What's Next On My List? Ocean's Eleven

There is one kind of movies that I love eternally - and those are the ones that manage to fool even me.  That's why I love to read crime novels, I enjoy more than anything to try and figure out who the killer is, and if I'm wrong I'm not sad: I am even more excited that the writer managed to fool even me! That is why I LOVE movies that have a perfect crime in them, so I want to pay homage to my five favorite movies of all time, which manage to amaze me every time I watch them.

Originally I didn't want to see this movie because I really don't like any of the actors in it - for the exception of Scott Caan and Julia Roberts. Clooney and Pitt's eternal quest to get an Oscar just drives me insane. They are so embarrassing... and I am extra mad because they are indeed talented and yet they choose these stupid dramatic roles that make me barf. So I am actually happy when they do something entertaining, like:

#5

Ocean's Eleven

Danny Ocean is a con-man, who just after being released teams up with his old partner Rusty. He tells him that we plans to rob three casinos - all belonging to the same owner - and they need to get a crew.

Rusty gets angry with Danny when he finds out that the man they are trying to rob, Terry Benedict, is currently dating Danny's ex-wife Tess. Feeling this is personal, some of them want to back out, but the excitement and the reward is just too high. They plan to do it on one night, and the three casinos share a vault, and in the passing of an hour they get in and out without being caught. Tess finds out that she is simply one of the many trophies Terry keeps in his hotels. She too leaves to go after Danny, who goes back to prison for a while for breaking parole. They start their new life with Terry always one step behind them!

So, beside the fantastic dialogue in the movie, it is really the comedic timings and the delivery of the crime itself that makes you glued to the screen. First of all, they make sure you know what is going on - and you are even given hints on how they managed to get out the cash: You see, Terry called the police before they got out and Danny was locked down the whole time at the level of the lobby. And... I won't tell you how they did it :D You have to see it! Let me just say, that the key element in their plan was Rusty and without him this whole thing wouldn't have been possible. Which, is quite funny, because you'll see that in the second movie he is mostly responsible for their troubles! Anyway, this movie is really a masterpiece.

Since I too had my problems with the actors and of how much people loved this movie - that is a reason that can take my curiosity away easily - I put off watching it for quite some time. When I find out that it was my best friend's favorite, I thought, can't be that bad. And I was very pleasantly surprised by it. I'm glad that I got to see it - and it also proved my belief that these are great actors who are clearly pursuing a very bad career path! Clooney, you have finally won, let it go and let's focus on movie like this, shall we?

I doubt that you haven't seen this movie, but that is why I love my blog: I get to talk about old good movies as well as new ones! Coming up soon will be #4 on my list of perfect crime movies!
Until then!

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Danny Ocean - George Clooney

Rusty Ryan - Brad Pitt

Tess - Julia Roberts

Terry Benedict - Andy Garcia

Frank Catton - Bernie Mac

Reuben Tishkoff - Elliott Gould

Turk Malloy - Scott Caan

Virgil Malloy - Casey Affleck

Livingston Dell - Eddie Jamison

Yen - Shaobo Quinn

Saul Bloom - Carl Reiner

Linus Caldwell - Matt Damon

Basher Tarr - Don Cheadle

What The F*ck Is This Sh*t? The New Batman

Let there be no mistake, I am very happy that it is Ben Affleck, my question refers to the public outrage that this casting decision has brought on!

Seriously, how many times do we have to do this? How many people have to be cast in order for people to just - you know - shut the f*ck up? You did it with Robert Downey Jr., you did it with Chris Evans when he was chosen for Captain America, you also criticized Henry Cavill because he is British; The fact that people warmed up to Christian Bale is beyond me, because I hated him. 

Ever since they make Batman movies they only cast one person who was a good Bruce Wayne: George Clooney - but guess what, he was a horrible Batman! Personally the fact that the Man Of Steel gets a sequel is in its own a f*cking miracle! Look at all the other DC movies that have been made so far!
The comic is based on the simple principle that Bruce Wayne is such a sweet, caring, uplifting and of course charismatic person that it is literally impossible to believe that he has anything to do with Batman. That's another thing they screwed up in the trilogy - if Bruce Wayne disappears at the same time as Batman... Well, not much is left to the imagination. One is supposed to shit bricks from the excitement of seeing such a hunk as Bruce Wayne and well... I never got that from the movies so far.

