There comes a time....

...when you don't have the time to see and review as many movies as you want!

I, unfortunately, am in that stage. I started a new job, my first real one, about a month ago, and that plus another side project, have both been occupying almost all of my time. I still see movies, I just don't have the time to write about them.

So, what I am trying to say is that I'll be posting much less than usual. I'm not giving up, I just can't be that active anymore. I still love and follow all of you and I am jealous of your movie viewing schedule, and I will still be posting here, from time to time, just probably once a week.

I hope you'll still drop by from time to time, and keep me in your Readers/Blog Roll/mind, just in case!

Love you all! Be good and have a lovely spring!

Diana

Blog awards

Since it's awards season, the movies are not the only ones getting them....blogs are granted some pretty cool ones, too, and in the last couple of days I got TWO of them. I'm flattered to think someone thinks my humble blog is worthy of something like this, so thank you very much Anna from Defiant Success and Ruth from "..let's be splendid about this"

This specific award is The Versatile Blogger and these are the rules

                                                     

• Display the award certificate on your website
• Announce your win with a post and include a link to whoever sent you the award
• Present fifteen awards to deserving bloggers
• Create a post linking to them and drop them a comment to tip them off
• Post seven interesting facts about yourself

So...

Seven interesting facts about me? well...I don't know if they are that interesting, but here they are:

1. I am already planning my holiday this year and it includes a music festival sometime during June- July

2. My biggest dream, travel-wise, is to go to New York. After the music festival this year, I am saving up for New York :)

3. You know how I was complaining about not having a job? well, now I have two...let's see how I cope with that

4. I am a Snake in the Chinese zodiac, and this will be the year of the Snake, so I guess I'll have a great 2013

5. I am not really a dog person, or a cat one, or any animal for that matter. I don't really like animals. I know, weird!

6. My desk is always full of books, magazines and empty glasses and mugs. I should really clean my room

7. My current agenda/notebook has The Beatles on the cover :)

Now passing on the award to more bloggers, who, most likely, have gotten this already, but honestly, I don't know any more. Well, this will be tough. 15? can't I do less? please? Here's my list:

Sati at Cinematic Corner
Stevee at Cinematic Paradox
Nikhat at Being Norma Jean
Andy at Film Emporium

Alex at And So It Begins

I know, just 5, but they are the champions when it comes to being versatile. 

Love you all and thanks for the mentions!

Aziza's Picks- one year anniversary!

On the 5th of September last year I was posting my first article on my new blog, Aziza's picks, hoping to embark in an interesting journey of discovering new movies, perfecting my English and making new friends. It's 5.09.2012 now and I can proudly say I have accomplished that. This blog helped me so much, not only in gaining more information and knowledge, but also forming great relationships, meeting new, exciting people and developing myself personally and professionally, as it did help with my studies, one way or another, as well.

I didn't knew what to do for this special occasion, but I remembered that blogathon that was going on a couple of months about personal film facts and I said this was a nice way of celebrating. I am sure some of the things below you probably already know, but I hope to surprise you with others. Here we go:

