Category Archives: romance

Binge Worthy Shows Influenced by Social Media

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Social Media or Popular Series

Some TV shows promote themselves well on social media. They rank so well because the shows are worthy or because their social media campaigns are brilliant. It’s the chicken-or-the-egg theory.

What came first, a well-produced show to comment about on social media or a favorite book promoted on social media as an upcoming TV show? In the following article, I speculate that the show needs to be high-ranking to capture major social media trends. Though there is one show called Outlander that was super popular before its premiere. It is another way for fans to enjoy their favorite show.

“Outlander”

Outlander airs on Starz and is an example of social media supporting both sides of the spectrum. Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan are on Twitter and Instagram almost daily, plugging Outlander or their other products and movies. Heughan promotes his clothing line, Barbour, and whiskey, rightly named Sassenach. Facebook has several dedicated pages to the Scottish-themed show. Heughan’s Heughligans and the author, Gabaldon, sponsor a Facebook page.

Starz sponsored several Twitter and Facebook campaigns. Heughan and Balfe answered Twitter questions via video that played on Facebook. The campaign was such a success that Starz continued using the Q & A theme with other cast members, including Richard Rankin and Sophie Skelton.

My Peak Challenge

In this video, Sam Heughan discusses receiving his honorary doctorate from the University of Stirling in Scotland. He mentions his online charity with over 12,000 members, raising over $4 million – A solid example of using social media to promote his charity.

Ellen DeGeneres Hosts the Academy Awards

The Rolling Stone Magazine reported the early ratings of the 2014 Academy Awards, which Ellen DeGeneres hosted, and the viewership was at an all-time 10-year high. The magazine credited DeGeneres’s social media activity for sharing her funny acts.

Like when she took several selfies with celebrities, the star-studded one, posted below, earned over 2.8 million retweets and is probably still popular.

The show garnered 43 million viewers. The last time such a feat occurred was in 2004 with Billy Crystal as the host.

DeGeneres draws the viewers on her own, no doubt, but her antics on social media topped the charts.

Source

“Stranger Things”

In a Variety interview, Winona Ryder and Millie Bobby Brown discussed tweeting about their show, Stranger Things. Only Brown understood the technology of promoting a TV show on social media. Ryder’s fascination manifested in awe about Brown’s knowledge.

Ryder does not need to worry because Netflix developed its own social media campaign for the hit show. The purpose of the movement was to ensure fans knew when the series went live on Netflix.

They hit all the popular social networks, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The campaign included plot teasers and clips from the show.

What do you think?

Which Social Media Do You Use the Most?

People surveyed about their social media preference selected Facebook as their most used social media outlet.

  • 9% Instragram
  • 1% Pinterest
  • 0% Snap Chat
  • 0% Diggs
  • 1% Reddit
  • 0% Other
  • 81% Facebook
  • 7% Twitter

“Games of Thrones”

HBO’s Games of Thrones‘ social media hype was a late bloomer. The finale season marked the best use of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Working with 360i, HBO continued the season finale’s awareness and even banked on the audience feedback to promote the hypertheoretical spin-offs.

The week before and the week after the final episode, we saw #GOT for GOT’s upcoming season. It worked so well that even those who didn’t watch the series posted how they have not ever well watch #GOT.

Spin-off rumors continue to pop up on Facebook and Twitter. We can only imagine what it would be like to have a GOT spin-off.

“Orange is the New Black”

Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black used social media to show behind-the-scenes antics. Some say the marketing department does it better than any other show. The award-winning show and its large cast offer many options for Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The popular hashtag is #OITNB, and their Facebook Page posts about the final season kept fans raving about the favorite show. You can still binge-watch the show on Netflix and Amazon.

“The Walking Dead” and “Fear The Walking Dead”

The Walking Dead (#TWD) is the show posted the most on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. A fanbase of over 40 million speaks for itself.

Fear Stories

The spin-off Fear The Walking Dead (#FTWD) was released with a brilliant social media campaign called “Fear Stories.”

“Pretty Little Liars”

Pretty Little Liars trended well with Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The award-winning series followed four friends band against an anonymous enemy, and the mystery person threatens to expose their darkest secrets.
The social media campaign worked overtime to keep the fans coming back for more.

The show’s final season in 2017 ranked higher than season six, and the social media surged with #littleliars. The success reinforced Freeform, a Disney based cable channel spin-off called The Perfectionist, bringing back some of the main characters — #PLLThePerfectionist.

“Empire”

Empire launched Taraji P. Henson’s career, and the show is trending even today with the final, sixth season. The show is about a hip-hop company three sons are fighting over while the ex-wife connives to reclaim what she feels is hers.

