| Date: | 2006-12-31 12:27 |
| Subject: | |
| Security: | Public |
Going underground.
Friends only. Sorry.
It's December and there are rumblings of who will be dominating the Oscars next year, as the studios prepare to release the last of their fall movie product to woo critics and audiences alike.
Half Nelson swept the awards at the Gotham Awards, so it's probably gonna be an indie frontrunner. I saw the trailer the other day, and I must say that I'm eagerly awaiting this movie. I've heard rumblings that Ryan Gosling stands a good chance at a Best Actor nomination with the supposed performance of his career; but then again, I've also heard that Forest Whitaker delivers a knock-out performance in The Last King Of Scotland and many critics are saying the Oscar gold is his to lose. And then they also say the same for Helen Mirren's performance in The Queen, so really -- if everything's so locked, where's the fun?
Can't wait for the dark horses to emerge.
| Date: | 2006-11-27 23:48 |
| Subject: | Where Did That Time Go? |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  weird | | Music: | The Mountain Goats - "No Children" |
I said before that if you didn't hear from me for more than 2 weeks, expect the worst.
It's been exactly 2 weeks since I last posted. It doesn't even seem that long. I really don't know where all that time went. Life has just been a little bit strange these days.
I'm sorry some of you have not heard that much from me, in terms of posts, comments and whatnot. I can't even say that there's that much going on, I just really am at a loss as to where all the time has gone to.
The way I see it, this is a happy problem. Anything which makes time pass faster while I fester away at this job - that's a good thing. And yet, I'm getting older, and my youth is slipping away (gosh, do I even have 'youth' anymore?) as I speak.
It's coming to December.
I will post again within the next couple of days - I'm pretty sure I will. This is just to let all of you know I'm still alive.
| Date: | 2006-11-13 12:26 |
| Subject: | Turn On The Lights |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  apathetic | | Music: | Kinks - "Better Things" |
Haven't updated in a while, and I return with thoughts on TV and Lost! There are spoilers for Lost, but everything else is okay.
I'm really loving Heroes! Why no one has done something like this during the last three X-Men movies is beyond me, but when you bring the idea of superheroes down to a weekly serial, you get so much more opportunity to explore the moral ambivalence, the blessing/curse ideas and the whole grappling with identity issue. And Heroes is just doing that so well, on top of some killer cliffhangers that even Lost has not been able to top. It's also doing monster numbers for NBC, so I'm glad they have finally managed to find some success.
But seriously ... and I say this with a heavy heart because Heroes is just so bloody awesome, it's not my favourite new show. That title actually belongs to another show on NBC, one which I only recently checked out. I wish I could say that it hooked me after two episodes (which is all that I've seen), but the truth is, I think I was hooked ten minutes into the first episode. Not an easy feat at all, considering it had nausea-inducing shaky camerawork, a subject matter related to a sport I have never comprehended, and only one actor that was known to me in a cast of unknowns. (And gosh, it's set in Texas, of all places.) The show is called Friday Night Lights. I'm doubting it will ever get here (the subject matter would kill it automatically, even though very little of the show focuses on the American football; plus the movie which is was based on didn't get here either, and that did some decent box-office Stateside), which is a downright dirty shame, but I will enjoy it for the moment. The ratings have not been kind (some theorise that this is because it's just too realistic in its portrayal, and TV is for escapism), and it's not clear if the show will finish its first season. I'm crossing my fingers that it does, because I don't think I've seen a show like this for a long time. It's incredibly earnest, it portrays small-town life in rural America with respect, it wears its heart on its sleeves, and almost every episode I've seen I just want to reach into the television and be next to these people and tell them how everything will be alright. It features a Zach Gilford, whom I have never heard of prior to this show, but he practically knocks his role out of the park. He becomes the guy you want to root for right from the start, even though he displays streaks of imperfection. This is his role of a lifetime. What a wonderful show -- don't take this away from me before it finishes out its season.
And on to Lost, for which I have to say that I have been rather disappointed this season. The second season was so good, and yet something seems to have gone wrong so far.
- I've really had enough of Jack, Kate and Sawyer being captives, and if I see anymore "situations" reflecting their love triangle and the damn choice that Kate has to make, I'll be forced to drink
- That really wasn't much of a cliffhanger, because how is Kate supposed to run off the island anyway?
