2009 !!!

FROM ALL OF US

TO ALL OF YOU

!!!!!!

DE NOUS TOUS

A VOUS TOUS

!!!!!!

:D~

HUGZ

-LINOUE

-LA BLOGGIA

-TICKLEBEAR

EAGLE EYE (DVD): 5 STARS ALL THE WAY !!! by TICKLEBEAR

adrenaline junkies!!

in your seats!!

get set!!

GO!!!!!!!

EAGLE EYE

is on from the get go.

a great cast,

a plot one step away from skynet,

& perhaps two from the matrix,

you see two strangers's life collapsing into chaos,

& what could be america's armageddon.

it's none-stop action.

about credibility,

who's to know really?

about exitement?

G-U-A-R-A-N-T-E-E-D

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

as the voice said:

"we are everywhere".

& as i would say:

"cherchez la femme!!"

it was really entertaining.

it looks like shia lebeouf is going somewhere after all,

with a succession of successful & fun movies.

good for him!
:D~

HUGZ

MONTREAL'S BOTANICAL GARDEN, ALWAYS A GREAT DESTINATION. by TICKLEBEAR

i'm SO clever,

i amaze even myself sometimes...

:D~

major snowstorm over the city,

people going nuts over xmas shopping & preparations,

so,

i thought it'd be a good time

to go see what the botanical garden had done for the holidays.

well,

hop in a cab & off we go!!!

i was right

as there were fewer people than usual,

which doesn't mean it was empty,

just not overcrowded.

( nice!!! for me...)

i took a quick walk around the place,

but still...

if you've already forgotten what greenery means or looks like,

just go there!!

& when i entered the orchids room,

the smell,

OH!!!

the smell!!!

not too pungent

but just exotic & enticing enough

to make a grown man cry...

(meaning me here...)

no,

really!!

it made me emotional & in a good mood....

WOW!!!!!

:D~

as i walked by the cacte room,

i saw someone had a sense of humor.

see if you can spot the xmas choral...

too funny!!!

(remember, i was in a good mood...)

then i found what i was looking for.

their xmas presentation.

xmas trees made with ferns or ivy.

it looked quite grand

& it was a feast for the eyes.

as i was photographying these,

there was a choral,

something like the montreal jazz choral workshop,

or something(???)...

4pm.

nice!

not my style,

but nice.

TOO MUCH jesus to my taste...

(it's NOT their fault...)

but nice!!!

i insist!!

truly,

a quick but lovely visit

to what remains one of montreal's best landmarks.

their creativity & the very essence of the place

is something to be proud & fond of

as a montrealer.

(i still find find their entrance fee ridiculous, but...)

(SO democratic!! gotta love it...)

GO!!

just go & enjoy!!

:D~

HUGZ

HANCOCK (DVD), by TICKLEBEAR

HANCOCK,

featuring will smith

as a superhero

with a despicable attitude,

& amnesia...

i'll admit,

despite the fact that will smith is for me

an almost guaranteed good time,

when this movie came out in theater earlier this year,

i dismissed it.

the promo didn't do it for me.

plain & simple.

but i went shopping yesterday

& grabbed this DVD,

among other things.

well...

i must say!!

a most pleasant surprise.

true,

his character is most unlikeable

but there's a funny twist to the plotline

& it made the whole movie quite enjoyable.

so i rest my case:
will smith is a sure value!!

much to my relief!!

the special f/x & the actors make this adventure

a lot of fun.

:D~

HUGZ

IRON MAN, JUST PERFECT!!! by TICKLEBEAR

iron man,

another marvel comics adaptation

of one of my favorite characters,

tony stark,

billionaire, playboy & genius,

who eventually finds his path in life:

to become a superhero.

the movie may have been obscured

by other movies coming out at the same time,

but in retrospect,

robert downey jr truly did his best here,

& the visuals are most astonishing.

the action starts right from the beginning,

with a touch of humor.

it's the perfect guys movie,

on DVD.

i loved this

!!!!!!!!!

& so could you!!!

:)~

HUGZ

THE DARK KNIGHT (DVD), by TICKLEBEAR

the latest adaptation from DC comics,

this will be recognised as a classic.

a solid cast,

with enough intrigue & gadgetry,

it will surely entertain you.

sentimentality aside,

what with his premature passing,

heath ledger certainly gave us

a memorable performance here.

the sheer villainy of his character

does him honor.

you can get the DVD on december 9th 2008.

i've really enjoyed this

& recommand it

to all comic fans out there.

inappropriate for young children though...

