This cracks me up. I was just at moviesonline.com and posted a short reply to a comment being made about a movie in the newsgroup section. I happen to type this sentence: "Now that's some cool shit." and guess what turned up in my post instead? "Now that's some cool *CENSORED*". Ok, everybody...3, 2, 1...hahahaha. In the effectively purplx-ed words of my bestfriend, Eileen, what de fuck?? What's the hell is wrong with the word shit?? Nobody defecates in this here joint? I swear, just try it you guys. Go to the clipboard section of movies online and type something even remotely sassy and see how your post turns out in the end.

I've just added some links to the cool blogs of my even cooler friends at the cozy little green space to your left. Do check them out and leave a kind note or two at their guestbooks and comments sections.

MOVIE REVIEW: RESIDENT EVIL
When the examinations are nigh and the neurons of intellectual stimulation are a-weary, many of us look to a certain form to entertainment to de-stress in a medium that's a complete opposite. The no-brainer, action movie. This blog mistress therefore checked out Resident Evil. My tactic: expect a no-brainer and you won't be disappointed...badly. But really, in all fairness, Resident Evil isn't really that bad. Sure the plot's thinner than the model leading actress, Milla Jovovich, but at least the concept(whatever barest minimum there is) and the competent acting delivers the film from complete and utter stupidity that plague a lot of movies these days. Speaking about Jovovich, damn, she looks fine in this movie. She shoots the brains out of a million zombies, kicks a lot ass, executes jet-li kung fu stunts...all these, without messing her hair or even smudging her make-up. Maybe it does pay being a Loreal poster child. Combined with a mostly techno musical score, erratic MTV shots and a whole lot of posing by the leading cast, it all looks like a pretty-packaged, snazzy action Feria ad. I half expected the camera to zoom in on Jovovich's more than picture perfect face in a close up shot with her pouting before spouting the famed tagline,"Because I'm worth it." But that's just me... she actually is pretty convincing though her character's pretty flat, and i mean one-dimensional not her chest. =p Michelle Rodriguez plays tough chick once again. I'm afraid the role that shot her to critical stardom in the independent film, Girlfight, might doom her to the Hollywood hell, that is, Typecasting. Oh well. All in all, the leads provide eyecandy and the tonnes of extras, the zombies, provide for a gore fest with their crazy asses being kicked around and pretty much pulverised. With all this, who's got time or space for intellectual stimulation???

Recommended for the very stressed and those who're on the verge of a mental blanking like the zombies... which pretty much covers the entire student population. Official site.

Books, notes, texts, extra reading, I'm up to my eyeballs in revision...I need a vacation!!! To all those out there slogging away for upcoming examinations, good luck! And more and more cool movies are hitting town...damnations, I tell ya. DAMNATIONS!!!

Haven't been updating a lot. Busy, busy, busy...promise to come back with a vengeance really soon, reviews and all. =p Maybe a tirade or two. Heh.

Trailers! Trailers! Trailers!

The latest Spiderman trailer's here!!! This is too awesome, check it out!!! Get yours here!

The newest M. Night Shyamalan's Signs trailer riiiight here!!!

Sum of All Fears, the newest installment of the Jack Ryan flicks, get it!

All latest and hot off the teaser press! Don't just sit there trying to look pretty, go get 'em now! You're wasting precious download time. =)

Decided to change the scene a bit. Hope y'all are fine with it. If not, tough!!! =p heh.

74th Academy Awards, Winners are hugging and sobbing!



Russel Crowe was butted out by Denzel Washington. Halle Berry sobbed into a lot of people on the way to the stage and then into her microphone a good deal during her acceptance speech for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Jennifer Connelly thanked graciously and elegantly after winning Best Supporting Actress. Jim Broadbent was a deserving winner with a short but heartwarming speech nonetheless for his role in Iris. Hobbits got nowhere near the stage today!!! =p Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford and Arthur Hiller were honoured. And Whoopi Goldberg hosted. Ron Howard won Best Director while Christopher Nolan wasn't even nominated for the same category for the amazing film, Memento!!! Crime and treachery!!! Memento lost out Best Editing to Black Hawk Down??? I'm not so outraged with Gosford Park winning Best Original Screenplay eventhough it whacked Memento along the way. =p But of course A Beautiful Mind won Best Picture. It only makes sense that way...

