| Interview with Morten Harket | 14 April 2024 |
| In 2022, I had the chance to interview the lead singer and co-songwriter of my favourite pop group a-ha. Quite the thrill. | |
| Films of 2022 | 9 August 2023 |
| The best films of 2022. | |
| Games of 2022 | 5 July 2023 |
| The best games of 2022. | |
| Dial of Destiny | 28 June 2023 |
| Review of the 2023 James Mangold movie. | |
| Music of 2018 | 10 June 2023 |
| The best music of 2018. Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. | |
| Julian's Posts turns 20 | 22 August 2022 |
|
Twenty years ago, I started this site. Readers have come and gone. Mostly gone.
I'd like to thank my small but faithful audience, you know who you are. |
|
| Music of 2017 | 20 August 2022 |
| The best music of 2017. Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. | |
| Games of 2014 - 2021 | 22 July 2022 |
|
The best games of 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. |
|
| Films of 2019 - 2020 - 2021 | 19 July 2022 |
| The best films of 2019, 2020 and 2021. Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. | |
| Top Gun: Maverick | 14 July 2022 |
| Review of the 2022 Joseph Kosinski movie. | |
| Soulsister | 1 October 2021 |
| Had the enormous honour of interviewing my favourite Belgian band, the legendary SOULSISTER. | |
| Novella | 15 February 2021 |
|
Oh hi novella. My new book has arrived, my first work of fiction. You are allowed to purchase it. The book features
shout-outs to/cameos from Michael Crichton, Simon Carmiggelt, Jozef "Pom" Van Hove, Friso Wiegersma, Arne Keustermans, Jim Steinman, Dimitri "Jangojim" Sakelaropolus, and many others. Buy here | here | here or contact your local indie bookstore. 
|
|
| Nerdy wishlist 2021 | 7 January 2021 |
| Updated rundown of wanted old crap. | |
| Back to the Future | 25 December 2020 |
|
I had missed the initial batch of Back to the Future 4K collector's editions. Scalpers were quickly asking $200 and more. Luckily, I didn't bite, and waited a little longer. Today, Amazon.co.uk came through and offered a new batch of collector's boxes for a much more reasonable Ł90. Sigh of relief. My BTTF home video collection will remain complete. Well, not ever truly complete, but at least a little more complete than before. Pix |
|
| Jurassic Toys | 20 December 2020 |
|
McDonald's is currently offering Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous toys in the Happy Meal promotion. Beyond awesome.
This takes me right back to 25 September 1993, when 9-year old Julian just had had his birthday party for a few of my best mates. It's 6PM-ish, and my dad is watching either NPO1, NPO2 or NPO3 (the Dutch public broadcasting stations). A commercial comes on, and it shows a Jurassic Park deal at McDonald's. Super excited, I ask my dad if we can go. 'Sure', he says, 'it's your birthday. Let's go now!'. Imagine my disappointment an hour or so later, when it turned out that the Jurassic Park promotion was Netherlands-only. Belgian dinosaur fans were left in the dust. You can equally imagine my excitement as of now, today, at this instant. Finally, real Jurassic Park/World toys in the Happy Meals. Talk about a happy meal. Now to convince the spouse that we really need all the toys. 'But honey, they're all educational. You want me to learn, don't you?' ought to do the trick, Bill Watterson-style. |
|
| The Offspring | 8 November 2020 |
Became a father. Hope I won't screw up. Fingers crossed.
|
|
| Straight Outta Belgium | 21 April 2020 |
|
I know next to nothing about hip hop or rap music, so it was about time I bought Straight Outta Compton, the landmark hip hop album, originally released on 8/8/88. Cool date. Twenty years ago, in April 2000, I purchased my very first vinyl record ever. That was 'Still D.R.E.' by Dr. Dre, coincidentally, so today's arrival is quite apt. I can't believe it's been twenty years of record collecting. The vinyl landscape was different back then: fewer releases, lower prices. How the times have changed. A toast to vinyl, and to at least twenty more years of collecting. |
|
| New stuff for sale | 5 April 2020 |
|
* I compiled a book of colouring pages for all ages, featuring nineteen black and white drawings by yours truly. For Kindle, or as a paperback. Click here for Amazon US | UK | Germany | France | Spain | Italy | Japan | Canada * New online shop featuring my drawings on a slew of products: bed sheets, pillows, mugs, clocks, coasters, frames, etc. |
|
| Dino Girl | 24 March 2020 |
|
Between 1987-1990, American toy manufacturer Tyco produced the Dino Riders line - probably the greatest pitch in toy history.
Guys riding dinosaurs! Shut up and take my money! The power of nostalgia, and the audacity of resellers and scalpers haven't been kind to the franchise. Nowadays, be prepared to spend upwards of $1500 for a boxed Tyrannosaurus. Even the smallest dinosaur in the line, the Ankylosaurus, will set you back at least $100 for a non-sealed boxed copy. Check these prices. Madness! Sparta! In 2015, I met Andrea Hulsbosch (a Belgian linguist and fashion model), and we both talked about our love of and for dinosaurs. She went one step beyond, and talked about how her Barbies used to ride her dinosaurs. At that moment, I had a revelation, an epiphany, a vision. Andrea's childhood concept reminded me of Tyco's. And in a 'what are the odds?'-spin of events, the Tyco brand has been owned by Mattel since 1997. Dino Barbie needs to be made. E-mail Mattel. Call them. Spread the word. While we're waiting, I'm developing my own concept, Dino Girl. In 2015, I created a first sketch, and here's a second one I made yesterday. 
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|
| MiniDiscobar with DJ Julian | 22 March 2020 |
|
Hire me for your garden parties, candlelight suppers, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, and more.
Songs are played and mixed on nothing but Sony MiniDiscs. MiniDiscobar |
|
| New T-shirt idea | 21 March 2020 |
| Daft Pun | |
| Katherine Johnson obituary | 25 February 2020 |
| Rest in peace, heroine | |
| Joker | 22 February 2020 |
| Review of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray home video release of Todd Phillips' 2019 film. | |
| Obitual drawings | 20 February 2020 |
| Aretha Franklin | Rutger Hauer | Peter Mayhew | Doris Day | Aart Staartjes | Kobe Bryant | Marie Fredriksson | Kirk Douglas | |
| Music of 2016 | 18 February 2020 |
| Music from 2016. Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. | |
| Films of 2018 | 3 February 2020 |
| The best films of 2018. Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. | |
| Welcome to the AA | 23 July 2019 |
|
On 1 July 2019, I had the chance to talk about my book 'Songwriters' in the acclaimed Belgian podcast Welcome to the AA,
hosted by stand-up comedian/vocalist/songwriter Alex Agnew and guitarist/songwriter/social media wizard Andries Beckers. These guys are passionate, well-spoken, intelligent and always interested in their subjects. Class acts all the way. Major thanks, props, kudos, shoutouts and love to Alex and Andries. Listen via iTunes, their website, Spotify, or via YouTube. |
|
| 'Songwriters' in the national newspaper | 6 April 2019 |
|
On 30 March 2019, my book 'Songwriters' and yours truly scored spread-specific attention in the weekend edition
of national newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen (literally Gazette of Antwerp, affectionately nicknamed The Frut). Quite the thrill, because GvA was the home of my favourite Belgian comic book artist Pom for years. Thanks for the kind words and the interview in general, Geert D'Hulster. (article © GvA) 
|
|
| Songwriters | 28 September 2018 |
|
I'm quite proud to announce my very first book, 'SONGWRITERS' (publishing group Lannoo), featuring interviews
with sixteen prominent Belgian songwriters, with photos by the fabulous Els Vanopstal. In stores nationwide, October 5, 2018. Also available as a legal download for your e-book (Amazon | Google | iTunes). 
|
|
| Films of 2016 & 2017 | 13 July 2018 |
| The best films of 2016 and 2017. | |
| Films of 2015 | 12 July 2018 |
| The best films of 2015. | |
| Films of 2014 | 24 June 2018 |
| The best films of 2014 as seen by yours truly. Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. | |
| Obitual drawings | 12 June 2018 |
|
Johnny Hallyday |
Tom Petty |
June Foray |
John Heard |
George A. Romero |
Martin Landau |
Chuck Berry | Carrie Fisher | George Michael | Leonard Cohen | Marc Sleen | Toots Thielemans |
|
| Nerdy wishlist 2018 | 6 June 2018 |
| Updated rundown of wanted old crap. | |
| Films of 2013 | 11 April 2018 |
| Films from 2013. Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. | |
| Julian's Posts turns 15 | 28 September 2017 |
|
Fifteen years, 1 month and six days ago, I started this site. Readers have come and gone. Mostly gone. I'd like to thank
my small but faithful audience, you know who you are. Here's the summary on the past 15 years. |
|
| New photographs | 14 September 2017 |
| Eva | Skate Park in Germany | Loitering Youngsters | Firenze | Eline | |
| Games of 2013 | 8 September 2017 |
| Games from 2013. Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. | |
| Size does matter | 3 September 2017 |
| LaserDisc v Blu-ray: Dawn of Size | |
| Nerdy wishlist 2017 | 21 January 2017 |
| Updated rundown of wanted old crap. | |
| Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | 30 November 2016 |
| Review of the 2016 David Yates movie. | |
| 007 | 16 June 2016 |
| Every James Bond actor ever is still alive and kicking. The mere thought makes me very happy. | |
| Obitual drawings | 28 April 2016 |
|
Prince |
Alan Rickman |
David Bowie |
Sir Christopher Lee |
B.B. King |
Luc De Vos |
Richard Attenborough | Robin Williams | Jozef 'Pom' Van Hove | Bob Hoskins | James Avery |
|
| New photographs | 21 April 2016 |
| Ziggy-zagging Shih Tzu | Leave | Blood Moon | Ludo Mariman | Just Married | |
| Yes We Cannes | 10 April 2016 |
|
'KRENG', a short film I helped make, is going to CANNES FILM FESTIVAL. Yes, that's actually happening. The six minute effort
will participate (out of competition) in the 'Short Film Corner' during the 69th edition of the legendary film festival in France. A big thumbs up to director Xavier Arijs and screenwriter Peter De Voecht. They did it, they came through, they delivered the goods and now, 'KRENG' will rock the crowd in Cannes, France. Nous sommes trčs heureux. 
