"Game Of Thrones" - Season 2 Teaser

"A very small man can cast a very large shadow."

Season 1 of this epic TV show impressed me, especially its ending did. Some interesting characters didn't survived it, but there are more, whom I like, and they will continue fighting for power and life this spring. I know that some episodes were already filmed in Croatia, where the cast and the crew enjoyed working.

The first episode of the next season has a very intriguing teaser called "Shadow", which you can watch below. I hope there will be many challenges for Daenerys (and her dragons) and brave Arya (who must turn into a warrior princess), played by Emilia Clarke and Maisie Williams.

By the way, Peter Dinklage got a Golden Globe for his outstanding performance. His character should continue being great.

Visit official website for more information.

James Bond Supports International Women's Day

"Are we equals? Until the answer is 'yes', we must never stop asking."

Daniel Craig and Judi Dench teamed up with the director Sam Taylor-Wood ("Nowhere Boy", 2009) to make a short video about woman rights. Daniel Craig plays a dress-up this time, but it doesn't seems funny at all. Сonversely, it is very dramatic.

The statistic, which you can hear in this short film, is horrific. And I'm not telling you about different work opportunities for men and woman, but about domestic violence, sense of fear, assault. Everyone should see this video (not only British people, but people from all around the world, because our problems are identical) and think about it.

The 23rd James Bond film will be out later this year. Its main character is a real hero, who, I hope, is an example for many men.

P.S. I made this entry bilingual (English and Russian) for more people to understand the important meaning of this film. Share it with your friends.



Джеймс Бонд поддерживает Международный женский день

"Равны ли мы? Пока ответ не будет "да", мы не должны прекращать спрашивать."

Актер Дэниэл Крэйг и актриса Джуди Дэнч вместе с режиссером Сэм Тейлор-Вуд объединились, чтобы снять остросоциальный ролик о правах женщин. Дэниэл в этот раз из Джеймса Бонда переодевается в женщину, но это отнюдь не выглядит смешно. Даже наоборот - драматично.

Статистика, приведенная в этом видео, ужасает. И я говорю не только о пропасти между карьерными возможностями для женщин и мужчин, но о количестве случаев домашнего насилия, постоянного чувства страха (например, возвращаясь с работы домой поздно вечером в одиночку), трагических случаев на почве того, что женский пол не является физически сильным и не всегда может себя защитить. Каждый должен посмотреть это видео и задуматься над этой проблемой, мы не можем быть к ней безразличными, ведь она существует не только в Великобритании, но и в каждой другой стране.

В этом году выйдет 23й фильм о Джеймсе Бонде. Его главный персонаж является настоящим героем, который должен стать примером для многих мужчин.

P.S. Этот пост написан на двух языках, чтобы как можно людей имели возможность его понять. Это действительно важно. Поделитесь им со своими друзьями.

10 Reasons to Be Exited about "DARK SHADOWS"

"Dark Shadows" is still one of the most anticipated films of 2012 due to the readers of my blog, so I decided to make a list about why people are waiting for it.

1. Tim Burton may have messed up a little with Disney's "Alice in Wonderland", but he is still one of the most talented Hollywood directors, who manages to create unforgettable dark stories. He is in charge for upcoming "Dark Shadows", and this time he can't disappoint us.

2. One great man is in, so we need two more. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are those actors without whom I can't imagine Burton's creation at all. And if those two team up with the latter everyone knows the film is going to be magical and crazy in a good way.

3. Its genre is a gothic-horror tale, which is rare, but very impressive to watch. Creepy decorations, mystical locations, old manor... It will give us lots of chills, but in a very pleasant way.

4. Danny Elfman, who made some great scores for animated musicals as "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Corpse Bride", now is writing a soundtrack for "Dark Shadows". If there is a song, I guarantee it will become very famous.

5. This film is based on the old TV series of the same name, which is No. 19 in TV Guide's list of the 25 Top Cult Shows Ever! along with "Star Trek", "The Simpsons", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" etc. Plus it has a very high IMDB rating (8.2). Promising, isn't it?

