Oh this is big news .... So bloody big. Apple now officially supports dual booting feature on their intel macs onto windows!!! Of course, they claim that they do not support windows of course. But really, aren't the rest of the PC makers out there the same - they will help u with the drivers on their machines, but if u have problems with windows, they'll ask u to call Microsoft anyways. ;)
I spoke to some PeeCee users about this, and one of them had this to say, "ah Apple finally had to give in to Windows. They have to acknowledge the fact that they can't survive without Windows." Man this person is so not getting it. And I afraid lotsa PeeCee heads are thinking the same. Apple do not need Windows to survive. They are now using Windows as a trojan horse to lure PeeCee users over to the mac. Hey if you wanna get a mac machine just to run crappy windows, Apple don't care - since you'll be paying them the cash, and you'd need MacOS to be installed to enable the dual boot anyways. ;)
Also, we get some people discussing how MacOS will now be as vunerable to viruses now that it "supports windows". Shit are people so stupid?? Almost all viruses are not "cross platform", and that's why they will not affect the MacOS! And some pple are also discussing "luckily the file system is different, so the viruses will not cross over so easily yet". WTF??? Do they even know what the hell are they talking about?? Unless a virus is cross platform, it will not affect the mac side! Why?? It is the same reason why a PC game will not work on the Mac unless it is compiled for it!! It is not because of the bloody filesystem! And the same people who thinks MacOS running on an Intel chip will make the MAcOS susceptible to virus attacks, needs to go for some computer classes before they write for any tech magazine or newspaper.
In the end, this is a great great move for Apple - and MS too. Afterall, MS makes money on every copy of Windows installed on a Mac, and Apple will also make money for every Mac sold. Many people are seeing this as Windows infiltrating Apple, but what they do not see, is that Apple is now the only Windows PC supplier in the world, that sells machines that can run the coolest OS in the world - The Mac OS.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
The Hills Have Eyes - 72%
Hey hey ... a remake of a classic horror movie from 1977. Being the horror movie fan that I am, this I so gotta check. I have not watched the original, so I will not be making comparison. I'll just be judging this version on its on. So how did it entertain? Well, being a slasher film, I really didn't have much expectations from its storyline, and if you have the same kind of attitude to it, it is pretty well done. In fact, what I liked about it was how the characters who survived had in some ways, had to change their ways of thinking to survive. The city dweller, gun-hating democrat ended up behaving in a way that he wouldn't imagine that he would. The boy who was so gung-ho about using guns to solve his problems, had to start using his brains to think and strategize his next moves.
But hey .. this is afterall just a slasher movie. The typical rules that a typical slasher movie abide by are still there - the most obvious ones who will die, will really die; the road that looked like it shouldn't be taken, was still taken; the gas station in the middle of nowhere must still be run by a stereotypical weird freakish character that shouldn't be trusted; and of course those who seemed like they shouldn't be trusted, was still trusted. ;) So, in a way, everything still turned out pretty predictable. But hey, if these ideas were featured in the 70s, they could have been rather fresh wouldn't it? Or would it still seemed like the logic of those people seemed pretty whacked?
But I guess if you wanna judge this film on the logic of the story, you probably would rate it like a piece of crap. However I chose to view it like a ride into a bloody wonderland, and man it was quite a wild ride. ;) But be warned, this is one of the most gory and violent films made. Damn, they keep outdoing themselves do they?
Friday, March 31, 2006
Happy 30th Anniversary Apple Computer! - 1 April 1976-2006
Now from a mac head (literally), here's me thinking of a way to pay tribute to my favorite fruit company, Apple Computer. ;)
Since the day I bought a Powermac 6500 back in college in 1997, (with the main purpose of forcing myself to start studying more and play lesser games on PC), my life had changed forever. No longer am I a blind and mindless lemming that used to be lost in the world of DLL, DMA, IRQs and blue screen of deaths. No longer am I trying to fix and reinstall my OS for maintenance purposes. I am now thrust into the world where I can actually concentrate on completing my work on the computer, and actually enjoying the process.
Since being introduced to the Mac, I have changed my way of thinking and living. No longer do I accept traditions and follow the trends - now I question and ask what can I do to make things better?
In the past 9 years, I have owned a Powermac 6500, Pismo, Tibook, Sawtooth, Quicksilver, Newton 2000, Quicktake 200, Tangerine ibook, G4 ibook, Sage iMac DV, Mac Classic II, Mac mini, and of course, 2 ipods. Though most of them are already sold, but they all had held a very special place in my heart.
Here I am paying tribute to the greatest computer company in the world - Apple Computer. Here's to the insanely great 30 years that has come and gone, and to many many more to come.
Before
After (note: the 3 stripes on the right side of my head represent the 3 great decades - incidentally, I am also gonna be 30 this year ;)
Additional Info: The hair was done at "Hairfolio" by Dave. You can find them at Stamford House #01-11 (at 39 Stamford Rd, Ground Floor. Near Cityhall MRT). 6338 2636. Make appointment!
Since the day I bought a Powermac 6500 back in college in 1997, (with the main purpose of forcing myself to start studying more and play lesser games on PC), my life had changed forever. No longer am I a blind and mindless lemming that used to be lost in the world of DLL, DMA, IRQs and blue screen of deaths. No longer am I trying to fix and reinstall my OS for maintenance purposes. I am now thrust into the world where I can actually concentrate on completing my work on the computer, and actually enjoying the process.
Since being introduced to the Mac, I have changed my way of thinking and living. No longer do I accept traditions and follow the trends - now I question and ask what can I do to make things better?
In the past 9 years, I have owned a Powermac 6500, Pismo, Tibook, Sawtooth, Quicksilver, Newton 2000, Quicktake 200, Tangerine ibook, G4 ibook, Sage iMac DV, Mac Classic II, Mac mini, and of course, 2 ipods. Though most of them are already sold, but they all had held a very special place in my heart.
Here I am paying tribute to the greatest computer company in the world - Apple Computer. Here's to the insanely great 30 years that has come and gone, and to many many more to come.
Before
After (note: the 3 stripes on the right side of my head represent the 3 great decades - incidentally, I am also gonna be 30 this year ;)
Additional Info: The hair was done at "Hairfolio" by Dave. You can find them at Stamford House #01-11 (at 39 Stamford Rd, Ground Floor. Near Cityhall MRT). 6338 2636. Make appointment!
Sunday, March 19, 2006
V for Vendetta - 83%
"In exchange for peace and prosperity, we demand your absolute obedience and silence"
A very disturbing yet familiar statement mentioned in the movie. This story stars Natalie Portman as Evey, a timid young reporter who was one day rescued by a V, a terrorist who blows up buildings to make his point heard, and then she was trained to become a voice, a face of V's cause. V aims to overthrow the ideas and the government which behaves like a big brother, who commands nothing less than obedience by using fear and media manipulation to control the people. Sounds a lot like Singapore if you ask me. :) The society is not necessarily poor or the people impoverished, it is just way too controlled. The difference between Singapore and the London depicted in the story, is that the people are not stupid, the British can tell that the goverment is feeding them horseshit - Singaporeans don't know and couldn't care less to be bothered.
I usually judge how good (or bad) a film is by observing how much discussion or questions are raised after I watched the movie. This movie raised many "what ifs" and I think that is a good thing - it sets you thinking. It will surely raise many arguments as to whether this movie was made to make comparison between the current state of affairs in the US, given its underlying terrorism theme. It also makes people wonder, if the people should not simply brand the Middle Eastern terrorists as killers and people who do not agree with the ideas of Freedom - whether we should look deeper and understand them as human beings and what are the ideals that they are standing for. I mean let's face it, even in a so-called democracy in Singapore, are there really freedom? So maybe instead of waging wars against the insurgents, maybe a self reflection should be done to question not them, but ourselves, if we are still standing for what we preach?
I also can't help thinking that V is like a alternate version of the Phantom while Evey his Christine. The Phantom has a face to hide, and so does V, and he trains Evey to be the voice and face of his ideas, just as the Phantom did the same for Christine. Was Phantom of the Opera an inspiration for V? I don't know but there sure are plenty of references.
Natalie Portman gave a good performance, but not great. There were a few instances of over-acting which I was surprised to see but it could due to directions. And her accent didn't seem so convincing either. Hugo Weaving's face was never seen, but gave a great voice performance for V. A thought provoking movie that raises more questions than ask them.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Brokeback Mountain 95%
"I wish I knew how to quit you!"
"Well why don't you just let me be.
I am nothing, I am nowhere
All because of you ...."
These are the lines from one of the most powerful scene in the movie Brokeback mountain. This is a heartwrenching love story between 2 males, who stumbled upon the idea of a "same-sex relationship" and didn't know what to do about it. Why? It was set in the early 60s, when homosexuality was probably a very very alien notion. No one knows what it was, and no one practised it openly, because they might get killed for being an anomaly. And people did get killed for being a queer in those times.
So what's to do when they discover that they felt very strongly for each other? They kept things under wraps, while pretending to move on living like regular people. And thus, all their life, they are living a lie. This is a tragic love story that will not work out, at least in those times. And the story succeed in showing how much they cared for each other and tried so hard to make time to spend with each other secretly. Ennis (Played by Heath Ledger) and Jack (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) had to live a double life, and couldn't let anyone know about their true inclination of his sexual preference. I figure it would be akin to forcing a girl to act and talk like a man, just to hide her true gender - in other words, life would be a living hell. The 2 characters are going through living hell. Ennis obviously wrecked his life because of he didn't know how to deal with his situation, and chooses to hide and run. While Jack, got so tired of running and hiding, eventually had to suffer the consequences of his incapability to hide the truth.
This is a tragic love story of 2 person who couldn't openly be together. It is akin to any other heterosexual unrequitted love story. Only difference is this is based on 2 males. I urge those who are "homo-phobic" to give this film a chance.
The film is beautifully filmed, and exceptionally powerful. The writing was great and the screenplay was a masterpiece. Heath Ledger put up an outstanding performance that was both heartwrenching and touching. This is truly Ang Lee's most powerful work so far. Bravo!
Monday, March 06, 2006
Oscar thoughts
Well well ... the night was like "hey we had so many good ones .. how do we choose? ... What the heck .. let's honor them all" ...
And yeah .... everyone film got some big one .. but no one got everyone ...
Highlights
Best Picture - Crash
Best Director - Brokeback Mountain
Best Adapted Screenplay - Brokeback Mountain
Best Original Screenplay - Crash
Best Actress - Walk the Line
Best Actor - Capote
Best Cinematography - Memoirs of a Geisha
Best Editing - Crash
Best Original Score - Brokeback Mountain
i think it was like .. eh .. "we think crash and brokback are great, but how do we make them share awards?"
so they settled with "best director for broekback" and "best picture for crash"
This year is like a year that can't wait to celebrate good films .. that are not necessarily big money makers. Where what matters are the story and the script ... and of course all that's involved in telling the story ...
and not just ... flashy special effects :)
That's all folks!
And yeah .... everyone film got some big one .. but no one got everyone ...
Highlights
Best Picture - Crash
Best Director - Brokeback Mountain
Best Adapted Screenplay - Brokeback Mountain
Best Original Screenplay - Crash
Best Actress - Walk the Line
Best Actor - Capote
Best Cinematography - Memoirs of a Geisha
Best Editing - Crash
Best Original Score - Brokeback Mountain
i think it was like .. eh .. "we think crash and brokback are great, but how do we make them share awards?"
so they settled with "best director for broekback" and "best picture for crash"
This year is like a year that can't wait to celebrate good films .. that are not necessarily big money makers. Where what matters are the story and the script ... and of course all that's involved in telling the story ...
and not just ... flashy special effects :)
That's all folks!
Munich - 88%
Munich is a story about the 1972 terrorist attack on the Olympics soil (at Munich of course), targetting the Israelist Athletes. All of them were killed, but not all of the killers were brought to justice. Israel responded, illegally and covertly, by hiring a group of assassins to hunt down the 11 people who had a part in planning the attack. Story focuses on the leader of the group of 5 assassins, Avner, played by Eric Bana. And as the mission progresses, you observe how they start to question the legality of their actions and whether this act of revenge, was actually beneficial to them and the country that they love.
The Palestinians were depicted as they were, people who wanted a place of their own, and they will do anything for their faith. Ironically, with the Israelists counter actions, they are relegated to the same level as the terrorists they are fighting against. There's really no right or wrong answered here. There was only a question of whether violence is an effective way to get people's attention, or to end violence itself.
Avner was finally just a family man, and it was the only reason that saved him from being killed multiple times in the show. I will not give away too much, but this film contained one of the saddest love making scene ever shot - and that is not an easy achievement.