- I wasn't surprised that someone got killed off, considering the show added five names to their regulars list this season (and really, how useless are Rodrigo Santoro and Kiele Sanchez at the moment?), but why did it have to be Eko? So right, now everyone introduced last season from the tail end of the plane have bit it, and we didn't even find out why Eko was flying from Australia back to the USA (this is the point that annoys me the most)
- They are not doing enough with Henry Ian Cusick -- they build up the whole Penny thing at the end of season 2, and nothing!
Six movies this past month. We've got three more months to go before the year's end, and I seriously doubt The Fountain, Little Children and The Science Of Sleep (three of my most anticipated movies coming out this fall) will hit screens here before the end of the year, so let's see where the ranking goes. To create some measure of suspense, this will be the final instalment until December! Three months' worth of new movies till we meet again!
Tony Takitani : Incredibly arthouse, this Japanese film moves at a snail's pace, but the art direction is quite possibly one of the best I have ever seen.
The Host : This Korean movie takes a classic spin on the typical monster movie, infusing it with strong characterisation as well as socio-political commentary.
Singapore Dreaming : I don't think I could write any more on this movie.
Friends With Money : The general acting was there (you can't quite go wrong with these actresses), but I was rather disappointed with almost everything else.
The Devil Wears Prada : A whole lot of fun, with Meryl Streep once again proving why she's one of the best actresses ever.
Little Miss Sunshine : I haven't laughed that hard at a movie for quite a while. Abigail Breslin is a rare find, and Arkin, Carell, Collette and Kinnear are at the top of their game here.
( 2006 Movie Rankings (as of Sep 2006) )
| Date: | 2006-09-17 23:40 |
| Subject: | You Need To See This |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  impressed | | Music: | Ronin - "Memories" |
Please, please, please, please don't let this pass you by.
( Singapore Dreaming )
| Date: | 2006-09-11 22:04 |
| Subject: | Air Flown Pork |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  bored | | Music: | Pinkie - "Long Live Dreams" |
That sound you hear is the sound of pigs taking flight.
Ben Affleck - BEN AFFLECK, people! - picked up the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival.
In other news, I saw the pilot for The Nine last night, and I can't wait to catch the second episode (still not as good as Traveler though). The Nine - ABC Wednesdays this fall, after Lost. I think Jessica Collins is gonna be The Nine's breakout star. She was pretty amazing, and gorgeous in that vulnerable way. If she replaced Ellen Pompeo on Grey's Anatomy, that show would be perfect.
| Date: | 2006-09-07 21:35 |
| Subject: | Movie Lookback (Aug 2006) |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  full | | Music: | The Polyphonic Spree - "Move Away And Shine (In A Dream)" |
Much belated, but here goes. Plus this year (and by that, I mean, the 2005 crop) is probably one of the most amazing years for movies ever, so I'm expanding the list to 30.
( Movie Lookback (Aug 2006) )
| Date: | 2006-09-06 00:05 |
| Subject: | I'm A Traveler |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | chipper | | Music: | Rilo Kiley - "Rest Of My Life" |
The new fall TV season kicks off in the US in a couple of weeks, and I CAN'T WAIT!! Seriously, I think this is one of the best fall seasons I have seen in yonks - so many shows brimming with potential. Not to mention, I will finally get to find out what happened on Lost.
I've already sneakily caught the pilots of two shows, but based on everything that I know and have read about the new fall season, here are the shows that I'm most looking forward to, in order.
1. Traveler (ABC)
I must say that NBC's shows this season have the highest curiosity factor for me, because they really seem to be hitting for a homerun. And yet, despite all that, the show that I'm most looking forward to comes from ABC, allegedly its highest-testing pilot for the season. Traveler, unfortunately, due to its themes about a terrorist plot, will only bow in January next year (ABC didn't want this show to get lost in the shuffle, and they didn't want to debut it so close to the Sep 11 anniversary). I caught the pilot, and well, some shots felt like CSI:NY, but it was so action-packed and filled with so many twists and turns - one part I totally should have seen coming, but didn't, and so I had to pick up my jaw from the ground - that you just CAN'T WAIT for the second episode. Unfortunately, like I said, that will be in January.
