Archives For canada

I am considering purchasing the newest release by Monkey Majik for their 10th anniversary. There’s the Japan Normal edition at $32 USD, and the Japanese First Press Edition which comes with a DVD for $43 USD.

Of course, if you don’t know – Monkey Majik has just gotten their Guiness World Record for longest On Air commercial, for the CM they did for this Best of Album… which lasts 30min — the commercial, not the album. But trust me, it’s so worth watching it, when you get the time. They’re pretty awesome, even with their funny Japanese.

Anyway, this Best Of album contains 3 new songs, titled Forever, Fast Forward, and Daijoubu. Forever is such a great song, the video totally plays to the little heart. I think it even works better than Canada’s attempt to help Haiti with Waivin’ Flag (though that was a pretty good song by K’naan, it got overplayed for this and the World Cup), and it totally beats the remake of We Are the World.

So here we go, Goran kudasai! Douzo~

Oh, man~ This brings memories.

I used to live a block or two away from English Bay, so my friends and I would walk around the area for photos every weekend. Of course, we used to stick closer to where the families would hang out xD

One of the many apartments I stayed in, in fact… the one I shared with Seukjin-oppa (RIP) and Jae, had a great view of the bay… especially on sunsets during fairly rainy mornings. Sunsets in Vancouver were precious.

You can watch the video here.

Well, this is depressing.

Interesting animation, but so SO depressing xD
In comic strip style!

And it’s time to finally complete the list of the 20 to Watch Between 25-30 Until They’re 35! And somehow I feel like this is a total lackluster surprise, since you know… I love Gosling.

Gosling: You got me, Amy~~~ *hands up in the air* LOL

Born in London, Ontario, Canada on November 12th 1980, this 29-year-old actor is best known for playing Noah on the Nicholas Sparks’ tear-jerker romance movie The Notebook. He was also nominated for an Oscar for starring as Dan Dunne on the film Half Nelson.

Gosling began his career on the small screen, guest-starring on youth-oriented Canadian television programs such as Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Ready or Not, Goosebumps, and The Adventures of Shirley Holmes. Two years later, he was starring on his very own show as Hercules on Young Hercules.

In 2000, he participated on Remember the Titans starring Denzel Washington, but he soon moved to starring roles with The Believer, which earned him his first nomination at the Indie Spirit Awards, a Best Foreign Actor by the Russian Film Critics Guild, and a Most Promising Performer by the Chicago Film Critics. The following year, Gosling also co-starred with Michael Pitt and Ben Chaplin on Sandra Bullock’s Murder by Numbers. Incidentally, the making of the film ignited a romance with Bullock… which is, you know – pretty Hollywood.

In 2003, Ryan starred as Leland on The United States of Leland alongside Don Cheadle, Lena Olin, Kevin Spacey, fellow the 20 to Watch Michelle Williams, and fellow who didn’t make it Jena Malone. It was just a short time before he burst into the pop culture scene as Noah on The Notebook with then-real-life girlfriend, Rachel McAdams.

Instead of going the commercial route, Gosling kept away from romantic leads, and participated on Stay by Marc Foster, who had previously directed Monster’s Ball (which won Halle Berry her Oscar), and Finding Neverland (which earned Johnny Depp his 2nd Oscar nod). Stay also starred Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. In 2006, Gosling starred on the indie film Half Nelson, for which he won Best Male Lead at the Indie Spirits Award, and a Male Breakthrough Performance by the National Board of Review, and earned him his first Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations, plus a bunch of other critics and film fest awards.

A year later, in 2007, Gosling share the big screen with Sir Anthony Hopkins on Fracture, and participated on the indie Lars and the Real Girl alongside Emily Mortimer, and Patricia Clarkson. The role earned Gosling his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical, as well as a 2nd nomination for Best Actor at the Screen Actors Guild. After that, Gosling took a break from acting to release music with the band Dead Man’s Bones. The band released two singles — with their respective music videos — a self-titled debut album, and toured North America.

