mercredi 30 juillet 2008

Renaissance... Taschen small edition




The rebirth of culture

Art as we know it today could not exist had not the revolutionary work of the Renaissance artists paved the way. Widely considered the most important and influential movement in the history of fine arts, literature, architecture, and science, the Renaissance marked the emergence of Western civilization from the Middle Ages into the modern era. Beginning in the 14th century in Italy, the movement spread throughout Europe by the late 15th century, the main centers of fine art activity being in Florence, the Low Countries, and Germany. For the first time, art became intellectual; influenced by humanism, artists experimented with secular subjects and revived classical antiquity. Advances in anatomy and geometry produced more realistic depictions in terms of space and perspective for the Italians, while new oil painting techniques made their mark in Flemish painting and woodcuts and engravings were the specialties of the Germans.

Artists featured: Albrecht Altdorfer, Fra Angelico, Giovanni Bellini, Hieronymus Bosch, Sandro Botticelli, Pieter Breughel, Agnolo Bronzino, Vittore Carpaccio, François Clouet, Correggio, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Albrecht Dürer, El Greco, School of Fontainebleau, Piero della Francesca, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Giorgione, Matthias Grünewald, Maerten van Heemskerck, Hans Holbein the Younger, Fra Filippo Lippi, Lorenzo Lotto, Andrea Mantegna, Masaccio, Antonello da Messina, Michelangelo, Parmigianino, Pontormo, Raphael, Luca Signorelli, Tintoretto, Titian, Paolo Uccello, Veronese, Leonardo da Vinci

My Opinion: I have recently decided to push my art culture to new areas such classical paintings and thus... Renaissance was the first name to pop to my mind as it probably the most important shift in Art History. Thus, I've been to the Ludwig Museum book shop to buy... TASCHEN book... you know... the can of book you feel like buying all of them and spending days and nights to read them... it's just perfect when you are a total novice like me.

Anyway, I bought this introduction book about Renaissance and I must say - aside from the very simple, clear and pedagogical structure of the book - I have been completely subjugated by the following 4 paintings from masters Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and my favorite... Andrea Mantegnas' Christ.
Perspective, composition and colors are absolutely phenomenal in these masters work and more especially - in my little nerdy novice opinion lol - in Raphael's "Transfiguration"; to me, it is very impressive work on composition (2 parts division, up and down to the Christ) as well as strong colors and humanity reality (I mean the little boy on the right down part having a kind of trans state or something... i know I am not clear... I don't even understand what I want to say... but its to say that, as far as I have understood, Renaissance is about catching human reality and beauty lol).
To finish, my favorite is Mantegna's Christ laying. To me, the actual point of view on the Christ body highlight his actual Human being or Human reality... not as the soon of God, but as a Human like everyone else. In this case, we are not into the traditional sublimation of the Christ figure but in more common presentation of God's son that makes it closer to audience and... finally even more beautiful in some point.
There you get my novice point of view :)




GOOD: Oil Addiction



My opinion: to come soon

Hadag Nahash



My opinion: It's Zohan soundtrack ... I can't help myself listening it all day long! lol

mardi 29 juillet 2008

Comic-Con expands its reach





Confab makes room for comedy, other genres
By MARC GRASER

Superman, Batman and the Hulk have long been welcome at Comic-Con, the annual San Diego confab where comicbook enthusiasts gather to geek out over the latest in genre entertainment (or "the popular arts," as the event's organizers call it).

But Hollywood has been relatively slow to realize Comic-Con's potential as a launching pad for other forms of mainstream entertainment. Expect a major shift this year, as fewer-than-usual superhero pics ("Watchmen," "The Spirit" and "Punisher") make room for everything from comedies like "Tropic Thunder" and "Pineapple Express" to such family-friendly fare as "Land of the Lost" and "Race to Witch Mountain."

"The same audience that likes genre movies likes comedy," says producer Peter Safran, who will push his Carmen Electra-starring "Disaster Movie" spoof in San Diego. "It's the right audience. There are few places you can go that have a targeted demographic."

The hardcore fanboys won't feel left out, however. For sci-fi enthusiasts, there's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," "Terminator Salvation" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still," plus horror buffs have the relaunch of "The Wolfman," Alexandre Aja-helmed "Mirrors" and latest "Saw" installment to look forward to. Even teen girls have "Twilight."

Comic-Con is fast becoming ShoWest for fans, a place where studios can tout their upcoming slate by teasing exclusive footage and trotting out A-list stars to greet the crowds. It's an odd mix of tastemakers: Some come dressed as their favorite characters, others bring the entire family or plan their vacations around the event, but all seem eager to tell anyone who will listen what they think about what they've seen. That gives studios a one-stop opportunity to reach out to their target demographic and shape the early buzz, especially across the Internet.

