Saturday 13 August 2016

Solaris (1972)

I've already blogged Solaris twice now; the 1968 Russian television two parter and the 2002 Steven Soderbergh (re-remake).  I never thought to do the 1972 Tarkovsky version because as memory served, there were no spacesuits in it.

... which actually turned out to be nonsense as you can all see in the picture above. No?

Any way I was happy in my misremembering right up until Blog-follower Tim mentioned a certain picture in a certain book he had been looking at.  Somewhat spookily I instantly new which old book and the very page and picture he was describing because I had owned a copy since 1978 and actually had it on the desk in front of me, having recently been blogging about it over in Strange England. (more of which below) however here is the reveal...

  
Yes it was in the closet all along!
 
Now I did watch Solaris, back in the late 80's but I fancy it may have been on a Friday night when I was slightly drunk and sleepy so if the suit comes off the hanger and gets worn I don't remember it.  Those with a fresher memory may wish to enlighten me in the comments below.

Anyway, there you have it and thanks again Tim.


Steve.

PS

If any others of you actually own a copy of this:-
 ...you may enjoy a little ramble along the Ley lines of Strange England, starting here:-

Thursday 11 August 2016

Space Cadets (2005)

Space Cadets was a British television programme made by Zeppotron for Channel 4. Presented by Johnny Vaughan, it was aired across ten consecutive nights beginning on 7 December 2005
The concept of the show was that a group of twelve contestants - who answered an advert looking for "thrill seekers" - were selected to become the first British televised space tourists, including going to Russia to train as cosmonauts at the "Space Tourist Agency of Russia" (STAR) military base, with the series culminating in a group of four embarking on a five-day space mission in low Earth orbit.
The show and space mission contained aspects of Reality TV, including hidden cameras, soundproofed 'video diary' rooms and group dormitories. However, the show was in fact an elaborate practical joke, described by Commissioning Editor Angela Jain as Candid Camera live in space.  

I had forgotten all about this on account of only watching 1 episode and then deciding it was utter shite. (IMO, as the kids say!)



Steve

Axe Apollo Advert (2013)






Steve

Wednesday 10 August 2016

The Drop - Perrier advert (2012)

The Drop is the name of the short film / advert produced for the Perrier beverage company by Ogilvy & Mather in Paris.  It's directed by Swedish music-video director Johan Renck, and tells the tale of a beautiful woman charged with ending an oppressive heat wave enveloping Earth.
And is very fine looking piece of film in just about every way.




Steve

Update: -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwOTrrySG_g

SKODA Superb Combi TV Commercial (2015)




Steve

Eva Green - Campari Calender (2015)

Here is just one image of the lovely Eva Green, as photographed by Julia Fullerton-Batten for the 2015 Campari Calendar.

.....Nice


Steve

Tuesday 9 August 2016

El Cosmonauta (2013)


El Cosmonauta (The Cosmonaut) is a Spanish film directed by Nicolas Alcala. It premiered in May 2013, the first feature-length project of Riot Cinema Collective. However it started life as a short film, released in January 2009, before being developed into a feature-length production funded through Crowdfunding and released for free under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
 
 
"It is October 1975, as Stas prepares to become the first Russian cosmonaut on the Moon. Andrei, his best friend, leads the mission from the ground. In the tense last days before departure, Stas thinks about Yulia, the woman they both have been in love with for more than ten years. At first, all seems well with the mission. That is, until two days after takeoff, when the spacecraft loses communication with Earth. For seven months, Andrei and Yulia look for Stan night and day without rest, until..."
 
 
I've read a number or reviews for this and although mixed, I think it sounds rather wonderful so I shall be seeking it out in due course.  If you have already had the pleasure (?) then share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Saucy!


Steve

Cosmonaut (2010)

After disaster strikes the first manned mission to Mars leaving him marooned, Cosmonaut Yuri Tominsky decides to spend his few remaining hours exploring the red planet. - "A simple but moving story of a man coming to terms with his impending fate"



Steve

The Cosmonaut (2014)

 
Written and Directed by Sophie Hayward; The Cosmonaut is set over the course of one night, and follows Masha and Kit (Tegan Crowley and Joshua Hine) as they leave a costume party and decided to spend the evening together wondering the streets of Melbourne. Both feeling lost in their own lives, they take comfort in discovering they're not the only ones struggling to make sense of their worlds.
Written from research, completely ad-libbed and filmed over just a few hours, the 20 minutes long The Cosmonaut is a contemplation of what it's like to be in your late twenties and wondering what you are doing with you life.


Steve