My skyline right now:




If this effs up the right-hand menu, it simply means your screen resolution is too small for it to look good and that I can't be arsed to do anything about it. :D

Current track: Nada, zip, zilch.

Labels: personal

...don't ever forget saving your game whilst playing The Sims 2. I hadn't saved for about three or four hours yesterday (luckily I saved just as my character managed to climb to the top of the business ladder, unfortunately he got a live-in girlfriend and a little baby after that) - when my cordless mouse decided to change channels, and courteously enough told me this by minimising the window and popping up a very informative box on the desktop. I never got back to the game, looked at the watch and decided it was time for supper anyway, as it was seven o'clock and I hadn't even had breakfast yet.

In order to have some company while eating (the things you do when you live alone...), I put on a film. It was Whale Rider, which I hadn't seen yet even though I received it about a month prior to Christmas. When I'd finished that one, I went on to watching Soldier of Orange (which had a few interesting translation mistakes in the subtitles, for instance "Kriegsmarine" became "the Greek Marine" (this made absolutely no sense whatsoever, but obviously the translator never watched the film)) for the third time before ending the evening's séance with Shine, which I've been wanting to see for many months now, but just never got around to. I have of course seen it before, since Geoffrey Rush is a favourite of mine (and why shouldn't he be?) - it was as brilliant this time around as last time.

Current track: Still quiet at work.

Labels: film, gaming, geoffrey rush

I almost laughed my head off earlier today when I read Johanne Hildebrandt's column in the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. (If you know Swedish, read the whole article here.) She wrote about how snotty we as Norwegians were, and how we consider ourselves to be superior to everyone else in the Nordic region. I reckon this is very funny indeed, as she has achieved just the opposite of what she (probably) intended to. You see, we've always considered ourselves to be inferior to the rest of the region (well, perhaps not of the Icelanders), but what she has said means they must be very jealous of us and consider us to actually be superior to them. Brilliant! We can stop this inferiority complex nonsense and get on with our lives!

Current track: Nothing.

Labels: Norway

And why did we bother paying through our noses to go see it? There were a couple or three funny lines, but apart from that this film is made up of very, very cheap laughs based on everything that happened in the last film and a predictability I haven't seen for about ten years. Everything that was about to happen was so obvious even the kids were bored. Why on earth the actors would be involved in this voluntarily is beyond me. (I hope they were under contract.) I wonder whether they were all on acid or something when they both wrote and filmed this. And the writers clearly have little experience with real life and none whatsoever with royalty. OK, so it's Disney and that is a fantasy world on its own, but still you would think they would be interested in making it remotely like anything based on reality. Alas, this is just yet another example of the general ignorance we are being shown daily through reports (on CNN, even!) of stupid things that are happening in the US of A. We really need for the intelligent Americans to stand up for themselves now and not just give up or move abroad, or we will lose what little faith we still have in your country. I know you exist (since I know several of you), so come out, come out wherever you are. It's become PC to call Americans stupid and when referring to weird events and/or people, we often find that putting a "s/he was an American, of course" at the end of such a story is almost mandatory, because that is more and more often the case. The US is becoming the laughing-stock of the world, not that other word beginning with an L, leader, as their president would have us think.

Current track: Something off the radio.

Labels: current affairs, film

I am officially hooked on that series. It's the most popular series Denmark has had in years and luckily we, as good neighbours, have imported it. We're on series two now, and due to the fact that we've become as hooked on the series as the Danes have, it's being shown just one week after the Danish transmission. Yay! It's like when they showed "our" huge family saga, Vestavind here some years ago, people just couldn't get enough of it (personally, I've seen it twice and would love to see it again). Apparently family sagas spanning several decades during the 1800s and/or 1900s interest us a lot.

My film collection has (finally) been updated. New entries are shown in yellow. (Use the right-hand menu.)

Current track: The Herbaliser - Something Wicked

Labels: TV

I know, sounds like one of those rash decisions, immature labels, but this way you may have caught my attention. Last week our Minister of the Environment (yes, that's right), Knut Arild Hareide, representing the Christian People's Party (yep) in our "coalition government", was the first of his kind (and hopefully the last) to issue a death penalty on five already protected wolves in Norway. The three wolf packs have been a pet hate among the sheep farmers for a very long time, and they're over the moon now that they can go on their murderous rampage. Yesterday they managed to actually kill one of the wolf bitches, one of those who were still protected. So now we've only got one whole pack left - those stupid buggers have basically wrecked what we've been fighting for for more than twenty years, in just one week's time. "Oops, we did a mistake" is not good enough.

