Yes, I'm still alive...

Reasons for my absence:

Reason #1. My internet has been slower than a snail carrying his shell, his mother's shell, his father's shell and his sister's shell all at once. So, I'm updating now because it's a lot faster than it was before, but I still can't watch videos or do other regular things I'd usually do on the internet.
Reason #2. I've had quite a bit of school work... which I have (failingly) been attempting to do.
Reason #3. I haven't really been bothered... but that's only because of the scarce amount of downloads I have in my possession, not because I don't love posting. =)

*sigh* Okay, well since that's out of the way, how's about I just post my new playlist? Never has music been so abundant in my life, so I think it quite appropriate to share with you the songs that are keeping me sane. Here they are:

Pain - Hollywood Undead
Somebody Help Me - Full Blown Rose
On My Own - Chrisette Michele
Headlock - Imogen Heap
Lothlorien - Enya
Memories - Within Temptation
O Death - Jen Titus
Get Away with Murder - Jeffree Star
Winter - Tori Amos
Hero - Regina Spektor
Living in a World Without You - The Rasmus
Running up that hill - Placebo (or Kate Bush)
You're gonna go far, Kid - The Offspring
The Importance of being Idle - Oasis
Moondance - Nightwish
*original* Gloomy Sunday - Rezso Seress
Cabaret - Liza Minelli
Pardonne moi ce caprice d'enfant - Mireille Mathieu
Someone Like You - Mercury City
Monster - Meg & Dia
Diary of Jane (acoustic version) - Breaking Benjamin
Macavity - Cats
Scarborough Fair - Hayley Westenra
Misery Loves Company - Emilie Autumn
Slow Me Down - Emmy Rossum
Love Song Requiem - Trading Yesterday
Don't You want Somebody to Love - Jefferson Airplane
Silence - Delirium featuring Sarah McLachlan
Stripped - Shiny Toy Guns
Old School Hollywood - System of a Down!

Over and out,
Nadine xx

But what is this, that I cant see
with ice cold hands taking hold of me.
When God is gone and the Devil takes hold,
who will have mercy on your soul?

MV of the week;

*warning: music video and review may contain spoilers*

I'm tired and I have a headache, so I shall speed through this is as quickly as I can... Apologies about the rushed post, yadda, yadda... Whatever, I'm just going to get right into the MV:

Remember how I posted about Alice in Wonderland a couple of blogs ago? Yeah, well today's MV is an AiW one. Surprise, surprise! not.

Anyway, the music video has been made by an exceedingly creative user named usedmisfit and she(?) claims that this loverly vidlet came out a bit... suckish. If this is suckish, my dear, then there is no such thing as a good fan-made music video. I absolutely lurve this MV and I want the rest of you to lurve it as well!

Now, I don't know about any of you, but a couple of my friends, and myself, left the IMAX theatre last Saturday complaining as to why Alice and The Hatter didn't hit it off. I thought about it for a while and then I realised that it really did appear that they were meant to be a couple, but the writer, who obviously didn't want to take any risks, backed out in the end. All I can say is... S O O K! and now, for all those who are like me, and were not happy with the sloppy, non-romantic ending, here is an MV that should give you your dose of the strange, yet awesome, couple of Hatter/Alice.


So, the video's concept really isn't that difficult to grasp. All it's about is basically Alice's relationship with Hatter, and the fondness they feel towards each other. The video focuses on whatever emotions are presented in the film and it mostly shows us the light, fluffy and... non-Scottish part of the Mad Hatter, which is pretty much the way he behaves when Alice is present. It's kind of hard for me to talk about the emotional side of the MV, since the film itself focused a lot more on the visuals, rather than the characters or... anything else for that matter.

Onto a more technical aspect of this vidlet, the colours are what really drew me into this MV and they're, pretty much, what made me want to review it. The tone of this video is quite dark and it mostly transitions from grey scale, to high contrasted toning and a heavy use of shadowing. What I really liked was the small (and very quick) inclusion of Alice's visit to the Hatter as a child, which was presented in the original colour of the scene, but had an increase in contrast tone. The juxtaposition between this scene and the Alice returns tea party scene, is that the latter is presented in a darker tone, with a heavier use of shadowing like the rest of the MV. This could signify the change achieved as time goes by. I personally don't really know what the overall dark toning of the MV symbolises, but I'm guessing that it signifies the impracticality of Hatter and Alice's relationship, therefore adding a sense of melancholy to the video.

