Following up on yesterday's funny sentences, I couldn't resist to put them through Babel Fish.
I often do that translating strange textes into various laguages and looking at the result, it's always very funny!
Proof:
Eng => fra
Trois montres d'Échantillon de la montre trois de sorcières. Quelle sorcière observe qui montre d'Échantillon ?
Eng => Jap => Eng
The watch of Swatch of watch 3 of the magical errand 3. Does the watch which magical errand of Swatch see?
Eng => Jap => Eng => Fra
La montre de l'Échantillon de la montre 3 de la course magique 3. La montre que la course magique de l'Échantillon voient?
Same thing for the 2nd one:
Eng => fra
Trois montres commutées suédoises d'Échantillon de Suisse de la montre trois de sorcières commute. Quelle sorcière commutée suédoise observe qui commutateur suisse de montre d'Échantillon ?
Eng => Jap => Ang
It converts the watch of Swatch of the Swiss person of watch 3 of the magical errand where 3 Sweden are converted. Does the magical errand where the watch switch some Sweden of Swiss Swatch is converted see?
Eng => Jap => Eng => Fra
Il convertit la montre de l'Échantillon de la personne suisse de la montre 3 de la course magique où 3 Suède sont convertis. la course magique où le commutateur de montre la certaine Suède de l'Échantillon suisse est converti voient ?
:D
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Pronouncation exercise...
Try saying that fast:
Three witches watch three Swatch watches. Which witch watches which Swatch watch?
Too easy?
Try this one:
Three swedish switched witches watch three Swiss Swatch watches switches. Which Swedish switched witch watches which Swiss Swatch watch Switch ?
Don't forget to give your jaw a rest! ;)
Three witches watch three Swatch watches. Which witch watches which Swatch watch?
Too easy?
Try this one:
Three swedish switched witches watch three Swiss Swatch watches switches. Which Swedish switched witch watches which Swiss Swatch watch Switch ?
Don't forget to give your jaw a rest! ;)
Monday, March 26, 2007
300.
This year I'm not going to the cinema that much. But it does feel that every movie I see counts.
Take 300.
THIS is the movie that I wish Sin City had been.
Don't get me wrong: I loved Sin City, but I thought it didn't feel like a movie. It did feel a straight transcription of a comic book. Which, granted, was the point but then you could just read the thing! OK, you get the actors' performances which were great.
All in all it was great, it was an unflinching adaptation of the books it was based on. I just wished it was more a movie, ie that it used more the tricks of the medium.
But for this, I got my "proper" movie take on a Frank Miller book.
Again, the cinematography is entirely stylised, going for an overall gorgeous sepia and grainy look. But this time, the camera does move and we get those massive travelings that make the whole thing truly epic!
Also to keep a "comic book" feel, that is a succession of static pictures, the "slomo", instigated by The Matrix, is used to a large extent and to great effect.
Overall it gives the movie an impact and an epic feel that is rarely seen.
The movie obviously doesn't aim at any historical accuracy, as Miller originally thought of it as a bed time story, the kind that always get bigger and bigger each time it's told. So you get a fair share of fantasy, with monsters, deformed creatures, that never feel out of place.
You have to see those spartans fight and protect each other at the same time... The choreographies are excellent.
There's serious @ss kicking going on there.
That's the style done. You can't fail the movie on that, it's pretty much flawless.
Now for the "substance".
Storywise, although there's not much here, I was really pleasantly surprised that although this is only 1 battle, it's varied enough so you don't get bored. Waves of enemies are diverse, death also. :)
And you get some breaks with events hapening back in Sparta, where you get a piece of political manoeuvres and treasons on top of your barbaric massacres.
I think this is also something you have to watch regardless of the current political context. There's no politics involved here.
If you do get that in, you actually could see the Spartans as Americans, fighting and dying for their freedom and way of life. On the other hand you could see that Americans are th Persians, who are invading and forcing THEIR ways onto smaller less powerful countries...
You can see that polemics are out of place here...
What's left is the story of people raised in violence, as warriors, with blood and honor for only value. They get attacked. They react. Their background just explains the nature of their reaction. You see the story from their end.
I have to say I got a bit annoyed to hear the word "free" used so much and that sounded quite "american" to me. After all ancient Greeks are the inventors of the "republic", but they were slavers nonetheless... But that also means that at that time "freedom" had a different meaning. So ultimately it's a thought that hasn't its place here.
It's an epic story of people sacrificing themselves for an ideal (it kind of reminded me of Zhand Yimou's Hero at times).
That's all.
All you have to do is to fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride!
And what a ride.
Take 300.
