a scary horror movie. Even my sister didn't think it was creepy and she usually watches nothing but romantic comedies.

* Clash Of The Titans. Nostalgia personified. I lost count on how many times I watched this battle between gods and humans. It's old-fashioned to the extreme, but I'll never get bored of it.

* Paperhouse. I saw this fifteen years ago and I never forgot about the dreamscape visuals, the desolate landscape and the house resembling a children's drawing.

* Behind The Candelabra. If you liked Boogie Nights and Auto Focus, then Steven Soderbergh's new movie about Scott Thorson's relationship with the piano player Liberace is just the thing for you. The story is both touching and hilarious (the plastic surgery scenes are my favorites) and Michael Douglas is beyond amazing as Liberace. Based on Thorson's autobiography My Life With Liberace.

* The Exorcist III. What's not to like about demonic nurses and old women crawling on the ceiling? Such creepy elements make you forget that most of the film is actually quite boring.

* Only God Forgives. Nicholas Winding Refn opts for Greek tragedy with a setting in the criminal underworld of today's Thailand. The extreme violence is efficient. So it the excessive use of red, the lack of dialogue, Ryan Gosling's stoic performance and Kristin Scott Thomas' foul-mouthed blonde character.

* Bad Influence. Remember that 90s movie in which Rob Lowe destroys James Spader's life? I used to enjoy this one and I was curious if it would still have the same effect on me. Well, the beginning is definitely strong, but once the realism goes, so does the fun.

* Bloody Birthday. Watched this again with my sister last night. I introduced her to this film when she was still a child and she remembers it as her very first horror movie. Even though it was made in 1981, it's still extremely entertaining today. So what makes Bloody Birthday so cool? Either the evil kids are killing someone... or planning to kill someone. No boring transition scenes in between. It's a rollercoaster ride of cute evilness. It's not always logical, but who cares when it's so much fun?


Listening to

* Cliff Martinez' soundtrack for Only God Forgives (but I'm skipping the karaoke parts).

What are you currently reading, watching and listening to?

Currently reading / watching / listening to...

Reading

* Chi's Sweet Home volume 8 by Konami Kanata. Even cuter and more heartwarming than the previous installments. I defy you to read this and not get ridiculously happy.

* One Year Lived by Adam Shepard. I love true stories about travels and inspiring people and One Year Lived was a delightful combination of both. For an entire year, Adam Shepard traveled the world, living and volunteering in countries such as Honduras, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, Nicaragua and Spain. Shepard gives a good idea of the countries he visited, but where he really succeeds is in describing life as a volunteer in an exotic country and in inspiring people to do something extraordinary with their lives, even if it's just for one month. One Year Lived is free for readers of this blog. Look below for more information.


Watching

* Orphan Black. Sarah witnesses the suicide of a stranger who looks just like her. Sarah assumes her identity in the hopes of cleaning out the dead woman's bank account. Instead, she finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy involving clones. I'm currently at episode seven of this TV series. There's never a dull moment with Orphan Black, but the first two episodes were definitely the most racy and surprising ones.

* Hemlock Grove.  I didn't get beyond episode two of this TV series based on the werewolf novel by Brian McGreevy.

* Sightseers. A woman goes on a road trip with her fiancé and finds out he's a killer. And isn't true love about encouraging your man's activities and joining in the fun? Not bad at all, just not as good as most of the other movies I watched over the past few weeks. From the director of Kill List.

* Killing Them Softly. It's been a couple of weeks since I saw Killing Me Softly and I forgot almost all about it. Enough said, no?

* Survive Style 5+. I've rarely seen anything as bizarre, original and over the top as this Japanese movie. Loved it.

* My Amityville Horror. Documentary about the events and people that have inspired the 70s horror movie The Amityville Horror. It didn't really come as a surprise that the family living in the house was rather unstable and that the spooky events probably never happened.

* Mientras duermes (Sleep Tight). Spanish director Jaume Balagueró has been my artistic crush since The Nameless and Darkness. With Mienatras duermes he proves once more that he has visual flair and a gift for intelligent storytelling. Also, here's one of the best endings you will see in a long time.