Bana is an excellent actor, and this film is a great showcase of his acting prowess. He is very well suited to act as characters with a heavy heart and a deep soul, just as he breathed life into the Hulk and made it a complex and dark character. He is a star to watch.
Oscar Day & Night!
Hey hey hey!
In case you did't know .. the Academy Awards is happening right now .... almost ... 15min from this writing.
I am stuck to the TV .. Do you have a TV? If you're working .. probably not? :P ,... Well .. I''ll be updating here live as it progresses. So .. reload and reload often :)
Lights!!! ...Action!
9am (GMT +800) ...
Voila! .. The show begins ... Our good host this year ... Mr Jon Stewart .. :)
Thsi year ... The bald golden boy is 78 years old. ...
905am
There was a nice Video intro .. where all the previous hosts were featured to say "No .. not this year" .... too bad those reading it ... can't watch it :P
909
Jon Stewart introducing the key nominees not in the previous "singing Style" of Billy Crystal and Steve Martin. ... but given the "Daily show" treatment ... nice :) Too bad u guys are just reading about it.
916am
Best Supporting Actor ..... goes to .... George Clooney - Syriana
Commercial time... time to order MacDonalds ..... :P
Can't f#$# believe this ... Mac Donald's got overwhelming orders .. please call back later .. cos we can't deliver for you ...
Grrr. ...
926 .. Ben Stiller giving away the Best Visual Effects in a green suit... that's a funny one .... says no one will see him.
King Kong ... Best Visual Effects ...
931 .. Next up .. Best Animated Feature ... damn good nominees .. Howl's moving castle, Corpse's Bride, Wallace&Gromit ...
Oscar goes to .. Wallace & Gromit!
Halleluhah! Dolly Parton Singing ....
943am
Best Live Action Short Film .... goes to Six Shooter .... Guess we won't get to watch it here in SG... Will we?
946am
Best Animated Short - The Moon and the Sun: An imagined Conversation.
949am
Best Costume Design goes to .... Memoirs of a Geisha ... might be the only award it will get tonight ...
957
Best Makeup .. Chronicles of Narnia
1000am
Jon stewart ... "imagine how difficult it is to make Russell Crowe look like he got into a fight (in Cinderella Man)" ... man he's asking for trouble ...
1003
Morgan Freeman giving away .... Best Supporting Actress .. and i am rooting for Rachel Weisz here ...
Best Supporting Actress is .... Rachel Weisz!!!!!!! Yaye!! :P For Constant Gardener
1011 ..
Still no mac donalds .... and i am hungry as hell ...think KFC is the way to go ....
So far .... The oscar is looking like it is gonna be a "everyone goes home happy night"
1019
Best Documentary Short Subject - A Note of Truimph: The Golden Age of Norman Corvin
1022
Best Documentary - March of the Penguins ... :) Ah .. nice
1023
Jennifer Lopez?? .... she looks more Black than Hispanic .... did she go for some tanning?
1031
Yaye!! .. Macs is delivering finally ... ETA ... 1145 ...
1033
Best Art Direction goes to ....Memoirs of a Geisha ..
wow .. the biggest winner tonight so far :P .. 2 awards! :)
1048
Now ... The beautiful Salma Hayek presenting Best Original Score ...
The Winner is .... Brokeback Mountain :) .... the first .. of many?
1056
Jake Gyllenhaal talking about epics ... i loved him as mr donnie darko :) .. watch that too guys
1059
Eric Bana and Jessica Alba giving away best sound ... I say they should have been giving away best Visual Effects :)
So best Sound Mixing goes to?? .... King Kong .... 2 ups for Kong! ;)
1105
Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep .. the funniest (are they drunk?) presenters so far :)
Honorary Oscar goes to .... Robert Altman ...
He deserves this .. just for Nashville and Gosford Park .... and many more :)
1115
Man do I have to wait another 30min for my food? ....
1117
Ok .. just finished 1/2 a box of Merci Chocolates .... i can't imagine how my stomach looks on the inside .... later with more junk from macs .... man ....
1122
Best Original Song ... It's hard out there for a Pimp .. From Hustle and Flow .. 3 6 Mafia ... Man are they excited!
1125
Jon Stewart .. "How come they are the most excited people here tonight? .. Man this is the oscars!"
1127 .. Jennifer Gartner ... almost slipped .. and fell .... Alllmost ....
1128
Best Sound Editing goes to .. King Kong .... 3 thumbs up!!! :)
1137 ..
Food is here :) ..
and best foreign language film?
Tsotsi ... South Africa ..... i am so glad The promise was not nominated :)
Jon : Martin Scorsese 0 oscars .... 3 three six mafia .. 1 ;)
1141
Zhang Ziyi ... in english? .... well ...
Best Editing .... Crash .. nice ...
1145
Now the big one ...
Best Actor ......
Drumroll .....
Philip Seymour Hoffman ... Capote ... Well done :) .. and well deserved ...
1155
DP ... Cinematography ....
Best ....Memoirs ... can't deny them that one
1157 ...
Now another big one ....
Best Actress .. in a Leading role ....
Drumroll ...
Reese Witherspoon .... wow ... this girl has come a long way :)
Oh it is for "Walk the Line"
1203
And Reese is still talking .....
1207
Dustin Hoffman ... man where have u been? ... Love that guy
Presenting .. best Adapted Screenplay
Broke Back Mountain ... the 2nd win :)
1213
Now for best original screenplay .. i am rooting for crash here
Crash!!!! wins!!!
1219
Best Directing ......
Ang Lee .. for Brokeback Mountain :)
Now .... just one more ...... Should be Brokeback now ....
1222
Jack Nicholson! :) .. presenting best Picture :)
Man this guy has got .. presence :)
1223
Crash!!!!??!?
Yes .... Crash is the Best Picture of the Year. ...
WTF ... why did they cut off the thank you speech ?? .. this is the last one c'mon ....
1228
And they are playing that Oscars logo screen .. for so long? .... that was not very nice
In case you did't know .. the Academy Awards is happening right now .... almost ... 15min from this writing.
I am stuck to the TV .. Do you have a TV? If you're working .. probably not? :P ,... Well .. I''ll be updating here live as it progresses. So .. reload and reload often :)
Lights!!! ...Action!
9am (GMT +800) ...
Voila! .. The show begins ... Our good host this year ... Mr Jon Stewart .. :)
Thsi year ... The bald golden boy is 78 years old. ...
905am
There was a nice Video intro .. where all the previous hosts were featured to say "No .. not this year" .... too bad those reading it ... can't watch it :P
909
Jon Stewart introducing the key nominees not in the previous "singing Style" of Billy Crystal and Steve Martin. ... but given the "Daily show" treatment ... nice :) Too bad u guys are just reading about it.
916am
Best Supporting Actor ..... goes to .... George Clooney - Syriana
Commercial time... time to order MacDonalds ..... :P
Can't f#$# believe this ... Mac Donald's got overwhelming orders .. please call back later .. cos we can't deliver for you ...
Grrr. ...
926 .. Ben Stiller giving away the Best Visual Effects in a green suit... that's a funny one .... says no one will see him.
King Kong ... Best Visual Effects ...
931 .. Next up .. Best Animated Feature ... damn good nominees .. Howl's moving castle, Corpse's Bride, Wallace&Gromit ...
Oscar goes to .. Wallace & Gromit!
Halleluhah! Dolly Parton Singing ....
943am
Best Live Action Short Film .... goes to Six Shooter .... Guess we won't get to watch it here in SG... Will we?
946am
Best Animated Short - The Moon and the Sun: An imagined Conversation.
949am
Best Costume Design goes to .... Memoirs of a Geisha ... might be the only award it will get tonight ...
957
Best Makeup .. Chronicles of Narnia
1000am
Jon stewart ... "imagine how difficult it is to make Russell Crowe look like he got into a fight (in Cinderella Man)" ... man he's asking for trouble ...
1003
Morgan Freeman giving away .... Best Supporting Actress .. and i am rooting for Rachel Weisz here ...
Best Supporting Actress is .... Rachel Weisz!!!!!!! Yaye!! :P For Constant Gardener
1011 ..
Still no mac donalds .... and i am hungry as hell ...think KFC is the way to go ....
So far .... The oscar is looking like it is gonna be a "everyone goes home happy night"
1019
Best Documentary Short Subject - A Note of Truimph: The Golden Age of Norman Corvin
1022
Best Documentary - March of the Penguins ... :) Ah .. nice
1023
Jennifer Lopez?? .... she looks more Black than Hispanic .... did she go for some tanning?
1031
Yaye!! .. Macs is delivering finally ... ETA ... 1145 ...
1033
Best Art Direction goes to ....Memoirs of a Geisha ..
wow .. the biggest winner tonight so far :P .. 2 awards! :)
1048
Now ... The beautiful Salma Hayek presenting Best Original Score ...
The Winner is .... Brokeback Mountain :) .... the first .. of many?
1056
Jake Gyllenhaal talking about epics ... i loved him as mr donnie darko :) .. watch that too guys
1059
Eric Bana and Jessica Alba giving away best sound ... I say they should have been giving away best Visual Effects :)
So best Sound Mixing goes to?? .... King Kong .... 2 ups for Kong! ;)
1105
Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep .. the funniest (are they drunk?) presenters so far :)
Honorary Oscar goes to .... Robert Altman ...
He deserves this .. just for Nashville and Gosford Park .... and many more :)
1115
Man do I have to wait another 30min for my food? ....
1117
Ok .. just finished 1/2 a box of Merci Chocolates .... i can't imagine how my stomach looks on the inside .... later with more junk from macs .... man ....
1122
Best Original Song ... It's hard out there for a Pimp .. From Hustle and Flow .. 3 6 Mafia ... Man are they excited!
1125
Jon Stewart .. "How come they are the most excited people here tonight? .. Man this is the oscars!"
1127 .. Jennifer Gartner ... almost slipped .. and fell .... Alllmost ....
1128
Best Sound Editing goes to .. King Kong .... 3 thumbs up!!! :)
1137 ..
Food is here :) ..
and best foreign language film?
Tsotsi ... South Africa ..... i am so glad The promise was not nominated :)
Jon : Martin Scorsese 0 oscars .... 3 three six mafia .. 1 ;)
1141
Zhang Ziyi ... in english? .... well ...
Best Editing .... Crash .. nice ...
1145
Now the big one ...
Best Actor ......
Drumroll .....
Philip Seymour Hoffman ... Capote ... Well done :) .. and well deserved ...
1155
DP ... Cinematography ....
Best ....Memoirs ... can't deny them that one
1157 ...
Now another big one ....
Best Actress .. in a Leading role ....
Drumroll ...
Reese Witherspoon .... wow ... this girl has come a long way :)
Oh it is for "Walk the Line"
1203
And Reese is still talking .....
1207
Dustin Hoffman ... man where have u been? ... Love that guy
Presenting .. best Adapted Screenplay
Broke Back Mountain ... the 2nd win :)
1213
Now for best original screenplay .. i am rooting for crash here
Crash!!!! wins!!!
1219
Best Directing ......
Ang Lee .. for Brokeback Mountain :)
Now .... just one more ...... Should be Brokeback now ....
1222
Jack Nicholson! :) .. presenting best Picture :)
Man this guy has got .. presence :)
1223
Crash!!!!??!?
Yes .... Crash is the Best Picture of the Year. ...
WTF ... why did they cut off the thank you speech ?? .. this is the last one c'mon ....
1228
And they are playing that Oscars logo screen .. for so long? .... that was not very nice
Monday, February 20, 2006
The Constant Gardener - 87%
Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes stars in this psuedo fiction thriller based on a novel of the same name. Story begins with the death of the wife (Tessa, played by Weisz) of a British Diplomat (Qualye, played by Fiennes), murdered on a trip to a lake while travelling with his African friend. What goes on is a tale of intrigue, suspense, detective work and unravelling of a conspiracy between the British government and a drug company's immoral dealings in Africa.
The story unfolds very nicely along with the flashbacks that unveils more of the characters' history as Qualye goes on his search for the truth behind the murder of his wife. The love and struggles between the main characters Qualye and Tessa, builds up as the flashback counts nearer towards the time of murder - just as the Qualye was getting closer and closer to the truth himself. Nice structure of story-telling allows the emotions to build up nicely as the film climaxes towards the end.
