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Oof! I haven't been blogging for a week now. Nothing much happened. Saw some movies. Played lots of basketball.

I did spend one whole day shopping (shop! shop! 血拼!) with Fish and Nico and i didn't know that aimless ambling around in a shopping mall can take up so much time! I finally acquired a pair of decent jeans (with no holes in them). The cutting is somewhat strange and baggy but am happy enough.

My fantastic white shirt (with bone/mother-of-pearl buttons) remains elusive. Bah! I poked my head into shops and boutiques, scanning around for some tell-tale sign of a fantastic white shirt but none caught my eye, so my search continues!

I did, however, purchase an orange-and-black pair of sports shorts to wear to play basketball but alas it turned out to be too tight for me. Damn. Should always always try them on. Thank god for the return policy. Returned and exchanged it for an orange-and-blue pair. Orange-and-blue was goddamn contrasting but though horrible, they were no match for the other two colours: brown (most unflattering brown colour, just imagine those buncho poster-colour brown) and orange, or sugarcane green and yellow. Nasty!

Also purchased were two pairs of socks, as mine were getting worn out and have lost their elasticity. And that was all i bought after a day's outing. Disastrous, really.

***
I watched two movies. Wanted and Get Smart.

Wanted is really cool if you enjoy super-stylish and nail-biting action scenes with inexplicably impossible stunts. The Angelina sports-car scene was just damn cool. However if you are, like me, skeptical and inquisitive, you will be wrinkling your brows throughout the movie, thinking thinking thinking with disbelief. I mean, how! and how! can a person snipe another in such a manner from such a distance, with the bullet zipping between train carriages and donut holes? It's like shooting someone in 1U from my house. And the curved shots. I believe it is physically impossible to curve a gunshot using just a normal pistol. Incredible. Anyhow, Wanted was definitely worth the movie experience.

Get Smart = hilarious. Anne Hathaway was a brilliant candidate for Agent 99 as she really has this look as if she has had some work done to her face.

Streamyx

I friggin hate streamyx.

In addition to the shit ass tortoise-slow Internet connection they're offering, they have the tendency to crash on me. Internet was down the whole day today, which hampered my productivity. Productivity = downloading movies.

Spent quite some time with the annoyingly polite operators at TmNet who kept asking who my account owner was (sir?) and what my phone number was (sir?) for "reference" purposes. So each time i called i just spouted out my account username, my dad's name and my phone number, which seems weird, but it saved me a lot of time, and spit for the operators.

Turned out there was some problem with one of their "ports" and their technicians were resolving them efficiently so i asked them how long would it take to fix that problem and they said the maximum would be two working days (wtf!) depending on how "small" the problem was. Damn i should sue their incompetent asses off!

Anyway, i've finished downloading:

i) Run, Fat Boy, Run - But i haven't watched it yet.

ii) Vantage Point - I like the multiple point of views, but the repetitions were tedious.
iii) 21 - Sis had the DVD so i cancelled my download. 21 was fascinating. Man i've heard of card-counting but these people took it to a whole new level. aaaand, though i've never heard of her before, Kate Bosworth is one hot chick.

iv) Bee Movie - Bzzz. Found the bee-human interaction somewhat a buzz-kill. It's... bleargh.
v) 27 Dresses - Moderately entertaining at best. I never really liked romantic comedies.

Oh

Nothing beats the holidays.

Have downloaded quite a few movies during the week.

i) Bridget Jones's Diary - I used to have a VCD of this but i lent it to someone i couldn't remember and couldn't, obviously, get it back. Bridget Jones rocks. Tragic spinster. Chain-smoker. Wine-glugger. Overweight. Yes, she rocks.

ii) Drillbit Taylor - What kinda weirdo has the name "Drillbit"? Moderately entertaining. Bullying of three nerdy kids. Cruel. Hilarious. Predictable. We all know what happens to bullies, don't we?

iii) My Mom's New Boyfriend - I was looking for a little bit of amusement, and i saw this categorized under "Comedy" so i downloaded it. It turned out to be rather stupid. Minimally entertaining.

iv) The Onion Movie - This has got to be the most surprisingly movie! Released direct-to-video, it is indeed a hilarious combo of sketch and satire. Brilliant. Just brilliant. Try searching YouTube and you'll see some clips of it. Melissa Cherry and the Cock Puncher are fantastic.

