Saturday, August 11, 2012
How To Kiss A Girl: Make Her First Kiss With You The Most Astounding, Out Of This World Experience
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Movie Review - The Philadelphia Story (1940)
A romantic comedy classic directed by George Cukor and adapted to the screen by Donald Ogden Stewart from Philip Barry's Broadway hit play.Although Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart share top billing with Katherine Hepburn, this is clearly Hepburn's movie.The story revolves around her profound transformation from an "ice queen" to a warm human being who discovers what true love is -- which proves to be her ultimate salvation.The movie opens with a scene of marital disaster -- that legendary scene in which Cary Grant (playing the C.K.Dexter Haven), before leaving his home for good, palms Katherine Hepburn's face and pushes her down to the floor.But that does not happen before Hepburn (playing Tracy Lord, Dexter's wife), drives him mad by throwing out his pipe set and breaking his golf club as Dexter is trying to get into his car and leave the unhappy marriage behind.It must have been such a sacrilege to break an honorable man's pipes and wooden golf clubs back in the 40s.These days real men neither smoke smelly pipes nor own wooden golf clubs.They don't shove their wives rudely on to the floor either.Fast forward to two years later.Tracy is about to marry her new sweetheart George Kittredge (played by John Howard) who is a very proper gentlemen crazy for the appearances.Since Tracy comes from a blue-blood upper-crust family, her marriage is exactly the stuff the tabloids thrive on.Back then, the gossip-monger photo tabloid of the day happens to be the "Spy Magazine".Spy's unscrupulous Editor Sidney Kidd decides to send a cracker jack team of photographer Elizabeth "Liz" Imbrie (played by Ruth Hussey) and the writer from the other side of the tracks with serious literary ambitions, Macaulay "Mike" Connor (James Stewart) to cover this high-society event with as many scandalous details and photographs as possible.It is interesting to note that the "Editor Sidney Kidd" character is very similar to the one Cary Grant himself has played in another film released the same year, HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940).However, the Editor needs a ruse to slip Liz and Macaulay into the Lord mansion in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia (hence the name of film) in the eve of Tracy's marriage.Enter Dexter, who is itching to get back even with Tracy.Tracy's brother Junius is employed by the U.S.Embassy in Buenos Aires.With Kidd's direction, Dexter introduces himself to Mike and Liz as the Spy Magazine's Buenos Aires Bureau Chief and a friend of Junius.That will be their cover story to slip into the Lord estate.Questionable plot point. Dexter is actually coerced into this role by Kidd's blackmail.If Dexter refuses to cooperate, Kidd threatens to publish the full story of a potentially damaging illicit affair involving Tray's father Seth Lord (John Halliday).So why should a divorced man care about the reputation of his ex father-in-law? Is it because Dexter has not lost faith in his eventual reunion with his ex-wife and thus tries to protect the reputation of a family that he hopes to rejoin in the near future? Could be.Otherwise the blackmail does not really make sense.Both Tracy and her parents are surprised to see Dexter back in their house and Mike and Liz's cover are soon debunked.However, due to an unexpected development Mike is not chased right away from the Lord estate - Tracy and Mike are drawn to one another in a summer romance that does not go further than a few kisses and a midnight dip in the swimming pool.But it is enough to propel the story towards both Dexter's and George's reactions.The Tracy-George-Mike-Dexter love quadrangle evolves within the larger context of Tracy's personal transformation.No less than three men (Dexter, her father Seth and Mike) tell her in no uncertain terms the kind of royally spoiled and controlling personality she has.The indictment, issued by different parties but delivered the same way, forces Tracy to rethink who she is and where she is heading in life.She wants to be happy but doesn't know quite how and now realizes that her "ice queen" attitude and sense of entitlement might be a part of her misery.Cary Grant's Dexter is portrayed with much gentle humor (as usual with almost all Grant roles).But this Dexter fellow is nothing if not persistent and self-assured.He is like a farmer waiting for the golden fruit to fall into his lap when its ripe.Nothing fazes him - neither Tracy's upcoming marriage with George, nor her brief involvement with Mike.He is a character who mostly listens, observes, and reacts with a know-it-all snicker that I have not seen in any of his other movies.When George pulls out of the marriage at the last moment, Tracy proposes to Mike.Dexter still keeps his cool as a guy who has seen the future and the future belongs to him.When Mike turns her down because he feels their brief fling (and the immense social gap between the socialite Tracy and the working stiff Mike) is not a good enough reason for marriage, Dexter is the only groom candidate left standing.At the end of the movie, Tracy's character transformation is complete.She realizes the number of hearts she has broken in the past with her tempestuous temperament and decides what matters most in life is love and living in peace with the one who truly loves her and has never forgotten her - Dexter.The following scene in which she makes full peace with her father Seth pretty much summarizes the gist of her transformation..Tracy Lord. How do I look?Seth Lord. Like a queen - like a goddess.Tracy Lord. And do you know how I feel?Seth Lord. How?Tracy Lord. Like a human being.Seth Lord. Do you know how I feel?Tracy. How?Seth Lord. Proud.Given the reputation of this film as one of the classics of Hollywood history one wonders why a slightly above average romantic comedy with some smart and funny dialog is accorded such privileged status.My answer is, yes, there are many films out there shot during the 40s that are equally funny (and equally removed from the daily concerns and background of an average middle class movie fan) but rare indeed is the one in which we see such a touching character arc.It is Katherine Hepburn's fantastic performance that speaks to us at an emotional level and makes us root for her "deliverance from herself.".If it weren't for Hepburn, this is a 5-out-of-10 product.But Hepburn's scintillating and convincing performance lifts it to a solid 8.-----------------------------------------------------------.