The quick fading from sketch to sketch is really, what I think, keeps the viewers eyes glued to the monitor. The cutting and editing is simply magnificent and really presents the user's skill as an editor. I loved the fast pace of the video and the change of tempo in the scenes. I don't know if this is my imagination or not, but I could've sworn that I may have seen a bit of stop motion in there... or maybe that's just me going insane. ANYWAY, the song used also causes the viewer to feel a sense of sympathy towards our maddest Hatter. Flowers For a Ghost by Thriving Ivory really relates to the Hatter's struggle to gain Alice's affection, specifically through the repetition of the lyrics I'm only human. This possibly hints at the user trying to say that perhaps Hatter is not capable of gaining Alice's love, due to the fact that he is different, lives in a strange world and is fucked up mentally. Therefore, the video could represent the Hatter's hidden plea for affection.

In conclusion, chances are that I'm delving too deep into the meaning of this vidlet, but regardless, I give this MV 5 out of 5, only because it is magnificent and I can watch it over and over again without getting bored. Anyway, I hope that you all like this one. 'Tis short, but very satisfying:


Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it. Peace,
Nadine xx

Sharlto Copley...

... is officially my new (dream) lover.


Now, if you haven't seen District 9, you probably haven't heard of this little blessing to the art of acting. He may not be hot or handsome in that irritating conventional sense, but the guy improvised his whole role in that monument of a film.

I M P R O V I S E D... his whole bloody role.

and he was pretty brilliant to top it off, so that alone makes this man sex on legs. Not to mention that he's South African, so the accent makes him even more adorable. Anyway, I firmly believe that this film, and specifically this actor, were both robbed of well deserved Oscars. I personally thought that D9 knocked Avatar into frilly cotton socks. 'Twas much better made, and ten times more original as well as innovative.

Favourite line of the film: "I Would Neva Have any kind of Pornographic Activity With a-a- Fokkin' Creature!"

LOL! The guy is class, and if you happen to miss him in District 9, fear not, for he shall be starring in the remake of the famous 80's tv show The A-Team. Not a big fan of it myself, but I feel obliged to see it since our dear Sharlto plays a significant role.

Thanks for reading! Over and out,
Nadine xx

MV of the week;

(warning: today's video is quite raunchy. viewer discretion needed.)

*cries* I don't even think this counts anymore, in reason of it being so lately posted. But, I shall try to redeem myself through making things a little bit different just this once.

So, today's MV review is not only going to differ from the rest, but I think I shall also make it a bit shorter (sorry!) due to this case of influenza which is just killing my life as we speak.

Anyway, so the music video I have belatedly picked is literally a music video belonging to a major record label artist. Yep, that's right. It is not an MV made by an amateur YouTube user. However, even though I've picked an actual MV this week, I probably won't do it again, due to the fact that I have rarely loved a mainstream video hit as much as this one.

The video I've chosen is Lady Gaga's new MV for her song Telephone featuring Ms. Beyonce Knowles. I've been a fan of the song for a couple of months now, but this video has doubled my love for it. Now, I know that Lady Gaga likes making intentionally strange MVs which basically say 'I'm trying so hard to be innovative', but this one really hits the spot for me, despite the fact that I'm not a huge fan of her's.

Everything about it is pretty cool, but what's mostly awesome about the MV is the mood of it, which reflects the atmosphere of a Thelma & Louise-like film, but is executed in a more retro and cheesy manner. This is done through the intensionally terrible acting and bright colours. Example: The scene where The Gaganator and Ms. Knowles are driving away from prison in their PussyWagon and Gaga says You know what they say: Once you kill a cow, you gotta make a burger. Gaga then slowly proceeds to subtly look at the camera, clarifying how nonsensical the saying really is through her blank facial expression.

The MV is very much in the style of Gaga, rather then the MV for Video Phone which was very Beyonce. This is evident through the retro dance routines, the crazy (yet fab) outfits, the abundant amount of skin shown, the strange/unidentifiable meaning of the video and, of course, the use of poison. My fave scenes in this MV are pretty much all the dance routines, which are done in the Diner, the kitchen and in jail. The dance moves are pretty good (coming from someone who can't dance for crap) and they were also quite funny, especially the kitchen scene. I also specifically LOLed at the dikey intelligence officer who, as Gaga left prison, was browsing through a dating site called PlentyofFish.com. ROFLCOPTER! Oh and another funny bit was the CookNKill, 'how to make poison' scene, which was pretty much Cooking Mama in Lady Gaga form.