"They're the first people to buy tickets, the first to buy the merchandise, the DVDs, the toys, the videogames," says Jeff Walker, a longtime consultant to the studios when it comes to planning convention presentations. "They're the hardcore fans everyone wants on their side."

And yet, the crowd's enthusiasm has been broad-ranging since the beginning, says Comic-Con marketing director David Glanzer, who cites an early appearance by Frank Capra as evidence of fans' ecumenical taste. It was only in subsequent years that marketers pigeonholed the event as a platform for genre film.

George Lucas sent a group to promote the first "Star Wars," for example. "Our message was always, 'Genre films are great and deserving of special recognition,'" Glanzer says.

Over the years, the number and variety of films seeking exposure at the Con has expanded steadily. Today, the event draws such A-list stars as Hugh Jackman, Angelina Jolie and Robert Downey Jr. as well as behind-the-camera names such as J.J. Abrams, Zack Snyder and Guillermo del Toro.

While presentations run all day in a massive 6,500-seat exhibition room known as "Hall H," studios sponsor booths and eye-catching displays on the convention show floor, handing out T-shirts, posters and other freebies. In the past, effective crowdstoppers have included everything from the screen-used "Iron Man" costume to a one-legged model shilling "Grindhouse" DVDs.

"It's great to give swag away to people who are happy to receive it," says Lisa Gregorian, exec VP of marketing for Warner Bros. Television Group, which screened "Chuck," "Pushing Daisies" and "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" last year and is pushing "Fringe" on Fox this year. She calls Comic-Con the "mecca of fans": "We're tapping into the psyche of this demographic."

What happens outside the facility is just as important. Last year, "The Dark Knight" bypassed Hall H, with Warner Bros. kicking off the film's viral marketing campaign with a downtown scavenger hunt. In the evenings, studios typically hold word of mouth screenings for their pics in nearby theaters.

This year, Walden Media has outfitted a San Diego-bound Amtrak rail car to promote "City of Ember," and Lionsgate serves as the official sponsor of the Eisner Awards, named after "The Spirit" creator Will Eisner.

Another recent development has been TV's ability to draw crowds on par with its bigscreen brethren, with shows such as "Battlestar Galactica," "Lost" and "Heroes" outgrowing their smaller meeting rooms and moving to Hall H this year. Even BBC has jumped on the bandwagon, bringing "Doctor Who" updates to the show's devoted followers.

"It has evolved spectacularly," says Focus Features topper James Schamus, who calls Comic-Con "an ongoing empowerment of fan culture." U's genre arm will promote "Hamlet 2," another nontraditional fit. Filmmakers who go are "in direct dialogue with that part of the community that rightfully feels a bit of ownership over the process," he says.

Hollywood's presence has become so high-profile at the Con that it's news if a studio pulls out of the confab. Last year, 20th Century Fox was flogged for deciding not to showcase any of its pics.

"Not every studio has a presentation every year," Glanzer says. "It's not an earth-shattering event. Sometimes people read too much into it."

Yet the irony in all of this is that film- and TV-specific programming makes up less than 25% of the Con's schedule, Glanzer says. And even on the event's show floor, studios are overshadowed by comicbook publishers, retailers, videogame and toy companies.

The rest of the panels are educational sessions on how to break into the comicbook biz, for example, which allows Comic-Con to consider itself an educational nonprofit.

"It's an opportunity for attendees to talk to (their idols) at the height of their professions," he says.

TIP SHEET

What: Comic-Con Intl.: San Diego
When: Thursday through Sunday
Where: San Diego Convention Center
Featuring: Panels, screenings, portfolio reviews, autograph sessions, Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

Web: comic-con.org

source: Variety.com



"WALL E", directed by Andrew Stanton




What if mankind had to leave Earth, and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off? After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL*E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL*E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL*E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets an adventure into motion. Joining WALL*E on his journey across the universe is a cast of characters including a pet cockroach and a heroic team of malfunctioning misfit robots.
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: WALL E is a good movie... but nothing like Toy Story, Nemo or Shrek. The main problem, to me, is related to the many trailers available on the internet that somehow spoiled the movie. According to J.F. Camilleris' book "Le Marketing du Cinema/ Cinema Marketing", lots of trailer are made in US, where audience need most of all to be comfort about the movie quality - if it is a good movie, if it's worth it - while French audience seek surprise and unexpected story... many distributors have simply no time (and not enough ... flexibility) to customize trailer to their local audience. Never mind.
To sum up, it's a good movie, cute and cuddly, for the whole family.