THIS is the movie that I wish Sin City had been.
Don't get me wrong: I loved Sin City, but I thought it didn't feel like a movie. It did feel a straight transcription of a comic book. Which, granted, was the point but then you could just read the thing! OK, you get the actors' performances which were great.
All in all it was great, it was an unflinching adaptation of the books it was based on. I just wished it was more a movie, ie that it used more the tricks of the medium.
But for this, I got my "proper" movie take on a Frank Miller book.
Again, the cinematography is entirely stylised, going for an overall gorgeous sepia and grainy look. But this time, the camera does move and we get those massive travelings that make the whole thing truly epic!
Also to keep a "comic book" feel, that is a succession of static pictures, the "slomo", instigated by The Matrix, is used to a large extent and to great effect.
Overall it gives the movie an impact and an epic feel that is rarely seen.
The movie obviously doesn't aim at any historical accuracy, as Miller originally thought of it as a bed time story, the kind that always get bigger and bigger each time it's told. So you get a fair share of fantasy, with monsters, deformed creatures, that never feel out of place.
You have to see those spartans fight and protect each other at the same time... The choreographies are excellent.
There's serious @ss kicking going on there.
That's the style done. You can't fail the movie on that, it's pretty much flawless.
Now for the "substance".
Storywise, although there's not much here, I was really pleasantly surprised that although this is only 1 battle, it's varied enough so you don't get bored. Waves of enemies are diverse, death also. :)
And you get some breaks with events hapening back in Sparta, where you get a piece of political manoeuvres and treasons on top of your barbaric massacres.
I think this is also something you have to watch regardless of the current political context. There's no politics involved here.
If you do get that in, you actually could see the Spartans as Americans, fighting and dying for their freedom and way of life. On the other hand you could see that Americans are th Persians, who are invading and forcing THEIR ways onto smaller less powerful countries...
You can see that polemics are out of place here...
What's left is the story of people raised in violence, as warriors, with blood and honor for only value. They get attacked. They react. Their background just explains the nature of their reaction. You see the story from their end.
I have to say I got a bit annoyed to hear the word "free" used so much and that sounded quite "american" to me. After all ancient Greeks are the inventors of the "republic", but they were slavers nonetheless... But that also means that at that time "freedom" had a different meaning. So ultimately it's a thought that hasn't its place here.
It's an epic story of people sacrificing themselves for an ideal (it kind of reminded me of Zhand Yimou's Hero at times).
That's all.
All you have to do is to fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride!
And what a ride.
Un peu d'economie...
Cet excellent article pose un probleme peu discute et pourtant fondamental dans notre culture d'entreprise...
http://www.betapolitique.fr/spip.php?article0497
J'espere qu'on en reentendra parler...
http://www.betapolitique.fr/spip.php?article0497
J'espere qu'on en reentendra parler...
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Un poco del sol de Cuba! (if that means anything)
When a few month back I learned that the Buena Vista Social Club was coming in my neighborhood, I didn't think twice and got ticket already. 1st reason being that they are the symbol of Cuban salsa, 2nd being that the original have started to disappear... 4 of the main original club remained for this week end's show. And even if time has passed their energy is obviously unaltered.
When going to such a performance, you expect something great to happen. After it's always hard to actually believe how good that was.
For me salsa is really a live music. Like jazz, it's a music made by musicians that have reached such a height in their mastery of their instrument that they're just here for the fun. And it shines through a music that it itself is already very energetic.
And to think that this is such a complex music, involving more than 10 people and that still they can do pretty much anything they want, do mad improvisations and everybody else will follow, not a problem, thank you... (^_^)
The amount of talent and dexterity in all fields concentrated on that scene was just mind blowing, to such extent that it's impossible to see a highlight. From drums to cello to piano to brass to strings to singers, everything was a highlight.
An I'm not especially fan of salsa to start with...
You can't help but to walk out such thing by doing 2 steps forward, 1 back, 2 forward... :)
When going to such a performance, you expect something great to happen. After it's always hard to actually believe how good that was.
For me salsa is really a live music. Like jazz, it's a music made by musicians that have reached such a height in their mastery of their instrument that they're just here for the fun. And it shines through a music that it itself is already very energetic.
And to think that this is such a complex music, involving more than 10 people and that still they can do pretty much anything they want, do mad improvisations and everybody else will follow, not a problem, thank you... (^_^)
The amount of talent and dexterity in all fields concentrated on that scene was just mind blowing, to such extent that it's impossible to see a highlight. From drums to cello to piano to brass to strings to singers, everything was a highlight.
An I'm not especially fan of salsa to start with...
