Han Solo, You're the Best

Film Appreciation

My son and I went to watch Star Wars The Force Awakens. Without spoilers, I do have to say I am very happy with the job JJ Abrams added to the Star Wars universe. As in Star Trek, he has added a new taste in the genre and a new perspective that makes me want more.

Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be the Han Solo, not Luke Skywalker. So, it was Han Solo I was excited to watch again on the big screen.

While waiting for the movie to begin, Flix Brewhouse showed this snippet from Robot Chicken: Star Wars, which I thought it would be cool to share on my blog. Enjoy.



via Adult Swim UK

Bettina Rheims

Photography Appreciation

Bettina Rheims is a French photographer who is known for taking portraits of famous people such as Madonna, Carole Bouquet, Kylie Minogue, Claudia Schiffer, and French President Jacques Chirac.

A mentor under Helmut Newton and inspired by Diane Arbus, Rheims is also known for her photography of female models.

You can see more of her photography HERE.

French President Jacques Chirac via sfgate

Madonna, New York, 1994 via thevisualculture

26 JUIN I, PARIS, JUIN 1991 (“CHAMBRE CLOSE”) via photowhoa

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettina_Rheims
http://www.photosapiens.com/Retrospective-Bettina-Rheims-au.html
http://thevisualculture.blogspot.com/2010/09/five-reasons-to-love-bettina-rheims.html
http://blog.photowhoa.com/bettina-rheims-interview-insights-from-a-three-decade-career-shooting-eroticism/#more-2987
http://blog.jedroot.com/jri/2012/01/bettina-rheims-for-candy-magazine.html
http://www.photosapiens.com/Retrospective-Bettina-Rheims-au.html
http://blog.sfgate.com/worldviews/2007/04/12/french-presidential-election-weird-rumblings-on-the-right/
https://seattle98.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/behind-the-facade-of-ordinary-days-by-bettina-rheims/

Cosplay... Is An Art: MCM London Comic Con May 2015 - Cosplay Music

via PK Snapsnap

Lucio Amitrano

Art Appreciation

While browsing one of my favorite art blogs, La Conchiglia di Venere, I came across this painting of a beautiful woman disrobing and exposing her breast. It's a sensual painting by Lucio Amitrano, a well-known contemporary Italian artist. He's known for painting nude women in intimate and sensual settings.

You can check out more of his artwork at one of the blogs listed below.

via conchigliadivenere

Sources:

http://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2014/03/Lucio-Amitrano.html
http://maherartgallery.blogspot.com/2013/12/lucio-amitrano.html
http://www.kaifineart.com/2014/11/lucio-amitrano.html
https://conchigliadivenere.wordpress.com/2013/11/28/lucio-amitrano-1950-italian/
http://catherinelarosepoesiaearte.blogspot.com/2015/03/lucio-amitrano.html
http://fasci-arte.blogspot.com/2014/10/lucio-amitrano.html

UPDATED: George Takei's message to Trump regarding Internment Camps

Acting Appreciation

I rarely do post political entries; however, this does deal with the invitation for Donald Trump to watch the musical production, Allegiance.

Soon after the terrorist attacks in Paris, France and in San Bernandino, California in 2015, presidential candidate Donald Trump made some serious comments regarding Muslims and internment camps.

He stated that the U.S. should ban Muslims from entering the country, "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."

This then triggered the national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic, Ibrahim Hooper, to ask "Are we talking internment camps? Are we talking the final solution to the Muslim question?"

During an interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulous, Trump responded: "...what I'm doing is no different than what FDR. FDR's solution for Germans, Italians, Japanese, many years ago... this is a President that was highly respected by all, he did the same thing..." FDR authorized the internment of tens of thousands of Japanese ancestry and resident aliens in Executive Order 9066. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that incarceration without cause was illegal, and the internment camps were closed. Many Japanese Americans lost homes and businesses.

George Takei, best known for his role as Star Trek Captain Hikaru Sulu, posted a video message on his Facebook page inviting him to watch the Broadway musical loosely based on his experience in the internment camps, "If you want to see how tough it was from the comfort of your seat, you can be there with us in the camps and get a glimpse of what it was like for families like mine who were unjustly imprisoned thanks to a politics of fear much like the one you're campaigning on."

Donald Trump recently said he might have supported the internment camps of WWII. I felt I had to respond, and in the best way I could.
Posted by George Takei on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

EN ESPANOL

The Super Bowl Shuffle

Music Appreciation

Yes, this actually happened. The Chicago Bears, during one of their best regular seasons (1985), made a godawful rap song and music video, written and produced by Richard Meyer, called The Super Bowl Shuffle which featured the Great Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, Mike Singletary, Otis Wilson, William "The Refrigerator" Perry, and many others from the team.

The single, which was released on December 11, 1985, went platinum and reached No. 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Profits from the song and music video originally went to the Chicago Community Trust; however, a lawsuit was filed in 2014 by six ex-Bears against the Julia Meyer, who holds the copyright, arguing that all proceeds should go to charity.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Super_Bowl_Shuffle
https://archive.org/details/SuperBowlShuffle
http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/dec11.htm
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/01/31/six-ex-bears-involved-in-super-bowl-shuffle-lawsuit/
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/85bears/regular?id=5401544

HFPA nominates Patrick Stewart for Blunt Talk

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced the nominees for the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards. This awards ceremony is considered the precursor to the Academy Awards ceremony held in February.

The nominee list includes a lot of usual names like Cate Blanchett, Bryan Cranston, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Matt Damon. But the one I'm more excited about is the nomination of Patrick Stewart for his portrayal as a British newscaster in Starz cable sitcom Blunt Talk.

He'll be up against Aziz Ansari, Rob Lowe, Jeffrey Tambor and Gael Garcia Bernal for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical. However, I think the HFPA should give him the award merely for his graciously awesome tweet and fashion coordination.

Dear #HFPA I am so overjoyed by my @goldenglobes nomination I decided to coordinate my look today. #aquasocks pic.twitter.com/nUrW5kYaaH

— Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) December 10, 2015