6. The main events happen mostly with one clan, which proves again that some families have lots of skeletons in their closet.

7. There will be blood, because where a vampire goes, death comes along him. It isn't going to be very violent, more like "Sleepy Hollow" style, but this time Depp's character won't faint every time he sees blood.

8. Makeup is an important part of creating the characters, especially when some of them aren't alive. If you saw at least one promo picture you know that makeup artists did a great job making them very unlike themselves. It's not the first time Johnny Depp wears eyeliner, but this time he doesn't look like Captain Jack Sparrow at all.

9. Besides Depp and Bonham Carter, the cast includes other good actors - Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonny Lee Miller, Eva Green and legendary Christopher Lee. They also can't mess up this film.

10. "Dark Shadows" will be out in May, so we have some time to catch up watching its original TV series, and probably in a month or so we'll get a first trailer. I think it is a perfect timing, because it isn't very short or very long time to wait (unlike "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", which I've already expected for two years and there is still left so many months to its premiere).

Picture - Dark Shadows news page

Oscar 2012 - All Nominees

The full list of the nominees of the 84th Annual Academy Awards was announced this morning by Jennifer Lawrence, who was nominated for her performance in "Winter's Bone" in 2011.

"Hugo" has 11 chances to get an award; "The Artist" has 10 nominations; "Moneyball" and "War Horse" were honored with 6; "The Descendants" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" have 5 nominations each.

I'm going to see "The Artist" these days (it will be finally out in my country!), but I already know that I will hope it gets the Oscar in a month for Best Picture. My other predictions are selected with blue colour, but some nominations I left untouched, because I have no idea how they will choose winners for Film Editing, Best Documentary (I haven't watched none of them), Best Short Film or Sound Editing.

More about Oscar 2012!

Billy Crystal  is the Host, and the winners you will know on February 26.

The full list of nominees:

Best Picture
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Moneyball"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist")
Alexander Payne ("The Descendants")
Martin Scorsese ("Hugo")
Woody Allen ("Midnight in Paris")
Terrence Malick ("The Tree of Life")

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
George Clooney in "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis in "The Help"
Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
"Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
"The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)
"The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
"Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
"A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi

Animated Feature Film
"A Cat in Paris"
"Chico and Rita"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"

Art Direction
"The Artist" Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
"Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris" Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
"War Horse" Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography
"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
"Hugo" Robert Richardson
"The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
"War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design
"Anonymous" Lisy Christl
"The Artist" Mark Bridges
"Hugo" Sandy Powell
"Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
"W.E." Arianne Phillips

Best Documentary (Feature)
"Hell and Back Again" Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Pina" Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
"Undefeated" TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Best Documentary (Short Subject)
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"God Is the Bigger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Incident in New Baghdad" James Spione
"Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing
"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Kevin Tent
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Best Foreign Language Film
"Bullhead" Belgium
"Footnote" Israel
"In Darkness" Poland
"Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
"A Separation" Iran

Best Make-up
"Albert Nobbs" Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
"The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Best Original Score
"The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
"The Artist" Ludovic Bource
"Hugo" Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse" John Williams

Best Original Song
"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Short Film (Animated)
"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
"La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
"A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
"Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Best Short Film (Live Action)
"Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
"Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
"The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
"Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Best Sound Editing
"Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
"Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
"War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Best Sound Mixing
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
"Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
"Moneyball" Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
"War Horse" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Best Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
"Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
"Real Steel" Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Costume Designers Guild named the Nominees

The awards season continues, and now we know the nominees for the 14th Annual Costume Designers Guild awards.

Again, I selected my predictions with blue, and I hope I will guess the winners at least for Excellence in Contemporary Film nomination. I want that cool Gosling's jacket from "Drive" and I'm really into Lisbeth's style from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". Excellence in Period Film nominees have also not so many chances, when "The Artist" is there. And "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" has a good chance too, though I'd say the make-up there is more impressive than the costumes. 

The winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 21.