dimanche 20 juillet 2008

"You Don't Mess with the Zohan", directed by Dennis Dugan




This is the story about a Mossad agent Zohan Dvir, who fakes his death so he can re-emerge in New York City as a hair stylist. He romances his clients by giving them "special services" in the back room. However, he is eventually recognized, and risks losing his newfound life and career. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
Source: imdb.com
official website: You don't mess with the Zohan

My opinion: It's a funny movie. At least a bit more original than the SCARY MOVIE sequels... seeing an Israeli agent dreaming about hair style is somehow... funny!
Actually, I have found myself more interested in the female character of Dalia, played by Emmanuelle Chriqui... ok ok ... I get the crush on her! She is... OH MY GOD !!!! I am in love !


vendredi 18 juillet 2008

Street art ou vandalisme ?

Condamné à Londres, exposé à New York : la mésaventure d'un collectif anglais pose une nouvelle fois la question de la place des graffeurs dans la culture contemporaine.

Notre société est manifestement un peu perplexe face au phénomène du graffiti et plus largement, du "street art". Mais la confusion s'étend maintenant au-delà des seuls graffiteurs – et nettoyeurs de leurs œuvres. La semaine dernière, la loi anglaise a été appliquée par le tribunal de Southwark : cinq membres du collectif de graffiteurs DPM ont été condamnés à une peine de prison après avoir reconnu s'être associés pour commettre des dommages qui ont coûté au contribuable plus de 1 million de livres [1,263 million d'euros]. A deux pas de là, la façade côté fleuve de la Tate Modern était couverte de gigantesques fresques exécutées par six artistes urbains de réputation mondiale, dont Blu, de Bologne, Faile, de New York, et Sixeart, de Barcelone, pour la première exposition de street art dans un grand musée.

"La simultanéité de ces deux événements est profondément ironique", reconnaît l'un des artistes. C'est à Banksy que l'on doit l'entrée du street art dans les espaces muséographiques reconnus. Il y a quelques années, il faisait entrer son travail en douce dans des musées comme le Louvre ou la Tate Britain. Aujourd'hui, son livre est en vente à la boutique de la Tate Modern. C'est lui, plus que tout autre, qui a donné sa légitimité au genre, faisant de nombreux émules parmi la nouvelle génération.

Bob exécute des graffitis depuis sa période punk, en 1982. A présent, il travaille de jour dans une galerie d'art londonienne. "En ce début du XXIe siècle, Londres est au street art ce que Paris était à l'impressionnisme au début du XXe", déclare-t-il avec un manque de modestie assumé. "Pourtant, nous avons une haine du graffiti sans égal dans le monde. L'Angleterre est, et de très loin, le pays le plus sévère dans ses sanctions contre ce qui ne sont, après tout, que des délits économiques."

Le 19 juillet, une galerie new-yorkaise inaugure une exposition fondée sur le travail des condamnés de Southwark. "DPM – Exhibit A", à l'Anonymous Gallery Project, à Soho, montrera au public de grandes photographies de leurs œuvres, avec, à côté, des copies de leurs dossiers d'inculpation. Avec la volonté de poser une question : ces hommes sont-ils des délinquants ou des artistes ?

Le street art, voyez-vous, est un phénomène qui divise. D'un côté, il y a ceux, comme l'artiste américaine Elura Emerald – qui participe également à l'exposition qui va s'ouvrir à New York –, qui estiment que "les artistes qui peignent dans la rue ne font que s'exprimer, et ne font de mal à personne", et qu'ils devaient être "appréciés à leur juste valeur et célébrés". L'autre camp partage le point de vue du juge Christopher Hardy qui, devant le tribunal de Southwark, a décrit les activités du collectif DPM comme "une vaste campagne complaisante de vandalisme à grande échelle".

Comment résoudre pareille divergence ? "En ne les envoyant pas en prison", assène Bob. De toute façon, qui va juger de "ce qui est artistique et de ce qui est laid ? J'imagine que plus le nettoyage d'un graffiti coûte cher, plus dure doit être la sanction, sans toutefois aller jusqu'à la prison", tempère-t-il de façon assez surprenante. On n'est pas si loin de la décision du juge Hardy sur cette campagne de deux ans pendant laquelle le collectif DPM a joué de la bombe et mené plus de 120 offensives nocturnes contre gares, trains et matériel roulant à Londres, Liverpool, Manchester, Sunderland, Paris, Amsterdam, dans le Somerset et en République tchèque.

