Endeavour season four - Nuori Morse neljäs kausi

Lontoon matkaan oli aivan pakko yhdistää Oxford, sillä yliopistokaupunkihan on vain tunnin junamatkan päässä! Apunani oli jo parikymmentä vuotta vanha opaslehtinen, joka osoittautui vallan mainioksi oppaaksi, sillä onnistuin melkein jo kävelemään kartan osoittaman alueen ulkopuolelle ennen kuin kaivoin kartan esiin... Matkan jälkeen oli heti laitettava DVD soittimeen pyörimään!

The Bridge of Sighs, Oxford

Kolmas kausi päättyi varsin dramaattisesti, kun pankkipanttivankidraaman jälkeen Miss Thursday (Sara Vickers) päätti jättää kotikaupunkinsa taakseen. Tälläkään kaudella Morsen (Shaun Evans) vihamiehet eivät jätä häntä rauhaan - ylennys ei vain tule kysymykseen. Konstaapeli Tredlove on suosikkini (heti Morsen jälkeen tietenkin - voiko Dakota Blue Richardsin tähdittämästä Kultainen kompassi -leffasta olla todellakin olla jo kymmenen vuotta?). Siinä missä Morse tuntee klassisen musiikin, Tredloven populaarikulttuuritietous osoittautuu varsin kattavaksi varsinkin kauden toisessa jaksossa. Vierailevista tähdistä Downton Abbeyn Andy eli Michael Fox sai aivoni hetken lyömään tyhjää.

Morse on jälleen tulilinjalla - poliisin ammatti ei ole niitä turvallisimpia eikä rakkauselämän kiemurat jätä nuorta miestä rauhaan. Toivottavasti tulevaisuus tuo tullessaan Endeavourin viidennen kauden!

Morse: What day is it?
DI Thursday: Corned beef.
Morse: It's Friday.  

 **

Thursday: Monday, Morse. Handshakes are for goodbye. 

*

After I returned my trip to London and Oxford I just had to watch the first episode of season four. And soon the whole season (four episodes in total) was over. 

Whereas the season four of Sherlock was a bit confusing and weird, Endeavour still holds you in it grasp. The characters are so well written - I have even grown to like Chief Superintendent Reginald Bright (Anthony Lesser). James Bradshaw's Doctor Max DeBryn has such a small role but still is important.

Sherlock, Season Four

The whole fourth season is rather tragic. The Six Thachers sets the pace for the season. If this episode leaves you heartbroken, wait for The Lying Detective. The new villain Culverton Smith (played by Toby Jones) is horrible but Sherlock manages to save the day, although I wasn't quite so convinced while watching that episode. The series finale The Final Problem had be biting my nails. After last week's revelation you get these scary mind games in an espace room style. 

The ending has some finality in it. Tying loose ends and all that. They kind of put the series back to factory settings.

I don't have anything against agent films (I do like James Bond films) but bringing that aspect to Sherlock didn't appeal to me. As there are only three episodes per season, it brings quality. I still enjoy watching earlier seasons again and again. They really make effort to impress. I am just not sure whether I want to see these episodes in the near future as they were quite dark.

Doctor Who Experience, Cardiff

Tottahan toki oli käytävä Doctor Who -näyttelyssä samalla, kun kävin Cardiffissa. Kokemus sisältää vähän Linnanmäen Vekkulaa muistuttavan interaktiivisen osuuden, jonka jälkeen voi omaan tahtiin tutustua sarjan puvustukseen ja rekvisiittaan. Lopuksi on mahdollisuus ostaa oheistuotteita.
Syyskuisena arkipäivänä etukäteisvaraus ei ole välttämätön mutta säästää toki aikaa. 

The Fourth Doctor Attire

Cardiff Central -asemalle pääsee Lontoon Paddington-asemalta kahdessa tunnissa. Asemalta voi jatkaa Cardiff Bayhin paikallisjunalla tai bussilla. Jalkaisin matkaan menee puolisen tuntia.

