Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
LOTR - The Two Towers
I'm a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings - although I admit that I tried (and failed terribly) at trying to read the great works of J.R.R Tolkien.
Went for the performance of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers orchestral performance by the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, Vocal Associates Festival Chorus and Children's Choir yesterday.
It played the complete recordings of The Two Towers over 3 full hours against a big screen playing the movie with the same name. Magic. Pure magic, right from the very first note that hit the theatre when the New Line Cinema introduction appeared on the screen. Absolute chills.
I have a favourite piece from the complete recordings of The Two Towers: One of the Dunedain. And man did it gave me goosebumps last night when that piece was being played, in line with the movie scenes. Second part of this piece, known as "Evenstar" in the OST is definitely the best part of the piece.
"If Aragorn survives this war, you will still be parted. If Sauron is defeated, and Aragorn made king and all that you hope for comes true, you will still have to taste the bitterness of mortality. Whether by the sword or the slow decay of time, Aragorn will die. And there will be no comfort for you - No comfort to ease the pain of his passing. He will come to death, an image of the splendour of the kings of men in glory undimmed before the breaking of the world.... But YOU, my daughter, you will linger on in darkness and in doubt, as nightfall in winter that comes without a star. Here you will dwell, bound to your grief, under the fading trees, until all the world is changed and the long years of your life are utterly spent."
So hauntingly beautiful :)
I hope they come back with The Return of the King next year! :)
Les Miserables - Fight. Dream. Hope. Love.
I have not watched the musical before (in real at least) so I can't judge much, less make a good comparison. I've read about the tragic lives of those that resides in the famous work of Victor Hugo, listened endlessly to the famous tunes of their successful musical, like One Day More, I Dreamed a Dream and Do You Hear the People Sing?, but nothing quite prepared me for the awe I felt throughout the full 158 minutes of the film.
I love how the movie stayed true to the musical (Ok I watched the 25th anniversary performance on Youtube haha) - no additional fluff, no additional scenes. What made the movie better (in this sense only), was the beautiful settings and majestic scenes as compared to just props on a musical stage. It does provide a more wholesome experience.
Anne Hathaway was amazing as Fantine, her rendition of I Dreamed a Dream made me tear. Her desperation as a mum who needed money for her child, her anger of being treated shabbily as the lower levels of the society and the painful disappointment of how life had turned out, were all beautifully played out in that single tune. It was so heartbreaking to hear it will be hard not to feel your heart wrench. Eddie Redmayne as Marius was terribly romantic and there were moments I wished he could walk out from the screen. Hahaha. He did an extremely emotional version of Empty Chairs at Empty Tables which left me in tears too (but let's not compare against Michael Ball's version at the 10th anniversary performance).
I guess I expected much more from Hugh Jackman (as Jean Valjean) so his performance didn't really surprise me. I did felt that he had some misses along the way (like a way too emotional Confrontation). It's an expectation thing I guess. Russell Crowe as Javert wasn't as bad as what most reviews wrote. He probably had the least musical background among the lot and I would give it to him for the effort.
Of course Masters of the House wasn't as playful as it was portrayed in the musical, but Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Carter as the Thenardiers were so cute they easily stole the show. Samantha Barks (who also played Eponine in the 25th anniversary performance of Les Miserables) made me cry again with her On My Own.
Just a really small nugget of information - the Bishop in the movie who saved Jean Valjean - is the first Jean Valjean in the 1985's West End production of Les Miserables!
Similar to the musical, the movie ended with a an extremely moving rendition of One Day More/Do You Hear the People Sing? (Okay fine the movie ended with Bring Him Home/Do You Hear the People Sing? lol). It gave me the chills man.
"Will you join in our crusades? Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricades, is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing? Say, do you hear the distant drums.
It is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes!
Tomorrow comes!"
Overall, I cried many a times, although silently. You know, just in case someone thinks I'm crazy. Hahaha. I wished I watched with a more appreciative crowd though, this dude sitting in front of me kept switching on his phone to play games and it was annoying the hell out of me. The conclusion is, while it is being brought into the cinema for the general public, it is still not the kind of movie that is a one size fit all. If you are not into musicals, the movie is likely to bore you to death. Like the above-mentioned dude. Hurhur.
It may be a film with the occasional flaw but this is such a difficult musical masterpiece to replicate for a movie setting. I'll still give it a perfect 10 and yes I will be back for seconds, and maybe thirds :)
Les Miserables
Omg it's already December. Where did the year go to!?
That aside, I can't wait for Les Miserables movie! :) Will update when work isn't this hectic!
That aside, I can't wait for Les Miserables movie! :) Will update when work isn't this hectic!
