Carney's own Bogart and Bacall

Title: Once
Director: John Carney
Producer: Martina Niland
Writer: John Carney
Starring: Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova
Music By: Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, Interference
Distributer: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release Year: 2007



Once is a very simple story. Glen Hansard is "Guy" and Marketa Irglova is "Girl". Both of them are struggling musicians. The guy works at a "Hoover Fixer" shop (vacuums) that his father owns. When he isn't working there, he plays his guitar out in the street, leaving his case open for any caring donations. He plays covers in the daytime and saves his originals for the nighttime, since he feels that people don't care enough about hearing his songs to give him any money. One night, the girl stumbles upon the guy while he is playing his songs and starts up a conversation with him. What starts out as a guy helping out a girl with her broken vacuum begins to blossom into a great friendship and eventual romance. Together, with his guitar skills and songs and her piano skills, the two collaborate. Soon enough, they find the money that makes it possible to record the songs in a professional studio. They both have their own personal troubles, and end up finding consolation in each other.

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Ever since first hearing about Once at last years' Academy Awards, I've been waiting for the day when I would be able to see it. The film, budgeted at the small amount of $160,000, was the "dream-come-true" story at the ceremonies, taking home the Oscar for Best Original Song. Since then, I've seen the film in stores such as Barnes and Noble, but at too expensive a price. I was so excited when I found the film waiting for me on the shelf at the Broome County Public Library yesterday afternoon.

I really enjoyed this film. It's not very often that you come across one such as this. The story is very romantic and genuine, one that most likely will pull on anyone's heartstrings if they aren't too embarrassed to let it (obviously, I'm talking about the guys. Remember, the ones who are closet Notebook fans?). The film is a musical, but not in that typical musical fashion that you think of when you hear the word, with all the bright colors and crazy choreography. Not a musical that you would find Gene Kelly in, but one that he would most definitely approve of.

The film only cost $160,000 to make, and grossed in $14 million dollars (and that's only as of December 6th, 2007)! Hansard and Irglova are not professional actors, but professional musicians; this really helps in giving the film its genuine authenticity. All but one of the songs are written by the two musicians, with Hansard taking the cake for most of them. It's really great to watch the film and then get really excited about listening to the soundtrack. I once tried to listen to the soundtrack before seeing the film, but it didn't work for me. I recommend seeing before listening.

Director John Carney is the former bassist for Glen Hansard's band, The Frames. Originally, he intended to cast Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Red Eye, Batman Begins) for the guy role, but Murphy didn't like the idea of acting opposite non-actor Irglova and having to sing Hansard's octave-leaping songs, so he dropped out. I'm glad he did, because I cannot picture him fitting well with the role. Fortunately, Carney was then able to convince Hansard to take the job. It makes the film even greater, having the musician responsible for all the film's songs be the one to act in the role of the guy who writes them all!

Something I really love is the fact that Hansard and Irglova ended up getting together in real life, forming their romantic relationship while on a promotional tour across North America. The two had known each other for nearly six years at that point. Hansard was quoted in Entertainment Weekly, stating, "I had been falling in love with her for a long time, but I kept telling myself she's just a kid." At the time of shooting the film, Hansard was 37 and Irglova was 19. Carney did a good job at predicting their relationship while they were still filming.

Check this film out if you're in the mood for a film that will make you smile while you listen to some great singer-songwriter-type songs that go hand-in-hand with the memorable story of two ordinary people who end up falling into each other's lives; a story of something that only happens once (yup, I had to do it).

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Scenes from Once set to the film's original song, "Falling Slowly"


"Falling Slowly" winning Best Original Song at the 2007 Oscars

"It's the hunger - the hunger for an alternative and the refusal to accept a life of unhappiness. "

Title: Little Children
Director: Todd Field
Producer: Todd Field
Written By: Tom Perrotta (novel and screenplay), Todd Field (screenplay)
Starring: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Noah Emmerich, Jackie Earle Haley, Phyllis Somerville
Distributed By: New Line Cinema
Release Year: 2006


Based off of the 2004 novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta, the story revolves around the lives of a group of people who live in the same suburban town.

Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet) is having trouble in her life, unable to feel comfortable and happy with the life that she lives. She can't help but feel that her daughter is a real nuisance for her, and her husband is too busy enjoying a sexual obsession with some strange woman online who posts up pictures of herself on a website, surrounded by nude men and getting off with kitchen items (very memorable scene involved here). Meanwhile, Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson), a stay-at-home dad, feels as if there is something missing in his life, that special something that makes one feel alive. Most people would think he has it all: a beautiful wife (Jennifer Connelly) with whom he had a son that he is able to spend a lot of his time with, a "homey-home" in a nice suburban neighborhood, the ability to become a lawyer if he can just pass the bar exam... all this he has, but all of it does not add up to enough in his world. Sarah and Brad meet each other (an interesting first-time meeting, for sure) and begin to have daily meetings at the local public pool, where not only they begin to get well-acquainted, but also their children. A steamy love affair soon blossoms, and they both begin to embrace this fantasy world where their relationship can go on forever.

The subplot focuses in on the lives of Ronnie J. McGorvery (Jackie Earl Halley), May McGorvey (Phyllis Somerville), and Larry Hedges (Noah Emmerich). Ronnie has just been released paroled from prison, after serving a two-year sentence for indecent exposure to a minor. He moves back into the neighborhood to once again live with his mother, May. Ronnie has a very close relationship with his mother, feeling that she is the only person who truly loves him. May wants to try to put Ronnie back on track, convincing him to agree to an ad in the paper in order to find him a date with a woman. Even with May's efforts, it is nearly impossible for Ronnie to try and lead a normal life. The number one reason for that is Larry Hedges. Larry is an ex-cop who is in denial about being taken off the force over an incident that he was involved in. To feel as if he is still doing the job that he loved so much, he starts a committee made up of parents to create awareness about Ronnie. Although this sounds like a responsible thing for a father of twins to do, Larry does not go about the whole thing with any sense of maturity; instead, he harasses the McGorverys to an extreme extent (I'll leave it to you to find out examples of this harassment).

