Bjørn's blog

Roskilde nude run 2011

2011-07-02T19:21:00.001+02:00

As usual, as part of the Roskilde music festival, the festival radio has arranged a nude run, in which lots of participants get naked and strive for the first prize: honour and a free pass for next year's festival.

Hans Kristian Andersen won for the third year in a row.

Information on this year's nude run can be found here:
Danish TV2's photo gallery
Danish TV2's video
Se & Hør's photo gallery
Ekstrabladet's video
Ekstrabladet's gallery
Gaffa.dk's video

... and an article about the qualification boxing...

Pride parade 2011

2011-06-25T23:18:00.001+02:00

Here are some photos from the Oslo pride parade of 2011. Enjoy (and note that all the photos have Creative Commons license.

10 best games for iPad

2011-05-28T20:32:00.001+02:00

Yes, I love playing games. And the iPad has the advantage of always being around when I'm bored and want to play - in hotel rooms, at airports or on the couch. And after having my iPad for a few months, I start to know which games I prefer. So here's my current ranking of my ten favorite iPad games:

1. Fifa 11
Yes, I've been playing soccer for years - on the computer. And I really like to play soccer on the iPad as well. Of course the graphics are not as good as on the newer Playstation versions, but I played International Soccer on the Commodore 64 in the mid 80s, so I think Fifa 11 is just fine. And deserves 1st place.

2. Super StickMan Golf
At the moment, SSG is the game I'm playing the most. It is a golf game, but actually more of a strategy game where you have different tools to get to the hole. And those of us who don't want to spend too much money on a game, get the pleasure of earning new courses and tools as we go along. The reward system is half the fun.

3. Wordfeud
Wordfeud is as close as you can get to Scrabble on the iPad - without actually buying the official Scrabble game that is inferior in important ways (for instance, it does not support Norwegian, as far as I know). The best thing about Wordfeud, though, is that you can play as many games as you want at the same time. So who cares if your competitor calls it a night and goes to bed - there will always be another game where it's your turn. The game is also available for Android.

4. Harbor Master
I haven't actually played this for a while, but I did play it a lot for a few weeks when I first got my iPad. Boats enter the screen, and you have to get them to the harbour without injury - and then back off the screen. The game is so simple to understand that it is ridiculous, but also extremely playable. You can't lose your consentration for long before two boats collide and you've lost. The game takes full advantage of the touch screen technology, of course.
Det er en stund siden jeg har spilt dette nå, men jeg spilte det

5. Snooker Club
I love snooker (as a TV sport) and think this game is actually very entertaining, although the players are scantlily clad girls instead of suit-wearing guys. After the last update, the game doesn't even freeze as before...

6. Shredder
Everyone needs a good chess program. I'm not a grandmaster, and therefore I like the fact that you can start on a moderate level and let the software improve its play as it goes along. (Or stay on a moderate level, possibly...) At the same time I know that the game can play as good chess as I could possibly wish for. The problem solving part of the program is not as good, and Shredder is not for free. But well worth the money anyway.

7. Trainyard EX
A cool puzzle, where you have to lay the track on the board to make sure that the trains will end up where they should. It may sound simple, but the difficulty increases rapidly.

8. Slice It!
Almost a "mathematics game". You have to divide a given figure in a given number of equally sized parts with a given number of lines. It's easy to begin with, but gets progressively harder, especially when additional rules are added.

9. AgeOfCurling
Curling is a tiny sport but still fascinating. I'm not sure this game is really difficult enough in the long run, but at least at the beginning I'm having to work to win the games. Cool. (Can also be played directly in your browser: http://online-curling.com/)

10. Angry Birds
I've never really had a crush on Angry Birds, but it's rather okay anyway...

Also check out:

Doodle Bowling - simple and addictive bowling for the iPad. e
Air Hockey - a classic in all its simplicity.
Sudoku Tablet. KakuroLite, KENKEN Lite - good Sudoku-, Kakuro- and KenKen-games.
Set Pro HD - a bit expensive and very demanding logical game, but also fascinating.
Tap The Frog - something entirely different. This is a game of speed. You simply have to push the screen as quickly as possible. Simple but interesting.
Parking HD - do you love to park cars but can't do it as often as you'd like to? Here's your chance. Quite funny, actually.
SwipeSoccer - something else than ordinary soccer games. Quite okay.

Of course there are a million other cool games out there as well. I'd love input on good games which I should test! The kinds of games I like, you can see from the list above, I guess.

But there are also some games I'd really like to have, but which doesn't exist (yet), as far as I know. Here's my wishlist:

Railroad Tycoon for iPad. Of course I'm referring to Sid Meyer's original game where you start a railroad company and wants to dominate the continent.
Great Britain Ltd for iPad. Preferably a bit more advanced than the ZX Spectrum classic where you run Great Britain's economy but tend to be thrown out of power after three or four elections...
A good tennis game that is actually possible to navigate using the iPad.
Pottit for iPad. Probably noone even remembers Pottit for Commodore 64, the game where two players are in control (?) of one pool ball each, and want to get the other player's ball into the holes. I can't remember how many joysticks were distroyed when we played this game, and I have no idea how it should be controlled on an iPad, but I still hope it will surface somewhere... :-)
Seterra for iPad. Seterra is a wonderful geography training game which I have used to learn where countries in Africa are placed, for instance. It only exists in a Windows version - I'd love it on my iPad as well.

PS: While I was making the wishlist, I realised I wanted a version of the logic game Sherlock for iPad. I haven't seen this game for years, but luckily I was intelligent enough to do a google search before writing it in my wishlist. It does exist: Sherlock. Så jeg kommer tilbake med info om hvor bra det var...

Which games do you wish existed on the iPad?

Photo of the week: Oslo Town Hall Beach

2011-05-04T15:00:00.002+02:00

Oslo's town hall is a remarkable building, standing between the city and the fjord. The paintings on its walls are of several kinds, including one big wall depicting how a nude beach looks like on a warm and beautiful summer day.

Funny Quotes of the Week 122

2011-04-30T14:34:00.000+02:00

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." (Moses Hadas)

"What other man within the walls of parliament, however hasty, rude and petulant, hath exhibited such manifold instances of bad manners, bad feelings, bad reasonings, bad language and bad law?" (Walter Savage Landor (1775-1864), British poet, on Henry Peter Brougham (1778-1868), British statesman and author)

"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." (Jack E. Leonard)

Photo of the week: Helsinki beach

2011-04-27T14:56:00.005+02:00

Yes, I am looking forward to summer. Winter has been long enough already. So when I'm picking a photo for the "photo of the week" post, I choose this one from a beach in Helsinki a couple of years ago. Warm, lazy and beautiful.

Funny Quotes of the Week 121

2011-04-23T14:33:00.000+02:00

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." (Abraham Lincoln)

"To disagree with three-fourths of the British public is one of the first requisites of sanity." (Oscar Wilde)

"Attila the Hen" (Clement Freud on Margaret Thatcher)

Photo of the week: Pride

2011-04-20T14:54:00.002+02:00

It is spring. In just a few months, there will be pride days and pride parade in Oslo again, celebrating the diversity of the Norwegian society. So I post a photo from a few years ago reminding me of that.

Funny Quotes of the Week 120

2011-04-16T14:31:00.003+02:00

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." (Groucho Marx)

"We did not conceive it possible that even Mr Lincoln would produce a paper so slipshod, so loose-joined, so puerile, not alone in literary construction, but in its ideas, its sentiments, its grasp. He has outdone himself." (Chicago Times (1863) on Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (19 November 1863))

"I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born." (Ronald Reagan)

Photo of the week: Rovinj

2011-03-23T20:42:00.003+01:00

I had a wonderful holiday in Rovinj (Croatia) some years ago. This photo was taken on one of many walks by the sea. It's probably all wrong when it comes to composition and such things, but I actually like it.

