Xavier Dolan on Laurence Anyways

This is Xavier Dolan's first interview concerning his third film, Laurence Anyways.  Since the interview is in French, those that can understand the language will get more out of it.  The rest of us will just have to follow along.  As you will see, Xavier is quite fluent in both languages, English and French.  I did contribute some funds toward this production.  I would have contributed more but health issues came in the way last year.  Things happen and priorities have to be set. I do hope this film is successful as his earlier efforts!

~ Volker

Xavier Dolan on Heartbeats

In this video clip Xavier Dolan presents some of his thoughts on his film called Heartbeats, on producing cinematic productions and why he makes these films.  It gives us some interesting background to his work.

~ Volker

a musical tribute to Xavier Dolan

This is a musical tribute to our young Canadian film director/actor, Xavier Dolan, with two films behind him and one in the works.  I wish Xavier much success in his current endeavour.  Enjoy the musical journey!

~ Volker

taylor kitsch and Mars

Hey, I know you guys are following, or trying to follow, the latest on Taylor Kitsch, our fellow actor from British Columbia, so here'e an interview that will keep you in step.  Check out the latest on his role in Mars.  He's an awesome-looking hunk, don't you think?  I plan to see this as soon as its possible and then report back to the fans!

~ Volker

shortbus

The subject of the film called Shortbus came up this evening and I thought I would post the trailer.  I have the DVD and have seen the movie at least a couple of times.  I plan to see it again this evening if I can find where I put the thing (I've got hundreds of DVDs).  One of the actresses in the film is from Vancouver (Sook-Yin Lee who won an award for her part in the film).  Check out the trailer, especially if you like stories of sexual expression ... - V

I killed my mother - German language film trailer

Today I saw the German language film trailer for Xavier Dolan's first film, I Killed My Mother.  The mood and emotion is the same.  I  have the French language version of the film on DVD and have seen it once, though I have seen excerpts from it on several occasions.  Check it out. - Volker

le Clan

Have you ever seen the French film called le Clan? Its available on DVD and gay-themed. I love the hang gliding scene. That's Salimand and Thomas above. It can be seen in French with or without English subtitles. Check it out! - V

raging sun, raging sky

I was in Vancouver Sunday afternoon. It was then that I could see how extensive the flowering of shrubs and trees was. Along the way I stopped to buy a couple of dvds, one at HMV and the other at Priape.

The first was a French film with English subtitles called L'enfance Nue, or Naked Childhood. Its about a child that is sent from one foster home to another which doesn't sound like an ideal situation. I'll comment more on that one once I've had the time to see it.

The one I have seen is the film by the Mexican director Julian Hernandez called Raging Sun, Raging Sky. This film is a winner of the Teddy Award in 2009 at the Berlin International Film Festival.

So basically, Kieri and Ryo, two young, handsome Mexican men fall in love. There's a unquestioning bond between the two. Then Ryo is abducted and Kieri begins a search for his soulmate. Its not an easy search as things are encountered to test their devotion to each other. The film is a visually stunning ode to the male nude and the power of desire. I'll explain more once I've taken the time to see this film again.

Meantime, enjoy your day and have a great week guys! - V

reflecting

I've been following Sci-Fi movies and shows on television for years. Some have involved various forms of suspended animation for very long flights, others have other new ideas and others yet have been more like space western, such as Battlestar Galactica (the older tv version with Lorn Greene, not the recent movie). If you wanted to see hot guys starring in a new Sci-Fi movie, which guys would you want to see in them? And what sort of plot line would interest you? What would you want to see them wearing. Remember, outer space can be very hazardous to all life forms, so it would have to be something suitable for the elements in question. I'd love to hear your answers. Who knows, someone might get a few ideas of prospects they'd not thought of. That'll give you something to think about as we head into another week. Reflect on that overnight and then some! - V

Alex and spy dramas!

I was in Vancouver late Saturday afternoon and stopped by HMV to look for the dvd, Stormbreaker (2006). As luck would have it, I managed to find one copy of the widescreen edition they had with the US title, ALEX RIDER, Operation Stormbreaker! The title is below the "widescreen edition" at the top but otherwise its the same.

When I got home, I had a light supper and then sat down to watch the movie. This was the first time I had watched it in English, since the last time was in French on Radio Canada, the French service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation [CBC], on cable 7. Since its an action, spy-thriller, it was easy to pick up what was happening the first time and I certainly got a lot more out of it the second time when I could understand every word that was said. I do have an understanding of French, just its not as good as my English.

I learned that Alex Pettyfer, the actor that plays Alex Rider was one of many that tried out for the role and its a good thing the director chose him. Also, they did a lot of their own stunts in the movie. The extras on the dvd will show you the details of that. Alex looks good on camera and that's another reason why they chose him. and I certainly won't argue with that one!

It was said that the film was a flop in the cinemas but perhaps that's debatable and a matter of interpretation as whether the movie is good or not. Its not quite James Bond stuff, there's more action and less subtlety but I think its a film in its own genre.

