Across the Universe Podcast: Episode 20

Episode 20: Let's Fall in Love

Birds do it, bees do it etcetera etcetera... It's Valentine's Day! Well, almost. And to celebrate, Mette, Sofia and yours truly look at some unconventional films about love in this episode.

We also have a special Interesting Movie of the Fortnight feature this time 'round, along with a new, shorter format.

Enjoy. Fall in love. Whatever.

Content:

0:27- Chick-chatter

3:49- Trailer

4:50- Interesting Movie of the Fortnight

12:40- The chicks discuss Harold and Maude (1971)

20:47- The chicks discuss Last Night (2010)

32:57- The chicks discuss Bright Star (2009)

43:34- Plugs and Goodbyes

Songs:

Ella Fitzgerald "Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)"

Amy Adams and Lee Pace "If I Didn't Care"

Fiona Apple "Across The Universe"

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Thoughts

        Helloo all! Question- if you decided to go to a red carpet with a paper bag over your head, what would you write on it?

       Questions like this keep me up at night...

       Anyways, my movie-related thoughts for this week:

1) I have been planning to start on Ben Wheatley's filmography for a while now. Looks like his latest project is going to give me the push I needed. High Rise, based on the novel by J.G. Ballard, is about a doctor who gets involved in the secret world of a high rise built during the Thatcher era in England where the tenants are divided into quarrelling classist factions. And none other than Tom Hiddleston is going to star as the doctor whose name is Robert Laing. Hiddles is doing great things with his career and this whole projects sounds very exciting. Wheatley is also going to direct the first two episodes of Doctor Who series 8 so I'm really pumped to see his work.

2) One of my most anticipated films of 2015, the Fassy-Cotillard starrer-Macbeth, has started filming. While  the Macbeths are as perfect as they come, the rest of the characters are also going to be played by some excellent actors. Paddy Considine is going to be Banquo, Sean Harris is Macduff, and Jack Raynor and Elizabeth Debicki are also in the film. I am guessing that the former will play prince Malcolm and the latter will be Lady Macduff. Eitherways, this is one amazing and rather hot cast. I am currently studying the play in college and I swear, I just keep imagining this film during the lectures. I need it. Justin Kurzel is directing it.

3) Criminally underrated Paul Bettany will star as the Vision in the upcoming The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Bettany is actually one of the original Marvel actors from phase 1, voicing Tony Stark's awesome interface Jarvis. Of course, I am fairly certain this will be addressed in the movie. In the Marvel comic-verse, Vision goes from being a baddie android to a good guy and even marries the Scarlet Witch, who will be played by Elizabeth Olsen in the movie. I guess I should be more skeptical about this film because seriously, where do you go from after The Avengers, but I'm super duper excited about all these developments. It has started filming today in Johannesburg. BIG HULK YESSSSS!!!

4) Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, easily my favourite on screen couple of 2013, are going to reteam for a drama about the bombing during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Hill will play Richard Jewell, a security guard who was first hailed as a hero for discovering the bomb and helping people to evacuate only to then be suspected as the perpetrator behind the bombing. Leo will play his attorney. After The Wolf of Wall Street, I am ready to watch these two in anything whatsoever and this actually sounds pretty fantastic.

5) Other casting stuff- Ewan McGregor, Tye Sheridan, Ciarin Hinds and Ayelet Zurer will be starring in Rodrigo Garcia's Last Days in the Desert. In it, McGregor will play a double role of a holy man and a demon who journeys through a desert. The synopsis is described as "an encounter with a family struggling to survive in this harsh environment forces the holy man to confront his own fate." McGregor is one of my most favourite actors and this sounds like an interesting plot. Emma Watson will star alongside Ethan Hawke in Alejandro Amenábar's Regression which is about "dealing with one's deepest primal fears". Amenábar directed one of my most favourite horror movies, The Others, so I will be looking forward to this. Johnny Depp and Tom Hardy will co-star in Black Mass about Whitey Bulger, one of America’s Most Wanted men and the leader of the the Winter Hill Gang, and who was also apparent;y an FBI informant. Depp will play Bulger and Hardy will play an FBI agent named John Connolly who was a childhood friend of Bulger's. One of Depp's best performances ever was in Donnie Brasco and it will be great seeing him go down the gangster road again, especially after his recent career choices.

