Category Archives: Entertainment

The Lebanese Issue With Fetih 1453

Fetih 1453 is a Turkish movie that was briefly released in Lebanese cinemas last week before meeting outrage from Greek Orthodox Christians due to its “historically incorrect” and defamatory content.

The movie has since, of course, been banned.

I won’t go endlessly about the uselessness of bans and how I’m officially against banning anything, etc, bla bla bla. You don’t want to waste your time reading it and I’m frankly tired of sounding like a broken record with this happening frequently lately.

Having said that, I do have an issue with Fetih 1453. Let’s call it the Lebanese Turkish obsession.

I don’t like Lebanese people watching Syrian-dubbed Turkish endless dramas. It was “funny” to see the Nour craze (this still makes me cringe). But when it started moving towards twenty five series per second on every single channel on TV, it became frankly nauseating.

And yet those series still find an audience. So I figured housewives and school children must be bored. The former don’t get access or can’t read Fifty Shades of Grey and the latter haven’t discovered porn yet. And it’s fine – it’s just something free and silly for them to watch.

However, I have to ask: Why did a Turkish movie get a wide release and such intensive publicity in Lebanon to begin with?

It’s not because the movie is a foreign movie. The world has about 200 countries, many of which produce cinema. I don’t see Latvian movies getting wide releases here.

It’s not because Turkey is a nearby country. I’m pretty sure Greece has movie offerings as well and we don’t get those.

It’s not because the cinema in Turkey is such an attraction. If anything, why not bring Bollywood movies? For the record, please don’t.

We don’t know the Turkish language. Most of us (I’d say all but who knows) don’t want to learn the language. Many other cinematic offerings by other more cinematically “significant” countries never see the light of day at our cinemas. And yet someone decided that this Turkish movie was such a cinematic jewel that we couldn’t live without it.

“A Separation,” a movie that by all accounts is near a masterpiece, didn’t even get a wide release here. Let alone all the billboards announcing it. And that movie is Iranian, so another neighbor whose number we don’t understand and who’s politically involved with us.

Do Lebanese movies get the same treatment in Turkey? Our movies don’t even get the same reception in Egypt that Egyptian movies get over here.

Moreover, didn’t anyone stop for a second and think what would the Lebanese Armenians think about a Turkish movie being released in Lebanon? Why don’t we bring Armenian movies to Lebanon instead? At least there are people here who’d go watch them without needing the subtitles.

It would have been much better for Fetih 1453 to be incorporated in one of the many movie festivals we get over here. Lebanese movie distributors should either be fair in bringing movies here or just keep the regular formula that honestly seems to work: bring the American and French. Leave out the rest. Sprinkle some Lebanese Nadine Labaki occasional seasoning on top. And that’s it.

Skyfall (007 Theme) – Adele

Adele is releasing the theme song for the upcoming 007 movie, Skyfall, in a couple of hours. But the song has already leaked and it’s typical Adele.

Here are the lyrics:

This is the end,

Hold your breath and count to ten.

Feel the Earth move and then

Hear my heart burst again.

 

For this is the end

I’ve drowned and dreamt this moment

So overdue I owed them

Swept away I’m stolen

 

Let the sky fall

When it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

 

Let the sky fall

When it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

At Skyfall

 

Skyfall is where we start

A thousand miles and poles apart

Where worlds collide and days are dark

You may have my number

You can take my name

But you’ll never have my heart

 

Let the sky fall

When it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

 

Let the sky fall

When it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

At Skyfall

 

Where you go, I go

What you see, I see

I know I’d never be me

Without the security 

Of your loving arms keeping me from harm

Put your hands in my hand 

And we’ll stand

 

At the skyfall

When it crumbles 

We will stand tall

And face it all together 

At skyfall

 

Let the sky fall

When it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

At Skyfall

 

Let the sky fall

We will stand tall

At skyfall

I like it actually. I won’t go into a full review of it because I have no idea how it fits with the movie but they sure incorporated the movie title well and made the song well-centered around it. Adele, of course, gives a great vocal delivery – as is expected from her – with subtle nuances here and there that make the track much more enjoyable.

However, I expected the track which was produced by the same person that did “Rolling In The Deep” to carry more punch to it, especially with it being a James Bond theme. It feels slightly subdued. However, it is still miles better than what everyone else is releasing these days.

My favorite part of the song is the end. No, I don’t mean the song ending but rather the high notes Adele reaches towards the end, serving as a climactic conclusion. In a way, the song is a buildup and it pays off.

I give it a 7.5/10.

You can listen to it here:

Red (Lyrics) – Taylor Swift

These are the lyrics for the second song in Taylor Swift’s iTunes countdown to her album, Red, the title track: Red. I find these very creative.

