HARMONYZE

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC: the fleeting world

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 00:50:00 +0100

As I said in my last post, I wanted to write about an exhibition. There are a lot of interesting ones in Milan in this period, as the Klimt Experience (at Mudec) or the Caravaggio exhibition (at Palazzo Reale), or the Fontana one (at Hangar Bicocca), but I have chosen to go to the Toulouse-Lautrec one at Palazzo Reale because I was interested in knowing something more about his life and paintings.

The shopping bag I bought at the shop

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a French painter, caricaturist and illustrator who lived in the multifaceted atmosphere of Paris in the late 19th century. He was one of the most famous Post-impressionist painter, together with Cézanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin. He was a member of an aristocratic family and due to a family history of inbreeding he suffered from congenital health conditions; he broke his legs when he was a child and they didn't heal properly, but instead they ceased to grow, so he was very short, even if he had an adult-sized torso. He fully embraced the bohémien lifestyle of Montmartre, a place he rarely left for 20 years.

He suffered a lot for his deformity, but he found a shelter in the life of the theatres of Paris and in painting, trying to forget his aristocratic origins: in his photos, his poses are irreverent and he often uses costumes.

At the exhibition there were also two portraits which stroke me: the first one is a self-portrait of Toulouse-Lautrec, while the second one is a caricature of the painter himself.

it is one of the few self-portraits of the painter and in this one he was very young; the caricature has the head full of details, while the rest of the body is drawn with a few lines.

"The exhibition project is split into themes and will invite the visitor to appreciate the fascination and artistic importance of the bohemian painter who, without adhering to any school, knew instinctively how to create a new and provocative realism, an extreme synthesis of form, colour and movement." (from the Palazzo Reale website; here the link)

Toulouse-Lautrec was influenced by Manet and Degas, but also by the Japanese woodprints, regarding silhouettes and the use of the black; moreover, he was a master in portraying people in their daily-life, as when they were working, always using an extreme sympathy and respect for each subject he had chosen.

He is famous for his posters of theatres, as the one for the Divan Japonaise or the one for the Moulin Rouge, but also of events as bicycle racing and many more.

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I really like this exhibition, because it managed to make me discover a lot more about an artist I didn't know so well before. This happened also thanks to the free audioguide, which was very helpful during the visit.

See you soon

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #35

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 20:00:00 +0100

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

Sorry for the absence, but I had been a bit busy on these days. If I manage to, my next post will be about an exhibition, so stay tuned if you're interested ;)

Anyway, you are here to listen to a song you (maybe) don't know: after Lady Gaga, we return to Rock music, in particular today's song is a Rock cover of a famous Hip Hop song you surely have already listened to at least once in your life. I leave you a hint:

<<Tell me why are we so blind to see

That the ones we hurt are you and me>>

The song is...

GANGSTER'S PARADISE by Like A Storm

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #34

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 20:00:00 +0100

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

And today is the day of a Pop song (even the video is more like a film)! I've got the first album of this amazing artist and I keep on listen to her music; also, she is an inspiring example for a lot of people! Are you a "little monster"?

The song is...

MARRY THE NIGHT by Lady Gaga

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

WALK ON WATER - 30 Seconds To Mars

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 8 Nov 2017 20:00:00 +0100

"What does America means to you?"

One question, thousands of answers for this 30 Seconds To Mars project "A Day In The Life Of America": they filmed 24 hours in all the states of America on the 4th of July.
The result? By now this video

but all the other footage taken will be on a documentary film directed by Jared Leto himself (as you can read on the video description). You can see what defines America nowadays: religion, immigration, current events (as relationship with North Korea) and many other interesting facts and, in the background, the new 30 STM song, "Walk On Water":

<<A thin line, the whole truth
The far right, the left view
Breaking all those promises made
Times are changing>>

This is not a lyrics without a political meaning: Leto depicted the song as a "call to arms but also full of all the optimism and hope that is such an integral part of the American Dream", but watching also this video I think that the political position of the band is quite clear and close to the majority of American artists and Hollywood stars.

