Not going to lie, I've had some difficulties starting to write this blog post, as I had absolutely no idea what to write. So I'm afraid it'll be a boring "what I did this week" without any cool, funny or witty angle. Not sure if I am funny and witty in my other blog posts, but then I try to be.
Basically, this week I've been suffering from a movie hangover. To be specific: from SPECTRE. On Saturday 24th October, I got to see a screening of SPECTRE. You know, that little, low budget indie movie that's starring Daniel Craig. I've written a blog post about that one, so if you are interested, feel free to head over to "M has been chasing me for Christmas decorations,..." - Q, SPECTRE 'review' . I've heard and read quite a few negative comments and reviews, but, I don't care. I liked that movie. Very much and the positive reviews proof that I'm not the only one :)
The movie ended around 1pm and I had a Skype call with my parents in the afternoon. As I don't have a strong internet connection anymore in the house that I'm living in, Skype calling has become very difficult. When I first moved abroad, Skype conversation were on a weekly basis. Then it was more a forthnight thing. But now, it was 2 months since I last saw and heard them, so yeah, that Skype call was necessary and it took almost all afternoon :)
Sunday I stayed indoors all day again. Halleluja for the extra hour!!! x) Did the weekly household chores (since nobody else in this hell hole seems to care), made my lunch for the week and saw Dr No and From Russia with Love again. Of course, I also wrote my Monday Movietime blog post, which does take up a few hours of my day :)
The rest of the week was pretty normal. Although I had a half day off on Wednesday and a break down on Thursday. That's about it for this week. Oh, and I bought my advent calendar on Friday after work ^^
I'm going to leave it here, as I have no idea what else I can write x) I'll just leave some YouTube videos which I've been watching and listening to all.week.long.
I went to a screening for SPECTRE on Saturday morning. Everyone that has worked on some level on the movie was invited to one of the 4 screenings before the actual premiere. Not going to lie, when the DB10 was mentioned by Q, I cringed.
Saturday morning at 10.30pm I sat in the London Odeon theatre on Leicester Square. Sam Mendes came up the stage and said a few words before the beginning of the movie. He said something along the lines of 'this movie was a monster', 'we've been working on this project with 100 and 100 of people' and 'we've delivered something I'm very proud of and I hope you'll like it'. Well Sam, you're right to say you're proud of this picture. Here is my 'review".
Oh, by the way, the movie is IN THEATRES TODAY, 26th in UK! Please check IMDb for the release date in your territory.
SPECTRE
** spoiler free**
2015 Director: Sam Mendes Cast: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, Christopher Walz,... Lenght: 148min= 2h 28min Genre: Actio, adventure, thriller
SPECTRE picks up where Skyfall left off. MI6 is still damaged from the terrorist attack, there is a new M in the picture and a new C as well. Bond is on a mission from the first second of the movie, an aftermath from Skyfall. A cryptic message from M sends him an a trip around the world. He infiltrates the Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion, AKA SPECTRE, and has an encounter with his past. Bond needs to find out why he does what he does and if he still wants to do it.
Sam Mendes definitely did not disappoint. It's a modern Bond with all the classics: action, dry humor, Bond Girls and the whole picture is a vision. I'm still in awe, eventhough I saw the movie Saturday morning :) We've come a long way since the days of Dr No. Some people are of the opinion that the true spirit of Bond isn't in the film because of the lack of gadgets. I can understand that opinion. Kind of. But to be fair, Bond in Dr No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, etc. doesn't have that many gadgets either. I guess it is more a subjective view on what is 'a lot'.
Another fact that has reached my attention is that I get the impression that a lot of people go to the theatre with very high expectations and come back out disappointed. It's understandable, especially after Skyfall which was a phenominal movie. However, as mentioned by the cast and the director, SPECTRE is a seperate movie. Although it is a sequel to Skyfall and has many references to previous Bond pictures, SPECTRE is something different than Skyfall. That is something I'd like you to take with you if you decide to see the movie. Don't get me wrong, I've had that happened to me too: having high expectations and to then be disappointed. It sucks. So that's why I'd like to give you a little heads up ;)
Then, SPECTRE is first mentioned by Dr No in the first Bond movie when Sean Connery had the honour of portraying the cocky double 0 agent. Anyone who pays any attention will have noticed that the ghost organisation has been mentioned in other Bond movies as well: From Russia with love, Thunderball,... The last time the name was mentioned was in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Why the long silence? Well, apparently there was a copywrite dispute between producer Kevin McClory and the Fleming estate. Eventhough most of the Bond films link to the organisation, about half of them weren't legally aloud to use the term. Until now, when we have an actual movie that carries the name.