So you know what Ben Affleck? I am happy it is you. I hate that Superman and Batman are not of the same age, but I loved you in Daredevil and if that taught us anything is that you can rock a mask like no one else and you have the charismatic quality that I look for in my Bruce Wayne.

We all have that one actor that we wish would play Batman. And if that person isn't cast, we go overboard hating the one who was chosen. Every single time 50% of the people who hated him will change their mind, the other 50% won't. END OF DISCUSSION!
If you ask me who should've played Batman, I'm going to always say: James Lafferty. First of all, HE LOOKS LIKE F*CKING BRUCE WAYNE! Second, he is capable of alternating between his voice without sounding like a retard (offense intended Christian Bale!). Third, he wore a Batman costume in One Tree Hill and he looked f*cking awesome! He would've brought something new to the table. Even if I understand that Affleck is also a good choice because of his Oscar he has now raised the level of the movie to a whole new budget - still, what I am worried about is not who plays Batman, but whether or not he will have enough chemistry with Cavill on screen. So yeah, perhaps giving a chance to the newcomers instead of the old actors with awards under their belt would've been a wiser choice.

Nonetheless, we have a new Batman and I can't wait for the new movie. Personally my favorite encounter of the two is from a cartoon from 1997. It would be awesome to see that :)

• Click here to read my reviews of the Batman/Superman movies!
• Click here to read my review of Man of Steel!
• Click here to read my review of Arrow!
• Click here to read my review of the Batman trilogy!
• Click here to read my review of Daredevil!

Speaking of casting choices, PLEASE CAST JAY HARRINGTON AS MR. FANTASTIC in the F4 reboot!!! That would be awesome :D

Blogger: The Proclaimers

Indeed these entries have become quite personal, but there are still a couple of things that I haven't talked about on this blog and I don't want to put it off anymore.
I am a huge fan of Scottish culture. The kilt, the bagpipe, the history, the music, the dialect - I find it all magical. My first book is actually situated in Edinburgh and I have been there when I was seven. My father had won a two month scholarship to study something in the library and archives, and for his last two weeks me and my family went after him. We stayed at B&Bs and we visited ruins and churches and castles all around Scotland. I fell in love with the highland cows right away and the whole feeling that goes along with the temperature and the people is just simply perfect for me. The Eilean Donan castle is the single most beautiful sight in the whole world!

A few years back I was introduced to a band known as The Proclaimers. The band is composed by Charlie and Craig Reed and they are identical twin brothers (as I am sure you guessed from the picture above!). In my opinion, their most well known song is I'm On My Way which was featured in the movie Shrek. The person who showed them to me was my English teacher in secondary school, and she opened up a whole new world to me. One of my favorite actors, David Tennant, a real Scotsman turned out to be a huge fan of theirs and I thought 'How cool that I share this love with an idol of mine!'. There was an interview with him where he talked about how they provided the soundtrack to his life. Click here to read the article!

And I could relate to that. Their first album I listened to was 'Sunshine On Leith' and on it was my favorite song Then I Met You - and I listened to that when I fell in love for the first time in my life. Then I started searching for the other albums. Each had a song that I could relate to; that had lyrics that spoke to me: Some cheered me up, some made me cry. I searched for their albums for four years and coincidentally, when I finally got the last one to complete my discography, that was the same time when I and my first love parted ways. I find it ironic that I looked for one single album (it was 'Born Innocent') for three years and the minute I've found it - bamm. On that album there was a song You Meant It Then, and that was as if they literally wrote the song to me and my heartbreak.

I remember that on our field trip to London (back in 2010) I went crazy over finding all the albums, and at the time I still missed at least three, and I found only one on Oxford Street at HMV and it was their first album 'This Is The Story' - and that is actually my favorite! I love every single song on that one and I was the happiest person to hold an original in my hand! I still see myself searching through the shelves :D
Since then they had a new album and now - for the 25th anniversary of their beginnings - they released another best of album. Their music is really not for everyone, I had to figure that out the hard way... But even if the music doesn't suit you, the lyrics have such poetry to them that you are probably going to find plenty that speak to you the way they did to me. When I listen to some of the songs, I just close my eyes and I feel like I'm back in Scotland.