Anyway, considering instead the rhythm and the instrumental part, the song starts with a choral moment followed by the voice of Leto. It can be considered a electronic rock song due to the use of digital drums, chatbots and self-driving music software.
In fact, the two protagonists of the track are the vocal part, which doesn't only consist on the Jared Leto's voice, but also on the gospel choir, and the heavy beats made by the drums and the bassline.

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If you want, let me know what do you think about this song and the new video connected to the 30 STM ambitious project. I hope you enjoy this post! ^^

See you soon!

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #33

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 6 Nov 2017 20:00:00 +0100

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

I love this band so I choose a song from the tons of other songs I like! I hope you like it too!

«Fear and panic in the air

I want to be free

From desolation and despair

And I feel like everything I saw
Is being swept away
When I refuse to let you go»

The song is...

MAP OF THE PROBLEMATIQUE by Muse

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #32

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 4 Nov 2017 20:00:00 +0100

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

The vocal part of this song is pure magic, whispered and kind of low: the contrast with the instruments - electric guitars and synth - makes it even stronger.

The song is...

GET OUT by STAL

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #31

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 2 Nov 2017 20:00:00 +0100

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

I saved this song on Spotify some time ago and I forgot about it until I listened to it on shuffle: this is Hard Rock!

The song is...

IN CHAINS by Shaman's Harvest

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Halloween Playlist!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0100

Today is Halloween, so, instead of the usual "Song advice" post, I've thought I could choose some tracks related to Halloween and create a Halloween playlist!

(here the link of the playlist on YouTube)

Here the list of the tracks, which are 31 songs -as today's October, 31st!
Enjoy and...Happy Halloween! ☠

This Is Halloween (from The Nightmare Before Christmas) by Jonathan Young (cover)
Raise Hell by Dorothy
In The End by Black Veil Brides
Sound Of Madness by Shinedown
Can't Go To Hell by Sin Shake Sin
Mz. Hyde by Halestorm
Addicted To Pain by Alter Bridge
Enter Sandman by Metallica
Out Of The Black by Royal Blood
Moth by HELLYEAH
Hail To The King by Avenged Sevenfold
Savages by Theory Of A Deadman feat. Alice Cooper
Welcome To The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
Psycho by Muse
Ghost In The Mirror by Mallory Knox
Skeletons by Heartlist
Bones by The Killers
Bark At The Moon by Ozzy Osbourne
Heaven Knows by The Pretty Reckless
Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace
The Devil In I by Slipknot
Hollow by Submersed
Scars by I Prevail
Into The Fire by Asking Alexandria
We Own The Night by Rev Theory
Highway to Hell by AC/DC
Hard Rock Hallelujah by Lordi
Dragula by Rob Zombie
Raising Hell by Bullet For My Valentine
Empire (Let Them Sing) by Bring Me The Horizon
Fear Of The Dark by Iron Maiden

Song advice #30

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 29 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0100

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

What stroke me about this song when I first listened to it was the synth part just at the beginning and how it was perfectly combined with the singer's voice (which reminded me of bands like Pierce The Veil and Sleeping With Sirens).

The song is...

CALM SNOW by I See Stars

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Hammer of the gods - THOR: RAGNAROK

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 21:55:00 +0200

On the 24th of October there were the film preview of Thor: Ragnarok and, as a gift, one could receive a coin with the film logo on it. So I decided to buy the ticket, so I could have the chance to get also this special gift.

It is a 2017 film produced by Marvel Studios and it is the sequel to "Thor: The Dark World" (2013); it is directed by Taika Waititi and stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Cate Blanchett (Hela), Idris Elba (Heimdall), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) and Jeff Goldblum (Grandmaster).

http://www.rbcasting.com/speciali/2017/10/20/al-cinema-dal-25-ottobre-thor-ragnarok/

This film is different from the other Thor films (which I didn't like very much): it is funnier than the previous ones, with more jokes and moments when characters don't take themselves so seriously (even Thor himself); it seems that some characters have a new personality, especially Thor and Loki (and a new light is cast on Hulk), while others, as Odin and Heimdall, are always the same (and this is positive).

The film takes place not only at Asgard, but also on an alien planet named Sakaar, which is the setting of the main plot for too much time: there are some really funny characters on Sakaar, but what matters should be the situation of the (recently) conquered Asgard.