:)~

HUGZ

BOLT: DECENT FUN FOR THE KIDS, by TICKLEBEAR

disney's "bolt" is fun,

but totally aimed at kids.

don't expect second degree humor

that would make it more enjoyable for adults...

but still,

bolt is really cute,

& as a dog actor who thinks its life on tv is real,

it is harsh for bolt

to come to grasp with the real world.

but with the help of friends he makes on its journey,

bolt learns to appreciate this new life,

before reconnecting with its old life.

the characters in this movie are SO endearing,

you'll love it,

even if the humor tends to remain juvenile.

:)~

HUGZ

QUANTUM OF SOLACE- PLENTY OF SOLACE TO BE FOUND HERE!!! by TICKLEBEAR

"quantum of solace",

the newest james bond will not fail to impress you.

a sleek production

offering us plenty of intrigues

& some impeccable stunts.

daniel craig remains a great choice as james bond.

judie dench is flawless as M.

olga kurylenko is not your typical damsel in distress...

a good sequel to "casino royale",

as it uncovers a major organisation

threatening the balance of power in the western world.

it bodes well for the future,

if this is the kind of movies we should be expecting.

i'm loving the darker, brooding bond.

he deals with matters in the real world,

making it more relatable to.

it's tough,

it's intense,

it's great fun!!

M-O-R-E

!!!!!!!!

:)~

HUGZ

SARAH BRIGHTMAN'S SYMPHONY: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? JUST GET IT!!! by TICKLEBEAR

SYMPHONY,
the latest of sarah brightman is,

dramatic, superb & uplifting.

the angel with the cleavage

once more thrills us to bits.

my ONLY complain is,

it goes by SO fast...

i guess that's what the replay button is for,

because i don't tire of it.

"les fleurs du mal" will totally floor you;

"sanvean", a reprise from lisa gerard (dead can dance),

fits nicely here.

she had better,

as i've always loved dead can dance.

overall,

the production is splendid,

sarah is flawless

& this album is a balm for your soul.

enjoy!!

me?

i'm still gliding

in my private nirvana...

namaste!!

:)~

HUGZ

WALL*E, A MUST-HAVE ON DVD, by TICKLEBEAR

wall*e,

another animation from pixar,

who has always excelled

in delivering us the best in animation.

humans left the planet centuries before,

leaving behind only robots,

to clean up their mess.

please meet WALL*E:

Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth class,

a hard-working robot,

who feels very lonely,

having for only companion a cockroach...

until one day,

a ship lands on earth leaving something behind,

EVE:

Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator.

wall*e falls in love almost immediatly,

once he's overcome his fears of eve,

'cause the lady has a temper,

& a canon,

& she ain't afraid to use it!!!

it'll take more time for eve to understand,

but their adventure together

will decide the fate of the human race.

i am happy to say

that my inner child is doing great,

as i fell totally in love

with these characters.

this movie is not big on dialogue,

but that's not the point.

it's about feeling,

friendship,

maybe love (?);

simply put,

it's about what we consider

as human needs.

there's action, drama,

but mostly,

some candid humor

done in a splendid production.

may wall*e & eve

live happilly together for a long long time

!!!!!!!!!

strongly recommanded,

for any age group.

you're never too young,

nor too old,

to see something this good.

:)~

HUGZ

SANTA CLAUS? WHY BOTHER? by TICKLEBEAR

i froze my butt for you today,

surrounded by a mob of hysterical kids

& aggravated/ing parents...

to see santa claus.

i thought it might be a good idea...

yeah, right!!

