HERLOFF says ...

Water: media and message

Solidarités International: Water talks from La Boite Concept on Vimeo.

Window cleaners have all the fun!

How cute can you get? French Capucine tells a story

Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.

The Bloom of Adolescence

I found a LOTR scene on Youtube that I absolutely adore.

Not only did I find the scene, I also found out that Orlando Bloom has a huge following of teenage girl fans, who seem to spend enormous amounts of time using video editing software. They produce Legolas music videos (!!) and publish them on Youtube. Try searching for Legolas - it's hilarious. And also rather cute. Makes me think of my adolescence, when  John Travolta and Grease caused many a sleepless night. Nothing gets you buzzing like a hormone overdose!

Anyway - I found the shot from LOTR that I was looking for. It is only 5 seconds long. But - between us and don't tell anyone - I've watched it 22 times by now (pity that Youtube don't have a loop functionality!). It is simply the coolest, smoothest piece of movie magic, this. So here's 5 secs o' that for ya!

We wantssss it!

I don't know why I didn't spot this long ago. The resemblance is striking! And it sort of explains the scarf.

Now I can keep my mind preoccupied with a whole new list of important questions:

1. Who has the ring now? The Israelis? Hamas?
2. Did the Jewish lobby in Hollywood have a say when Gollum/Smeagol was created?
3. Sudenly Sharon looks like something else too. Orks come to mind. Or maybe one of the battle trolls of Mordor?
4. And who are the Fellowship of the Ring? The UN? The US? The EU? Norway??

It's going to take a while

It's going to take a while before life as a cowboy returns to normal.

The white dove of peace

Symbolic gestures are important. Especially in the former Soviet Union, parades with symbolic displays have always been abundant. After the collapse of the "Evil Empire" (which then, in total sync with Orwell's 1984 was replaced by "The Axis of Evil"), the parades have continued. The content is naturally different these days, but some symbols remain. The dove of peace is one, and if it is combined with well-choreographed children, the effect can still be breathtaking. Little children in uniform waving at the white dove, and so on.

Here's a fine example of that!

And these children ... they sure keep on waving and waving!

I felt nothing but happiness when he froze and sank!

I often have lunch by my PC. Bad habit, I know, but rather nice as well. During lunch break today, I bumped into the picture below and it almost made me pfffffthahahaha-spray my coffee all over the screen.

I didn't watch Titanic at a movie theater. The story didn't exactly appeal to me, and the hype was horrible. So I scored some very effortless "I'm very intellectual"-points on my inner score board by simply ignoring it. However, I dislike intellectual vanity almost as fervently as I perform it, so I watched the movie at home about 3 years after its release. I was tired and wanted to watch something easygoing, undemanding, mainstream stuff. So I picked up Titanic, headed back home to an evening by myself, coffee, candy and a blanket in place, remote control within reach. I don't know why I didn't use it. The remote control, that is.

The nausea set in after 5 minutes. And after that, there was hardly a line, hardly a move, hardly a tone that wasn't so predictable, so banal, so idiotic that it made me sick. Of course this particular rich chick goes and dances with the poor below deck. Of course she falls in love with butterface boy. Of course the violins go nuts. I won't say more. Let's just say that I hated it, and that I have never ever before experienced such cinematic relief as I did when DiCaprio's frozen, bluish fingers FINALLY let go of whatever he was holding on to FOREVER and he disappears into the dark, cold ocean ... while the violins reach the predictable mad crescendo of sorrow and pathos.

Aaaaaaah! What bliss! What relief! The Butterface boy is finally GONE! Seriously! That was the happiest ending I could think of at that stage!  I sat there fearing that he would somehow return. Get thrown back onto the raft by Moby Dick or something. Uh. Fortunately, he WAS gone. For good!

I still don't understand why I didn't turn of the damn TV right away. I must have been too tired. Or maybe I actually enjoyed disliking it as much as I did. Entertainment can be found anywhere if you need it badly enough.

Found Footage Festival

If I lived in the US, and if I was near any of the places where this film festival is screened, I would definately go! It's a festival showing the weirdest little films, which have  one thing in common: they have been found. In garage sales, in garbage ... or the like. For a taste of the stuff, go to the The Found Footage Festival and click on the "Preview" link in the top nav. I particularly love the "Wendy's" instruction video and the 40th birthday.