Besides being the abbriviation of 'Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion',
'SPECTRE' also means 'ghost'. Which gives a double meaning to the film. On one hand we finally learn more about 007's mysterious past. Various links to Casino
Royal and Skyfall were made with Quantum of Solaces pushed quietly to
the back, although not unmentioned. The dead are very much alive, with the Day of the Dead in Mexico City as a little wink to that statement. On the other hand Bond faces the entire organisation of SPECTRE and one person in particular. It's getting very personal in this one.
Mendes stayed true to the Bond formular. You fall quickly into the easy well known rhythm of a Bond movie. A couple of Bond girls, a villian or two to get rid off, car chasing scenes, etc. When Madeleine asked, after disposing a villian, "what will happen now?", we all know what will happen now. And so did Sam Mendes and the screenwriters. You cannot have those lines in a 007 script without acting upon them. That is what makes Bond, well, Bond. Although Mendes sticks to the formular, the look and feel is completely different than Skyfall and its predecessors.
The opening sequence followed by the standard Bond theme song with the accompanied 'video' is by far my favorite bit. It will probably be the part mostly spoken of. Regarding the graphic design and animation during the theme song, it actually makes me wonder who made the animation on that one. I guess that is still an aftermath of my one year of Graphic Design studies x) I'm not really a Sam Smith fan, but that song, Writings on the Wall is a perfect fit for this movie and it gave me goosebumps. Speaking of goosebumps and the opening sequence. Mendes starts the pictures with a daring 5min shot without any editing. It reminded me of the movie Rope (1948) and also of the opening shot in Pride & Prejudice (2005) and the first ever episode of Downton Abbey. To me, that is a promise from the director that this movie will be top of the bill. And that it was. Beautiful scenery shots of snow covered mountains, gruesome fighting scenes in train carriages, thrilling score, the lot. Barely anything green screen. The entire picture is just incredibly satisfying for the eyes and ears.
For a man who has recently declaired his dislike for the character as well, Craig shows that he is truly an amazing actor as he delivers an incredible preformance. Yes, I've said "as well", because Sean Connery, the original Bond, has previously stated that he "would like to kill him". Craig isn't the first one to despise the character, but, just like Connery, he kept it professional and delivered. "It is a real blessing" to quote Craig, so you'd be a fool to mess up that job.
Although I'm not yet truly convinced about the chemistry between him and Madeleine (Léa Seydoux), she is by far my favourite Bond girl. She's feisty, smart and as the daughter of an ex-assassin, she understands Bond in a way even Vesper couldn't. Christopher Waltz is Christopher Waltz which promises some bloodcurdling lines for his charachter Franz Oberhauser. Even his fluffy white cat makes an appearance! Naomie Harris returns as Moneypenny and as Bond's faithful partner in saving the world. Q (Ben Whishaw) is definitely my favorite character of the lot. From his knitted
jumpers to his silly humor of: 'I asked to bring her back in one piece,
not bring back one piece' and then to actually laugh at his own joke ^^ And Ralph Fiennes as M works well. He is obviously not Judi Dench, but I think he is a worthy successor and will be able to put his stamp on the character in future Bond movies.
The attention to detail is incredible. From the Day of the Dead in Mexico City to the white fluffy cat of Oberhauser, they thought of everything, which makes it a very exciting must watch.
As per usual, here are the trailer, clip, interviews and in this case, the theme song.
Trailer
Clip
Interviews
Writing's On The Wall - Sam Smith
Voila, this was my 'review' on the film. I highly recommend it. I do suggest to see the previous movies, from Casino Royal onwards at least. I think you might get a bit lost during this one as they make quite a few references to the past. Of course, it is entirely up to you what you do ;)
3 weeks into October, I think it is safe to say that autumn is now officially all around us. Therefore, I took it upon myself to take a walk in the park. Yes, it is that easy. Saturday I did the usual household chores, so Sunday was the day I ventured out into Hyde Park.
