In The Land of Blood and Honey to be Released in Bosnian Language

"Audiences will also have the opportunity to see it in English if they choose to do so."

In the Land of Blood and Honey is set to be released in the United States in the native foreign language of Bosnia.  This movie is Jolie's directorial debut and is set in the 1990s Bosnian War.
The movie is both written and directed by Jolie.  Interestingly enough she claims to have written the script while she was in bed with the flu for a week.  The story revolved around a couple who are from two different sides of the war.  Danijel is  soldier for the Serbs while Ajla is prisoner being held where Danijel is camping.  The two fall in love but face many obstacles due to the war.  The movie is essentially about how they handle these trials and tribulations.

As the film is set in the war it will be filmed in the Serbian-Croatian language BHS as well as in English.  The foreign language version will be released in the United States with subtitles.

Jolie is pleased with this development as she hoped that US audiences would be able to experience this version of the movie.  Audiences will also have the opportunity to see it in English if they choose to do so.

When asked why she chose such a demanding topic for her film, Jolie responded that she wanted to renew attention to the war.  The film is unlikely to be a box office hit.  That being said if critics respond well to it, the film will be considered a success.  Jolie has recently made headlines as she has employed new representation in an effort to get more independent movie roles.

 

Korean Cinema – Il Mare

This movie was one of my first experiences in Korean cinema and ultimately led me to fall in love with the films that South Korea is producing.  Il Mare is a basic romantic story with a twist to it.  The lovers are not separated by distance, but instead are separated by time.  Each one lives 2 years apart from the other.

The story follows the two main characters as they exchange letters through the use of a mailbox which acts as a time portal, transporting each one’s message to the other.  We see the growing relationship between them through the use of this medium and as they try to discover more about each other.  Their individual lives go on as they grow closer and there are even some cute incidents where they sort-of meet up without being completely aware of it.

Without giving too much away for those that might want to watch it, Il Mare presents a unique perspective on falling in love.  It’s a hopelessly romantic film and the more sensitive viewer (myself included) may even shed a tear or two.  Anyone who enjoys Korean cinema or fairy tale love-stories in general should view this film at least once.

Some people may have seen the Hollywood remake, The Lake House, with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.  Don’t let that stop you from going out and renting the original.  We Americans have a way of ruining some of the best Asian films by remaking them (though that is another post entirely).  Those who haven’t seen either of them should just skip The Lake House and just watch Il Mare.  You won’t be disappointed.

The Genius of Park Chan-wook

In August of 1963, the world became a better place when Park Chan-wook was born into the world.  It would be many years before he made his first film, his genius slowly germinating in his youth and young adult years.  Finally, he found his calling in the film industry and movie-goers everywhere would never be the same.

Unfortunately, Park’s first few films were not very well received and he was forced to work as a film critic to pay the bills.  Eventually, in 2000, he would release Joint Security Area (J.S.A.), a film that I personally consider to be his best work.  It was an immediate critical and commercial success, catapulting Park into his now-famous position as one of South Korea’s (and the world’s) most talented filmmakers.

Once he had established himself as a force to be reckoned with, he began to mastermind what would later become known as The Vengeance Trilogy.  The first installment in this was Sympathy

for Mr. Vengeance – a bloody and brutal social commentary about life, death and the troubles that wealth can bring.  This was followed by Oldboy, perhaps his most well-known film.  Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance were more social commentary expressing Park’s own views about the nature and futility of vengeance.  Growing up in a divided Korea, it is no wonder that Park was drawn to such topics.

Park’s latest addition to his body of work was a vampire flick called Thirst, though he has directed

several other films as well as writing screenplays.  His work has garnered him much critical praise and numerous awards and has influenced many other filmmakers in their own work.  Park’s first English-language film, a short by the name of Stoker, began filming two months ago.

Of all the films I’ve seen in the last 20 years, Park Chan-wook’s are some of those which have most influenced the way I see the world.  May the gods bless him with a long life and an endless supply of money so that he may continue to work his magic for decades more.