* To The Wonder. Terrence Malick tells us about our incapacity to make decisions by showing us an unhappy couple that doesn't know if they want to stay together or not. It's beautifully rendered and the lack of dialogue (we only hear actors talking from afar) gives the movie an estranged atmosphere.

* The Lords Of Salem. The vintage feel, reminiscent of the 70s witch movies, makes The Lords Of Salem worth watching. The lack of story and character development and the overdose of ridiculous scenes on the other hand...

* The Road To Salina. A man is mistaken for someone's missing son and decides to play the game... until he notices he doesn't resemble the boy at all. I loved the brooding atmosphere, the locations (France and Spain), the actors and the bizarre story.

* The Chumscrubber. Relatively unknown film despite the funny story and the famous cast (Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Jamie Bell, Justin Chatwin). The Chumscrubber is easily as good as Juno and the likes.

* Movie 43. All the sketches in this film have one thing in common: they are as gross as possible. There are some clever ideas in this otherwise unstable collection, but two sketches really stand out. In the first one, Kate Winslet has a blind date with Hugh Jackman who happens to have a pair of testicles in his neck that only she seems to notice. The scene where Winslet almost throws up in her plate is legendary. Another favorite was the one from James Gunn about the obsessive relationship between an man and his cat. Hilarious. Everyone who still believes that I have an unhealthy relationship with my cat, please watch this first and we'll talk later.

* Perfect Mothers. Naomi Watts and Robin Wright play two mothers who sleep with each other's sons. Too much giggling, self-absorbed babble and soap-like twists make Perfect Mothers hard to fully enjoy despite the breathtaking scenery and holiday feel. Still, there's something that lingers on with this film. Based on Doris Lessing's novel The Grandmothers.

* Side Effects. Steven Soderbergh's latest is an assured thriller that captivates from beginning to end. Only downside: Side Effects was VERY similary to the 80s movie Final Analysis.

* Aftershock. Holidays, earthquakes, natural disasters, criminals on the loose... Aftershock could have been a lot of fun, even despite the silly characters. But then a tsunami is announced, people start running... and suddenly get more interested in stealing televisions and raping people. Definitely the thing to do with a tsunami on your heals.


Listening to

* The soundtrack of Maniac. I'm obsessed with this ever since I saw the movie at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.

* The soundtrack of Side Effects. The perfect companion for when I'm writing.

* Also been to concerts of Max Richter (assured, precise, classy) and Christina Vantzou (promising but inexperienced).

What have you been reading, watching and listening to lately?

Giveaway

Adam Shepard, the author of One Year Lived, will send a PDF copy of his book to everyone who shares this blog post on either Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon or Google+. Giveaway is open worldwide and ends May 22nd.

For a complete list of giveaways of the Love In Bloom Giveaway Hop, go to: http://www.iamareader.com/2013/04/love-in-bloom-giveaway-hop-sign-ups-may-16th-to-22nd.html

Currently reading / watching / listening to...

Reading:

Animal Wise: The Thoughts And Emotions Of Our Fellow Creatures by Virginia Morell. Random House sent me this book for review and I'm so glad they did. Without falling into the trap of antropomorphism, it focuses in-depth on several scientific studies of the emotional and cognitive abilities of animals. Did you know that rats laugh when they're tickled, that parrots count and distinguish between colors and materials, that ants teach, and that some dogs have a vocabulary of more than one thousand words? I didn't. Animal Wise is full of those fun facts and it also shows us how scientists have come to these conclusions. A fascinating read.

Watching:

Because I spent the last two weeks at the Offscreen film festival, there are only movies in this list that I watched whilst there. You can see photos from the first Offscreen week and reviews of those films here.  More photos will follow soon.

The Final Member (2012). A documentary about the phallus museum in Iceland where the only missing member is a human one. As soon as the museum’s need is announced, two possible donors present themselves, both ambitious to become the ‘first penis superstar’. Funny.

Vampyres (1974). There’s much to be said about the flaws and plot holes in this movie, but there’s something about the atmosphere, about the misty woods, the mysterious castle and the ferocious female leads, that make Vampyres highly watchable and memorable.