The plot starts after the defeat of Ultron: in fact, in "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" (2015), Hulk leaves the team because he considers himself too dangerous for humanity and he doesn't want to cause other problems; even Thor leaves the other Avengers because he wants to discover more about his visions. It is possible that the events of this new film are simultaneous to the ones of the "Captain America: Civil War" film.

If we consider the new characters, visually Hela is beautiful and terrifying: the horns remind me of the TV series Hannibal, where the deer was very important for the whole story.
Unfortunately, Hela is not so well examined: the scenes where one can see her are not so many and when she shows off, she doesn't seem so memorable. In the trailer, also, we see the Fenris Wolf, but the audience don't know where he comes from.
Valkyrie seemed an interesting character, but we know about her past only partially: we don't even know her real name.
The Grandmaster is well portrayed by Jeff Goldblum, but he has too much space in the story: I would have liked to learn more about Hela or Valkyrie.

As regards the soundtrack, it is amazing and not only the original tracks composed specifically for the film, but also the songs chosen, like Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.

---------------(there are SPOILERS from now on)---------------

It is interesting the personal growth of Thor, who gets to know himself, his power as the god of thunder and his role as the king of Asgard.

There's a scene at the end of "Doctor Strange" where it is shown Thor who meets Steven Strange: this is a scene taken from "Thor: Ragnarok", but the moments when the two meet up is not so plausible: how can Strange help Thor finding his father? How does he know where Odin is? He doesn't have such power as Heimdall, who technically could see e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.

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I think "Thor: Ragnarok" is a nice film, especially if you want to watch a film just to entertain yourself and have fun. There are better films included in the MCU, as "Guardians Of The Galaxy (1&2)", "Captain America: The Winter Soldier", "Doctor Strange", "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Ant-Man".

See you soon

Yours, Silvia (and my friend Silvia)

Song advice #29

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0200

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

If you listen to this song, you can meet three musical genre all at once: R&B, Hip-Hop and Rock. Don't you believe me? (Keep an ear also on the singer's voice: terrific!)

The song is...

ORIGINAL by Bad Rabbits

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #28

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0200

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

As my sister requested, I've chosen this song for my new post: a powerful song by a powerful band, which can psych you up in a gloomy day (if you can, listen to the whole album): "never surrenders, showing the fangs of rage".

The song is...

DON'T THREAD ON ME by Metallica

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

News for the blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0200

Hello everybody!

With this post I want to tell you I had been thinking for a while about changing the name of this blog and shorten it.

The name "Conceiving Paradoxes" had a meaning for me, because it underlined the fact everyone could have different interests which could seem disconnected to one another, like lots of paradoxes put together in a messy way. Instead, for me, all is bound and this bound is what makes everybody special and unique.

So now I've decided to change the name and choose a word which is connected to one of my greatest passions - that is music - with the idea of balance, inner peace and also connected to art and the ability to adapt to each situation that occurs in life: HARMONYZE. Even if the name is new, I won't change the type of posts I'll write, so you will find posts about music, art, films, travels and books as always.

I hope you like this new name and keep on following my blog!

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Bye for now!

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #27

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0200

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

When I listen to this song I thought it was a 80s song and instead the album was released in 2016. I don't know why, but they remind me of Mötley Crüe somehow. Do you agree?

The song is...

FALL AWAKE by Catalano

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #26

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0200

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

This band has a sad story: in fact I get to know that the singer has lost his voice (if you look for their live concerts on YouTube you can notice it) and I think it's a pity, because I really like their music.

The song is...

IT'S FAR BETTER TO LEARN by Saosin

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

EGYPT exhibition at MUDEC (Milan)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 22:14:00 +0200

When I was a little girl, I was very interested in everything about Egypt, especially the gods and goddess, the pyramids, the myths, the daily-life of people and the hieroglyphics. So, when I found out that there would have been an exhibit about Ancient Egypt at MUDEC in Milan, I bought the ticket (here the link of the exhibit).

The exhibit in particular is about the life and figure of Pharaon Amenhotep II (1427-1401 BC) in the so-called "Golden Age". A lot of museums, such as the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Stichting Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the National Archaeological Museum in Florence and other private collections have loaned for this occasion a lot of materials (statues, mummies, weapons...), to show the importance of this Pharaon, often eclipsed by the fame of his father Thutmose III, and the archaeological "rediscovery" of the finding of the tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

http://www.mudec.it/eng/

In this post I will show some photos I took and I write also some information I didn't know before visiting the exhibit.