TARDIS

People asked me why was I going to Cardiff and my answer was because I have never been there.  Now that I finally had the opportunity to visit Cardiff I also wanted to go to the Doctor Who Experience, which I liked.

 

High-Rise

I haven't had the time to read JG Ballard's High-Rise and after seeing the film I'm not quite sure I want to. The cast was great with Tom Hiddleston in the lead, the vision was impressive but I understand those who left the movie theatre before the end. It was a strange film.

Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Keeley Hawes samassa leffassa, jooh! High-Rise! Heti ensi-iltapäivänä katsomaan. Ööh. Johan oli outo leffa. Kirjaa en vielä ehtinyt lukea, mutta ehkä se sitten jälkikäteen avaa leffaa... Mutta soundtrackilta Portisheadin coveroima SOS on aikas hyvä!

Tout de suite maintenant

Brussels Film Festival started yesterday and it will continue until Friday 24 June. I participated in a competition and I won two tickets to avant-première of Tout de suite maintenant. Despite the fact that I practically knew nothing of the film beforehand I liked it. The film was shown sans sous-titrage so a few jokes and so on were lost in translation. Director Pascal Bonitzer was present with her daughter Agathe (she played Nora in the film).

**

Vuoden ensimmäinen ranskalainen valkokangaselämys Tout de suite maintenant (vapaasti suomennettuna "kaikki tänne heti") tuli nähtyä Brysselin elokuvafestivaalilla, jolla elokuva esitettiin. Leffassa nuori nainen Nora (elokuvan ohjaajan Pascal Bonitzerin tytär Agathe) aloittaa uudessa työpaikassa finanssialalla.

Belgian rannikolla, osa 2: Blankenberge

Tällä viikolla sää ei ole suosinut. Tiistaina hiostavan päivän päätteeksi tuli ukkosen tuomana taivaalta rakeita. Vesisadetta on riittänyt! Lauantaille ei luvattu mitenkään erityisen hyvää säätä mutta päätin lähteä rannikolle. Viime vuonna kävin Oostendessa mutta sen jälkeen en ole "ehtinyt" sinnepäin. Nousin junaan Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel Zuid -asemalta. Olin ajoissa laiturilla, joten osasin varautua siihen, että juna jakautuu kahtia Bryggessä - ensimmäiset neljä vaunua jatkoivat matkaa Knokkeen ja viimeiset neljä Blankenbergeen. Asiasta ilmoitettiin sekä laiturinäytöllä että junassa kuulutuksin. Tosin on muistettava, että Brysselin jälkeen kuulutukset tulevat Flanderin puolella vain flaamiksi. Junamatka kestää puolitoista tuntia. Juna seisoo Bryggessä on kymmenen minuuttia. 

Pier Oost, Blankenberge

Vaikka mukani ei ollut karttaa, Centrum-kylttejä seuraamalla sekä matkapuhelimen karttasovelluksen avulla löysin rannalle. Kesäkuu ei ole vielä sesonkiaikaa, sillä sää ei todellakaan ollut rannalla loikoiluun otollinen ja Keski-Euroopassa lomaillaan elokuussa. Kävelin Zeedijkia pitkin Pier Oostille ja sitten rantaa pitkin. 

Blankenbergessä on Sea Life sekä Belle Epoque Centrum. En käynyt kummassakaan, vaan nautin meri-ilmasta. Blankenberge muistutti Brightonia (Brighton Pier vs. Pier Oost) ja Oostendea. Suurin osa kaupoista on Kerkstraatilla.

* *

I had a strange feeling of déjà vu when I saw Pier Oost of Blankenberge. Both the pier and the not so lovely weather reminded me of my trip to Brighton a couple years ago. This was my second trip to the Belgian Coast. Last year I visited Ostend.

It takes 90 minutes  from Brussels to Blankenberge by train. Make sure you are in the right coach as the train splits into two - the first coaches continue to Knokke and the rest to Blankenberge. 