Earlier in the year, Gosling released Blue Valentine starring alongside Michelle Williams, fresh off Sundance buzz with very positive early reviews.

Coming up? Well, Blue Valentine still needs to open wider or be released on DVD. There’s also All Good Things with Kirsten Dunst, Kristen Wiig, and Frank Langella, as well as that Glenn Ficarra (I Love You Philip Morris) film with Steve Carrell, Marisa Tomei, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, and Kevin Bacon.

Yes, we can’t wait to see him making breakfast while singing Springsteen’s I’m on Fire… without his shirt. Also, I am dying to see Blue Valentine. Yes, talent is so hot~

Reading the comments of Bibi’s new single Canned Fish, I learned of this Nuit Blanche controversy.

You see… the video is about 4 months old, so I doubt it’s a tribute of sorts. Having said that, I think the music in Bibi’s video works different in that it creates a lot of “tension” between female Bibi and “male” Bibi — if you get my drift. The original, seen above, has better execution though, even without the tension between the guy and the woman, you feel like it’s a beautiful piece… a timeless classic.

See, same concept, different execution.

Here’s the YouTube version if you don’t have a Vimeo account and want to add it to a list.

Can I just say Noomi Rapace is really REALLY bad-ass?

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I’m starting out my list this week… with lack of visitor’s response.

No complaining from you then~~~

I’m gonna start out with 5 of the guys, followed by 5 of the girls like last time. Only properly.

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In honor of the release of Let the Right One in here in Peru, I have put together my Top5 Little Girls on Film. It wasn’t how cute they were, it was about young girls — I’m only taking into consideration girls younger than 15 years old — dealing with not so innocent stuff. It wasn’t also about dealing with issues teens deal with normally.

These characters weren’t dealing with coming-of-age stories. These were already adults inside girly bodies.

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We Are More by Shane Koyczan

February 15, 2010 — 3 Comments

One of the most “proud to be Canadian” moments at the Winter Olympics Opening, even if you’re not Canadian, was the moment Canadian slam poet, Shane Koyczan,  took the stage with his “love song” to Canada “We Are More.”

CTV took some time to catch up with Shane after his presentation.

How does that feel?

I’m honestly flabbergasted. I don’t know how to react. All I can really say is thank-you, and those words never seem to suffice because I want to express the totality of my gratitude, but I don’t have much more to offer than thank-you. I guess it’s like I said in the poem: please and thank-you.

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Did you watch the Vancouver Olympics Opening? Sadly, Peru… especifically America Television, even though they’ve got the rights, they’ve only done a 1hr cap of the whole opening. So I ended up watching on ESPN, which wasn’t much better. One, it’s fullscreen instead of wide. Plus, the guys couldn’t shut up on the first part of the show.

I will post cool photos if I find them.

The show was nice. Living in Vancouver, I did get a bit emotional, but not as emotional as I got on Beijing 2008. However, Vancouver did a pretty great show, even though there were some things people point out.

One thing I hated was Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams and the song. It was cheese, I can take cheese but not at the almost beginning of the show. They should have closed the show instead.

Sarah McLachlan was pretty great vocally, as was KD Lang… but does KD Lang need to sing that song again? She does it perfect, but isn’t there another song? Oh yeah, what’s up with the pop-version of the Canada anthem? It just felt not very patriotic, in my opinion.

What I loved the most? The digital displays, beginning with the ice cracking, the killer whales swimming — skipping the yellow fields and the flying dude — and continuing with the punk rock celtic tappers. Because they were punk rock, right? They had tattoos, mohawks, dark eyeliner, leather, jeans and Converse Chuck Taylor Low-Top… and they had plaid fabrics, and they were playing celtic music. I’m pretty sure they did a bit of Riverdance too… plus the tap dancing. With the red maple leaves digital display. It was my favorite.

Check back later in the day. In the meantime, check out the Vancouver2010 website.

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