The reason why I wanted to talk about them as well was that in May one of their biggest hits, I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) was featured in at least four shows and two movies that I watch - I looked at my sister and we agreed that the copyright had expired. After that I found the article with Tennant and I being 22 myself, I can say that 25 years is a very long time! And I am grateful to this band and I share Tennant's view of how singular and fantastic each of these songs are. And yes, they make the soundtrack to my life as well :)
Check out some of their songs if you get a chance - some of the acoustic versions are outstanding! Down here you can hear my three favorite songs and if you click here you can see the video tribute I made for them! (Or you can also find it on My Videos page!)

Coming up next will be some new more movies from my list of chores :) Stay tuned!

Building With CsorEsz: Beads #2

You might have already seen that I like to do everything in beads, and since Christmas I had little time to make stuff, but I made up for lost time, so here are some of the new ones! You can use any of them, have fun! Click here if you want to see the previous ones I made Beads #1!

Bubble Bobble

Casette Tape

Chocobo

Coke Bottle, made for my best friend birthday

Assassin' Creed - Ezio Auditore Da Firenze

Facebook - Like

Floppy

Hunger Games - Mockingjay Pin (square form)

Hunger Games - Mockingjay Pin (round form)

Ms. PacMan

Pokémon

Star Fleet logo, made by my sister for my birthday :)

Stormtrooper from Star Wars

My Neighbor Totoro

Union Jack and USA Flag

Sonic The Hedgehog

Blogger: Elhunyt Sipos Edit

"Hosszan tartó súlyos betegséget követően elhunyt Sipos Edit, a magyar női vízilabda korábbi meghatározó alakja, aki világ- és Európa-bajnoki címet nyert a válogatottal." - Nemzeti Sport

A mai reggel nem valami fényesen indult.
Mindig is az volt a legnagyobb félelmem, hogy egy rokonom meghal. Csak pár hét után a gimimben rájöttem, hogy pont ugyanannyira ragaszkodok a tanárjaimhoz is és nem akarom, hogy bármi rossz történjen velük. Amikor 2008-ban elhunyt az igazgatónőnk, az volt az egyik legfájdalmasabb dolog, amin keresztül kellett mennem. A mai reggel hasonló érzéseket váltott ki belőlem.
Igaz még Rómában laktunk, de minden nyarat itthon töltöttünk. Én négy évig egy napközi úszó tárborba jártam a Margitszigeten - Darnyi Tamás Úszóiskola. Az oktatóink jobbnál jobb fej fiatal emberek voltak, minden év egy nagy szórakozás volt és két másik barátommal voltam, akkor is ha különböző csoportokba jártunk. A tanárok neveire is még emlékszem, tényleg imádtam minden ott töltött napot.

Fotó: Illyés Tibor

Az első évben,még kezdőként, két csoportra vontunk bontva, majd engem és hét másik gyereket külön vettek és délután új tanárt kaptunk, Sipos Editet. Onnantól minden fantasztikus volt. Persze közös programjaink voltak a többi csoporttal, de mi sokkal több dolgot csinálhattunk. A hét végén (a tábor csak egy hetes volt mindig) már a mély vízben is úszhattunk még a többiek nem. Egy mosolygós, kedves, jó humorú ember volt és nagyon megszerettem. Ő volt az első olyan tanárom, akit tudtam soha nem felejtek el. Ő tanított meg úszni. Neki köszönhetem, hogy a sok fárasztó nyár - ami akkor csak annyit jelentett, hogy nem lehetek az olasz barátaimmal - azoknak lett hírtelen értelme.

Egy évvel később találkoztam vele újra, mert a délutáni óránk után mellettünk gyakorolt a női vízilabda válogatott - akkor tudtam meg, hogy ő is tagja a csapatnak - és a 8m medencében edzettek a miénk mellett. Emlékszem, hogy az akkori tanárnőm, Nelli, engedte, hogy nézzük egy kicsit az edzést. Ha ma a vízilabda a kedvenc sportom és büszke vagyok a válogatott csapatunkra, azt is neki köszönhetem. Már pár órája próbálom legépelni ezt a bejegyzést, de nagyon nehezen megy - egyszerüen nem tudom elhinni.
Biztos vagyok benne, hogy nem én vagyok az egyetlen ember, akit megfogott kedvessége és nem én leszek az egyetlen, aki mindig is mosolyall fog vissza emlékezni rád. Nyugodj békében!

