Hollywood in Malta

With its good climate and picturesque settings, Malta, along with Comin and Gozo has starred in many films and television shows. Malta is home to the Mediterranean Film Studios which, since 1963, has offered a shallow water tank for filming water scenes.

Troy - The 2004 blockbuster starring Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom is bringing the attention of the world to Malta. Much of the film was set at Fort Ricasoli as well as Mellieha. Some scenes were also filmed on Comino.

A Different Loyalty - The 2004 romantic thriller starring Sharon Stone was filmed at Fort St. Elmo, which doubles in the movie for the city of Beirut. Some of the movie was also shot on the Golden Sands Beach.

Alexander - This 2004 film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins, and Angelina Jolie includes scenes of Valletta's Grand Harbour, doubling for the ancient port city of Alexandria.

Cutthroat Island - This 1995 pirate film starring Geena Davis and Matthew Modine was filmed on the waterfront of Vittoriosa in front of the Maritime Museum. Other scenes were shot in Mdina, Fort St. Elmo, and the Dingli Cliffs. The Mediterranean Film Studios also provided their water tanks for sea scenes.

Gladiator - And you thought Russell Crowe was doing those gladiator scenes in Rome's Colosseum? He was actually at a replica of the famous Roman structure built at Fort Ricasoli. A night scene was filmed outside Vittoriosa at Couvre Port.

Popeye - This 1980 production starring Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall not only built a set, they left it in place, later to become Popeye Village near Mellieha. The popular family attraction now includes a film about the making of the movie here.

The Count of Monte Cristo - This 2002 production transformed Valletta and Vittoriosa into Marseille. And remember the scene with the lovemaking on the rocks? That was filmed just below Fort St. Elmo in Valletta. St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina also starred in the movie as well as the island of Comino where St. Mary's Tower was used as the Chateau d'If.

Swept Away - Madonna and Guy Ritchie's 2002 movie included scenes in both Comino and Malta. Vittoriosa doubles for an Italian port in part of themovie. Madonna goes snorkeling at the Blue Lagoon on Comino.

Also filmed in Malta -
- Midnight Express
- U-571
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
- White Squall
- Helen of Troy

Jeremy Irons

Last saturday i was at a friend's sleepover. We were watching Eragon, while waiting for mouth-watering pizzas from Pizza Hut. I had watched this film more than once before, but that night i realised what an amazing actor Jeremy Irons is, who portrays the role of Brom in this film. He is not only a successful actor, but he also works hard inorder to the world a better place.

Jeremy John Irons (born 19 September 1948) is an English film, television and stage actor. He has won an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, two Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.

Irons' film debut came with Nijinsky in 1980. He appeared sporadically in films during the 1980s, including the Cannes Palme d'Or winner The Mission in 1986, and in the dual role of twin physicians in David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers in 1988. Other films include Danny The Champion of the World (1989), Reversal of Fortune (1990), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, Kafka (1991), Damage (1993), The House of the Spirit (1993) appearing again with Glenn Close and Meryl Streep, Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995), Bernardo Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty (1996), the 1997 remake of Lolita and as the musketeer Aramis opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1998 film version of The Man in the Iron Mask (1998).
He is also known for playing the evil wizard Profion, along with Bruce Payne as Damodor, in the 2000 film, Dungeons and Dragons, from Time Warner studio New Line Cinema. The film was also based on the Tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons.
He played the Über-Morlock from the movie The Time Machine (2002). In 2004, Irons played Severus Snape in Comic Relief's Harry Potter parody, "Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan". Interestingly enough, Irons and Alan Rickman (who plays Snape in the Harry Potter film series), played the Gruber brothers, Simon and Hans, respectively, in the Die Hard film series.
In 2005, he appeared in the films Casanova opposite Heath Ledger, and Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven. He has co-starred with John Malkovich in two movies; The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) and Eragon (2006), though they did not have any scenes together in Eragon.

My Sport

Swimming is my sport. There are numerous other sports which i enjoy watching and even playing, however swimming is one of a kind. Swimming is not only good for exercise and keep you fit, but it also helps u to relax you.

My favourite strokes are the free style and the breast stroke. I remember when i began to train, I found it challenging. However, your body takes time to adjust to every new sport you start to practice. Nonetheless, time passed, and training increased and now i must say that i can call myself a good swimmer. There are youngsters who are far more better than me at swimming, but i am happy with what i have accomplished.

The 2008 Olympics have just gone by, and one must say that Michael Phelps was one of the highlights. I was amazed when i found out that when Phelps attended his first swimming lesson, he did not get into the water for the sake of not wetting his face. Well now not only has he wet his face, but he has become a six-time Olympic gold medalist. What a swimmer! No one can forget about Dara Torres. She is a wife, a mother and has her own career, and she still finds time to compete within Olympics. Just amazing!

Well even though i will not make it to the Olympics, I can still enjoy the pleasure of swimming everyday. Oh yes, and i must not forget, maybe someday you might see me train not only just as a swimmer, but also as a waterpolo player, because Sirens are forming a girls team.