|
|
| Music of 2013-2014-2015 | 1 April 2016 |
| Music from 2013 | 2014 | 2015. Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. | |
| License to plate | 30 March 2016 |
| High Def Digest | Empire Strikes Back | Jar Jar Binks | Pina Bausch | |
| Alan Silvestri | 16 March 2016 |
|
On 24 October 2015, I was granted the enormous honour of having a short chat with Mr. Alan Silvestri,
one of the greatest living composers and the man who scored my favourite movie of all time. [full article] - [audio file] |
|
| David Jones | 19 January 2016 |
|
Mr. David Bowie has passed away. What a major loss. On 8 January 2016, he celebrated his 69th birthday with the release of a new album
called 'Blackstar'. That same day, my favourite record store FatKat opened the doors of its new, expanded location in Antwerp. I bought 'Blackstar', went home and listened to the album between 9 and 10 PM. I think it was a first to be able to listen to an artist's new album on his birthday. Quite a unique experience, one I thoroughly enjoyed. 'Blackstar' turned out to be a masterpiece, no mean feat after decades in the industry. Just two days later, Mr. Bowie succumbed to the horrible c-disease (I won't dignify its existence by naming it). The next day (that's a Bowie reference, coincidentally), the devastating news reached our ears. Extremely weird: buying and enjoying a fine new album on Friday, and hearing about the loss of its maker on Monday. Thanks for everything, Mr. Bowie. You will be missed. 
|
|
| Back to the Future | 26 October 2015 |
|
Today marks the exact 30th anniversary of Marty McFly's first time travel. On 26 October 1985, he tried to outrun the Lybians,
accelerated to 88mph and travelled to 5 November 1955. The new Blu-ray collection should arrive shortly. I have only seen a few episodes of the animated series, so the complete inclusion of said series is bound to be a treat. Also available for sale (but not on my purchase radar in the near future) is a re-release of the excellent Telltale game - now with added Thomas F. Wilson voice-over work. And lest I forget: a plutonium-powered Monopoly edition has been released last month. It's a good time to be a Back to the Future fan. |
|
| Back to the Future Part II | 21 October 2015 |
|
Today earns its place in pop culture history as the date of Marty McFly's arrival in the future. Or, as of now, the present. On 26 October 1985,
after an eventful week in November 1955, Marty travelled to 21 October 2015 to save his kids' future. To commemorate this joyous occasion - after all, Back to the Future is my favourite movie of all time - I'd like to drink a Pepsi Perfect (problem: Pepsi only released 6500 bottles for the American market) and I'd love to wear futuristic Nikes (problem: the fashionable shoes were produced in limited quantities and fetched high prices - luckily, the money went towards the Michael J. Fox Foundation), but I will see the entire trilogy for the very first time on the silver screen later today. The three movies will be screened as part of the Ghent Film Festival. This is heavy! Great Scott! |
|
| Shine | 19 September 2015 |
|
Even though I'd love to deny it, I have become an old fart entertainment-wise. Back in 1998, I followed the pop charts religiously. I knew the hits,
the misses, the shits, and the disses. In 2000, I discovered a new-found appreciation for vinyl and started collecting records. I haven't looked back since, and thus my pop chart knowledge slowly withered and died. My street credibility has never been all that, and I've never been down with the kids. That's okay. Every cloud has a silver lining, and being a wallflower-esque geeky nerd has its charms too. New music is thus only discovered by chance. Just two weeks ago, the band Years & Years passed the video waves of YouTube, and I immediately took a shine to their song Shine. Such class, such excellence, such genius. I bought the 7" vinyl single today, for the wallet-crippling price of $11. Eleven bucks for two songs!? My parents bought their 45's for an average price of $1.63 in the sixties and seventies. I know, inflation. But still: $11!? The song is worth it, though. |
|
| Electric Dreams | 8 August 2015 |
|
Isn't it funny how one can come across gaping cultural black holes, and immediately benefit from them? Just this morning, I stumbled upon
the Phil Oakey/Giorgio Moroder collaboration Together in Electric Dreams from the movie Electric Dreams, after someone mentioned the song in an online LaserDisc discussion. I had never ever heard of it until I read the post. I subsequently found the song on YouTube, listened to it, immediately liked it, bought the iTunes file for $1.29 and have been listening to it non-stop since. 'So good', as Harry Osborn would say. |
|
| Dino Barbie II | 7 August 2015 |
|
Mattel replied to the Dino Barbie concept with corporate politeness. That's understandable. Read their rejection mail here.
I will, however, pursue that crowd sourcing community idea. |
|
| Dino Barbie | 4 August 2015 |
|
Between 1988-1990, Tyco made the Dino Riders line - probably the greatest pitch in toy history. Guys riding dinosaurs! Shut up and take my money!
Unfortunately, I was too young to buy the products at the time, and the power of nostalgia and the audacity of scalpers haven't been kind to the franchise. Nowadays, be prepared to spend upwards of $500 for a boxed Tyrannosaurus. Just a few weeks ago, I was talking to Andrea Hulsbosch (a Belgian linguist and fashion model), and we both mentioned our love for dinosaurs. She went one step beyond, and talked about how her Barbies used to ride her dinosaurs. At that moment, I had a revelation, an epiphany, a vision. Andrea's childhood concept reminded me of Tyco's. And in a 'what are the odds?'-spin of events, the Tyco brand is now owned by Mattel. Dino Barbie (or Dino Barbies, if you will, but I doubt there's more than one Barbie in that fictional universe) needs to be made. E-mail Mattel. Call them. Spread the word. Here's a first sketch. 
|
|
| New photographs | 2 August 2015 |
| Sciurida Sciurognathi | Flower of the Power | Hyde Park, London | Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir | |
| On a plate | 14 June 2015 |
| Computer Generated Car | |
| Jurassic Game, Jurassic Boy | 16 March 2015 |
|
On 26 September 1993, my grandparents allowed me to spend 2000 Belgian francs (a mere $50) on a toy of my choosing as a birthday present.
Back then, Belgian toy chain FUN was open for only a few hours on a Sunday. September 1993 marked the height of Jurassic Park mania. The movie was just around the corner, I had seen the ads, I had read the reports in the Suske and Wiske weekly, I was a dinosaur fan since the big 1992 exhibition had opened in the Natural History Museum of Brussels ... needless to say, I was psyched. Naturally, I opted for Jurassic Park merchandise. The GameBoy game retailed for 1800 francs ($45) - on a par with Nintendo 3DS games of now. Inflation-wise, games could be more expensive today. (Alan) Granted, this was before the internet and before I had ever heard of a thing called "reviews". I picked the game because the cover art said Jurassic Park! I honestly liked the game, but it was way too hard for an inexperienced gamer. I don't think I ever made it past the third level. Not understanding any of the English dialogue didn't help matters either. Flash forward to 2 March 2015. Having just seen Jurassic Park again (anticipating the fourth installment, Jurassic World), I decided to give the GameBoy game another shot. Lo and behold, it proved to be not that hard after all. Only the fifth level forced me to face two 'Continue? Yes/No' screens. Two hours after inserting the cartridge, I completed the game. 21,5 years after receiving the game, I finally beat it. A footnote in life? An unimportant event? Sure. But also a strangely fascinating and satisfying one. |
|
| Tetris Ultimate | 8 December 2014 |
| Review of the 2014 Ubisoft video game. | |
| Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! | 19 November 2014 |
|
I know next to nothing about The Beatles. The hits, yes. At least 20 solid tracks of major musical excellence. Album tracks, rarities or
B-sides, however? A big gaping hole. Last month, I purchased the wallet-crippling, mortgage-equalling expensive 'The Beatles in Mono' vinyl box set. At long last, I will get to know each and every track. Musical genius Matthias Meersmans - of Grovgast fame - is a Beatles expert. In a series of chats, we will delve deeper into the Fab Four's output. The connoisseur versus the amateur. The pro versus the prütser. Stay tuned! |
|
| Han shot first | 19 October 2014 |
|
On 17 October 2014, I finally saw Star Wars (or Episode IV, or A New Hope) the way audiences saw it way back in 1977, thanks to a
surprisingly high-quality VHS tape from 1995. For the purists: I know this cut has minor changes too (the A New Hope subtitle, for one, wasn't present when the movie premiered). Still, until now, the 1997/2004/2011 cuts had to suffice. Guess Han really shot first, huh? |
|
| Magnetude | 12 October 2014 |
|
On 20 September, a-ha fans had the opportunity to ask former member Magne Furuholmen a personal question through a Q&A session
on his Facebook page. Yours truly chimed in, Mr. Furuholmen replied. Not the answer I was hoping for, but kudos for his hilarious response. 
|
|
| Fabulous Land | 24 August 2014 |
|
In 1989, impressionable yours truly brought a set of his favourite LEGO line Fabuland to kindergarten for show and tell.