Lord of the Rings won a lot of technical awards though, as did Moulin Rouge...we all gotta learn to share people. =)

For the full list of winners, get yourself over here.

I was prompted by Eileen to take this Requiem For A Dream Test cuz she knows what a huge fan I am of the Aronofsky film. So I got meself over there and here's my result!!!

See which Requiem for a Dream Character you are.

If y'all haven't, do check out my bestfriend, Eileen's blog. She's got a new fantastic layout that's sooo easy on the eyes. Hypnotic I tell ya! =)

Well what else could be a better prezzie for a movie buff than having new movies officially hitting the cinemas today? Heh. Check these out.

For those who's having a taste for fluff: A Walk To Remember
Mandy Moore and Shane West. Teen romance. Weepy. Need I say more? I do? Fine. Based on a best selling novel about a trouble making teen(West) who joined the school drama production and falls for a do-gooder(Moore) who has a deep secret. View trailer.

For those who crave hardcore drama: Biographies seem to be the thang at the moment.
Ali-the man needs no introduction. "The Champ is here!" Oscar nominee Will Smith stars. View trailer.
Iris-based on the life of respected British writer and philosopher, Iris Murdoch. It chronicles the love affair between her and her husband, John Bayley from their student days to and through her battle with Alzheimer's disease. Oscar nominee Dame Judi Dench stars. View trailer.

For those who seek action and adventure: The Time Machine
Based on the classic novel by HG Wells, a professor(Guy Pearce) determined to prove his theories on time travel are possible and driven by a personal tragedy, invents a time machine that takes him 800 000 years into the future. View trailer.

For those who wants quirkiness and a streak of madness: The Royal Tenenbaums
Written and directed by the creator of Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums depict a dysfunctional family with some serious problems. All done with comic effect of course. And you think your family's weird! =P Stars Gwenyth Paltrow, Gene Hackman, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Houston, Danny Glover and Luke Wilson. View tralier.

They Say It. I Blog It. You Read It.
Noting the success of films like Harry Potter and The Lord Of The Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia based on the series of books by C.S Lewis is finally moving forward after about 10 years of consideration to be adapted by Paramount. Seems the man and the company to buy the rights to the books to make a live action adaptation is Doyglas Gresham from Walden Media. Let's see how this one turns out shall we? I'll keep y'all posted.

It's my 21st birthday. Whoa, to turn 21 on the 21st this year. Haha. Anywayz, to have lived this long and far. Wow, it's a dog eat dog world here we're living in. I'm so totally grateful... =)

Come live with me, and be my love,
And we will some new pleasures prove
Of golden sands, and crystal brooks,
With silken lines and silver hooks.

That's the first stanza of a John Donne poem. Me and me mates were studying the metaphysical conceits of some Renaissance poets and Mr. Donne here uses fishing as an allegory to describe courtship. Clever man...in a way courtship is very much like fishing. The fisherman/fisherwoman(people on the prowl for some amor) would use bait to ensnare the unsuspecting innocent pool of fish who, more often than not, are blinded by the intoxicating waters of love and would then swallow everything, hook, line and sinker!!! Of course these poor suckers would get their throats ripped out and left by the side of the stream, wiggling helplessly on the verge of death while the fishing people continue to bait more sorry would-be cases. Ok...I took a trip and now, I'm back. Heh. =)

And notice how there're many people who refer to courtship/dating as the "game". I resent that! Why "the game"? What? Sure, there are rules like so many other things in life. But is there a scoreboard or something involved? Games are played...and that gives it a trivial quality. Matters that involve the heart and emotions shouldn't be triviliazed. It's about time that people are more careful in their dealings with other people's emotions. We're talking about the human heart here, not some football match.

