Originally posted Dec 31, '07 on slangards.multiply.com
Click HERE to see the gallery.
My Christmas Aquisitions
Originally published Dec 26, '07, on slangards.multiply.com
Most are from the toy sale. Got the Micromen Batman & Batman from Tyensaijing, Captain Marvel from Kim, the variants from ML Modok variants from Toy Kingdom express. Pretty lucky the past few months at with the toy runs. Been finding rare figs left and right at suggested retail price. Still hoping to get a cheap Galactus for my Surfer...
But then I'm thinking of just making a custom Stikfas one anyway...
See gallery HERE.
Most are from the toy sale. Got the Micromen Batman & Batman from Tyensaijing, Captain Marvel from Kim, the variants from ML Modok variants from Toy Kingdom express. Pretty lucky the past few months at with the toy runs. Been finding rare figs left and right at suggested retail price. Still hoping to get a cheap Galactus for my Surfer...
But then I'm thinking of just making a custom Stikfas one anyway...
See gallery HERE.
Articulation Overload
Originally posted Dec 20, '07, on slangards.multiply.com
I found a Silver Surfer and Stikfas in the same day! woot!
To think I've been running around this whole week, trying to beat the hoarders and I find the shiny one in Podium, right next to the office. Very last one too. Now if only I can get me a Thorbuster. I was seriously tempted to buy the set at half price just to get him.
Then I found those tiny poseable, astonishingly simple Stikfas and I had to buy two. Wanted 6, but I'm trying to get a handle on my impulse control problems.
I found a Silver Surfer and Stikfas in the same day! woot!
To think I've been running around this whole week, trying to beat the hoarders and I find the shiny one in Podium, right next to the office. Very last one too. Now if only I can get me a Thorbuster. I was seriously tempted to buy the set at half price just to get him.
Then I found those tiny poseable, astonishingly simple Stikfas and I had to buy two. Wanted 6, but I'm trying to get a handle on my impulse control problems.
DANBOARD!!!!
http://members9.tsukaeru.net/ty1_toys/sakuhin/DANBOARD.htm
Buy 5, get 1 baaaaaadass cardboard motherf*cker!
Totally gotta do this. This is my next goal in life. Pathetic, i know, but look at him! He's a super robot made out of CARDBOARD!
The Drag-Ons
Originally posted on Dec 3, '07, at slangards.multiply.com
So after a 36 hour day, slangards goes to see a drag show. Actually pretty great, after having slept through the play I was supposed to be watching. Totally recommend their show if you happen to be in Greenhills.
See the gallery HERE.
So after a 36 hour day, slangards goes to see a drag show. Actually pretty great, after having slept through the play I was supposed to be watching. Totally recommend their show if you happen to be in Greenhills.
See the gallery HERE.
Toys & Collectibles Christmas Fair 2007
| Start: | Dec 21, '07 10:00a |
| End: | Dec 23, '07 9:00p |
THERE GOES MY THIRTEENTH MONTH! YES!!!
Megatrade Hall 2
5th Level The Summit Mega B, SM Megamall
Anime, Comics, Toys, Cards, Games, Dolls, Action Figures, Cars, Collectibles, etc.
Dennis! Now, More Bored Than Ever Before!
- In the 8 facts about [name], you share 8 things that your readers don't know about you. At the end, you tag 8 other bloggers to keep the fun going. Each blogger must post these rules first.
- Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
- At the end of the post, a blogger needs to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
- Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog
1
I'm a nerd. My favorite subjects in school were history and science. I was a NJHS member in Hawaii, was on my school quiz bee team in Guam. Was even on TV (albeit local Guam TV which all of three people probably watch). I spent my recess with my nose in a book while my classmates played tetherball or basketball or dodgeball.
Anyone else think sports is kinda gay?
2
I'm a geek. The obsessive, pack rat kind. My room is filled with pocket books (mostly genre books), DVDs (mostly genre DVDs), toys (mostly Comic book toys), and magazines (mostly FHM - I mean SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN! SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN). I've emptied my closet of clothes so I could stuff more things in there. I've written fan fic, played D&D, and ranted on blogs in geekspeak. I only get really engaged in a conversation if it's in that certain elitist vernacular that geeks love to perpetuate.
Geeks love elitism.
3
I'm a dork. I don't like socializing for the sake of socializing much. It takes me eons to open up to people. I hate parties and social crowds. Plain crowds are fine. The kind you can lose yourself in. I like to stare at people around me with a scowl on my face.
Security guards tend to think I'm a terrorist
4
I 'm a loner. I like doing things alone. Commuting alone. Walking the mall alone. Watching movies alone. I didn't attend my prom, my graduation, attended only one reunion and am AWOL from most social functions if I can give even a half decent excuse. People are noisy and I like the quiet. I like the dark.
I hear the voices in my head better that way.
5
I'm an impatient bastard. I don't like to stay in one place for a long time. That's why I'm such a bad shopper. I don't like standing in front of a store haggling with the barkers. If I need something, I zone in on it, drop the cash, and I'm out of there. I don't take the same way home all the time, I don't hang around the same malls and I don't like waiting around for anything.
Contrarily, I was in UP for a decade.
6
I'm a pop head. I listen to the most sacharine, sugary pop music you can imagine and like it. Shut up with your grunge and your punk and your "alternative". Alternative is common. Pop is the new alternative.
Baduy is the new cool.