2. Heroes (NBC)
A group of people from all over the world (okay, mostly from the US, seeing how that's like the only place on earth with UFOs anyway), struggling with their lives in some measure, all discover that they have some supermagic powers. It's X-Men on TV! Have not seen this, but have heard good things about it. Can't wait.
3. The Nine (ABC)
Nine people survive a bank robbery, but what happened in the 52-hour standoff? And how will they relate to one another after a life-changing experience like that? I'll be there, finding out.
4. Jericho (CBS)
I've actually seen this one, and the music already got me (The Killers start off the pilot, Snow Patrol end it), but I can't wait to find out what happens when a nuclear attack takes place in the US and the small town of Jericho, Kansas seems to be the only place unaffected.
5. Friday Night Lights (NBC)
Sure, it has the game I'll never understand - American football - as a backdrop, plus it's set in Texas, but this is what many critics are predicting will be NBC's breakout hit this fall, and Zap2it has picked this, Heroes and The Nine as the Top 3 shows to catch this fall. Plus it has Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton - I'm totally there.
6. 30 Rock (NBC)
I've heard that this is hilarious (it's a comedy), and it's set behind-the-scenes of a Saturday Night Live-esque variety show. NBC has two such 'behind-the-scenes-of-a-show' shows this season, and this is the less promoted one, and given its timeslot, probably the less successful one too, but critics were almost unanimously in agreement that this was also the better one.
7. Six Degrees (ABC)
I think this show started out as possibly #1 on the list. Reasons? One critic, after watching the pilot, mentioned that "you can understand why this show follows Grey's Anatomy (in the schedule)", which already got me all manners of excited. It also comes from JJ Abrams (Alias, Lost), plus it plays on that whole 'six degrees of separation' thing, and it's set in the wonderful city of NYC. It also stars Hope Davis (love her), among others. What's not to love? PLUS on my flight back from the US in May, I actually sat next to this guy who had just been to LA for some screenings (basically he works at the TV station here, so he was deciding what new fall programs to buy) and he just plain raved about this show, ranking it #1 among all that he had watched. (He was yet another person a bit underwhelmed by Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60, calling it "difficult to market in Singapore", so I'm not sure if it'll come here at all. I guess it depends on the ratings.) It slipped down to #7 because there have also been a handful of critics that have come off unimpressed. I always say - remember Grey's Anatomy. Nobody really thought much of the pilot, and look where it is now. You know, you never know.
( My fearless Emmy predictions!! )
| Date: | 2006-08-18 18:18 |
| Subject: | Holy Macaroni! |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  morose | | Music: | Lightning Seeds - "Pure" |
So let me set out the context a bit. There's this project that I've been working on for quite a while. Was doing it during the germination phase, and then worked on some of it as it started to pick up. Along the way, Female Colleague 1 (FC 1) joined the team and started helping me with it. Then, with my reservist training last month, plus the fact that I am leaving soon, FC 1 and another Female Colleague 2 (FC 2) took over the reins on the project. If I want to be selfish about things, it was perfect timing -- because the instance they took over, all the work started piling in. It was incredibly voluminous, to the point that Supervisor (S), Male Colleague (MC) and myself were roped in to look at certain parts, though the bulk (and the toughest) part was looked at by FC 1 and FC 2.
Then yesterday morning, we were going for a meeting for the project. S, FC 1 and FC 2 were in TBTR's office talking about how they were going to engage the other parties at the meeting. MC and I were not around, because we were late for work (hee). Later on, S came round to my cubicle.
S : Here, this is for you. [places an envelope on my table]
Me : (to myself) What's this? (then seeing that it's a Robinson's -- some retailer here in Singapore -- voucher envelope)
S : A reward for working on the project.
Me : No need lah.
S : Just take it. Don't worry, it's not [TBTR]'s money. [Big Boss] paid for it. Everyone in the team got one. [TBTR] fought for you to get one too, since you started off the project. (Because seriously, among the 5 of us, I've been doing the least for the project in the past month or so.) But FC 1 and FC 2 got more, since they are leading the project now.