I spent my time just wandering around. As I was born in a city by the sea I always feel more home when there's a sea near! 

Alkuvuoden valkokangashetket - Seen in cinema lately

Tammikuu vain jotenkin meni ohitseni niin, etten ehtinyt käydä leffateatterissa kertaakaan. Asia korjaantui heti helmikuun ensimmäisenä päivänä, kun olin Genevessä. Kävin Ciné 17 -nimisessä leffateatterissa katsomassa Tanskalaisen tytön. Eddie Redmaynen ja Alicia Vikanderin tähdittämä elokuva aiheutti heti kaukokaipuun Kööpenhaminaan, jossa tosin olen käynyt vain kerran. Pääosanesittäjien lisäksi plussaa Ben Whishaw'sta ja belgialaisnäyttelijä Matthias Schoenaertsista, joka tuntuu olevan yhdessä jos toisessa leffassa (mm. Far From the Madding Crowd, A Bigger Splash). 

Maaliskuun puolessavälissä kävin katsomassa elokuvan London Has Fallen kaksi päivää ennen Brysselin iskuja. Kerrankin menin ex tempore leffaan ja valitsin elokuvan sen mukaan, mikä sattui seuraavaksi alkamaan... Vauhdikas elokuva oli, sitä ei voi kieltää, joiltain osin ennalta-arvattava mutta pisteet Lontoosta ja Gerald Butlerista.  

Onnenonkijan näin maaliskuun lopussa, kun olin Helsingissä pääsiäistä viettämässä. Kotimaista elokuvaa kun näkee Keski-Euroopassa harvemmin valkokankaalta, on hyvä käydä siis koti-Suomessa leffassa. Romanttinen komedia pitää aineksensa suht hyvin koossa. Instagram-päivityksin ajatteleva bloggaava hepsankeikka Marja tarvitsee todella miljoonaperijä-Olavin apua.

Ehdin juuri ja juuri nähdä 2 yötä aamuun -elokuvan Season Film Festivalilla ennen kuin piti lähteä takaisin Belgiaan. Mikko Kuparisen ohjaamassa elokuvassa Mikko Nousiaisen esittämä Jaakko tutustuu Vilnassa ranskalaiseen Carolineen (Marie-Josée Croze, kanadalainen näyttelijä). Tässä draamaelokuvassa on mukava tunnelma, varsin elämänmakuinen elokuva. Näytöksen lopuksi paikalla olivat ohjaaja (kuvassa toinen vasemmalta) ja naispääosan esittäjä (kuvassa toinen oikealta. Yleisö sai esittää kysymyksiä. Eräs kehui ohjaajaa ei-hollywoodmaisesta loppuratkaisuista. Suosittelen elokuvaa lämpimästi.

2 yötä aamuun -elokuvan ohjaaja ja naispääosan esittäjä
(kuvassa keskellä)

Eilen tuli sitten lähdettyä työpäivän päätteeksi katsomaan elokuvaa Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Myönnettäköön heti alkuun, etten pidä kauhu- tai zombileffoista mutta Jane Austenin klassikkoromaaniin käärittynä sekin menee. Elizabethia näyttelee Downton Abbeystä ja hiljaittain BBC1:lla esitetystä War & Peace -sarjasta tuttu Lily James. Mr Darcyna on minulle lähinnä Brighton Rock -filmatisoinnista tuttu Sam Riley. Kemiat pelaavat pääparilla suht hyvin yhteen. Täytyy sanoa, että kosintakohtaus oli vauhdikkain näkemistäni Ylpeys ja ennakkoluulo -versioita. Doctor Whon Matt Smith on nappivalinta Mr Collinsin rooliin. Game of Thronesin Charles Dance oli varsin erilaisessa roolissa Mr Bennetina kuin myös Lena Heydey, joka näytteli Lady Catherine de Burghia. Leffassa vedetään romaanin mutkat suoriksi ja höystetään maailmanlopun tunnelmin zombihyökkäyksissä mutta varsin kelvollista viihdettä, jota ei suinkaan tule ottaa liian vakavasti. 