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I've watched this film three different times now, and each time I do, I feel as if I am being given a very important lesson on what it means to be human. The themes that are explored are so vital to what it means to live a life with proper decency, it would be hard for me to believe that anyone could watch this film and not feel refreshed afterwards. It just resonates with me so much. If I were to choose one aspect of the film that hits me the hardest, it would have to be everything that happens in Ronnie's story. Whenever I speak to anyone about Little Children, I always talk about the film's ability to bring forth sympathy for Ronnie. The first time I ever saw the public pool scene that he is involved in, I was left with my mouth dropped. You cannot help but feel bad for him, being outcasted like that. The thing is, it makes you think to yourself, "Alright, maybe he brought everything upon himself, but does that mean that he shouldn't be given a second chance? isn't it possible that he is trying to change his ways?" The audience is actually forced to think about this moral issue, and that is what makes this film so damn important for everybody to see. It has the ability to smack you across the face with something that you might rather leave untouched, but in the end you have no choice but to question yourself.

Then there's all the questions that arise from Sarah and Brad's situation. On the one hand, you have Sarah, who's marriage is obviously falling apart. I think it is safe to say that the majority of viewers will feel that she is justified in getting involved with Brad. On the other hand, there will definitely be a split between the audience in regards to whether Brad's decision to get involved with Sarah is justified. He has a family that he is responsible for, and a loving and caring family at that. A lot of the times, the things that his wife does gets to him, and he feels that they are not on the same level. He seems to having what would be called a "beginning-life-crisis", feeling as if his life is becoming too mundane. This is something that many people would debate. If Brad feels that he is not enjoying the way his life is going, shouldn't he have the freedom to leave that life and start a new one? Some might feel that way, but just as many people (and probably tons more) will feel that Brad has responsibilities that he committed himself to, and it is not right for him to abandon them, especially when they will hurt people who are so close to him.

Little Children puts the spotlight on these issues, as well as others that are just as important. All the actors portray Perrotta's characters amazingly. Most importantly, there are a lot of messages in the film. Personally, I feel it will be difficult for any one viewer to refuse to accept these messages, and that makes this one special.

Great choice of a wedding song !

Artist: Onelinedrawing (Jonah Matranga)

Song: Engage (Never Run) / Jul 00



"Katie" I said, "I think I'm gonna marry you."
And she said, "Are you asking me, or are you telling me?"
"I'm asking you".
"Well go ahead and ask me, then".
And so I did, and she accepted, and we went out into our days.

I won't break, I will wait, I won't hide, I will stay, I'll never run away
When I'm sick I will try, when you're scared I’ll just smile, I'll never run away
I'll never run away

Congratulations, you've blown us all away
Forget the waiting, no one needs those games
I'll celebrate it, so simple and so plain
Congratulations, now never run away.

I won't break, I will wait, I won't hide, I will stay, I'll never run away
When I'm sick I will try, when you're scared I will smile, I'll never run away
I'll never run away
I'll never run away
Never run away
Never run away
Never run away
Never run away
Never run away
Never run away




I used to listen to Jonah's onelinedrawing a lot during my high school years, and I've recently gotten back into him. He really is an awesome musician. I wish I could find a youtube video that had this song so that you could listen to it, but there doesn't seem to be one. At least you can read the lyrics. The song is really beautiful. Somewhere online, I read something written by this girl about this song, and she said that she and her fiancee decided to have this be the first song that they dance to at their wedding. I can imagine it being really perfect.



In the meantime, you should check out this video if you never heard of onelinedrawing before. This is one of Jonah's illest songs.

Jonah Matranga - "Yr Letter" / Irreplaceable (Beyonce) (LIVE)

Mr. Samuel Alexander Mendes

Just the other night, I watched Sam Mendes' Road To Perdition (2002). I bought myself a copy of it during my second year of college. I was inspired to buy it by an assignment I was given in my "Intro to Cinema" class where we had to write a response to the scene in the rain between Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. We had to talk about all the different cinematic techniques that were being used in the film and whatnot. From that one scene, I knew right away that I had to get my hands on the film and view it in it's entirety. When I watched it just recently, it was only the second time that I watched the film. It was a real treat to watch again, and it made me want to write up a little something about its director, Sam Mendes.

To sum it up, I am a big-time supporter of Sam Mendes. He is one of the newer directors on the scene, and he landed with a BANG, his first film being 1999's American Beauty. I'm pretty sure that the majority of film goers are familiar with this film. What a debut for Mendes! The film is fantastic, and went on to win five of its eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Kevin Spacey). I love it whenever I am able to catch this film on television. I'm always able to watch it, and a lot of it makes me laugh out loud, especially Kevin Spacey. I haven't seen everything that Spacey has done, but I would be really impressed if I found out that his role as Lester Burnham wasn't one of the best of his career.

Mendes' second film was the above-mentioned Road To Perdition, released in 2002. As well as his debut, the critics were very happy with the film, and it went on to be nominated for six Oscars, winning the award for Best Cinematography from Conrad L. Hall, the same man who was responsible for the cinematography of American Beauty. Hall's cinematography was inspired by and based off of the paintings of Edward Hopper. It's great to see Tom Hanks in this role, since he isn't usually the type to play a gangster from the 1930's. He does a really great job, and so does actor Paul Newman who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. For a sincere gangster flick (Irish Mob, specifically), check this one out.

Jarhead (2005) is the third film directed by Mendes, and one that I always consider when considering great contemporary films. I will always have a soft spot for this film. Why? I've never been a huge fan of war films, and Jarhead is one that I've watched on numerous occasions just because I wanted to! I think the story is a really good one, and the characters are great. Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jamie Foxx all do an awesome job, and I absolutely love their characters. There's always been something about the film that really resonates with me...as if Jarhead is the war film of my generation, something along those lines. Either way, it isn;t just luck that I happen to love another film directed by Mendes. He sure knows how to pick a film that he wants to direct, and he does a great job at portraying a story. I'm really shocked that Jarhead didn't receive one single Oscar nomination. Either way, I think I feel confident in saying that this is my favorite of Mendes' films thus far.

What I'm really excited about is Mendes' upcoming film, Revolutionary Road (2008). There are two main reasons why I am so overly excited for this film: 1) It's directed by Mendes, and if you haven't yet been able to tell, I'm kinda a fan of his =]; 2) The film is brings back the magnificent pair...Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet! I couldn't be more excited about this. I've always been a big supporter of Titanic (1997), which I tend to get mocked about for reasons that I think are unjustified. I don't know, people love to hate on it, but I've always been a sucker for a great, romantic love story and I think that Titanic is exactly that. Also, I consider Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet two of my favorite actors that are currently around. I tend to enjoy everything that they are involved in, and I know that I am going to love it when I get to see them back on the big screen together in a film done by Mendes. The film will be released on December 26th, 2008. I've been looking forward to this film for a year now. In the meantime, I plan on reading the novel that the film is based off of, written by author Richard Yates ( Revolutionary Road, 1961)



Please, go watch some of these films. It'll make me happy.



