William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (1966)

Reviewed by: Sadeer Nasser

Rating:

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, Pete Postlethwaite, and Paul Sorvino.

Director: Baz Lurhmann

Running Time: 115 minutes

And here is yet another re-make of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet by director Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom). But this time the film encompasses ‘sword 9mm’ guns and helicopters as well as castles and the all-important catholic churches.

The film has an excellent start with a newsreader reading the prologue, which immediately switches with chaotic images that one would not normally associate with William Shakespeare. The prologue with its serious toned voiceover commands our attention almost suddenly with a statement of a problem. The newsreader tells the audience a great deal in people’s attitudes towards one another. It is seen that citizens of a town ought to be civil; that is they ought to show respect for one another and get along. But too often they aren’t hence ‘3rd CIVIL BRAWL’ headline. This sets the scene for the audience telling us that instead they choose to engage in civil wars and shed ‘civil blood’.

The paradoxical situation exists in ‘Fair Verona’. To Shakespearean and Elizabethan audiences, Verona was thought as a hot, sexy, violent Catholic country. There this unusual adaptation was filmed in Mexico, bringing in the violence and the importance of religion to full effect.

The prologue also tells us of how the problem is solved, the plot of the play, and what kind of play it is e.g. ‘A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life…’ the star-crossed lovers being Leonardo DiCaprio (Growing Pains) as Romeo and Claire Danes (My so called life) as Juliet.

There are many ways Luhrmann uses text, shot types, images and music in order to set the scene for the viewer. The newspaper articles with their bold headlines almost tell the story themselves, e.g. ‘3rd Civil Brawl’ and ‘Montague vs. Capulet’.

The voiceover for the prologue is emotionally powerful. The newsreader is a real anchorperson which has a great effect of realism for the audience, this adds to the effects given by the images displayed whilst the prologue is being read.

The ‘strife’ between both families is automatically shown in the images introducing the most important characters. This is shown by the looks upon each of the families’ faces. One of the main images brought across is to do with the importance of religion, this is captured by some of the fast chaotic shots is also seen whilst the prologue is being ‘broadcast’. Most of the shots are of the statue of the Virgin Mary and large catholic churches.

You would think this all very traditional for the likes of Shakespeare, but then you see how different the approach is to filming a traditional Shakespearean tragedy. The true rivalry and the difference between this adaptation and any other is definitely shown when you see both sides with Tybalt (a Capulet) and Benvolio (a Montague) battling it out, surrounded by armed troops and hovering helicopters!

The film is unlike any other in its category and definitely beats any other filmed attempt of Romeo + Juliet at originality, but what makes watching this unusual adaptation incredibly worth while? The modern theme is carried out throughout the film, although the characters do speak the actual dialogue written by Shakespeare. The modern theme allows the two families to be portrayed very well. The Montagues are portrayed as more laid back than the grandness of the Capulets. The Montagues (Romeo, his cousins and friends) still ‘hang out’ on street corners, wear Hawaiian shirts and smoke their cigarettes. Where as the Capulets have their large mansion complete with swimming pools and gardens as well as their overly expensive cars and accessories.

Also the film consists of some of Hollywood’s finest actors and actresses. A few are the likes of John Leguizamo as Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, Pete Postlethwaite as Father Laurence, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as I have already mentioned.

The film is a must see blockbuster as it is definitely among the best starring well-known award winning actors and successfully scores high on points for originality!

Author: Sadeer Nasser

Create a video blog…instantly.

Pisces people are idealistic and sensitive, acutely aware of everything that is happening in the world around them. They are dreamers who may get caught in the net of impracticality. Decisions are made based on hunches and emotion- for better or worse. They are mystical, illogical and impractical. Often moody, they suffer from the ability to absorb the emotions of those around them. It is a swinging pendulum between optimism and pessimism, happiness and depression. Anxiety and vulnerability often take over when the Pisces person is uncertain of their place in the world.

But the Fish have love, tolerance, kindness and compassion. They try to avoid hurting anyone else and can subdue themselves accordingly. Charming and likable, they are good in times of distress and sympathetic to the plights of people and animals. A lack of confidence in their worth will cause many under this sign to overexert themselves in work. Their nature is so changeable that it can be hard for them to feel a steady sense of existence.