Excellence in Contemporary Film:
"Bridesmaids" – Leesa Evans and Christine Wada
"The Descendants" – Wendy Chuck
"Drive" – Erin Benach
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" – Trish Summerville
"Melancholia" – Manon Rasmussen

Excellence in Period Film:
"The Artist" – Mark Bridges
"Jane Eyre " – Michael O'Connor
"The Help" – Sharen Davis
"Hugo" – Sandy Powell
"W.E." – Arianne Phillips

Excellence in Fantasy Film:
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" – Jany Temime
"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" – Penny Rose
"Red Riding Hood" – Cindy Evans
"Thor" – Alexandra Byrne
"X-Men: First Class" – Sammy Sheldon

Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries:
"Downton Abbey" – Susannah Buxton
"The Kennedys" – Christopher Hargadon
"Mildred Pierce" – Ann Roth

Outstanding Contemporary Television Series:
"Glee" – Lou Eyrich and Jennifer Eve
"Modern Family" – Alix Friedberg
"Revenge" – Jill Ohanneson
"Saturday Night Live" – Tom Broecker and Eric Justian
"Sons of Anarchy" – Kelli Jones

Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series:
"Boardwalk Empire" – John A. Dunn and Lisa Padovani
"The Borgias" – Gabriella Pescucci
"Game of Thrones" – Michele Clapton
"Once Upon Time" – Eduardo Castro
"Pan Am (Series)" – Ane Crabtree

Who do you think should win these awards? Leave your predictions in comments below.

Poll: The Most Anticipated Films of 2012

Finally I'm writing about the most anticipated upcoming films of this year. I included in this huge poll films of different genres, directed by famous and not directors, with young and award-winning actors. Maybe someone finds here something interesting besides his regular tastes. But there are no feature films, which I'm going to include in the next poll.

You can choose 5 films, which you are definitely going to see and waited for them since the previous year (or even longer).

My picks are (they shouldn't affect you choice!):
1. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
2. "Django Unchained"
3. "Dark Shadows"
4. "The Expendables 2"
5. "Les Misérables"

Movie Talk on Sunday - British Films

I like MTOS, but I can't participate very often. The last one was about British films, so I thought I should answer the questions anyway (even four days later). But I started answering them, I understood that I'm not very familiar with true British cinema. I hope to catch up later. All questions were thought up by two hosts - @thommoj03 and @maxwellhubbard.

1. What is your all-time favourite British film?
"The Duchess", because it has Keira Knightley, who is always great in historical dramas; is based on the interesting life of a real person; is very dramatic, visually stunning, and its score is great.

2. Who do you consider the best British director?
Charlie Chaplin is my favourite. I watched every film (!) made by him or where he stared. If I had to choose alive directors, I'd say Tom Hooper (yes, I enjoyed "The King's Speech" very much); Richard Ayoade ("Submarine" is one of the best films I've seen in 2011) and Joe Wright (because of "Atonement" and his "Pride and Prejudice" adaptation).

3. Who is the best British actor/actress alive today?
I can't name the only one actor and just the only one actress. James McAvoy, Ralph Fiennes, Ian McKellen, Rhys Ifans, Alan Rickman, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Jude Law, Christian Bale are good and great: on the other hand there are Helena Bonham Carter, Keira Knightley, Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, Julie Andrews, Kristin Scott Thomas, Kate Winslet. If I forgot someone I hope they won't be offended.

4. What characteristics define 'the best of British'?
Intelligence, originality, wise budget use, talented actors.

5. What genre does British cinema do best? (give examples)
I'm a big fan of period dramas (see films mentioned in this post before).

6. What makes British films different from mainstream Hollywood movies?
Everything. Mainstream Hollywood movies are all the same (meaningless comedies with stupid jokes or action flicks with lots of invisible 3D). What I like about British films is that they aren't becoming mainstream, though David Cameron thinks they should (don't listen to him). Also it is great that British filmmakers don't forget their history and continue adapting classics.

7. Do you think British films are better than those from America?
Definitely. Because British directors are trying to make something new, and not to remake something old.

8. If you could get a cinema re-release for one British film what would it be?
My childhood dream is to watch two first Harry Potter films on the big screen.

