fashizzlemanizzle

Wow. it's been awhile. time to tidy this place up and bring out the trash.

and it's the World Cup season! Just like the previous edition of the World Cup Germany 2006, i'll be able to stay home for the whole month and enjoy it (and for a good reason at that).

Waka waka!

Labels: hello again

Wolverine

Finally the summer blockbuster movies are rolling in. To get the ball running, we've got the latest instalment of the X-Men franchise. Wolvie hogs all the spotlight (as if he doesnt get all the attention in the previous X movies) in his very own movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The movie is based loosely on the Wolverine : Origins graphic novel. That part of Wolverine's beginnings is sort of a new addition to the whole Wolverine saga.

In the beginning,you will find out the origins of Wolverine and his relationship with Sabretooth (albeit, nothing bi about it). And the numerous wars they got involved in (think they opted out of the Afghan and Eye-Rack wars). The movie starts off with much promise. I was particularly impressed by the beginning credits. The stylistic use of war scenes ending in freeze-frames, but yet the images were being zoomed in and out (and with them in poses full of machismo, having those cool beards and sideburns do help), certainly added on to the action. Very very impressive.

Then Colonel Stryker roped them in to form an elite Mutant team. This is the most interesting part of the movie as you get to see other mutants with various abilities. There's Will.i.Am playing a mutant that has similar abilities as Nightcrawler (teleportation). There's Deadpool, the wuxia man with the swords. This mofo has such impressive swordplay skills, chow-yun-fatt and IP man (not Internet Protocol) would be proud. See him not only block bullets, but, bloody hell cut bullets into half. As if tat is not impressive enough, the bullets rebound back to the attackers. Tat is ultimate lah dei.

You also get to see the early Blob (when he was much skinnier)and a shooting-confirm-marksmen-get-$200-every-recall Agent Zero. Lee Wung Yew would cream in his pants if they faced off in the SEA games.

But to me, the fun ends there. The rest of the story decidedly takes on a slower tone, as if the rush and rumble was only for the beginning. I was dissapointed by the duels of between Sabretooth and Wolvie. In the comics, Sabretooth is a much bigger brute, at least a head taller than Shorty, I mean Wolvie. But here, Liev Schreiber is not much bigger than him. I was hoping he'd be much bigger and look more savage wif his trademark faux-fur. And their duets, I mean duels, same standard operating procedure. They face off, Wolvie charge and run in from one side, Sabretooth galloping in from the other, both men (or beasts) grunting and they clash.

But the introduction of Gambit midway has got to be among the highlights of the movie. Remy LeBeau aka Gambit finally makes an appearance in an X-Men movie. The man wif the golden sleight of hand (i expect Sands at Marina Bay will be headhunting him soon) wif his impressive array of card tricks and throwing charged-up, explosive cards. Alas, wif such a frenchie name, i was hoping he'd speak more wif the lazy french drawl like in the cartoon series (altho not so pekat like Rene Artois in Allo Allo). And I was hoping to see him getting involved in much more bigger fights. Alas alas.

Also, the final fight scene will pit weapon X and weapon XI (Wolvie vs a super mutant). Again, a slight complain I have is the setting of the final fight. If only it was at a more wider venue (hint hint), it'd be much better I expect.

For all the hating, I enjoyed the movie on the overall, especially of seeing Gambit, Deadpool and the early part of the beginning. Dont fall asleep from the middle of the movie. I'd give it 4 / 5 charkueysss.

PS: Stay till the end. And Im not referring to the colonel. Stay beyond and go thru all the names of the credits. They may hold subliminal messages. Or not. Do it.




Sabretooth in this movie does not look like these at all.

23rd March 2009. Singapura. Indoor Stadia. Chris brought us to the moon and back.

Labels: coldplay, singapore indoor stadium

Watchmen



It has finally arrived. Almost 9months after posting the first available trailer, rite here on Killersherpa, the movie is here for our enjoyment (or dismay). And frankly, Im pretty much blown away by it all. Frankly, I havent read the book prior to the movie, thus Im not aware of the ruckus by purists, that this graphic novel should not have been attempted at all. I was actually enticed by that trailer, complete wif Abang Corgan's song Beginning is the end is the beginning. And the sight of that blue man, and the gaudy owl outfit.

And I'll say it again. I was not disappointed. But from the opening sequence, where the death of the Comedian (Jeffrey Morgan, who looks alot like Robert Downey Jr), a semi-retired 'superhero' gets murdered, it sets the whole tone of the movie when a former group member of the Comedian goes in search of wat is up with the killing in the name of. Rorschach (played superbly by Jackie Earle Haley, by George they look alike comic form and the screen form). They used to be group mates in the Superhero group, The Watchmen (not to be confused with the Nightwatchman, Tom Morello's one man rubber band). The year is 1985, the cold war is still ongoing and Richie Nixon is still pressie. Other members of the supr dynamic group includes the 4th blue man, Dr. Manhattan aka Jon Osterman, the vavalicious Silk Spectre II, the pudgy Nite Owl II, the Zoolander Ozymandias, the Angsty and Illest Rorschach, and the sick Comedian (sick as in sick in the brains). A ragtag bunch, not ur typical ratpack. But hey they ensured the job gets done, flushing them Vietcongs and putting to sleep murderers and rapists. Rorschach suspects the killing of the Comedian is just the beginning of a domino, a plot to kill the rest of the living Watchmen. And he uncovers a twisted plot, in order to restore new world order, somebody has got to pay. Somebody has got to the be fall guy. But who?