The Amazing Spiderman
So the BF and I caught The Amazing Spiderman a couple of hours ago. I must admit I wasn't too open to the idea of having someone else play Spiderman, since Tobey Maguire took my heart away as the first Peter Parker 10 years ago (god I feel old already). It didn't help either that Emma Stone is Gwen Stacy and not Mary Jane (which means no more Emma Stone in future Spidey films?! That's unacceptable.).
That being said, I did enjoy the movie though. Albeit slow at some parts, I thought the director did a great job in developing the background of Peter Parker (a little Batman Begins in that aspect). Well, except missing out the part about how his parents died. Some may find it boring as it's not very action-intensive and some scenes feel disconnected, but I thought it was really easy to follow hahaha. This spiderman does look abit weaker compared to the one Tobey Maguire portrayed a decade ago, but I thought it had an emotional depth to it - like the unresolved anger towards the disappearance of his parents, how he thought fighting street rogues one at a time was a beneficial act to the city (when it was really ruining the police's efforts in cracking down the syndicate), and of course the usual high-schooler's struggle with identity.
It's one of those films which can catch your attention for 2.5 hours and not have you glance at your watch and sigh (Dark Shadows anyone? Johnny Depp didn't even manage to save it..). Oh, and I must add the soundtrack is amazing - well it's James Horner, what can I say ;) ?
According to the BF, The Amazing Spiderman stayed true-r to the comic series, that Spiderman can't shoot web from his wrist - he needed a gadget (to my horror but thanks for clarifying during the movie). And that Gwen Stacy was indeed his first love, not Mary Jane. As you can tell, I'm not too familiar with the REAL storyline. Haha.
Andrew Garfield did grow on me after a while. Hurhur. I personally thinks he looks wayyyyy better in The Social Network. C'mon, no one can resist a well-suited guy (and no overly poofy hair to boot).
That being said, I did enjoy the movie though. Albeit slow at some parts, I thought the director did a great job in developing the background of Peter Parker (a little Batman Begins in that aspect). Well, except missing out the part about how his parents died. Some may find it boring as it's not very action-intensive and some scenes feel disconnected, but I thought it was really easy to follow hahaha. This spiderman does look abit weaker compared to the one Tobey Maguire portrayed a decade ago, but I thought it had an emotional depth to it - like the unresolved anger towards the disappearance of his parents, how he thought fighting street rogues one at a time was a beneficial act to the city (when it was really ruining the police's efforts in cracking down the syndicate), and of course the usual high-schooler's struggle with identity.
It's one of those films which can catch your attention for 2.5 hours and not have you glance at your watch and sigh (Dark Shadows anyone? Johnny Depp didn't even manage to save it..). Oh, and I must add the soundtrack is amazing - well it's James Horner, what can I say ;) ?
According to the BF, The Amazing Spiderman stayed true-r to the comic series, that Spiderman can't shoot web from his wrist - he needed a gadget (to my horror but thanks for clarifying during the movie). And that Gwen Stacy was indeed his first love, not Mary Jane. As you can tell, I'm not too familiar with the REAL storyline. Haha.
Andrew Garfield did grow on me after a while. Hurhur. I personally thinks he looks wayyyyy better in The Social Network. C'mon, no one can resist a well-suited guy (and no overly poofy hair to boot).
His hair was wayyyy too poofy in Spiderman. It made him look like a matchstick - you know big head and stick-like body. I do dig his geek image though - was seriously contemplating getting the glasses he was wearing in the film. Hahahaha. Looks very Barton Perreira :)
Go watch it if you haven't! Oh, and remember to stay through the credits so you can catch something at the end of it ;)
Afro Circus overload
This is the only thing I can remember from Madagascar 3.
Oh wait, and my favourite King Julien too ;) If you need 90 minutes worth of senseless humour, this is a real good choice :)
Marvel's The Avengers
I've joined in the global craze for The Avengers.
Caught it and LOVED it. To be honest, I went in with some really deep fears. Is the movie going to give equal screen time for all heroes? Is the storyline going to be shits because it has all these mega characters (Transformers anyone?)?
I love how the director intelligently compressed a library of superheroes into a solid 2.5 hours movie brimming with humour and adventure (personal favourite has to be the physical humour between Hulk and Loki). The cast works really well together and I like how each actor brings out the human side of their superhero character. Instead of creating an uneven mix on trying to focus more/less on any characters, a very balanced emsemble was created instead. You don't even have to wait till the end of the movie to applause, just seeing Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America assemble into the screen at the same time is amazing enough.
The action scenes weren't just dull flames and mindless explosions (erm Transformers again anyone?), they were a complete joy to watch. It makes you go "THE MOVIE DID IT!" after it ends.
