26 years today from the day we first set foot on Australia!
26 years, and lots of events had happened during that time, among that, was the events of me getting married, having children...
And right now, I feel a bit depressed, for quite a few things I had planned so well, suddenly did not turn out so good. Spent the early morning tried fixing one problem, but so far, I have received no response from the other side, to tell me if the problem is over or not.
The persistent cold that I have been having, drags my spirit down too (to gutter level?). I was supposed to write a few jolly articles to entertain others, as well as editing the movie "Blade 2", but suddenly, I do not feel like I am in any mood for doing anything constructive anymore...
It is sunny outside, beautiful sky, warm, etc... Everything around me looks almost perfect, just my spirit collapsed suddenly. Weird!
(would gardening help? another cup of coffee?)
Monday, April 30, 2007
Blade 2 (draft review)
I only want to write a quick note here about this movie. When I have time, I will try to be in more detailed, with names of actors, actresses that impressed me.
Well, to be honest, I don't like any movie that too bloody! Doesn't mean that I don't like vampire stuff, for there is something erotic about the way vampire only sucks blood from the opposite sex victim at the neck (one among the most eroneous zones of the body?).
Seriously, I think "vampire" was what people used as a disguise perhaps in the old time, as an excuse to "necking". Think of this, if a couple "necking" in public (in the old time, when everything was strict!), then the whole society would critise them badly for their "immoral" behaviour. But if it involved a victim and a "blood sucker", then the whole thing became "less immoral", don't you think?
Return to the movie Blade 2, I was so so reluctant to watch it, but I value the friendship I have had with a young lady who is now working in Prague, Czech, so I did it. (She sounds like a nice and direct young lady, who has always been helpful to me. She wants to help me earning extra money, by asking me to do reviews for some of the movies which either filmed wholly or partly in Czech!).
The movie was full of surprise (bloody surprise!), with blood spattered everywhere. In addition to blood, there were darkness and ugly looking men who were quite sickly, skinny and bald in features. They seemed to be a kind of mutation which the leader was Norak (I will check the spellings later), created by the leader of the vampire world.
The hero of the movie was Daywalker! Why he had that name? well, to distinguish him from the shadow world of vampires. Seemed as he was also partly vampire, but he could withstand the sunlight, and could control his thirst for blood by taking some ampulet of something which resembled blood!).
Our hero helps the human world fighting from the vampires, and thus, was considered as the enemy of the latter.
Daywalker was undestructable (forgive my spelling here will you?). His only weakness is his love for his "adopted" father, the old man who taught him how to survive, how to fight, how to be a good man, etc (perhaps whoever watched Blade 1, would know about this better than me?).
Daywalker managed to rescue his adopted father from the enemy's hand (they were doing some experiment on the old man I think). Soon after that, he and his gang was invited by the vampires to help them destroy Norak and his species. (Of course the vampires did not let Daywalker knew about their link to Norak, the source of a new contagious microorganisms, which kept converting Norak's and his victims' victims, into another "clone" of Norak if the "virus" passed to their system by the tounge).
In, lots of interesting weapons to fight the Norak gang, mainly things relate to bio chemical agents, (I am a biochemist/analytical chemist by trade, but I would rather check my textbook first before saying anything stupid here).
It was scary and awful, watching the "Norak" sucking blood from their victims (the whole process was real disgusting!)... Seriously, it reminded me of people who are drug addicted, the way they could not control themselves when the need for blood come suddenly (don't shoot me if you were one!). In this movie, the blood sucking process by this grostesque species was quite colorful and impressive. The inside of their head and body was quite unique too (reminded me of many octopuses inside!).
To cut the story short (will edit later), Daywalker was caught at the end by the vampire, when he almost destroyed all the "Norak" species. The leader wanted to learn from Daywalker's blood, and from there, to create a better vampire with similar features to Daywalker (eg, not exploded/burnt by sunlight as the current vampire species!).
His daughter (the pretty vampire) was disillusioned with her father, when she found out the truth, that her father was prepared to sacrify her as part of the trap to trap Daywalker, and that he was in truth, the source of the "Norak" problem.
She let Norak approached her father. Norak after destroy the leader of vampire (who he called "father"), turned around, and killed the daughter too.
Daywalker tried to fulfill her last wish: she wanted to die under the sunlight (which she did, exploded and disappeared into thin air! what a pity!)...
Daywalker chased after the person that betrayed him (I think so, have to check this info again!), and that was that....
Well, to be honest, I don't like any movie that too bloody! Doesn't mean that I don't like vampire stuff, for there is something erotic about the way vampire only sucks blood from the opposite sex victim at the neck (one among the most eroneous zones of the body?).
Seriously, I think "vampire" was what people used as a disguise perhaps in the old time, as an excuse to "necking". Think of this, if a couple "necking" in public (in the old time, when everything was strict!), then the whole society would critise them badly for their "immoral" behaviour. But if it involved a victim and a "blood sucker", then the whole thing became "less immoral", don't you think?
Return to the movie Blade 2, I was so so reluctant to watch it, but I value the friendship I have had with a young lady who is now working in Prague, Czech, so I did it. (She sounds like a nice and direct young lady, who has always been helpful to me. She wants to help me earning extra money, by asking me to do reviews for some of the movies which either filmed wholly or partly in Czech!).
The movie was full of surprise (bloody surprise!), with blood spattered everywhere. In addition to blood, there were darkness and ugly looking men who were quite sickly, skinny and bald in features. They seemed to be a kind of mutation which the leader was Norak (I will check the spellings later), created by the leader of the vampire world.
The hero of the movie was Daywalker! Why he had that name? well, to distinguish him from the shadow world of vampires. Seemed as he was also partly vampire, but he could withstand the sunlight, and could control his thirst for blood by taking some ampulet of something which resembled blood!).
Our hero helps the human world fighting from the vampires, and thus, was considered as the enemy of the latter.
Daywalker was undestructable (forgive my spelling here will you?). His only weakness is his love for his "adopted" father, the old man who taught him how to survive, how to fight, how to be a good man, etc (perhaps whoever watched Blade 1, would know about this better than me?).
Daywalker managed to rescue his adopted father from the enemy's hand (they were doing some experiment on the old man I think). Soon after that, he and his gang was invited by the vampires to help them destroy Norak and his species. (Of course the vampires did not let Daywalker knew about their link to Norak, the source of a new contagious microorganisms, which kept converting Norak's and his victims' victims, into another "clone" of Norak if the "virus" passed to their system by the tounge).
In, lots of interesting weapons to fight the Norak gang, mainly things relate to bio chemical agents, (I am a biochemist/analytical chemist by trade, but I would rather check my textbook first before saying anything stupid here).
It was scary and awful, watching the "Norak" sucking blood from their victims (the whole process was real disgusting!)... Seriously, it reminded me of people who are drug addicted, the way they could not control themselves when the need for blood come suddenly (don't shoot me if you were one!). In this movie, the blood sucking process by this grostesque species was quite colorful and impressive. The inside of their head and body was quite unique too (reminded me of many octopuses inside!).
To cut the story short (will edit later), Daywalker was caught at the end by the vampire, when he almost destroyed all the "Norak" species. The leader wanted to learn from Daywalker's blood, and from there, to create a better vampire with similar features to Daywalker (eg, not exploded/burnt by sunlight as the current vampire species!).
His daughter (the pretty vampire) was disillusioned with her father, when she found out the truth, that her father was prepared to sacrify her as part of the trap to trap Daywalker, and that he was in truth, the source of the "Norak" problem.
She let Norak approached her father. Norak after destroy the leader of vampire (who he called "father"), turned around, and killed the daughter too.
Daywalker tried to fulfill her last wish: she wanted to die under the sunlight (which she did, exploded and disappeared into thin air! what a pity!)...
Daywalker chased after the person that betrayed him (I think so, have to check this info again!), and that was that....
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Big Event 4 Today!
Should I cry or should I sing Allelluia? Hehehe, the boss just phoned, to let me know that her part time worker (a uni student), has decided to work full-time for her.
And That Means My Presence There Is No Longer Needed!
She was so apologetic, that I did feel sorry for her. After all was said and done, I had never really liked that job (working in a small shop!), and just this morning, I wishfully thought, "I wish I could stop working there. It is only casual there anyway!"
Well, that means I won't have to worry about my "cold", which has made me lost my voice 85%. It removes the need for me to take a cold and flu tablet tomorrow morning. Hurrah....
Hahaha, and all the friends who knew about my lowly status of last week, were real shocked. Yeah, it was a case of from rich to drag then... hehehe! They all advised me to drop the job, and I was in complete agreement with them, but so far, I had had zero courage to inform the boss (she has been a very kind hearted one!), that I wanted to quit.
Oh well, it is better this way, that she was not inconvenient by me and my wishes (and she did not need to know that I hated the job that she gave me!)...
Hmm, does it mean that I would have to search the internet again for any part time/casual job, that is close to home, which would let me have time off during school holiday, and time to fulfill my duty every morning and afternoon during school term, to take the kids to and from their school?
Wish I could find a job that allow me to work at home (hey, I am a night person. I could stay awake the whole night!)...
What should I cook for today dinner? Tuna casserole? (My throat is still bad!)
And That Means My Presence There Is No Longer Needed!
She was so apologetic, that I did feel sorry for her. After all was said and done, I had never really liked that job (working in a small shop!), and just this morning, I wishfully thought, "I wish I could stop working there. It is only casual there anyway!"
Well, that means I won't have to worry about my "cold", which has made me lost my voice 85%. It removes the need for me to take a cold and flu tablet tomorrow morning. Hurrah....
Hahaha, and all the friends who knew about my lowly status of last week, were real shocked. Yeah, it was a case of from rich to drag then... hehehe! They all advised me to drop the job, and I was in complete agreement with them, but so far, I had had zero courage to inform the boss (she has been a very kind hearted one!), that I wanted to quit.
Oh well, it is better this way, that she was not inconvenient by me and my wishes (and she did not need to know that I hated the job that she gave me!)...
Hmm, does it mean that I would have to search the internet again for any part time/casual job, that is close to home, which would let me have time off during school holiday, and time to fulfill my duty every morning and afternoon during school term, to take the kids to and from their school?
Wish I could find a job that allow me to work at home (hey, I am a night person. I could stay awake the whole night!)...
What should I cook for today dinner? Tuna casserole? (My throat is still bad!)
A Monday Morning
A horrible Monday morning!
I was so surprised to see hundreds of people steadily walking in silence, heading towards a certain station in the North (closer to the city) when I was about to turn the car left into the big street, heading south.
- First thought came: "Ooops, is there such a thing as marching/walking day on a Monday morning? How come I did not hear anyone mention about this special event?"
- Second thought: "Perhaps the train line went down (as usual), and this time, people chose to walk than taking the tram or waiting for another train?"
Watching them walking, not sticking to the kerbs or pedestrian pathways, but everywhere on the street, the whole thing did look really scary, especially cars still ran on that medium busy street, at 60 km per hour. (No, it scared me not because of cars kept running on that streets admist pedestrians, but because it reminded me of the time I was 2-3 YO, and often had to be dragged out of bed to rush to some bomb shelters at middle of the night!).
Guess those people were a bit pissed off about something?
(you would too, if it was a chilly Monday morning (about 10 degrees Celsius) and your train decided to stop at middle of nowhere, after you had spent heaps of money on the fare... Damn damn damn!)
Oh yes, by then, I was so sure (with 102% certainty), that the train they took, broke down, for it was right then, blocked the busy street that I was supposed to turn into...
Around the stopped train, everything was in real chaos!
I thought I would solve the problem neat and tidy by heading another way, and do a round about way... Might have taken me longer, but I was sure that it would be the fastest way to take the kids to their school on time.
Wrong there!
They blocked that section of streets too (for road servicing! hahaha... Grrrrrhhhh!!!)
So, I could not turn left, but right! Which I did, but then realised very soon that they blocked everywhere, except the right and right directions.... I almost drove home instead to take the kids to school by walking instead (practically it would take the same amount of time getting there either by car or by foot, for it could be a real nightmare trying to find an empty (and legally) parking spot around my kids' school!).
But I saw the road to the kids' school (straight ahead) clear of cars... so instead of turned left to get home, I went straight... Closer to the intersection, I began to see more chaos: cars fighting to turn left, right, everywhere. Looked like the traffic light at that corner went down with the boomgate and train.
