AND THE PLOT THICKENS!

Chinese Anime

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:13:00 +0000

Chinese movies (specifically hinting at HK films) are great, especially if it's concerning martial arts flicks (uh, the usual stuff...can't think of anything else that people would generally, or rather, like to watch in, you know, Chinese films). From the realistic to the downright ridiculous choreography in Kung Fu fights sequences, I know a lot of folks are glued to the fight scenes without so much as blinking their eyes (not really), paying that much attention to all the outlandish action moves...which would last for about hmmm, only ten minutes or more!

Yup, ridiculously that long...tell me something else I don't know! But let's face it, it's fun watching people beat the crap out of each other using slick, fancy moves, right?

While Chinese martial arts films have proven to be a hit among a lot of folks (all over the world), I'm not that sure about Chinese martial arts animations though... If we're talking about the Japanese animes, well that's kind of a different thing altogether......yes? No?

Ever heard of Storm Riders (for those who don't know...there's the wikipedia for you)? Uh, them Chinese folks are making an animated movie version of it.

Hiyahhh!!

Release date: 20 November, 2008 -- local theaters! Other places in the world...no idea. But I'd say just read the comics, or watch the older non-animated film (poster above left)!

Game Junkie

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 06:24:00 +0000

I consider myself an avid video/computer games fan ever since Doom first made its appearance in the world way back in 1993. Ah, the good ol' times (sigh...)! And over the years (since Doom), I've come across hundreds of other games, but as they turned out, there are actually only a handful of them that I'd dare say as really worthy of my or anybody's time. The rest are, sadly, nothing but trash.

As many as the types or genres of games that you can expect to see existent in the world today, the same pretty much also goes to the types of gamers! And mind you, these people can be quite a colorful bunch:

The leisure-time gamers -- usually those who slouch back on the sofa as depicted above, and playing games just to kill time or when there's nothing else better to do...

The amateur enthusiasts/wannabe pro-gamers who haunt the local cybercafes from dawn till dusk till...dawn!

Then you have your real, authentic, professional gamers! Complete with their own team jerseys, a team MANAGER and of course, bragging rights on national TV (when winning a tournament or championship) -- like the Carolina Core!

But among all these folks, there's one individual in particular that really stands above the rest as the most extreme gamer of them all...and could perhaps be even more hardcore than most professional gamers!

Meet PREPARED, the ultimate WOW junkie!!

...actually, this isn't his real picture, but the next two below are real!

The ultimate, one-man game station! That's right, all these gears for only ONE player!!!!

A view from a different angle...how sick of a gamer can you get?

Sure there are tons of other hobbies out there that probably cost 10 times as much and 10 times fancier, but I bet in terms of the amount of pressure, they don't even come close to the stress of maintaining a winning streak in raids etc. (or quite simply just attempt a single win in a skirmish against a whole team of other very dedicated players) -- which, by the way, is just sooo impossible to do (let alone concentrate for a mere one minute in just simply monitoring the progress of each character in the game) -- when playing all 36 of the World Of Warcraft accounts SIMULTANEOUSLY!! Imagine playing the game 24/7...heck, just 10 minutes in the game would probably feel like an eternity! ...but I guess for this guy, it's all a walk in the park?
Simply u - n - b - e - l - i - e - v - a - b - l - e ! !

Though I'm a video games fan myself, I am tempted to say to the fella something like 'really man, seriously...get a life!' But for all it's worth, all this...probably is HIS life!!

Ip Man

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:03:00 +0000

"Ip Man is adapted from the life story of Ip Man, the grand master of the Wing Chun style of Kung Fu and Sifu (master) of legendary Kung Fu superstar Bruce Lee. This movie will be the first important record of the master's life. Ip's persistent devotion to Wing Chun is a classic example of the love and respect shown to Wushu and the freedom and spirit it represents. Ip Man is a concept, a spirit, a way of thinking -- and it represents a new peak in Hong Kong�??s Wushu movies."

Don't know if the blabber above means anything to you, but for martial arts movies fans, this is one Kung Fu flick NOT to be missed!!

Donnie Yen assuming the role of the protagonist

Sure, Yen looks good. But the trailer?

Love the last part of the preview -- the barrage of fists! Hoho, this movie is definitely a must-watch! Out sometime this coming December...at local theaters (as for the rest of the world, no idea -- sorry!).

Cool Freebies From Reader's Digest

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:56:00 +0000

Ever since my ol' man began his monthly subscription of Reader's Digest some 25 years ago, I was instantly hooked on it...more than he was. To my father, RD was just sort of an 'okay' monthly publication intended solely for leisure reading...that was, if he ever had that, well, leisure time to do so, or only whenever he felt like reading it (a faithful subscriber, mind you, but not exactly the ideal reader that he should -- even to this very day -- that's just Dad'O for you!). I, on the other hand, regarded it (and still do) as one of the GREATEST things to have ever made a positive impact on my life. SERIOUSLY!
...after TV anyway.