Pisceans are in love with being in love and are utterly romantic. They are willing to put their own needs behind those of their partner- mostly due to the fact that the Fish can’t stand to be alone. These people are generous with affection and love. If a Pisces person says they love you, they truly mean it. They can be so empathetic to everyone that a partner can be jealous though that was never the intention of the action. Like their swimming counterparts, these people do not like to be caught up in nets.

The individual may be faithful physically in a relationship but their mind is likely to wander, seeking out stimulation and conversation with others. But their keen communication and understanding skills ease the blow of their “wandering”. It may be difficult for a partner to keep up with the ebbs and flows of the Piscean nature. A cheerful mood may be replaced by a gloom in a matter of moments and if the Fish is asked about the change, they’ll often be unresponsive. It is just a way of life for them.

Pisceans are evasive and deceptive but not in a purposeful or malicious way. Their feelings and moods change so quickly that they don’t waste much time on introspection. Because of this, they are not likely to utter promises of a love everlasting but they will show their affections in other ways. A partner who needs structure and reliability may want to choose another sign. But those willing to go on a wavy ride can find a good ally in this romantic and empathetic sign.

Create a video blog

It’s a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I’m more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it’s own.

Jay Z is one of those musicians that has the ability to just win you over with him talent. The kind of artist it’s really a treat to be able to listen to.

Overall In My Lifetime Vol 1 is an outstanding release. What I call must have music. I give it two thumbs up and is most definitely a worthy addition to any Rap collection. Truly an outstanding Rap CD. One of those that is completely void of any wasted time, as each track is simply superb.

While the entire album is outstanding some of my favorites are track 3 - I Know What Girls Like, track 5 - Sreets Is Watching, and track 14 - You Must Love Me

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - Intro / A Million And One Questions / Rhyme No More. Good stuff!

In My Lifetime Vol 1 Release Notes:

Jay Z originally released In My Lifetime Vol 1 on November 4, 1997 on the Def Jam label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Intro / A Million And One Questions / Rhyme No More 2. City Is Mine, The - (featuring Blackstreet) 3. I Know What Girls Like - (featuring Puff Daddy/Lil’ Kim) 4. Imaginary Player 5. Streets Is Watching 6. Friend Or Foe ‘98 7. Lucky Me 8. Sunshine, (Always Be My) - (featuring Babyface/Foxy Brown) 9. Who U Wit II 10. Face Off - (featuring Sauce Money) 11. Real Niggaz - (featuring Too Short) 12. Rap Game/Crack Game 13. Where I’m From 14. You Must Love Me

Personnel: Jay-Z, Foxy Brown, Lil’ Kim, Too Short (rap vocals); Babyface, Karen Anderson, Kelly Price (vocals); Teddy Riley, Stevie J (various instruments); Chad Hugo (saxophone); George Fontenette (keyboards); DJ Premiere (scratches); Earth (background vocals); BlackStreet, Sauce Money. Producers include: Premiere, Teddy Riley, Sean “Puffy” Combs, Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence, Daven “Prestige” Vanderpool. Engineers include: Eddie Sancho, Teddy Riley, S. Ghenea. Principally recorded in New York, New York.

Caffeinated Content

Rogers helped Rihanna record her first material in the U.S., which was then sent to various recording companies as a pitch, one of which, landed on the desk of Jay-Z, who signed her to Def Jam Records.

Rihanna cites her rapid rise in the music industry to her love of music and her Caribbean background, as well as musical influences like Alicia Keys and Beyoncé Knowles. Some of these influences showed up in her 2005 debut album, Music of the Sun, from which the first single, Pon de Replay, was released in October 2005 and reached number 2 in both the U.S. and the U.K. singles charts.

Despite Pon de Replay’s commercial success though, the album was heavily criticised as “lacking replay value, ingenuity and rhythm,” but since then it went on to reach the top 10 in both the U.S. and Canadian charts, gaining a platinum certification into the bargain.