9. 2011 was a great year for film. Which British film was the best of the bunch last year?
"Submarine" by Richard Ayoade.

10. Finally, which British film will wow audiences this year?
I'm waiting for "The Woman in Black", "Skyfall", and "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is also partly British.

If you know some great British films, please write them in comments below so I could watch them! Thank you.

Quote of the day

I'm watching recorded Golden Globes 2012, and it was a great show. I heard many jokes and honest speeches, but one man said very wise words I want to share with you.

When Robert Downey Jr. was presenting Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist", he said:

"The story proves that has the world changes for better or for worse; it is always love that triumphs."

You can view the Golden Globes 2012 Film Winners list here.

Golden Globes 2012 Film Winners

One of the most anticipating award events took place yesterday in Los Angeles. I haven't chance to watch it on-line (don't worry Oscars I won't miss!), but I'm going to do it today. Many actors, actresses, directors, composers were at the 69 Annual Golden Globe Awards and gave some interesting interviews on the red carpet, which I'm very excited to see.

Ricky Gervais was the host. His opening speech was something hilarious (watch it below). He said that the Golden Globes are just like the Oscars, but without all that esteem.



As you know, I made my predictions, and I was very lucky to guess many of the winners, except for Best Actress (Drama), Best Supporting Actor, Best Animated Feature, Best Foreign Film and Best Original Song. It's 9 out 14, so I think it is a good result.

My favourite acceptance speech was said by Michelle Williams, who told us that she considers herself the mother first and the actress second and thanked her daughter. So touching. The most emotional winner was Meryl Streep. I adore this woman.

You can also read some interesting quotes of the night on The Guardian website. And some interesting videos from the big event you can find here.

The Winners (only in film categories):

Best Picture (Drama)

"The Descendants"

Best Picture (Comedy or Musical)

"The Artist"

Best Director

Martin Scorsese ("Hugo")

Best Actor (Drama)

George Clooney ("The Descendants")

Best Actress (Drama)

Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady")

Best Actor (Comedy or Musical)

Jean Dujardin ("The Artist")

Best Actress (Comedy or Musical)

Michelle Williams ("My Week With Marilyn")

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer ("Beginners")

Best Supporting Actress

Octavia Spencer ("The Help")

Best Screenplay

Woody Allen ("Midnight in Paris")

Best Animated Feature

"The Adventures of Tintin"

Best Foreign Film

"A Separation" by Asghar Farhadi

Best Original Song

"Masterpiece" ("W.E.")

Best Score

Ludovic Bource ("The Artist")

If you are interested in TV shows, which got awards, you can view the whole list here.

Pictures - Daily Mail, HFPA, The Guardian, MTV

Quentin Tarantino’s Favourite Films of 2011

Quentin Tarantino continues the good tradition naming his favourite films of the previous year. He picked 12 films this time, which impressed him the most, including blockbusters and independent works. He must love watching fantasy, and I totally agree with him that "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes" and "X-Men: First Class" were one of the best in this genre in 2011. But I never thought he might enjoy so much "Midnight In Paris" and "Young Adult", not because they are bad, but very sentimental for such a tough guy like him.

The biggest surprise is that he put "The Artist" and "Our Idiot Brother" on one level. The last one doesn't deserves it, but it looks like Tarantino watches everything and can enjoy very different films.

1. "Midnight In Paris"
2. "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes"
3. "Moneyball"
4. "The Skin I Live In"
5. "X-Men: First Class"
6. "Young Adult"
7. "Attack The Block"
8. "Red State"
9. "Warrior"
10. "The Artist" / "Our Idiot Brother" (tie)
11. "The Three Musketeers"

Source - The Quentin Tarantino archives

Do you agree with this list?

"SKYFALL" (2012) - First picture

Empire website released the very first image from upcoming 23rd James Bond film. It is called "Skyfall", and Daniel Craig continues playing its legendary main character. This picture was made while filming at the Four Seasons hotel in London. Everyone knows that James Bond films are more for guys, but I doubt that this particular promo can attract the sterner sex with Craig's muscular almost naked body... On the other hand now I'm waiting for it.

