builder and career

Thursday, June 2, 2011

'Satu Jam Saja' Movie Wallpapers

New York, New York, a helluva town. The Bronx is up but the Battery's down

Well today at 2:30 pm I will be taking the mega bus to Manhattan, and staying with my friend Keith in Queens, and my friend Lauren in Long Island. About a year ago this time I worked for the Julliard School, and lived in Manhattan all summer. I saw ten broadway shows (one per week), hit the club scene, enjoyed some great cupcakes from Magnolia bakery (my favorite), and got to live out my dream.

New York City is home so many amazing films, I can name ten films easily off the top of my head:

Taxi Driver
Annie Hall
King Kong
Manhattan
The Godfather Part I and II
Do the Right Thing
Ghostbusters
Saturday Night Fever
When Harry met Sally
The Devil Wears Prada
West Side Story

These are some of the finest films ever made and highlight just how amazing the city of New York. From crazy Robert DeNiro asking "You talking to me" to Miranda Priestly telling us "That's All" or Sally faking an orgasm in a diner. Each of the films (and many more) give us intimate portrait of specific aspects of New York City. Immigration and dancing gang members (West Side Story), hunting ghosts (Ghostbusters), racial tension (Do the Right Thing), the mob (The Godfather I and II), that search for romance (Annie Hall, When Harry met Sally). These films have used NYC so well, and you almost feel as thought city is character in the film.

New York is the city where dreams come true and for years filmmakers like Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese have used this city as the back drop for some of their greatest works of art. As I prepare for this trip let me say that I have Frank Sinatra's version of New York on in the background as I start to begin my packing. I am reminded of that song, and my adventures to the Bronx, and when the Yankees win they play Mr. Sinatra's version of that song.

Cool Car Wallpapers

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Movie Stars Heading to the Small Screen: The Triumphs

As I was reading some of my favorite television and gossip blogs (tvline.com and perezhilton.com-cehck the out) I came upon a story that Halle Berry is in talks to star in her own television series. Halle Berry won an Academy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2001 for the great performance in Monster's Ball. Halle Berry was the first black female to win this award (I personally would have picked an actress who was not nominated that year Naomi Watts in Mullholland Dr.). After her Oscar win, Berry starred in a string of flops: Catwoman, Gothika, Die Another Day, Perfect Stranger, Things We Lost in the Fire, Frankie and Alice. Berry did of course star as Storm in the X-Men film franchise, but I thought she miscast and I would have much rather seen Angela Basset. Overall beyond her Oscar win Berry's film career has not been that stellar, so moving to television could be a smart move.

In the last ten years there have been a number of huge movie stars that have shifted their careers focus from film to television. This has added new life to their acting repertoire. I have been re-watching the television show 30 Rock starring Alec Baldwin, and he is my favorite movie star who transitioned from primarily film roles to being a huge television star.

Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin co-host Oscars

Baldwin started his career in television and his first acting credit was the soap opera The Doctors from 1980-1982. Baldwin scored some major role in the 80s and 90s in films like Beetle Juice (1988), Working Girl (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990) and Prelude to a Kiss (1992). In the 200s his career started to look different he took a guest starring role on both Friends and Will & Grace, and played smaller roles in films with great comedic timing. This was probably the contributing factor that landed him one of the best roles in television history playing Jack Donaghey. This role has also helped him to land more movie roles in films like It's Complicated, and I have appreciated his comic timing more than anything. Baldwin has won several awards for his role, from Emmys to Golden Globes.

One of my favorite moments in 30 Rock was this season where Tom Hanks makes a joke about the official A-list at Baldwins expense.

There have been several other success stories recently. Sally Field obviously started her career as the flying nun then went on to win two Outstanding Lead Actress Academy Awards; she recently took on the role of the matriarch in the television series Brothers and Sisters (2006-2011) where she played Nora Walker, and won an Emmy for her role.

Kiefer Sutherland started his career playing that bad ass teenage boy in films like Stand by Me (1986) and after that had numerous roles in film. Then came the television phenomena 24. Sutherland has done more here creating the role of Jack Bauer than he ever did with any film. Rumor has Sutherland is also in talks to star in another television series.

Glenn Close is seen as one of the most talented actress in film history, with five Academy Award nominations (0 wins); she has made a great presence in the silver screen. Then in the 2000s Close took on an Emmy nominated role in the television series The Shield, but got her own series in 2006 entitled Damages where she plays tough as nails lawyer Patty Hewes. Damages is not one of the most watched shows that was F/X but it helped to create indelible television characters.

As television becomes more and cinematic with shows like Boardwalk Empire. Dexter, Mad Men, Breaking Bad etc more big stars will be drawn to taking on roles in television series. I wish Halle Berry success and hope her journey to small screen bring her more success.