In conclusion, it's a really funny and artistic video which merges awesome costumes, bright colours and raunchy scenes into the mix. I give it a 4.5 out of 5, due to the fact that it's a bit too long for your average MV (9:32). I'd just like to mention that Beyonce looks exceedingly hot in this vid, whilst Lady Gaga is quite meh... Yeah, she scares me just a tad. Anyway, I have tons more to say about this MV, buy I really can't be bothered, therefore I shall just let the vid do the talking (even though you've all probably seen it already):


Overall, I hope you all liked it! Peace,
Nadine xx

Alice in Wonderland;

*warning: this post may contain spoilers*

So, Saturday afternoon we celebrated Angela's 17th birthday (who I'd like to wish happy b'day to again). We had quite the ball. Lindt cafe, photos, opening of presents... but the most magical thing about yesterday was not only seeing Angela so happy, but also undoubtedly Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland'. Believe me when I say that this film was a ride of flamboyant, unadulterated and insane fun!

Now, I am very well aware of the fact that this film is quite heavily criticised and I can see where you're all coming from. All the critics say that 3D took all the glory, it focused too much on the visual effects, the script was horrible, Mia Wasikowska was exceedingly wooden and it was just lacking overall substance. Although I do agree with the fact that the screenplay was a bit weak at times and that some of Mia's lines were a bit forced (I still couldn't help but love her), I however slightly disagree with all the other complaints. The overrated use of 3D, in my opinion, did not add anything new to the film for me and I believe that I would have loved it equally had I seen it without the slightly irritating Bandersnatch spit flying at me.

I agree that the film had an abundance of visual effects (which made this film a CGI milestone), but you can't argue that the film relied on visuals too much. Dude, Lewis Carroll's original story was, pretty much, all imagery and I think that Burton did do the right thing through using such astonishing special effects. No one complained about the animated visuals in the 1951 Disney version, so why this one?

Okay, finally, do I think that it lacked overall substance? Quite franky, I think that story-wise, it was missing something. I just felt like not much happened throughout the duration of the story and that Alice's adventure ended a bit too soon, but it still wasn't enough to dissatisfy me.

Oh and I'd just like to say to all those who claim that they hated the film because it wasn't what they expected: Heck, it wasn't what I expected either (despite the fact that I had seen the trailer 50 billion times)! For example, I went in there seceretly knowing that our dear Alice was going to get hit on, but I thought it was going to be done by the Mad Hatter... NOT THE KNAVE OF FUCKING HEARTS! Crispin Glover, as much as I idolise you, that was just damn... (negatively) creepy ("I like... largeness").

But, yeah. In conclusion, I really liked this film. There were, however, some aspects that almost ruined it for me. These include:

- The 'Futterwhacking' (Tim Burton, what were you thinking?)
- Anne Hathaway's impersonation of Jack Sparrow
- Some of the lines
and
- The ending

But, where there is negativity there is usually (at least a bit of) positivity. Aspects of the film which won my love included:

- Johnny Depp randomly putting on a Scottish brogue
- Helena Bonham-Carter's role as The Red Queen
- Stephen Fry as THE CHESIRE CAT (I want that fucker for Christmas)
- The uh-mazing visual effects
- Danny Elfman's ingenious music
- THE COSTUMES!
and
- The Jabberwocky who swallowed Christopher Lee

But overall, it satisfied me. It really did please me to the point where I actaully went and saw it again with my mum and brother. They also quite liked it, except they claimed that it wasn't Burton's best... Well, duh. With films like Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish and Sleepy Hollow of course this isn't his best yet... but it was lovely to watch and the visuals were deffs Tim Burtonesque... The Story, on the other hand... yeah, I think Disney may have had some part in that, but that's just my opinion.

Anyway, I give it about 4 out of 5, just because it's mainly a fun film which doesn't require you to use your mind (thank Christ). On the contrary, I think that you have to have a few screws loose to really appreciate the imagery and nature of this film... I certainly did.

Lewis Carroll, I believe, would be quite happy with the manner in which Burton has envisioned his Wonderland. Not sure what he'd think about the fluffy story, but I do reckon that he'd simply adore the set and the adaptation of his characters.


Okay, so go see it with a bunch of friends or possibly your family, and that is it from me. Over and out, betches.
Nadine xx

P.s. Thank you to Grace Field for the photo. =)

you touch my tralala;

I was present when she got stalked by a long-haired Albino man in Eastwood.
Isn't she sexay?

