Took this photo at around 5pm-ish yesterday while I was waiting for my aunt to come and pick me up...something about seeing the moon while it's still light out is quite cool =)
I, Thou, not born
6 months ago
Okay, I don't really know if it's appropriate for me to post this here, but then the website is for public viewing anyways, and it's my first ever published review, so I'm breaking the rules. *grins* Here's the link: http://www.cinema.com.my/movies/movie_contents.aspx?search=2010.6264.haunteduniversities.11710
Maybe it's just me, but seeing my own name there published gives quite a sense of pride that my work is recognised as 'good' =) And add to that, getting a good comment from the editor is really nice too! Going into it was a bit exhilarating and weird at the same time too. Introducing myself as someone from a publishing company...that's a big first, but I kind of like it! But overthinking things during the writing of the review: definite no-no. Need to just draft it all out first and then refine it later. LOL!
I would have liked to write more about the movie, but as it is it's a bit too long already, so here are my other opinions on "Haunted Universities":
- Before watching the movie, here I was thinking that the movie is going to 'haunt' me in my nightmares for days on end...how glad was I that the movie turned out to be a big joke (with one character named after it, no wonder!). It was one of the few times I've actually laughed hard watching a horror film. LOL!
- There never really were any connections between the four stories, except the showing of a few familiar faces. Kind of a flimsy way to tie the stories together. If they did it like Jack Neo's "Where Got Ghost?" it might have made more sense...*shrugs*
- Some scenes were just a bit...out-of-it. And not in a good way too. Case-in-point: a scene where the murderer and his newly acquired 'apprentice' walk up to their next victim (in slow mo) accompanied by music reminiscent of "The Wild Wild West" (where the cowboys do the show down thingy with their guns and all) *rolls eyes*
- I seriously do not get whether the movie was really a horror/comedy film OR just a really terrible horror film. On the one hand, if it was branded as a horror/comedy, it could have been a pretty decent one as you get lots of humour and slapstick antics. But, if it's meant to be an all-out Thai horror films, it definitely falls flat on its face. Oh well, watch it and you'll get what I mean. ;)
Hopefully there will be more gigs like this to go to...and I hope I can review some nicer movies than some 'non-movie' (as how the editor puts it) randomly given to me! On another nicer note, I was told that I am very welcome to just go and sit for a movie screening by the company (and I quote) "...for my amusement, if I am into that sort of thing" (!!!!!) DEFINITELY into it, but I hear that most of the screenings are done in the mornings on weekdays...*hears balloon being deflated* Oh well, I still have night previews I can attend, and possible weekends too, so it's still good! YAYY! Free movies to watch...haha!
Whew...can't really believe this is happening just yet, so I'm pinching myself a lot. LOL! After thinking long and hard about what I want to do in my life (as well as encouragement from friends and family), I took the plunge (so to speak) and applied for something that I thought I would never be able to do just because I don't have a degree in journalism: freelance movie reviewer.
A neighbor (and good friend) of mine is working in journalism herself and I asked her about things that she do, and is it a requirement to have a degree in journalism should I want to venture into writing as a career. Surprise surprise...it's not really a requirement, though of course it's an added bonus if the person has one. Our little discussion turned into a VERY nice offer from her to hook me up with her ex editor at one of the companies she had worked at...I jumped at it, since it's a freelance job and I could look into building a portfolio for myself =) Plus, it might give me an idea on how things in the publishing industry works, and how often do we get PAID to watch a movie, right? Did a really quick review on my resume to check, put in some writing samples (from this blog..hehe!) and a cover letter, said a quick prayer, and sent them through email.
