The Killing Nazi Business...

As Lt. Aldo Raine (played by Brad Pitt) so eloquently puts it "business is a-boomin."

Quentin Tarantino's latest cinematic adventure Inglourious Basterds is said to be his greatest film since 1994's Pulp Fiction, and in my opinion who ever says this, speaks the truth. Basterds is about (I don't know why I'm bothering to describe it, I'm sure everyone has seen the trailer and gets the jist of it, but nonetheless, I'm going to inform you all anyway...) a group of Jewish-American soldiers who are dropped into Nazi occupied France with the simple directions of killing Nazi's and to take no prisoners.

What the trailer fails to delve into, is the film's other plot line. That of the Jewish girl who's family is murdered by the Nazi's and her plan to, also, take down the main contenders of the Nazi party (ie Hitler and his successors).

I have no intention of ruining the movie for all of you, yet I feel I must warn any history buffs out there, Tarantino definitely takes artisitc license with this one. That is all I shall say about the plot.

Basterds is a highly entertaining movie and I recommend it to you now (unless, of course, you cannot stomache the sight of blood. If thats the case, be prepared to feel queasy). Roger Ebert describes the movie as "a big, bold, audacious war movie that will annoy some, startle others and demonstrate once again that he’s the real thing, a director of quixotic delights." I don't think I can say it any better, so I will leave you all here.

~Hans

OH! And Ferdinando, my dear, was that last post published because someone is feeling a bit guilty about a shopping addiction??

One Week of Danger

I’m going to say what shouldn’t be said. Youth and Beauty are fleeting. So, take heed, my friends. Go be both brave and stupid. Remember, being smart is not always the best choice. Live paycheck to paycheck and take that chance. I'm reminding you as I remind myself. This is your only chance. Fortune beckons.

"But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin. "

- Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

~Ferdinando

American Ingenuity, Marc Jabobs!

"I was thinking about the good old days in New York, when getting dressed up was such a joy."

-Marc Jacobs

Being that Marc Jacobs created a Fall '09 line that paid homage to the great City of the 80's, I will pay homage to Marc Jacobs. I partly do this in respect for my close friend, whose close encounter with her favorite designer left her faint. Star struck? Hell no, we're New Yorkers! Designer-dazzled? You betcha.

~Ferdinando

Alexa Chung, I freaking love it

So right now, I’m sorta obsessed with Alexa Chung. She is probably the only celeb-type that has earned my envy, let alone capable of getting me to admit it. I’m addicted to her show and I turn practically green when I consider her effortless style. All this makes her enviability level sky-high! [defined: ability to be envied]. Oh, let me count the ways...

She is one who captured herself a Monkey. And oh! how that Monkey sings and writes. That, my friends, is a success in itself, even if Alexa + Alex = a little matchy-matchy.

She’s has a great job just being her own charming self and interviewing celebs.

Half Chinese, Half British = She is stunning. Not in an overwhelming way, but combined with her next quality…

…her quirkiness makes her seem like someone you actually could be friends with.

Basically, I am jealous of her. And for someone that never considered themselves a jealous person, this is a tricky thing to admit. But she is so refreshingly different from all the same celebs who take themselves too seriously. I freaking love it. :)

~Ferdinando

The Year of the Flood

Ah, Hans! She certainly knows how to chill my blood properly – and in the best way possible. I think that our love of the grim may be beginning to show. You’d think that to best not deter the faint at heart a more appropriate post would be more cheery, but my latest obsession is gloomy still. Still, how surprised you would be if you saw Hans, Francois, or I...we are farther from the dark characters you may envision.

If you have ever read a book by Margaret Atwood you know that her vision tends to look toward society and remark upon the broken pieces, the cracks, if you will. I first was introduced to her through a high school English course where essays reigned supreme. I know what you’re thinking – not a school book! But hold still! her books are an interesting combination of a story that mainstream society can read and not scream over and intellectual enough where book nerds [like myself] can enjoy without throwing it across the room.

I personally would recommend Oryx and Crake for the first read. It is a little intense but well worth it. Then if you need a boost to your feminist side then I would recommend Handmaid’s Tale. That’s the one that pulled me in. My next choice is going to be Cat’s Eye, which is currently in my Amazon cart. What I really would like to mention, though, is an upcoming book of hers, The Year of the Flood, which is going to be released this September. This is going to be a companion novel with Oryx and Crake, though it will delve more into a religious extremist view of some characters in the story. Honestly though, I can’t wait to get my hands on another one of her books. I recommend them to one and all.



Warning: loss of hope in humanity can be an unfortunate side-effect. Good luck.

~Ferdinando

A Bloody Good Time part 2

A know this is new for me, two posts in one day, but I couldn't resist. In my opinion (and I know Ferdinando will agree with me) the best show currently on tv is Showtime's Dexter.

Dexter is based of the books by Jeff Lindsay (Darkly Dreaming Dexter is the first one). The show follows Dexter Morgan, who is a forensic blood splatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department by day and a serial killer by night. He was trained by his foster father as a child on how not to get caught and to only kill those people who deserve it (in other words other killers). "He'll charm fellow officers with a doughnut, wile away a Sunday with his girlfriend Rita, or chop up a victim and package their body parts in plastic bags. Hiding beneath the mundane exterior and contrived façade of Dexter, a charming blood spatter expert for the Miami Police Department, is an obsession with meting his own twisted brand of justice: stalking and murdering the guilty" (as Showtime describes him). Michael C. Hall brilliantly portrays the completely lovable Dexter (to the point where I want to be one of his victims...)


The shows fourth season begins on September 27th (I CANNOT WAIT!! I know Ferdinando understands) and is definitely going to have an entirely different feel to it after the way last season ended..

Goodness I really want to talk more in depth about it but at the same time I just want to motivate you all to go watch it. So all I'm going to say is check it out people! I have never met a person who has been disappointed by this show. Feel free to back me up on this ones Ferdinando (I keep typing in your actual name my friend, I think I fixed them all though).

~Hans

This is the season 4 promo, it looks awesome no?