"Skyfall" stars a bunch of good actors - Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Helen McCrory, and is directed by the Academy Award winner Sam Mendes. The film opens this fall.

"Dark Shadows" (2012) - Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer picture

New image from upcoming Tim Burton's film is released. Now we have a better view of two main characters - Barnabas Collins and Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. I can't remember when Johnny Depp had such a short haircut. And with this make-up he really looks like a vampire, because it is very hard to tell how old is he. Michelle Pfeiffer still looks much older than she is, but due to her natural face shade her character is a human.

Also starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Chloe Moretz, Eva Green, Jonny Lee Miller.

"Dark Shadows" will be out in May.

More about "Dark Shadows" (2012)!

Picture - COLLIDER

Soundtrack 2011

There is some time until the Golden Globe and Oscar awards, so I decided to continue summing up the previous film year. This time it is all about music.

I picked ten songs and compositions, which became my favourite ones.

1. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (feat. Karen O) - "Immigrant Song"
Film: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by David Fincher.

This song became even more popular than its original, which Led Zeppelin sang. It channeled the dark atmosphere of the film and made the opening sequence incredibly creepy and beautiful.



2. Kavinsky - "Nightcall"
Film: "Drive" by Nicolas Winding Refn.

"Drive" soundtrack is one of the best I heard this year, and "Nightcall" is a very catchy track, which always reminds me of Ryan Gosling driving away.



3. Alexandre Desplat - "Statues"
Film: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" by David Yates.

Alexandre Desplat knows how to create a magic and feisty composition. The scene before the Battle of Hogwarts is very impressive, especially the part when teachers, students and the Order of the Phoenix are trying to protect the school. It was breathtaking to watch and not the less to listen.



4. Rival Sons - "Torture"
Film: "Real Steel" by Shawn Levy.

"Real Steel" has a combined soundtrack of hip-hop and rock songs, but this one matches my taste perfectly.



5. Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes - "I've Had the Time of My Life"
Film: "Crazy, Stupid, Love" by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, originally from "Dirty Dancing" by Emile Ardolino.

I fell in love with this song a long time ago, since I saw "Dirty Dancing" for the first time, so I was glad to hear it in this romantic comedy. You have to be a really good dancer to lift a girl like that.



6. Hans Zimmer - "I See Everything"
Film: "Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows" by Guy Ritchie.

Less than a minute, but it gives me goose bumps.



7. Hans Zimmer - "Blackbeard"
Film: "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" by Rob Marshall.

The film was average, but the score is great. Hans Zimmer made the first appearance of Blackbeard very badass.



8. Kerris Dorsey - "The Show"
Film: "Moneyball" by Bennett Miller.

Such a sweet girl with a very good voice sings for his father. I didn't like this film, but two scenes, where this song is featured, are very good and sentimental.



9. Henry Jackman - "Magneto"
Film: "X-Men: First Class" by Matthew Vaughn.

I'd call it "The Rise of the Great Villain". Fassbender's character got the best composition, which is good at describing his inner world.



10. Alexandre Desplat - "Lily's Theme"
Film: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" by David Yates.

The most tragic melody I've heard in the last Harry Potter films. It prepares the audience for a serious final of this story.



Which are your top-10 songs you heard in films the previous year?

"Девушка с татуировкой дракона" (2011) - Рецензия

Грязное белье именитого семейства

Когда клан промышленников с богатой историей попадает под прицел умного и наблюдательного журналиста, членам этой семьи становится все сложнее сохранять напускное спокойствие. Подробности исчезновение, случившегося сорок лет назад, вновь всплывают на поверхность из сточной канавы. Срок давности этого дела давно уже вышел, но теперь пришло время поставить в нем точку.

Первая книга трилогии Стига Ларссона, сделавшая его невероятно популярным посмертно, дождалась своего звездного часа, оказавшись в руках талантливого режиссера Дэвида Финчера. Ни для кого ни загадка, что переносить на экран роман любого жанра — дело не из легких, ведь нужно не упустить массу важных моментов, при этом сделав сюжет динамичным. И вот с помощью крепкого сценария, написанного Стивеном Зеллианом, Финчер переносит нас в заснеженную Швецию, на небольшой остров, жители которого скрывают немало тайн.