6) If you weren't aware of it already, my fellow chick with accent from German/Danish-land, Mette has started a Youtube channel with her sister and it is awesome. Check out their second video-

7) Posters- Under the Skin's poster is a thing of beauty. I am kind of skeptical about the film because it really does not seem the kind I will like, but the poster is definitely gorgeous. The Transcendence poster is a bit creepy and not in a good way. It makes me feel gross for some reason. However, The Poster Of The Millenium, THE Poster To End All Posters is THIS ONE. It's from a Bengali movie called Obhishopto Nighty which roughly translates to 'haunted nightgown'. This poster is literally everywhere in my city. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. #onlyinIndia

8) Trailers- Not really a trailer but here's a 15 minute long "foreshadowing" of the upcoming season 4 of Game of Thrones, with bigger dragons and more Hodor (everyone say "HODOR!"). I can't wait. I have my Red Wedding t-shirt ready for the season premiere. The Two Faces of January's trailer is really thrilling and the film looks gorgeous. Pretty impressive people involved too. The second trailer of Hannibal is even more stunning than the first. Ugh! Finally, the trailer of the week is the latest one of Richard Ayoade's The Double. It looks crazy and creepy and cool and I still love Jesse Eisenberg in spite of how much picturing him as a tattooed Lex Luthor makes me anxious.

9) Finally, I adore the "Celebrities Read Mean Tweets" feature on Jimmy Kimmel. Benedict Cumberbatch's was one of the best-

His cheekbones though.

Toodles!

The Month that was- January

I'm sorry for the delay, guys! February has been off to a rocky start. I caught up on a lot of 2013 releases in January. There are still some left which I will hopefully be done with by March. I saw 31 movies in all and a number of television shows including one about a certain British detective.


Firsts:

1) 12 Years A Slave- I appreciated it though like all Steve McQueen movies, it left me a bit cold. Fassy's performance keeps getting better and better in my eyes.
2) The Grandmaster- Gorgeous but a bit all over the place. Felt much longer than it was.
3) About Time- In spite of the science being flawed, the film was lovely, touching, very funny and excellently acted.
4) Blue Jasmine- Cate deserves that Oscar SOOO effing much. I loved the movie too.
5) Short Term 12- This film is just so well-balanced. It could have been such a sentimental mess, but instead it gives a very honest portrayal of troubled children. Fantastic performances by everyone, especially John Gallagher Jr. and Brie Larson.
6) Ain't Them Bodies Saints- I got really bored in this, mostly because I couldn't understand anything Casey Affleck was saying. Still, quite a gorgeous film and Ben Foster was great.
7) The Secret Life of Walter Mitty- Sweet and heartwarming.
8) The Wolf of Wall Street- One of the best cinematic experiences of my life, or more specifically, the Lemmons scene. This was the slightly censored version.
9) Dallas Buyers Club- Watching this on the same day I saw WoWS was perhaps not the best idea. I still liked it loads.
10) Pain and Gain- It becomes a bit too much but I appreciate Michael Bay for attempting a film like this. I found the first half really funny.
11) Her- Absolutely wonderful. One of the best love stories ever. Joaquin Phoenix probably has my favourite cinematic face.
12) August: Osage County- Liked it quite a bit. Sometimes, batshit crazy stuff is fun. Loved Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper and Benedict Cumberbatch. Also, I might have started properly drooling when the latter sings.
13) Enough Said- So human and lovely. Excellent, heartfelt, honest performances.
14) Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit- SO SLOW! I get what kind of vibe they were going for, but the only thing that kept me awake in the first half was Chris Pine's fine ass in a hot suit. I'm just telling it as it is, ja feel?
15) All is Lost- I was a wee bored in the beginning but it is actually a very engaging movie about survival. Beautifully shot and scored too.
16) The Act of Killing- People can be such horrible beings. This film angered me, but wow, it's one of the most powerful pieces of cinematic art I have ever seen.
17) Ernest et Celestine- So adorable! Stunning animation too and a really sweet story at its heart. As much as I love Frozen, I will not mind this winning the Oscar if it comes to that.
18) 20 Feet from Stardom- Gahhh I wish I could sing! So inspiring and touching. Loved it.
19) Cutie and the Boxer- I really liked this one too. The portrayal of the relationship between love and art is an excellent subject to make a documentary on.
20) Filth- I thought it could have been a more coherent film but I didn't mind it, despite its surprisingly depressing side.
21) The Croods- Did not expect it to be so much fun.
22) Inside Llewyn Davis- This too was depressing but I liked it. Also, I'm obsessed with "Please Mr. Kennedy".
23) The Counselor- It was just so boring. People were just talking at you. I actually started experimenting with nail art while watching this, I was *that* uninterested. It probably has my favourite death scene from last year though.
24) Fruitvale Station- I am a bit undecided on this one. I wish they would have done somethings differently but I still liked it loads. Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer were brilliant.
25) Pee-Wee's Big Adventure- I decided to take a break from 2013 films and finally finish watching Tim Burton's filmography. I kind of liked it. Pee-Wee just annoyed me too much.
26) Rebecca- Uneven but beautiful.