Die Antwoord - "Evil Boy"

I'll be honest; I'm not entirely sure what to make of South African rap-rave duo Die Antwoord's video for their single "Evil Boy". It paints a pretty creepy world, one that's full of, um, penis. But the song is catchy as anything stateside. All three of the featured vocalists have great flow in their own distinctive style. And hey, there's even a visual reference to the fantastic South African science fiction film District 9. As Freudian and surreal as the video might be, it's well-shot, polished and visually interesting. And yes, full of dick. But if you're into haunted sexual nightmares, you'll probably be able to get into it. The video below is, if you couldn't guess, very NSFW. 

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Sri Lanka in England Test series, 1st Test, Day 1

A new captain starts the English summer

The much-vaunted English summer got off to a wet and delayed start in Cardiff today, as a new-look Sri Lankan team took on an England outfit keen to show that their Ashes victory last year was no flash in the pan. Rain washed out the first session and allowed for just 48 overs of play, but by stumps, both teams had reason to be pleased with their performances.

 

 

Tillekeratne Dilshan, fresh off centuries in the tour games, got his full-time international captaincy off to a good start by winning the toss and choosing to bat. The resuming rain had to make him wait for his first at bat as captain, but he and Tharanga Paranavitana negotiated England's new ball attack without incident. James Anderson was sharp and precise, while Stuart Broad went for some stick, with Chris Tremlett going unrewarded for accurate and incisive bowling.

 

Given the conditions, and his new-found responsibilities as captain, Dilshan played within himself, but was the more aggressive of the openers, letting Paranavitana find his feet in his first opening role outside the subcontinent. As their partnership passed 50, England's bowlers began to wane, and attention turned from them to when Graeme Swann would have his first bowl of the summer.

 

Dilshan reached his 50, a positive and confident start, and was looking good for more, before he became the first wicket of the game, playing on to Graeme Swann. It was a vital breakthrough for England - the partnership was worth 93 at the time, and forced the Sri Lankans to craft another from scratch. Like Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara looked in ominous form, but feathered an edge to Matt Prior and was gone for just 11. From 93/0, Sri Lanka slipped to 114/2, but Paranavitana's own half-century and Mahela Jayawardene's patience saw the tourists through to stumps (133/2) with no further hassle.

 

Honors mostly even at the end of the truncated first day's play. Sri Lanka would be happy getting runs on the board without the loss of too many wickets, but England are very slightly ahead, having removed Kumar Sangakkara cheaply. However, with Jayawardene still at their crease, they have their work cut out for them. Paranativana - who started his Test career with a first ball duck - passed 1,000 Test runs in this innings, and looks set to cement his position as Sri Lanka's Test opener. No century for Dilshan this time, but a fluent 50 suggests that he's shrugged off the IPL and is looking to establish his captaincy like his batting - with confidence and aggression.

 

It wasn't the best of days for England's bowlers. Once Dilshan and Paranavitana saw off any threats with the new ball, the England attack seemed more focused on containing the runs, than forcing a wicket. The dismissals suggested as much - Dilshan played on while facing Swann, and Sangakkara's wicket was initially turned down by Aleem Dar, before a referral from Andrew Strauss revealed a fatal edge. There was nothing wrong with England's bowling; it just lacked any tangible sense of punch. Already trailing by 133, with eight opposition batsmen left to come, they'd better find their feet soon.

 

Day 1: Sri Lanka: 133/2 (Tharanga Paranavitana 58*, Graeme Swann 8-2-12-1) in 48 overs

 

External link:

 

Scorecard at Cricinfo

 

Black Death

Current Then. Current Now.

     Nation-threatening disease pandemics, religious fanaticism, crises of faith and persecution, terroristic threats....sound familiar? Nope, it's not popular upheaval in middle-eastern countries or fringe congregations in the south. It's 1348, and the Bubonic Plague (not designated until centuries later) is in full swing in England. Known simply as "the pestilence", the plague is seen as a punishment by God for the sins of Medieval man, ravaging cities and villages and leaving nearly half the population dead.