I decided to walk from Marble Arch (Speakers Corner) to Hyde Park corner. For the past few weeks I've been passing that side of the park every morning and I have noticed a lot of art along the way. Time to take a closer look. Of course with a Costa hot chocolate in hand. It is quite a picture heavy blog post. You've been warned :)
One other very excited thing has happend to me this week! Thursday afternoon, at work, I received the message that the Golden Snitch was in the building. You heard that right: the Golden Snitch. It is the snitch from Deathly Hallows that says 'I open at the close'. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures or to even touch it (I had to wear gloves) as it is an actual prop that they've used in the film. I was over the moon, as you can imagine ^^
Hallooooo!! Sooo, if you follow me on instagram, you might already know that I saw the movie Pan a couple of weekends back. If you didn't know already, then now you know :) And as it was such a magical experience, I thought it appropriate to dedicate a blog post about it.
Pan
** spoiler free**
2015 Director: Joe Wright Cast: Hugh Jackman, Levi Miller, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, Amanda Seyfried, Cara Delevingne ... Lenght: 111min= 1h51min Genre: Adventure, fantasy and family
12 year old orphan Peter gets taken away by the pirate crew of captain Blackbeard and ends up in Neverland. Rather than flying around like he does in the Disney version, he has to work in the mines in search of Fairy Dust. There he gets acquainted with James Hook and together they find a way to escape the thight grip of Blackbeard and they flee into the wilderniss of Neverland where they have an encounter with the locals. And that's all I'll say about the plot, 'cause I don't want to spoil anything now do I?
The story of Peter Pan written by J.M. Barrie is probably the most well know story in the world. We've heard countless different variations of the same tale. Told by Disney, by Marc Forster in Finding Neverland, by P.J. Hogan in Peter Pan, etc.
Joe Wright, known for Pride and Prejudice, Anna Karenina, the Soloist and Atonment, takes on his first family film and a family film that is. Fairy Dust flies off the big screen, colours explode, a soundtrack to write home about and an adorable, strong headed, confused Peter who is afraid to fail and surprises nobody more than himself by flying over Neverland.
Part of the beginning of the film takes place during WWII. England is at war and food is scarce. The orphan little boys definitely see it on their plates and feel it in their tummies. Children disappear in the middle of the night, never to return. The situation looks very poor for the boys at the orphanage. Until one night, pirates from captain Blackbeard sweep in, select a couple of kids and take them away on a flying ship. The shots of that majestic flying ship over the Big Ben and St Paul's Cathedral in the middle of night was enough to give me goosebumps. The British Army Air Corps is in complete confusion. During that sequence I thought it perfectly plausible that those actions were based on true history.
The director made an interesting choice regarding soundtrack. I don't think anyone would use 'Nirvana' and 'family movie' in one sentence. Well, Joe did. The Ramones can be added to that sentence as well x) Just when you think this will be an all 'magic and fluffy' type of movie, they throw this at you.
Hook (Garrett Hedlund) is a funny yet egoistic character, who turns out not to be exactly that. Hedlund portrays him with a little too much drama, little too much expression, but that is exactly what works here. If he had played it down, I don't think he's character would have been as believable. There is some tension between him and Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara), but thank god they don't kiss. Tiger Lily, despite the whole she-not-a-native discussion, is a confident, fierce but kind hearted woman who fights for what she believes in. Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) has one or two funny punch lines that only the grown ups will get. He is however the perfect villain for this story. And Peter (Levi Miller) is struggling to find out who he is, what is expected of him and is scared of failing. A feeling we can all relate to I guess. I think we can expect great things from Miller. You might want to keep an eye on that one :)
One thing that really caught my eye, is that it is a very very colorful movie. Even when it's not so colour, it's still very colourful. If that makes any sense?
Although I don't think the movie is as approachable for kids as the Disney version is, it's a perfect family film. Some cheeky punch lines and soundtracks for the grown ups and a colourful and playful spectacle for the little ones and an overall 1hour 51minutes well spent.
They leave the ending open, suggesting there might be a
sequel. A story between this 'origin' story where Peter arrives in
Neverland and the 'original' story where the Darlings arrive on the
scene. Who knows, we might have another Pan movie coming to us in 2018....
