Happy Birthday Muse

Just under the wire again in wishing the Muse a Happy Birthday.  Looks like he was in town celebrating his natal day.

A Favorite Gerard Butler Photo

My wishes for  Gerry on his forty fifth:

     Continued good health.
     A healthy relationship with someone you care about.
     The continued love and loyalty of family and good friends.
     Lots of laughter in your life.
     The respect of the people you work with.
     And the ability to always be true to yourself.

Celebrate each moment of being alive dear Muse!

With affection,

Zoni


Songs out of tune, the words always a little wrong...Canzoni Stonate

Pushing Past the Limits .... Chasing Mavericks

While channel surfing yesterday, I stumbled upon the second part of Chasing Mavericks on TV last night.   Again, I was surprised when the last voice over from Gerry comes at the end of the movie and he utters the line about the limits pushing back.  I haven't read the "original" script but I'll bet it wasn't in there.

From the movie:  "As for the rest, all I will say is, the ones who push the limits discover......the limits sometimes push back.."

Of course when I first saw the movie I knew it sounded familiar, then realized that I had posted that very thought (if not in the exact words) right here on this blog in response to Gerry's near drowning experience.

See second paragraph:    http://stonateasmuse.blogspot.com/2011/12/nine-lives-and-rough-waters-for-muse.html

Did he get the line from me?  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.  But if he did, it won't be the first time he's borrowed something from my writing.   At least it lets me know he's listening once in a while.

It seems to be Gerry week on TV, as I caught How to Train Your Dragon on FX last night too.  I noticed that 300 is on this evening.  It's nice to see his movies get some more traction in their second life.

Keep on listening, dear Muse.  Who knows what other bits you may learn from me, even from way out in your own distant orbit.

Much affection,

Z

Songs out of tune, the words always a little wrong...Canzoni Stonate

Best photo I've seen of Gerry...

....in a long time.  And you know why?   Because he's happy to be there, despite the photographers.

Knock em dead, kid!

Zoni

Songs out of tune, the words always a little wrong...Canzoni Stonate

Bon Voyage, Dear Muse!

Looks like the Muse is off to Australia to finish prepping for his role in The Gods of Egypt which is to start filming in Sydney in several weeks.  Gerry is there early to acclimate himself, get a feel for the terrain again and soak up as much as he can in terms of physical training for this movie.

Much to his credit, he has been keeping a low profile lately and trying to stick to some healthy habits with an eye on the grueling filming of the upcoming projects in his very full basket this year.

As we all know, Gerry is a stickler for getting himself physically ready to make a new movie and, playing a mythical god, he will certainly have to look the part.

Conventional wisdom tells me he is has also been prepping mentally, knowing the next few projects are going to carry hefty price tags in terms of filming budgets and he has to be at the top of his game in order to stay competitive as an actor. The relative success of Olympus Has Fallen has given his career new life and knowing him, he is going  to give it his all.

I also know that he is "itching" to get back into creative mode.

Gerard Butler down under prepping to "look" like a god?

I wish him much luck and hope that maybe this is the role that will surpass the visibility he garnered from 300.   Or maybe, I'll just wish him success on smaller victories...such as feeling that click that takes place when you have poured your heart into a scene and know you've nailed it!  I wish him more of those kinds of victories.  They are the real mana for the creative soul.

Other advice for the Muse:

Be safe, wear some sunscreen and don't stray from some of the good habits you've picked up where your health is concerned.   If you're in this racket for the long haul, you'd better realize that without good health (both mental and physical), the rest of it  turns to dust very quickly.

Also, don't forget about having a little fun too.  Guess you don't need advice from me on that!  (grins)

Zoni

Songs out of tune, the words always a little wrong...Canzoni Stonate

300 Recipe for Success? It's In the Teeth, Zack.

Today, while browsing the internet,  I ran across the trailer for the new 300: Rise of an Empire movie, written and produced by Zack Snyder.

After watching it several times, I tried to think what was it that was missing or that could either make or break this movie's success at the box office and came to the conclusion that it just doesn't have the "teeth" the original 300 had, thanks to the shiny, white ivories supplied to the screen by my favorite Leonidas, muse Gerard Butler.

In a few words, Gerry's teeth had "presence."   They were freshly polished and probably whitened, as they were for Beowolf  (I doubt that august warrior had such lovely white choppers), and each time you see the venerable Leonidas on screen and he is rousing his men to a fervor for the fight, they are up front and present in all their Dr. Zoom glory.

During his 300 days, while every lusting male and female was  focused on Gerry's abs, I was focused on his teeth.  After all, when you are face to face with a body, the mouth and teeth are the things you are most often in very intimate contact with.... to begin with at least.   If that part of a male is not to my liking, well the rest is certainly not going to be, no matter how glorious.  Am I right ladies?

Now perhaps I am being hasty in passing judgement on the current incarnation of Greek warrior by likable scribe and producer Zack Snyder on just the strength of a trailer....but even though the lovely Eva Green has nice enough teeth, and the also lovely Lena Heady makes a return engagement as Gorgo, the only one who can compete a little with the grand Leonidas'  floridated enamal glory is Rodrigo Santoro, back for a turn as the hoop spangled King Xerxes of Persia.

Will that be enough to save the spectacle from its new male star Sulllivan Stapleton as Greek General Themistocles?   While looking fairly nice in a leather codpiece,  Mr. Stapleton's teeth just aren't able to carry the day or the gravitas that my dear muse, Gerry's wide arch and shiny, glorious, Dr. Zoom enhanced dentin did.... as he made his loud pronouncement to Spartan and foe alike in his turn as the lovely King Leonidas.....and I think the audience will pick up on that.

Show me a man's bite and I will tell you the size of his....ummm, character.  And the muse is a character, to be sure.

As for the hopefully promising  Mr. Stapleton?   Well he has quite a bite to live up to.  I wish him luck. But there is only one man who can do Sparta justice by showing his pearly whites and his uvula, and that man is Gerard Butler.

Take note, ladies and gentlemen!   I rest my case.

Look at that lovely, wide arch and nicely shaped choppers.

Just doesn't have the same bite, does it?

With tongue firmly planted in cheek,

xxoo
Zoni

Songs out of tune, the words always a little wrong...Canzoni Stonate