I had always meant to watch Michael Collins again. I saw it a few years ago and left it feeling that it was a decent film but not feeling like I wanted to watch it again any time soon, considering it made me cry buckets of tears (which is difficult to make me do, and I have only now remembered my lengthy, post-Michael Collins crying session).

Making a movie about Michael Collins would be difficult, one should think, given the gravity of the time and place in which Collins lived, and the kind of life Collins led. It certainly didn't stop them from making one, though.

By all accounts, Collins was a pretty fearsome guy. From Wikipedia:

In retrospect, the sheer scale of Collins' workload and his achievements are substantial. He created a special assassination squad called The Twelve Apostles designed to kill British agents; arranged the "National Loan"; organised the IRA; effectively led the government when [Eamon] de Valera travelled to and remained in the United States for an extended period of time; and managed an arms-smuggling operation.

Damn, dude.  All judgments aside, that's a lot to do, especially when you take into consideration that Collins was shot and killed when he was 31. Of course, this movie benefits from having Liam Neeson in it, if we're taking my pure shallowness into consideration. And believe me, Mr. Neeson is smoking hot in this one, but I had forgotten that my arch-nemesis was in this movie.

JULIA ROBERTS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THIS MOVIE?

In a movie chock filled with every semi-known Irish actor you can think of for the time, including Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Stephen Rea, Aidan Quinn and lots of other people, Julia Roberts was the best choice to play Kitty Kiernan, the love interest for both Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn) and Michael Collins?

No, really?

It's not that I detest Julia Roberts; I just got really, sickeningly tired of her a long time ago and she doesn't do much to hold anyone's interest in this movie. She's just sort of there, like a robot helping to move the film along bit by bit.

As far as sheer movie-making goes, it's a very well-done film from the standpoint of ignoring the history bits. It starts out in 1916 during the Easter Rising and travels all the way to Collins' assassination, thereby skipping the early life of Michael Collins and picking up pretty much where he starts doing all those big things he's still remembered for. Neil Jordan, the director, pulls the right strings appropriately to get your emotions going in a very deft way. The acting doesn't really need any comment as I'm sure you can assume everyone's spot on, which they are. Besides Julia Roberts, the only sore spot is the way Alan Rickman speaks as Eamon de Valera, which is slow and stilting. You're always anticipating the next syllable to come out of his mouth. It's extremely irritating, and I think the film kind of portrays de Valera as a schemer and a slow, conservative man who's not quite as righteous nor as forward thinking as Collins. In essence, the film plays up Collins but even more plays down de Valera. Whether or not this is historically accurate, I can't honestly say - but it does feel like de Valera's made a little awkwardly villainous to accentuate or highlight more positive elements of Collins' character.

And, at the very least, Michael Collins did remind me of why I scowl a little when I initially see Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.

JONATHAN RHYS-MEYERS KILLED LIAM NEESON, YOU GUYS. Nowadays, I just look at him and think, "Really? Joe from Bend It Like Beckham was the guy that took down Michael Collins? Runs like a girl? Wore makeup in Velvet Goldmine? He's supposed to be hardcore enough to shoot Michael Collins?"

Snerk.

For what it's worth, it's a good movie in my opinion that is interesting. It does kind of canonize Collins and portrays him as so heroic in a way that makes you wonder if you're getting the whole story (and surely not everyone finds Michael Collins to be how the film portrays him).  However, it is entertaining but extremely depressing. For God's sakes, I may never be able to watch anything with Stephen Rea ever again without crying.

For reasons perhaps related to the ideas dished out in a previous post, Stephen Frears decided to set his version of the Jekyll and Hyde story, MARY REILLY (based on a pretty good book by Valerie Martin) in a version of Edinburgh... I say a version, because in this Edinburgh everyone has an English accent (Glaswegians might argue this is quite accurate) and the city is populated by distinguished English character actors such as George Cole and Michael Gambon.

Nevertheless, the fogbound metropolis is surmounted by a recreation of the Greek Parthenon (tricked up in the studio) and Frears and his unit decamped to the actual Edinburgh for a week of location shooting. Basically none of this material made it into the movie, which is mostly studio-bound and none the worse for it.

But due to the Edinburgh connection, and the fact that Scot producer Iain Smith oversaw the production, I gleaned a little on-set gossip.

