Movie: "Zero Focus" (2009)

Film based on a detective novel by famous Japanese writer Seicho Matsumoto. Intriguing plot and very beautiful reconstruction of post-war Japan. Plus three actress - Ryoko Hirose, Miki Nakatani and Tae Kimura - beautiful women and really good play - especially Miki Nakatani as Sachiko.

Story begins when husband of Teiko who had worked for some period in distant city - Kanazawa and should have returned to Tokyo suddenly disappeared.. She decided to go to Kanazawa and find out what happened to him. And then she found how little she knew about him and his past - complicated relationships, new deaths and mysterious woman in red who kills everybody who tries to find out reasons of Teiko`s husband strange disappearance..

Plus: film depicting strong women and their struggling for happiness - good for those who like such sort of "girl power" stories.

Reading: N.Iwasaki "What If a Female Manager of a High School Baseball Team Read Drucker's "Management"?

This book was super-bestseller in Japan in 2010 and still being sold pretty good this year ..
I spent about 1,000 yen and several hours for it and for me it was wasting of money and time - cheesy story with typical for Japanese TV drama plot elements and awful language of author -

high school student could write better...So again disappointed in Japanese "bestsellers"..

Next book I am reading is "The Great Gatsby", so I hope I will spend more productive time.

Movie: "Throne of Blood" (1957) Akira Kurosawa

I am continuing watching Kurosawa movies - this time it is "Throne of Blood" (original title is "Kumo-no-su jo:" "Spider Web Castle") . Director of "Seven Samurai" used the plot of William Shakespeare tragedy "Macbeth" for depicting feudal Japan.. It is interesting to watch how well-known story found its interpretation in such exotic setting as Japan..Here you find lady Macbeth in Japanese version but cruel no less than original one, and all range of Shakespear`s tragedy emotions which you probably can not expect from Japanese people usually considered dispassion...
And again Toshiro Mifune as main hero and amazing camera work with panoramic scenes - despite film is black-and white you feel it full of color.
P.S. I liked how heroes speak old Japanese! Cool and very passionate

Reading: Jesse James Garrett "The Elements of User Experience"

Yeah.....this was unforgettable New Year as I happened to lost my id, mobile phone, moved into new apartment (and still have no Internet connection here) and honestly just didn`t prepare myself to celebration ... All I had to do is eating, watching movies, reading, sleeping ....

As for movie I borrowed "Mad Men" TV drama from TSUTAYA and it was really brilliant movie - stylish, with wonderful camera work, reconstruction of America of 60s in mere detail (interior, costumes) and just amazing actors and story line - human drama and movie about company and career-making at the same time, historical TV show - so much in it - I just had been watching one disc after another and slept for 3 hours a day...

And reading.. yes... I finally received this book from Amazon - my co-workers recommended to read it introducing it as "the basis of basis of User Interface"...

I read . And should say it was so light and enjoying reading I could never expected from Web and IT related book ..

When people talk about Web Design, Home Page making process they usually imagine all these cool buttons, images, flash staffs... But this surface components are no more than final stage of site developing works - before it there is new site strategy formulating, researching of what your users need (and who they are..your users) and what your company objectives are in this site.. Drawing structure document and wire frame - description of layout of all parts, and all steps (or "planes" as Mr. Garrett call them) ..

All these are developed from the User Experience point of view - the problem is not to put into the site as many fancy options and cool images as possible but to chose only those which would match "your user" needs and your own needs... Jesse James Garrett introduces in his book model of 5 Planes of User Interface Experience and describes each plane in so clear language that is is really enjoy to read this book even for those who never dealt with IT industry and home-page making..After reading you just look at all these web-pages in different way