Since I was real gentle at heart (a polite way to imply that I was real chicken in driving a huge car in busy streets where there was no proper traffic lights on!), I promptly decided then and there, that I should try the first parking spot available, take the kids to their school, then leave the car there (until it was safer to drive home!).
Amazingly, my kids came to their school just in time for the Monday assembly! Hurrah...
On and on, the routine ceremony took place, anthem and all!
I walked back home, noticing that cars seemed to be "almost" empty on the streets around the troubled intersection. (A sign that the chaos of today Monday morning had truly gone?)...
Observing the streets a bit more closely, I decided to drive the car home. (The street where I parked, was the same one where I had witnessed a "young female" car buglar operating her business. It was truly a frightening experience to me, witnessing such an act of vandalising, thiefing in public, during daylight.... Today, I saw signs of car glass window shattered on the ground, at a spot where most drivers used to make a U turn. Who knew then if it was another act of vandalising, thiefing, or just an accident while the driver tried to turn his/her car? I doubted the last theory! Thus, it would be perhaps safer just to park our precious "old bomb" at our driveway?).
The kids had agreed to walk home with mom later, so the car could rest there in our driveway until tomorrow morning. But please God, don't let the trains broke down during peak hours, especially at areas that roads/streets were being blocked everywhere for servicing!
(Did I mention anywhere, that they were blocking parts of the busy street in front of my kids' school right now too, (for road servicing)? Ghosh... they just did it a few weeks ago, now they did it again... and they always worked during peak hours! Why couldn't they do it during night time? or at middle of the day? Ah, perhaps I could guess:
- the bosses refused to pay extra for workers at overtime rate!
- It was too cold to work at night (bad condition for road works?)
- workers refused to work odd hours?)
(Shrug!)
I was so surprised to see hundreds of people steadily walking in silence, heading towards a certain station in the North (closer to the city) when I was about to turn the car left into the big street, heading south.
- First thought came: "Ooops, is there such a thing as marching/walking day on a Monday morning? How come I did not hear anyone mention about this special event?"
- Second thought: "Perhaps the train line went down (as usual), and this time, people chose to walk than taking the tram or waiting for another train?"
Watching them walking, not sticking to the kerbs or pedestrian pathways, but everywhere on the street, the whole thing did look really scary, especially cars still ran on that medium busy street, at 60 km per hour. (No, it scared me not because of cars kept running on that streets admist pedestrians, but because it reminded me of the time I was 2-3 YO, and often had to be dragged out of bed to rush to some bomb shelters at middle of the night!).
Guess those people were a bit pissed off about something?
(you would too, if it was a chilly Monday morning (about 10 degrees Celsius) and your train decided to stop at middle of nowhere, after you had spent heaps of money on the fare... Damn damn damn!)
Oh yes, by then, I was so sure (with 102% certainty), that the train they took, broke down, for it was right then, blocked the busy street that I was supposed to turn into...
Around the stopped train, everything was in real chaos!
I thought I would solve the problem neat and tidy by heading another way, and do a round about way... Might have taken me longer, but I was sure that it would be the fastest way to take the kids to their school on time.
Wrong there!
They blocked that section of streets too (for road servicing! hahaha... Grrrrrhhhh!!!)
So, I could not turn left, but right! Which I did, but then realised very soon that they blocked everywhere, except the right and right directions.... I almost drove home instead to take the kids to school by walking instead (practically it would take the same amount of time getting there either by car or by foot, for it could be a real nightmare trying to find an empty (and legally) parking spot around my kids' school!).
But I saw the road to the kids' school (straight ahead) clear of cars... so instead of turned left to get home, I went straight... Closer to the intersection, I began to see more chaos: cars fighting to turn left, right, everywhere. Looked like the traffic light at that corner went down with the boomgate and train.
Since I was real gentle at heart (a polite way to imply that I was real chicken in driving a huge car in busy streets where there was no proper traffic lights on!), I promptly decided then and there, that I should try the first parking spot available, take the kids to their school, then leave the car there (until it was safer to drive home!).
Amazingly, my kids came to their school just in time for the Monday assembly! Hurrah...
On and on, the routine ceremony took place, anthem and all!
I walked back home, noticing that cars seemed to be "almost" empty on the streets around the troubled intersection. (A sign that the chaos of today Monday morning had truly gone?)...
Observing the streets a bit more closely, I decided to drive the car home. (The street where I parked, was the same one where I had witnessed a "young female" car buglar operating her business. It was truly a frightening experience to me, witnessing such an act of vandalising, thiefing in public, during daylight.... Today, I saw signs of car glass window shattered on the ground, at a spot where most drivers used to make a U turn. Who knew then if it was another act of vandalising, thiefing, or just an accident while the driver tried to turn his/her car? I doubted the last theory! Thus, it would be perhaps safer just to park our precious "old bomb" at our driveway?).
The kids had agreed to walk home with mom later, so the car could rest there in our driveway until tomorrow morning. But please God, don't let the trains broke down during peak hours, especially at areas that roads/streets were being blocked everywhere for servicing!
(Did I mention anywhere, that they were blocking parts of the busy street in front of my kids' school right now too, (for road servicing)? Ghosh... they just did it a few weeks ago, now they did it again... and they always worked during peak hours! Why couldn't they do it during night time? or at middle of the day? Ah, perhaps I could guess:
- the bosses refused to pay extra for workers at overtime rate!
- It was too cold to work at night (bad condition for road works?)
- workers refused to work odd hours?)
(Shrug!)
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Bourne Supremacy, 2004
Matt Damon did look very serious (but still vague somehow), as a hitman, a highly paid assassine who unfortunately, still struggling to recover his memory and his real identity (after "The Bourne Identity", 2002).
I am surprised that after all the dangers they had gone through (from "The Bourne Identity"), our Marie (Franka Portente) was still acting too unbelievable naive, and not very "tune-in" with the situation whenever our Jason mentioned glimpses of his strange past.
In this movie, this young couple was (almost) happily living with each other at a far away spot from all the hectics of life and CIA's activities. Well, they were almost happy, because Jason Bourne still had to fight with his strange nightmares in which he could hear certain voices, got certain shot of odd images. I almost envied with them the life style they got then: sandy beach, crowded market, tourists in colorful and very light clothing, warm sun shine, etc...
Of course, Eden was suddenly turned into Hell for Jason, when he realised he was being followed by a suspicious tourist (whom he seemed to know, but from where? or was it just intuition on his part in the face of danger?).
Needless to say, he warned Marie, and the two of them tried to run. Was it because of Marie's distrusting nature (of Jason's warning), that she was killed by that assassin? It was hard to say, for everything happened so fast after a series of car chasings, bullet firings, Marie got shot at, then their car ended up sinking fast in the water. It was a real intense moment, with Jason also got trapped in the car with the then dead Marie, facing drowning himself, etc. It was real touching the scene he had to leave Marie there...
(secretly, I think Franka Portente was not very suitable for this "not too intelligent role". I was relieved that she could stop playing the silly Marie (when they let her got killed), and let the movie focused more on how Jason could regain his memory).
The beginning of the movie was about something else, which connected soon with Jason Bourne and his shots of unexplained images.
Turned out that the CIA was trying to trap a mole within their organisation.
Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) was so confident that she would be successful this time, and it was to her shock, that she suddenly lost two agents, a secret file, and no clue whatsoever of who did it! With the permission of her big boss, she was allowed to chase after leads. The leads took her to the old Treadstone project, and she believed she found out the identity of the assassin: Jason Bourne.
The chase brought her into real clash with another senior CIA staff: Ward Abbott (Brian Cox), who convinced her with implied threats and intimidations, that she should stop digging into the cancelled Treadstone project!
Jason Bourne after destroying any paperwork that could danger him, head straight into an airport. Why he used the passport of Jason Bourne is something I could not figure out. Didn't he remember all the problems he had last time when he was in the public with that name? Or did he deliberately do so, to warn the CIA or whoever, that he was ready to play their game?
Straight face and deadpan, he managed to get away from the airport custom/security in a stolen car, and with a phone equiped with high technology (wonderful don't you think?). From that, he found out that he was being framed by someone unknown.
He attempted to contact a few persons left (from Treadstone project) who could help him. One tried to kill him, the other, Nicky (Julia Stiles) could not help him much.
Got back to a specific hotel room, where he believed had some impact on his lost of memory, he managed to recover suddenly all the lost links to Treadstone project, but while doing so, he was almost caught by the CIA.
Decided to apologise to one little girl in Russia, whose parents' death was caused by him (it was his mission in Treadstone project to remove the father only!), Jason Bourne left for Russia. He managed to fulfill his wish perfectly, in clarify some misunderstanding revolving around the death of his victims, and made their daughter, by then, a young lady, happy that she was truly loved by her loving parents. His good intention did cause him trouble, he was being chased all over the place (Russia) by the very same assassin who had killed Marie and almost got him too before.
Of course, the baddy died in time, (luckily, or my heart would have fallen out of my chest soon afterward due to the intensed chase/shooting, etc!).
The ending? Jason Bourne found out who was the mole of the CIA, who secretly betrayed his fellow agents for money, etc. Jason taped the conversation he got with "the mole" successfully as proof for Pamela Landy.
(Pamela Landy did tell him of his true identity at the end (over the phone), and tried to convince him to return to work for the CIA. Jason declined, and "gone" in a very mysterious way. Left all of us viewers guessing of what he would do next! A real smart ending for a thriller/suspense movie!)
To my own opinion, this movie is with a better plot and quite lively with actions compared to "The Bourne Identity". Matt Damon was real good in both. Can't wait to see him again in other projects.
I am surprised that after all the dangers they had gone through (from "The Bourne Identity"), our Marie (Franka Portente) was still acting too unbelievable naive, and not very "tune-in" with the situation whenever our Jason mentioned glimpses of his strange past.
In this movie, this young couple was (almost) happily living with each other at a far away spot from all the hectics of life and CIA's activities. Well, they were almost happy, because Jason Bourne still had to fight with his strange nightmares in which he could hear certain voices, got certain shot of odd images. I almost envied with them the life style they got then: sandy beach, crowded market, tourists in colorful and very light clothing, warm sun shine, etc...
Of course, Eden was suddenly turned into Hell for Jason, when he realised he was being followed by a suspicious tourist (whom he seemed to know, but from where? or was it just intuition on his part in the face of danger?).
Needless to say, he warned Marie, and the two of them tried to run. Was it because of Marie's distrusting nature (of Jason's warning), that she was killed by that assassin? It was hard to say, for everything happened so fast after a series of car chasings, bullet firings, Marie got shot at, then their car ended up sinking fast in the water. It was a real intense moment, with Jason also got trapped in the car with the then dead Marie, facing drowning himself, etc. It was real touching the scene he had to leave Marie there...
(secretly, I think Franka Portente was not very suitable for this "not too intelligent role". I was relieved that she could stop playing the silly Marie (when they let her got killed), and let the movie focused more on how Jason could regain his memory).
The beginning of the movie was about something else, which connected soon with Jason Bourne and his shots of unexplained images.
Turned out that the CIA was trying to trap a mole within their organisation.
Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) was so confident that she would be successful this time, and it was to her shock, that she suddenly lost two agents, a secret file, and no clue whatsoever of who did it! With the permission of her big boss, she was allowed to chase after leads. The leads took her to the old Treadstone project, and she believed she found out the identity of the assassin: Jason Bourne.
The chase brought her into real clash with another senior CIA staff: Ward Abbott (Brian Cox), who convinced her with implied threats and intimidations, that she should stop digging into the cancelled Treadstone project!
Jason Bourne after destroying any paperwork that could danger him, head straight into an airport. Why he used the passport of Jason Bourne is something I could not figure out. Didn't he remember all the problems he had last time when he was in the public with that name? Or did he deliberately do so, to warn the CIA or whoever, that he was ready to play their game?
Straight face and deadpan, he managed to get away from the airport custom/security in a stolen car, and with a phone equiped with high technology (wonderful don't you think?). From that, he found out that he was being framed by someone unknown.
He attempted to contact a few persons left (from Treadstone project) who could help him. One tried to kill him, the other, Nicky (Julia Stiles) could not help him much.
Got back to a specific hotel room, where he believed had some impact on his lost of memory, he managed to recover suddenly all the lost links to Treadstone project, but while doing so, he was almost caught by the CIA.