Brown was called to Julia Roberts dressing room one day. It seemed her then-husband Lyle Lovett (remember THAT beautiful affair?) was going to be in New York that weekend. "Isn't that great?" beamed la Roberts. "So he's going to be in New York, and I could fly out and meet him, and we could spend the weekend together! In New York!"

Brown replied that this was indeed great, although he couldn't quite see what it had to do with him. He left. By the time he got back to his office, his phone was already ringing. It was a sweary agent. "You are ****ing going to ****ing buy Julia Roberts a first-class ****ing plane ticket to New York, you ****ing ****!" he swore. "Fuck!" Sorry, he sneaked that one in past the asterisks while I was talking to you.

Brown refused, the agent swore at some more producers, and eventually the studio caved and met her demands, which she never had to actually even personally voice...

Anyhow, the shoot goes on. John Malkovich is playing Jekyll and Hyde (with resulting confusion as to which is which) and he's not getting on too well with the Roberts. Malkovich has been known to be difficult himself, in fact -- hold everything -- here's a story about him --

This one's from DANGEROUS LIAISONS and it's literally too good to be true -- ie it's probably made up. But not by me. Malkovich is doing DANGEROUS LIAISONS for Frears, and Frears visits his dressing room.

"John, I want to talk to you about your character."

"Well, sure. Valmont is a very complicated guy --"

"No, John, you don't understand. I want to talk to you about YOUR character."

Flashforward back to whatever I was talking about. Oh yeah. MARY REILLY wraps, and Malkovich approaches Julia R. "I just wanted to say..." and here he tells her, essentially, that she's an arrogant, stuck-up bitch, no professional, and he's by no means enjoyed working with her and looks forward to never having to meet her again.

Three months later they're back, re-shooting the climactic scene where she weeps over him as he dies in her arms...

The film itself? Some good work, the feeling of unease at the start is effective, suggesting that Frears could make a genuinely scary horror movie if it didn't cost $50 million, but the novel's conceit -- the story told from the point of view of a chambermaid -- is somewhat resistant to visualisation, since her POV is so limited: she misses the most dramatic events of the book. It could probably be done, but it would need greater talents. Christopher Hampton did a fine job adapting DANGEROUS LIAISONS but his subsequent films tend to the disastrous.  He seems to embody the more deleterious effects of the literary-theatrical tradition on British film. The fact that three endings were shot gives a sense of how lost the filmmakers became.

Worse, Frears usual intelligence seems to have operated only fitfully. There are bizarre mismatches of word and image. When Roberts describes her brute of a father as having an odd walk, "not quite a limp," it's a surprise to then see Michael Gambon hobble wildly up like Long John Silver on a pub crawl, walking on one ankle.

10. Reese Witherspoon: La actriz ganó un Oscar por "En la cuerda floja", un Biopic que no llega a ser grande, con un papel normalito. Sin embargo ya se está hablando de ella casi como actriz consagrada y creo que no es para tanto.

9. Marisa Tomei: Una actriz mediocre con un Oscar injustificado y un par de buenos papeles tirados a la basura por sus escasas dotes interpretativas. Ni siquiera es guapa y mucho menos tiene estilo.

8. Paz Vega: Una actriz de serie de televisión venida a más, por no importarle enseñar cacho en todas (o casi todas) las películas que hace. Será simpática, guapa y lo que quieran, pero buena actriz no es.

7. Kirsten Dunst: Moñas, tan blanquecina que le da un aspecto enfermizo, ceño permanentemente fruncido, su sonrisa draculina no le ayuda, voz irritante... a parte de no tener talento... le auguro una vejez muy mala.

6. Sienna Miller: Sólo es una chica mona y si, tiene estilo, pero la interpretación no es lo suyo por mucho que se empeñe. Ser actriz no es sólo tener un novio guapo y asistir divina a todo evento, talento es lo que hace falta, señorita Miller.

5. Scarlett Johansson: Se hizo famosa por sus posaderas en primer plano en "Lost in translation", de mi "querida" Sofia Coppola. A partir de ahí todos sus papeles se han limitado a lo mismo, sacar pecho y ponerse mohina. Por no hablar de su faceta como cantante (Tom Waits estará orgulloso). Al menos es guapa.

