show biz the bright lights: Awards

Showing posts with label Awards. Show all posts

Saturday, April 17, 2010

The Plastic Joy Award

I was really pleased when the lovely Sophie from "Living Reflection of a Dream" considered me for the Plastic Joy Award. It´s fun to post something related to movies, considering i´m an addict. Thanks, doll!

The rules of the award are: pick five or more characters from film or television that you think are rather scrummy. It has to be the character, not the actor and tag a few more bloggers to pass it on to. Here are my choices.

1. MAX CADY IN CAPE FEAR (1992)

Robert De Niro plays a convicted rapist released from prison after 14 years seeking revenge. Max can be a dangerous psychopath who terrorises a family as much as a perfect charming seductive guy capable of making an innocent virgin girl consider the most forbidden sins. He just needs to smile and you fall for him. The character is so well played that you kind of like him in a way. Max is scary but i have a thing for De Niro, he looks bad but also yummy in this movie. We always fall for bad boys every now and then. I´m no exception.

2. MICHAEL CORLEONE IN "THE GODFATHER" TRILOGY (1972)

Al Pacino plays the youngest son of Don Vito Corleone, Head of the italian Mafia who wants nothing to do with the ´family bussiness´. However, when his father is nearly assassinated, he volunteers to murder the men responsible and there is no point of return after that scene at the restaurant. He becomes the new Don and starts "dealing" with the family problems/enemies. All you need to remember is that you don´t have to take sides, with anyone, against the family. EVER. When that happens, you are "invited" out of the picture and it doesn´t matter if you are his brother in law or even his own brother. Never break his heart like Fredo did. He plays it quietly but he makes you pay. Michael goes from a young happy hopeful guy to a cold ruthless and calculating man who feels a little bit close to God. It´s really attractive to see how he becomes such a powerful "boss" who just has to look you straight in the eye in order to get what he wants. What can i say? Pacino is a weakness in me.

3. DENNIS PECK IN "INTERNAL AFFAIRS" (1990)

Richard Gere gives a truly convincing + extremely sexy performance as a dirty cop opposed to Andy Garcia, the good cop. Let´s face it, his obvious beauty wouldn´t have had the same effect if he hadn´t been bad. That gave this character a better taste. I never thought he would be capable of pulling such a strong character but he surprised me. He was a charming true son of a bitch who enjoyed sleeping with his partner´s wife and who didn´t hesitate a bit when killing her husband. Yeah, a bad bad badass. However, in the end you just don´t give a damn if he is bad, violent or dirty. Honestly, his performance is great and you just end up thinking that he could use those handcuffs on you anytime he wants.

4. HARRY CALLAHAN IN "DIRTY HARRY" (1971)

Clint Eastwood might look like an old guy for me right now but he looked really hot in the late
60´s and 70´s and if he had a gun in his hand, he looked even hotter. This movie is a good example. He is a good guy but still a badass. He is a renegade cop with a sense of self justice and a constant air of menace which makes him pretty cool and attractive. His famous lines like: "Do you feel lucky?" are the best. Dirty Harry is a classic character you don´t want to miss. It´s always good to see Clint in action.

5. JACK TORRANCE IN THE SHINING (1980)

My dear greatest Jack Nicholson gives a disturbing yet masterful completely believable/ insane performance. I thought carefully if Jack was a scrummy character, cause he is a real psycho here but what could i say after finding this pic? Yes, yes yes!... in a creepy way. I don´t really like horror movies but "The Shining" is my favorite. I´m pretty sure it has to do with the fact that Jack is in it. Once again when THE MAN is in a movie, i´m also in. This character is amusing and terrifying in almost equal measures. He is a writer who agrees with his wife and son, to watch over a hotel (believed to be haunted) while it is closed for the winter. After months of solitude, writer blocks and silence, he becomes grumpy and later violent. Remember "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"?. What is scrummy here is that he hardly, almost never loses his smile even when he loses his mind completely. For instance, when he tries to kill his wife with the axe, he is still smiling like a maniac when he says: "Heeeeere's Johnny" while chopping the door. Although that might be the scariest scene ever in horror movies, you have to give him credit for that terrifying smile. Jack Nicholson scares the shit out of you but you just gotta love him. Every time you see him appear on screen, there is a genuine slightly uncomfortable feeling but there´s also some unexplained excitement. Or not so unexplained cause his acting is astonishing and totally worth it.

So now, I pass this award on to five of my favourite blogs...

Friday, April 9, 2010

All You need is Love...

Thank you so much to Forever Boho and Enchanted Gardens for considering my blog for these happy awards. Matea and Luana, you lovely ladies filled me with true love!

If you´re in the mood, when received this award thank the person that awarded you this in a new post. Name the 10 things that make you happy. Pass this award on to 10 other bloggers and inform the winners.

Sharing my happiness with the following inspiring and lovely blogs:

Fashionable Road
La Vie Boston

I thought of sharing some of the things that make me happy based on two of my passions:

Movies and Music!

1. MOVIES I CAN´T GET ENOUGH OF

"Almost Famous" and "Breakfast at Tiffany´s" are only two of them. I´m addicted to movies, so i have a lot of favorites but these movies are essential in my collection. I think i lost track of how many times i´ve watched them. Rock n´Roll, the 60´s, bands, groupies, glamour, romance, Audrey. Those never let me down.

