Across the Universe Podcast: Episode 7

Episode 7: The Before Trilogy

After having watched Before Midnight, I begged my fellow chicks with accents, Mette and Sofia, to do an episode on it and the first two "Before" movies, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, as soon as possible. And voila! They have it and all of us have a lot to say. Listen to our nearly unedited conversation about Celine and Jesse and the time we spent with them.

Also, *in a River Song voice* "SPOILERS!"

Contents:
00:35- Chick Chatter
02:46- Trailer
03:09- Interesting Movie of the Fortnight
18:46- The chicks discuss the Before Trilogy
1:06:25- Plugs and Goodbyes


Songs:

Nina Simone "Just In Time"
Julie Delpy "A Waltz For A Night"
Cilla Black "Across the Universe"

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Thoughts

       Hello my lovelies. I haven't blogged in a while and that is because I have been really uninspired and the cold makes me super lazy. This is the first weekly thoughts post of 2013 actually, and here are my thoughts-

1) Sundance Film Festival is go! I have actually been avoiding any and all reviews. Stoker isn't being received very well, which is a shame because it looks pretty awesome. Daniel Radcliffe is apparently really good in Kill Your Darlings, so yaay! And then there is Before Midnight, whose every mention makes my heart race. Apparently, it's the best in the series so far. I don't know if that is even remotely possible, and I am going to continue to be skeptical and totally blind about this movie, because I don't want hype or spoilers ruining it for me.

2) J.J. Abrams is making Star Wars Episode VII. I like Abrams, and I'm neutral towards Star Wars (except when it comes to Han Solo of course- so hot!) so we will see how it goes. 

3) Leo DiCaprio, who is the star of my new banner, is taking a long break from films. Honestly, I don't blame him. The man tries and he tries and he tries and nothing. Boo you whore (all of the awards).

4) I saw Gangster Squad. What a waste! The only thing worth watching in that film is Ryan Gosling, in his impeccable suits. And the cinema hall I went to did something to his voice which made him sound like a whiny, little girl so they ruined that as well.

5) Emma Stone will be starring in Guillermo Del Toro's horror flick Crimson Peak. I think most actresses do a horror movie at some point, but if you have to do it, Del Toro is definitely the way to go. And with Stone's ginormous eyes, it will be even more believable. Charlie Hunnam will also be starring.

6)  Trance has a super trippy poster out. And of course trippy and Danny Boyle makes me think of Trainspotting, so this film is going to be gooooooood.

7) Trailers- Mud, which looks very good actually. Take Shelter was an amazing film, even if too slow at parts and this looks more thrilling. The trailer says that it has Matthew McConaughey's best performance, which after 2012, is something to get excited about. I am not a big Coen brothers fan, but I am actually looking forward to Inside Llewyn Davis. The cat and Carey Mulligan have made me excited. Spring Breakers looks crazy but it might be a good kind of crazy, we'll see. Also, how fucked up do those Disney tween stars turn out at the end? Trance looks great. Love the cast, love Boyle, love McAvoy's pretty blues. I think this film is going to be epic. Finally, the 20 second teaser of Only God Forgives came out and holy hell, does it look freaking brilliant! Ryan Gosling in suits, beating up people with his bare fists- yes, please.

8) This-

I always liked her. Always.

9) Finally, since we are on the subject of the Gos-

When I was a kid my Dad came upon a truckload of cellophane and he wanted me to help him sell it. So I was taking it to the kids at school, trying to sell it to my teachers. I went and stood in front of the supermarket. I had a fantasy that one day someone would buy all of it. That some guy would just come along and be like ‘I’ll take em all’ It never happened. So I was walking out of Ralph’s one day and I saw these kids trying to sell these cookies and I was like yeah, I’ll take them all. So I bought hundreds and hundreds of boxes. I didn’t realize how many boxes I was going to have. I had a car full of them. I didn’t know what to do so I started just like throwing them out the window to people on the street.

Ryan Gosling- part superhero, part Santa, Total God.

Toodles.

Hellooo 2013!

       Happy New Year folkses. And with this new year, we have a whole slew of films that need to be seen. 2013 seems pretty awesome all in all. I am going to dub it "The Year of the Cumberbatch".

These are some of the films I really want to see in 2013- Prisoners, The Place Beyond the Pines, Gangster Squad, Pain and Gain, Man of Steel, The Double, To the Wonder, The F Word, Horns, The Butler, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola, The Dallas Buyer's Club, Diana, Nightingale, The Railway Man, Lovelace, This is the End, White Bird in a Blizzard, Oz: The Great and Powerful, Warm Bodies, I'm So Excited, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Elysium, Pacific Rim, Now You See Me, Oldboy, Jack Ryan, Blood Ties, Monsters University, Admission, 42, Movie 43, Kick Ass 2, 300: Rise of an Empire, Thor: The Dark World, The Wolverine, The Lone Ranger, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, World War Z, Nymphomaniac, The Zero Theorem, The Young and Prodigious Spivet, Venus in Fur, Frances Ha, Frank, Trance.