Decided to apologise to one little girl in Russia, whose parents' death was caused by him (it was his mission in Treadstone project to remove the father only!), Jason Bourne left for Russia. He managed to fulfill his wish perfectly, in clarify some misunderstanding revolving around the death of his victims, and made their daughter, by then, a young lady, happy that she was truly loved by her loving parents. His good intention did cause him trouble, he was being chased all over the place (Russia) by the very same assassin who had killed Marie and almost got him too before.
Of course, the baddy died in time, (luckily, or my heart would have fallen out of my chest soon afterward due to the intensed chase/shooting, etc!).
The ending? Jason Bourne found out who was the mole of the CIA, who secretly betrayed his fellow agents for money, etc. Jason taped the conversation he got with "the mole" successfully as proof for Pamela Landy.
(Pamela Landy did tell him of his true identity at the end (over the phone), and tried to convince him to return to work for the CIA. Jason declined, and "gone" in a very mysterious way. Left all of us viewers guessing of what he would do next! A real smart ending for a thriller/suspense movie!)
To my own opinion, this movie is with a better plot and quite lively with actions compared to "The Bourne Identity". Matt Damon was real good in both. Can't wait to see him again in other projects.
A Knight's Tale, 2001
A very ordinary plot of a "rags to riches" case. William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) was born a lowly peasant, but wished to become a knight, to be allowed to join in joust tournaments and become champion of this sport. By daring (out of starvation/poverty?), he faked his royal background in order to do just that when his master dropped dead suddenly. He got a group of faithful and good friends who did their best to support him in maintaining the facade. With hard work and determination, William Thatcher won many tournaments and became well known as Sr Ulrich. His real identity was found out by Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell), who had been jealous with Sir Ulrich's success since the beginning. Facing execution, he was saved by Prince Edward, who had jousted with him in the past, and had admired his noble spirit greatly. Not only saving William Thatcher, Prince Edward decided to knight him for real (on behalf of the king of England!).
Though the plot was ordinary, the finish product was quite great with a beautiful cast, costumes and everything else. The director managed to stir the movie up a bit, by using rock music quite freely everywhere, making it quite hilarious (for example, at the beginning of the movie, the piece "We will rock you" (Queen) was used, with noble ladies and gentlemen of the 15th century, as well as all peasants present, everyone in ancient costumes, happily clapping and tapping following the music).
Among the cast, Rufus Sewell was great in his "evil" role (quite charismatic and attractive, at the same time, ruthless and dangerous). Heath Ledger and his "Lady Jocelyne" (Shannyn Sossamon) were quite pleasant to the eyes, especially with their interesting and constantly changing costumes.
A pity that they could not put more twists into the plot to make the movie more interesting, for example, they could have let the beautiful blacksmith to have a more important role in William Thatcher's life at the end (but that would mean other twists: William Thatcher found out that he was not really in love with Lady Jocelyn, but they happily remained friends? William Thatcher got knighted, but realised that he was in love with the beautiful blacksmith? the evil Count Adhemar turned good after being saved by William Thatcher, and ended up with Lady Jocelyn? etc).
(Wrote this review for my friend, about 10 days ago!)
Though the plot was ordinary, the finish product was quite great with a beautiful cast, costumes and everything else. The director managed to stir the movie up a bit, by using rock music quite freely everywhere, making it quite hilarious (for example, at the beginning of the movie, the piece "We will rock you" (Queen) was used, with noble ladies and gentlemen of the 15th century, as well as all peasants present, everyone in ancient costumes, happily clapping and tapping following the music).
Among the cast, Rufus Sewell was great in his "evil" role (quite charismatic and attractive, at the same time, ruthless and dangerous). Heath Ledger and his "Lady Jocelyne" (Shannyn Sossamon) were quite pleasant to the eyes, especially with their interesting and constantly changing costumes.
A pity that they could not put more twists into the plot to make the movie more interesting, for example, they could have let the beautiful blacksmith to have a more important role in William Thatcher's life at the end (but that would mean other twists: William Thatcher found out that he was not really in love with Lady Jocelyn, but they happily remained friends? William Thatcher got knighted, but realised that he was in love with the beautiful blacksmith? the evil Count Adhemar turned good after being saved by William Thatcher, and ended up with Lady Jocelyn? etc).
(Wrote this review for my friend, about 10 days ago!)
xXx (Triple X), 2002
An interesting movie!
The first time I watched it, I thought the movie was a bit confusing, the story line was not clear, the cast was strange and completely odd, too different to the normal norm of traditional "spy/secret agent" style. Finished it, I was only impressed with the first scene, in which a secret agent was shot, and all the stunts included afterwards, but that was it.
I was reluctant to watch it the second time.
By accident, I saw the book wrote by Mel Odom, based on the above movie.
After reading it, I began to understand the plot of the movie a bit more (but if you want to read it, please don't expect the book to be of any great literature value, for you may not like the writer's style of writing!).
Watched the movie the second time, equipped with a better knowledge of the plot, I thought the movie was quite good. Of course, it would remind viewers of all the James Bond movies, as well as "The Rock" (1996), a great thriller with Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage. Why?
Because this movie was about fighting the evil force (the main theme of the above movies). In this xXx, this evil force was a group of ex Russian millitary, called themselves "the Anarchy 99" after the year 1999, when it was formed. The group then devoted their energy into a kind of "underworld" way of life. They based their organisation in Prague, Czech, and dealt mainly with car thefts, brothels, drugs, etc. However, that was only the surface. Secretly, they planned to wipe out the whole world, or perhaps, only the main governments that had any say in the running of the world. Why they did so? Because they wanted a revenge for their comrades who died unneccessary for an unworthy cause.
Who should be there to fight the evil force but the US government, with agent Gibbons in charge of the project (played by Samuel L Jackson)!
The beginning of the movie was impressive, but a bit of a kill joy, when a secret agent (who faithfully following James Bond style in dressing and everything else!) got killed. Out the old type of secret agent, in the new type: spunky, shaved head, muscled and tatooed Xander Cage (xXx), a gangster of the street (played by Vin Diesel).
A bit shocking, when our hero in this movie was one with a history of car theft, full of bad languague (and may be with a multitudes of other sins?), bad dressed, always looked and talked like baddies in bad movies.
The heroine of the movie was a bit odd too: the beautiful Yelena did look a bit anaemic and too unsophisticated/immature for the role (was it because of her teenage figure, or her make up?). Regardless, the whole combination made the movie strange indeed.
Regardless, the plot was like this: after losing more good agents while dealing with the Anarchy 99, agent Gibbons decided to train a gangster of the streets to really fight dirty (and hope that this gangster would survive better, or else!). The race is on, for the US government knew that the Anarchy 99 was doing something secretly with dangerous biological weapons.
Marton Csokas was marverlous in the role of ruthless Yorgi, leader of the Anarchy 99. Yelena played the role of Yorgi's girlfriend, but was really a secret agent of Russia.
If one managed to overcome their own expectation of how secret agents should really look (following James Bond's style), this movie could turn out to be quite gripping, a true thriller, and worth the 124-132 minutes watching. Can't remember much about the music chosen for the movie, but all the stunts involved (car chasing, roller skating, parachute jumping, etc) were real breath-taking. Strange that xXx could escape the avalanche quite OK on his simple surfboard, while others on special vehicles could not run fast enough! (That, and a few scenes, in which xXx on motor bike, got shot/rained with bullets, and did not get injured at all!).
Another strange point in this movie: our hero never really killed anyone dead (except in the end, when he had to kill a baddy who smoked cigarettes constantly (who was about to shoot xXx and his troups), and the notorious Yorgi). In another word, xXx seemed to kill only when he needed to survive in order to finish his mission successfully.
A fictional story, but interesting regardless, especially at the end of the movie, when contrasts were shown, between the peaceful sceneries of the beautiful city of Prague, and the race to stop the biological rockets from destroying this peaceful city.
Would the movie be better or worse, if our hero and heroine were more worldly (less saintly) and more "sophisticated"?
(Wrote this review for my friend, about a month ago!)
The first time I watched it, I thought the movie was a bit confusing, the story line was not clear, the cast was strange and completely odd, too different to the normal norm of traditional "spy/secret agent" style. Finished it, I was only impressed with the first scene, in which a secret agent was shot, and all the stunts included afterwards, but that was it.
I was reluctant to watch it the second time.
By accident, I saw the book wrote by Mel Odom, based on the above movie.
After reading it, I began to understand the plot of the movie a bit more (but if you want to read it, please don't expect the book to be of any great literature value, for you may not like the writer's style of writing!).
Watched the movie the second time, equipped with a better knowledge of the plot, I thought the movie was quite good. Of course, it would remind viewers of all the James Bond movies, as well as "The Rock" (1996), a great thriller with Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage. Why?
Because this movie was about fighting the evil force (the main theme of the above movies). In this xXx, this evil force was a group of ex Russian millitary, called themselves "the Anarchy 99" after the year 1999, when it was formed. The group then devoted their energy into a kind of "underworld" way of life. They based their organisation in Prague, Czech, and dealt mainly with car thefts, brothels, drugs, etc. However, that was only the surface. Secretly, they planned to wipe out the whole world, or perhaps, only the main governments that had any say in the running of the world. Why they did so? Because they wanted a revenge for their comrades who died unneccessary for an unworthy cause.
Who should be there to fight the evil force but the US government, with agent Gibbons in charge of the project (played by Samuel L Jackson)!
The beginning of the movie was impressive, but a bit of a kill joy, when a secret agent (who faithfully following James Bond style in dressing and everything else!) got killed. Out the old type of secret agent, in the new type: spunky, shaved head, muscled and tatooed Xander Cage (xXx), a gangster of the street (played by Vin Diesel).
A bit shocking, when our hero in this movie was one with a history of car theft, full of bad languague (and may be with a multitudes of other sins?), bad dressed, always looked and talked like baddies in bad movies.
The heroine of the movie was a bit odd too: the beautiful Yelena did look a bit anaemic and too unsophisticated/immature for the role (was it because of her teenage figure, or her make up?). Regardless, the whole combination made the movie strange indeed.
Regardless, the plot was like this: after losing more good agents while dealing with the Anarchy 99, agent Gibbons decided to train a gangster of the streets to really fight dirty (and hope that this gangster would survive better, or else!). The race is on, for the US government knew that the Anarchy 99 was doing something secretly with dangerous biological weapons.
Marton Csokas was marverlous in the role of ruthless Yorgi, leader of the Anarchy 99. Yelena played the role of Yorgi's girlfriend, but was really a secret agent of Russia.
If one managed to overcome their own expectation of how secret agents should really look (following James Bond's style), this movie could turn out to be quite gripping, a true thriller, and worth the 124-132 minutes watching. Can't remember much about the music chosen for the movie, but all the stunts involved (car chasing, roller skating, parachute jumping, etc) were real breath-taking. Strange that xXx could escape the avalanche quite OK on his simple surfboard, while others on special vehicles could not run fast enough! (That, and a few scenes, in which xXx on motor bike, got shot/rained with bullets, and did not get injured at all!).
Another strange point in this movie: our hero never really killed anyone dead (except in the end, when he had to kill a baddy who smoked cigarettes constantly (who was about to shoot xXx and his troups), and the notorious Yorgi). In another word, xXx seemed to kill only when he needed to survive in order to finish his mission successfully.
A fictional story, but interesting regardless, especially at the end of the movie, when contrasts were shown, between the peaceful sceneries of the beautiful city of Prague, and the race to stop the biological rockets from destroying this peaceful city.
Would the movie be better or worse, if our hero and heroine were more worldly (less saintly) and more "sophisticated"?
(Wrote this review for my friend, about a month ago!)
The Bourne Identity, 2002
Matt Damon did look a bit vague at the beginning of this movie, quite fit in with the image of an amnesia person, who got shot, floated in the sea, and got fished out of the water. Recovered, the first thing he did, was to leave that French coast, head straight to a Swiss bank (following the info implanted on his hip), with the hope to find out who he really was.
Imagined his surprise, when he found lots of money, a gun, and several passports, each with a different name. So what was his real name, and who was he really?
Headed to a US Consulate, he found out that the US governent itself seemed to want him for some unknown reasons. Tried to survive, he managed to convince a young lady, Marie (German actress Franka Potente from the movie "Run Lola run"), to give him a ride to Paris, for 20 thousand bucks (US dollars?).