To promote her first album, Rihanna toured as the support act for American pop singer Gwen Stefani, which is when Rihanna tickets suddenly became a strong commodity. Many Stefani fans were wowed by the young singer, and a strong army of fans began to grow.

Her second album, A Girl Like Me, came swiftly in April 2006 - less than eight months after the release of the first - and debuted at number five in the U.S. and number four in the U.K..

The lead single, SOS, was subsequently used in a promotional deal with Nike, and the song made it to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. SOS also peaked at number one in Australia and number two in the U.K. - Rihanna’s first major international success.

Her second single, Unfaithful, was written by R&B singer Ne-Yo, and became her third top ten hit in the U.S. and U.K.. The third single, We Ride, failed to chart at all in the U.S., but in the U.K. it became her fifth top 20 hit, where it peaked at number 17.

Rihanna’s fourth single from the album, Break It Off, featured Sean Paul and climbed to number 45 in the States based purely on airplay. It was then released as a digital download in February, 2007, which hiked the song from number fifty-two in the chart, to number nine.

Rihanna went into the studio early in 2007 with Ne-Yo, Stargate, and Timbaland, to record her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad. The album was released on June 5, 2007.

The first single, Umbrella, featuring Jay-Z, was released in March and reached number one in a multitude of countries, including the U.S.. It went straight to number 1 in the U.K. where it stayed for 10 consecutive weeks, making it the longest running number 1 single since Wet Wet Wet’s, Love Is All Around, in 1994, and the longest running number 1 by a female artist since Whitney Houston’s, I Will Always Love You, in 1992.

Rihanna worked with Timbaland on three of the songs from the album, and Justin Timberlake co-wrote and provided background vocals to the track, Rehab. Seven weeks after the album was released it went gold in the United States and Platinum on the United World Albums Chart.

Rihanna will tour the U.K. this December, called the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour, tickets for which you can purchase here at viagogo.co.uk.

Discography (Studio Albums)
2005: Music of the Sun (#35 UK #10 USA)
2006: A Girl Like Me (#5 UK #5 USA)
2007: Good Girl Gone Bad (#1 UK #2 USA)

Forthcoming UK Tour Dates
December: 2-Dublin, 3-Belfast, 6-Manchester, 7-Sheffield, 8-Nottingham, 10-Birmingham, 11-Bournemouth, 13-Newcastle, 14-Glasgow, 16-London, 17-Brighton, 19-Cardiff

Create a video blog

Part of the fun of city golf is having a San Francisco limo or car service pick you up at your hotel and deliver your party to the course. Then when your game is over, your driver awaits, just as he does of Tiger.

It’s always smart to call several weeks ahead for tee times, deposit requirements and to reserve a Quicksilver Towncar or Suburban to pick you up at the airport. (800) 486-9622 The Suburban easily holds four golf bags and all your luggage.

Harding Park San Francisco was designed by architect Willie Watson in 1925. Among its kudos are a Top 50 US Courses ranking by Golf Digest and a place among “Top 100 You Can Play” by Golf Magazine.

Harding Park played host to the 2005 World Golf Championships-American Express Championship. The American Express event in October of 2005, which saw Tiger Woods defeating John Daly on the second playoff hole.

Harding Park Golf Course is located next to the private Olympic Club course which has been host to many U. S. Open tournaments and is less than one mile from the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Zoo. Harding Park’s layout follows the original 1925 plan, using the property’s existing topography, contours and vegetation. Features include the towering Monterey Cypress trees and a view of Lake Merced where high school crews practice on a dogleg 2k course.

Tee-times for Harding Park Golf Course are available 8 - 30 days in advance. A non-refundable deposit is required for advance booking at the time of the reservation. To make an advance reservation, call the Harding Park Pro Shop at 415-664-4690. http://www.harding-park.com/view.asp?id=129&page=1727

If You Are Staying In SF Consider Playing These
One-Of-A-Kind Bay Area Golf Courses.

Lincoln Park Golf Course, 300 34th Ave, San Francisco, (415)221-9911, is easily one of the two or three most beautiful courses in northern California. Lincoln is the oldest course in this list; its 18 holes were built in 1908, designed by Tom Bendelow.