This ain't the last of my tirades. So beware!!! =P

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

Errr...really? This is unexpected. Normally, I'm the one who's given to misbehaving and getting the time-outs! Hahaha.

Last Saturday, me an' me da went to watch Alegria, the newest Circe du Soleil performance to hit town. The previous one being Saltimbanco(I prefer that one though) but Alegria's pretty darned good also. Hangin' out with the 'old folks' is cool sometimes but, I dunno about you guys, they have the potential to get on your nerves too no matter how much you appreciate their company. Maybe it's the food he ate, or maybe it's just in the air but my dad was in such a good mood that day and I totally didn't get it! It was a freakin' hot Saturday afternoon and I was sweating like a pig in my casuals. Parking wasn't a breeze either, the underground car park of parco was full and we had to line up for like eons and switch off the aircon for a while cuz the car was heating up too much. It was my suzy oven baker nightmare with me being the muffin and baked alive!!! My da was melting like a snowcone in June but why in Sam's Hill was he making that proclaimation with such teenaged perkiness? It strung a nerve with me...y'know..it was like the time when you feel absolutely lousy to be in a sorry situation and there's this damned annoying cheerleader sitting next to you singing songs about being happy. Ugh!

After lining up to get into the parking space and hunting around for a space once we were in, going round and round the joint like some morbid Disney kiddie ride, we found one, got out of the car and started our journey to the big top(the affectinate name given to the circus settlement). By the time, I was half exhausted and was far from being cheerful. My da couldn't keep his mouth still...he kept being enthusiastic about everything, about the eateries we walked pass, about the traffic, about the people and I just walked beside him silently, not having the strength to humour him. I felt too old for that shit. And he actually had a sort of subtle skip to his steps. And I was like, what de hell??

Finally, we reached the big top and I happily devoured my seat, the air conditioning cooled me and the clowns that interacted with the crowd sorta cracked me up a little. During the intermission, my da made his way to the commode and I stubbornly refused to leave my seat, greedily consuming it's comfort. When he returned, he had two bottles of orange juice and he handed me one. I was grateful and happily sipped on it, I asked him,"How much did the orange juice cost?"
"4 dollars," replied my dad.
"4 bucks????" was my incredulous reply.
"Yeap, 4 dollars."
"Wait a second, for a bottle or in total?"
"For one bottle, 8 dollars in all. You wanna know how much a can of pepsi costs? 5 bucks!"
At the moment I shrieked in outrage and simmered down to a nonchalantly annoyed comment,"Things are expensive here under the big top." I felt so sorry for all the boyfriends present whose girlfriends were happily sipping on their pepsi.

At the end of the show my da and I looked around the memoribilia section and I fancied a tee shirt. 30 bucks, ladies and gents. Even a Mago tee cost less. But my da didn't bat an eyelid as he paid the cashier. With the sweat gone, orange juice to quench my thirst and having been entertained, I started feeling a little better. The things that have to be done to appease the spoilt princess. =P On the way back to car, I started to develop a-skip-in-the-walk of my own. I linked an arm around my dad's and he instinctly put his hand in his pocket making the position more comfy and that meant a lot to me. He didn't shun that affectionate gesture like he usually does being quite the distant dad who has difficulties most of the time to express his emotions. We get along well, don't get me wrong but there's always a certain conversational level that we can always meet on and he never usually does things like pat me on the head or even hug me. So that made me glad.

I thanked him for a lot that day. Thanks da, for:
1) taking me to Alegria
2) for the tee-shirt
3) for the hellish parking
4) for the orange and that goes for 4 dollars a pop. (after which I broke into another tirade much to his amusement.)
All this I could say without a problem.

Thanks da, for:
1) showing me that being happy and feeling good is a choice even if you're put in completely lousy and humid circumstances(with bad parking!).
2) being patient with my petulance
3) being the hero when i need you the most to be one.(the orange juice really rescued me from the verge of parched ruin!!)
All this I haven't found the courage as yet to tell him though I'm working on it. But till then, I hope that thru the simple gesture of the linking of arms, I managed to convey this...and much more.