"Certains de vos travaux manuels témoignent d'un immense talent artistique", a reconnu le juge Hardy. "Le problème, a-t-il toutefois conclu, est que vous avez tagué des biens appartenant à des personnes sans leur autorisation, et cela s'appelle tout simplement du vandalisme." La municipalité de Peterborough, elle, a cherché un compromis en faisant installer des panneaux de 2,50 m par 1,20 m où les artistes peuvent s'exprimer librement. Hélas, des vandales les ont abattus...

Arifa Akbar et Paul Vallely
The Independent

courrierinternational.com

jeudi 17 juillet 2008

Fedde le Grand... in BUDAPEST !!! I WAS THERE !!!!



My opinion: IT WAS AWWWWWWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly it was very VERY GOOD PARTY !
Never been to Cafe del Rio so far and definitely I'll be back there. Very cool open air ambiance + lot's of hot girls !

Actually, I've been there mostly to see Fedde Le Grand live mixing since I'm kinda big fan... and guess what?... this motherfucker really master his art man! the other DJ's were really baby dogs compared to this master !!!!
So to sum up, IT WAS REALLY REALLY GOOD PARTY !! THANKS FEDDE LE GRAND !!!!




Cafe Del Rio website

mercredi 16 juillet 2008

Olivier Rousseau : «La décision de la CGT entraîne 402 licenciements à Amiens»

Olivier Rousseau, PDG de Goodyear Dunlop Tires France, explique pourquoi 402 salariés sur 1 450 seront licenciés en septembre à Amiens.

Dernier acte pour l'usine d'Amiens Nord de Goodyear Dunlop. Après plus de vingt mois de négociations, la CGT, syndicat majoritaire du site, a fait valoir son droit d'opposition à l'accord sur l'organisation du travail en 4 × 8, pourtant accepté par les salariés.

Le Figaro. La décision de la CGT rend caduc l'accord trouvé avec les salariés et rend « inéluctables », selon vos propres mots, les licenciements.
Olivier Rousseau. Je suis consterné par la décision de la CGT, dont les conséquences sont connues. Quel est l'intérêt, pour le syndicat ? En quoi les élus respectent-ils le mandat qui leur a été donné. Nous avons négocié pendant plus de vingt mois, obtenu plus de 72 % de « oui » à un vote auquel 54 % des salariés ont participé, en dépit d'un appel au boycott de la CGT et de SUD. Et, malgré tous nos efforts pour laisser une porte ouverte, les élus CGT l'ont définitivement fermée. Conséquence : 402 lettres de licenciement vont partir en septembre. Je n'ai aucune envie d'envoyer ces lettres, qui ne seront pas les dernières, ni de fermer une usine. La CGT ne me laisse pas le choix.L'avenir du site d'Amiens est donc menacé ?La décision de la CGT fragilise l'usine, les salariés, la région. Nous sommes le premier employeur privé en Picardie. Je regrette fortement cette décision. J'aurais compris que la CGT ne vote pas cet accord et laisse à chacun le choix. Là, la CGT ne respecte ni le verdict des urnes, ni sa parole de se conformer au choix des salariés, quel qu'il soit. Cette décision va à l'encontre de tout ce qui a été dit. Personne ne peut en tirer gloire. Je ne comprends pas cette position. Il faut aussi imaginer ça vu de l'étranger. Nos actionnaires sont américains. C'est déjà bien assez compliqué de leur expliquer qu'il faut faire voter les salariés pour réaliser un investissement… Alors là !

Vous estimez n'avoir désormais pas d'autres choix que de réduire la production et les emplois. Cela ressemble à un chantage à l'emploi.
C'est un choix. Soit on rend l'usine compétitive, soit on la ferme. Sur chaque pneu tourisme à faible valeur ajoutée fabriqué à Amiens, on perd vraiment beaucoup d'argent. Les coûts de production du site sont de 25 % plus élevés que ceux du groupe en Allemagne. Et je ne vous parle pas de Pologne ou d'Asie.

Vous pourriez réaliser les 26 millions d'euros d'investissement promis, sans modifier l'organisation du travail.
Cela ne suffirait pas à combler le retard. En moyenne, les équipes de production travaillent moins de 32 heures par semaine contre 39 heures 45 en Allemagne. L'accord portait le temps de travail à 35 heures par semaine, avec une organisation en 4 × 8 pour toutes les équipes et non plus une organisation partagée entre équipe de semaine et de week-end. Cela permettait de combler en partie le retard de compétitivité. Le tout avec une hausse de la rémunération mensuelle des salariés concernés, comprise entre 160 et 190 euros par mois (pour des salaires bruts mensuels compris entre 1 800 et 2 000 euros). Nous avions même mis en place une « prime au changement d'organisation » de 3 500 euros.

