Some puppy love.. ..with Laurence Olivier

Welcome to a new puppy love issue on this blog.. 

Well.. well.. it's been quite a long time since the last post for this series.. Quite a time since my last post at all, too.. Did you miss it - at least a bit? A Tiny bit??

Today my guest will be birthday boy Laurence Olivier - of whom we all know countless pictures with the Siamese cats Vivien Leigh and he lived with..

So - today he is here - with some dogs:

With Pip during the filming of HAMLET (UK, 1948) - amazing film.. ..and the first one to feature both Peter Cushing AND Christopher Lee! Now - is that awesome or what??  

And my favourite - mostly because here the dog isn't wearing some silly skirt.. - and it looks a lot like a relaxed private moment.. I do not know the name of his friend - so I think we keep this a secret.. 

Thank you very much for listening!

Yours truly

Irene

Fresh from cinema.. ..Dark Shadows

Those of you who are my friends on facebook will know it - I watched a film I was waiting actually some years for on Thursday (the first day it was aired in Germany) in cinema:

DARK SHADOWS (USA, 2012) by Tim Burton

It's 1972 and 200 years after he was burried alive vampire Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) is finally freed. He returns to the family manor - and has not only to struggle with the spirit of the time but also with the witch who once turned him into a vampire: Angelique Buchard (Eva Green).

A little distraction in this fight is that the new governess on Collinwood Manor - Victoria (Bella Heathcote)  - looks exactly like Barnabas' fiancée Josette (again Bella Heathcote) - who died 200 years ago..

~ the main cast of the movie ~

If you are a fan of...

... non-sparkling vampires

... wicked witches and other females in amazingly beautiful shoes

... ghosts

... early 70's pop music (awesome soundtrack - just by the way..)

... goth kitsch mixed with 70's pop culture and a good share of humour

 please watch this film!

~ not gone for good: Josette - with Victoria following.. ... ~

I was never able to watch the original TV series - so I can't tell you anything about that. What I can tell you - and what I actually did tell my facebook friends: I am still highly in love with Helena Bonham Carter - who is in fact my number 1 favourite modern actress (together with Sally Hawkins - who unfortunately was not in DARK SHADOWS.. ...*hint - Mr. Burton! - hint*).

Helena Bonham Carter's part in this film was Dr. Julia Hofman who tried to help young David Collins (very impressiv young actor Gulliver McGrath) who since the death of his mother (Josephine Butler) sees her as a ghost. Of course that's not all about Dr. Julia Hofman - but I won't tell you much more besides that you can see in this film how marvellously Helena Bonham Carter plays one (or more..) hangover(s).. She is an amazing and really funny actress..

..That was my little song about her and now I'll behave again.. Promise.

~ Vampire rule #1: keep your teeth well-groomed. ~

One thing about Tim Burton - who is one of my most favourite recent directors) is that he usually picks actors who are great - and I have to confess that just because of him I started to take an interest into Anne Hathaway - who I by now like very much. I did not care for her before - but I hope she won't mind.. (I wonder if she cares at all..) After all it was not that I could not stand her - she simply did not interest me.. But things and minds change..

After saying this - I am afraid that this time Tim Burton and I disagree: I am still not too fond of Chloë Grace Moretz. Maybe it was just her film character - I really was annoyed by her.. Actually I would not mind at all if for the DVD version all her scenes were cut out.. (same goes for a certain overdone and by that boring sex scene..) By now the nicest thing I can say about her in this film is that she looks good in those short dresses we girls used to wear - for she has pretty legs.. Well.. at least Ms. Chloë Grace has in real live apparently a cat and other pets she loves.. (a plus in my book..) So who knows: maybe one day I will adore her and run into every film where she appears in - even if it was just a cameo.. But I really can not see that now..

~ Michelle Pfeiffer looking stunning
- in maybe the first film I ever saw her in wearing macramé (!) earrings.. ~

Speaking of cameos: Tim Burton and I (now - that does sound cool, doesn't it?? ...) not only both adore Vincent Price - we both like also Christopher Lee. And much to my pleasure Christopher Lee since some years now is a steady member of the "Tim Burton ensemble" and by that of course has a little part in DARK SHADOWS..