Fox marketing went all out and invested in Twitter. The social media campaign paid off. The show ranked on Nielsen’s 2016 list of Twitter MVPs — averaging 387,000 Tweets per episode. The social media campaigns consisted of inviting viewers to Tweet their questions to @EmpireFOX, and star Taraji P. Henson will answer the questions via video.

Another campaign had fans tweeting #FOXWednesdays, adding a cookie emoji (Henson’s character’s first name is Cookie Lyon). Once they twitted, they became eligible to win some treats. The cookie theme continued using different kinds of cookie themes.

Social Media and TV Shows

Episodic TV shows will continue to use social media as a send all to promoting the next and latest occurrence of each episode. How the marketing departments spin each campaign, whether unique or not, is what fans look forward to seeing. It is a whole new way to enjoy episodic television while waiting for the next episode and speculating.

Colorful Oscar the Parrot Lives in Movies

animals, children, classic, comedy, movies, romance,

Before he left us and flew away to new adventures, Oscar starred in many movies, television shows, and print ads. This article shares his story.

Oscar the Parrot

Animal actors are amazing creatures because they possess hidden talents that few of us are aware of. We try to tap into their psyche, but the animals evade us. We wonder how the director gets those animals, like Oscar, to do those cute antics.

The animal trainers work with the director and animal actors. Together, the animal trainers have the gift and help animal actors shine.

Oscar, the parrot, was one of those animal actors. His talent stole scenes from other actors, and his personality caught people’s attention. He passed away, but his recorded performances keep his memory alive.

Talented and Gifted Bird

The film industry lost one of its most talented parrots. It is with great sadness that we report the passing of the star of several movies.

The bird’s last movie is appropriately called A Bird of the Air. Oscar the Parrot had a glorious career and an unprecedented career-spanning live theater, television with Fantasy Island, print advertising, and movies like Home Alone 3.

“A Bird in the Air” – Oscar’s Last Movie

In Oscar’s final movie, he plays a smart-alecky parrot who meets an unconventional librarian, played by Rachel Nichols. Somehow, they disrupt the life of a private man named Lyman, played by Jackson Hurst, who is not sociable. He works the graveyard shift as a security officer, patrolling around in his truck. He became an orphan at four years old when his parents died in a car wreck. He only knows his last name and estimates the year of his birth.

Oscar flies into his trailer and starts talking with words like ‘Shut up!’ and ‘I’m an eagle!” Lyman decides he must find the parrot’s owner. The quest leads him to the librarian named Fiona, played by Rachel Nichols. Over the years, her curiosity and attraction to Lyman from afar finally came to fruition. She offers her help to find the parrot’s owners, whether Lyman likes it or not.

Another animal comes into the story. Fiona’s basset hound makes the whole situation off-kilter. All four begin their search for Oscar’s owner. Fiona unravels the secrets of Lyman’s past and realizes that something about it needs clarification.

Fiona and Lyman go on his nightly security rounds together, and she sees a different man than the one she romanticizes. He has changed since he was a security officer, and she feels uncomfortable about it. As the movie draws to a close, Lyman reconciles with his past and breaks free from his murky lifestyle. They prepare a life together.

True Actor with Wings

Oscar lived beyond his sixtieth birthday, and he did not show his age in his final movie, A Bird of the Air. His fellow human actors adored him and spoke of his professionalism and kindness toward the crew on set. The indie romantic comedy includes some of the best moments for Oscar. His talent shines, and he will always be in our hearts.

“Paulie” the Movie

One of Oscar’s most famous movies is Paulie. The film is about a parrot, played by Oscar, being passed around from owner to owner.

The bird makes friends with a little girl, but they get separated. Eventually, a widow named Ivy buys Paulie. She and the parrot become fast friends, and they agree that she should help him find Marie, who moved to the West Coast. The widow decides to travel in her mobile home.

Slowly, Ivy loses her sight during their trip, and Paulie decides to stay and take care of her. Ivy eventually passes away, and Paulie learns to fly, continuing his journey to find his friend.

Talented Parrot

Oscar made so many movies and helped other animal actors break into the business. He leaves behind a legacy, and no other parrot can fill his feathers. It is a phenomenon of how Hollywood creates a story and adds a parrot, and the whole dynamic of the story shifts.

Oscar worked in the movies before animal trainers became a household word. Oscar helped so many animal trailers, too. He showed them how to guide animals through a scene, so they delivered what the director wanted.

Oscar flew off to find a new place to talk to parrots and entertain people. Rest in peace, Oscar. You are dearly loved.

Jerry Lewis as the Nutty Professor

Jerry Lewis: The King of Comedy

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Jerry Lewis defines comedy as a style characterized by his madcap acting, which he began with Dean Martin in 1946.

Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis’s comedic timing and performances are a class act, and few comedians mirror his impeccable timing. Many comedians have copied his style. Watch his movies, and you will notice several similarities among our contemporary funny guys. Kevin Hart, Eddie Murphy, the late Robin Williams, and Jim Carrey have learned from Lewis.

They followed Lewis’s madcap acting because it looked easy and divine. Lewis’s skill is a talent that most performers consider daunting to try. Lewis’s upbringing in a vaudevillian family gave him the courage to perform the madcap characters we’ve come to know. His father did a great impersonation of Al Jolson on stage.

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

Lewis starred in 61 movies. Some of those movies were produced and directed by him. He hooked up with Dean Martin after World War II, as Dean Martin was a vaudevillian at heart. It was almost a fluke that they ended up as “Martin and Lewis,” the best comedy duos ever.

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
Source: Common

Stand-up Comedian

Alan King, a well-known actor and stand-up comedian, said, “I have been in the business for fifty-five years, and I have never to this day seen an act get more laughs than Martin and Lewis. They didn’t get laughs — it was pandemonium. People knocked over tables.”

“Artists and Models”

They made 17 movies together, as well as radio shows and nightclubs. The duo split up after ten years. Going their separate ways, and both succeed. One notable movie they starred in together before their split is Artists and Models.

The movie had a high budget of $1.5 million and starred Shirley MacLaine and Dorothy Malone. Directed by Frank Tashlin, he later worked with Lewis on six of his solo films.

Rotten Tomatoes gives the movie a 78% rating. The story follows Rick Todd, played by Martin, and his roommate, Eugene Fullstack, played by Lewis. Todd is a comic book artist. His publisher complains Rick needs to make his work gorier. Fullstack sleeps with elaborate comic-book dreams and gaudy-looking superheroes. These nightmares help Todd achieve success and fame. The men try to romance the gorgeous neighbors, played by Maclaine and Malone, throughout this period.

Tashlin got his feet wet directing Looney Tunes. He took on Artists and Models because Lewis’s character is a cartoonist. Tashlin added several gags that are still funny today.

Adult Themed Movies

Up until now, all Martin and Lewis movies were family-oriented. Artists and Models is an adult movie with all the sexual innuendos. Particular female characters wear revealing costumes. Malone is scantily clad in a towel that the studio allowed in one scene.

“I have been in the business for fifty-five years, and I have never to this day seen an act get more laughs than Martin and Lewis. They didn’t get laughs—it was pandemonium. People knocked over tables.” Alan King

Bucktooth Professor

The Nutty Professor is ingenious and nothing like the Jerry Lewis Telethon. Mr. Hyde’s theme, Dr. Jekyll, shines as a genuine comedy classic. Then, there is a love story, which makes it all the more adorably funny. The movie showcases Lewis’s mercurial comedic range. He plays a ridiculous bucktooth professor with exaggerated low self-confidence.

Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor

“I never tell an audience what they can expect. I never have, and I never will.” Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis, Good Looking Man

Stella Stevens plays one of his students and arouses his curiosity as Miss Purdy. The professor tackles his interest in Miss Purdy by stumbling on a potion. The potion changes him into a more than usually arrogant but good-looking man. He is no longer the sensitive professor that Miss Purdy so adores.

The Nutty Professor with Jerry Lewis

“Nothing can stop anyone who has a love and passion about their work.” Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis in his prime.

Fantastic and Hilarious Comedian

I enjoy watching DVDs occasionally and appreciate the amusing entertainment. It streams at various outlets and includes hilarious bloopers, deleted scenes, and other outtakes. The disc package also contains recordings of Jerry Lewis’s phone calls. It was a rare find that brought me to tears because I laughed so hard – bizarre and hilarious. The recordings on the CD are Lewis’s private prank calls, which he secretly recorded.

Stella Stevens is Dynamite

A storyline with a wide range of comedic talent, Jerry Lewis is not only a goofy bucktooth professor, but he turns on the charm as an arrogant, handsome genetic afterthought. Stella Stevens is a dynamite actress, an innocent young lady, and holds her own with Lewis’s mercurial acting. One of his students, Miss Purdy, played by Stevens, draws his attention as she becomes interested in him. As the professor, he stumbles on a potion that can change his genetics into an overly arrogant-looking man who lacks the one thing that wins Purdy over.

“The greatest thing I can remember in my whole career was the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey clowns asking me to appear with them at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1965. “— Jerry Lewis

Top “Fifty Shades of Grey” Trilogy Movie Scenes

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With film clips available, you can pick your favorite scene in the movie.

The movie scenes between Christian and Anastasia in Fifty Shades of Grey are hot. Let’s take a look.