Rewatched:

1) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of Lost Ark- What better way to ring in the new year than with young Harrison Ford at his hottest?
2) The World's End- I love this film more and more everytime I watch it. Same goes for Simon Pegg's performance.
3) Beautiful Creatures- This film makes me happy.
4) The Wolf of Wall Street- The fully uncensored version. I really love this film.
5) Little Rascals- BEST. MOVIE. EVER.


TV shows:

1) Sherlock, series 3- I *almost* don't mind waiting for another two years for series 4 if it is anything as good as series 3. The growth of Sherlock from series to series is so subtle but absolutely brilliant to witness. I love all the actors and writers and directors and seriously, this show needs some awards. a) Favourite episode- As enjoyable as "The Sign of Three" was, I'll have to go with "His Last Vow". It was dark, emotional, cinematic and had a helluva ending. b) MVP- No fucking chance I can choose just one person. Soz. I love all of them. c) Favourite quote- I loved Sherlock's best man speech but I'm going to go with John's "Am I pretty lady?" FEED THE FANDOMS, MOFFAT!

2) Sleepy Hollow, season 1- Who knew this show would be so much fun? From Tom Mison's confused and gentlemanly Ichabod to Nicole Beharie's kickass Abbie to John Cho just being creepy, I really enjoyed the first season and am waiting for the next one eagerly. a) Favourite episode- "The Indispensable Man/Bad Blood". The double episode season finale is already one of the best of the year. The twists kept coming. b) MVP- I'll have to go with Mison's Ichabod Crane. It's not easy to make a character previously played by Johnny Depp completely your own, but Mison is really great in this role. I am half-and-half about his clothes though. He should change them occasionally, maybe? c) Favourite quote- 

"I don't understand your obsession with my finery. Demons threaten our very existence with the promise of Apocalypse...God's wounds! One sign of the impending Apocalypse is surely skinny jeans." 

Love Ichabod's constant struggle with the 21st century.

3) American Horror Story: Coven- I don't remember if I've ever seen a show with so much potential go to shit so quickly. I'm really disappointed with this season. I thought it would be my favourite. All the actresses were so great but the writing and the crazy, confused plots just let everyone down. a) Favourite episode- "Burn, Witch. Burn!" It was such a cinematic episode, from the zombies to the disco-themed witch-burning. b) MVP- Fiona, Madison, Marie, Delphine and Queenie were all great but my heart belongs to the one and only Myrtle Snow played by the show's regular scene-stealer, Frances Conroy. The big hair, the fashion sense, the air of sophistication and the inspired use of melon baller- LOVE! c) Favourite quote- One thing I will give this season is that everyone had amazing lines. Some of my favourites:

Fiona: [to Cordelia] "Don't make me drop a house on you."

Delphine: "Lieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssss."