Rachel Weisz gave her most powerful perfomance on screen so far and her nomination in the Oscars is well deserved. She acted in the film pregnant as a pregnant Tessa, and that dedication to the art is well applauded. This is one of the best film of the year (2005). Do not miss it.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Daremo Shiranai - Nobody Knows - 90%
As I had mentioned in the previous post, I watched this movie on the same day watched I Not Stupid 2. It was pure coincidence and not in anyway planned. But it was amazing to see the contrast between these 2 films. While I Not Stupid 2 was a dramatic drama movie that uses cliches and tears to create emotions, Daremo Shiranai (Nobody Knows) is undramatic in its story telling, and does not use any tears to force any emotion. Both films were emotionally driven, but they were done in such different manner. While "Stupid 2" was forced and stereotypical, "Nobody" was natural and unmanipulated.
The story tells of a mother who leaves her 4 children (2 boys and 2 girls) at home to fend for themselves. The eldest brother had to find means to feed, wash and take care of the siblings and you are constantly looking forward to see how he's going to solve their daily problems. I shall not give away the plot too much, but it does have a very surprising ending. But that's not to say that the film is dramatic in its delivery. In fact, the story avoids many of the paths that you'd expect, and that's what makes it so interesting. For instance, you'd imagine the mother to be behaving in a very disgusting and selfish manner given the expectations of what she will do (dump the kids), but she behaves totally unlike what you'd expect. And this is just one very superficial example, just watch the movie and you'll understand.
The code 3 DVD is going for only $12.90 at Laserflair. Goes to show how popular good films can get in Singapore eh? Ironic isn't it when I Not Stupid 2 is raking in the cash at the theaters in Singapore. Well, the budget of "Nobody" is probably lower, the distribution certainly much wider (thanks to the universally acclaimed story) and its accolades definitely much higher (2004 Cannes Best Actor). So how much it makes in comparison to "Stupid 2", really it is hard to say. ;)
I Not Stupid 2 - 68%
What is a Jack Neo's movie? One with very expectable results, plot, cliches, beginning and ending. Watching a JAck Neo's movie is akin to listening to your mother or father or Auntie that you've met during Chinese New Year, talk about their lives, and little bitsy ongoing in their lives and views about the world (or Singapore for that matter). Just like relatives whom you meet once a year or so at major family gatherings, it is all joyous and good, but it can get a little annoying if you have too much of the same thing. We've seen a few Jack Neo-ish productions (I Do I Do, 3 Good men etc) and they all smell the same. This one is no different. One thing I have realised about Jack Neo's movie, they all are written like all the parts are the same person. Like Jonathan Lee's songs which are sung by other singers, you can still imagine the song being sung by Jonathan Lee. But unlike song's which can be interpreted by different singers in different manner, Jack Neo's movie walks, talks and sounds the same from one movie to another and even the character talks the same. You can imagine Jack Neo talking through every characters' lips, and once you noticed that, it can get a little annoying.
The first Jack Neo's movie "Money not enough" was the first of its kind. In its own way, it broke the mould and created a movie that was one of its kind then. Though production value was not high, it still charmed alot of people. Why? Because it was one of a kind. There was never anything like that, and the story was original. His following works improved on production quality, but storylines only took marginal improvements, or none at all (Liang Po Po?). So it all goes back to the basics of filmmaking - everything must start with a good and strong story. No amount of technical expertise or special effects can make a bad story good.
I watched I Not Stupid 2 on the same day I watched another movie that was so contrasty with this one - Daremo Shiranai (Nobody Knows). I Not Stupid 2 has much higher production quality, some special effects, good sound engineering, proper lighting, and a formulaic storyline. Daremo Shiranai had mediocre production quality, marginal sound, no special effects and uses lots of natural lighting. But "Nobody Knows" has a great story.
I Not Stupid 2 is not a continuation of the part 1, and it focuses on teenage school children issues and the communication problems between 2 generations. Everything is dumbed down, simplified and direct in your face. Watching the movie is akin to having Jack Neo in front of you spewing out the same issues in his exact words rather than using a story to carry the message. The dialogue is the message and they are so in your face, you'd wonder why he even created a story around it to be delivered. And there are so many things in the film that was delivered but not resolved, and it makes you wonder was it placed in there just for laughs? Or instance, the subplot about the youngest son thinking that kissing would lead to pregnancy does nothing to move the story, nor improve your understanding of the character, it makes you wonder if it was placed there because it was relevant, or just because they thought this was a nice premise to place in the film and just forced it in there. It felt as if they stole a good idea like that and just plugged it in, and without knowing what to do with it, and left it unresolved.
The movie is good if you like Jack Neo's style of movie and want more of the same. If you've never seen a Jack Neo's movie, watch "I Not Stupid" (Part 1) and leave it as that. If you've seen most of his movies, and wonder if you should rent this or pay the ticket to watch it, I'd sugggest doing none of the above and wait for some sucker to buy/rent the VCD or DVD and then borrow it from them. At least you have the option to turn it off halfway, or feel good that at least it was a good rental at best.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
霍元甲 Fearless - 90% 贊！！
Ok, I am not exactly a Jet Li fan. In fact I didn't watch a single of his American made movies. I have been burnt too often by those crappy American made Jackie Chan movies (Tuxedo anybody?) that when I heard that Jet Li is coming out with a Chinese produced martial arts movie, I was keeping my fingers crossed. Especially after the horrors that were "The Promise" and "The Myth", I have become pretty wary of these recent Chinese production out to "please the global audience". Today, my prayers have been answered, and my expectations totally met above and beyond. The answer I found in "Fearless". In fact, I haven't been so excited about a Chinese movie since the first "Infernal Affairs" and "Hero".
The story is very straightforward - loosely based on the life of Huo Yuan Jia, a true historical figure in Chinese Martial Arts history to have started a martial arts school that now has more than 50 branches around the world. This is a tale of a man whose arrogance has caused the death of his loved ones, and how through losing everything, does he realize what are the things that really matter in life, other than power and fame. But what I am most impressed with this movie was the structure of the way the story is told. As opposed to telling the story in chronological manner, the director moved the last scene of the movie to the front, thus establishing the great figure that is Huo Yuanjia. Many films have done this before, but this one is done so that it enhances the tale, and not just for "coolness" sake. In what way does it enhance the story? If the story starts out with Huo Yuanjia as an arrogant young man, it will reduce the impact by which the audience will feel when he goes through the changes that he did. But the fact that he was first established as a Chinese Hero, then revealed that he was an arrogant young lad, it makes the hero's journey even more compelling for the audience to follow. Also, if Huo Yuanjia was first show to be an arrogant lad that changes into a hero, it will make the character too one-sided or less compelling as we do not feel how great he truly is. By starting and ending the movie with him as an hero, will make us understand that we should not just focus on a person's bad past to judge his acheivements.
Many films has dabbled with the era when China was overrun with the caucasians and Japanese trying to snatch a piece of the land. This one though, does it nicely with minimum stereotyping of the foreigners and is the least cheesy in handling those characters. I personally think this will be one of the key success of this film when it is shown overseas.
Ok, other than the excellent structure for this film, the acting were great. And the cinematography and editing were very impressive too. If this truly is Jet Li's last film, I would say that he has exited with a BANG! This movie will go down in history as one of the classics of Chinese kungfu movies, just like Hero, Police Story, Shaolin Temple, Drunken Master, Fist of Fury etc. It is that good. Heck, I'll placed it as one of the best and possibly one of the most influential Chinese movie ever made along side the likes of Infernal Affairs and ChungKing Express.
And how could I not talk about the fighting in this great kungfu flick? There are some very impressively choreographed fighting sequences by Yuen Wo Ping. Damn it is hard to say which is the best. I'd say everything here were done with minimum wire works and their goal is to achieve a realistic look. Very well done.
So I guess I have said enough good things about this film. I am planning to watch it again. :) As for the Jay chou's music for this film, let's just say that it was good that it wasn't used in any part of the film with the exception of the closing credits. That pop song just doesn't do justice to this great movie.
*update
Apparently this will not be his last movie - but his last "martial arts" movie. Thanks for the tip from a reader.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
observations at dinner ....
The camera in the cellphone is a great invention. And me being in a quirky mood last night decided to take some pictures of some people at chomp chomp cos they stand out .. and deserve some special mentions :)
Ok the first beautiful peoples to be featured .... drumroll please ... Tada ... 4 huge assed personnels who decided that a 8 seater would be best for their special needs. Good job. I bet those standing around looking for seats must be really glad to see at least some big assed idiots get to have excess space around them. Whatever ...Let's move on ...
Ok the first beautiful peoples to be featured .... drumroll please ... Tada ... 4 huge assed personnels who decided that a 8 seater would be best for their special needs. Good job. I bet those standing around looking for seats must be really glad to see at least some big assed idiots get to have excess space around them. Whatever ...Let's move on ...
Ok now the next one. I have the grand fortune to be seating next to them! Here I see a table of 4 seating down with their nice bags taking up 1/3 of the table next to theirs. Ok then I tried and see if they can take a hint. "Excuse me, is this table taken?" They looked around in bewilderment for a few sec and then say "nope!". I said "Thanks!" .... and sat down with my friend. and we waited ... and waited ... until our foods satrted arriving and yet their precious plastic bags full of goldbars are still taking 1/3 of our table. 
Here's another shot of our table - 1/3 with their precious bags ... and with our Stingray .... :)
And finally ... who will take home the coveted award of "Excellence in Crappy Behavior at Chomp Chomp"?? Drumroll please .... and more drama!!! ..... Swirling music!!!
And yes .... if you're wondering how come there are only seats on one side of the 2 tables? Well simply cos these 2 tables are for the disabled. These 2 couples did a great job at pretending that no one are looking. Well, the couple further away from my camera is an angmoh and his pregnant asian wife. Maybe that count as 1/2-abled ... which may be a tad forgiveable lah .. let's not be so mean. ;)
And finally the big ass mug of sugar cane drink that made the night. :)
Friday, January 20, 2006
Memoirs of a Geisha - 72%
Even as a Chinese, I do find the thought of having 3 Chinese actresses playing Japanese in this film rather odd. Not that it has never been done before (Initial D and countless chinese films) , but the fact that this time, an American directed the film (though produced by a Japanese company), and it is shot in English. And I suppose American films are always more scrutinized because 1) they have a wider reach of the market worldwide 2) They have a bad record of trying to represent and interpret what they call asians or asian values (Mulan, Chinese Stereotypes in American Movies etc). So this time they want to shoot an Asian movie, with asian values, through the lenses of an American filmmaker. With the decision to use 3 major Chinese actresses to star as 3 Japanese characters - is a potential setup for trouble.
Well, now that it is out, how does it fair? I have to admit I am not too keen with the casting decisions made. There are tons of great Japanese actresses suitable for the roles I believe, but hey, we all know the motivation behind the casting decision - MONEY. So I have to be try to be as objective as possible, and gauge the film with no tainted prejudice - purely from a filmmaker's perspective.
Story is very simple - 2 young girls are sold by their poor fishmen parents - one (Satsu) to prostitution and another (Chiyo) to a become a geisha (eventually). The story mainly revolves around Chiyo (adult played by Zhang Ziyi), and her ascension to being the top Geisha in Japan. And the motivation of her every step, is somehow driven by a man that she met when she was in her teens. How her entire life, she's working to be (the image of) a woman next to the man that she loves.
So it is mainly a love story, and honestly, a rather thin one. And the story unfolds more like an adventure story tracking her life for the few decades that shaped her training and motivations. What really captivates me in this film are 2 things 1) The great acting from all the major actors (especially Ziyi, Gongli and Michelle) 2) The beautiful cinematography.
1) The 3 main characters Chiyo (played by Ziyi), Hastumomo (Gongli) and Mameha (Michelle Yeoh) were gorgeously played by the 3 actresses. Japanese or not, they played their characters very well. Granted from the way they pronounced some English words, you will know they are not Japanese, and for people who are familiar with such nuances, you can be rather put off. But nitpicking aside, these are some great acting skills at display here. Then there is Ken Watanabe who plays the "Chairman" and Koji Yakusho who plays "Nobu" - they are great actors too. I especially like the character played by Nobu and the scene when he confronts Chiyo about a possibility that she has sold her body to the American. Well .. the main characters performed admirably. So well done.
2) Beautifully shot. Every scene is like a painting, and I applaud the cinematographer for a job well done. This is one of the most beautifully shot film in a while.
So what's not to like. Like I said before, for people who are familar with the nuances of the Japanese language/culture, you might find some things to nitpick - and I am one of them. The pronounciation of certain words can damage the "realism" (or illusion?), of a film and reduce its ability to "make-believe" (remember Crouching Tiger? Why didn;t they just dub Chow's and Yeoh's lines?) Movie is all about make-believe, and since this film is shot like a serious fictional drama (and i mean not a comedy or scifi or something), the Chinese actresses do dampen the illusion a bit. But this could still be my nitpicking. American viewers, Indian viewers etc. are probably not gonna care. However, this film is really not too bad and it looks great - it just lacks a little "omph" ....