Some of the newer faces for Tim Burton films are real good picks - and I hope to seem them more regular in those:

What did not work for Chloë Grace Moretz and me worked with Johnny Lee Miller: I was not too much into him - but his part here is that unappealing and convincing that I actually can see a future in our "film-aficionada/actor" relationship.. He was great. 

I was of course very pleased with Michelle Pfeiffer who as always was just great - she has this wonderful though rare talent of mixing comedy with elegance. I just adore her. She is so very self-deprecating - and: well.. Who else could carry a young girl down some stairs that elegantly while wearing high heels??

~ finally we learn what Vampires eat for breakfast: waffles, of course.. ~

I also liked Bella Heathcote. Actually I never saw anything she did before (as far as I remember that is..) - and I was amazed that at least in one scene she resembled Tim Burton's CORPSE BRIDE very much - just that would have made me love her.. And another very private reason: she resembles a person who once was very important to me..

Fans of Johnny Depp will get their money's worth (esp. when they like to see some chest.. yes.. pun intended..) - and so will those who ever asked themselves how Jack Sparrow would act when he was a vampire.. ...

~ Eva Green - I love her and of course her outfits - esp. her heels.. ~

Still my second favourite (after Helena Bonham Carter to whom I can relate more) in this film is Eva Green who did an amazing job - and who has a formidable ability to control her body.. Very visibly in the scenes towards the end of the film when she shows "her real self".. Eva Green is another recent actress I like a lot so you might not be surprised by me raving about her.. 

Have a look:

The film itself is solid - though Tim Burton made better ones. Frankly I was left a little bit disappointed. It's a good film of course and I love this overdone kitsch which makes this film very funny - and so is the "culture clash" of this "18th century gent Barnabas Collins meeting the 1970's" plot.

I also love the soundtrack which has next to Danny Elfman's (who else??) great score some really cleverly picked 70's songs.. (Some of them still stuck in my head though it's two days since I watched this film..) And some of you might be happy to hear that the "ugliest woman I've ever seen" Alice Cooper has an appearance as himself..

And yes: actually a bit of blood will be shed - though done quite tame.. and again: the cast is great.. but still.. Well.. Enjoyable but not really mind-blowing 113 minutes of film.. You might should give it a try yourself..

Thank you very much for listening!

Yours

Irene

Memorable Film and TV Characters (10): Uncle Charlie (SHADOW OF A DOUBT)

  The man in question, Charlie Oakley

I know I haven't did one of these in months...not since last October when I talked about one Fran Kubelik. So sorry everyone, my only excuse being busy at work and so many blogs that I contribute to. My apologies to Irene as well. But here I am with a brand spanking new post about one of my fave film characters ever...Uncle Charlie from Alfred Hitchcock's 1943 classic, Shadow of A Doubt. As played by Joseph Cotten, Uncle Charlie Oakley is the sophisticated and world traveler who is always on the mind of his niece, Charlotte "Charlie" Newton. Well Uncle Charlie also happens to be the Merry Widow killer, and heads home to visit his family while hiding out from the police.

The impressionable Charlotte and her Uncle Charlie enjoying a nice meal

Uncle Charlie is all polite and good manners, you just don't suspect him to be a murderer of women. But he is, much to the dismay of his niece. Uncle Charlie may be a monster, but he's so gosh darned charming too. So sincere and patient and kind. But can flip the switch just like that and become very menacing and physical. One of Hitch's best characters ever to grace the screen. Does every family have an Uncle Charlie? I mean not a murderer mind you, but someone so suave and smooth, that everyone just loves to death. Probably so.

Selling stuff with Hollywood - in Germany

Hollywood sells.. It really does..

Maybe you remember a post I wrote almost exactly one year ago on May 12, 2011: "Some changes and really strange things". It contained pictures of film-themed ice cream. - and because I changed some grammar in it it just went up and appears to be freshly posted on this blog..