"Sipi egy végtelenül szerény, alázatos sportoló volt, nemcsak minden vízilabdázó, de minden sportoló méltó példaképe. Ez az ország és a nemzet nagyon sok örömet köszönhet ennek a szentesi lánynak" – emlékezett a sportolóra a Dunaújvárosi Főiskola Vízilabda Egyesülete (DFVE).

"38 évet élt, pár hete még szülővárosában, Szentesen dolgozott úszóedzőként." - index.hu

 

Blogger: Let's Talk About Jennifer Lawrence

I wanted to take a moment to write about something personal that has been bugging me for a while. I look at people like Lindsay Lohan and alike who keep saying that "The media won't leave us alone.", "The media destroys us." and so on, and I do agree that the level of that gossip magazines are willing to reach in order to break into someone's privacy is awful.* However, I also see that for some reason several people manage 100% to stay away from the paparazzi's radar and general gossip and then I am given the idea that perhaps some stars are to blame, and the not the magazines. I have talked about these actors and actresses in two separate lists, they are my favorites, but there is one person whom I didn't include on that list one person who has since become my favorite person in the whole world: Jennifer Lawrence.

I liked her acting to begin with but it was actually her interview with Conan O'Brien that sold it for me. She is altogether one year older than me and she talked about how she used to watch his show growing up - and I went, hey that's what I did too! And then she mentioned a story about how nervous she was when meeting John Stamos, because she used to watch Full House - and I went UNCLE JESSE! Who didn't love Stamos in that? That was one of the first shows I remember watching with my brother and sister. And as she kept talking, she just seemed nicer and funnier and since then I have seen her at award shows and other interviews and her movies? God she is awesome!

When watching the Oscars I was indeed rooting for her because I have seen Silver Linings Playbook and I knew that she was by far the best nominee. Since I've seen X-Men: First Class I have been following her work like crazy. I recently remembered that I already saw her on my favorite series, Cold Case, in an episode where her mother was played by Paula Malcomson, the same actress who plays her mother in The Hunger Games - which by the way became my favorite movie because of her again :) (click here to read my review!)

Season 4, episode 18: A Dollar, A Dream

I like her honesty and I think she is really one of a kind. I firmly believe that if continuing on this path, she might become the next Meryl Streep, whom I consider to be an actual legend! And you only realize how talented she really is once you have seen her in an interview! There is no parallel to how she makes the roles hers! If I were to put together a list of my favorite actresses now - I would put her on it in a heartbeat, but still not to the very top because I always take into consideration how much the actor in question actually worked so far. But I don't fear her for a second.

The main reason why I wanted to make sure I write about her - I think of this as a little tribute of sorts - is because I would like to tell anyone who looks up at young celebrities as role models: She is the one you should be following! Let alone that her flipping the bird was probably the funniest moment in Academy Award history, beside that there is something simply wonderful about the fact that she breaks down myths about how Hollywood destroys one's life. About how self-centered actors can become and how it is impossible to skip paparazzi attention. She is filming about 4 movies at the same time, so she isn't actually out of public eye! And yet, nothing bad about her can be said. In a parallel universe I hope that she and I are best friends because that would be effing awesome :D Also, again, only one year difference between us and by simply a 5 minute interview made me realize that some celebrities are worth your time and you while.

So, in short, congratulations Ms. Lawrence to all of your success, you have found a big fan in me and I'll be seeing all of your movies :) I am literally dying inside, because I have read the Suzanne Collins trilogy since the first movie and I just can't wait till November for Catching Fire - the same goes for the second installment of the X-Men rebooth. I never liked Mystique until she played her :D
I am pretty sure that she will never find my blog, but just in case: Keep up the good work!
_ _ _ _


Coming up in a couple of days: Blogger: The Proclaimers.

*Guess what? I actually published this entry on the 7th of August and today (the 13th) I saw that an article appeared with Lawrence, because she will be the cover of Vogue's September issue. Here she talks about how annoying it is that the paparazzi's won't leave her alone and it is something she is not OK with. I guess I was wrong and she does have a hard time - for the exception that she still behaves like a normal person and not someone who completely abuses the money and power one gains with being a celebrity. So f*ck you paparazzi and leave her alone! (click here to read part of the article: Jennifer Lawrence on Fame: "I'm Kind of Going Through a Meltdown")

