D-Day.

all my bags are packed
i'm ready to go
i'm standing here outside your door
i hate to wake you up to say goodbye

but the dawn is breaking
it's early morn
the taxi's waiting
he's blowing his horn
already i'm so lonesome i could die

so kiss me and smile for me
tell me that you'll wait for me
hold me like you'll never let me go
cuz i'm leaving on a jet plane
i don't know when i'll be back again
oh babe, i hate to go

humour me alright, that song's always stuck in my head whenever i have to take the plane somewhere- doesn't matter whether it's a school related destination or a holiday. it's safe for me to say that i'm in a much better shape right now than i was a year ago when i had to go overseas for a longer period of time for the first time. i'm riding on a mixed wave of feelings right now, i'm excited, nervous, elated and sad at the same time... i hope this'll be a great year. take care people.. a wise cyborg once said, i'll be back...

things i'll miss: exchanging anecdotes with mum, movies with dad, group hugs, seafood linguinie in spicy tomato sauce ala tanglin club, old comfortable company, familiar places, strawberry milkshake from the american club, fried beef hor fun, laksa, cable tv, novels outside of my reading list, the bay, the city, my spacious room, my bed, my nieces' funny walks, chats and laughs with sis, surfing long hours, magazines, local newspapers, police and thief, familiar sounds and smells and of course not forgetting, friends...

3 Days Left...

Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I'll never be alone
And you my friend will see
You've got a friend in me
(You've got a friend in me)

Ben, you're always running here and there
(Here and there)
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
(Anywhere)
If you ever look behind
And don't like what you find
There's something you should know
You've got a place to go
(You've got a place to go)

Ben- Michael Jackson

i've been on a total MJ binge eversince i watched michael jackson number ones on tcs 5 just this past monday. i love vintage MJ. a nostalgia for childhood music (read: late 70s-80s retro) is usually a sign of my occassional longing for simpler times when intense emotions do not plague the innocent and uncomplicated psyche of early youth. that and mj's music just rocks!

i was out with my sister and her family a few days back. we were walking in a mall when i suddenly felt a nudge on my bum and turned around to see edriana (my 1st niece) pushing herself off from me with a sheepish smile plastered all over her little pucker. i demanded in a low, threatening uruk-hai growl, "who pushed my bum??" and my sister sensing danger was quick to point an accusing finger at her first born. flabbergasted the older cheeky monkey quickly coughed up an explanation amidst gulps of frustration, "it was an accideeeeeeeent!" it sounded like a loud speaker was blaring in my ears even though in reality the top of her head reached my waist. my sis nodded in agreement and swore on the truth as the only witness. apparently, edriana had tripped on her (damned) heelies and would have fallen flat on her face if my bum hadn't been in the way- my sis pointed out that my big arse had saved her little girl. it's great to know that my massive rear end does not only cushion my falls but is an effective buffer for tripping children as well. superrr.

6 Days Left...

after my first semester in perth, i've learnt that the hardest part about geographical dislocation is really the transition period. that limbo-esque interval of time when you're packing and preparing to travel and settle down in a place away from home. the teary goodbyes at the airport truly is the climatic moment and after that, even when you're on the plane, the anxieties and the sadness ease somewhat. logic and a sense of direction kick in and before you realise it, you'll start the process of making and sliding into a routine that'll help you live one day at a time in your new destination.

these days, commotions are common and that's understandable because preparations are well on the way and friends want that last-hangout before i make a houdini and disappear for about 4 months. if you think about it, 4 months isn't a very long time... and aside from the moments that just choose to crawl, it really is quite brief and will pass in a flash.

i'll be out shopping for the things i'm bringing over to Oz tomorrow in town. the monetary resources are constantly dwindling- but i take comfort in the fact that i will try not to spend too much while i'm in perth. which i don't. movie watching is restricted to the bare minimum and i make my choices carefully. besides, i'm bringing along a sizable stack of dvds to help my addiction over there.

despite the huge expenditure, there're still a couple of stuff i'd love to get over the year. the way i see it, it's almost impossible to disengage desire from human nature inclduing the want for material things. so i'm just embracing mine. =p

Current Wish List.
1. Twin Peaks- The First Season on dvd
2. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
3. Two of Takashi Miike's films on dvd, Audition and Ichi the Killer.
4. The Return of the King on dvd and the special extended edition 4-disc set.
5. Coldplay- Parachutes album
6. A digi camera and i have yet to decide on the model.
7. Some novels by Salman Rushdie including The Satanic Verses and The Ground Beneath Her Feet.
8. Neil Gaiman's The Sandman Series Volumes 6-11.