Movie: Ui-hyeong-je

2011-03-22T08:34:00.000+01:00

The fragile relationship between South Korea and North Korea should be perfect for movies about agents trying to infiltrate the other country. This is such a movie. It tells the story of a young North Korean agent who is stranded in South Korea when his boss is arrested. He then comes across the policeman in charge of that arrest, both thinking that the other guy does not understand who the other one is. So they start to befriend each other, while keeping on their toes.

The plot is not very complex, and although the movie could be said to be about loyalty, international politics and love, it will be the small scenes that I remember, scenes in which a nascent respect is visible while the two guys are trying to do smalltalk.

Ui-hyeong-je (2010)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Funny Quotes of the Week 119

2011-03-19T20:20:00.000+01:00

"Wallowing in corruption like a rhinoceros in an African pool." (E. L. Godkin (1831-1902) on James G. Elaine, American politician)

"The enviably attractive nephew who sings an Irish ballad for the company and then winsomely disappears before the table clearing and dishwashing begin." (Lyndon B. Johnson on JFK)

"Thirty-five is a very attractive age. London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained thirty-five for years." (Oscar Wilde)

Movie: Made in Dagenham

2011-03-19T18:54:00.015+01:00

There are many reasons to like this movie. For me, one of the main reasons is that it gives an opportunity to see Rupert Graves again. He is my favorite actor, based solely on his effort in my favorite movie, A room with a view. (And supported by his work in "Maurice".)

But "Made in Dagenham" also has its pleasures for people not that into Rupert. It is a good, oldfashioned "the working people against the powers" kind of movie. This time, it is the girls in the Ford factory - those who sew the car seats that are rather important when driving the car - who demands to be paid as semi-skilled workers. Things turn into a strike, and things are not easy...

In addition, the movie is often funny, the actors are good, its an important part of history being told, and so on.

There are also reasons not to like it. For instance, it feels as if I've seen it all before. I also don't particularly like the naivity of the strike leader - although it may be historically accurate. And I don't even want to talk about the end.

But if you are in a good mood, you can really enjoy this movie...

Made in Dagenham (2010)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Movie: Buried Land

2011-03-16T18:48:00.000+01:00

This is a documentary about some new (imagined) pyramids in a village in Bosnia. Or rather; it is a documentary about making a documentary about some new (imagined) pyramids in a village in Bosnia. I usually find that there are few things as pathetic as journalists writing news stories about journalists, but at times, filmmakers making films about filmmaking comes close.

The basic history - about the bosnians who walked up a hill and came down a pyramid - is a bit interesting. The background of the "filmmaker" - returning from exile now that Bosnia is once again peaceful - is also moderately interesting. However, those two bits together, added to a few personalities that are depicted, does not add up to a great movie. Not even close.

Buried Land (2009)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Photo of the week: Sculptures in the National Gallery

2011-03-16T10:42:00.009+01:00

In the good old days, the National Gallery in Oslo exhibited a collection of copies of some of the most important sculptures of the world. Today, they feel too important to exhibit copies, it seems, and these copies are gathering dust in some storage room. Here are two Davids, Donatello's and Veroccio's, photographed before they went to the basement.

Movie: Abel

2011-03-13T17:33:00.009+01:00

Abel is a little boy who does not speak much and who is generally unhappy. He lives with his mother and sister - his father has left long ago. But one day, he starts to behave as if he is the father of the household. Actually, he does it in a very good way. The rest of the family goes along with this, afraid to say something that will put him back in his former condition.

I don't know if there is much more to say about this movie - the somewhat strange premise that I have described gives lots of opportunities for funny situations, which the director takes advantage of. Moreover, the actors are quite convincing, at least until the movie draws to an end.

The fact that the movie made me think of Pedro Almodovar, certainly says something of its qualities.

Abel (2010)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Funny Quotes of the Week 118

2011-03-12T20:19:00.000+01:00

"I believe that Ronald Reagan can make this country what it once was - an Arctic region covered with ice." (Steve Martin)

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about." (Winston Churchill)

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." (Charles, Count Talleyrand)

Movie: R U There

2011-03-10T17:21:00.006+01:00

I have seen that someone has compared R U There to Lost in translation. I see that similarity, but sadly, I didn't really like Lost in translation much either. Of course, as both these films try to portray lives that are boring and pointless, the movies have a way of becoming boring and pointless too.

But I must admit that I was a bit tired when I saw it after seeing four movies already that day...

R U There (2010)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Photo of the week: Mr. Gay Norway

2011-03-09T10:40:00.004+01:00

The pride parade is always an important event. Here's a photo from the 2007 parade, with Oslo's political leader at the time, gay conservative politician Erling Lae, headed the parade together with the Mr. Gay Norway winner that year.

Movie: The King's Speech

2011-03-07T14:32:00.014+01:00

Nominated to 12 Oscars, this movie needs no presentation. I, however, had the pleasure of watching it without knowing too much about it before - and even with the added benefit of not knowing too much about the British royal family in the early 1900s.

The movie is simple, but very enjoyable. The actors are great and there is a lot of humor. And the English are very, very good at "costume dramas"...

The King's Speech (2010)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Funny Quotes of the Week 117

2011-03-05T20:17:00.003+01:00

"If he became convinced tomorrow that coming out for cannibalism would get him the votes he surely needs, he would begin fattening a missionary in the White House backyard come Wednesday." (H. L. Mencken talking about Franklin D. Roosevelt)

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts… for support rather than illumination." (Andrew Lang (1844-1912))

"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written." (Oscar Wilde)

Movie: The Parking Lot Movie

2011-03-04T08:53:00.011+01:00

I've mentioned that I saw eight movies at the film festival in Gøteborg, Sweden. Whenever people ask me what I saw, I return to The Parking Lot Movie. "The Parking Lot Movie?", people ask. Yes, I explain, it is a movie about a parking lot. And about the people who work at the parking lot.

Of course, documentaries could be made about anything at all. Even good documentaries could probably be made about anything. But for some reason, making a documentary about a parking lot is actually quite a good idea. It is not so far-fetched to say that the daily rhythm of the parking lot mirrors the rhythm of the society around it, and that the small conflicts in a parking lot also have a lot to do with the world at large.

Conflicts? you may say. Isn't this just a space to park your car? Well, yes. But the guys working there, who has hours of spare time to think about the world, draws quite far-reaching conclusions based on the fact that people in big, expensive cars spend time arguing whether they should pay 1 dollar or 75 cents for their parking. For instance.

If you will see only one movie about a parking lot this year, choose this... :-)

The Parking Lot Movie (2010)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Photo of the week: Vigeland sculpture

2011-03-02T10:37:00.003+01:00

If you like photographing sculptures, you need to go to the Vigeland park in Oslo. It is wonderful. Here is another of the photos I've taken in this park, with the Monolite in the background.

Movie: Fjellet

2011-03-01T20:22:00.011+01:00

"Fjellet" ("The Mountain") is a low-budget movie which has had a surprising success so far - for instance by being included in the Panorama programme of the Berlin Film Festival. I have known about the project for some time, as the director's mother in law (and one of the actresses' mother) is a close colleague of mine. So its fun to finally see the movie on the big screen.

The film features only two people: a lesbian couple who is on a trip in the mountains. They are not on just any trip, though, they are retracing the steps of a trip they did several years ago, trying to find back to the basis of their relationship in the process.

In my view, the actors are very good. Several people in the audience were crying during the screening. This may also be because the problems this couple has, in communicating about the most difficult subjects, are very recognizable.

I do admit, though, that I did not like the ending. Suddenly, the photos didn't seem real to me anymore, and I lost touch with the story - just as the reviewer in Variety seems to have experienced.

Anyway, this will be one of the best Norwegian films this year - not bad for a movie with a cast of 2 and a budget of nearly nothing...