Located west of the famous bridge, several fairways provide postcard views of the Pacific and Golden Gate. If you play this course carry a camera in your bag. City of San Francisco golf info: http://www.sfgov.org/site/recpark

Tilden Park Golf Course is located across the bay in Berkeley at the intersection of Grizzly Peak and Shasta Road, above the University of California campus. (510)848-7373. This is a challenging hillside course. Tilden Park’s signature first hole is a 420-yard par 4, straight uphill to an elevated green. My father-in-law compared it to playing the Royal Course in Nepal. The 18 hole course was built in 1937 and designed by William P. Bell.

Tilden is notorious for its hills and natural setting. According to one report, the front nine is fairly forgiving, but things change on the back nine, which starts with a vertigo-inducing tee that recalls Olympic ski jumps, followed by narrower fairways. http://tildenparkgc.americangolf.com/

There are many golf courses in the Bay Area, but we suggest trying these courses which are open to the public, inexpensive and well know to your Quicksilver Towncar driver.

Create a video blog

For the modern traveler, there’s no getting around the fact that French Polynesia is expensive. Bora Bora is easily the most upscale tourist destination in the South Pacific with 17 resorts charging over US$250 double a night without meals. Yet it’s also true that you can greatly reduce your costs if you book your top end hotel rooms as part of a package tour. Another option is to stay in small locally-operated pensions. Bora Bora has seven hostels and pensions in the US$50-100 range and Moorea has 11. On Moorea you can also camp.

Most visitors get around the islands by air, and Air Tahiti operates efficient services to 46 islands and atolls in French Polynesia. Here again, you can save money by purchasing one of Air Tahiti’s 28-day air passes. A Society Islands air pass will cost around US$400, or US$550 if you add on the Tuamotu Islands. The only interisland boat trip which is easy to do is Tahiti to Moorea which operates every two hours and costs US$10. Passenger-carrying cargo boats do ply from Tahiti to Bora Bora several times a week, but they’re basic and the overnight trip can be rough. If you want to experience the boat trip one way, you’re better off flying from Tahiti to Bora Bora and then returning to Tahiti by boat. I explain why in my guidebook, Moon Tahiti.

Car rentals in French Polynesia average US$100 a day – expensive! Options include renting a bicycle instead of a car (on Moorea and Bora Bora) or traveling by le truck or public bus (on Tahiti). Four-wheel-drive safari tours are offered on all the main islands and these are also cheaper than renting a car. On Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, and Bora Bora, there are sightseeing tours by outrigger canoe.

When to go? May to October is the cooler, less humid time, although prolonged rainfall is possible yearround. An optimum time to be there is for the Heiva festival on Tahiti, Huahine, and Bora Bora in early July. Whatever, don’t miss attending at least one Island Night at a fancy resort for the wild tamure dancing and drumming. These happen several times a week. You can often avoid the high cost of the buffet by settling for a drink at the bar.

One thing you won’t encounter in French Polynesia – unless you spend most of your time at a large resort – is a tourist glut. French Polynesia gets only 200,000 tourists a year compared to the six million who visit Hawaii. Geographically, Tahiti is actually east of Hawaii, and the flight from Los Angeles to Tahiti takes only 7.5 hours, just 2.5 hours more than it takes to fly to Hawaii. My most memorable experience in French Polynesia? The cruise to the Marquesas Islands on the Aranui, something I hope to do again very soon.

Create a video blog

At Heritage High School Cutler compiled an impressive 26-1 record as a starting quarterback during his junior and senior seasons. As a senior he led his team to a 15-0 record, as well as a state 3A championship. Although he was a solid performer in high school, Cutler did not receive the attention of other quarterbacks across the country.

After graduating from Heritage, he took his game to Vanderbilt University. While at Vanderbilt Cutler started 40 consecutive games at quarterback; a school record. The 2005 season was Cutler’s final year in college, and he made it a good one. He finished the season with 273 completions, 3,073 yards and 22 touchdown passes. When everything was said and done Cutler had thrown for nearly 9,000 yards in his college career.