Me : Sure, of course, that's fair. (Oh, it is, trust me. I wouldn't want to be in either FC 1's or FC 2's shoes)
We had to rush off for the meeting, but in the afternoon, I opened up the envelope, and in it, was a $50 shopping voucher (I was expecting maybe $10 or $20). It was a really kind gesture by Big Boss (whom we initially had a terrible working relationship with), who saw FC 1 and FC 2 spending late nights in the office, and decided to reward our team. This sort of stuff never happened at my previous work place. I'm guessing FC 1 and FC 2 got $100 each, which is awesome and deserving for them. This is the kind of gesture that makes me feel so valued, so appreciated, and at the same time, so sad to be leaving.
( Jul 2006 : Top 2006 Movies So Far )
| Date: | 2006-08-07 16:52 |
| Subject: | From Hell |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  drained | | Music: | Snow Patrol - "Chasing Cars" |
Am back. And boy was it gruelling.
I think of the however many years of liability I still have to defend my country (when, as they say, the red button gets pressed), this national reserve training was by far the worst. It was an assessment of sorts, and while we came out of it with a decent-enough result, it was just painful getting through it all.
The intervening weekend (ie. about 8 days ago), I wanted to post, but the truth was I only left the army camp at around 6pm on Saturday, rushed to attend a wedding dinner, and then barely felt as if I had rested enough before having to go back into the camp at 9pm on Sunday. 27 hours of freedom, if you want to call it that way.
The past week was especially gruelling. Exactly a week ago, I was in the middle of nowhere, togged out in army fatigues, with camouflage paint all over my face, a rifle slung across my chest, perspiring like a dog, while helping to churn out a plan on how to defeat the 'enemy'. And here I am today, typing into a computer, in the middle of the business district, working on things that have a greater sense of reality to them. It is pretty surreal, if I think enough about it. And well, I was pretty much living and breathing 'ARMY' the past two-and-a-half weeks, so it's difficult to pull yourself away from that. This morning, I could not remember my password to log into my Windows XP.
Last week saw us on a 4-day-3-night mission, basically with little sleep along the way. We slept whenever we could, and it's amazing to see grown men just sprawled out on the jungle floor, tired for sleep and not caring where their heads lay. I was quite lucky in certain respects -- I managed to snag a bench for a 4-hour snooze on the first night and then the next time I slept was 2 nights later in the passenger seat of a military vehicle, sleeping for about 3 hours in an upright position. My head hung down like a dead person, but I was just so dead tired anyway. I woke up with aches around my joints. I'm just not getting any younger. I cat-napped a couple of times, but was just physically and mentally drained after the mission ended.
Some dude apparently lost 7 kilos in the two weeks. I probably dropped a couple of kilos.
Well, it's all over now. And it's best to my civilian life for another year.
| Date: | 2006-07-18 23:01 |
| Subject: | Off To Camp |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  exhausted | | Music: | Sheryl Crow and Sting - "Always On Your Side" |
What a strange few days it has been.
I mean, no big news, really - I didn't go to any concert, I didn't have some huge revelation, I didn't win the lottery, I didn't buy anything expensive. Just one of those weekends that's pretty, uh, different from how I usually spend my weekends. Maybe more about that in a couple of days.
Been working my butt off the past two days at work, cos I will be heading back to the army (time to dust off those army fatigues) over the next two-and-a-half weeks, beginning tomorrow. So I've just been trying to complete as much of my work as possible.
This evening, at around 6.20pm (which isn't really late at all, as far as the working day goes), my supervisor came round to my cubicle for a short chat about some work that she was helping me follow up on. After the shop talk, we joked for a while about someone from another organisation, and then she told me : "If you don't have time to do the letter, just leave it. [My co-worker's name] can help you do it tomorrow".
That was pretty awesome. It wasn't late anyway, and she meant it genuinely, that I really didn't need to stay late to finish the work. I was preparing a file for her (as she is off to Chicago next week and would need the materials), and the letter she was talking about was the last piece of work I had to do for the day.
About 15 minutes later (still an early day, cos the sun hadn't set yet), my co-worker came round with my supervisor (they were on their way home) to wish me well as I serve my country for the next couple of weeks or so. My supervisor commented that I probably didn't have enough time to finish the letter, and my co-worker immediately chipped in : "If you haven't started on it, then forget about it. I'll do it for you tomorrow, it's okay".