I'm looking forward to seeing Alex Pettyfer in his latest role in I Am Number Four (2011), a Sci-Fi movie. Anything that involves Steven Spielberg (through Dreamworks) has my undivided attention. Alex was 14-15 years old in Stormbreaker and he's now 20 in this latest role. This latest film is in the cinemas here on February 18. Look for it where you are! - V

latest Sci-Fi movie

The film, I Am Number Four, comes out in the theatres next week, February 18 to be exact, and stars Alex Pettyfer, a young English actor born on April 10, 1990.

The movie is a production of Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg through Dreamworks. The project is reported to have cost between $50 and $60 million. The plot is about an alien, human-like species that comes to Earth followed by another race, whose planet has been destroyed, who follows them to this planet. The first three have been killed and the character that Alex plays is number four. I've seen a past film that Alex Pettyfer starred in, Stormbreaker (2006) about spys and MI6 (UK), and found it interesting enough after seeing it in French to get a copy of my own even though its said to have been a flop.

I've long had a great interest in space, space exploration and sci-fi movies since the 1960s and plan to see this one. What about you? - V

more on Xavier and "Heartbeats"

I was in Vancouver late Saturday afternoon to take care of some errands. My supply of underwear is showing its age and need replacing, so my first stop was The Bay to get a start at replacing some of the older, worn out pieces. Then it was on to visit other venues.

While going about, I stopped in HMV to check out some dvds. I did notice that Xavier Dolan's "Heartbeats" had been resupplied. There were now three disks available for those interested. I hadn't seen any for a while but I'll check in occasionally to see how things are as far as sales.

Speaking of Xavier, I logged in at touscoprod.com to check how the funds situation is with his latest film project. Its up a bit but he does have another four months to accumulate the money required to start the project. A lot can happen in a very short time. We'll just see where this goes but Xavier's first two ventures went well, so we'll see where this takes us. - V

P.S. - The photo above is from a postcard sent to my mother back in the early 1960s. It shows the Basilica in Quebec City. The basilica dates from 1647 and is one of North America's oldest buildings. As far as dating the photo, you can tell from the vehicles shown that its from the early 1960s period. I've been to that city before, the Quebec Winter Carnival in 1973. I'll share some photos as time becomes available to scan the slides I took during that trip, a school trip! I just thought I'd share! Now I'm off to get the laundry done once again. - V

Bern, Switzerland II

I found another photo of Bern, Switzerland that I had somehow missed, so here it is complete with flags! Remember, this is 1987, not current!

Its been a slow, easy weekend. I received Xavier Dolan's first film (dvd), "J'ai tue ma mere" ("I Killed My Mother") filmed in 2009. The film is in French with no subtitles (I couldn't find one that had subtitles), so I had to make due watching it in French. The dialect was a bit rough for me to understand in places (I learned Parisian French in school, not the same, and actually speak French with a German accent when I do speak it since German is my first language - don't ask, that's just the way it is about the accent bit) so I'll have to see it again to get more out of it. When watching the film, the feeling I got was of unease from the two extremes in mood between mother and son, almost bipolar in a sense. Its the relations with other guys in the same sex scenes that ease that mood and cause me to relax, to enjoy. You'll have to see the film to get your own impression, feeling of what is happening.

Both Xavier's first, as well as his second, "Heartbeats" ("Les amours imaginaires") have some parallels in my own life and why I find them so relevant. Have a look at them and decide for yourself. - V

warm

Its been warm here today, even with some sunshine in the afternoon, but despite all that, the wind was a cool. The temperature got up to about 10 degrees Celsius today, balmy by Canadian standards since much of the country is in the grips of winter. That means lots of snow and cold temperatures, so I don't mind the warmth. That's one of many reasons why I came out here. The other is that I didn't want to shovel any more snow, at least for a while!

This afternoon I purchased Xavier Dolan's first film, "I Killed My Mother" or "J'ai tue ma mere" in French, online and should receive it later this month or early next. I cost me twice what I paid for "Heartbeats" but I believe its worth the price. I'll give you a bit of a commentary on both of Xavier's films after I've had a chance to see the first.

He's working on his third, "Laurence Anyways." We'll how it compares to the first two of his films. I've started investing in his third effort and plan to invest more. Good luck, Xavier! You seem to have found the secret.

Finally, I managed to clean the hard drive on my laptop of unneeded files and get a defrag completed. Now I'm ready to install the software that came with the photo scanner. Then the real work begins, and I promise some interesting surprises. Come back for more! - V

in the rain!

All the snow we had earlier in the week melted as the temperatures warmed up and with the warmer temperatures has come the rain! So, we're back to normal winter weather around here.

Despite the wet stuff, I'm off to Vancouver for a few hours. First stop will be Chapters followed by HMV where Ill try to find a copy of Xavier Dolan's first film in dvd format (I Killed My Mother). Considering that he was only 19 years old when that one hit the screens, I think it'll be interesting to see as far as seeing a progression in his work. I'll let you know more later.