Fjellet (2011)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Funny Quotes of the Week 116

2011-02-26T14:06:00.000+01:00

"A triumph of the embalmers art" (Gore Vidal on Ronald Reagan)

"There is a luxury in self-reproach. When we blame ourselves, we feel that no one else has a right to blame us. It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution." (Oscar Wilde)

"They told me how Mr Gladstone read Homer for fun, which I thought served him right." (Winston Churchill (1874-1965) on William Ewart Gladstone (1809-98))

Movie: Chico & Rita

2011-02-26T08:27:00.017+01:00

I saw eight movies at the Gøteborg international film festival this year. I have never been there before, but this was a nice festival which I would like to return to - even though the movie theatres were a bit further apart than in Tromsø, for instance.

The first movie I saw was this Cuban animated feature, telling the life story of the piano player Chico and the singer Rita. The drawings are beautiful and warm and the jazz music is very enjoyable. And the story is both quite believable and romantic. The movie gives an image of 20th century Cuba that would be difficult to give without animation. Well worth a look (and a listen)!

Chico & Rita (2010)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Photo of the week: David's butt

2011-02-23T09:03:00.005+01:00

Some of the fun of photographing sculptures, is the endless opportunities to find new angles. Thus, it is no surprise that this photo was one of the hundreds I did of Michelangelo's David in Florence...

Movie: Precious

2011-02-23T08:19:00.024+01:00

How does it feel to be an overweight, underprivileged girl living with an alcoholic and abusive mother in Harlem? This movie is good mostly because it gives a small glimpse of such a life, reminding us that every single one of these kids are wonderful human beings who deserves a chance.

It is a US movie, though, also in a negative way. It has a superstar in the role of the social worker, which is pretty distracting. And one may wonder whether the ending gives people the feeling of "We should do something about this!" that I would wish for.

But still, a good movie.

Precious (2009)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Movie: The Fountain

2011-02-20T08:18:00.000+01:00

This movie tells three stories which are interconnected by a central theme: life (and death). Three different persons (or actually the same person in different eras) are all trying to postpone death - or avoid it altogether. Each of the three stories are only moderately interesting to me, so the film depends on the three stories going together into some kind of higher unity. But to me, it doesn't really do that either.

So what should I say about Darren Aronofsky after viewing two of his films so far? He seems to be making interesting movies which I will probably want to see more of, even though I don't necessarily like them too much... :-)

The Fountain (2006)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Funny Quotes of the Week 115

2011-02-19T14:06:00.002+01:00

"MacArthur is the type of man who thinks that when he gets to heaven, God will step down from the great white throne and bow him into His vacated seat." (Harold Ickes talking about Douglas MacArthur)

"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others." (Samuel Johnson)

"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." (Paul Keating)

Photo of the week: Guy looking at the Bergen fjord

2011-02-16T19:27:00.006+01:00

Here's a photo from Bergen. A guy was sitting with his back to me overlooking the fjord, and I couldn't resist shooting...

Movie: Pi

2011-02-14T08:45:00.030+01:00

This is the first of Darren Aronofsky's movies I've seen. I did not know what to expect and after seeing it, I almost don't know what I saw.

First of all, it's always nice to see a movie about mathematics. Maximillian Cohen is a mathematician who is looking for a "pattern" in the number pi. That is not unreasonable, although we know pi is irrational, we certainly do not know everything about it. However, there is a fine line between reasonable mathematics and crazy pattern-finding in everything. Cohen crosses this line, and starts to try to find patterns to explain the stock market, God and everything else.

I wouldn't say that the development of Cohen himself is unbelievable. I am more uncertain about the outside forces which influence him - there are some jewish influences and there are some commercial interests which happen to come forward at much the same time.

Anyway, the movie is a mixture of mathematics and the magical which is interesting. I also like the visual expression of the movie - black and white and quite harsh contrasts. I do understand why this movie got quite a reputation when it arrived.

Pi (1998)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Funny quotes of the week 114

2011-02-12T11:29:00.002+01:00

"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." (John Bright)

"The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror." (Oscar Wilde)

"They inculcate the morals of a whore and the manners of a dancing master." (Samuel Johnson (1709-84) on Lord Chesterfield’s letters of advice to his son)

Movie: It's A Wonderful Life

2011-02-11T08:33:00.024+01:00

This is another one of the movies that has become so iconic and famous that it's necessary to see it for that reason. It pops up in so many lists and discussions that it is unavoidable. Which of course also means that it's difficult to watch it just as any other movie.

"It's a wonderful life" is the great Christmas movie. It features God in an important (but small) part, and it's Frank Capra's most well-known movie (but not the best).

It tells the story of George Bailey, who has lived all his life in a small US town, starts doubting that he is worth anything. His dreams are shattered, his life's work in ruins and already in the opening scenes of the movie, he is standing on a bridge, planning suicide. "God" does not want that to happen, and sends an angel to convince George he should not end his life - after all, it's a wonderful life.

It is a moving story, which works okay even 65 years later. My main problems with it is probably due to its age: it does meander its way through the story a bit too slowly and it is a bit too simplistic - there is never much doubt who are the good guys and who are the bad.

So: as so often: it's certainly not the best movie I've seen, but I'm glad to have finally seen it, as it is a classic that any film buff should know...

It's a wonderful life (1946)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Photo of the week: Maori dancer

2011-02-09T19:13:00.005+01:00

In 2003, I travelled around the world for three months. I spent three weeks in New Zealand, including a few days in Rotorua, where I attended a Maori dance performance. Of course, the batteries were flat before the performance was, but here's one of the photos I took...

Movie: Karate Kid (2010)

2011-02-08T11:46:00.033+01:00

I was right in the target audience when the original Karate Kid hit me. I loved the movie. The small guy standing up to the big brutes, that's a story that hits home with a 14 year old (the first few times he sees it). And of course, I fell in love with Ralph Macchio, the sexy young thing playing Daniel.

We have both grown up now. Ralph was last seen as a politician in "Ugly Betty", and my heart did not beat as it used to.

So I was pretty sceptical when I heard that they would make a remake. Would Jaden Smith match Ralph Macchio? And could anyone be a better mentor than Pat Morita? Well, Jackie Chan is certainly not a bad idea. But then I heard that Norwegian Harald Zwart would direct it, and I got seriously interested. I rather liked his One Night at McCool's, for instance.

The most risky thing he has done is to add 15 minutes to an already rather long movie. This gives plenty of time to get to know Daniel - eh, Dre - but risks getting the young audience impatient.

But I'm rather happy with the whole thing. Jaden Smith is vulnerable and desperately needs some help, Jackie Chan is actually very good as the old, wise man. There are some boons to the fans of the first movie (for instance the chopstick-and-fly scene. Yes, it is a rather good remake.

And it's always nice to revisit Beijing, if only through the tv screen...

Karate Kid (2010)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Movie: Paprika

2011-02-05T11:19:00.021+01:00

A movie about dreams, wherein there are dreams within dreams, and where you never really know if you are awake or dreaming. Does that sound familiar?

My favorite in this genre may be Linklater's Waking Life. This one is not as funny - although it may be just that I don't understand the Japanese humour as well as the American.

There are some powerful "nightmareish" images in this movie, reminding me a bit of the marching hammers of "The Wall", but more colorful and chaotic, but no less scary.

But in all, I find the movie a bit difficult to follow, not too interesting and actually overlong. But I must admit I was a bit tired when I watched it...

Paprika (2006)

(See a register of all movies I've seen at Collectorz.com.)

Photo of the week: Vigeland boys

2011-02-02T17:19:00.004+01:00

My new plan: every week I will look into the corners of my photo albums and find a photo to blog about here.

The first photo I choose is one which have already been seen by an amazing 34,000 people - admittedly mostly because of the artwork pictures and not so much for my skill as a photographer... Anyway, it is a photo taken in the Vigeland park in Oslo, a very nice place to be on a summer day. The fields of grass and the (nude) sculptures are a good combination. Should not be missed on a trip to Norway (or even Europe...)