Let's start from the Pharaon itself: who was Amenhotep II? I'll show you the family tree I wrote:

As you can see, Amenhotep II was a not-so-far ancestor of the famous Tutankhamen; instead, his father, Thutmose III was responsible of the creation of the largest empire Egypt had ever had: also, he ruled for almost 54 years (including 22 years when he was co-regent with his stepmother and aunt).

His son, Amenhotep II, wanted to emulate his father's achievements: this is proven also seeing the statues of Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, which are very similar in shape.

At the exhibit there was also a statue of a high dignitary who lived during the reign of Thutmose IV, whose name was Tjenena: the name and titular on the base of the statue had been deliberately erased, as a punishment for those who fell into disgrace.

I also took the photo of a stele, where it can be seen god Anubis (associated with mummification and afterlife) and god Osiris (god of transition and resurrection) on the left during an offering.

There were also papyruses, as the "Papyrus of Kenna" and the "Papyrus of Pashed": these are two fragments of a Book of the Dead and they are a result of the practice of cutting up papyruses for sale on the antiquities market. They were part of the scroll of a nobleman who lived at the end of the 18th dynasty, as evinced by the realistic representation of the deceased.
The "Papyris of Pashed" is a refined example of those from the New Kingdom: the vignette is elegantly drawn and the writing provides an excellent example of cursive hieroglyphs.

I saw some scarabs, as these ones: one of them has on its base the writing "the perfect god Amenhotep III", and the name of his Great Royal Wife Tiye, while the other, called "heart scarab", was placed on the mummy, above the heart. It is inscribed with the 30th formula of the Book of the Dead which beseeches the heart not to testify against the deceased at the tribunal of the gods.

It can be seen also the external and internal sarcophagi of Amenhotep (21st dynasty): it is not easy to have two sarcophagi of the same person, which were intended to fit one inside the other.

There was also a photo of the position of the sarcophagus of Amenhotep II at the moment of his discovery:

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I hope you enjoy this post: if you like my blog, you can follow it to stay tuned with all my new posts!

Bye for now

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #25

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0200

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

If you like Alternative Rock you may also like this song: I think the voice of the singer is unusual, as the music video is too.

The song is...

AFRAID OF HEIGHTS by Billy Talent

(here the link for the video)

---------------------------------------------

Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #24

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0200

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

This song starts with a very intense instrumental part and then it calms down, with the first words "this side of fate is blind". And then the lyrics and the instruments together, as intense as the start.

The song is...

THIS SIDE OF FATE by Alter Bridge

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

The ones who dream - LA LA LAND IN CONCERT (October, 7th - Milan)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0200

When my friend Silvia told me that at the Teatro Arcimboldi in Milan it would have been an event connected with La La Land (here my film review), I immediately set the alarm clock to get the tickets.

the poster of the event

The thing that makes this event special is that I watched the film while the orchestra played the instrumental part of the soundtrack of the film and not only the tracks which were only instrumental, but also the songs. The match was so perfect that I had to look at the musicians to understand if they were playing or not.

I really liked the pianist, the saxophonist and the double bass player, who were really good, but all the orchestra deserved to be listened to. I didn't like how they played the Jazz tracks (as "Herman's Habit"), which were not "Jazz" enough to me .

Another magical element was the use of lights in the theatre, which reproduced the colours of the different scenes: if the palette was more violet, there were violet lights; when the band where Sebastian played at a club, in the theatre there were red strobe lights as if we were at that club.
My favourite moment of the concert was when the spotlight lighted up only the pianist as it was happening in the film:

http://movieholichub.com/movies/la-la-land-2016-movie/

The orchestra, obviously, kept on playing even during the end credits, but some persons started to leave the theatre unexpectedly: it was not just an event to let people watch the film again on theatres, but also to listen to the live music of a professional orchestra.

A photo I took during the end credits

I hope to see this kind of events also in the future, because they represent three of my passions: music, films and theatre.

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Bye for now!