4. Natalia Verbeke: Sus méritos son numerosos; Hablar siempre de forma ininteligible, como si tuviera tres Boomers a la vez, sacar demasiado pecho, sobreactuar moviendo la cabeza y las manos... ¡Y la siguen contratando! Si eso no son méritos...

3. Julia Roberts: Está en un pedestal y aún no he conseguido averiguar por qué. De comedia en comedia sonriendo y agitando la cabeza, qué de matices ¿verdad? Si de vez en cuando hasta se pone histérica sacando chepa y alzando los brazos... ¡Increible! No me extraña que tenga un Oscar.

2. Penélope Cruz: De la cama al plató, he aquí nuestra actriz más internacional, películones allá donde va. Qué bien te mueves en la cama...ra. Además la fotogénia ayudada de maquillaje y retoque digital, no es lo mismo que belleza, seamos serios.

1. Keira Knightley: La "nanber guan" es ella si, Sin lugar a dudas. Qué máquina, pone morritos y consigue alabanzas y hasta sale nominada al Oscar. Atractiva hasta un punto, pero alguien debería decirle a esta chica que actuar no es hacer ticks con el labio.

• Artículo redactado en asociación con Ghiaurov: http://ghiaurov.wordpress.com/

We are going to call this "The Celebrity Hits!!!"

In this experiment I am going to research lots of different celebrities and then blog all about them. Hopefully I will also gain a lot of interesting facts on some very interesting people...

I am expecting to see a major increase in hits this week, as i think some people keep their mouses counstantly on the search button on google, typing in as many celebrities names as they can.

So the prime targets for the week are Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Johnny Depp, Natalie Portman, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, and several other members who like to keep out of the public eye - including Julia Roberts, Hugh Jackman, Keanu Reeves, Richard Gere, George Clooney, Harrison Ford... and maybe a few other favourites if I have time and a few of our less famous Australian actors.

I'm going to talk about their lives, their movies, their fame, their money, their charity work, their ... hair! - anything that can be blogged about.

I'm looking for a major hit increase, so hear goes nothing....

Happy Blogging!!!

Anyway, watching the movie now, its really tough to imagine Jason Alexander - who plays the slimy lawyer associate of Richard Gere in the movie - as any character other than George Costanza (of Seinfeld, for  those who have been sleeping under rocks for the last two decades). Every time he made an appearance, I would unconsciously expect him to do/say something very George-like - humorous, amoral, and insecure.

But there is at least another small Seinfeld connection with Pretty Woman: in the initial scenes when Julia Roberts is starting to go out and then backtracks as she hears the landlord - the landlord, although seen very briefly, is the same actor who is cast as Kramer in the Seinfeld episodes where George and Seinfeld are making a pilot for NBC.

Also seen in a brief scene - Hank Azaria as a LA police detective.

-----------------------------------

[1]: I think it was during the extended summer break after our 10th, and my mom had initially refused to let me watch the film due to the "A" rating - finally had her convinced somehow; another friend never even managed a permission, and bunked some tuition class to watch it with us, while I covered for him. Good old, innocent days :)  !.

]]> http://bubblegumculture.wordpress.com/?p=575 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:43:37 +0000 dorothyzbornak http://bubblegumculture.wordpress.com/?p=575

It's Friday, y'all! And even though that slut Hanna threatens to rain all over my weekend parade, I'm still so excited this week is almost over. Why is it that short weeks sometimes feel longer than full weeks?

Anyway, it's time to take another look back into the annals of pop culture WTF moments.

This week, we travel all the way back to 1993 to remember a very special day in the life of an actress I feel an odd kinship with. Perhaps it's because we're both Southern, both 5' 9", both born on October 28. Or maybe it's the fact that we both have abnormally large teeth. Whatever it may be, even though she's kind of a husband-stealer, I have a bit of a soft spot for Julia Roberts. And in 1993, someone else had a soft spot for her too:

Bless it. Lyle Lovett's one of those guys who's so ugly, he's kinda cute. And apparently, Julia felt the same way as she married him in 1993, after only knowing him for three weeks.

Nice veil, Jules. Is it just me, or does this look like a really awkward prom picture? Anyway, the union lasted for about two years, as the couple split in 1995. Roberts went on to marry Danny Moder, Lovett has been dating girlfriend April Kimble since 1999. Roberts and Lovett remained friends, though, and he even sang a song on the soundtrack to her 1998 movie, Stepmom.