Nadine xx

T h e O s c a r s !

What did you all think?

Words cannot describe how glad I am that Avatar didn't win. Nothing against the film, I do admit that it was visually mind-blowing, but I thought there were better films within the category (The Hurt Locker (Y), District 9, Inglourious Basterds, etc). I do, however, believe that Avatar did very much deserve the Best Achievement in Visual Effects award. =)



Now, onto the acting... Why didn't Meryl win? The woman's been nominated 16 times, and she's only ever won Best Actress in a Leading role once. Not to mention that she won it in 1982. Sandra Bullock... I don't know, I haven't seen the film, but from some of the snippets I've seen, she didn't really seem all that great. Solid. But not fabulous. Meh... All I know is that it would've been nice to see Meryl win again.



I could care less about Jeff Bridges, quite frankly. He seems a bit insane, which is pretty cool, but I haven't seen enough of him, therefore I'm not very familiar with his acting. But from what I've heard, he's pretty decent... I still wanted Colin Firth to win. Reasons? No, I haven't seen the film, but it's Colin fucking Firth and he deserves to win everything. I rest my case.



Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique won that, right? Yeah, I haven't seen that film either, but just watching the trailer makes me want to punch her in the schnoz... So in conclusion, I suppose she did play her role well, due to the fact that she does a convincing fucked up Harlem mother... and this judgement is merely from someone who watched the trailer and a couple of featurettes. I rock, kay?



Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor! That was probably the only win I was truly happy about all night! He really did deserve it and I personally believe that his speech was the best, as he seemed to be very sincere and heart felt. Not only did he win an Oscar, but he was also offered a BJ at one of the after-parties, which he apparently LOLed at... LMFAO. Anyway, Congrats man, oh and I like the fact that he's thinned out his beard. I'm not a huge fan of the bearded look. =(



Though I wasn't a big fan of a majority of the nominees last night, I loved some of the tributes they put together. The John Hughes tribute was awesome, as they included a lot of films which I love, as well as grew up with (Home Alone, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, etc...) and I believed that it was a very fitting memoriam for him. The Horror Tribute was also pretty darn awesome, because I love horror films and all of my fave horror classics were in there... and then they included that random scene from New Moon. Major WTF moment.

But, overall, it was a typical Oscar night. Some deserved to win, some didn't and some films that should have been nominated for at least one category, weren't in there at all. Examples are The Road and Public Enemies. I was certain that Johnny or Viggo would get at least a nomination. =(

Anyway, I'm going to go have a cry about the fact that neither of these sensational actors have ever won an Oscar... and possibly procrastinate a bit more.

Over and out,
Nadine xx

P.S: Even though I'm not a huge fan of hers, I do think that Sandra Bullock was best dressed. =)

MV of the week;

Second post today! I should really be studying, but I just can't concentrate... Sucks to be me, huh?

Anyway, as promised before, I have finally decided to post my MV of the week and, let me tell you, it was quite a tough choice, as I had three pretty sensational vids to pick from... all made by the same user. DUN, DUN, DUN.

Okay, well, the user who's video I have chosen to review this week is named catemonster and she(?) vids quite a variety of fandoms, including the likes of Lost, Harry Potter, Final Fantasy and many others. She's also an exceedingly skilled editor and to watch her videos is quite a delight for me.

Okay, so, the MV I have chosen out of all of catemonster's splendid works is an... INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS fanvid!

As a few of you may know, I fell in love with this film after watching it! It was just so delightfully Tarantino. Violence, gore, black comedy, ingenious dialogue and not to mention that it's the guy's first war film EVAR. But, anyway, in a nutshell: Quentin did good. He did damn good... as he usually does.

Well... back to the video: I sincerely apologise to those who want to see an MV purely made for the film, as it's not really a tribute to the film itself but more so, one of the characters. So... can you guess which character?

No, you love-blinded, fan-girlish twats, it's not Brad Pitt... It's Colonel Hans Landa! Who you ask? You know, the evil, S-S, Jew-hunting man who kept chugging milk. Yeah, that guy.

Landa has been described by Tarantino as probably the best character he's ever written, which is kind of cool, as he is my favourite character in the film... besides Shoshanna, she's also pretty likeable.