New Month, New Directions ! Movie Makeovers, Do they Really Work?

I have been away from writing for about a day, I was at a camp in Lake George. I was thinking about what to talk about and how personal I wanted to get. There is a lot I could share (but I won't be). That struck me, how personal do I want to get when it comes to sharing about my personal life. I think as time comes, I will be sharing more and more, I just have to become more comfortable with that. The other thing I thought about what direction this blog will go. I looked at what I posted when I first started then scanned each month and saw the different topics.

The month started out interesting, and I think it will only get more interesting. With a new job coming up, a trip planned to New York City, a trip to Columbus for pride, and my adventures while living at home. This blog has taken a new direction and could evolve as time passes. This reminds me of all those movies where the "ugly" girl gets a makeover and turns out to be beautiful swan.

Now in some of those movies the girl is clearly not ugly, for example She's All That (1999) with Rachel Leigh where the only makeover she undergoes is taking off her glasses and letting her hair down. I think my website will do more than just lose glasses, but I may let my hair down. There are so many directions this website could go. Even within this post I know I am going to go in a new direction.

On another note films like like these make being women about your looks, and not the inner beauty. With Miss Congeniality (2000) Sandra Bullock lake femininity and they need to make her over in order that she can take party in the beauty pageant to carry on a covert operation for the FBI. overall the message of the movie is actually positive that there can value in both arenas, and you can learn a lot from meeting women who value something different. I think feminist ideals are rarely presented in films, most movies deal with the opposite like within this example. A simple makeover is not enough to change a person, but the experiences you have can shape how you view yourself in connection with others. The interesting thing for me is when I decided to take chances I look back at what I did an things ended up the same, for example this last day.

Now my favorite thing about this post is that it is all over the place, and well it is time to stop writing. I love talking about a good movie so time to switch up the topic and hope that within this month I provide more fun and interesting topics from my life.

New Islamic Wallpapers

Steven Wilson, Aviv Geffen And Blackfield Hit A Home Run In Seattle

Concert Review: Blackfield At Studio 7, Seattle, WA, 5/31/11

For the Seattle stop on Blackfield's current American tour, the near capacity crowd at Studio 7, a tiny, hole in the wall club located in the city's industrial Sodo district, just a stones throw away from Qwest Field — where MLB's Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on the same night — caught a break.

Following the passing of guitarist/vocalist Steven Wilson's father, several Blackfield shows were canceled as Wilson flew back home to England to pay his final respects. Thankfully for Seattle fans, their Studio 7 show marked the bands return to active duty, for what turned out to be a home run show.

Despite his recent personal loss, Wilson in particular, seemed to be particularly energized during a blazing and well balanced two hour set, drawing generously from all three of Blackfield's studio albums. When he is not busy with a multitude of other projects ranging from his more famous band Porcupine Tree to overseeing the remastering of King Crimson's back catalog, Wilson fronts Blackfield along with Israeli singer/songwriter Aviv Geffen.

For the Seattle show, Wilson even sat in briefly for the opening set from Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess. In addition to Wilson's unscheduled appearance, Rudess' treated the enraptured crowd to a virtuoso solo performance on the keys, highlighted by a brief medley of classic progressive rock tunes including Genesis' "Blood On The Rooftops."

After a brief break allowing for just about enough time to quaff a quick adult beverage, Blackfield took to the stage with a powerful version of "Blood" from their new Welcome To My DNA album. Like most of the new songs from DNA performed in Seattle, "Blood" took on a new power in a live setting only hinted at on the studio version. It was a killer opener, and a perfect segue into the song "Blackfield" from the bands debut album.

"Glass House" and "Go To Hell" also proved to be standouts from the new album, the former displaying Wilson's vocals and soaring guitar, and the latter showcasing an equally impressive vocal from Geffen. More than anything, the new songs proved just how well these two great musicians jell together as a unit.

Blackfield II — their best record for my money — was also well represented in Seattle. Although it would have been nice to hear the mysteriously absent "Christenings," great versions of "Epidemic" and "Miss U" proved to be just the right antidote.

A three song encore brought one of the best moments from Blackfield II though, as Geffen sang the lyrics to "End Of The World" from under a black hood in an apparent reference to living under the ever present shadow of terrorism in his native Israel.

It was a very powerful ending to an amazing show.

Setlist:

Blood
Blackfield
Glass House
Go To Hell
Open Mind
Pain
DNA
Waving
1000 People
Once
Hole In Me
Miss U
Zigota
Epidemic
Oxygen
Where U My Love?
Dissolving

Encore:
Hello
End Of The World
Cloudy Now

This review was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.