Вместо заслуженного отдыха осужденный столичный журналист Микаэль Блумквист бросает свои апартаменты, любовницу и ввязывается в очередное расследование, которое сулит ему очень хорошее вознаграждение. На его месте врядли бы кто-то смог устоять перед искушением очистить свое имя и вернуть доверие читателей и коллег, без которого на его карьере можно было бы поставить крест. Чем глубже он погружается в факты дела о загадочном исчезновении Харриет Вангер, тем больше ему улыбается удача. Жизнь же его новой помощницы Лисбет Саландер является полной противоположностью. Зависимость от своего опекуна, насилие, наркотики, страсть к татуировкам, агрессивный внешний не слишком способствуют душевному спокойствию и материальному благополучию. Ей не стоит переходить дорогу, а женоненавистникам лучше вообще обращаться в бегство, если Лисбет напала на их след. И такие разные люди объединяются, чтобы поймать опасного преступника, который все это время следит за ними в ответ. Из Дэниэла Крэйга получился любопытный журналист-профессионал, чье чувство самосохранения постоянно выключается в самый неподходящий момент. А юная Руни Мара переиграла здесь всех, показав нам настоящего бойца, который привык рассчитывать только на себя и всегда учитывать возможные последствия своих поступков. Ее странная героиня вызывает лишь симпатию, восхищая своими хакерскими талантами и навыками выживания.

Хотя в книге писатель достаточно много времени выделяет каждому второстепенному герою, все больше запутывая читателя и отодвигая момент раскрытия тайны на потом, Финчер значительно упростил круг подозреваемых. Больше всего экранного времени получили Кристофер Пламмер, Стивен Беркофф и Стеллан Скарсгард, убедительно сыграв своих персонажей. Робин Райт также хорошо справилась со своей ролью заботливого редактора, чье мнение часто идет в разрез с мнением Блумквиста. Единственным неясным персонажем оказался экс-фашист Харальд в исполнении актера Пера Мирберга. Такой милый дедушка с добрыми глазами и необъяснимой гостеприимностью, которой он отнюдь не отличался в книге, совершенно не соответствует действительности.

Американская экранизация получилась очень атмосферным триллером. Расчлененные животные, сцены невероятно жестокого изнасилования, жуткие подробности убийств, совершенных много десятилетий назад, камера пыток — здесь есть все, что может шокировать зрителя. И эти зверства происходят на фоне спокойных пейзажей Стокгольма и тихого острова возле вымышленного города Хедестада. Дэвид Финчер остался верен себе, сумев порадовать с самых первых секунд бесподобными вступительными титрами, красивыми и пугающими одновременно. К сожалению, кассовые сборы кинокартины оставляют желать лучшего, но надежда на трилогию все еще остается.

Если люди пытаются закопать свои скелеты поглубже, у этой девушки и ее нового друга всегда найдется лопата побольше, чтобы вытащить их на поверхность.

Make-up Pre-Nominees for Oscar 2012

The Academy announced 7 films, only three of which will get a chance to fight for a golden statuette for Best Make-up. I'm glad to see in this list my favourite film of the previous year, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2". Its creators did a wonderful job with fantastic realistic make-up. They turned Warwick Davis into a goblin Griphook and later into Professor Flitwick; drew thousands of wounds while the battle of Hogwarts was taking place; and in the end those artists made 20-year-old actors look twice older.

"Anonymous" and "The Artist" deserved to be in this list either, because the appearance of the characters perfectly matched the time, when the events happened. And "Albert Nobbs" is a remarkable film to be nominated for the make-up, because Glenn Close really looked like a man there. Amazing work.

More about OSCAR 2012!

The only thing is a bit weird that they included "Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life", which was out in 2010, not in 2011. It must impress the academics very much.

"Albert Nobbs"
"Anonymous"
"The Artist"
"Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
"Hugo"
"The Iron Lady"

You will know all 84th Academy Awards nominations on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. And winners will be announced on February 26, 2012.