1. My passion for films started rather late, but I was always fascinated by arts, especially dance and music. Film came later, when I discovered the beauty and complexity of it
2. THE movie in heavy rotation in my house was Dirty Dancing (I wanted to be a dancer when I was little, plus I loved the music and Johnny was so handsome)
3....and then Cry Baby (again, music and a sexy Johnny Depp)
4.....but sometimes I would still go back to basics and see Beauty and the Beast :)
5. The first movie I saw in cinema was Wag the Dog, with Dustin Hoffman and Robert de Niro- it was released in 1997, so I guess I was....8!?!
6. I saw Titanic on a VCR tape, which I received as a gift for my birthday, almost a year after releasing it in cinemas and I remember I didn't cry....and I still don't cry to it, even now.
7. Our family would sometimes do movie night, usually on a Sunday, because that's when most good films would be on TV in my country. The best of the 90s/early 2000s that I still remember? My best friend's wedding....
8....Legends of the fall
9....and Die hard series
10. One time, I wasn't allowed to watch the Sunday night film because I hadn't finished my math homework. I missed Last of the Mohicans. I still haven't watched it to this day.
11. I have to thank Beverly Hills, MTV, my sisters and the endless movies I watched without subtitles for my good English.
12. Three things a movie needs to get my attention and love: beautiful cinematography and/or direction: I will always remember the fantastic way Hunger, Taxi Driver, There will be blood or Drive were directed. Likewise, with the cinematography of Tree of Life, Schindler's list or Hugo, just to name a few.
13...the 2nd thing: character-driven stories. I am sucker for scripts that have character development and let's us discover an individual
14...and 3rd: unusual topic. Crazy premises? Unbelievable storylines?Wacky characters? I am in
15. I really like close-ups.
16. Hands down the sexiest performance of all time- well, of what I have seen so far in my life- is Marlon Brando in A streetcar named Desire. I literally had to fan myself and stop from starring. Wow!
17. Actually, A Streetcar Named Desire was the movie that made me want to start a blog in the first place. I loved it so much that I felt the need to talk and write about it, so I did, and here we are now.
18. I love the smoking habit and how it's visualised in the 1950s movies- "do you have a lighter?"
19. I don't like to spend too much money on DVDs, CDs or books. I only do it if it's something I really love or want. I know most will disagree with me, but looking from the practical, rational point of view, if I can find it online for free, why pay for it? Yes, yes, I know, artist recognition and so on- that's why some things I do pay for
20. That being said, I have developed a passion for buying used DVDs at 3 or 4 pounds at a store in Soho.
21. I once found there a copy of Memento for 1 pound= about 2 dollars. Of course I bought it immediately
22. I usually don't watch the extra scenes or features on DVDs, and I don't remember seeing a film with film commentary- it seems so weird for me, I don't think I would be able to concentrate, but then again, Alex keeps mentioning it, so I think I will try it soon
23. As most bloggers usually are, I am the film expert in my circle of friends and in my family- they always ask me what I have seen lately.
24. That being said, I don't know how, but most movies I take my friends to see, they end up not liking it, which makes me really sad
25. After a recent interview for my dissertation with a lovely person in the acquisition department of a big distribution company, I decided that is what I want to do- all she does is read scripts and go to all the film festivals and choose films. Can I do that, too, please?
26. Former and current male actor crushes: Henry Cavill, Johnny Depp, Clive Owen, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch and so on- observe the British repetition? :)
27. I do think Angelina Jolie is one of the most beautiful women in the world, although she is too skinny these days. Still, a fantastic woman, I admire her for many things
28. ...and I really can't stand Jennifer Aniston. It has nothing to do with the Jolie thing. I just don't like Aniston's face, expression, personality etc. She just annoys me.
29. Very embarrassing confession- I have never seen a Stanley Kubrick film....but I do have DVDs of his movies waiting for me, so don't worry, this little problem will soon be resolved
30. My filmography is pretty limited, if I think about it. I don't go to the cinema that often and I don't watch that many films per month- considering I started taking the film passion seriously recently, there are a lot of films I haven't seen, unfortunately.
31. That is why my To Watch list is never ending, which I am ok with, since I will never run out of movies to see
32. Packing for home, I just realised I bought an obscene number of DVDs and books from London- that kind of contradicts with n.19, but I guess living in UK changed my usual habit.
33. My first official press/preview screening happened this Sunday- I saw Madagascar 3 and I loved it, both the movie and the experience
34. Since I started this blog, I always had this idea/dream of becoming a professional film critic and going to million screenings, but after 3 days of this, I changed my mind. It's not that I don't like the job, it's just that I noticed that most critics/ film lovers who go see so many movies are much more critical and extremely hard to please- some don't want to be entertained; I don't want to offend anyone, I respect everyone, but I don't want to be like that, I prefer my ignorance sometimes.
35. Do you ever that feeling that your blog name is weird? Whenever I got asked what's my blog's name at the event I went to yesterday, it felt so weird and awkward to say it out loud...
36....maybe that's because extremely few people who know me personally know that I write a film's blog, and those that do, haven't seen it yet..
37....If you're wondering why, well it's just because, for me, this blog is a way out of the real world, a magic place where I can say what I want and talk about the things I love without sounding too weird or caring about what others think; I feel like I can talk more freely and be more daring on my blog or on Twitter than in real life
38. That's one of the reasons I love bloggers and I think I can safely say I have made some great friends through this blog
39. The two most beautiful cinema theatres I have ever been to are the NFT1 at the British Film Institute/Southbank and Empire Leicester screen 1, both in London. I always have the urge to take photos, but then I think people will look at me in a weird way or think I will record the film, so I never do
40. The cinema prices these days are insanely high- from an economical point of view, I get it, but honestly, if they will keep raising the, don't be surprised if I use Torrent or something like that
41. The most annoying person I have ever sat next to in a theatre was a woman who kept describing and telling her friend not only what was on the screen, but also what happens in the book and her opinions on it- she talked like crazy and that was the only time I had to ask someone to be quiet. She gave me a horrible look, but eventually stopped. Oh, and it was during Harry Potter 7
42. I need something to drink during a movie, preferably Coke, I can't watch it without it
43. I am one of those very few people who didn't like or, better said, wasn't impressed with Lord of the rings. Sorry, didn't do much to me, although I must admit it was beautifully made.
44. Battle of the summer blockbuster: Avengers or Dark Knight Rises? For me, Avengers, hands down. I need that DVD just for the gag reel :)
45. I don't think I've ever read comics, and I really want to, but I don't know what to start with and where to get them. Do you have any ideas?
46. If I could be part of a film team, I would be the scriptwriter or producer, although I am not sure how good I would be at any of the two jobs. I do aspire to write at least one script in the next 2 years, even if it doesn't go anywhere.
47. Speaking of scripts, I wish I was a better writer, I wish I knew how to use words and metaphors and create a magic world jus with a phrase. I have a notebook half full of quotes- movie, poems, lyrics, essays and others. I just like to read them from time to time, they somehow change my mood and inspire me.
48. Do you take notes during a film? I do, most of the times- usually a key word or two, three words to remind me to talk a certain aspect of the movie; sometimes I write down phrases, but only if I can pause it so I don't miss much of it
49. As much as I like realism in a movie, my main reasons of watching films is to be entertained, to escape this world and go into another and forget about my life for two hours and discover another one.

