Monday

TV Recap

Check out the latest from Zak in Defoe's section below

  • * Yellow asterisk: funny (maybe).

  • * White asterisk: expanded format.

  • * Blue asterisk: not mine.

  • No asterisk: it probably sucks.

OTHER CRAP:

Catch the deluxe version of Other Crap in real time, with all the bells and whistles, here.









 

"The Sopranos"

s1e11

1920x1080

Veronica Bero and unknown









 

Defoe's picks o' the week:

Olivia Cote in the last two 1080hd episodes of Zak: s3e18; s3e17

Andrea Brusque in Les Apaches (2013) in 720p, but without sound

Audrey Bastien in Ophelia (2013) in 1080hd

Maud Wyler in Bal de Nuit (2013) in 1080hd and also in Low Life (2011) in 1080p

Another one from Low Life: Camille Rutherford

NOTE: Maud Wyler and Camille Rutherford are not only found together in Low Life. They both make appearances in the current arthouse darling, Blue is the Warmest Color.

Barbara Schulz in Celle Que J'Aime (2009) in 1080hd

 








Twice Born

(2013)
Johnny's comments:

Twice Born is a Italian drama (but mostly in English) where an Italian woman Gemma (Penélope Cruz) is invited back to Sarajevo by Gojco (Adnan Haskovic) for the first time since the Bosnian conflict. She travels with her son Pietro and travels to all the areas she remembers from her time there. Gemma first went to Sarajevo in 1984 just before the Winter Olympics to complete her thesis on writer Ivo Andric where she first meets Gojco who is assigned to be her guide around the city. He introduces her to his friends which include American photographer Diego (Emile Hirsch) and Diego falls for Gemma instantly and eventually persuades her to get together. Gemma's visa expires and she heads back to Italy without Diego, marries someone else, but years later after her divorce, Diego arrives in Rome, ready to pick up their relationship. Gemma is reluctant, but she succumbs to Diego. She becomes pregnant, but has a miscarriage and finds out that she can never have children and after being denied the chance to adopt, they head back to Sarajevo where they meet Aska (Saadet Aksoy) who is willing to be a surrogate. But, this is the time of the Bosnian war and things do not go to plan and Aska goes missing just as she is about to go ahead with the surrogacy. With all hope lost, Diego, who has been withdrawn since her disappearance finds Aska, heavily pregnant and more than willing to give Gemma the child. But, by now, Gemma and Diego's love has waned and when they are evacuated out of Sarajevo, Diego stays behind and she never sees him again. In the present, there is Adnan has a surprise for Gemma.

Very good epic love story that can only seem to be done in Europe mainly because even though you know it ended happily, it's mostly tragic. Cruz is excellent, aging 30 years over the length of the movie and having to carry the bulk of the emotional work. The final 'surprise' is quite devastating, particularly as it changes their history. Well worth a look.

Kept thinking while watching the movie that this has a familiar style to another Italian movie starring Penélope Cruz from a few years back called Non ti Muovere (Don't Move), a lo and behold, it's directed by the same bloke. I have a copy of Don't Move somewhere around here, if I can find it, I'll do a redux.
Penelope Cruz film clips (collages below)
Saadet Aksoy film clip (sample below)









TV/Film Clips

Branca Ferrazo in Petunia (2013)


Olga Kurylenko in The Assassin Next Door (2009) in 720p



Alberta Watson in Spanking The Monkey (1994) in 1080HD. This is an offbeat film from David O. Russell (an award winner for Silver Linings Playbook and acclaimed for his work in the current film American Hustle) before he became popular with mainstream audiences. It is about mother-son incest.