Category: My Opinion

Categories
Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

Constantine – A Refreshing Movie

Another Matrix film it may be not – though I was hoping so – the fresh ideas that evolve from such a commonly known concept of good versus evil never failed to surprise me. Be it as the chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Rachael Weisz, be it as the little humours that keep popping from such a dark film, be it as some of the scenes that reminds me of the computer game DOOM 3, it is the entire package that makes me go wow.

And don’t forget to stay till the very end of the show – i.e. credits and all – there is a little something that will be worth waiting for. Enjoy the show y’all and I surely look forward to a sequel.

Categories
Foreign Movie Reviews

French Film Must-Watch – A Ton Image

A Ton Image can be – from my distant memory – translated to “Splitting Image”. It is a movie about a sterile wife and her obstetrician husband going in great length in having a child of their own. Against his belief and without telling his wife, he has cloned his wife as their daughter.

I have not watched any movie that addresses the reality of cloning as good as this one … more.

The possibility that the clone is connected as the original one like the way twins are connected to each other, the possibility that the clone shared some part of the original one’s memory, and the possibility that the clone is, just a clone, a replica that defies God’s will … all these possibilities that are addressed by the film in about 90 minutes.

And the for for cloning? Elimination of gene inequality. Think about it. There may be an element of truth here. Think about all future generation are born free of defects; all look beautiful and attractive; all are smart. Imagine how human species can push the frontier of science and technology and art alike.

Imagine the possiblities … rather than getting so hung up on the religious and ethic issues.

Imagine the unimaginable …

Categories
J Pop Music Reviews

I Bought Eriko Imai’s CD By Its Cover

Do I buy CD by a cover? Hell yes. Lately I have been quite desperately looking for new Japanese artists rather than my usual Ayumi Hamasaki, Love Psychedelico, Mika Nakashima, Aamie Amuro, Aikawa Nanase, Utada Hikaru … (now you know my favourite J-Pop artists). I was pleasantly stopped by a new single collection by Eriko Imai. I certainly haven’t heard of SPEED although according to one of my friends, SPEED was the big thing before Ayumi Hamasaki.

First thing first, the record company is Avex Trax – same as Ayumi’s recording company – so it can’t go wrong right? Upbeat music with very nice melody. Well, in terms of singing. Eriko Imai does exhibits the typical Japanese style – high pitch at certain point. But if you can look beyond this, the CD is pretty entertaining. There are a total of 12 songs and I do enjoy most of the songs in this collection. Believe it or not, I listen to this album more than Ayumi’s new album.

And if anyone want to know, Eriko was born in September 22, 1983 and will be 22 years old this year. Currently weights at 48kg with a height of 1.60m. Enough bio-statistics … (where did the research come from??)

Together with the CD, there is a DVD with 3 music videos and the off-shot videos – seems like the trend nowadays for those who can’t get enough of the artist.

I have translated one of the songs in her album Stairway from the Chinese translation that comes with the CD. It is roughly as such:

Stairway

Please put your hand on my chest and feel my heartbeats
It’s going to be broken into piece
Before dawn, please be by my side.

Don’t want to lose to that unbridgeable distance
One day, we shall be together

Stairway, I am approaching you
Even though it is far but I won’t give up
Stairway, the road the leads to you
No matter how far, I will continue to climb

Because I was used to be hugged by your warm embrace
This love that is accumulated through these years
If I was never discover it, I would have regret a great deal

You better love her well
I said that because I was forced to …

Stairway, cast away all the fear of mistakes
I only want to go over the obstacles with you
Stairway, each step is leading into my heart
Let us two to be as one

Stairway, I am approach you
Even though it is far but I won’t give up
Stairway, the road the leads to you
No matter how far, I will continue to climb

Stairway, cast away all the fear of mistakes
I only want to go over the obstacles with you
Stairway, each step is leading into my heart
Let us two to be as one

Categories
J Pop Music Reviews

Ayumi’s New Album Is Out

When I dined with my friend TK showing him my new Ayumi Hamasaki album on Dec 22nd, he said that as a huge Ayumi fan, I should have bought the album on day one and not one week after. Well, I would not have known if Ayumi’s album did come out in Singapore one week ago (TK was in Japan during then) or it just came out on that day. Either case, I AM a huge fan and this album reminds me everything I love about Ayumi.

It has been a 2 years’ wait and it was worthwhile. A full album (close to 75 minutes of solid enjoyment) plus a bonus DVD packed with very nicely made videos and the “making of” videos. This CD+DVD edition comes with 4 different album covers. What are you waiting for?

Categories
Music Reviews Pop Rock & Alternative

Gwen, You Go Girl!

I have been a huge, huge No Doubt fan. Having been to their wild, wild concert at Paris, I will just buy anything that has Gwen Stefani’s voice in it. I am so totally into Gwen and her band. And so I did, bought the album without even listenning to any tracks.

And I don’t regret a single bit.

It is a dance album. From start to end. It is the uniqueness of this album that starts out from the rest of the dance album. First it is Gwen’s voice – very pleasant and beautiful and you can just listen to every words. That is great! Really. Then, it is the collabration with many talented people in the music industry such as Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, Andre 3000, and many others. Finally it is the wierd reference to Harajuku Girl and give a twist to the whole thing.

I love the album. Each and every song. You guys should check it out too.

Categories
Music Reviews Pop Rock & Alternative

PJ Harvey’s Uh Huh Her

Whenever I am lost in my songwriting world, I always find my anchor through some of my favourite artists. PJ Harvey is one of them. My favourite PJ Harvey album? To Bring You My Love. Though I have to confess that I do like Stories From The Cities, Stories From The Sea a lot.