It would prove to be a horrible decision, because one of the minifigures - Lionel Lion, the mayor of Fabuland Town - would be stolen by some dastardly burglar. For 25 long years, my 3622 set remained sadly incomplete. Until January 2014, that is. Lionel is currently happily available on eBay. Sometimes steep, sometimes acceptable, but always too expensive for what it is. But, at last, Lionel is back where he belongs in my collection. Hurrah! |
|
| Robin Williams | 14 August 2014 |
You were our Genie, Mr. Williams.
|
|
| Boyhood | 24 July 2014 |
| Review of the 2014 Richard Linklater movie. | |
| Pom | 1 June 2014 |
|
On May 2 (and announced one week later on May 9), Jozef "Pom" Van Hove - the greatest Belgian comic book artist of all time
(in a tie with André Franquin) - passed away at the ripe old age of 94. This is a major loss for the cultural patrimony of Belgium. A few years ago, I wrote a hero text about the extremely talented man, who had a well-known dislike of journalists and the media in general. As coincidence would have it, Peter De Voecht and I recently attempted to pay him a visit armed with a few questions, a bottle of beer and some chocolates. Although we found his homestead, he never opened the door. A neighbour informed us of his nighttime activity, so he could very well have been asleep when we rang the door during the day. According to his family, he spent the last month of his life in a retirement home. That would mean, from April to May 2014. We were there at the end of February. Too bad we didn't get to see him in person, but at least we tried. We sure would have regretted not trying it. Hats off to you, Pom. 
|
|
| Bobituary | 5 May 2014 |
|
On 29 April, Bob Hoskins passed away. One of the best character actors of all time, and the creator of Hook's Smee -
probably the funniest supporting character in any motion picture. With Good mooooornin' Neverland!, Peter flogging flying Pan!, Now, let's give him a very big hand (...) 'cause he's only got one, I've just had an apostrophe (amongst others), he stands as one of the most quotable too. I have yet to see his acclaimed turn in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, but enjoyed the fine thespian in other works like Michael and the mediocre Snow White and the Huntsman (in which he clearly was the best thing). Mister Hoskins suffered from Parkinson's Disease, but succumbed to pneumonia at the (far too young) age of 71. Shame I never had a chance to interview him. Take care, Mister Hoskins, and thanks for all the wonderful cinematic moments. 
|
|
| Clouseau | 7 February 2014 |
|
Interview with the passionate Belgian musicians, about their musical history spanning from 1987-today.
In Dutch, unfortunately, with no English version available. I may eventually subtitle the clip. |
|
| Updating the heroes | 3 January 2014 |
|
Michael Schack, still the best Belgian drummer, sent me a kind tweet regarding this text - after I tweeted him about his awesomeness.
I normally don't alter old texts, but factual mistakes beg to be changed. |
|
| Music of 2012 | 25 December 2013 |
| Music from 2012. That concludes the delayed looking back at both 2011 and 2012, entertainment-wise. | |
| Bröl | 23 December 2013 |
| Introducing the new subsection in the menu with an updated nerdy wishlist. | |
| Games of 2012 | 21 December 2013 |
| Acquired software and hardware from 2012. | |
| Obitual drawings | 19 December 2013 |
| Peter O'Toole | Lou Reed | Hiroshi Yamauchi | Roger Ebert | Steve Jobs | Pete Postlethwaite | Irvin Kershner | Leslie Nielsen | |
| Films of 2012 | 17 December 2013 |
| The best of cinema in 2012. | |
| Books of 2012 | 12 December 2013 |
| Book acquisitions from 2012. | |
| Stijn Meuris | 22 November 2013 |
|
Interview with the passionate Belgian musician, about our shared hero Bruce Springsteen.
In Dutch, unfortunately, with no English version available. I may eventually subtitle the clip. |
|
| Books of 2011 | 12 November 2013 |
| Book acquisitions from 2011. | |
| Books of 2010 | 8 November 2013 |
| Introducing the new Books subsection in the menu with the purchases from 2010. | |
| Music of 2011 | 2 November 2013 |
| Music from 2011. Oh, the procrastination on these write-ups. | |
| Games of 2011 | 27 July 2013 |
| Acquired software and hardware from 2011. | |
| All Mac, no Intosh | 17 July 2013 |
| New 'Hero' text : Macaulay Culkin | |
| New photographs | 29 May 2013 |
| a-ha Erlebnis | Geese Lightnin' | Declan MacManus | Closing Time | |
| Shirts and skirts for boys and birds | 26 May 2013 |
|
Breaking into the fashion industry has always been one of my dreams, on a par with "owning a DeLorean",
"curing all diseases; stopping world hunger" and "thinking fourth dimensionally". In short: quite impossible. That hasn't stopped yours truly from producing t-shirts, hats and whatnots with own designs. My generous friends sometimes ask me to provide them with a piece of clothing. I'm always flattered and honoured. Don't hesitate to contact me whenever you're in need of some vestimentary attributes. Glad to oblige. 
[Sackboy © Sony. LEGO logo © LEGO. ViewMaster © Sawyer.] |
|
| Peaceful negotiations | 17 April 2013 |
| Interview with the relatively new English band Peace, in English or Dutch. | |
| That one song | 12 March 2013 |
| Hope of Deliverance. On 7". Since yesterday. After 21 years of searching. Finally. Thanks, Mr. McCartney. | |
| Films of 2011 | 18 January 2013 |
| The best of cinema in 2011. You could say I'm a little behind with my retrospectives. | |
| Thoughts on the death of Tony Cabana | 24 December 2012 |
|
Dutch entertainer and entrepreneur Tony Cabana decided to take his own life the day before yesterday.
He had been living in Belgium since the eighties and had opened at least two successful clubs and restaurants. His true calling, however, was singing 'schlagers' (schmalzy pop/torch songs) that dealt with the issues of the everyday layman. Karel Crombecq and I first discovered the man in 1997, when we saw a few of his singles in a long-gone record store in Bruges. Cabana never took the time (or found the necessary backing) to record an album, but he did bless the world with a lot of 2-track discs. Karel and I were intrigued by this mysterious fellow with curly hair and a penchant for strange song titles. Back then, there were no iPhones and only Karel had 56Kbps internet access at home, so naturally we forgot about the man. We even neglected to write down his name and were convinced he was called "Frank Bacana". The next summer, we stumbled upon a copy of his Dansen In Het Weekend and decided to buy it. The following decade, the man sporadically made the news with info on his Kontich club "Copacabana", his exclusion from the Eurovision preliminaries or a devastating fire that wrecked one of his brasseries. In 2009, we even saw him live, in concert, during the annual fair in Edegem. There wasn't a huge turn-out, but Cabana gave his all. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, even though the music was not our cup of tea. Although we can't claim that he's our favourite artist of all time, we had a soft spot for this ever charming and enthusiastic self-made Dutchman. I would have loved to interview him. May his singles be collected on an album sooner or later. Rest in peace, Mr. Cabana. |
|
| Evo Dash, or the new standard in independent games | 2 December 2012 |
|
Regular readers know of the legendary, larger-than-life character that is Karel Crombecq. A personal friend of mine
since the wee age of 6, we shared many a laugh and an adventure over the course of 22 years. At just 3 years old, he made the decision to become a video game developer and he has stood by that conviction ever since. Kudos to his determination. On 22 November 2012, he finally unveiled his first commercially available game : Evo Dash. Available as we speak on all major Apple and Android platforms! I'm very proud, even if I had nothing to do with it. Support him when and if you have a mere 89 cents to spare. And remember that name. Evo Dash. And Karel Crombecq. |
|
| Julian's Posts turns 10 | 25 August 2012 |
|
Ten years and three days ago, I started this site. Readers have come and gone (mostly gone). I'd like to thank
my small but faithful audience; you know who you are. Read the summary on the past decade! |
|
| Celebituaries | 17 August 2012 |
|
-Lupe Ontiveros, Rosalita from The Goonies, passed away on July 26. I am currently not able to converse in
Spanish, but she taught me my first words in the language of Cervantes. Much appreciated. -Geoffrey Hughes, Onslow from Keeping Up Appearances, kicked the bucket on July 27. Unfortunately typecast by just about everyone, he had a rich history on stage with far more complex characters. Thanks for all the laughs, though. May your catchphrases echo in eternity. |
|
| The Dark Knight Rises | 25 July 2012 |
| Review of the 2012 Christopher Nolan movie. | |
| The Amazing Spider-Man | 13 July 2012 |
| Review of the 2012 Marc Webb movie. | |
| Doug MacLeod | 16 June 2012 |
| Interview with the excellent and very friendly American blues guitarist. | |
| Polar Oid | 4 June 2012 |
|
Last Friday - 1 June 2012 - Belgian band dEUS surprised the music industry by releasing a new album without
prior announcement. They subsequently crashed a few record stores on Saturday to promote and sign said new release entitled Following Sea. Just ten minutes earlier, I had bought my very first Polaroid cartridge (a wallet-munching purchase at €19 for 8 photos). Naturally, I had to snap the band during their publicity blitz. 
|
|
| Back to the Future soundtrack | 20 May 2012 |
Six mistakes on one compact disc? For shame!