Hey people! Hope Wednesday was good. Thursday now with more movie goodies opening in the cinemas today.
A Beautiful Mind
I really recommend this. Y'all would've probably heard a lot about it already with Crowe's and Connelly's performances winning critical acclaim, not to mention the movie's recent victory at this year's Golden Globe Awards. It's nice to be reminded once in a while that logic and the workings of the brain aren't the sole dictators of the universe but also include the triumphs of the heart and the human spirit. And now, I'd like to say heartfelt thanks to one of my bestest buddies, Jiayi who won a pair of tickets to watch an exclusive early screening of this movie and she brought me along for the ride. Thanks, girl...you're one of the best ever! =)
Official site

Ice Age
Gonna watch it this Sunday with two of my buds, Eileen and Jiayi. Looks cool and funny. I'm a sucker for animated features. =P And besides, the idea of Ray Romano as a prehistoric, furry elephant really cracks me up. Heh.
Official site

I totally blew off yesterday! =P Instead of studying like the good girl I'm supposed to be, I went out with uni mates and completely wasted 24 hours. Heh. Oh well. To atone for the sins of the mugger, I woke up at 5:45 am this morning to start on revision. Pretty sleepy now but it should get better as the day progresses. I was reading and came upon this passage from the book, full of angst but it does contain some solid truths:

"Star light, star bright... we look up and we hope that the stars look down, we pray that there may be stars for us to follow, stars moving across the heavens and leading us to our destiny, but it's only our vanity. We look at the galaxy and fall in love, but the universe cares less about us than we do about it, and the stars stay in their courses however much we may wish upon them to do otherwise. It's true that is you watch the sky-wheel turn for a while you'll see a meteor fall, flame and die. That's not a star worth following; it's just an unlucky rock." -Salman Rushdie

Ouch. Brutal...just the way I like it!!! =)

Latest Episode II Trailer out now!!!

Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones 4th trailer is out! I know, I know, lousy title but looks like a really cool movie so far. This one had better be great to make up for the previous mistake, that is, Episode I. =P Well? What're ya waiting for?? Stop gawking and go get it already!!!

Reminder: Be sure to have Apple's Quicktime 5 to view this.

Took this test and I'm a Buttercup, who happens to be my fav Powerpuff! Yay! Kick some serious ass, man....what? Oh yeah, like you've never channel surfed to the cartooon network before! Hmph! =P

Hey guys, my guestbook and comments section are up and running! And finally aren't giving me probs...for now. *gulp* Do take the time to leave a signature or a comment. Then I'll know that you've dropped by! =)

By the way, my uni mate Adeline has been bitten by the blog bug(wow, major alliteration!!!)...go check it out!

2002 Screen Actors' Guild Awards
Winners from the film categories

Best Ensemble Cast- Gosford Park
Best Actress in a Leading Role- Halle Berry(Monster's Ball)
Best Actor in a Leading Role- Russel Crowe(A Beautiful Mind)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role- Helen Mirren(Gosford Park)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Sir Ian McKellen(The Lord of The Rings)

The Brits bite back! Interesting development with Halle Berry getting the award instead of favourite, Sissy Specek(In The Bedroom). Crowe had a really short speech that night. *chuckle* And James Franco(James Dean) looked soooo dishy! Be still my beating heart... =P

I received a parcel in the morning today from my elder sister who's in Toowomba, Qld right now with her family. It's the early arrival of my birthday present. I got a neat lookin' watch and 3 cool brass baskets to put my knick knacks in. Sweet! I'm so touched. *sniffle* Thanks kakak!!!

I can't believe I actually blew off watching Angela's Ashes on StarMovies channel this morning just so I can...ugh...revise. What the hell is wrong with me?!?!

Life section of The Straits Times, today. Page 6 under the "Bite Into It" column.

"People in Singapore don't talk about politics or literature or happiness-they talk about food."
-Film maker, Sandi Tan on local culture.

Yeah, and I'm sure the delicious morsel she's tasting in her mouth right now's her own foot...