7
I'm totally blocked. I've got the mother of all artist's block. I can't draw anymore. It has something to do with my depression. I just don't have the passion anymore. Every time I sit down in front of a blank page I just stop and stare at it. One of these days I'm going to have to work through that.
But only after my serial killing spree.
8
I'm a closet optimist. Though it's well covered by my guise of a pessimistic realist. I think the best of everyone, all the time. I like to think that the human race isn't a bunch of fucking wankers who are out to get me, take my money, and piss on my head, then knife me in the back.
But I'm pretty sure I'm wrong.
Tag, you're it...
A Cinephile's Grimoire
Originally posted on Oct 18, '07, at slangards.multiply.com
These are magical, mystical, absolute mouth-watering movies that I am mad about.
They cover basically everything I've seen since around 1985, movies I used to have in my old VHS collection, before DVD made those beloved, delicate black plastic space wasters obsolete. I actually still have a lot of them, stuffed in a box, in my closet, gathering dust. Even have some Betamax tapes. Ahhh, Betamax.
These are mostly Hollywood films because the site I use, www.impawards.com, doesn't have a lot of the stuff I saw in college. When I find posters for that stuff I'll probably add it in.
I love these films for different reasons. Some of the reasons don't involve the rational thought processes of normal people so do not leave replies saying "this movie sucks so hard I use it to vacuum my carpet!".
I know it sucks. That's probably why I like it.
Philistine.
See the gallery HERE.
These are magical, mystical, absolute mouth-watering movies that I am mad about.
They cover basically everything I've seen since around 1985, movies I used to have in my old VHS collection, before DVD made those beloved, delicate black plastic space wasters obsolete. I actually still have a lot of them, stuffed in a box, in my closet, gathering dust. Even have some Betamax tapes. Ahhh, Betamax.
These are mostly Hollywood films because the site I use, www.impawards.com, doesn't have a lot of the stuff I saw in college. When I find posters for that stuff I'll probably add it in.
I love these films for different reasons. Some of the reasons don't involve the rational thought processes of normal people so do not leave replies saying "this movie sucks so hard I use it to vacuum my carpet!".
I know it sucks. That's probably why I like it.
Philistine.
See the gallery HERE.
Hasbro Marvel Legends Wave 3 Launch
| Start: | Oct 20, '07 10:00p |
HML 3 Launch at Toy Palace in Farmer's Market, Cubao.
October 20, 2007
Neil Gaiman is directing DEATH!
Neil Gaiman has turned his hand to many things, from journalism to film directing through short stories, comic books and novels - both graphic and regular. He's even been a lyric in a Tori Amos song.
2007 marks a banner year for Gaiman's talents on the big screen, as he's providing the source novel for Matthew Vaughn's Stardust and the screenplay (with Roger Avary) for Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf, while overseeing Henry Selick's translation to screen of his Coraline and preparing to direct the film adaptation of his Death: The High Cost of Living.
His works in print to date include The Sandman, Anansi Boys, Neverwhere and Good Omens. On screen, Neverwhere was adapted from the BBC television series he penned, and in 2005 he wrote MirrorMask with Dave McKean.
And when he's not doing all that he's keeping bees at his Minneapolis home. And, really, you can't go wrong with a beekeeping author.
As part of our ongoing series of Dinner and the Movies conversations - which kicked off with our mammoth chat with Kevin Smith earlier in the year - Rotten Tomatoes took Gaiman for sushi on a recent visit to London and spent ninety minutes in his company learning more about the workings of his mind, and quizzing him on his career past, present and future. Back in June we encouraged you to put your questions to Gaiman, and we represented some of those on your behalf too.
By popular demand we've provided the full version of our chat as an MP3 download for your listening pleasure. For those who prefer your soundbites in text form, we've extracted the juiciest morsels (pardon the pun) which you can find on the pages of this article.
On preparing to see Stardust for the first time:
I was terrified, but I'm always terrified. The first time I was terrified was the first time I got to the set properly while they were shooting. I was on set two weeks before shooting and then first day of shooting I had to go off and go back to being an author. I got back about two months later when most everything had been shot and I was sitting there in the screening room with my daughter absolutely terrified that what I was going to see would be appalling. And I sat there and it was wonderful. I realised I'd been holding my breath for two months.
On his relationship with Hollywood:
Alan Moore is a very, very dear friend of mine and a genius. And, to be honest, I think one of the finest writers of the last fifty years. At least in film I feel like I got to watch Alan walking across the landmine field ahead of me and watching what Alan did definitely got me to the point of thinking, right, I won't do that then.
What Alan did, and did from the word go, was say, "I've created the comics, the comics are the things I care about. Give me the check, go make your movie, it's nothing to do with me."
So I don't do this thing of, "Give me the check, I trust you." What I wanted to do was to find people I liked and trusted to make films, in the understanding that if I wanted the film to be exactly the thing I had in my head, then I should probably direct it myself. If I wanted it to be something else that I would enjoy, my job was to find the right person to do it and let them get on with it.
On his favourite parts of Stardust:
I love anything with the princes in. I love Michelle Pfeiffer's confrontation with Ditchwater Sal; as little scenes go I love it I think because it's exactly what I wrote in the book. And I love Captain Shakespeare because he's not what I wrote in the book and he's something I can just take pleasure in.
One of the things I like about the film is it's really a hard film to pick favourite bits from because it works so well as a whole.
