Insomnio

"Court" is an Indian courtroom drama that was released in my country over eight months ago. It made its official debut at the 71st Venice International Film Festival in the Horizons category and it won the Best Film Award and Lion of the Future Award. The latter is awarded to the best debut film regardless of the section in which it was submitted to. Moreover, "Court" won the Best Film at the National Film Awards in India and it was the official proposal by India for the Oscar for the Best Foreign Language Film! I had not previously seen the official trailer of the movie, but I knew the plot, which seemed quite special to me. An elderly songwriter is arrested by local police on charges that the lyrics of a revolutionary song prompted a worker of the sewerage network to commit suicide at work. A young lawyer will undertake the case, who believes that his client is wrongly accused in the dock and he tries to convince the judge and the prosecutor that it is an insubstantial accusation against him. The film contains several scenes in the court but the Indian director, Chaitanya Tamhane, made sure to enrich it with several outdoor shootings. Moreover, he was the one who wrote the script and he was fully aware what he wanted to tell us with this story. Essentially, "Court" highlights the way in which cases are solved within the Indian courts but also highlights the lack of freedom of expression that prevails in the country. Also, the main initiator of the story, Chaitanya Tamhane, shows us the daily life of the judge and lawyers outside the courtroom. "Court" was well-directed, it had beautiful photography and it had very good performances. Despite this, I think the scenario of the film was the strong point since the film wanted to spread a lot of messages to viewers. However, in many places, the film resembled a documentary and it wanted to blast the Indian legal system than touch viewers’ hearts. Of course, the latter is not considered necessarily bad although I personally prefer movies that cause me some strong emotion. "Court" is a remarkable film which is quite enlightening with its content. It received very positive reviews and it won many awards worldwide. It was the second candidate film for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film that I watched up to that time and it was too early to give it a high classification. However, something told me that maybe it would be one of the five nominated films, on the one hand because it made sense whenever it was released and on the other hand, it had been some time since an Indian film had won the attention of critics worldwide. However, it’s a shame that this film did lousy in Greek cinemas, at a time where viewers should have been more selective -and more puzzled- with their choices. 4sc8z7zav9A

"Black Mass" is the latest film by Johnny Depp, which premiered in my country over eight months ago. It was originally screened in the “Fuori Concorso” of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival and it was discussed enough because of the interpretation of Depp. It hit the top in my country’s Box Office in the first weekend viewing but it declined significantly its second week of release. Although I am not a fan of gangster films, I was very curious about the content of "Black Mass". The film is based on the book "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob" by the two reporters Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill. The central character of the story is the infamous villain, James "Whitey" Bulger, who acted in Boston during the 1970s and 1980s. When the agent of the FBI, John Connolly, will ask Bulger to ally with the police in order to arrest the chief of the Italian Mafia, he will do it with the sole aim, of course, to assume the control of all the city's illegal activities such as drugs, prostitution, protection etc. "Black Mass" is a fairly interesting movie that kept my study interest from beginning to end. The filmmaker Scott Cooper did a great job, without having special filmography to his credit, and the choice of Johnny Depp in the protagonist role was simply the best. I think Depp gave one of the best performances of his career, avoiding the various roles/caricatures of which have grown accustomed to. He was very convincing in the role of the Irish mobster and his transformation was very successful in film circles. "Black Mass" had amazing directing, elaborate montage, excellent makeup (Depp was unrecognizable) and very good scenery. The two screenwriters of the film, Jez Butterworth and Mark Mallouk, focused mainly on the character and the action of the central face of story, showing events from an objective standpoint. They did not want to turn the character into a hero or even likable for the public, which we have seen it in other kinds of films in the past. This guy was a big criminal and when he killed, he did not show mercy for his victims. Let alone, his actions have had a negative impact on the political career of his brother, William "Billy" Bulger, whose character was diametrically opposed to him. "Black Mass" is definitely one of the best films of last year! It had a very remarkable production and Johnny Depp gave an incredible performance! "Black Mass" won critical acclaim worldwide and Johnny should have been nominated in the Oscars. I have not seen many gangster movies on the big screen so as to have a complete picture of this genre, but I would highly recommend "Black Mass".

