I will never forget the time I got to watch a live Cirque Du Soleil performance. I was down in Florida, checking out the Universities there with my father. Since we are big Disney fans, we visited all the Disney parks too & decided at the last minute to catch a Cirque Du Soleil show at Treasure Island, without really knowing what it was or what we were in for. It was magical to say the least & easily the highlight of our trip.
Thanks to the wonderful directing of Andrew Adamson & cinematography of James Cameron, now anyone can catch a Cirque show. I rented Worlds Away on iTunes for USD4.99 & have watched it 3 times in the 48 hours I have. Simply put, it's a love story & incorporates acts from the seven Cirque du Soleil shows running in Las Vegas in 2011: O, Mystère, Kà, Love, Zumanity, Viva Elvis and Criss Angel Believe which all culminates with an aerial courtship between the two main characters.
Words can not even begin to explain the artistry that goes into each if Cirque Du Soleil's performances so my advise is that you just watch it & be prepared to be mesmerised.
I was most excited to hear that a favourite book of mine from way back when I first read it in 2002 was being turned into a movie directed by Ang Lee. But as life would have it, Bobby & I were so busy earlier this month when it first came out here in Malaysia that it was with a huge relief when we finally made it to the cinema last weekend to catch Life of Pi in 3D. I think everyone needs to see this. It's truly a breathtaking movie & the CGI is beyond words. A boy shipwrecked for 227 days in the middle of the Pacific with an adult Bengal tiger is pretty out there, I have to admit but gosh, what a story! It's so wonderful, I bought tickets to watch it again in IMAX this week!
If you haven’t already seen Black Swan, go see it. Now. It’s a beautiful & haunting movie about a prima ballerina played by Natalie Portman. I think she’s just ethereal in the movie & soon, I bet you’ll see ballet-inspired fashion invade the runways & streets. Anyways, my interest in Natalie Portman began waaaay back when I first saw her in Léon opposite Jean Reno & was piqued further when my buddy in college professed his undying love for her. Now with this movie, I too profess my undying love for Ms Portman.
These images above are from the January 2011 US Vogue issue & check out this video for the behind the scenes shots of the photoshoot.
Along with the rest of the world (well, those who don’t work 9 – 5 on a Monday), I put my life on hold & tuned into the live telecast of The Golden Globes Awards this morning. Although I love a good movie & I thought many of the winners were well-deserving (can I get a woot woot for Robert De Nito & Natalie Portman amongst many?), I was also busy checking out the gorgeous gowns. One of my favourites for the night is Olivia Wilde’s Marchesa gown pictured above which reminds me of a star filled sky. Lovely, just lovely.
Some of my other favorites are Scarlett Johanssan – in Elie Saab, Natalie Portman - pregnant but still stunning in Viktor & Rolf, Emma Stone - in a simple, understated Calvin Klein, Mila Kunis – in Vera Wang (apparently the dress only took 4 days to make!) & a surprise entry to this list, Sarah Hyland - in vintage Max Azria Atelier (I just love how flowy it looks!). Who were your favourites?
The following was taken off Jean-Sebastien Monzani’s Vimeo description of the video above: ”"Your Secret" is a movie about you.Something quite different as compared to my other works, this short movie evokes a complicity between the spectator and the narrator. Something cheerful, something mysterious, something simple, something that hopefully maybe brightens your day. Hope you'll like it.”
I liked it, indeed.
It’s such a beautiful & inspiring gem of a video. After watching this, I feel so inspired to make something new, just for myself. How about you?
I have to admit that I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan. I've read all of her books & keep multiple copies of Pride & Prejudice at home along with a digital version on my iPhone. However, Emma has a very dear spot in my heart as it was the very first Jane Austen book I picked up at 16 after finding out thatClueless was based on this particular book (yes, yes, I love chick flicks too!). Ever since then, I devoured all of Ms Austen's work. So imagine my delight when I found out that the BBC has a new Emma series showing & someone has kindly uploaded the series on YouTube! Thought I'd share it with you just in case you're as big of a fan as me ;)
Chic Pop Street Marketis back for round twoTHIS SUNDAY & you're not gonna want to miss out! I had a blast at the last event (as I always do at all Tongue In Chic events) & you can read all about my experience here.
I'll be bringing in more of myhomemade lip balms in brand new man-friendly versions of Peppermint & All Natural along with the ever popular Mango Peach & French Vanilla flavors. And of course I'll have a whole lot of new jewelry & accessories to tickle your fancy! I will also carry a small line of Dura's Fashion Forest art & prints that I've been loving ever since I bought my first set of Fashion-Na-Nimal Darlings so I'm pleased as punch that I get to share Dura's lovely work with you!
What else is there at this second installment of Chic Pop? Well, expect to find other great shopping bargains, yummy-licious food and drinks to fill up on as well as other services like fortune-telling and manicure! In conjunction with YOUREKA! by Yahoo!, you can also redeem a pair of movie passes to a special screening of 2012 at Chic Pop Street Market! Find out how at YAHOO.COM.MY!
So what are you waiting for? Book yourself & your girlfriends (along with your boyfriends) for a day of FUN this Sunday. Don't miss out!
OOooOoo... I'm so looking forward to seeing what promises to be a fabulous movie about the life of Coco Chanel! Stolen off Wiki:
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel (19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971)was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist philosophy, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the founder of the famous fashion brand Chanel. Her extraordinary influence on haute couture was such that she was the only person in the field to be named on TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
A woman after my own heart! Oh, and I love Audrey Tautou too. Happy Monday lovelies!