I Am Sam



This is one huge weeper. I swear, ten minutes into the movie and the guy sitting behind me in the theatre started sniffing with the force of a vaccum cleaner... I could hear every nose block and wet choke. Ugh. Oh well, at least he's a snag, but it looked like he was trying to tell the whole cinema that! =P Ok, ok, I admit, I blubbered during the flick too, alright? Sheesh. Great performances by the 3 main cast members Sean Penn(Sam), Michelle Pheiffer(Attorney, Rita) and especially Dakota Fanning who plays Lucy, Sam's clever and empathic 7 year old daughter. You can see the hurt, the angst, the intelligence and the love for Sam in her huge, expressive eyes. And she says her lines with so much conviction, you'd be tempted to believe that she's saying them from the top of her head rather than from a script. The film has its flaws but its heart more than makes up for those. Overall, it's a very good movie. For the family, for those who dare to love a child even if sometimes you don't have the wits to do so and for those who love "powerful speeches" (looks pointedly at Elf. Heh.) albeit not done in the very best of diction. But it's the heart in it that matters right?
Official website

By the way, Elf put up a passionate review of We Were Soldiers at his blog, be sure to check it out. Includes quotes and all! I tell ya...the guy's obssessed!!! =)

There are a lot of reasons why a considerable number of movies don't make it to the theatres here in Singapore. But the usual ones include the fact that the film in question didn't make big bucks in the US or worldwide box office and a certain board (of censorship) deems the film unsuitable because it contains "elements that are inappropriate" or "themes the local audience could not relate to". Another words, it'd be impossible for the film to be marketed to the en masse and make the dough from ticket sales. So let's not waste everyone's time by bringing in these misfit films, yah? Load of bull.

I've decided to come up with recurring posts to talk about some of the bolder, cooler and greater films that never saw the light of day on our shores or rather in our commercially choked cineplexes. Man, are we Totally Missing Out.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)



We see the posters, we see the trailers, hell...we even see a release date. I was disgruntled for the most of 2001 when it became more apparent that this rare gem would never make it to the screen, having heard a lot about it since 2000. Basically, almost everyone who'd caught it, in other countries, were raving aesthetically about it.

Penned by Ethan Coen and directed by Joel Coen (collectively known as The Coen Brothers, film makers extraordinare), O Brother is an offbeat comedy and their subversive take on the classical greek poem, The Odyssey by Homer. Set somewhere in the Mississipi state during perhaps the Great Depression, late 1920s-30s, the plot centers around three escaped convicts who embark on a journey to recover some buried loot hidden in a house of an abandoned town that is about to be turned into a new dam. Racing against time and dodging the authorities, Ulysses(George Clooney), Pete(John Turturo) and Delmar(Tim Blake Nelson) come face to face with some pretty unusual characters along the way, from a blind prophet to sexy sirens by the side of a lake, even a one-eyed Bible salesman. A great oddball funny movie on its own but familiarity with Homer's text will give the viewer an advantage to fully appreciate the allusions being made to The Odyssey. It's an anti-epic at its most dramatically-maimed...all done with a hillbilly accent to boot. Yee-haw!
For further information and to view a trailer, git yo'self oveh here!

What a day. Education is one tough mama breathing down my neck day after day, driving me to some vague success(or...*gulp* failure) toward the blurry horizons of my future. Intensive revision has begun. A daunting preparation for the day of reckoning in May, i.e the exams. This film-obssessed blog mistress almost passed out during an attempt to memorize several postcolonial theories and applying them to the literary works being studied this year. Who would've thought studying could be so fatal? =P Hope you kiddies out there are doing much better and swingin' free!

MOVIES OPENING TODAY.

Man oh man, are we spoiled for choice this week. Genres galore! Check these out. (To view the trailers, be sure to have Apple's excellent Quicktime 5 for great visual quality.)

