Thursday 14 May 2009

Be careful what you wish for...

I’ve always been a big fan of children’s movies. And musicals (because they easily grab my attention and makes the movie a bit more alive and vivid). They make my day when I’m down and sick. And, by spicing it up a bit by adding two of my favourite producers, Tim Burton and Henry Selick, things can’t get any better!

First movie that might strike your mind is hopefully ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. Or maybe ‘Corpse Bride’. Both these movies are just lovely. Two amazing stories and so beautiful for the eye. All different kinds of ingredients added and you actually forget it’s a children’s movie every now and then.

So for me, musical + kids movies = a very good combination. This is more or less the expectations I had last night when we headed of to the cinema to see ‘Coraline’. Even though Tim Burton is not part of this brilliant movie, it did remind me of both movies mentioned previous (this probably due to the fact that Henry Selick made the screenplay). The lack of musical touch that I was expecting did not matter, because the story was speaking to and grabbing your attention throughout the movie anyway.

Coraline, a sweet girl who feels like she does not get as much attention from her busy parents as she deserves, moves to a big old house where she finds a locked room in the living room. As the door gets unlocked, Coraline finds her way into a world where everything is perfect. She gets welcomed by her ‘other mother’, who cooks her favourite food, gives her sweet presents and plays games with her whenever she wants. But is this world really as good as it seems? And what happens when Coraline realises she has to make a choice, a choice that will change everything she ever cared about?

This movie really speaks to children as well as grownups. I had a great time and so did the rest of the audience seem to have. Me, my boyfriend and our friends laughed and giggled just as much as the children seated behind us (even though our laughs probably aren’t as bubbly and lovely as theirs…).

Overall, a sweet, adorable movie that speaks right to your heart. I’d say the best of the three I’ve mentioned here, 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', 'Corpse Bride' and 'Coraline', and I’m looking forward to be able to own this movie and keep it next to my bed, along with all the other children’s movies.

"You know, you could stay forever, if you want to.
There's only one tiny thing we have to do first..."

8.5/10

Mads
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Wednesday 13 May 2009

Cultural value = a joke?

X-factor? Yes
Britain’s got talent? Yes
Strictly come dancing? Yes
Dancing on ice? Yes

Eurovision Song Contest? No
Pff so much for cultural value…

So, coming from Sweden there is this thing about Eurovision Song Contest. It’s HUGE over there. Build ups for weeks with quarter-finals, semi-finals and then eventually the final so that the Swedish people can decide which song they want to represent their nation in the oh-so-important Grande Finale!

For years and years while living in Sweden I, together with my friends, family and of course all the media, have always, every single year, been looking forward to the middle of May and the big moment when we might do as well as we’ve done four times in the Eurovision Song Contest so far… For years and years I’ve been hosting and going to different types of Eurovision Song Contest parties with near and dear. We’ve been having proper three-course meals, a bit too much to drink and the oh-so-important TV on, showing the programme the entire world (or Sweden anyway) seems to be talking about. And as the show takes us through all the interesting (because that’s what most of them are) we are sitting there, eager with our pens in our hands, scribbling down what points out of 12 we think that specific act deserves… A fantastic evening with a very cultural aura surrounding us.

Then I moved to England…

The other night I was talking to my sister, who was very excited about the weekend. I asked why and she told me it was the EuroSong Contest. I felt like an idiot. I have always been aware of it. For almost two decades I have been excited and full of expectation, watching and cheering, singing and dancing along with it, but this year, I almost forgot about it!!

As I got aware of it, I told my boyfriend that whatever we are doing on Saturday night we have to reschedule because we (that’s what I thought anyway) have forgotten that it is THE night, it is EuroSong Contest! He just shrugged his shoulders and looked at me. Obviously, what I thought was a European cultural thing that everyone in Europe watched with excitement, was nothing else than a little thing that happens in my tiny Sweden bubble. Obviously, no one here seems to care about it all. Obviously, I will have to watch it on my own on Saturday…

What does make me a bit thinky though is that ‘everyone’ in Britain watches X-factor, Britain’s got talent and the dance shows running on TV frequently. But when it comes to a huge event that involves the entire Europe with all its nations, it’s equal to nothing. Pff, so much for cultural value. Sometimes I miss Sweden… Very much!

Mads
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Tuesday 12 May 2009

Life - an authority swarmed path?

It is interesting thinking about all the factors that ‘creates’ us in society. They’ve always been there, in one form or another, and more or less pointed out which main road we should choose in life. I mean, when we get born there’s our parents, and maybe siblings, that already made their mind up about what’s generally right and wrong and from that perspective they decide that this should also be right, or wrong, for us. Maybe the choice of pass this knowledge on to the kid is indirect, but still, the child will get influenced by his or her parents.

Then we start kindergarten, or such, followed by school where there is another ‘older’ human being that teaches us right from wrong. Throughout our early years in life, into our teens we are surrounded by people who are supposed to teach us about life, about the society we were born into and about being a human on planet Earth.

Clearly we need someone to look up to, to gain our knowledge about life – or at least the life they’ve lived – to be able to choose a path for ourselves and make up our own mind and decide what our life is really all about.

When eventually growing up, we’re supposed to work for the state – which has provided us with education, health care and so on – and be a happy, tax paying citizen…

I was reading my course book (chapter 8 Mind Politics in Kingdom J, Government and Politics in Britain) when starting to think how ‘scary’ in one sense life is. However we twist and wherever we turn, there’s always an authority in some kind of power structure, hierarchy, around the corner (whether it’s your mum or dad or your boss at work) who are able to express their opinion freely and make an impact on you. Some kind of power that almost decides to regulate you before you even make your own mind…

Even more so, we’ve got the media who day after day throws ideas, concepts and so on upon us to take in, make up our mind about and finally decide whether or not to include that piece of knowledge/information/crap in our life.

All these different parts of society do build up our life… Whether we want it or not… It’s always there and there’s not really very much we can do about it… Other than be who we are and do our best to follow our own path in life… Whatever that might be…?

Mads
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