Long story short, they have decided to give me a try (YAYYY!) and would like me to start with a preview screening of a movie tomorrow. Looked it up online, and I found out that it's *GASP* a Thai horror film! A challenge perhaps, or maybe it's just some big coincidence that they knew I don't do well with horror...especially ASIAN horror flicks? Not that they aren't good, but I guess it's like the films feel closer to home, and with me knowing about some superstitions and all that makes the film even more creepy to me >.<" I just hope I can manage to write a decent enough review that they would want to let me continue! *crosses fingers* They expect the review by the following day, so I think I should be able to post my own opinion on it soon...*wink*
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On another note, I've managed to catch 'The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus' last week. It's really a pity to see that it hasn't generated that much buzz or excitement for people to watch it...I mean, it's only been about 2 weeks or so, and the cinemas are already limiting the number of showings! Not enough people coming to catch the last movie that Heath Ledger made before he passed, I presume...=(
Still, the movie did cast an interesting light on the extent of our imaginations. The story basically talks about Dr Parnassus (Christopher Plummer, who made Captain Von Trapp super famous in 'The Sound Of Music'), an old monk that made bets with the Devil (played brilliantly by Tom Waits) and uses a magical mirror to bring people from all walks of life into their own imaginations. Along the way, Dr Parnassus and his troupe (consisting of his daughter, a boy called Anton, and a midget called Percy) chanced upon another curious character, Tony (Heath Ledger) and they all set upon a most bizzare and otherworldly journey that will either knock your socks off (if you get the whole bizzare thing) or knock you completely confused (if you're just too logical and all that jazz).
The cast were brilliant in the movie..Christopher Plummer definitely plays the old monk with great aplomb, balancing the drunken stupor that the character is almost always in and the wise, engaging storyteller of a man when the character is sober. But the one that steals the show would be Heath Ledger, who brought Tony to life with his little mannerisms and British accent that one can't really place. It's a little sad though to see when Tony changes faces (played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell) during the story. One would definitely be able to tell which parts were made after his death...but still, the other actors held their own and melded their interpretation of Tony with Heath's very well.
If you're not into the whole story (or you just don't understand it), just watch it for the visuals. The 'worlds' created by the characters' imaginations will surely leave you breathless. Think Tim Burton's 'Charlie and The Chocolate Factory' with a darker, more adult twist. Although looking really bizzare (I seem to be using this word a lot, but I think this is the most apt word for it. LOL!), surreal, and abstract-ish, the effects are awesome. I guess it's something to be seen in order to be believed *wink*
All in all, it's quite hard to place what the movie is all about (in my opinion), but the effects of the movie definitely is a crowd puller. If you DO go watch the movie, make sure you don't go for a late night showing (as the pace might render you sleepy) and don't worry if you don't 'get' the story at all...just sit back, relax and immerse yourself in the whole experience. *wink*
When I first viewed the trailer for Avatar on the TV in the beginning of the year (2009), the first thing that came to my mind was 'Oh...weird blue people fighting with large dinosaur-like birds against big spaceships and tanks! Animation!' Didn't really feel like watching the movie, until the second trailer came out, and then I waited in anticipation...the wait was so worth it! I watched both the normal and 3D versions of the movie, and I have to say both versions have its own unique (and breath-taking!) experience!
Don't want to go into the storyline as I'm sure most everyone knows what it's about, but I do want to rave about the stunning ethereal-like feel of Pandora! The creators certainly have gone all out to create beautiful, gorgeous looking trees, and jaw-dropping, knock-you-out-of-breath-the-first-time-you-lay-eyes-on-it scenery! Watching it twice never lessened that factor....all the colors, especially the luminescent glow on the trees at night were just..Wow. Makes me want to wish I lived in Pandora too! Heh! Definitely need to give mad props to the people working hard behind the
scenes of Avatar...everything was simply superb, from all the detailing
to the cinematography!
Pretty Eywa surrounding Jake...lovely!
The Na'vi were very impressive too, although I didn't quite get the blue skin and all...but after a while, you get used to it and appreciate how pretty they look too. Especially Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana). LOVED Sam Worthington as Jake Sully! He brought a lot of emotion and vulnerability to the character, which we all sympathised with as he goes on bravely with his disability, and then triumphed together with him as he brought the Na'vi together against the humans. Definite swoon-worthy material as well...*wink*
The message behind the story was crystal clear in the movie, and I do love that quote which Jake tells the Holy Tree (which is so true of our world today):
"....there are no more greens, no more trees. They have killed their Mother (Nature)."
Watch the normal version to witness the spectacularity of the movie, but watch the 3D for different kind of experience. =) True, the 3D effects were not the usual 'throwing flying objects in your face' kind, but I really like the subtlety of it all. Watching the movie really felt like you were IN the middle of it all, standing behind the soldiers while they receive their briefing, watching the pilots from behind as they navigate the ships, or even running along the trees when Hometree got wiped out. Ooh, and not to mention being able to appreciate the more intricate details in the 3D movie compared to the normal version. Losing yourself in the movie has never been easier...and it also makes you gape at the cool technology that was made for the movie!