**

This year, thus far, I have seen five films on the silver screen. I started the year in Geneva in Ciné17 where I went to see The Danish Girl. The film made me want to go to Copenhagen.

Second film I saw was action-packed London Has Fallen. I saw it just two days prior to Brussels attacks which gave a whole new perspective to the film. I liked Gerald Butler and London. Entertaining but somewhat predictable.

During my Easter holiday in Helsinki I had the privilege of seeing two Finnish films – Gold Digger and 2 Nights till Morning. Gold Digger was enjoyable romantic comedy where young blogger Marja with money problems accidentally meets an heir to a paper industry dynasty Olavi. The film was filmed in Turku region. Summery Finland is always nice to watch! 2 Nights till Morning is set in Vilnius, Lithuania. In the film French architect Caroline encounters Finnish DJ Jaakko. Mikko Kuparinen's film had an international feeling in it. In a way it reminded me about Kaksi tarinaa rakkaudesta.

I must confess that I am not a fan of zombie films but I did went to see Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I actually liked the film. There was still Jane Austen's novel behind it, so it was quite fun to watch this interpretations. Casting was great - I am sure that we will see Lily James in many epic dramas to come!
 
 

I saw him first - years ago!

Remember Colin Firth in Ballykissangel? It seems like years, really. It's a funny thing with films and TV series. First you see one actor in one film or TV series, then you forget all about him - or try to find the other films he's been and suddenly you are watching a big Hollywood film and bang! You see an old familiar face. 

Let's take another example. Daniel Craig in The Ice House in 1997. I don't remember much from that adaptation of Minette Walter's book but I do remember the young and bit foolish DS McLoughlin. His face namely.  And then films come and go. Until I am standing in Paris metro in spring 2006 and there are this two British ladies discussing the Blonde Bond. And ten years later? He's still 007. Well, at least until his successor is chosen.

James Corden, then? You know, Smithy from Gavin & Stacey, the lovely British comedy. Now he hosts Late Late Night Show with James Corden - the one with Car Karaoke with stars like Adele! 


Time flies and so on. I am not going to start with the younger actors or actresses because that would make me feel so old.

Nuori Morse kausi kolme - Endeavour Series Three

Aina ei ole Belgian postiin luottamista mutta kerrankin Kanaalin yli toimitus kesti alle viikon! Olin iloisesti yllättänyt, kun palasin minilomalta kotiin, postilokerossani odotti Suomessa nimellä tunnettu Nuori Morse -sarjan kolmas kausi. Pitihän se heti aloittaa katselu, ja muutamassa päivässä neljä puolitoista tuntista jaksoa oli katsottu. 

Sarjan toinen kausi jätti katsojat jännittyneenä odottamaan jatkoa mutta kuten  kannesta voi päätellä, hän palaa Thursdayn rinnalle ratkomaan rikoksia. Sen enempää katselunautintoja pilaamatta totean vain, että uusi naispuolinen konstaapeli (Dakota Blue Richards) ei ole mikään koriste, eksoottisia eläimiä päästään jäljittämään ja Thursdayn jälkikasvukin saa huomiota osakseen. 

Taattua brittilaatua tämäkin sarja. Ikävä kyllä loppui liian nopeasti. Tuleekohan jatkoa?

Nuori Morse kausi 3 - Endeavour Series Three

 **

I was ever so excited when I came back from my holiday as Endeavour Season Three was waiting for me at my mail box.  The cliffhanger of the final episode of Season Two is resolved and Morse is back, well, at first he's not back at the Station but he'll get there eventually. 

I really enjoyed the four 90 minute-episodes and I am looking forward to see more! Shaun Evans is brilliant as always. He somehow captures the fragility of Morse with such finesse.