Films - Kull The Conqueror
Kull, played by Kevin Sorbo, wants to join an army where Taligaro, played by Thomas Ian Griffith, is the leader.However, Taligaro tells Kull that to join his army Kull must be or royal blood, even though Kull beats Taligaro in a duel.Taligaro gets a message from a soldier that the king has gone mad and started killing his own children.Taligaro and his army returns to the castle and Kull follows them.Taligaro confronts the king about his crime and the king threatens to kill Taligaro as well.Kull intervenes and fights the king, seriously wounding him.Taligaro tries to claim himself as the new king, but the king awakens and gives the crown to Kull naming him as the new king.Kull, as king, try to change the laws which were currently in place by freeing slaves and allowing a temple priest named Ascalante, played by Litefoot to "worship what gods they will".Kull's new laws displeases Taligaro and him along with two other men visit a warlock who revives the red witch queen, Akivasha, played by Tia Carrere.Kull befriends a fortuneteller, Zareta, played by Karina Lombard, who predicts that Kull will go on a quest and "the fate of his kingdom will be found within a kiss".Taligaro and Akivasha plot to destroy Kull by placing Akivasha as a maiden among many other women to be chosen as Kull's queen.Kull chooses Akivasha, of course, because she put a spell on Kull to choose her as his queen.On their wedding night, Akivasha poisons Kull, simulating death and blames Zareta for the crime of murder.Kull is only unconscious and is taken to Akivasha's castle as her prisoner.Kull escapes with the help of Ascalante and both of them rescues Zareta from execution.Zareta reunited with Ascalante, who is also her brother, joins Kull on his quest to the isle of ice.Kull makes a visit with an old friend, Juba, played by Harvey Fierstein and asks Juba for a ship.Juba tries to double-cross Kull, however Kull outsmarts Juba, throws him overboard and continues his journey to the isle of ice.Akivasha sends Taligaro to follow Kull to the isle.Once there, Zareta takes in the breath of Valka, the ice god, in order to try to defeat the red witch queen, who is made of fire.Taligaro arrives and him and Kull have a duel in order to see who will take Zareta back with them.Taligaro wins and takes Zareta back to Akivasha, not as a prisoner, but to defeat Akivasha so he can be king.Unfortunately, Ascalante is killed in battle and Kull escapes alone to follow Zareta and get her back.Once Kull arrives at the castle, a battle between him and Taligaro ensues and Taligaro is killed.Kull takes the breath of Valka from Zareta and kisses Akivasha, who is now a demon beast and is destroyed by the cold breath of Valka.Kull regains his kingdom, chooses Zareta as his queen and begins his own legacy as king.FILM FACTS. Raffaella De Laurentis produced "Conan the Barbarian" and "Conan the Destroyer".Arnold Schwarzeneggar was suppose to play "Kull the Conqueror", but was unavailable.Robert E.Howard, the novelist, created "Conan" and "Kull".Kull in the novel by Howard is actually the father of "Conan".Kevin Sorbo was screen tested and picked for "Kull" 3 years prior to his acting on the hit series "Hercules. The Legendary Journeys".