As per usual, below the trailer, a clip and an interview, just so you can get a first taste :)
Trailer
Clips
Interview
If you've decided to see Pan as well, let me know! I'd love to hear your opinion :)
Welcome to my week 41 update. Who would have thought that I'd ever reach a 'week 41 update' huh? My internship at RDP lasted 14 weeks, my internship at Media Circus lasted 18 weeks + 3 weeks of blisful wondering around London. 21 weeks was the max. Well, until now x)
Anyway, the weekend was pretty boring. I cleaned the freaking fridge, made my lunch for the week, watched the 'Regency House Party' again,... That's about it. The week was pretty unexciting as well.
The one thing did happen this week, on Thursday morning to be precise, was a bit embarrassing. As most mornings now, I take the bus from London Victoria to Oxford Circus to go to the office. Thursday morning was no difference. I walked to the right stop to wait for the bus and as usual I wait where the first door of the bus would stop. Other people were already waiting. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except for Thursday. The lady standing next to me said: 'Excuse me, we're queueing that way'. I was suprised, but made my way down the line without a fuzz. When I understood what happened, my first feeling was: "That bitch! You don't have to say that so bitchy." But then I realised: "Shit, I've been cutting people in line for quite a while now" and then I thought "My god, they even queue for the bus". It's a well know fact that Brits queue, a lot. You have signs for them everywhere. Whether they like it is another matter. However, to defend my case, there was no sign saying you have to queue at London Victoria bus station.
As you can see I went through a few emotions, but the most prominent one was embarrasment. I thought that after living in London for over a year and a half I'd have it down. Most things are very obvious, like "walk on the left, stand on the right", "mind the gap between the train and the platform", "keep left" and "queue here". These thing are often announced or have signs everywhere. Other things, however, like "don't make eye contact on the tube" or "be quiet on the 7.37am train into town" are not announced and don't have signs everywhere. So I'd like to give you 11, hopefully useful, tips to survive London.
1) Queue at London Victoria bus station
This is the only bus station where you have to queue that I know of. I can imagine though that other bus stops at train stations might have the same unwritten policy. When in doubt, queue anyway.
2) Don't make eye contact on public transport
Nothing is more awkward than locking eyes with a stranger in a small confined space. Whether this is on a train, tube or bus. God forbid you might actually start talking.
3) When someone complains about the weather, don't reply with 'what did you expect?'
People here love to complain about the weather. I've learned the hard way not to answer with 'What did you expect? You're on an island famous for their cloudy and rainy days'. Just nod in agreement and keep your opinions to yourself. If they can't complain about the weather, they will find another subject to moan about :)
4) Complain about how bloody expensive public transport is, then pay for it anyway.
Every month when I see those £144.80 leave my bank account I die a little bit inside. That's £1,737.6 a year that goes to public transport. I don't even earn that much in a month, but I pay it anyway, 'cause a girl gotta get to her house in zone 4 (but she actually takes the train to zone 3 to save a whopping £387.6 a year. Getting off one stop earlier saves me about £32.3 a month)
5) Be quiet on the train into town at 7.37am.
It's just not done to talk on the train into town in the morning. And I digg it. It gives me a chance to wake up quietly. By the time the train arrives at London Victoria I'm kind of ready to face the hectic life in the city. This unwritten policy of 'keep quiet' is also applicable on tube and bus.
6) Keep the volume of your music down.
As it is so quiet on the train (read point 5) you can hear your music through your headphones when you have the music volume on 100%. You don't need that much, hun, for it is very quiet anyway. You don't need to block out annoying sounds. Everybody else, however, is annoyed by your lack of good taste in music. You may not notice it, but we roll our eyes. Unless you are half deaf, I recommend tuning it a bit down, you don't want to get deaf. Oh that would be ironic.
7) Don't consume hot meals on public transport
Besides the loud music as mentioned in point 6, eating hot meals in a confined space is absolutely NOT DONE. You either make your fellow passengers nauseous or you make them ravenous. Neither is pleasant.
8) Don't wait until the gates are closed to tap your oystercard.
It is of the utmost important, especially during rush hour, that you keep the flow through the gates going. You don't need to wait until the gates are closed to top in or out with your oystercard. Just wait until the light turns orange, then tap your oystercard and walk through. Easy as that. If your oystercard says 'seek assistance', take a step back and try again tapping your oystercard. 9/10 your card will work. You don't want to be the idiot who keeps trying to open the gates, whilst nearly standing against the gates, and keeping up the flow at the gate. No one will thank you for that.
