Thursday, May 17, 2007

YoHoHo...a pussycat GOES!

Coming up....



Nuff said.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Spiderman is....Good Charlotte!

So now we know. Spiderman is actually the secret member of Good Charlotte. He just only reveals it when he’s mean and bad. OOoohhh…right.

OK. Before I go any further slamming this movie, we must be the bigger person to understand and accept that it is after all – a comic movie. C’mon, how far can you go with a comic strip??!! Apparently quite far as shown in Sin City. So how come Spidey wasn’t given a fair chance by Sam Raimi this time? Not enough budgets?

Vainy Spidey: "Me Macho Macho Man!"

Spiderman Three can be described in three words: CORNY, LAME-O, OVER-EXXAGERATED-LETS-ALL-LOVE-AMERICA. Seriously. I laughed till I teared when the star spangled banner was “coincidentally and conveniently” flying in the background, inches next to Spidey, when he was webbing his way to save his lovely red head. It was SO corny I just had to laugh.

Honestly, the best character must’ve been Venom. He was honest to god (or something similar) the scariest (relativity, dear), the most evil (in good old school style where they have no remorse whatsoever), and with the best looking outfit. Besides that, the rest of the characters were rather pathetic or somehow uncommitted to perform their roles.

Venom's dentist never survived after saying "Say Ahh....AAHHhhh!!!!"

It all went down hill when James Franco, playing Goblin Junior (Aww…such a cutie namie), stepped out from the gas chamber. If you listened closely, behind the evil music cue, you can nearly hear Sam shouting “Look evil, James! Show me the evil! Show me the evil!” And show the evil James did. Although unfortunately, James interpretation of evil was – raise one eyebrow, slight sneer on the left corner of lips, look menacing. It all sounds evil, yeah, but anyone can do that. Even that annoying four year old kid next door can do it. Ask him; he might even do a better job than James here, because atleast the kid’s is truly evil. James…well, he was obviously trying.

Evil Goblin Junior with most menacing stare. OOoohh...scary.

James showing off his unique skills of raising one, only one, eyebrow.

And then Goblin Junior had to be so embarrassing in his debut. Despite a rather fast paced action sequence with Spidey, Goblin Jr.’s scene was short killed. Somehow he survived all the super hard knocks from Spidey and his own ultra sharp blade nicks like any other superheroes or superbaddies, but Goblin Jr. had to passed out like a 12 year old girl who knock her head on her pillow when he fell of his board.

James attempt to look ultra friendly, boy next door in the next majority part of the film was pathetic too. So I’ll just skip that.

At some point in the first part of the movie, I was nearly tricked into believing that I’m actually in the wrong cinema watching a slap stick comedy. Look, we all know Peter Parker is nerdy and all, but we don’t need to use classical boring examples of outright stupidity to exemplify that. It’s like Sam was trying to put too many ingredients into one movie. Not good. It’s funny to see him doing nerdy dance moves on the streets of NY, but honestly, that was unnecessary. If someone is mean, they’re mean ok. I mean, go beat up some dog or something. Kill a spider, yeah.


One bad spidey that had a photoshop makeover.


The makeup artist should get slap or fired. Look, Tobey Maguire has a unique face that doesn’t look evil just by applying eyeliner and not washing hair for 3 weeks. He just ends up looking like a chubby Good Charlotter.


Otherwise, the best line in the movie was the last one by Spidey himself: “Whatever battles rages inside us, we always have a choice… it’s the choices that make us who we are*, and we can always choose to do right.” It’s just too bad that this movie came out four years too late. If not, the world might have, just might have, been a better place.

*Ooh...is Prof. Dumbledore going to cast a spell on Spidey for plagiarism?

All in all, it was disappointing if you expected something like Spiderman One and Two. Mary Jane Watson and May Parker were the only ones who remain consistent. One, because Kirsten Dunst always act the same and look the same. Secondly, Rosemary Harris…she hardly have any screen time, so it’s hard to be different.

I forgot to metion that Mary Jane's attire throughout the film was awesome! Especially love that green dress and that blouse-skirt set!

But if you’re just another die hard movie fan like me, then it's definitely a must to watch Spiderman Three since you have watched the first two. Always finish something you start, just like your mommy said. But if you’re not, then just stay at home and read my blog.

Fashion Conditioning

It's funny how a fashion disaster can morph into something sexy, if you're exposed to it long enough in a certain context.

Take this for example.

