sexy men in The Hobbit and Mortal Instruments

When I saw The Hobbit at the movies, little did I know that the magnetic dwarf with the smouldering eyes (Thorin) was Richard Armitage.

Richard Armitage as Thorin

And this is how he usually looks:

Where I fell in love with him: in North and South

as Mr. Thornton

 

And just yesterday I finally watched Mortal Instruments. It was amazing! I loved every second of it, there was suspense and drama and action and love (oh, love!) and a terrible twist in the end that completely shocked me , but then turned out to be alright. It was no surprise to know that the male lead playing sexy, badboy angel Jace, also played the young dark wizard Grindelwald in the Harry Potter movies. But I was no less delighted!

Jamie Campbell Bower in Mortal Instruments

As young Grindelwald in Harry Potter

This gorgeous boy is one to look out for! He was in also in Sweeney Todd, played King Arthur in tv series Camelot and played vampire Caius in Twilight. I see a bright carreer ahead of him, and I'm looking forwards to his future work!

I'm starting to think I have a type, besides Asians, and that's British actors! XD 

Which Emma adaptation was the best?

I have watched the three Emma adaptations that I mentioned in a previous post:

Emma tv movie from 1996 with Kate Beckinsale

Emma (also from) 1996 with Gwyneth Paltrow

Emma (2009) miniseries with Romola Garai

Well, to be be short and sweet (the way I am ;D) I thought the 2009 Emma mini series with Romola Garai was clearly the best. First of all it's in 4 parts, each episode an hour long, so we get the chance to explore the complicated relationships and personality traits of every character, this is what it's all about for me.

I really just thought the tv/movie versions from 1996 were too shortened, it didn't capture the essence of Emma, wich the 2009 series succeeded with. 

The Emmas:

Kate Beckinsale was just a sourpuss. She didn't convey the lightness and charm that Jane Austens beloved character has. And it is Emmas charm that makes us like her, otherwise she would just be a snob and not likeable at all. I expected more from Kate who is actually one of my favorite actresses normally. 

Gwyneth Paltrow was a better Emma than Kate. BUT it wasn't quite enough. I don't know wether to blame the time constraint of only 1h50min, thereby shortening the whole story to the extreme, or to blame Gwyneth? In all fairness, she was a perfectly good Emma, but having seen the 2009 version first, I can't be other than critical. Quite a bit more charm than Kate, but not quite enough for me.

Romola Garai IS Emma! She was absolutely brilliant! She completely conveyed the charm, the actual innocence and youthful vanity of Emma, and also this sence of superiority, without it being obnoxious in any way. Her complete ability to just banter with Mr Knightly (Jonny Lee Miller) while doing her daily chores was so perfect and even though she is quite a shallow character in the beginning, one never really dislikes her. With Romola, we get it, we get Emma and we get Emma right. 

But what about the men? 

Well, this is always a hard question, Mr Knightley is a very important character. He is Emmas friend, her confidante, he teases her and tells her off when he thinks she's behaved badly. He makes her see her own weaknesses, but he never thinks of them as weaknesses himself.

Mark Strong is a good actor. That being said, I don't think he physically looks the part. He looks a little too old for her and he didn't have any chemistry at all with Kate. It was just a bad match I guess.

Jeremy Northam looks a little more like I pictured Mr Knightey. But I'm missing the passionate arguments between him and Gwyneth (Emma). He was okay, but not ultimate. Needless to say this is the sweetest looking couple of all the Emma adaptation, they totally look like a couple. 

Jonny Lee Miller was amazing. Granted, he wasn't exactly how I imagined Mr Knightey, a bit short compared to Emma (Romola) and a little too "bright" and cheerful. I imagine Mr Knightley when I read the book as a much darker man, and not nearly so sheepish. BUT, with his ability to scold his counterpart like there's no tomorrow he wins you over in the end. I suspect that the warmth he added to the character also makes one more likey to like him and see him as someone you would want to cozy up to one day for the rest of your life... 