Uuden vuoden päivä Kölnissä - New Year Day in Cologne

Brysselistä ajaa autolla Kölniin noin kolmessa tunnissa. Junalla samaan matkaan menee ICE-junalla kaksi tuntia. Keski-Euroopassa asumisessa mukavaa on juuri se, että kaikki on niin lähellä.

Rein-joki, Köln - River Rhein, Cologne

Vaikka olikin jo uuden vuoden päivä, oli joulumarkkinat vielä täydessä tohinassa. Kaupat olivat kiinni tuolloin mutta lauantaina minulla oli aikaa kierrellä kaupoissa. 
 

Joulumarkkinat - Christmas market

* *

Cologne can be reached from Brussels in two hours (cf. by car approximately three hours). It seemed like a nice city. All I did was walked around, ate and did some shopping.

Learning Dutch - Shopping

My Dutch - or Flemish as it's spoken in Belgium - isn't getting any better. Maybe it's time for a word list with shopping vocabulary!


winkelen = to shop 
de winkel =  a shop
het winkelcentrum = a shopping centre
het warenhuis = department store
de apotheek = a pharmacy
de bakkerij = a bakery
de bloemist = a florist
de boekwinkel = a bookstore
de ijzerwinkel = a hardware store
de schoenwinkel = a shoe store

boodschapping doen = to do grocery shopping
kopen = to buy
betalen = to pay

kosten = to cost

het mandje = shopping basket
ingang = entrance
uitgang = exit
geopend = open
gesloten = closed
uitverkoop = sale
werkdagen = weekdays

Hoeveel kost deze spiegel? = How much costs this mirror?
Hebt u iets goedkopers? = Do you have anything cheaper?
Dit/Deze neem ik. = I'll take this. 
Is er een winkel die op zondag open is? = Is there a shop which is open on Sundays?

Dear Santa - Or now I know what I would like to have for Christmas

It's a fact that the Santa Claus or Father Christmas or Joulupukki as we say in Finland lives in Korvatunturi, Finland. When I was a child I never wrote to him. 

I just saw this article about the illustrated Harry Potter and the Philopher's Stone written by JK Rowling and llustrated by Jim Kay. 

Well, perhaps I just have to buy it for myself for Christmas!

Supernatural season 10 review - arvio

So, tenth season, huh? That is quite an achievement. In the beginning it was just demons and other monsters. From the forth season on, there have been angels as well. Castiel in particular has been a great add to the crew along with Crowley, the King of Hell. But now things aren't so well. Dean has turned into a demon. As usual the "problem" is solved quite fast but the older Winchester brother still carries the Mark of Cain, which makes Dean to have anger management problems in big scale. Sam is worried, of course. 

Along the journey, the story arch of this season moves forward in some episodes. Who would have known that the King of Hell has a mother? In between there are these meaningless "monster of the week" episodes that fills the season. 

Remember Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode Once More with Feeling? The Supernatural equivalent is Fanfiction. You know, Supernatural high school musical. The episode is quite funny. I also liked About a Boy with Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nicol) from Downton Abbey. 

Charlie Bradbury is back, so is Sheriff Jodie Mills. Jimmy Novak's daughter and wife have their roles to play in the storyline. Jimmy Novak's body is Castiel's vessel. The final of the season brings one character back, I won't tell which but the opening credits of the episode spoils a little bit. As for new acquiantances Rowena played by Ruth Connell is somethings else!


The season gets sligthly better towards the end but some weariness is in the series. All the young characters are bound to snark about Dean's age. The lack of real bad guy during this season makes one think it's all about the evil inside oneself as Dean struggles his inner demons. 

**

Supernatural-sarjaa on saatavilla DVD:nä kymmenen kautta, yhdestoista kausi pyörii parhaillaan Yhdysvalloissa. Kauas on alkuajoista päästy - edellisen kauden demoni-Dean ongelma ratkeaa kauden aika alussa mutta hän kantaa Kainin merkkiä pitkään, mikä vaikuttaa hänen luonteeseensa. Hieman sarja tuntuu junnaavan paikallaan. Kauden uusista tuttavuuksista Ruth Connellin esittämä Rowena nousee kyllä muiden ohi. Jaksoista nostaisin jalustalle hieman ehkä yllättäen musikaalijakson Fanfiction, joka on sarjan 200. jakso. Jopa nauroin jakson aikana.
  