The Chain Reaction.

i usually splurge on movie tickets, food, dvds, vcds, books, magazines, the occassional cds and hair/skin care products. consequently, i don't have much left for other stuff like clothes, shoes, accessories and make-up which fall in the lower categories of my interests. but there're times when the preening monster is let lose. seems like now is one of those moments...

it began innocently enough. i was sitting as comfortably as i could as irene worked on my hair- i was minding my own business when her colleague dumbo-dropped a load of fashion magazines on my counter. instinctively, i reached out in a bid to distract myself from the inevitable boredom i was to suffer through the process of making my hair oh-so-pretty. i barely touched its glossy surface when a friendly, familiar and slightly nagging voice flitted across my mind, "don't read beauty magazines they will only make you feel ugly." after which a glorious chorus breaks into passionate song, "everybody's freeeee to feel goooooood." it's a good piece of advice and one i related to considering my tendencies to turn a critical eye on my own physical attributes. then i figured i'm a big girl now right... shouldn't affect me if i have enough self-respect right... as it turns out, not really wrong but it invoked another entity i had almost forgotten about- the subdued clothes horse.

the free radicals are set in motion and the chain reaction begins and so does the stream of consciousness: can't take full advantage of a nice looking hairdo without nicer looking clothes- haven't found a cute outfit to go with that cute new pair of shoes (they're starting to feel lonely)- *looks down at the pages of the magazine* oh look! that top would go really well with the bottom i intend to get for those shoes. and that's the reason, folks, why i refrain from buying something new (fashion wise) more often than not... i won't stop there, i'll think of possible tops, shoes, bags, accessories and even make-up that'd make up an entire outfit. i call it my dam... and often it stands sturdy and true but sometimes, when the clothes horse emerges, the dam is crushed into worthless debris and the waters of spendthriftness gush forth- squandered... on the other hand, it could be a blessing in disguise considering how i don't have the mood to shop for clothes often and many of them are worn. sure sure... keep telling myself that. =p

The State of My Room: a total mess... an unruly assortment of clothes, books and dvds strewn all over the bed and the floor.
The State of My Wardrobe: even scarier... it looks like a tornado hit and a civil war happened on the same day. mangled and knotted clothes clumped haphazardly in mountainous piles.
The State of My Emotions: stabalising as compared to the mama-of-drama episode i recently had. a little lonely because all of my close friends have been very busy lately and i didn't get to see them for quite a while. a little mixture of apprehensive anxiety and general acceptance... i've sort of started to say my goodbyes to things and places as i'm left with only 9 days in singapore.
The State of My Movie Watching: at the theatres, dwindling. the last two films i caught were cold mountain and house of sand and fog. i'm hoping it'll pick up tomorrow with 4 awesome movies i've really been looking forward to opening in cinemas; raising victor vargas (i remember all the fuss over this film when it first opened in the us), natural city (sucky title but interesting concept), something's gotta give (something funny about jack but i've never been impressed by films of nancy meyer's though. hmmm.) and mystic river (i was never a fan of films directed by clint eastwood... heck i'm not a big fan of films he acted in but i'm a sucker for melancholy dramas of despair). big fish sneaks over the weekend!!! big fish would probably be the last movie i'll be catching here before i fly back to perth... feel quite bummed about it.

he's got my daughter in theeeeeeere!!

till the next update, take care y'all.