50. I don't think I will ever get rid of the movie bug and I hope I won't, it's been too fun and interesting so far

Well, that's it, I hope you enjoyed it! 

I just want to thank everyone who has visited and/or commented here- it means so much to me that people would take time to read and talk about I have wrote. I love everyone of you. Special thanks to all my lovely blog/Twitter friends- Alex, Stevee, Ruth, Ruth, Margaret aka Sati, Nikhat, Max, Scott, Tyler, SDG, Dan, and so many more,  sorry if I forgot, but you know I love you, right?

Happy birthday to me/the blog :)) Here's to another better, more successful year!

p.s. I really want a cool, new, visually beautiful banner for Aziza's Picks, but I am horrible at drawing or designing one. If someone wants to help, please do let me know- I can provide virtual hugs, blog posts or whatever you need :) just let me know! Thanks!

Hey, guess what? I received an award!

You love me, you really do love me!



I was very happy to wake me to a lovely comment from Chip Lary at Tips from Chip announcing that he has honoured my blog with the Liebster Blog Award! So, what is it, you might ask? It's an award bestowed by fellow bloggers to give special recognition to notable blogs with fewer than 200 followers. I was very surprised by it, but happy and a little bit proud, if that makes sense, of my tiny, tiny blog. Thank you Chip for thinking of me!