(N-O-T!!!)

what was scheduled to start at 11 a.m.

only showed up 45 minutes later,

the parade draggued on,

leaving us often staring at an empty street.

i was not overwhelmed by the floats,

finding them rather plain & boring.

but i'll give credit to the volunteers

that paraded in this cold,

for our entertainment.

hats off to them!!

not being christian,

xmas itself has little meaning for me,

or should i say none at all?

but i still remember parades from my youth,

when it seemed more lavish,

more magical.

either my brain has embellished the memories,

or i can only see now

the overcommercialisation of this event,

to a sickening level...

i was surprised not to see some logo

stuck on santa's ass,

like mcdonald or mastercard,

or something...

fortunately,

not everything was totally mercantile

as we were treated to some participation

from the ethnic communities of montreal,

such as ukrainian (or russian?) dancers,

a chinese marching band,

some latino (mexican) dancing group;

also,

we saw some cheerleading troops doing quite well.

the policemen on horses

& a firetruck

proved as usual to be a crowd pleaser.

the shriners,

appeared also,

faithfully,

& thankfully.

their presence in our city

is a blessing.

but was it worth freezing for over 2 hours outside?

nope!!

if i'd been 40 years

without watching a parade,

it's a safe bet

it'll be another 40 years

before i do so again...

& given my age,

this is most likely

the last time,

because in 40 years,

i doubt i'll be thinking much

of santa claus & his parade...

i'm just glad

i'm back home,

& that's where i'll stay!!

but you can always watch it

on local channels tomorrow...

that's perhaps what i should have done.

what can i say?

i'm a creature of comfort...

:)~

HUGZ

ELEPHANT: THE MEMORY OF QUEBECOIS CINEMA (VIDEOTRON), by TICKLEBEAR

in case you've missed the news,

it was announced by pierre karl peladeau,

ceo of quebecor,

the launch of

ELEPHANT,

la memoire du cinema quebecois.

all videotron customers will be able to access,

via the 900,

a new VOD

specializing in quebecois cinema.

in these troubled times

where culture is neglected

& poorly subsidized by our governments,

it is nice to see a private corporation

taking care of what constitute

our cinematic heritage.

an opportunity for people like me

to get [better] acquainted with our local industry,

from various eras.

or an occasion for the fans to indulge

in this bit of culture

that has come to reflect our society

for decades now.

i'm sure to give a try eventually

& must congratulate PKP for this decision.

it is definitely high time

we got something like this,

promoting what's being done here,

rather than constantly being bombarded

by what's being done abroad.

a 5-stars for the initiative!!

:)~

HUGZ

SOME HOLIDAY FUN WITH JIBJAB !!! by TICKLEBEAR

we're all familiar by now with OFFICE MAX' s "elf yourself".

god knows it was popular last year!!!

well,

they've joined ranks with JIBJAB

to offer us more options,

much to my delight.

creating your vid is a snap,

chilplay really.

& they get a "5 stars" rating for that.

on the other hand...

getting hold of your vid is another matter entirely,

much to my dismay!!!

embedding proved impossible,

whether through the automatic embedding,

or even manually...

(my computer crashed like 4 times,

with no positive results to show for...)

& for this,

they get the "bomb"!!!

a ZERO rating.

shame on you guys!!!

:(~

so i opted to purchased my creations,

wondering if this is not the whole point

from the beginning,

you wanting your vid,

them wanting your money...

who knows?

the purchasing & downloading process

is long & tedious,

(as if that was ALL i had to do in life???)

but in the end,

i was finally able to present to you the result.

so,

they'll get a "3",

as an average.

the creative process

& end result is fine,

but the "getting it!!" is far from being fine.

they'll need to work on that...

it's still fun

if you only want to send a link

for your family & friends to see,

otherwise,

it is at your own risk.

if you are more patient than i am,

you'll enjoy this to its full measure,

despite the few aggravations...

so,

with this,

may we, the crew at CRITIKX, offer you all

our very best wishes

for the upcoming holidays.

:)~

HUGZ
(update: you can download your vids now...finally!!)
:)~

BEAST

Et bien, tant qu'à être en dehors de ma zone de confort musicale, allons-y gaiement avec ce nouvel album à paraître le 18 novembre (cette fois-ci c'est vrai, j'ai consulté le site de Archambault!). Il s'agit de Beast. Beast est composé de Beatrice Bonifassi et Jean-Phi Goncalves. Déjà, ça fait saliver, non?


Donc, il s'agit d'un CD classé dans le genre électronique. Yep. Mais contrairement à ce que je reproche habituellement à ce genre musical, ça groove! Et la voix si unique, magnifique et puissante de Beatrice Bonifassi apporte une chaleur aux sons technos.