P.S. - I didn't know this until now, but Winslet and Mendes are actually husband and wife! They've been married since May, 2003! That makes it more interesting, don't you think?

I gotta Hammett Hangover !

So a couple of days ago I went to the Broome County Public Library for the first time and picked myself up a brand-spankin'-new library card. It's actually the coolest looking library card I've seen. Isn't it always exciting to get a new library card?! I walked out of there feeling like Matilda.

The library had a nice selection of DVDs. They have some nice choices from the foreign film genre, as well as some Classical Hollywood titles. I picked up L.A Confidential (1997) and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). I watched L.A. the other night, and I enjoyed it. A great neo-noir if anyone is interested. I'm looking forward to checking out Baby Jane. It's supposed to be a great film, and it's a real treat to see a film with both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in it.

I also took out two Dashiell Hammett books. One contains all five of his novels, which is a really great thing to have around the bedroom. I've only read The Thin Man (1934), so I need to get around to checking out the others. The other book I took out his called Lost Stories (2005). It's really great because it contains 21 Hammett stories that have been long-unavailable to the public, only a few scholars and collectors having access to them beforehand. A great angle of the book is that before each story, an explanation is given in regards to "how the author's life shaped his story and how the story fit in his life." So you get to become acquainted with 21 Hammett stories as well as get a history lesson on the author's life.

What's important to try and discover while reading anything by Hammett is how his writing proves that he is one of the most important figures in literature. A lot of critics find this claim hard to run with since Hammett wrote mystery/crime fiction, a genre that has a lot of trouble gaining acclaim for its serious literary value. Other people couldn't agree more with this claim, ranking Hammett along the same lines as Faulkner and Hemingway. * Interesting fact: Hammett and Hemingway were big fans of one another, and there is a "chicken-or-egg" argument about who influenced who. Joe Gores discusses this in further depth in his introduction to Lost Stories.


Here are a few excerpts from Joe Gores' introduction that struck me as poignant:


"When he started, Hammett was not a writer learning about private detection. He was a private detective learning about writing. As he wrote, he retained the detective's subconscious attitudes toward life. It is this subconscious state of mind that separates his work from that of his followers Chandler and Macdonald." (21)


"Despite the genre demands, Hammett's novels have all the hallmarks of fine literature: economy of expression, creation of character with a few bold strokes, realistic depiction of milieu, sentiment without sentimentality. But the stories he told were about real private eyes in their world because real private eyes in their world were who he knew." (21)


"...spare, frugal, hard-boiled, but he did over and over again what only the best writers can ever do at all. He wrote scenes that seemed never to have been written before." - Raymond Chandler (18)

"I use a knife because guns are too quick. Otherwise, you can't savor all the emotions. You know who people are in their last moments. "

Title: The Dark Knight

Director: Christopher Nolan

Producer: Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas

Written By: Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan (Screenplay), Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer (Story)

Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman

Distributed By: Warner Bros., DC Comics

Year: 2008



I'm not going to give you any sum-up of the storyline or anything here. I choose not to do that because there is so much other stuff I would rather dive right into in regards to this film. I saw it in the theater two days ago and went back to see it a second time today. It was even better the second time around. No joke, I'm already hoping I can get to see it a third time around. Nothing would please me more than once again sitting in that theater for two and a half hours of wonderful chaos.

Everyone knows the hype that was surrounded around this film for what seems like forever. I must inform you, the film surpasses the hype. Now this means something coming from me. Why so? I am not that big of a fan of Nolan's Batman Begins (2005). First off, the whole opening segment that focuses on Bruce Wayne and his martial arts skills? Not for me. I think it is way too long and doesn't stay on track with what is important. Also, Cillian Murphy's portrayal of The Scarecrow doesn't impress me in regards to the villain category. I would much rather see Jim Carrey come back as the Riddler again than deal with Murphy and his silly potato sack head. Overall, it is a great Batman film, but I knew that Nolan could do a hell of a lot better with the whole idea of digging into the darker side of Batman that has previously been left untouched.

With The Dark Knight, Nolan has really brought forth his A-game, creating a film that is ten times better than Batman Begins. I think anyone would agree with this statement.


Heath Ledger. Now this is some serious shit right here. I don't think I have ever seen an actor do what Ledger did with his role as The Joker. Honestly, I'm still in awe of his performance, and I know for a fact that everybody walking out of the theater with me was feeling the same way. Never before has any actor gotten so into character to portray an evil man and left such an impression on his audience. It's so intriguing to think about the talk surrounding his death back in January, about everything that he was going through in order to really get into his character. It's also really eerie, because you watch Ledger on screen and think, "Woah. This guy isn't playing any games here. This is some serious stuff, and his death might've come about because of what I am witnessing right now." Locking yourself up in a hotel room for a month, all alone, in order to learn your character and basically become him?! Yeah, it's that serious. The Joker's first major scene involves him showing up at the Mob meeting in order to give them his proposition. It's an awesome scene, and then by the end of the film, I realize that every scene that Ledger was in was as incredible as the last. Every time you know you are about to see The Joker again, you get all excited in your seat and cherish the minutes you are lucky enough to be a part of. I know that's how I felt. Acting that is able to create that intense an excitement inside of you is what the cinema is all about. If you are wanting to ask me, "Why so serious?", my answer is because Heath Ledger is that damn serious. Also, just for the record, Heath beat out Jack, by a loooooong shot. Hands down, one of the best acting performances I've ever seen.