v) Meet the Spartans - Ha! I've been wanting to see this. Meet the Spartans is one of those films that we watch knowing that it will be stupid so we can actually enjoy the parody. Downloaded version rocks, as it is definitely not worth it to see this in the cinema.

vi) CJ7 - One of the Chinese New Year films that i missed as i chose Kung Fu Dunk over this. I like the adorable little jello alien dog. <3

Downloaded movies aside, i did fork out some cash to see the following movies in the cinema:

vii) Superhero Movie - Stupidest movie ever. Watched it in Pavillion the other day. What i said about Meet the Spartans didn't apply here, cause i went in expecting a stupid movie but it turned out to be even worse than what i had expected. Urgh geeez. They were trying to force in some of the humour... and argh! Waste of my money.

viii) IncrediHulk - 1 word. Incredible. :D Edward Norton looks like some sorta mechanic in the poster. Anyway Hulk rocked. I like his dark green colour instead of that lime jell-o green he had in the previous Ang Lee's Hulk. And his height was decent enough, not big like a freakin building. I read that Hulk has some really hardcore insane super powers, able to jump across continents and so on but that's just ridiculous to put in a movie.

Currently downloading:
ix) Run, Fat Boy, Run
x) 21
xi) Vantage Point
xii) 27 Dresses (argh XD)

Punch

Watched Punch-Drunk Love in film studies on Monday.

It turned out to be a pretty entertaining movie. Adam Sandler's performance was unexpectedly brilliant. He plays this lonely, lonely guy Barry whose life is punctuated with fits of rage (Barry once destroyed a washroom, tearing off the cubicle doors and wrenching out the liquid soap dispensers). His conversation with the phone-sex chick was freakin' hilarious.

The only drawback in this movie was its fucking sound editing. They incorporated loads and loads of ridiculous noise within the movie. And i watched it on a day when i only had 30 mins of sleep the night before so i was tremendously irritated, so much so that i was gripping the little table of the Plenary Theatre seat, wanting to whack someone. Just watch it and u know what i mean. Fucking annoying.

Annoying noise aside, Punch-Drunk Love is worth watching. Just watch it on mute, perhaps? Subtitles!

Read!

Sonnuvabitch. I don't think i'll want to take another freakin mass-com/social science/arts subject again. So blaaarrdy annoying. It's all about... reading.

Reading.

And more reading.

Sure, i don't mind reading. But then, instead of reading standard get-to-the-point textbooks, we are supposed to learn stuff from these lengthy, fucked-up, bush-beating articles riddled with flowery language that requires several readings before one understands what they are really saying.

And, sometimes there isn't really a point anyway, coz "there are many interpretations" and "there is no right and wrong answer". Walao!! Really cannot stand these "no right and wrong answer" rubbish. Aggravating like hell.

Was reeling with shock earlier today during tutorials when the tutor started flinging words like "context", "semiotics" and "reality" across the room, and i came to the horrible realization that i hadn't read any of those articles.

So now i have an enormous pile of articles to read. Life is great, isn't it?

***
On a much brighter note, i downloaded the latest Disney movie, Enchanted. Enchanted is fun. Amy Adams is so totally insane. And i never realized that the cool laser-eye-Cyclop James Marsden is able to sing such... high pitched "Disney-prince-princess" duets.

Aaah~

Aaaah~

And the animals arrive to clean up the place. Ain't that fun.

Pip the chipmunk is adorable!
Pip's imitation of the evil old crone is hilarious! :D

Bond

Mwahaha. Have been watching lotsa movies. Just yesterday i rewatched the thrilling Casino Royale.

In my opinion, Eva Green should get rid of her make up. She looks much better without the whole gothic look she has got going on.

Gorgeous chick. :D

Not quite so hot.. :(

Have also watched the hilarious Hot Fuzz, which was brilliant.

Bee-wolf?

Hmm

The highly anticipated Beowulf turned out to be a freakin disappointment. I don't deny that it has a pretty cool graphics (Angelina Jolie!), but the storyline is a disaster. My friends and i came out of the cinema with our faces plastered with a wtf? sorta incredulity.

It started off with the grotesque creature Grendel dismembering people. Like why, why the fuck is it so fucking noisy la, dammit! Disgusting creature. Its mother is a bad one, dunno how to teach ur son, only know how to screw around with kings la! And why, why the fuck can't the voice actor of Grendel speak properly? I know you're a playing a creature, but heck, Gollum sounds even better. Brrr. Had to read the BM subtitles to understand its throaty whines.