      The film opens with a question of faith. We find that even amid the despair, love survives. A young monk, Alex (Eddie Redmayne) and village girl, Averill (Kimberely Nixon) carry on a love affair that leaves both fearing God’s wrath. Alex prays for a sign and his answer comes in the form of Ulrich (Sean Bean) and his motley band of Euro-jihadis. Ulrich and his crew are traveling to a remote village, rumored to be untouched by the plague, to investigate reports of “godlessness”. His band needs a guide, and wouldn't you know it but young Alex knows the area. Alex volunteers, seeing it as his divine sign and an opportunity to see his love beyond the watchful eyes of the church.

     This is, of course, all set-up for the premise and themes that saturate this film; the attempt to reconcile love and religion, the violence of fanaticism, and the different, sometimes destructive, ways in which people embrace faith. By way of efficient exposition, one of Ulrich’s men gives Alex a quick rundown of each of the would-be witch hunters. A lunatic, an executioner, criminals and disgraced crusaders, all following this holy quest under Ulrich’s payroll. Not exactly the kind of religious fanatics one would expect from men with such a grim duty, but what his men lack in religious fervor, Ulrich more than compensates.

 

     In one of the more well-written bits of backstory, Wolfstan (John Lynch), a former soldier and the only other pious man in Ulrich’s contingent, tells the story of a battle with the French. He introduces Alex to the misericorde, a small stiletto knife used to mercifully end a wounded soldier’s life. However, after particularly bloody battle, the King orders his soldiers to massacre the wounded. This act, Wolfstan explains, is what created the pestilence. This series illustrates the mind of the Medieval Christian, and allows us to understand the insanity that ensues throughout the film.

 

     Full disclosure, I’m a huge fan of Sean Bean. He is a nuanced actor, a product of classical English training, and massively talented in a variety of roles. However, he has etched himself a profitable niche in the fantasy and historical epic genres. At one point his band happens upon an old school witch burning; pile of wood, shrieking woman, incensed mob of villagers. Ulrich strides through them, cutting the woman down before the pyre is lit, and seemingly comforts her. However, as the camera pans form foreground to background, we see Ulrich kill her with his misericorde. A mercy killing, he explains later, to an appalled Alex.

 

    The thematic richness of this film is well worth the viewing, and some of the characters I even found myself caring about. (To avoid spoiling anything, I’ll refrain from mentioning which ones.) If there is a major shortcoming in this movie, it’s Smith’s complete inability to resolve the plot. Without spoiling the resolution of the film, he simultaneously negated any possible sequel and attempted to tie together a plot that would have been more powerfully realized had it been left open. Concerning questions of faith, there is no answer. Period.

 

     So a day after viewing? I give it a C+. Some characters were better written, better acted, and more interesting than others. The plot will not leave any wanting, save the last fifteen minutes. The sets, the costumes, props; every frame is 100% believably 1348 A.D. If you love the time period you’ll be very happy. If you enjoy the themes, which are still very current, you’ll appreciate the treatment. If you’re a big fan of tight pacing, dialogue, I would encourage you to stop the film roughly 15 minutes before the end. 

Personnages de la Littérature Française

ISBN-10: 0030803403, ISBN-13: 978-0030803406

If you are into  the french language make sure to check out Personnages de la Littérature Française by René Bellé and Andrée Fénelon Haas. ITs a great resource!

"This book is designed for students in the third or fourth year of high school or in the third or fourth semester of college. It was written with the intent of providing students with an introduction to some French literary masterpieces. Before taking a regular course in French literature, in which novels and plays would be studied and analyzed in detail, the readers of this textbook will become acquainted with some famous figures of French fiction. The French-English Vocabulaire at the end of the book includes the words which appear in the text as well as in the exercises. (Preface in English)"

We Could Use More Macabre Movies

I have an awful, painful sinus infection (and no insurance, hooray! Excuse my bitterness, really) and was up all night watching some of my favorite macabre movies as I attempted to get a little bit of rest and work in (neither happened). The only things I really accomplished were A. drinking a lot of hot tea and completely depleting our stores of honey and B. watching The Addams Family and The Addams Family Values a couple of times.