Qu'advenait-il des salariés qui auraient refusé l'accord ?
Nous avons bien conscience des difficultés que peuvent engendrer de tels changements d'organisation. Comme pour l'usine d'Amiens Sud, les salariés qui auraient refusé individuellement cet accord auraient dû quitter l'entreprise, mais dans des conditions financières favorables, avec un plan d'accompagnement. Rien de tout cela ne sera mis en place.

Source: lefigaro.fr - Elsa Bembaron

Mon opinion: il est assez hallucinant de voir qu'en 2008, les Français sont toujours dans un déni le plus total 1. de l'économie de marché...et de ce fait des principes de compétitivité 1.de la mondialisation... diabolisée par la Gauche et les Syndicats.
Prendre l’entreprise privée comme le « Grand Satan » de notre époque est insultant 1.pour les gens qui dirigent ces sociétés et de ce fait, assument d’énormes responsabilités 2. pour les actionnaires… qui… et toute la classe politique Française a l’air de l’oublier… représentent pas mal de personnes comme vous et moi… qui placent leurs économies et attendent un retour.
Le licenciement de ces 402 salaries est bien entendu une catastrophe pour la région et pour toutes ces familles. Maintenant, il faut se poser la question de l’après Goodyear. Comment faire pour que ces personnes retrouvent un emploi rapidement en lien avec leurs qualifications et compétences ?

"The Boss of It All", directed by Lars Von Trier (2006)





The owner of an IT firm wants to sell up. The trouble is that when he started his firm he invented a nonexistent company president to hide behind when unpopular steps needed taking. When potential purchasers insist on negotiating with the "Boss" face to face the owner has to take on a failed actor to play the part. The actor suddenly discovers he is a pawn in a game that goes on to sorely test his (lack of) moral fibre. Written by Trust Film Sales
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: It's simply... GREAT! FANTASTIC! One of my favorite movie !
Merci Laurent !!!


mardi 15 juillet 2008

"Open water", directed by Chris Kentis (2003)





Based on an actual event, Open Water tells the story of a young couple, Daniel and Susan, (Daniel Travis and Blanchard Ryan), who go to the Bahamas to scuba dive the coral reef, and are accidentally left behind in the ocean. The couple boards a tour boat that is crowded with divers; after the first dive of the day, the captain makes a mistake on the numbers of divers who have surfaced from the dive and are aboard. When the number reaches 20, the boat leaves the area and goes to the next site. Daniel and Susan did not stay with the group underwater, but they were supposed to be back within 35 minutes. They were 5 minutes late and the boat left without them. Susan blames Daniel for being left behind, and their ordeal goes down the drain from there. After several hours, sharks begin to circle them. They begin to realize that their workaholic life is not important anymore. Only if they had a second chance, they would change. Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)

My opinion: That's a terrifying movie... based on true event... makes it even more freaky!

László Moholy-Nagy





László Moholy-Nagy (pronounced [ˈlaːsloː ˈmohoiˌnɒɟ]), July 20, 1895 – November 24, 1946) was a Hungarian painter and photographer as well as professor in the Bauhaus school. He was highly influenced by constructivism. He was a strong advocate of the integration of technology and industry into the arts.

Moholy-Nagy was born László Weisz to a family of mixed Jewish and Hungarian heritage. He changed his German-Jewish surname to the Magyar surname of his uncle, Nagy. Later, he added the pseudonym Moholy to his surname, after the town in which he grew up. After studying law in Budapest and serving in World War I, Moholy-Nagy was in Vienna in 1919, where he first discovered constructivism in exhibitions of works of Malevich, Naum Gabo and El Lissitzky.

In 1923, he replaced Johannes Itten as the instructor of the preliminary course at the Bauhaus. This effectively marked the end of the school's expressionistic leanings and moved it closer towards its original aims as a school of design and industrial integration. The Bauhaus became known for the versatility of its artists, and Moholy-Nagy was no exception. Throughout his career, he became proficient and innovative in the fields of photography, typography, sculpture, painting, and industrial design. One of his main focuses was on photography. He coined the term "the New Vision" for his belief that photography could create a whole new way of seeing the outside world that the human eye could not. His theory of art and teaching was summed up in the book The New Vision, from Material to Architecture. He experimented with the photographic process of exposing light sensitive paper with objects overlaid on top of it, called photogram. While at the Bauhaus, Moholy's teaching in diverse media -- including painting, sculpture, photography, photomontage and metal -- had a profound influence on a number of his students, including Marianne Brandt.

