Kiss of dawn - HIM

It's happening!! On the 18th of September the new album 'Venus Doom' of HIM will be released. Already there is a new single that is called 'Kiss of dawn'. It's got the typical HIM sound which is a bit dark and gloomy.

'I'm reaching for your shadow, drowning in the kiss of dawn'

In the bottom part of my blog you can find this new video!

Discovery of ancient porcelain of South Korea

Well... because I am an archaeologist I just have to mention this find of porcelain in a South Korean shipwreck. It makes my world a little more brighter hehe.

"Ancient Korean porcelain from a shipwreck is seen in this undated handout released by the National Maritime Museum in Mokpo, South Korea. The collection includes hundreds of well preserved celadon cups, bowls, plates and other works that Yun said were for the noble class and government officials in the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled from 918-1392 and was known for its porcelain."

Field of hope, filled with sorrow

I see you there
wandering through this field filled with wild flowers
Staring at the far horizon
becoming one with your surrounding

I see you there
delicate and graceful, accompanied by the swirling wind
Trying to take you with it to the everlasting sky
saddened that it only gets grip of your hair



I can't move, I can't breath
My hand, it's reaching for you
reaching into thin air
a gesture filled with sadness and sorrow

I can't see your face,
scared of what will happen
I can't turn away anymore,
have to face my deepest fear

I see you there,
taking one single step away from me,
I lost you,
there are only flowers left.

Pictures of Zhang Ziyi and ethnic celebration

Just a picture of Zhang Ziyi during the celebration of 10th year anniversary of Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland. I think her dress is really wonderful!

Picture taken during the opening ceremony of Kaili Original Ethnic Culture & Arts Festival in Kaili, Qiandongnan Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 23, 2007. There are 47 nationalities, such as the Miao, Dong, and Buyi, in Qiandongnan, making it the prefecture with the largest number and highest proportion of the ethnic-minority population in China

The banquet in Tokyo's cinema

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi (L) and movie director Feng Xiaogang at the premiere of The Banquet (Ye Yan) in Tokyo, Japan.

Working towards the olympics!!

With only 446 days to go to the opening of the olympic games at Beijing a gymnast practices in his training session at China's General Administration of Sport in Beijing.

Sympathy for lady vengeance

The third and last film in Park Chan Wook's revenge trilogy.
It deals aboutr a woman who is released from prison after 13 years, by flashbacks you will know why she was put in jail. It's because of the kidnapping and killing of a little boy.



But did she really committed this great crime? She wants to take revenge on the people who put her in this position. This evolves in a rather dark movie, with very dark humour. She also searches for her child which she gave away for adoption. The main character 'Lee Geum-ja' is pretty good casted. Beautiful, elegant and a very coldhearted person! The acting of Lee Young-ae and Choi Min-sik is really great and the art direction and camera work is also very beautiful. The musical score of this movie is really fantastic with it's classical themes.

Rare solar halo in Liu Panshui

Pictures of a rare solar halo in downtown Liu Panshui, southwest China's Guizhou Province (China).

Dolls - Takeshi Kitano

Wowww , that is what I can say about Takeshi Kitano's movie: Dolls.
A story about three different kinds of love between people. One guy loves a girl but is forced to marry another for his career. The girl he leaves tries to commit suicide and becomes mentally ill. He looks for her and they walk through the Japanese seasons bound my a red cord.



The second story is about a Yakuza (Japanese maffia) leader who loved a girl when he was young, they always sat at the same spot on saturday in the park. When he is old he looks for her and finds her still sitting in the same park. The third story is about an idol and her fans. Who is the biggest fan and how can he show his devotion to her.



These are all very tragic stories about undying love. It's inspired by the Japanese Bunraku doll theatre. Kitano is also inspired by famous writer 'Chikamatsu Monzaemon' (1653-1724). He is like the Japanese Shakespeare.



You will be blown away by it's gorgeous imagery. The brilliant costumes are the work of famous Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto. For those who wanna see pure beauty and aren't afraid of something new...you have to see this one!

Keira Knightley quits acting?

Rumours become louder and louder that Keira Kneightley would quit her acting career. Let's hope she only will take a rest and return in the cinema's to star in beautiful movies again. Bend it like Beckham and the brilliant 'Pride and prejudice' are among my favourites so I really hope she will be back again. We haven't seen enough of her movies yet!!

Fallen angels (duo luo tian shi) - Wong Kar Wai

What can be said about Wong Kar Wai's 'Fallen angels'? I don't know it really. It is a very strange and hypnotic movie. A movie about weird people in our even society. People don't talk very much with eachother, direct meeting leads to misunderstanding.
A killer tries to be strict and only keeps his relation to his partner in crime in a business way, not easy when she is 'Michelle Reis' though. Another men who became mute after eating a can of expired pineaple breaks in people's businesses and forces them to by his products.
It's not a very clear story, the viewer has to fill in the plot really.



One of the most beautiful scenes is when Michelle is listening to the jukebox in a bar, some mystical music by Lauri Anderson (Speak my language) is played. This scene is dark though interesting.
A rather strange, hypnotical and interesting movie about detachment that people feel to the real world.

Howl's moving castle review (Hauru no Ugoku Shiro)

Last night I watched 3 films; Flightplan, Jarhead and Howl's moving castle. All three of them were very very nice to watch but I wanna talk about Miyazaki's Howl's moving castle today.

After the brilliant Spirited away many people were looking forward to Hayao Miyazaki's next picture. Did he create this world again, where you would be lost in while watching it? Yeah he did it again!


The story starts with 18 year old Sophie who is turned into a 90 year old woman by the Wicked Witch of Waste. She has to leave home and enters the moving castle of the wizard Howl. She meets a fire demon 'Calcifer' over there who is also under a spell. Together they have to find a way to transform to their original state.



The stort takes place in 19th century Europe during war. Howl tries to stop the warships but he is getting tired and turning into a monster. Can Sophie help him?

The drawing of this film is brilliant, look at the detail in the background!! The voice casting is very well done too with voices of Chieko Baisho, Akihiro Miwa and Takuya Kimura'(yeahh....2046!! hehe). Not all critics loved this movie and Spirited away may be a bit better but don't miss this movie! There is no cartoon movie like Hayao Miyazaki's!

Dvevnoy Dozor

Finally the sequel to Nochnoi Dozor (Nightwatch) will be in the cinema's. It's time for: Dnevnoy Dozor (Daywatch), again directed by Timur Bekmambetov. It's kind of an epic horror trilogy about good and evil which takes place in Moscow!
I loved nightwatch, cool story and magnificent effects, so I am very curious about Daywatch. I also look very much forward to the acting of Konstantin Khabensky (Anton Gorodevski in the movies) again!

Sea water turns red in Xiamen

The sea water turns red in Xiamen. According to an oceanographer of Xiamen university this is probably the result of red tide, but it's not sure yet. It looks pretty weird, it almost looks like the biblical passage: "and the water will change into blood "!

Falling into the nothing

Falling,
why be afraid,
It won't hurt,
still...it's scary
falling into the nothing

Thnx Jing Yi, for let me using this picture!