INTERESTS: pop music with a melody, a groove and wits, films and books with a storyline and characters, human rights and environmental issues, exercising (jogging and gym);
MAIN ADDICTIONS: fresh air, good music regardless of its origin (except metal), gothic ghost stories, green tea (preferably from St. Maria, Acores), chocolate (all flavors, unfortunately, and i'm never fed up with it), TiramiSu (not too sweet, but with much liquor)
MY MOTTO FOR THE DAY:
Coming to terms with oneself is probably a lifelong process
I'd like to meet:
Eurythmics/Annie Lennox fans, musicians who can tell apart a good tune from a blinging ringtone;
screenbook writers and screenwriting-consultants who know a thing or two about dialogue;
my heroes of course (see bottom box to the left);
people who (try to) communicate in a friendly and polite way (and know about the many pitfalls of communication) and think my profile appeals to them for some reason
Music:
ALL TIME FAVOURITE POP MUSICIANS:
It is clear to see why in 1983 PLAYBOY magazine declared
Ann Lennox one of the worlds 10 most erotic women
1) Eurythmics + Annie Lennox
2) Abba
3) Trevor Horn on his visionary ZTT Label
4) Mike Batt
5) Grace Jones with the Compass Point All Star Crew
6) Giorgio Moroder & The Munich Sound Machine
7) Alison Moyet + Yazoo
8) The Carpenters
9) Olive
10) Moloko + Roisin Murphy
ALL TIME FAVOURITE R'nB-MUSICIANS:
... and on the seventh day God created the female drummer ...
1) Sheila "E." Escovado
2) Prince when he was with The Revolution
3) The Salsoul Orchestra
4) Isaac Hayes
5) Jhelisa
6) Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra
7) McAlmont
8) Sylvia
9) Chic
10) Al Green
ALL TIME FAVOURITE "REMIXERS"
One might think, the man who put a new dimension to the "remix"
was into hearing aids rather than sporting crazy glasses
1) Trevor Horn
2) Steve Lipson
3) Deep Dish
4) Masters At Work
5) Neelee Hooper
6) Paul Oakenfold
7) David Morales
8) Etienne De Crecy
9) Blaze
10) Tiefschwarz
ALL TIME FAVOURITE ALBUMS:
FACT: Abba never were about superficial party-stuff or campy fashion,
but about
artistic credibility, seriousness and human kindness
1) any Abba album, preferably "The Visitors"
2) Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams"
3) Grace Jones "Warm Leatherette"
4) Propaganda "A Secret Wish"
5) Bernard Herrmann "Psycho OMPS"
6) Mike Batt "Tarot Suite"
7) Sheila E. "Romance 1600"
8) Olive "Extra Virgin"
9) Alan Parsons Project "Tales Of Mystery And Imagination"
10) Trevor Horn with Grace Jones "Slave To The Rhythm"
ALL TIME FAVOURITE SINGLES:
It was not only those girls' looks which made my jaws drop when i was five,
but also the perfect combination of their voices: the blend of Agnetha's
soprano with Frida's mezzo-soprano is SO consummate, it took me two years to
figure out it was TWO girls sharing the lead vocals! LOL
1) Abba "Honey Honey"
2) Abba "The Day Before You Came"
3) Abba "The Name Of The Game"
4) Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams"
5) Giorgio Moroder with Donna Summer "I Feel Love"
6) Eurythmics "Love Is A Stranger"
7) Propaganda "P-Machinery"
8) Grace Jones "Walking In The Rain"
9) Blondie "Heart Of Glass"
10) Visage "Fade To Grey"
ON MY CURRENT PRIVATE PLAYLIST
(never geared to the charts, i like to play
records when i am emotionally driven to them):
11th of June
1) George Michael "Older" Album: I remember vividly how this album was slaughtered by critics as a dull, selfcontained and overpolished affair. I like it up to this day, for i do not find the production overdone at all. See, if there's a singer who can afford high-gloss arrangements it's George Michael - the guy caries SO MUCH hurt and sensitivity in his voice, his singing is what i call 100% "authentic". Just listen to his lyrics - there's so much PLAUSIBLE heartache in them, i strongly believe what you hear on a George Michael record actually is what the guy experiences in life! My favourite track from "Older": the haunting "Strangest Thing".