Yours, Silvia

p.s. let me know my clicking on the list on the left side of the blog which film review you would like to read!

Song advice #23

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 8 Oct 2017 22:24:00 +0200

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

The video of this song was published on YouTube six years ago, but I love this song even now, because a lot of memories came in my mind when I listen to it.

<<Into your lies,
hopeless and taken.
We stole our new lives,
through blood and pain,
in defense of our dreams.
In defense of our dreams.>>

The song is...

KINGS AND QUEENS by 30 Seconds To Mars

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Under pressure - BLADE RUNNER 2049 (no spoilers)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 6 Oct 2017 19:30:00 +0200

Yesterday I went to the cinema full of expectations: the film I was about to watch was the sequel of a film which was part of the history of cinema. And I'm glad to say I didn't feel disappointed at all.
If you have read my last post, you may already know I didn't watch "Blade Runner" a log time ago: if you are curious about this new film, I suggest you to watch the first film so that you can fully appreciate the story.

The film I'm writing about is "Blade Runner 2049", directed by Denis Villeneuve and produced by Ridley Scott (who directed the first "Blade Runner"). The screenplay was written by the same writer of the first film, Hampton Fancher, and also by Michael Green. "Blade Runner 2049" stars Ryan Gosling (as K), Harrison Ford (as Rick Deckard), Ana De Armas (as Joi), Jared Leto (as Niander Wallace), Dave Bautista (as Sapper Morton), Sylvia Hoeks (as Luv) and Robin Wright (as Lt. Joshi).
I also have to mention Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch for the soundtrack (and Vangelis, who composed the music of the first film) and Roger Deakins for the cinematography.

https://www.movietele.it/post/blade-runner-2049-film-sequel-cinema

The audience will question the definitions of mankind, feelings, life, love, but more deeply because of the development of technology (the story takes place 30 years after the first film, in 2049): there are still replicants and blade runners, but the differences between them are hard to detect.

There are a lot of different settings, a lot more than the first film (maybe due to the advanced possibilities of the computer graphic): there are endless landscapes which show the desolation and the decay of our planet, but also references to the pop culture, thanks to the neon light and the giant advertisement. There is still the "Cityspeak", which testimonies the high level of cultural crossbreeding of the future.
I didn't like the fact there are not a lot of scenes on the street and of the life of the suburbs, maybe not to look like "Blade Runner", but instead I loved the wide framing which capture each corner of the scenes and the presence of the rain.

It is still a noir-thriller film: the investigation covers almost the entire story, but in some occasions what the protagonist finds out is too predictable, so the film results in being less intense than the 1982 film. Also, there is not the surprise effect of the replicants, because the audience already know the story. In fact the two plots are connected, but they recount different facts.

The protagonist is K, a blade runner who can look like Deckard only from the outside. K is troubled, split between two worlds, fragile. The spectator feels sorry for him and becomes empathetic, because he understand that K is a victim of his reality.
I really like also Sapper Morton: he is a very important character for the plot, but unluckily he can be seen in very few scenes (Dave Bautista is very good in this role).
Even Niander Wallace is a very interesting character: he is the formal villain, but not well developed. He is a charming and creepy villain, with glass eyes, who thinks to be like a god, but I would have liked to see him more often. As for Bautista, I think Jared Leto plays this role very well.

My friend Sonia (with which I went to the cinema to watch this film) told me something very interesting I hadn't noticed about the colour palette of "Blade Runner 2049": in contrast with "Blade Runner", in this film there are more colours and not only the dark shades and the disturbing yellow of the "birthplace" of the replicants. I would have preferred to see that clear division of colour, even if in this film the shades are still dark and cold as in the first film.

The soundtrack is perfect: not only new tracks, but also rearranged ones from the first film. Despite the 163 minute of duration, I wasn't able to look away from the screen and not only for the breathtaking landscapes: this was also for the captivating and thunderous music, with deep and throbbing tones which give me gooseflesh.

The only thing that made me sad was not seeing the movie theatre full of people, especially on day one: I went to the cinema to watch the first show, but it was quite empty and also I didn't notice anyone of my age (apart from my friend). I think the topics of the film deserve to be known and discussed, considering the progress of technology, medicine and robotics.