Et parlant de chaleur, la thématique de l'album Beast en est imprégnée. Et non, il ne s'agit pas de soleil et de plage, mais de l'antre de la Bête. Voici les titres :

1. Devil
2. Finger Prints
3. Microcyte
4. Interlude I
5. Mr Hurricane
6. Out of Control
7. Ashtray
8. Dark Eyes
9. City
10. Arrow
11. Interlude II
12. Satan

Et qu'en pense LaBloggia? Et bien elle se fait aller le popotin avec entrain et conviction sur cette musique très bien rendue. J'adore les arrangements, les sons et l'athmosphère générale qui se dégage de ce CD. Tenez, j'imagine très bien Whoopi Goldberg dans Act Sister interpréter avec ses frangines la pièce "Satan"!

Je me suis procuré cette pépitte par i-Tunes qui l'offre temporairement au prix ridicule de $5.99. Sauf que je suis maintenant prise avec des fichiers au format m4p qui me briment dans ma liberté d'auditrice! M'enfin... c'est une autre histoire. Je n'ai donc pas pu les uploader dans Deezer pour vous les partager gentiment.

Ne vous reste qu'à vous rabattre sur leurs MySpace.

AMAZING GRRRACE JONES !

Bon!! Je n'en pouvais plus d'attendre cette galette si prometteuse. Comme je le mentionnais cet été, la sortie de ce nouveau matériel de la grande Grrrrace était prévu pour le 27 octobre. Faut croire que cela se passait sur un autre continent, car j'ai beau fouiller les sites de Archambault et de HMV, aucune trrrrace de l'Hurricane de Grrrrace!

Mais! Hé,hé,hé! Qu'à cela ne tienne, je me le suis procuré en bonne et due forme, et je me rince les tympans depuis deux jours de cette voix abyssale et colossale. Une voix vieillie, certe, mais toujours aussi efficace. Déjà, la vidéo de Corporate Cannibal donnait le ton. Adieu les rythmes discos (youppi, yessss!!). Faisons place à une mystérieuse ambiance techno, parfois sur fond reggae (revisité), mais jamais monotone. Une guitare électrique bien placée ou un mélodie au piano nous rappellent que tout n'est pas électronique. Disons simplement qu'il ne s'agit pas de matériel pour stations de radio pop-gnan-gnan!

Ce qui ne veut pas dire que les pièces de cet opus sont dépourvues de rythme, que non, loin de là! Mis à part une ou deux pièces, l'ensemble me plait beaucoup. Et croyez-moi, nous sommes à des années-lumière de ce que j'écoute habituellement!! Mais après tout, n'est-ce point l'oeuvre d'une personne "inhabituelle"?

Tenez, dans un élan d'enthousiasme soutenu par ma grande magnanimité, je vous offre l'intégral du contenu de ce CD. Rien de moins.

Bonne écoute!

MARIE CARMEN (LE DIAMANT)- AT LONG LAST!!!! by TICKLEBEAR

talk about a long absence:

10 years!!!!

marie carmen comes back to us with

"le diamant",

full of lively melodies

& her voice has lost nothing,

i repeat,

N-O-T-H-I-N-G!!

of her charm.

i daresay she even sounds better,

transformed,

if this is possible.

i guess the humanitarian work she's done in south america

over the years

has done some good to her soul.

also,

she has matured as a woman,

therefore,

if you put all of this together,

you can see she's at her peak,

sounding more serene & enjoying this.

against all hope,

she went back to the studio

to give us this gem,

which her fans will just lap up like honey;

& she's likely to gain new fans with this CD.

come on,

listen to those samples

& dare tell me

you're not tempted...

& girl!!!

don't you ever dare leave us like this for SO long,

ever again!!!

P-leeeeeeazzze!!!!!!

we've been waiting all of this time for you,

& are happy to embrace you,

once again.

:)~

HUGZ

PANORAMA MAKER (ARCSOFT), by TICKLEBEAR

are you like me,

a PC user,

that went from XP to VISTA?...

i used to have HP image zone,

with the panorama maker,

but it is incompatible with VISTA...

i give you arcsoft's panorama maker.

if you look at the separate pictures,

& their variations in tonality,

you'll see that the panorama maker worked efficiently around this

to deliver a flawless picture.

you should know that this program

is PC & MAC friendly.

BTW,

a view from my place,

taken this morning.

ain't it pretty?!...

:D~

HUGZ