And my 25 most-anticipated films of 2013 are-

25) Iron Man 3

The Avengers is still my favourite film of last year, and RDJesus as Iron Man was a big reason for that. In spite of the slightly disastrous Iron Man 2, I am really looking forward to this movie. Yes, it looks like it is going down the "dark, tortured superhero" path (thanks Batman), but I am sure it will be very funny too.

24) August: Osage County

I have heard great things about the play and the cast is to die for. Plus, Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch in one film- Hey!

23) Don Juan's Addiction

Seeing how good Argo was, I have a new-found respect for actors-turned-directors. And I adore JGL as it is. 

22) Untitled Woody Allen film

It is a normal thing to go gaga over the cast of a Woody Allen film. But I am especially psyched about Cate Blanchett headlining this. Also I think it will be a drama, which just increases my excitement.

21) The Wolf of Wall Street

Leo is back with Martin Scorsese in this. Though more than anything, I am excited about the Matthew McConaughey role, since that man has made me a fan post-2012.

20) The Counselor

The first of the Pitt-Fassy collaborations of the year. It is written by Cormac McCarthy and being directed by Ridley Scott, so good stuff all around.

19) The Monuments Men

This film has one helluva cast and I usually like George Clooney's directorial features a lot. Very intriguing plot too.

18) Her

I have really liked/loved everything that Spike Jonze has made, and this sounds very endearing. A man who falls in love with a computer reminds me of Jonze's lovely short, I'm Here. Can't wait.

17) The Great Gatsby 

Originally slated to come out in 2012, this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic will at least be very interesting, and very stunning to look at. Still not sure about the 3D though.

16) Side Effects

Steven Soderbergh's last theatrical feature. 'Nuff said.

15) Fading Gigolo

John Turturro's directorial debut starring Woody Allen. It can go eitherway, but I have an inkling that it will be excellent.

14) Labor Day

Jason Reitman is one of my most favourite directors and I love all his films. This one stars Kate Winslet. WANT!

13) Untitled Terrence Malick film

It has Ryan Gosling and Michael Fassbender sharing the same screenspace (hopefully! Control your editing tendencies, Malick!) and this is MY list. Plus it will be pretty. (Only the shallow know themselves etc.)

12) Kill Your Darlings 

I love a cast of young actors and this film has some of the best around- Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Elizabeth Olsen, Jack Huston. Plus the Beat movement is always fascinating.

11) Anchorman : The Legend Continues

Because I love lamp.

10) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

This one will have Benedict Cumberbatch's voice and Lee Pace being a pretty elf. And of course, my fake husband (well, one of them) Martin Freeman. Yaay! And definitely going to watch this one in 24 FPS.

9) Much Ado About Nothing

No, I am not much of a Shakespeare fan. But after 2012, I am definitely a Joss Whedon fan. And he made this film randomly while on a holiday, in twelve days. And it's in black and white.

8) Twelve Years a Slave

This film has one of the best casts EVER. The second Pitt-Fassy collaboration of the year, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Quvenzhané Wallis, Adepero Oduye, Sarah Paulson and so on. Of course, the star of the show would be one of today's most daring and capable directors, Steve McQueen.

7) Gravity

Another film that was supposed to come out in 2012. Love Alfonso Cuarón and apparently the visuals of this film will blow our minds.

6) The Bling Ring

Sofia Coppola is one of my most favourite filmmakers, and in this film she will show a group of high-life loving robbers. Plus, Emma Watson was born to be in a Sofia Coppola film.

5) Only God Forgives

Drive ranks high in my top 100 films of all time and the Gos and the Refn are back again! All the beaten-up Gosling photos are so hot, it's killing me.

4) Stoker

Fucked-up family films are literally the best. And this looks batshit crazy. Gorgeous cast and please let this be Matthew Goode's big role.

3) Star Trek Into Darkness

Star Trek is still one of my best cinematic experiences. I had so much fun in that film that when the sequel was confirmed, I was going crazy with excitement. Then they announced that Benedict Cumberbatch will play the probable villain...

2) Before Midnight

The sequel everyone wants and doesn't want. How does one improve on perfection, except that that actually happened the last time around. If this is done well, this might be the last part of one of the greatest film trilogies ever made, and with my second-favourite onscreen couple.