Fifty Shades of Grey Started as a Blog

The story is about two people who fall in love and share a dangerous relationship. Christian and Anastasia endure an erotic bond that Christian dominates. Anastasia is overwhelmed by it all and tries to end the relationship.

In the second book, Fifty Shades Darker, we find out why Christian still enjoys inflicting pain on his women. He struggles with his demons, but Ana loves him and confronts his anger.

She’s even bold enough to confront the other women in his past.

In the third book, Fifty Shades Freed, they become married, and Ana gains more independence while Christian struggles with letting her be free.

The three movies based on the books were released in theaters on Valentine’s Day to capture the romantic spirit of the holiday. I’m delighted to share some of my favorite movie clips.

If you’ve seen these films, you know how intense these scenes can get.

Before we start on the hottest scenes from the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, let’s talk about the best trailer.

Best Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy Movie Trailer

Fifty Shades Darker is the second film in the trilogy. The trailer for this movie is by far the best of all three. The music and editing cuts indicate all the qualities that made the book series highly successful.

9 Hottest Scenes from the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy

E.L. James wrote Fifty Shades of Grey as a blog while at work. And readers loved it, so she wrote more and published the first book. It became a whopping success, so she wrote another book. The second book was a huge success, and the story became a trilogy.

Now, the three bestsellers are movies. The box office draw for each film was tremendous. Let’s look at some of the hottest scenes from the movies.

“I don’t know whether to worship at your feet or spank the living shit out of you.” E.L. James, “Fifty Shades of Grey”

Two Hottest Scenes Fifty Shades of Grey

These two scenes show how closely the trilogy’s first film followed the book. Though one clip is seven minutes long, it’s worth watching.

3. Anastasia Takes Charge

This clip shows how Anastasia is no longer the naive young woman she was in the first movie, Fifty Shades of Grey.

Here we see her willing to banter with Christian and have a little fun.

“I wasn’t aware we were fighting. I thought we were communicating.” E.L. James, “Fifty Shades Darker”

4. The Vanilla Relationship

I’m impressed with Jamie Dornan. His acting is believable as a struggling Christina who doesn’t want to lose the only woman he ever truly loved.

Still, this is a silly scene, done differently, and more appealing for people who find it hard to believe in such a relationship.

5. “He Let’s You Call Him by His Name”

I remember reading this scene in the book. I thought the writing told the story well, and it kept me glued to the pages.

Christian ruined the girl, showing the adverse effects a dominating relationship can cause. This storyline also shows how strong and caring Ana is and how she wouldn’t put up with such domination from Christian.

6. “Get Your Hands Off My Husband”

I like this scene because it is refreshing to see Ana tell this woman, “Get your hands off my husband.”

I remember reading this part in the third book and thinking, “Boy, Anastasia sure has grown into a strong woman.” And I wondered if Christian was still faithful to his wife.

7. “Oh, I Am So Sorry”

This scene sold the third movie, Fifty Shades Darker. The actors feel more comfortable around each other and are having fun.

This scene is too sweet for my taste. I don’t remember it being in the book, and the screenplay is by Niall Leonard. Leonard is married to E.L. James, and they have two children.

8. “Would You Change Your Name for Me?”

The movie clip is a good scene because it shows the fans how their relationship has grown into a give-and-take.

I scratch your back. You scratch my back. Ana needs to prove herself, and Christian is giving her the opportunity. But at what cost?

“God, I’m a lucky son of a bitch.” – Christian Grey from E.L. James “Fifty Shades Freed”

9. Dornan’s Naked Back

This movie clip shows us the old Christian. He surprises her but places a mask on her face. It seems romantic, but different when Ana initiates a romantic interlude.

There is tension in the scene – foreboding. With that, I sure do like all these movie clips showing Jamie Dornan’s naked back. His back is in perfect shape. Don’t you think?

I hope you have enjoyed my favorite scenes from all three Fifty Shades of Grey movies.

Please feel free to comment and tell me which ones are your favorites.

Check out all three films at Amazon.


Photo

With film clips available, you can pick your favorite scene in the movie.
With film clips available, you can pick your favorite scene in the movie.

Text

Started as a Blog, Three Books, Then Three Movies

The story is about two people who fall in love and share a dangerous relationship. Christian and Anastasia endure an erotic bond that Christian dominates. Anastasia is overwhelmed by it all and tries to end the relationship.

In the second book, Fifty Shades Darker, we find out why Christian still enjoys inflicting pain on his women. He struggles with his demons, but Ana loves him and confronts his anger.

She’s even bold enough to confront the other women in his past.

In the third book, Fifty Shades Freed, they become married, and Ana gains more independence while Christian struggles with letting her be free.