Ni negros, ni fucsias, ni verdes esmeralda: estampados luminosos. El rosa casi fosforescente sobre marrón (perdón, chocolate) hace que te olvides de la blancura de la piel. Yo la veo bien guapa.

10 - I could replace it with a nicer one and my publicist would keep it quiet.

9 - My personal assistant would not let Mommy Guilt in without an appointment. She would then cancel all appointments five minutes before their scheduled time.

8 - I wouldn't need to see my family's dirty laundry to believe that it existed (for someone else).

7 - My personal shopper would take the glares for self-checking entire grocery trips because the people who actually get paid to do this job don't understand that bread and bananas get their own bags.

6 - My personal trainer would exercise for me and then publicly tout me as physically fit with to-die abs.

5 - A series of fabulous nannies would vie to teach my kids multiple languages and keep them so stimulated that 5pm would pass without ONE whining for the TV.

4 - There would be so much space in my always-clean house that if I turned off the baby monitor, it would be like  that temper tantrum never existed.

3 - One of the above nannies would also teach ONE that the walls around her bed are not tissues. She would then train TWO not to leave the scene in the midst of a diaper change.

2 - Publishing houses would fight for any piece of crap book I thought up.

1 - My personal bodyguard would catch any Mommy Guilt that tried to chip away at my me-time. He would then drag it out to the shed in my manicured backyard and lock it up with the photographic proof of #10.

Why don’t you guys make your very own award and post it directly!

Just like what I did. I thought about several celebs and tadaaa...!

Here you are, The Fascinating Hilarious Awards #1 2008...!

The Top 10 Hottest Guys Alive

1. Jude Law

He’s HOT from EVERY SIDE we look at. No one disagree.

2. Ashton Kutcher

GOSH. Hot body. Cute face. Great humour sense.

3. Chris Evans

Hot body is the only reason why he’d been chosen as The Human Torch in Fantastic4 [beside his act, ofcourse].

4. Brad Pitt

OHMYGOSH. Angelina Jolie LOVES him! Why don’t we?!

5. Milo Ventimiglia

Look at his gentle eyes and that neck. OMFG.

6. Freddie Prince, Jr.

His smile could make some girls forget about their boyfriends for a moment. =p

7. Chace Crawford

X O X O

8. Ben Barnes

Another British hot guy to be screamed of!

9. Zac Efron

Vanessa Hudgens can’t stop us patching our bedroom wall with his pics.

10. Jonathan Bennett

Sexysexysexysexysexysexy.

The Top 10 Most Intoxicatingly Gorgeous Women

1. Anne Hathaway

I said “WHOA!” all the time I saw her. Hahahaha.

2. Hilary Duff

Hot. Sexy. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Cute. Kind. Great smile. Great body. Great hair. AAAARRRRGGGHHH.

3. Keira Knightley

Gorgeous. The End.

4. Blake Lively

Beautiful face, good-shape body, fashionable and stylish. You KNOW you love her.

5. Liv Tyler

Gooorrrrrgggeeoouuuussssss....!!!

6. Jessica Alba

Hello! We’re talking about Jessica Alba! Who needs a reason to say that she’s beautiful?

7. Famke Janssen

The most beautiful ‘superhero’ in the whole world.

8. Ellen Pompeo

And this is the most beautiful ‘doctor’ in the universe.

9. Jennifer Connelly

OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh!!!!

10. Claire Danes

Romeo willing to die for her! =)

Best Actors

1. Will Smith

Hancock. Hitch. I Am Legend. Anyone rejects?

2. Bruce Willis

Armageddon. That’s IT.

3. Jim Carrey

The best pet detective!

4. Johnny Depp

Anyone doesn’t know Captain Jack Sparrow?

5. Tom Cruise

MI 3 : This mission become so possible because of him.

6. Leonardo di Caprio

Hello! This is the Romeo we’re always talking about!

7. Jude Law

Have you ever watched Closer? You’ll agree with me if you have.

8. Ashton Kutcher

Believe me or not, he CAN acts seriously. Watch The Butterfly Effects for sure.

9. Shia LaBeouf

I like his scared face when he meets his walking-robotic-car in Transformers.

