Showing posts with label films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label films. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Alice in Wonderland

Whether you like his films or not, you can't deny that Tim Burton has a very clear director's vision. His latest film, Alice in Wonderland, will be in theaters in March 2010, but I'm already getting excited...


Is it just me, or does Johnny Depp's portrayal of The Mad Hatter look eerily like Elijah Wood? (I've labeled them in case you couldn't tell who was who.)

Johnny Depp

Elijah Wood

After seeing Matt Lucas on an episode of Kath & Kim...

He's the one on the left.

...I have to say, I'm a big big fan. And after watching him on The Graham Norton Show I'm an even bigger fan. So I'm pretty stoked that he's playing Tweedledee AND Tweedledum. Double the fun.


It also seems that there is a limited number of actors in England, so Alice in Wonderland will become a Harry Potter, Part II of sorts...

Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) will play The Red Queen



Sir Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) will be playing The Caterpillar


Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew, or Wormtail) plays The Bloodhound


Frances de la Tour (Madame Maxime) is Aunt Imogene

And there you have it! Who's down to see it with me?

Friday, June 12, 2009

Playing for Change: Peace through Music

A documentary called "Playing for Change" was featured on Bill Moyers Journal a while ago and, to put it lightly, looked drop-your-pants awesome. Here's a video of the song "Stand by Me" performed by musicians from all around the world. And I do mean "from all around the world", because the artists recorded their parts in their respective countries without the benefit of being able to hear each other.



I'm serious, watch this video and if you don't get goosebumps, please leave me a comment.

Edit: I just found out that the producer, Mark Johnson, will be interviewed on the show where I work! Spooky...

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Slumdog Millions

This bothers me. Doesn't the Indian government see the superficiality of their actions? Isn't the press going to question what will happen to the rest of the slum where these children were found? 

These children were cast because they were cute. They got really lucky and there is no doubt that their families need financial and medical help. But don't the thousands of others living in these slums have similar stories? 

Am I missing something here?


Dhavari Slum in Mumbai

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Dear sweet Jesus

I'm actually excited about a Harry Potter film. Thank god for David Yates, he has almost made me forget the horror that was Christopher Columbus's directing (on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone).


Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Friday, July 25, 2008

Chick Flicks for the Gentlemen

She: What should we watch tonight, snugglepuss?
He: I rented Armageddon, Rocky, and Season 10 of South Park. And don't call me "snugglepuss".
She: Ohhh, ummm, hmmm. I heard Bridget Jones's Diary is good. How about that, doodlebug?
He: Eff that. Your choice in movies are almost as bad as your choice in pet names. Don't call me "doodlebug".
She: Well at least I don't fart in the grocery store then walk away quickly so that the people around us think it was me.
He: What?! That was once! And you were the one who farted.
She: Tee hee. I love you, muffintop.
He: I think it's time we broke up.

How do you prevent a catastrophe as horrific as this one? I don't know. But I believe all girlfriends have a responsibility to pick films that both sides will enjoy. Or guys can pick something from this list to win a couple points with his woman. And don't call her your "woman".

Chick Flicks that Guys will Dig

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Feminine: The love story. The wedding. Joey from *NSync.
Masculine: Testicle jokes.
I think the tumor monologue pretty much speaks for itself.

That Thing You Do

Feminine: The love story. The adorable guys. Tom Hanks.
Masculine: The band. Tom Hanks.
"How do you sell a chicken to a deaf guy?"

Love Actually

Feminine: Pretty much everything.
Masculine: The nudity. The humor. Bill Nighy.
This movie has been approved by every guy I have talked to.

When Harry met Sally

Feminine: Meg Ryan
Masculine: Billy Crystal
A classic. This movie set the bar for romantic comedies.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

The Dark Knight

I just came out of watching The Dark Knight. It was absolutely amazing. I'm not usually a fan of this genre of film and honestly think there's very little substance to making them besides the Hollywood allure of profit. But Christopher Nolan is a genius. He made the movie a work of art. The cinematography, the angles, the characters, the twisted psychology of it all. There's a lot more to this movie than I think many of us thought.

Also, Heath Ledger was terrifying. Not as The Joker. Not as the actor. But Heath Ledger himself. There was no wall between him and the character. That's what was so scary to watch.

But all the same. See this movie. It's amazing.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Tea Escapades

Recently I've been volunteering at The Tavis Smiley Show on KCET. Today a certain British actor came in for an interview. Both my mother and I are big fans of this actor so I jumped at the chance to escort him around the set. Normally when we're escorting a guest, they're very polite and don't really know what to do with us. But before I was able to say, "If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask," he had whipped around and requested a cup of tea. "English Breakfast or just regular Lipton, please."

Sure. Fine.