2) Jhelisa "Friendly Pressure" EPs: When it is so hot outside that all one wants to do is flood the living room, it is Jhelisa time for me. "Friendly Pressure" was on heavy rotation at my turntables these early summer days - i have so many remixes of that one song, they could fill a whole album. My favourite: the sagging "Quiet Storm Remix", a powerhouse of a chill out track! If "Friendly Pressure" was promoted properly, it could be released every other year and would storm up the charts!
2) McAlmont "A Little Communication" Album: It was only three weeks ago that i found McAlmont in here and sent him an add request. Kind as he is, he agreed on it and even wrote back. So, i gave his milestone album another spin and was so happy i can enjoy this just like the day it came out. THIS IS THE BEST R'n'B RECORD I'VE EVER HEARD BY A M A L E SOLO SINGER. Girls, if you want to regain trust in the male gender, listen to this album!
4) Depeche Mode "Enjoy The Silence 04" EPs: Of all DM songs, i find this the best. The melody is what i term an 'instant pop classic', comparable in its validity only to Mozart or Bach. Daves voice never sounded more erotic, and the lyrics are prizeless, too. When in 2004 the remix collection came out, every time i entered my trusted record stores i missed out on the eps/12"s ("sorry mate, sold out"), but found a few of them second hand the other day. My favourite remix is Timo Maas' take, for the guy always stays close to the original melody but adds spoky synths which remind me of cheesy Science Fiction films of the 50ies and 60ies. Listening to Maas remixes makes me feel little again :-)
5) Grace Jones "The Compass Point Sessions" Compilation: This is the best of the many Grace Jones collections as it focuses solely on her finest years (just like Madonna, Grace always only was as good as her producing team, and under the wings of Chris Blackwell and Alex Sadkin the woman even wrote fantastic music herself!), plus it REALLY contains many rare and previously unreleased mixes that can still blow the roof of any good nightclub. Lots of missed opportunities here, though, e.g. it only features single edits of gems like "Pull Up To The Bumper" and "Libertango" (when there's a plethora of reworks) and lots of dub mixes of less important songs placed right after their vocal versions, which makes the listening wearisome to anybody unaware of the cleverness and deepness of this special brand of microwave funk pop. When will the music majors ever learn that SEQUENCING is a crucial fact when it comes to COMPILATIONS?
6) Annie Lennox "Sing" Remixes EP: This should have been a number one hit last Christmas, but thanks to BMG went more or less unnoticed. Unsurprisingly, the best mix of all is the one Mrs. Lennox asked Nithin Sawhney to do, as most DJs who remixed Lennox/Eurythmics material so far, imposed their dance beats OVER her voice and as a result weakend the whole track. Such a strategy probably works on mediocre voices, but not with Mrs. Lennox'!
ALL TIME FAVOURITE FILM SCORE COMPOSERS:
Bernard Hermann regularly refined Hitchock films
with scores adjoining avantgarde and modern classic
- until Hollywood studios urged/blackmailed Hitch
to use a "mainstream" composer
1) Bernard Herrmann (Hitchcock's main composer e.g. "Psycho", "The Birds")
2) Ron Goodwin (e.g. George Pollock's "Miss Marple" films)
3) Krystztof Komeda (e.g. "Fearless Vampire Killers", "Rosemary's Baby")
4) Ennio Morricone (where to start???)
