Mind Soup

Screenshot of " A Separate State of Mind " MIND SOUP :  A Separate State of Mind  is a new blog on the Lebanese blogosphere which discusses life, music, politics, movies and thoughts of a Lebanese youth, Elie, who is one of my best friends. I have been trying to get Elie to start a blog since I created Mind Soup two years ago (2nd birthday coming up on Feb 21 :D) but his laziness and procrastination delayed it. He has had some guest posts here on Mind Soup but now he took the plunge and after some quick trial with tumblr, he started his full wordpress.com blog:  http://stateofmind13.wordpress.com . A few things you might want to know about Elie: He's a huge Carrie Underwood fan that I started calling him a Carrieoholic.So you should definitely expect to see some posts about her. He likes country music and pop (Britney Spears anyone?) He likes to watch movies, and I mean a lot of movies, so he will be posting some movie reviews. His taste in mo...

OUR MAN IN BEIRUT : Ladies and gentlemen, following this exclusive online guide is a sure-fire way to be mistaken for a Lebanese. Driving: The driver's seat must be in an uncomfortable and impractical reclined position at all times. No more than one hands shall be on the wheel at any time. The other hand should be on the window frame. Alternatively it may be located on the gear-shift or your girlfriend's leg. Profuse use of horn is encouraged. Religious symbols are to be attached to dashboard at will. Clothes: Shirts are never to be tucked in. A minimum of three buttons must be undone to reveal chest hair and optional gold medallion. Brand names are to be exposed on every visible area of clothing. Technology: Ownership of mobile phones released more than two months ago are a big no-no. Be sure to keep your phone visible at all times. Keep it in your hand and place it on the table during diner or coffee. Fiddle around with the menu at all times, to seem like you are alw...

I found this picture posted here and it got me thinking. Ah, Disney, you always seem to spread the worst possible message to young girls out there. There's always a prince out there that must "save" us. If they really want to teach young children something new, they should make a "Beauty and the Beast" where the genders were switched. They have improved in more recent movies, but the above characters are "classic" characters and such movies will probably be viewed over and over for many years to come. *Sighs*

This song was featured on the movie The Last Song (2010). Great movie, sad story. I don't recommend that you watch it at 10:30 PM though, it will be very depressing. Trust me! Scene from the movie:

During all police investigations it will be necessary to visit a strip club at least once. If being chased through town, you can usually take cover in a passing St. Patrick's Day parade - at any time of the year. It's easy for anyone to land a plane providing there is someone in the control tower to talk you down. The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place.  No one will ever think of looking for you in there and you can travel to any other part of the building you want without difficulty. You're very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home. Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German officer, it will not be necessary to speak the language.  A German accent will do. The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris. A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds. If a large pane o...

James Cameron's 'Avatar' may soon be stopped from screening in China, as the authorities apparently feel the movie is subversive. Seemingly, the China Film Group has demanded theatres across the country to stop showing the 3-D version of Avatar from January 23 on orders from Beijing's propaganda chiefs. The Government's concern reportedly is that the citizens of the country may find similarity with Avatar's Na'vi people, who fight to save their planet from humans. The authorities have two reasons for this check on Avatar: first, it has taken in too much money and has seized market share from domestic films, and second, it may lead audiences to think about forced removal, and may possibly incite violent acts. To views relief multiple-screen cinema, in the city of Wuxi, has promised to refund the tickets booked for shows after January 23.

Roll call for the 67th annual Golden Globe awards, chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association from this list of nominees . Golden team … Avatar actor Sam Worthington, director James Cameron, actor Zoe Saldana, producer Jon Landau and actor Sigourney Weaver with the Golden Globe for best drama at the 67th Golden Globe awards. Photograph: Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images Best motion picture – drama Avatar Best performance by an actress in a motion picture – drama Sandra Bullock , The Blind Side Best performance by an actor in a motion picture – drama Jeff Bridges , Crazy Heart Best motion picture – comedy or musical The Hangover Best performance by an actress in a motion picture – comedy or musical Meryl Streep , Julie & Julia Best performance by an actor in a motion picture – comedy or musical Robert Downey Jr , Sherlock Holmes Best animated feature Up Best foreign language film The White Ribbon (Germany) Best performance by an actress in a supporting role i...

Meryl Streep  is the new queen of the Golden Globes as her win for best actress in a comedy or musical for "Julie & Julia" gives her seven statuettes to the half dozen owned by  Jack Nicholson  and  Angela Lansbury . Streep set the record for most nominations last year when her double lead actress nods for "Doubt" (drama) and "Mamma Mia!" (comedy/musical) gave her 23 in total, breaking the tie with  Jack Lemmon  who racked up 22 lead nods and 4 wins (movie drama — 0/6; movie comedy — 3/10; and TV movie/mini — 1/6) over 40 years beginning in 1960. She lost both those races -- drama to  Kate Winslet  ("Revolutionary Road") and comedy/musical to  Sally Hawkins  ("Happy-Go-Lucky"). This year, she was also a double nominee -- bringing her total tally to 25 -- competing against herself in the comedy-musical actress with a bid for "It's Complicated" as well. From her 21 movie nominations, Streep had won five Golden Globes ...