The three movies based on the books were released in theaters on Valentine’s Day to capture the romantic spirit of the holiday. I’m delighted to share some of my favorite movie clips.

If you’ve seen these films, you know how intense these scenes can get.

Text

Best “Fifty Shades of Grey” Trilogy Movie Trailer

Before we start on the hottest scenes from the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, let’s talk about the best trailer.

Fifty Shades Darker is the second film in the trilogy. The trailer for this movie is by far the best of all three. The music and editing cuts indicate all the qualities that made the book series highly successful.

Text

9 Hottest Scenes from the “Fifty Shades of Grey” Trilogy

E.L. James wrote Fifty Shades of Grey as a blog while at work. And readers loved it, so she wrote more and published the first book. It became a whopping success, so she wrote another book. The second book was a huge success, and the story became a trilogy.

Now, the three bestsellers are movies. The box office draw for each film was tremendous. Let’s look at some of the hottest scenes from the movies.

Text

1. and 2. Hottest Scenes “Fifty Shades of Grey”

These two scenes show how closely the trilogy’s first film followed the book. Though one clip is seven minutes long, it’s worth watching.

Video

Video

Text

3. Anastasia Takes Charge

This clip shows how Anastasia is no longer the naive young woman she was in the first movie, Fifty Shades of Grey.

Here we see her willing to banter with Christian and have a little fun.

Photo

Callout

“I don’t know whether to worship at your feet or spank the living shit out of you.”— E.L. James,

Text

4. The Vanilla Relationship

I watch this scene, and I’m impressed with Jamie Dornan. His acting is believable as a struggling Christina who doesn’t want to lose the only woman he ever truly loved.

Still, this is a silly scene, done differently, and more appealing for people who find it hard to believe in such a relationship.

Text

5. “He Let’s You Call Him by His Name”

I remember reading this scene in the book. I thought the writing told the story well, and it kept me glued to the pages.

Christian ruined the girl, showing the adverse effects a dominating relationship can cause. This storyline also shows how strong and caring Ana is and how she wouldn’t put up with such domination from Christian.

Callout

“I wasn’t aware we were fighting. I thought we were communicating.”— E.L. James,

Photo

Text

6. “Get Your Hands Off My Husband”

I like this scene because it is refreshing to see Ana tell this woman, “Get your hands off my husband.”

I remember reading this part in the third book and thinking, “Boy, Anastasia sure has grown into a strong woman.” And I wondered if Christian was still faithful to his wife.

Text

7. “Oh, I Am So Sorry”

This scene sold the third movie, Fifty Shades Darker. The actors feel more comfortable around each other and are having fun.

This scene is too sweet for my taste. I don’t remember it being in the book, and the screenplay is by Niall Leonard. Leonard is married to E.L. James, and they have two children.

Text

8. “Would You Change Your Name for Me?”

The movie clip is a good scene because it shows the fans how their relationship has grown into a give-and-take.

I scratch your back. You scratch my back. Ana needs to prove herself, and Christian is giving her the opportunity. But at what cost?

Photo

Callout

“God, I’m a lucky son of a bitch.” – Christian Grey— E.L. James,

Text

9. Dornan’s Naked Back

This movie clip shows us the old Christian. He surprises her but places a mask on her face. It seems romantic, but different when Ana initiates a romantic interlude.

There is tension in the scene – foreboding. With that, I sure do like all these movie clips showing Jamie Dornan’s naked back. His back is in perfect shape. Don’t you think?

Text

I hope you have enjoyed my favorite scenes from all three Fifty Shades of Grey movies.

Please feel free to comment and tell me which ones are your favorites.

Amazon

Fifty Shades of Grey / Fifty Shades Darker / Fifty Shades Freed (3-Movie Collection)

Fifty Shades of Grey / Fifty Shades Darker / Fifty Shades Freed (3-Movie Collection)

 Buy Now

Poll

Which movie in the trilogy do you like the best?

  • Fifty Shades of Grey
  • Fifty Shades Darker
  • Fifty Shades Freer

See results

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Making of “Fifty Shades Freed” Behind The Scenes

You get to see what the production crew and actors do while shooting on location in the South of France. Does it break the fantasy story by seeing how the film is made?

Text

“Fifty Shades Darker” and “Freed” With Jack Hyde

Another final treat is the featurette about Jack Hyde’s character in the last two Fifty Shades of Grey films.

Did any of you like the scenes with Jack Hyde? The story is about Ana and Christian, but Jack arrives and plays the villain. He is gorgeous.

The costume designer talks about his looks and how she dressed him for the movie. Watch the movie clip, and see if you thought some of his scenes were at the same level as Ana and Christian’s.

The scene when Jack grabs Ana is scary but hot.

Amazon

Another “Fifty Shades” Movie?