Movie: Cornelis

2011-02-01T11:06:00.000+01:00

This is the second movie about the Dutch-Swedish singer/songwriter Cornelis Vreeswijk I've seen lately. The first one was the wonderful Pappa kom hem, and it is hard not to compare the two.

"Pappa kom hem" was a documentary following Cornelis' son Jack on a "train-movie" trip to Tromsø, while it was also telling the story of Cornelis and of the relationship between the father and the son. "Cornelis", on the other hand, tells the story in a more traditional manner, chronologically. That also works fine, and the actor playing Cornelis is plan wonderful - looking and acting like the Cornelis we know from the images that remain.

But still, it is as we don't get to know Cornelis as well. While "Pappa kom hem" gives an intimate portrait through the memories of his son, while being very careful to point out that his image may be only one of several, "Cornelis" never really goes that close, it is as if we see Cornelis' sometimes rather destructive behaviour at a distance.

Therefore, while "Cornelis" is certainly worth seeing, I will never recommend it to anyone without recommending "Pappa kom hem" more.

Cornelis (2010)

All movies I've seen

Funny Quotes of the Week 113

2011-01-29T07:57:00.003+01:00

"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." (Stephen Bishop)

"He's nothing more than a well meaning baboon." (General McCellan on Abraham Lincoln)

"Women love us for our defects. If we have enough of them, they will forgive us everything, even our intellects." (Oscar Wilde)

Movie: The Family Stone

2011-01-29T00:01:00.023+01:00

The best thing about this movie is perhaps that the only normal couple in it is a deaf man and his black boyfriend.

I must also admit that I laughed several times while watching the movies. I will estimate that about half the laughs were because the movie was funny, while the other were incredulous "please don't tell me they put that into the script" laughs. There are so many instances in this movie where you know ten minutes in advance what will happen.

The actors were okay, though - it was the script that was lacking. And even with such bad script (which made my husband exclaim "Bad Drama!" several times during the movie), I was entertained from time to time.

But you're sure to find something better to watch.

The Family Stone (2005)

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Movie: I Love You Phillip Morris

2011-01-25T21:02:00.025+01:00

Of course, it's interesting to see a movie in which Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor are playing a gay couple. They are two good actors.

Jim Carrey is playing a con man who manages every possible situation - he is as well-functioning as a heterosexual family man as he is as a flaming queer. He can handle a court room without any studies in law and can talk his way out of prison. However, exactly the same qualities that makes him navigate the world so smoothly, are highly problematic when used in his love life.

Thus, the movie can be said to discuss much the same problem as Woody Allen's masterpiece Zelig - if you can seemlessly fit into any situation and change your personality to accomodate the people around you - is there still a real person inside? I will certainly not say that this movie does this in as elegant or entertaining way as Woody Allen's film, but it is still an interesting view.

Additional warning: this is one of the few movies in which Ewan McGregor does not appear naked...

I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 112

2011-01-22T11:33:00.002+01:00

"The Right Honourable Gentleman is indebted to his memory for his jests and to his imagination for his facts." (Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816), Irish playwright and politician, on Henry Dundas (1742-1811), British politician)

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." (Winston Churchill)

"The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius." (Oscar Wilde)

Movie: Straw Dogs

2011-01-21T20:55:00.015+01:00

Dustin Hoffman plays a mathematician, David Sumner, in this strange 1971 Sam Peckinpah movie. David has moved to a small faraway town, for no apparent reason, with his wife. It turns out the local people don't fancy David much - but they do fancy David. He is a very non-violent guy, but this certainly does not mean that the film is without violence. The movie was even banned from being released on DVD in the UK from 1984 until 2002, according to imdb.

While the movie certainly does take off in the last half, it is at times simply boring. Which makes it a bit strange that there will be a remake made in 2011, with James Marsden inheriting Dustin Hoffman's role. We'll see how that turns out.

Straw Dogs (1971)

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Movie: My Fair Lady

2011-01-17T20:40:00.024+01:00

My Fair Lady, which is, obviuosly, the musical version of the brilliant George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion, is a classic. It tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, the flower girl that is "picked up" by Professor Higgins, who has made a bet that he will be able to teach her "proper" English and manners so that she can go to a ball at the palace.

There are some very well-known and beautiful songs here, such as "Wouldn't it be lovely", "With a little bit of luck", "I could have danced all night", "On the street where you live" and "Get me to the church on time". Partly, therefore, watching this movie turns into a concert of nice rendevouses.

Audrey Hepburn is very good as Eliza and the other actors involved are also good. It is a funny story with plenty of laughs and a little bit of romance added in.

So why don't I give it a better "grade" than 7/10? Well, it has to do with my usual problem with movies lasting far more than two hours and my problem with musicals. I prefer musicals where the music doesn't make the action stop. For me, the flow of the movie is lost a bit too often.

But of course, My Fair Lady is such a classic that it should anyway be seen at least once...

My Fair Lady (1964)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 111

2011-01-15T11:05:00.002+01:00

"The only trouble about not drinking is that other people who are drinking are liable to look a little silly." (Noël Coward)

"An empty suit that goes to funerals and plays golf." (Ross Perot talking about Dan Quayle)

"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt." (Robert Redford)

Movie: Anything Else

2011-01-13T19:42:00.020+01:00

Woody Allen does not have the main role in this Woody Allen movie. Instead, he is the David Dobel, relationship advisor of Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs), who, sadly, falls in love with Amanda (Christina Ricci). While choosing Amanda was not a good idea, going to David Dobel is plain disastrous.

At times it seems that Woody Allen wants to press all his usual funny one-liners into the short scenes with David Dobel. This means that these scenes are a bit too hectic, while the rest of the movie is not as interesting. To me, this made the movie one of the least successful of his career (which, thankfully, doesn't say much).

Anything Else (2003)

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Movie: The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion

2011-01-09T19:31:00.025+01:00

I'm a big fan of Woody Allen's movies. I've seen 31 of his movies, and I find they to be consistently good and very varied. Some of his movies are masterpieces.

The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion is no masterpiece. But it is a very entertaining movie. Woody Allen is playing the insurance investigator who is famous for exposing fraudsters. This time, however, he comes across crimes that are too cleverly performed even for his great brain...

The story is quite well written, but the main attraction of the movie is its dialogue - there are some great insults here, as Woody Allen and Helen Hunt fight for control. The two of them are brilliant together - "It's a match made in heaven... by a retarded angel."

Highly recommended.

The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion (2001)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 110

2011-01-08T14:44:00.001+01:00

"You ask my advice about acting? Speak clearly, don't bump into furniture, and if you must have motivation, think of your pay packet on Friday." (Noël Coward)

"At the age of six I wanted to be a crook. At seven, I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since." (Salvador Dalí)

"There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing." (Oscar Wilde)

Movie: I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

2011-01-05T19:00:00.016+01:00

There's a lot of good intentions behind this movie. Two firemen, Chuck and Larry, realize that Larry's insurance is in danger, and he needs to get married to get things sorted out. As Larry has just saved Chuck's life, he can't really object. So they get married, but it turns out it's not so easy to pretend to be gay after all...

There are a few good laughs in the movie and I can't really put my finger on what does not work, except that the whole idea of straight people pretending to be gay has been used a few times before. Kevin James is particularly funny. So, perhaps it's a good idea to have a look...

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007)

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Movie: An Education

2011-01-01T17:07:00.000+01:00

Jenny is a girl, just 16 years old, who wants to get into Oxford. However, she meets a guy (David) nearly twice her age who wants to educate her in quite a different way.

The movie is not altogether convincing, particularly I watch in disbelief as the father of Jenny takes everything the David at face value. On the other hand, Carey Mulligan's portrayal of Jenny is rather good.

And Emma Thompson has a tiny role in this movie, too. I'm a bit sad it wasn't bigger.