Except for some reason it was absolutely impossible to find a single bag of English Breakfast tea. What the eff is English Teatime?! Finally our craft services girl finds me a bag and I make the most ghetto tea tray with milk in a plastic cup and a somewhat clean kettle of hot water. I place it in his room with a smile. Then...

"There's something wrong with this tea. Nothing is happening to the teabag. The water is not hot enough. It has to be absolutely boiling hot. Boiling hot. I need a new teabag with boiling hot water."

Fine. I boil fresh water and pour it into a cup with a new bag of tea (which I had to steal from another green room) and hand it to him...

"Is there an empty mug so I can take this on set?"

Great. At this point the tea is getting treated better than a large majority of our guests on the show. So I find a mug. Clean it. Fill it with boiling water to keep it warm and wait outside his room until he is ready.

"Great. You can just transfer the tea into the mug then."

Sure. Fine. We're ready to take you to the set, Mr. Tea.

"Oh. Do I have to carry the tea myself? Yes, you can carry the tea for me. I don't want to spill it on myself, so you can spill it on yourself. Ha ha ha."

Ha ha ha. Then one of the producers rushes out to meet us and in a flustered state takes the tea like it is a stick of dynamite covered in nitroglycerin and presents it to him like it's his first-born child.

Whatever. It was a weird experience that has taught me three things:
1. British people are seriously weird about their tea.
2. I don't like this actor as much as I used to.
3. I need to write my final essay for my Colonialism class.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Korean Dramas

My Aunty Rurichan is a big fan of Korean dramas. Big. I mean huge. So much so that she bought an entire shelf of Korean dramas from a video store and gave it to her son's in-laws before realizing that they weren't actually Korean dramas, but Korean porn. Whether or not you're a fan, you'll probably enjoy the following...

50 Things You Can Learn from a Korean Drama

1) Hot, rich, younger men love fat, older vulgar women.

2) If you have a best guy friend, he is in love with you. And secretly you are too.


3) You and your boyfriend will always playfully chase each other on an ice rink, at the beach, or in the leaves. And you’ll laugh for no reason and your boyfriend will hit you “playfully” but the force of his push will have you flying across the r
oom. But it’s okay. Cuz you’re still laughing like a crazy person.

4) Brothers/cousin/uncles-nephews will always love the same girl.


5) You’re allowed to make u-turns wherever you want in Korea. And there is never traffic on the side you want to u-turn to.


6) There is a super quick payment device that allows you to pay a bill quickly enough for a guy to run immediately out of a restaurant after his angry girlfriend storms out.


7) Everyone has cancer.


8) If you’re sick, all you need is an IV to make you feel lots better.

9) There is vomit and urine all over Seoul at nights.


10) Fighting at a pojangmacha with a random stranger is merely part of a normal night’s event.


11) Soju must cost 10 cents. Everyone drinks it every
day all the time, especially the poor people.

12) If you’re rich, you’re a jerk.


13) If you’re poor, you’re an angel.


14) Women sleep and wake up with a full set of makeup on.


15) You’re not studying hard enough unless you get a no
sebleed.

16) If you have a nosebleed, you most definitely have cancer. And you have no money to pay for the surgery that will save your life. And your liver is missing. We’re not sure where it went, but it’s making your cancer progress faster.


17) If you work in a sool jeep (drinking place), you have massively curly hair and wear flashy colors from the early 90’s.


18) You always order orange juice or coffee at a cafe. And you never drink it. EVER.


19) You will always call your boyfriend by his job title. Or simply sunbaenim. Never his name. Never. He doesn’t have one.


20) If you TRULY love each other, you must die together in the end. Frozen outside instead of finding shelter like sane people. Just frozen….


21) You go to America you come back miraculously successful. You go to England you come back amazingly fashionable. You stay in Korea the only thing that changes is your hairstyle.

22) And if you come back with no apparent reason then it’s because you have cancer.

23) Everyone always goes to the same hospital no matter where they are.

24) If you stand out in the rain for more than five minutes, you’ll end up with a fever and vertigo and people will rush you to the hospital to get some magic IV. And instead of taking an ambulance or driving they’ll race you on their back.

25) Even if you’re poor and can’t eat, you never wear the same clothes twice.

26) If you play a poor kid, you always have dirt on your face and your hair is always messy.

27) If you’re saving someone from being hit from a car, you’ll push them out of the way and wait for the car to hit you instead.

28) Everyone has a long lost sister/brother/twin. Usually one they didn’t know about.

29) If you don’t want to answer your phone, you can’t just turn it off. The battery
needs to be taken out.

30) All Korean men can drink hard, smoke long, sing well and play piano. Usually all at the same time. And at the same restaurant that has a piano that they let anyone use.

