Saturday, July 30, 2011

The Haunting



Oh my God!
I saw a lovely film the other night from 1963, The Haunting! I loved it!!
It was in black white, no special effects, filmed in a excellent location, it gave me the chills!! The actors were absolutely outstanding!
Here is the trailer:



I got so inspired I am really looking forward to work more with films, I crave to be back on the filmset! I truly have a passion for old films...in the past it was all about the plot, the psyche...they had no special effects so they had to rely on other things, such as finding the perfect location, building what needed to be built, suspence, drama, intrigues...
now film makers are running out of ideas, they keep copying each other or stealing from Asia, where fortunately creativity is always something vivid.
Not to mention all the remakes of old films that Hollywood is doing...nothing ever beats the original, in my modest opinion!
I am so dead tired of 3D films, of all these graphics they have to put everywhere in every flick they make...even music videos...it is all based on computer technology these days and nothing is real anymore.
Well let me tell you, this for me is a major turn off!
I prefer an old movie, in it's brilliant simplicity any day!
If you have the chance to watch THE HAUNTING from 1963 do it, you won't regret it! I would like so much to have it on dvd, I am so going to order it!
I am happy to say that I watched it alone in my living room, in the middle of the night and I actually got afraid a little...and I am not easily impressed...so this means that this film served its purpose! Thumbs up! :)

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Call it 6th sense

Call it 6th sense, the 3 rd eye or whatever, as stated in my previous blogs lately I have been suffering of serious mood swings...I noticed that everytime I feel this unexplainable sadness inside, something happens in the world...it is like my body or brain, whatever makes me feel these sensation is like preparing me for some bad news or upcoming tragedies.
It is not the first time this happens to me, but I definitely learned to pay attention to these signals. I knew something would happen...and here you go, what a horrible weekend this was for the world...yesterday the bombing attack in Oslo and the shooting of those poor innocent teenagers and today the death of Amy Winehouse.
The accident in Norway was totally unexpected and that is what shocked me the most. Norway is the most amazing country in the world in my eyes, a true natural paradise and norwegian people are really amazing, so correct in their behaviour, so kind and peaceful. I truly love Norway and I would like to move back there someday. Just yesterday I was sending emails about a course to become an official tourguide. I really hope I get accepted to this course, it would be awesome to work in Bergen next summer and eventually that being the first step to moving back there.
I was also thinking to start studying norwegian online. I understand it really well already, it is so similar to swedish, I think I can learn it really fast.
As far as Amy Winehouse I felt really sorry for her when I read about her death earlier this evening. It was kind of expected for years now, she abused too much drugs and acohol, it was just a matter of time.
I knew she would die young. I feel so sorry for her, she could have been a great star, enjoy fortune and fame, she had an amazing talent, a true natural gift from God and she threw it all away making some really bad choices in life.
She left us some great songs though. She was unique but now she is gone.
Oh Amy, what have you done?!
She had it all and she burned it.
Enough with sad thoughts. We are having a lovely storm right now as I am writing and I am really enjoying it. In Italy, in my town, it rains a lot, especially during the summer we normally have some heavy rainstorms with thunders and lightnings. Those are my favourite. When I heard a few thunders roar I just got so happy! It's like the rain is coming to wash all this sadness away, all these bad things, like a blessing from the sky.
It feels like all the tension inside me is like gone.
Earlier today though it was really hot, hot for Sweden I mean.
I was even sweating. We had 25 degrees so we went to the beach.






I turned a bit pink, but I don't think I am going to be able to get any tan, this sun is too weak for my skin, doesn't do much.
Anyway I managed to bathe. The water was freezing cold. I didn't really swim, but it was so nice to be in the water, apart from the temperature.
Hopefully tomorrow we will go to the pool, I am really in a mood for a nice swim!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Holmsund is pretty!

I took a lovely evening walk with my husband today by the sea and we saw a really awesome sunset...the light was of such a strong gold orange shade that it reminded me of some footage of the sun in Africa I saw on Tv...luckily I had the camera in my bag ( I often carry it with me when I go out) ...of course here it can never be as hot as Africa but I swear it was so lovely. I felt enchanted...here are some pictures...




and here is a picture of me in the red sunset light


Holmsund is really pretty, all sorrounded by sea and forests, it is really charming ! I love to live here! The only thing that spoils it, it is the fact that there are a few factories, but otherwise it's really lovely in the summer...there are many nice walks for jogging, hiking etc...I keep discovering new places all the time. Which is good!
Here is a street...