An Education (2010)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 109

2011-01-01T14:36:00.001+01:00

"I can no longer believe in revolution, but I cannot fail to be on the side of the young who are fighting for it." (Pier Paolo Pasolini)

"They say you have to work within the system, but that's hard to do if you can't get in there to do it. (Leslie Perez)

"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible." (Oscar Wilde)

Funny Quotes of the Week 108

2010-12-25T17:39:00.002+01:00

"You have not had thirty years' experience. You have had one year's experience 30 times." (J. L. Carr)

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple." (Oscar Wilde)

"Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?" he asked. "Begin at the beginning," the King said, gravely, "and go on till you come to the end; then stop." (Lewis Carroll)

Funny Quotes of the Week 107

2010-12-18T17:38:00.001+01:00

"I'll bet your father spent the first years of your life throwing rocks at the stork" (Irving Becher)

"The secret of life is to appreciate the pleasure of being terribly, terribly deceived." (Oscar Wilde)

Abstract art: "A product of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered." (Al Capp)

Movie: Toy Story 3

2010-12-16T21:17:00.000+01:00

There are not that many movies that can be seen on an airplane without losing most of its power. Probably, even Toy Story 3 loses something, but for me, the qualities of the movie are in its dialogue, so I felt it was a good idea to spend two hours on a trans-Atlantic flight watching this.

Toy Story is simple fun. The toys are, by now, familiar figures which it is nice to see again. The story is uncomplicated, but sufficiently interesting to keep you watching, and the dialogue is funny.

Thus, it is easy to recommend this movie to anyone who is still young at heart - or who wants to become young again...

Toy Story 3 (2010)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 106

2010-12-11T17:37:00.001+01:00

"When I'm good I'm very, very good but when I'm bad I'm better." (Mae West)

"It was very good of God to let Carlyle and Mrs Carlyle marry one another and so make only two people miserable instead of four, besides being very amusing." (Samuel Butler)

"Before we make love my husband takes a pain killer." (Joan Rivers)

Movie: The Social Network

2010-12-05T20:50:00.000+01:00

The Social Network tells the amazing story of the growth of Facebook, from a small phenomenon at some US universities, until it is now well-known almost around the world. Of course, the story is also well-known, but not with the level of detail which is provided here.

The story is told partly by way of "courtroom"-style interviews about the past. I'm not sure I'm too happy about that. But the movie manages to tell the story in a rather convincing way, even though we are left wondering whose stories are really to be believed.

Justin Timberlake does an okay job in his role as jerk, and the music also helps to makes the movie good. It's not often you hear The Beatles and Grieg in the same movie...

The Social Network (2010)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 105

2010-12-04T17:36:00.002+01:00

"It's so long since I've had sex I've forgotten who ties up who." (Joan Rivers)

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself." (Oscar Wilde)

"The better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all" (Samuel Butler)

Movie: Due Date

2010-12-01T15:39:00.000+01:00

"Due Date" is a worst case scenario road movie. Robert Downey Jr. is heading home to LA to be there for his wife's first childbirth, but he heads into Zach Galifianakis on the airport - and from there, nothing goes as he had expected.

This is a pure comedy, there's nothing serious in it. The two guys are quite likeable, the events are sufficiently surprising and sufficiently funny to make it all an okay film to see. I can't think of much that is entirely new in this movie, but does it have to?

The music is good, by the way - even with a welcome Pink Floyd tune included.

Due Date (2010)

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Movie: Invictus

2010-11-27T20:39:00.017+01:00

I'm not usually a big fan of rugby. Or rugby films. But of course, this movie, which details the 1995 Rugby World Cup, is not a rugby movie. It is a movie about one of the most inspiring and impressive human being ever; Nelson Mandela.

Matt Damon has the role of the rugby captain of the national team, and in a scene of the movie, he asks how it is possible to be locked into a small cell for 30 years, and come out with a mind of forgiveness.

Although the rugby parts of the movie is a bit confusing at least, the movie works. It does of course have a good director (Clint Eastwood) and star actors. And some of the amazement from Mandela's story rubs off on the movie...

Invictus (2009)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 104

2010-11-27T17:35:00.001+01:00

"I think people should be free to engage in any sexual practices they choose; they should draw the line at goats though." (Elton John)

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." (Oscar Wilde)

"I'm glad I'm not bisexual. I couldn't stand being rejected by men as well as women." (Bernard Manning)

Movie: Rio Bravo

2010-11-23T18:09:00.013+01:00

"Rio Bravo" is in a way the ultimate western. It is the story of one single sheriff (with a few underdog helpers) who faces the full force of a criminal gang that want have control of the small town. John Chance (John Wayne) has arrested a murderer belonging to this guy, and must just hope to survive until the federal marshalls arrive to restore order.

The actors are brilliant in this movie and it is quite nice to sit down and watch a movie where you don't have to be concerned with figuring out why people do the things they do - here, they simply either are good or they are evil. Simple as that.

Of course, that's also part of the problem for me. I tend to dislike cowboys-and-indians-movies as I tend to support the Indians over the cowboys. Here, the good-and-bad division does not have racial undertones, luckily, but still its overly simplistic.

But it's good fun, anyway...

Rio Bravo (1959)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 103

2010-11-20T17:34:00.002+01:00

"My best birth control now is just to leave the lights on." (Joan Rivers)

"There are many things that we would throw away if we were not afraid that others might pick them up." (Oscar Wilde)

"If you cannot say what you are going to say in twenty minutes, you ought to go away and write a book about it." (Lord Bramazon)

Movie: Duck Soup

2010-11-19T20:45:00.021+01:00

Movies age at different speeds. There are movies from the 1930s that still feel fresh today, and there are movies from the 1980s that seem like they're from another world completely. I've even seen a movie (the Norwegian movie Selkvinnen) which felt incredibly old when it was first screened, but which does not feel as bad 60 years on.

Duck Soup has aged unevenly. While most of the slapstick and story is quite embarrassing today, much of the word games is still wonderfully funny. It is also a very short film (66 minutes), which means that its perfectly okay to endure the story just to get to hear some of the dialogue. So even though it's certainly not a good movie in a general sense, it's still worth watching, especially for Groucho Marx' insults...

Duck Soup (1933)

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Movie: Knerten

2010-11-15T20:24:00.028+01:00

Anne Cath. Vestly was the queen of Norwegian children's literature in the 1970s. I have no idea of how many of her books I read (or were read to me), although the number of her books still in the bookshelf at home, may give an idea.

"Lillebror" ("Little Brother") is the main character in one of her successful series of books. Lillebror's family moves from the city to the country, and leaves all of Lillebror's friends behind. But Lillebror finds "Knerten" is a pine twig, who can talk (although mainly to Lillebror). He becomes a very helpful figure in Lillebror's life, as he is trying to get to know new people in the new place.

This is a children's story, but it also has added humour for the adults. It is also very charming. And it is set in the 1960s or 1970s, and that's an added bonus. And the special effects are well handled.

I knew I had to see the movie, as the books were such a big part of my childhood. I didn't have high hopes, however. But this turned out to be a good adaptation of the books.

Knerten (2009)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 102

2010-11-13T10:30:00.001+01:00

"What's the three words you never want to hear while making love? Honey, I'm home." (Ken Hammond)

"The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about." (Oscar Wilde)

"Sex is one of the most wholesome, beautiful and natural experiences that money can buy." (Steve Martin)

Movie: Le Fil

2010-11-12T16:59:00.000+01:00

Malik is a Tunisian guy who returns to Tunis after living in France. He moves back in with his mother (played by Claudia Cardinale) and her "servant", Bilal. Malik is a handsome guy, Bilal is even more so, and this movie is screened at a gay film festival, so you may expect there to be a romance...

But Malik is planning to marry a (lesbian) colleague and to get a child.

So why the name of the movie (The String)? Because Malik has had this idea from childhood that there is a string stuck to him, and every evening he has to unwind it or he will be stuck in a big knot of string. Such an idea can certainly not be put into movie without a purpose - does it suggest that Malik doesn't want any attachment - that he is afraid to commit and that he would rather have one-time sex with guys he meet in the dark parts of town?