I Am Sam: Sean Penn portrays a man with a 7-year old's mentality who has to battle the authorities who took away his young daughter deeming him incapable of raising her. He enlists the help of an attorney, played by Michelle Pheiffer to regain custody of his child. Weepy drama with Penn getting a nomination for his role in this year's Oscars. Think he deserves it? (View trailer)

We Were Soldiers: Based on a true story. A war drama directed by Randal Wallace starring Mel Gibson, a Lt. Colonel, who led 400 men from an elite American combat division, against an impossible odd of 2000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Battles. Wallace. Gibson as a noble war hero. Sound familiar? And we all just wonder why. (View trailer)

Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius: Computer animated feature film about a superintellegent kid who, with the help of his cool gadgets and friends, embarks on an adventure to save the adults of the world from green, gooey aliens. For the kids. That pretty much covers the entire world population, doesn't it? Heh. (View trailer)

Queen Of The Damned: The late Aaliyah will definitely be missed by many. Watch her portray Akasha the mother of all vampires in this very different approach to Ann Rice's Vampire Chronicles as compared to 1994's Interview With The Vampire. Looking snazzy, with a lot of techno and brash editing. A literature to film adaption for the Mtv generation? You decide.
(View trailer)

Crossroads: A road flick about a teenage girl in search of her mother. And getting to sing and perform along the way too. Britney, anyone?...Anyone? (View trailer)

To read a synopsis and for theatre schedules, head over to Movies Online.

FILM REVIEW: BANDITS, MORE TO THE FILM THAN THE EYE CAN SEE.
(Warning: Spoilers ahead)

Aside from the excellent performances by Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett, and fortunately, a more than competent one by Bruce Willis, Bandits serves to please with comedy, some action sequences, a stellar cast, a pretty nifty soundtrack and a smart script, which has the potential to appeal to the most critical film buff as well as the average, easy-going movie-goer. But what I find most interesting about the film is one particular perspective I got from the plucky story that exudes a multiplicity of meanings. Jokes, physical gags and witty dialogue aside, Bandits is actually(in my very subjective opinion and viewing), a cleverly veiled satire on the movie or even the media industry and its relationship to the general public, specifically the viewers of the world. How? Consider this.

Let us begin with the actors themselves. Notice how Cate Blanchett's character is named Kate Wheeler. Ignore, the "K" in the latter's name, and basically the actress and the character she depicts have the same well...name. Recount a scene whereby Thornton's neurotic-bandit character Terry Collins is stranded in a hotel room with Kate and they engage in a conversation whereby Terry begins to tell her every phobia he possibly has. One of them was being terrified of antiques, especially antique furniture. Terry also confesses to being a very nervous person who has a disorder of fearing a lot of things. Fans of Thornton know that some of the fears, particularly the one of antique furniture, that Terry confesses to are actually Thornton's real life fears being an actual offbeat person himself. Joe Blake, smirks, wise-assness and all are some of the characteriestic Bruce Willis traits we all have come to know. Therefore, the script calls for the actors to put a bit or perhaps a facet of themselves into the characters they play. It not only makes the performances convincing but it is an essential ingredient to the underlying and constant allegorical message that these bandit characters can very well represent the actors themselves or rather actors and celebrities in general!

If that's the case, then, the whole world literally becomes a stage for these renegades. The banks they rob represent the "stage" or in more cinematic terms the "sets".Caught on security cameras and having their trail followed more by a television documentary than the police, they carry out their work and almost look like actors re-enacting scene after same scene, like a formulaic plot. This leads to the camera and the tv screen to turn into a symbol of the collective eye of the public with which the people watch and make conclusions about how the story of these bandits come across to them. One of their heists becomes a failure when the bank manager refuse to open the safe and hand them the money. When Blake threatens her with a gun, the bank manager disbelieves him and doesn't allow him access stating that from watching him on television, "everyone knew Joe wouldn't hurt anybody". At that moment, the bank manager was reacting to Blake in relation to how she perceived him on television. How could she be so sure that Blake would not really turn 180 degrees and kill her in cold blood? Many would justify that on camera, it's proof that Blake isn't a violent person and that there has been no history of any hostage killings. But to what extent can reports and even proof on camera be trusted anyway? At the end of the day, they were merely reports of a reality and not reality itself. A classic example that people perceive celebrities and famous people according to how they are presented by the media. It turns out that Blake was not a killer but at the time, the bank manager couldn't have possibly known anything else except her own perception of his nature influenced by the tube.