Understanding Dog Behavior and Language
Childhood fears, I had many.Most of them were easy for me to get rid of. vampires, witches, bats, the stranger.But getting rid of my fear for dogs was never easy.Because in my childhood, dogs were real. they were stray, they were fierce, they would bark, and they would bite.My husband's TV entertainment of dog shows on TV was my cure.Gradually as I started to understand dog behavior and language, I started to get very interested in dogs, even wanted one for a pet.Maybe a season of watching The Dog Whisperer did it.By then I was seeing dog fangs as smiles, short barks as greetings.Jumpiness as play, sniffs as kisses.Or the loud barks from the neighbor's fence as "hey guys, I want to run with you!" Maybe.On the trail where my husband and I run, no longer do I take cover behind his back when I see a dog.I would happily pet the friendly ones with their tails wagging and bodies wiggling.Great dog body language.Like two basset hounds named Bonnie and Clyde.And Hannah and Sophia, two pugs, a tan and a black.They liked me because I was always ready with the petting-greeting for them.Dogs who seemed to look like charging up to me, I'd confidently meet with my two palms spread out to them.It's like telling them I got nothing to hurt them.I think that was one of the principles of dog psychology I learned from Millan, the Dog Whisperer.And then I realized off-leash or on, dogs didn't scare me anymore.I figured I must be speaking dog-language through my body language.I also learned from Millan that dogs are by nature dominant yet very sensitive to human feelings and emotions.That if they sensed that you are afraid, they will try to dominate you and take advantage of that fear.They attack, they lunge at you to exercise their dominance over one who's not their master.Same principle is supposed to work among dogs.Maybe that's why none of the dogs who used to sniff at me didn't sniff anymore.No fear here.Move on.Nice world indeed when humans and dogs co-exist, even love and respect and protect one another.Here's a thought. in our world today, are humans behaving like their wild canine counterparts towards their fellow humans? Dominance and fear - are we being more like wild dogs and our trained dogs being more like humans?Can't there be world peace?
Friday, August 10, 2012
The Ten Best Romance eBooks of 2009
Of all the GLBT romance and erotica e-books I read in 2009, these were my favorites.Please note that this list reflects my own, highly subjective opinion and is not an official list from any website or organization.10.Nights in Pink Satin by Sharon Maria Bidwell.In another lifetime, Vincent was known as Count Dracula.In modern London, as he prepares for his annual vampire cotillion, Vincent becomes intrigued by a bolt of fuscia-pink satin, and obsessed with finding out who would want to line a coffin with such an extravagant fabric.The answer leads him to some surprising truths about himself in this offbeat paranormal romance.9.Queer Hauntings by Ken Summers.In my hometown is the Truman's Entertainment Complex, consisting of two linked GLBT bars, one a sports bar and one a dance club.Did you ever stop to consider there may be gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual spirits, as well as the heterosexual ghosts we typically hear about from the ghost hunters? That is the topic of the nonfiction book Queer Hauntings.If you love ghost stories at all, you'll find it fascinating, from the famous ghosts (Liberace is said to haunt the restaurant he once owned, for example) to ordinary people and couples whose lives were cut tragically short.8.The Dandelion Clock by Jay Mandel.The Dandelion Clock by Jay Mandal is a sweet romance novel.Its main characters just happen to be two men, David and Rob, English guys in the 1980s.In this very realistic character study, 20-something David pines for 19-year-old Rob, but will Rob ever even notice?7.Agency of Extraordinary Mates. Finding Magic by Kate Douglas.I've enjoyed Kate Douglas's spicy novels for years, and this book was no exception.It's fun, and the reader will certainly find magic!6.I Kissed a Girl, edited by Regina Perry.Inspired by Katy Perry's pop tune, the twelve short stories in this anthology crackle with tension.In each tale, a woman kisses another woman for the first time.Sometimes, her boyfriend doesn't mind it.Others are purely Sapphic imaginings, with nary a Y-chromosome in sight.All are passion-inspiring; some are beautifully told stories in their own "write.".5.Secretly Bound by Jade.Jade and her wife Jessica live in the Netherlands with their young son.Jessica desperately wants to have another child, but she's having trouble getting pregnant again.Jessica's increasing disappoint creates a rift between them, leading Jade down a dangerous path.She seeks to ease her loneliness by flirting with a woman she meets on an online social network.What follows is a tense blend of romance, sensuality, and action.Fans of Anais Nin will appreciate the way Jade (the author) weaves the story of Henry and June into her narrative.4.Other Magical Creatures, edited by M.Rode.OMC is a collection of steamy, long short stories/short novellas with paranormal characters.There's a weretiger, an artist who sells his soul to a demon, a couple of witches, a handful of werewolves, an ancient Greek god reincarnated as a bartender!3.Samhain's Embrace by Jesse Fox.If you have any interest in Celtic mythology, you will find it a fascinating little volume.It's a contemporary story, set in modern times.Bran has lost the love of his life to a brutal murder.And only a shadowy figure from the world of ancient gods and goddesses can make him feel alive again.2.Up For Grabs, edited by Lauren P.Burka.If your reading tastes are a bit quirky, if you're an open-minded reader, and if you enjoy the premise of "What if?".Then Up For Grabs, edited by Lauren P.Burka (Circlet Press) is just the book for you.In these five delicious tales, gender is up for grabs, and science pushes the boundaries between male and female, natural and unnatural.1.Sappho Sings by Peggy Ullman Bell.I rarely give a novel five stars, but I was tremendously impressed with the quality of storytelling in Sappho Sings, a fictionalized biography of the ancient Greek poet by Peggy Ullman Bell.Whether or not you are familiar with Sappho's timeless verse, this book brings history to life, and is a rolicking good romance as well!