Convinced himself temporarily that he was a Jason Bourne, who had something to do with the US government, he became alerted to all the dangers around him. Unfortunately, his fellow traveller did not agree with him in this theory. Thus began a series of arguments between the two. Whenever this attractive lady took a break from playing the role of an argumentative Marie, she sounded great. One could almost fell for her charm, until she began to be unable to understand or tune-in to the dangerous atmosphere around her and Jason Bourne.
Back to his appartment in Paris, he almost got killed by an expert assassine. Puzzled at the fact that the assassine rather chose death than to reveal the serect of whom his boss really was, Jason Bourne by now, was very sure that someone wanted him dead than alive. (But he still couldn't convince the charming Marie!).
A series of tangles began to unravel (or to become more tangled?), always sandwiched very well with all the thrills and suspense, plus non stop actions: car chasing, running from soldiers/police, direct combat (one to one fighting with very authentic martial art!), bombs/cars exploded, etc.
Regardless of a very difficult - to - understand plot (why the CIA wanted to invest 3 millions into a member, only to kill him off at the end of the project; Jason Bourne was used as a bait to flush out a very dangerous and most wanted terrorrist, etc), the movie was real lively and terrific.
To many, this movie though was shorter and more exciting than the movie done in 1988, (with Richard Chamberlain and the beautiful Jaclyn Smith), it did lose the real reason why Jason Bourne was used in this Treadstone project in the first place: to flush out the most wanted assassine at the time, Carlos, as the book from Ludlum was about.
Except for some sceneries taken from France and Germany, the rest of this movie was done in a studio in Czech.
(wrote this movie for a friend, about a month ago!)
Imagined his surprise, when he found lots of money, a gun, and several passports, each with a different name. So what was his real name, and who was he really?
Headed to a US Consulate, he found out that the US governent itself seemed to want him for some unknown reasons. Tried to survive, he managed to convince a young lady, Marie (German actress Franka Potente from the movie "Run Lola run"), to give him a ride to Paris, for 20 thousand bucks (US dollars?).
Convinced himself temporarily that he was a Jason Bourne, who had something to do with the US government, he became alerted to all the dangers around him. Unfortunately, his fellow traveller did not agree with him in this theory. Thus began a series of arguments between the two. Whenever this attractive lady took a break from playing the role of an argumentative Marie, she sounded great. One could almost fell for her charm, until she began to be unable to understand or tune-in to the dangerous atmosphere around her and Jason Bourne.
Back to his appartment in Paris, he almost got killed by an expert assassine. Puzzled at the fact that the assassine rather chose death than to reveal the serect of whom his boss really was, Jason Bourne by now, was very sure that someone wanted him dead than alive. (But he still couldn't convince the charming Marie!).
A series of tangles began to unravel (or to become more tangled?), always sandwiched very well with all the thrills and suspense, plus non stop actions: car chasing, running from soldiers/police, direct combat (one to one fighting with very authentic martial art!), bombs/cars exploded, etc.
Regardless of a very difficult - to - understand plot (why the CIA wanted to invest 3 millions into a member, only to kill him off at the end of the project; Jason Bourne was used as a bait to flush out a very dangerous and most wanted terrorrist, etc), the movie was real lively and terrific.
To many, this movie though was shorter and more exciting than the movie done in 1988, (with Richard Chamberlain and the beautiful Jaclyn Smith), it did lose the real reason why Jason Bourne was used in this Treadstone project in the first place: to flush out the most wanted assassine at the time, Carlos, as the book from Ludlum was about.
Except for some sceneries taken from France and Germany, the rest of this movie was done in a studio in Czech.
(wrote this movie for a friend, about a month ago!)
Eurotrip, 2004
Watched it with reluctance in the beginning, for I did not really know the young cast so well, except for Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy), who played one of the twins, Jenny. Were suprised to see Lucy Lawless and Matt Damon in it, and thought the movie must have something good in it!
Plot summary: Being dumped by his girlfriend Fiona on his graduation day (high school), Scott was very upset, especially when he was humiliated in public (in front of his school friends), about Fiona's unfaithfulness. Soon after that, Scott thought the German penpal whom he was really fond of, was trying to make a pass at him as a homosexual, Scott angrily told the person off, and declined to see Mieke if/when that person ever came to US.
Realised too late that Mieke was a girl, not a boy, Scott did his best to travel to Berlin to apologise to her in person (since his insulting email made Mieke too angry, that she blocked his contact from her afterwards!). Being a very unadventurous type, Scott's decision to travel was not really his, but because he was provoked into doing it by one of his cheesy sloppy friend, Cooper.
Not only the trip to Europe was hilarious, but right from the beginning of the movie, it was already full of scenes &/or dialogues that aimed to make people laugh.
Perhaps the movie aimed to laugh at and with the young school leavers, most of whom was very curious about sex, fun, and the human anatomy of the opposite sex. While Scott was always straightlace, stiff in his principle, his co-traveller Cooper always managed to take him into new troubles. To get out of a certain situation, Scott and Cooper contacted the twins, Jenny and Jamie, who were also traveling in Europe at the time, to help Scott get to Berlin to see his Mieke.
Begin another series of hilarious events, with the "foursome" in all sort of problems while they were in Europe: the long queuing to see the famous scenes of Europe, how Scott teased a "mime" robot while he was sick of queuing, and how he got into robot fights with the guy; the funny scenes in which the group was stalked by a pervert (guess it was the same "mime" robot guy while they were on the expressed train); how cheesy and sex mad Cooper got into trouble when he thought he was in a sex heaven (Lucy Lawless was very different to Xena while playing the Madam in this movie); how vague and childlike Jamie got his first lession in sex, resulted in losing his and his group's money and important papers while Jenny and Scott innocently ate some cakes they shouldn't have; how the group hitchhiking with a drunk and got nowhere but more trouble ahead; how the group ended in East Berlin and with US$1.28 cents (roughly), they got pampered like kings and queen there, and were served strange alcohols, etc.
The laugh at Europe did not end there: the group went to Vatican, not because they were religious or anything, but only to help Scott get to his Mieke before she joined a certain travelling trip to somewhere "unreproachable". In ignorance, cheesy Cooper rang the bell which often used only to announce the death of the current Pope of Vaticant. Within seconds of that, also by accident, Cooper threw a burnt "bishop" hat into the fireplace, producing the smoke into a special chimney, annoucing another news, "a new pope has been elected successfully"... Last but not least, Scott happened to see his adorable Mieke (through the window) with the crowd right there, and he rushed to the balcony to call out her name, without realising that by a series of accidents, he had gowned himself in gold curtain robe, pope hat, still holding to the "shepherd" stick of the pope, and was right at the balcony where the new pope always stood to greet the crowd...
Interesting to see Matt Damon appeared in this movie, (after seeing him played roles that so serious in thrillers like: Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy, etc) though briefly as a spunk singer (I did not really recognise him, until I saw his name in the cast!).
Finished the movie, though still amuse with it, I wondered how the European really think about it (especially the scene in which a crazy English football team chased after a French guy on the street!). Hope they don't get too upset with Hollywood for making this silly and very entertaining movie. Worth the 90 minutes or so it lasts!
Filming locations which involved Prague, Czech:
- Paris Railway station scene, was actually Hlavni Railway Station, Prague, Czech Republic
- the scene in which a crazy English football team chased the French guy in front of Grand Hotel Bohemia, was Kralodvorska 4, Praha 1, Prague, Czech Republic
- the National Museum of Prague
- etc.
(wrote this review for my friend, about a month ago!)
Plot summary: Being dumped by his girlfriend Fiona on his graduation day (high school), Scott was very upset, especially when he was humiliated in public (in front of his school friends), about Fiona's unfaithfulness. Soon after that, Scott thought the German penpal whom he was really fond of, was trying to make a pass at him as a homosexual, Scott angrily told the person off, and declined to see Mieke if/when that person ever came to US.
Realised too late that Mieke was a girl, not a boy, Scott did his best to travel to Berlin to apologise to her in person (since his insulting email made Mieke too angry, that she blocked his contact from her afterwards!). Being a very unadventurous type, Scott's decision to travel was not really his, but because he was provoked into doing it by one of his cheesy sloppy friend, Cooper.
Not only the trip to Europe was hilarious, but right from the beginning of the movie, it was already full of scenes &/or dialogues that aimed to make people laugh.
Perhaps the movie aimed to laugh at and with the young school leavers, most of whom was very curious about sex, fun, and the human anatomy of the opposite sex. While Scott was always straightlace, stiff in his principle, his co-traveller Cooper always managed to take him into new troubles. To get out of a certain situation, Scott and Cooper contacted the twins, Jenny and Jamie, who were also traveling in Europe at the time, to help Scott get to Berlin to see his Mieke.
Begin another series of hilarious events, with the "foursome" in all sort of problems while they were in Europe: the long queuing to see the famous scenes of Europe, how Scott teased a "mime" robot while he was sick of queuing, and how he got into robot fights with the guy; the funny scenes in which the group was stalked by a pervert (guess it was the same "mime" robot guy while they were on the expressed train); how cheesy and sex mad Cooper got into trouble when he thought he was in a sex heaven (Lucy Lawless was very different to Xena while playing the Madam in this movie); how vague and childlike Jamie got his first lession in sex, resulted in losing his and his group's money and important papers while Jenny and Scott innocently ate some cakes they shouldn't have; how the group hitchhiking with a drunk and got nowhere but more trouble ahead; how the group ended in East Berlin and with US$1.28 cents (roughly), they got pampered like kings and queen there, and were served strange alcohols, etc.
The laugh at Europe did not end there: the group went to Vatican, not because they were religious or anything, but only to help Scott get to his Mieke before she joined a certain travelling trip to somewhere "unreproachable". In ignorance, cheesy Cooper rang the bell which often used only to announce the death of the current Pope of Vaticant. Within seconds of that, also by accident, Cooper threw a burnt "bishop" hat into the fireplace, producing the smoke into a special chimney, annoucing another news, "a new pope has been elected successfully"... Last but not least, Scott happened to see his adorable Mieke (through the window) with the crowd right there, and he rushed to the balcony to call out her name, without realising that by a series of accidents, he had gowned himself in gold curtain robe, pope hat, still holding to the "shepherd" stick of the pope, and was right at the balcony where the new pope always stood to greet the crowd...
Interesting to see Matt Damon appeared in this movie, (after seeing him played roles that so serious in thrillers like: Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy, etc) though briefly as a spunk singer (I did not really recognise him, until I saw his name in the cast!).
Finished the movie, though still amuse with it, I wondered how the European really think about it (especially the scene in which a crazy English football team chased after a French guy on the street!). Hope they don't get too upset with Hollywood for making this silly and very entertaining movie. Worth the 90 minutes or so it lasts!
Filming locations which involved Prague, Czech:
- Paris Railway station scene, was actually Hlavni Railway Station, Prague, Czech Republic
- the scene in which a crazy English football team chased the French guy in front of Grand Hotel Bohemia, was Kralodvorska 4, Praha 1, Prague, Czech Republic
- the National Museum of Prague
- etc.
(wrote this review for my friend, about a month ago!)
The Brothers Grimm, 2005
A beautiful movie, with beautiful sceneries, costume, music in the background, etc. The movie however, is a mix between horror, thriller, dark comedy, fantasy, fairy tales, historical, etc. The main characters of the movie: two brothers, who were also con artists, traveled around Europe, faked their witchcraft to earn a living. When they traveled to a French occupied German area, they got captured by a jealous and a bit extremed French general, for this general believed they had been the culprit of 11 other unsolved kidnaps, all of them children, of a certain village closed by.
Facing excution, the brothers had no choice but to face the unknown & very real evil, just to find out where all those children had disappeared to.
In the dark and eery forest, as well as right at that village, they witnessed first hand all the strange and scary things which were still happening around them.
From a trapper of the village, (a young and pretty lady named Angelica), they learned that the village had a bad plague long time ago, which caused the queen to build a high tower for herself with the hope to avoid the same death as her king and her other subjects at the time.
The movie was full of hilarious scenes, sandwiched with shocking and intentionally horrified the viewers: licking the ugly toad, tiny insects burst out and seemed to attack people/animals around, black crows everywhere in the gloomy forest with trees which creeping along like snakes, poor peasant stripping the fur & gutting/dangling a small animal (to show how gloomy life was at the time?), etc.
