New York City

Source: Google Images

For many years, I have wanted to visit New York City. It has been featured in numerous movies and television shows and often times is used as another character. One of my favourite New York scenes in a fairly recent movie was in  'Two Weeks Notice' where Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant fly in a helicopter over some of its landmarks such as the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings.

This year, I will have the opportunity to travel to and explore this huge metropolis. A close friend and I will venture to the Big Apple and take a bite from it over four action-packed days. Planning has started in earnest, plane tickets and accommodation have been booked. It will not be possible to do everything but these four days will give us a taste of what New York has to offer. Autumn in New York, cannot wait!

Bella's House

It is no secret that I like 'The Twilight Saga'. As some of you know, I also am a bit of an entertainment fanatic and enjoy in equal parts, the actors who star in movies and those who create the movies. The behind-the-scenes goings on are often times much more interesting.

For the past two years, I have had a love affair with a house - not just any house but the place of residence of the Twilight heroine, Bella Swan. Please note that this house is actually a prop, albeit a life-size and full-scale replica of the actual home used in the filming of the first movie, 'Twilight'. My first encounter with the house is an entertaining story in itself. Subsequent visits do not disappoint, even when the only thing visible was the tarp-covered ground.

Below are some of my favourite pictures that I have taken since spring 2009. The house was dismantled and stored in the fall of 2009 and has recently reappeared for the filming of 'Breaking Dawn'. It will be a sad day when I will have to say goodbye. Maybe I should get a contractor to build me a replica but as a real home :)

New Moon - April 2009



Eclipse - October 2009 - my favourite picture of the house. Early morning with the sun shining on it.
The trees in front are fake (see the middle one is stump only). They look very real though.

Breaking Dawn - February 2011 - decorated for Christmas



Breaking Dawn - February 2011



The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn

Source: Summit Entertainment, November 2010

The end is nigh for 'The Twilight Saga', the last installment 'Breaking Dawn' has wrapped filming in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and will complete filming in Vancouver over the next 7 weeks. The last movie based on the 4th book of Stephenie Meyer's series, will be split into two parts. 'Breaking Dawn I' will open on November 18, 2011. Part II will be released a year later, November 16, 2012.

The actors arrived in Vancouver on Tuesday and are already working on scenes for 'Breaking Dawn'. There are scores of blogs dedicated solely to capturing everything 'Twilight' and The Vancouver Sun is keeping a close eye on the Twi-proceedings. I recall that when the cast first arrived in Vancouver for 'New Moon', fans would be able to just walk up and chat with them, oh how times have changed. When 'Eclipse' was filmed in the summer of 2009 ('New Moon' had wrapped in April that year), the energy was so different; suddenly there were bodyguards, hyper security guards, etc. I have not yet seen the Twi-Trinity (Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner) in person but I have seen, in person, some of the other actors. Perhaps, third time is the charm, would be neat to have seen them at least once.

The Superbowl of Movie Awards - The Oscars

Source: Google Pictures

It is that time of year again, it is my equivalent of the Superbowl - The Oscars™ On Sunday, the 83rd annual Academy Award ceremony will be held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Each year is different, last year it was all about 'The Hurt Locker' which is still one of my favourite films to win Best Picture.

This year, the field is very diverse - a good thing - yet, the Academy may err on the side of caution and go with the 'safe choice' and crown 'The King's Speech' as the winner. I'm hoping that 'The Social Network' will win. I think it is the more relevant film for our generation, as you will have noted in my previous blog entries.

The other contenders for Best Picture are: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, 127 Hours,Toy Story 3, True Grit and Winter's Bone.

2010 was the first year where 10 films were in consideration for Best Picture, I'm still not sure that this is a good thing (previously there were five choices), however, it may draw attention to the smaller films which are usually overlooked and that's a good thing. 'Smaller' films such as 'The Kids Are All Right', '127 Hours' and 'Winter's Bone'. Smaller in this case meaning independent film and much smaller budgets. I loved 'The Kids Are All Right' which is the story of two moms raising their children who contact their sperm donor (aka biological father), whose presence in their lives causes a rift; '127 Hours' which  is based on the true story of hiker Aron Rolston who was trapped by a boulder and had to resort to amputating his arm to free himself; and 'Winter's Bone' which is the heartbreaking tale of Ree Dolly played by the excellent Jennifer Lawrence who at 17 looks after her younger siblings, trying to find their father before their house is taken away.

Any of these films would make a worthy Best Picture winner.

Tragedy in Christchurch, New Zealand



Christchurch Cathedral, my picture.

On February 22, a 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand. I was saddened to see and read the stories of death and destruction. Especially, since I visited that region in 2008. Christchurch is a lovely city which combines the new with the old, it reminds me a lot of Victoria, BC. The downtown core of Christchurch has been reduced to rubble. Pictures of the destruction were soon posted to the many media outlets and for a moment, I could not believe it. To see the Christchurch Cathedral in ruins was incomprehensible. The hotel where we stayed was across the square and we looked onto it every night.

My sister told me that I was lucky to have visited there before this awful event happened and to have been able to see Christchurch in its splendour. Suppose that is true, however, it is still heartbreaking. As I did last year for the disasters in Haiti and Chile, this time too I have made a donation to the International Disaster Relief Fund of the Canadian Red Cross so that they may be able to assist those who require help.

New Zealanders, or Kiwis as they are affectionately known, are survivors, they have faced many challenges and are a strong, proud people. I know that they will rebuild and make this city whole again.