|
|
| The Dame has changed | 15 May 2012 |
|
Legend. Icon. Activist. Pacifist. Cool old lady. Say what you will about Jane Goodall (who visited the Flemish part of
the Brussels Free Universities yesterday), but make sure it's positive. Never before has a surname held so much truth: she's truly good to all. |
|
| The whims of the geek | 27 April 2012 |
| Nerdy wishlist | |
| Music of 2010 | 14 March 2012 |
| Shame, shame, I know my (and its) name! After a delay of one year and three months: the music of 2010. | |
| Super 8 | 28 August 2011 |
| Review of the 2011 J. J. Abrams movie. | |
| a-ha and Norway II | 22 August 2011 |
|
Thanks to the live broadcast on http://www.nrk.no, I was able to see the full Norwegian memorial service in the
Oslo Spektrum arena. It was a sober, fitting tribute to the fallen victims. Most artists were completely unknown to non-Norwegians and sang in their native tongue, but that didn't matter because grief is a universal language. I did recognize soprano Sissel Kyrkjebř, however, who scored a hit in 1997 when she collaborated with Warren G. a-ha opted for a toned-down rendition of their 1988 song Stay On These Roads, a very fitting choice. The band was beautifully accompagnied by the Kringkastingsorkestret (the broadcaster's orchestra), which made me long for a full symphonic a-ha concert. I was particularly fond of the band Sambandet, who played a laidback, guitar-driven song. I reckon they're Norway's equivalent to a band like Dire Straits. The most touching part of the ceremony was the naming of all the victims, photo and name included. All those young lives, gone in the blink of an eye. Horrible, just horrible. Norway can be proud of the entire, two-hour tribute. |
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| a-ha and Norway | 12 August 2011 |
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What happened in Norway on 22 July 2011 affects us all. The horrible, senseless, pointless killing of youngsters alike is
a vile act that should never ever be repeated. When I heard the news, I felt especially bad for Norway. It's a fascinating country, free of protocol and filled with natural resources, riches, culture & landscapes. They're not even a part of the EU (European Union), for they don't need it. A peaceful and quiet country that never makes the headlines. Yesterday, my favourite pop band a-ha, proud Norwegians, announced they would come out of their self-imposed retirement to participate in a national memorial service in Oslo on 21 August. That's great news, from a fan's point of view. However, I wish it had never been apt to hold a memorial service. This is not why you want your musical heroes to reunite. That said, I'm looking forward to hear them again and I'm sure their carefully crafted tunes will soothe the trampled souls of the Norwegians and, by extent, the baffled rest of the world. I only hope the producer of the service will have the decency to leave out questionable song choices. The last thing we need to hear is Hunting High And Low, Cosy Prisons or Celice (with its lyric "it's in the way you hurt me"). Which may be a bigger problem than you would initially say, because a-ha has a lot of brooding songs with dark subject matter. Even a seemingly touching song as Soft Rains of April turns out to be about a convincted criminal. My personal picks would be Love is Reason, Minor Earth Major Sky (for the sense of grandness it evokes) and their farewell song Butterfly Butterfly (The Last Hurrah) because it sounds so cautiously optimistic. My thoughts are with you, Norway. |
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| Intergalactic Lovers | 7 August 2011 |
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Relatively new band Intergalactic Lovers rocked the crowd in Wilrijk, Belgium for a 45-minute set on the Willrock festival.
The lyrics of their song, Delay, feature the lines "the sound of heavy rain", "I'll let it just drip-drip-drip on me" and "that's what the weather gods said last night". Quite ironic, then, that it rained during the entire show. Afterwards, we were soaked - but we had enjoyed a thoroughly fine performance. Intergalactic Lovers. Remember that name. Buy their album. Do it now. |
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| New photographs | 4 August 2011 |
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The Young Man and The Sea |
Shine On You Crazy Sun | Couple d'Etat | Martin Becker/Nancy Junion | Strandwerpen | Sita Vermeulen |
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| Doctor Karel Crombecq | 3 August 2011 |
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Nine years ago, Karel Crombecq (yes, the Karel Crombecq) helped me build the foundations of Julian's Posts
by providing the necessary HTML-code and site templates. That was a piece of cake for Karel, for he is quite the computer-savvy chap. Ever since he was a wee lad of 3, he wanted to become a professional video game developer. The past 5 years, he worked on his doctorate to achieve said goal. Yesterday, he proudly unleashed his full 176-page body of work. He even thanked me in his introduction, a nice gesture I never expected. His achievement is entitled Surrogate Modelling of Computer Experiments with Sequential Experimental Design. No, I don't have a clue, but I do have a link to the PDF version! [watch out! heavy file!] |
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| Back to the Future | 2 August 2011 |
| Review of the 1985 Robert Zemeckis movie. It's about time, for I had yet to review my favourite movie of all time. | |
| Coverfield | 1 August 2011 |
| Can a cover version top the original song? | |
| Drawing under influence | 29 July 2011 |
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Belgian comic book artist Midam (no, that is not his real name) is the creator of two acclaimed series,
Kid Paddle and Game Over. The latter is a spin-off of the former, in which a medieval chap (called "The Little Barbarian") unsuccesfully tries to rescue a princess. All the while, he tries to reach the EXIT. Indeed, Game Over is a comic book that reads like playing a videogame. It's quite brilliant, to be honest. Midam offers budding writers the chance to send their own scripts, which - if accepted - will be turned into a one page sheet by the artist. Last week, I sent my effort. Unfortunately, Midam rejected my idea. Not to worry, for I will try again ... until the artist is satisfied. Or fed up with me. All copyright belongs, of course, to Midam. |
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| Drawing redux | 2 July 2011 |
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Dimitri Sakelaropolus (yes, that is his real name) challenged me to remake my first page-length comic
strip from 1992. I intentionally left in all the weird angles, grammar mistakes and strange colours. Here's a side-by-side comparison. |
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| Games of 2010 | 27 June 2011 |
| Acquired software and hardware from 2010. | |
| The Twist | 26 June 2011 |
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Chubby Checker claims My daddy is sleepin'/And momma ain't around.
But won't daddy wake up, once they start twisting? Twisted logic! |
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| Clarence Clemons, you will be missed | 19 June 2011 |
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| Toy Story 3 | 18 June 2011 |
| Review of the 2010 Lee Unkrich movie. | |
| Dairy of the Dead | 5 June 2011 |
| Triassic, Cretaceous, Jurassic. Jura cheese? Wow. Talk about old cheese. | |
| Otto Van De Steene | 29 May 2011 |
| Interview with Belgian photographer Otto Van De Steene, in English or in Dutch. | |
| Films of 2010 | 15 May 2011 |
| Needless to say, I'm a little behind on my yearly retrospectives. Here be the films of 2010. | |
| Tron Legacy | 23 December 2010 |
| Review of the 2010 Joseph Kosinski movie. | |
| Scott Pilgrim vs. the World | 12 December 2010 |
| Review of the 2010 Edgar Wright movie. | |
| Lucky Town | 29 November 2010 |
| Review of the 1992 Bruce Springsteen album. | |
| The Social Network | 8 November 2010 |
| Review of the 2010 David Fincher movie. | |
| Drawings | 31 October 2010 |
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Avatar | Dracula | Laura in Wonderland |
Magne Furuholmen | MySpace |
Twilight | Hairspray Man | Charles Haddon | The Slide | Papillon |
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| Back to the Future | 26 October 2010 |
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Today marks the exact 25th anniversary of Marty McFly's first time travel. On 26 October 1985, he tried to outrun the Lybians,
accelerated to 88mph and travelled to 5 November 1955. To commemorate this joyous occasion - after all, Back to the Future is my favourite movie of all time - I will drink a Pepsi Free (problem : they aren't for sale in Belgium), I'll listen to the Eddie Van Halen's song (problem : it was never commercially released) and I will try to steal some plutonium from the Lybians (shouldn't be a problem). I also received the Blu-ray collection of all three films yesterday, in a gorgeous box full of swagger (including lenticular photo, posters, Gray's Sports Almanac and more). I will however wait to see the restored masterpieces, for I want to enjoy them with a bunch of equal BttF-loving friends, comrades and chaps. Great Scott! |
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| Question of the Day | 21 October 2010 |
| Can a crooked thief have crooked teeth? | |
| Revelation of the Day | 20 October 2010 |
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The word "iris" (as well as the name "Iris") contains the word "eye".
So, "eye" is part of "eye-ris", whereas the "iris" is part of the "eye". Funny. |
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| Arnold Gelderman | 15 October 2010 |
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Interview with the legendary Dutch director of most of the Disney classics!
He also played the Dutch Robin Hood, Kaa, Scar, Lumičre and many more. |
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| Lost Boys - The Tribe | 13 October 2010 |
| Review of the 2008 P.J. Pesce movie. | |
| Spammin' all over the world | 11 October 2010 |
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In an effort to counter the spammers, blog sites (and others) have introduced the word verification method.