10. Daniel Radcliffe

Wingardium leviosa! Expecto patronum! Ohhh... The Cutest Wizard alive. Besides, he is willing to be NAKED in theaters which THOUSANDS people were in and WATCH him. What a brave.

Best Actresses

1. Sandra Bullock

Hey. How many movies would make you believe that she IS the best actress in this world? Try The Lake House, While You Were Sleeping, Speed, Miss Congeniality, and Premonition. Believe me, SHE IS.

2. Ali Larter

Watch Heroes and Final Destination.

3. Keira Knightley

Atonement. Pirates of the Caribbean. The Jacket. Pride and Prejudice. OhMyGod. She’s always TOTAL in her movies.

4. Julia Roberts

I don’t know why. But she deserves it.

5. Natalie Portman

Watch Closer.

6. Angelina Jolie

Hahahaha. Who DO YOU THINK would be better to play the dangerous-hot-housewife Mrs. Smith?!

7. Nicole Kidman

I also don’t know why. But – again – she deserves it.

8. Famke Janssen

Watch X-Men, Hide and Seek, and Taken. You’ll find out the answer.

9. Kate Winslet

Who in this world didn’t EXPLODE CRYING while watching Titanic???!!

10. Jennifer Garner

Her act in Electra was GREAT. Also in Juno.

Okay.

That’s the Hilarious Awards #1 2008!

I hope you guys enjoy and...don’t forget! These awards are made by myself and voted by MYSELF. So, No Protests! =p

Keep waiting for the next #2 !

«A Julia ajudou-me a criar uma prenda exclusiva que servirá para recordar que todos podemos fazer algo para combater a Sida, em África», explicou Armani, que expressou o seu agradecimento à actriz pelo «seu apoio incondicional a uma actividade importante como esta».

A t-shirt Empório Armani, assinada por Julia Roberts, disponível numa versão feminina e noutra masculina, mostra a «árvore da vida», o mesmo símbolo que foi utilizado para a pulseira que a actriz criou no ano passado, para o estilista italiano.

Em cima dos ramos da árvore aparecem as palavras: revolução, evolução e devoção, que correspondem à sigla RED. Esta organização foi fundada por Bono, vocalista dos U2, e por Boby Shriver, um filantropo norte-americano, e tem como objectivo sensibilizar as empresas para a luta contra a Sida.

(Portugal Diário - 29.08.2008)

Richard Gere faz 58 anos hoje! Virginiano, amigo íntimo de Dalai Lama, bom ator e um ator bom, Gere é o genro que toda sogra deseja ter... Ele é um dos poucos atores que me fazem ver filmes românticos. E ele fez a maior caca da vida ao participar daquele comercial de tinta para cabelo Niely. Pô, pra quê aquilo?

Vou colocar videozinho de uma cena clássica do filme mais batido de todos: Pretty Woman (Uma Linda Mulher - eu babo nos cabelos ruivos ondulados da Julia Robert!). Por motivos óbvios: cena é clichê? maybe. mas todas nós gostamos de coisas assim, uma vez na vida, pelo menos! e Roy Orbison cantando é divino (mas a cara dele não!)

It's a fun gallery. And that's no dumb blonde joke.

View gallery >>

Para quem não se lembra, Dan Woolf é aquele "escritor fracassado que ganha a vida escrevendo obituários para um jornal".

Bom, aí que a coisa muda, não é mesmo?

Primeiro que não me considero um escritor. Esses são aqueles que vivem disso e são reconhecidos como tal, independentemente se produzem uma literatura boa ou não. (toma essa Paulo Coelho!)

Não é o meu caso, que diga-se estou ótimo na profissão que escolhi.

Outra coisa que não sou é fracassado. Mesmo que algumas pessoas chatas do passado, mesmo se passando por outros, vez ou outra me enviem comentários singelos do tipo:

"Meu, quem vc pensa que é, um crítico?
Vc não passa de um pobre coitado sem ninguém que mora no JB.

Se enxerga!"

Esse, assim como os anteriores, se você autor(a) não sabe, primeiro que é uma mula, segundo eu tenho como saber até o número de série do micro que você utilizou.

Mas voltando ao filme/personagem...

Li em algum lugar que ele "busca a cada esquina um amor para toda vida, e mesmo que encontre, nunca deixa de procurar".