Entwined with those, was traces of fairy tales: the wicked queen and the magical mirror (Snow White), the high tower with the beautiful queen there by herself (Rapunzel), little girl in red cape happily picking flowers and running wild in the forest before they got disappeared (Red Riding Hood), etc...
After all the thrilling and heart stopping moments, fortunately the movie ended happily, with all the wicked and evil gone for goods (hopefully), and all the dead/disappeared, suddenly woke up, or magically re-appear. Make viewers couldn't help smiling for the simplicity behind it.
One wondered, "what did the French think when they saw this movie? Didn't they think that the movie was a poke at them somehow, when compared their rule at the time to a sort of evil magic, with the dead queen constantly tried to suck up youthful energy from little girls in order to preserve her beauty to eternity?"
But then, the French Power at the 18th, 19th century was Napoleon, (who was defeated later) so who cared if that power was laughed at, right?
(wrote this review for my friend about a month ago!)
Facing excution, the brothers had no choice but to face the unknown & very real evil, just to find out where all those children had disappeared to.
In the dark and eery forest, as well as right at that village, they witnessed first hand all the strange and scary things which were still happening around them.
From a trapper of the village, (a young and pretty lady named Angelica), they learned that the village had a bad plague long time ago, which caused the queen to build a high tower for herself with the hope to avoid the same death as her king and her other subjects at the time.
The movie was full of hilarious scenes, sandwiched with shocking and intentionally horrified the viewers: licking the ugly toad, tiny insects burst out and seemed to attack people/animals around, black crows everywhere in the gloomy forest with trees which creeping along like snakes, poor peasant stripping the fur & gutting/dangling a small animal (to show how gloomy life was at the time?), etc.
Entwined with those, was traces of fairy tales: the wicked queen and the magical mirror (Snow White), the high tower with the beautiful queen there by herself (Rapunzel), little girl in red cape happily picking flowers and running wild in the forest before they got disappeared (Red Riding Hood), etc...
After all the thrilling and heart stopping moments, fortunately the movie ended happily, with all the wicked and evil gone for goods (hopefully), and all the dead/disappeared, suddenly woke up, or magically re-appear. Make viewers couldn't help smiling for the simplicity behind it.
One wondered, "what did the French think when they saw this movie? Didn't they think that the movie was a poke at them somehow, when compared their rule at the time to a sort of evil magic, with the dead queen constantly tried to suck up youthful energy from little girls in order to preserve her beauty to eternity?"
But then, the French Power at the 18th, 19th century was Napoleon, (who was defeated later) so who cared if that power was laughed at, right?
(wrote this review for my friend about a month ago!)
Van Helsing, 2004
A successful movie! The cast are so beautifully and properly chosen for their roles, the music appropriate, and the background, the costume, all managed to make the movie became a great hit.
Honestly, I was reluctant to watch any more Vampire movies prior to this one. But finish watching this, I thought this movie was a real work of art.
If Richard Roxburgh was brilliantly as Count Dracular, handsome, wicked, ruthless, charming, etc, depended on his mood, then Hugh Jackman was definitely not less in his role as Van Helsing, the famous and notorious vampire/monster hunter.
Balanced the evil and ugliness of the evil world, director Stephen Sommers skillfully added 3 beautiful (sexy, and exotic looking) brides of Count Dracular, as well as the marverlous and striking female vampire hunter Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale).
Not only that, the presence of the "priest/monk" comapion Carlos (David Wenham) and his incredible range of weapons which he invented with the purpose of destroying vampires, never failed to make the viewers smiled and thought of all the gadgets in James Bond movies.
A bit sad, when the beautiful and virtuous Anna Valerious was dead at the end of the movie, perhaps to follow her ancestors (all were vampire hunters), and her brother's soul (who was turned into a werewolf while fighting the wicked enemy) into eternity, passed through St Peter's Gate, which was not openned before due to the presence of Count Dracular (?).
The ending was a bit sad, but fit in very well with the theme of the movie, where the hero walked away, continued with his mission of bringing peace to the universe, and Count Dracular gone forever for goods.
A few points that puzzled me,
- why Dracular could be destroyed by a broken neck, and nothing else before that could?
- Anna Valerious while fighing, her gorgeous hair was never seemed to be out of shape! Incredible!
This movie also reminded me of "The Brother Grimms", but perhaps it had its own beauty and magnificent scenes (as well as all the hilarities peppered here and there throughout the movie).
(wrote this review for my friend, about a month ago!)
Honestly, I was reluctant to watch any more Vampire movies prior to this one. But finish watching this, I thought this movie was a real work of art.
If Richard Roxburgh was brilliantly as Count Dracular, handsome, wicked, ruthless, charming, etc, depended on his mood, then Hugh Jackman was definitely not less in his role as Van Helsing, the famous and notorious vampire/monster hunter.
Balanced the evil and ugliness of the evil world, director Stephen Sommers skillfully added 3 beautiful (sexy, and exotic looking) brides of Count Dracular, as well as the marverlous and striking female vampire hunter Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale).
Not only that, the presence of the "priest/monk" comapion Carlos (David Wenham) and his incredible range of weapons which he invented with the purpose of destroying vampires, never failed to make the viewers smiled and thought of all the gadgets in James Bond movies.
A bit sad, when the beautiful and virtuous Anna Valerious was dead at the end of the movie, perhaps to follow her ancestors (all were vampire hunters), and her brother's soul (who was turned into a werewolf while fighting the wicked enemy) into eternity, passed through St Peter's Gate, which was not openned before due to the presence of Count Dracular (?).
The ending was a bit sad, but fit in very well with the theme of the movie, where the hero walked away, continued with his mission of bringing peace to the universe, and Count Dracular gone forever for goods.
A few points that puzzled me,
- why Dracular could be destroyed by a broken neck, and nothing else before that could?
- Anna Valerious while fighing, her gorgeous hair was never seemed to be out of shape! Incredible!
This movie also reminded me of "The Brother Grimms", but perhaps it had its own beauty and magnificent scenes (as well as all the hilarities peppered here and there throughout the movie).
(wrote this review for my friend, about a month ago!)
Oliver Twist, 2005
The movie is 130 minute long, with respect to the famous musical version in 1968 "Oliver!", which was 153 minutes.
Based on a well known book of Charles Dickens, (of the same name), this movie told of the story of a young orphaned boy, Oliver Twist. From a hard life, constantly hungry for love and food within the workhouse where he was sent to, to being sold to an undertaker and got mistreated there, Oliver Twist began his journey to London, to find a better life. He was welcomed there by a gang of young pickpockets, whose leader was the famous crook Fagin. Witnessing his new friends pickpocketed others, he was too shocked, and got caught instead. Being clear of the wrong doing, he was cared for by the very same gentlement who was pickpocketed in the first place, Mr Brownlow.
Fagin and his partner Bill Sikes caught up with Oliver Twist when he least expected them, for the little boy was by then, thought the old days with the pickpockets were completely over. Oliver Twist was forced to help the baddies burglarised Mr Browlow's house, but things did not happen as planned by Fagin. Oliver Twist got injured in the process, but recovered later.
A good ending, resulted in a bright future ahead for young Oliver Twist, with all the baddies of the movie got dealt with accordingly.
The costumes and sceneries were beautiful, music was good, but this movie could not be compared to the same level as the famous musical "Oliver!" of the 1968. The new Fagin of this movie almost looked as good as the Fagin in the old version (Ron Moody), but with respect to acting, Ron Moody did a much better job.
Perhaps the fact that Mark Lester, the kid who played Oliver Twist in the musical, was only about 9-10 YO when the movie was done, did make the difference to the success of the movie? He looked and acted in a very innocent manner, represent very well a victim of the environment, society and mishaps of the time. The Oliver Twist kid in the new version (2005), Barney Clark, who was a bit older, did look a bit more calculating, and thus, it was hard to feel deeply for his situation. But then perhaps it was the intention of the director?
There seemed to be a slightly different theme in this new version, 2005. Oliver Twist in this case, was more prepared to fight for what he believed was right. His situations also seemed to be better and better with time, which reached a certain climax, and happily, stayed there (we hope!), as the book/movie implied.
Nancy of the new version 2005, for some reason, missed out the vivacity and passionate for life and everything about her, as the old Nancy in the musical version did (played by Shani Wallis). All in all, this new movie was good, but may not be able to stir the same feelings within the viewers (sad, happy, etc) to the same extent as the 1968 musical version.
(Wrote this review for my friend a month ago!)
Based on a well known book of Charles Dickens, (of the same name), this movie told of the story of a young orphaned boy, Oliver Twist. From a hard life, constantly hungry for love and food within the workhouse where he was sent to, to being sold to an undertaker and got mistreated there, Oliver Twist began his journey to London, to find a better life. He was welcomed there by a gang of young pickpockets, whose leader was the famous crook Fagin. Witnessing his new friends pickpocketed others, he was too shocked, and got caught instead. Being clear of the wrong doing, he was cared for by the very same gentlement who was pickpocketed in the first place, Mr Brownlow.
Fagin and his partner Bill Sikes caught up with Oliver Twist when he least expected them, for the little boy was by then, thought the old days with the pickpockets were completely over. Oliver Twist was forced to help the baddies burglarised Mr Browlow's house, but things did not happen as planned by Fagin. Oliver Twist got injured in the process, but recovered later.
A good ending, resulted in a bright future ahead for young Oliver Twist, with all the baddies of the movie got dealt with accordingly.
The costumes and sceneries were beautiful, music was good, but this movie could not be compared to the same level as the famous musical "Oliver!" of the 1968. The new Fagin of this movie almost looked as good as the Fagin in the old version (Ron Moody), but with respect to acting, Ron Moody did a much better job.
Perhaps the fact that Mark Lester, the kid who played Oliver Twist in the musical, was only about 9-10 YO when the movie was done, did make the difference to the success of the movie? He looked and acted in a very innocent manner, represent very well a victim of the environment, society and mishaps of the time. The Oliver Twist kid in the new version (2005), Barney Clark, who was a bit older, did look a bit more calculating, and thus, it was hard to feel deeply for his situation. But then perhaps it was the intention of the director?
There seemed to be a slightly different theme in this new version, 2005. Oliver Twist in this case, was more prepared to fight for what he believed was right. His situations also seemed to be better and better with time, which reached a certain climax, and happily, stayed there (we hope!), as the book/movie implied.
Nancy of the new version 2005, for some reason, missed out the vivacity and passionate for life and everything about her, as the old Nancy in the musical version did (played by Shani Wallis). All in all, this new movie was good, but may not be able to stir the same feelings within the viewers (sad, happy, etc) to the same extent as the 1968 musical version.
(Wrote this review for my friend a month ago!)
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
ANZAC 2007
yah yah, ANZAC is a special national day to all Australians... but how many of us, who belong to the younger generations, know exactly what ANZAC really means?
I happened to get into a page about ANZAC. Most of the kids (primary/elemetary school age!), said about ANZAC as, "It is a day to memorise all Australian soldiers who fought outside Australia and died!"...
Me, I know that they do sell ANZAC biscuits in supermarkets everywhere in Australia (I think so!), which are hard like rocks (or close to it!), and most of the time, quite expensive. I believe they use the money (or profit) from selling these cookies, to do something with ANZAC (hope so, or we should sue the people who make them! They are not for the weaks to chew, unless you consider dipping these hard cookies in hot tea/milk to soften them first before putting your teeth to the test...)
(I bought some before, when they were on sale, to save money!)
Being gifted with a short (very short) memory, I had to search over and over again, until I found the true meaning of ANZAC. (They said most terrific scientists are often absent minded and short memory like that, so I don't feel "handicap" at all, hehehe....).
Here is it:
- ANZAC: Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
- 25th of April, 1916, the first anniversary of ANZAC, to commemorate the first military action ever of the ANZAC at Gallipoli Peninsula, in which the ANZAC group was supposed to help the allies (included French, Russia, Italy, UK and US) against the "Central Powers" (Austria-Hungary, German, Ottoman Empire) by knocking Turkey out of the war. Over 8000 Australian soldiers were killed at Gallipoli. The total of about 20000 Australian soldiers killed by the time the WWI ended.
Don't know about other states of Australia, but here in Melbourne, 99.99% of shops, stores, etc, closed down for this anniversary. The big male organised a swimming trip for the whole family, but the place was closed. We later headed to a big shopping plaza closed by, it was closed too (as other big stores, shops all around Melbourne).