Now. About the story. There are some unwrapped loose ends in the movie. Firstly, Queen Wealtheow refused to sleep with King Hrothgar (which is a wise decision, as he is a disgusting pervert) because she knew that Hrothgar has slept with 'her', who is probably Grendel's mum. So the king told her, but did he tell her that he fathered Grendel? And if he did, how did she manage to be so calm without losing her mind?

And about Grendel's sexy mum. So she seduces men with the prospect of being king (and also with her body). What's the point anyway? To conceive a child? If so, why bother making the guy king? The story did not tell us about the terms of conditions between Grendel's mum and Beowulf, like how much wealth he's gonna get, or under what conditions might he be harmed. And why the fuck would she want to send a dragon to kill people when she can easily do so herself, as proven when she murdered Beowulf's soldiers.

Sis said that Grendel's mum wants to mess with men by pitting their offspring against them (which is pure evil :D). If so, what the hell is up with the dragon horn thing, the whole charade about making Beowulf king as long as she has the dragon horn in her possession? I am assuming that she ditched the horn somewhere so that someone picks it up and gives it back to Beowulf so that their agreement is ended accidentally on purpose. What is the point la!! Want to be evil, just freakin send his child dragon (much much more impressive than Hrothgar's grendel. It's all about the genes i suppose) against him while keeping the horn.

So let's say Grendel's mum wants to mess with men by pitting their offspring against them, why did she ask Grendel not to kacau Hrothgar (telling him it's ok to hunt a few bears or deers but not Hrothgar) when he had the dragon horn? And why she kacaued Beowulf when he had the horn?? Perhaps it revenge on Beowulf for slaying her disgusting son. If so, then what about Hrothgar? What's his story? Argrrr. So many unresolved issues in the movie.

And what about the animosity between Unferth and Beowulf? I was expecting Unferth to be a sneaky little snake and backstabbing Beowulf, but no, they became pals. This is so not right! Especially when Unferth had the looks and potential of becoming a sneaky little snake.

Sucky storyline aside, Beowulf does have amazingly life-like characters, as seen in the pic above. Beowulf looks almost real. And his well-defined musculature is to die for, no? Minus the scars, that is. XD After watching the movie it can be concluded that: i) Temptation is dangerous! and ii) Screwing around and having illegitimate children is also dangerous.

Anyway i came across this poster of Beowulf. He looks much much younger like this, like some young hero in his twenties.

~~

My erupting wisdom teeth are getting on my nerves, literally. Everytime i eat something, i keep having this little spasms of pain at the back of my mouth which occasionally extends to my solar plexus. If that doesn't suck enough, each time i close my mouth i will end up biting my gums. During my last visit to the dentist he told me

"Wisdom teeth. Are they giving you any trouble? Any pain? No? Then just leave it. Come when they start giving you problems."

Now the problems are starting, god damn. Bout time i schedule another appointment.

***

Anyway last week was the most productive holiday ever! In terms of movies watched (11), that is. Back in my hometown i discovered this whole stash of DVDs in my cousin's room and i nabbed some home.

First. My only movie seen in a cinema.

Secret! 不能说的.秘密. Quite a good movie, for a first-time director. It has an array of beautiful piano scores, especially the ones during the piano-duel during which Jay Chou's character challenges the "Piano Prince". Secret is, as wingie said, one of the rare movies that actually show the characters' whole bodies (face and hands at least) while they are performing on the piano. No doubles here. V. cool.

Next up:

British black comedy Keeping Mum. Very British. Very dark. Very entertaining. Love Maggie Smith's performance as the murderous Grace Hawkins, with her calm and polite shall-we-have-a-cup-of-tea demeanour while she pummels her victims dead with shovels. Rowan Atkinsin losses his insane Mr. Bean antics and assumes a more sombre role of a clueless, humourless and sexually incontinent vicar.

Another entertaining one would be Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can, a film about Frank Abagnale Jr. Man, that guy is a real faker, and really good at it. He posed as a French teacher back in high school, then a co-pilot, a doctor, later an assistant prosecutor, forging cheques while he was at it and eventually stealing $4 million. An amazing feat, given the fact that he managed it before his 19th birthday. A cop-chasing-criminal movie but a good one.

