La Mort Parfaite

I knew it. But that doesn't make it any less sweet. Twilight is a complete failure. At least from the critics' point of view. I know the world is full of brainless teenagers who are going to watch this shitty shitty movie like 148 times and praise it as a masterpiece. So in the end it'll make money, and we'll have to endure sequels... But, hey, at least I know that tonight, in their beds, before falling asleep, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart (and hopefully the rest of the cast as well) will think "I'm a loser. I don't deserve to be called an actor." I mean, how can you spend an entire year promoting a film as if it was great, when you're perfectly aware of the fact that it's going to suck?! Have some dignity! Yet I do excuse Catherine Hardwicke. The poor woman is clearly on crack, so she doesn't really know what she says or does.

Joss Whedon is one of the few geniuses working on television nowadays. His sense of humor, his creative skills and his ability in choosing/directing actors gave life to cult shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly. His latest project, Dollhouse, stars beautiful and talented Eliza Dushku and is so interesting I just can't wait to watch it. Too bad the show is premiering February 13, 2009... :( Oh, well, in the meantime I'll entertain myself with the fancy promos Fox just started releasing.

I'm exhausted. Simply exhausted. The last 3 days have been all work and no play. But I made the time to cap the teaser trailer of Confessions of a Shopaholic. This movie looks awsome for three reasons (actually more):
- Isla Fisher is just so funny! Look at her facial expressions!
- The fight for the Gucci boots. That is gonna be huge. Bigger than any fight sequence from the Matrix trilogy. I'd pay to see a scene like that in real life.
- Best line ever: "You speak Prada?!" LOOOL!

Film: Confessions of a Shopaholic
Number: 126
Size: 1008x428

Mi piacerebbe spendere qualche parola riguardo ciò che sta accadendo nella mia università. Nello specifico, sul fatto che il mio insegnante di grammatica cinese sia un emerito imbecille. Lungi da me negare a costui il sacrosanto diritto di manifestare e protestare contro il nuovo decreto legge. Trovo tuttavia inaccettabile un ricatto del tipo "Dovete venire alla lezione in piazza con me, perché non sarà una cosa dimostrativa: farò tutta la grammatica dell'unità 6". In questo modo anche chi non condivideva la sua opinione, si è trovato costretto - onde non avere lacune nel programma - a seguirlo. Certo, non il sottoscritto. Io me ne sono tornato a casa (oltretutto diluviava!). La cosa però mi infastidisce lo stesso. D'altronde è risaputo che per la sinistra italiana la democrazia è una bella cosa solo quando tutti la pensano come loro.

When I first heard they were going to make an Underworld prequel without Ms. Beckinsale, I immediately thought "They did it. They screwed it up" Well, I might have been wrong. Apple has finally released the trailer of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, and it seems quite interesting... ok, it rocks. Even though Rhona Mitra isn't as nearly as hot as Kate, she definitely can kick some major ass. As for Michael Sheen, Lucian is his coolest character. Hope he knows that.

Film: Underworld - Rise of the Lycans
Number: 128
Size: 1008x428

I've been in denial for weeks, but it's time for me to admit that summer IS over. I had a pretty good summer. I got all the relax time I needed. I read a lot (Coelho's Veronika Decides to Die is an amazing novel! Can't wait to see the upcoming film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar!). I hung out with friends. And I've accomplished quite a few of the tasks on my to-do list.

Not to mention that I solved one of the greatest dilemmas of my life, buying a X360 over a PS3. Xbox 360 is a wonderful machine if you wish to enjoy some mindless playing. It's not excessively expensive, you've got a wide range of games to choose from, neat graphics... I'm almost finished with Lost Odyssey, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Dead Rising.

I also started practicing Krav Maga, the hand-to-hand combat system of the Israel Defense Force. Everyone, from police officers to housewives, from assassins to nuns, should give it a try. It is easy to learn and in just a few weeks you'll know how to kill a person with your bare hands! No rules, no mercy in Krav Maga.

Last but not least, I got accepted into a permanent workshop with one of most renowned Method acting teachers in my country. I can't even begin to explain how excited I feel about this.

Now, everything would be pretty much perfect, if it wasn't for damn uni. You see, I've always wanted to learn Hebrew. It would have been the one class that I would have willingly and joyfully attended. Unfortunately the academic council decided to kill the Hebrew course for the next 3 years! So at the moment my only chance seems to be learning the language by my own. Lol!

I had some spare time on my hands, so I decided to scan what I consider to be an authentic marvel (no pun intended) in terms of comic-book art. Enjoy.

Samples:

On Monday I aced my latest exam (English literature) and I finally made it back home. Dear Lord, how I missed... my air conditioner! Oh, yeah, and my family too... No kidding, Rome is a hot hot city. I had a fan in my room, but it just moved warm air. Resting at night had become impossible due to the suffocating temperature. And studying was no easier task. So, yeah, it's good to be back.