The Skinny on Cold Mountain.

i'm not going to elaborate much on cold mountain except for that fact that i do like it. it's a good story but nothing very extraordinary considering my year jumped off with the likes of dogville and irreversible. what really got on my good side are the acting performances by the ensemble cast. i do wish they'd stop plugging the movie with just the 3 actors who portray the main protagonists namely nicole kidman, jude law and renee zellweger who did great. of course, zellweger's ruby shone the brightest. i knew natalie portman was going to be in it and eventhough she had a relatively brief onscreen time, i was surprised there had been little media-mention about her part in it- like how other awesome actors in it haven't been spotlighted much- philip seymour hoffman (one of my fave actors), donald sutherland, giovanni ribisi, jenna malone, cillian murphy (whom i developed a penchant for after watching 28 days later), charlie hunnam (who last portrayed nicholas nickleby with a weird, watery english accent, and who sounds weird and watery still with a southern accent), etc. perhaps it was purposely done on minghella's part- it did give me a pleasant surprise. it was like regular guests making appearances on the late show with johnny carson!!! in character of course... hehehe.

i totally loved that scene... all that sexual tension was killing me!! ahaha.

Do I Have the Pleasure of your Acquaintance?

there're pockets of time when i get especially fixated on movies of a particular genre, or by a particular director or acted in by a particular performer. and over the weekend, i suddenly developed a more keen taste for musicals. for those not in the know, the header in bold is one of the more popular lines of the character fagin from oliver! after lunch in town, i came home and raided my dad's extensive collection of dvds, lds and vcds and pulled out an american in paris. i found myself missing gene kelly all of a sudden and reminiscing the last performance i'd seen him in- big with tom hanks. when they danced on that giant keyboard, i betcha hanks must've felt like the luckiest bastard on earth.

i found myself pondering about a couple of things... how an american in paris was unceremoniously thrown into pseudo obscurity due to the ridiculously huge success of singin' in the rain. how, despite a couple of conventional sensibilities peppering the film, the movie did portray a number of views that are rather unconventional in the 1950s- the peak period when the US of A are heavily plugging the idea of the American Dream. that post-war era when the men return to home shores and must re-assume the role of leader and tough, macho head of the house. but this film has a sugar mummy, milo roberts (nina foch) an upper class woman who has superior financial powers over the protagonist, a broke and unknown american artist jerry mulligan (gene kelly). she buys his paintings and offered to help jump start his career. and the fact was pointed out when in a funny moment jerry's friend, oscar, asked him "after u two are married, do u intend to keep your maiden name?" and jerry's love interest lise two times between him and another suitor. pretty interesting watch after i thought about the common perspectives post-war america practically shoves down the throats of its citizens.

then there was grease on 5. one of my fave movies of all time!!! =) i remember the days when my elder sister and i would put the video (it was video then ok!!!) on and just watch it day after day after day. we pretty much memorised the songs, the lyrics and even bits of the script which we sometimes re-enact for fun. grease 2 has nothing on this!!! although i admit we watch that one sometimes too. grease is the word!!! =p


i ended my day with the oliver! 30th anniversary dvd... which was gorgeously remastered. i didn't get to catch the performance on stage last year cuz i was already in perth. awesome movie as ever! it brings back the good ol' days when certain long films and musicals had overtures, intermission and exit music. even to this day, when my dad and i were to attend relatively long films, the return of the king for one, he'd always ask me (with a tinge of hope), if there'd be an intermission... and my reply would always be the same, "what year do u think this is???"

picture courtesy of a fansite.

then lars von trier's dancer in the dark invaded my riverie. as much as i enjoy musicals from the 50s and 60s, and even some of those from our contemporary generation, they are the epitome of hollywood kitsch- a false dream which is manufactured, packaged and sold to the ever-hungry public for saccharine happy endings. these forces can be destructive when the rug is pulled from under all of us to reveal the true, harsh nature of reality.

ok, i climb down from my soapbox now... =p happy belated valentine's day, pple... a hugely commercialised event where prices for flowers, candies and what-not sky rocket to ridiculous proportions...ok, ok, i promise to keep my soapbox now.. really! enjoy your weekend... moulin rouge later on, on 5!! hehe.