Las mariposas de Sadourni (2012). This inventively shot movie in black and white reminded me of Marcel Carné's Les enfants du paradis. In other words: brilliant.

On Vampyres And Other Symptoms (2011). Documentary about the life and work of José Ramón Larraz (the director of Vampyres). Original in style (part of the narrative is told through animation), but boring.

Branded To Kill (1967). Hilarious, over-the-top and yet very dark gangster film that was so cutting-edge in the sixties that director Seijun Suzuki lost his job at the Nikkatsu studio. Branded To Kill is considered a classic in Japanese cinema.

The Girl Can't Help It (1956). Cute romantic comedy with an unforgettable Jayne Mansfield. Seeing this movie as a Sunday afternoon matinee screening complete with movie trailers from that era and hostesses in fifties clothing, definitely added to the experience. More oldies, please.

Bullet Collector (2011).  Extremely bleak, violent and experimental Russian film that you will either love or hate.

Gate Of Flesh (1964). Hmm, I know some of you think this is a masterpiece, but I just couldn’t get into it. Blame it on the annoying characters.

Room 237 (2012). Those of you who have read my novel Drowned Sorrow know that I love symbolism and hidden messages, but the theories presented in this documentary about the secret themes in Kubrick’s The Shining are so far out they’re hilarious.

Also watched a surprising collection of short films at Offscreen: The Importance Of Sweet And Salt by Benoit De Clerck (simple, but touching), Death Of A Shadow by Tom Van Avermaet (deserving of its Oscar nomination), De Wake by Pieter Coudyzer (visually interesting), Rumoer by Jan Doense (funny) and Perfect Drug by Toon Aerts (reminiscent of Takashi Miike).

Listening to:

The live soundtrack of the experimental Buharov’s movie Rudderless, based on the poem by István Domonkos.

What have you been reading, watching and listening to lately? And in case you've been to Offscreen, what were your favorites there?

Currently reading / watching / listening to...

 Reading:

* Chi's Sweet Home volume 7 by Konami Kanata. This was my Valentine's gift. Actually, my boyfriend gives me a Chi book for every romantic occasion.

* Don't Eat Cat by Jess Walter. Ok, I admit. It's the word 'cat' in the title that got me reading this. But this is actually a zombie story. And a very funny one for that matter. I mean, where else can you find cat eating zombies (we should call them people with hypo-endocrinal thyro-encephalitis) that work for Starbucks?


Watching:

* The Take (2009). This British mini-series is hardly seen outside of Britain, but it was sooooo good. Brilliant performances (especially Tom Hardy), criminals that are both terrifying and touching and a shocking surprise at the end of each episode. Loved it.

* Antiviral (2012). David Cronenberg's son imitates his father with this one: extremely clinical, both in style and theme (it's a futuristic story about people who infect themselves with celebrities' diseases). 

* Brainstorm (1983). Fascinating cult classic about two scientists who have developed a system of recording and playing back actual experiences of people.

* Surveillance (2008). What to say about a movie that depends solely on unexpected twists, but is completely predictable?

* The Bait (2012). This shark in a flooded supermarket film isn't exactly as entertaining as I wanted it to be. Let's hope that Spiders 3D and Big Ass Spider will make up for this.

* Chariots Of The Gods (1970). Nostalgia. I used to love Erich Von Däniken's documentary and books as a kid. Funny how much it resembles the recent Ancient Aliens documentaries.

* Ancient Aliens Debunked (2012). Talking about Ancient Aliens... This is a three hour long follow-up of the series that debunks most of the 'facts' and theories that are presented in Ancient Aliens. Interesting.

*  The Master (2012). Well-made, but the movie repeats itself too much. Good performances though.


Listening to:

Some of the music I've been listening to lately include Alex Gopher and Xavier Jamaux' soundtrack for the Hong Kong movie Motorway, the soundtrack of Cat People and Wunderkammer from The Dead Brothers. Chances are we'll be using their song Am I To Be The One for the end credits of GPS With Benefits. You have to admit that both the lyrics and sound of that song are PERFECT for the story.