You can't help but to walk out such thing by doing 2 steps forward, 1 back, 2 forward... :)
Friday, March 09, 2007
Health & safety warning.
Please read this very important public safety message.
(^_^)
I think it could make the strongest anti-alcohol advert ever... ;p
(^_^)
I think it could make the strongest anti-alcohol advert ever... ;p
Monday, March 05, 2007
Hot Fuzz
As I went to watch my 2nd film of the year, I have to says that my expectations (as bad as they are) were again pretty high.
I mean let's face it: "from the same team that brought you Spaced & Shaun Of The Dead".
The 1st one is one of the best TV shows I've seen in years. The 2nd is one of the best film I've seen in 2004 (which bore the release of movies such as The Incredibles, Kill Bill Vol.2, Lost In Translation, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind... So that's tough competition), happily combining the best of british comedy with an old school straight & tough zombie movie...
Their ambition was to do the same with the American blockbuster action-thriller genre (Lethal Weapon, Point Break, Bad Boys...).
And they've basically done it again! Whatever tool they used on zombies has worked again on cops.
It follows more or less all the cliches of the genre: the main character (Nick Angel, played by Simon Pegg) is transferred in a new place, having to cope with a misfitted partner (played by Nick Frost) and discovering some unsuspected corruption among senior members of the community, that will finally be defeated with some guns and car chases.
Only here, it all takes place in a small Gloucestershire village!
It's a similar formula to Team America or to some extent Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-rabbit.
The comedy works on many levels, primarily on the brilliant complicity between the leading men (reallife mate Pegg & Frost), but also on the many winks at the "proper" thriller that gets all its rules twisted... Fortunately the movie manages never to cross the line into parody, although it sometimes get quite near it...
The cast is brilliant, combining so much talent that never feels wasted, each actor adding some wit to what they have. One highlight is definitely Timothy Dalton as a memorable over the top too-sure-of-himself-not-to-be-evil character but a lot of 2ary characters, whether they be Angel's colleagues (Paddy Considine!!) or the colorful inhabitant of Stanford. Sprinkle that with a few excellent cameo (Bill Nighy & Steve Coogan come to mind) and you got bull's eye!
The script is very well written, taking its time first to set the story, giving a few false leads (you'll never guess the motive! :) ) before going into full blown popcorn nonsense.
One negative thing I have to say is that director Edgar Wright should sometimes go easy to the ultra cut editing, because it gets tiring.
But the whole thing is too much fun not to spoil it with such minor detail... ;)
And I mean it makes the "guys in blue" look cool!
Go and see it (if you can)!
I mean let's face it: "from the same team that brought you Spaced & Shaun Of The Dead".
The 1st one is one of the best TV shows I've seen in years. The 2nd is one of the best film I've seen in 2004 (which bore the release of movies such as The Incredibles, Kill Bill Vol.2, Lost In Translation, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind... So that's tough competition), happily combining the best of british comedy with an old school straight & tough zombie movie...
Their ambition was to do the same with the American blockbuster action-thriller genre (Lethal Weapon, Point Break, Bad Boys...).
And they've basically done it again! Whatever tool they used on zombies has worked again on cops.
It follows more or less all the cliches of the genre: the main character (Nick Angel, played by Simon Pegg) is transferred in a new place, having to cope with a misfitted partner (played by Nick Frost) and discovering some unsuspected corruption among senior members of the community, that will finally be defeated with some guns and car chases.
Only here, it all takes place in a small Gloucestershire village!
It's a similar formula to Team America or to some extent Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-rabbit.
The comedy works on many levels, primarily on the brilliant complicity between the leading men (reallife mate Pegg & Frost), but also on the many winks at the "proper" thriller that gets all its rules twisted... Fortunately the movie manages never to cross the line into parody, although it sometimes get quite near it...
The cast is brilliant, combining so much talent that never feels wasted, each actor adding some wit to what they have. One highlight is definitely Timothy Dalton as a memorable over the top too-sure-of-himself-not-to-be-evil character but a lot of 2ary characters, whether they be Angel's colleagues (Paddy Considine!!) or the colorful inhabitant of Stanford. Sprinkle that with a few excellent cameo (Bill Nighy & Steve Coogan come to mind) and you got bull's eye!
The script is very well written, taking its time first to set the story, giving a few false leads (you'll never guess the motive! :) ) before going into full blown popcorn nonsense.
One negative thing I have to say is that director Edgar Wright should sometimes go easy to the ultra cut editing, because it gets tiring.
But the whole thing is too much fun not to spoil it with such minor detail... ;)
And I mean it makes the "guys in blue" look cool!
Go and see it (if you can)!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)