The Cheeky Monkey Turns 4

my younger niece, sabrina, was notoriously known as samseng dari kampung dusun (the gangster from a rustic village). she hasn't quite shed that tag yet (she still packs a mean punch...literally!) but she has also grown into a charming young lady of 4. she loves the colour orange, she likes to sit quietly in the car and watch the scenery as it passes by, she loves music and dancing, she's independent, she works outside the system (she had refused to participate in a colouring activity despite consistent cajoling from her teacher and she had to sit in the 'naughty chair' during the first week of kindergarten), she has a cheeky sense of humour, she has finally perfected her funny-walk and she's my no. 1 fan despite me being a bad aunt.

so here's to sabbie- my personal bodyguard, family clown and loving niece.

The Melancholic Film

ady and i went to catch last life in the universe yesterday and i was kinda looking forward to it. it's been a while since i've watched a film made in asia by asian film makers and with how january went, i'm almost euro-saturated. ALMOST. it also seemed to match my mood. moreover, i've heard of its healthy run at last year's venice film fest. the film's an interesting watch although i feel that the director overdoes it sometimes when he tries to portray poignancy- but still not as bad as what tom tykwer did for heaven (now that really put me off!). i really enjoyed sinitta boonyasak's performance as the aggressive tough cookie, noi, who lost her sister and develops a friendship with kenji, the film's other protagonist. there're some abstract elements in the plot that ady and i have yet to figure out. we didn't come to a precise conclusion after discussing it some, although i have a theory but it seems a bit of a stretch... ok, a lot of a stretch. i shall ponder further...


Retail Therapy

arfah and art talked to me during my time of pain and brood (read previous entry). surround yourself with positive things, arfah had sensibly suggested. i kinda snatched and nursed that advice in my own warped world of interpretation... so i started BUYING the positive things to surround myself with. i forked out about 38 smackeroos at kino yesterday to buy a.s byatt's little black book of stories- a novel consisting of 5 short stories. my mum helped pay a percentage of a pair of shoes i wanted this morning and my dad got me the lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring extended edition 4 disc-set dvd!!!!! *rabid* i've got the two towers already so... i just haveta wait for the return of the king. ehehehe. buying me things eh... i smell guilt!!!

Attacked and Hounded

whoever was out in town yesterday... were you attacked by Andersen Ice Cream's droids? first a middle-aged man intercepted my route to kino and launched into a rehearsed explaination about the coupons he was selling. remembering how i had to go around asking people to help me complete survey forms recently, i politely declined and told him i was in a hurry (which was true) but he was persistent... he tried the age-old tactic of breaking the ice. he asked if i was a student and where i was studying. i told him uwa as i walked away and he followed. sensing that he's already losing me fast, he blurted, "miss you're very beautiful."*that desperate huh??* to resort to arse-kissing. i stopped, looked at him straight in the eye and apologetically told him that i really had to go. he said thanks and let me off. phew.

ady and i were assailed again by another andersen droid, this time a girl who popped out of nowhere (like one of 'em dinos in jurassic park) and rattled off her sales pitch at 1000 miles an hour. we declined but she had this faraway look her eyes and she was completely unfazed by our refusal. she just continued to talk and talk and talk about the coupons despite ady telling her, "no thanks" umpteen times. seeing as how that didn't work too well, we decided to ignore her and walked away... but she tailed us, still prattling on about those darned coupons. i desperately didn't want to be rude although my patience was wearing thin, so i turned around, looked at her and said with finality, "sorry but no thank you" and we crossed the road. mercifully the pedestrian lights turned green at that exact moment. it was freaky... it's like she was automated or something and there was no way we could turn her off.

i understand that they're trying to make a living of some sort but sales ethics 101: don't hound people who decline. i had to do something like that before and my superiors had listed down the dos and don'ts of making a sale. aggressively insisting that the product be bought by a customer who has already made it clear that he or she is not interested, is a definitive no-no.

americano idolo tonight! more trash on tv. hoorah!