What is it about macabre movies like these that make you just grin every time you see them, even if you’re feeling like Jack the Ripper has taken up residence in your throat and thinks your tonsils look pretty good for knife practice? No matter how many times I see it, when Wednesday asks the girl scout if her cookies are “made from real girl scouts,” I just laugh and laugh. Oh, I love Wednesday. I love all the Adamses, really—as well as the Munsters and the folks in Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and most Tim Burton movies. I love grotesque characters, improbably ghastly circumstances that I’d normally abhor in “real life,” and basically anything gloomy and striped in black and white.

I’m not asking for more horror flicks; we get those a dime a dozen and the vast majority are not very good. While they might gross me out a bit, they certainly don’t offer the suspense or thrill that I seek when watching them—and they definitely don’t give me the macabre delight that I get from these tongue-in-cheek films. I’m asking for more surreal monster flicks, spooky family/funny movies, and many more creatures. I don’t necessarily want death (though it can fit in); I want humor coinciding with some light darkness (grayness?), characters that are memorable and hilarious while being mildly disturbing.

While more Addams stuff is probably not possible (the third film sucked pretty badly after the death of the actor who played Gomez), there are limitless other possibilities. Maybe a Munsters movie? Or something with classic monster villains and their families? That Monster High stuff had potential before it basically became Barbie with Halloween costumes; maybe that could even be revisited and revamped into something interesting. And how cool would it be to have a foreign film with enough quirk and creep—like Amelie meets Morticia?

If this year’s film lineup is any indicator, all we have to look forward to are piles of regurgitated sequels. Hey Hollywood, how about something new and original, with some ghastly ghouls, strong female leads (and supporting characters), and something akin to a walking hand roaming around the set?

2011 ICC Cricket World Cup - Sri Lanka vs. Zimbabwe

Sri Lanka triumph in a game with a few surprises

 

Sri Lanka went into the 2011 World Cup as one of the favorites, but the Pakistan loss and abandoned Australia game stalled the co-hosts' momentum. Wins against Kenya and Canada didn't count for much, and with a resurgent New Zealand waiting in the wings, Sri Lanka would have to turn in a good performance against Zimbabwe. The Africans' own World Cup tournament had been largely disappointing, and all they were looking to do was survive their game against Sri Lanka.

 

 

 

 

 

Tillekeratne Dilshan had other ideas, plundering 18 runs off Tinashe Panyangara's first over (just the second of the innings), and Sri Lanka never looked back. The 50 came up in the 7th over, and even though Dilshan slowed down, he still brought his own 50 up in 43 balls. Upul Tharanga played a solid second fiddle, complementing Dilshan's more aggressive approach. Zimbabwe had no answers as the Sri Lankan openers dictated terms to them, balancing speed and consolidation. Dilshan made his 9th ODI century, his first in World Cups, and Tharanga reached his own with a brace of boundaries. The world record for highest first wicket partnerships (which Tharanga reached with Sanath Jayasuria back in 2006) was there for the taking, but Zimbabwe finally claimed Tharanga's wicket for 133, with the score already 282. Dilshan went the next over for 144, and Zimbabwe gave themselves something to smile about as they ran through a disinterested Sri Lankan batting lineup. 282/0 became 306/6, but Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera stemmed the flow of wickets as Sri Lanka finished on 327/6.