Last night I finished reading 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte. I'm still processing it, so I can't express an opinion right now, but I love the following excerpt:
"I cannot express it; but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is, or should be an existence of yours beyond you. What were the use of creation if I were entirely contained here? My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning; my great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the Universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees - my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath - a source of little visible delight, but necessary. I am Heathcliff - he's always, always in my mind - not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself - but as my own being."
Next on my reading list: 'The Idiot', by Fedor Dostoevskij.


I dusted off my good old PS2 and I'm currently playing and enjoying Silent Hill 4: The Room. This is my first SH game, so I don't really care whether it's somehow inferior than previous chapters (which I believe is the reason why it didn't receive stellar reviews at the time it came out). So far the gory atmosphere and the cinematic style made it pretty compelling to me.

I'm studying like mad for this huge uni exam, Glottology 1 (a mix of linguistics, phonetics, acoustic physics, anatomy and history of linguistics). The words "extreme difficulty" and "utter bore" come to mind, right? In order to give myself the strength to go on, I made a list of things I want to do once this hell of study is over. Here's some of those things:
- going to the movies: The X-Files: I Want to Believe, The Dark Knight, Hellboy 2 - The Golden Army, Wanted, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Get Smart, Prom Night...);
- watching all the movies I've been downloading lately;
- going on vacation at Venice Film Festival;
- playing videogames (Eternal Darkness, Silent Hill Origins, Final Fantasy XII...);
- working on my fansites;
- buying a new iPod (the old one died last year) and filling it with music;
- reading novels (Meyer's Breaking Dawn, Bronte's Wuthering Heights, Dostoevskji's The Idiot...);
- studying Chinese, French and Hebrew;
- formatting my laptop and making it new again;
- organizing a class reunion;
- killing rotacism;
- enrolling in a decent acting course (I wanna learn Strasberg or Meisner);
- looking for some nice plays to put on stage;
- getting my new headshots taken;
- training in martial arts;
- practicing at the shooting range;
- making my testament;
- taking the cat to the vet for vaccination.

This is the first post in a series that will give you an acoustic look at what I'm listening to these days. Enjoy (or be disgusted).

Adema - Immortal
"I know who you are
The leader of lost souls
You can't kill me, I'm immortal
I'm not afraid to die
My soul will travel on
You can't kill me, I'm immortal"

Louis Garrel (Les Chanson d'Amour OST) - De Bonnes Raisons
"Peut-être est-ce pour ton odeur
Ta façon de t'endormir
Peut-être aussi pour ta soeur
Ton argent ou encore pire
Je ne manque pas (purquoi les taire?)
De bonnes raisons pour t'aimer
Je ne vois pas
Pour quelles raisons te le donner
Mes bonnes raisons pour t'aimer
Pourquoi te les donner?"

A Perfect Circle - Weak and Powerless
"Pale angel, go away
Come again some other day
The devil has my ear today
I'll never hear a word you say"

Cold - When Angels Fly Away
"I'll make a soldier's decision to fly away
Load my gun, paint my face, call me misery"

Breaking Benjamin - Breath
"So sacrifice yourself
And let me have what's left
I know that I can find
The fire in your eyes
I'm going all the way
Get away, please
You take the breath right out of me
You left a hole where my heart should be"

Sense Field - Save Yourself
"Turn out the light
Just say goodnight to yourself
May I remind you
When you find you
Are all alone's when you
You've got to be strong"

The 27 Club OST - Finn Song (Studio Version)

X-Ray Dog - The Vision

Steve Jablonsky (The Island OST) - My Name Is Lincoln

Marcelo Zarvos (The Air I Breathe OST) - Reach for Me

John Murphy (Sunshine OST) - The Surface of the Sun

Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror OST) - Main Titles

I'm getting addicted to these old comedies. Gee, they don't make movies like this anymore. Here's a short clip of Carole Lombard throwing a diva tantrum in Twentieth Century (1934).

Someone made me notice that I never write anything about my personal life on this LJ. So here's the exception confirming the rule.

On Monday I was coming back to Rome and I met the coolest people I've ever met on a train: Julio and Linda, a Mexican pilot (and drummer) and an American flight attendant, both from L.A. I had a great time chatting with them. And they went totally squee over an old couple - Luigi and Luisa - in their 80s, lol! Julio and Linda wanted to know everything about their over-50-year-long marriage. They were like "OMG! They are so cute! They even have the same name!" When we got off the train we all took a picture together. No kidding.

Not personal enough? Ok, then take a look at this.

Vid: Faint
Edit: lamortparfaite
Music: "Faint", by Linkin Park
Characters: Huntress (plus a little bit of Oracle and Dinah)
Clips Used: Birds of Prey (various eps.)
Length: 02 minutes 23 seconds
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Disclaimer: Birds of Prey belongs to Warner Bros.