Oscar 2012 - Trailer and Poster

The first 84th Academy Awards trailer arrived. Many talented actors are very busy now, but they found some to film a very remarkable promo video. Megan Fox and Josh Freeman, who worked together on the first two "Transformers" films, are traveling around the world in the search for perfect Oscars host. I think they wanted to make Megan and Josh a bit like Scully and Mulder from "The X-Files". But it was not a good idea. We know the Host is Billy Crystal, but he looks funny with that hair. But now he lives in Mongolia and is very lonely without his Oscar job. Poor guy, isn't he?

Mr. Crystal was the Host for many times by now, but I've never watched this event with him. I think thanks to him Oscar 2012 will be fun.

The ceremony will take place on February 26, 2012.

More about OSCAR 2012!



Films featured on this poster: "Forrest Gump" (1994), "The Godfather" (1972), "The Sound of Music" (1965), "Gone with the Wind" (1939), "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), "Giant" (1956), "Gladiator" (2000) and "Casablanca" (1943). I watched almost every film and I think everyone should see those all of them.

5 Sexiest Film Characters of 2011

Inspired by Empire magazine, I made my own list of the sexiest characters. But it is so hard to choose, so I decided to make it in the limit of one year.

P.S. Those characters are in no particular order.

1. Captain Jack Sparrow
Film: "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

Yes, Johnny Depp still has it. His pirate is one of the most memorable, sly, and funny characters of the decade. And, of course, I like his hair and make-up. If someone says it makes him less manly, I will laugh, because he is more manly than half of todays' Hollywood.

2. Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
Film: "X-Men: First Class"

Michael Fassbender played a few memorable characters in 2011, but I choose his young version of the great villain. Why? He is handsome, powerful, a bit mysterious. Thanks to him I wasn't missing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in this X-men film.

3. Jamie Rellis
Film: "Friends with Benefits"

There were a few similar films about friendship and sex this year, but this one I enjoyed the most, mostly because of Mila Kunis. She is smart, independent and beautiful, and her Jamie Rellis was the same. I'm glad that this Ukrainian girl makes her dreams come true.

P.S. I bet many men were jealous of Justin Timberlake, while they were watching "Friends with Benefits".

4. Marilyn Monroe
Film: "My Week with Marilyn"

Marilyn was a sex symbol, and she is still one of the most beautiful and charismatic women of all times, so she totally deserves to be included in my list. Michelle Williams is a good actress and she perfectly channeled the inner beauty of miss Monroe, which always made her so special.

5. Driver
Film: "Drive"

This film is one of my favourite of the previous year. Ryan Gosling shocked me again, because he played his part very well. We don't know the real name of his character, but I admire the choice he made. If "Drive" had another final, I probably wouldn't include its main character here. Yes, it is incredibly sexy when a man saves a woman.

Who are your top-5 sexiest characters of the previous film year? Leave your list in comments below.

Top-30 HOME ALONE moments

Happy New Year! I hope you are having a great time now, because I'm. The first blog entry of 2012 I want to write about a few good films, which you know and probably have seen many times. There are no winter holidays for me without "Home Alone" and "Home Alone 2". When I was watching the first part a few days ago, I thought I should write about its best moments. So here is the list!

1. Ruined family dinner
We know it's all Buzz's vault, but we know also that no one should mess with Kevin. Especially it's a bad choice to eat his favourite pizza when he is very hungry.

2. Some Ice-cream and a detective
He knows how to spend his parents-free time. And it's the first time we see a fictional gangster film "Angels with Filthy Souls". That killing scene helped Kevin a few times to scare away some strangers.



3. Mama screaming, part 1
Catherine O'Hara was great playing Kevin's mom, but I just can't stop laughing when she screams every time she realizes that her son is missing.

4. Everybody's home!
We know that the main character is a smart kid, but it was genius to put all those fake people in his living room to scare away 'wet bandits.'

5. Dangerous to be a pizza guy
That poor guy didn't do anything wrong, but Kevin likes to play nasty jokes. I hope the first one didn't have to go to the psychiatrist after that evening...