Turned on the TV (while doing the housework!), and saw some old soldiers tottering in some ANZAC march in London. Took me awhile to figure out that these gentlemen did not come from the first WW, but the second...
Complicated isn't it, the way small nations joined the allies to fight in a big war! It is in truth, a "give and take" business, "I join you in fighting a war now, so that you would help my country later when we need your help...".
I happened to get into a page about ANZAC. Most of the kids (primary/elemetary school age!), said about ANZAC as, "It is a day to memorise all Australian soldiers who fought outside Australia and died!"...
Me, I know that they do sell ANZAC biscuits in supermarkets everywhere in Australia (I think so!), which are hard like rocks (or close to it!), and most of the time, quite expensive. I believe they use the money (or profit) from selling these cookies, to do something with ANZAC (hope so, or we should sue the people who make them! They are not for the weaks to chew, unless you consider dipping these hard cookies in hot tea/milk to soften them first before putting your teeth to the test...)
(I bought some before, when they were on sale, to save money!)
Being gifted with a short (very short) memory, I had to search over and over again, until I found the true meaning of ANZAC. (They said most terrific scientists are often absent minded and short memory like that, so I don't feel "handicap" at all, hehehe....).
Here is it:
- ANZAC: Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
- 25th of April, 1916, the first anniversary of ANZAC, to commemorate the first military action ever of the ANZAC at Gallipoli Peninsula, in which the ANZAC group was supposed to help the allies (included French, Russia, Italy, UK and US) against the "Central Powers" (Austria-Hungary, German, Ottoman Empire) by knocking Turkey out of the war. Over 8000 Australian soldiers were killed at Gallipoli. The total of about 20000 Australian soldiers killed by the time the WWI ended.
Don't know about other states of Australia, but here in Melbourne, 99.99% of shops, stores, etc, closed down for this anniversary. The big male organised a swimming trip for the whole family, but the place was closed. We later headed to a big shopping plaza closed by, it was closed too (as other big stores, shops all around Melbourne).
Turned on the TV (while doing the housework!), and saw some old soldiers tottering in some ANZAC march in London. Took me awhile to figure out that these gentlemen did not come from the first WW, but the second...
Complicated isn't it, the way small nations joined the allies to fight in a big war! It is in truth, a "give and take" business, "I join you in fighting a war now, so that you would help my country later when we need your help...".
Monday, April 23, 2007
the 14th post
Can't leave the posts at number 13! (because it doesn't sound good at all, hehehe...).
I feel much better today, after a weekend relaxing. Managed to do quite a bit of housework today too, as well as finished watching the movie "Tristan & Isolde" (2006). I had begun watching the first part of that movie about 2 weeks ago, but due to all sort of problems with the English subtitle, I sort of stopped until today. (Yes, I was unfortunate enough, to have a foreign version, which do not use English at all... Thus I had no choice, but to search for the English subtitle for that movie. Alas, the timing for that subtitle version which I got from the internet, did not synchronize with the movie, however I tried. It killed the joy of watching that movie a bit. Plus the fact, that I hate watching any movie which is about love triangle...).
Oh well, I finished it today! (and was surprised that that movie was not bad at all. The movie seemed to become better from the second half I think!).
What a pity, that Sophia Myles had to play a weak role (submissive to her father's will, be that a king of a huge kingdom namely Irish after the fall of the Roman Empire!)... I admired her so much when she was wearing high heels, short skirt, and always in pink, real ladylike in the role of Lady Penelope. It was incredible watching her using martial art with ease in that movie....
I should look for the biography of Rufus Sewell! I am curious about him. He seems to have a certain magnetic pull to others (me included of course...), be it a baddy or a goody role that he has to play...
(I first noticed him when doing review for the movie "A Knight Tale" for my friend. Perhaps I should dig all the reviews I had done for my friends, and put them here too?)
I feel much better today, after a weekend relaxing. Managed to do quite a bit of housework today too, as well as finished watching the movie "Tristan & Isolde" (2006). I had begun watching the first part of that movie about 2 weeks ago, but due to all sort of problems with the English subtitle, I sort of stopped until today. (Yes, I was unfortunate enough, to have a foreign version, which do not use English at all... Thus I had no choice, but to search for the English subtitle for that movie. Alas, the timing for that subtitle version which I got from the internet, did not synchronize with the movie, however I tried. It killed the joy of watching that movie a bit. Plus the fact, that I hate watching any movie which is about love triangle...).
Oh well, I finished it today! (and was surprised that that movie was not bad at all. The movie seemed to become better from the second half I think!).
What a pity, that Sophia Myles had to play a weak role (submissive to her father's will, be that a king of a huge kingdom namely Irish after the fall of the Roman Empire!)... I admired her so much when she was wearing high heels, short skirt, and always in pink, real ladylike in the role of Lady Penelope. It was incredible watching her using martial art with ease in that movie....
I should look for the biography of Rufus Sewell! I am curious about him. He seems to have a certain magnetic pull to others (me included of course...), be it a baddy or a goody role that he has to play...
(I first noticed him when doing review for the movie "A Knight Tale" for my friend. Perhaps I should dig all the reviews I had done for my friends, and put them here too?)
Tristan & Isolde, 2006
Felt slightly uneasy with the "too good looking" Tristan (James Franco), for he seemed a bit too young and too pretty for the role. Just a vague feeling, that our Tristane was some how, seemed uncomfortable at certain scenes (especially the love scenes with Isolde). Other than that, he was fine with all the fighting, being heroes and all. (Tristan was second in command after king Marke at the time).
Rufus Sewell was again marvelous, mysterious and very enigmatic in the role of king Marke, the king at the time of all the British tribes. Watching him, one could almost feel his emotion and sincerity, his devotion to his kingdom and the people around him, especially, his paternal love for Tristan.
Sophia Myles gave a good performance in here, as our beautiful, naive, seductive (to our Tristan) and very emotional/sentimental princess of Ireland, Isolde.
The movie is beautiful in general (cast, music, costumes, filming locations, etc), about the trouble time between old Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire and Ireland. Britain broke up into several clans/tribes, and between the wars between the tribes themselves, the Britain also had to deal with the frequent attack from the united and quite aggressive Ireland at the time.
Tristan's father was a head of one such Britain tribes. Tristan's parents were killed during a sudden raid by the enemy, as many others. Little Tristan was saved by king Marke in the nick of time, with king Marke lost one hand because of that heroic act. Tristan was brought up by king Marke, and practically was raised as king's Marke's adopted son. He grew up with king Marke's nephews and nieces.
Become one among the greatest wariors of king Marke's army, Tristan dreamt to revenge for his parents' death.
While rescued his people from the enemy in a certain raid and successfully killed the enemy who murdered his parents (Morholt), Tristan was injured with a strange poison, which numbed him completely. He was farewelled in a tribal burial ceremony, in which he was floated away on a barge, with fire arrows shot at his barge from afar. Surprisingly, his barge floated to Ireland, where Isolde was living at the time. Since she was well versed in herbal medicines, Isolde brought Tristan back from the state of close to death door. The love between them blossomed during the time they spent with each other in an isolated area (a cave on a hillside, which was next to the white sand, seashore, etc).
In secret, Isolde nursed Tristan, and when his presence on the enemy soil was almost found out, Isolde quickly arranged for Tristan to leave, told him that she was just a lady in waiting, named Bragnae. By then, she was resigned to her fate, forced to marry Morholt. She did not know then that Morholt was already killed by Tristan.
With Morholt gone, the king of Ireland planned to use his daughter: princess Isolde, to divide the British tribes, to conquer them completely later. A tournament was organised, the would be winner would be given princess Isolde as the prize.
Tristan galantly promised king Marke, that he would join the tournament on behalf of the king, to win princess Isolde for king Marke. Thus he did successfully, only to be in agony later when he found out the identity of who the princess Isolde really was.
Due to honor and for the peace of the British tribes, Tristan asked Isolde to forget their romance, and focus in the future as the wife of king Marke.
Easy said than done, Tristan found himself very jealous with the king, and angry with Isolde for forgeting him that fast. Isolde was unhappy too, and eventually with time, she managed to convince Tristan to continue with their love in secret.
They were found out by a warrior of king Marke's army. This warrior secretly planned with the Irish king, to remove king Marke and Tristan, so that he could be replaced as the new king of the British tribes. He managed to convince Melot, Tristan's cousin (king Marke's nephew) to help him carrying out the plan. Melot was killed later, but he died in peace in Tristan's arms.
The trap was set, Tristan was meeting Isolde in the forest, to severe their relationship once for all, for he did not want to betray king Marke's any more, especially when he realised the depth of king Marke's love for Isolde. King Marke was taken there by the traitor, in the company of other warriors and the Irish king. The Irish king used this excuse to blame king Marke for dishonor his daughter, and announce the break off of the unity between Ireland and Britain.
Got jailed, Tristan was in real sorrow for hurting king Marke, the person he thought of very highly as his own father. He never knew about the war that was about to take place outside his prison.
King Marke tried to understand why he got betrayed by Tristan and his darling wife. Isolde explained to him the truth, about the love she and Tristan shared a long time ago on the Irish shore, when Tristan was half dead half alive because of the poison. She told the king of the sacrifice Tristan made, out of duty and honor, and Isolde's forever love for Tristan.
Touched by the truth, king Marke released Tristan, and wanted Tristan and Isolde to leave. Tristan however, decided not to let history concluded that, because of their love, that king Marke's kingdom and power was destroyed. He parted with Isolde for good, and determined to return to fight side by side with king Marke.
Just by luck, that he returned in time to save the war and king Marke's life. He got injured badly, and collapsed after beheading the traitor, as well as shooting the Irish king.
King Marke fullfilled Tristan's last wish: taking the dying Tristan to the river, where Tristan had often met Isolde in secret. Isolde was brought there by one of king Marke's warrior, to farewell Tristan the last time. He died practically in her arms. Isolde burried Tristan under the Roman ruin (one of the place they had often met in secret), planted some willow trees there, and disappeared. According to the legend, the 2 willows which Isolde planted, forever enterwined with each other.
King Marke defeated the Irish after that, and managed to maintain peace over his kingdom. The love between Tristan and Isolde did not, in truth, ever destroy king Marke's army and kingdom as some had claimed.
The movie was very touching at the end. The music was so haunting.
All in all, it was a beautiful movie which has a very sad ending for a young love that was cut short.
Imagine my shock, when I realise Sophia Myles was in Thunderbirds (2004) as the spunky Miss Penelope. She was good in Tristan & Isolde, but I think she was 100 times more terrific and wonderful in Thunderbirds.
Rufus Sewell was again marvelous, mysterious and very enigmatic in the role of king Marke, the king at the time of all the British tribes. Watching him, one could almost feel his emotion and sincerity, his devotion to his kingdom and the people around him, especially, his paternal love for Tristan.
Sophia Myles gave a good performance in here, as our beautiful, naive, seductive (to our Tristan) and very emotional/sentimental princess of Ireland, Isolde.
The movie is beautiful in general (cast, music, costumes, filming locations, etc), about the trouble time between old Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire and Ireland. Britain broke up into several clans/tribes, and between the wars between the tribes themselves, the Britain also had to deal with the frequent attack from the united and quite aggressive Ireland at the time.
Tristan's father was a head of one such Britain tribes. Tristan's parents were killed during a sudden raid by the enemy, as many others. Little Tristan was saved by king Marke in the nick of time, with king Marke lost one hand because of that heroic act. Tristan was brought up by king Marke, and practically was raised as king's Marke's adopted son. He grew up with king Marke's nephews and nieces.
Become one among the greatest wariors of king Marke's army, Tristan dreamt to revenge for his parents' death.
While rescued his people from the enemy in a certain raid and successfully killed the enemy who murdered his parents (Morholt), Tristan was injured with a strange poison, which numbed him completely. He was farewelled in a tribal burial ceremony, in which he was floated away on a barge, with fire arrows shot at his barge from afar. Surprisingly, his barge floated to Ireland, where Isolde was living at the time. Since she was well versed in herbal medicines, Isolde brought Tristan back from the state of close to death door. The love between them blossomed during the time they spent with each other in an isolated area (a cave on a hillside, which was next to the white sand, seashore, etc).