Black socks with sneakers (regardless of colour, unless you cover them with long pants...but they tend to have an affinity to expose themselves. Not good.) is a huge NO-NO, blubber, Uh-UH, and everything else that is in that category of expression. Black socks just don't go with sneakers, dear. It's just one of those things where you're not supposed to do. Like picking your nose in public or on a first date; you just don't do that. Oh, you didn't know? Well now you know.

Unless...

You're from Scandinavia. Or have been living there for a certain period of time, where you're constantly exposesd to men (some of which happens to be relatively tall, average to well build, with occasional sun-kissed skin, lovely blond hair tousled/spiked/naturally combed, baby/intense blue eyes...) who always and will forever wear black socks with sneakers.

Initially, you are shocked. But then you gradually recover from the shock and focus on other attributes, in the attempt to avoid moving your eyes down....to that ughh-so-yucky combo of black socks and sneakers. Slowly, you condition yourself ignore those black-sock-snearker covered region. And one day, you notice, "Hey, those black-socks-sneakers are - still there! But hey HEY...they seem to look - ok. Nice. Good. And maybe sexy if you spot them at the gym on a nice looking guy.


And that's when it hits you. You've been conditioned into liking and actually appreciating something that was previouly disgusting. Scary.



Disclaimer: this is entry does not encourage anyone to attempt the black socks sneakers combo. It's STILL a big NO-NO.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

La Môme

Breathtaking moments are hard to come by. Great times are hard to come by. Films like La Môme (La Vie en Rose) hardly ever comes by.


And that’s why you need to watch it and you need to watch it now.

La Môme is the French title of the film about the intense and tragically short life of one of those extraordinary singers that appears once in a few lifetimes.
Edith Piaf was a household name in the US and the Europe and France’s most loved singer. Her music usually reflected her intense and ill-fated life, which ended shortly after only forty seven years. Her legend continues to live beyond her existence in the likes of her signature song, “La vie en rose” written in 1945 and voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

The film follows closely to Piaf’s struggle, discovery, rose to fame, and her eventual death. Keeping everything so real; so much so that you actually feel the tiny hairs on your back stand just by watching
Marion Cotillard flesh out Piaf.



My first encounter with Cotillard came in the form of strange but rather well done arty French film call Innocence. Otherwise, Cotillard has kept herself mostly to the French film society only making her rare English appearance in Hollywood movie “A Good Year” opposite Russell Crowe.


Since noticing Cotillard in Innocence, I was instantly mesmerized by her deep questioning eyes that seem to lead to many mysteries. They appear to search you and question you and even talk to you – despite through camera lenses and severeal film strips! I just knew I had to look her up and read more about her. Yeah, I’m one of those geeks who has their laptop nearby everytime they watch a film (geeks normally watch on DVD or Internet J), just in case we need to google or wiki something out about the film.

But back to La Môme - or Cotillard in La Môme as Edith Piaf or The Sparrow as the title refers to her nickname in French. A sparrow both because of her small physique as well as her throaty yet sad voice that seems to communicate the fragility of the bird.


Cotillard played scarily so well and real that it’s almost emotional to watch such rare performance from actors nowadays! It was like seeing Piaf alive again! Her body movements, her signature expressions, her looks throughout various ages…the makeup artist for this film definitely deserve high appraises as well! Managing to transform Cotillard, who is in her own rights a very beautiful woman, into someone completely different and changing accordingly to age. You could actually believe the woman on screen was Piaf, stricken with arthritis and dying of cancer.



Ahh, but most amazing of all – Cotillard sang every single song herself. Pretending to be singers/dancers/or someone-you-seriously-are-not; is already quite a feat. But trying to act as someone who else who happens to be quite extraordinary in some way, it’s near impossible. But damn! Cotillard can sing! And she sings like Piaf herself!

As you can see, I can most definitely go on and on forever singing about how amazing and near impossibly good the film has been. But I won’t. I won’t allow myself to keep you snagged here as you have a mission to accomplish. Go watch La Môme.

This film undeniably, indisputably, more than likely, should receive an Oscar – if not something better. Maybe two, maybe more. One for coming out as a great film; another for Cotillard for her stellar performance, another for the makeup artist, and maybe one more for the director for putting everything together.

Bravo Edith! Bravo Marion! Bravo Olivier!



Oh yeah, one of Piaf’s song was used in yet another amazing French film, Amelie. Go find out ;-)