10 Best Looking Women in Sports Movies
I thought about writing about the least attractive women in sports women but I got as far as Barbara Hershey from Hoosiers, and I thought about the scene when she kisses Gene Hackman, remembered how it was like watching my grandparents make-out, I gagged and then decided to go in a totally different direction.So I will now present to you the 10 hottest women from sports movies.10.Susan Sarandon - Bull Durham.Overall I'm not a Susan Sarandon fan.She's pretty ordinary looking - at least compared to the other women on this list.But she was definitely hot in Bull Durham.9.Elisabeth Shue - The Karate Kid.I saw this movie when I was about 10.I instantly fell in love with Ali (Elisabeth Shue).Then I saw her in Leaving Las Vegas about 10 years later and I was in awe.But I do still wonder what the hell she saw in the dorky Daniel (player by the 55 year old Ralph Macchio).8.Christine Taylor - Dodgeball.Does Dodgeball deserve to be on this list? Oh well, Christie Taylor is such a cutie she deserves to be here.7.Halle Berry - The Program.I gotta say that The Program may be the most overlooked sports movie.It has great action and a decent plot and two hot women.A young Halle Berry was one of them.6.Keirra Knightley - Bend it Like Beckham.There's just something about Keirra Knightley that is captivating and distracting.I'm not sure exactly what happened in this movie (something with soccer and a strict, religious family) but Knightley was in it.5.Kristy Swanson - The Program.And here is the second woman from The Program.Even if you don't like football, Swanson makes this a must-see movie.4.Nicole Kidman - Days of Thunder.This is the first movie I ever saw with Kidman.She had long, red hair and she was hot.She's still hot, but she's never looked quite as good in any other movie as she did in this one.3.Charlize Theron - The Legend of Baggar Vance.I'm not sure how this wasn't a better movie with Theron, Matt Damon, and Will Smith starring, but Theron looked great and that was enough to make it worth my while.2.Kelly Preston - Jerry MaGuire.Ahh, the ex-lover of Jerry (played by Tom Cruise).She got to do what many of us wish we could now do - punch Cruise in the face.And am I the only one that was wondering why Jerry was wasting his time with Zellweger's character instead of begging Preston's character to come back to him? It was annoying.1.Jessica Biel - Summer Catch.I didn't really buy Freddie Prinze Jr.Playing a pitcher but I did buy Biel in a bikini.Wow, she "fit" the role very well.
Sudhir Mishra's Yeh Saali Zindagi Trailer Starring Irrfan Khan, Chitrangda Singh
Much celebrated director-producer Sudhir Mishra churns out another award winner with Chitrangda Singh and Irrfan Khan in 'Yeh Saali Zindagi'.From the makers of 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi', 'Chameli' and 'Traffic Signal' comes another brilliant Bollywood movie 'Yeh Saali Zindagi'! Sudhir Mishra reunites with his favourite muse, the extremely talented Chitrangda Singh in this movie.The star cast includes Irrfan Khan, Arunoday Singh, Aditi Rao, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh, Yashpal Sharma, Prashant Narayan, Vipin Sharma and Vipul Gupta.Sudhir will be producing and directing the movie, which is expected to release in January 2011.The Indian Film Censor Board has given an 'Adult' rating for the movie because Arunoday Singh,who played a role in the Sonam Kapoor starrer 'Aisha', will be having an onscreen kiss with Aditi Rao in this movie.A romantic thriller, the audience can expect a lot from Sudhir Mishra, who is well known for his meaningful story-lines with unusual endings and sensible direction.Following in the footsteps of 'Jab We Met', Sudhir decided the name of the movie through a public voting system wherein he uploaded a clip from the movie on Facebook and asked followers to choose between two titles.A majority of the votes went to 'Yeh Saali Zindagi, 'Dil Dar-ba-Dar' being the other choice."The film was referred to as Dil Dar-ba-Dar initially.But my editing team felt that Yeh Saali Zindagi would more readily connect with the audience, as compared to Dil Dar-ba-Dar," recalls Mishra.However, Mishra is hesitant to let go of the title Dil Dar-ba-Dar easily.He says, "It's a nice sounding title and I shall keep it for my next film." Bollywood fans can watch the trailer of Yeh Saali Zindagi on NyooTV.Com.NyooTV is India's first online Social TV Network and one-stop shop for premium visual entertainment.NyooTV brings a whole new world of entertainment with its innovative technology, rendering a viewing experience unmatched in quality.
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