The Inner Brat...

rears her ugly head again. i detest these brooding moods and i notice that i'm getting them more often recently. or perhaps it's been going on for a while, just that i've been too occupied to notice. life is simply too short, and aside from minor pitfalls, life has been fair to me also. i seriously have no idea what is causing these bad spells of ill humour... could be anything for all i know- repressed childhood trauma, poor health, anger management problems, low self-esteem, etc etc, so on and so forth. or it could be absolutely nothing at all. just a 23-year old brat trying to find excuses. i had grappled with a bit of depression in the past, but i've worked my way out of it in a slow process that spanned over a few years- or at least i think i did.

people with more major problems would probably line-up to get a piece of me. what could possibly plague a fortunate youth with a great family, who has enough friends to care for and who reciprocrate that precious sentiment, who has practically anything she's ever wanted including the opportunity to pursue her undergraduate studies overseas? it's true that no matter who we are, or what we do, we each have our own personal problems and the inevitable bad days to trudge through. on the other hand, it's grossly self-indulgent to wallow. my mum thinks it's because i'm leading a God-less life (i'm not! well not really). eileen thinks it's just all year round pms. i think it's either poor health or that elusive period prior to becoming clinically insane. i don't know. someone please tell me...

What Constitutes a Life?

solaris got me thinking about that. it takes on a different slant from the usual campy, sassy, cops-n-robbers fare that steven sodebergh seems to have a taste for. the dvd is a gift from jia- before she left for buffalo and after she watched it (and came to a conclusion that she does not quite fancy it). i appreciate the gesture nonetheless of course ;) chris (george clooney) is a psychologist who is hired to investigate strange events on a space station orbiting an oceanic planet called solaris. he finds the commander dead and discovers that the remaining crew are suffering from some sort of psychological trauma. it is the result of an unexplainable phenomenon which conjures the physical and tangible manifestations of everybody's family, friends and loved ones. for chris, his dead wife returns.

although a genre film in nature (science fiction), it is foremostly a drama about universal themes revolving around the notion of existentialism, faith, memory, isolation and the persisting question- what is life truly made of? what are life's origins? is it the spiritual and emotional consciousness of an individual entity that transcends the material and the physical or is it merely a randomly inevitable and mathematical conclusion to a cosmic equation. faith vs. science, mind vs. body, choices vs. answers.



the acting performances are good and i thought jeremy davis, who portrays a delusional and troubled man named snow, did particularly well. but he's always been an underrated actor who was involved with some of the best films and can be seen most recently in lars von trier's dogville (which is brilliant and i recommend everyone to go catch it!). the visuals in solaris are stunning and the ambient soundtrack by cliff martinez is superbly fitting. it traces the sense of alienation, melancholy and the profound mystery that is pervasive throughout the film. consequently, it is a poignant piece of work but i feel that the slight flaw is the lack of tension which i thought could have jolted a rythm into the movie's slack pace. after all, the thought of spiritual ressurection by an alien entity is rather frightening and strange. solaris has many similar themes to my favourite sci-fi movie of all time, 2001: a space odyssey.

Speaking About 2001: A Space Odyssey...

i finally got down to thinking about the references being made to said film by gaspar noe in irreversible after i sat through it again with two junior college buddies. i noticed that noe was referring to it during my first seating (with the large shot of the 2001 poster above the bed on which alex was sleeping and how pierre kept on calling marcus a primmate or an ape) but i managed to define those ideas yesterday during my second seating (the horror didn't ease but i didn't get motion sickness though). marcus and pierre are two extremes on a continuum- marcus represents the basic human instincts who is inclined to satisfy immediate physical and emotional needs much like the apes (early human) at the beginning of kubrick's 2001. he is also given to violence and extreme hatred which are thought to have stemmed from human nature. pierre on the other hand, is the personification of rational thought and intellect and that seperates him from proper physical function as discussed by the trio concerning alex's sex life. and thus, he is like hal 9000- the artificial intelligence entity that pilots the expedition spaceship in 2001. interestingly, it is pierre, the rational voice of anti-violence, who savagely attacks the tenia and kills him. it is proof that no matter how much one trains the mind, one cannot completely escape the all-consuming physical and emotional instincts. like hal from 2001, which is a product of human intelligence and ingenuity and is supposed to be a 100% rational and mathematical entity, that ends up maliciously scheming and murdering the very people who are entrusted to its care. because hal is a product of human beings, there is no escape from human flaws.