Now, the winners have to pay forward to other people whose sites are worth the recognition. If they accept the award, they should: thank the person who nominated them; nominate five other favorite blogs with fewer than 200 followers and copy/paste the Liebster Blog Icon into their post.

It was hard to choose my five spots, but here they are (they might be familliar to you, but take a look again):

1. Ruth from "..let's be splendid about this" is a great girl and a good writer; special mention for her Classic Trailer series :)
2. Anna from Defiant Success - close to 200 followers, but still a great blogger- she alwasy surprises me with the number of classic she sees and reviews; plus, her Twitter and Tumblr accounts are fantastic, you should check them, too!
3. Sati from Cinematic Corner has one of the most beautiful blogs out there- I love the design and outline of it and her posts vary from movie reviews, to special Saturday TV shows and film scores. Please do check it out!
4. Nikhat from Being Norma Jean has only 59 followers? why? why aren't you following her? go do it now!
5.Now, I don't know how many followers A Cultured Lad has, but his blog is very good- I like the mix of reviews for films, books, music, plays and so on! Please do drop by! Plus, he loves Sherlock, so we know he's a great guy :)

Interesting stuff, I have never heard of this award before, but hey, who am I who decline one, right? :) I suggest you check out the blog of the person that nominated me and the one who nominated him and so on- you'll find some great new blogs!

Have a nice day!

January recap

January has been a good month for me, but I wish I would have done more and seen more movies. You'll see I like to count and take into consideration more cultural aspects of my previous month, so you'll get the numbers for TV shows, books, audiobooks, and other similar interesting experiences. I am going to start counting BBC series as movies, because the length and quality of the story and production fit into a movie category, from my point of view.


Film&TV shows: 
Animal Kingdom[2010]
L'amour fou[2010] documentary
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo[2011]
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy[2011]
Bill Cunningham New York[2010] documentary
Shame[2011/2012]
War Horse[2011/2012]
The Artist[2011/2012]
Sherlock[2011-2012]- BBC series- seasons 1&2
The Skin I live in [2011]
A separation [2011]
Birdsong- BBC series [2012]
Sirens- Channel 4 series [2011]

Extra: Misfits season 3 [2011] - all night marathon at a local cinema theatre (a great experience and very cool TV show)

Books: 3
Audiobook: 1 "Casanova" read by Benedict Cumberbatch- the voice that man has....wow!


New blogs I discovered (you should check them out)
Sati at Cinematic Corner
http://iluvcinema.com/
Wilde Dash- she has her own music blog http://popcandyarcade.blogspot.com/, showcasing great and new music to me, but also contributes to the film blog http://www.loveandsqualorfilm.com, which is very good!

Oh, and I just surpassed 5000 views on the blog- crazy! :)

I hope you all had a great January and I wish February will be even better for all of us!
Diana

2012 Resolutions

2012 is here- the year of The Hobbit for some, the TDKR for others, even the "Apocalypse" one for a few.

For me, I hope it is the year of growth, of new opportunities, the year where I finally become a proper adult and get a good job in my field of choice and start a career.

But I am not going to bore you with my personal resolutions, but I do want to lay down on this page, my New Year's resolutions concerning movies (thanks Scott from FrontDoorCinema for the idea)- blog included!

1. Watch at least 150 movies

2. Out of those 150, at least 60 will have been released before 2010


3. At least 15 will be foreign movies


4. Review or summarize/write about every movie I see

5. Do 2 marathons based on a director's portfolio

6. Mantain my 18 posts/month for the blog

7. Have more then 20.000 views by the end of the year 2012

8. Rely less on piracy and more on cinema and festival viewings

9. Improve my writing (Longer reviews, with more depth and a better vocabulary)

10. Diversity for the blog posts  (more essays, special features, monthly round-up etc)

And so, at the end of the year, I can check my resolutions and make a proper balance of 2012!


What do you think of them?Are they accomplishable? Am I aiming too low or too high? What do you wish for?

Happy New Year everyone!