Reading about the countless inspirational, true stories of folks all over the world, with all the lessons attached about life, love, courage, hope, joy, laughter, and so on and so forth, has definitely made our lives richer (not necessarily in terms of $$ of course). Also, it was via Reader's Digest that I (personally) truly became interested in learning how to speak and write in English better (and pretty good at it nowadays, I'd say...well, compared to most of the folks in my village anyway, and...not that the skills got me anywhere in life however, hehe!). As of today, the LOVE for (and yeah, also the subscription of) Reader's Digest is going stronger than ever in our small family! And you can bet it'll stay this way for yeeears to come -- THAT, I can guarantee you! With the price of cable (TV) services skyrocketing, what the heck are we supposed to do in our spare time then?!

Reader's Digest has certainly come a long way since I've first known about it 25 years ago. Back then, it was all about the monthly publication on paper. Now, with the existence and utilization of the internet, RD has further advanced its leap forward into the future as a formidable player not only in the publishing world...but also online!

As a gesture of goodwill, Reader's Digest has made a very generous offer of, let's just say, helping you folks liven up your personal web space or blog a little. At rd.com/widgets, you can gain access to some seriously cool, free widgets and nifty downloads -- killer stuff you simply CANNOT afford to pass up like Word Power, Daily Laughs, Prop My Photo and of course, a cool Toolbar -- all courtesy of readersdigest.com!

Go ahead, knock yourself out!!

Final Sawdown

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:37:00 +0000

Could it be that we're finally going to see the end of Jigsaw's puzzles of death? Saw V is slated as the fifth and could perhaps be the final sequel to the notorious Saw movies! As the tagline of the film goes, "you won't believe how it ends", then, that suggests that the seemingly impossible-to-be-killed-though-he's-just-an-ordinary-human-being Jigsaw, would finally be toast...right?

And I mean reeeally be toast this time around!!

Hmmm, somehow I find it all hard to believe. For all it's worth, there could be a Saw 6 next year!

Then again, if it's truly, madly, deeply the end of the Saw movies...well then, you're not going to hear me complaining! I've just about had enough of Mr. Jigsaw anyway.

Imagine hundreds of America's finest, hunting one old man (who's got no superhuman abilities whatsoever -- can't fly, can't bend steel, can't see through walls -- and yup, he's the geezer pictured above left!), and he's still able to elude them very easily from one movie episode to another -- now, I find all that really annoying.

It'd be a different story however, if the bad guy was (physically) a total freak of nature -- a real monster like...Jason!!

...but it had to be all about an old man with a nasty hobby! Pffft!!

Some stills of the movie:

A very BAD place for a pretty chick to be in!

Let me guess, if you can't figure out how to get away from this trap, you're going to end up having a square head? ...no?

Looks like a miniature model of a building of some sort.

Wonder what the trailer is like though.

Man, they could've used other songs instead of the church hymn to go with the preview! But otherwise, it is kind of a cool trailer anyway, don't you think? The film could be good. That is, as long as the movie keeps its word in ending the whole Jigsaw business once and for all!
Out soon sometime this October!

Great Stunt Shows

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:12:00 +0000

My folks are just sooo into TNA wrestling (also WWE Raw, Smackdown etc.), and as a matter of fact, they're watching it on TV right now! I wouldn't exactly call TNA an action-packed drama series, but, that's what it really is...everybody agrees? Those big guys there (the...wrestlers) are flexing their muscles, showing off all their flashy moves and kicking each others' butt$ in a terrific display of over-the-top violence -- all in the name of entertainment! And since it's entertainment, then the whole thing (ahem!) isn't exactly...real, yes?

Sting -- a very familiar character in TNA

Everything about the show are just very-detailed, choreographed fights that would sometimes (inevitably) involve accidents resulting in injuries such as broken bones, cuts and bruises...hence, the bloody faces (not going to show them here though)! Oh, and not forgetting the soap opera-like drama involved -- trash talking and whatnot among the wrestlers -- usually and supposedly behind the scenes footage.

Christy Hemme posing. Hehe, the reason why some guys watch TNA -- the Divas!!

I know a lot of wrestling shows fans would strongly disagree. It's just that, I can't shake off the image in my mind that after those guys there have done all the verbal and physical abuse they could inflict on each other on a certain 'match', they'd hang out like old buddies and have a couple of beers at their favorite bar later on or something -- as if they were never enemies. At least that's what a friend of mine (from the States) said before!

The monster Abyss! Notice that scary pokie?!

Well then, I guess, wrestlers are just stuntmen/women after all -- and probably the greatest on Earth at that -- having to beat each other up every weekend just to entertain viewers! So, kudos to them for injuring themselves for our entertainment's sake...kind of.

Anyway, here's a footage of Kurt Angle in a not-so-violent (sport) situation.

Hmmm, and such a nice person he seems to be too!

Miracle?

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:44:00 +0000

I believe that a lot of folks were keen on watching The Miracle at St. Anna prior to its release. But upon its release however, most viewers (in the US, presumably) gave a somewhat so-so only rating to the film, according to the IMDB. While critics only gave it a rating of C at Yahoo! movies, the users (viewers) were gracious enough in giving it a solid B!

Not too bad, I'd say.

Frankly, I haven't watched the film as of yet. As a matter of fact, I don't think it has already been released in Malaysia (don't even know if it ever will be). Anyhow, we'll just wait and see if the movie makes it to this country -- a few weeks from now, perhaps?