31) If you’re in a relationship, you must at one point leave and have your lover tearfully come RIGHT before you board the plane (vice versa applies as well. You can be the chaser). 60% of the time you see each other, the other 40% you’re roaming around in circles and pass each other about six times, but miraculously never see them.

32) If you’re getting off a plane, you’re ALWAYS wearing sunglasses. ALWAYS.

33) All guys wear hideous tracksuits zipped up to their neck. Even if all they’re doing is jump-roping.

34) Girls will always storm off because they’re mad and the guy will stoically grab them by the arm and swing them back- and by magic, not dislocate their shoulders.

35) Guys always look like they’re 6 feet tall, even if they’re only 5′10. Thank you camera angles.

36) Guys like to wear foundation, eyeliner and sometimes a smudge of lipliner.

37) You always get stuck in an elevator with someone who makes you feel uncomfortable. Even if there are six different elevators, you’ll always be stuck in the same one with that bastard you hate (or just fought with).

38) Unless you’re fabulously rich, your in-laws will always hate you.

39) So will your sister-in-law.

40) Your brother-in-law might be pining away for you.

41) There are only 2 ways to kiss. You either press your lips against theirs with your mouth completely shut, and just press away for a very long and uncomfortable time. OR you devour the other person and suck out their soul. In both instances, the world spins.

42) A guy will always get the right size ring, even if you’re never held hands.

43) People stare off into space and ponder a lot. They’ll just stop in the middle of the road and watch a leaf on a tree for a good three minutes, and just ponder.

44) You’ll get pregnant the first time you have sex.

45) You’ll get pregnant if he kisses you on the forehead.

46) Hell- you’ll get pregnant if you hold hands.

47) If you overcome great obstacles to be together, one of you must die. Probably due to cancer.

48) One Korean man can kick the butts of 6 gangstas. Especially when they all stand in a circle and attack the guy one by one. Then when each of them get their butts OWNED, they wise up and attack the guy at the same time. Then the guy will get pulverized and bleed out onto the dusty concrete floor of the empty warehouse they’ve found to fight in. There will be a fire in a trashcan somewhere. And the girl will have watched this the entire time, screaming in horror. Instead of calling 119, she’ll just watch and cry. But it’s okay. Cuz the next day the guy will be fine with a few random bandages and a few face scars. But never a black eye.

49) It ain’t a real fight unless the gangstas fight dirty with a stick or switchblade.

50) If you study in the states (perferably Harvard), you are one of the top students and can speak perfect English (as assumed by the reactions of those around you). Why the rest of the world OUTSIDE of the TV can’t understand a single word uttered out of your melodramatic mouth is beyond me.

Bae Yong Joon
(Aunty Rurican is a proud member of his official fan club)

Friday, March 7, 2008

Coming to America

There's something terrifying and brave about establishing a home in a completely different country. Two of my favorite films deal with this very same issue; the first about coming to the United States, and the second about what happens once you've settled down...

The Namesake
Directed by Mira Nair and based on the book by Jhumpa Lahiri

The story of the Ganguli family who decide to start a new family in New York (Boston in the book) after leaving their home in Calcutta.






The beauty of this film is that it not only tells of the love that unfolds within the marriage of Ashoke and Ashima, but about their son, Gogol's struggle as a first generation citizen born to immigrant parents .























Keep an eye out for...
The cinematography - The images captured on film have been based on photographs that Nair chose herself. Shots of India are breathtaking and the contrast between India and New York is interesting when seen through Gogol and Ashima's eyes.
Kal Penn - Penn's portrayal of Gogol/Nikhil in The Namesake is a refreshing change from his roles on Harold and Kumar or Van Wilder (FYI: Skip the links if you're not a college frat boy).
The soundtrack - A beautiful fusion of Western and Indian music by Nitin Sawhney. Nair even included a new version of the classic Ye Mera Diwanapan Hai (loose translation: This Is My Heart's Weakness) by Susheela Raman which I really loved until I made my father listen and he nearly threw up.


Watch the trailer


Saving Face
Written and directed by Alice Wu

The story of a mother and daughter who face some rather modern issues within their traditional Chinese family.



















The film is something of an autobiography for Wu and, despite the fact that this is her first film, she more than makes up for some small glitches with a great deal of heart and humor.












Keep an eye out for...
The women - In an industry dominated by men, the women involved in the film have created something that anyone can appreciate (believe me, it doesn't happen as often as it should). Please leave your 'Asian women as quiet and submissive' stereotypes at the door.

The humor
- Even though the film is half in Mandarin and half in English, the dialogue is still hilarious.
Joan Chen - The same woman who played the Emperor's wife in The Last Emperor plays a paranoid and easily excitable mother who has an affinity for Chinese soap operas and younger men. Chen manages to handle the comedy and her character's silent sadness without any effort at all.


Watch the trailer


Blockbuster these movies!