And the Oscar went to....

Well there was a couple of surprises last night (to me at least), but there some things also went just like I expected them to go (also a few of the things I was hoping I could be wrong about). Let’s start with one of the things I was hoping I was wrong about – the hosts.

From the first time I saw Anne Hathaway and James Franco was hired to host the Oscars this year I thought it was a bad idea – not for the reasons it turned out to be I might add. I thought they were too young and I don’t know two hosts is just weird – maybe I am just an old-fashioned kinda girl, but only one person should host the Oscars at the time and to be frank I think Anne would have done just as well on her own if not better. I am not sure what that boy was on or if he just had a server case of stage fright but half of the time he did not even look like he was present. He stared right into the cameras every time he was talking and into the ceiling every time he wasn’t. Anne tried to engage him a few times but without luck.
And if it wasn’t enough he looked like he was on another planet for half of the show Franco also mumbled and I mean mumbled. It was like he ate the word at the beginning of each sentence and if he failed to do that, he just ate the one in the end instead.

Hathaway did an okay job, she was not the best Oscar host I’ve ever seen, but in spite of her being a little stiff and having a rather impossible co-host she did a dissent job.

The opening of the show was actually very well done, but I still think I prefer the one Hugh Jackman did a few years back. Hugh is in my opinion still the best man for the job, since Billy Crystal stopped hosting the show a few years back. It was nice to see him back on stage though even if it only was for a couple of seconds.

I don’t think Anne Hathaway was the only one who was being stiff last night though, almost all of the presenters were with a few exceptions; Sandra Bullock was very charming when she presented best actor and Jeff Bridges was being himself and did a great job presenting the Oscar for best actress as well. Tom Hanks opened the show in style and I actually don’t think that man could do a bad job on screen or on stage even if he tried, but the two best presenters were by far Robert Downey Jr. and Judd Law. Those two was one of the highlights last night, they were hilarious and they got an amazing chemistry, which they already showed off as Sherlock Holmes and his trusted side-kick Dr. Watson. I’ve got to say if they really want two hosts at the next Oscars how about inviting Downey and Law to be it? Or maybe they are not young enough for the academy – but they sure were the best part of the night in my opinion.

Last night off course also had a few true Oscar moments. Kirk Douglas was brought on stage and the 94 year old man proved he’s still a movie star. I also love all of the historic flashbacks and it is nice to remember the great filmmakers and stars that passed away over the last year with the stars. I am glad they didn’t cut that part last night.

Now to the winners of the show!!!
And on that note I’ve got to say: WE WOOOOOON!!!! To anyone who missed it I am Danish and last night Denmark won for best foreign language film with Susanne Bier’s In a Better World. I really thought the Oscar would have gone to Mexico for Biautiful but I couldn’t be happier to be wrong.

Inception took a lot of the technical prizes last night which was no surprise to me – the movie is an amazing piece of work and if you haven’t seen it yet – of you go to blockbusters! It deserves your attention.

Another movie that deserves a lot of attention is The King’s Speech and it got it too last night with the 4 Oscars it brought home. Colin Firth won for best actor and King’s Speech was honored with best movie as I predicted. Off course it got a well deserved Oscar for best original screenplay and Tom Hooper got the Oscar for best director just like I predicted too. I still would have loved to see it in the hands of the Coen brothers, even though Hooper really deserved it too. There was one Oscar more Oscar I think the movie had deserved and that is best actor in a supporting role. Geoffrey Rush did an amazing job in this movie and without him I am not sure Firth would have gotten the Oscar, but it is very rare one movie gets both of this Oscars. I think last night should have been an exception though.

The social Network went home with a few Oscars as well but that was no surprise either – not really my type of movie but well deserved I am sure.
Black Swan got only one Oscar last night and that went to Natalie Portman for best actress in a leading role. She really deserved that one – she did an amazing job and I don’t think any of the other actress’ came near her last night. Well done Natalie – you really carried that movie and that Oscar is the proof.

I think the Oscars were handed out pretty fairly last night and other than actor in a supporting role there were only a few other’s I think should have been given differently.
Those of you who read my blog from before the show last night knows I would have loved to see Haliee Steinfield get an Oscar for actress in a supporting role (since they nominated her in the wrong category in the first place the least they could do was have given it to her). Haliee did an amazing job in True Grit and she really held her own even among great actors like Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges. I think she deserved to win last night but I am also sure this was not the last time Steinfield’s name was on the list of nominees, far from it!

I think Inception deserved on more than the 4 ones it got and that is for Original Score (the Oscar went to Social Network) and I think Tangled and I see the light should have won for Original Song (Toy Story 3 won the Oscar with We belong together).