Celine Dion released her new single "The Show Must Go On" as a digital single two days ago!! Celine performed "The Show Must Go On" live during her Taking Chances World Tour in 2008 and 2009, paying tribute to Queen and Freddie Mercury according to Wikipedia. She is going to perform the song during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards tonight. "The Show Must Go On" is definitely one of my favourite songs ever and Celine is my favourite singer. Her performance is captivate and I hope the audience will appreciate it. Celine has great discography and I'm sure that everyone could find many gems if he/she listened to her albums. FNuaToTYn7s

Odds shouldn't have existed. They promote specific countries every time and they always have an effect. I hope they will fail this year and we will have an unexpected winner!

Based on their songs and performances from Semi-Finals 1 Armenia: Iveta Mukuchyan - LoveWave (I feel that she is the real winner here. Epic song, fantastic production, amazing vocals, gorgeous woman. I was totally speechless four days ago. 11/10!) 2 Italy: Francesca Michielin - No Degree of Separation (I'm a fan of Italian music and this is one of my favourite Italian songs ever! Her performance is emotional and she deserved the winning. However, I don't like her staging so much. Why so many flowers..?? Though, I will vote her today). 3 France: Amir - J'ai cherché (Amir has the most radio-friendly song in the contest. It could be a massive hit without Eurovision too. His vocals are not the best this year but his performance is really nice. He doesn't need to use one million visual effects like Russia to get the attention of audience). 4 Spain: Barei - Say Yay! (It could be a great winning song. She has powerful vocals, amazing movements and interesting performance. I feel that Spanish have sent the best -total- entries in the last five years) 5 Bulgaria: Poli Genova - If Love Was A Crime (I thought that her song is a typical dance track three days ago but when I saw her amazing perfromance, I totally changed my mind). 6 Australia: Dami Im - Sound of Silence (I think that we all agree that Dami Im is a charismatic performer. Her song is a big ballad and her vocals are awesome. However, I prefer an European country to win the contest. Australia is a welcome guest but not a welcome winner). 7 United Kingdom: Joe & Jake - You're Not Alone (I love their song and I hope they will have a decent place today. They have energy, fun, strength etc. One of the best UK entries in ESC. Maybe, I will vote for them). 8 Belgium: Laura Tesoro - What's the Pressure (Her song is a combination between "Sax" and "Another One Bites The Dust". It lacks of inspiration but her choreography is so professional. I feel that she had the best performance two days ago. 9 Azerbaijan: Samra - Miracle (This is the best Azeri entry ever! The girl is gorgeous and her song is addictive. However, I didn't like her performance so much. I prefer the simple performance in her videoclip). 10 Latvia: Justs - Heartbeat (I love the song and I liked his passionate performance. I think that he gave all his best). 11 Ukraine: Jamala - 1944 (Her song is not very special by itself but the meaning is very strong. Her performance always gives me goosebumps but I think that Eurovision is a song contest. However many people will vote it because it is againt to Russia. Everybody believes this in my country. I couldn't hepl but wonder if Cypriots sang a song against the invasion of Turkish what will be the reaction of producers...?). 12 Austria: Zoë - Loin d'ici (Her song is very listenable and radio-friendly. However, her performance is too girly for my taste without meaning that Zoe was bad two days ago). 13 Serbia: ZAA Sanja Vučić - Goodbye (Shelter) (The song is very good but I have mixed feelings about her performance. Also, she oversings it in the last thirty seconds). 14 Cyprus: Minus One - Alter Ego (Their song was in my Top 5 but their performance was so static. The fronter should have grabbed the microphone and running all around the stage. This is a rock performance). 15 Sweden: Frans - If I Were Sorry (His song is very catchy and I don't know why he has so many haters. His performance is simple but it fits to this song). 16 Poland: Michał Szpak - Color of Your Life (His voice is great and I love the song. It reminds me of 90's. Nevertheless, I expected a better performance from him) 17 Lithuania: Donny Montell - I've Been Waiting for This Night (It's a typical pop song but his performance was very good two days ago. He deserved the ticket for the final). 18 Russia: Sergey Lazarev - You Are the Only One (I really like the song and the videoclip is great. However, they are so desperate to win and they use all the visual efffects to steal the show. It's a big NO from me. Try to be competitive and not smugs). 19 Germany: Jamie-Lee Kriewitz - Ghost (I found this song very repetitive when I made my first list but I liked her performance. Quite unique). 20 Malta: Ira Losco - Walk on Water (I like this song but her performace was very static and I expected something better from her. I know that she is pregnant but this is her own problem..:P). 21 Georgia: Nika Kocharov & Young Georgian Lolitaz - Midnight Gold (I didn't expect it to be in the final. It was a big surprise for me. Interesting performance but there are 20 songs better than it). 22 Czech Republic: Gabriela Gunčikova - I Stand (Very good vocals but I didn't like the colours of the visual effects. Also, it's a typical ballad without being great). 23 Croatia: Nina Kraljić - Lighthouse (Her song was in my Top 10 before her performance. Weak vocals, awful dress and poor staging. She ruined it). 24 Israel: Hovi Star - Made of Stars (His performance was very good on Semi-Final 2 but his song is so beige. Probably the definition of beige). 25 The Netherlands: Douwe Bob - Slow Down (His voice is quite good but his song has never an impact on me). 26 Hungary: Freddie - Pioneer (I really can't stand his voice. His song reminds me of "Imagine Dragons"). It's the first year that there isn't one bad song!!