Okay, so the flick was able to at least attract a fair number of viewers in the country of its origin on its premiere -- not surprising. However, back in the country where the story in the film was supposed to have mostly taken place (ITALY), the reception is somewhat...hostile! It seems that former members of the Italian Resistance are outraged by a small 'twist' in the movie that they claim as *untrue!

...just a small error in the storyline actually, but big enough for them to go BALLISTIC over (the accuracy of) the film!

Spike! It would be a miracle if you knew what really happened at St. Anna!!

OOPS!!

Uh, so...between the Italian Resistance folks and film director Spike Lee/writer James McBride, whose version of the story is true then?

OURS is the TRUE version of the story! We're all marching to prove it!!

NO...! MINE is the true version!!

...ah, but then, James McBride does (ahem!) admit (as in*untrue above) his story (in the film) is 'a work of fiction' after all, even though most of it are based on actual accounts...

Well then, I guess that should just about settle all that matter!

Rrright...! Now, as I've I said earlier, I haven't watched the movie yet, and I have no idea what it's like. But here's a small sample of it (for those who haven't seen it yet anyway -- like yours truly).

Okay...kind of nice trailer, don't you think? Maybe folks should focus more on enjoying watching the movie itself, instead of worrying too much about the accuracy of the story behind it...?

Where You Get To Play The Hero!

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:19:00 +0000

WARNING, VIOLENCE AHEAD!!

Um, no, what you folks have just witnessed isn't a trailer of an upcoming movie. Rather, it's a preview of a highly anticipated game slated for release sometime this month (for North America) or later this year for other countries in the world. Good quality trailer, don't you think? All courtesy of Bethesda Softworks! For those who know and have been waiting for this game to come out, then rejoice! Most of you are just a few weeks away from snagging a copy. But those who aren't familiar with the whole thing, well then, I suppose it's time you guys get acquainted with the hobby (kind of more like the passion -- or crazier yet, the obsession!) of computer GAMING! That's it, your life has just begun!

The release of Fallout 3 has long been anticipated by gamers alike (yours truly included), all over the world. Finally, after waiting for almost ten years (yup, that long!), it'll be hitting the stores soon. And I expect a flood of gamers and fans alike to storm the shops and wipe the shelves completely clean of this game! That being said, I hope everybody not just merely enjoy playing the game, but more than that -- appreciate all the effort of those involved in creating this beautiful work of art as well! It's been a tough tour of duty for those guys, you know.

Real in-game still of a bad@$$ dude (one of the BOS fighters, actually) firing off a minigun!

The process of making this game wasn't all an easy stroll in the park, as many would most probably think it was. Aside from the complications faced due to the changing of (game) developers in charge of its production, this third sequel to the famous Fallout series has met a setback in the form of an ugly controversy as well, while in the final stages of its development. But thank goodness everything's been worked out leaving everyone satisfied and all, that pretty much the only thing we have to do now is wait for Fallout 3 to appear on the shelves of our local game stores!

For more info, go to the official site of the game.

...and yeah, this is strictly adults-only material!

So kids, stay AWAAAY from it!!

Home Alone Hari

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:43:00 +0000

As much as some people simply don't get it, others are just sooo into Bollywood movies. Period! I'm not one to judge whether to love or not to love Bollywood films, but one thing I can say about them is that sometimes they can reeeally turn heads! You'd see this flashy title and even flashier poster of a Bollymovie, but then when you watch it, you're suddenly going to find yourself drawn awaaay from what the title of the movie suggests what it's all about in the first place.

One such title (which was released just recently -- in India) is HARI PUTTAR!

Hari the hero of the movie -- very dramatic pose!

Hmmm, sounds faimiliar doesn't it? But no, I'm not talking about the boy wizard at Hogwarts, albeit the story is pretty much about a couple of kind of whiz kids as well. Remember the cute Home Alone movie(s) featuring Mac Culkin back in the early 90's? Ahem! It's sort of like watching that...in Hindi. A rip-off?

Hari and lil' sis

W-e-e-ell, whether the film is good or otherwise, one thing for certain, Bollywood afficionados will most definitely dig it! Ah, I suspect it's probably because of the charm of the musical presentations prevalent in almost all Bollywood movies. You know -- a scene of a very looong stretch of land where every inch of it is filled with flowers of all kinds and colors, seemingly extending pretty much as far as the eyes can see. The sound of Hindustani music (sometimes Carnatic style -- depending on the language of the movie -- whether it's Hindi, Tamil or perhaps something else) fills the air, when SUDDENLY, the actors and actresses come out singing and dancing under the coconut tree! One minute they're wearing these bright, traditional Indian costumes, then the next...well, just use your wildest imaginations to picture the next scene!

Hari and HOT Mom!

And talk about Hari Puttar embarrasing the giant Warner Bros. in the latter's lawsuit against the film! I guess that makes it kind of a homerun for HP! Then again, maybe the Indian moviemakers should have thought of a different name for the flick to avoid any controversy in the first place, eh? Anyhow, this lawsuit incident also somehow hyped the movie so, that it's most definitely going to stir up a great INTEREST among moviegoers, especially those who are not familiar with all this Bollywood stuff to, perhaps, watch it? ...out of curiosity of course!

Wonder how the trailer looks like?