I love Charlie Cox. I love the whole of Charlie Cox. I love Charlie starting out as this awkward kid in a bad bowler hat and a coat that doesn't quite fit him and a geeky haircut being beaten up and I love Charlie being everything that he grows up into and I love Charlie learning what love is and I love Charlie when he gets turned into a dormouse.
On story changes when adapting for screen:
A film is not a book. If you could absolutely do a BBC Classic version of Stardust it would take lots of 45 minute episodes and at the end of the first episode our hero would be born. Around about episode three or four he and Yvaine would meet. And you could do that and it would be faithful - I'd love to see it sometime - but it wouldn't be a film. You have to squish things if you're going to make it two hours and also there were things I did in the novel that are novelistic.
On getting ready to direct Death: The High Cost of Living with executive producer Guillermo del Toro:
You can have many different types of executive producer ... what Guillermo really wants to do is be there as a safety net for me. We're talking right now about me going out to the Hellboy 2 set and spending a while just shadowing Guillermo, talking to his crew, getting an idea of why he does what he does. Interrogating him, getting in the way... This is the Guillermo del Toro two-week film school, which really does sound absolutely fucking awesome.
On casting his female Death:
You have to have somebody who the entire audience falls in love with more or less immediately. Of whatever sexual preference or gender the audience happens to be, they all have to love her. You have to have someone likeable, bright, who can do the thing of being smart and sweet and optimistic without ever being cloying or irritating or making you want to hit her. And with a certain amount of vulnerability. Those, I think are the key things I'll be looking for in an audition and they're certainly the key things I've brought up in talking to actresses.
I've had several breakfasts and cups of tea with people.
On the potential for a movie version of American Gods:
Lots of directors over the years have approached me about doing American Gods. The big problem is a lot of directors come to me and say, 'We've read American Gods, we want to make it into a film.' And I say, 'Great.' And then they say, 'So... do you have any idea how we make it into a film?' And I say, 'No, if I'd have known how to make it as a film I would have made it as a film and not as a great big sprawling novel!' Nobody has yet satisfied me that they were someone I'd want to leave my baby with but I'm sure sooner or later somebody will.
On fantasy directors for American Gods:
I would love Stanley Kubrick. I'm pretty sure I would hate Stanley Kubrick's American Gods. I would probably feel about it exactly the same as Stephen King felt about The Shining. But I'm also sure it would be an absolutely mind-bogglingly wonderful movie. Of living directors, I don't know...
I'd love to see Terry Gilliam's American Gods because Gilliam is probably my favourite director in the whole world. Gilliam on an off-day is better than most people on their on-days.
On playing in the Batman universe:
Every now and again I've gone and done little Batman things. To be honest my favourite is probably Secret Origins of The Riddler and the Batman Black & White Batman/Joker story that I did with Simon Bisley although both of them are vignettes. There's a story that I signed a contract with DC to write called The Night Circus which is all about Batman going to the circus and that was meant to have been a painted book with Simon Bisley many, many years ago. Whether it will happen or not I don't know, but it would be a lovely story to do.
On Coraline:
I can tell you I've seen animatics of pretty-much the whole movie; the animated storyboards. I've seen test; actual animation of about four minutes which is gorgeous and glorious and I'm just hoping they don't clean it up too much. I think they've learned a lesson from the people who did The Corpse Bride, where they cleaned it up so much that it might as well have all been CG. What's lovely about this is that it looks like it was done by people and the characters are amazingly expressive. French and Saunders are hilarious; the They Might Be Giants songs are really good. I'm really excited.
MCA CD Sale
| Start: | Oct 18, '07 09:00a |
| End: | Oct 20, '07 9:00p |
Oct 18 to 20
9am to pm
Room 604
Sixth Floor
Raffles Corporate Center
Emerald Avenue
Ortigas Center
Pasig City
For details, call Mylene at 916-2483.
Stardust
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
Originally posted on Oct 8, '07, at slangards.multiply.com
Stardust is another one of those movies that is destined for my all-time favorites list. I literally couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Like Labyrinth, Sunshine and Before Sunrise, it's one of those movies that had me leaving the theater with a sense of wonder of what MIGHT be out there.
I haven't read Gaiman's graphic novel, but I've been told it reads like an adult fairytale. The movie is much the same. Stardust evokes the same kind of awe and wonder I got as a kid listening to the Brother's Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson, staring intently at my mom as she read, imagining mermaids and fairies and pirates and neer-do-wells and thieves and princes. Heroes with swords and evil witches with magic spells glowing with green malice.
This is the film I was hoping for when I first saw Shymalan's trailer for Lady in the Water. What I wanted from Adamson's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Those films just didn't engage my imagination at all. Lady was so pretentious that it collapsed under it's own weight and Lion's director just didn't have the technical know how to really get that epic feel of adventure that a journey through Narnia should have had.
Stardust comes very close to that other great fantasy adventure, Jackson's Lord of the Rings, though it's tone is very different. It's more like a light-hearted comedy, full of high adventure and whirlwind romance. Pirates, Witches, Princes, and Rouges. When you're there in your seat, you feel like part of the world of Stormhold and you don't want to go back to your dreary life in wall either.
Like Aronofsky's The Fountain, this film really made me want to go out and find the graphic novel. I'm definitely going to watch it again. A lot of people will tell you not to see it because Claire Danes is in it, but you tell 'em to fuck off and see it anyway.
5th Manila Comics Creation Seminar 2007
| Start: | Oct 27, '07 10:00a |
| End: | Oct 28, '07 8:00p |
October 27-28, 2007, 10am-8pm
Megatrade Conference Hall, Function Room B
SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
P1000 per ticket.