Lay It On Me (Featuring Big Sean)

"Ray of Light" is fantastic song! Its videoclip is simply great!

1990s +40 Cher - Believe +39 Madonna - Ray Of Light +38 George Michael - Freedom! +37 Cher - Heart Of Stone +36 Duran Duran - Come Undone +35 Cranberries - Dreams +34 Solid Harmonie - I'll Be There For You +33 Kylie Minogue - Some Kind Of Bliss +32 Jennifer Lopez - Waiting For Tonight +31 Ace Of Base - Lucky Love +30 Mariah Carey - Someday +29 Janet Jackson - Together Again +28 Army Of Lovers - Crucified +27 Everything But The Girl - Missing +26 Cher - Save Up All Your Tears +25 Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence +24 Massive Attack - Teardrop +23 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Feat Kylie Minogue - Where The Wild Roses Grow +22 Madonna - Take A Bow +21 Jewel - You Were Meant For Me +20 Shawn Colvin - Sunny Came Home +19 Paula Cole - Where Have All The Cowboys Gone? +18 Len - Steal My Sunshine +17 Pulp - Disco 2000 +16 James - Laid +15 R.E.M - It's The End Of The World As We Know It +14 Janet Jackson - If +13 Boo Radleys - Wake Up Boo +12 Kirsty MacColl - Walking Down Madison +11 Dubstar - Not So Manic Now +10 Mercury Rev - Goddess On A Hiway +9 B-52s - Roam +8 Pulp - Do You Remember The First Time? +7 Lightning Seeds - Marvellous +6 Chemical Brothers - Out Of Control +5 Bjork & David Arnold - Play Dead +4 Tricky - Overcome +3 Breeders - Cannonball (EP) +2 Placebo - Teenage Angst +1 Beck - Where It's At 00 Aphex Twin - Come To Daddy

1980s +40 Queen - Who Wants To Live Forever +39 Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal +38 Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation +37 Madonna - Open Your Heart +36 The Pogues Feat Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York +35 Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus +34 Julian Cope - World Shut Your Mouth +33 Michael Jackson - Thriller +32 Sheila & B Devotion - Spacer +31 Kim Wilde - Cambodia +30 Abba - Lay All Your Love On Me +29 Black Box - Ride On Time +28 Cure - In Between Days +27 Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror +26 Sade - The Sweetest Taboo +25 Abba - Thank You For The Music +24 The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me +23 Jesus & Mary Chain - Just Like Honey +22 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill +21 Prince & The Revolution - Raspberry Beret +20 Jennifer Holliday - And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going +19 Cure - Boys Don't Cry +18 Damned - Alone Again Or +17 Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush - Don't Give Up +16 Lightning Seeds - Pure +15 Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Perfect Skin +14 Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb - Guilty +13 Cocteau Twins - Pearly-Dewdrops Drops +12 Kate Bush - Babooshka +11 Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime +10 Weird Al Yankovic - Eat It +9 Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice +8 New Order - Touched By The Hand Of God +7 Echo & The Bunnymen - Crocodiles +6 Wonder Stuff - It's Yer Money I'm After Baby +5 Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money) +4 New Order - Shellshock +3 Pop Will Eat Itself - Can U Dig It? +2 Teardrop Explodes - Reward +1 Kraftwerk - Pocket Calculator 00 Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual

1970s +40 Fleetwood Mac - Dreams +39 Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me +38 Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way +37 Carly Simon - You're So Vain +36 Donna Summer - Could It Be Magic +35 Earth Wind & Fire - Fantasy +34 Maxine Nightingale - Right Back Where We Started From +33 Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road +32 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights +31 Donna Summer - MacArthur Park +30 XTC - Making Plans For Nigel +29 Doors - Riders On The Storm +28 Pretenders - Kid +27 Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music +26 Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On +25 Barry White - I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More Baby +24 Bill Withers - Lean On Me +23 James Brown - Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine +22 Rose Royce - Car Wash +21 Isaac Hayes - Theme From 'Shaft' +20 Elton John - Bennie And The Jets +19 David Bowie - Diamond Dogs +18 Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Side +17 The Slits - Typical Girls/I Heard It Through The Grapevine +16 Buzzcocks - Love You More +15 Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Oliver's Army +14 Peaches & Herb - Shake Your Groove Thing +13 Matt Monro - And You Smiled +12 Buzzcocks - Promises +11 Marc Bolan & T-Rex - Teenage Dream +10 The Clash - English Civil War (Johnny Comes Marching Home) +9 Small Faces - Lazy Sunday +8 The Jam - Modern World +7 Blondie - Picture This +6 Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23 +5 The Jam - News Of The World +4 X Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescence +3 Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze +2 Television - Marquee Moon +1 Kraftwerk - Autobahn 00 Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron

Kisses Down Low is quite bad..

I love both of them but "Born To Die" is one of my favourites songs of the 2010s. So, I voted "Video Games".

Like A Boy

Very good No.1 although I adore "Stay" and "Torn". Thanks for your good work! I'm looking forward to your next countdown (Maybe 2000-2009..?).

"The Martian" is a science fiction film that was released in my country over six months ago. It is based on the homonymous novel by Andy Weir, which was released in bookstores five years ago and it managed to become a bestseller worldwide! I had seen the official trailer many months ago but to be honest I was not very impressed by the selected scenes. However, I wanted to see it on the big screen and it took over a month to make this happen because of some unexpected events that have occurred in my life those weeks. The central character of the story is the astronaut Mark Watney, who is considered dead and abandoned by the remaining members of a manned mission to Mars after his injury during a severe storm. However, Mark Watney is still alive and lives all alone on the Red Planet, with minimal supplies to survive. However, his knowledge in botany will prove life-saving because he will use it accurately in order to have more food while his knowledge in engineering will help him to communicate with NASA. Once the latter happens, NASA and a wider group of scientists will try to bring him back with the technical know-how that they have available while on their side, they will have to support of the other crew members who will risk everything to rescue him! "The Martian" was much better than I did expect. Of course, I did not know anything about the plot, but as I mentioned above, its official trailer did not stir my curiosity. However, "The Martian" had impressive visual effects, elaborate montage, pretty good filming, excellent photography and very loud sound effects! The directing was undertaken by the internationally renowned British director Ridley Scott, who has worked in the past with science fiction movies such as Alien (1979), the Blade Runner (1982) and Prometheus (2012). However, his new work is very different from the past in terms of how it was filmed. "The Martian" had very bright image and bold colors in comparison with his other three movies, which had a more dark atmosphere. In this factor, of course, it played a catalytic role in some of the scenarios of the film. With this, there were a number of doses of humor in pleasant ways. Having watched many films from his filmography, I can say that Ridley Scott is undoubtedly one of the most talented filmmakers of his generation. He has offered to us valuable films and some of them are among the list of my favorite such as 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Gladiator, Matchstick Men, Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood. Furthermore, "The Martian" had pretty interesting characters and good performances on top of all that of Matt Damon's. He seemed to be the ideal choice for this role because I could not imagine someone else in his place. The remaining cast is comprised of distinguished and talented actors who fit perfectly with the characters that they portrayed. The film may exaggerate in many places but the story does not cease to be a fictional product so it would be inappropriate to judge it very strictly. "The Martian" was definitely one of the best productions of last year! It had a very successful career in the Box Office with total revenues of more than $630 million worldwide. Moreover, it was a successful movie in my country too, indicating that the Greek audience likes to watch science fiction movies mostly on the big screen. It was also nominated for seven Oscars and Matt Damon won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. Last but not least, it received very positive reviews from critics and it has garnered a high rating on IMDb (8,1). It may not have the robust technical and the aesthetic result of Interstellar but it is seen pleasantly by everyone and amuses you with its exciting storyline and its amiable characters.