No question about it -- typical Bollywood movie!

ValCruisey

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:13:00 +0000

Here's another flick that's got a lot of people talking about it. Valkyrie! I mean, who wouldn't, right? Aside from brandishing a cool title (the name given to the op to assassinate Hitler, actually), the production of the movie itself has taken a lot of beatings in the form of controversies etc., which, inadvertently hyped it even more!

A lot of big names in the movie biz are making the film sizzle at the very mention of it, but the one name that by far has been associated with it the most, is none other than Tom Cruise (yaaay!) himself. Donning a cool eye-patch and playing the very dramatic role of Col. Claus Von Stauffenberg, I'd say Cruise couldn't have done a better job in adding more credits/recognitions to his already very-impressive resume!

But, alas! Had only the plot to assassinate the Fuhrer a success (in real life), the movie would've most definitely treated us with a very nice ending...(sigh). Still, I believe that Cruise and his team will more than just do a damn good job in providing the most dramatic and moving ending for this film, even if it means watching them all die for treason! Yup, treason for a very good cause for mankind, that is.

All the dead men...

Well, there's not much left to say about this film anymore (I'm sure as hell everyone KNOWS anything and everything that goes on with this very high-profile movie!), except that I hope it rocks exactly the way it's supposed to. But if ever it doesn't, I'd still watch it anyway! Just how many Tom Cruise movies do you think that's been a (total) disappointment? Yeah, yeah, there's probably one or two. But that's strictly confined to the films themselves, not Cruise's performance! It's simply undeniable that he's one heck of an awesome actor.
And...(ahem!) so are all the others in this movie too, by the way-- Christian Berkel, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin McNally and the rest...

A couple more stills.

Tomorrow, I kill the Fuhrer

"Es lebe unser heiliges Deutschland!"

trailer!

Wouldn't it be good if Steven Spielberg was the one who directed this film though?

W...?

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:50:00 +0000

Aaah! The time's finally come for President George Bush Junior himself to be immortalized in arts and literature (while still in active duty at that) -- Hollywood style!! And I'm pret-ty sure the film W. will leave a somewhat lasting impression on the viewers -- depending on who's watching it, and what they look for in it, that is.

Those who are staunch supporters of the president will undoubtedly...actually, I don't even dare say what they're going to think about the film! Whereas those who are not in favor of the man, well, you know what to expect.

Then, there are those viewers (kind of, like yours truly) who are just curious about the...choice of actor taking on the part of Mr. Bush.

Josh Brolin?

I fail to see any resemblance between those two, especially in terms of looks and how they sound like!

Uh, one of the movie stills...

Ahem!...maybe Brolin does kind of look like W. from this angle...

HOLY...!!! You really scared me there bro'...lin!

Okay, okay (a deep breath now!)...on to the movie clip.

Hehe, notice Dreyfuss 'Cheney' in the trailer? He's still in an amazingly good shape after all these years. Serious kudos to the guy!! Back to the main subject, Brolin obviously is trying hard to sound and act exactly like the prez, but, hmmm............

Right then, I take it that this is definitely a comedy movie! It, however, depends on who thinks it's funny though. For me, I'd have to say I don't like the concept of the film! The whole thing is kind of like, mocking a president who's still in office...no? With all that power he's wielding, seriously, is making fun of him a wise thing to do? Karma will find a way to really bite you back in the butt, for all we know.

Outta Da Closet!!

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:41:00 +0000

Well folks, there you have it. Not only has Clay Aiken (material taken from another blog -- cheap, I know) admitted he's gay, but Lindsay Lohan seems to have finally decided to let the world know about her little (albeit not that much of a secret) um, secret with Sam Ronson as well! No, no, I'm not in any way trying to condemn these individuals for being who they are, and nor am I saying to everyone, "Hey, a big trend is starting, let's all join the party and be gaaay!!" either.

Why does Lindsay choose a girl who looks like a boy? Might as well get a real boy instead of just a wannabe male...okay, okay -- it's her life after all, not ours!

'tis a free, modern world we live in after all, for crying out LOUD! People can and will pretty much do anything they please, or be whatever it is they want to be. So long as they don't bother everybody else, things should be cool. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that there is absolutely nothing at all to be concerned about when they're gay...

Like father like son...or, maybe we'll just wait and see 18 years from now!

...say for instance, would it sound right to you folks if Clay Aiken were to teach his son to be homosexual, just like him? What if someday junior (instead of being proud of Daddy) were to be the one who'd condemn his father for being the person he is, etc.?!
Hmmm...!

It's a free country/world alright, but not exactly free from complications! So it's best that we be careful of our choices in life.

Good night, folks!

No Captain Jack Sparrow!

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:08:00 +0000

This is for REAL -- pirates terrorizing the Gulf of Aden and eastern Somalian waters -- all happening on present-day Earth!! If you folks have been keeping abreast with Yahoo! News, you might have read this report today (Sept. 22) regarding these nefarious, booty hunters. One thing I really don't get is, how the heck are the pirates able to elude the constant sea patrols led by the US (navy?)? Are these guys really that...invisible? Perhaps they're casting some sort of pirate 'blinding spells' on the patrol ships so that they (the pirates) remain hidden all the time from the sea patrolers...hmmm.