É o que vemos no filme, pois cerca de um ano depois de se conhecerem (Alice [Natalie Portman] e Dan), publica um livro baseado na vida desta, com um relativo sucesso diga-se. Logo em seguida conhece a fotógrafa Anna (Julia Roberts) com quem acaba tendo um affair que se transformaria em caso somente após outro ano, na exibição das fotos de Anna.

O que aconteceu? Simplesmente, o amor para toda vida dele deixou de ser uma para ser a outra. Quase como se sua busca incessante, o seu desejo máximo,  fosse simplesmente ele mesmo.

Vejam como é o último diálogo deles no filme:

- Aonde vai?
- Cigarros.
- Mas está tudo fechado.
- Vou ao terminal.
- Quando eu voltar, por favor, fale a verdade.
- Por quê?
- Porque estou viciado nela.
- Porque sem ela somos animais... Confie em mim.
- Não te amo mais.
- Desde quando?
- Agora.
- Eu não quero mentir... Não posso contar a verdade, então, está tudo acabado.
- Não importa. Eu te amo. Nada importa.
- Tarde demais. Eu não te amo mais...
...Adeus.

Complicado, não?

Definitivamente, tudo o que não preciso neste momento, é que me analisem...

One woman's fascinating case against the claim that wives are happiest being at home looking after their husbands.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen out with Tom's son.

as much as i can i try to help reduce waste and reduce plastic usage.

saw this on this link :

http://keetsa.com/blog/eco-friendly/do-those-superstars-go-food-shopping/

i'm not a fan like my friends, now after seeing this and reading the link above... i'm beginning to really like her :-).

A atriz americana Julia Roberts criou em colaboração com o estilista italiano Giorgio Armani uma camiseta cuja arrecadação com as vendas será destinada à organização RED, fundada para ajudar no combate à Aids na África.

"Julia me ajudou a criar uma peça exclusiva que servirá para lembrar que todos podemos fazer algo para combater a aids na África', disse Armani, que expressou seu agradecimento à atriz por "seu apoio incondicional a uma atividade tão importante como esta".

A nova camiseta da Emporio Armani assinada por Roberts, e disponível em versão feminina e masculina, mostra a "árvore da vida", o mesmo motivo já tinha utilizado para a pulseira criada pela atriz no ano passado para o estilista.

Leia mais clicando aqui.

Verdi's La traviata Nov 15 - Dec 6 
A Young Courtesan, destined to die alone...can she find redemption through the power of love?
You'll simply love this spectacular new production.  Alternating in the role of Violetta are fast-rising Latina soprano stars Eglise Gutiérrez and Ailyn Pérez, who have graced the stages of The Met and Carnegie Hall. How could Julia Roberts resist falling in love with Richard Gere in the movie Pretty Woman after he takes her to see this opera gem!
Rossini's Cinderella (La Cenerentola)
Jan 24 - Feb 7 
 
Jennifer Rivera as Cinderella
 
Can a peasant girl become a princess?  Wicked stepsisters, a prince disguised as a servant, and the search for true love! This charming opera provides wacky comedy, wonderful music and a heart-warming ending.  Now is your chance to experience the fairy tale for yourself. 
Delibes' Lakmé  Feb 21- Mar 7 
 
Opera Australia, April 2006 
A fanatical priest, a violated temple, and clashing generations.  Heady love meets crushing despair, with two young lovers caught in the crossfire! Cultures collide, generations are at war, and our young lovers struggle to find happiness amidst the chaos of it all in this passionate tale set in exotic India. The remarkable Leah Partridge shares the title role with Evelyn Pollock, a prominent emerging artist in both America and Europe.  Experience the most  mesmerizing soprano/mezzo duet ever composed...and bring someone you love.
Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
(Le nozze di Figaro) Mar 21 - Apr 4               
 
FGO Production 
Sexy servants, a philandering Count and a frisky teenager.  Cupid has his hands full getting this wedding party to the church on time! The Count makes sexual advances to the maid, who is engaged to the valet, who is pursued by an older woman, who is annoyed by a hormonal teen, who is obsessed with the boss's wife...any questions?
Many consider Le nozze di Figaro the greatest Opera Buffa (farcical comic opera) ever written. 
Puccini's Madama Butterfly  Apr 25 - May 16 
 
Washington National Opera Production 
She fell in love...and never stopped falling.  The gripping true story of a young Geisha, seduced and abandoned by a U.S. Navy Lieutenant. Bring plenty of tissue; there won't be a dry eye in the house. Of all of Puccini's operas, this was one of his favorites.  Millions would agree, as it ranks number one on Opera America's list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America.  You simply must experience it for yourself!
 