Loving him is like driving in a new Maserati down a dead-end street,

Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly,

Loving him is like trying to change your mind once you’ve already flying through the free-fall,

Like the colors in Autumn, so bright just before they lose it all,

 

Losing him was blue like I’d known,

Missing him was dark grey, all alone,

Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you’d never met,

But loving him was red.

 

Touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you,

Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song,

Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword and realizing there’s no right answer,

Regretting him was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong,

 

Losing him was blue like I’d known,

Missing him was dark grey, all alone,

Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you’d never met,

But loving him was red,

Oh, red… burning red.

 

Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes

Tell myself this time I gotta let go

But moving on from him is impossible 

And I should see it all in my head

Burning red 

 

Loving him was red

Losing him was blue like I’d known

Missing him was dark grey, all alone

Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you’d never met

Cause loving him was red, yeah red

Burning red

 

And that’s why he’s spinning round my head

Comes back to me burning red

This love is like driving in a new Maserati down a dead-end street

Begin Again – Taylor Swift [Single Review]

As a follow up to her pop release, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (my review), a song that underperformed on country radio, Taylor Swift is back to cater to her core audience with a bonafide country release in the form of Begin Again, a single about that first date you go on after a bad breakup as you watch love “begin again.”

The song boasts an acoustic, mellow but engaging melody. It is a country song that is story driven and lyrically great. Taylor Swift is back with Begin Again to do what she does best: conjure up great lyrics and a catchy melody. Begin Again is the song that her country audience wished she had released to introduce her new project: Red.

The song starts with the character standing in front of her mirror, getting ready for that date, and comparing what she’s doing with what her ex would have thought. Wearing heels, listening to a song were all things he frowned upon even though she liked doing them.

“Took a deep breath in the mirror. He didn’t like it when I wore high heels, but I do. Turned the lock and put my headphones on. He always said he didn’t get this song but I do, I do.”

As she goes to the cafe, she’s surprised that her date is already waiting for there. And as he does those little gestures of pulling the chair for her or waving at her, she slowly sinks into him during the chorus as he laughs at her jokes, her ex never thinking she’s funny and how she’s finally seeing something begin again.

“And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid. I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny ‘cause he never did. I’ve been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end. But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again.”

The second verse holds no reference to her ex again, interestingly, to show that whatever’s starting across that table in the cafe is helping her get over him. The talk is about the music that her ex may not approve of and her guard starts coming down.

“You said you never met one girl who has as many James Taylor records as you. But I do. We tell stories and you don’t know why I’m coming off a little shy. But I do”

And they continue knowing each other with Christmas tradition discussions at the song’s bridge, which sounds rather chunky compared to the previously smooth lyrics.

“And we walk down the block to my car and I almost brought him up. But you start to talk about the movies that your family watches every single Christmas. And I wanna talk about that. For the first time, what’s past is past.”

The song overall is Taylor Swift in her element. She sounds much more comfortable singing this than she does on “Never Ever.” Her vocal delivery of the song is quite interesting as well and suits her vocal range. Begin Again may not be ground breaking like some of her other offerings but it a song that is excellent in itself and good enough to bring her back to country radio.

Begin Again shows maturity in the way Taylor Swift can craft her sentences. It’s no longer the teenage love she inundated airwaves with but a rather more grown up approach that would resonate with anyone of any age who is getting over an abusive relationship. It also forebodes what will be an eclectic album. But more of this and less of Never Ever, please.

8/10

Begin Again (Lyrics) – Taylor Swift

As part of the promotion leading up to the release of her new album RED, Taylor Swift will be releasing a new song weekly to iTunes. This is the first of them and it’s called “Begin Again.”

It’s about the first date you go to after a messy break up.

Took a deep breath in the mirror
He didn’t like it when I wore high heels, but I do
Turned the lock and put my headphones on
He always said he didn’t get this song but I do, I do

Walked in expecting you’d be late
But you got here early
And you stand and wave
And I walk to you
You pulled my chair out and helped me
And you don’t know how nice that is
But I do

And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid
I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny ‘cause he never did
I’ve been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again

You said you never met one girl
Who has as many James Taylor records as you
But I do
We tell stories and you don’t know why I’m coming off a little shy
But I do

But you throw your head back laughing like a little kid
I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny ‘cause he never did
I’ve been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again

And we walk down the block to my car
And I almost brought him up
But you start to talk about the movies
That your family watches every single Christmas
And I wanna talk about that
For the first time, what’s past is past

‘Cause you throw your head back laughing like a little kid
I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny ‘cause he never did
I’ve been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
Then on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again
Then on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again