2. AWESOME HIPPIE CLOTHES FROM 60´S/ 70´S MOVIES

"Envy" is the word to describe my feelings when i saw Bette Midler´s clothes on "The Rose". All the outfits were AMAZING. Just picture: woman, rock star, the 60´s, shiny dresses, colorful blouses, painted pants, awesome shoes. Perfect wardrobe.

3. LED ZEPPELIN DVD BOX SET

This dvd box set is an undeniable fact that shows the reason why these guys are legends. You got from their pounding, electric anthems to their amazing, mellower pieces with concert footage from 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1979, promos, press conferences and obviously an idea of what GREAT LIVE music sounds like. Personally i like the "Live Royal Albert Hall" and "Earls Court" performances but honestly, the whole DVD shows Led Zeppelin performing at the top of their game, proving that whatever they do, they do it great. If you want to read great reviews on Led Zeppelin, visit my friend Michelle at Stray Cat Blues. Her reading is addictive and totally worth it.

4. BEAUTIFUL DUETS

I really love it when two good artists get together and come up with a beautiful perfect duet like this one and even more when they sing it with such true love like these two did back in 1972. I´m in a country mood lately so i chose this as an example. The past few days i came across with this sweet version of "Help Me Make it Through the Night" written in 1970 by the great + sexy Kris Kristofferson and sang by Rita Coolidge (who would become his wife in 1973) and the man himself. It´s a beautiful song and just look at the way those two look at each other. They make that duet so intimate and lovely. It´s true that
"All you need is love"....

5. AL PACINO IN "SERPICO"

Oh yeah! Not only do i consider him my number one actor, who i think deserved at least an Oscar nomination for his awesome performance in this movie but i also blame this role as Frank Serpico for making me fall deeply madly in love with him once and for all. I might be the only one who saw him as THE hot sexy hippie EVER but i confess. That´s what happened. My mom is still grateful that i wasn´t a teenager in 1973 otherwise i would have brought home someone like Serpico and would have killed her. Too much of a hippie and too much hair EVERYWHERE for her. As for me, i can´t get enough of Al in the 70´s.

6. ALFRED HITCHCOCK

There is no doubt Hitchcock would have had an "A" in suspense if that were a subject. "Vertigo" and "Rear Window" are two of my favorite mystery movies and he is one of my favorite directors.

7. ELVIS "That's The Way It Is" (1970)

This show in Vegas is definitely my favorite, even much more than the one he did in Hawaii in 1973 (he seemed kind of "tight" due to the whole "broadcast live via satellite for the first time" thing) or the one of the Comeback Special in 1968 (i liked the intimate show but he looked like a lion in a cage sometimes). In this special he is definitely at his best, much more relaxed, having fun and really enjoying it. I liked the show (the choice of tracks was perfect and the medley with the songs he was already tired of, was even better). The rehearsals were a really great bonus. He was having a good time back then and it showed. Plus, I don´t think i´ve ever seen him hotter (yeah, even wearing a jumpsuit) Anyway, i love watching that dvd over and over again. Totally recommend it.

8. ABBEY ROAD (The Beatles)

Believe it or not, this was the first Beatles album i´ve ever heard. I was probably 3 and even though i don´t recall this, my dad said i couldn´t stop smiling while listening to it. All i can say is that i´m glad i started with the next to last cause it made me curious enough to listen to all the other albums up to the first. I´m sure my dad was right cause that album was a one way ticket. When i could fully understand what i was feeling by listening to them, i realized this was one of the finest rock albums ever. It is an exceptional, elegant, unique, mature creation. It´s funny how some people can create absolute wonder out of actual chaos. It was a time of personal fights vs fucking great professional results. What can i say? This album is just perfect plus George got my heart completely with "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun". He proved he was as good of an artist as any Lennon-McCartney. Abbey Road is a true roller coaster of textures, melodies and jams woven together in a magical ride which i´m always happy to experience. The Beatles achieved perfection with this masterpiece.

9. "I´M WITH THE BAND. CONFESSIONS OF A GROUPIE"

I´m reading this book ONCE AGAIN right now (lost track of how many times i´ve already done it) and all i can say is that i adore Miss Pamela. She led the life that I could only have dreamed of leading. She seems so sincere and true to herself from the first to the last page. I don´t focus on the guys she slept with (though some names like Jimmy Page, Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison help and all i can think of is "envy") but i´m always much more charmed by the life and thirst for adventure she had besides the sexual encounters. She never stopped dreaming and in the end she made her dreams come true. Everyone interested in rock n´roll, groupies and the life of the rock stars back in the 60´s and 70´s, should read this awesome biography.

10.. "LET IT BLEED" (The Rolling Stones)

What can i say? It´s a classic, an intoxicating album from the first to the last track. It´s a MUST for everybody who worships rock n´roll. This album never fails to entertain, amaze or inspire. The music is totally transcendent. "Gimme Shelter" is the best intro for a fun ride with exceptional stops such as "Let it Bleed", "Midnight Rambler", "You Got the Silver" until the final destination with the great magically catchy "You Can't Always Get What You Want". All i can add is that this is an essential rock album. You need to listen to it over and over to prove me right.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite things. Thanks for not falling asleep!

Just felt like sharing a little bit about me.

Peace!

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