9) Do not saunter. Walking is considered a form of transportation.
As
public transport is so ridiculously expensive (see point 4), you'd like
to cut down on taking the bus or tube for 'short' distances. Therefor
walking is considered another form of transportation. Nothing is more
annoying than being held up or slowed down by surrounding traffic. It is advised
not to saunter or stop in the middle of the sidewalk.
10) Queue when waiting to go through oystercard gates.
This one is pretty self explanatory. This is only applicable during rush hour or when a lot of people are trying to get through the gates at the same time. Queues will form automatically so you just have to get in line and wait till it's your turn to tap your oystercard. Please see point 8 for this.
11) Simply enjoy
But most importantly, simply enjoy your fabulous ass when you're visiting or living in this fabulous city.
I hope these tips are a bit useful :) That's what I've learned in my time living in this busy city.
Oh, I almost forget. Something exciting did happen this week (well for me anyway): I started drinking hot chocolat again. I told myself to wait until 1st
November, but I kind of ignored my own advise. I haven't cut out coffee
yet, like I did last winter, but I can imagine that will probably happen
again once November comes around. Friday after work I did one of my
favorite things: buy a hot chocolat at Costa, read in St James Church next door
til I finish my drink and then go to Waterstones to marvel at all the
books. Books stores and DVD's stores are quite my favorite ^^
That's it for this week's update. Hope you enjoyed it ;)
Lord almighty! What a week of struggles that has been. Struggling going to bed on time in the evening, struggling getting out of bed in the morning, struggling to be super causious with my food money 'cause it's a damn 5week month, struggling to make life decisions, stuggling getting through life without my family's and friends' hugs, ... On top of that, I had the brilliant idea that I wanted to look for an advent calendar. The struggle is real people. The struggle is real. This picture pretty much sums up my week.
Besides the many minor and major struggles this week, it wasn't all too bad. I've mentioned just now that I've started looking for an advent calendar. Because it is a bit early, the choices aren't too variated yet, so basically it's just a matter of patience and right timing (right after halloween I think I'm going to make a decision and buy one). But it means that CHRISTMAS IS COMING. And winter as well. I'm so freaking STOKED. Temperatures have finally started dropping as well, which makes me instantly happy when I step outside the door at 7am. The mornings and evenings smell wonderfully crisp. I love that smell. *sigh*
Monday morning on my bus ride to Oxford Circus (yes that is a new thing, I'll explain in a bit) I also noticed that the first Christmas lights are hanging up on Oxford Street. It was a good start of the week, I'll give this week that. I'm assuming that the switch on event will be in 4 to 5 weeks and then it's official! Time to get that Christmas jumper out of the wardrobe :)
As for the bus thing. Instead of walking to the office or taking the tube from London Victoria, I take the 73 to Stoke Newington and get off at Oxford Circus. It's about 20min on the bus, but I enjoy the ride. It's more relaxing than taking the underground. The idea of getting underground with so many other people makes me feel a bit anxious lately so I rather opt for either walking or taking the bus. Since I like sitting down with my coffee and have a 20min of reading before I head to the office, the bus is the best option without having to get out of bed even earlier.
This week was basically 1 struggle. Not on work front though. I seem to have gotten out of that motivation slump a few weeks ago. And Wednesday evening wasn't a struggle either. Well, -ish. Last Sunday it was my colleague's birthday and she invited me and a couple of her friends to go for dinner on Wednesday evening. It was a good evening with good food, wine, conversation, laughing and company, but I was so freaking tired. And the fact that I crawled into bed at half past 1 in the morning didn't really help getting out of bed Thursday morning at half past 6. The granny in me is starting the play up again ^^ The thing is, I love an early morning, I just don't love an early night. The struggle is real people. The struggle is real. First world struggle that is though.
This is it for my week 40 update. Sorry mum, dad, sis and every other family member who actually reads this blog, that is not a more spectacular one. Unfortunately I can't go to premiers every week... x) And if you're not a member of the De Vocht clan but you did make it to the end of this blog post, I congratulate you and I'd love to know who you are! :)
No movie recommendation today, but many! Although I'm not going to give the various reasons as to why you should see a particular movie. Instead I'm going to give one quote for each movie :) Each and every single one of these quotes are said in a certain way by the actor that gives the performance an incredible human touch and therefore very memorable.