Meantime, have an awesome weekend regardless what you have planned, guys! - V

contribution

Its Friday and nearing the end of the day. After a week of research, I've decided to contribute to Xavier Dolan's next film effort, "Laurence Anyways," and if you're interested, perhaps you might consider this too. I've long been interested in cinematography and have amassed a eclectic collection of films in both the vhs and dvd format, plus I have a few reels of my own efforts on super8 film tucked away somewhere (I know, this takes us quite a way back!). I hope to have the latter transfered to dvd at some point but I digress.

So, here's a short list of Xavier's film efforts so far. He's certainly worth watching!

1. I Killed My Mother (Canada, 2009) or J'ai tue ma mere

2. Heartbeats (Canada, 2010) or Les Amours imaginaires

3. Laurence Anyways (in production)

To my French-speaking readers, sorry about the spelling. I only have an English keyboard, so I can only type characters commonly used in English. The new laptop computer I have an eye on hopefully will have a bilingual keyboard but for the moment this will have to do. You know what I mean anyways, hopefully.

Meantime, check out the touscoprod.com website for inspiration. Congratulations, Xavier, you're doing an awesome job!!! Hopefully those of us interested in your efforts can make your visions a reality!!! - V

more on "Heartbeats"

This appears to be the look and the photo that the drawing on the dvd cover is based on. I have no idea of who took the photo but Xavier is certainly a handsome guy! I plan to make an attempt to find out the name of the photographer. Meantime, check out Xavier Dolan's film ("Heartbeats" or "Les Amours imaginaires" in French). I think its worth it in my opinion!

Xavier Dolan and the film "Heartbeats"

Last evening I sat down to watch the film "Heartbeats" (in French, "Les Amours imaginaires") that I purchased while in Vancouver earlier that day (Saturday) and mentioned in two previous posts. It must have been the only dvd that the store had because that was the only one I saw on display. It was well worth the $26.99 plus tax that I paid. The cover has the face of Xavier Dolan on the front against a red background. The face is in a black line drawing against the red background with the text in black as well. Its very distinctive!

Xavier is both the director of the film and an actor in it who plays the part of "Francis", along with Monia Chokri who play "Marie" and Niels Schneider who plays the part of "Nico." All I can say is that I can relate to what has happened in the film without giving too much of it away.

Xavier says something about growing up gay in this youtube video clip and if you'd like to know more about him, check out this Wikipedia entry for more. I a threesome and the interplay between each person sounds like something to explore, or you just like to know more about the gay experience, buy or rent the dvd! I'm not going to give much of it away. It would spoil the film if I did! - V

Zeb cover

Well, guys, this is the cover of the recent French magazine, Mmensuel, featuring model Zeb Ringle by photographer Scott Hoover. The link to Scott's website is in the right-hand sidebar. Just click on the photo in the margin to see some of the rest of his work.

While I was in Vancouver late this afternoon, I managed to find a copy of the film "Heartbeats" on dvd (French: "Les Amours imaginaires" and the film I mentioned in Friday's post), purchased it at HMV on Burrard Street and returned home after buying a few groceries at Marketplace IGA. I'll give you my impression of the film in a day or so.

Model hunting will have to wait for a few days. I left downtown Vancouver for home because I wasn't feeling well and I didn't want to take my chances by staying longer. I'll leave that for a weekday when I'm in Vancouver's downtown working anyway. I ended up seated next to a tall, good-looking dude with shortish, dark hair for a couple of stops until he got off. He was standing at the door opposite me for a stop until we managed to get a seat and you've got to be fast to snag an empty seat before its gone. Its something about the dark hair and fresh, reddish skin from being out in the cold night air that I find appealing. What about you?

Anyways, more later. Have a good night, guys!!! - V

un joli film

Today on my way home from work I went into Vancouver's West End to take care of some errands. On involved stopping at a store on Davie Street to pick up a copy of the French magazine, M mensuel (Paris). The cover has a photo of model Zeb Ringle shot my my photographer friend, Scott Hoover. Congratulations, Scott (and Zeb)!!!

The same magazine has an article about 20 of the most beautiful (handsome) men in the world, 2010. Zeb is listed as the 16th. Some of the others that made it to the list are: Channing Tatum, Simon Nessman, Hunter Parrish, Colton Haynes, Kellan Lutz, Dolph Lambert, Marlon Teixeira, Chris Evans, Arthur Sales and others. You'll have to read the magazine yourself to find out who they are and where they stand on the list.

There is also a short piece on a film called "Les Amours imaginaires" (Canada 2010) which also goes by the name of "Heartbeats." It sounds interesting enough to watch. Check out the trailer here and there is more information at the Festival de Cannes website here.

I also had to purchase another calendar this one with photos by photographer Fred Goudon.

The clerk that served me looked hot and somewhat similar to model Hunter Parrish, well, as far as the hair colour, age and skin tones are concerned. He would make a great model for a shoot. I'll have to ask him!

Meantime, enjoy your weekend, guys! - V