By then there were just two kinds of flavors: GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) ("dark chocolate and raspberry with raspberry sauce") and DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965) ("lemon, mascarpone and vodka-lemon-sauce")  

Of course it was just a question of time until the next flavors were up on the market.. so this year I (not really proudly but with quite an impish smile) present:

ROMEO & JULIET (1968)

("fruity ice cream with blueberries/bilberries and vanilla ice cream with blueberry/bilberry sauce 

- plus some white and dark chocolate hearts")

Ever asked yourself how kitschy ice cream can get? Now you have your answer..

Well.. and then we have:

CASABLANCA (1942)

("white chocolate ice cream and nougat ice cream with a chocolate nut sauce and roasted almond slivers")

- we all saw that one coming - didn't we?

And again I ask: What might be next??

Well.. 

Now.. selling things with a little help by Hollywood is nothing new here.. 

I lately read a book I just bought because of it's cover:

Yup.. that's the wonderful, wonderful Lizabeth Scott - on a cover of a really, really schmaltzy romance novel from 1952. 

I loved it. It was great! ... At least five couples in the end.. and just by page 43 there was the first engagement.. It had also a murder for honor - and actually some very, very soft sex scenes.. It was really hilarious. I mean come on: the title is DIE LOCKENDE INSEL = alluring island ...

Plus: it had Lizabeth Scott on the cover.. (And I really, really adore her..)

Well - I really had fun reading that book.. and looking at the cover.. Did I mention who was pictured there?

Thank you all so very much for giving your precious time for such a meaningless post..

Have a great day!

Yours 

very well and truly,

Irene

Some changes and really strange things.. ;")

Monty is on vacation - so I am acting as his substitute on his blog ALL GOOD THINGS - come and visit me there, if you like to. It'll only last till Sunday - and it won't be anything special (in the main it'll be Birthday posts..) but for I am about to change a few things here, it is a good chance to try me out a bit.. - without displace Monty's followers preferably... ;")

I want to post shorter entries on this blog added to the very, very, very long film post I normally do here. These long posts mean a lot of work (I know according to my grammar and spelling it does not seem so.. ;"p) and they also are real "timegobblers" for you - I know that from my own reading habits here..

I also want to post more often than I do now. So there will be a few changes with small posts (titbits) about film-things, moviepeople I love/loathe or just random thoughts about flicks.

E.g. silly stuff like this today: ;")

Some weeks ago I found these in the supermarket:

Classic-films-themed ice cream!!

GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
("Dark chocolate and raspberry with raspberry-sauce")

and

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
("lemon, mascarpone and vodka-lemon-sauce")

Crazy, isn't it?

I am curious - what will be next?

WESTSIDE STORY (1961)? Or maybe HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953)?

Or, no - wait: WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957) and SUNSET BLVD. (1950)!!

What do you think: Which flavour would they have? Which films would you like to taste? ;")

A 1980ies commercial I grew up with - at least a bit related to the ice theme today..

Watch out for.. ..Jaime Winstone

Here we go with another new series on this blog. It's kind of an equivalent to the Do you remember series - just that in this series I will feature more recent film people.. Some of them might be already stars - some of them are just stars in my little universe.. As always this series is completely subjective..

Of course I originally planned to feature one of my number 1 recent actresses to star in this series first.. But then I found out that a certain actress is celebrating her birthday today.. so here she is - our first guest for this series - and today's birthday girl:

Jaime Winstone

~ copyright: Rex Features ~

Background: 

She was born on May 6, 1985 in Camden, London, England.

Her elder sisters Lois Winstone (*1982) is an actress, too. And so is her father Ray Winstone. As far as I know her younger sister Ellie Rae Winstone (*2002) and her mother Elaine McCausland are no actresses - though Ellie appeared together with Lois and Ray Winstone in THE HOT POTATO (2011)..

Jaime Winstone also works as a fashion model - and sings backing vocals for her sister Lois' band (source: Wikipedia.org - so: who knows..) 

~ one great part about modeling: wearing amazing shoes.. ~

On Screen - so far:

She did quite a lot for Telly - I think especially the BBC mini-series FIVE DAUGHTERS (2010) based on the Ipswich serial murders on five girls between October 30 and December 10, 2006 is interesting. (Frankly, I actually found that series because of Ian Hart..) Jaime was to play one of the victims.