Now that I've gotten out only some of my thoughts on Ledger, I'll bring up the fact that the cast is an all-round great one. Christian Bale was never someone that I considered some great, big actor, and I still feel that way, but he also isn't half bad. I was never a big fan of Michael Keaton, the only other actor who played Batman for more than one film. It's a definite fact that Bale will continue to be the man in the bat suit, and I think that's a good thing. He has developed a nice Bruce Wayne persona over the course of the last two films, and I feel confident that he will do a good job with expanding it. Michael Caine is always great, and he is even better in this film than the last, playing the role of Alfred. I think Gary Oldman fits like a glove with his character, Commissioner James Gordon. It seemed to me that Dark Knight focuses more on Gordon and his character, and I really liked that aspect. Besides Ledger, my favorite of the film goes to no other than Aaron Eckhart. I never did get around to watching Thank You For Smoking in it's entirety, only the second half of it. Even so, I knew right away that I really liked Eckhart. He has this persona that I can't seem to get enough of. Almost as if he knows how good he is. He does an amazing job playing Harvey Dent, and his portrayal of Two-Face is something that Tommy Lee Jones can only achieve in his sweetest dreams. I will most definitely be on the lookout for more Eckhart films to check out, because the man has talent.


I gotta say, I'm really impressed with Christopher Nolan right now. As a director, he did an incredible job working at this film. He took a film that is comic book based and turned it into something so much more. The Dark Knight isn't just a comic book movie, it's a dark and gritty crime drama that is actually a lot better than the others of that that genre that are being released these days. I can only imagine what the next installment in the Batman series will be like. All I know is that I am most definitely on board the Nolan Train.

So, Ironman or The Dark Knight, you ask? I gotta tell ya, you might as well ask me if I choose apples or oranges! Ironman is a fantastic comic book film on the lighter side, while The Dark Knight is an untouchable comic book film that delves into the much darker side of the spectrum. And it comes out on top, already establishing itself as one of the best comic book films to date, if not the best.

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Check it out:

The Joker Crashes The Party

"Is that all? Dark's nothing to me. I'm always in the dark. "

Title: A Patch of Blue
Director: Guy Green
Producer: Guy Green
Written By: Elizabeth Kata (novel), Guy Green
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Hartman, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford
Distributed By: MGM
Year: 1965


I was so glad when I saw that TCM was airing this film once again. I caught this film once before, but missed the first half hour of it. You'd be surprised how important that first half hour can be! Trust me: it's always better to see any film at least twice, but that's a must if you weren't able to catch the film from start to finish the first time around.

The story of A Patch of Blue is a pretty simple one. Elizabeth Hartman plays Selina D'Arcy, a blind 18-year-old who lives with her no-good mother (Shelley Winters) and her drunkard grandfather (Wallace Ford) in a one room apartment that comes with a kitchen and a bathroom. Basically, life in the household isn't something that Selina really holds dear to her heart, rightfully so. Her mother and grandfather do their best to keep her all kept up inside the house. One day, she had her grandfather take her to the park. At the park, she meets the wonderful Gordon Ralfe, played by the even more wonderful Mr. Poitier, and they seem to have this connection to each other, one that neither one can yet describe. They repeatedly meet up with one another and a beautiful friendship blooms, and eventually even more than that. The main issue that is addressed in the film is that Gordon is an African American and Selina has no idea. What unfolds is really beautiful story of two people from different worlds who cannot help but love one another.

I really cherished every scene in this film the second time around, especially since it has been a bit since I last saw a film of Sidney's. As I watched each sequence play out, I was really in love with how genuine every little thing was. It is a fact that Sidney was an actual genuine human being, and his aura shined through every piece of work that he did, but the film had more to offer than just that. For one, the story. It is very nice and simple one, and I don't think that it would have worked so well, had it been done with different actors. It's splendid, the interaction between the characters is what really makes this film what it is. Yes, it is helped by the storyline, but the actors are held completely responsible for all its wonderfulness.

As you should already know, Sidney is always an A+ act, so I'll leave him be this time around. On the other hand, there's Elizabeth Hartman. Her performance is spectacular. I was blown away by how great she was in her role as the blind Selina D'Arcy. Everything about her has this gentle type of quality, and it really adds to her acting abilities. A Patch of Blue was her very first film! She just walked into MGM, and they were hooked enough to cast her right into a major role beside the man himself! She had a few other well-received films that followed this one, but she is best-known for her role as Selina. Even though she didn't go on to get much recognition after this film, I still think it is awesome that she did such a great job with her acting debut. I mean, this film is a film that will last. It has so far, and I have no doubt in my mind that it will continue to. She had a lot of talent. She was nominated for Best Actress for this role, but unfortunately, she didn't take home the golden man.

On the other hand, Shelley Winters did take home the golden man! Winter's role as the nasty mother was most definitely one that she did a good job at, but I would be lying if I didn't tell you that it took me by a real surprise that she got such recognition playing a supporting role to Hartman. Personally, Hartman stole the show. While watching the film and hearing that Shelley Winters won an Oscar, I was supposing that she was Elizabeth Hartman the whole time! Either way, she did do a good job and I like the fact that she won. It gives the film recognition, which helps in getting more and more people to view it every day.

As I told a friend while we were watching the film, just remember that any film starring Poitier is guaranteed to be a film worth watching. That way, you'll one day get around to this one. =]



Good day.



"A Patch of Blue": Elizabeth Hartman Promo

"I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books for the first time."

Novel: The Shadow of the Wind
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Published: 2001, Penguin Books
Genre: Mystery



That is the first sentence of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow 0f the Wind. A first-time reader would read that opening line like any other ordinary opening line to a new novel they decide to pick up. They are unaware of the incredible journey that they are about to embark on: a whole 487 pages of lost books, mystery, murder, doomed love, and much more that must be kept hidden for the reader to find out all on their own.

The story follows a young man named Daniel Sempere in Barcelona, Spain, still recovering from the civil war. When he is 10 years old, his father brings him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a top-secret establishment hidden amongst the Barcelona streets where rare and lost books are given an everlasting home. Part of the routine when someone visits the Cemetery for the first time is being able to choose a book to keep as their own, to cherish and protect. Daniel chooses a novel called The Shadow of the Wind, written by a man named Julian Carax. "Perhaps the bewitching atmosphere of the place had got the better of me, but I felt sure that The Shadow of the Wind had been waiting for me there for years, probably since before I was born." Daniel goes home that afternoon and begins to read the book. Midnight passes, and he is unable to put the book down, knowing that he must finish it right then and there. He falls in love with it.