There is some thinking to do after seeing this movie. But it is also funny and with believable characters.

Le Fil (2009)

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Movie: Les Amours Imaginaires

2010-11-09T16:45:00.031+01:00

"Heartbeats" and "Love, Imagined" are two English titles of this Canadian movie by Xavier Dolan. Xavier Dolan himself plays the role of Francis. His best friend is Marie (Monia Chokri). Together, they are reasonably happy but yearning for love. Along comes Nicolas (Niels Schneider), an unbelievable beautiful guy, full of charm, who wants to be friends with both of them. And they fall in love.

How does it feel going through life as a gorgeous guy? How do people react? What responsibility do you have for their behaviour, and what effect does your gorgeousness have on your relationships with others?

This movie makes me think of a very different movie; Death in Venice (Morte a Venezia), wherein Tadzio knows that he can get Gustav von Aschenbach to his knees (metaphorically speaking, no pun intended) just with a little smile. Of course, Tadzio can't resist the temptation to smile - and can we blame him? Should we?

Although not altogether pleasant, this is a very interesting movie.

Les Amours Imaginaires (2010)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 101

2010-11-06T10:29:00.000+01:00

"You don't appreciate a lot of stuff in school until you get older. Little things like being spanked every day by a middle aged woman: Stuff you pay good money for in later life." (Emo Philips)

"The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never any use to oneself." (Oscar Wilde)

"The most terrifying words in the English langauge are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." (Ronald Reagan)

Movie: Newcastle

2010-11-05T22:18:00.028+01:00

Let me start with what made me put up with watching the whole movie: it's a movie about a group of young, handsome guys who are surfing most of the movie, when they are not enjoying baths in the buff. Not only that, but they're even quite nice people some of them. The story about the two brothers who are trying to come to grips with their lives, is not entirely uninteresting.

But other than the skin and the beauty? Well, of course I shouldn't be too harsh, as I don't really understand all that it is said (they speak Australian). But to me, the story seems a bit simple. And I'm not in to surfing (as a sport). And I saw the movie on a PC screen. And the movie was edited for nudity and language. And although I don't hear myself saying this very often: didn't they take off their clothes a bit too often? As in: "sorry, we have no real story here, could you please undress a little"?

If you love surfing more than I do, maybe you'll even love the movie...

Newcastle (2008)

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Movie: War of the Worlds

2010-11-01T20:19:00.031+01:00

HG Wells' legendary story has fascinated readers for more than a hundred years. It was an early example of science fiction, of disaster novels. It was great. At least compared to this movie.

I've seen a DVD cover with the blur "Steven Spielberg at his best" written on it. I do not agree. Spielberg has created great movies. This is not one of them.

So what's wrong with it? Nothing - particularly if you are easily entertained by things falling down or exploding for almost two hours. If you want something more out of a movie, I don't think you'll find it here. Okay, there is a little plot of a father desperately trying to find his children's mother so that they can all be a big, happy family again, but that's sort of unimportant.

Okay, I admit that I was tired when I saw this movie. I may even have fallen asleep once or twice. But I can't remember being all that tired before the movie started. Therefore, I sort of blame the movie for that as well...

If you don't want to listen to me - by all means try to enjoy the movie...

War of the Worlds (2005)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 100 (!)

2010-10-30T10:28:00.000+02:00

"In democracy everyone has the right to be represented, even the jerks." (Chris Patten)

"The only thing that sustains one through life is the consciousness of the immense inferiority of everybody else, and this is a feeling that I have always cultivated." (Oscar Wilde)

"Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything." (Frank Dane)

(Wow, this is posting number 100 in this series...)

Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany's

2010-10-28T22:09:00.037+02:00

This movie has the most wonderful beginning - the first notes of "Moon River" flowing out of the speakers as Audrey Hepburn is admiring the wares at Tiffany's.

I didn't know much about "Breakfast at Tiffany's" before I saw it, except that it's written by Truman Capote. It has plenty of good one-liners, and Audrey Hepburn's performance is good. On the other hand, I sit there feeling that the script is better than the movie. In particular, I'm not too happy about George Peppard as the male lead.

A little more about the movie: Hepburn is playing Holly Golightly, a girl who is constantly taking advantage of men's generousity and trying to find a sufficiently rich man to marry. However, unlike with Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman", there's no rich man who'll take responsibility here. And all the time, Paul Varjak (Peppard) is in love but in no position to intervene...

It's nice finally to have seen the movie. It has memorable elements. Sadly, the most memorable of all lasts only for the first two or three minutes...

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

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Movie: Plan B

2010-10-24T19:41:00.021+02:00

If you search for "Plan B" at imdb, you find 17 movies with that title. What I have seen is the Argentinian one. It's about Bruno, who is dumped by his girlfriend. When she doesn't want to take him back (which is, of course, his plan B), he instead embarks on Plan B. The plan involves becoming a friend of Laura's new boyfriend, Pablo. And then... Well, did I mention that I saw the movie at Oslo Gay and Lesbian Film Festival?

The movie is cute. But it also has its flaws. For one, what Bruno's plan really is, is very unclear. Just becoming a friend of your ex-girlfriend's boyfriend doesn't really solve any problem, does it? His behaviour and laughable excuses to be with Bruno is also a problem. And the sound is not very good. But it's always nice to see queer movies from different parts of the world.

Plan B (2009)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 99

2010-10-23T10:27:00.000+02:00

"Don't have sex man. It leads to kissing and pretty soon you have to start talking to them." (Steve Martin)

"The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for." (Oscar Wilde)

"FUTURE, n. The period of time in which our affairs prosper, our friends are true, and our happiness is assured." (Ambrose Bierce, "The Cynic's Word Book")

Movie: Do Começo ao Fim

2010-10-20T20:49:00.026+02:00

Do Começo ao Fim (From beginning to end) is an unusual movie. It tells the story of two brothers who develops a very close relationship that does not get less close as they get older.

There is a striking contrast between the tabu of brotherly love in society and the total lack of inhibitions in the movie, which makes me believe that the movie is not meant to be realistic, but rather to portray some kind of Utopia - for someone.

My main problem with the movie is not that. The bigger problem for me is that the actors are not very convincing. And the string music that is all around in a bit too many of the scenes, is quite disturbing. Other than this, the whole thing is romantic enough.

Do Começo ao Fim (2010)

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Movie: Sasha

2010-10-16T18:04:00.035+02:00

Gay movies used to be about one single issue. Coming out. Having HIV. Being bullied. Suicide. It is a clear sign of progress that movies nowadays may have gay issues as one of several story lines.

Sasha is the son of two parents from former Yugoslavia. His mother has given up her own career in pursuit of her sons' - she wants Sasha to become a world-class pianist and Boki (his brother) to become an athlete. The father wants to go back to Montenegro. Sasha and Boki, however, would like to make decisions on their lives on their own.

The mother's story is the more touching one for me. Her struggle to find meaning in life is universal. Zeljka Preksavec does a great portrayal of this mother. But Sasha's story is also important, as he is trying to figure out how to deal with his sexuality in a situation where what is acceptable is very different in the German society where they live than indoors in the ex-Yugoslav household.

Saša Kekez is great in the role of Sasha (although he is at times looking a lot like Didrik Solli-Tangen this year's Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest heartthrob, especially when smiling). He's a believable Sasha.

The movie was shown in the DVD format at Oslo's Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, sadly. It may have been a tad better on film.

