Welcome!

My most sincere welcome to your posts, girls!!
I was just check around and I promise to write an adequate post to each one of you as soon as I can.
I expect to have post from the others!!
Please, try to keep track of time, 'cause I need your posts here by the end of November, so that I can calculate your grades for the WGP.
So... go, go, go!!

See you all the day after tomorrow!

***DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE GROUP PHOTO!!***

Janine

Arts

Well, I know I'm totally late, but is't because I couldn't decide what was my favourite kind of art, and I finally realized that I don't have one.
When I thought about that, I saw that art is everywhere and that's why I wasn't able to choose just one: in the streets, the grafittis were so creative, the cars were so original, each building were different of other...
So I started paying atention to people, notice their tattos full of details, the clothes they were wearing, the shoes, the bags... even their hair and nails were about art!
Then I decided it was better to talk about the art that use words, and couldn't avoid thinking about poetry and literature, so I got a bit jealous of those who can express feelings and thoughts through the words, like the best composers, who manage to write awesome lyrics and put them in a song.
So, I chose some these songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss9cmDPupk0
This one is a tribute to Freddie Mercury by Elton John and Axl Rose. Actually, this is one of my favourites songs of Queen, played by my favourites composers, one of the best bands of all times, with my favourite vocalist ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLoQteiJNOU
This one is so cute... It's writen by Axl Rose and in this version is played by Guns N' Roses and Eltn John (again). It's really beatiful! And the guitar solo is also fantastic, but I don't recommend the clip, casted by Stephanie Seymour, because it's too sad, but it's also soulful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivFYVAntpw0&feature=PlayList&p=978E0DD40C3EAD9F&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=45
The last one is the best song of Skid Row in my opinion. It's really cute and it's not sad as the other one.

Hope you like them!
That's it!

Film Review

Hey, guys!

It´s my first post here, so... I don´t guarantee it´s gonna be one of the best!

Well, I´ve got a thing with movies, I just love them! I love going to the cinema, watching them at home, with or without popcorn, cookies, soft drinks and stuff like that.

I´m not that into thriller, horor or suspense films... However, I really enjoy comedies, romantic comedies, dramas, action and epic movies. And the type of movie that I like most is the one that you have to think to understand, and that mixes your concepts up, so that you start looking at something or things in a different way.

I´ve wathced one of these films recently and it got me days thinking about it: GAMER.

It´s about games developed in the future by a Tecnology company.

One is named "Society" and in it, actors and actresses, hired to work as gamers, are completely controlled by the players wills and create a new society rulled by drugs, perversion, and many kinds of self-destruction.

The other one is called "Slayers", in wich prisioners of the death corridor volunteer to be gamers, agreeing that, in the game, while they're "on", they'll get other names and no control of their actions as the players pay for controlling them. The objective of the game would be killing the enemies and surviving for as many games as possible. If the gamer/prisioner survives the 30th game, he gets his freedom.

Kable, the new name of Gerald Butler, is one of the "Slayers" gamer, the one who has reached the surviving record of the game's history. His wife, after his prision, had to work as an actress in society to keep the pot boiling. By doing that, she lost the custody of their only daughter.

The girl was adopted ALMOST at random by a multibilionaire man, Castle, who comes to be the evil creator of the games "society" and "slayers" and now has a master plan to rule the entire human race.

Now Kable has to save his wife and daughter, and might possibly save the world, but first he has to break the chains and save himself.

Rushing adrenaline and astonishing special effects would describe well this exciting movie, although we can't possibly forget to mention the striking soundtrack and the complex sociological and political background environment.

I strongly recommend this movie for it is indeed one of the greatest of the last years.

Chocolate - a universal passion!!

Well, I love cinema, therefore it is very difficult for me to write about one particular film. Instead, I decided to start a thread following a similar theme: chocolate.

The first film I'll briefly comment is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This film reminds me of my pleasant and dear childhood. I was about 7 when I first saw it on TV. It is pure magic for me, till nowadays. Despite the rudimentary special [d]effects, the imagination and creativity of the director and the rest of the staff, who worked in this film, must be great. They must be, or have been, geniuses. The cast is fantastic. Gene Wilder, as the looney Willy Wonka, would carry the films on his back if necessary, but the kids were also great. Charlie, the unknown Peter Ostrum, had a fascinating fascinated look in his eyes, which would trigger our own fascination, mainly when he first saw the eatble sweet garden and the chocolate river. That's one of my favorite parts of the film.
Check it out!!

I also like the songs very much. They move me a lot.
The message conveyed in the story is timeless. Politeness, humbleness, temperance, rectitude and love for the family are virtues that should always prevail.

It is a must-see film for people of all ages.

This film has a more modern version, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, that, in fact, has a more dismal atmosphere. Wonka, played by Johnny Depp, reveals a resentful miserable side which makes the film heavier than the original story. The special effects are great, the soundtrack is nice, the film as a whole is good, but I still prefer the old one.