How do you expect me not to miss these people when I leave my company next month?
| Date: | 2006-07-10 12:13 |
| Subject: | The Road To Hell |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  sad | | Music: | The Cloud Room - "Hey Now Now" |
I had to wake up bright (actually, it wasn't even bright out yet) and early on Saturday morning at 6.15am to head down to Marsiling for a 8-km march with my army reserve unit, in preparation for my reserve training in a couple of weeks. 8 kilometres isn't very far, but I guess after all these years (and the fact that we only go back for training once a year), we're just not that combat-fit anymore. I don't know about everyone else, but I had to take an afternoon nap (of about an hour) after that. Maybe it's just cos of lack of sleep. We're marching 16-km next Saturday, and this will take us into at least noon, when the sun will be baking.
That same evening, I met up with some of my ex-colleagues (or rather, soon to be colleagues, when I return back to the ol' shithole 'hood) and we went to Ministry of Sound to club. I'm not that keen on clubbing, but it's always fun hanging out with them, so I went along. The problem really was that the music there is just not up my alley. I mean, yes, we danced and all, but at the end of the night, I couldn't tell you one song that was played on the main floor. Not knowing the title of the song is besides the point, I don't think I could even point out the song if I were to hear it like, right now. We spent a bit of time in the hip-hop room (once again, couldn't recognise any of the music though I think they played that "Numb" song by who is it? Mike Shinoda? -- but at least they had lyrics) as well as the retro room (which honestly was just quite sad, these were songs from the 1970s we were talking about). Probably my first and last time at the place. We left around 3am and needless to say, I was bushed.
If not for the fact that a lot of my friends were there, I don't think I would have bothered. It's ridiculous to pay good money to dance to music you don't even recognise, not to mention like. I guess that's why despite all that, Poptart @ Home is still such an 'event' whenever it happens. Because you just don't hear music like that at any of the clubs nowadays -- it's all just house, hip-hop or retro. And it's not true that "you can't dance to indie music", which is something I've heard people say before. I dare anyone to listen to Hot Hot Heat and not wanna bop your head or move your feet.
Anyway, on to the main point of my update. Last night, I went to watch The Road To Guantanamo -- one of the more current (and urgent) movies in the current global political landscape. For sure, the movie stays with you, and I tell you, it evoked so many thoughts in me while watching it -- mainly about politics, the media and human rights. It was incredibly sad (and horrifying) what the Tipton Three went through. About half the movie is spent chronicling their adventures in Pakistan and Afghanistan. One of them was getting married in Pakistan and they decided to go visit Afghanistan while they were at it -- not as freedom fighters, but genuinely believing that Afghanistan was not going to be invaded. (The Hindu Kush looked stunning -- it's really sad that that part of the world is seeing such strife.) The three went through quite a lot of hell in Afghanistan already as it is -- being at the wrong place at the wrong time -- and you know as you watch it, that the shit isn't over. It's not called The Road To Guantanamo for nothing.
Us human beings are capable of such evil. At what point do you completely lose respect for humanity? I can't believe there can be people out there who preach about democracy and freedom and human rights, and these are the same countries that condone their soldiers throwing away someone's Koran while he is practising his religion. It is a completely depressing movie, and I think any self-discerning citizen of the "Western democratic world" would be disgusted after watching it. The sad reality is this : The face of war has changed. Now you've got terrorism, civilian militia, freedom fighters (yes, all of this existed before, it's just become more militant than before), and civilian populations get drawn into and affected by whatever governments and their armies decide they want to do. Throw religion into the mix and you've got a time bomb waiting to explode. But this change can never be an excuse to do onto civilian populations the kind of atrocities that may happen. We can never use terrorism as an excuse for genocide.
The civilian Jewish and Rwandan populations were innocent back in the time when they were being wiped out, and so humanity rose to this and spoke out, and something was done, albeit too late. But if we justify the wiping out of a creed because of their religious beliefs, and use this as a position of defence when justifying the horrendous actions to our populations, then that is wrong. And we must not be blinded to not see this.
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mozzie's journal
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