Sasha (2010)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 98

2010-10-16T10:26:00.001+02:00

"Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable." (John Galbraith)

"The advantage of the emotions is that they lead us astray, and the advantage of science is that it is not emotional." (Oscar Wilde)

"ALLIANCE, n. In international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other's pocket that they cannot separately plunder a third." (Ambrose Bierce, "The Cynic's Word Book")

Movie: Miss Kicki

2010-10-12T09:18:00.000+02:00

Sweden's perhaps very best actress, Pernilla August, plays the main role in this Swedish film which mostly takes place in Taipei, Taiwan. She is a woman who has left her son, Viktor (who is now 15 or 16 or something), in Sweden to pursue her own career in the US, but who has now returned and is trying to get things back on track. But she also has other motives for going to Taiwan.

Of course, there is an inherent spoiler in screeing this movie at Oslo Gay and Lesbian film festival, but that's okay. Victor (Ludwig Palmell) is quite believeable as the son who is trying to get to know his mother again, at the same time that he's trying to get to know himself.

I liked the movie a lot - both for the portrayal of the mother-child-relationship and for the gay relationship which is almost just hinted at. But also for its portrayal of Taipei - at the Q&A with the director at the festival, someone said that Taiwan almost became a character on its own. For me, who have been to Taipei many times, it was a treat to travel through it with these great actors.

A very convincing debut from Norwegian/Taiwanese director Håkon Liu.

Miss Kicki (2009)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 97

2010-10-09T10:23:00.000+02:00

"An ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination." (Voltaire)

"When the authorities warn you of the dangers of having sex, there is an important lesson to be learned. Do not have sex with the authorities." (Matt Groening)

"ACQUAINTANCE, n. A person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to. A degree of friendship called slight when its object is poor or obscure, and intimate when he is rich or famous." (Ambrose Bierce, "The Cynic's Word Book")

Movie: Forever Young

2010-10-08T18:16:00.015+02:00

Light entertainment. Captain Daniel McCormick (Mel Gibson) was frozen down as part of an experiment in 1939, and has now been defrozen. He will try to find the love of his life, even though there will be quite an age difference now...

I don't know what to say to make this movie sound okay, it's just that for some reason it was funny enough and charming enough to make me forget about the silliness of the story and to accept it and just sit back.

And it was funny to see a young Elijah Wood...

Forever Young (1992)

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Movie: Wit

2010-10-04T18:07:00.019+02:00

Emma Thompson carries this movie on its shoulders. For much of the movie, she is the only person in the frame. She is diagnosed with and treated for cancer, but although her approaching death is an important theme of the movie, it is as much about her life, which we see in flash-backs.

So - life and death. But it's perhaps mostly about the problematic area between the two, in which the patient and the doctors have to navigate. And it all is told with great wit - although faltering at times, when death comes too close.

Wit (2001)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 96

2010-10-02T08:00:00.002+02:00

"I believe that sex is a beautiful thing between two people. Between five, it's fantastic." (Woody Allen)

"Suffering is one very long moment. We cannot divide it by seasons." (Oscar Wilde)

"On the ostrich: "The absence of a good working pair of wings is no defect, for, as has been ingeniously pointed out, the ostrich does not fly."" (Ambrose Bierce, "Devil's Dictionary")

Movie: Armadillo

2010-09-30T17:21:00.015+02:00

"Armadillo" follows a group of soldiers from Denmark during their first stay in Afghanistan.

For the people of Denmark (and of Norway), getting an idea of what the boys going to war experience, is important. While this movie is not "The Truth", it may contribute to a richer image of what the war consists of.

Well, what does it consist of? We see that the soldiers spend lots of times watching heterosexual porn, and that there is lots of time to kill. There are trips out of the camp to speak to the locals, where the locals complain that the soldiers are destroying their fields when they go to visit the locals. And there is fighting with the Taliban, of course, which is very real and deadly, but seems a bit less important as it doesn't actually change anything.

It's an important documentary.

Armadillo (2010)

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Porn at Norwegian cinemas?

2010-09-27T19:57:00.000+02:00

The manager of a cinema in Gjøvik, Norway, has censored a free newspaper because it has featured an "antifashion" spread which she considers to be "porn", according to Dagbladet. Some of the photos can be seen at the free newspaper's website.

Is this really porn? In that case, the cinema manager (Marit Bratland) should perhaps consider herself a porn seller, as most movies includes more nudity and sex than this newspaper...

Movie: Oh Happy Day

2010-09-26T22:44:00.000+02:00

Jonathan hooks up with a guy at a marketing award show. That turns complicated when they guy turns up at work, representing his big client, not the least because his firm has a strict no-sleeping-with-clients policy.

The movie is actually quite funny at times and also warm and cozy. But on the other hand, there are scenes that are there just for some cheap laughs, and in addition the whole moral of the story gets a bit too pushy in its be-true-to-yourself philosophy.

So even though there are cute gays and a few laughs, I was disappointed.

Oh Happy Day (2007)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 95

2010-09-25T09:04:00.000+02:00

"We had gay burglars the other night. They broke in and rearranged the furniture." (Robin Williams)

"Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow." (Oscar Wilde)

"We'd all like to vote for the best man but he's never a candidate." (Kin Hubbard)

Movie: Howl

2010-09-25T00:06:00.000+02:00

"Howl" is the movie about poet Allen Ginsberg, which got the honor of opening the Oslo Gay And Lesbian Film Festival today.

The movie follows three stories at the same time. The core is, of course, the poem itself - performed powerfully by James Franco (as Allen Ginsberg). The second story is Allen Ginsberg's life, and the circumstances of writing the poem. The third story is the trial in which "Howl" was to be considered as either obscene or of artistic value. (Due to some unfortunate Supreme Court case, a poem cannot be both at the same time.)

I think my problem with the film can be simply summarized: I often wanted to see more from the courtroom. I like courtroom dramas (LA Law being a favorite some years ago), but had the life of Allen Ginsberg really engaged me, I wouldn't have wanted to see less of it...

The poem is interesting, the court case a scandal and Ginsberg himself an important figure - so it's surprising that I find myself checking the watch so often...

Howl (2010)

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Movie: Marty

2010-09-24T18:11:00.027+02:00

I may have mentioned that some time ago I created a spreadsheet aimed at giving me suggestions for good movies to see. Into the spreadsheet, I put movies with certain attributes (such as getting an Academy Award for best movie, being on lists of the best movies of all times etc), creating a little point system to guide me to movies I should see. Marty has been on top of this list of must-see-movies for some time, so finally, I got round to ordering it. (I don't usually buy DVDs, but I had to make an exception.)

Why is Marty so special? Well, it did get an Academy Award for best movie and best male actor (Ernest Borgnine) as well as the Palme d'Or in Cannes (being the first movie to get both the best movie Oscar and the Golden Palm). It's also on lists such as 1001 movies you should see before you die.

Was it any good? Yes, I did like it very much. It is a very simple story, but told with great warmth and with wonderful actors. It's also benefiting from a rare condition: it is no longer than it should be. At only 86 minutes it tells the story just fine, and does not go on for another hour after that...

Ernest Borgnine is the local butcher who has trouble finding a woman. In fact, his customers tend to harrass him about it, telling him its time to find one. But the fact is that its not for a lack of trying, on the contrary, it's because women tend to turn him away.

Obviously, this can't go on for a whole Hollywood movie, so enter Betsy Blair as Clara Snyder. And that's about as much as I can tell without ruining the whole movie.

It's a treat to find a great, classic movie which is sufficently unknown that I don't feel I know the whole story before seeing it...

Marty (1954)

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Movie: Fighting Tommy Riley

2010-09-22T23:38:00.032+02:00

Tommy is a former boxer who is having a boring job for low pay, quarreling with his girlfriend and being thrown out of the local gym. Then one day he meets a new trainer, and starts to train seriously hoping to get a title match... Zzzzz... Sounds boring, doesn't it? Sounds like something you've seen about 400 times before? The stuff that mind-numbing series of films are made of?

Well, the twist making the film still worth seeing, is that the trainer, Marty, has a past which is gradually unpacked through the movie. His character has a lot of love to give but never seems to find the love he seeks.