All in all it was a great show last night and I never regret staying hope late watching it. Another post is to come about the amazing (and not so amazing dresses) one of the next few days.

An ending with no start!

I realiezed I just had time enough to do my last post for Writer's Week before the Oscar show begins. It really is a struggle between the written and spoken words on my blog tonight eh?

Well saved the lyric part of Writer's week for last because I wanted to finish of strong. There have been written a bunch of different amazing songs over the years Coldplay's Viva la vida, Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars, U2's Pride, John Lennon's Imagine and I could go on and on, but I am not gonna use any of those tonight. Partly because you already know them and partly because I don't think any of these song's measure up with this Sean McCann's Long Road Lead Me On:

This road is gonna be the death of me
Tonight might be my last
With 18 wheels and time to steal
There’ll be no turning back

This highway is a hammer and I’m a rusty nail
Struck into an iron mast blown by these old sails
A one night stand – a heat without a heart
It’s no man’s land – an ending with no start

Oh long road lead me on and on

It’s a slick black ribbon wrapped round the widow’s neck
A soul left unforgiven in a room full of regret
It’s a ready aimed riffle – a half cocked loaded gun
And I am gonna ride this bullet till there is no where left to run

Oh long road lead me on
Oh long road lead me on and on

It’s cold barbed wire cut through a desert frost
A funeral fire – ashes on to dust
A silent surrender – a breaking on black ice
This road is an alter and I’m her sacrifice

Oh long road lead me on
Oh long road lead me on
Oh long road lead me on and on
And on

This road is gonna be the death of me

I love the way he is able to paint picture with his woods and how easy it always seems to be for him to make me feel with very few words. I think we've all felt like "Our road" was gonna be the death of us. The path that somewhere along the way stopped being a choice and somehow became a calling. Something that you need to do - even if it kills you.

He is never afraid of using very strong words and a sentence like This highway is a hammer and I am a rusty nail could easily sound wierd - but it doesn't because he's got complete control of every word in the song and even a sentence like this road is an alter and I am her sacrifice is not corny in his mouth because it is heart felt and true.

My love for Sean McCann's music and lyrics is diffinatly not a one night stand and his heat is not without heart. I certainly hope he's gonna ride this bullet for a long long time to come!

And the Oscar goes to......

Tonight is Oscar night and like almost every other year since I was 10 years old I will be watching and enjoying every minute of it. Right from the stars on the Red Carpet to the award show itself, and this year I have actually watched almost all of the nominated movie, so here is my guess of who the winners are gonna be and who deserve it the most.

There are to many Categories for me to comment on them all but I have picked out a few of the important ones. I think King's Speech is gonna be a big winner tonight and True Grit will be it's biggest competion in more than one Category (Costume Design, Supporting Actress, Lead Actor and Direction.) The King's Speech is probably gonna go home with most of the awards, but I kinda hope The Coen Brothers will get the one for best directing (I am a big Coen fan - O Brother where art thou, The big Lebowski, LadyKillers, Burn after Reading and No country for old Men - need I say more ;)). True Grit is no exeption to their brilliant list of movies and I really truely hope they will be rewarded for their work tonight - even though I suspect the oscar might go to Tom Hooper for The King's Speech.

An other category I feel like I need to comment on is Foreign Language movie since Denmark is nominated in this one. In a Better World (Susanne Bier) is among the best I think and it's strongest rival is Buitiful - it is an amazing movie and the lead actor is a well known previously nominated actor (Javier Bardem), but I still keep my fingurs crossed for "our" movie (lukily for us Ulrich Thompsen is on the role list and Hollywood knows him ;)) but I do fear Buitiful is gonna be the winner tonight.

When is come to who should get the Oscar for Actress in a Supporting Role I really hope Haliee Steinfield for her work in True Grit. I don't for the life of me understand that she is nominatied in this category instead of Leading Role, since that is what she's got in True Grit, but I still think she should get to go home with on Oscar tonight.

I don't think I am the best judge of who is gonna go home with the Oscar for Actor in Best Supporting Role since I'm really not by any means a Christian Bale fan but I am a huge Geoffrey Rush fan. Mark Ruffalo did a fantastic job in The kids are Alright, but I still think this one is gonna go to Rush for his remarkable preformance in The King's Speech.

There is a lot of strong actreeses competing for Actress in a Leading Role this year, but the best is without a doubt Natalie Portman. I think her preformance made the movie in Black Swan. She showed of her abilities with the very emotional work she had to do and she deserves the Oscar.

