PIMP YOUR PLAYLIST: Fujiya & Miyagi "Knickerbocker"

WEB WATCH: Interesting celeb facts

Now I'm not one that cares for celebrity gossip or going-ons, but I stumbled across these two articles that I found entirely interesting.

The first article is 50 Celebrity First Jobs, which says a lot about the actor, in my opinion. That one's just for fun really...

The second is 20 Actors or Actresses That Turned Down Important or Popular Roles. This I found really interesting, because some of my favorite movies could have changed drastically if the lead was a different person. Did you know that Neo from "The Matrix" was going to be Will Smith, and that Cher from "Clueless" would have been the vampire-slaying Sarah Michelle Gellar? Frightening, no?

Et tu, YouTube?: Keith Loutit

Keith Loutit is a film-maker that experiments with a tilt-shift lens that gives the impression that things are on a miniscule model form. All of his short films are filmed around the Sydney, Australia area for his project "Little Sydney". 

This clip, "Bathtub IV", is one of my favorite works of his. The music is "Clementine" by Washington, and works brilliantly with the clip. Be sure to watch the short in HD...

Keith Loutit's YouTube channel. 

PIMP YOUR PLAYLIST: Shakira "Loba"

BEAT OF THE WEEK: "Bat For Lashes"

   Thanks to the Genius toolbar on my iTunes, I happened upon the music of Natasha Khan, who produces her music under the name of "Bat For Lashes". Her style is vastly unique, and comforting in the sense that she offers something new in the otherwise over-exploited indie music world. Khan tends to blend interesting lyrics with a more interesting array of instruments (think harpsichord, etc.), creating very folk-y, yet refreshingly contemporary, songs. Due to her experimental sense, her songs can travel from a medieval reminiscent realm into a more dance-club atmosphere.

   In her debut album, "Fur and Gold", Khan has perfected her quirky blend of modern beats and classical odes. Other than the music itself, Khan also has a very nice voice that is reminiscence of Nouvelle Vague and Björk, especially upon hitting the higher notes. Her musical style is attributed to such artists like Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Björk, and Kate Bush, although it is really hard to pin her down exactly.

   Khan's song "Daniel" lasted on the UK's charts for a while, giving "Bat For Lashes" the attention it lacked. Now still residing in the indie realm, "Bat For Lashes" could very well be a new popular addition to the music world.

Favorite songs: "Glass", "Daniel", "Pearl's Dream", "Prescilla"

REEL TALK: "Stardust"

   One of my favorite movies that I feel that goes under-appreciated is "Stardust" (2007) by Matthew Vaughn. Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman , "Stardust" is the story of a young man (Charlie Cox) venturing into a fantasy land to find a fallen star (Claire Danes) to give to his true love. But he is not the only one who is search of the star, for a powerful witch (Michelle Pfeiffer) and bickering princes all seek the prize. Throughout the story we encounter many interesting characters that either aid or hurt the quest of our protagonist, like a flying ship captain (Robert De Niro).

   If you enjoy the fantasy line of movies, like "The Lord Of The Rings" and "Harry Potter", then "Stardust" should prove vastly entertaining. Full of special effects and great characters/acting, this movie has the ability to appease the most serious of interests. The amazing cinematography and musical scoring adds volumes to the appreciation and flow of this movie, and the quirky humor does not hurt either. Having said that, seeing Robert De Niro perform the can-can in full feather boa and tutu makes the entire movie worth it. But that's just me.