I guess that how much you like the movie depends on your ability to ignore the cliches. The boxing thing is one, Marty being a teacher quoting the same lines from literature to his friends as to his students is another one. Hm. I guess I was pretty good at it, because as I watched the movie I wasn't as disturbed by it as I am now that I'm writing this post...

Fighting Tommy Riley (2005)

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Movie: A Serious Man

2010-09-20T16:46:00.018+02:00

I'm a big fan of the Coen brothers, even though many of their movies are not up to the high expectations I have. For me, Hudsucker Proxy and O Brother, Where Art Thou? are hard to match.

It's the same old story again with "A Serious Man". This movie about a US physics teacher whose life is falling apart, has plenty of small, funny situations and quite interesting characters. In particular, deaths of several people throughout the movie appeal to my sense of black humour. The Coen brothers' habit of doing unusual things are shown when they start the movie with a ten-minute short without noticeable connection to the rest of the movie.

So perhaps it is unfair to measure the movie by looking at their very best work. But on the other hand, it is unavoidable. This is a movie I never doubted that I wanted to see, but which is less unforgettable than I had wanted...

A Serious Man (2009)

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Movie: Plein Soleil

2010-09-19T16:36:00.026+02:00

These days, more people will know Matt Damon's The Talented Mr. Ripley than the much earlier Ripley of Alain Delon (directed by René Clément). However, Delon's Ripley is hard to surpass; seductive, sexy and sinister.

The basic story is well-known (and based on Patricia Highsmith's novel): Tom Ripley is sent from the United States to Italy to convince Philippe Greenleaf to return home to his family there. But as he befriends Philippe, he starts to see that he may do better than getting him home - he can become him.

While the film copy I saw was not good - quite battered at the ends of each roll and with a bad Swedish (!) translation (leaving out quite a bit of the dialogue), Alain Delon's performance were still shining through. So if you liked "The Talented Mr. Ripley" but would like to see an even better Ripley; here's your chance...

Plein soleil (1960)

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Movie: Cachorro

2010-09-18T17:43:00.029+02:00

Bernando's mother goes to India for vacation, leaving him with his uncle Pedro in Madrid. However, an unwanted meeting with border police delays her return, meaning that Bernando and Pedro will have to stick together. But there's also Bernando's scheming grandmother to take into account.

Of course, making movies about childs missing their mothers is a simple way of getting tears to the audience's eyes, at least for a while and if the child actor is great. But it does take more to make a great movie. The actor playing Bernando does a good job, but the portrayal of Pedro's gay life is perhaps more interesting - how he balances between a seemingly carefree existence on the gay scene and heavy responsibilities and an important secret.

The title, which translates into "bear cub" for the English-speaking audience, is borrowed from one of the first scenes in the movie, and references "The Jungle Book". But it is of course also used as Pedro and his mates are "bears" while Bernando is the smart, little kid who understands it all.

The movie is warm and emotional, and has won several prizes at film festivals.

Cachorro (2004)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 94

2010-09-18T09:02:00.002+02:00

"Military justice is to justice what military music is to music." (Groucho Marx)

"Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live." (Oscar Wilde)

"A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul." (George Bernard Shaw)

Movie: He ni zai yi qi

2010-09-17T15:10:00.032+02:00

"Together" is the English title of this Chen Kaige movie. Liu Xiaochun is a 13 year old boy who is a brilliant violinist. But he is born in the Chinese countryside, thereby being without any connections necessary to be successful in this world. However, his (single) father travels with him to Beijing to get him a teacher who can make him successful.

These efforts turn into a beautiful movie on many level. Of course, his violin makes beautiful music and some of the Beijing scenes, for instance from the Forbidden City, are beautiful as well. But it's also a story of fatherhood and about a boy about to become a man.

I know I may be alone in this, but I think Peiqi Liu does a bad role as Xiaochun's father. For me, many scenes are destroyed by his almost parodic rural-guy-persona. I do see, however, that he has received several prizes for his effort in this movie, which may mean that I'm totally wrong in this...

Anyway - for me, this movie was anyway a nice way to spend an evening.

He ni zai yi qi (2002)

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Movie: Coffee Date

2010-09-15T17:19:00.028+02:00

Coming out is a huge thing for many people - both for the gay people coming out and for their environments who may or may not be struggling to deal with it. A cute way of portraying the different ways people "handle" it, is to look at what happens when a straight guy is considered gay - which is the premise of this movie, as well as in the movie Le placard (The closet).

Le placard was less silly and had wonderful actors, including Gérard Depardieu. "Coffee Date" has a few unneccessary low points (the police scene in particular), but is also a quite entertaining movie.

Todd goes on a blind date, only to find out that Kelly - his date - is not a woman. While carefully pointing out that he is not gay, he can't help being charmed by the great personality of Kelly. This leads to complications, which are not helped by everyone's assurances that they fully support Todd's coming out...

The movie has featured on the list of 50 best gay movies (at number 38). That mostly goes to show that there are far too few gay movies made yet, but it also shows that this movie has its charm. (We'll see if it makes the updated version of my list of best gay movies later...)

Coffee Date (2006)

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Movie: Election

2010-09-13T22:43:00.000+02:00

WarGames was one of the first movies I saw about hundred years ago (26 1/2 years ago, actually). It was an interesting movie, featuring cute Matthew Broderick as a computer nerd who threatened the world with extinction, using a computer with about the same power as my current toothbrush.

Therefore, I find it funny to see Broderick playing in this movie, against a youngish Reese Witherspoon (about 23 years old but trying desperately to seem younger). The story is very simple: Reese is an unpleasantly ambitious girl who wants to be successful, and wants the school's student board presidency as part of a career. We get to follow the campaign and the count.

It is a moderately interesting story, but only moderately. The scenes that probably tries to be funny, mostly isn't, and it's very hard to be particularly taken with the movie. But maybe it's worth watching for people who are in college themselves.

Election (1999)

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Funny Quotes of the Week 93

2010-09-11T11:56:00.000+02:00

"Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality." (Oscar Wilde)

"Democracy is too good to share with just anybody." (Nigel Rees)

"It's better to be black than gay because when you're black you don't have to tell your mother." (Charles Pierce)

Movie: Cidade de Deus

2010-09-10T22:31:00.000+02:00

The City of God is a favela (neighbourhood) outside of Rio de Janeiro. It is a lawless area where the police can only visit, but not make a lasting impact. In this movie, we follow a group of young guys who try to define their lives in this area. Of course, they have to take into account the violence, the drug trade and the poverty - there is no easy path to a quiet, peaceful life.

In the US, this movie was "Rated R for strong brutal violence, sexuality, drug content and language", imdb tells us. There's not really much sexuality, but there is lots of violence - escalating into almost civil war at times, although it's not a civil war that the outside world cares too much about at first. It's only concerning poor people after all...

At the time of writing, City of God is number 19 on the list of the best movies of all time. That may be because it manages to combine a heart for the poor with exciting shoot-outs and a strong story of one person's struggle to get free of the favela.

Cidade de Deus (2002)

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Movie: Eating Out: All You Can Eat

2010-09-08T21:39:00.029+02:00

This movie is so bad. The story is silly, the actors are less than convinving and it is obviously speculative, with an opening scene including sex in a coffin during a funeral.

But somehow it's also entertaining and with a certain charm. Of course, the actors are also sexy and put in lots of situations calling for skin to be bared.

So what's the story? Casey (Daniel Skelton) moves to town, tries to find friends in the gay community, but messes things up with a fake profile at a gay internet site. And thereafter the story moves in twists and turns.

The same day that I saw this movie, I saw Shelter. While Shelter is a superior movie in many ways - and in a way as different as movies can be - the irreverence and carelessness of this movie makes it almost as enjoyable.

This is the third movie in the "Eating Out" series. Even though I remember the first one as being the best, they have all ended up getting 8/10 points in my book. I will probably see the next one also - if there will be one.

Eating Out: All You Can Eat (2009)

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