Blogger: My American Dream

This is something I wanted to write about for a very long time. For several reasons. I am sure that at some point everyone in their life fantasized about living in America. Starting from religious freedom, to economic reasons, love, better prospects or simply being drawn to beauties that are portrayed on the big screen (or the little screen - I'm pretty sure that Friends had to do a lot with this tendency!). Just last week I wrote about the television series American Dreams (click here to read my review!) exactly to introduce this entry. That series is about family, hard work and commitment. Really the essence of what life should be in my opinion.
Afterwards my sister and I discussed that majority of the people perceive something dream like in movies, while most of the cases they only portray what life really is like for Americans . The big house with a garden, picket fence and a driveway with a basketball hoop; living on a ranch and farming with a thick accent and Stetson on your head; living in the big cities: NY, LA, Chicago or the most basic of them all - finding your place in Hollywood. For some I think it is impossible to understand that they aspire not a dream life, but what is reality for some - and that they cannot ever live that dream because we are different cultures with different pasts. But I guess it is OK to dream.

Front gates to the campus of IU.

And just like everyone else, I have me dream too. Of course, there is a bit of a difference in what the 'American dream' means for Americans and well... the rest of the world. I have actually spent some time in the USA. My family lived there from 92' to 93'. My dad was a guest lecturer at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. And I was precisely 2 years old, so I remember - like a lot! (Sarcasm.) However, in 2002 we went back for the ten year anniversary and I finally made memories that I can return to. It wasn't hard to fall in love with that city - if I ever go back to the States, that is where I am headed! Quiet, clean, friendly, squirrels everywhere and a huge campus with a little stream and beautiful buildings. There is a special feeling of peace when you take a walk in this beautiful city. Everything simply falls into place.

It is really these little cities that excite me. Of course I would like to visit the big cities once - but just as a tourist. I never want to live in New York, and I honestly don't care for California nearly as much as other people do (or at all...). What I want - and I mean really want - is to get into a car with a couple of friends and just see every stupid touristic site. I want to travel through route 66; stop for pancakes at diners; climb the Statue of Liberty and see the Grand Canyon. Even if I've been to Disneyland and St. Louis; also, I have already been to the Grand Canyon, that's me right there! But I want more photos, adventures that will last for a life time - this time. Besides the exceptional sites (Mount Rushmore and Monument Valley in particular), there are two states that I really want to see: Hawaii and Alaska.

The polar lights.

Yes, the two are a bit far and well... I know. The one kind of American movie that I am a total sucker for is the ones that are placed in these location. Favorites include The Guardian (one of my the best movies ever made), Eight Below, Big Miracle, The Proposal, also cartoons like Balto, and even horrible movies like Snow Buddies and Snow Dogs (I know these are not all filmed in Alaska, but I like the cold surroundings). As far as the islands go, we have 50 First Dates, Cocktail, Lilo & Stitch, Six Days Seven Nights, and I even like the painfully obviously written by a woman Flirting With Forty. (I am actually watching Hawaii Five-O right now.) I know that Alaska is effing cold, but I don't care - I want to see the polar lights. Not on photos or film, but for real. The other thing I am dying to do is learn how to surf and I don't want to do that anywhere else but in Hawaii. If possible, I want to learn about the different cultures, dialects and the people in person.

The island of Honolulu.

I plan a big trip for myself in about 8 years time and I am already saving up. I'm going to see everything there is to see and get it out of my system. There are wonderful things in the USA, I am not saying that there overall two things that interest me in the States. But I watch the news and well... I am disappointed in how idiots the Americans are. The gun laws? A (racist) man kills a boy and goes free? Republicans seem to only have retards and well - tweeting pictures of your junk is a whole new low in my book. And don't get me started on the abortion laws! My favorite quote from SNL "Abortion are an important topic for women... So why are we asking two men about it?" ... These issues are for another day, but you get why I am repulsed by what they are doing over there.
The moral of my story is that no matter what opportunities, other than a student in a small city or a tourist I would never want to live in the USA. I have been disappointed by what is supposed to be the leader of the free world.

You might not have liked where I ended with my entry. You can argue, that in comparison to some countries USA is still prominent - and I won't argue with you. But even if in my country we are turning to a dictatorship, at least I am not afraid of someone shooting me. And I get where the frontier spirit comes from, but if banning guns works in other countries, don't tell me that with a little effort they can't make it happen!

So wish me luck on turning my American Dream a reality :)
Review coming up next week, till then!