Picture of real Somalian waters pirates. And, oh yeah, they do have rocket propelled grenade launchers. The b@st@rds!!

Naaah! I suspect that since the eastern coast of Somalia is a very wide open body of water, it probably makes the work of the sea patrols that much harder in providing cover for every single merchant ships out there. Or could it be that the sea patrols simply aren't fully committed to their tasks (ooops!)? Why not just monitor the maritime activities on the area mentioned via satelite, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or helicopters, if guarding the sea by boats and ships is just way too complicated to do, right?

If indeed they're doing all of the above and still, nothing works, then why not instead, just issue an order (no longer a request) for the merchant ships themselves to be fully armed with the complete package of pirates countermeasures, like, oh just some mean 50 cal. machine-guns? (see picture below)

That too much to ask?

Think how the merchant ships crews would be better defended if 1 or 2 of this thing are installed on the ships

But it just makes perfect sense, right? Since those sea patrolers can't do their job properly, then they should just let the crews of the merchant ships gear themselves up with weapons that Rambo himself would normally use, for crying out loud! These poor guys aren't even allowed to carry the teeny-weeny, smaller-rounds handguns?

There was a documentary regarding merchant ships on the National Geographic Channel a while back, and if I recall correctly, these featured ships weren't (and I believe still aren't) allowed to be armed with lethal defenses. Pretty much the only thing that comes close to a weapon they have is the (jet) water hose! Imagine using just that to ridiculously fight off pirates who are armed to the teeth with assault rifles, automatic machine-guns and RPGs?!? They (the merchant ships) don't stand a friggin' chance!!

The pirates are winning -- this is NOT good, folks.

One Mad Cop

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:44:00 +0000

Ah, it would've made full sense if this was a story of a police officer fighting a war against armed robbers wreaking havoc in a crime-ridden neighborhood. Instead, it's all about a disgruntled cop fighting to drive a newlywed couple away from his peaceful neighborhood. All because of what? They're (tadaa) interracial! Coffee and milk in a cup ya'll, shaken violently by a maniacal five o.

What a dumb movie this is going to be.

WAAAITAMINUTE!!!!

If the uber Sammy Jackson was sane enough to sign up for this flick, then it must be something worth our seven bucks, right? I'd really like to think of it that way, as Jackson is kind of one of them actors to look out for. Whenever he's in a film, that movie's bound to be awesome.
Agree?

Then again, the legendary Tom Cruise was in Lions For Lambs (2007), and although I thought he was cool portraying his role there, the movie as a whole was considered a disappointment! And...I'm implying that the same will go for Lakeview Terrace?

Hmmm, don't listen to me though. It's just my stupid opinion talking.

Damn right you're bein' stupid. Whatever movie I'm in, it's gonna be great, ya wet-nosed punk!

Yet, more stills:

Ohhh! So that's why Sam's all upset about the new neighbors -- the girl's cute...and so unavailable!! Poor, envious old man...!

Well, I ain't goin' down without a fight. They ain't gonna have it easy, not on my watch! I be givin' them hell tonight!!

Trailer:

I've got to hand it to Jackson, he's a mighty fine actor, as well as one mean SOB worth clobbering (in this flick)! I think the movie's out already in its country of origin. Don't know when it's going to be released on this island though.

Tribute!

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:16:00 +0000

...or an attempt at criticizing (hmmm...) Michael Moore on a grand scale? I kind of believe it's the latter. I take it that not everyone is charmed by Moore's antics, feats etc. I've read his book Dude, Where's My Country and browsed a few others (as well as seen a couple of his films), aaand...I'm pretty sure he was just expressing concern over his...country, albeit showing it in a nasty sort of way! But I bet he was also expecting that one day somebody would actually make a movie of him?

Dooode! Where's your sense o' humor?!

Anyhow, regardless of what An American Carol is intended for, I hope all of us who are going to watch it will keep an open mind, and treat the movie as nothing more than just another comedy flick to laugh our butts off at.

Some more movie stills...

I expected Michael Mo..., I mean, 'Malone' to be a little bit taller than George Washington

General, um...'Frasier' Patton! And the gang...

Malone and some Talib folks

...and not forgetting the all important trailer!

Hilarious, I'd say! To be shown (supposedly) sometime in October this year. Watch out for it!

More Zombie Movies, Please!

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:35:00 +0000

...not that I'm a fan of such genre, it's just that, I find it very interesting the many times that people's predictions on how the story for this kind of film will start, and how it's going to go all the way down to the end, are always sort of...accurate -- especially the ending part!
No?

It's like, once you've seen a zombie movie, you've just about seen them all! Sounds a little harsh (biased), I know. But hasn't that always been the case? I mean, picture this scene:

'An outbreak of an unknown disease that spreads throughout the area, infecting all living beings and turning them into (surprise!) zombies. These zombies in turn, prey on those who are still healthy and turning them yet into MORE zombies! The group of survivors [with your hero (yay!) among them] have to brave the odds of escaping the horror, fighting for their lives by any means possible, which in the end, the survivors are sadly reduced to only 2 or 1 (or even NONE at all) left!'...kind of.
Stereotype zombie movie storyline, huh? So predictable!