Colin Firth (The King's Speech) is probably gonna win for best actor in a leading role this year. He did an amazing job and it would be well deserved. Weather or not he did a better job than Jeff Bridges in True Grit I am not sure, but my guess is the oscar is gonna go to Colin for that simple reason Bridges role lies to close to the one he recieved an oscar for last year in Crazy Heart.

I diffinatly think the choice for best movie is gonna be in between Black Swan and The King's Speech. Personally I think True Grit is a better movie that Black Swan but I still don't think it is the kinda movie that will be rewarded with an oscar this year. If I had to put my money on one movie is would be The King's Speech.

The land of dreams with eternal sunshine of a spotless mind....

This is my fifth post during my writer's week and today I wanna share my two fave english poems with you. The first one I wanna share is written by William Blake and it goes like this:

THE LAND OF DREAMS

Awake, awake, my little boy!
Thou wast thy mother's only joy;
Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep?
Awake! thy father does thee keep.

"O, what land is the Land of Dreams?
What are its mountains, and what are its streams?
O father! I saw my mother there,
Among the lilies by waters fair.

"Among the lambs, cloth'd in white,
She walk'd with her Thomas in sweet delight.
I wept for joy, like a dove I mourn;
O! when shall I again return?"

Dear child, I also by pleasant streams
Have wandered all night in the Land of Dreams;
But though calm and warm the waters wide,
I could not get to the other side.

"Father, O Father, what do we here,
In this land of unbelief and fear?
The Land of Dreams is better far
Above the light of the Morning Star."

My mom read this poem to me when I first began to understand english and it holds many memories and great importance to me.

To other poem I want to share with you is Eloisa to Abelard http://www.monadnock.net/poems/eloisa.html and it is written by Alexander Pope. The first time I read this poem was in high shcool and I loved it right away.

You might now part of the poem from the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, since a few lines is used in the movie and it also gave it it's name.
These are the lines:

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;"

Beautiful right? :)

Books u should read :)

My 4th post in writer's week - a simple recommendation of a few books I think you should read.

1. Maeve Binchy - The copper beech

2. Ken Follett - A place called freedom

3. Stephen King - The green Mile.

These are my three fav books and the authors are among my fav ones too :)

The destruction of "Old Misery"

This is the third post on writer's week (posted a day late) and today I wanna share my fave short story with you. It is written by Graham Greene and it is called The Destructors. U can read the short storie here: http://www.sangam.org/articles/view/?id=183

The story occurs in the 1950s and it is about boy's gang who decides destroy one of the town old houses, a house that survived The Blitz (the Nazi bombing of Britain). The house is owned by Mr. Thomas but the boys call him Old Misery. They decides that the destruction of the house should take place when Old Misery is gone for the Bank holiday weekend, but when he is back early the boys locks him into the outhouse. T, the boys leader refuses to stop untill the destruction is complete "because even the facade is valuable and could be reused."

Inside the house the boys finds a mattress filled with money but instead of taking it they burn it the destruction is final when a parked lorry pulls away a support pole from the side of the house and Mr. Thomas is released by the lorry's driver, left with only the ruins and dust that once was his home.

I first came by the story when watching one of my fave movies Donnie Darko - this story is like the movie very dark but it also intails hope. Hope that no matter how dark everything around you seems there is always a glimmer of light and "destruction is a a form of creation".

I hope you will read the short story, maybe even watch the movie and enjoy the both as much as me :)

It's only words - and words are all I have!

Second day of the writer's week and I wanna use some of my own stuff. I have previously share some of my own poems on this blog. Fx you can read Seasons of the Soul here: http://mylife-nothingbutasong.blogspot.com/2010/07/seasons-of-soul.html and Out of reach - Out of control: http://mylife-nothingbutasong.blogspot.com/2010/09/where-wind-cuts-like-knife.html .

What inspires me to write is alway different. When it comes to short stories they just kinda poop into my head. Almost like already existing events that just need someone to tell them where poems are different. Whenever I write a poem it is because something in my real life drove me too it and they are always very personal to me. They are based on feelings from my own life our those of people close to me. Take Out of Reach - Out of Control - that one I wrote when Igor hit Newfoundland last year. One of my close friends lives there and not knowing what was going on drove me to write that one.

I always write my short stories in danish where my with my poems the language vary. When I went to high school I wrote a few ones in french, but today my language of choice are either english or danish. I wanna share a few with you here and the ones I have chosen are all english since it is the language I have chosen to use on this blog from the very beginning.

This first one is very old and I couldn't have been much more than 12-14 years old when I wrote it. It is about being sisters and the love you can have for a person that is very different from you. It is not my best work but one of my first poems - in english anyway.