~ with Al Weaver in FIVE DAUGHTERS ~

Her first appearance in a film was for BULLET BOY (2004) - which I will not watch because in this flick apparently a dog gets shot as an act of revenge.

Like BULLET BOY her next film KIDULTHOOD (2006) dealt with aggressive young adults/teenagers  - and I think that rebellious image is quite stuck on Jaime Winstone.

~ in KIDULTHOOD - not the daughter mothers dream of, I guess.. ~

She made herself a name with her next film DADDY'S GIRL (2006) - which brought her to a genre which is not that beloved among my followers - and frankly: If I watch those - I do it on a safe place like my couch..): Horror films..


Though declared as a thriller also DONKEY PUNCH (2008) might be a bit hard for some viewers - it is about a group of people making holidays in Spain - and end up fighting for their life.. (Not my idea of a dream vacation..) Here Jaime had some really hot sex scenes.. 

Then she made EVE (2009) - of which I don't know too much besides that it was rather short with ca 75 Minutes.. Sorry for that lack of information here.. 

But I can tell you about a comedy she did in that very year: BOOGIE WOOGIE (2009). This film is quite a crazy little comedy with a very interesting cast: It has among others Heather Graham, Alan Cumming, Gilian Anderson, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Joanna Lumley and Christopher Lee.. Have a look here:

My overall favourite film which features her is MADE IN DAGENHAM (2010) - and I recommend to all of you. It is really great - and especially when you enjoy British comedies which are not only funny but also very intelligent and partly a bit sad this might be your cup of tea. It is for sure when you enjoy films set in 1960s.. This film is so up for one of my epic reviews.. Jamie's father Ray later stated that this film made him cry because it made him think of his own "hardworking mom".

Jaime Winstone is the girl you see in the very first seconds of this clip - wearing and posing in hot pants.. Actually you will notice her through the whole film - which is caused by the fact that it is extremely well written and gives every character the chance to show some aspects of their personality..

Again: this is one of my favourites films ever - and I highly recommend it. Not only because it has one of my two number 1 favourite recent actresses Sally Hawkins in the leading part..


In 2011 Jaime appeared in two films WILD BILL (2011) and ANUVAHOOD (2011) - which are quite different - and still resemble each other in the social class they are portraying.. But while WILD BILL is more of a brutal and drama type - I think you might take a look at ANUVAHOOD:

This year Jaime is coming home to horror films with ELFIE HOPKINS (2012) - which also features her father Ray Winstone. Because of her I am actually thinking about watching this one.. Maybe I will need someone to hold my hand then..

Right now the next film she will be in is UWANTME2KILLHIM (2012) - and though most of her films are a bit too tough for me - I certainly hope to see her again on screen and will be watching out for her. She is quite an interesting actress - and I think it would be great to see her develop in her roles..

~ one of my favourite pictures of her - you are not surprised, are you? ~

If you want to you can visit her page: www.jaimewinstone.com

Thank you very much for listening!

Yours 

Irene

L'amour - l'amour.. ..Kitty Trimble & Quentin Ladd

This is a new series on this blog featuring my favourite film couples - real or fictitious (incl. just for publicity). I decided instead of doing themed months – which gave me a feeling of being limited and by that made me feel miserable and not in the mood to write anymore – to do several new series. That way I hope this blog won’t become a nuisance to you either.

Of course we'll need an icon for that series: 

~ nice, hm? ~

So here it is – one of my favourite film couples ever:

Kitty Trimble (Lucille Ball) and Quentin Ladd (Keenan Wynn) from WITHOUT LOVE (USA, 1945) 

For those who do not know the film - or do not remember it well:

Kitty and Quentin might not have the biggest part in this film - still it's my favourite.. 

They need some time to find each other because Edwina Collins (the great Patricia Morison - I love her!!) is off and on engaged to Quentin  - but apparently it's more a question of prestige than of love.. 

But in the end - well.. Kitty and Quentin made it into this series as a happy couple.. (At times I actually like couples to become happy.. I am not a fulltime malicious spinster..)

~ awww..
I want a Keenan Wynn, too!! ~

I know the film is more about Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy – but for me it’ll be always the story of how Quentin and Kitty became lovers..

Thank you all for listening!

Have a lovely weekend!

Yours 

Irene