Daniel finds out that not many people are familiar with Carax, and he has trouble finding any of the author's other works. He learns of an eerie rumor that has circulated about Carax and his books: there is a man who goes by the name of Lain Cobert (a name Carax gives to the Devil in The Shadow of the Wind) who is responsible for the disappearance of Carax's novels. Supposedly, he travels to different places in search of Carax's books, in order to burn them. Daniel can't help but be intrigued by this mystery and begins to dig deeper and deeper into the past; only he doesn't realize what he is really getting involved in...

________________________________________________________

So I feel pretty confident in saying that my prediction was true. After reading this novel for the second time, I really believe this one is my favorite. Anyone who thought the gothic novel died out, think again. There is nothing darker and sexier than The Shadow of the Wind. Zafon has created a tale that wraps itself around so that you cannot move. Thing is, you don't want to move. All you want to do is turn the page and find out what will happen next in Daniel's life.

There are a lot of sub-plots in the story, but never too many. They all end up being intricately connected to each other, and it's a real treat to witness how they rise to the surface and begin to take shape with one another.

The relationships between different characters play a very important part in the story. While you are learning about Carax's past, you are also witnessing Daniel's coming-of-age while he falls in love with a particular girl. Then you realize that Daniel and Carax's stories are strangely similar in a lot of ways. As I've stated, it just gets better and better.

Anyone who doubts the the level of sophistication that comes with writing a mystery novel, read Carlos Ruiz Zafon's novel, and come back to me in a week so I can shame you for ever doubting in the first place.


Oh yeah, and enjoy your stay in Barcelona. You'll discover many beautiful place along the way. Just be careful that you don't get too involved with certain somebodies.

ST/KH

Ya can't beat em, folks.

Busy. Busy, Busy!

I've just recently moved in to my spankin' new casa in Binghamton. I must say, it is a real great feeling to be living here on my own and all. I do have my house mates, but you understand what I mean. Going out shopping for the works, making meals for the group of us, hanging back and relaxing with the homies I will be becoming much tighter with over the next year or two. And going out to find myself a job tomorrow, so that I can pay my car payments every month and afford to survive?! I feel like this is a nice big step up on the latter of responsibility, and I couldn't be more genuinely excited. Now, let's get that job...


Reviews will be arriving shortly, I just have to get settled in and find the time to back into my film viewings. Once I get the cable installed into my own bedroom, shit will most definitely be back on ball!

Happy Birthday William Wyler!

William Wyler turns 106 years old today. Since I've gotten into Classical Hollywood films within the last year or so, some of the most memorable belong to this great director. He is responsible for directing some of the most timeless classics of them all. Films such as Wuthering Heights (1939), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Roman Holiday (1953), Ben-Hur (1959)...these are only a few of his great works. The man could make a great film, and worked with only the best. Today, we remember William Wyler and all the pleasure he has brought into our hearts through his profound body of work. Happy Birthday!

Play it again Holger...Play "Intermezzo"...

Title: Intermezzo: A Love Story
Director: Gregory Ratoff
Producer: David O. Selznick
Writer: George O'Neil
Starring: Leslie Howard, Ingrid Bergman, Edna Best, John Halliday
Year: 1939
Genre: Romance, Drama
Distributer: Selznick International Pictures, United Artists


"In music, an intermezzo (pl. intermezzi), in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work. In music history the term has had several different usages, which fit into two general categories: the opera intermezzo and the instrumental intermezzo."


The story of a famous violinist named Holger Brandt (Howard) who seduces a pianist named Anita Hoffman (Bergman), but Anita isn't just any pianist: she is the one who gives lessons to his 8-year-old daughter, Ann Marie. After coming home from touring, the family introduces him to Anita. After witnessing her piano skills, he seems to be intrigued. Later on, they meet after a show and get together for some glasses of wine at a restaurant. From that point on, things get hectic. They fall in love, leading to Holger's decision to leave his family and run off with Anita to do more touring, this time with Anita as his accompaniment. Things seem to be going well for the two, but they both has repressed feelings of guilt that lead to their separation. Anita goes to Paris in order to fulfill her dream now that she learns she has received the scholarship she had previously been working so hard for. Now Holger must decide what he shall do: should he live a lonely life in Paris, or should he return to his original home and family?


If you are looking for the cheese of the crop, I must declare you look no further. This is the most melodramatic a melodrama can get! The story is one of the classic formulas: man seems to have a great, happy life with a loving family and a prosperous career; man finds himself falling in love with a beautiful stranger who he cannot resist; the man and beau-strange run off together to find their happiness; eventually, things die out for them in sonme way or other, and they must move on with their lives. The acting is something a rat would eat up the minute he got his hands on it, and the script! You know how the scripts go with these tearjerkers.

I had my own personal reason for watching Intermezzo: the film is Ingrid Bergman's Hollywood debut; her first English-speaking film after leaving Sweden. I feel like an amateur when I admit that I haven't seen any other films of Ingrid's besides Casablanca (1942), but I have been wanting to see more of the actress ever since I was first introduced to that enchanting film. In Intermezzo, the audience was lucky enough to get a first look at who was to become one of the all-time greats of the cinema. Those close-ups of Ingrid that everyone has come to cherish and adore, they truly do showcase her beauty in a way that is completely different from any of the other actresses classical Hollywood.

Ingrid had real talent. Whenever you watch her on the screen, you become a witness to something special that you can't get anywhere else but in her films. The way her voice tingles down your spine, the way she woos you as she lifts her head and lets you see her watery eyes; she had IT, and that is something that only a select few actresses have.


Just look at her...she is most definitely IT. No ands, ifs, or buts about it.

________________________________________


A scene from Intermezzo: A Love Story, with Howard and Bergman

"In my schoolboy reveries, we were always two fugitives riding on the spine of a book, eager to escape into worlds of fiction and secondhand dreams."

The next novel I am picking up has me extremely excited. It's called The Shadow of the Wind: A Novel, written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and released in 2001. Now, I've been waiting for the time to come when I would get around to reading this book for the second time. A few years back, someone I know who works at my local bookshop recommended that I try it out. I absolutely loved the book, and it has been the top book that I recommend to people I know whenever I get the chance.

Today I started getting into the novel again. I must say, after reading the first 30 pages, I have a feeling that by the time I get through this one for a second time, I'll be able to officially declare it as my all-time favorite book, thus far. I can only hope that I enjoy it more than I did the first time around.

I'll probably post up a review of The Shadow of the Wind once I finish it. Until then!