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The "summer" continues

Actually it feels like summer never came...unless I bathe and get some kind of tan, I cannot really call it summer.
It's been cloudy most days, slightly raining nearly everyday and honestly there were only 3 days in which temperatures were around 30 degrees, for the rest we are lucky if we even reach 20. Anyways the other day with 19 degrees we made this desperate attempt to go to the beach here in Holmsund...result: no bathing and after not even one hour we went back home...it was too cold, had goosebumps!



I must say that July hasn't been as cool as june...I was hoping for more summerish fun, maybe a little trip or something but noooo...nothing but mood swings...I have been mostly sad and crying a little bit almost everyday for some reason...either because of the difficulties we sometimes have to go through, like for instance the car broke down and after that my laptop also broke down (and it is not only extremely irritating...think about all the files I have on there!)...finances are getting drained in stupid things like this it really bothers me. Not to mention the fact that I was working full on on my book and on my new Dreamlike Horror record...
now to do anything I have to borrow Amr's computer, which by the way, doesn't have the swedish fonts I need and some of the files I need...
at least if the weather was better or if I had the chance to go on vacation I would feel much better...
I cannot really make my mind up on where I want to live...Amr doesn't seem to like it much up here in Sweden, or at least here in the northern part...he is used to Cairo, a metropolis!
I think one of the best places to live for us would maybe be London or New York City...but the problem is always the visa and all that immigration paperwork...we will see...I will work some more months, until december at least and then we see where life takes us.
Anyway it seems I only complain but I must say that I also had fun with lots of parties and concerts...it is not like I sit home depressed all the time :)
We went to see The Whyrus the other night, Tonie's band, our friend and director, it was really cool. They rocked!
Here is a pic:


It was a cool gig in the park, there were many people I knew, some good friends, it was so nice. Just something I hated happenned, I was looking forward to hanging out with a new friend but for some reason I got totally shy and felt so blocked I couldn't even talk. I don't know why! Sometimes I just freeze. I hated it.
To change the topic, today they shot some more scenes for the movie, in fact Amr has not even come back from the set yet, but he called me and said they shot something really cool today. Nice. Soon they will also make a trailer...I can't wait to see it. I really miss acting and I hope I can get more work as actress in some professional film in the future.
It's a true passion.
What else...oh yeah I made a Dreamlike Horror page on facebook today...

http://www.facebook.com/dreamlikehorror

I think it's a good idea to make this page evolve and get spread around, because I am working on the new album, so people get prepared for it...
this new album is going to be much more mature...I just wish I had better equipment at home to work with...but for now it will do.
Cheers!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Lovely day

Well I must say that today was a really lovely day from the moment I woke up! It doesn't happen very often...in fact lately I have been having some terrible mood swings because of the car breaking down and then even my own laptop! I really hated this, but what can I do...nothing major, but just really annoying...those things one can definitely do without.
I will not loose my positivity though and tomorrow we will attempt to repair the computer. I could buy another pc, but it is the files I dont wanna loose, the memories.
Today we spent a lot of time outdoors in the nature and I really loved it...hiking, running, resting on benches watching the sea...it was so peaceful, it really did me good. I should definitely spend more time outdoors, the fresh air really does wonders to body and spirit.
We discovered some really awesome places in Holmsund that we never seen before...we even found the wooden tower we heard about by chance and we went all the way up...the view from up there was absolutely breathtaking...I could look so far away into the horizon...seeing big white ships sailing at a distance, on top of the tower overlooking the forest....it was really nice, I didn't want to leave that place...I felt almost like a bird flying...at the horizon we could see a very fine line of land, I wonder if that was Finland?
I also saw some amazing houses today...all hidden in the nature...they looked absolutely splendid! Really big, with garden and private beach...I really wish to live in a villa like that someday...I wonder how much it would cost to own such a property...and most of all how hard it is going to be to even be able to purchase such a house in such a perfect location...
anyways, I plan on going back to the tower really soon...maybe tomorrow...I want to go back and take some pictures or maybe even film a little...
I have been watching Corto Maltese again for two days now ( or shall I say nights?)...ask me how much I like it from 1 to infinity!! You know the answer right?? :) I just can't get over how awesome it is...I did a real marathon, between last night and this evening and I don't seem to get enough...gonna watch another Corto Maltese dvd tomorrow with 2 more films...
we have also been watching the Tv series Supernatural, it is really good. In fact we are gonna watch an episode or two in a minute, so I greet you goodnight!
Hopefully tomorrow will be a nice day, if there is any sunshine I am gonna go down to the beach to catch some tan as I am awefully pale this summer....I tested the water today and it wasn't cold at all, so hopefully I will also go for a quick swim without getting sick :)

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Raging Steel rocked once again!