Queenie: "Madison Montgomery is a stone-cold bitch who loves hard drinking, big dicks and trouble. If she's dead, it's probably 'cause she got wasted and offered the Grim Reaper a hand job or something."

Cordelia: [to Myrtle] "Any last words?"

Myrtle: "Only one... BALENCIAGA!"

Final tally:

                                            Firsts- 26                                               Rewatched- 5

                                                                              Total- 31

I will post my "best of" lists this month :) Stay tuned.

Thoughts

        Just as I was writing this post, the news of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death came rushing through social media. Hoffman was a truly gifted actor. My first thought was the scene in The Master when he's in the cell next to Joaquin Phoenix and while the latter is going apeshit crazy, Hoffman's just standing there but we're still transfixed by him. Such was his screen presence. And the fact that he was just 46 is devastating. Both my parents are older than that and it's scary. Hoffman made every film he was in better. He will be sorely missed by film fans all over the world. One of the best we ever had. RIP.

          Going back to the trivial. (I'm sorry for the tonal shift)

1) Jesse Eisenberg has been cast as Lex Luthor for the Batmas versus Superman movie. I'm sorry but WHAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT?????????!!!!!!! Usually I am all for unconventional casting choices but this is proper Batshit (haha, like Batfleck) crazy. I know everyone's all like oh Luthor and Superman will be the same age and Eisenberg can play a great asshole etc. but that doesn't mean he should play Lex Luthor! I will admit that people trying to explain how Luthor and Mark Zuckerberg are the same person is pretty hilarious. Still, all I can visualise is Eisenberg doing a Dr. Evil. And please, just don't make him bald. His hair is beautiful. It's like real-life hobbit hair! He'll also look like a child in front of Henry Cavill's Superman. I mean, I knew this was going to be a terrible movie but I'm actually scared now. Has Eisenberg been hanging out with Shia LaBeouf? Why would he say yes to this? Is this like a social experiment? I don't understand!!!

2) All this madness has overshadowed an actual inspired casting choice in the same movie. Jeremy Irons will play Alfred. That's kind of awesome but still a big fat no to Eisenberg as Luthor. I'm going to go hug my The Social Network DVD and cry now.

3) Colin Farrell has replaced Jason Clarke in Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster. This is pretty exciting because I think Farrell is can be an amazing actor who just doesn't get the right roles that often. He was one of the best things about Saving Mr. Banks too. Rachel Weisz has joined the cast as well, which already includes Lea Seydoux and Ben Whishaw. This is going to be some movie.

4) So JK Rowling has announced that she regrets pairing Hermione with Ron and that she should have been with Harry instead. I love Ron and Hermione, but I feel in the movies especially, Harry and Hermione worked exceptionally well. And well, anything that breaks off the Harry-Ginny pairing is good in my eyes. Eitherways, this could turn into a very interesting drama about betrayal and heartbreak mixed with magic, so that could be cool! The only thing I feel bad about is the whole Ron is always the second-best concept. Fuck you and WEASLEY IS OUR KING!! I hope he ends up with some nice part-Veela.

5) In spite of her claims of wanting to take a break from acting, Jennifer Lawrence may star in yet another David O. Russell film. One of the co-writers of Bridesmaids, Annie Mumulo has written a script about Joy Mangano, the inventor of the Miracle Mop (wtf is that? Someone explain in the comments) and her rags to riches story. I do find the whole concept funny and I think JLaw can pull it off. Anyways, one has to wonder when this film will see the light of day since both JLaw and Russell are busy with other projects. Also, this Mangano lady also invented something called the Huggable Hangers so yaaay, SEQUEL!

6) Everyone is watching and loving True Detective, yes? If not, I don't think we can be friends anymore. That show is going AHMAZING and I think this will be Matthew McConaughey's finest performance ever. The writer of the show, Nic Pizzolatto, is already working on a draft for the second season and at the same time, his first book Galveston is heading for the big screen. I don't think Pizzolatto is writing the screenplay but the synopsis of the book is pretty cool and quite cinematic too. Matthias Schoenaerts is going to star in the movie.