Introducing Nick and Nora...

Title: The Thin Man
Author: Dashiell Hammet
Published: 1934
Genre: Detective, Crime Fiction


So after reading Chandler's The Big Sleep, I moved back in time to some Dashiell Hammet. This was my first time reading a Hammet novel. I started with his last, The Thin Man. It's not very like me to start at the end of an artist's works. While I was in Barnes and Noble trying to decide which Hammet novel to start with, I noticed a DVD set also called The Thin Man. It turns out that Hammet's last novel was turned into a film in May, 1934, which was followed by five more consecutive comic detective films with the same protagonists, the lovely married couple that is Nick and Nora Charles. That was the deciding factor in purchasing the novel, plus the fact that I had no idea which of his works was the first (Red Harvest).

Everyone needs to read this book. It is a great read. From the moment I started turning the pages, I didn't want to put it down. All I wanted to do was find out what part of the mystery was going to be revealed next. Nick and Nora are two of the greatest detectives I've ever read or seen. You'll love the relationship they have with one another. They seem to be content with one another, and life is simple for them. Nick is a former detective who is slowly reeled into a murder case by the people around him, and Nora loves every minute of it. She enjoys playing the role of co-detective along her hubby. She also helps him with a few of her own clues along the way.

One stand-out characteristic of the perfect couple are their drinking habits. The bottom line is that they are basically alcoholics, especially Nick. The man is always asking for a drink, and he is never at a point where he admits that he's had too many. It's really interesting that Hammet decided to have them drinking so much, maybe he was trying to use it as a way of representing the period around the Roaring Twenties and the following decade. Either way, it only adds to the memorable fun that is brought about by reading The Thin Man, and the two never seem to get drunk either. They certainly know how to handle their liquor well. The Japanese would be mighty proud of them!

If you enjoy reading some excellent dialogue as much as I do, the works of Hammett are right up your alley. I sometimes feel less sophisticated because of preferring dialogue over longer passages in a novel, but a book like this makes me realize how silly that idea truly is. Hammet keeps the story moving at a great pace, filling his readers in with what's going on through the use of some top-of-the-line dialogue between the characters. Bottom line: I love this book, and I can't wait to read more of Hammett's stuff.

Dashiell Hammett is considered one of the greatest mystery writers of all time. Without characters like Nick and Nora, or Sam Spade from Hammett's The Maltese Falcon (1930), the characters of today's modern mystery writers would be nonexistent. Everybody should pay their respects and read some of his work. You won't regret taking my advice.

It wouldn't hurt you to check out the link at the top on Dashiell Hammett either. The guy had a pretty interesting life, and it might help in giving you the proper boost.

______________________________________________

Trailer for The Thin Man (1934), starring William Powell as Nick and Myrna Loy as Nora

The trailer is great!

"I locked up again,choked my car to life, and rode off home to a shower, dry clothes and a late dinner..."

Novel: The Big Sleep
Author: Raymond Chandler
Published: 1939
Genre: Detective, Crime


Reading this novel was well overdue. Ever since I first saw the film version starring Bogart & Bacall, I've been very interested in reading up on the world of pulp fiction that manifested in the '20s and went on well into the '50s. The whole thing flourished with the rise of pulp magazines, the first one dating as far back as 1896. The term "pulp" came from the cheap wood pulp paper that the magazines used. The most prominent of the pulp writers were people like Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Cornell Woolrich. Many consider their bodies of work to be the first real examples of "film noir". Many pulp novels were adapted for the big screen, creating timeless classics such as the above-noted title.

The Big Sleep is the first of Chandler's eight novels. All of his novels have the same protagonist, the one and only Philip Marlowe. The novel is not only considered one of Chandler's best, but also a prototype of the crime/detective genre. There were two film versions made: the B+B film I already mentioned which was released in 1946 and a 1978 version starring actor Robert Mitchum. I never got a chance to see the latter, but as one can tell from the title of my blog, I absolutely love the '46 film. It gets more enjoyable every time I watch it, and only certain films have that great everlasting quality. It's one of my personal favorites.

As my first official Chandler read, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's a great piece of work to put out as a first novel, and immediately proves that the author is not fooling around. Chandler really knows how to create characters. You can't help but absolutely love Marlowe and the way he presents himself to everybody he meets. Robert B. Parker from The New York Times Book Review puts it well when he states, "Chandler seems to have created the culminating American hero: wised up, hopeful, thoughtful, adventurous, sentimental, cynical and rebellious."

I love the crazy lines that Chandler comes up with. His metaphors are off the charts. He uses very abstract ideas that any normal, average person would find great. "The purring voice was now as false as an usherette's eyelashes and as slippery as a watermelon seed." A watermelon seed! I'm in love with that! That's the type of play on words that I fall in love with at first sight. Reminds me of the time I was completely blown away by Faulkner's Light in August and his creation of the word "bugswirled" on page two (I think).

I'm not going to go through a detailed breakdown of the book. I'm just going to recommend it to any of you who are looking for some really fun summer reading. Go for it! You won't be disappointed, I promise.

Last night I started reading Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man (1934) and had a load of trouble putting it down. I'm looking forward to tonight's session.




Peace, Love, and Novels.

Everyone, Say Hello...

...to my new baby !!!





I introduce to you, my very own 2005 Pontiac Sunfire.

My first major purchase in life. I'll be paying off the loans on my own, $230 per month. Now that I'll have wheels to get around Binghamton, it won't be hard for me to find a job that pays well enough.


GOOD SHIT.

Film: The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Director: Louis Leterrier
Producers: Avi Arad, Gale Anne Hurd, Kevin Feige
Written By: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Zak Penn
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comic Book
Distributer: Universal Studios, Marvel


Got around to checking out this film today with my little brother. The end result? I think it was a well-executed film in certain aspects, but I was most definitely craving more than what it offered me.

I wasn't aware that the film was actually a continuation of the previous one, Ang Lee's The Hulk (2003). I liked how Leterrier went about getting that across to people who might have not seen the 2003 film. Different scenes from the previous film were re-enacted by the new actors and shown through a flashback form while the opening credits were running. That way, when the film actually opens with its first scene, we are where we last left of, with Bruce Banner hiding out from the U.S. government in a impoverished city in Brazil.