It seems this is the RAGING STEEL month! If all goes as planned, I will be attending 3 of their gigs within a few weeks! That is just awesome! I adore these guys, they are really cool and great musicians, I love their company so much.
Anyway last night we went to see their show at Verket, which is some kind punk club in Umeå, really raw with graffiti all over the wall and cool stuff like that. Too bad that I always forget to bring earplugs when I go there to concerts, the volume is always extremely loud...but that is the way it should be! Just wish they had a better sound equipment, but oh well it is punk place!


Dave and Dan of Raging Steel live at Verket, Umeå

Anyway I posted some cool videos on facebook, filmed from really close...awesome!
I actually enjoy it more watching the videos on the computer when I think how terribly hot it was at the venue...I was completely sweat, like I was in a sauna or something! It was suffocating, but the show was totally amazing as usual. They rock!

Check out one of the videos from my FB page:



Saturday, July 2, 2011

Report from the filmset

It seems like every muscle in my body is hurting right now...especially my upper arms...but I didn't lift anything, so how can it be possible?
No matter what, it was all worth it! It has been some really long days and nights, have been tired as hell, sweaty, hungry, cold but in a way I enjoyed every single second of this amazing experience!
Especially the last filming night, when we went to this amazing location in the middle of nowhere and shot the final horror scenes, everything felt just magical...like another dimension...I was really living INSIDE the film!
I can never forget this...this film got me drugged...as much as it is painful and boring to wait hours ( at times even the whole day) for one's filming turn to come, I cannot get enough of this. I need it, it sends my adrenaline to the top and just like a drug addict I need more and more doses of it to feel good again... to feel on top again.
I can totally see myself working as actress fulltime. I always wanted to study acting and I guess it is never too late to do that. You don't need to be beautiful or young, you just need to be good at what you do and be dedicated and you have a passion and work for life.
I have no idea if my performance in the movie was good or just lame, it is the first time for me to have a true role in a movie and the very first time ever to act as a zombie...and I can tell you that I gave 100% of me as far as will and dedication.
I just hope I did a good job...for me it was definitely a unique and unforgettable experience which I guess I will keep talking about all my life.
I have done things I never thought I would do for this movie....like having cow blood in my mouth...fortunately it had been cooked and then frozen, so it didn't really had a smell and it tasted kind of sweet, so it was not that bad really. Considering I do not eat meat, I thought I was going to puke, but it didn't disturb me that much I must say. The worst part of it all was to put in the red contact lenses I needed for my role. It took about 40 mins to get them in and it wasn't a very pleasurable experience having someone else putting their fingers in my eyes, it felt ackward, but without their help I wouldn't have been able to put them on at all. I didn't like to wear lenses, I had the sensation that my eyes were really big...but after a few hours I got accostumed to the feeling and I must say they looked really great on me.


FIRST DAY

My first filming day (which was the second for the others) we went to this abandonned house sorrounded by fields. What struck me the most is that the house was fully furnished, there were personal objects inside, even clothes, silver, photographs on the wall...and even a funeral urn!  What creeped me out the most was a rocking chair with a big teddy bear sitting on it. The strange thing is that it is like the people who lived there ran out all of a sudden and never came back. Something must have happenned there.
All drawers and cupboards were full of things...the people who lived there probably died and their relatives never cared to come and remove their personal belongings.
I really wonder who owns that place and why they left everything as it was and just left it unguarded for so many years. It is something I am not accostumed to, it is something that makes me wonder.
At the same time maybe it is not that strange...now that I think about it even my granma's house in Italy is left untouched as it was when she was alive. But at least the house is locked.
Anyway the place (especially the house itself) was extremely creepy. I wouldn't be surprised if there were ghosts in there for real. When I was inside I was feeling observed all the time.
Just like there were presences all around me, waiting for me to do what I had to do and waiting for me to leave...like they were the spectators and I was indeed a misplaced actor...like noone not belonging to their family was meant to enter that house.
I didn't sense any evil vibe though. It felt just creepy, but not evil.
The floor on the first floor was a bit wet. It seems the cellar was completely flooded. Some parts of the wood were moist and were very unstable.
As soon as one enters the house there is a door on the side, nearly unnoticeable as it almost looks like a wardrobe door in the wooden wall. This door leads to the upper floor. The staircase had some tiny tiny steps which are almost an invitation to fall down and break your neck. The upper floor was right under the roof, more of a storage really. Although one of the rooms must have been used as a bedroom as there were a few old small wooden beds in there, maybe it used to be the children's room.
The floor was really unsafe, especially in some spots. When someone was walking in the room, it would just shake like it was about to tumble down. Thanks God nothing happenned when I filmed my scene up there.
I cannot really give much details about the film plot because it would be a spoiler and unfair to all the people involved in the filmteam, but I can just tell you we have some great footage that I can't wait to show you.