Weekend in Paris

It takes only hour and a half to get from Bruxelles Gare du Midi to Paris Gare du Nord. For me, it took a year to take Thalys train to Paris. So near and yet so far.

Cimetière de Montparnasse, Paris

I didn't actually plan that much - I had the train tickets and the hotel booked. The rest was just what I felt like doing. I had the chance to meet my old exchange student friend and I had a little taste of la vie à la parisienne.



La Défense, Puteaux 

Started my stay with a morning stroll and a breakfast in La Défence. There I saw this sculpure of Claude Torricini, La Grenouille. 

My favourite store, in shopping centre 4temps Virgin Megastore  exists no more and in its place there was a same-size store called Cultura. 

Walked a lot in Paris, until my feet hurt. The thing with Paris is that there are tourists everywhere in the centre. The cemetery of Montparnasse was very peaceful on Sunday afternoon.   

Perhaps my quota of Paris for the next two or three years is full and I look forward in seeing other cities in France. A friend of mine has invited me to visit Strasbourg.

Dominion, season one

The eyes of actor Tom Wisdom have been haunting me ever since I saw the DVD box of Dominion in a shop. But I left it in the shelf as I knew nothing of the series. I finally ordered the series and watched all the episodes almost back to back. The series isn't great but perfectly watchable. Aforementioned actor as archangel Michael or Carl Beukes as archangel Gabriel just look ridiculous when they defend themselves with their wings. All the same it seems that I am a sucker for star-crossed lovers – in this series Alex Lannen and Claire Riesen.

I have always been distracted by the fact that I have seen actors in other roles. Alan Dale (Lost, the OC) plays the father of Claire, Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Little Britain, Merlin) is in it, too. 

The series reminds me of Battlestar Galactiga and Supernatural. In a way nothing is new anymore. Dominion is based on a film Legion. I would like to see something different in scifi/fantasy genre.

Bouillon, Belgia

Qu'est-ce qu'on fait quand tous les magasins sont fermés à Buxelles et on a rien à faire? C'était temps pour un road trip - nous étions le jour férié d'Ascension. Heureusement j'ai une collègue qui a une voiture et permis à conduire.

Château Fort de Bouillon

Bouillon

What to do when there's nothing to do in Brussels because of a bank holiday? Go somewhere else, of course! I joined a few colleagues on a road trip to Bouillon to see the castle fortress. The journey takes about t 1 ½ hours. The castle was quite nice actually although I felt all alone in a underground tunnel - I'm not very tall but I had to crouch!

Helatorstai sujui mukavasti autoreissulla Bouilloniin. Suomen linnoista ei ole selkeää muistikuvaa, sillä olen ollut varsin nuori, kun niissä olen käynyt viimeksi. Siksi oli ihan hauskaa vaihteeksi olla aivan täysin toisenlaisessa ympäristössä - aikahyppy historiaan. Tosin liehuva EU-lippu kertoi kyllä, missä ajassa elämämme. Bouillon muistuttaa siitä, että Belgiassa on muutakin nähtävää Brysselin lisäksi kuin Antwerpen, Brugge ja Gent.

Hotel de la Poste
Place Saint-Arnould 1
6830 Bouillon

Silverscreen friends all grown up!

Remember Daniel Radcliffe in the first Harry Potter film? So fresh-faced, so young. Well, he had a role in David Copperfield but still at the time no one knew his face. Seven films later and after more films he's all grown up. It was like he was a distant relative - like those who we see once a year or so in birthday parties - who we have watched mature. 