I hope that in the following days a lot of people would go to the cinema to watch this film, not only for the themes, but also because in my opinion it's visually and musically perfect.

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Bye for now

Yours, Silvia

This fate we must receive - BLADE RUNNER (1982)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 4 Oct 2017 22:52:00 +0200

On the 5th of October (that is tomorrow) it will be released the sequel of Blade Runner, called "Blade Runner 2049" (here trailer 1 and trailer 2): I will go to the cinema to watch it so you will read my review soon.

I didn't plan to watch it at the cinema, because I'd never seen "Blade Runner" (I know, shame on me), but luckily I found out that there would be on TV (the International Cut) so I watched it and now I'm ready to understand the brand new film.

http://www.impawards.com/1982/blade_runner.html

Considering that it is a very famous film, in this post I will write the things I like the most of this film and five fun facts you may not know.

Atmosphere: I like the atmosphere of this film, which is dark and merciless: the constant rain, the narrow streets, the absence of the sun (but also its disturbing presence in some scenes), the miserable life of the characters we meet during the film; all these elements are perfect to show a dystopic world, populated by shadows.

Replicants: in some films the antagonist is perfectly recognisable, because he is mean and he doesn't care if he has to hurt others to reach his evil goals. But in Blade Runner the bond is evanescent. Replicants are complex creatures: they were created by men to work as slaves and their life is very short so that they aren’t dangerous. They are exactly like humans in appearance, but they are stronger, more intelligent and each one has a particular ability; they don’t have emotions, but they can “elaborate” something similar to emotions thanks to some memories implanted in them (especially in the new series of replicants). So who is evil? They kill as men kill, they are worried and fragile as men are. Also, if we think that they reproduce humans’ behaviour, we can say they are not evil by nature, but their actions are deplorable as the humans are. They want to live more and isn’t it the same desire of men?

Eyes: eyes are the mirror of the soul and to recognise replicants a test (called Voight-Kampff) based on the eyes is taken. "A very advanced form of lie detector that measures contractions of the iris muscle and the presence of invisible airborne particles emitted from the body. [...] The VK is used primarily by Blade Runners to determine if a suspect is truly human by measuring the degree of his emphatic response through carefully worded questions and statements" (description from the original press kit). Eyes are connected with truth: it's from the observation of reactions that one can determine if one is a replicant or not. But eyes can make mistakes too. Also the eye is a metaphor of God, who can see everything and everyone and can judge every bad and good action. An interesting thing is that when Roy Batty kills doctor Tyrell he presses his eyes into his face: in my opinion Roy thinks eyes aren't useful anymore to the doctor to create or to fix life, because he seems not to understand his feelings.

Fun fact #1: there are seven different versions of the film which reveal new information in particular about Rick Deckard: is he a replicant? We may discover the answer in the new film.

Fun fact #2: the film is a loose adaptation of the 1968 novel "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheeps?" by Philip K.Dick. Unfortunately, he died before the film was finished, but when he saw the first showings, he praised Scott because visually he managed to create a perfect world for his novel. The film was dedicated to him.

Fun fact #3: the name of the project of this film (joint by Ridley Scott on the 21st of February 1980) was “Dangerous Days”, but it changed into “the Bladerunner” which were a book by Alan E. Nourse (and read by Ridley Scott) where the Blade Runner were traffickers of surgical equipment.

Fun fact #4: Ridley Scott wanted Dustin Hoffman for the role of the protagonist, but Hoffman thought that some characteristics of Deckard didn't fit for him, so Scott started to consider other actors, as Gene Hackman, Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Pacino and Burt Reynolds. At the end Harrison Ford was chosen, also thanks to positive references from Steven Spielberg.

Fun fact #5: The Roy Batty's final monologue is a lot different than the one thought by the screenwriter David Webb Peoples: Rutger Hauer thought it was too long and not very sharp, so he reduced it and improvised some phrases, as this one: "all those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain". Also the dove kept in hand by Batty was an idea of Hauer.

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If you don't want to miss the "Blade Runner 2049" review follow my blog! Also, don't forget to click on the left side of my blog to let me know what review would you like to read!

Bye for now!