2001 ends mythically with a spiritual return to innocence when captain dave bowman is resurrected as a star child- a cosmic entity which resembles a fetul baby confined within a womb-like space which is insinuated to be a star. arthur c. clarke seems to suggest that beyond all knowledge and experiences, the human spirit will return to a sense of innocence- not a state of obliviousness per se- but rather a peaceful acceptance of how things are which will take place after a lifetime. irreversible, on the other hand, seems to suggest that "time (only) destroys all things" and a return to innocence is only possible by turning back time and hence the plot moving backwards. from a generally male space, which poses a danger to women, at the start of the film, the story makes a movement toward a more feminine and safe space at the end in which alex lies carelessly in a park reading a book amongst other women and their children. this represents a space of nurture, maternal instincts and innocence which is a complete opposite to the world of destructive forces and sexual deviantness at the start of the film. gaspar noe may have different ideas about atonement as compared to stanley kubrick (and arthur c. clarke) but the desire to return to a state of innocence is still the same.


picture courtesy of SciFliks.com

because irreversible moves backwards with most of the tension in the first half of the film, the second half is like the calm after the storm but it is very ironic and consequently, tragic. the karmic shift for alex is not a good one and we realize that her systems of belief will eventually betray her.

ok, i think i should step down from my soapbox now... even i'm starting to get a headache from my own rambling. =p i have very little time left in singapore, about 23 days to be exact... and then it's months of slogging at uni, leading a pathetic existence without the minding of family and friends, and (very) reduced trips to the cinema. hoorah for higher education... the enlightenment for the price of actually living it.

that was depressing. on a brighter note, i've added a new link to a fellow blogger- arfah. she's got an awesome blog, so do go to her place for a read. and jeffreys! who rediscovered my blog after all that time. nice to have you on board again, dude.

so till next time, live long and prosperous...

Survey, Anyone?

today i did the little i could to help my bestfriend, eileen, hand out and collect surveys that's necessary for her thesis. in the morning, her mum dropped us off at the tampines mrt station. fuelled by a rather banal sense of enthusiasm at getting to do something different from my usual mornings, i jumped into the matter at hand with gusto. however, the fire died down by lunch and afterwards, not even a spark was left. my stamina is rather pathetic and i can't help feeling that i didn't really give my all.

i received a mixture of responses today. some were very obliging and very pleasant and that comes as a surprise because i don't think many people are very enthusiastic about receiving survey forms on the street. but they smiled and completed them graciously. i appreciate that very much. some were nonchalant, muttering a "anything lor" after i asked them if they could help complete a survey form. some looked like they would rather chop off their right arms just so they could smack me with it but did them anyway. i think it's my bigger than big smile and big pleading eyes that did it. and others weren't in such a good mood and honestly replied that they're not in the mood or whatever but rejected the surveys rather civilly if not politely even.

when i got tired, i started thinking of all the things i could've done with the day like watch movies, go out with friends... y'know.. the usual loafing around i always do. but then i got to thinking that i have this rare experience with my bestfriend and as corny as that sounds, i'll remember the funny looks we exchanged when we happened to be at opposite ends of a place, signs of triumph whenever we managed to get someone to do the survey (usually a thumbs up, a cheeky grin, etc), how we snuck up on unsuspecting people and the stupid word game we played during one of our breaks which left us in stitches. ok people.. another uber corny moment coming up, so you have been warned.. i liked being there for her. in my opinion, that comes with the whole bestfriend package. so thanks for the day, eileen... and thanks for the free lunch!! hehehe.

my house is falling apart. a cabinet handle has broken off, and the doors are dangling from its hinges precariously, threatening to fall off completely. the fridge drips buckets a week, there're suspicious cracks on the walls and small weird patches on the ceiling in the dining room. the place and its things are more than a decade old and i think it's time to get some stuff replaced. you'd think i'm getting enough hints eh.