5) Henry Mancini (uncountables, my pick is his funky "Charlie's Angels" theme)
6) Maurice Jarre (e.g. "Witness", "Fatal Attraction")
7) Burt Bacharach (at best in unison with Dionne Warwick)
8) Ingfried Hoffmann (Germany's best organist, e.g. "Robbi, Tobbi und das Fliewatüüt"
9) Peter Thomas ("Raumpatrouille Orion", many many "Edgar Wallace" films)
10) Angelo Badalamenti (scores almost every David Lynch movie)
Movies:
ALL TIME FAVOURITE FILM DIRECTORS:
Entertaining with every single fibre of his body
(and they were many!): The one and only Mr. Hitchcock
1) Alfred Hitchcock
2) Woody Allen
3) Mike Nichols
4) Peter Weir
5) Nicolas Roeg
6) M. Night Shyamalan
7) Roman Polanski
8) Robert Wise
9) Michael Haneke
10) Jaques Tati
ALL TIME FAVOURITE FILMS:
Antedating MTV and the music video some 23 years before:
The notoriously fast-paced "shower-scene"
1) Alfred Hitchcock "Psycho"
2) Stanleys Kubrick "2001"
3) Alan J. Pakula "Sophie's Choice"
4) Roger Vadim "Barbarella"
5) Gerhard Polt + Hans-Christian Müller "Kehraus"
6) Robin Hardy "The Wicker Man"
7) Woody Allen "Husbands And Wives"
8) Ridley Scott "Alien"
9) Mike Nichols "Heartburn"
10) Paul Verhoeven "Starship Troopers"
ALL TIME FAVOURITE ACTRESSES:
Unlike any other actress, Meryl Streep seems to have EVERY
imaginable mask up her sleeve
1) Meryl Streep
2) Miranda Richardson
3) Kate Jackson
4) Margareth Rutherford
5) Gisela Schneeberger
6) Jennifer Saunders
7) Glenn Close
8) Linda Gray
9) Victoria Principal
10) Toni Collette
ALL TIME FAVOURITE ACTORS:
You think this guy's a freak? Watch John Hurt in David Lynch's stunning "Elephant Man"
and find the monster within YOURSELF
1) John Hurt
2) Jeff Daniels
3) Woody Allen
4) Roy Scheider
5) Jeremy Irons
6) Bill Paxton
7) Peter Ustinov
8) Thomas Jane
9) Robert Duvall
10) Michael Ontkean
LAST FILMS I BOUGHT A MOVIE TICKET FOR:
June 08 "The Happening" by M. Night Shyamalan
In my opinion, Shyamalan currently is Hollywood’s best thriller director. Why? Firstly, the guy knows about all the ingredients necessary for an engaging and entertaining movie. Secondly, his films always work on multiple levels and dig deep into our subconcious. But what is even more important: his stories have a HEART and the people shown behave and look REAL. It’s true that „The Happening“ has more flaws than any of his other films, mainly an extremely weak pair of leading actors (a pale Mark Wahlberg who in the past more than once proved he’s capable of astounding performances and an even weaker Zooey Deschanel who comes across as constantly amazed and unnerving) and some very flat dialogue. What makes me love this mystery nevertheless is its premise: name me any other director who regularly puts forward so many clever MAINSTREAM films based on their ORIGINAL ideas.
December 07 "Alien vs. Preditor - Requiem" by The Strause brothers
i knew this one would be bad, but i had no idea HOW aggravating and insulting in reference to its audience a big budget production can be: this is definitely the biggest stinker since Jan De Bonts so-called remake of "The Haunting"! Shame on 20th Century Fox (you once had a loyal legacy here)! Requiescat in pace, i think those aliens have suffered enough from mankind...
LAST DVDS I WATCHED:
JUNE 08 "The Silence" by Ingmar Bergman:
Having been quite a mainstream noodle when it came to movies, i had to grow 39 years old before i finally saw my first Bergman film. Always suspected i had a lot in common with the guy, and was assured of our kinship throughout the whole film. I even dare to say he staged a self-portray in the shape of the young boy here. If the director had family members only slightly resembling the ones displayed in the movie (a selfabsorbed, emotionally retarded mother and an overpowering heart-bleeding aunt), it is no wonder Bergman as an adult claimed he always was trying in vain to connect to other people. A beautifully photographed and unsettling drama for people who appreciate it if their thinking is required when watching, as clearly a lot of things are NOT said in here. And i'm a sucker for ellipses.