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #22

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 2 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0200

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

I asked one of my friends if he had a song for my blog and this is the one he has chosen. He said to me this song is one of his favourite's, because it gives him strength, thank to the intense lyrics about self-awareness and about being the master of your own destiny.

The song is...

END OF THE BEGINNING by Black Sabbath

(here the link for the video

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Thank you, Sergio!

Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Song advice #21

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 20:00:00 +0200

Hello everybody!

It's time for a new

post!

Today's song doesn't need any kind of introduction. It is basically the history of music.

The song is...

COMFORTABLY NUMB by Pink Floyd

(here the link for the video)

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Enjoy!

Yours, Silvia

Let the human in - GHOST IN THE SHELL (review and interview)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:00:00 +0200

When this film was released, I wasn't interested in watching it: I didn't know the story at all (it is based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow) and I remembered I didn't like Scarlett Johansson in this sci-fi kind of films (as "Lucy").
Anyway, when I saw it on iTunes, I decided to rent it and give it a shot. It is directed by Rupert Sanders and written by Jamie Moss, William Wheeler, and Ehren Kruger. It stars Scarlett Johansson, Takeshi Kitano, Michael Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Chin Han and Juliette Binoche.

http://posterposse.com/the-poster-posse-pays-homage-to-paramounts-ghost-in-the-shell/

Overall, I think "Ghost in the Shell" is an interesting film, because it makes one think about what we can call humanity.

In the film, in fact, there are a lot of characters which try to better themselves by adding mechanical parts to their bodies, even unnecessary new organs: is it really helpful? This is a question that comes in one's mind, together with other ones: is it a crime killing robots? Is a cyborg human or not?

The title of the manga and the film refers to two elements which seem opposite: the "ghost", which is a sort of "soul", the spirit of a person, and the shell, the external part, the "case". Mayor Mira Killian (Scarlett Johansson) is a prototype of what humans will be in the future: mechanical on the outside and human on the inside (with a human brain, thoughts and feelings), to be stronger and "invincible".

Dr. Ouelet: "You're the first of your kind, but you're not invulnerable"

Mayor: "Maybe next time you ca design me better"

Is really humanity a limit or an opportunity? Of course, a robot is more resistant than a human being, it can do a lot of things a man can't do without using instrument or technology (as falling from a skyscraper), but what this film shows is that leaving just the brain isn't enough: what is needed is a connection with people, an aim, something to fight for, as bringing justice back into a society where "superhumans" are considered as weapons.

Due to the fact I know that this film was based on a manga and an anime, I asked my friend Giulia who knew the franchise if there were any differences between the original versions and this film.

Me: does the manga/anime have the same topics of the film?

Giulia: the main topics (relationship between body and soul, identity and Internet, problems of the society, turning into robots) are the same, but in the film the theme of justice is different than in the anime: in the film there is an attempt to change the order of things and also hope, while the anime is more pessimistic about this.

Also, the film doesn't consider some "background information" as Buddhism, Confucianism or the 90s Japanese society in general.

Me: apart from the specific information about society, are there other differences in the setting?

Giulia: the setting is similar to the Japanese versions, but I didn't like some new elements of the film (as the giant holograms) and the fact that, even if it takes place in the future, there are a lot of "analogic" elements, as a lot of cables instead of "wireless" connection.

Me: what about the characters?

Giulia: on the outside appearance, they look like the original ones, but their behaviour is different (but we have to keep in mind that this happens in every adaptation). I noticed significant differences in the Mayor's personality: in the film, she seems very determined and serious, while in the anime she is funny and also melancholy.

Me: I felt a little bit uncomfortable with the fact that the Major wasn't played by a Japanese actress: and you?

Giulia: if we consider the story itself, it can be plausible that the Mayor isn't Japanese. I also think that Scarlett Johansson wasn't a bad choice as protagonist, even if I didn't like her performances in other films. What I didn't like was the explanation of the past of the Major, which seem to me too close to today's politics.

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I hope you enjoy this review/interview. I like this film, but it's not one of my favourite: I think that the themes are not so original, even if maybe in the near future we have to try to answer some questions about the real nature of robot.

Bye for now!

Yours, Silvia

p.s. Don't forget to answer my little survey on the left side of my blog and to follow my blog!!