Feedback is love!

Name: If you are reading this, you already know :P
Name you wish you had: Gabriel(e)
Nickname(s): Perfect Death, Snobbi
How you got it: Perfect Death was self-given. My friend Eli calls me Snobbi, 'cause she thinks I'm a snob
Age: 22
Age you feel: I feel ancient.
Age you'd like to be: 17
Any siblings: An older brother.
Parents still married: Yep
Occupation: Lazy bastard (officially I'm a student).
Do you like your job? Sure! :D
Any pets: a cat (Salem) and a dog (Alec)
Hair colour: Black
Eye colour: Brown
Tattoos: None
Piercings: None
Worst physical attribute: My nose I guess...
Best physical attribute: I love both my lips and my vampire teeth.
What would you change about yourself? I wish I had blue eyes.
Worst characteristic: I'm an egomaniac
Best characteristic: Sometimes I happen to be genuinely selfless
Theme song: Lol, no idea!
Favourite word: I'm afraid I don't have a favourite word...
Favourite food: la carbonara
Least favourite food: vegetables
Favourite restaurant: Japanese, Greek.
Favourite colour: black
Favourite place to go: Paris
Favourite time of the day: Nighttime
Favourite sport: martial arts
Biggest weakness: Believing I have no weaknesses
Your fears: surviving people I love
What makes you weak in the knees: Waiting to perform on stage
Favourite sound: applauses
Weirdest dream: I was presenting the Emmy for Best Actor and the winner was Tom Welling. I just didn't wanna give him the award.
Your typically sterotyped as: an aristocratic snob.
First word: ask my mother, I don't know
What kind of kid were you: Misanthropic (I still am, a little bit)
Type of handwriting: Typically male: they call it "the doctor's handwriting"
How you sleep: Hugging my pillow
Rain or snow: Rain
Favourite person: my best friend Ila
Best movie: The House of Mirth
Best vacation: Corsica (summer 2007)
Favourite book: Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice
Favourite tv show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias, Supernatural, Dark Angel, Joan of Arcadia, Witchblade, The X-Files
Favourite singer(s)/band(s): Evanescence, 3 Doors Down
Favourite musical instrument: Piano
Favourite era in history: the 20's
Favourite drink: Martini
Favourite juice: Orange
Favourite perfume: Chanel Allure Homme
Most admired attribute about people: courage
Celebrity you'd date: Anne Hathaway
If you could eat lunch with anybody *dead or alive* who would it be? Jesus
What time do you normally get up in the morning? In the morning?!? :DD
When is your bedtime? Late. Very late.
What clothes do you sleep in: t-shirt and boxers.
Do you speak any languages beside English: Italian, French (more or less) and I'm taking Chinese
Your life is a ____ movie (genre): A romantic comedy. But it's never romantic. Nor comedic. My life is nothing like a romantic comedy.
Three things you always have with you when you go out: cell, money and keys.
Have you ever been in love or do you even believe in love? Been there.
Have you ever fallen for your best friend? Niet.
Have you ever rejected someone? Yes.
Have you ever used someone? No.
Do you like more than one person right now? Nope.
Do you still talk to the person you had your first kiss with? Haven't seen her in ages.
Do you want to get married? Don't think so. I don't believe in marriage.
Do you want kids: Yeah, one day.
Do you get motion sickness? No.
Do you get along with your parents? I always get along with my mother. And I occasionally get along with my father.
Have you ever gotten drunk? How dare you?! I AM drunk, right now!
Have you ever been beaten up? Only training in martial arts, but I was wearing protective gears.
Put on shirt or pants first: You mean like in the morning? Pants.
Take off shirt or pants first: Shirt.
Can you touch your nose with your tongue? No.
Do you dye your hair? No!
Do you smoke? No.
Do you swear? No.
Number of drugs you have taken: None.
Do you drive? Yes.
Do you sing? My singing teacher in drama academy once told me I would be a piano bars' prince: someone who's intonated enough to make the audience believe he can sing, even though he can't really. So, no, I don't sing.
How many hours a day do you watch tv? I don't watch television.
Where are you going on your next vacation? Venice Film Festival.
Haw many car accidents have you been in: 1
How many times did you fail your driver's test: None.
Have you ever had an imaginary friend? No.
Do you own any forniture from Ikea? Not that I'm aware of, no.
Who do you really hate? Nobody.
What's your greatest accomplishment so far? Making people believe I'm a promising actor.
Are most of your friends guys or girls? Mmh... Girls, I think.
Do you believe in karma? No.
Do you believe in God: Yes.
Do you believe in heaven and hell? Yes.
Do you believe in aliens? The universe is just too big for us to be alone.
Do you believe in ghosts? Nope.
Do you believe in horoscopes: No.
Do you believe in yourself? Sometimes.