SISTERS TO THE END

The worst of enemies
The best of friends
Two very different lives
but no need for making mends

One life long fight
One life long love
they both believe they are always right

The worst of enemies
The best of friends
They are sister to the end!

This next one written for two of my close friends. They wouldn't want me to use their names so I wont. I really admire them and they have been through a lot and they are still together and it is one of my best poems.

LIKE US

Like a leaf - floating in the wind
Like a wave - rolling in from the sea
Like the sun's motion across the sky
that's how we are
you and I

Like a bird - flying over the city
Like a horse - running over the field
Like a lion roaring at the horizon
that's how they'll be
our daughter and son

Like the snowfall of December
Like the spotless sky of June
Like the blomming of May
That's how we'll be
when we're old and grey

Like the terror of the storm
Like the stillness of the mountains
Like the beauty of the sea
that's how it'll end
and together we'll still be.

This one is me telling you of the homeless people "who walks the streets of London." I meet this homeless woman who had lived on the streets in London for most of her adult life. Her story really moved me and when I was back in my hotel room I wrote this poem:

A HEART BREAKING

The sound of the waterfall
The cry of a newborn baby
The roar of the angry lion
The avalanche thundering to the ground
The banging af the jungle drums
The scream of the mother's loss
The clashing of the storm
Is the sound of the broken heart

I hope you have enjoyed some of my poems and if you keep following my blog I am sure a few more will find their way on to it in time ;)

Writer's week

Like I've written on this blog before - I love words. Reading them, listening to them and writing them. I have decided to do a writer's week on my blog this week. I'll be using my friends writings, my own and published stuff in form of other blogs, lyrics, poems and short stories.

I am open to suggestions so if you know me drop me a note on facebook or send me an e-mail, if you have a suggestion and you don't know me personally drop me an note here.

Today I am using one of my friends writing. She love words and writing as much as I do and I've seen her do everything from long ongoing story lines to beautiful describtive poems.

Here is some of her work:

FEELINGS

by Krista Eddy

I don't want to forget them
But I'm forced to do it all the time
For you, you belong to another
And you will never be mine

I think of you and smile
I get this happy feeling inside
But when I'm told I shouldn't feel this way
It's something that I'm forced to hide

I don't want to hide them
But I'm forced to do it everyday
Push them down deep inside
Wish they would go away

But as much as I want them to
They won't go away
They just keep getting stronger
Day after day

I want to let them out
I want you to know about them
Because I have to keep them hidden
These feelings I feel for you.

If you wanna read more of Krista's work she is also blogging http://rantinandroarin.blogspot.com/ . Her blog contains her online story Sail me Away and tails from her Newfoundland life.

Enjoy.

Belated Valentine's wishes

I am wishing you all a belated happy Valentine with three great love songs.

Because it is my mom's fav song and I listened to it alot because of that during my childhood and it reminds me of her.

Because it is an amazing song about the love a parent have for their kids, I don't have kids of my of yet but I can't wait to experience the feeling!



Simply because it is the sweetest most amazing love story I've ever heard - and the fact that it is true only makes it even better!

With lost of love from me to all of you.

Everything's Eventual

I have decided on a book for my reading challenge:

My sister is a big Stephen King collector and I haven't really read anything of his since high school so I decided it might be time to pick up a few of his books again. I've already read the first of the fourteen short stories this book contains. So far the book is very promising.

And my heart set on home

4 days early I recieved Sean McCann's new solo album by mail today and I've gotta say Son of a Sailor is a brilliant piece of work and even better than his previous solo release Lullabies for bloodshot eyes.

Sean McCann is co-founder of newfoundland band Great Big Sea (look them up at http://www.greatbigsea.com/) but last February Sean released his first solo release Lullabies for Bloodshot eyes and now Son of a Sailor.

Lullabies for bloodshot eyes was an amazing album, but I have to say this one is even better.

The title track starts the album of. It is a quiet salute to every fisherman and to the lifestyle. It portrays the loss and hardship you have to endure, but also the beauty and pride of the life. The guitar play is soothing and underlines McCann's voice perfectly.

The second song on the album is called Long Road (lead me on) and this song really shows Sean's ability as a lyricist of with lines like, "this highway is a hammer and I am a rusty nail," and this road is an alter and i am her sacrifice." I love the violin in the background and how can you think the little soldier march in the end can be anything but amazing. It really emphasizes that life on the road is not a choice but a calling.