6. Goodnight kiss
It's the first time Kevin realizes how it feels to be on holidays without his family. Even if they aren't the best, but they are his relatives and he misses them. Very much.

7. Singing "White Christmas"
It's one of the most favourite and nicest scenes in "Home Alone". Macaulay Culkin was very good in portraying the classic song by The Drifters. And its ending is priceless.

8. Polka king
John Candy saves the day! But the greeting speech about his musical achievements sounds very funny.

9. Don't believe in gossips
If a person isn't like everybody else, it doesn't mean that this person is some freak or murderer. This grandfather with horrible appearance turned out to be a very kind man, who was very lonely without his family. Just like Kevin was.

10. Battle plan
I always admired how Kevin prepares his house for an unforgettable evening with bandits. He is ready to kick some asses.

11. Chicken much?
"Why the hell did you take your shoes off?" asks Harry.
"Why the hell are you dressed like a chicken?" asks Marv.
They are really dumb, if they thought they can kill this kid. Very self-confident.

12. Who is the best creature?
When I was little, I was so glad that there was a huge spider, because it saves Kevin's life. Though I hate spiders very much, but this one will always be the hero.

13. Happy family reunion, part 1
Mom arrives, dad arrives along with all brothers and sisters. It should be the best Christmas ever, but they don't know that Kevin messed up a little again.

14. How to ruin a big concert
Buzz is an idiot. He messes up with Kevin and makes himself a victim again. By the way, Macaulay Culkin sang very good indeed.

15. Never let you go
If parents are a bit irresponsible, it's time for kid to take care of himself and don't be forgotten at home again. But it didn't work out as they thought, did it?

16. New York, New York
I've never understood why the McCallisters chose Florida over New York to spend their Christmas vacation. And Kevin doesn't waste a minute, sightseeing and taking pictures.

17. Mama screaming, part 2
Yeah, it becomes a family tradition to lose Kevin somewhere and go for a vacation without him. Catherine O'Hara screams harder and even faints this time.

18. Freedom smells
Who knew that freedom smells like fish?

19. Hotel suite for a kid
The main character has his dad's money, so it would have been stupid to live on the street. But Kevin must have a good nerve to book himself the best apartments in The Plaza, which is one of the greatest USA hotels. And he met Donald Trump there!

20. How to tip
No cash, just one gum. I like the face of the hotel worker when he refuses to take another tip from Kevin and later realises that the boy wanted to give him some actual money.

21. Toys' paradise
I'd like to visit such place as Duncan's toy chest.

22. Fake Christmas detective
It is the second fake gangster film, a sequel of "Angels with Filthy Souls". There are a violent murder, and laugh, and the best Happy New Year wish I've ever heard.



23. A picture to remember
Sticky bandits are very photogenic, aren't they?

24. Falling bricks
That must hurt so hard, but Marv is a tough guy.

25. Electric shower
One bandit slips, falls into a shelf full of heavy paint cans, then he gets up and sees a washbasin. He is so happy to have a chance to wash his face and hands, but there is a trick. I always wondered if it is possible to survive all those bricks, toasting, falling, but surely no one could survive his genius trap. Marv is a very tough guy.

26. One, two, three and four
Harry is the smartest of those two, but he always underestimates Kevin. Two cans are nothing when there is a huge pipe coming after. Twice.

27. Birds' snack
That woman saves Kevin's life and two bandits becoming a dinner for doves.

28. Biggest Christmas tree
It is great when the mother knows what her child would do and where he could be on the Christmas Eve.

29. Happy family reunion, part 2
It's a very touching moment with Christmas presents and snowy morning until they see a hotel bill. Oops! Kevin is in trouble again.

30. Two doves
It's nice to have a good friend, especially when he is the only friend. I admire how Kevin manages to make friends with people, who are outsiders. He is just being very sincere and open-hearted. This boy has the biggest heart.

I hope you enjoyed my top-30 moments, if I forgot some good scenes, which you like very much, leave a comment below.