my own private rear window

I have always been a big fan of Hitchcock's Rear Window. This time of the year I often think of it when I get home in the evening and, before turning the lights on, this is the view that greets me.

A beautiful theatre play going on at the other side of the canal. Dinner being prepared, books being read, hair being combed, pyjamas being put on... The below were taken on Thursday at 18:22, 18:53 and 22:47 respectively (and to be nerdily precise.) 

We are planning on watching the film one of these evenings too. Here are two stills of the set.

it's so fluffeeeeeeee

go. now.

Seriously. Leave whatever you are doing and hit the nearest cinema.
I am not telling you much as I hate helping build up the wrong sort of expectation (plus it opened Cannes so, it is not exactly a secret film project).

Go. Now. What are you waiting for? All of you: big and small.

were (s)he to be a ninja, it'd just work without gimmicks

theory of relativity

Someone find me a higher gravitational field as time goes slower up there (or so they say.)

That sitting atop my diary is something the hairdresser plucked from my head yesterday afternoon (biatch.)
The first of its kind and colour I've ever seen up there (well, she's the one who actually saw it; I was happily oblivious about it until then.)
So there you have it. New era. Downhill from here. It's a fact.

On a similar note, I watched Chris Rock's Good Hair (not that it is actually his, but you know what I mean) yesterday evening. There is some seriously scary stuff going on there.
So, after all, one grey hair, pittance. But, then again, and quoting Mr. Ice-T on the film "(...) trust me, if a woman ain't happy with herself, she ain't going to bring nothing but pain to every-fucking-body around her." Ha.

me likey. mucho.

limonada a porrillo

Lemonade ahoy. Lemons are in season, aren't they?

rock birds

How I'd love to be able to visit The Barbican right now. How I'd love to be able to visit The Barbican on a regular basis. Full stop. It's been too long.
E, I'm definitely coming over soon. Alain and the Barbi it is, lurve. One for you and one for me. Deal?

Click here for more on this commission for The Curve by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot.
Fact: Apparently the number of hits on this youtube video has been near half million in four weeks! Original I'm not, it seems.

ninja... love

That boy just sent me this (I actually do get quite a bit of ninjaware sent my way. Ta everyone.)

It made this (knackered and about to go to bed) ninja smile. Aaaaah, Parisian ninja luuuuurve. Lurve? I want that red bodysuit now (and a bit of that double-hard-bastard attitude would help too.)

Credits: Les Dangereux, a ninja love story. All info here found by way of here.

jingle all the way

Have a lovely 'un everybody.
Jingle aaaaaaaaaaaall the way.
All the way to Lumpa Land (or wherever you're headed to.)

This one’s for A, la de Cái, que pasito a pasito ya me camina mejó.
Note: Very scary (in retrospect) Spanish ad from when I was very little.

c.k. watt?

As far as I'm concerned the below is one of the best comedic dialogues ever. I'm a bit of a language buff so, obviously, I love this sort of Babel-like misunderstanding nonsense.
Fawlty Towers still makes me giggle every time I watch it. I got my dad the whole series last Xmas and I think I can still hear his belly laugh when we watched this bit together. He's a great fan. It must run in the family.

Mrs Richards: Is there anyone else in attendance here? Really, this is the most appalling service I've ever h...
Polly: Good idea! Manuel, could you lend Mrs Richards your assistance in connection with her reservation?
Manuel looks puzzled
Mrs Richards: Now, I've reserved a very quiet room, with a bath and a sea view. I specifically asked for a sea view in my written confirmation, so please make sure I have it.
Manuel: Qué?
Mrs. Richards: What?
Manuel: Qué?
Mrs. Richards: K?
Manuel: Sí.
Mrs. Richards: C? K.C.? K.C.? What are you trying to say?
Manuel: No, no, no, no. Qué, "what."
Mrs. Richards: K. Watt?
Manuel: Sí, qué, "what."
Mrs. Richards: C. K. Watt?
Manuel: Yes!
Mrs. Richards: Who is C. K. Watt?
Manuel: Qué?
Mrs. Richards: Is he the manager, Mr. Watt?
Manuel: Oh! Manajer!
Mrs. Richards: He is?
Manuel: Ah! Mr. Fawlty!
Mrs. Richards: What?
Manuel: Fawlty!
Mrs. Richards: What are you talking about, you silly little man? (to Polly) What is going on here? I ask him for my room and he tells me the manager is a Mr. Watt, aged forty.
Manuel: No, no, no, Fawlty.
Mrs. Richards: Faulty? What's wrong with him?