Detailing is even better in 3D!
All in all, I think this is one of the best movies and must watch of 2009...=) Here's to hoping that there would be more great movies like this from James Cameron, and maybe we won't have to wait another 12 years for it to bear fruit! LOL!
As a side note, I remember watching back Titanic a few weeks ago when it was shown on TV...I have to admit, I never did liked Titanic's story. Never got why the girls cried like mad when Jack died and cringed at the 'I jump, you jump' line (I still do..LOL!). Still, it amazed me looking at the CG of the ship...watching it again showed very big disparity between the CG then and now. It's very clear (watching it now) which parts were CG and which were not, but during the time it was a big thing, and I do appreciate the work that went into recreating the Titanic...I just didn't like the Jack and Rose story (maybe Leo Dicaprio was too young at the time..LOL!) I wonder if I would say the same thing if I got the chance to watch Avatar again in another few years' time...as of now, CG has never looked better! *grins*
Something up-to-date first...haha! One of my New Year's wishes (I don't really like resolutions...I always end up NOT doing it properly, so there!) would be to update my blogs as quickly as possible so I don't lose my train of thought. =)
Watched this a couple of days ago with sis and some good friends...I have to admit, I have not read the books of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (though of course I have heard of Sherlock Holmes and his adventures), so I went in with no inkling of what to expect. Did it deliver? YES!!
The story was set way back in the time where London was dark, dingy and dirty...and expect the atmosphere of the movie to be just that. But it does the job of setting the tone of the movie - which shows the case that Holmes and Watson are working on - steeped in 'paranormal' activities. Lord Blackwood, a notorious bad guy, was caught by Holmes and Watson...and subsequently hanged (even being pronounced dead by Watson himself). Holmes became bored after that, lurking at home and conducting experiments on his poor dog (hillarious but at the same time sad for the dog!) when he found out mysterious things are happening and it appears that Blackwood is NOT dead! *gasp* Without giving too much away, Holmes and Watson set out to uncover the mystery...and succeeded in unravelling all the conundrums that Blackwood threw at them.
Swoon-worthy (and funny) Holmes in a brawl scene that's super cool!
What I love about the movie was the observations of Holmes in every situation. Yes, I know he's a detective, and hence he HAS to be observant...but the Holmes that Robert Downey Jr. portrayed was not just pompous and witty, he was quite sarcastic and funny as well. From what little I knew about the Holmes everybody loved...he was just a normal detective who relied on his in-depth knowledge and brilliant deduction methods to solve a case. THIS Holmes was that...and more! Not only he was involved heavily (up to the point of fighting with the baddies a la Jackie Chan style) but he does it with panache and brings it to a whole new level =)
One of my favorite quotes from the movie:
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
How apt! Often times we like to come to conclusions before we even find enough evidence for it, or just twist facts to 'prophesies' so that it would feel right! Scary, isn't it? But so true...=) Still, I digressed!
The camaraderie and banter between Holmes and Watson were awesome as well! Love Jude Law's interpretation of the obssessive note-taker that is Watson...he was definitely on par with Robert Downey Jr. and it shows (on-screen at least) that they are the bestest of friends! Rachel McAdams plays Irene Adler, the woman who apparently was the only one who could outwit and outsmart Holmes. Though she is super pretty in the movie, I can't help but think that the writers have underplayed Irene's cleverness. It's as though she was there because they need a love interest or some sort for Holmes. *sigh* Which is sad, coz from what I have read about Irene, she is definitely brilliant...what a movie it would be if she was given a fleshier (figuratively!) role in the movie instead of some damsel in distress (for a smart woman, you'd think she would be able to evade capture, but she got caught as bait for Holmes...twice. *smacks head*)
The pace of the movie was great though...the thought process of Holmes on how to defeat an opponent was a favorite of mine. And I do like how they left clues all over for the audience to try and figure out what happened. Loved the explanation in the end on how they uncovered the mysteries! So, if you love mysteries, action, or just Robert Downey Jr. go watch it! You won't be disappointed =) Can't wait for the sequel (you know there'll be one! ;) ) as they will be bringing in Prof. Moriarty! Meanwhile, let me go and see if I can scrounge up those Holmes' novels to bring me up to speed...heh!