I had 28 Weeks Later (2007), and the more famous I Am Legend (also 2007) etc., etc., etc...(too many similar titles, as a matter of fact) in mind when writing this...

Anyhow, our featured movie Quarantine is actually a remake (sort of, the Hollywood version is more like it) of the Spanish REC (2007).

Some stills of Quarantine...

What could be worse than having to go into a fiery inferno for this unlucky firedude? Hmmm, how about being used as a human shield by an old lady against the incoming attack of the zombies??

OMG!! The zombie's not wearing anything under his pants!!!!

Arrrgh!! This zombie kid is biting my neck!! I thought only vampires are supposed to do this!! HELLLP!!!!

Vicious!

Question is, how will it fare against the Spanish version? Hmmm (scratching head)... Haven't even seen REC as of yet, I have to admit. I suppose I'm going to have to look for it on video/DVD, one of these days!

Getting back to Quarantine -- should you watch it? I'd say, yes! Why? Well, it is after all, yet another addition (wouldn't know if it's a great one, however) to the looong line of zombie movies the world has to offer. And I don't suppose you have anything else better to do in your spare time either? Then, go enrich yourself with zombie art (in this case, film)!

The preview:

...then again, to liken this flick to Blair Witch Project (1999) and tsk, tsk!...Cloverfield (2008) would actually be more, sort of, on track. All because of the 'footage of the horror all captured on the victims' video camera' phenomenon -- duh!

To conclude, it is a fact that folks can never have enough of these types of movies, agree? That's why filmmakers keep on making them!

Charm Of The Japanese Popular Culture

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:58:00 +0000

...which, in this case, I'm referring specifically to anime. I knew sooner or later that term would somehow manage to creep into my blog and present itself as a, um, legit post (happening as of right now). Yup, it's that annoying, waste-of-time rage that most older folks (outside of Japan, that is) just don't get why their kids -- heck, even grownups (and a LOT of them), are so into such stuff. Well, what can I say? Love it or hate it, anime is undoubtedly a very popular export of the Japanese people to the world, which (the world) seemingly just can't get enough of.

Okay, okay, I admit (obvious, isn't it?) that I am somewhat an avid anime fan myself. Albeit not particularly that hardcore -- unlike a lot of otakus out there who are constantly going to conventions and engaging in...cosplay??

Hmmm, (ahem!) not me.

Our Vegeta friend here appears to be deep in thought. That hairstyle -- thank goodness it'll only last until after the convention ends!

Rrright...!

Let's forget about conventions and cosplays for now, and simply focus on one of the most awesome animes the world has ever seen (for most of you who probably don't know or haven't watched it anyway) -- Howl's Moving Castle (Hauru/Hawaru No Ugoku Shiro).

Click for larger view -- this thing's big!

Okay, basically the anime (film -- almost 2 hours long) is based on a book of the same title by British writer Diana Wynne Jones, that was first published in 1986. The story is about a young woman, Sophie Hatter, who is turned into 'an old crone' by the Witch Of The Waste. Sophie then ventures off into the world in search of the means of turning back into her former self. This adventurous journey eventually leads her to Wizard Howl and his magical, moving castle!

Sophie Hatter -- without the hat, and playing with a...ball of fire (Calcifer)!

Sounds childish, I know. But wait till you see the film! I can't guarantee it'll make you feel like you're watching a box-office hit however, but for an anime movie that was actually nominated for an academy award (yup! You heard me right) and popular among film critics and moviegoers, this one should NOT be, under any circumstances, deliberately overlooked or ignored...especially by movie fans alike!

Witch Of The Waste -- what? No cleavage?? But, I doubt that she'll ever look beautiful even if she was showing it.

Honestly, I haven't read the book, but I've seen the film on DVD. All I can say about my experience in viewing it is, no matter how many times I watch it, it never gets old! (sorry Sophie, no pun intended though!)

Trailer!

One thing you'd notice when watching the film is that, the presentation of vibrant colors is just absolutely stunning -- truly pleasing to the eyes, I'd say. Oh, and the good-looking, blond guy in the trailer -- that's the mysterious Wizard Howl (bleached his hair, actually)!

I guess that sums just about all for tonight folks. Go get a copy of the movie at your nearest video store. But first, check the film out at IMDB!

Gimme A...Noni!

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:35:00 +0000

I was looking at some of the fish that were sold at the local market early this morning, and I happened to notice this very big crab just sitting and waiting for somebody to come and buy it...

The fella kinda looked like this

A tap on my shoulder and I nearly jumped in surprise to see our church pastor smiling.

"And what did we learn about crabs and prawns in sabbath school?"

I was like, "Hehe, just looking around. That's all."

"I'm sure you'd keep away from those." He said and smiled a bigger one.

The guy then suddenly took out a...noni (NOT the vulgar Jamaican word for you know what!) from his plastic bag.

People say it's some sort of traditional cure that's good for a lot of ailments! Hmmm...

"Heard both your dogs been poisoned by someone?"

Ah, yes. Brownie and Bulangak -- two mongrels that we keep as guard dogs. Just your average kampung dogs that never did become smart no matter how hard we trained them. They ventured foolishly into one of our rather 'unscrupulous' neighbors' property the other day and when they got back home, they showed signs of having eaten something poisonous -- perhaps courtesy of the neighbor. The dogs are sick as hell right now. But I suppose saying 'I told you so' wouldn't mean anything to them!
Still, I love those mangy, four-legged fleabags no matter how stupid they are. (sigh...)