But if I got to choose. If I would cast anyone as Mr Knightley, I most definitely would cast:

Richard Armitage

 (played Mr Thornton on North and South, absolutely gorgeous)

American Pie and Long Pigs

I decided to have a little evening with Vik Sahay, and so I watched American Pie Reunion

To not spoil anything I thought the movie was okay, but it's not exactly my type of humor anymore. And it definitely seems the boys haven't learned anything since high-school. That being said, there are some typical "embarrassing-suspense" moments and a few real laugh out loud moments as well.
In some strange way, I can kind of relate to it. I was in high school (or younger?) when the first American Pie came out of the oven so to speak. (Yes, I have dry humor now! Guess I'm growing up?) And now it's some ten years later and things are changing, but a part of me can still remember what it was like to be a teenager, and the times my friends and I shared. In a way, we're all the same, only we share other times now.

Vik plays Stiflers boss and gives him a hard time at work, because he was (supposedly) a nerd in the past and now he has the chance for payback on a former cool kid. He has this skanky, way too tall blonde chick hanging around him. I think we could've done without her.
(Lol, that's just me being jealous, but seriously, I'd rather see him with someone classier, but I guess that wouldn't fit the movie. I'm thinking too much about Vik and not enough about the character, haha).

Second movie I watched was Long Pigs

It's this Canadian movie from 2007, filmed documentary-style. It's about two guys making a documentary about a cannibal. So they follow this cannibal around, filming him stalking his prey, killing, butchering, cooking and eating other human beings. And they film his social life, his friends and family, trying to figure him out.

Vik plays the cannibal's mother's doctor, who is hospitalized. He really just appears in two scenes, but it's magic every time I see him. The movie itself is really disturbing, I was kind of waiting for the end to "happen" because I saw it coming, so it was suspenseful in the end. But it was a good movie, the documentary-style filming just makes it feel that much better, because it becomes real and I felt seriously queezy at times. And I've watched gory japanese movies without feeling anything, but this really got to me.
So, if you're into that, go for it!

Here's an interesting factoid:

Vik-pic time:
I just had to share this one because I think his eyes just come out so beautifully here:

(and to think this is how he looks before makeup!)

I totally want to marry someone this gorgeous...

Which Emma adaptation to watch?

I've been without internet for almost 2 weeks, but it's finally up again!
(When my fixation for my current broadband is up I'm definately switching companies)

On my classical read-list I'm on Emma (by Jane Austen) right now and I'm a little more than half way through it. Since I am impossible when it comes to waiting and information, I of course had to find out wich of the movie adaptations is the best. It doesn't seem to have a clear answer (like with Jane Eyre it was clearly the 2006 BBC version most people seemed to prefer) sooooo; I'm going to watch the three most debated:

Emma tv movie from 1996 starring Kate Beckinsale

What most people who have seen this adaptation seem to have a problem with is Kate Beckinsale as Emma and the ending. But I generally like Kate Beckinsale, so I am not discouraged, and I guess we'll see about the ending.

Emma movie from 1996 starring Gwyneth Paltrow

With this adaptation what people seem to be having trouble with is that it's too sweet and light. But from what I've read so far, the book does has a lightness to it, so it should be fine. And the actor playing Mr Knightly didn't seem to be a big favorite. But, we'll see, maybe I'll like him? (Btw, just judging from the cover photo, that is precisely how I imagine Emma)

Emma mini series from 2009 starring Romola Garai

About this one I can't seem to find one common ground on why it's the best or the worst or why ppl liked it or disliked it, but I think it looses to the others chiefly because it's the newest, and that seems to be the case with most adaptions, people always like the older ones better. But, I shall enjoy this one and be as un-biased as I can. Romola btw looks exeedingly beautiful, she has a warmth that I could definately see in Emma that Gwyneth doesn't have. 

And finally I might even break out this one:

Clueless starring Alicia Silverstone, wich is, as most people know, a parody/modern re-telling of the original book Emma by Jane Austen. I haven't seen this movie in such a long time, but it is ALWAYS hillarious and I think Alicia Silverstone makes a sweet, (but not as bright) Emma, or Cher as her character is called in Clueless. The only thing I couldn't fathom though is Paul Rudd as Mr Knightly, although, it IS a re-telling so he's not exactly Mr Knightly either. 