* Good for 2 days with free meal and drinks, free drawing materials, limited ashcan memorabilia and lots of giveaways. Personal one-on-one portfolio review by the professionals.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKET AND DELIVERED IT TO YOUR HOME http://manilacomicsseminar.googlepages.com/contact_blog.htm
for ticket inquiries email : azrael@glasshousegraphics.com
I went to the 2nd or 3rd Comics seminar. If you're a comics geek, and are thinking about a career in comics, this is a great way to get started. If you can hack it, you can make lots and lots of moolah. Dave Campiti and friends will take a look at your stuff and tell you flat out if you can or can't. It's best that you have real finished pencils, sequential comic pages would be best.
They have some sample scripts you can follow here:
www.glasshousegraphics.com
Even if you're just interested in how comics are made, this is still a good thing to attend
Strings
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
Aside from the obvious, there is another reason I love shopping for DVDs in dark little corners of the metropolis rather than in the cool comfort of the record bars inside the malls. Every now and then you'll run into a little known gem of a film that hasn't gotten any hype and isn't likely to make any of the bestsellers lists. You'll look over the cover, likely say something along the lines of, "hmm... this looks interesting..." and fork over the 60-70 bucks without the apprehension you might suffer from if you were buying an original.
That's exactly what happened when I picked up Anders Rønnow Klarlund's "Strings". I'd never heard of the film, (though it was released back in 2005 apparently) but it was one of those packages that just caught my attention and begged me to pick it up. According to the card, this is the"world's first fully integrated puppet feature film". In layman's terms, that means the principles are all marionettes; the same creepy puppets they used to have in shows like Thunderbirds. Karlund was said to have wanted to come up with a commentary on 9/11 and the US views on terrorism. What we got was an amazing deep fantasy film that reminds me of nothing less than Henson's The Dark Crystal.
Klarlund and his team of puppeteers, designers, and voice actors have come up with a world so rich in detail that it's rife with it's own mythology and feels as real as anything life-sized. It's a world where even a king can die if his headstring is cut. A world where puppets are made, not born, carved of wood by their fathers' hand, and connected to heaven by parts of their mother's lifelines. A world of castes, where slaves are kept to supply the royals with spare parts.
The expert handling of the marrionettes lends the characters an eerie reflection of life, while the excellent voice work by the English cast (including Children of Dune's James McAvoy and Catherine McCormack) gives them a humanity you begin to believe in as the film goes on. By the end, you may actually find yourself rooting for Hal Kara and loathing Nezo and Ghrak as if you were a loyal subject of the dead Kharo yourself.
As I watched Strings, I felt it would have been an amazing live show, staged with live actors playing living puppets. It would have been an amazing thing to watch this classic story play out with life size strings coming from the top of actors heads leading to heaven. I'd gladly pay for a ticket to a play like that.
Powerbooks Warehouse Sale!
| Start: | Oct 5, '07 10:00a |
| End: | Oct 14, '07 7:00p |
Resident Evil: Extinction
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Action & Adventure |
I like Paul W.S. Anderson movies for what they are; fluff pieces that are fun to watch. He's what Uwe Boll wishes he could be. I can honestly say I like the Resident Evil movie franchise. I thoruoghly enjoyed the first movie. I thought it was a nice sci-fi take on the whole zombie-eat-brains movie. The whole laser hallway and the evil queen computer... all good stuff. The down and out military crack team, surrounded by undead, picked off one by one. cool. And that dress. You know the one I'm talking about. They can put almost anything on Milla and she'd still look good (witness Fifth Element), but that dress was...
I was dissapointed with the second, though. Someone needs to teach Sienna Guillory to hold a gun. Her character was pretty useless wasn't she? And what the hell is up with the bad guy, Nemesis? He looks like something out of the WWE. It was just a mess from the start. But then, It's Milla Jovovich doing arnis, so... meh.
I'm glad the franchise has gone back to the tone of the first one with Extinction. Empty streets, instead of corridors, zombie crows instead of dogs (though there are your requisite dogs in this one too). I'm kinda on the fence with the whole psionic powers gimick, but there's the addition of both Ali Larter and Ashanti (though the latter croaks pretty early on) to the cast so I can't really complain. And you really can't go wrong with Milla Jovovich walking around in tight shorts with guns and knives and what-have-you.
Let's face it, that's really the reason anybody watches these movies. We could care less about the rest of the cast, as long as Milla does a few cool copiera moves and makes it to the last reel, we're fine with the price of admission.
Timeline
| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Mystery & Thrillers |
| Author: | Michael Crichton |
The first half of the book is mostly the discussion of quantum theory and the multiverse. This is the kind of thing Crichton does best. Even with a limited knowledge of the science, you can almost feel like you understand. It's right there on the tip of your brain... and if you can just try a little harder, all will become clear to you.
The problem with the book is that once the protagonists get to the past, the excitement is gone. What follows is scene after scene of the team getting captured, escaping, getting captured, escaping. It's tedious, tiresome, and unforgivable boring. If you're a history buff, you might enjoy the descriptions of midevil France, but there's little thrill once they go back.
I'm hoping this doesn't mean he's losing his touch. I'll try and get "Next" and reserve judgement till then.