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Curry favor's been browned! :)
Hey hey ... Curry Favor's been browned ... :)
Now how cool is that. ;)
man that totally made my day :)
Link
Now how cool is that. ;)
man that totally made my day :)
Link
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Talk about inflexibility!!!
This polio guy got a ticket for parking at a disabled lot. He refused to pay and was summoned to court. Judge says, I can see you're disabled, but hey, you're not certified. Get a sticker, then I believe u! And to add insult to injury, the $50 fine was increased to $400 as he could not argue well enough in the name of court I suppose.
Now when I threw in the argument that Singapore was inflexible, people will throw in counter arguments saying but "law is law", "we have to draw the line somewhere" and BS like that. But this one takes the cake. I can't freaking believe that this case would even happen, even at court. The arrogance of the court, inflexibilty of the system totally disgusts the shit out of me.
When Mr Lee Kwan Yew said that he would not have gone after the guy who did the documentary "singapore rebel", but he said that because the law is fixed, the police would have acted anyways unless the law is changed. I think he is insinuating that there's deeper problem here at hand - here is a government and society that has moulded a country with citizens who are too inflexible with the system and dare not take charge and make appropriate changes for fear of the "big brother". Yes we now have a bunch of sheeps called Singaporeans, but the problem is, the shepherd is getting old, and these sheeps are in no shape to lead the pack.
Link to Channel News Asia Article
Now when I threw in the argument that Singapore was inflexible, people will throw in counter arguments saying but "law is law", "we have to draw the line somewhere" and BS like that. But this one takes the cake. I can't freaking believe that this case would even happen, even at court. The arrogance of the court, inflexibilty of the system totally disgusts the shit out of me.
When Mr Lee Kwan Yew said that he would not have gone after the guy who did the documentary "singapore rebel", but he said that because the law is fixed, the police would have acted anyways unless the law is changed. I think he is insinuating that there's deeper problem here at hand - here is a government and society that has moulded a country with citizens who are too inflexible with the system and dare not take charge and make appropriate changes for fear of the "big brother". Yes we now have a bunch of sheeps called Singaporeans, but the problem is, the shepherd is getting old, and these sheeps are in no shape to lead the pack.
Link to Channel News Asia Article
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
The Heirloom - 40%
Ok .. I must be professional about this. No matter how much I dislike a film, I must still show it some respect by at least including a graphic of the movie - be it a poster or the logo. No matter how bad I feel a movie is, I must still refrain from using vulgarities. No matter how much I hate a movie, I must still back up my claims. And here goes - the following are the reasons why this film is the worst rated film this on my blog so far ..
1) Let's begin with the story (without giving away the "twist) - it is about a young man inheriting an old mansion. He decides to live in it and persuades (didn't do much really) his girlfriend who was initially extremely commitment-phobic (but suddenly switched mode u-turned 180 degrees in the first 10min of the film) to live together in this old mansion. Well, you guessed it, this house is haunted. But what's even more amazing (ahem ... ridiculous) is its amazing ability to teleport anyone who has spent a night there, from whereever he/she is if they leave the house. Yes you read it right .. teleportation. So what's wromg with the story? It is incoherent, it is ridiculous, it tries to hide its secrets by messing up the screen and passing them off as "special effects". And by making scenes blur and eventually making them clearer towards the end to "reveal" its secrets is a cheap way of saying "I have no idea how to make clever hints, misdirections and clever twists, so I'll just hide the secret by making sure u can't see it properly". Weak weak weak!!! Was the story about the house or the rearing of baby spirits?? Make up your mind!! It felt like the baby spirit portion was so forcefully pushed into the story and it didn't feel natural at all. Why would the baby spirit make the house so special?? Or why would the house be even necessary?? Argh .. Why is this movie even necessary??
2) Terrible terrible lines!!! Oh my this film has some terribly written lines. I wondered if I was watching a movie written by a cry-o-rama TV drama screenwriter?!! Tip to the script writer - stick to TV drama.
3) Terrible soundtrack. F@#@king annoying!!! The organ music reminds me the 70s horror movie Amityville. And the worst part, it is pervasive throughout the entire freaking film!! I don't recall much moments in the film where there's no music in the background - and worst still, it is freaking distracting!! Imagine "Shot of scary mansion" Background music "Ta Dummmm....!!" Puleeeeze!!! Help me!!
4) The actors - I could tell they are serious about the roles - dead serious .... But the overacting is freaking killing me ....
5) Technically - bad .... How many tracking shots of the house are gonna use (no .. re-use) in the film? Some of the shots are so poorly framed I seriously wonder if it is the DP's fault or the director's fault. Who stoyrboarded this??? Some angles of the film are so badly chosen I wonder if the director had gone to film school?? And some out of focus shot - one of them was so blatant I suspect they had no choice but to keep it in there as they didn't have time to go back to shoot it. That shot was of the police inspector looking at the 1st dead body - you could tell the inspector was out of focus and the police in the background was the guy in focus. Was auto-focusing on?? :P
6) Horror movie?? Yeah .. horrible movie ...
So, I know, I have lost it. I actually used a bad word at point number 3. Sorry but I really felt like asking the director to return me the $10 I paid for the movie. Boys and girls, please give it a pass. ...
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Pac man ... Waka waka waka ....
This is a really funny clip of some guys dressed up as our familar game characters running through areas which resembles their own "arena" ... Well watch it to feel some of the fun :)
And if you are from Univeristy of Michan, Ann Arbor (I was!!) ... you MUST download this clip. Brings back some crazy memories doesn't it? :)
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~austincb/pacman/pacamajig.mov
And if you are from Univeristy of Michan, Ann Arbor (I was!!) ... you MUST download this clip. Brings back some crazy memories doesn't it? :)
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~austincb/pacman/pacamajig.mov
Tokyo, Singapore, and KL ....
This is a very interesting read. I was reading up ipods and accessories when I came upon this special report in ilounge, tracking his travelling experiences in Tokyo, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Though this is a site mainly about "ipods", and this trip was a report about ipod sightings in these countries, he had devoted a page specifically to the experience of the 3 asian countries in general.
I was pleasantly surprised that he found Singapore the best in terms of food experience. Especially when most of my Malaysian friends tend to complain that Singapore's foods are too "sanitized" and not as tasty as those in KL. And this remark even more interesting since I've only been to KL once and long to see more of KL in the food arenas.
As for the blue dessert, hmmm I do beg to defer ... but I guess something like that do catch your eye ... especially if you are from the West. ;)
http://backstage.ilounge.com/index.php/backstage/comments/part-3-experiences-and-afterthoughts-on-japan-singapore-and-malaysia/
I was pleasantly surprised that he found Singapore the best in terms of food experience. Especially when most of my Malaysian friends tend to complain that Singapore's foods are too "sanitized" and not as tasty as those in KL. And this remark even more interesting since I've only been to KL once and long to see more of KL in the food arenas.
As for the blue dessert, hmmm I do beg to defer ... but I guess something like that do catch your eye ... especially if you are from the West. ;)
http://backstage.ilounge.com/index.php/backstage/comments/part-3-experiences-and-afterthoughts-on-japan-singapore-and-malaysia/
Monday, January 02, 2006
Guy Kawasaki has a blog! :)
Well .. I've always been a fan. Now he's finally started blogging and how could i miss the fun? :)
http://blog.guykawasaki.com
And here's a link to the famous (infamous?) speech he had given called "Hindsight"
http://blog.guykawasaki.com
And here's a link to the famous (infamous?) speech he had given called "Hindsight"
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe - 83%
Whether I write a good or bad review of this film, doesn't matter. I figured millions are going to flock to this film regardless. So I took my time, and watched the film last weekend after like 1/2 the world has watched it, and sat on it somemore ... before decdiing to write this review. Actually this holiday season has made me so bloody sloppy I was wondering if I even wanna write this review.
But well what the heck. I'll write some thoughts on it. You'd probbaly be able to find a gazillion reviews on this film already. Most of them are positive I'll tell you. And well, they are mostly right. This is a good movie. Story is based on C.S. Lewis book Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe (damn I hate the long title), about this bunch of kids (2 brothers and 2 sisters) who stumbled upon a wardrobe that brings them to a land called "Narnia", where they are prophecised to bring peace and destroy the White Witch. Now I heard that there's a lot of Christian undertones to this film and I did notice a very very obvious one. I am sure anyone who is familar with Jesus' story of sacrificing his life for the sins of Man, and then coming back to life, would find the reference very easily. There might be more, but I wasn't watching out for every single references out there to link Christianity with this movie - I was just gonna enjoy the movie, and enjoyed it I did.
The little sister Lucy was brilliantly casted, and the little girl who played the role, brought so much life and energy to this film. The best parts of the film were largely carried by her natural interpretation of the role and she seemed like she was enjoying her role so much, the audience just can't help but be influenced by the enthusiasm when she discovered "Narnia". Audience also feels her hurt when no one believed her, and the audience will also feel her joy when she is happy. She brings much emotions to the film without making it feels forced and it makes the fantasy in the film even more believable.
So what's not to like about the film? Well, maybe because it is a little overhyped? And I am kinda glad that I didn't get too exposed to the marketing, so my expectations wasn't raised. Plus the fact that I have not read the book, should make my review a little bit more objective I guess. The story, really wasn't that "great". It is kinda silly if you think about it. I mean, a wardrobe that is a portal to another world? It makes Harry Potter almost seem more plausible - at least it is a "hidden magical world" in Potterland; even "Oz" seemed like it is more logical. "Narnia"'s story is more ridiculous in the "plausibility" aspect. And if you do not take into the bliblical references that it tried to make, the resurrection of the lion and the reason Aslan provided seemed rather lame too. But hey, a fantasy is a fantasy - and at least this one has biblical reference(s). So for a fantasy movie, it is well done.
Happy New year!! and other random stuffs
Hello readers :P
Happy New Year ...
yeah yeah ... no updates :P . been lazy ... walau wat u expect? ... holiday mood mah ... too many parties ... and too much food ... and yesterday ... 1 January ... slow day at restaurant ...
So here's what my cook conjured up ...
have fun :P
May everyone have lots of fun .. make lotsa love ... and practice safe sex :P
And more random stuff .... LUKY DRAW ...
Happy New Year ...
yeah yeah ... no updates :P . been lazy ... walau wat u expect? ... holiday mood mah ... too many parties ... and too much food ... and yesterday ... 1 January ... slow day at restaurant ...
So here's what my cook conjured up ...
have fun :P
May everyone have lots of fun .. make lotsa love ... and practice safe sex :P
And more random stuff .... LUKY DRAW ...
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Steamboy - 85%
Ok, this is a DVD review. Kinda late I know, but never too late for a good movie right? Steamboy is a great animated feature. This is a Japanese anime created by the maker of "Akira" and is touted to be 10 years in the making. Well, what struck me about this anime is not how detailed the drawings are or how technologically awesome the movie is. I mean yes, it is visually stunning. And mind you, considering that Disney has all but given up on 2D hand drawn animation, this one still has all that in spades - and they are very well done.
However, the great thing about this anime, is its story. It is a story about a little boy in a family of inventors who specializes in steam technology. One day, he received a package from his granddad, a steamball, and which triggered a cat and mouse chase between himself, and some men with evil intent. The little boy undergoes a growing process, where he is exposed to the vileness of human nature and trickeries of men to gain what they want. He sees how men are seduced by power and how fine a line it is between self righteousness to serve mankind and the true altruistic desire to change society.
This is a good story beneath a beautiful wrap of stunning visual treat. It is not as technically impressive as Appleseed, but the story beats it hands down anytime.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
The Promise - 52%
I haven't felt so compelled to write a review about a movie for a long time. I have just finished watching a 9pm show and I have to write this before I go to sleep. DO NOT WATCH THE PROMISE. Man this is really one of the worst film I have watched whole year. No make it "the most badly written film I have E-V-E-R watched".
Ok .. now that it is out of my system, here goes. The story is about a beautiful woman in a fictitious country, which is the subject of many powerful men's struggle to gain her love. Yet, she is "cursed" with a promise she made to never be able to receive true love from anyone in return for material wants beyond her wildest dreams. The story revolves around a general, a slave and a usurper who all wants a piece of the girl. But what has gotten into Chen Kaige to spend so much (20million? The most expensive Chinese movie ever made), to direct a story as ludicrous as this one?? This is a mystery I wish to seriously want to unravel. The characters are unbelievably directed to act with almost an operatic fashion that seems to lose balance at the edges of sanity. The lines written are so corny it almost made the film look like a comedy. And again I ask, what has driven to Chen Kaige to stoop so low???