Our main character Diana enters the abandonned house


A really scary image of me reflected in the mirror inside the house
 (this image is not part of the film footage)


Shooting my first scene
I shot a really awesome scene in the barn outside of the house. I did a really cool stunt there, I cannot wait to see the final result on the movie. I cut myself a bit with a wooden door because the surface was not smooth and it had some rusted nails on, it burned a bit but nothing major really. I was more worried about getting infected than anything else, just a small cut really and it is healing now.
The best feeling of all came when I removed the zombie make up. Normally I wouldn't go out without make up, but when I saw myself in the mirror and saw how my face truly looked I felt extremely beautiful.


THE SECOND DAY

The second day we filmed Amr's scenes, the looters gang. We spent all day in the forest and it was hot as hell. It was a bit boring for me because I didn't have any scene that day, but it was definitely interesting to see things proceed. I spent my time helping out with small things here and there and most of all I filmed with my camera some footage "behind the scenes" which we will be using for "The making of...".
I must say that the guys were looking awesome in their outfits, especially Amr.
What I hated the most was the large amount of insects, mosquitoes and ants in particular, flying and crawling everywhere. I am not a fan of insects, on the contrary I dread them...but they are God's creation and deserve respect, after all it was us who went into their natural environment.


a picture of the second day


THE THIRD DAY

The third day for me was actually the fourth for the film. This was by far the most exciting and interesting day of all. Unfortunately, thinking that I was going to shoot my scene early in the afternoon, I had put in the red eye contacts already at 1 PM...and I had to keep them in until the next morning! My eyes got really dry and I was feeling really uncomfortable all day. My turn didn't come until the morning early hours, I hadn't had much sleep at all so all day was a big wait and I wanted to take a little nap but couldn't because of the eye contacts.
I didn't want to go through the whole torturing process of putting them in again, especially when we were in the forest and didn't have much water with us (not to mention a bathroom).
Another element that made me highly uncomfortable was the fact that my hair was dirty and sticky, something I really find disgusting. Normally I would never show myself in public with dirty hair, in fact I wash it every second day so I never even give it time to get really dirty. I decided to keep it this way because of my role in the film, to fit in better.


Here is a picture of me on the set in the afternoon
...sweaty, dirty hair and red lenses on

Anyways we filmed some extremely cool scenes with the Looters the whole afternoon.
At 10 pm we went back to Umeå to pick up Linda, Horror Girl nr. 2. I enjoyed very much seeing her transform into a zombie, she looked absolutely gorgeous.
When everything was ready, the extremely tired filmteam made its way into the wilderness to find this other abandoned house were we had to film our horror scenes.
We drove for like an hour to find this place and got lost twice. It didn't bother me that much, although for the others was really getting frustrating after filming all day, because I was enjoying the wonderful spectacle of nature at night...here in the north of Sweden it doesn't really get dark in the summer, but there was a lot of fog which created a wonderful atmosphere that really set the mood right for the scenes we had to shoot.


check this out!

When we finally found the location everybody got extremely amazed by it.
It was a dream landscape for any kind of horror film... a big beautiful house in the middle of a field, with a well, sorrounded by forests...bones of animals laying in the tall grass, the fog creating a surreal and creepy atmosphere...it was a blessing!
I was tired as hell but most of all I was hungry. My stomach was making the most horrible sounds you can imagine...non stop.  The air was really cold...I cannot tell how cold that was but I guess around 5 degrees. Let's say that in the little dress I was wearing I was totally freezing.  I had a lot of blood on my dress which was beginning to stink and I kept wondering if that could attract wild animals...like bears for instance... I wasn't scared though.
The house was really beautiful. In much better condition as the first one where we filmed, but didn't have much furniture in it. It looked like a haunted place though.
As soon as we came in, we saw laying in the corridor a handwritten sign which said: "Gå!".
Of course it means "Go!". Not very reassuring.
A part from that I had lots of fun filming the horror scenes! It was amazing! The other horror girl was really good too. We had a great time.
In the end we took some funny pictures, I will only post a few.


This is an amazing picture of me at the location above mentioned that we are using for promotion



With our director Tonie



I guess my parts are pretty much done...can't wait to see the final result!!