Let's do thissss.
Hello, Katerina. Make anyone cry today? Sadly no, but it's only 4.30 - Dad Walter and Kat, 10 things I hate about you
Well, you saw me naked... - Beca, Pitch Perfect
I'm also a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. - Anna Scott, Notting Hill
Am I boring you? - Logan, the Lucky One
I'm fond of walking. Yes! Yes, I know. - Awkward converstation between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride & Prejudice
Have you seen any of these movies yet? If so, please let me know what you think of them! :)
I'm on a roll people. That is 3 posts in one week. Not yet a record, but getting there.
So, this week, what I've been up to. During the week not much, but the weekend was pretty packed. On Saturday I saw the Scorch Trials. AND IT WAS SO GOOD! I also saw The Adventures of Tintin: the secret of the Unicorn, directed by Steven Spielberg AND IT WAS SO GOOD! Sunday afternoon I met up with my colleague just to enjoy the beautiful weather whilst it last and to catch up. During the week we hardly get to chance to talk as we're crazy busy, you know, doing our jobs. So we try to catch up during the weekends :)
As Saturday was pretty uneventful, I only have pictures for Sunday, so just lets start there ;)
Sunday was the premiere for the Intern. It's the latest Nancy Meyer movie starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro. Nancy Meyer, you know, the genius behind the Holiday? Exactly, it can only be a good movie! Now, the Sunday before I wanted to see the Pan premiere at Odeon Leicester square. Thinking it was going to be at the same time most premieres starts, I arrived at the square around 5.30pm and it turned out that I missed it. The event was in the afternoon -.- So not wanting to take any chances, I had a look on the square at 1pm... The event started in the evening. Ooooh, story of my freaking life! -.- So my colleague agreed to meet me earlier, before the event instead of after. Whilst waiting for her, I sat on my favorite spot on Leicester square and did what I always do: watching people. As it was a Sunday there was a lot going on on the square. That hour wait flew by! There was this guy for example who made this gigantic soap bubbles. No idea why, but he made a whole lot of children happy ^^
Instead of trying to snap the every classic pictures, I wanted to make some close ups of one of my favorite spots in London, without actually leaving my bench... (lazy lazy lazy)
Around 2.30pm I found my colleague between the madness of tourists on Leicester sq and we decided to look for an area with a bit more space to breath. Trafalgar sq it was x) Although it was packed with people as well, it feels a lot less crowded than Leicester square.
When they closed the road in front of the National Gallery early 2000 and made it pedestrian friendly, they built a staircase to connect the now car free terrace on the North side of the square and the square below. Whilst they were making the entire area pedestrian proof, they built a little café undertneath the North terrace. So of course my colleague and I bought ourselves some cider and sat on a bench in the sun on Trafalgar square! ^^ It was so lovely and the weather was so nice and, man I love this city! *sighs*
Around 5pm we were both starving so hup, to China town for some dinner. But before we reached Leong's Legend we saw Simeon Baker playing. Yes, the same guy who competed in the contest in Westfield Stratford early September and who I heard playing for the first time on Leicester sq over a year ago. Here's the blog post where I tell you all about it: How small the world can be.
I actually bought his EP. This guy is seriously talented. Here's the link to his facebook page for anyone who's interested: Simeon Baker. And below a video of a preformance in Edinburgh, Scotland. Roads is by far my favorite song, but I like all the songs on the EP to be honest :)
After dinner my colleague went home and I headed to Leicester square. The premiere was about to begin! I thought the premiere was going to be at Odeon, as most premiere are, but this one was in the Vue premises. Man, I saw people do crazy things just to get a glimps of the red carpet. It was a Sunday as well so there were a lot of people oO People actually stoot on the fences around the square. I'm not aware of anyone falling, but I think if someone did fall it wouldn't have ended well :s Crazy people.
Around 7pm or 8pm the square closes, so everyone had to leave the square. That was the cue to leave. Anne Hathaway was on the red carpet as was Robert De Niro. I've heard their interviews, felt the exciting vibe and heard the screams so that was enough for me :) As I've said before: some people enjoy festivals or music concerts, I enjoy a good premiere :)
I walked from Leicester square to London Victoria and whilst walking past Buckingham Palace I saw this beautiful scene. I think you had to be there to fully appreciate it. It was the night of the blood moon as well. The sky was clear, moon very very bright, in contrast with the golden statue of queen Victoria I and the Big Ben in the distance. Man, I love this city!