Caught it and LOVED it. To be honest, I went in with some really deep fears. Is the movie going to give equal screen time for all heroes? Is the storyline going to be shits because it has all these mega characters (Transformers anyone?)?
I love how the director intelligently compressed a library of superheroes into a solid 2.5 hours movie brimming with humour and adventure (personal favourite has to be the physical humour between Hulk and Loki). The cast works really well together and I like how each actor brings out the human side of their superhero character. Instead of creating an uneven mix on trying to focus more/less on any characters, a very balanced emsemble was created instead. You don't even have to wait till the end of the movie to applause, just seeing Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America assemble into the screen at the same time is amazing enough.
The action scenes weren't just dull flames and mindless explosions (erm Transformers again anyone?), they were a complete joy to watch. It makes you go "THE MOVIE DID IT!" after it ends.
Just remember not to leave the theatre until after the initial credits. ;-)
I'm giving it 5.0/5.0 stars! And I'm so going to catch it again! But that's going to take place only after the initial wave of crowd dies off. Haha. I want to catch it with less kids fidgeting around me, and I don't want to hear anymore men whispering to their gfs the storyline or the characters.
The Cabin in the Woods
It's pretty freaky but it's one of those rare movies which combines comedy and horror really well. Haha. I can't remember the last horror that has the crowd all tickled up and screaming at the same time.
It's not TOO bad a movie, but I guess I went in expecting to catch a typical horror film..so I came out of the cinema a little unsatisfied. That being said, I do recommend a watch. Best if you go in not knowing anything about the storyline. Try to crack the mystery along the way! It's more fun that way. Haha
Nice Friday
Just came home from a movie with the BF - we caught The Lorax. I wouldn't say it's an exceptional show but it had a meaningful message for viewers to bring home.
WM just sent me the files for The Hunger Trilogy - now they are sitting nicely in my Kindle. Yay! Can't wait to start reading them tomorrow.
Will be going for a mini-getaway to Bintan over the weekend with my college friends. Excites! Haha. Easily excitable. Haha. Off to Bali with ex-colleagues next Thursday! Haha. Yay!
Awesome weekend to all!
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. SeussI like the way they talked about how the selfishness of mankind brought about the destruction of nature, of living habitats, and how at the end of the day we are really just bringing harm to ourselves. I would give it a 3.5/5 score. Haha.
WM just sent me the files for The Hunger Trilogy - now they are sitting nicely in my Kindle. Yay! Can't wait to start reading them tomorrow.
Will be going for a mini-getaway to Bintan over the weekend with my college friends. Excites! Haha. Easily excitable. Haha. Off to Bali with ex-colleagues next Thursday! Haha. Yay!
Awesome weekend to all!
We Bought A Zoo
"All it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage"
Lovely movie.
Yes I sneaked out from working the whole day to catch a movie with the BF. And that explains why I'm still up at this hour. Wails.
Oh priorities.
那些年，我们一起追的女孩
Loosely translated - All those years, the girl we went after.
The song is so good too! Giddens wrote it.
I bought the book about 4 years back. It's written by 九把刀 (aka Giddens Ko), who rose to fame in Taiwan for the internet novels he wrote. The book is his semi-autobiography. It talks about the bulk of his youth days, about a girl whom he and his close buddies went after, for 8 years (16 to 24 year old) *Spoiler* He never got together with her. Heck he never even got to hold her hand. He was inspired to write this book when he received a call from the girl about her wedding in 2005. It had signified an end to the years he and his buddies had courted her, an end to his youth. Or rather, their youth.
Hence the title, 那些年，我们一起追的女孩.
Hence the title, 那些年，我们一起追的女孩.
I've been hearing my friends rave about the movie for the last one week. Truth to be told, I wasn't very keen to catch it. I loved the book and I was afraid it's going to turn out bad on big screens (Harry Potter anyone?).
As the week went by, I mean, even Wall Street Journal covered it, it can't be so bad right? Plus, it's directed by Giddens Ko himself, he wouldn't ruin his own book right? It's his life story! Persuaded the BF to catch it (Ha! He was adamant not to watch crappy sappy Taiwan movies but he obliged) today.
Man, we were both blown away. By the full house at the noon show slot today, by how much we could relate to the storyline and characters, by how it pulled us back into the youthful days of being a teenager, and by how Giddens Ko couldn't have done a better job with the film.
The song is so good too! Giddens wrote it.
The BF confessed he almost teared towards the end of the show. Because he could relate so much to it. Hurhur. I shed a tear too.
The youth. The younger days. The things we did. The things we could have done if we knew better.