"Crimson Peak" is a metaphysical thriller that was released in my country at the end of October. I had seen its official trailer many months ago, which piqued my curiosity. We rarely watch period films with a strong element of horror in cinema and "Crimson Peak" seemed to combine it perfectly. However, I did not know anything about the script of the movie so I did several speculations during the plot. I believe that it’s better not to read the case before you go see it so that there is more mystery and suspense while you watch it. "Crimson Peak" was not very scary although it contained some sudden and violent scenes. However, it was a dark story with evocative atmosphere, impressive scenery and loud sound effects. The Mexican director Guillermo del Toro did an incredible job on the piece of filmmaking as he undertook the script of the film along with Matthew Robbins. Additionally, he participated in the production, something that shows that he devoted much time and money in this endeavor. Having seen "Pan's Labyrinth" on the big screen ten years ago, I can say that del Toro excels at stories that balance between the imaginary and the real, and this certainly happened in "Crimson Peak" too! The man has talent and he is one of the few Latin American directors that have unlimited creativity and imagination. In addition, the three main actors were very good, with Jessica Chastain as the top of these performances. Also, the dialogues of the film were clever and well written. The script was not in any way predictable and while the plot was evolving, it became increasingly subversive. The film also had a magnificent photography, very bright colors and fabulous period costumes! I believe that it should have been nominated in some categories of Oscars. "Crimson Peak" was one of the most remarkable productions of last year! It is based on an interesting and original script idea and the director made sure to invest in imaginative scenes. Despite this, its earnings were not as expected on both sides of the Atlantic after making very modest numbers. However, in my country, it hit the second place in the box office. It had satisfactory revenues in the first three days of its release and it was one of the most successful movies of last autumn given its total tickets. I strongly believe that this movie deserves public attention because it contains all the elements that make cinema exciting!

The new film version of "Macbeth" was displayed in my country's cinemas during last October. It is based on the homonymous play by senior author, William Shakespeare, and it was nominated for the Palm d’Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival! "Macbeth" was discussed quite a lot of by the movie sites because of the involvement of the two protagonists. Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard are undoubtedly two of the most acclaimed actors of their generation! To be honest, I knew that "Macbeth" had the signature of the maximum English poet and writer, William Shakespeare, but I did not know the exact content of its story. So, the film adaptation was a good opportunity to enrich my knowledge. "Macbeth" evolves in Scotland in the early 17th century and has to do with ambition and greed that someone can have for power. The central character of the story is Scottish general Macbeth, who in collaboration with his wife, assassinates the King of Scotland so he climbs to the throne. However, his passion for power will lead him to other killings during his rule. "Macbeth" was a pretty good movie in general terms. It had great directing, atmospheric photography and loud sound effects. Australian Justin Kurzel did a great job in the military scenes and created a unique red scene towards the end of the film. The interpretations of the actors were good and Fassbender was convincing in the title role. Despite this, I consider that the second part of the film was more bearable than the first part. The very dark and depressive shots and the lyricism of speech were very tedious especially in the beginning of the film. This happened because the writers faithfully followed the text of Shakespeare, although it should have been taken into consideration that the film audience is quite different from theatergoers. I would prefer to see pedestrians dialogues so as not to think every time what lies behind the speeches of the main characters of the story. Moreover, the basic meaning of Macbeth is always topical and timeless and they did not need to use this form of dialogue to make sense. "Macbeth" is one of the remarkable productions of last year! It received great reviews worldwide and it had a warm reaction at Cannes Film Festival, although it did not win any of the awards. However, its earnings were disappointing and it seemed to only excite the British public, which of course was expected. I imagine that large portion of the cinema audience has already watched previous versions of "Macbeth" -whether in the cinema or theater- or simply not moved by such stories. Personally, however, I found it quite good, although it could have avoided poetry in the script. Do not see this film at the end of a work day.