The special effects are terrible. It seems like he has engaged a wrong team to work on the computer effects which are not any better than those we seen these past few years in Chinese movies. Of special mention (not in a good way), were how terrible the animated bulls looked. The stampede scene was almost cartoon-like and considering how I have watched a greatly choreographed stamepede scene (in King Kong), this one was totally unispiring and almost embarrassing in comparison.
The best part of the film? I don't know - why? Because there was a "love making" scene between Ceclilia Chong and Hiroyuki Sanada that was snipped by the censors. It could have provide some serious juice for the film and could have at least been the redeeming factor. :) But seriously, I doubt even if it wasn't cut, the film wouldn't be able to save itself.
The actors were all a waste of talent. And I say this especially for Kang Dong-Jun, Hiroyuki Sanada and Cecilia Chong. And man, it was so sad (and hilarious) to see how the males in the movie were acting like tearful adult gays when they were capable of so much more. Hiroyuki Sanada was great in Twilight Samurai, and what did he see in the script of this one? It will remain a mystery to all.
And then there is the wonderfully incredulous fantasy story that fails to inspire and touch. There was a moment in the film when the protagonists seem to finally come to realization about the misplaced/misundertood love between them that I thought "wow, is the movie actually gonna turn good towards the end and redeem itself after putting the audience through almost 2 hrs of agony?" The answer sadly is no.
So from one of the best Asian film of recent memory - Farewell to my Concubine to the Promise he has delivered today, we see how Mr Chen has succumbed to "commercialism" to make a movie that the public will love. He claims this movie is made with "commercial" intent. And guess what Mr Chen? There are a bunch of good commercial movies out there and this one is not one of them. This is one bad movie with no commercial value. And the mystery of how this movie was ever made by Chen Kaige still lingers ... as I end this review and get ready for bed.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Getting Personal
Well .. it's too long since i posted something like really .. personal. I mean nonsensical to those who do not know me. I mean geeze .. this blog was meant to be something for my friends. I have become so busy of late (of late few years?) it has been so tough for me to follow up on them or for them to follow up on my dailies. Email used to be good .. but really ... I've gotten lazy too. Blogging is like writing a diary for me, and it lets off my steam and angst and anguish ... used to do weekly updates on my life. ... maybe i shld start going back to doing that ....
But the problem is ... I am not a person who likes to be "rigid-timized". Nope .. I don't like to set myself a timetable and force myself to adhere to. I don't like to set long term commitmental schedule that will rule my life .. and thus the weekly mandatory update only worked for so long. And maybe that's why I never could find a long term solution to my relationship problems .. or the lack of.
See .. I have problems finding myself a girlfriend ... for the LOOONGEST time ... and commitment problems? Actually I don't think so .. but the problem is I am unable to set my life in a "stable" format that keeps any girl from finding a "secure" man within me. What to do? Women these days (esp those SG ones) want their man to be dependable, stable, steady, careerminded blah blah blah ... but once things go out of the "expected path", they will get scared and run. Divorce case are on the rise .. and never did I expect that so many of my own friends are undergoing the split.
Are people these days so unacceptable to change, that's why they break when the "man/woman that I love is no longer who he/she was"? Or are they too quick to change and willing to "move on and not live with a mistake"? There are no straight answers i guess ... People these days are more "individual" driven ... more well off to make decisions like that ... more in control of their lives ... less concern of those divorcee stigmas etc. ...
But the bottom line is, people these days break more easily. Not just in relationship, but in things that they do, and mentally, and physically and all .... I break a little everytime ... and i wish I could stop breaking sometimes. ...
But the problem is ... I am not a person who likes to be "rigid-timized". Nope .. I don't like to set myself a timetable and force myself to adhere to. I don't like to set long term commitmental schedule that will rule my life .. and thus the weekly mandatory update only worked for so long. And maybe that's why I never could find a long term solution to my relationship problems .. or the lack of.
See .. I have problems finding myself a girlfriend ... for the LOOONGEST time ... and commitment problems? Actually I don't think so .. but the problem is I am unable to set my life in a "stable" format that keeps any girl from finding a "secure" man within me. What to do? Women these days (esp those SG ones) want their man to be dependable, stable, steady, careerminded blah blah blah ... but once things go out of the "expected path", they will get scared and run. Divorce case are on the rise .. and never did I expect that so many of my own friends are undergoing the split.
Are people these days so unacceptable to change, that's why they break when the "man/woman that I love is no longer who he/she was"? Or are they too quick to change and willing to "move on and not live with a mistake"? There are no straight answers i guess ... People these days are more "individual" driven ... more well off to make decisions like that ... more in control of their lives ... less concern of those divorcee stigmas etc. ...
But the bottom line is, people these days break more easily. Not just in relationship, but in things that they do, and mentally, and physically and all .... I break a little everytime ... and i wish I could stop breaking sometimes. ...
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Whining about issues - Wake up Singaporeans!!!
This is a classic case of Singaporeans whinning and complaining about an issue they have and after weeks of discussing the problem, everyone just expects someone else to freaking do the complaining/job/followup/action for them. WTF!!?! Hey guys wake up!!! This the reason why SG will not go anywhere if the people just plaing "BOCHAP". This attitude has got to change. Complaining is one thing and acting upon it is another. It doesn't just apply to this Nintendo DS connection issue, but also to life in general. You think why Bungkok train station took 2 years to open? Cos only the freaking MP is doing the complaining. What is Singaporeans attitude?? Whine whine whine .. and expect MP to do the job for them cos "we pay tax"??? Fucking hell wake up!!! Write letters!!!! Hoardes and SHIT of them. Gather and go and approach the problem givers and show them we are united. Narbey scared kena police catch u? Then freaking do a peaceful protest!!! Or just keep making calls!!! Everyone does it ... pressures will be felt. If everyone keep thinking "useless one lah","nothing will happen one lah". Then yes!! .. NOTHING WILL EVER HAPPEN ON ANYSIDES!!!!
Below is the latest exchange I have with Singnet and I posted in Gamescore.com.sg. anyone whishes to copy this to other Singapore gaming sites please do so.
Related Link: http://singaporecritic.blogspot.com/2005/11/singnet-sucks-man-ds-users-not.html
---------------------------------------------
Ok Guys, I have emailed Singnet about this issue again, and they actually called me back to follow up on this issue of Nintendo DS users not being about to connect and play wifi games if they are on Singnet Broadband. And guess what, they say I am an isolated case cos NO ONE contacted them about this problem. they say so far, I AM the ONLY PERSON THEY HEARD COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS.
I am getting rather miffed about this cos hey guys wake up, if you guys got a problem with this and refuse to call Singnet to let them know that a few hundred or tens of thousand of us have this problem and expect 1 or 2 of us to do the job for you, they are not going to care. Here's the email helpdesk@staff.singnet.com.sg and the support number is Tel: 1800 - 8486933 (8am - 12mn). Email and let them know about this. I am not on Game Axis so if someone could post this message to them and ask everyone to get their asses off regarding this issue it would help tremedously.
Remember, whining about it and not doing anything about it will not solve the issue. Wake up fellow Singaporeans. Stop acting like lazy donkeys and start calling or emailing them.
The thing they want me to help find out for them now are 2 things which with my limited technical skills I am unable to.
1) What is the port this server "conntest.nintendowifi.net" is using for gaming and communication.
2) What is the IP address of the server.
If anyone could help out, please please please do something about this!!!
Below is the latest exchange I have with Singnet and I posted in Gamescore.com.sg. anyone whishes to copy this to other Singapore gaming sites please do so.
Related Link: http://singaporecritic.blogspot.com/2005/11/singnet-sucks-man-ds-users-not.html
---------------------------------------------
Ok Guys, I have emailed Singnet about this issue again, and they actually called me back to follow up on this issue of Nintendo DS users not being about to connect and play wifi games if they are on Singnet Broadband. And guess what, they say I am an isolated case cos NO ONE contacted them about this problem. they say so far, I AM the ONLY PERSON THEY HEARD COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS.
I am getting rather miffed about this cos hey guys wake up, if you guys got a problem with this and refuse to call Singnet to let them know that a few hundred or tens of thousand of us have this problem and expect 1 or 2 of us to do the job for you, they are not going to care. Here's the email helpdesk@staff.singnet.com.sg and the support number is Tel: 1800 - 8486933 (8am - 12mn). Email and let them know about this. I am not on Game Axis so if someone could post this message to them and ask everyone to get their asses off regarding this issue it would help tremedously.
Remember, whining about it and not doing anything about it will not solve the issue. Wake up fellow Singaporeans. Stop acting like lazy donkeys and start calling or emailing them.
The thing they want me to help find out for them now are 2 things which with my limited technical skills I am unable to.
1) What is the port this server "conntest.nintendowifi.net" is using for gaming and communication.
2) What is the IP address of the server.
If anyone could help out, please please please do something about this!!!
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Intelligent Design - debunked
The ruling is out. This is a win for the critical thinkers, sciences, and logical brains. The scheme to sneak Christianity into the classrooms has been foiled once again. The judge for the controversial case of 11 parents suing a school for making a statement to be made before every class that teaches evolution to "discredit" Darwinism, has ruled against the defendent. This is landmark ruling which will have major repercussion throught the United States for schools (especially in Kansas) which tries to integrate religion and the state.
Similar to how many religious conservatives are lobbying and pushing for people/companies/retailers to say "Merry Christmas" as oppose to "Happy Holidays", the people behind Intelligent Design is trying to shove Christian beliefs unto unsuspecting student and consumers, who would not have a fair and balance view of other religious theories. In fact, the US government policy of keeping State and Religion apart, is a very wise yet fragile stance that is often under attack. And the fact that freedom is upheld along side of fairness to all Americans regardless of beliefs and face, makes me very very proud of this nation. The fact that America allow their own system to freely and objectively criticize their own policies, is key to its success in ensuring everyone feels that they are equally treated regardless of their own color and history. I am no American, but I respect that kind of trust that they place in their own people.
If Singapore is to make me feel a sense of pride for her, I'd expect that the policies that it upholds is consistent with that they ask us as citizen to pledge (Regardless of Race, Language or Religion ... To build a Democratic Society, Based on Justice and Equality) ... Can our country live up to this?
NYTimes report
Similar to how many religious conservatives are lobbying and pushing for people/companies/retailers to say "Merry Christmas" as oppose to "Happy Holidays", the people behind Intelligent Design is trying to shove Christian beliefs unto unsuspecting student and consumers, who would not have a fair and balance view of other religious theories. In fact, the US government policy of keeping State and Religion apart, is a very wise yet fragile stance that is often under attack. And the fact that freedom is upheld along side of fairness to all Americans regardless of beliefs and face, makes me very very proud of this nation. The fact that America allow their own system to freely and objectively criticize their own policies, is key to its success in ensuring everyone feels that they are equally treated regardless of their own color and history. I am no American, but I respect that kind of trust that they place in their own people.
If Singapore is to make me feel a sense of pride for her, I'd expect that the policies that it upholds is consistent with that they ask us as citizen to pledge (Regardless of Race, Language or Religion ... To build a Democratic Society, Based on Justice and Equality) ... Can our country live up to this?
NYTimes report
Friday, December 16, 2005
King Kong - 90%
This is possibly the best computer animated live action movie ever made so far. After watching this 3 hour epic, I took a step back and thought : Wow! Ann (Naomi Watts) and King Kong hardly exchanged any words. King Kong certainly didn't say a single word throughout the entire film. Yet, the amount of emotions exhanged between the 2 way surpasses many others that I've seen in so many other movies laden with dialogue (and sex).
This movie is 3 hours long, and I hardly find it draggy. Though 2 other people I know who watched it thought it so. Story is basically about a movie maker who managed to grab his crew to an undiscovered island to shoot his film. Ann Darrow was a performer who is struggling to feed herself and was provided with an opportunity to star in this film. Unfortunately, the island was inhabited by some rather unfriendly natives who immediately grabbed Ann and offered to King Kong as a sacrifice. But amazingly, King Kong and Ann developed a relationship beyond words, and throughout the film, you see how the 2 tried to protect each other from harm. Interestingly, Ann's love interest, a screenwriter played by Adrien Broody, was on his own journey throughout the entire film trying to "save" Ann. This setup, with 2 male characters, one human and another a huge gorilla, caring so much for the character of Ann, is so wonderful. The contrast of the 2 lovers, at times fighting against each other, while trying to protect the girl from harm was extremely well written.