In secret, Isolde nursed Tristan, and when his presence on the enemy soil was almost found out, Isolde quickly arranged for Tristan to leave, told him that she was just a lady in waiting, named Bragnae. By then, she was resigned to her fate, forced to marry Morholt. She did not know then that Morholt was already killed by Tristan.
With Morholt gone, the king of Ireland planned to use his daughter: princess Isolde, to divide the British tribes, to conquer them completely later. A tournament was organised, the would be winner would be given princess Isolde as the prize.
Tristan galantly promised king Marke, that he would join the tournament on behalf of the king, to win princess Isolde for king Marke. Thus he did successfully, only to be in agony later when he found out the identity of who the princess Isolde really was.
Due to honor and for the peace of the British tribes, Tristan asked Isolde to forget their romance, and focus in the future as the wife of king Marke.
Easy said than done, Tristan found himself very jealous with the king, and angry with Isolde for forgeting him that fast. Isolde was unhappy too, and eventually with time, she managed to convince Tristan to continue with their love in secret.
They were found out by a warrior of king Marke's army. This warrior secretly planned with the Irish king, to remove king Marke and Tristan, so that he could be replaced as the new king of the British tribes. He managed to convince Melot, Tristan's cousin (king Marke's nephew) to help him carrying out the plan. Melot was killed later, but he died in peace in Tristan's arms.
The trap was set, Tristan was meeting Isolde in the forest, to severe their relationship once for all, for he did not want to betray king Marke's any more, especially when he realised the depth of king Marke's love for Isolde. King Marke was taken there by the traitor, in the company of other warriors and the Irish king. The Irish king used this excuse to blame king Marke for dishonor his daughter, and announce the break off of the unity between Ireland and Britain.
Got jailed, Tristan was in real sorrow for hurting king Marke, the person he thought of very highly as his own father. He never knew about the war that was about to take place outside his prison.
King Marke tried to understand why he got betrayed by Tristan and his darling wife. Isolde explained to him the truth, about the love she and Tristan shared a long time ago on the Irish shore, when Tristan was half dead half alive because of the poison. She told the king of the sacrifice Tristan made, out of duty and honor, and Isolde's forever love for Tristan.
Touched by the truth, king Marke released Tristan, and wanted Tristan and Isolde to leave. Tristan however, decided not to let history concluded that, because of their love, that king Marke's kingdom and power was destroyed. He parted with Isolde for good, and determined to return to fight side by side with king Marke.
Just by luck, that he returned in time to save the war and king Marke's life. He got injured badly, and collapsed after beheading the traitor, as well as shooting the Irish king.
King Marke fullfilled Tristan's last wish: taking the dying Tristan to the river, where Tristan had often met Isolde in secret. Isolde was brought there by one of king Marke's warrior, to farewell Tristan the last time. He died practically in her arms. Isolde burried Tristan under the Roman ruin (one of the place they had often met in secret), planted some willow trees there, and disappeared. According to the legend, the 2 willows which Isolde planted, forever enterwined with each other.
King Marke defeated the Irish after that, and managed to maintain peace over his kingdom. The love between Tristan and Isolde did not, in truth, ever destroy king Marke's army and kingdom as some had claimed.
The movie was very touching at the end. The music was so haunting.
All in all, it was a beautiful movie which has a very sad ending for a young love that was cut short.
Imagine my shock, when I realise Sophia Myles was in Thunderbirds (2004) as the spunky Miss Penelope. She was good in Tristan & Isolde, but I think she was 100 times more terrific and wonderful in Thunderbirds.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Curtin, 2007
Saw the name of this movie, and tried to find the plot/summary on google.
There was none!
Crossed my fingers, and sat there, watching it regardless (thinking, perhaps it is one of some thrillers?)...
No such luck!
Turned out that this movie was about the 14th prime misnister of Australia, one among the greatest/best of Australia prime ministers: John Joseph Ambrose Curtin (1941-1945).
He made very wise decisions during his term in office (happened to be the time the second world war was about to happen), in order to protect Australia. He passed away while in office, 6 weeks before the war ended in the pacific.
A few of his brilliant of his decisons:
- put US General Douglas MacArthur in charge of Australia’s defence forces (instead of letting the British took over!).
- ensured that Australia was free of unemployment after the WWII.
(I stopped watching the movie, once I knew what it was about!)
There was none!
Crossed my fingers, and sat there, watching it regardless (thinking, perhaps it is one of some thrillers?)...
No such luck!
Turned out that this movie was about the 14th prime misnister of Australia, one among the greatest/best of Australia prime ministers: John Joseph Ambrose Curtin (1941-1945).
He made very wise decisions during his term in office (happened to be the time the second world war was about to happen), in order to protect Australia. He passed away while in office, 6 weeks before the war ended in the pacific.
A few of his brilliant of his decisons:
- put US General Douglas MacArthur in charge of Australia’s defence forces (instead of letting the British took over!).
- ensured that Australia was free of unemployment after the WWII.
(I stopped watching the movie, once I knew what it was about!)
God's Providence?
I kept wondering about the purpose of this period of my life. What does God want me to do?
I don't know what to think!
In darkness, I am trying my best to figure out a way to get out of this tunnel. There has to be a way out, don't you think?
Perhaps 5 years from now, I would look back to this period of my life, and smile?
(Would I?)
I don't know what to think!
In darkness, I am trying my best to figure out a way to get out of this tunnel. There has to be a way out, don't you think?
Perhaps 5 years from now, I would look back to this period of my life, and smile?
(Would I?)
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Cutthroat Island, 1995
After watching Geena Davis in "The Long Kiss Goodnight"(1996), I was so impressed with her performance and charismatic personality, that I have begun to like her since then.
I was surprised however, to find out that the movie "Cutthroat Island", done prior to "The Long Kiss Goodnight" was considered as a "flop".
Of course, I had watched it before ("glimpsed through" perhaps was a better word!), to me, it was OK (you know the fancy stuff for kids: pirates finding treasures, pirates fighting with pirates, etc), but at the time, I had not noticed much about Geena Davis, and had considered that movie was for kids more than for adults.
Accidentally seeing the DVD of this movie a few days ago, with the name of Geena Davis very clearly on the cover, I happily grabbed it.
Watching it this time, I thought, "the movie was great, beautifully done, great cast too, but why didn't it become a success at the time?"
Maybe because the story line was so ordinary, which made viewers sort of "underestimated" the movie a bit?
Or was it because people tend not to notice this sort of movies, too fanciful? (where a beautiful and wild young girl replaced her father as captain of his pirate ship, aimed to search for treasures on his behalf, and at the same time, fighting back the bad, greedy and ruthless uncle who killed her father).
The locations where the filming was done, were so beautiful with lushful islands, rocky cliffs, vast oceans, wild waves/storms, mysterious caves, etc... The fights, the chases, etc, everything, showed that lots of efforts were put into making this movie.
Geena Davis was truly magnificent in this movie just as she did in "The Long Kiss Goodnight".
I was surprised however, to find out that the movie "Cutthroat Island", done prior to "The Long Kiss Goodnight" was considered as a "flop".
Of course, I had watched it before ("glimpsed through" perhaps was a better word!), to me, it was OK (you know the fancy stuff for kids: pirates finding treasures, pirates fighting with pirates, etc), but at the time, I had not noticed much about Geena Davis, and had considered that movie was for kids more than for adults.
Accidentally seeing the DVD of this movie a few days ago, with the name of Geena Davis very clearly on the cover, I happily grabbed it.
Watching it this time, I thought, "the movie was great, beautifully done, great cast too, but why didn't it become a success at the time?"
Maybe because the story line was so ordinary, which made viewers sort of "underestimated" the movie a bit?
Or was it because people tend not to notice this sort of movies, too fanciful? (where a beautiful and wild young girl replaced her father as captain of his pirate ship, aimed to search for treasures on his behalf, and at the same time, fighting back the bad, greedy and ruthless uncle who killed her father).
The locations where the filming was done, were so beautiful with lushful islands, rocky cliffs, vast oceans, wild waves/storms, mysterious caves, etc... The fights, the chases, etc, everything, showed that lots of efforts were put into making this movie.
Geena Davis was truly magnificent in this movie just as she did in "The Long Kiss Goodnight".
How to steal a million, 1966
I have always loved Audrey Hepburn since the time I first watched "My Fair Lady" (1964), then later, "Sabrina" (1954); "Wait Until Dark" (1967), etc. Other movies which I had had the chance to watch, in some of them, I think she was only OK due to the too lengthy and rambling plot.
With that skeptical attitude, I watched "How to steal a million", and was genuine in love with the Nicole character, as well as the whole movie.
Did I imagine, or Audrey Hepburn in this movie, still talked and acted a bit like the Eliza Doolittle of the "My Fair Lady" after being transformed into a noble lady? (Perhaps because the two movies were done very close to each other?).
I was shocked too, when I saw the young and too handsome Peter O'Toole as Detective Simon Dermott (Peter O'Toole of late, seemed to be always looking haggard, tired, and constantly skeptical of life in general!).
The plot was quite interesting, or could it be because of the lively chemistry between the cast, which made the movie quite hilarious and beautiful?
It was about a wealthy art collector, Charles Bonnet (played by Hugh Griffith), whose hobby was to fake famous impressionist painters (eg Van Gough). He made quite a good profit out of selling these painting legitimately as genuine items.
Arrived the detective Simon Dermott, whose task was to prove that these paintings were forgeries. While sneaking into Charles Bonnet's mansion to secretly investigate (at night), he was caught red handed by Charles Bonnet's gorgeous daughter, Nicole Bonnet (played by Audrey Hepburn).
Accidentally shot Dermott in the arm, Nicole Bonnet felt sorry for the good looking and very well dressed burglar, she agreed to drive Dermott back to the Ritz hotel in his very expensive sport car.
Prior to this event, Nicole tried to stop her father from lending out his fake Cellini Venus statue to the Paris Art Museum, but with no success (just liked her other efforts in stopping her father from faking famous paintings).
When the statue was by law, about to be expertly analysed before an insurance of 1 million dollars could be in effect, Nicole and her father were in real panic. Nicole decided to ask the well dressed burglar named Dermott to help her retrieve the statue in secret. Thus they did successfully, with lots of difficulties and thrilling moments.
Romance blossomed between the young couple, but before they could further this relationship, they had to tidy up other matters: the fake statue, Dermott's true identity, Nicole's admirers, Nicole's father's hobby in forgeries, etc.
The movie is very sweet, sandwiched with hilarious moments. A gleeful Charles Bonnet at time, looked so like the famous Fagin (crook, dirty, sneaky and all!) in the musical "Oliver!" , 1968 (Hugh Griffith was also in the latter movie, however, as the magistrate, not as Fagin (Ron Moody played this role)).
I was glad that I had had the chance to watch this wonderful movie of Audrey Hepburn.
With that skeptical attitude, I watched "How to steal a million", and was genuine in love with the Nicole character, as well as the whole movie.
Did I imagine, or Audrey Hepburn in this movie, still talked and acted a bit like the Eliza Doolittle of the "My Fair Lady" after being transformed into a noble lady? (Perhaps because the two movies were done very close to each other?).
I was shocked too, when I saw the young and too handsome Peter O'Toole as Detective Simon Dermott (Peter O'Toole of late, seemed to be always looking haggard, tired, and constantly skeptical of life in general!).
The plot was quite interesting, or could it be because of the lively chemistry between the cast, which made the movie quite hilarious and beautiful?
It was about a wealthy art collector, Charles Bonnet (played by Hugh Griffith), whose hobby was to fake famous impressionist painters (eg Van Gough). He made quite a good profit out of selling these painting legitimately as genuine items.
Arrived the detective Simon Dermott, whose task was to prove that these paintings were forgeries. While sneaking into Charles Bonnet's mansion to secretly investigate (at night), he was caught red handed by Charles Bonnet's gorgeous daughter, Nicole Bonnet (played by Audrey Hepburn).
Accidentally shot Dermott in the arm, Nicole Bonnet felt sorry for the good looking and very well dressed burglar, she agreed to drive Dermott back to the Ritz hotel in his very expensive sport car.
Prior to this event, Nicole tried to stop her father from lending out his fake Cellini Venus statue to the Paris Art Museum, but with no success (just liked her other efforts in stopping her father from faking famous paintings).
When the statue was by law, about to be expertly analysed before an insurance of 1 million dollars could be in effect, Nicole and her father were in real panic. Nicole decided to ask the well dressed burglar named Dermott to help her retrieve the statue in secret. Thus they did successfully, with lots of difficulties and thrilling moments.