The story line was enjoyable in itself, but I wasn't exactly feeling the way it was unraveling itself. Maybe it seemed to me like Leterrier was spending too much time on parts of the story that weren't as important in the long run? It just seemed very drawn out at parts to me. I really noticed this when the film was over, thinking to myself, "That film was cool, but I wish there was more scenes with Banner after he turns into the Hulk!" I understand that these newer comic book films have been focusing a lot on the storyline and trying to stray a bit more from the over-the-top action sequences in order to be taken more seriously as films, but my personal opinion is that The Incredible Hulk wasn't able to find that perfect balance of the two like other films have (coughIronMancough). I was just really loving the CGI in this one and wanted more than was offered to me.

I think the casting in this film helped a lot in making it what it is. I'm not going to lie, I think people really go overboard when they talk about how "amazing" Edward Norton is. I never understood the Ed-Fanatics, and I still don't, but he did a good job. I think he's a fine actor, I just think he's average, nothing special. Liv Tyler wasn't half bad either. She's a real pretty gal and fits well into the role of Betty Ross. It was really cool watching her stand alongside the Hulk in the pouring rain; very reminiscent of King Kong. Saving the best for last, I must say that the cream of the crop awards go to Tim Roth and William Hurt. What's so funny is that it's almost as if Hurt is actually meant for a military outfit. The dude probably came out of his mother's womb with wings pinned on to his chest. He's perfect for the role of General Ross, and does an awesome job of it too.



The real star of the film is Tim Roth. Watching him play the role of Emil Blonsky, the U.K. Special Forces officer who eventually turns into the Abomination, is simply awesome. The way his character evolves in the film is great, from a normal officer to an officer injected with a strength-serum to a greedy man who wants all the power that the Hulk has and more. After this film, I realized how great of an actor Roth is. I'd like to see more of his films. The only films of his that I've seen are the ones that Tarantino directed. Also noteworthy, he was the guest programmer on TCM for the month of May and I really enjoyed the films that he chose ( see my review on David Lean's Hobson's Choice (1954)). It's always nice to know that an actor you like as great taste in films, is it not?

I must say, while watching the film, I really missed the comic book-style editing that was done in the Ang Lee version. I was way impressed by that technique, and would've liked to have seen more of it. Then again, I guess the creators would have thought that was really overdoing it.

I give the film a whole lot of credit with the final action sequence. It was really, really great. I'd say the Hulk-Abomination showdown is one of my favorite comic book sequences that I've seen. Everyone should see the film just to check out the Hulk-Abomination showdown, it's well-worth the money.

I'd say this film is definitely worth seeing for anyone who enjoys the comic book films. It's a good one, but I'm almost completely content with stating that I enjoyed the Ang Lee film a lot more. Reading reviews of the film, I am surprised that so many people seem to prefer this one to the other, but to each their own.



PS - Iron Man is still way better.

"Socks up, boss!"

Title: The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)
Director: Daniel Mann
Producer: Jack Cummings
Writer: John Patrick
Starring: Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford, Machiko Kyo, Paul Ford
Genre: Comedy, Satire
Distributor: MGM


This film was shown by TCM last night. It was part of their month long special, "Race and Hollywood: Asian Images in Film", which airs every Tuesday and Thursday night. The few films that I've been able to catch have been enjoyable, this one in particular being a stand-out.

The film is a satire of America and its opinion that it is their responsibility to change the world over to the great world of democracy. One year after World War II, Captain Fisby (Glenn Ford) is ordered to report to a village called Tobiki in the Okinawa Prefecture. Fisby has the pleasure of having a local named Sakini (Marlon Brando) join him as interpreter. Fisby is ordered to follow "Plan B" which deals with establishing different types of groups within the village that will promote democracy and, most importantly, building a schoolhouse in the shape of the Pentagon. Instead, Fisby becomes very fond of the way the locals do things and starts to follow in their footsteps in terms of style of dress and their daily rituals and practices. Instead of a schoolhouse, the people want to build a Teahouse for their village. Fisby can't refuse the idea of the Teahouse, and soon enough has to deal with his superiors because of not following orders...


This film is very interesting to watch, being that it is an old Hollywood film from the 50's dealing with a subject matter as such. The casting of Marlon Brando immediately raises an eyebrow for anyone. I've read that both critics and film historians regard the casting of Brando as one of the worst moves in cinema, but I am not the only one who begs to differ. Everyone is aware of how great an actor the man is, and being that he is usually seen in dramas such as A Streetcar Named Desire(1951), On The Waterfront(1954), seeing him act in a comedy is a real treat for anyone who loves the cinema. Furthermore, we get to see him all done up in makeup, playing the role of an Asian man! Brando actually spent two months studying culture, speech, and gestures of Okinawa. Of course, one might think it wasn't the best choice to choose Brando over an actual Asian for the role, but for whatever reason, that was the decision made and it doesn't take anything away from the film. It's really funny and enjoyable to watch Brando as he appears in the beginning of the film, talking to the audience and introducing the story that is about to unfold on the screen. Right away, I could tell that Brando's method acting techniques were being put to great use, watching his hand motions and way of speaking.

An interesting thing about this film is the way it can be interpreted in terms of race. As I've already mentioned, the film is a satire on America and their ideas about spreading democracy throughout the East. This is definitely true. In the beginning, Glenn Ford's character is portrayed in a way that makes him come off as foolish and ignorant, almost child-like. Over the course of his stay, he begins to understand what it means to be a villager of Okinawa, and only then does he show signs of an adult male who takes pride in his own ideas and morals. On the other hand, there is the point that was brought up by co-host, Film Historian Dr. Peter X. Feng, following the film. Feng mentioned that while the film does in fact work as a film poking fun at America, it also pokes some fun at the Asians. It can be suggested that the film helps in portraying the Asian people as people who are unable to modernize like the Americans have. When Captain Fisby tries to come up with ideas for items that can be sold to Westerners as souvenirs in order to make money for the village, the only thing he is given to work with are cricket cages made of wood, chopsticks, and hand-made tea cups. A villager later returns to tell the captain that the westerners were not interested in any of the things he had to offer. When the villager told the man how the cups were hand-made, the man responded with something along the lines of, "So what? Why would I want these when we can have 10 cups per minute made back at home?!"

Some of the scenes in the film are really great to watch, and they show up right from the beginning. From all the reviews that I've read on IMDB, it seems that The Teahouse of the August Moon is one of those great films where it pays off to watch it numerous times. Supposedly it gets funnier and more memorable with each viewing. I made sure to keep it on the DVR.