 

Regis Chakavba and Brendan Taylor didn't disappoint in a big chase. They were helped by some wayward bowling and fielding from Lasith Malinga, but Taylor's 50 off 38 balls was a sparkling, innovative affair. It never seriously threatened an upset, but made for an entertaining innings all the same. Zimbabwe's 100 came in just the 17th over, but Chakavba was the first victim, gone to hometown hero Muttiah Muralitharan for a solid 35 (116/1). It was business as usual after that, as none of the batsmen were able to get settled. Taylor eventually departed for a flashy 80 off 72, taking Zimbabwe's fight with him. Called on to bowl, Dilshan had Craig Ervine and Greg Lamb out in successive deliveries. He was on track to be the first player to score a century and take a hat-trick in the same game, but Mahela Jayawardene dropped Graeme Cremer at slip. It didn't matter, as Dilshan finished with a career-best 3-1-4-4, and Zimbabwe finished at 188 all out.

 

It sounds funny to say, but Zimbabwe were in control for 33% of this game. They took six Sri Lankan wickets for just 26 runs, and scored at almost 6 an over for 20 overs. If this had been a Twenty20 game, things might have been different. Unfortunately, they conceded 282 runs without taking a wicket and lost their 10 wickets for just 72 runs. Taylor played very well, giving another glimpse of his talent, but none of the other Zimbabweans made an impact. Maybe, in retrospect, Charles Coventry might have sparkled, but the novelty of his 194* has worn off.

 

Sri Lanka will take what they can from a facile victory, but their bowling and fielding of the first 20 overs of the chase will cause some concern. This will be their last easy game; New Zealand have woken up, and having qualified for the quarter-finals, Sri Lanka know that losing 6 wickets for 26 - or bowling and fielding they way they did - will send them out of the World Cup. Playtime is almost over.

 

Sri Lanka: 327/6 (Tillekeratne Dilshan 144, Christopher Mpofu 7-0-62-4) in 50 overs (6.54 runs an over)

Zimbabwe: 188 all out (Brendan Taylor 80, Tillekeratne Dilshan 3-1-4-4) in 39 overs (4.82 runs an over)

Sri Lanka win by 139 runs

Man of the Match: Tillekeratne Dilshan

 

 

 

 

Don't Judge "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian" by its Cover

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

If I judged book by their covers, I would give A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka 4 out of 5 stars for its simple design and colors—orange and blue on a paper-bag-brown colored cover. When judging the book, which was shortlisted for the Orange prize, on its merits as a novel, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

 

Thankfully A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is not all about tractors. The book is about an 84-year-old Ukrainian immigrant who finds “love” with Valentina, a 36-year-old woman with “Bottecelli breasts.” (We later learn that the breasts are bought and paid for.) The story is narrated by his youngest daughter Nadezhda who is less than enthusiastic about her brand-new gold-digging stepmother.

 

Soon after the odd couple meets in person, the 84-year-old has an extra bounce in his step and is walking on air because of the glow of love and the thrill of sleeping next to a young body. Because he is old and has his eyes closed to Valentina’s hidden motivations,  he remains ignorant about Valentina’s lover(s) and the fact that she is using him for a visa and cars. He is not rich and is living on a pension and savings from his wife, who is now deceased.

 

Throughout A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Nadezheda intersperses her narrative with stories of her father’s past hardships of the Ukraine; like most men in his age group, he talks (and exaggerates) too much about his past. He also writes a history of the tractor in the Ukraine—thus the title of the novel. Half of these stories were interesting; the other half were not. Some may view the stories as a clever literary device to show more about the Ukraine but I disagree, which why I had to rate the novel 3 out of 5 stars instead of more.

 

The story gets really interesting whenever Nadezheda and her sister Vera talk about Valentina; before Valentina came on the scene with her bodacious body, Nadezheda and Vera were fighting about their small inheritance from their mother. Strangely enough, gossiping about Valentina and plotting to get her kicked out of the country brings the two sisters closer together.

 

There aren’t many other characters in A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian; the old man’s grandchildren don’t figure largely in the novel and neither do many of the Ukrainian acquaintances the family has. Nadezheda’s husband Mike is in quite a few scenes, but doesn’t get many speaking parts. The narration—with the exception of some of the tractor parts—is engaging and lively throughout much of the book.

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