APRIL 08 "The Thing" by Christian Nyby:
Having watched this with much anticipation, i couldn't make out why it is called such a great achievement in the scifi horror crossover. For a start, there is not much science (fiction) in it, plus the most interesting aspect of the original short story - the claustrophopia, increasing paranoia and distrust among the scientists - is completely dropped here. Furthermore, the "thing", which originally was constantly changing shape, is deliberately designed like a Frankenstein replica for the film, and despite its fast pacing, interesting heroin and aspiring dialogue, the whole film certainly didn't age well. In my opinion John Carpenter did a much better job with his remake!
MARCH 08 "Prime" by Ben Younger:
When this one was shown in Germany belatedly last year on the heels of "The Devil Wears Prada", i went out of the cinema, because i couldn't stand how shallow (= everything nice and clean) it was. Bought the dvd because of Meryl Streep playing a major role in it (she's always brilliant at everything she does, even if she comes across as a lousy shrink here) and was surprised to see that the ending was quite realistic and extremely good!
LAST FILM I RE-WATCHED:
"The Others" by Alejandro Amenabar:
Although i love psychological horror, i found this painful to watch first time round at the cinema, as clearly ice-maiden Nicole Kidman IS NO mother material. Having gotten over her extremely tense portrayal and knowing the plott and its daring twist, i loved to watch it again on dvd, for Amenabar really understands how to photograph things. Plus, i found the sparseness and the extremely slow pacing of the film sooo refreshing.
Television:
70ies tv, when television was an institution to both entertain AND broaden the mind.
FAVOURITE BROADCASTER:
ITC Entertainment England;
ALL TIME FAVOURITE TV SHOWS:
Who needs men with Kelly, Sabrina
and Jill taking care of law and order?
1) Charlie's Angels (Seasons 1&2 only!)
2) Dallas (until Pam left the show)
3) Space 1999
4) Fast Wia Im Richtigen Lebn (German cult)
5) Kaisermühlenblues (Austrian cult)
6) Absolutely Fabulous
7) Twin Peaks
8) Brian Clemens "Thriller"
9) Robin's Nest
10) Falcon Crest (only until Maggie married Richard)
FAVOURITE TV CHARACTERS:
Sabrina Duncan, "the brains" of Charlie's original angels
Rose 'Golden Girl' Nylund for always believing what she is told
Each one is genuine, but they're lovable all the same: Barbamama, Barbapapa, Barbabella, Barbaletta, Barbarix, Barbawum, Barbabo, Barbakus, Barbalalaaa
and the Barbapapas for being so helpful, kind and cudly
LAST TIME I WATCHED TELEVISION AND WHY:
can't remember
Books:
ALL TIME FAVOURITE WRITERS:
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Stephen Hawking, Edgar Allan Poe, Stanislaw Lem, Franz Kafka, Agatha Christie, Harold Pinter, Peter Ustinov, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, William Burroughs, Karen Blixen;
plus i collect books on all sorts of pop and film trivia
ALL TIME FAVOURITE BOOKS:
A new dimension in terror: Like no other writer (i know),
Kafka put a whole new spin to feelings of guilt
1) Kafka "Three Novels: America/The Trial/The Castle"
2) George Orwell "1984"
3) Nathaniel Hawthorne "The Scarlet Letter"
4) Stanislaw Lem "Solaris"
5) Arthur Miller "Death Of A Salesman"
6) Karen Blixen "Out Of Africa"
7) William S. Burroughs "Naked Lunch"
to be continued...
Heroes:
PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE ME MOST:
If this fella needs an introduction then you should check wheter your head is screwed on
His Holiness the 14 Dalai Lama, Annie Lennox, Meryl Streep, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Björn Ulvaeus, Annifrid Lyngstad, Nelson Mandela, Peter Ustinov, Woody Allen, Charles Chaplin, Gisela Schneeberger, and all the people on this planet who help others without putting a price tag to it