The Restless
| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
Korean cinema just has a unique slant to it in that their cinematic machine is based on entertainment. It's not like the movie scene here where everything is about awards, resulting in films so "socially relevant" that you want to blow your brains out. Or in the states where it's all box office all the time, pandering to the lowest common denominator. In Korea, there is a drive to put out product that is commercial viable, socially relevant, but most of all entertaining.
The Restless is one of the films that leans more towards the commercial side. It tries to be alot of things to alot of people, but doesn't really succeed. At the core, it's a story of two star-crossed lovers who meet again in Midheaven, a kind of purgatory, where souls must cleanse themselves before re-incarnation. It also has themes of deep fantasy, pulling things from Korean Mythology. It even borrows from Hong Kong action, though the filmmakers attempts to stage wire work battles are kind of feeble and dissapointing.
The imagery of Midheaven, with it's colors and romantic asian architecture is probably the best thing the film has going for it, which is why the drama scenes, though often over the top, still ring truest. Costume designs are a little derivative, borrowing alot form Jackson's Lord of the Rings, but they are pretty impressive and can stand on their own. Effects aren't as slick as a Hollywood film, but since the effects aren't really the biggest draw, it doesn't really affect the rest of it.
I feel it works best as a romantic drama, and if you enjoy Korean tele-novelas, this would be a nice one to pick up for the weekend. If you're looking for a nice asian fantasy epic though, you're better off with something like "Volcano High" or my personal favorite Japan's "Ashura-jo no Hitomi".
Slither
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
It's that simple. If you're a geek, you probably know what I'm talking about. You probably laughed out loud at the squidhead stickers on the map as Sherrif Bill Pardy talks about where the alien will hit next. You probably couldn't stop giggling when that one posse member is sliced right down the center and his eyes go cross-eyed. You more than likely couldn't stop humming that air supply song when you left the theater or shut off the DVD.
If you're not a geek, I'm sorry, but this flim isn't for you. You probably won't get the jokes and you're more than likely staring questioningly at your geek friend who is probably gripping his stomach, on the verge of tears next to you, laughing his ass off as the alien slug monster professes undying love to the Starla.
Captivity
| Rating: | ★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Mystery & Suspense |
You'll probably know this as the film whose poster campaign was banned because it was an image of Elisha being buried alive in a glass box. Trailers even played this up, saying that it was so "controversial" it was banned. It wasn't.
While the poster campaign (which ran mostly in bus shelters to get the most of the girl in a glass cage effect) was really great, and it was true that the posters were taken down, the movie isn't all that. It's basically a long CST episode. Girl is kidnapped, girl makes a friend in captivity, friend turns to lover, lover turns out to be in cahoots with the kidnapper. Really all very predictable.
The camera work does nothing for the film either. The shots are pretty boring. Flat. Static. There's no real effort to give the film a claustrophobic feel, which would have brought it up a notch. Maybe create some suspense. There's a sub plot with the cops looking for leads to Elisha's whereabouts, but that's basically useless and doesn't further the story or the atmosphere along any. There isn't even any interesting procedural drama to catch your attention. These are some pretty dumb cops.
There's also no real pathos to the schemes Elisha is put through, no motivation, no purpose. Sure the kidnappers are psychos, but even Freddie and Jason had reasons for their sprees. Apparently, these guys just kidnap girls so they can film a private porno collection. The kidnappers are never really more than cardboard cutouts; demented dorks, who have to set up elaborate traps to get laid.
It's all very off-putting if you ask me.
1408
Originally posted on Sept 30, '07, at slangards.multiply.com
If you're not a Stephen King fan, you probably don't realize how bad a track record Hollywood has with his horror material. It's usually hit and miss, with Carrie on one end, and Dreamcatcher on the other. You also have the odd drama like Shawshank Redemption, and the odd pieces like Kubrick's Shining or Schwarzenegger's The Running Man that are great movies, but don't feel like King's work at all.
Lately, Hollywood's been content to feed moviegoers craptastic, sadistic gorefests and trying to market it as horror. Eli Roth and James Wan with their over the top, sequel prone franchises have been churning out product at a fantastic rate since Hostel and Saw first saw daylight, and from what I hear, it's not stopping. But it looks as if someone in Hollywood finally got fed-up with the hack re-hashing of the same story and the excess of blood. They've given the green light to several good horror films; Bug, Vacancy, etc. And I hear it's getting better with the upcoming 30 Days of Night and The Mist.
But to tide us over there's 1408. Finally a movie worth the name "Stephen King". The first time I saw this, was alone at 2am on DVD, but even on the small screen it still kicked all those other films butts. I was genuinely holding my breath at each scene, experiencing the hotel room with Enslin and not just watching. There's actual suspense, not just the occasional snap shock. It's not a movie where you're lizard brain is constantly on, telling you "we've got to get out of here! this is so bad my brain hurts". It's one of those rare films that lets you sit through it while your monkey brain picks it apart to no avail, and you're dog brain just laps it up.
You won't believe how claustrophobic this movie makes you feel. That's probably why it was so much more effective for me the first time (I feel asleep the second time in the cinema, but through no fault of the film). Imagine being trapped in a hotel room as ghosts walk around you and the shit hits the fan. Imagine knowing you've got 60 minutes till the room kills you and having no where to run.
Unlike all the gore movies, which I always exit feeling a little desensitized, really regretful and a little sick to the stomach, I left 1408 feeling pretty good. Which is really what you want from a good scare isn't it?
Jessica Biel Nabs Wonder Woman Role in Justice League of America?