Tickets are available at http://www.fgo.org/
Where you can select your own seat.
BUY 3 OR MORE OPERAS AND RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT.
YOU CAN CALL THE BOX OFFICE BEGINNING
TUESDAY, SEPT 2
1-800-741-1010 MONDAY - FRIDAY 10AM - 4PM

RAI

Il momento di uccidere

Siamo in una cittadina del Sud degli Stati Uniti, dove due bianchi stuprano e pensano di aver ucciso una bambina di colore di dieci anni. Il padre, Carl Lee, un veterano della guerra del Vietnam, decide di farsi giustizia da solo. Intorno all'uomo di colore si scatena uno scontro razziale. I rischi più gravi li corre l'avvocato difensore, preso di mira dal Ku Klux Klan.

Grisham ci ha messo sette anni prima di cedere i diritti del suo primo romanzo (vagamente autobiografico) e ha preteso il "final cut" su sceneggiatura, regista (Schumacher, che aveva già diretto "Il cliente") e attori. Risultato: il più fiacco e prevedibile dei film tratti da Grisham. Sceneggiatura diluita stile miniserie, con tutti i colpi di scena "telefonati" almeno due sequenze prima e dialoghi pedanti; erotismo suggerito, con i protagonisti sempre un po' bagnati e lucidi (che fa sexy); e la "scoperta" McConaughey totalmente inespressivo. Una noia mortale.

Su Rai 3 alle 21:05

MEDIASET

Se scappi ti sposo

Un giornalista insegue una ragazza che ha il terrore del matrimonio.

Ike, cronista di New York, ha soltanto un'ora per consegnare il suo pezzo e sente parlare di Maggie, una ragazza del Maryland che ha il terrore delle nozze e che è solita scappare davanti all'altare. Incuriosito Ike scrive un articolo su Maggie, attivando una reazione a catena che lo porta ad Hale, la città di Maggie.

L'alchimia, dieci anni dopo "Pretty Woman", funziona ancora: Richard Gere, un po' invecchiato, con le rughe e i capelli grigi, e Julia Roberts, infagottata in tute da operaio. E anche la storia potrebbe funzionare, nonostante la previdibilità. Quel che si è perso è la qualità "matematica" della confezione, la scansione dei tempi, la logica di ferro della sceneggiatura. Pare che a Hollywood sia diventato sufficiente rimettere insieme sullo schermo due divi, abbozzare una storia, scritturare dei caratteristi, e lasciare che le cose corrano.

Su Canale 5 alle 21:10

Scarface

Sanguinosa ascesa e caduta di un giovane e feroce boss del narcotraffico.

Tony Montana, profugo cubano negli Stati Uniti, scala i vertici della malavita con crudeltà e determinazione. Diventa il re del narcotraffico, spalleggiato dall'amico Manny. Dopo aver ucciso anche il suo boss, Lopez, ne sposa la donna, Elvira. Raggiunto l'apice, iniziano però per Tony i guai: personalità instabile, il nuovo boss offende l'importante alleato boliviano, Sosa. Il rapporto con Elvira naufraga e per di più la sorella Gina, di cui è morbosamente innamorato, va a sposare proprio Manny.

De Palma rilegge a modo suo il capolavoro di Hawks. Uno dei suoli film più barocchi e roboanti, dalla durata alla prestazione sopra le righe di un gran Pacino. Sceneggiatura di Oliver Stone. Michelle Pfeiffer in uno dei suoi primi ruoli importanti.

Su Rete 4 alle 21:10

Digitale Terrestre Free

La Polveriera

Boris è un pugile che dopo aver perso il treno vaga nella città nella speranza di tornare a casa. Mane che, appena sbarcato dall'estero, è deciso a tornare al suo paese natìo, Ana che seduce i passeggeri dell'autobus che prende ogni mattina. E poi c'è Kosta, Natalia e tutti gli altri che credono di avere in pugno la loro vita, ma, in realtà, sono tutti vittime.