We're desperate. Seriously. We need to swamp the Minister's inbox with pleas of stopping this illegal act. Please send a message to Knut Arild Hareide and help this country regain a little bit of dignity, at least. (The message you send him may be made public, according to rules and regulations. And of course he understands English.)

Current track: The Herbaliser - Worldwide Connected

Labels: animals, current affairs, Norway

Just got home after seeing Ocean's Twelve at the cinema. Good fun. Surprise appearance by favourite Jeroen Krabbé turned out nothing, as he had no lines, LOL! Luckily, Eddie Izzard did. Wa-hey! Should probably be seen by those who liked the first film. In fact, I'd recommend watching Ocean's Eleven first (that's the one from 2001; the original's called Ocean's 11).

We really went to see that Team America film or whatever it's called; I didn't actually want to see it until Wossy recommended it in his Film 2005 last weekend. Alas, there was a big queue and we couldn't be bothered, so went for a very long walk instead, trying to find something to do, but it was bad timing; every single cinema (of which there are 11...or 12 in this city) had just started a film and the next one would be in about two hours. Eventually we had walked for such a long time we might as well go to the nine o'clock performance. :-)

I'm having a written row with the janitors in this place; they keep telling me to get a sign for my letterbox, and I keep putting up one...only that it's printed, and they don't want that. That no-good neighbour of mine from downstairs, however, can do what he wants. Bet they're too scared to even talk to him. I'll keep it going for a bit longer. So far the postman remembers where my letterbox is (could that be because of the insane amount of parcels I receive from Play and eBay'ers? *blushes*).

Erasure down ten to number fourteen last week. It was great as long as it lasted. Bloody Elvis is ruining it for everyone. When will people realise he's dead? He is, in fact, an ex-rockstar. Get used to it. Please.

Current track: Nothing.

Labels: erasure, film, jeroen krabbé, music, personal

Possibly one of the funniest lines ever uttered in a comedy. I first saw Robin Hood: Men in Tights in a Dutch truckstop in the summer of 1994, the sound was turned off and it had Dutch subtitles, but halfway through the film I decided this was definitely something I had to rent once I got back home. It was even better with the sound on. There were several new things I learnt about Robin Hood while watching that film. ;-) Well, it's been ten and a half years and it's still one of my favourite comedies and among those films I must have seen ten times or more. Of the three Robin Hood films that were released during the early nineties, this is the best, then comes Robin Hood (the one starring Patrick Bergin) and last and definitely least, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. It is, after all, Kevin Costner, and not even a delightfully wicked Alan Rickman can really save that film. Back to the Mel Brooks version, it's got a brilliant cast (especially Cary Elwes and personal favourite Roger Rees (as the awfully camp Sheriff of Rottingham, the one with the terrible syntax problem)) and the lines are quite simply among the best ever written. It's all very silly and very Mel Brooksy. Three or more thumbs up!

The Golden Globes were announced yesterday (and I forgot all about it, since I don't have any channels anymore that would actually be bothered to transmit the whole show) - there was at least one very good choice made: Geoffrey Rush got the award for best actor in a made-for-TV drama. I've told you before and I'm telling you now as well as long into the future; he is amazingly gifted and deserves all the awards he can get his hands on. Seriously, he can make a crap movie turn into a brilliant one. There are hardly any of those actors around so I think we should pay more attention the minute one actually does appear. Typically, though, no one seems to have noticed his win over here; they listed quite a few of the winners but were all emphasising on the "well-known" (and not necessarily good) actors and series. It's all getting a bit tedious.

Speaking (as usual) about films, I went to the sneak preview of En folkefiende (Enemy of the People) tonight, and...uhmm...I'm not sure what to make of it. I guess the film was OK, and there was a lot of talent around (Jørgen Langhelle is quickly becoming a favourite of mine), but the theme was quite boring, so by the time the film finished I was surprised only ninety minutes had gone by. It wasn't half bad, though, there were moments that were very good, but the subject just wasn't very interesting and that ruined the film for me. Lovely scenery, though, very good for the tourism. Unfortunately, no one abroad would bother to distribute it. :-)

Current track: Leonard Cohen - Nightingale

Labels: Alan Rickman, award shows, comedy, film, geoffrey rush

I am strangely proud about the fact that my boys Erasure have entered the official UK single chart at number four. That's their best chart position since 1994. Wahey the lads!