2SF13 please

Eurovision has great songs this year! It will be a strong competition although it lacks of originality! Amazing 1. Italy // Francesca Michielin - Nessun grado di separazione (This is my favourite song this year and it is one of my favourite Eurovision Songs ever! Wonderful melody and beautiful performance. I could fall in love -with this song- again! It's the winner in my heart)). 2. Armenia: Iveta Mukuchyan - LoveWave (What an epic song!!! Its production is totally awesome and the song is so f*ckin' original! It deserves to be the winner). 3. France // Amir Haddad - J’ai Cherché (This song is adorable and I believe that it will be a radio hit in Europe. France can be winner this year! I will support it). 4. Azerbaijan // Samra - Miracle (This is my favourite entry from this country so far! Their winning song was so forgettable when this could be a successful soundtrack for a movie like "Creed". The song reminds me of Sandra). 5. Cyprus // Minus One - Alter Ego (This is my favourite Cypriot entry ever! However, it reminds me of Daughtry. I feel that they inspired "Alter Ego" from this band. I hope it will be in the Top 10). 6. United Kingdom // Joe & Jake - You're Not Alone (I love Uk entry this year! It reminds me of One Night and Only. An underatted band. I hope it will be a hit in Uk Music Charts because it deserves it). 7. Malta // Ira Losco - Walk On Water (It has amazing production and Ira was totally robbed by Marie N sixteen years ago. I think that she deserves a second chance to be the winner). 8. Russia // Sergey Lazarev - You Are The Only One (Very catchy song. The definition of Europop. However, I don't want Russia will win again. We need a new country or a dinosaur winner like France). 9. Poland // Michał Szpak - Color Of Your Life (Very beautiful performance. This song would have been a big hit in the early 90's. I adore this decade. Color Of Your Life has Jon Secada vibes). 10. Croatia // Nina Kraljić - Lighthouse (This singer sounds like Bo Bruce. The latter had an amazing debut album. "Lighthouse" is a magical song and it has brilliant production). 11. Australia // Dami Im - Sound Of Silence (Dami Im has an incredible voice. Her song is amazing but it doesn't make the difference. Many people will claim that it's a typical pop ballad. Also, her singing reminds me of Helena Paparizou without meaning something bad). 12. Austria // Zoë - Loin d'ici (Beautiful song, Beautiful Artist and Beautiful Language. This will be a radio hit in my country because we love french songs like this. It's an unexpected entry from Austria. Well Done). 13. Spain // Barei - Say Yay! (The beginning of the song is so promising but its chorus is a little bit generic. However, it's very powerful song and I guess that it will be a massive hit in Europe). Very Good 14. Greece // Argo - Utopian Land (I know that it's not our typical Eurovision entry but it has traditional instruments and it talks about refugees. I found it catchy and different than the rest. However, it's obvious that we don't want to win the competition when we have so many debts). 15. Czech Republic // Gabriela Gunčíková - I Stand (The best entry from this country by far! Very beautiful performance and it reminds me of Delta Goodrem). 16. Latvia // Justs - Heartbeat (It's very catchy song and it has nice production too. I guess that it would sound great in a club although my clubbing days are long gone). 17. Ukraine: Jamala - 1944 (Jamala looks like Mel C!!! 1944 could be a soundtrack from a drama war movie. Very emotional performance and it always gives me goosebumps. Nervertheless, I'm not sure if it fits on this contest). 18. Belgium // Laura Tesoro - What's The Pressure (I really like this song but it reminds me of "Call My Name" by Charlotte Church. A nice choreography will help it a lot). Quite Good 19. Serbia // ZAA Sanja Vučić - Goodbye (Shelter) (The only song has grown on me. The verses are really great but I don't like its chorus so much. Its production is amazing though). 20. Bulgaria // Poli Genova - If Love Was A Crime (This is an unexpected entry from Bulgaria. I'm sure that this song will be popular in my country based on the current musical taste). 21. Sweden // Frans - If I Were Sorry (Catchy song but it's a little bit childish too. I think that teenagers will support it). 22. Montenegro: Highway - The Real Thing (I like the production of the song and the verses are good. It makes the difference). Good 23. Switzerland // Rykka - The Last Of Our Kind (This song reminds me of Kim Wilde. However, Kim has better songs although I like this song too). 24. F.Y.R.O.M // Kaliopi - Dona (It has a nostalgic feeling. It could be an oldest entry in Eurovision (1994-1997). 25. Estonia // Jüri Pootsmann - Play (Its production is quite interesting. However, It's not my cup of tea. It deserves a decent place though). 26. Norway: Agnete - Icebreaker (This song is a mix of different melodies. Of course, it's not a bad song but there's something missing). 27. Iceland // Greta Salóme - Hear Them Calling (Of Monsters and Men's melody with Loreen's movements. The result is quite good but it's not original though..). 28. Hungary // Freddie - Pioneer (The song is quite good but his voice grates in my ears). 29. Ireland // Nicky Byrne - Sunlight (I like many songs from Westlife and Sunglight could be a decent -4th- single from their discography). 30. Slovenia // ManuElla - Blue And Red (She looks like Taylor Swift and her song could be an album filler of "Red". However, I like this kind of music and I hope she will get through to the final). Listenable 31. Denmark // Lighthouse X - Soldiers Of Love (Nice melody but it doesn't make the difference. It could be a forgettable song from Westlife) 32. Lithuania // Donny Montell - I've Been Waiting For This Night (It's listenable but it's quite repetitive and generic too. He repeats "I've Been Waiting For This Night" so many times). 33. Romania // Ovidiu Anton - Moment Of Silence (Meat Loaf could have sung this song with a haunting videoclip. I feel that it doesn't fit on this contest. Maybe, it could be a winner in Metalvision). 34. Netherlands: Douwe Bob - Slow Down (Netherlands had better entries in the past. I feel that I've heard that song before. It's listenable though). 35. Germany // Jamie-Lee Kriewitz - Ghost (It's not a bad song but it tends to be repetitive and boring. Its obvious that Germany has much better movies than songs. Lena was a brilliant exception). 36. Georgia // Nika Kocharov & Young Georgian Lolitaz - Midnight Gold (This could be a single from a UK indie rock band of 90's. It's not the typical song for this contest but it will be loved by alternative fans. If they watch Eurovision..). Not very bad but these countries could have a better entry 37. Bosnia & Herzegovina // Dalal & Deen ft. Ana Rucner & Jala - Ljubav je (I always support folk songs but the rap part is quite painful). 38. Moldova: Lidia Isac - Falling Stars (It's obvious that Moldova just wants to take part in this festival. They don't want to win when they send songs like "Falling Stars". It's not bad but it's so generic). 39. Albania // Eneda Tarifa - Përrallë (The Albanian version was much better than this. I feel that English doesn't fit on this song). 40. Belarus // Ivan - Help You Fly (This song is not very bad but his live performance was tragic. Singing needs hard work and I don't think that he has enough time to improve his vocal skills). 41. Israel // Hovi Star - Made Of Stars (His performance is good but the song is so uninteresting). Just No 42. Serhat - I Didn't Know (Very old fashioned. It gives me Amanda Lear and Dalida vibes even though Amanda and Dalida were iconic and Serhat is a cartoon). 43. Finland: Sandhja - Sing It Away (The verses are decent but its chorus is generic as hell. It also irritates me).