The user has to copy a certain word before he or she can enter a comment. These words are plain nonsense most of the time, but I chuckled while reading this one. Sounds like George Lucas's space opera, doesn't it? |
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| Sofia Coppola | 8 October 2010 |
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Can somebody - anybody? - please tell me why so many critics hate Sofia Coppola in The Godfather Part III? I really think she does a great job. She's not obnoxious as some other teen actresses, she's convincing, she nails it and she's good. |
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| Gender Questions | 6 October 2010 |
| What's the gender of certain objects we use? Does anyone know the answer? | |
| Names for your children | 30 September 2010 |
| I'm not yet a father, but it's nice to think about possible names for my future offspring. Just to be prepared. | |
| The Slow Side of the Moon | 24 September 2010 |
| A photo of the moon, with a 30" shutter time. | |
| Meet Joe Black | 21 September 2010 |
| Review of the 1998 Martin Brest movie. | |
| Revelation of the day | 16 September 2010 |
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Funny : the word lawsuit [a case in a court of law which concerns a dispute between two people
or organizations (Collins Cobuild English Dictionary)] contains the word sue. What a coincidence. |
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| Separated at birth? | 14 September 2010 |
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I noticed a striking resemblance between English actor Charlie Hunnam and
Belgian politician Jean-Jacques De Gucht. They could be doppelgangers. |
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| What's Your Excuse!? | 12 September 2010 |
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Since 1995, comic store Mekanik Strip has organised a yearly competition for young artists
called What's Your Excuse?!. Everything and everyone is accepted, you just have to comply with the central theme. The theme for 2010 was De Reis [The Journey]. Here's my entry : De Reis Af [The Slide]. Check it out in Mekanik Strip (St. Jacobsmarkt 73, Antwerp) from 18 September to 18 October! |
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| Serge Baeken | 6 September 2010 |
| Interview with Belgian comic book artist Serge Baeken, in English or in Dutch. | |
| Jurassic Park | 4 September 2010 |
| Review of the 1993 Steven Spielberg movie. | |
| New photographs | 29 August 2010 |
| Eerie Street | Rehearsal | Beach Shadows | The Belgian Senate | Portable Life [Fleur Boonman] | |
| New drawings | 9 July 2010 |
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Buzz Lightyear | Lady Gaga | Shrek |
Pixar's Up | Wisdom of the self-portrait |
Jango Reinhardt | Duffy Duck | Jenever | Michael Jackson is not dead |
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| Alice In Wonderland | 8 March 2010 |
| Review of the 2010 Tim Burton movie. | |
| Titanic | 15 February 2010 |
| Review of the 1997 James Cameron movie. | |
| Norwegian news | 28 January 2010 |
| a-ha. 11 October 2010. Brussels. Belgium. Hurrah. | |
| Plagiarism? | 19 January 2010 |
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The sax part in Elvis Presley's Return To Sender (written by Winfield Scott and Otis Blackwell in 1962)
sounds remarkably similar to the sax part in Fats Domino's I'm In Love Again (written by Antoine 'Fats' Domino and Dave Bartholomew in 1956). Bring on the lawyers! |
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| Retro of 2009 | 15 January 2010 |
| Retro bröl bought in 2009 | |
| Best of 2009 | 12 January 2010 |
| Films of 2009 | Music of 2009 | Games of 2009 | Books of 2009 | Concerts of 2009 | |
| Blood On The Dancefloor | 11 January 2010 |
| Critical appraisal of Michael Jackson's 1997 HIStory In The Mix album. | |
| Happy birthday | 8 January 2010 |
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75 years of Elvis Presley. He passed away in 1977, but he's still very relevant and never equalled.
Have a drink on me, together with Sinatra and Jackson. My old elementary school principal, the legendary Jan Coninx, is still alive and kicking. But he also turned 75 today. What a cool thought : Elvis and Jan, both born on 8 January 1935. The first one changed the history of rock & roll, the second one changed the lives of many children with his positive guidance. |
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| Generation gap | 3 January 2010 |
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My new year's eve bedtime : 3.30 AM.
My 84-year old grandfather's new year's eve bedtime : 4 AM. Seniors rule the earth. |
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| UP | 24 December 2009 |
| Review of 2009's best movie. | |
| New drawings | 19 December 2009 |
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Sex On Fire | Feeling Blue | Bela Lugosi | Where Wolf | Codasync |
Jan Decleir | House MD | Irene Cara | Fred Flintstone | Pot/Top Gun |
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| The No-singles | 17 December 2009 |
| The best album tracks that were never commercially released as a 7", 12" or CD-single. | |
| H-Man III | 15 December 2009 |
| The press on the first H-Man comic. | |
| H-Man II | 14 December 2009 |
| New subdivision of 'The Posts' (see menu on the right) : H-Man. | |
| Jozef Van Hove | 13 December 2009 |
| New 'Hero' text : Pom. | |
| H-Man | 11 December 2009 |
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My first full-length comic H-Man has been up for sale since May 2007, but a digital copy has never been made available.
Until now : I've scanned the first 9 pages and pasted them together in a PDF-file as an 'extended teaser' => click here. Full copies (48 black & white pages) can be shipped worldwide. Just contact me and I'll look at the cheapest postal options. |
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| Dirty Dancing | 5 December 2009 |
| Review of the 1987 movie. | |
| Time travellin' tales | 4 December 2009 |
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This very first Sony MiniDisc portable player from 1992 is currently playing La Roux' Bulletproof from 2009.
Think about it : in 1992, there were no (commercial) cellphones, no internet (for everybody), no downloads, no hookers ... and La Roux' singer Elly Jackson was a 4 year old red headed girl. But still, this great piece of hardware can play a song that's 17 years his junior. It's like stepping into a time machine, Doc Brown-style. |
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| Top songs of 2009 | 3 December 2009 |
| With little more than a month to go before 2009 wraps up : a top-5 of this year's best tracks. | |
| Born To Praise | 2 December 2009 |
| Improved "Heroes" text : Bruce Springsteen | |
| Bucktales | 30 November 2009 |
| I found a dollar! In Belgium! How very cool. | |
| Morten Harket | 28 November 2009 |
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Morten Harket, the lead singer of Norwegian band a-ha, is 50 years old. A respectable age for a musician.
But the man (the combination of looks and voice) spells sex. How do I know? An 18-year old girl put it like this : "Morten Harket? He may be 50, but he could end up with me". Well done, mr. Harket! You were a sweet posterboy in the 80's and you still are very wanted. It must be flattering. After all, this girl was -6 when a-ha crashed the scene. P.S. I missed yet another Belgian a-ha gig last month (cf. the '13 November 2005' post). I just don't have any friends that like the band. I never asked 'that girl' about her musical taste before, so I had no clue. Worst of all, a-ha will call it quits again next year. Come back for one more concert on our soil, guys. You can't split without me having seen you. |
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| Pathetic | 26 November 2009 |
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Disney has licensed a Cars-themed Halloween/dressing party costume for kids. Fair enough, they've done that
in the past. But the kid that eventually dresses up in the Cars outfit will become a ... Cars driver. A driver!? Preposterous! The Cars universe doesn't even have humans, so how could it have drivers? These cars steer, turn, brake (etc) all by themselves. This kind of unrealistic, shameless milking of a succesful franchise makes me sick! It's a disgrace to the spirit of the movie. Bah. Humbug. Dear Walt is spinning in his grave. [photographic evidence] |
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| Bath accessory | 24 November 2009 |
| My shampoo includes both olive oil and laurel oil. Sounds like Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Funny. | |
| Instant classic | 23 November 2009 |
| Nemesis by David Gray. I heard the first note and I thought : "This is the best song of 2009". Discover it. | |
| New photos/Improved lay-out/Boss Bashing II | 22 November 2009 |
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- For the first time since January 2006, I have uploaded some new photographs.
- Updated lay-out of 'The Posts' : check films, heroes and other to see subtle changes for the better. - I'm a big admirer of Bruce Springsteen (tip of the day : You're Missing). But some people hate his guts, which is fine by me. No artist is liked by everyone. I just realised today that his initials spell "B.S.". Or "bullshit". How funny, for the haters out there. |
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| The Gloved Genius' Best Songs | 20 November 2009 |
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Top-15 of Michael Jackson's best songs
I prefer to refer to Michael Jackson as "The Gloved Genius". I don't really like the nickname "King Of Pop", because it implies he only made pop music. What about the funky In The Closet? Besides, Elvis Presley is "The King". Why do they call Lance Armstrong "The Boss", when we all know who "The Boss" is? I don't get it. |
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| No more male chauvinist pig | 10 November 2009 |
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From August 2002 to October 2009, this website featured a Chicas of all time-list, a top-25 of (in)famous women
I wanted to draw. Today, I decided to remove that rundown, because it's sexist to rank ladies in a random order. Women are women and they should be cherished, regardless of looks. Guess that's called 'growing up' or 'coming of age'. No more male chauvinist pig, then. |
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| This Is It | 1 November 2009 |
| Review of the Michael Jackson concert movie. | |
| The magazine project | 22 October 2009 |
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Back in 2006, we had to make a magazine for a graphic design course. It had to be a egoistic, self-centered
magazine that beared our own name. Kind of like Oprah in the United States or Linda in The Netherlands. It was all about using InDesign; the content wasn't important. However, I wanted to make a magazine I could read afterwards. As such, I wrote enough articles and made enough photos to fill 8 pages. I can't seem to open the original file, but I have scanned a printed copy. The quality is not fantastic, but it's still readable. I've covered up the eyes of all my subjects, because not everyone likes to have an online life. The lay-out had to be an exact copy of an existing magazine. My influence is obviously Vanity Fair (The Tom Ford's Hollywood issue). But they don't have to sue, because my magazine was never commercially released. [click here for the PDF file] |
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| Springsteen anniversary | 23 September 2009 |
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| New drawings | 18 September 2009 |
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Darwin Duck | Taurine & Red Bull | The Applecalypse | Tom Waits | MC Hammer |
Zäk Chips VI | Dandy Lion | Quark Express | The Whistler | Michael Jackson |
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| Michael Jackson on Facebook | 2 September 2009 |
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22,816 people like the fact that he lived from 1958-2009? Strange fans! [photographic evidence] |
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| Suggestion for Michael Jackson II | 26 June 2009 |
On second thought : nevermind. Rest in peace.
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| Suggestion for Michael Jackson | 24 June 2009 |
| Please play the following songs in London : Give In To Me, Morphine and Unbreakable. | |
| Can a movie make you cry? | 13 June 2009 |
| Kleenex moments in my favourite movies. | |
| Brokeback Mountain II | 11 June 2009 |
| More thoughts after a second screening of the Ang Lee movie. | |
| Disturbia | 7 June 2009 |
| Review of the 2007 movie. | |
| Star Trek | 20 May 2009 |
| Review of the 2009 movie. | |
| Pink Shades | 17 May 2009 |
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At long last, the first two episodes of the Arne Keustermans series [with yours truly as one of the leads] can be
seen. I had written the original pitch way back in 2003 and plans were immediately made to turn the immaculate script into a short film. Many, many rewrites and failed attempts later, the cameras started rolling in the summer of 2008. By then, the short film idea had been dropped in favour of a webseries. Short, quick episodes are more appealing to the YouTube generation. A February 2009 pick-up shot and the absence of a soundtrack further delayed the production. Until last week. Visit the official Pink Shades website and give us your honest opinion. [Pink Shades Episode I] - [Pink Shades Episode II] |
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| Martha/Luisje | 10 May 2009 |
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I had previously heard Tom Waits's Martha, but the song didn't seem to leave a lasting impression on me.