In the 2006 NFL Draft Cutler was selection by the Denver Broncos with the 11th overall pick. Shortly after the draft he agreed on a six year contract worth $48 million. After a good showing during training camp, Cutler leaped from third on the depth chart to second. During preseason games he passed for more yards than any other rookie. About halfway through his rookie season, the Broncos finally made him the team’s starter. In the five games that he started, Cutler amassed 1,000 yards passing and nine touchdowns.

The 2007 season will be the first in which Cutler is the team’s full-time starting quarterback. It is safe to say that Cutler as well as the Broncos are excited to see what this will bring. With all of the tools to be a great quarterback, it is only a matter of time before he moves to the top of the league.

Caffeinated Content

I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Ray Of Light. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

These days it’s a very rare CD on which every single song is good or better than the one before it. This CD is certainly one of those rare CDs.

If you’re a Madonna fan this is a CD your collection flat cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don’t even have to be a fan of Madonna, or even Pop to know is good. This is just good music. Period.

While the entire album is really very good some of my favorites are track 1 - Drowned World / Substitute For Love, track 6 - Nothing Really Matters, and track 13 - Mer Girl

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 3 - Ray Of Light. Wow!

Ray Of Light Release Notes:

Madonna originally released Ray Of Light on March 3, 1998 on the Warner Bros. Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Drowned World / Substitute For Love 2. Swim 3. Ray Of Light 4. Candy Perfume Girl 5. Skin 6. Nothing Really Matters 7. Sky Fits Heaven 8. Shanti / Ashtangi 9. Frozen 10. Power Of Good-Bye, The 11. To Have And Not To Hold 12. Little Star 13. Mer Girl

Personnel: Madonna (vocals); William Orbit (guitar, electronics); Mark Moreau (guitar); Pablo Cook (flute); Marius De Vries (keyboards, programming); Fergus Gerrand (drums, percussion); Steve Sidelnyk (programming); Donna DeLory, Niki Harris (background vocals). Producers: Madonna, William Orbit, Patrick Leonard, Marius De Vries. Recorded at Larrabee Studios North, Universal City, California.

Caffeinated Content

Some might argue that she is too thin, but with the medias constant pressure on celebrities to be thin, she fits the category that the media considers beautiful. And whether you like to admit it or not, many of us agree.

I still liked Ashlee in her fuller figured pre-nose job days. She was always the cute younger sister of Jessica Simpson, trying to break into Hollywood stardom but never really outshining Jess.

It seems that her drastic body makeover caused lots of tabloid speculation, making her possibly more famous than her bigger sister!

Have you ever noticed that whenever a star loses a drastic amount of weight they gain higher celebrity status? Some C Lister stars catapult up to A list position within weeks as soon as their bones begin to show.

Some examples of this would be Robin Quivers. Did anybody know who this person was before she lost 73lbs on the ‘Lemonade Master Cleanse’.

This brings to light the issue of what I like to refer to as “Celebsessed”. We have become a society so obsessed with body image and celebrity body image that like it or not we value peoples worth by how little they weigh.

So now back the big question we all want to know the answer to..

What Does Ashlee Simpson Eat?

Ashlee Simpson eats healthy foods the majority of the time. She has taken influence from her sister Jessica Simpson’s personal trainer and sticks to foods such as grilled chicken and greens. Simpson admits that unhealthy days make her feel good too, she calls them her “Taco Bell” days.

This diet is a classic example of high protein, low carb eating. Most bodybuilders and celebrities will have a cheat meal or cheat day. The idea of this is that eating healthy foods 6 days of the week puts the metabolism in a steady pattern, but with the addition of a cheat food (either a whole day or one meal..one meal is recommended) it will shock the metabolism into working harder and faster. Thus, speeding it up and ultimately losing more weight.

How Does Ashlee Simpson Workout?

Ashlee Simpson does attend a gym and work out. She credits dancing to maintaining her slender physique. She has also hired a personal trainer (most stars have them!) Ashlee also recently bought a treadmill for her house, so cardio is no doubt a big factor in her workout routine.

Website content