I am so very much in love with Pixar's (not-so) new movie, Up. I know I tweeted this last week but I gotta say that I must've scared the folks sitting nearby us with my out-of-control-laughter & not-very-adult-like-glee when Tsu Mae, Bobby & I watched the 3D version. It was gloriously clap-happy funny & I'm SO going to watch it again! And again. And again. I think when I do have kids someday, I'm going to bore them senseless by making them watch Up over & over again. Hah!
Anyways, if you have kids in your life or if you're a kid for life, make sure you take some time out to go watch this movie. It's a darling little gem that will not only have you laughing like a rollicking hyena but also capable of turning you into soft, gooey, mush. Two thumbs & two stinky big toes up. Pun intended.
P/S: I'm especially in love with Dug the talking Golden Retriver. It just slayed me when he said, "I just met you, and I love you" & believe or not but this animated characther was awarded the Palm Dog Award by the British film critics as the best canine performance at Cannes Film Festival! Yay Dug!
I was away when the news of Yasmin Ahmad's death shook Malaysia. I felt genuine dismay when I finally heard about it a few days later. I admit I don't know her personally but I deeply admire that she stuck to her guns despite all the controversy Sepet stirred up for bringing down cross cultural barriers. She was not only talented & inspirational but one who was very genuine & brave, who IMHO revolutionised Malaysian cinema (and I know I'm not alone in this sentiment). Here's her simple yet endearing entry to 15Malaysia where you can also watch 14 other short films about Malaysia featuring some of the best known faces in the country including entertainers and politicians. For now, enjoy Chocolate which was just released yesterday.
Why am I talking about September in July? Well, that's because I just spotted the trailer for The September Issue, the documentary about Vogue editor Anna Wintour that I'm just dying to watch.
As the editor in chief of the American Vogue, a position she has held for 21 years now, Anna Wintour is known for being tough as nails and cold as ice & is famously nicknamed "Nuclear Wintour". She is a fashion icon & "is as much an institution in the fashion world as her magazine" to quote Wikipedia.
Now who wouldn't be fascinated to take a peek into her world?
Woodstock rocks & I love the idealism & activism that the 70s represent! Can't wait to watch the movie "Taking Woodstock" but who knows if Malaysian censors will pass it. Sigh.
Remember when I blogged about revisiting one of my favorite childhood movies? Well, The Last Unicorn was another & still is a firm favorite of mine. Watching it always made me cry buckets & it still does... Just watching the video above made me cry too! I'm such a cry baby.
I recently read the book too & am delighted that the producer & director of the movie kept very true to the book & translated it very well for the silver screen which is such a rare thing. I'm hoping to find the movie somewhere here in KL but I think I might have to resort to Amazon. Wish me luck!
Oh, be still my beating heart. I just saw Kris from American Idol perform one of my all time favorite songs from the movie Once. I'm sooooo glad that this little gem of a movie is finally getting some attention & much deserved recognition. Props to Kris for doing the song justice too!
Guess what I found? The NeverEnding Story movie on YouTube! It's broken up into a series of 9 though but it only took me less than an hour to download everything while I was answering emails & sending out invoices! I just finished watching the whole thing & I can safely say that I've fallen in love with it all over again. Here are the links:
I'm still going to look out for the DVD though so that I can watch it from a larger screen with surround sound. This time I'm going to drive the boyfriend nuts by making him watch it with me over & over again! Muahahaha
Because I had a high school crush on Drew Barrymore (no, I'm not a lesbian) I was drawn to check out a trailer posted on Ladies & Gentlemen starring Jessica Lange & my former crush. The trailer above is for the HBO movie Grey Gardens & is based on the original 1975 documentary of the same name.
Having never even heard of Grey Gardens in the first place & totally intrigued by the trailer, I did a little research & came up with this:
Grey Gardens is the unbelievable but true story of Mrs. Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edie, the aunt and first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Mother and daughter live in a world of their own behind the towering privets that surround their decaying 28-room East Hampton mansion known as "Grey Gardens," a place so far gone that the local authorities once threatened to evict them for violating building and sanitation codes. The incident made national headlines -- American royalty, living in squalor! For the Beales were nothing short of the upper crust. Mrs. Beale, a.k.a. "Big Edie," was a born aristocrat, sister of "Black Jack" Bouvier, Jackie O's father. "Little Edie" was an aspiring actress of striking beauty who put her New York life on hold to care for her mother - and never left her side again. Together they descended into a strange life of dependence and eccentricity that no one had ever shared until the Maysles arrived with their camera and tape recorder.
The Beales were ready for their close-ups. Little Edie -- a still-attractive woman at 56 -- parades about coquettishly in her trademark improvised turbans (her wildly original ensembles inspired a 9-page fashion spread in a 1998 issue of Harper's Bazaar and a 1999 issue of Italian Vogue), reminisces about her brilliant past, still hoping that her Big Chance and Big Romance are just around the corner. Big Edie, trained soprano in her bohemian days, trills romantic songs of yesteryear in a slightly wobbly, but still rich voice. The women bicker, prattle, and flirt like characters out of Tennessee Williams or Eugene O'Neill. The film is a bittersweet love story, a record of the powerful and complex relationship between mother and daughter.
How sad, but oh so fascinating. Here's hoping that Astro will release the movie here in Malaysia. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