The action sequences in the film were incredibly choreographed too. the dinosaurs stampede scene was breathtaking to behold. And the fight between the 3 Tyrannosaurus Rex and King King was spectaular. And the 3D animation of this movie is possible the best ever created up till this point in movie history. And we're talking live realistic animation. And this 1000 pound gorilla is just like the real thing - behavior wise especially.
And all these are the result of the ingeniuity of Peter Jackson. Honestly I never thought LOTR were that great a series, mainly because of how overly dramatic some of the scenes were and how "forced" the emotions were created in the trilogy. But here, JAckson managed to strike a perfect balance. And like I said before, the fact that no dialgue was exchanged between Ann and King Kong, and yet the director was able to bring out a believable sense of love and care they had for each other, was an outstanding achievement. This movie is destined to be a classic.
Monday, December 12, 2005
History of Violence - 87%
A story about a man who, in defence, killed 2 killers who were on a spree and becomes a national hero. Next thing you know, the killings continued, and more are after his blood. Why? You should catch the show to find out. This story of things which are not what they appears to be, is not new. I've seen something similar years ago in the form of "A Long Kiss Good Night" starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson. "Kiss" was more action oriented and much more stylistic, and it lacks something which "History" brings to the table - realism. "Kiss" was a fantasy ride in comparison, while "History" takes itself much more seriously.
And its gritty independent feel also reminded me of a movie made in the 70s called "The Straw Dogs" (Dustin Hoffman) - which is a good thing.
And yes, this movie is rated R21 for violence and sex. No kids allowed. And I guess, only adults would understand the complex undertones in the story. The struggle of Tom Stalls throughout the different stages of unravelling the secret, is well paced and written. The relationship between the father, son and the wife, as well their own struggles with their own personalities are well designed. The town itself seemed to be well "chosen" and characterized to house the characters too.
Well knowing this film to not last very long in the Singapore market - hurry down and catch the show ASAP before it ends its run end of the week.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Inconculsive data .. Why Report it ST?
Yesterday (6 Dec 05) I bought the papers. ... Yess ... I actually bought Ass Tee to read. :)
An article on the front page of the Home Section was headlined "1 in 25 gay men here may have HIV". Wow that certainly has caught my attention. A Dr Balaji Sadaivan made the statement. But as you read the rest of the article, these were pointed out:
1) data to come up with the figure was far from perfect
2) "There are many many questions about this data"
3) AFA (Action for Aids), a non governmental oranization has no idea how accurate the figure might be.
4) AFA's programme manager said the number could be an underestimate or overestimate
I fact almost 1/2 of the article went on to say how unreliable that headline/statement was. So I ask, if the data was not reliable, why the hell did ST even report it??? Was it to
1) scare the gay community?
2) warn the public about the local gay community? OR
3) sensationalize the news???
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Atlantis Singapore
Is anyone familar with the myth that is Atlantis? Well, in writings of Plato from 360 BC, he described an island that existed over the Atlantic Ocean about 11,000 years ago. According to this legend The people of this land possessed great wealth and the island was a center for trade and commerce. The rulers of this land held sway over the people and the Atlantean led virtuous and simple lives. Then eventually, greed and power came to overcome the people, and the nation grew arrogant and proud. The Great Geek God Zeus, seeing that the people had grown immoral and corrupted, decided to punish the Atlanteans, with a violet storm. And in a sudden surge, Atlantis was swallowed by the ocean.
Sounds familar? I'd say Singapore sounds very much like a modern day version of the mythical land. Singapore is a land surrounded by waters. Started off as a simple fishing island off the Malayan Straits, now it is a metropolitan city island arguably one of the wealthiest nations in the region. It grew as a center for trade and commerce too, and is one of the busiest ports of world. The rulers (PAP?) definitely held sway over the people. The people of the land sees that the rulers are "doing a good job", does not do much to question nor object to the government's decisions - rather deciding to let them run the show cos "they know best". The nation grows proud and arrogant, and usually does not appear to "bow down" to their neighbors, while only maintaining a very "business like" relationship with them. Singaporeans wrote their own rules, and they live by the book.
In the wake of the recent tsunami and earthquake disasters happening around the world, I've often asked my fellow Singaporeans what they think about the possibility of such disasters befalling us. I argued, the ice caps are melting, and water level will rise, someday the waters will sink Singapore. But never have I gotten a single answer from any Singaporeans who even thinks this is possible. Reasons given:
1) We are not on the edge of plates, so earthquakes will affect us.
2) We're surrounded by many islands, tsunami will not hit. We're protected.
3) There are many places for the water to go to, it won't hit us.
4) Our government is not worried, why should we?
My question is, where will the excess water go to? Ah ... the arrogance of a proud nation.
"We are Singapore, We are Singapore, We're a nation strong and free forever more"
Sounds familar? I'd say Singapore sounds very much like a modern day version of the mythical land. Singapore is a land surrounded by waters. Started off as a simple fishing island off the Malayan Straits, now it is a metropolitan city island arguably one of the wealthiest nations in the region. It grew as a center for trade and commerce too, and is one of the busiest ports of world. The rulers (PAP?) definitely held sway over the people. The people of the land sees that the rulers are "doing a good job", does not do much to question nor object to the government's decisions - rather deciding to let them run the show cos "they know best". The nation grows proud and arrogant, and usually does not appear to "bow down" to their neighbors, while only maintaining a very "business like" relationship with them. Singaporeans wrote their own rules, and they live by the book.
In the wake of the recent tsunami and earthquake disasters happening around the world, I've often asked my fellow Singaporeans what they think about the possibility of such disasters befalling us. I argued, the ice caps are melting, and water level will rise, someday the waters will sink Singapore. But never have I gotten a single answer from any Singaporeans who even thinks this is possible. Reasons given:
1) We are not on the edge of plates, so earthquakes will affect us.
2) We're surrounded by many islands, tsunami will not hit. We're protected.
3) There are many places for the water to go to, it won't hit us.
4) Our government is not worried, why should we?
My question is, where will the excess water go to? Ah ... the arrogance of a proud nation.
"We are Singapore, We are Singapore, We're a nation strong and free forever more"
Friday, December 02, 2005
Execution Nguyen
So its been done. Nguyen was hung on 2nd Dec Morning. I spoke to many Singaporeans and these are some quotes:
1) It's about time.
2) He deserved it.
3) Walau, everybody knows drug trafficking in SG is death what! Even the plane announce so clearly.
4) You know the amount of drugs he carry can harm how many people?
Ok. The 4th response was probably the strongest to supporting the death sentence in SG. I do not deny how true that statement is. Drugs has destroyed many people's lives and governments all over the world work hard to stop its proliferation. SG just has a harsher, tougher stance on the issue. Death is the result, and it doesn't matter how u get associated by it.
But the first 3 kind of responses are the reason people from other countries see Singapore as unfeeling, inflexible and arrogant. I say Singaporeans are calling for his blood, and many claim I am being too exaggerating. But given the kind of tone that we carry with the statements made, is it not true? And I believe, a certain amount of pride has to do with all this. A nation under scrutiny, will rebel and stand up against the attacks. Maybe if Australian media did not come down so harsh with its criticism on Singapore, the Singaporeans wouldn't have behaved so "unfeelingly".
I do wonder, if the SG government should "reverse" its stands and provide clemency for Nguyen, would the nation balked at the leaders calling them double standards? Or would the people still stand by the decisions of the leaders? Of course these are just speculation. I always see Singaporeans as not having a mind of their own, always following what the government says and decide. So I would always imagine "what if" scenarios happening.
I am not a proponent for "Death penalty". I do not see it as a means to any end. But of course this is my opinion. Readers who do not agree with me please do not bother to comment on this. I do not wish to partake in arguments about "who's gonna pay for feeding these murderers?", "let's see if your mother is murdered" or stuffs like that. I've heard enough of such arguments. At the same time they are valid, I do not feel that they invalidate my own stand. I treasure life too much to see more lives being destroyed for any causes. Maybe for drugs, other than using death penalty as the only way to deter drug trafficking, we should develop some sort of magic formula that can cure addiction? Just wishful thinking ...
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Unless you have three eyes. Then you'll probably be alright."
-Mahatma Gandhi
1) It's about time.
2) He deserved it.
3) Walau, everybody knows drug trafficking in SG is death what! Even the plane announce so clearly.
4) You know the amount of drugs he carry can harm how many people?
Ok. The 4th response was probably the strongest to supporting the death sentence in SG. I do not deny how true that statement is. Drugs has destroyed many people's lives and governments all over the world work hard to stop its proliferation. SG just has a harsher, tougher stance on the issue. Death is the result, and it doesn't matter how u get associated by it.
But the first 3 kind of responses are the reason people from other countries see Singapore as unfeeling, inflexible and arrogant. I say Singaporeans are calling for his blood, and many claim I am being too exaggerating. But given the kind of tone that we carry with the statements made, is it not true? And I believe, a certain amount of pride has to do with all this. A nation under scrutiny, will rebel and stand up against the attacks. Maybe if Australian media did not come down so harsh with its criticism on Singapore, the Singaporeans wouldn't have behaved so "unfeelingly".
I do wonder, if the SG government should "reverse" its stands and provide clemency for Nguyen, would the nation balked at the leaders calling them double standards? Or would the people still stand by the decisions of the leaders? Of course these are just speculation. I always see Singaporeans as not having a mind of their own, always following what the government says and decide. So I would always imagine "what if" scenarios happening.
I am not a proponent for "Death penalty". I do not see it as a means to any end. But of course this is my opinion. Readers who do not agree with me please do not bother to comment on this. I do not wish to partake in arguments about "who's gonna pay for feeding these murderers?", "let's see if your mother is murdered" or stuffs like that. I've heard enough of such arguments. At the same time they are valid, I do not feel that they invalidate my own stand. I treasure life too much to see more lives being destroyed for any causes. Maybe for drugs, other than using death penalty as the only way to deter drug trafficking, we should develop some sort of magic formula that can cure addiction? Just wishful thinking ...
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Unless you have three eyes. Then you'll probably be alright."
-Mahatma Gandhi
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Saw II - 72%
Ok, this part 2 is essentially more of the same thing. And that kind of is what makes it of a lesser sequel. I like the original very much, for its freshness. The thing is when it gets to repeat the same of what it had, the impact is kind of lost. Also I was kind of expecting the so called "Jigsaw" killer not to be working alone. Why? Well, if you've watched the first one, you'd kind of learnt that you shouldn't be taking everything at face value.
The story this time, revolves around a cop, who is not quite the conventional good cop that he is supposed to be. He plants evidences and setup his convicts to make sure they get caught. Well, he turns out to be not quite a good father too. With his life falling apart around him, here comes along Jigsaw to make his life even worse. And really, the main character here being punished is part of the problem of the movie. He's really not that good a choice for punishment. There are more people out there who have wasted their lives and deserves more of those treatment that this guy is being put through. So why him? Guess if not, the story wouldn't work.
It seems like the Jigsaw killer is not that scrutinizing when choosing his punishment subjects. And I guess that makes for a sloppy follow up to a better predecessor.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Being Thankful in Thanksgiving
Well, it is thanksgiving weekend in US right now. I just wanted to say how grateful I am that there's such a thing as blogging, and how elements like blogspot, the blogging community and the internet made it all possible.
I'll keep it short and sweet. More posts coming soon.
I'll keep it short and sweet. More posts coming soon.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 86%
So I am not a reader of the books thus any readers hoping for me to do any comparison with the text edition. Sorry, you won't get it here. I will see this movie, and rate it like a movie. How the story tells in a movie format, and whether it did its job well in the 157min that it ran. And I am glad to report, this is a winner. I have watched all 4 Potter movies so far, and I put this as the 2nd best following the first one.
Story: Harry Potter takes part in a Triwizard tournament, where 3 champions are chosen from 3 well respected Magic academies and put through some series of trials to see who emerges the winner. Well, 3 champions were chosen, along with Harry, who was supposed to be underaged and somehow got chosen into the contest by some mysterious chain of events. So the story unfolds the mystery and along with some best human dramas between teenagers written for these characters.
The best part of the Harry Potter series, is how magic creates a sense of awe and wonderment in the film, and I am glad to report that this one comes in spades and pailfuls. Won't reveal too much, but watch out for the creatures under the sea. And the plants ... and .. well just watch it. :) I keep wondering sometimes the kids in movie, I mean they are in their 4th year right? Why are they still looking amazed when something amazing happens. Don't they realize they are in a magic school?? But then I am watching the 4th movie in the series and I am still in awe. Well ... guess some kids just never grows. :)
This is also the darkest thus far along with "Azkaban", this installment has some pretty scary stuff and I wonder how kids these days take to them. Maybe they've seen so much crap on TV these days the monsters in this one really pales. But still, I personally feel some kids might be getting nightmares from Voltermort's return.