1) The World's End

Speaking of greatest film trilogies and favourite onscreen pairs, THIS FILM IS IT! I have been waiting for this film ever since I heard that Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are a part of the Three Favours Cornetto trilogy. Every announcement of this film has had me screaming like a fangirl. Added to the dynamic duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (BEST ONSCREEN COUPLE EVER), my husband Martin Freeman is there too. I have no doubt that I will love this film. We just have to see how much.

Here's to an ab fab film year :)

Thoughts

Hiiii people! I don't know why I sound so excited. I have literally been sleeping all day. My virtual persona seems wayyyy more active than I am, which just goes to show how lethargic I am in real life. So after that useless bit of trivia about yours truly that no one asked for, I give you my thoughts of the week-

1) BEFORE MIDNIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!! OR RATHER IT HAS ALREADY SUPER-SECRETLY HAPPENED!!!!!!!! ZOMG I'M SO EXCITED THAT EVEN THESE MANY EXCLAMATION MARKS PALE IN COMPARISON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2) Yeah... so Before Midnight, the third part to the absolutely wonderful Before Sunrise-Sunset movies has wrapped up filming in Greece. There is a picture and everything. I am not even going to speculate about what has happened or will happen. I just need more of Celine and Jesse in my life, and I am very thankful for the existence of this movie. With this and The World's End, we are seeing the possibility of two of the greatest trilogies ever coming out next year. Yaaay!

3) Fassy is going to play a rockstar in new indie movie, Frank. It is a comedy that also stars Domhnall Gleeson, aka Bill Weasley, as "an aspiring musician who finds himself in over his head when he joins an eccentric rock band led by Fassbender." Fassy, as everyone knows by now, is a super-actor who seems to never rest because he is permanently filming. I'm not complaining though. This project seems like fun, and I don't think I have ever seen Fassy do anything comic. His Archie Hicox and Erik Lensherr had elements of humour in them, but that's about it.

4) The other two big movie news of this week is that Spike Jonze's next film, Her, will have Joaquin Phoenix falling in love with a computer. "In the not so distant future, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely writer purchases a newly developed operating system designed to meet the user's every needs. To Theodore's surprise, a romantic relationship develops between him and his operating system. This unconventional love story blends science fiction and romance in a sweet tale that explores the nature of love and the ways that technology isolates and connects us all." This will be amazing. It's sort of like his previous films but then not really. I love Phoenix being weird. It also has a great female cast consisting of Rooney Mara, Samantha Morton, Olivia Wilde and Amy Adams. Presently both Phoenix and Adams can be seen in Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, whose next will be an adaptation of  Inherent Vice, about "Larry 'Doc' Sportello a private eye based in Los Angeles in the late 1960s. He’s a believer in the psychedelic free-love era, and his case involves an ex-girlfriend, her real estate billionaire boyfriend and a kidnapping." And none other than Robert Downey Jr. is said to be eyeing this role. I can see both these films being out-of-this-world fantabulous! Cannot wait.

5) This is probably the most unsurprising news ever, but there's a new Woody Allen film in the making that I just found out about. It is being filmed in San Francisco. As always, it boasts of a pretty impressive cast, headed by the sublime Cate Blanchett (2nd Oscar time please!), Peter Sarsgaard, Alec Balwin and Sally Hawkins. I am yet to see To Rome with Love, but seeing how every alternate Woody film is brilliant (the last one being my beloved Midnight in Paris), I have high hopes for it.

6) Links- A very happy 23rd birthday to Sati and a very happy 1st blog birthday to Aziza's Picks :D

7) Trailers- Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters, which looks so hilariously bad that I almost want to see it. The Impossible, that looks like an incredible family drama and stars one of my most favourite actors, Ewan McGregor and also Naomi Watts. The To Do List which has the awesome Aubrey Plaza, looks fun though not all that much. Still, I love her and I will probably watch this. The Iceman that has Michael Shannon, Ray Liota, Winona Ryder (!!), Chris Evans and James Franco. What can I say, it had me at Winona (please let this be her comeback). A really cool cast overall actually. On the Road's latest trailer looks really good, and I like it so much more than the previous one. It is more along the lines of what I imagined it to be. Also, with the reediting of the film, it will be interesting to see how much better a film it has become.

8) Finally, Doctor Who series 7 started this week and it was abso-bloomin'-lutely epic!! I am thinking of doing weekly posts on it and on, wait for it, the hot mess that is America's Next Top Model. Let's see if I can find time this week to do the first one, otherwise I'll just freak out about Who in the next weekly thoughts post. Until then, let's just rejoice the Doctor style-

Bitchin'

That's all folks.