Following my thread... I'd like to comment on Chocolat, with the same Johnny Depp, in a much more romantic and charming role af a gypsy, and Juliette Binoche, as the owner of a recently open chocolate factory and store. The conservative society of a small city is totally changed for the inspiring flavoured chocolate candies this woman produced. It is a nice and somewhat misterious film.

There is also the Mexican film called Like Water for Chocolate. It was adapted from a book with the same name and tells the story of a woman, Tita, who falls in love with a man named Pedro. However, they cannot be together because Pedro is forced to marry her older sister. They have some kind of virtual relationship through the spicy food Tita prepares for the family. Quite sometime later, Pedro becomes a widower and decides to marry Tita. Their honey moon ends tragically with both of them dead.

It may seem non-sense, but it is a very good film. The acting and the plot are great.

I've "spoken"a lot, now it is your turn!!

See ya!

Film Review

Hey guys!

As Janine asked, I'm posting here the last composition (film review).

My life would suck without you

BRIDE WARS is the new movie by Gary Winick, director of From 13 to 30. Anne Hathaway (from The Princess’ Diary) plays Emma, the patient, good girl who is afraid of rejection, while Kate Hudson (How to loose a guy in 10 days) plays Liv, a tough bossy type.

The two woman “complete” each other in a friendship that lasts ever since kindergarten. Thought out all these years, they have always fed the dream of throwing a great big weeding party at Plaza Hotel in the month of June. However, when their wedding end up being scheduled for the same day, their “friendship of a lifetime” is strongly challenged, and old resentments start to come out.

The movie is a typical American comedy to be watched in a Sunday night. The acting is good for the movie’s purpose, nothing extraordinary, just adequate. Happy ending, clichés all around. But still, it doesn’t fail in the aim of making us think about the value of a friend. Despite the informal approach, the movie remind us of this very important message: sometimes we give so much importance to a specific thing that we forget about that other one that has always been there, in a way that we have never imagined how would it be to live without it.

ad's world

I do enjoy arts, in general - painting, music, dance, cinema… But, my favorite type of art is advertisement. I am really fascinated by the “ game of the words”, the relation between the verbal text and the non-verbal text, and, especially, the creative way the messages are send. That’s why I wanna do social communication at college.
To do a good ad, you need to care about the message that you, how this message will be send and to who this message is sent. It’s very important to invent a creative slogan, because it will fix in people’s mind, choice good colors and images to call consumer’s attention. And, if it is a video or a radio ad, you have also to think about a good jingle.
Ads are considered very important. Not only the function of motivating people to buy thing, they have also the function of informing and showing things that people do not know.
In this example the ad is warning the population of the environmental problems: http://www.orkut.com.br/Main#FavoriteVideoView?uid=11887390603348073556&ad=1243679043
In this example the ad is selling a product and also encouraging people to accept their selves ( on a moving way): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUsKIApTewQ
I’m gonna finished my post with an ad that’s very good (but, it’s in Portuguese; sorry, janine). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t0SK9qPK8M

Define dancing!!

Julia, I told you your post reminded me of many video snippets and songs.

I'll be posting them now and again, particularly beacuse the site takes ages to upload the files.

Hope you, and everyone else, enjoy!!

Janine.

Wii in gyms

Hey guys!

Remember I told you about Wii being used as a workout tool in gyms.
So, I found an article talking about that on this site (there are illustrations).

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2335120220070724

Take a look at it and leave your comments here.
Don't forget to post your compositions from the book here in order to get a good WGP mark.

See ya!

Janine

Fast but serious!!

Hello again!!

I am feeling virtually lonely, as if I am always talking to myself!
Please, don't forget to come here once in a while...
And also, whenever you have time, you could visit the blog below

http://haveyoursayenglishway.blogspot.com/

It is an Express Master 3 group and I believe it would be great for you and them to exchange info and stuff.

See you!

Janine

The time has come to take a stand...

Hi folks!!

What about becoming a climate ally?

It is extremelly simple: access the link, watch the video and download the song for free!! I've already done my part, now I hope you join me.

http://www.timeforclimatejustice.org/

Bye for now!!

Janine

Art fan #1!!

Hi there, dear folks!

I am a huge fan of arts, although I do not know about arts into deep.

I'll be posting some of my favorite pieces of everything I consider expressions of art, from the most traditional ones to those more contemporary!

Hope you can appreciate and enjoy them.

X O X O

Janine

This is the Sistine Chapel! I think not only Michelangelo's painting is art but also the building!

This is one of Monet's paintings! It's name is Saint-Georges Majeur au crépuscule!

Maurício de Souza reinvented some of the most famous masterpieces of many different artits! I saw his work in Rio about 7 years ago! It was great! Check it out!!


I also witnessed this show in which the audience sang along with the band one of Queen's biggest hits right after Freddie's death!! It was awesome! Even the guys were surprised with the people's response!

That's it by now!

See you all in class or around here.