+40 Shakespeare's Sister - Stay +39 Natalie Imbruglia - Torn +38 Belinda Carlisle - Summer Rain +37 Alanis Morissette - Ironic +36 Queen - The Show Must Go On +35 Belinda Carlisle - Runaway Horses +34 Roxette - Fading Like A Flower (Every Time You Leave) +33 New Radicals - You Get What You Give +32 Madonna - The Power Of Goodbye/Little Star +31 Cher - One By One +30 Alanis Morissette - Hand In My Pocket +29 Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness +28 R.E.M - Losing My Religion +27 Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains +26 Divinyls - I Touch Myself +25 Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart/Filthy +24 KD Lang - Constant Craving +23 The Source ft Candi Staton - You Got The Love +22 Beloved - Sweet Harmony +21 Saint Etienne - Pale Movie +20 Alanis Morissette - You Learn +19 Blink 182 - What's My Age Again? +18 Cardigans - My Favourite Game +17 Sheryl Crow - Strong Enough +16 Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know +15 Massive Attack - Safe From Harm +14 Bjork - Human Behaviour +13 Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain +12 TLC - Waterfalls +11 Janet Jackson - Every Time +10 Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring +9 Lightning Seeds - Sense +8 Saint Etienne - I Was Born On Christmas Day +7 New Order - True Faith '94 +6 Cardigans - Carnival +5 Alison Moyet - Whispering Your Name +4 Crash Test Dummies - The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead +3 Sparks - When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' +2 Cardigans - Sick And Tired +1 Divine Comedy - Becoming More Like Alfie 00 Pet Shop Boys - I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing

Why are R'n'B artists are so obsessed with this word..? We don't like to work..Enough