Romance blossomed between the young couple, but before they could further this relationship, they had to tidy up other matters: the fake statue, Dermott's true identity, Nicole's admirers, Nicole's father's hobby in forgeries, etc.
The movie is very sweet, sandwiched with hilarious moments. A gleeful Charles Bonnet at time, looked so like the famous Fagin (crook, dirty, sneaky and all!) in the musical "Oliver!" , 1968 (Hugh Griffith was also in the latter movie, however, as the magistrate, not as Fagin (Ron Moody played this role)).
I was glad that I had had the chance to watch this wonderful movie of Audrey Hepburn.
Bride & Prejudice, 2004
I had asked my husband to buy heaps of Bollywood movies for my sister, who is truly a fan. I myself, never really understood all the dancings, singings, and drama behind these lengthy movies.
I was curious about the movie "Bride and Prejudice" however, for it reminded me of a great novel of Jane Austen, "Pride and Prejudice".
Imagine my surprise, for the movie was quite good. Even the singings, dancings in it, were great! Lots of songs sung by the main character, Aishwarya Rai, vaguely reflect songs in western theaters, beautiful, haunting and sweet (which you could sing along, at the same time, strumming your guitar...).
I had thought this Bollywood movie was by coincidently, had the name that so vaguely resemble the great movie/novel "Pride & Prejudice". Turned out, that this Indian version had a plot, that very similar to our western "Pride & Prejudice": a mother who tried her best (even in a vulgar manner) to find worthy husbands for all of her daughters; a Mr Darcy who was good looking, aloof, coming from a wealthy background, happened to get on a wrong foot with the most intelligent daughter of the house (Lalita, played by the beautiful Aishwarya Rai); a far-away and very silly cousin who came to ask for Lalita's hand, got rejected, and promptly married Lalita's best friend; a handsome but of doubtful character who was an acquaintance of Lalita, trying to seduce her younger sister (the only difference here was: this scoundrel was not successful, he was stopped by our Mr Darcy just in time!); Mr Darcy tried to stop his best friend from marrying Lalita's other sister, regardless of their true love; etc...
A mixture of Hollywood and Bollywood, but the outcome was real wonderful, a true master piece, a great and beautiful musical movie.
One could see that while the movie was made, the cast was having a wonderful time with each other, real jolly, happy, with lots of group dancing.
Watching this movie, the viewers are sure to have a chance to learn a lot about Indian culture, their values, their beautiful costumes, etc.
(The actress Aishwarya Rai was Miss International 1994. To play the role Lalita, she had to put on 20 pounds, for she wanted to look real authentic for the part).
I was curious about the movie "Bride and Prejudice" however, for it reminded me of a great novel of Jane Austen, "Pride and Prejudice".
Imagine my surprise, for the movie was quite good. Even the singings, dancings in it, were great! Lots of songs sung by the main character, Aishwarya Rai, vaguely reflect songs in western theaters, beautiful, haunting and sweet (which you could sing along, at the same time, strumming your guitar...).
I had thought this Bollywood movie was by coincidently, had the name that so vaguely resemble the great movie/novel "Pride & Prejudice". Turned out, that this Indian version had a plot, that very similar to our western "Pride & Prejudice": a mother who tried her best (even in a vulgar manner) to find worthy husbands for all of her daughters; a Mr Darcy who was good looking, aloof, coming from a wealthy background, happened to get on a wrong foot with the most intelligent daughter of the house (Lalita, played by the beautiful Aishwarya Rai); a far-away and very silly cousin who came to ask for Lalita's hand, got rejected, and promptly married Lalita's best friend; a handsome but of doubtful character who was an acquaintance of Lalita, trying to seduce her younger sister (the only difference here was: this scoundrel was not successful, he was stopped by our Mr Darcy just in time!); Mr Darcy tried to stop his best friend from marrying Lalita's other sister, regardless of their true love; etc...
A mixture of Hollywood and Bollywood, but the outcome was real wonderful, a true master piece, a great and beautiful musical movie.
One could see that while the movie was made, the cast was having a wonderful time with each other, real jolly, happy, with lots of group dancing.
Watching this movie, the viewers are sure to have a chance to learn a lot about Indian culture, their values, their beautiful costumes, etc.
(The actress Aishwarya Rai was Miss International 1994. To play the role Lalita, she had to put on 20 pounds, for she wanted to look real authentic for the part).
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Can I have more TIME?
- 2 hrs for watching a movie (I have several here! Need to review them for a friend!)...
- 2-3 hrs for a good book (got 2 from a library... they are not terribly urgently dued yet!)
- 2-3 hrs to write a good article for the website I have chosen to sponsor (but they seem to be flooded right now with something else, so, perhaps they don't need me at the moment!).
- hrs for searching a job (that is the problem when you have young kids, who could need you any time, and when the money for childcare end up more than what you could earn after deduct all expenses related! So the job that suitable, is real hard to find!)
- sit there and rest? (could take the whole day, for time has a habit of flitting away terrible fast!)
- attending the Friday morning mass with my kids (organise by their school)? (take me 2 hrs in total... or even more).
- doing house work right now? (sigh... I'd rather doing that later, when the kids are at home... I have only today to rest before the weekend, and weekend means solid work for a mom!)
- going to the library? (but I haven't finished with the 2 DVDs I owed them yet!)
- phone a few friends? (I know that I have to, but.... I don't have a lot of time unfortunately!)
An hour has already gone! (sigh....)
- 2-3 hrs for a good book (got 2 from a library... they are not terribly urgently dued yet!)
- 2-3 hrs to write a good article for the website I have chosen to sponsor (but they seem to be flooded right now with something else, so, perhaps they don't need me at the moment!).
- hrs for searching a job (that is the problem when you have young kids, who could need you any time, and when the money for childcare end up more than what you could earn after deduct all expenses related! So the job that suitable, is real hard to find!)
- sit there and rest? (could take the whole day, for time has a habit of flitting away terrible fast!)
- attending the Friday morning mass with my kids (organise by their school)? (take me 2 hrs in total... or even more).
- doing house work right now? (sigh... I'd rather doing that later, when the kids are at home... I have only today to rest before the weekend, and weekend means solid work for a mom!)
- going to the library? (but I haven't finished with the 2 DVDs I owed them yet!)
- phone a few friends? (I know that I have to, but.... I don't have a lot of time unfortunately!)
An hour has already gone! (sigh....)
Tired!
hmmm, they paid me less than they had promised, but after calculating all the pros & cons, this "lowly" job still seems to be the best...
(sigh...)
Off tomorrow till Tuesday... I am too tired right now to think of anything else...
(but I do feel depressed a bit! Wouldn't you, if you found out that after all the hard work wou had done, the reward turned out to be a bit worthless?)
(another sigh....)
(sigh...)
Off tomorrow till Tuesday... I am too tired right now to think of anything else...
(but I do feel depressed a bit! Wouldn't you, if you found out that after all the hard work wou had done, the reward turned out to be a bit worthless?)
(another sigh....)
Monday, April 16, 2007
Hmmm...
I was supposed to help the ex boss out temporarily today (I thought for only a few hours). Did not bring any water to drink because of that. Turned out that they have decided to keep me for the time being, thus, I ended up working 6 hrs non-stop (almost) until the time I had to go picking up the kids...
Thirsty by the time I got home!
Still had to tidy up the kids' room for a family friend who temporarily staying with us for a few days + preparing dinner... My legs are a bit tired, from all the running. Guess I had covered a few kilometres in total?
Plan to watch a movie soon (just so that I could finish with reviewing all the movies in the list which my young friend had asked me to do for her....). Once finish, guess I would devote myself more for this blog?
au revoir blog!
Thirsty by the time I got home!
Still had to tidy up the kids' room for a family friend who temporarily staying with us for a few days + preparing dinner... My legs are a bit tired, from all the running. Guess I had covered a few kilometres in total?
Plan to watch a movie soon (just so that I could finish with reviewing all the movies in the list which my young friend had asked me to do for her....). Once finish, guess I would devote myself more for this blog?
au revoir blog!
Friday, April 13, 2007
Friday the 13th
Yah, it is a Friday 13th today!
But things seemed to be brighter somehow...
I got a good laugh last night, when an old acquaintance who had disappeared into thin air for quite a long long time, suddenly resurfaced, and sent regards to all of us! Thought he had disappeared for good!
Then this morning, another net user who I had been chatted to (a friend of my old uncle!), told me a very touching (but funny) story. How he had waited for me on that big festival day, awaited for me, to give me a special margazine (related to that festival). Since I could not come that day, and could not let him know, the margazine was mistakenly passed to another lady (by one of his friends), who had approached and asked for him while he was not there!
Then the hick-ups at the website I used to write for, seemed to be resolved somehow!
Things seem to be brighter, better... Allelluia!
yeah, I meant to write some book/movie reviews here, but that needs complete focusing... Right now, I keep thinking of closing my eyes, and having a deep sleep!
(It is a Friday night after all!)
But things seemed to be brighter somehow...
I got a good laugh last night, when an old acquaintance who had disappeared into thin air for quite a long long time, suddenly resurfaced, and sent regards to all of us! Thought he had disappeared for good!
Then this morning, another net user who I had been chatted to (a friend of my old uncle!), told me a very touching (but funny) story. How he had waited for me on that big festival day, awaited for me, to give me a special margazine (related to that festival). Since I could not come that day, and could not let him know, the margazine was mistakenly passed to another lady (by one of his friends), who had approached and asked for him while he was not there!
Then the hick-ups at the website I used to write for, seemed to be resolved somehow!
Things seem to be brighter, better... Allelluia!
yeah, I meant to write some book/movie reviews here, but that needs complete focusing... Right now, I keep thinking of closing my eyes, and having a deep sleep!
(It is a Friday night after all!)
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Chaos Around Me
Thursday, 12th April 2007
Tried looking for my old blog, got it OK, but just couldn't log-in! (sigh!)... That was the result of having too many email addresses....
The website which I often wrote for, right now, there seemed to be a "power struggling" war between the admin itself.
Strange indeed (to me!)...
Guess that I would use this blog, just to write anything I could not write somewhere else (hahaha...).
Just you wait, to see what I am going to do with this blog (everything or nothing?)
Have to run now, dear blog! ('cause a mother always has a lot of things to do....)
Hmm, I'd better write down here, what my kids said about Easter!
1. My 5 YO little girl told me this, a few days before Easter,
- Mom, do you know why we celebrate Easter, and why we have to go to church on Easter Sunday? Because Easter is the time for eating Easter Eggs, and at the church, they have Easter Egg hunting! Allelluia!
2. My 7 YO little boy asked me,
- guess mom, guess why Jesus was stripped bare before he was crucified?
While I was trying my best to explain to him and his sister about how God the Son had to bear with our sins (via the form of all the insults and embarrassments he received from all the beatings, cursings, being mistreated, etc) in order to show his love for the world, blah blah blah, my little boy cut in,
- mom, they stripped him bare, only to nail him tighter and better onto the cross, or he would fall down when they erected the cross straight up later!
Tried looking for my old blog, got it OK, but just couldn't log-in! (sigh!)... That was the result of having too many email addresses....
The website which I often wrote for, right now, there seemed to be a "power struggling" war between the admin itself.
Strange indeed (to me!)...
Guess that I would use this blog, just to write anything I could not write somewhere else (hahaha...).
Just you wait, to see what I am going to do with this blog (everything or nothing?)
Have to run now, dear blog! ('cause a mother always has a lot of things to do....)
Hmm, I'd better write down here, what my kids said about Easter!
1. My 5 YO little girl told me this, a few days before Easter,
- Mom, do you know why we celebrate Easter, and why we have to go to church on Easter Sunday? Because Easter is the time for eating Easter Eggs, and at the church, they have Easter Egg hunting! Allelluia!
2. My 7 YO little boy asked me,
- guess mom, guess why Jesus was stripped bare before he was crucified?
While I was trying my best to explain to him and his sister about how God the Son had to bear with our sins (via the form of all the insults and embarrassments he received from all the beatings, cursings, being mistreated, etc) in order to show his love for the world, blah blah blah, my little boy cut in,
- mom, they stripped him bare, only to nail him tighter and better onto the cross, or he would fall down when they erected the cross straight up later!
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