Paskaljevic sa mostarci lucidamente il suo paese, la guerra già finita, e quella che sarebbe arrivata, quella che continua... Basta un incidente per scatenare una catena di contraccolpi che nessuno sa fermare. Tutti ci hanno fatto l'abitudine, nessuno riesce a star fuori dal dolore, facendolo o subendolo. Maledizione antropologica, rabbia che viene da lontano, piccoli risentimenti quotidiani. Alla fine, l'attore del Cabaret Balkan beve, perfidamente alla nostra salute. Un film durissimo, sarcastico, insostenibile, giusto.

Su Iris alle 21:00

Premium Gallery

Van Helsing

La sua missione è eliminare il conte succhiasangue, ma poi le cose si complicano...

Il celebre cacciatore di mostri Van Helsing si reca in Transilvania per conto di una società segreta allo scopo di uccidere il conte Dracula. Lo aiuterà Anna, che vuole distruggere il vampiro per cancellare la maledizione che incombe sulla sua famiglia. Ma Van Helsing deve vedersela anche con Frankenstein e l'Uomo Lupo...

Tutto - miti, inquietudini, leggende - viene miscelato nel frullatore degli effetti speciali: l'emozione è azzerata, si rimpiangono le suggestioni del basso costo. Unica trovata (si fa per dire): il fraticello con le sue mirabolanti invenzioni di morte, sorta di bondiano Q ante litteram. Pare di stare nella parodia di _Frankenstein junior_...

Su Steel alle 21:00

Travolti dal destino...

Due naufraghi che... più diversi non si può!

La ricca e viziata Amber è in crociera su uno yacht dalla Grecia all'Italia col marito Anthony e quattro amici. La vita di mare non corrisponde agli standard elevati della donna, che riversa la propria insoddisfazione sul mite pescatore italiano Giuseppe, colpevole di averle messo gli occhi addosso. Caso vuole che mentre Giuseppe, su un battellino, accompagna Amber a raggiungere il resto della comitiva, il motore si guasti: i due finiscono alla deriva su un'isola deserta, dove rimangono svariati mesi...

Il remake di _Travolti da un insolito destino..._ (1974) di Lina Wertmüller allinea un'ora e mezzo di stucchevoli frizzi e scontati intrallazzi.

Su Mya alle 21:00

SKY

21:00  Sky Cinema Max
Ghost Rider (USA, 2007)
di Mark Steven Johnson con Nicolas Cage, Peter Fonda, Raquel Alessi, Wes Bentley, Sam Elliott
Fantasy

21:00  Sky Cinema Mania

Ghostbusters II (USA, 1989)
di Ivan Reitman con Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis
Fantasy

21:00     Sky Cinema 3

Miss Potter (Gran Bretagna/USA, 2006)
di Chris Noonan con Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson, Barbara Flynn, Bill Paterson
Biografico

21:00      Raisat Cinema

Il vendicatore - Out for a Kill (USA, 2003)
di Michael Oblowitz con Steven Seagal, Michelle Goh, Corey Johnson, Kata Dobó, Kevin Dunn
Azione

21:00     MGM Channel

Settembre (USA, 1987)
di Woody Allen con Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Dianne Wiest, Denholm Elliott, Elaine Stritch
Drammatico

21:00       Sky Cinema 1

Stepping -­ Dalla strada al palcoscenico (USA, 2007)
di Sylvain White con Columbus Short, Meagan Good, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Brian J. White, Laz Alonso
Drammatico

21:00     Sky Cinema Classics

Bravissimo (Italia, 1955)
di Luigi Filippo D'Amico con Alberto Sordi, Giancarlo Zarfati, Patrizia Della Rovere, Irene Tunc
Commedia

21:15  Sky Cinema Hits

Olé (Italia, 2006)
di Carlo Vanzina con Massimo Boldi, Vincenzo Salemme, Enzo Salvi, Daryl Hannah, Natalia Estrada, Francesca Lodo
Commedia

21:00  MGM Channel

Un party per Nick (USA, 1996)
di Randal Kleiser con Eric Roberts, Marlee Matlin, George Segal, Gregory Harrison, Lee Grant, Olivia Newton-John
Drammatico

www.film.tv.it

]]>