Is there a fourth Fifty Shades movie? From the looks of it, probably not. E.L. James wrote three books since the Grey, Darker and Freed trilogy.

They tell the same story from Christian’s perspective, not Ana’s. It works in literature but not in film since it’s the same story.

The trilogy has Ana telling the story, and the reader knows the story from her perspective, not Christian’s. But in the film, we see Christian and Ana objectively, so it’s like seeing both views. Making a movie from Christian’s perspective is unlike the Fifty Shades movies. It’s like making the same movie again.

Doran has even said he doesn’t see himself playing Grey anymore because he’s too old.

Marcia Gay Harden, who played Christian’s adoptive mother, won’t mind returning for another go at being a Grey.

Christian Tells His Story by E.L. James

In Fifty Shades as told by Christian Grey, read the trilogy from Grey’s prespective. He’s dominant in all ways. Ana, innocent and timid, seems to understand him completely—beyond his career and rich lifestyle to his dispassionate, damaged emotions. But Christian is aware that a relationship with Ana will be a challenge, and they will face unforeseen problems. When their combined power seems unbeatable, adversity, evil, and destiny turn Ana and Christian’s worst nightmares real.

“The Lover,” Review

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Coming from the semi-autobiographical novel by bestselling author Marguerite Duras and directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, The Lover (L’amant) special edition Blu-ray and DVD release of the 1993 Oscar-nominated and Cesar Award-winning film has hit the streets on its 30th anniversary.

The movie follows a fifteen-year-old French girl, played by Jane March. She returns to Saigon in 1930, where she attends an all-girls boarding school. On her way, a handsome and wealthy Chinese man, played by Tony Leung Ka Kai, of a respectable family, offers her a lift in his shiny black limo.

A passionate affair begins against her family’s disgust. The man becomes alienated from his family because they have selected his bride already. Against the conventions of society, the lustful pair continue their passionate affair, intensifying the attraction with the illicit nature of their rendezvous.

It starts with groping in the limo’s backseat and grows to nightly undertakings at his bachelor pad. Interestingly, the names of the young girl and wealthy man are never said. Slowly and eventually, their relationship disintegrates, and the man slides down into an opium-induced haze and unreturned love.

Many tastefully lit sex scenes allow little room for imagination, including Annaud’s skilled camera work, lingering delicately on the flesh. The paedophiliac situation sidesteps the moral nuances while using sensitivity. Today, the industry may frown even more profound on the issue.

March, a newcomer at the filming, comes across as photogenic and sultry. The character seems detached but amused.

Annaud’s brilliant direction takes in the vibrant scenery to divert from the senseless and gratuitous romantic scenes.

The release includes special features: Special collector’s media book packaging, Two-disc set, Original trailer.

Thank you, Empire, for more information about the production.

“Corridor of Mirrors” Compromises Past Life Obsession

fantasy, horror, romance, suspense, thriller

Directed by Terence Young, Corridor of Mirrors is a 1948 film based on a book by Chris Massie. It appears Massie may be best known for his novel “Pity My Simplicity,” which was also adapted into a 1945 movie, Love Letters, starring Jennifer Jones.

Corridor of Mirrors is Young’s directorial debut. He’s best known for kicking off the James Bond franchise by directing the first two Bond movies, Dr. No and From Russia with Love. His last Bond movie was Thunderball. Additionally, he directed Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna in Wait Until Dark.

Edana Romney and Rudolph Cartier adapted Massie’s book for the screen. The script was a vehicle to showcase Romney’s talent and launch her career, which never took off, though she spent her later years writing a screenplay about the life of Richard Burton.

On the other hand, Eric Portman as Paul Mangin is impressive. His movie credits include A Canterbury Tales, The Golden Mask and The Bedford Incident. If you’re a Prisoner fan, he played Number Two.

With Young’s gothic horror, romantic melodrama and film noir, the movie held my attention despite the weak storyline. In fact, the remastered quality of the Cohen Film Collection’s Blu-ray makes the cinematic images fascinating. Watching Young’s camera work with low then high angles that include the striking contrast of the cinematography of Andre Thomas was a marvel.

The story follows Mangin as a contemporary artist obsessed with the Renaissance lifestyle and art. He wears clothes from the era and rides around in a hansom cab. He meets the stunning Mifanwy, and they become lovers. Even though she is married, Mangin becomes possessed with the idea that the two of them are past life lovers from the Renaissance. In their past life, they were married, but the relationship ended tragically. Mifanwy is mesmerized into thinking his fantasy is accurate, and she goes behind the corridor of mirrors in his mansion, where the fantasy begins. She dresses up in Renaissance gowns made by Mangin.