So my favourite part of the movie? The drama between Ron, Hermione and Harry is nicely fleshed out. I like the way how the ambiguity of feelings of them three kids are being displayed here. So much restraint, yet so much love between them all. This episode is the most complex yet in exploring how Hermoine feels for the all the other boys in the show. Then there's jealousy, friendship fallouts, bickerings and how you see teenagers start getting more complex as they turn adult. This is in full transition, and I look forward to see how they will eventually unfold in future episodes.
Well recommended!!!
Singnet sucks man .... DS users not supported
For those that mattered, Nintendo just launched a FREE internet wifi connection gaming service. Yes you read it right. FREEEEE :)
So if you got Wifi at home, just fire up your Nintendo DS with the latest Mariokart .. and start racing with people worldwide wirelessly. Oh just one caveat - If you're a Singnet user, you are out of luck.
I called them tech supportees thrice.
First time, this guy over the phone claimed "we do not block anything Call this number to check with Nintendo for support." I was pleasantly surprised. Guess what, the number doesn't work. No matter, I have trouble with the shitty speedtouch 570 (modem + wifi router) they gave for free, so I decided, why not bite the bullet and buy a new modem and router. Yup .. spent some hundreds to get a 3com ADSL dual link Home connect and a Belkin 54G. Wooo!!! ... feels nice to get new toys. But guess what, it still doesn't work.
So I decided to try logging into my ADSL with my pacnet account user id and password (incase you readers are unaware, once you have an active ADSL line, you can log into it using any ISP's ADSL username and pwd). Guess what, then my gamestop.com website starting loading normally, and I can connect using my DS!!!
So much for doing hardware testing for these so called tech support.
Then, I called them back a 2nd time. This guy over the phone exclaimed "What is nintendo?" Bad sign. Then I said "Well, it is a portable gaming handheld, like PSP". He then says "What is PSP?". Very bad SIGN!! Then I said " you know? like game boy?" And he says he doesn't know what those things are, so sorry not supported. WTF?!?!!? Win liao lor. How come previous guy knows then?? He kept reiterating that "we cannot support what we don't know sorry". I mean this guy did not even ask me what NintendoDS was or what it actually does. He just says no help. I aksed to speak with customer service manager so I could escalate this, but he claimed "manager not around, call back around 2".
Well, then I called back a few minutes later to speak to another person who is more open. She took down all the issues I had and told me she will escalate the problem to tech support and get back to me in a few days. Yup and she took my cellphone number.
Sigh ... so much for good customer support. Singnet is the first establishment that I am supporting that is the closest to "government run". I have always been with Pacnet, UOB, (no DBS for me) and Citibank. And you know what? Once bitten twice shy. I am sticking with M1 no matter what. And I will drop Singnet once the contract expires.
So if you got Wifi at home, just fire up your Nintendo DS with the latest Mariokart .. and start racing with people worldwide wirelessly. Oh just one caveat - If you're a Singnet user, you are out of luck.
I called them tech supportees thrice.
First time, this guy over the phone claimed "we do not block anything Call this number to check with Nintendo for support." I was pleasantly surprised. Guess what, the number doesn't work. No matter, I have trouble with the shitty speedtouch 570 (modem + wifi router) they gave for free, so I decided, why not bite the bullet and buy a new modem and router. Yup .. spent some hundreds to get a 3com ADSL dual link Home connect and a Belkin 54G. Wooo!!! ... feels nice to get new toys. But guess what, it still doesn't work.
So I decided to try logging into my ADSL with my pacnet account user id and password (incase you readers are unaware, once you have an active ADSL line, you can log into it using any ISP's ADSL username and pwd). Guess what, then my gamestop.com website starting loading normally, and I can connect using my DS!!!
So much for doing hardware testing for these so called tech support.
Then, I called them back a 2nd time. This guy over the phone exclaimed "What is nintendo?" Bad sign. Then I said "Well, it is a portable gaming handheld, like PSP". He then says "What is PSP?". Very bad SIGN!! Then I said " you know? like game boy?" And he says he doesn't know what those things are, so sorry not supported. WTF?!?!!? Win liao lor. How come previous guy knows then?? He kept reiterating that "we cannot support what we don't know sorry". I mean this guy did not even ask me what NintendoDS was or what it actually does. He just says no help. I aksed to speak with customer service manager so I could escalate this, but he claimed "manager not around, call back around 2".
Well, then I called back a few minutes later to speak to another person who is more open. She took down all the issues I had and told me she will escalate the problem to tech support and get back to me in a few days. Yup and she took my cellphone number.
Sigh ... so much for good customer support. Singnet is the first establishment that I am supporting that is the closest to "government run". I have always been with Pacnet, UOB, (no DBS for me) and Citibank. And you know what? Once bitten twice shy. I am sticking with M1 no matter what. And I will drop Singnet once the contract expires.
Lau Sai- Diarrhoea Screening!!
guys guys ...
Here's the public screening of lau sai.
Email them to RSVP .. limited seats ... first come first served. I will be there too along with the others involved in the making of it. :) Tada!!!
Yee-wei
---------------------------
CATCH THE SCREENING OF THE DIGITAL SHORT FILMS FROM THE PANASONIC-MDA DIGITAL FILM FIESTA 2005!
Date: December 3, Saturday
Time: 3pm
Venue: The Substation Guinness Theatre
Free by registration. Limited seats. First-come-first served
To register please email info@objectifs.com.sg
DIGITAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Open category
1st prize: 12:17 – Kenny Tan
2nd prize: Zo Peng – Jacen Tan
3rd prize: Health Warning – Sim Chin Sun
Merit:
Screen – Marcus Lim
Tokyo Confidential – Anthony Koithra
I Dream – Loh wei Liang
Lau Sai – Chai Yee-wei
Master of Gambling – Kenny Yong
One Step – Chan Wai Hoe
Kalah Atau Menang – Donny Utomo
Professional Category
1st prize: Buy Me Love – Ric Aw
2nd prize: Closer Apart – Victric Thng
3rd prize: Overhead Clouds – Yeo Lee Nah
The Actor – Kan Lume
Foot Fetish – Tanny Chia
Monster Bride – Jodie Koh
Dig – James Leong
Beautiful Strangers – Tan Siang Yu
Ruber - Syed Amar Ghazi
For more information please contact:
Objectifs Centre for Photography & Filmmaking
12A Liang Seah St, Singapore 189033
Tel: +65 6339 3068 / Fax: +65 6339 6930
www.objectifs.com.sg
The Panasonic-MDA Digital Film Fiesta is brought to you by Panasonic Systems Asia Pacific and the Media Development Authority of Singapore
Partners: JTeam Productions, MediaCorp Studios, Apple, Infinite Frameworks, Film Equipment Gallery, The Substation
Official TV Station: MediaCorp TV Channel U
Official Publication: Asia Image
Oganised by Objectifs Centre for Photography and Filmmaking
Here's the public screening of lau sai.
Email them to RSVP .. limited seats ... first come first served. I will be there too along with the others involved in the making of it. :) Tada!!!
Yee-wei
---------------------------
CATCH THE SCREENING OF THE DIGITAL SHORT FILMS FROM THE PANASONIC-MDA DIGITAL FILM FIESTA 2005!
Date: December 3, Saturday
Time: 3pm
Venue: The Substation Guinness Theatre
Free by registration. Limited seats. First-come-first served
To register please email info@objectifs.com.sg
DIGITAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Open category
1st prize: 12:17 – Kenny Tan
2nd prize: Zo Peng – Jacen Tan
3rd prize: Health Warning – Sim Chin Sun
Merit:
Screen – Marcus Lim
Tokyo Confidential – Anthony Koithra
I Dream – Loh wei Liang
Lau Sai – Chai Yee-wei
Master of Gambling – Kenny Yong
One Step – Chan Wai Hoe
Kalah Atau Menang – Donny Utomo
Professional Category
1st prize: Buy Me Love – Ric Aw
2nd prize: Closer Apart – Victric Thng
3rd prize: Overhead Clouds – Yeo Lee Nah
The Actor – Kan Lume
Foot Fetish – Tanny Chia
Monster Bride – Jodie Koh
Dig – James Leong
Beautiful Strangers – Tan Siang Yu
Ruber - Syed Amar Ghazi
For more information please contact:
Objectifs Centre for Photography & Filmmaking
12A Liang Seah St, Singapore 189033
Tel: +65 6339 3068 / Fax: +65 6339 6930
www.objectifs.com.sg
The Panasonic-MDA Digital Film Fiesta is brought to you by Panasonic Systems Asia Pacific and the Media Development Authority of Singapore
Partners: JTeam Productions, MediaCorp Studios, Apple, Infinite Frameworks, Film Equipment Gallery, The Substation
Official TV Station: MediaCorp TV Channel U
Official Publication: Asia Image
Oganised by Objectifs Centre for Photography and Filmmaking
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Superman Returns Teaser!!!
Now that is it finally here .... The wait is almost over. I almost wet my pants watching this ...
Whether you heard about it or not, the new Superman movie is coming. After so many misstarts .... Bryan Singer is ready give a fresh new take on the Krytonian Legend.
Here's the awesome new trailer. Yaye!!!!!!
Superman Returns Teaser
Whether you heard about it or not, the new Superman movie is coming. After so many misstarts .... Bryan Singer is ready give a fresh new take on the Krytonian Legend.
Here's the awesome new trailer. Yaye!!!!!!
Superman Returns Teaser
Monday, November 14, 2005
"Loser" - Winner of Fly By Night Judges' Pick
Ok The Fly by Night challenge is over. Oh boy and was it a challenge. We're given a topic on Friday night 8pm ( yeah and a rather crappy one "^#&$* - yes that bunch of symbols is the topic)" and we are supposed to write, shoot, edit and produce the final 5min product by Sunday noon.
Well we (Yours Truly, Kelvin, David, Ranna, with special help from Alex & Belle) did it, and our clip "Loser" was a winner of the Judges' Pick Award :)
"We love suicidal losers" Quote from Panel of Judges
And we were told (thru insiders) that we were 2nd for the audience pick. Lesson learnt - bring as many of your friends to the screening as possible to help vote next time. hehheheh ;)
Here goes. :)
Requires Quicktime 7
Large Version (20.5MB) Have to wait for file to finish downloading before it will play.
Small version (5.6MB)
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Lau Sai - Diarrhoea won a Merit Award
hhahhahah :) ... I can't believe it, but it is true. Kudos to the teeam that worked so hard to bring you "Lau Sai". The first short film I wrote, directed and ahem .. starred :P. It was made to be submitted for a competition - The Panasonic MDA Digital Film Fiesta.
Really I didn;t think it would even make top 10, but guess it did. I thought it was pretty crappy, but well, it did teach me quite a few lessons. So for the next one (shooting next week), I will try to make it even better.
Here's some trivia for the short:
- I had to pay off the security guard $50 to allow me to shoot this at a (undisclosed) public toilet.
- We forgot to turn on a special mic which I spent $600 2 days prior to improve the sound quality (that explain why the audio is prettty bad).
- The script was written 3 days before the shoot - and many of the scenes, the actors had the script held up or on the floor so that they could read it.
- The girl did not know what her role was throughout the shoot.
- No one was paid in the making of the film :(
Well, here's the link. Hope u guys enjoy it and please forgive us for the lousy quality of the final product. We promise our next one will be much better :)
Requires Quicktime to play.
http://homepage.mac.com/ywchai/iMovieTheater31.html
Urgent. Looking for actors/rooms/suggestions.
Hello guys and girls,
Just desperate and so trying my luck here. Please forward this to who you can find who will be suitable for these roles.
I am looking for 2 male actors in the following
profile:
Age: 25-32 (can be younger, just have to look that age)
Look: Well groomed. Not fat. Can be well built, but not body
builder type. Masculine type.
Requirements: Must be able to act relatively well. There will be a
tearing scene for both.
This is for a 5-7min short film. For a competition.
For a 1 day shoot. Very urgent need to find within this week.
Please call 96945061 and ask for yeewei to discuss fees.
Thanks!
2) Also, I am looking for a room with a queen sized bed that I can use for this shoot. For 1 day. I thought of hotel rooms but if I can get anyone to offer cheaply, it'll be good too. Any suggestions for hotel rooms also if there are?
Just desperate and so trying my luck here. Please forward this to who you can find who will be suitable for these roles.
I am looking for 2 male actors in the following
profile:
Age: 25-32 (can be younger, just have to look that age)
Look: Well groomed. Not fat. Can be well built, but not body
builder type. Masculine type.