Unfortunately this picture doesn't even come close to how beautiful it was.
The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. My colleague who was on annual leave came back on Thrusday so the workload lightened a bit, but not for long! Starting Monday, I will have a lot to handle and I'm pretty excited about it :)
That's the summary of my past week... Hope you enjoyed it :)
Dear lord almight. I need to get something off my chest. And since I have this blog, I'd say this is the best place to say it. Mind you, this is the first time I've writting a post on a topic as big as this one.
You might have noticed the media storm / internet hysteria that happened right after Matt Damon said something about 'gays should stay in the closet to further their careers' and how many a people were/are outraged by this. Not going to lie, I was intrigued when I read the title, so naturally I cliqued on the link to read the article. What I read made sense. The reasons stated, the motivation, etc. But me being me and being taught to do more research and not just believe what one person says, I did just that. I read other articles about how outrageous it is that Matt Damon dares to say something like that. I read the actual article on the Guardian website. I watched the Ellen DeGenerese clip where he explained what he actually meant. I read how people couldn't believe that Ellen defended his side, whilst she is openly gay and a living proof that it doesn't matter what your sexual preference are to have success. (This might ring a bell that she understand what Matt is trying to say? No? Apparently not.) Soon I realised his words were taken out of context or at least misinterpreted in my opinion anyway. I tried to take a tiny step to involve myself into a conversation online by saying that maybe, just maybe, his words were taken out of context. When I got a blunt 'No. They weren't.' back as a reply, I knew it was a lost cause. Although we agree on the same thing, we're still devided. That is when I realised that his message is all about how you, as an individual, interpret information.
First of all, I'm going to say this now so it is all very clear to you if you decide to read this post about how I interpret the whole interview and his explanation on Ellen DeGenerese show. Just to clarify, I am not homophobic. I don't care if you like men or women or both. That won't decide whether I like you or not. What will determine if I like you or not is the way you treat people.
Anyone who thinks that Matt Damon suggests that gay people stay in the closet is obviously a LGBTQ supporter and that is absolutely fabulous. I don't think that would have been possible, say 20 years ago. Times have changed and for the better that is. More an more people support the LGBTQ community. The reaction on Matt's interview is a very obvious example of that. However, I also find that reaction is a very black-and-white way of interpretation. To quote him: "But at the time, I remember thinking and saying, Rupert Everett was openly
gay and this guy – more handsome than anybody, a classically trained
actor – it’s tough to make the argument that he didn’t take a hit for
being out." "I think you’re a better actor the less people know about you period. And
sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether you’re straight or gay,
people shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality because that’s one
of the mysteries that you should be able to play.” = stay in the closet apparently.
In my opinion they missed the point of what Matt was trying to say. The focus shouldn't be on the actor's personal life, sexual preferences, but on their work, their performances, their art. The article in the Guardian literally says: 'He thinks attitudes are changing, and welcomes the introduction of
same-sex marriage in California in 2008.' Doesn't sound like someone who's suggesting to stay in the closet to me.
And even Ellen DeGenerese, who's openly gay, comes to the defense of Matt. Shouldn't that ring a bell? We have plenty of examples of openly gay actors, actresses, television personalities, etc that proof that you can perfectly be succesfull whether you're inside or outside the closet. Luke Evans, Sir Ian McKellen, Neil Patrick Harris, Cynthia Nixon, Jim Parson, Sarah Paulson, Ellen Page, Jodie Foster, Raven Symone, Derek Jacobi, Elton freaking John,... But coming from Matt's point of view, he's of the opinion that less is more. It gives an actor more chance to convince the audience, without all the prejudice. Sexual preferences shouldn't matter. It's their work and preformance that matter. He does have a point and Ellen gets it.
What mostly freaked me out about this subject is that I support anyone who decides to come out, but that I do not agree with anyone who agrees that Damon said that gay people should stay in the closet. I understand that article in a different way, so how on earth can we reach agreements when people pull on opposite sides of the same blanket?
Thanks for reading if you made it this far. It is such a relieve to put it black on white as this has been occupying my mind ever since I received those very blunt words of 'No. They weren't.' on my question if his words might have taken out of context.