7) Other casting stuff- Kyle Chandler, who was awesome in The Wolf of Wall Street, has joined the ever-impressive cast of Todd Haynes' Carol. Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan will reunite for College Republicans which tells the true story of the College Republican Chairman campaign of 1973. The film will be directed by their Kill Your Darlings director, John Krokidas. I like this pairing too much. In spite of all the dirty politics, the story is apparently something of a buddy comedy which sounds intriguing. Brie Larson will star in The Good Luck of Right Now, based on the book of the same name written by Matthew Quick, who also wrote Silver Linings Playbook, and will be directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who directed Little Miss Sunshine and Ruby Sparks. To this I say, FUCK YEAH!!!! Larson was one of the biggest surprises of 2013 for me and everyone else involved in this project is awesome. Benedict Cumberbatch will star in Blood Mountain, which follows a private military contractor who has to escort a very dangerous terrorist through a hostile region to bring him to justice. The film sounds pretty gritty and being a Cumberbitch, I am excited to see what Cumberbatch does with it. I am also a Pinenut and Chris Pine is going to play the protagonist in David Gordon Green's The Line, a thriller about a lonely patrol agent who has to protect a 10 year old child orphaned after a cartel shootout from people from both sides of the law. Again, this sounds exciting and I really want Pine to get a proper break because I think he's really talented. Felicity Jones will play Romeo's ex-lover Rosaline in Rosaline, written by the the people behind (500) Days of Summer. I think this can be a really funny story because as we all know, Rome and Juliet were idiots. Adrien Brody will star in Manhattan Nocturne about "a devoted husband and accomplished journalist who is asked by a seductive stranger to dig into the unsolved murder of her husband." I am forever waiting for Brody's next great performance so count me in! Finally, Liam Neeson has joined Martin Scorsese's next, Silence, about a Jesuit priest's journey to Japan and his encounter with religious persecution. The film also stars Andrew Garfield and Ken Watanabe. I want this movie now!

8) Coming back to TV, none other than Michael Pitt has joined the cast of the eagerly anticipated season 2 of Hannibal. He will be playing Mason Verger, the character played by Gary Oldman in the movie Hannibal. Few of us can ever forget Verger's mutilated face in the movie and it really is a scrumptious role (adjective keeping in theme with the show of course) as he is one of Hannibal Lecter's most brutal nemeses. Still, one would hope that we get to see Pitt's gorgeous face before Mads Mikkelsen's Hannibal has his way with him.

9) Links- Stevee lists down the Practical Reasons Why Leo DiCaprio Doesn't/Shouldn't Have an Oscar Yet, Tumblr. It's pretty accurate and everyone should read it. Margaret talks about the aforementioned newest bestest show ever, True Detective. This weekend has seen a lot of talk about Dylan Farrow and Woody Allen and since I am such a fan of the latter's work, the weeks since the Golden Globes fiasco have been a sort of reassessment for me about what I believe in when it comes to things like this. The closest thing to what I feel and think is this fantastic article by Nathaniel R. of The Film Experience. Lastly, there have been wonderful articles all across the web about Philip Seymour Hoffman and there's no point linking to just a few. Check them all out.