Requirements: Must be able to act relatively well. There will be a
tearing scene for both.
This is for a 5-7min short film. For a competition.
For a 1 day shoot. Very urgent need to find within this week.
Please call 96945061 and ask for yeewei to discuss fees.
Thanks!
2) Also, I am looking for a room with a queen sized bed that I can use for this shoot. For 1 day. I thought of hotel rooms but if I can get anyone to offer cheaply, it'll be good too. Any suggestions for hotel rooms also if there are?
The Exorcism of Emily Rose - 85%
This movie is based on a true story. I'd like to say, a more appropriate term would have to be "inspired by". Becasue the name is changed, and compared to the real story, much details were also changed. Nonetheless, this is a great movie experience which many might miss due to the fact that it appears to be a horror movie. This is actually a courtroom drama wrapping around a supernatural story which is told through many flashbacks.
It deals with the problem of how do you prove the existence of something unprovable? The movie almost mirrors the current case in US where evolution is fighting against the idea of intelligent design. In the movie, we theoretically have the Devil trying to use facts, to create doubts in the people's hearts and minds, and thus winning over God. The movie tells of how a young woman, Emily Rose, died while an exorcism is being performed on her. And the priest who performed the failed exorcism, is being accused of causing the young girl's death. A lawyer who is agnostic, is being assigned to this case, also fights her own demons while trying to win this case from the prosecutor who is a man of faith. Very interesting setup and as a court room drama, the sparring were well executed.
However, was the ending satisfying? It is subjective. I did find it a little too "perfect". But I guess, it is hard to please everyone with a story like that. I do like how they ended it, and the effort in trying to write a story based on the controverisal topic. The performance were great for all the actors/actresses involved. Overall, a movie that really shouldn't be missed.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Singaporean Mentality - in Krabi
Hello guys ... I am back from Krabi after a week of holiday there. It was great. What did I do there for 5 days? Most would expect me to go diving and snorkling and all the fun under the sun activities. But the truth was I did nothing like that. It was more of a retreat for me. To get away from all the noise in Singapore and relax, and catch up on my sleep and relax somemore.
There were some very interesting moments with Singaporeans in particular, and since this is a blog which I also talk about Singaporean observations, here goes with some notable ones :)
- Tiger Airways. This Singaporean guy (A) sitting near the aisle, was hit by a bag that fell when this fellow Singaporean (B) was trying to open the top cabin after the plane took off. The guy (A) who got hit was super perturbed when the bag hit him. The other guy (B) just let out a "paiseh" look and stuck out his tongue, and without saying sorry, sneaked back to his seat behind the angry man (A). I was quite surprised at how rude that young man (B) was, for not apologizing. But I was even more surprised at how many times that angry guy tried to stare at him, expecting an apology, and even turned back to give that man sitting behind him his angry stare. Why didn't he (A) just say "hey, I think you should apologize". I wanted to step in and ask the young man to say sorry, but the angry man (A) looked like he was going to do so, for a long long time. Nothing eventually happened, and I just decided to forget it and not get involved.
- There was a bus at the airport to send us to the hotels. Sweet. They included in this ride a free city tour and a lunch at some duck noodles store. Cool. I got on the bus, and yup, loaded with Singaporeans. First thing I noticed, the radio was blasting some hokkien thingy that was definitely not Thai. Well then I noticed, they were playing some VCD of a Singaporean made video. Very bizarre. The Singaporeans on the bus appears to enjoy it, especially the older folks. But just real bizarre. The kicker? I later found out from the tour guide lady, that they've been playing this for years and she doesn;t even understand what the hell they were playing. Why didn't they play some Thai related stuff I wonder? Was this their way of making Singaporeans feel at home? :P
- The bus was full. I was seated at a single seat right at the front. I saw an old man at the back who had no seat and since no young men around him gave up their seat, I offered it to him. His wife, without saying thanks, urged his husband to take up the seat quickly. I stood up, the old man took my seat, and again, no thanks. I walked towards the back and sat on the floor of the bus. This lady turned back and said "woah you got a special seat". I was thinking to myself, "why would you like to have this special seat? I'd be happy to exchange with you." Then seated near the back where I was, was actually a young father whose 2 year old kid decided to have a seat all to himself, and that explains why there was a "lack of seat" on the bus. The kicker? The young father, was the son of the old man I gave up my seat for.
- I had a few days of spas. One day I had a facial treatment done, and that night, I got bitten by mosquitoes in the night. Thus when I went back for a subsequent session of massage, they thought I was allergic to the facil treatment, thinking that the bites were rashes. I related this incident to one of the Singaporeans on the trip and she suggested "Why didn't you tell them that yes it was due to their facial? Scare them lah!". I was immediately reminded of an entry (Link) I wrote about nasty Singaporeans. Really why should we be so mean?
I was glad that this was a free and easy trip - that means, no more bus rides with the rest of the Singaporeans until the last day heading back to the hotel. The trip was mostly not about what I observed above, but mostly like the pretty pictures I took below. Well, here are some of the shots. There are more at my .Mac homepage. And I will definitely be back in Krabi soon - when it stops raining so often.
Click here to my .Mac Homepage with More pictures
There were some very interesting moments with Singaporeans in particular, and since this is a blog which I also talk about Singaporean observations, here goes with some notable ones :)
- Tiger Airways. This Singaporean guy (A) sitting near the aisle, was hit by a bag that fell when this fellow Singaporean (B) was trying to open the top cabin after the plane took off. The guy (A) who got hit was super perturbed when the bag hit him. The other guy (B) just let out a "paiseh" look and stuck out his tongue, and without saying sorry, sneaked back to his seat behind the angry man (A). I was quite surprised at how rude that young man (B) was, for not apologizing. But I was even more surprised at how many times that angry guy tried to stare at him, expecting an apology, and even turned back to give that man sitting behind him his angry stare. Why didn't he (A) just say "hey, I think you should apologize". I wanted to step in and ask the young man to say sorry, but the angry man (A) looked like he was going to do so, for a long long time. Nothing eventually happened, and I just decided to forget it and not get involved.
- There was a bus at the airport to send us to the hotels. Sweet. They included in this ride a free city tour and a lunch at some duck noodles store. Cool. I got on the bus, and yup, loaded with Singaporeans. First thing I noticed, the radio was blasting some hokkien thingy that was definitely not Thai. Well then I noticed, they were playing some VCD of a Singaporean made video. Very bizarre. The Singaporeans on the bus appears to enjoy it, especially the older folks. But just real bizarre. The kicker? I later found out from the tour guide lady, that they've been playing this for years and she doesn;t even understand what the hell they were playing. Why didn't they play some Thai related stuff I wonder? Was this their way of making Singaporeans feel at home? :P
- The bus was full. I was seated at a single seat right at the front. I saw an old man at the back who had no seat and since no young men around him gave up their seat, I offered it to him. His wife, without saying thanks, urged his husband to take up the seat quickly. I stood up, the old man took my seat, and again, no thanks. I walked towards the back and sat on the floor of the bus. This lady turned back and said "woah you got a special seat". I was thinking to myself, "why would you like to have this special seat? I'd be happy to exchange with you." Then seated near the back where I was, was actually a young father whose 2 year old kid decided to have a seat all to himself, and that explains why there was a "lack of seat" on the bus. The kicker? The young father, was the son of the old man I gave up my seat for.
- I had a few days of spas. One day I had a facial treatment done, and that night, I got bitten by mosquitoes in the night. Thus when I went back for a subsequent session of massage, they thought I was allergic to the facil treatment, thinking that the bites were rashes. I related this incident to one of the Singaporeans on the trip and she suggested "Why didn't you tell them that yes it was due to their facial? Scare them lah!". I was immediately reminded of an entry (Link) I wrote about nasty Singaporeans. Really why should we be so mean?
I was glad that this was a free and easy trip - that means, no more bus rides with the rest of the Singaporeans until the last day heading back to the hotel. The trip was mostly not about what I observed above, but mostly like the pretty pictures I took below. Well, here are some of the shots. There are more at my .Mac homepage. And I will definitely be back in Krabi soon - when it stops raining so often.
Click here to my .Mac Homepage with More pictures
Friday, October 28, 2005
The Hangman ...
Hot topic currently ... A 25 year old aussie guy who is caught carrying 396gm of heroin, acting as a mule for a drug syndicate, in transit to Cambodia from Australia. He's caught last year March in Singapore and he is now sentenced to death. He was not a criminal, this is his first offence, and he's doing this so as to clear the gambling debt f his brother.
Everyone's talking about how the governments of both countries should or should not behave. Anyone put themselves in the position of the kid? His brother is in shit ass debt. He's doing this to save his brother, and in the process, he got nabbed. He tried to collaborate with the Singapore government and never denied his crimes. He is now to be hung. The drug lords from Aussie and Cambodia must be feeling crappy that their goods got into the hands of the goverment, and also grinning that a sacrifice is going to be made while they are still at large. So what will this execution serve? To teach people a lesson? Teach who a lesson? It cuts off possible leads to the real criminals and does nothing to stop future similar action by the drug lords (who's only loss is a life which doesn't matter).
Nguyen was in a lose lose situation all the way from the beginning. If he did nothing to help his bro, he'll be looked upon by the people around him as heartless; now he helps and he gets hung. All I can say is, this is going to be a loss of life which will serve no good purpose to any goverments, but the drug lords - for it will make it harder to catch them.
Everyone's talking about how the governments of both countries should or should not behave. Anyone put themselves in the position of the kid? His brother is in shit ass debt. He's doing this to save his brother, and in the process, he got nabbed. He tried to collaborate with the Singapore government and never denied his crimes. He is now to be hung. The drug lords from Aussie and Cambodia must be feeling crappy that their goods got into the hands of the goverment, and also grinning that a sacrifice is going to be made while they are still at large. So what will this execution serve? To teach people a lesson? Teach who a lesson? It cuts off possible leads to the real criminals and does nothing to stop future similar action by the drug lords (who's only loss is a life which doesn't matter).
Nguyen was in a lose lose situation all the way from the beginning. If he did nothing to help his bro, he'll be looked upon by the people around him as heartless; now he helps and he gets hung. All I can say is, this is going to be a loss of life which will serve no good purpose to any goverments, but the drug lords - for it will make it harder to catch them.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Orchard Road has world's 14th most expensive retail space
"Orchard Road has world's 14th most expensive retail space", the article says. And this trend is going upwards. I suspect this will encourage property owners (aka the rich big wigs) to slowly raise their rental to be No.1 someday. :P Is this good for business owners like me?
I am wondering if the article even research into - the average spending power of the people walking on the streets of NY versus SG. And the average sales figures from the shops here in Orchard Rd versus NY. Does the rental justify its location?
Link to article
I am wondering if the article even research into - the average spending power of the people walking on the streets of NY versus SG. And the average sales figures from the shops here in Orchard Rd versus NY. Does the rental justify its location?
Link to article
Singapore's Sexpo!!! Kids enter for free!
THIS IS PRETTY amazing for Singapore. Though Singapore was once described as a castrated man by a singer (who has since been "media blacklisted" locally), now he's actually showing that he's got balls (and one hell of a dick!). hhahahha
http://www.sexpo.com.sg/home.htm
Now this is the real kicker:
Adult Ticket:* S$14 (Adult aged 21 or above)
Minor below 21 Ticket: S$2
Children below 12: Free entrance to Living Room section
* Adult ticket includes free admission to all adults-only seminars and exhibitions in the Bedroom section.
* Book early to enjoy the Early Bird Discount of $12 per Adult ticket.
* Offer valid till 31st Oct 2005.
Am I seeing things??? If you're 12-20, u get to go in for $2. And if you're below 12, you get to go (albeit to the living room only - but who says u can't have sex in the living room? :P) in for FREE???
Isn't it illegal to have sex with any "minors" under the age of 16?? Am I seeing a disconnect here??
http://www.sexpo.com.sg/home.htm
Now this is the real kicker:
Adult Ticket:* S$14 (Adult aged 21 or above)
Minor below 21 Ticket: S$2
Children below 12: Free entrance to Living Room section
* Adult ticket includes free admission to all adults-only seminars and exhibitions in the Bedroom section.
* Book early to enjoy the Early Bird Discount of $12 per Adult ticket.
* Offer valid till 31st Oct 2005.
Am I seeing things??? If you're 12-20, u get to go in for $2. And if you're below 12, you get to go (albeit to the living room only - but who says u can't have sex in the living room? :P) in for FREE???
Isn't it illegal to have sex with any "minors" under the age of 16?? Am I seeing a disconnect here??
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