75.

I know my last two posts had kind of a sad tone so today I decided to write about a living legend, who happens to have his 75th birthday today.

I don't think there is anyone who doesn't like Jack Nicholson - apart from being probably the most iconic living actor, his personality is also something to write home about; he is the ultimate bachelor and Casanova, a characteristic face with an irresistible charisma, paired with an enormous talent that manifested in classics like The Shining, Easy Rider or, more recently, As Good as it Gets.

I don't remember seeing a Nicholson movie I didn't like (and believe me, I've seen a lot of them) and I am sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Despite his more than 50 years in the business, he hasn't been typecast (unlike Al Pacino or even DeNiro, who most of the time play similar characters) and this is what makes him and everything he's in so exciting.

Sometimes of course it's hard to decide whether it is the movie that's good or simply Nicholson but it hardly ever matters - what he gives us is a superb experience, many hours of entertainment and the hope that maybe not all is lost for modern Hollywood cinema; at least not until he is around.

In memoriam.

This post is dedicated to the 1514 people who fell victims to the megalomania of some powerful men who believed they could defy the laws of nature, to those 710 who survived but could never find their peace afterwards and especially to those, crew members or not, who risked or sacrificed their lives to save others'.

Titanic - the movie, aka my first good experience with 3D

A 100 years ago Titanic left Southampton and the rest is history. As a tribute to this double anniversary (it was 15 years ago that the James Cameron movie Titanic opened in cinemas) a 3D version of the now classic motion picture is in theatres again and I couldn't wait to see it.

I love this movie because while fictional catastrophies leave me unimpressed, Cameron's masterpiece never fails to make me think about human nature and I believe it shows the disaster itself in the most authentic and shocking way ever experienced at the movies.

Probably this is why I was looking forward to see it all again on the big screen and in 3D. Although I was very young when it came out back in 1997, it made me interested in the story of this majestic ship and somehow I always felt sorry for not being able to enjoy it again in such a way (in my humble opinion, movies of this caliber are incomparable when watched at the movies and when watched at home on TV or on a computer).

I am no expert in 3D (mainly because the films that are made in 3D nowadays are the ones I never care for, e.g. Avatar) but I got more than what I expected. Seeing the Titanic collide with an iceberg and then sink in 3D was even more shocking and many times it almost felt like I was there myself.

Now that I know what it's like in 3D and after those 15 years of feeling sorry for not watching it more times in the cinema, I am seriously considering going again. It is experiences like this and motion pictures like Titanic that make me remember why I love going to the movies (and not just watch films at home) and why it is worth it to buy that ticket and sit there in the dark, waiting for something magical to happen. Sometimes you leave disappointed, but the chance of leaving with something more is worth the risk.