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/justice_league_of_america/news/1674723/
Gawd, I hope this isn't another Fantastic Four. I like Jessica Biel as much as the next horny geek, but the George Miller is the director of "BABE"?
Yes, that's right. the talking pig movie.
Grindhouse
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Action & Adventure |
Now, if you've never seen an exploitation film, you probably won't get the joke here, but everyone who has seen this stuff in late night tv (in the states, not here) or in one of those little low rent movie houses during the 80's will eat it up. The film scratches, soundtrack pops, and missing reels really add to the feel that your sitting in some rundown cinema watching a seven-cent movie. I loved the silly trailers, especially Rob Zombie's "Werewolf Women of the SS" and Eli Roth's "Thanksgiving". I loved the pus filled cannibal zombies. I loved the crazy car chase. I loved just about everything about this 3 hour opus.
First off is Planet Terror, an old fashioned zombie flick. Bruce Willis unleashes a bio-toxin upon Smalltown USA in an effort to find a cure for his men. It's up to Rose McGowan, a stripper with dreams of being a comedienne and her machine gun peg leg to save the day. Don't miss Tarantino as one of Willis' acrotomophiliac henchmen. Or Fergie on a hospital gurney with her brain pan empty. ewww...
Then after the aforementioned trailers, we move into Tarantino's Deathproof. It starts with a shot of Sydney Tamiia Poitier's feet and only gets better from there. Some reviews will tell you that the first hour of the film is all talk, and that's true. Tarantino indulges his penchant for long, uninterupted dialogue on pop culture and movie/tv lore, but the mundane first act is what really brings home the horror of the second.
You're not likely to forget the car crash that ends the first half of the movie. The slo-mo replay as Jordan Ladd is thrown 70 feet, as Poiter's gorgeous leg is sliced off, as that annoying girl from CSI New York's face is torn off by Stuntman Mike's tire...
Let me tell you, that scene is still with you when Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson, and Tracie Thoms kick Kurt Russels's whiny ass during the last act.
28 Weeks Later
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Horror |
28 Weeks Later though is another story. This thing gets to you right from the get go. Anyone who's seen a zombie movie knows how slow they go right? How can you be scared of a creature who you can outrun by power walking? But the zombies of this franchise are infected with Rage, a disease that makes them act like sugar addicts on speed, with a few gallons of coffee and coke for good measure. Imagine running down a street at full tilt with a gang of Infected after you. They'll never stop, never slow down, never quit. And once you're dead, they'll move on to the next poor schlub, and you'll follow along with them... if they left enough of you.
That's what the movie feels like. There's a bit of exposition to get out of the way in the first act, but then after the intro sequence, you need a little breather anyway. Then once the outbreak begins, it's sit-back-in-your-seat-and-hold-your-breath time. They movie just keeps going and going and the body count goes up and up and doesn't stop. Gore fans will be satisfied. Suspense fans will love it. Your action fan Dad will like the military contingent and the big guns. Mom will love the drama that centers around the two kids and their Rage immune mom and their dad who is paitient zero this time around. Basically it's fun for the whole family!
My only gripe is why is Rose Byrne always typecast as the bleeding heart girl whose always on the verge of tears, and why does she always die?
But then, that's not really the movie's fault.
1408
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Horror |
Lately, Hollywood's been content to feed moviegoers craptastic, sadistic gorefests and trying to market it as horror. Eli Roth and James Wan with their over the top, sequel prone franchises have been churning out product at a fantastic rate since Hostel and Saw first saw daylight, and from what I hear, it's not stopping. But it looks as if someone in hollywood finally got fed-up with the hack re-hashing of the same story and the excess of blood. They've given the green light to several good horror films; Bug, Vacancy, etc. And I hear it's getting better with the upcoming 30 Days of Night and The Mist.
But to tide us over there's 1408. Finally a movie worth the name "Stephen King". The first time I saw this, was alone at 2am on DVD, but even on the small screen it still kicked all those other films butts. I was genuinely holding my breath at each scene, experiencing the hotel room with Enslin and not just watching. There's actual suspense, not just the occasional snap shock. It's not a movie where you're lizard brain is constantly on, telling you "we've got to get out of here! this is so bad my brain hurts". It's one of those rare films that lets you sit through it while your monkey brain picks it apart to no avail, and you're dog brain just laps it up.
You won't believe how claustrophobic this movie makes you feel. That's probably why it was so much more effective for me the first time (I feel asleep the second time in the cinema, but through no fault of the film). Imagine being trapped in a hotel room as ghosts walk around you and the shit hits the fan. Imagine knowing you've got 60 minutes till the room kills you and having no where to run.
Unlike all the gore movies, which I always exit feeling a little desensitized, really regretfull and a little sick to the stomach, I left 1408 feeling pretty good. Which is really what you want from a good scare isn't it?
The Restless (Joongchun)
Originally posted on Sept 30, '07, at slangards.multiply.com
Every now and then, I pick up a DVD because I find the cover interesting. More often than not, I'll buy a foreign movie even if the DVD cover is in another language and I've never heard anything about it. Asian titles get a lot of this favored treatment, Korean films more so than anything else.
Korean cinema just has a unique slant to it in that their cinematic machine is based on entertainment. It's not like the movie scene here where everything is about awards, resulting in films so "socially relevant" that you want to blow your brains out. Or in the states where it's all box office all the time, pandering to the lowest common denominator. In Korea, there is a drive to put out product that is commercial viable, socially relevant, but most of all entertaining.