"Give them some of these (the pastor handing me a couple of the noni for closer inspection). Just boil them in hot water, sort of like cooking soup. Wait for it to cool down, then give to the dogs to drink. Perhaps a miracle will happen?"
Hmmm, he had to say the m word.Ah, the preacher man's got lots of ways to make sure you keep your spirituality intact!

I thanked him before he wandered deeper into the pasar. W-e-e-ell!...I'm most definitely hoping I could save my dogs with the (Ahem!) noni (somehow I just don't feel comfortable saying the name).

Wish me luck!

KayAffSee

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:10:00 +0000

OMG! It's a v-e-e-e-ry risky thing for KFC to actually be doing this -- transferring their secret recipe from their headquarters to an undisclosed temporary safe-house (they had better store it in a fallout bunker or something!), all because the hq is undergoing makeover -- which is good for them, I'd have to agree -- especially on the part of 'upgrading security' for the hq building. However, it also means that the bigwigs at KFC would have to rely heavily on hired (albeit highly trained) professionals to babysit the preciousss recipe from any threat whatsoever!

ARGH!! I tell you, there's a lot of sick people out there (with a vengeance), just waiting for the window of opportunity to open for them to either steal the recipe, or utterly destroy it!!
Imagine a national treasure GONE...forever!!!!

The Holy Grail of chicken recipes!

I hope and pray the team of professionals mandated for the job of protecting the secret recipe would be able to carry out their mission well, and without any undesired situation befalling them. To all those out there who are hell-bent on the destruction of KFC -- the competitions, and perhaps more importantly (ahem...!) PETA -- come ooon! Be a sport now and don't do anything stupid, okay folks?

Mhmmm...

Pleeease...you simply cannot expect, much more, FORCE people to consume just fruits and vegetables all throughout their lives! Just as you have the rights to express yourselves...

PETA (HK chapter?) in action. Maybe in Hong Kong you girls can get away with it. Try doing the same thing in, say, Saudi Arabia. Sweetness!

...then leave us 'meat eaters/lovers' be to enjoy our meals too.

Hua Pi

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:43:00 +0000

...or in good ol' English -- Painted Skin. And yes, it's a Mandarin movie title. But no, it's not about body painting. It's a film that's based on one of the scariest ghost stories (by Chinese standards, that is) from the famous classic (yup! It's old!) supernatural-themed short stories collection -- Strange Stories of Liaozhai (see book cover, below) by Pu Song Ling (1640-1715), a renowned writer of the Qing Dynasty.

Looks kind of...cursed, isn't it? Like, when you open it up, you'll let loose tons of bad luck into the world!

...and, WACHAAAAAAAA!!!!!! Extreme Kung Fu fighting, as well!!

One of the movie stills...Naruto fans should really dig this!

Painted Skin is an action-thriller flick (like you didn't see that coming) that's infused with heavy doses of classic Chinese supernatural elements/creatures such as the likes of vixen (you know, fox!) spirits (hehe! This type of movie wouldn't be complete without these lovely ghost gals!) and a bunch of other demons; as well as your typical classic Chinese human characters, like the always present...scholars (boo!), court officials (yawn!), Taoist exorcists (ah, these guys are cool!), and don't forget the (flying Jet Li-ish) swordsmen, etc. -- all the usual stuff (and more!) that you'd expect to see in this genre!

Vicky Zhao just waiting to tear you to pieces!

Centered on a 'vampire-like woman who eats the skins and hearts of her lovers' (they say, and of course...yikes! to that), the film is catered specially for those who are into such story where tons of martial-arts actions, loads of supernatural elements, a little bit (...okay, maybe A LOT) of romance and a small touch (...okay, maybe also A LOT) of drama, are all combined into one big ball of fire, that's sure to more than light the enthusiasm of the average Asian moviegoer up! Albeit this flick might prove to be a little too ridiculous for American and European viewers' taste. But hey, if you guys can accept LOTR that easily, then (this similar) Hua Pi movie may not be too much to swallow.

Mmm...an Asian charm that's not to be missed. The guys in the background can take a hike though.

How daaangerously cute!

Girl ninja under the full moon -- dramatic pose!

Oh right, Donnie Yen -- the hero in the movie. His fighting technique is better than Jet Li's, I'd say.

All Mandarin trailer:

But, Ah!...this movie might never make it to US and European theaters! Thank goodness for the DVDs (videos) though, yes? Check it out on video a couple of months from now!

A Journey Towards The Coast

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:59:00 +0000

...via a long and dangerous trek on The Road -- to get to hope! Only to be re-united with whatever it was they were running away from in the first place, and other...surprises. Wow! Truly an accomplishment. Anyway, the story's a bit complicated to explain, so, READ the novel yourself (I did...and threw it away! I still have nightmares about certain scenes in the book, which could pretty much happen in real life if we're not careful)! Otherwise, it's a very dramatic tale of survival (albeit fictitious and let's hope it STAYS that way), as well as it opened my eyes to stuff -- made me truly appreciate whatever short time that we humans may have left in the world to enjoy life before that 'apocalyptic' event takes place someday. Most certainly hoping we'll never come to that though!
...but still, ARGHH!! The idea of not being able to avoid such cataclysm!