Okay, this post was supposed to be way, WAY back in November >.<" Still, I don't want to waste the photos and so, here it is..heh!
It was a birthday celebration for my Mom...she's big on healthy food, and so the best option would be Japanese food =) Mom loves sashimi, and since I had some great discount coupons for Senjyu (and we haven't been there before), we went ahead with it.
Located at e@Curve in Mutiara Damansara, Senjyu Sushi was quite a small-ish restaurant situated just beside the ever popular McDonald's. Walking in, we noticed there were not many staff around and thought 'Oh no...it's going to be a long wait!' but we were shown to the biggest and best table (in my opinion) in the restaurant shortly after...heh!
The interior decor of the place...loved the purple lanterns!
And there were rows upon rows of green bottles on display in the shelves above, so it was way cool!
Simple set up of the table
Looking at the menu, the prices were exorbitant! Thank goodness we had the coupons (and since it was our Mom's birthday anyways), so my sisters and I took quite a few liberties in ordering...hehehe! We thought since there were not enough staff going around and quite a number of customers were around, we would have to wait VERY long (since we placed quite a big order!), but it wasn't so! Food was served relatively fast, which was awesome!
My cold green tea..not bad! Not too watery or too thick :)
First order (by Mom): Avocado salad with shrimp roe and crab meat. It was lovely! Cool, crisp vegetables topped with slivers of avocado! And it was tossed with a vinaigrette that was super yummy! Mom can't quite place what it was in the vinaigrette (and she's a good cook!) but needless to say, it got polished off quite fast!
Soft shelled crab tempura...quite nice, especially after lemon juice was squeezed over it!
Can't really remember which sushi this was, but it was quite forgettable...nothing much to shout about. Still, it got finished off. LOL!
Wagyu beef! One of our favourites....thin slices of beef served along with a small cooking 'stove' in which we do a light BBQ with it. Dipped in their soy sauce, it was SCRUMPTIOUS! :D
The stove that came with the beef...with a piece of lard for 'oil'!
Caviar and roe sushi....need I say more? ;)
Another version of the caviar sushi...
Octopus sushi...one of Mom's favorites! She likes the baby octopuses for some reason..haha!
The little tub of wasabi...too cute to pass up for a photo!
Can't remember what is the name of the drink, but it was a nice fizzy soda with some cordial and bits of fruit in it...Rachel loved this!
Can't remember the Japanese name for this, but it's something like jellyfish or something to the extent. Not as nice as we expected :(
A GINORMOUS scallop for my Mom...it came with it's own little 'stove' and was boiling when it arrived. Heh! Very pricey, but Mom felt that it wasn't that nice. *gasp* Oh well...
The sashimi!! Some of it were nice, but we all felt that they were sliced too thick...if they were sliced thinner, it wouldn't have been hard to swallow. LOL!
Their signature dish, the Dragon Maki! Yummy sushi of mango,soft-shelled crab and some prawns wrapped in VERY thin slivers of avocado...it's delicious! Only thing is that to enjoy it in its entirety, you'd need to eat it all in one bite, and the sushi size sure is not small...*sigh* But I think I'd rather look ugly and enjoy the food than try to look dainty eating it...hahaha!
Mango sushi...another favourite! Who would have thought that mango goes very well with sushi, right?!
Noodles in a citrus-y sauce...also very yummy! :D
Then it was time for dessert...Viv ordered this, but it tasted rather weird! If I remember correctly, it's something like grape jelly wrapped around some liquor. NOT a good combination. Ugh.
Mochi (black sesame) ice-cream...it was surprisingly good, considering all we know of black sesame was in savoury food :D
Coconut ice-cream in a coconut shell...haha! But still, very sweet and creamy :)
And my favourite one of all...lavender ice-cream! Love the purple color, and it was quite creamy and not overwhelming with the lavender taste. Lovely!
When we got home, we got cake too...:D This was a trans-fat free orange chiffon with meringue frosting. What a great end to a nice day! Hope you enjoyed your birthday, Mom!