Also, and I should have said this on Sunday when I actually went to the sneak preview, I have to mention Jean-Pierre Jeunet's new masterpiece, Un long dimanche de fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement), starring several of the best actors out there. Visit the official site here. (Because I can't be bothered to write more about it, mwahahaah!)

Speaking (a lot) of Erasure (lately) - I watched most of their Hits! DVD last night, and realised I had seen very few of their music videos after 1992. I had, in fact, only seen a couple, and only once each. That is very sad. Of course, that made me notice a few things I wouldn't have if I knew the videos very well. Among them, that Coupling actor Ben Miles appeared in their video for Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day) (which was a great video, by the way). I was also reminded of the fact that Erasure have made some really funny videos, in both senses of the word.

Current track: Erasure - Siren Song

Labels: erasure, film, music

So it's afternoon, who cares? Have I been hiding or something? Since I visited their website...uhmm...very late last year (I'm guessing New Year's Eve), Oslo Nye Teater have made a few additions. The most important is that they're giving in to popular demand and extending the run of Sound of Musvik (which I have a sneaking suspicion they were planning on doing all along...making a brand new musical for very few dates during a two-month-period couldn't possibly be a very economical situation for anyone involved. Ahem.), but also they're going to put up West Side Story next year (the theatre is turning into our new national musical venue, it seems). I have no idea who's going to be in it, but I bet it's going to be fab. I just hope I'll be able to see it. Anyway, Musvik: Yay!

Current track: Erasure - Breathe

Labels: musicals, theatre

First of all, I'm simply amazed at all the stories I hear about the immense self-sacrifice and organisation among the Thai in all of this. Makes me think and worry about whether I would do the same, had it been me.

In all of this, I must say I am so glad this didn't happen as a result of a terrorist attack or something similar. It could have been the last drop. Instead, there is a surge of international help. Hopefully this will last, although I've had disturbing news these past few days, for instance about countries promising to give aid and then withdrawing the money from their aid budgets, which basically means they take money from other poor countries and give it to the tsunami countries. That is so low-life. It's like saying "look at me! I'm such a kind country, I hope everyone takes note of that?!"

I wish I could afford to give more money, but alas, I could just spare a day's pay. Knowing me, you probably won't be too surprised to learn that my choice of recipient was the animal kingdom. Luckily, I live in a senselessly rich country and some of that money we're giving comes from the taxes I've paid recently. We've had two "telethons" this weekend, plus people have been swarming the streets collecting money for the Red Cross, Save the Children, Church Aid etc. I hope we will remember this so that we will continue the aid for years to come (in addition to what we usually give, that is).

On top of all of this, I can't help but wondering how people can still believe there is a god (or several, all depending). Of all the places this could have happened, this so-called god had to choose an area which was already very poor. Personally, I don't see the point in a god that keeps "testing" his/her people. It must be a very sadistic and egotistical god, and that's not my definition of "god", ergo he/she doesn't exist. (Uh-oh, that'll make the fanatics mad!)

Current track: Nothing.

Labels: animals, current affairs, personal

I watched Garfield the other day, or rather Pusur, which is the Norwegian-dubbed version. According to friends and other reviewers from abroad, the film wasn't worth it. According to Norwegian friends and reviewers, the film was definitely worth it. I thought it was going to be crap, but the Norwegian reviews were right; it was hilarious! (I was trying not to be too biased, considering three of my favourites were dubbing the film, three whose names have been mentioned on this blog frequently.) So I would, once again, suggest that everyone who didn't like the film, or who hasn't seen it yet, or everyone else, really, should learn Norwegian and watch our version, because it apparently gave the original a whole new dimension.

(My server is down. Sorry.)

Current track: Some boring song on the radio.

Labels: anders hatlo, dennis storhøi, film

I just cannot believe this. Then again...I'm not too surprised, so maybe I can believe it after all. Let's see, I noticed Erasure in '91, became a bona fide fan in '92. In all those years they haven't set foot on our shores, apart from a surprise gig they did at a closed event quite a few years ago. They're going out on tour again this spring, but my nearest venue is the one in Copenhagen. There's a sea between us, and anyway, the concert is sold out already. I was planning on going to London later this spring when I can get some time off work, but by then they've already moved on to touring the US. This is the only group I've been this devoted to - basically, I've bought all of their records, singles, maxi-singles, vinyls, remixes, promos, interview CDs, videos, DVDs - and still no chance of seeing them live. What will I have to do?