Charis De Craene, a dear friend of mine, and Grigore Ionita, my nephew, had pointed out the brilliance of the track, but I remained oblivious. Two weeks ago, I took the time to actually sit down and just listen to the tune, with the lyrics next to me. I immediately burst out in tears, because the text is so heartbreaking : forty years have passed, but Tom Frost (the storyteller) still thinks of his love, Martha. "All I had was you and all you had was me". Just the concept (or the message behind it all) : forty wasted years. Incredible. Thank you, thank you, Mr. Waits, for this triumphiant piece of music. Closer to home, the Belgian Arne Vanhaecke has made a very beautiful and touching song in his own right : Luisje (literally : Little Louse), about a boy who wishes to be a louse inside a girl's hair. Vanhaecke is only 21 years of age, but a bright future awaits him. I hope to be a singer/songwriter one day, so I envy him already. |
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| The Kids Are Allright | 9 May 2009 |
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The Kids, Belgium's finest punk band, performed on Antwerp On Stage [6 May 2009].
They truly are amazing : no-nonsense songs about injustice, prejudice and the Belgian way of life. Their best known song is There Will Be No Next Time, but their best song may well be Bloody Belgium. At just 1:17, it's over before you know it. The "endless repeat" button comes in handy, then. Read my interview with guitar player Luc Van De Poel. Dutch only, unfortunately. 
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| Bill Nighy, Johnny Depp & Marion Cotillard | 1 May 2009 |
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I remember seeing 1998's Still Crazy for the first time and thinking : "Wow, that Bill Nighy is hilarious!".
Later on, I enjoyed Love Actually, State Of Play and Dead Man's Chest. He may not be the most versatile actor in the world (his turn as a soused rock star in Love Actually is more or less a copy of his Ray Simms in Still Crazy), but he's always reliable and funny (if the role doesn't demand seriousness). Talking about "versatile" : Johnny Depp has a new movie coming out, Public Enemies. The hype machine must not be working properly, because I had never ever heard anything about this movie up until seeing an ad in this month's issue of British movie magazine Empire. Quite strange, considering the strong cast : Depp, Christian Bale and Marion "Yes, There Is A God And He Is French" Cotillard. Wow, a gangster drama with Johnny Depp. What a pitch! Depp is this generation's Marlon Brando : bodacious, audacious and hyper talented. Let's hope Public Enemies will be our The Godfather. |
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| A star is born | 28 April 2009 |
| Interview with Belgian musical star Deborah De Ridder [in Dutch]. | |
| Best actresses ever | 26 April 2009 |
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Even though some prefer to be called "female actors" or just "actors" ...
- Sally Field - Helen Hunt - Kate Winslet - Meryl Streep - Laura Linney - Diane Keaton - Reese Witherspoon - Rachel Weisz - Sophia Loren - Julianne Moore - Juliette Binoche - Judi Dench - Helena Bonham Carter - Maggie Smith - Regina King - Natalie Portman Two males I forgot on my last list : William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi. |
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| Fourth track syndrome/license plates | 25 April 2009 |
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- Elvis Costello : "The fourth track on an album is usually the best one". Does he speak the truth?
- New license plates |
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| Did you know? | 24 April 2009 |
| The verb "to game" is translated in Dutch as "gamen". Or, phonetically, "gay men". Odd. | |
| He's Just Not That Into You | 19 April 2009 |
| [film review] | |
| New drawings | 17 April 2009 |
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Blu-ray | Zäk Chips V | Satyrdays Of Thunder | Patti Scialfa | Riddle | Anthony Arandia | Barbiecue | Calvin & Hobbes Homage | Kama-Seutra | Wok On The Wild Side | Darth Maul | Darth Maul II | Femme Fatale |
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| License plates/Blue Blot | 16 April 2009 |
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- New subdivision of 'The Posts' (see menu on the right) : License plates.
- Improved "Heroes" text : Blue Blot |
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| Best actors alive | 11 April 2009 |
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Random order // no explanation // not finite // very subjective
- Matthew Modine - Jack Nicholson - Anthony Hopkins - Josh Brolin - Sean Penn - Ed Harris - Johnny Depp - Ryan Gosling - Robert DeNiro - Jeff Bridges - Daniel Day Lewis - Morgan Freeman - Tom Hanks - Brad Pitt - Jeff Goldblum - Al Pacino |
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| Boss Bashing | 10 April 2009 |
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- "Springsteen is an ugly asswipe!" (Mohamed Fitouri)
- "Springsteen is a douchebag!" (Romeo DH Van Snick) - "Springsteen is pure crap!" (Elio R.) - "Springsteen is the most overrated musician!" (Grigore Ionita) ... all valid points, but did these people ever compose Jungleland? |
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| Eligible bachelors ... no more! | 8 April 2009 |
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Wow! Up until last month, none of my friends were married. Now, over the course of two weeks, I have
heard no less than three wedding announcements! Three! Is it really time to take the big step already? Sheesh, I've truly become a (dirty) old man ... |
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| Stop the press! | 7 April 2009 |
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For the first time since The Posts' inception, I have changed the top-3 of the Best Songs Ever-list.
Dire Straits' Money For Nothing, while still an awesome song, just can't compete with The Rolling Stones' Sympathy For The Devil. Money has a terrific guitar solo, but Sympathy has better lyrics. As an aspiring lyricist, I chose for the latter. The same goes for The Stray Cats' Stray Cat Strut. A brilliant tune, but no match for Bruce Springsteen's Jungleland. I mean no disrepect to any of the mentioned artists, but some have just created better songs than others. |
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| Obituary | 28 March 2009 |
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Nand Buyl, one of Belgium's most respected and acclaimed thespians, has died last Tuesday at the
age of 86. I won't claim to be a fan of his work, because I have only seen 1% of his total output, but I don't underestimate his influence and legacy. It's truly a loss for our cultural heritage. Wannes Van de Velde, another Belgian icon, passed away in November 2008. Please buy his best song, Mijnen Auto Is Mijn Vrijheid [My Car Is My Freedom], today. Buy, don't download. It makes me wonder : how will I react to the death of Toots Thielemans? Springsteen? Dylan? Knopfler? Spielberg? Burton? Depp? Jackson? MC Hammer? ... it's bound to happen some day. A worrying thought. I guess there's a lesson to learn : appreciate every day as it comes. Or, to use a cliché, carpe diem. |
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| Slumdog Millionaire | 19 March 2009 |
| [movie review] | |
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This Is It (Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Buy MJ Tickets) |
17 March 2009 |
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It sure wasn't easy to acquire tickets for Michael Jackson's comeback shows in the O2 Arena in London, come summer.
First, you had to register your e-mail address, in order to get a presale code. Mind you : a chance to get a presale code. Second, you had to log in at the right time last Wednesday (11 March 2009) to start the process. Third, you had to enter your presale code. Fourth, you had to select the date and the number of tickets. Fifth, you had to wait "approximately 15 minutes" while the software was searching available places in the O2 Arena. You couldn't hit refresh once or someone else got your place in line. Sixth, you had a mere 2 minutes to enter your name, address, phone number etc. Seventh, you had exactly 5 and a half minutes to enter the necessary credit card info. Eight, you had 5 and a half minutes to enter a security code provided by your own bank. Then, and only then, a message appeared saying "Congratulations! You have 4 tickets for Michael Jackson!". What a complicated process, what a difficult procedure. But we're going to the man in the mirror, the smooth criminal, the dangerous & bad man! |
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| Working On A Dream/Edward Scissorhands/Milk III | 14 March 2009 |
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- review of the new Springsteen album : [Working On A Dream]
- For the first time in fourteen-odd years, I have seen Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands again. I can appreciate it a lot more now, because I noticed the surprisingly complex and thought-provoking morale hidden under the sugarsweet fairytale coating. Johnny Depp moved me to tears with his incredibly brilliant performance. After seeing his Willy Wonka in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, I seemed to remember the same mannerisms and tics portrayed in his Edward persona. How wrong I was : it's a completely different approach. Johnny Depp truly is one of the best actors alive, if not ever. His range is stunning : compare Jack Sparrow to Edward Scissorhands to Ichabod Crane to just about anything he has done. Unbelievable. 95% of the thespians out there should be ashamed they even call themselves "actors". Johnny Depp should have won the Best Actor statuette, just as Tim Burton should have won as Best Director. It's a shame both men have yet to receive any AMPAS attention. - I have seen the Academy Award winning documentary The Times Of Harvey Milk the day before yesterday. It's an incredible piece of work, featuring interviews with most of the key figures - Scott Smith is strangely absent. I got a lump in my throat watching the crying witnesses and I was disgusted with Dan White's advocate, who claimed it wasn't voluntary manslaughter at all. As a companion to the 2008 movie, The Times is essential viewing. It was my first arthouse experience too. I've read about these so-called American "midnight screenings" of (for example) The Goonies for years, but we don't have a tradition of re-releasing past classics. The Times of Harvey Milk was shown in Cinema Klappei's new "Docu On Thursday" programme. Well worth a look if you live in Antwerp! |
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| We hate it when our friends become succesful, part I/Milk II | 9 March 2009 |
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- Joris Jonckheer, one of my co-students who goes by the stage name of Skyve Reuter, released his first vinyl record last month.