A while ago I watched Horns. In that film he had shed the Harry Potter shadow. He also starred in What if - harmless rom com. I couldn't get over the fact that there was a Harry Potter connection - Rafe Spall (plays Ben) is Timothy Spall's son (Wormtail aka Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter). Yeah, and there also was Jemima Rooper (from Lost in Austen).

Well, What if was bit different from usual romantic comedies. I liked the dialogue, the international aspect: Toronto - Dublin (I really want to go to Ireland!).

Rupert Grint (Ronald Weasley from Harry Potter) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) are also doing pretty fine with their careers. In my opinion all three have made progress in their acting.

 

Supernatural - Still going strong?

So, yeah, I'm bit behind in the long-running fantasy series Supernatural - just finished watching season 9. I was little bored in the beginning. Once again one of the Winchester brothers manages to trick Death. The cliffhanger of the previous season is solved rather quickly although it has some consequences. The Angels are searching vessels as Metatron cast a spell and made all of them fall from Heaven. Sam is in bad shape after the trials.

There's this pattern that keeps repeating. Brotherly love & hate spiced with witty banter, all the popular culture references from Star Wars to Harry Potter (you got to love the scene where Metatron gives Castiel all the information he has on books, films and stuff). Someone who the brothers really care dies - all these things are repeated during the series. Demons has been present throughout the series, Angels came along in season four (so far my favourite season), there are more Biblical references - Mark of Cain. A character the fans really love is brought back - Gabriel, for one episode, but still. Even the WOW! cliffhanger of this season isn't that bad because the situation will be fixed soon, right?

I have to admit that the formula works. The series has outlived many others. I mean ten seasons is quite an achievement. I am glad that at least Crowley  (got to love Mark A Sheppard) and Castiel are still in the series - it might get a bit boring without them. The series is far from perfect and real life but it's very entertaining and fun to watch.

*  *

Supernaturalin yhdeksäs kausi pitää kiinni otteessaan, vaikka matkan varrella vähän tylsiä "täytejaksoja" onkin. Kymppikautta odotellessa...

Please shut up - I just want to watch the film...

Few benches away sat a couple that peppered the floor of the film theatre with Daim Candy wrappers and commented while watching the film. The film was The Book Thief. When Geoffrey Rush's Hans referred Liesel as "Your Majesty" the male part of the couple commented loudly "Wrong film" as he was making a reference to other Geoffrey Rush movie The King's Speech. Don't get me wrong, it's okay to comment on the film while watching it once or twice but they kept going all the way every once in the while. If the guy thought he was whispering, he was wrong. I would watch the film on DVD, f I wanted a audio commentary,

The film was okay. Right from the beginning I was trying to figure out who was the narrator. I had to wait until the credits: Roger Allam.

 

Other not-so happy film experiences

Finding Neverland - a mother read the Finnish subtitles to her offspring.

Romeo + Juliet - the girls in the front row who had already seen the film kept repeating "It's coming now" when death scene was unfold on the screen.

Well, there have been other films. Once in France while someone was still talking as the film had started, someone else shouted "Chut"!

But then again, sometimes is nice that the audience reacts to the events of the film. It's bit awkward to be the only one laughing...

Walking Down the Memory Lane

I started watching Veronica Mars again from the beginning. It's been ten years or so since the first season was broadcast. During the first season the guest appearences are quite something! Watching the episodes all I get is the "I know that face" feeling...

Fantasy series:

Alison Hannigan - Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer - is Logan's sister
Alona Tal - Jo Harvelle from Supernatural - is almost Veronica's friend
Michael McMillian - Steve Newlin from True Blood

Others
Adam Scott
Leighton Meester
Amanda Seyfried
Theo Rossi
Max Greenfield


In season three there are Matt Czuchry (Logan from Gilmore Girls), Michael Grant Terry (intern Wendell Bray from Bones) and Arnie Hammer (from Lone Ranger).

There's the film coming up. I'm not sure whether it'll reach the silver screen in Helsinki but I can always hope.

Reviews of the film

Variety
The Guardian