The Restless is one of the films that leans more towards the commercial side. It tries to be a lot of things to a lot of people, but doesn't really succeed. At the core, it's a story of two star-crossed lovers who meet again in Midheaven, a kind of purgatory, where souls must cleanse themselves before re-incarnation. It also has themes of deep fantasy, pulling things from Korean Mythology. It even borrows from Hong Kong action, though the filmmakers attempts to stage wire work battles are kind of feeble and disappointing.
The imagery of Midheaven, with it's colors and romantic Asian architecture is probably the best thing the film has going for it, which is why the drama scenes, though often over the top, still ring truest. Costume designs are a little derivative, borrowing a lot form Jackson's Lord of the Rings, but they are pretty impressive and can stand on their own. Effects aren't as slick as a Hollywood film, but since the effects aren't really the biggest draw, it doesn't really affect the rest of it.
I feel it works best as a romantic drama, and if you enjoy Korean tele-novelas, this would be a nice one to pick up for the weekend. If you're looking for a nice asian fantasy epic though, you're better off with something like "Volcano High" or my personal favorite Japan's "Ashura-jo no Hitomi".
Slither
Originally posted on Sept 30, '07, at slangards.multiply.com
Slither is a movie made for geeks.
It's that simple. If you're a geek, you probably know what I'm talking about. You probably laughed out loud at the squid-head stickers on the map as Sheriff Bill Pardy talks about where the alien will hit next. You probably couldn't stop giggling when that one posse member is sliced right down the center and his eyes go cross-eyed. You more than likely couldn't stop humming that air supply song when you left the theater or shut off the DVD.
If you're not a geek, I'm sorry, but this film isn't for you. You probably won't get the jokes and you're more than likely staring questioningly at your geek friend who is probably gripping his stomach, on the verge of tears next to you, laughing his ass off as the alien slug monster professes undying love to the Starla.
Captivity
Originally posted on Sept 30, '07, at slangards.multiply.com
I'll be honest. The only reason I picked this up on my weekly DVD run was because I've got a crush on Elisha Cuthbert.
You'll probably know this as the film whose poster campaign was banned because it was an image of Elisha being buried alive in a glass box. Trailers even played this up, saying that it was so "controversial" it was banned. It wasn't.
While the poster campaign (which ran mostly in bus shelters to get the most of the girl in a glass cage effect) was really great, and it was true that the posters were taken down, the movie isn't all that. It's basically a long CSI episode. Girl is kidnapped, girl makes a friend in captivity, friend turns to lover, lover turns out to be in cahoots with the kidnapper. Really all very predictable.
The camera work does nothing for the film either. The shots are pretty boring. Flat. Static. There's no real effort to give the film a claustrophobic feel, which would have brought it up a notch. Maybe create some suspense. There's a sub plot with the cops looking for leads to Elisha's whereabouts, but that's basically useless and doesn't further the story or the atmosphere along any. There isn't even any interesting procedural drama to catch your attention. These are some pretty dumb cops.
There's also no real pathos to the schemes Elisha is put through, no motivation, no purpose. Sure the kidnappers are psychos, but even Freddie and Jason had reasons for their sprees. Apparently, these guys just kidnap girls so they can film a private porno collection. The kidnappers are never really more than cardboard cutouts; demented dorks, who have to set up elaborate traps to get laid.
It's all very off-putting if you ask me.
Grindhouse
Originally posted on Sept 30, '07, at slangards.multiply.com
So I finally picked up the Grindhouse double feature; Tarantino's Death Proof and Rodriguez' Planet Terror. I gotta say, the wait was worth it.
Now, if you've never seen an exploitation film, you probably won't get the joke here, but everyone who has seen this stuff in late night tv (in the states, not here) or in one of those little low rent movie houses during the 80's will eat it up. The film scratches, soundtrack pops, and missing reels really add to the feel that your sitting in some rundown cinema watching a seven-cent movie. I loved the silly trailers, especially Rob Zombie's "Werewolf Women of the SS" and Eli Roth's "Thanksgiving". I loved the pus filled cannibal zombies. I loved the crazy car chase. I loved just about everything about this 3 hour opus.
First off is Planet Terror, an old fashioned zombie flick. Bruce Willis unleashes a bio-toxin upon Smalltown USA in an effort to find a cure for his men. It's up to Rose McGowan, a stripper with dreams of being a comedienne and her machine gun peg leg to save the day. Don't miss Tarantino as one of Willis' acrotomophiliac henchmen. Or Fergie on a hospital gurney with her brain pan empty. ewww...
Then after the aforementioned trailers, we move into Tarantino's Death Proof. It starts with a shot of Sydney Tamiia Poitier's feet and only gets better from there. Some reviews will tell you that the first hour of the film is all talk, and that's true. Tarantino indulges his penchant for long, uninterrupted dialogue on pop culture and movie/tv lore, but the mundane first act is what really brings home the horror of the second.
You're not likely to forget the car crash that ends the first half of the movie. The slo-mo replay as Jordan Ladd is thrown 70 feet, as Poiter's gorgeous leg is sliced off, as that annoying girl from CSI New York's face is torn off by Stuntman Mike's tire...
Let me tell you, that scene is still with you when Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson, and Tracie Thoms kick Kurt Russels's whiny ass during the last act.