Well, truth to be told, it's the second track of the A-side of Sid & Nancy's Kidzz. As such, it's not his first record, but it's super thrilling anyway. Skyve Reuter is a DJ with the incredible talent to mix two tracks of a completely different genre. "So what?" you may ask. Well, it's very difficult to find two songs and make them sound as one, without the human ear complaining. Think 2 Many DJs. Joris, I wish you all the best! - The gorgeous, funny & sweet Ellen Vermorgen - a dear friend of mine - made a valid point about my Milk-review (see the previous 'Post'). She approved of me praising the actors, but she also pointed out the importance of Milk [both Harvey and the movie] for the gay community. Harvey Milk paved the way for his peers, but success came at a terrible price. He didn't shun controversy, he organised marches, he was a very important key-figure in the (eventual) acceptance of gay people in the United States of America. A great man. Rest in peace, sir. |
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| Milk/Obituary | 8 March 2009 |
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- Milk [movie review]
- Paul Harvey, a legendary American radio jockey, passed away last month. Have I ever heard one of his radio shows? Nope. Am I saddened by his passing? That would be preposterous. But I do know who he is, thanks to my favourite Simpsons episode ever. In Homer's Barbershop Quartet, Grampa and Jasper listen to Harvey's radio show in the old folks home. They even switch the channel during Homer's song. It's yet another example of how watching The Simpsons makes you smarter. Well, at least when it comes to popular culture. |
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| New drawings | 26 February 2009 |
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Giganerd | Zäk Chips IV | Question | Fonske Pepper | Square | Bear Louis | Determined Dude | Fakebook | Faecesbook | Queens Of The Stone Age | The Many Faces Of Miami | Diesel |
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| Best of 2008 | 29 January 2009 |
| Films of 2008 | Music of 2008 | Games of 2008 | |
| The Els Vanopstal | 5 December 2008 |
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As I've stated before, I'm an amateur photographer. "Amateur" is a word that's easily misunderstood, but I do mean it in
a derogatory way. I make mediocre photos. That's fine. As such, I have a tremendous respect for real photographers. People who understand the craft. World famous examples include Anton Corbijn and Annie Leibovitz. Herman Selleslaghs and Patrick Despiegelaere are lesser known gods. One of the youngest, yet brightest talents to emerge from the Belgian photography scene is Els Vanopstal. Barely 24, she has already built up a steady collection and ditto reputation. Els's photos range from the surreal to the ethereal to the downright gorgeous. She has quite an unique eye for unique pictures, with stunning lightning and subdued colours. It's a rare gift. http://elsvanopstal.com | http://elseye.wordpress.com | http://www.flickr.com/photos/elsvo She even captured yours truly |
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| Michael Crichton/The American Elections | 4 November 2008 |
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- Michael Crichton, acclaimed author of Congo and Rising Sun, passed away yesterday. His novel Jurassic Park,
of which I read a junior edit back in 1993, was adapted into the eponymous successful movie. The movie made a big impact on me when it was released. Thank you, Mr. Crichton, for providing the original story. - Whether you agree with John McCain or not, you can't deny the man knows how to admit defeat. His concession speech was honest, fair and friendly towards his rival. He deserves a pat on the back for handling his loss so well. |
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| American Gangster | 27 September 2008 |
| Review of the Ridley Scott movie | |
| The song of my life | 21 September 2008 |
| Do you have a song you can't get out of your head? I do. | |
| New drawings | 17 September 2008 |
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Dylan insults U2 | More Erasmus students | Michael eBay | Timberland | Reese Witherspoon | Robert Zimmerman | Batman & Robbin' | Tom Boonen | Colt Turkey | Danzel Washington | Where's Wally? | Marvin Gaye |
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| Obituary | 4 September 2008 |
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One of my "Men I Look Up To For What They Have Done Without Saving The World In The Process" has died : Don LaFontaine
or 'that trailer voice guy'. You all know him, for he has recorded oodles and heaps of voice overs, trailers and commercials. Well, not everybody will know him, but you should. I first heard of the man when the great Pablo Francisco (a stand-up comedian hailing from Arizona) mentioned him in his most beloved sketch. "The previews guy", as Mr. Francisco called him. Fransico even claimed he met LaFontaine once : "Hi, nice to meet you, my name is Don". Seeing a trailer without Don LaFontaine's ominous voice will certainly feel weird. Thanks for everything, sir. I sometimes try to imitate Don LaFontaine, as seen here around the 02:19 mark. |
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| Just wondering | 25 August 2008 |
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Why do toy companies make expensive action figures? Just for the adult nerds, right? What do adult nerds like?
Computers, crappy movies, junkfood and loud music. And women, especially the kind they will never ever seduce. Thus I wonder why Hasbro only made plastic robots in their 2007 Transformers line-up. A Megan Fox figurine would have sold like hot cakes, because she's quite the hot cake. That's not a sexist opinion, just a play on words. A stupid decision on Hasbro's part, if you ask me. |
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| New drawings | 16 August 2008 |
| Heath | Kelly Clarkson | Peter De Voecht | The Joker VII | The Joker VIII | The Joker IX | |
| You're allowed to be Bossy | 15 August 2008 |
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I love to unearth previously undiscovered songs. My tips for the weekend : Lucky Town and Open All Night
by Bruce Springsteen. I still have a few good of his men, er, albums to buy (e.g. Nebraska; The Wild, The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle; Human Touch ...), so it's normal to bump into gems every now and then. Mind you, I don't know the studio edit of Open All Night (which originally appeared on Nebraska). I'm referring to the 8 minute long live version Springsteen recorded with the Sessions Band in Dublin. What a rendition : a sniff of boogie woogie, a little bit of rock 'n roll, some echoes of a juke joint ... and, of course, the 100% charisma of the singer. Buy it today! Buy, don't download. |
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| Juno/Obituaries/Drawings | 13 August 2008 |
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a. [movie review]
b. "They're falling like flies again" is a Dutch figure of speech meaning "we're losing 'em fast". Bernie Mac was great in Ocean's Eleven ["They might as well call it whitejack!"]. Isaac Hayes will go down in history as the cool cat who sang "Shaft", but I did disagree with his devout Scientology belief. South Park makes fun of everybody, so he should have approved of a Scientology namecheck. And according to my newspaper, the legendary Paul Newman has decided to stop the treatment for his cancer. Will he come to pass as well? c. Ridge Racer | Broadband | The Joker IV | The Joker V | The Joker VI |
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| New drawings | 2 August 2008 |
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The Joker II | The Joker III | Swedish girls | Do The Barman | Kirsten Ginckels | Morgan Freeman | Pink Shades poster [the Arne Keustermans short film in the making since 2003] |
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| Dubbing | 27 July 2008 |
| Finally! Here's a text I've been planning to write for a long time : the incomprehensible why of dubbing movies. | |
| New and old drawings | 25 July 2008 |
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The Joker | Tom Batman | Monica | Olof | Le Petit Spirou drawing (1996) | Gaston Lagaffe drawing (1996) | Gaston Lagaffe drawing II (1996) |
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| The Dark Knight | 24 July 2008 |
| Review of the Christopher Nolan movie. | |
| Batman/Quotes | 22 July 2008 |
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- Review of the Tim Burton movie.
- Some more Swedish quotes. |
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| Drawings | 17 July 2008 |
| - Marianne Faithfull | Cockpit | Video Friends | Zäk Chips I | Zäk Chips II | Zäk Chips III | |
| Blood Diamond/New drawings | 16 July 2008 |
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- Review of Blood Diamond - Herbie Hancock | Mega Mindy | Hellphone |
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| Discovery | 9 July 2008 |
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- British talent Jools Holland's birthname is 'Julian'. I had no idea. How nice. - On a totally unrelated note : isn't it 23 July 2008 yet? I want to see The Dark Knight! |
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| The candy scam/Calley 8 | 29 June 2008 |
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- Nestlé recently changed the lay-out of their candy bar Bros (not to be confused with
the English band from the 80's). OK. They also fiddled with the content. Instead of the normal 30gr./1,20 oz. of chocolate, we only get 24gr./0,96 oz. nowadays. OK. But the price remains the same! Not OK! 
- Eight Calley Westwood drawing |
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| Tortured lyrics/Swedish quotes/Calley 7 | 27 June 2008 |
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- Have you ever made up your own lyrics while singing a song? Yes? I know the feeling! - Last collection of Swedish quotes - Seventh Calley Westwood drawing |
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| Incredible/Swedish drawings/Amy | 25 June 2008 |
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- German multimedia chain Saturn fully supports the Blu-ray format.
Very nice, but could they at least check their spelling?  - More drawings of Swedish co-students : 3 - Amy MacDonald's This Is The Life is a fantastic song. Gosh, it's addictive like Schweppes Agrum. [The girl is cute, too.] |
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| Swedish drawings/Obituary | 23 June 2008 |
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- Drawings of Swedish co-students : 1 - 2 - Three storyboards for our short film The Flower Shop : 1 - 2 - 3 - Three sketches for my short film pitch Scryscraper Crooks At Large : 1 - 2 - 3 - Stan Winston dead? THE Stan Winston? Without researching : he made the life-size dinosaurs in Jurassic Park & he directed Michael Jackson's Ghosts. Damn, another one. |
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| Steven Spielberg | 22 June 2008 |
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'Julian's Posts' has come full circle. I started this site, because I wanted to write about my
(musical/cintematographic/literary/etc.) heroes. Announced since 22 August 2002, I finally got around to write the article about Steven Spielberg. |
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| New drawings | 21 June 2008 |
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a. A conversation between a couple b. Two drawings for the Swedish student magazine : 1 - 2 c. Dude |
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| Music from 2007 | 15 June 2008 |
| At long last, after a series of delays : the records I bought in 2007, in one handy rundown. | |
| Random thoughts | 14 June 2008 |
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I. Bo Diddley, Harvey Korman, Sydney Pollack & Yves-Saint Laurent ... so far, "2008" has a lot of blood on its
fingers. Bo Diddley was an inspiration for just about everyone who made a record during the past 50 years. Harvey Korman was the voice of the Dictabird in The Flintstones [I know he's done a lot more]. I have never seen a Pollack movie, but I know his reputation. I've never worn anything made by Laurent, but a fashion legend he is. II. "I can't find The Beatles on iTunes" [dixit my father]. Yeah, when will Jobs vs. McCartney/Starr/Ono bury the hatchet? III. In an interview with British music magazine Q, Will Smith stated that likes to watch the porn version of all of his movies. These include imaginative titles like Men In Back and Inrearendence Day. Hmm, I wonder how they will massacre his new flick Hancock. IV. I'm back. Sweden has been informative, rewarding and fun. |
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| Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 3 June 2008 |
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Now that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has finally arrived, does it warrant viewing?