Comeback

"La Loi du Marche" is a French social film that was released in my country’s cinemas over six months ago. It was originally screened at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where Vincent Lindon won the award for “Best Actor” and the film won a commendation awarded by the Ecumenical Jury. Although it did not win the Palme d’Or, it received very positive comments and was applauded by the audience who had the chance to attend the premiere of the movie. In my city, it didn’t have widespread distribution and only two cinemas chose to display it. However, the cinema that we saw it, it was full of people. It is obvious that the economic crisis and unemployment have greatly influenced European filmmakers and several films have been filmed with similar content in recent years such as "Two Days, One Night", "Beautiful Youth", etc. Their stories revolve around the problems and dilemmas that economic impasses bring on the protagonists and their development is always moving without being melodramatic. So in this specific case, "La Loi du Marche" is a film that deals with the enormous problem of unemployment but also gives emphasis to the strict rules of the market. Frenchman Stéphane Brize not only undertook the directing of the film but he also wrote the screenplay along with Olivier Gorce. He managed within 93 minutes to present a human story that is very close to reality. He chose a very good actor for the leading role, given the opportunity to amateur actors to participate in the film. This has as a consequence of the film to be more realistic. "La Loi du Marche" had very interesting scenario, well-written dialogues and excellent performance from Vincent Lindon. It shows things as they are and followed the main character of the story in the whole duration of the movie. However, the intentions of writers do not seem to be clear with what they really want to tell us and their movie can easily divide their audience. Only if you watch this movie, you will understand me. "La Loi du Marche" is a remarkable film that will mainly find a positive acceptance from the public. It had very good earnings at the French Box Office and it managed to attract more than one million spectators. And this of course is a major achievement with this script. I personally think that such films should be shown as training projections in high schools so as to enlighten students about what really happens to human societies. To go see a movie with visual effects is not a bad thing but when you mainly see these kinds of films, you will probably destroy all your brain cells. 53dyUDeEVGw

"Everest" is a survival film that was released in my country over six months ago. It premiered at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival and it received positive reviews for its content. It is based on true events and the film's cast consists of well-known and successful actors like Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson etc. Two years ago, I had seen a documentary with the same title at the Eugenides Foundation, Athen’s own planetarium, which won many awards and prizes, making the biggest ticket sales ever in the category “Dome films”. So, I had a curiosity to see the film version of events, which its production cost much more and it had clearly a longer length time. "Everest" is certainly a very impressive film that will fascinate lovers of climbing and extreme sports. It had excellent photography, very loud sound effects, elaborate montage by Mick Audsley and realistic cinematography by Salvatore Totino! The Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur gave his best and completed the film in very difficult conditions. However, the script of William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy was quite simplistic and did not analyze in depth the main characters of the story. It was essentially a shallow presentation of events, where the coefficients of the film took care to enrich it with the best technical implements. So, we watched a tragic true story on the big screen without empathizing the pain and misery of tragic heroes. It did not explain to us the reason these people are risking their lives to climb the highest peak in the world. I couldn’t help but wonder if there is not a good reason and all this is done to satisfy their ego. If they wanted to find the true meaning of their lives – it is implied in some scenes- they could have been involved in activism and dozens of other activities which would offer to humanity and the environment without risking their physical integrity. However, unfortunately, the conceit and vanity are two very negative human features -in some small and others to a large extent- which they usually lead people to very bad situations. This has a consequence: these kinds of people must come back down to earth. Of course, there are some people that never pay attention to this and don’t do it. "Everest" won me as a viewer with its flawless technical part but at the same time disappointed me by the superficial narration of events. Maybe, it is not exclusively fault of the writers, since they could not add to their personal view on the story. Nevertheless, they preferred to follow the easy solution after emotional cliché and melodrama made visible their presence in the last half hour. We saw even snots from crying. However, once the Universal Pictures financed the whole project with $ 55 million, it makes sense to have as ultimate goals profits and nothing else. For this reason, "Everest" is based entirely on the stunning scenes although vain attempts to thrill the spectators at the end. Having said that, it had satisfactory revenues worldwide in the first weeks of its projection as it has gathered a fairly good rating on IMDb (7,1). Personally, I would have expected a better overall result but as I explained above, it would be very difficult to achieve it with this story.

I really liked "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice" although it received negative reviews. It was superior than "Furious 7" and "Avengers: Age of Ultron". However, I think that European audience shouldn't watch so many Hollywood Movies when there are so many incredible European Films. I feel that marketing has a great impact on them. As far as I know, Americans watch a few European films on the big screen every year. So, we should do the same..