More about László Moholy-Nagy on his Wikipedia's page and on the Moholy Nagy Fondation website




get the good boots !

lundi 14 juillet 2008

HotForWords - Intelligence is Sexy





"Intelligence is Sexy", by Marina Orlova.
ohohohoohoho YOU GET IT BABY !!!! YOU MAKE IT MY NEW MOTTO !!!! YEAH

Seriously it's quite interesting

JORDANIE - Des superhéros arabes

Un jeune Jordanien vient de créer des personnages de BD 100 % arabes. Dotés de pouvoirs surnaturels, ces superhéros tolérants et foncièrement bons ont pour mission de sauver la planète du chaos, relate le quotidien Público.
Un soir, trois mois après les attentats du 11 septembre 2001, Suleiman Bakhit, âgé à l'époque de 25 ans, revenait au campus de l'université du Minnesota après avoir fait ses courses. "Quatre types blancs sont sortis d'un bar, raconte-t-il. Ils m'ont reconnu. J'étais président de l'association des étudiants étrangers et je participais à de nombreuses actions contre le racisme. Ils m'ont insulté, puis ils m'ont frappé." Son visage et son cou subirent des opérations de chirurgie plastique et, aujourd'hui, il arbore une grande cicatrice avec la même vanité avec laquelle il exhibe ses tatouages. S'est-il vengé ? "Oui, à ma façon, souligne-t-il. Je suis intervenu dans plusieurs écoles primaires, un an après le 11 septembre, dans le cadre du programme d'une ONG. J'ai expliqué aux élèves les coutumes du Moyen-Orient. Je leur ai dit que tous les Arabes n'étaient pas des sympathisants d'Al-Qaida. Un jour, une fille m'a interpellé : ‘Avez-vous une Barbie arabe ? Un Superman arabe ?'" Bakhit est alors resté sans voix. "Je me suis rendu compte qu'effectivement nous n'avions pas de superhéros. Aussi, j'ai eu envie d'en créer un pour qu'il soit une source d'inspiration et d'espoir pour la jeunesse arabe, se souvient-il. J'ai contacté des personnes talentueuses, comme le dessinateur brésilien Eduardo Francisco, qui ont accepté de m'aider. J'ai ensuite quitté les Etats-Unis et suis rentré chez moi, en Jordanie." C'est là qu'il a créé l'Aranim Media Factory (pour arabe et animation). Et Naar ["feu", en arabe] fut le premier personnage à sortir de cette fabrique de superhéros. "Il y a beaucoup de personnages occidentaux qui ont le pouvoir de maîtriser le feu. J'ai voulu faire quelque chose de différent en m'appuyant sur la mythologie arabe", explique son créateur. L'histoire relate une apocalypse dans un Moyen-Orient sans pétrole, en 2050. Un groupe d'enfants se réveillent dans une ville cachée sous les ruines de Pétra et découvrent qu'ils ont des pouvoirs surnaturels. Ils s'interrogent alors sur la manière de reconstruire un monde meilleur. La BD fut été très bien accueillie par le public.

"Mon objectif est de combattre l'extrémisme pour contrecarrer des idoles, tel Abou Moussad Al-Zarqaoui [Jordanien, leader d'Al-Qaida en Irak, tué en 2006]. Je veux favoriser chez la jeunesse des valeurs positives comme la tolérance, la persévérance ou le travail", affirme Suleiman Bakhit.

Abou Khadija est un autre superhéros de l'Aranim Media Factory. Il s'agit d'un boxeur jordanien au chômage. Ses enfants sont malades, et il boxe pour sauver sa famille. "Nous voulions faire une BD, mais des producteurs nous ont proposé d'en faire un film d'animation", précise Suleiman Bakhit en espérant que tout soit prêt cet été. Ce devrait être le premier film d'animation arabe. Suleiman Bakhit regrette au passage "que les Américains aient malmené Aladin avec un stéréotype éloigné de l'histoire réelle et que les Japonais aient transformé Sindbad en un type stupide". L'objectif de Bakhit est d'utiliser "des personnages, des thèmes et des styles authentiquement arabes, tout en réussissant à attirer des jeunes du monde entier". Après la BD et les films d'animation, l'étape suivante devrait être celle des jeux vidéo, avec "beaucoup de guerriers arabes", et le merchandising. L'ambition est d'atteindre les 200 millions de jeunes Arabes et, par la suite, le marché international.