London, England (CNN) -- Obsessive, overenthusiastic, fanatical -- call them what you will. They used to be the exception rather than the norm. But these days, devoted fan followings are cropping up with increasing frequency. The latest embodiment of the die-hard fans that have emerged: "Avatards," the loyal followers of James Cameron's wildly popular 3D science fiction film "Avatar." Since the blockbuster epic hit the cinema screen across the globe last month, countless forums, Web sites and wikis devoted to all things "Avatar" have popped up. Enthusiastic fans can go to "Learn Na'vi" to study the language spoken on the mythical world of Pandora. On fan sites like "Naviblue," fans discuss everything from their bordering-on-obsessive relationship with the film to feelings of despondence caused by the fact that Pandora is not real. On fan site ""Avatar Forums," one forum member, Neytiri, offers advice on...

A Taiwanese man with a history of high blood pressure has died of a stroke that an emergency room doctor says was likely triggered from over-excitement while watching the 3D blockbuster Avatar, AFP reports. The 42-year-old man, who suffered from hypertension, was rushed to the hospital after he began feeling ill during the screening of the movie earlier this month in the Taiwanese city of Hsinchu, AFP says. The man identified only as Kuo was unconscious when he got to Nan Men General Hospital where a scan showed that his brain was hemorrhaging, Dr. Peng Chin-Chih, an emergency room doctor, told AFP. "It's likely that the over-excitement from watching the movie triggered his symptoms," the doctor told AFP. Kuo died 11 days later from the brain hemorrhage.

Well, it is time to share. I've been obsessing over Avatar like there's no tomorrow. I've seen it 3 times in the movies already and well, it gets better every time. One of my favorite parts is this epic moment:

Actual concept work from James Cameron that demonstrates Avatar is really just Pocahontas with a few names changed. In 3D.

  ASSOCIATED PRESS As news spread of the death of Edison-raised Brittany Murphy early Sunday, celebrities tweeted their reactions in full force offering prayers and well-wishes to the 32 year-old's family. Lindsay Lohan: “My deepest condonlences (sic) go out to all of Brittany Murphy’s loved ones& may she rest in peace… She was a great talent w/a beautiful soul xo.” Jessica Simpson: “Brittany Murphy was an incredible ray of Light to so many people. Her smile was contagious. My prayers are with her family and loved ones.” Former boyfriend Ashton Kutcher also tweeted his response. They starred in the 2003 romantic comedy, “Just Married.” He said: “2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine. My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany’s family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon. See you on the other side kid.” Taraji P. Henson: “hey ya’ll. Life is so precious. RIP Brittany Murphy.” “Dancing With the Stars” performer Cheryl Burke: “Wow I am shocked ...

Brittany Murphy, the star of such films as Clueless and 8 Mile, has died, her publicist and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have confirmed. The cause of death, reportedly, was cardiac arrest. Murphy was 32. “In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support,” the actress’ publicist, Nicole Perna, said in a statement. “It is their wish that you respect their privacy.” A hospital spokeswoman said Murphy was pronounced dead at 10:04 a.m. TMZ says a 911 call was made this morning from a home in Los Angeles that is listed as belonging to her husband, Simon Monjack. TMZ later reported that Murphy’s mother found the actress unconscious in the shower. A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office would only say it received a preliminary report of a death at Cedars-Sinai and is investigating the matter. Born in Atlanta, Ga. and raised by her divorced mother, Sharon, in New Jersey, Murphy began her performing career early. She nabbed a singing role at age 9 in Le...

CAIRO: Controversy abounds at the Toronto Film Festival after Ahmed Maher, the Egyptian directof of “The Traveler” pulled his film from the lineup in protest of the festival’s spotlight on Israel. The move has been received in Egypt with much praise, signaling the ongoing fight against any normalization with Israel, whether political or cultural. First-time director Ahmed Abdallah also withdrew his film “Heliopolis” from the schedule, protesting the presentation of 10 films on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, which is being featured as part of the “City to City” program. The controversy gained steam after Maher’s decision to withdraw his film, which was produced by the Egyptian ministry of culture, screened and nominated at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month. It is still unclear whether Maher’s decision to revoke the film will force it from the viewers. Festival co-director Cameron Bailey lauded the Egpytian filmmakers for “having a really strong year, addressing tough issu...

Never, quite possibly, in the history of the American cinema has a bigger, baggier monster been brought to birth and flourishing -- thirteen Academy Award nominations! -- from a more nugatory source than The Curious Case of Benjamin Button . Scott Fitzgerald's short story of 1920 is the slightest of jeux d'esprit , an avowed "experiment" based on Mark Twain's observation that it is a pity that the best part of life comes first and the worst last. To Fitzgerald, this proved the excuse for a joke, and a very slight one. In my edition of his short stories, the editor, Matthew Bruccoli, apologizes for that slightness by writing that, as he and (presumably) Fitzgerald see it, "the challenge of fantasy is to make impossible events convincing." Not anymore it isn't! It's simply to revel in the fantasy and convincing be damned -- which I, for one, don't call much of a challenge. It should not be surprising, then, that o...

So we thought we'd bring you what the best of film critics predicted for this year's academy awards, airing tonight. And here it goes: Best Film Slumdog Millionaire – This low-budget, word-of-mouth crowd-pleaser has unstoppable momentum. Best Director Danny Boyle – Completing a hat-trick after he snagged a BAFTA and a Golden Globe. Best Actor Mickey Rourke – The on- and off-screen grappler has been working the publicity circuit hard to get his performance of a lifetime the reward he thinks it merits. Best Supporting Actor Heath Ledger – People's favourite The Dark Knight was largely overlooked by the Academy, but Ledger's startling, ineffable turn as the Joker will garner the sympathy vote Best Actress Kate Winslet – As she said in Extras: "If you do a film about the Holoucaust, you're guaranteed an Oscar. Best Supporting Actress Taraji P. Henson – A sop to one of the few non-mediocre performances in David F...