Watch it for Zack Snyder's masterclass of a movie. Youve seen wat he can do wif a graphic novel (see 300). And he doesnt disappoint. He tried his best to stay true to his homies, his homeboys and stick to the book, altho much to the dismay of Alan Moore (the creator of the Watchmen series, altho he is dismayed by all his works that are being turned to film). The fighting sequence are the fashiznits. Just brutal, full of energy, anger but yet so smooth, silky and graceful. Well-choreographed fight scenes (altho I tink Ip Man's fights cant be compared here). And for all ur violent-philes out there, you wont be disappointed by the amounts of acts of violence. The sweet cracking sound of bones crunching, of someone getting hacked square in the head, of prisoners getting their hands sawed off. Yup. All there.

And true to Zack's nature, you will not be disappointed by the steamy sex scenes. Yes, be warned there is nudity. And there is a lil bit of the in-out, in-out. And you've got to feel for Dr Manhattan. I mean he's cool and all, the only one wif actual super-powers. The ability to teleport, and increase his size to one bigger than giant gonzales. Of how Jon Osterman became Dr Manhattan, and everyone wanting a piece of him. You juz feel sorry for tat guy. Being blasted like tat. But you've to give it up to him for daring to let his schlong dangle there for most parts of the movie. You've got balls i mean, no pun intended.

I did leave the cinema satisfied, although wif a tinge emotional sadness. Why? Tis isnt exactly a feel good, good triumphs over evil kind of movie. These superheros have real issues, not juz happy, flash pearlies kind of superheros. They are at war wif the enemies, as much as wif the people they think they should protect, and even at war wif their own inner selves. This movie is dark, major characters die. And mostly why Im sad, there's no other movie that I'd have as much anticipation as this one. The 160mins of it juz wasnt enough. Sigh sigh sigh.

This movie, gets 4.999/ 5 char kueys. Hecklah can give 5 out of 5 also. Sue me.

Next up: Wolverine Origins and Transformers 2: Revenge of the fallen. And Terminator 4: Salvation (where the term Doing a Christian Bale, came from)


The writer, posing for a pic wif Dr. Manhattan. Indeed, the existence of life is a highly overrated phenomenon.

A Watchmen viral video. One of the elements from the graphic novel, of saying no to vigilantes.

Counting down the days. I am so excited, I could pee.

As we celebrate the beginning of a new year, let us all make a doa for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. In this times of sadness, I have to admit it puts whatever challenges that come our way into perspective. What we go through could never compare to what is happening there. Its so easy to gloss over the headlines, the least we could do is to care and make a doa for them. Thank you Allah for what we still have.

OHMYGAWD. It is finally coming true. Blur is coming together for a show.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7772891.stm

Gosh, really miss my glory secondary school days, of the 96-98 era, when it was a no-wave era. Grunge was dead. Was listening to a mish-mash of stuffs like kitaro, boyz II men, Mariah carey, Joan Osborne, coolio. And then i discovered Oasis. And soon after I was introduced to Blur by my sis n bro. And I juz worshipped these two (nirvana also lah k), put them high up on the sacred pedestal. I mean, fans of these bands either supported one or the other. But for me, both epitomised and were the flag-bearers of the heydays of Britpop. Oasis, with their coolswaggerlikeus rocknroll (gallagher bros were the tough-talking machismo fishnchipsbeer guzzling duo), and in the blue corner we had Blur, with their creative and quirky britpop, dance-break-noise tunes. Graham coxon's guitarworks was juz amazing, amongst the top guitarist ever. And Damon's whimsical and hilarious lyrics, bordering on the cutesy-side complemented well with Coxon, singing in his falsetto. 1996, the release of 2 excellent albums backtoback. Oasis' What's the story (morning glory)? taking on Blur's Great Escape. Ahh. Such a bountiful period. Lovely, lovely. Oh Mr Robinson, and his quango, dirty dealer expensive car.

Then there was middle Suede (i wouldnt call it early dogmanstar suede, this was more the Beautiful Ones Suede). Ahh the good old days of secondary school, the good ol days of Britpop, unlike what it is now, grittier, younger, more spunk and juz too hard to catchup with the latest NME-endorsed bands.

I guess this shall be the goal of 2009. To go to Hyde Park in July. I was there when Blur performed at the Harbour Pavillion in 1997. Were you?