By the way, I got rid of some of the crap on this blog (no, not the text :-) ); hopefully it'll load quicklier now. Also, look out for an Erasure special on the WTFQ?/AICY?-radio in the coming week; celebrating their 20th anniversary.

Current track: Erasure - Breathe

Labels: concert, erasure, music

...have I got huge strands of hair growing out of my ears? No? Well, answer me this, then: How do they find out which radio channel is Europe's leading cultural radio channel? Apparently, according to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet this title belongs to our very own NRK P2 (incidentally the host of my favourite Norwegian radio show, the satirical Hallo i uken). I've often wondered how they figure these things out. Personally, I think a lot of it is just made up, really. OK, so I know the channel in question is filled to the brink with cultural stuff (of the more "high culture" kind, ahem), and their choice of nightly music comes from the highly esteemed (and ever so often wrongly named) classical genre, but as far as I know BBC Radio 3 does the same, doesn't it?

I'm also very happy to know that our world is a complete disgrace. Once again the humans have proven to have had no use of their superior intelligence other than to take advantage of other people's misfortune. People are using the VISA, Mastercard and cashcard numbers of registered patients at hospitals in SE Asia as the institutions go public with whatever information they have on unidentified victims. Also, the lists of missing persons currently being put on the Internet have turned out to be a list of opportunities of burglars. There are sometimes I just wish the Christians were right in thinking there must be a Heaven and there must be a Hell...

Earlier today, I experienced something of a glimpse of Heaven, actually, as I was going home from work. A friend pointed out this stunning view to me, and I'm quite sure this was a once-in-a-life chance. Unfortunately, the only camera I was carrying was the one on my mobile, which isn't of the best quality, but nevertheless it's better than no picture of the event at all:




Thankfully, our government is adding another € 122 million / £ 86 million to the tsunami aid, while the Scandinavian missing persons lists shrink by the hour.

Be safe!

Current track: Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At?

Labels: current affairs, personal, radio

If you haven't seen The Office (the original version, once again, could the American networks please stop making their own versions???) you haven't fully lived. Anyway, today's Dilbert was brilliant. Read it here.

Current track: Itsy-bitsy Teeny-weeny Yellow Polkadot Bikini (I can't get it out of my head! It's driving me mad!)

Labels: humour, TV

Finally got around to watching the "last" episode of Riget (The Kingdom) last night and I stand by my previous remark that Udo Kier's Little Brother must be one of the creepiest characters ever. Trying to look for clues as to whether he was dubbed all the way through the series (he was putting on a very good miming act, though), I happened upon his German fansite and in one of the interviews posted there, he said something very true indeed: "Für einen Deutschen gibt es in Hollywood ohnehin nur drei Rollen: der mit dem harten Akzent, der wahnsinnige Wissenschaftler oder der Böse." (There are only three roles available for a German in Hollywood: The one with the hard accent, the mad scientist or the villain.) I laughed out loud when I read that, because it's spot on. It made me think of all the stereotypes that Hollywood are giving the western world (or, more precisely, the Americans - as we as Europeans usually are more aware of all the European clichées just as I'm sure most Americans can tell a Texan from a New Yorker).