The fundamental problem with this movie is visualizing spiritual connections because such an occurrence is invisible to the naked eye. Though Young uses mirrors, angles and melodrama to help, it’s a challenging subject to film. Kenneth Branagh mastered it in his 1991 Dead Again with a clever twist at the end. As a matter of fact, Albert Lewin tried an earlier film in 1950 with Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, which bettered Corridor of Mirrors.

The movie is worth seeing for those who’d like to see a suspense thriller that borderlines horror. Note that this movie is Christopher Lee’s film debut, playing Charles.

Thank you, Blu-ray Down Low, IMDB and Theater Byte, Good Reads, for providing information.

All-Girl Skateboard Movie – Skate Kitchen

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Co-written and directed by Crystal Moselle as her first narrative feature, Skate Kitchen, follows an introverted teenage skateboarder named Camille, played by Rachelle Vinberg. She is from Long Island and meets and befriends an all-girl skateboarding group. The group is New York City-based called Skate Kitchen.

Moselle mentions in an interview, “I was originally going to do a feature documentary film, but after doing the short, and hanging out with Kim Yutani, who is one of the programmers at Sundance, she was just like, ‘Why don’t you do a feature version of this?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re so right.’ I figured out a writer to work with. That January, we didn’t have a script or anything. We kind of just had a summary of what we wanted it to be. We went to Sundance and just started having meetings and financiers, and got the budget.”

In the movie, Camille becomes part of the in-crowd, and estranges from her mother, and falls for a mysterious skateboarder guy named Devon, played by Jaden Smith. Yet, their relationship proves to be trickier to navigate than mastering her skateboarding tricks.

Smith knew Vinberg before they worked on the movie together. They met on social media because Smith saw that Vinberg was a skateboarder and reached out to her. Moselle explains, “One day he hit Rachelle Vinberg up on Instagram! He just thought she was cool because she skateboards and he skateboards and we were like, ‘Oh, he should be in the movie.’ I randomly know his agent, so I was just like, ‘I have this film idea that Jaden might be into,’ so his agent got me a meeting completely separate from Rachelle. And it was months after that. And then I showed him the short film and he was like, ‘Oh I know that girl.’ We wanted his character to really authentically lead into the subculture of New York City skateboarding.

According to production notes, Moselle immersed herself in the lives of the skater girls and worked closely with them giving authenticity to the movie. “I was on the train and I was listening to them just chat, and they were super interesting and they had skateboards, and I asked them, “Would you guys want to do like a video project, something?” We exchanged numbers and when we met up, we just started hanging out and chatting. I just was super inspired by them. I didn’t really know much about being a female skater and how much intimidation they go through. I gave them the opportunity to do this short film with Miu Miu (That One Day) and I pitched them to do the short film. That went to the Venice Film Festival. From there it started to get a lot of attention and gain a lot of traction.”

The movie is gripping and combines poetic, atmospheric cinematography with spellbinding skating sequences. The movie captured my interest because, though I am not a skateboarder, I follow skateboarding movies. The experience of women in male-dominated sport tells the story of a girl who learns the importance of true friendship, loyalty, and self-discovery.

The rest of the cast members are Dede Lovelace, Nina Moran, Kabrina Adams, Ajani Russell, Jules Lorenzo, Brenn Lorenzo, Hisham Tawfiq, and Elizabeth Rodriguez.

The other screenwriters are Aslihan Unaldi and Jennifer Silverman. Moselle offered some insight on working with Unaldi. “There was a certain point in time where we had to shift the story and simplify it a lot more and Aslihan Unaldi came in and worked on it every day for like three months. We completely re-shifted the whole thing. She was really my collaborator on this, but it was all my ideas, and I wrote a lot of the script. I’ve never written a script before and we had to make this happen so quickly, because we had to shoot this film before these girls grew up, because right now they’re already too old for the film.”

 

The Dance Academy: The Comeback

dance, drama, romance, , , , , , , ,

My daughter is a dancer with 10 years of ballet and over five years of jazz and tap. She is familiar with Dance Academy series from Australia and has watched a few episodes in her high school dance class. She says the dancing is really good in the series, but the storyline and acting are a bit cheesy. Still, the series has been nominated twice for an Emmy, so it does have some merit. Now, there is a major motion picture based on the series with the same characters and original members of the series.

Directed by Jeffrey Walker, Dance Academy: The Comeback follows the same characters as they work hard to achieve their dreams in the world of competitive dance.  Like the series, if you love ballet or dance, you will love this movie. It is very similar to the series because it starts off 18 months later from where they left off in the series.

The story follows the dancers Tara, Ben, Christian, Kat, and Abigail as they support each other pursuing their dreams in New York City.  I found myself cheering for Tara while still stressing over her injury, hoping she doesn’t injure herself again.