The MAN from the NetherLANDS...

Artist: Nicolay & Kay
Album: Time:Line
Producer: Nicolay
Label: Nicolay Music Recordings
Year: 2008


The man is simply unstoppable. I have never felt so confident about a producer in all my years of enjoying Hip Hop. Everything that Nicolay releases is pure genius and absolute talent. When I first discovered him during my first year of college at Wagner, I was blown away by his beats. That was the 2005 record titled City Lights: Volume 1.5. The complete album is made up of instrumentals, one flowing into the next. I couldn't get over the amount of feeling and power that seeped through the speakers and into my oh-so-lucky ears. I'm pretty sure City Lights was all I was able to get myself a hold of at that time...ahhhh, actually not true. I also got my hands on The Foreign Exchange's Connected (2004) (Foreign Exchange is the collaboration between Nicolay and Phonte of the Justus League collective; this project is what most-helped the producer to get the recognition he deserved). Although I love The Foreign Exchange now, it wasn't really for me back during that time.

Anyway, within the next couple of years, I acquired basically all of Nicolay's releases and was left utterly speechless. I couldn't believe that all the records I got my hands on after City Lights were actually on a much higher level. For the first time, I was able to hear Nicolay's beats being rapped over by a variety of talented emcees from all over the place, and it was straight bliss. My personal favorite of these records is the Dutch Master's Mixtape: Volume 1 (2005). The record is mostly composed of remixes done by the producer, and it really exemplifies all the different styles that the man is all about, whether it's a bangin' beat or an R'n'B joint as smooth as the operator. Now, let's get into Time:Line...

This album is one hell of a ride, but not just any ride: the album is a document of one's journey through life, starting out with birth and ending with an inevitable death. Based on some of the tracks, it seems that Kay is telling the tales of the life of an emcee. It is possible that he is imagining his own future, but there is no way of knowing from listening to the record. Here's a track-by-track breakdown for ya:




Time:Line



1) Time:Line - This track is basically the introduction to the album itself, not the first song going with the "time-line" idea. The beat is a real nice way to get the listener moving and excited for what else is to come. Not too long, Kay spits one verse letting people know what's up.

2) Blizzard - This beat is off the hook, the perfect way to start off the whole story. The chorus is tight: "I was born in a blizzard in the dead of winter/ A child of God, entered to Earth's placenta/I live my life of change/ And even though folks are strange/ We gonna be al- be al- be alright." The baby is out of the womb now, and it ready to see what this thing called life is all about.


3) The Lights - A little strange, this song jumps straight into what seems to be teenage years. Although it's a far jump from the previous tune, it doesn't cause any problem. The song is about artists who lose sight of what they are trying to do in their life, "being blinded by the lights." This is the type of stuff that the youth who wants to be a big star thinks of. The song is a warning for all those who might let obstacles get in their way, such as cash, drugs, women, ect.

4) Through The Wind - So far into the album, this is the serious joint to groove to. The song sounds so beautiful, and all you want to do is get up and dance with your girl. The song is about the emcee falling in love with a particular girl. The hook talks about the two riding in a car, letting the wind blow through the hair and just chilling. The singing in the song is really key in what makes this song so great and soulful. "When she's looking at me/ I'm like 'Ohhhh!'"


5) What We Live - This is the only song that really seems out of place. The reason is that it doesn't really go along with the other songs in terms of talking about a specific trail or tribulation. Then again, now that I think of it, it could work, it's just more of a general idea then the others. The song is about loving what you do for a living, so one could place this in the the emcee's time-line as finally making it big and loving it all.


6) I've Seen Rivers - This song is a real pretty one, and Kay is responsible for a lot of it. The verses give it a type of sermon-like feel. It's real metaphorical, and the idea is borrowed from a poem by Langston Hughes. It speaks of the possibility of the artists' words standing the test of time. A real soulful one that really does make you feel as if you are floating down a river, due to Nicolay's production.

7) Tight Eyes - This song is my personal favorite. The song simply talks of "getting tight-eyed" AKA going out to the club, getting fucked up and having a serious good time. The song is really incredible, I cannot say enough about it. As opposed to those "let's get crunk"-type songs that are loud club bangers, this tune uses the smoothest beat in the entire world, creating one of the sexiest atmospheres I've ever heard a from a song.

8) As The Wheel Turns - The duty of this song is to remind us all that we are not the only ones around in this world. When life gets rough, people seem to forget that other people exist and probably are struggling from a lot more than they are. A simple yet important reminder. Take it for what it is.

9) The Gunshot - At this point in the record, things turn to a darker side. The song is a anti-gun violence number, with a serious Nicolay beat that is one of the top three on the record. At the very end of the song, lyrics reveal that the song represents a robbery being committed. This is one of the songs off the album that you make sure you don't sleep on.

10) Grand Theft Auto - Straight up, this song is just awesome. The song works as a GTA car chase in Hip Hop form/continuation of what happens next after the robbery in "The Gunshot". It's a really creative song.

11) When You Die - This song is one of the best on the record, and most definitely the strongest one overall. It's a really serious one, a continuation of what happens after the car chase in "Grand Theft Auto". It tells the story of the protagonist being in a coma, hearing people such as his wife and mother crying over what has happened to him. "All the sorrow, the pain, I'm ashamed/ I got caught up in glamor that comes with this game".

12) Dancing With The Stars - At the end of "When You Die"'s second verse, the man wakes up out of his coma, kissing his wife and feeling the tears as they drop on his face. This song talks of his feelings of bliss that he experiences when they both leave earth together. "These are the things I think of/ When I choose to speak out on our love". The whole song is sung by Kay, and has a nice feel to it, finsihing up our main character's life on a heavenly note. It's a very different type of closing song for a Hip Hop record, but different in a very good way.



Way to go Nicolay, you did it again. Keep em' coming, I can't wait for the new Foreign Exchange record.

PS - Sami, now you should pop this one into the stereo. I promise you'll appreciate it _________________________________________________

Downloads:

Nicolay & Kay - Time:Line

Nicolay - Dutch Masters Mixtape: Vol. 1

Nicolay - Here (2008)


Youtube:

Nicolay & Kay - "The Gunshot"

Nicolay & Kay - "When You Die"