Uh Huh Her is raw, is mean and I just love it. Nothing commercial and I just immerse in all the songs in the album. At times, the songs remind me of demo songs. Like some of the songs, there is only one guitar with considerable amount of noise in the background. Then, it comes PJ Harvey’s beautiful voice and the strong lyrics. I do like The Slow Drug a lot. Lyrics below.

By the way, another one of my favourite song is Who The F**k. But I can’t publish the lyric, can I?

Blue now is the colour
Love the drug I’m needing
Got to keep this feeling

With the headlights burning
We’re looking up for something
Answers on the ceiling

Watching out the windows
Watch the way the wind blows
Soon it will be morning

Still the question lingers
I twist it round my fingers
Could you be my calling?

See this winged boy falling
Falling out of something
Hits the drug I’m needing

Arrows that he’s turning
Need to keep this feeling
Slow drug in the morning

With the headlights burning
Looking up for something
Something that we’re needing

Still the question lingers
I twist it round my fingers
Could you be my calling

Categories
Horror

Horror Film Of The Year: SHUTTER

Okay, I exaggerated. Mainly because none of my regular movie partners nor my wife is into horror film (except one of my best friend’s wife who is from Hong Kong too) and it is the one horror film I have watched since The Ring, I have to vote Shutter as the horror film of the year.

It all began with a car accident that the main characters ran away from and thereafter, the pictures taken by the photographer contained strange lights and ghosty image. After that, scene after scene, the horror just got better and better. One of my colleagues who sat next to me was screaming all the way while I was laughing all the way. I must be sick or mad.

This movie, in real life, is spooky in some way. There were 7 of us watching a 7pm show at a cinema at the 7th floor. The show has 7 letters and I was sitting at seat number 7. How coincidental can it be??

Categories
Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

Immortal – A Foreign Film with Beautiful Soundtrack

Yet another foreign film showing at the Arts House, how can I resist? Immortal is a sci-fi film by the famed Yugoslav-born graphic novelist and director Enki Bilal. New York City 23rd centry with futuristic buildings and transportation infrastructure no less than The Fifth Element, where somehow all creatures live in different level. The highest level of all? A pyramid, where the gods reside.

What captivated me the most was the ending sound track by Venus. The title is Beautiful Days.

The storyline is somewhere bizzare but yet simple. It was about Horus, the falcon-headed Egyptian God who has only seven days to live. It was about a girl named Jill who could be an alien. And it was about a polictical prisoner, Nikopol, who has been cryogenised for 30 years. The main story was about how Horus has used Nikopol’s body to impregnate Jill.

Bizzare it is. Entertaining, definitely in an art way.

The ending song was a great song composed by Venus. A French band I have not heard of and the album can only be found in FNAC (a French music chain store). I manage to source out the lyrics. See below.

I wish i was mad
Fucked up and done
I wish i was bad
And completely wrong

I wish i was made
Rebuilt-up and fake
I wish i could lie
And never could fail

And live some beautiful days
In a magical place
Beautiful loves
Perfect and straight
Beautiful days
In a magical place
A new dream is born
The new freaks have come

I wish i was fast
And crazy as a dog
I wish i could last
As long as the gods

I wish i could be
Perfectly free
Wish i was a creep
Wish i made you bleed

And live some beautiful days
In a magical place
Beautiful loves
Perfect and straight
Beautiful days
In a magical place
A new dream is born
The new freaks have come
Beautiful days
In a magical place
Beautiful loves
Perfect and straight
Beautiful days…

Categories
Music Reviews Pop Rock & Alternative

Tears For Fears – Everyone Loves A Happy Ending

… and I love a happy ending too. Although I was cautioned on what the reunification of Orzabal and Smith would be. First thing first, I was so over the fact that they have split up 15 years ago. I think Roland Orzabal survived and I do admire his effort in doing everything on his own.

After all, how can they ever beat the wonderful songs from their past such as “Sowing The Seeds Of Love” and “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”?

Tears For Fears’s new album “Everybody Loves A Happy Ending” definitely lived up to my expectation. In fact, I would (and I have) bought any Tears For Fears new album without knowing what’s inside even if it is 50% more expensive because it is an imported item.

The entire album reminds me what Tears For Fears are capable of making. I have to confess that I did not love the entire album at first listen. Nor did I love their Greatest Hits 82-92 at first listen. I had difficulties in understand why my ex-girlfriend loved the song “Woman In Chains” so much.

With Curt Smith’s new vocal addition, it certainly adds a new dimension to the music. I just love it the more I listen to it.

So, what’s the verdict? I am happy to own yet another one of their CDs. My favourite song? “The Quiet Ones”. Personally, I think it is as good as “Sowing The Seends Of Love”.

Categories
Music Reviews Pop Rock & Alternative

No Doubt’s Everything In Time

I have been a huge, huge No Doubt fan. Having been to their wild, wild concert at Paris, I will just buy anything that has Gwen Stefani’s voice in it. I am so totally into Gwen and her band. And so I did, bought the album without even listenning to any tracks.

Back in the year 95/96 while I was working alone in Paris, No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom was definitely what I have been playing all the time. Till today, I can still remember vividly listening to Tragic Kingdom while I was on the Metro (underground), while I was walking in La Defence (the area where I stayed and worked), and many other moments.

If I was to be asked to live in an island for a long while and only allow to bring in 20 CDs (oh please, 10 is too little), Tragic Kingdom would be one of them.

This new album, Everything In Time, is actually a collection of B-Sides, Rarities, and Remixes. Now, what the different between B-Sides and Rarities is really beyond me (B-Side is rare, no?). The B-Sides songs remind me of their Tradgic Kingdom that I still love today. The rarities are pretty good too. The Remixes on the other hands sound a bit too intense. Anyway, check the album out.