Okay, back to the movie. Hmmm, I would've wanted Viggo Mortensen to somehow reprise his flashy, heroic roles such as in LOTR and Hidalgo, instead of him playing a character who dies a pathetic death at the end of the film. Ah! What he'd do to avoid being typecasted. Or, could it be that he's simply desperate for a job?

And what's up with a great name like Charlize Theron playing the dead wife? Man, she could've and should've picked a better role! Desperate for a job too?? Tsk, tsk...!

Of course, no matter how Theron 'displays' herself in the movies, she'll look awesome...in ANY way!

Or maybe she's/they're all doing it simply because of Cormac McCarthy (the famous writer, as if you didn't know) -- like they're big fans of his or something? Hmmm...that may not entirely be untrue.

Anyhow, I wasn't able to find any trailers of the film as of yet. Such a shame, I know. My apologies! But here's a few (other) cool movie stills of The Road!

I think this is the best looking still of the movie by far. Kodi's pose is just full of drama!

One of the dangerous characters that should be avoided in the film.

The desperation on their faces...

We're gonna make it, Dad'O!!

...sadly, he (the father) doesn't.

The book made it pretty clear just how dramatic and tragic the 'Father's' death is. Did a good job at it too, I'd say. Don't know how it'll be in the film though. We'll see. But man, Viggo dead? Not even the least surprising, just...disappointing.

Needless to say, that there is definitely a serious lesson to be learned from the story. If anything, that would be: people should never mess with nuclear bombs or any other equally deadly devices lest we end up living (or rather, dying) in a world exactly like the one depicted in the book...

Film considered as still in production, but watch out for its release sometime this coming November!

P.S. -- All this gibber is about a film based on a novel, by the way (for those of you who don't quite get what you've just read in this post!).

And I Thought This Was A Boring Country...

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:15:00 +0000

...which, Malaysia (yay!), turned out to be just quite the opposite, all along. If you folks have been reading Yahoo news recently, you just might've noticed the story about the guy in KL who apparently had a NUT (I can only imagine how he managed to do such...feat) stuck around his...schlong. He's a welder (that figures!), so, he probably thought his little pencil would fit snugly into it. Smart move! The rest of the story here...

Boohoohoo....!!!! Didn't know it wuz gonna hurt that bad!!

Not Doing It For M$ney

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:31:00 +0000

I found this in Yahoo's Movie Disasters: Historic Box Office Bombs, a couple of minutes ago. An awesomely, dramatic (2005) movie poster, wouldn't you agree? Two big names in it -- Tom Sizemore and Katherine Heigl -- and of course there's that...Grillo guy. In case you're wondering, yup! It's an indie movie we're talking about here. Another genre that I'm not exactly into, but it should be an interesting one...eh?

Pronounced "Zizix".

Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but independent films are supposed to...not make any money? This one certainly didn't -- only peanuts. Seriously folks, with a budget of a decent US $2 million, the movie managed to gross only $30 (THIRTY) Dollars!

Well...! I know I shouldn't be bad-mouthing it just because it made a revenue of only a meager 30 bucks but, COME ON! It's just like putting $2m into a suitcase, dousing it with gasoline and BURNING it!! All for what, may I ask? Just to prove that you're a filthy-rich movie maker who could afford to lose that amount and simply laugh about it or something??

Then again, the film was initially slated for release on DVD. The producer screened it in a theater due to the requirement of the Screen Actors Guild, prior to selling it on videos. Who knows, it may have fared better in DVD sales, right? Look the title up in video stores, people! Like I said before, it should be interesting.

But it wouldn't be complete without the trailer now, would it?

Katherine's cute...in her underwears. This should be called an 'undies' (instead of indie) movie...agree? Joking.

(Se)X - Files

noreply@blogger.com (Rush) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:39:00 +0000

Take a long, good look at this face and tell me he's actually a sex-addict! Really? Goofy, innocent and totally a father figure -- he appears to be. He doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to the kind of man who'd jump from one girl to another in a matter of hours or even minutes... Then again, we should know better than to 'judge a book by its cover', right? Nice-looking or not, it's the personality that really counts!

Okay, Duchovny's a sex-maniac, so what? Everybody's got problems people. It's not just us gutter-class who are heavy-laden with complications in our lives. The stars themselves fall hard to the ground head-on quite a lot. And 'Mulder' himself is no exception! He is after all, like the rest of us -- just an ordinary human being. The only reason why the media is making a big deal out of Duchovny's weakness is, because he's a celebrity. Imagine all that frenzy if he wasn't one -- there'd be none!

Anyhow, it's not like I'm trying to defend David for being the Don Juan he is or anything. Truth of the matter is however, being a sex-addict isn't such a cool thing (unless of course, you're addicted to only one woman -- for sex). There's no need to explain far and wide why it is indeed, a problem. I mean, just take a look at what Duchovny himself did about it -- he checked into rehab!

All that said and done so...good night everyone! Sweet dreams!

Remember folks, we're no angels ourselves.