Should you have some time to spare, here's just an excerpt of the hilarious Communication Problems episode (one including the above conversation as well as another precious disagreement regarding Mrs. Richards room with a view.)

c.k. watt is one of the labels I've been using on this blog when c.k. watt-sort-sitos arise. I love to say it out loud. We often do in the house now. It definitely applies when people of different nationalities get/live together. Defo.

Oh yeah, not sure whether the actual experience was any good, but when I read this article back in August, the idea really made me smile.

nice one, buster!

I had totally forgotten all about summery outdoors cinema screenings. But, of course, it IS the summer and they are starting to pop up all over the city like every year.

Friends tipped us about "The General", a 1926 Buster Keaton film showing last Friday and it sounded like a plan... It definitely was. Fabulous comedic rhythm, old-fashioned (yet not that dated) plot, beautiful photography... Not to forget, a bunch of adults giggling (snorting with laughter on occasion) outside on a summer evening.

This are a few sneakily-taken shots of the massive inflatable screen. The first one against the summer sky above the park with the moon in the background (left, far, far away).

Note: The quality of the pics is rather drab 'cos I was trying to be inconspicuous and to not annoy other people with the glow of my camera (that's my excuse anyway).
Can you actually believe that silly mark on my feet, though? I reckon I tanned like that (by accident) two summers ago and I still haven't managed to get rid of it. They look pretty manky. They were not.

ever so slightly apathetic sunday

I wanted to actually write a proper post today (have a few things drafted) but I feel too lazy and not that very inspired at all. So instead, the plan is tidying up and sorting stuff out (aka faffing about the house not doing much at all in the end).

So, rather than a proper written post then, and before I put on my domestic hat, I thought I'd give the people of the Internets... well nothing new, really! As, come to think of it, both videos shown below have been taken from the Internets in the first place!!!
Oh well, "She giveth and She taketh" (I always think of the Internet as female, me. Mother Earth, Mother Internet... that sort of thing)!

Right, here's some stuff that makes me giggle:
Morph & Darth,
strawberry shortcakes & hot Italian pasta,
fantastic animations in plasticine & fantastic animations in Lego,
gobbledygook & executive transvestite soliloquy,
Aardman Studios & Eddie Izzard!



Morph's Card Trick
I couldn't embed the short here, so I'm afraid you have to click on the link for this one.

Here some clever clogs has recreated bits of Eddie Izzard's stand-ups in Lego; you can find them all featured on youtube. They vary in quality and you may not enjoy them if you're used to watching the real thing on stage. I love this one though!!!

quality but draining...

Finished reading this yesterday. Watched this a week or so ago (while still reading the above).

And yesterday evening I watched this other one.

Really liked them (particularly the first and last), sort of thing I enjoy. However, bit much on the unresolved issues-bitterness-resentment-emotional numbness-inability to move forward-front. All pretty draining for my sensible soul (!) so right now I'm just craving some of this:

Hang on... These are also full of family and social (non)acceptance issues and I remember they made me cry no end back in the day when I were a wee lass.
Bollex!! Just watch this bollex instead. I know, it's advertising, but it still makes me smile.

so, basically, following his advice by nicking his quote...

I'm not planning on making this an inspiration blog (I reckon that's bloody obvious though! Who would be able to draw inspiration from a crappy video -resolution too low, sound too high- of me playing with lip gloss in a café on a Sunday afternoon?)

However I loved this quote I read at noquedanblogs the other day (as I love most Jim Jarmuschisms, in all their different forms) and decided to share it with whoever reads this. Does anyone read this? I believe someone does. Do you believe? "If you believe, clap your hands; don't let Tink die".

a couple of random film notes...

How great is this vid?

It was a tip from boy. The maker's a young (and needless to say) talented young Dutch artist.



Sideways and Happy Go Lucky, two films I love, love, love and I've watched again this w-end (was rainy and 'orrible outside so hey!)