Pour mettre en application ses rêves, Suleiman Bakhit a besoin de partenaires. Parmi eux, la King Abdullah Fund for Development. Avoir comme mécène une institution liée à la monarchie jordanienne ne limite-t-il pas la créativité ? "Pas du tout ! On est entièrement libre", assure le patron d'Aranim. Certains investisseurs ont proposé à Suleiman Bakhit de financer un Disneyland arabe. C'était du temps où le père de Bakhit était Premier ministre de Jordanie. Le jeune créateur a alors refusé la proposition, convaincu que celle-ci était plutôt motivée par l'espoir d'obtenir quelques faveurs politiques.

"Heureusement, mon père n'est plus aujourd'hui qu'un simple parlementaire", sourit Bakhit. En 2009, il espère que son entreprise – et ses quatre employés – deviendra bénéficiaire.





Repères

Parmi les autres personnages créés par Suleiman Bakhit, on trouve Mansaf et Ozi, dont les noms ont été inspirés par des plats nationaux jordaniens et qui ont connu un franc succès. Signalons également les aventures d'un héros jordanien ayant existé, devenu superhéros grâce à Bakhit : le lieutenant Muwaffaq Al-Salti, un pilote dont l'avion de chasse fut abattu par un Mirage israélien pendant la guerre des Six-Jours, en 1967. Avant la sortie de la BD, 50 000 exemplaires furent distribués gratuitement par des journaux jordaniens ; quelques jours après, on les trouvait à 1 dinar (89 centimes d'euro) au marché noir d'Amman. Finalement, il fut publié à 2,4 millions d'exemplaires, dans une région où il n'existe pas de tradition – ni de moyens – pour ce genre de publication.



Margarida Santana Lopes
Público

courrierinternational.com

dimanche 13 juillet 2008

"The Bank Job", directed by Roger Donaldson




Based on the true story of the 1971 Baker Street bank robbery which was prevented from being told for over thirty years because of a Government gagging order. The real story of how one of the biggest robberies in British history took place with no arrests ever made nor money ever recovered. Written by Mark Thomas
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: Very good movie. The story is good and most of all, the directing and sequences are very good. Besides, it is very pleasant to see Jason acting in a non "super kikin' movie" for once... even though he is still same kind of tough character... he is good.


vendredi 11 juillet 2008

"The Black Dahlia", directed by Brian de Palma




In 1946, the former boxers Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert and Lee Blanchard are policemen in Los Angeles. Lee has a good relationship with his chief and uses a box fight between them to promote the department and get a raise to the police force. They succeed and are promoted to homicide detectives, working together. Bucky becomes a close friend of Lee and his girlfriend Kay Lake, forming a triangle of love. When the corpse of the aspirant actress Elizabeth Short is found mutilated, Lee becomes obsessed to solve the case called by the press Black Dahlia. Meanwhile, Bucky's investigation leads him to a Madeleine Linscott, the daughter of a powerful and wealthy constructor that resembles the Black Dahlia. In a environment of corruption and lies, Bucky discloses hidden truths. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: It is a good movie. Brian de Palma make it xtremly frightening in some special sequences (the big smiley crazy mama)and at the same time keep it calm. One critic... it's too long, almost 2 hours and you start to get chill at the very end of the story... when the puzzle starts to be clear. Otherwise it's good!


jeudi 10 juillet 2008

"Kung Fu Panda", directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson




It's the story about a lazy, irreverent slacker panda, named Po, who is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around...which doesn't exactly come in handy while working every day in his family's noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five -- Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey -- under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: ... bof... it's ok but something is missing to make it a real good animated movie.

mercredi 9 juillet 2008

"Tres bien, merci", realise par Emmanuelle Cuau



Alex, comptable, et Béatrice, chauffeur de taxi, forment un couple sans histoires. Mais un soir, Alex se mêle au travail de la police lors d'un contrôle d'identité. Un engrenage implacable et absurde se met alors en marche : il se retrouve au poste, au chômage, et en clinique psychiatrique. Sauf que les fous, ici, ne sont pas ceux qu'on croit...
Source: allocine.fr

Mon opinion: j'ai beaucoup ce film qui traite de notre "monde de fous". Assez touchant et violent d'une certaine maniere.

"Blue Velvet", directed by David Lynch (1986)




Returning home to visit his father who is in intensive care at the hospital, Jeffrey Beaumont stumbles upon a human ear he finds in a field. With local police detective Williams and the local police department unable to investigate, Jeffrey and Sandy, Detective Williams's daughter decide to do their own investigation. But what Jeffrey and Sandy's investigation leads them to discover that a dark underworld exists in their hometown. Jeffrey becomes suspicious of nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens, who is involved with Frank Booth, a violent and evil man. Written by Daniel Williamson
Source: imdb

My opinion: That's a very very good movie. It is filled with symbols, perfect music, Dennis Hopper is incredible and it's a great movie about human relations. So complicated. It's really impressive. Feel like "wow"!



mardi 8 juillet 2008

"Untraceable", directed by Gregory Hoblit




A secret service agent, Jennifer Marsh, gets caught in a very personal and deadly cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer who knows that people (being what they are - both curious and drawn to the dark side of things) will log onto an "untraceable" website where he conducts violent and painful murders LIVE on the net. The more people who log on and enter the website, the quicker and more violently the victim dies. Written by McCormack
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: ... bof...

dimanche 6 juillet 2008

Some of mt favorites AXE commercial... enjoy... and fantasy!