In the Hollywood films, when you see a man with very light blond hair and blue eyes, he must be the Nazi and is probably named Fritz, Karl or Heinz. Look for further clues in possible scars. If it's a woman with light blond hair and blue eyes, she must be the Swedish maid/nanny/pole dancer named Helga, Olga or Greta (I cannot stress this enough: There are hardly anyone in Sweden below the age of 80 called any of these names). She's probably got a huge cleavage, too. And very short skirts. And an exceptionally dumb manner (this, of course, is not a stereotype; all Swedes are stupid (only joking!)). If you're a foreigner and/or have a foreign accent, you're very likely to be put in the role of villain. Unless you're very good-looking (in a Mediterranean sort of way); then you may be offered the part as The Lover. Unfortunately, The Lover barely has any lines at all (much due to The Accent, I'm afraid). If you're French...well...you've most definitely got an accent no matter how hard you try, and you can't under any circumstances play anything else than a French person (or, possibly, someone from southern Belgium or Switzerland). You'll probably have to settle for a few outrageous lines consisting of many romantic/sexy utterances, and you'll be half-naked through most of the film. You will of course be named Jean, Michel or Jean-Michel. If you're Italian, you'll be playing the mafia member or exchange student. Unless you go back in time, to the sixties and seventies, where you'd be most likely to play a cowboy or Mexican villain. Go figure. Speaking of Mexican villains; if you're Spanish or Mexican you will be playing someone who's just crossed the Rio Grande and turned nasty. (Maybe it's high time the US should think about what makes people change the minute they get into the country?) Your name will be Carlos, Felipe or, lately, Jorge (because it's so "difficult" to pronounce, I guess). If you're Russian, you've only recently been let into the country and have a splendid accent for any thrillers about the eighties. Because, as we all know, nothing interesting happened in the eighties, apart from the Cold War and the yuppies. Anyway, you will be playing a villain or someone who's a double agent. You will be required to speak some Russian at some point in the film, just to show how frightfully clever and "European-minded" the producers are. You will be called Vladimir, Boris or Nikolai (or just pick another previous leader's name you like).

Now, those are the Europeans, but as we all know, the world is slightly larger than that. I'm going to skip Africa, because Africans are seldom let into Hollywood (there have been but a few exceptions). The Asians, on the other hand, are usually playing villains. There have been quite a few wars to choose from. There's WWII, the Korean war and the Vietnam war. Lots of conflicts into which Asian actors must be put. Unless you prove to be quite agile and proficient in any martial art. The main thing is to be able to bow a lot, no matter what kind of movie you've been given. If you're Chinese or Korean, you may also be offered the role of The Chinese Laundryman (for the pre-1940 themed films) or The Chinese Dry-Cleaner (for the post-WWII themed films), but this will give you no lines and just a lot of bowing. There are other countries that belong to Asia, though (it is quite large, in fact). There's something called the Middle East. As we should have realised by now, all people living in the Middle East are to be considered armed and dangerous, according to Hollywood. Any actors escaping from that area will be thrown back in order to play...yes, you guessed it, The Terrorist. The only thing you will be required to do, is shout a lot in some language the producers (yet again) don't understand, while wearing a lot of dirty scarves and clutching a machine gun. It is a must that you have very few teeth. Your name will be any form resembling Mohammed, Ahmed or Abdul. Preferably all three.

When it comes to down-under, the Australians usually play the very laid-back, glad-to-meet-ya, good-on-you kind of friend, who's used to eating snakes and spiders for breakfast and who's got the broadest Australian accent ever. He will no doubt be called Bruce. The New Zealanders have been appearing in Hollywood films only recently, and only as hobbits, so let's hope the Americans will discover there is more to Kiwiland before they are stereotyped as hobbits.

The British are quite right, they are indeed special and should keep to themselves. You see, unless you have no education, you will probably remember the slight dispute the US had with the English a few hundred years ago. This nags them both even today, long after the rest of the world stopped caring. This has led to the creation of The Archnemesis. The Archnemesis is always someone with an Oxford accent. Possibly an American trying to resemble that accent. The Archnemesis is the most dangerous villain that Hollywood has ever seen, and is the only one that will survive through the ages and drifting political issues. He will be called whatever you like, as the English have all got sensible names, according to Hollywood.

There are very few foreigners who've made the cut in Hollywood and actually been offered parts where they're playing good, wholesome Americans with good, wholesome American names. (I'm still surprised they let Stellan Skarsgård play an American professor in Good Will Hunting!) Some have been put into action films where acting skills and foreign accents don't matter, and have been given American or even supernatural names. For some reason Arnold Schwarzenegger springs to mind (but making him a governor was a bit over the top, don't you think? Let's not mix Hollywood with real life).

All in all, if you've got the slightest hint of an accent, you're not likely going to make it into one of the "real" roles in Hollywood. For some bizarre reason, Hollywood is very picky on the accent thing; in order to play an American, you must sound American. Which is funny, because they know bugger all about any other accents and couldn't give a toss about credibility in any other aspect of the film. I think Hollywood must be very confused.

Current track: Nothing.

Labels: film, humour, lists, TV

That's Tom Wilkinson I'm talking about, who is on the New Year's OBE list. Finally! Congrats, Thomas!

Current track: Devo - Whip it

Labels: tom wilkinson