Another thing which further proves the point is how they manage to fool the public by staging a fake showdown with double deaths on national television. They use technical wizardry(notorious of a certain film making industry residing in the hills), like air shots and fake blood, to pull the shooting off with the help of Blake's cousin, Harvey who aspires to become a professional Holywood stuntman. For a an extremely intense and dramatic end to their "show", the ambulance carrying their "bodies" gets into an accident and erupts into an elaborate explosion with Harvey running around in flames to add the finishing touch to an ending worthy of a Holywood blockbuster. Joe and Terry are pronounced dead by the duped authorities to a public who witnessed all that is caught on camera. Kate gets the 1 million dollar reward for her supposed assistance in telling the police about their last heist. The nation is fooled once again into thinking how the story ended for the sleep-over bandits. They are, thus, oblivious to the true ending, that is, the bandits were alive and well in paradise having managed to escape it all. The host, of the crime series documenting the bandits, mentions how people would like to view these robbers' story as some kind of a fable. Indeed the publicised lives of those constantly in the limelight are like fables to us. And as long as they are being perceived by us, they are in actual fact, fables. The only definite truth of what we see on television and what goes on behind the scenes is the reality that these celebrities/politicians/singers/performers/public figures are in, not us. They know what really goes on, not us. More often than naught, we are just the viewers and never physically present in such publicised events. Bandits points this out with a message, judge people or a situation presented by the media at your own discretion. Whatever conclusion we come to about anyone or anything may be far from the true reality of things. Regardless of how convincing it all looks.

To all fellow film buffs out there, and everyone else who's remotely interested, 25th March 2002, 9:00am on TCS 5(for audiences residing in Singapore). Take careful consideration of the date, time and channel. Ponder, memorize and embrace! It's that time of the year again. The joy, the feat, the injustice, the bewilderment all concocted in a potent potion of reel-life drama and glamour. Yeap, it's time for the Oscars. Start placing bets at your discretion.

Some of the categories and its nominees for the 74th Annual Academy Awards:

Best Adapted Screenplay:
A Beautiful Mind
Ghost World
In The Bedroom
Gosford Park
Moulin Rouge

Best Original Screenplay:
Memento
Amelie
Gosford Park
Monster's Ball
The Royal Tenenbaums

Best Foreign Film:
Amelie
No Man's Land
Elling
Lagaan
Son Of The Bride

Actor in The Best Supporting Role:
Jim Broadbent- Iris
Ethan Hawke- Training Day
Ben Kingsley- Sexy Beast
Ian McKellen- The Lord Of The Rings
John Voight- Ali

Actress in The Best Supporting Role:
Jennifer Connelly- A Beautiful Mind
Helen Mirren- Gosford Park
Maggie Smith- Godford Park
Marisa Tomei- In The Bedroom
Kate Winslet- Iris

Best Actor:
Sean Penn- I Am Sam
Denzel Washington- Training Day
Russel Crowe- A Beautiful Mind
Will Smith- Ali
Tom Wilkinson- In The Bedroom

Best Actress:
Nicole Kidman- Moulin Rouge
Sissy Spacek- In The Bedroom
Halle Berry- Monster's Ball
Judi Dench- Iris
Renee Zellweger- Bridget Jone's Diary

Best Director:
Ron Howard- A Beautiful Mind
Ridley Scott- Black Hawk Down
Peter Jackson- The Lord Of The Rings
Robert Altman- Gosford Park
David Lynch- Mulholland Drive

Best Picture:
A Beautiful Mind
The Lord Of The Rings
In The Bedroom
Gosford Park
Moulin Rouge

For a complete listing of all the categories and its nominees, go here.

This is quite awesome. I've been introduced to this place by my bestfriend, Eileen. Hope to learn and add more cool stuff to my crib as time goes by.