Is it worthy of the 19-year wait? Is it grand cinema or just a Crystal Dull? Read on to find out! |
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| Sweden/Music/Obituary | 23 May 2008 |
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- The second and third video blog for our upcoming short film The Flower Shop.
- Sometimes, you have to admit you are wrong. I always dissed Eminem (and rap music in general) for being 'too controversial', but I have to admit : the man has some incredible songs. As an amateur lyricist, I'm awe-struck by the brilliance of some of his raps. The Way I Am, in particular, is a chilling track. Stan, his most acclaimed, is classy too. - Bert André, Dutch actor, succumbed to leukemia at age 66. The classically trained theater actor achieved mass popularity in the Netherlands and Belgium by playing 'Neighour Neuteboom' in Flodder, the Dutch television series about a crass family. I liked his performances; he had a certain elegance and dignity. His colleagues described him as "a pleasure to work with". Rest in peace, Mr. André. |
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| Swindy/Stars' behaviour | 21 May 2008 |
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Indiana Jones and the ... (Indy IV!) was released today at one minute past midnight across Belgium.
I'll have to wait another 6 days, because the movie we're making (no competition for Jones) is demanding more attention. I'm quite lucky to be here in Sweden, because the Swedes don't dub their movies. Expect a review as soon as possible, i.e. next week! "According to British newspaper the Daily Mail, the Lost In Translation star made a string of demands to ensure her appearance at the renowned festival - including a $8,000 a day make-up artist." [source : www.imdb.com]. I know you can't always trust journalists, but IF it is true ... for shame, Johansson. This is not the kind of behaviour that keeps you at number one on the "Chicas"-list. "A de facto strike has hit production of The Simpsons, with the key actors providing the principal characters' voices, Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe) and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns), demanding raises from about $360,000 per episode to $500,000, Daily Variety reported today (Tuesday)." [source : www.imdb.com] Now, I'm one of the big Simpsons fans, but this is an outrage. Isn't $360,000 per episode enough?! That surely covers the 'expenses' they might have recording the show. How greedy can you be? |
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| At the movies | 19 May 2008 |
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People have different expectations and different desires. At least three female friends of mine are counting down
the days to see Sex And The City The Movie. I have never seen one episode of the series, but I can imagine a fan's anxiety to see the flick. But, as I said, we all have different mindsets. I am psyched to see Indiana Jones and The Temple of the Crystal Skull! Three days to go! Man, that movie will rock off every pair of pants I have! And then, in two months, The Dark Knight opens its wings. Have you seen the new trailer? Heath Ledger, damn, you are good. Note the use of the present tense : this kind of performance transcends mortality. |
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| Swedish update | 14 May 2008 |
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Read all about The Flower Shop, a short film by director Joeri Van Hooijdonck for which I am the camera man.
First video blog & teaser included! |
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| Swedish quotes | 10 May 2008 |
| The fourth in a series of quotes. | |
| Obituary | 21 April 2008 |
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Oh, what a sad day : Danny Federici, the organ, glockenspiel and accordion player from The E-Street Band, has died. He passed away last Thursday, but I just read the news today. When I saw the band for the first time in November 2007, Mr. Federici was absent (due to his skin cancer illness) and replaced by Charles Giordano. Too bad I'll never be able to witness the Federici live skills. Thanks for your presence on 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy). I'm not quite sure what you did on my favourite Springsteen track Jungleland, though. You're the first E-Street bandmember to go ... take care! |
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| Swedish photos/Obituaries | 20 April 2008 |
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- Snowman : a life in pictures.
- Charlton Heston : one of my favourite actors (a bold claim, for I have only seen Ben-Hur) - Ollie Johnston : guess I won't be interviewing him after all - cf. my 7 March 2008 'Post'. Hope I didn't jinx it. Take care, legendary gent! He was truly "legentary" ... |
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| Swedish photos | 15 April 2008 |
| New photos. | |
| Swedish update | 13 April 2008 |
| All's well in the town of Sundsvall. Courses have come and gone ... [more] | |
| The Shining | 31 March 2008 |
| Review of the 1980 Stanley Kubrick film. | |
| Avoid the clichés | 22 March 2008 |
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In my 31 October 2007 post, I sought new ways to avoid the cliché "all killer, no filler". Another one
of those tired, overused phrases is "blast from the past". Magazines use it to introduce a certain something that was hip several years ago, which has since fallen out of fashion. I mostly use 'gear from yesteryear'. I'd like to believe I came up with that expression myself, but I doubt it. The following are 100% mine. If you spot them on a billboard or a website in the months to follow, you'll know where they got it from. - stuff from the age of bluff - props from your pops - pieces from your grandnieces - fads from ye olde lads - junk from the Velo's trunk |
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| The Germans/Hugo Claus | 19 March 2008 |
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- I was talking to some Germans while eating dinner. Imagine my surprise when I mentioned
The Sound Of Music and none of them had ever heard of that movie. How is that possible? I thought it was a super classic; a slice of cinema history; a staple on TV on Christmas day. Apparently not in Germany. How did that happen? Does anyone know? - Hugo Claus died today. According to those who know, one of the greatest Belgian authors. He's famous enough to have his own page on the English Wikipedia. He was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and chose euthanasia to call it a day. Fair enough, I think. When one has dedicated his life to writing and creatively using his brain, it must be unacceptable to suffer from said illness. I fully respect his choice and I'm actually glad that he lived in a country that offers the option to end your own life with dignity. |
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| Ollie Johnston/Photos | 7 March 2008 |
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- New Swedish photos
- As an aspiring journalist, I have names on a list. People I would love to interview, if there were no boundaries, protocol or obstacles. Regular readers of 'The Posts' can hear me coming : Spielberg, Springsteen, Jackson ... the usual suspects, right? Well, you'd be surprised. Don't get me wrong : those guys are on that list, but the first name that pops into my head is Ollie Johnston. The last living member of Walt Disney's legendary "Nine Old Men". Disney's Nine Old Men were the most important animators during the early days of the studio. These men worked on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and all the other classics. In fact, their Disney careers spanned 40 years, because their last feature was The Rescuers in 1977. Ollie Johnston is, at age 95, the only one remaining. Imagine, the stories that man can tell. He worked with the Walt Disney. He co-created the stuff of legends. Yes, I would like to interview that man! |
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| Games of 2007/Quotes | 23 February 2008 |
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- I'm a little behind with my retrospectives : here's my Games of 2007 rundown.
- New quotes heard in Sweden. |
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| Indiana Jones | 15 February 2008 |
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The first trailer of the new Indiana Jones movie can be seen online. Wow! I'm all ready for the flick.
May 22? I know where I'll be! |
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| Quotes II | 5 February 2008 |
| Second batch of quotes, brought to you from Sweden. | |
| Cards | 30 January 2008 |
| [A thought in Sweden] | |
| Languages | 28 January 2008 |
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When you are a broad, er, I mean, abroad, your languages greatly improve! You're surrounded by foreign
students 24/7. I already know 6 words in Swedish, 5 words in Italian, 4 in English, 3 in German, 2 in French and 1 in Dutch (chot-fę-dommęh!). |
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| "You're so old skool" | 26 January 2008 |
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"T'es si old skool" the French Aurélie Carpentier told me. Here in Sweden, there are students from all around the world.
"Moi? Old skool?", I responded in my best Miss Piggy French, "pourquoi?". "When you talk about French musicians, you mention Françoise Hardy, Christoph, Michel Delpeche, Jacques DuTronc et les autres, but those are hardly contemporary French artists. True, you also mentioned Alizée, but I don't think she's any good." she responded. "Thanks to Quinten Abadir I know Fonky Family as well!" I tried. Am I old skool? Maybe. But if old skool means "literature, film, music or architecture most likely of a higher standard than what's on the market today", then by all means, do call me a proud old skooler. Buy - don't download - Hardy's La Maison Oů J'ai Grandi, Christoph's Aline, Delpeche's Pour Un Flirt, Dutronc's Il Est Cinq Heures, Alizée's J'en Ai Marre and Fonky Family's Dans La Légende. |
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| Heath Ledger II | 24 January 2008 |
| In memoriam | |
| Films of 2007/Rest in peace, Hollywood actors | 23 January 2008 |
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The best of 2007 : films
What a shock : Heath Ledger is dead! One of my favourite 'young' actors! His career is filled with many highlights : 10 Things I Hate About You, Casanova, A Knight's Tale, Brokeback Mountain etc. And his biggest role is yet to be released : The Joker in the new Batman movie! The trailer is SO awesome, Heath is (well, was) so talented. Poor Michelle Williams ... they were divorced, but they have a child together. Take into account that this is only one week after Brad Renfro's passing. Renfro, 25, got his break as a 10-year old kid in The Client, based on John Grisham's novel. All I can say is ... "another one". River Phoenix. Kurt Cobain. Jimi Hendrix. Janis Joplin. How sad. So many great performances by Heath Ledger. All those performances will be saved in time, like tears in a glass. |
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| The future is Blu | 22 January 2008 |
| Ok, guys, I've got the message : I bet on the wrong horse. | |