10) Trailers- The first trailer of The Fault in Our Stars, which is based on John Green's fantastic love story about two teenagers with cancer, is out. People are going nuts about it. I admit that I got weepy while watching it too but I'm a bit concerned about how the trailer makes the story look almost sappy. One of my favourite things about the book and Green's writing in general is the sense of humour of his characters, which is what makes them so real. The trailer does show that Shailene Woodley is definitely the perfect Hazel though Ansel Elgort is still no Gus. The Rover looks quite bleak and though I haven't seen Animal Kingdom yet, I think I will like it. Love Guy Pearce and I think RPatz will be good in this. The trailer of Nymphomaniac part 2 keeps me as intrigued as always. Love the music. I liked Prince Avalanche a lot and its director David Gordon Green's new movie Joe has a trailer now. It stars Nicolas Cage and Tye Sheridan. It's great to see Cage doing something serious instead of stealing government documents or whatever, and Sheridan is still one of my most favourite performers of last year for his work in Mud, so I'm excited to see what he does too. I think I am one of the only people who found the trailer of Seth MacFarlaine's A Million Ways to Die in the West really funny. The "Mila Kunis" part killed me. One of my most favourite movies of last year, The Lunchbox has a US trailer out. Everyone should watch it. The latest trailer of Maleficent is the best one yet, thanks to Lana Del Rey's creepy rendition of "Once Upon A Dream" and Angelina Jolie's smile. I love it. Terry Gilliam is back with The Zero Theorem which has Christoph Waltz in the lead role, along with David Thewlis, Tilda Swinton and Ben Whishaw. It looks really weird and surreal, which is expected from Gilliam. It can either be something really fantastic or a total fail. I'm hoping for the former. A Long Way Down which based on a Nick Hornby book and stars Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots and Rosamund Pike, looks very sweet and heartwarming. While watching the Super Bowl trailer of Transformers: Age of Extinction, all I could think of was how much I wanted to rewatch Pacific Rim. Still, I am willing to give Michael Bay and Mark Wahlberg a chance after Pain and Gain. The jokes in the latest trailer of The Amazing Shit-Man 2 fall so flat that I don't get why they're trying at all. As it is the idea of a 30 year old teenage Peter Parker, Electro's look, Oscorp's abysmal security and an actual metal rhino are going to provide enough comic relief. I am only going to watch this film for Dane DeHaan because I already know that it will waste the talents of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone once again. DeHaan might make something meaty out of his role, and I like his face. It's nice. One only has to look at the trailer of Captain America: The Winter Soldier to see what all the Amazing Shit-Man team are doing wrong. The action looks great, there's proper intrigue in the trailer, the set pieces and the effects feel cinematic and the little joke at the end is actually funny because people aren't trying so hard. My two favourite trailers of last week are those of Beauty and the Beast and Enemy. The first looks so beautiful and I love the idea of Lea Seydoux and Vincent Cassel playing Belle and the Beast respectively. The latter looks like a most interesting psychological thriller and I adored Jake Gyllenhaal in Prisoners, which was his previous collaboration with Denis Villeneuve, the director of Enemy. I'm really stoked for both these films.

11) Finally, the Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue has a non-whitewashed cover and it looks pretty great-

Who wants to be Julia Roberts? Raise your hands!! The women look gorgeous.

12) Really properly *finally*, I was going to post only this before but then the Vanity Fair cover released. Still, I feel that I need this on my blog on, like, principle-

Fuck off, Tom!

Have you guys read the Elle UK interview? The fangirlness is seeping from every letter. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so damn true.

Byeeeee!

Across the Universe Podcast: Episode 19

Episode 19: And the Award Goes To

Though the 86th Academy Awards nominations were announced over ten days ago, people are still excited. Just this morning, the original song "Alone Yet Not Alone" got its nomination revoked. 

Listen as Sofia, Mette and I discuss the majority of the nominations. We talk snubs, wishes, people who should win and who will win and there's a fair amount of dissing as well.

There is no Interesting Movie of the Fortnight in this episode because it is a fairly long episode as it is. It will be back from our next episode :)

Content:

0:22- Chick-chatter

3:18- Trailer

3:47- Introduction to the Awards

5:25- Awards Ceremony/ Main discussion on the 86th Academy Awards nominations

1:24:15- Plugs and Goodbyes

Songs:

Karen O "Moon Song"

Idina Menzel "Let It Go"

Fiona Apple "Across The Universe"

Follow us at: facebook.com/acrosstheuniversepodcast
Write to us at: acrosstheuniversepodcast@gmail.com
Find us on iTunes: search for Across the Universe Podcast
Download episodes from: Our Dropbox page

The Clock is Striking Twelve

We finally have a glimpse at what the Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, will wear in the show. 

Here's what Capaldi had to say about it-

"He's woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 per cent Rebel Time Lord."

Pretty fucking badass, if you ask me. I really like the blue and the red and the sensible shoes. It's a bit surprising how excited I am about him. Here's one of the reasons why-

LIKE ZOMG!!!

Now we just have to wait 8-9 months because hello, it's BBC.