Thank you very much, Rianna!

Rianna of FRANKLY, MY DEAR passed an award on to this blog. It's the 7x7 Link Award.

Thank you so very, very much, Rianna! You know I love your blog - and actually I would love to give you this award, too - but I guess that wouldn't be according to the now following rules:

1. Tell everyone something no one else knows about.

2. Link to one of my posts that I personall think best fits the following categories: Most Beautiful Piece, Most Helpful Piece, Most Popular Piece, Most Controversial Piece, Most Surprisingly Successful Piece, Most Underrated Piece, and Most Pride-worthy Piece.

3.Pass this award on to seven other bloggers. 


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1. Well.. let's see.. Something no one else knows about? I don't think that something like that excists.. Ok - by excluding some persons (e.g. me and my cats): In this very moment my kitchen is a mess - and I am going to wash the dishes as soon as I'll have finished this post.

2. Most Beautiful Piece:

Maybe my Farewell post for Elizabeth Taylor.. 

Most Helpful Piece:

Though I liked the series about the stars who struggled with Breast Cancer - I do no think that this blog is helpful at all - but that might be for my readers to decide. Actually I have regularly the feeling that this blog better should be closed because it's so damn boring and ridiculously dispensable.

Most Popular Piece: 

Due to mentioning (and posting one of) the pictures she did in Playboy magazine my post about Barbara Parkins  is the most popular one here. It has almost 10,500 hits so far.. Thanks to all those lovely guys with one hand in their pants..

Most Controversial Piece:

Frankly, this blog isn't as controversial as I want it to be: I am simply afraid that I could hurt someone's feelings. I dislike many actors and films that are beloved favourites of some of my friends..

Most Surprisingly Successful Piece:

That would be the second favourite of my visitors: The Disney Villainesses..  I guess more people hunting for pictures here..

Most Underrated Piece:

I have wonderful followers who tend to comment on my posts - which is awesome, because it's great to know that people actually read what I post (or at least look at the pictures..). So I was to be frank a bit disappointed when my review of a silent film with the great Anna May Wong -  PICADILLY (1927) - was kind of ignored. But I am almost over that.. So: no problem. It's after all not a that good post, I guess.

Same goes for the review of Ingrid Bergman's only film she did in Germany.. - Well.. Maybe THOSE are controversial posts here..

Most Pride-worthy Piece:

Well.. I think I have three review posts I really, really like:

THE ENFORCER (1951)

A SLIGHT CASE OF MURDER (1938)

MARTY (1955)

I'd like to give this award to just five blogs. Blogs which in my opinion are just great - and should be read by many more readers - as I said before I'd love to have Rianna's blog here too - but she already has an award - so here are my five favourites:

Patti of THEY DON'T MAKE 'EM LIKE THEY USED TO - a great friend writing marvellous reviews. So many and frequently that I am feeling very, very "inferiority complexed" whenever I visit her blog.. We agree on many actors and films - not on all of course. That would be actually quite boring..

DKoren of SIDEWALK CROSSINGS - the moment I visited this blog for the first time and I saw this fabulous header I knew: that's a place to stay. Wonderfully written posts indeed. 

Perfect Number 6 of NO TIME LIKE THE PAST - a cool lady with a heart for all the cool guys and women of the 1960's - and much more.. Her picture posts are just awesome.

Whitney of WE HAVE THE STARS - I love this project of hers: To watch and review the "Oscar-films". Whitney has a wonderfully witty way to write.  I enjoy her posts very, very much.

Sarah of THE WICKER BAR - Sarah had another film blog (CINEMA SPLENDOR) before but decided to move to another (new) blog - where she would discuss also other stuff - and it's great!

Thanks again to Rianna - have a virtual hug, dear! 

Thank you all so very much for listening!

Yours

Irene

Day 5 of Berlinale - What's a modern film noir?

Welcome to a new post about Berlinale! Glad that you're still here!

Berlinale 2012

First let's talk a bit (okay: I talk in the most - you listen..) about film noir..

Frankly - what I love most about film noir is that most of them are very, very classy. And actually I have a feeling like this kind of class has vanished long ago. I associate film noir very much with the style of the 1940's - and I might be just driving a cliché here - still: That's about what I think/see for my inner eye when I hear someone talking about film noir - maybe not excatly this scene - but you get the meaning:

~ Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney in LAURA (1944)
-  I adore that film (it's with Vincent Price ... ---- ... )~

For me a film noir hasn't got to be b/w - I think LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945) is a great film noir - in glorious Technicolor.. and it also is one of my favourite films.. 

Maybe film noir isn't so much that what other people call a "film noir" - but what makes you feel it is one.  But I am loosing track.. Back to Berlinale films soon..

So: because I like very much what I consider classic film noir - I am a bit curious about this film I will post about today - which is by and large, well.. "very often" advertised as a "film noir.": 

I, ANNA (2012)

In the early morning - after a single party - Anna (Charlotte Rampling) leaves the apartment of her one-night-stand - and meets detective Bernie (Gabriel Byrne) who is going through a tough divorce - and now about to work on a brutal murder case - in exactly the house Anna is about to leave.. He is fascinated by her - and finally makes contact with her - but the more they are getting into this relationship - the more it seems like she is involved into the murder..

I really like to see this film. It is told from the point of view of Anna - and the cast just sounds amazing: It has not only Charlotte Rampling and Gabriel Byrne but also Eddie Marsan, Hayley Atwell and - please keep calm: Honor Blackman!

The story really sounds like a classic film noir - but I think if I watch this film I won't watch it under this "pre-condition". I won't think "hm.. is this scene/sentence/look adequate to film noir?" - this would spoil the film from the beginning for me - I mean: which modern film could stand up to our memories of film noirs? I do not say that there are no good films made today - I say: It's like comparing a peacock with a flower - both are wonderful - but you can't really compare them. Everything in films has changed: the stars, the looks, the technique, the world. 

Well - it's still Monday here.. Time for another start with a smile picture - this time related to Berlinale:

~ Berlinale 1964: Claudia Cardinale receives a spray of roses  - and gives her lovely smile..~

Thank you very much for listening!

Yours (very well and) truly

Irene

Claudia Cardinale and her little friend...

The lovely Claudia Cardinale and her little lamb..

Completely having kittens (10)

This is part of a meme hosted by Michelle at THE TRUE BOOK ADDICT.

Catlady of the week is Claudia Cardinale - playing with a Siamese cat..

Please take some extra time today and play with the ones you love - what species they ever may be... ;")

Yours (very well and) truly

Irene