The dancers are older, so the movie deals adult situations like fatal illness, romantic relationships, and dealing with a difficult career choice. If you haven’t seen the television series, the movie will still hold its own, but it helps to know the dancers’ background stories from the series.

The movie has the original dancers such as Xenia Goodwin, Thomas Lacey, Keiynan Lonsdale, Alicia Banit, Dena Kaplan, and Jordan Rodrigues – along with some new faces, including Miranda Otto and Nic Westaway.

The DVD offers special features including behind-the-scenes glimpses, as well as cast interviews about their characters. The extras include 3 Words, Filming the Stage, The Choreographers, Shooting in NYC, and Resilience & Mentors.

Sunset Song

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sunsetsongSunset Song, directed by Terence Davies, follows Chris Guthrie, played steadily by Agyness Deyn, beginning with her in school, where she and her classmates are struggling in a French language class. Soon she meanders along as we get know her family, clearly, a struggle with her beloved mom, played heart-wrenchingly by Daniela Nardini, and her grumpy dad, played solidly by Peter Mullan.

Patently, her mother is not in a nurturing relationship, and her father is abusive with her and his eldest son, Will, played to the hilt by Jack Greenlees. Will longs to leave home because he is fed up with being abused and bossed around by his dad.  The movie meanders more with beautiful scenes of the Scottish land while Chris suffers through hardships. But, she is strong and gets through each poignant moment because the land she lives on never oppressions her and is always there supporting her no matter what tragedy she goes through.

Having Scottish decedents, I wanted to see this movie set in Scotland during the turn of the century and in the shadow of World War I. Sunset Song is the coming of age story of Chris as we follow her through personal hardships. Eventually, Chris is left alone to tend to the family farm and fend for herself against their abusive father, who eventually dies. Believing she finally found happiness, Chris marries Ewan, played intuitively by Kevin Guthrie, who enlists in the army to fight in The Great War, leaving Chris to tend to the family farm by herself. Ewan returns on leave and the brief reunion is not romantic but coarse and hard to bear. Yet, Chris stays strong and tends the farm after Ewan goes back to the front lines in France.

A tale of steadfast resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity. Yet, the meandering feel of the movie is the irony to the story. Such tranquility in the land but harsh injustice in society. Davies direction pulls it off well.

With cinematography by Michael McDonough, the movie looks more than just visually appealing from start to finish. McDonough captures the tone and era along with the heartache and loss of The Great War.

The movie is based on one of Scotland’s most cherished and notable novels in the last century.  A look at six years in the life of a peasant farm family before and just after the bloodshed of World War I. Life was severe, markedly for the women, who had no control over their destiny. The movie is worth seeing if you want an honest Scottish story that wanders incrementally from hardship to hardship.  The dialogue is totally Scottish, so switch on the English subtitles if it bothers you or just set back and enjoy the movie.

In-Lawfully Yours

comedy, family, movies, romance, , , ,

front-artIn-Lawfully Yours, directed by Robert Kirbyson, is a Christian faith movie where the discovery of the joys of falling in love in unexpected places makes it an enchanting romantic comedy. The sweet and wholesome movie features talented, funny and seasoned actors like Chelsey Crisp, Marilu Henner, Corbin Bernsen, Phillip Boyd and Joe Williamson. The Dove Foundation has granted the film a 4 out of 5 rating and a faith-friendly seal for ages 12 and older.

The story follows Jesse, played by Crisp, who is a New York City girl. She knows how to be fun in a heartfelt way. You just like her, right way. And you feel for her when she finds out her husband Chaz, played honestly by Boyd, cheats on her and eventually divorces her. Still, Jesse stands by her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi played by Henner and graciously helps her pack up her home in small-town Bethel Cove.

This is where Crip’s acting talent shines. She plays Jesse as a big city girl with candid wit. Yet, the small town clashes with her eccentric questions about religion and offbeat behavior around the local community, including the town pastor Ben, played by Williamson. Ben also happens to be her ex-husband’s brother-in-law.

As the story unfolds, Ben and Jesse discover what they are both looking for — each other. But when they make their relationship public, Jesse’s ex-husband rallies the community against her and gets Ben fired from the church.  Jesse leaves Bethel Cove to bring peace to Ben’s situation and to hopefully find a place where she truly belongs, in spite of the fact that she can’t stop thinking about Ben.

The ending is really great and fun to watch, but I will not tell you what happens. You have to see for yourself, but it is worth watching.

Much of the filming of the movie took place on and around Regent’s Virginia Beach with nearly 80 graduate and undergraduate students working on the film. The DVD includes special behind-the-scenes features, highlighting the student filmmakers who helped bring this really fun movie to watch to the screen.