What are you currently reading, watching and listening to?

Currently reading / watching / listening to...

Reading:

Black Hole by Charles Burns. A hugely enjoyable graphic novel about a sexually transmitted plague infecting teenagers in suburban Seattle. Kids get sick, mutate and run away from home. Black Hole had me thinking long after I finished it.

Love Saves The Day by Gwen Cooper. Well, it's a cute book... What else can you expect from a novel that is mainly told from the point of view of a cat? If you're not utterly obsessed with cats, this may be too simple and sentimental though.


Watching:

Hitchcock (2012). Anthony Hopkins imitates well Hitchcock's manerisms and speaking patterns, but it's still Hopkins we're watching instead of the master of suspense. The story (how the making of Psycho influenced his marriage) is interesting, but a bit too simple. Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh has the best performance of the film.

The Last Stand (2013). The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff. The Last Stand is pretty forgetteable. I can't believe this is from the same director who made A Bittersweet Life.

Seven Psychopaths (2012). A group of friends becomes entangled in the criminal underworld of Los Angeles after one of them kidnaps a gangster's beloved Shiz Tzu. Funny, but too long. I preffered Martin McDonagh previous film In Bruges.

Sideways (2004). The magic word that made me watch this movie is... wine tasting. Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment, embark on a week long road trip through California's wine country. Charming.

Grave Encounters 2 (2012). Does fast-forwarding two-thirds of a movie count as watching it?

Mama (2013). I was looking forward to this horror movie, but Mama turned out to be a bit silly and illogical.

Tabu (2012). I liked this Portuguese movie because of it's setting (Lisbon and Africa) and originality in style (much of the film reminds us of the cinema from almost a century ago). Sometimes Tabu has too much dialogue and telling and sometimes too many silences. But that just adds to the charm and originality.

The Impossible. Liked this one. The first half really had my heart beat faster and while the second half was a bit slower and sentimental, I never stopped feeling pity for that poor family that got caught in the tsunami.


Listening to:

Ballroom Stories by Waldeck and Takefumi Haketa's creepy soundtrack for Kairo.

What are you currently reading, watching and listening to?

Currently reading / watching / listening to...

Reading:

* Under The Skin by Michel Faber. The less you know about this sci-fi thriller the better, because this well-written novel in which a mysterious girl picks up hitchhikers is full of surprises. Scarlett Johansson will play the lead in Jonathan Glazer's movie adaptation.

* Chi's Sweet Home 6 by Konami Kanata. A cute Japanese manga series about a cat.


Watching:

* The first season of Boardwalk Empire. Intelligently made chronicle of the life on Nucky Thompson who was equal parts politician and gangster. Memorable actors and set design.

* Vanishing Waves (2012). A dreamy and visually stunning Lithuanian film about a neuron-transfer scientist who experiments with the thoughts of a comatose woman.

* Amour (2012). This French film about an elderly couple's last days together mirrored my grandparents' current situation and how illness severely tests their bond of love. The film taught me that when in the same circumstances, many people act alike and say the same things. Amour was so true to reality that I was certain that Michael Haneke's inspiration was autobiographical (I looked it up and it was inspired by the suffering of an aunt, crippled by rheumatism at the age of 92). I can already say that Amour will be one of my favorite films of the year.

* Paranormal Activity 4 (2012). Not sure why I watched it considering I disliked the previous episodes.

* American Mary (2012). Canadian film about a medical student who ends up performing underground surgeries for easy money. It felt forced and silly and I don't understand the rave reviews the film gets.

* The Conversation (1974). A paranoid surveillance expert goes through a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered. Stylish, intelligent and subtle; this is Francis Ford Coppola at his best.

* Kotoko (2012). Tsukamoto's latest is a trip (literally) into the mind of a psychologically unstable woman. A fascinating watch, but not an easy one.


Listening to:

Ludovico Einaudi, Eliane Radique and Philip Glass. I also went to a concert of The Bersarin Quartett and a mesmerizing audiovisual performance of Murcof and Simon Geilfus.