Rewatched Disney Pixar's award-winning Monsters, Inc. It was fun watching the blue-purple haired Sulley scare the screams out of little children to power up the monster city, Monstropolis. Still worth watching after six years. :D

I also watched the 90% black and white Sin City, starring the sexxxy Jessica Alba. Jessica Alba. Jessica Alba. Jessica Alba. Jessica Alba. Jessica Alba. Jessica Alba. Apparently this is very film noir but i still don't get it. Sin City is somewhat gruesome (lots of blood and gore and severed heads) but Jessica Alba makes it worth the watch. Skinny little Nancy. Oh yeah. She filled out.

Next on my list was Anger Management starring Adam Sandler as the unfortunate man who got apprehended (and tasered) for allegedly "assaulting" a flight attendant and consequently sentenced to anger management sessions. Nicholson acts as his insane anger management therapist.

Hmm. What else?

The Bourne Identity. I've never seen it before, though i have read the book. Since Bourne Ultimatum is screening soon, i wanted to know the storyline. V. thrilling movie.


Here it is. The academy-award winning Crash. Ensemble-cast film about racism and social tension. The word 'fuck' was used like a 100 times in this show. Insightful movie depicting how unreasonable and stereotypical some people can be. Well, actually most of the characters in the movie are blatantly racist..

Iconico burnt Ocean's 11 for me. Featuring Danny Ocean and his 10 recruit's elaborate robbery of a high tech vault under 3 casinos in Las Vegas. I suppose such a plan would be abortive in real life since impeccable timing is needed. Hmm.

Finally, i watched the unconventionally titled Thank You For Smoking. Nick Naylor works at the Academy of Tobacco Studies whose purpose was to research "links" between smoking cigarettes and health. Nick's job was to inform the public of these "links" as well as to defend smoker's rights. Hell of a hate-drawing job, i must say. Nick is one of those circuitous people who can fend off hostile verbal confrontations and manipulate them in his favour. These are the dangerous people around.

***
Those are the movies i watched during my holidays. I still have more than a dozen more: Babel, Hot Fuzz, Fight Club, Brokeback Mountain, Bourne Supremacy, Bridge to Terabithia and so on.

Oh

My.

Ratatouille Rocked!!

Yet another Disney Pixar success i suppose. I love Remy's pickiness, the quirky comedic lines, the freakish french accent and, not to forget the absolutely beautiful French cuisine featured in the film.

Oh yes. And i like the egoistic Anton Ego with the big ego. And the really ganas old lady whose spice rack got raided by Remy. Yes yes. Yes.

Yes.




Which reminds me. I feelike watching The Incredibles!

Again. That is.

Will rent it from Monash's small collection of DVDs.

Rat

Urgh. Am aching to watch Ratatouille (rat-a-too-ee)!

I know. Another animated animal movie (AAM) But impressive³ i must say. It has a 96% freshness critic rating from RottenTomatoes.com.

Was supposed to watch it over the weekend but due to too short a notice i was unable to book / buy satisfactory seats. So it is postponed to next Saturday and i can't wait!

By the way. Try the GSC online e-ticketing function. It is very efficient. Sis told me about it, and it worked like a charm. It is all very simple. Just choose the cinema, the date, the showtime and they'll let you choose the seats (i selected the most fantastic of seats in Hall 2 GSC 1u the other day for Rush Hour 3!). Of course you'll need a credit card. I used dad's.

Type in the credit card number and voila. You've purchased the ticket. Then you'll be given a little code using which you can collect your tickets at the Gold Class kiosk (no lining up required hah!). All tickets purchased this way are charged an extra 50 cents. 50 meagre cents in exchange for a smooth long-queue-induced-stress-free movie experience is a price i will gladly fork out. Anyway it's all on dad anyway. :D

Hmm. The French poster, with a notably different pronunciation. Ra-ta-tui?
edit: ok. i don't think it's french! spanish? italian? anyone can clarify that?


Aaah!!! A rrrrat! *crashing china*

*gasps* Yes. He's stealing the cheese. The holy holey cheese.



By the way, some digression. I never liked holey cheese. I used to be fascinated to see the holey cheese so deliciously portrayed in Tom & Jerry episodes.

Turns out they taste much much worse than they look. Few years back i went for some cooking class and they had holey swiss cheese! I was overjoyed and i piled slice upon slice onto my burger.

Swiss cheese

And regretted afterwards. The cheese was powdery and has this smelly aroma to it! Yucko. Not remotely cheesy at all. They didn't even melt on my burger. Aunt Heko, who brought me to the cooking class was positively clicking with disapproval when i told her about the yucky cheese. "You, are so unsophisticated! Must tell your mother."