FYI, this one is taken from a real video of a guy playing with quarters !

vendredi 4 juillet 2008

Comment Israël expulsa les Palestiniens (partie 1/2)

"The Nutty Professor"... with Jerry Lewis





The Nutty Professor is a 1963 film starring Jerry Lewis. Co-Written (with Bill Richmond), produced, and directed by Lewis, it was released by Paramount Pictures on June 4, and proved to be one of the comedian's most popular films. The original music score was composed by Walter Scharf.

Professor Julius Kelp (Jerry Lewis), is a nerdy, unkempt, buck-toothed, introverted, socially inept university professor who always incurs the wrath of the university administration by continually destroying the classroom laboratory. When a football-playing bully humiliates him, Kelp invents a serum that turns him into the extremely smooth, cool, and somewhat obnoxious girl-chasing hipster, Buddy Love.

This newfound persona gives him the confidence to pursue one of his students, Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens). At first she despises Love, but she finds herself strangely attracted to him. Buddy wows the crowd with his jazzy, breezy delivery and cool demeanor at the Purple Pit, a nightclub where the students hang out. He also mixes it up with the bartender, who is instructed on how to mix the latest drinks for the enigmatic entertainer.

The formula wears off at inopportune times, often to Kelp's embarrassment. He must rush back to his laboratory in the hopes that no one will discover his secret. Although Kelp knows that his alternate persona is an arrogant person, he cannot prevent himself from continually taking the formula as he enjoys the newfound attention that Love receives. Buddy performs at the annual student dance, and while on the dais, the formula starts to wear off.

In the end, his real identity is revealed during the prom, as the Love persona transforms to Kelp during a speech. He gives an impassioned plea that people must learn to like themselves before others can like them in return. He admits that he has learned a valuable lesson, and Purdy admits that she likes Kelp better than Love and they get married. Prompted by his formerly henpecked father's marketing of the formula, Kelp and Purdy decide to license the product and benefit from the profits.

WIKIPEDIA

jeudi 3 juillet 2008

Tribute to YOUTUBE



KevJumba




Who's KevJumba ?
KevJumba is one of those hundred and hundreds of guys doing Youtube videos... like a real show... and guess what ? I find it very VERY GOOD !


for more about Kevin, go to
http://www.kevjumba.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/kevjumba





"Quantum of Solace", James Bond...





My opinion:Ouhouhouhou.... I CAN'T WAIT BABY !!!!!!!

mardi 1 juillet 2008

"WANTED", directed by Timur Bekmambetov





"Wanted" tells the tale of one apathetic nobody's transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice. In 2008, we're introduced to a hero for a new generation: 25 year old employed slacker, WESLEY GIBSON. Wes is the most disaffected, cube-dwelling, clock-punching drone this planet has ever known. His boss chews him out hourly, his girlfriend ignores him routinely, and his life plods on in interminable boredom and routine. Everyone knows this disengaged slacker will amount to absolutely nothing, and so does he, until he meets the sexy, foxy woman named FOX, and then everything changes. Wes' estranged father is murdered, and the deadly Fox recruits him into The Fraternity, a secret society that trains him to avenge his father's death, by unlocking his dormant powers. And oh boy does he have powers, as she teaches Wes how to develop his lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, he discovers that The Fraternity lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: to carry out the death orders given by emotionless Fate itself. Wes, with his wickedly brilliant and sexy tutor, plus the paternal guidance of The Fraternity's enigmatic leader, SLOAN, young Wes grows to enjoy all the strength and success he ever wanted. But, slowly, he realizes there's more to his dangerous associates than meets the casual eye. And, as he wavers between new found heroism and vengeance, Wes will come to learn what no one can ever teach him; that he alone controls his destiny. Written by Orange
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: Actually... I have been kidda' surprised by "WANTED". Good surprise I would say. Don't focus too much on the trailer... it's not only about some crazy fellas who simply shoot around people they don't like... the more you go in the movie, the more you see how it is complicated ... and, yeah it's nice!