The third song of the album has got a country sound to it, which suits Sean's voice brilliantly as he showed ones before with the Great Big Sea song Good People and it is one of the more upbeat songs on the album. Jeen O'Brein's voice is also put to use perfectly as she backs Sean in this song which at a second listen is not as lighthearted as it might seems, but is still Sean's version of a happy song - which is fine by me. Sean's lyrics wouldn't just right if there weren't a touch of one might say reality to them cause let's face it noone is happy all the time.

The next song Doing Fine, is a bit darker and the last thing this person is, is doing fine. It is a story about a guy who drinks to much and is no longer able to remember what he did the night before, but one also gets the impression that the drinking is only a symptom and not the problem. Once again the Jeen O'Briens vocals does the song justice and she actually makes the song seem sader somehow. On the musical side the song is very stripped down, which is perfect. To many instruments might have taken some of the pain out of Sean's voice.

Soldier's song is the fifth song on the album and it is not the protest song you might think it is. Protest songs are preachy, but Sean somehow made one that isn't. There is no doubt in my mind Sean is against war, but he doesn't say that outload, instead he shows of his ability protray the soldier's emotions by writting the song as a letter home, him missing his wife and fearing the death lurking in the dark. Again the use of the violin helps emphasize the soldier's pain, and so does Sean's voice. The hurt he portrays actually makes the heart hurt.

The Reply is the most amazing song, I've ever heard. The romance and the miracle of a real life lovestory Sean's grandparents lived. I've been impressed by this song and this story form the first time I heard it and as you might remember i have blogged about it before http://mylife-nothingbutasong.blogspot.com/2010/09/cause-he-had-something-to-say.html The song is now a duet between Sean and Jeen o'Brien which only makes the story more beautiful. I love how stripped down Sean have managed to keep it even on the album and how he let the story and their voices speak for themselves.

The 7th song is also a tip of the hat to the sailor lifestyle, but it is way more upbeat than Son of a Sailor and Sean's shows his legacy of as he sounds just like a sailor. The song's got claping and lots of amazing newfoundland intruments and you can just picture him standing on a deck surounded by his boatcrew with their intruments in hand singing away with his first man Alan Doyle by his side (fellow Great Big Sea man, who produced the album and whoms vocals are very easy to recognize in the background of this song). Listen and I promise you you can't help but clap and dance along.

I just love the guitar play in Hard Living Life and the vocal harmonies between Sean McCann and Alan Doyle. The song is about how amazing bachelor life might seem in the beginning. How fun partying might, it gets old and lonely and how the life you once loved can turn on you and no longer be a choice but almost a curse. A great song and very well written.

Once again a very simple song mucicalwise, but the lyrics has multiple layers. On the surface it is a sailor leaving home, fearing if he'll ever be back - but it could also just be about all the goodbyes life offers you. The people you knew but have changed to much for you to recognize them anymore, to all the people that have died, to all the people you've left behind and maybe the one walking into the bloodred sky is not the sailor, but you? An amazing little song and vocally so empressive. Sean sings with such emphaty he makes yor heart bleed for every person you lost in you life.

Back to you is the last song of the album and is one of the album's more upbeat songs and more possitive ones to, maybe because it was co-written with Murray Foster (Great Big Sea basist). It also has a bit of a country sound to it which suits Sean's voice and the song is about not giving up. No matter how hard things might seem it is never to late to return home where the heart truely lies.

Sean McCann has managed to pick 10 beautiful, but very different song and still make the album sound as a whole, by using strings, madolins and guitar. Sean's got an amazing ability to bring his listeners into the song with him and he brought me a long for 10 amazing stories and let me feel every feeling I ever felt my life in the matter half an hour. Well done Mr. McCann - well done!

If you wanna give the songs a listen or maybe even buy them do so here: http://greatbigsean.com/site/

So I'll just say goodnight with this song:

February facelift

Okay as I said bofore this year my blog is going to change it's appearence each month, so here is the belated February facelift. The look is a bit less cold than the January one which means spring is on the way - atleast in my mind ;)

Well lots of stuff is gonna happen this month. I'll finally get to spend some time with my best friend and her kids, which I am looking forward to. I'm taking a trip to Aalborg to spend some time with both her and another good friend of mine, which I am looking forward to.

My stepdad's birthday is this month aswell which means I gotta figure out pretty soon what to get the man - not an easy task mind you ;)

I've gotta read a short story collection for my book challenge this month - haven't figured out which one yet but I will let you guys know as soon as I do :) Untill then if you got any ideas be sure to let me know.

And I am going to a concert with my sister this month to :) Which I am really looking forward to. Listen to this and you'll understand why:



Hope you'll have a great month :)