Beautiful beautiful film
5.5/5 stars! (Yes I think it's that good)
Captain America
I should have updated this a while back but work has overwhelmed me and I didn't bother to. Hahaha
Caught Captain America with the bf (last week?) and man I love it so so much. Ok minus the part this was zooming across the screen most of the time:
Caught Captain America with the bf (last week?) and man I love it so so much. Ok minus the part this was zooming across the screen most of the time:
Distracting - is an understatement. That aside, the movie couldn't have come at a more timely manner, with US credit ratings down, the world's economy looking as bleak as it can be.
I guess we all need a Captain America at this point in time.
P.S: For those who hasn't watched it yet, do wait for The Avengers trailer after the credits!
Thor
I caught Thor a few weeks back and I've been wanting this certain hunk to grace a page of my blog.
Chris Hemsworth.
Geez, does this guy looks like he belongs to this planet?? Hell no. I forgot how many times I gushed and said "Oh my god he's so hot" to the bf. I'm sure he rolled his eyes at me umpteen times throughout the movie.
Blogger has refused to upload any photos of Chris Hemsworth =O
I'll update it when the system is working to my favour. Hahaha. Meanwhile let me drool upon him =D
Chris Hemsworth.
Geez, does this guy looks like he belongs to this planet?? Hell no. I forgot how many times I gushed and said "Oh my god he's so hot" to the bf. I'm sure he rolled his eyes at me umpteen times throughout the movie.
Blogger has refused to upload any photos of Chris Hemsworth =O
I'll update it when the system is working to my favour. Hahaha. Meanwhile let me drool upon him =D
Movies galore
Managed to catch 2 awesome movies this weekend - The Social Network and Megamind.
It was awesome. I love the way it was filmed and how the story unfolds itself along the way. No one was really made a "bad" character in the whole start of F*acebook although Z*uckerburg was portrayed as an extremely smug guy who believes and knows he can probably get away with anything and everything because he goes to Harvard and is pretty much smarter than anyone else.
Or maybe he really is. Hahaha.
The Social Network - Trailer:
Watched Megamind on Saturday and man it was one hilarious show. It's so annoyingly witty and doesn't help that it's Will Ferrell behind the voice of Megamind.
He's lame, no matter if you see his face or not. Hahahahahaha
Megamind - Trailer:
I say both movies are definitely worth watching ;) Even for a weekend price :))
Despicable Me
W*endy and me had a whale of a time laughing at these 2 trailers while on the bus today.
Can't wait to catch this next week! (hopefully with fingers and toes crossed)
Can't wait to catch this next week! (hopefully with fingers and toes crossed)
Date Night
was awesomely H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S.
I love Tina Fey! I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it.
Strongly recommend everyone to go catch it!
I love Tina Fey! I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it.
Strongly recommend everyone to go catch it!
When in Rome
Just finished watching "When in Rome".
It's madly hilarious! I had fun laughing with everyone in the cinema! :)
I say it's a must watch :)
Ok time to read some emails ;-)
It's madly hilarious! I had fun laughing with everyone in the cinema! :)
I say it's a must watch :)
Ok time to read some emails ;-)
The Hurt Locker
Thanks everyone =) I'm feeling muchos better after hearing from my friends. Heart you guys man! =)
Went to watch The Hurt Locker yesterday (actually I'm really up to date with all movies so feel free to ask me for reviews) - awesome!
It's awful to wake up everyday not knowing if you will live to see the sunset.
Went to watch The Hurt Locker yesterday (actually I'm really up to date with all movies so feel free to ask me for reviews) - awesome!
It's awful to wake up everyday not knowing if you will live to see the sunset.
Taken
First of all, thanks to all the dear friends who showered me with concern and a listening ear. Thanks! I'm much better now - just still a little withdrawn at home.
My sister is trying her best to make me open up and I do appreciate the effort.
Ok back to the title.
Watch "Taken" today with JiaHui.
Awesome-ness show.
Liam Neeson is a really good actor (not to mention really hot for his age). The plot is tight and realistic (well except that part that I think the whole thing was really smooth and Liam Neeson fought like a Rambo).
I love it! I strongly recommend this show - there wasn't a moment I wasn't focused.
Morale of story?
Don't talk to strangers. Haha. And don't share cab with people you don't know!
My sister is trying her best to make me open up and I do appreciate the effort.
Ok back to the title.
Watch "Taken" today with JiaHui.
Awesome-ness show.
Liam Neeson is a really good actor (not to mention really hot for his age). The plot is tight and realistic (well except that part that I think the whole thing was really smooth and Liam Neeson fought like a Rambo).
I love it! I strongly recommend this show - there wasn't a moment I wasn't focused.
Morale of story?
Don't talk to strangers. Haha. And don't share cab with people you don't know!
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