28 Weeks Later
Originally posted on Sept 30, '07, at slangards.multiply.com
I watched 28 Days Later when if first came out. I don't know why, but I didn't remember much of it. Maybe it was the English setting or the odd 3rd act, but it didn't really stick to my brain pan after I was through with it. I watched it again a few days ago, and while I must admit it was an exciting piece of work (Cillian Murphy is right up there in my favorite actor list), I still can't list it as one of my favorite films.
28 Weeks Later though is another story. This thing gets to you right from the get go. Anyone who's seen a zombie movie knows how slow they go right? How can you be scared of a creature who you can outrun by power walking? But the zombies of this franchise are infected with Rage, a disease that makes them act like sugar addicts on speed, with a few gallons of coffee and coke for good measure. Imagine running down a street at full tilt with a gang of Infected after you. They'll never stop, never slow down, never quit. And once you're dead, they'll move on to the next poor schlub, and you'll follow along with them... if they left enough of you.
That's what the movie feels like. There's a bit of exposition to get out of the way in the first act, but then after the intro sequence, you need a little breather anyway. Then once the outbreak begins, it's sit-back-in-your-seat-and-hold-your-breath time. They movie just keeps going and going and the body count goes up and up and doesn't stop. Gore fans will be satisfied. Suspense fans will love it. Your action fan Dad will like the military contingent and the big guns. Mom will love the drama that centers around the two kids and their Rage immune mom and their dad who is patient zero this time around. Basically it's fun for the whole family!
My only gripe is why is Rose Byrne always typecast as the bleeding heart girl whose always on the verge of tears, and why does she always die?
But then, that's not really the movie's fault.
Bratz
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Kids & Family |
O-M-G! this was like sooooo cuh-wuhl! like, totally fetch! like all the lindsay lohan, hilary duff, amanda bynes and anne hathaway movies all like rolled into one! wowoweewah!
Joke!
ReBoot!
http://www.mainframe.ca/reboot/Welcome.html
I used to love this cartoon. It was full of cutting edge (at the time) CGI and geeky inside jokes. If you ever get a chance, you need to watch the final episode and see the musical number that recaps the entire series.
Also see the fansite: rebootrevival.com
WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!
EEEEEEEEEAAAAAAUUUUUGHHHH!
Originally posted on slangards.multiply.com on Sep 17, '07
AUUUUUGGGGGGH!!!!!! (click HERE to see the reason I was screaming.)
Stooopid, stoopid author... he's dead! I knew it! I knew it would come to this! everytime another book came out and I got to page 850 and the hero was still courting some girl, and the shadowy forces were still amassing, and the armies of a thousand nations were still not where they were supposed to be... I had this sinking feeling and a little voice inside my head went, "wait a minute... there's only 100 more pages to this thing... he's not going to finish it this time either! I've read 1200 pages and I have to wait another two years for the next book! argh!". This has gone one for something like a decade and a half. Then he started those PREQUELS! argh! I've got all the books and every time I had this little episode, I had the sinking sensation that he would die before he would finish this damned story. I hate being right.
Now what am I going to wait in drooling anticipation for? Harry Potter? eeeeeeyyyyaaaaauuuughhh! *#^$&#(%^()!#&*#^*!$!%^*#%^*!#(!&)*(!!!!!!!w94572934719!!!!!
This blows.
Here's hoping he's as prolific in death as Tupac is.
Artificial Intelligence
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
AI is an exploration of another of these what-if? worlds. Like Lucas' classic galaxy far, far away, this one's got androids and robots coming out the wazoo and they do everything from the crap jobs no one wants to being the guilt-free spouse substitute in the conjugal bed. But these robotic simulcra all have one thing in common... they don't really have feelings.
Their personalities are programed into them and they follow simple logarithms that dictate their reactions to certain external stimuli. There's none of the unpredictablity of living systems, none of the capacity to learn, and none of the ability to love. So when a robot comes along that can suddenly FEEL... well, I won't bore you with plot details, but naturally, things go a little nuts.
All in all, this is one of my favortite films not because of the effects, but because of the characters. I loved the little android kid (Haley Joel Osment) who just wants his mommy to love him, and the gentle Gepetto figure (William Hurt) who wants to bring his son back to life, and the brotherly android (Jude Law) who brings him home. I also loved the ending, which is just what it should be, bitter sweet. It's not the candy coated popcorn fare you'd expect, but realistic within the rules dictate by the genre.
This was supposed to be Stanley Kubrick's last film, and you see his influence throughout the film. Everyone seems creepy. The world seems like some kind of neon circus. Osment continually stares at you with his eyes wide making your stomach kinda queasy. Yet the movie is all Spielberg as you'll see once you get to the end. Still I can't hold it against them.
I never did like Kubrick films.
Bugger.
Now I'm a hip-hopping, bridge swinging wannabe loser who fires ineffective peashooter laser blasts and gets ripped in two while everyone else survives.
Jazz? really?
Bugger and rot.
Office Excercises to Relieve Stress
Wendee sent the funniest thing the other day...
1st: Warming up
…………………………………………………
2nd: Stretching
……………………………………………..
3rd: the upper body exercise
…………………………………………………..
4th: lower body exercise (moving to left and back)
…………………………………………………..
5th: lower body exercise (moving to right and back)
…………………………………………………..
6th: Head exercise (make sure to do the 2nd part, it works!)
LV1:
LV2:
………………………………………………………
7th: whole body exercise
LV1
LV2
LV3
………………………………………………………………………………………………
8th: Jumping exercise: The Pose is the key! but remember to jump!
………………………………………………………………………………………
9th: relax
LV1
LV2
LV3 over: Well done!
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