tina wesson got booted out!! i'm not really sure what to make of that, i'm pretty nuetral about her anyway. richard, richard, richard. still the same since borneo... liked how he witheld the fact that he could easily make fire. he's like the anti-thesis to rupert who exhibits his abilities as a conscientious worker. richard is a huge attention seeker i admit but i also feel he's one of the few who makes a huge front just to hide the details of his schemes. everybody knows richard is a rat, no use hiding that. aw heck, everyone's a rat... they wouldn't be there if they weren't. i like what lex of africa had to say about richard and his all-mighty attitude though: "he was a king among sheep. winning survivor (borneo) was like shooting fish in a barrel." wahahaha! i love the bitches.. i hope they won't get voted off anytime soon, they make it that much more entertaining... yes including richard, no matter how many times he drops his shorts. so what did y'all think of survivor all-stars ep. 1?

The Great Trailer Binge.
right so these are the trailers of just some of the films i'm really looking forward to this year. view at your own discretion and make sure you've got quicktime 6.

The Ladykillers- i'm a huge fan of the coen brothers. o brother! where art thou? is one of my all-time faves. the man who wasn't there was one of the best films i caught in 2002. fargo and raising arizona are classics. they're the kings of camp without being stupid. the ladykillers is about a group of bungling robbers who plan to clean out a showboat casino but keeps getting interrupted by the landlady of their rented rooms cum hideout. even if this movie wasn't directed by the coen brothers, i'd pay bucks just to see tom hanks in character!

Elephant- winner of the palme d'or of last year's canne's film festival. this is gus van sant's close and gritty study of teenage life, pain and violence inspired by the real-life events of the columbine shootings.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow- this came out of nowhere for me and i was so glad it took me by surprise. i love metropolis, brazil and dark city and this film provides a similar 30s-inspired atmosphere with cool, snazzy, postmodern overtones. the cast is headed by jude law *faint*, gwenyth paltrow *eck* and anjelina jolie... with an eye-patch!!!


The Incredibles- the new Pixar movie!!! need i say more??? yeah? fine. it's about a dysfunctional family of superheros. hehehe.

Shrek 2- who didn't love the first one???

Kill Bill Vol. 2- err... who didn't love the first one???


Spiderman 2- do i need to repeat myself?


Osama- yes it's a film from afghanistan, yes it's revolves around the period when the taliban ruled. no, it's not about that notorious, uncatchable fella with a beard. it is in fact, about a girl who has to disguise as a boy in order to be able to work to support her family during the taliban's sovereign over the state. the plot's rather similar to baran but i caught the trailer last year and it looks very promising. i read about it in sight & sound and people had only glowing things to say about it. it also won best foreign language film in this year's golden globe awards so i guess that pretty much sums it up.

The Triplets of Bellville- another trailer i caught some time back. it's interesting to watch animated features from other countries and by other studios other than the juggernauts in america. this film has no dialogue, cool music and an interesting style of animation. About an orphan, raised by his grandmother, who trains to become a

The Passion of the Christ- very, very controversial, arguably one of the most talked-about films for a long time now since the beginning of the project. the dialogue of the entire film is in aramaic and latin, the lost languages of old. originally, mel gibson had intended that the film would not have any subtitles and i thought that's an unconventional and rather fascinating idea! but he did away with that after some test screenings and decided to stick with the subtitles. *sigh*


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- i'm a potterhead, yes i am! but no quidditch??? and more importantly.. no oliver wood??? *wails* goblet of fire is greenlighted already, the famed trio returns and casting calls have already been made for characters padma patil, parvati patil and cho chang (the chick harry fancies). many fans proclaim that azkaban is the best novel so far but i beg to differ... personally, my fave is goblet of fire. well, i'm taken with anything potterish anyway. =p


Suicide Club- mui mui mui creepy!!!

all awesome images are courtesy of imdb.
Have a great week!

Fight Club!


What movie Do you Belong in?(many different outcomes!)
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