My Awkward Sexual Adventure

Today I watched a hillarious Canadian movie called My Awkward Sexual Adventure starring Jonas Chernick, Emily Hampshire and Vik Sahay.

The story is about a guy, Jordan who gets dumped by his girlfriend because he's bad in bed. He then gets drunk makes an arrangement with a stripper at the club who was kind enough to let him sleep on her couch (Julia). He will help her with her financial issues (since he's an accountant) and she will be his "sex Yoda" lol
She will teach him to become better at sex in order to get his girlfriend back.

Among other things, he crossdresses:

get's an erotic massage with a "happy ending"

(although I wouldn't say it was so happy for the girl who got her nose all bloody) :P

he goes down on a melon:

and explores S&M:

Vik Sahay plays his best male friend who is kind of a self-proclaimed sex-guru.
He's sexually confident, social and dresses really well. A far cry from the way we're used to seeing him on series Chuck, as Lester. And I like it. I really love it when he says "I'm a slut" LOL

But he isn't much help to Jordan, because he has his own problems. He's dating a girl, while pretending to be all virtuous and looking for a soulmate. Kind of the opposite of what is his nature.

I love this movie because it really is an awkward sexual adventure Jordan goes through. The movie is done with incredible heart, talent and dedication. It is the funniest movie I've seen in years! I'll be showing this one to all my friends for sure!

(Julia)

Vik Sahay special: I thought he was absolutely gorgeous in this movie, I love his hair, and his skin is like milk chocolate and his eyes are always those dark, big, seductive orbs and he's very well dressed. As for his performance, he rocked it as usual. He balanced his inherent energy just enough to become cool and even sweet at times. <3 I really loved him in this movie! 

Rating:
Five stars out of five:
*****

Photographing Fairies

My Tuesday-movie starring Toby Stephens was an odd movie called Photographing Fairies.

It's starts off with photographer Charles Castle and his new bride in some wintery destination for their honeymoon. When they are out there on the ice, it breaks and his wife falls into a cavern.

Devastated by his wife's death he returns to London and resumes his photography, but tells his clients "no weddings." 

One day he is contacted by a woman who says that while she was photographing her two daughters that she captured something strange on film. She says that her girls keep talking about fairies and if you look closely  you can see the outline of them in the photos. Of course Castle doesn't believe in her, but she says that she contacted him especially because he is a sceptic and challanges him to prove her wrong.

He sees the girls eat a special kind of flower they must have picked near the tree where they have seen the fairies and becomes intreagued. And when their mother mysteriously falls to her death near that same tree he becomes not only suspicious but later on even a little obsessed with the thought of fairies.

To not spoil the movie for anyone, I'll leave it at that. It's a fairly (no pun intended) psychedelic movie. It's kind of sad and beautiful, but with kind of an unsatisfying ending, I must say. But the ending totally makes sense though. It's just unsatisfying for me because it was kind of sad, hope I didn't spoil too much, haha.

Toby Stephens was kind of young and gorgeous in this movie, as you can see. He's always brilliant, but the movie didn't suit my taste. Ben Kingsley was awesome in it, he is always great, but here he was also kind of young and fit, which is a first for me.
Well, in conclusion: Good movie, but not great with great actors though. Kind of sad and psychedelic.

Two out of five stars
**

another obsesson; Vik Sahay

When I (re)discovered Toby Stephens I became a little bit obsessed with him. And that's why I set out to watch all his movies and tv-shows. And when it's with a brilliant actor, it doesn't matter what you're watching, because you know that whatever he chooses will be excellent, or at least he will be excellent.

That's why I have made myself another commitment to my new obsession, Vik Sahay. I will watch all the things he's been in, or at least try to find as many movies as I can. Because I think he is a brilliant actor.

I am currently enjoying watching him on Chuck season 1.

Here's some eyecandy, ladies!

Absolutely adorable!!!

I'd buy that phone if it came with the gorgeous man!

He's so goddam beautiful!

Rawr, baby, rawr!