This MV's purpose (I think) is to bring to life the character of Landa in a sort of satirical and ironic manner, yet at the same time, keep it quite relevent to the film's plotline and the original eccentric nature of the character. The vid's concept really isn't all that hard. All you have to do is follow the song's lyrics (which match his demeanour quite well) and you'll figure out what the user is aiming to acheive... which is pretty much presenting the greif Landa brings to our Basterdised heroes.

Anyway, onto a more technical note, the MV is rather rad as it shows the two sides of Landa through the colouring (well, that's how I interpret it). Full colour signifies Landa's persona from the outside, which is the charming, yet slightly quirky colonel. This is in contrast with the grayscale tone, which symbolises Landa's true identity as actually being a blood thirsty, psychotic and murdering scum... who also happens to be a Nazi.

The song is also an epicly epic addition to the video's... epicness. Gives You Hell by The All American Rejects is pretty much about, yep, you guessed, making someone's life hell. Examples of the song's cohesion with the film's plot, is the fact that characters such as Shoshanna experience hell everytime they see Landa. Plus, these lyrics, I think, really go well with his character: But truth be told; I miss you. And truth be told; I'm lying. I firmly believe that that phrase catches Landa's different persepectives wonderfully!

Anyway, I give this vid 4.5 out of 5, due to the fact that I didn't really have much to write about it and that it is pretty short... But overall, a very well-made MV, which presents to the viewer a great description of Landa's character without entirely spoiling the film. I personally thought that Christoph Waltz played this character to perfection and that he definitely did not have the right to look that sexy as a middle-aged Nazi. Overall, I hope Waltz wins the Oscar on Monday and... here is the MV for your own viewing:


Anyway, thanks for reading and wish me luck in my exams! Over and out,
Nadine xx

Jeffree is a Star;

I'm not really into the whole scene/emo kid crap.



BUT I do admit that Jeffree Star is an epic babe:


Isn't she absolutely stunning?
All her Hello Kitty and Gloomy Bear merchandise is on my wishlist.

Anyway, MV of the week blog shall be posted later today.
Nadine xx

Audrey Hepburn;

Yes, you fads. She deserves a post of her own:


Aren't Audrey and Gregory just the cutest? I think they should've made babies.
Anyway, Audrey Hepburn is pretty much my idol in every single way. She's poised, she's elegant, she's got a fabulous fashion sense and she's a rather decent actress. To be honest, it's not really her acting that makes me love her with such a depth, as I admittedly think that actresses such as Vivien Leigh, Bette Davis and Katherine Hepburn are far more superior. BUT, I still firmly believe she's a great actress and I don't think they'll ever cast a better Eliza Doolittle.

Overall, it's Audrey's charm and poise which really makes her my favourite 'Golden Age' Hollywood starlet. Not to mention that she's the lead in quite a few of my favourite films (Roman Holiday, Sabrina, My Fair Lady, War and Peace, etc...).

Well, that's it from me. I'm going to go lay my head down, due to the aftermath of the english exam I just had.
Over and out,
Nadine xx

I simply remember my favourite things...

... and then I don't feel so bad:








Such loverly images. They make me love life.
Now, back to studying...
Nadine xx

Loverly;

Yay for yet another day off school.

So, guess what? I've got a pretty bad case of influenza and my half yearly exams are in less than two days. How wonderful is that? Everything just seems to be going my way these days... Excuse me while I have a good cry.

Anyway, so I was reading/writing some legal studies notes (may it die) whilst listening to some horrible drill being operated by the obnoxious road workers outside and then all of a sudden, I hear this voice in my head, screaming: "That is the final straw! Begging your pardon while I go post a blog entry, as this is not working for me at all!"

Okay, so I didn't exactly say it like that, but I wanted to. =D

Now, onto a different note. The real reason why I'm posting today is to show you some pretty artworks I found on Deviantart yesterday. I coincidently came across this user named eireen who creates these exceedingly stunning graphic images, which take you into this dark world of enchanted forests, fallen angels, paganism and mythology. So, long story short: They are just darn loverly.

Well, I may be a tad bit weird to find them loverly, but here are some of them just to see what you think:










Aren't they uh-mazing?
Anyway, I highly recommend that you take a look at the rest of her gallery, as this is but a taste of her fabulous artworks! My favourite of these is The Queen of Hearts (4th from the top), mainly because it's such an avant garde take on the classic character.

OH, and I'd really love to wish one of my good friends, Angela, a happy birthday! She turns 17 today, and I think we should all sing for her:

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy birthday, dear Angela,
Happy Birthday to you!

Well, thanks for reading! Over and out.
Nadine xx