MOVIES X 3!!!

This week, I got to see not one... not two... but three - yes three movies!!!!   Not sure how I managed but in between work and taking care of Juju, I did - and I could not be Happier!!!

 

First film I saw, thanks to the FREE PASS, is the Taiwanese made film "Black and White".  Was reluctant at first as I was not too sure if there will be English subtitles but since it is an action film, I said to myself: "What the heck...  plot will be simple enough to follow>"  Though it really was, am still happy there was English subtitle after all.  And was quite surprised with the film - could totally rival those made in Hollywood in the Special Effects and Actions scenes.  Acting from the cast was good enough...   considering they did not have much to say.   Was overall Happy and Satisfied with the film, just cannot stand the addition of the "trying so hard to be funny" side kick / partner of Mark Chao...  could totally do without him....   he was not even funny... guess the writer was gunning for the same sidekicks seen in Hollywood Action flicks - but failed. 

 

Then on the 9th of this month I set out to see the premiere of DRACULA - my most anticipated film this year.  Weeks ago, I already decided that by hook or by crook - I will get to see it on the first day.  And with babysitting chores later in the afternoon - it worked out well that I went to the first showing.  Got up earlier than usual... did all my work... shipping and all.... making sure I make it in time for the film.  Lots of high speed maneuvering but totally worth it!!!

Not expecting much about the storyline, as most reboots does not live up to expectations nowadays - I was still amazed, enthralled and thrilled by the film.   I do not know anyone in the cast except for Charles Dance and Luke Evans... and that was just fine by me....  I was really there for the legend that is Dracula, the costumes, the cinematography and Luke Evans....   and those all got two thumbs up from me!!!   I left the theatre happy and with a hope that a follow up will be in the works! 

 

Third film is "Gone Girl".  This one I knew nothing about....   I agreed to go with the girls as I like most everyone in the cast plus I know if it's a David Fincher film, one is in for a ride.  And it sure was one helluva ride!!!    So many unexpected twists and turns....  and the Cast, every single one of them, delivered!!!!  Especially Rosamund Pike....   I was a Fan then - am a bigger Fan now!!!   It is one of those movies that is sooooo good, you would not mind seeing it again, and again, and again....   and not for the much talked about Private Parts of both Ben Affleck and Neil Patrick Harris - besides, in Taiwan, those scenes always end up on the cutting floor. 

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So over all, this week, I have nothing to complain for - and much to be happy about!

Hope everyone else's week is going well.

ShuQi by Mario Testino

What a dream combination!!!  Famed Fashion photographer, Mario Testino shoots the enigmatic ShuQi for VOGUE, China...  And the shots are deliciously fun and sexy - even with ShuQi all covered up in stylishly retro classic fashions!

The photos are even more glorious in Black & White.

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And here she is for the Golden Horse Awards promotional ads...  Golden Horse is Taiwan's Equivalent to the Oscars..  She has won Best Actress here previously and this year she is nominated once more...

NO Gf*Bf for me...

Yesterday turned out to be a bit of a frustrating day....  nope it was not the back to work blues or anything to do with the weather...as a matter of fact, yesterday, the sun shone brightly....  it was actually HOT to be out so I decided to escape by taking in a movie...

Of course the movie of choice is Gf*Bf....  I was afraid that I had missed it already by being away when it opened back on the 3rd of this month....   but was quite HAPPY to see that it is still playing....   was soooo excited I rushed to the WARNER VILLAGE area to catch the film....  even on my own....    I was soooo disappointed to find out that the film had no English Subtitles....  as I asked the Ticketer before purchasing my ticket - just to be sure....   I cannot even say how HEARTBROKEN I am when I walked away from the theatre....  such a disappointment...  Been so excited about seeing this film since I have heard about it months ago....  been totally anticipating it....

I mean, if it was one of those Comedy or Sci-Fi, Graphic induced film - I would not even hesitate...  but I felt with this kind of relationship drama and touches of the Taiwan Revolution - I would definitely need the English Subtitles to get all of it....  not just parts.... besides would not want to miss any important lines....  and the thing that gets me is that, this movie has been making the International Film Festival rounds lately - so you would think that there is already a copy with English subtitles playing....  not to mention, lately, most if not all, Taiwanese movies have English Subtitles.... 

Oh well... I guess will just have to wait for the DVD release and hope that it WILL have the English Subtitles....  Too bad as it seems like the kind of movie you would want to experience in the BIG SCREEN - with other movie goers....  :(

ART Day

That is just what my day was today!!! Right after this Sunday Mass, with no Babysitting duties... All alone... And no good movie to see - I decided to escape the midday heat of the sun by taking in some art exhibitions... And what better place than one of Fave Art Museums in Taiwan, MOCA... Always something good, contemporary, and cool to see... And of course, the surrounding areas are an added bonus....

First up was a walk through the long strecth of the Zhongshan UNDERGROUND MRT/MALL...   which offers just about anything you could think of:   Rows and rows of shops selling clothing, books, DVDs, shoes, toys, magazines, abounds...   and in one of the BEST SECTION  the MOCA STUDIO...   an off shoot of MOCA...  cool exhibitions are always on view here....   artwork, interactive art, film festivals, performance art, etc.....   this time around three sections of Film Exhibitions - both Live Action and Animated films done by local artists....  one can spend hours watching all these shows - not only are they FREE of CHARGE, it also helps that the Underground Mall is much much cooler than being on the streets....

And the whole Underground Mall is quite an Art Space - at any given time, you can see photographic exhibitions or paintings of different genres....   even the store front gates are works of art, as each one are painted/graffitied by artists and regular folks alike....  it was an added treat to see a brand new section of Mural artwork today - this one taking the Alice in Wonderland theme and utilizing all the areas of the section to tell the story...  interpretations of the popular storybook adorns walls, doors, columns, and just about anything - masking their commonness and making them parts of the canvases....

After feasting on the Underground art exhibitions, it was time to check out what the real MUSEUM has in store for me....  and boy was it a pleasant surprise....  the main exhibition is about the work of renowned filmaker, King Hu....  one of the forefathers of the Chinese Kung Fu cinemas...  His numerous films (a personal fave, DRAGON INN, included)  had been studied, copied, and praised by many other famous Chinese Directors - Oscar Winner Ang Lee, included....   He also boasts garnering the Grand Prix price at Cannes back in 1975 for his epic film, Touch of Zen.... 

The exhibitions boasts countless video screens showing almost all his films....  sections of the museums were made to recreate some of the most essential parts/scenes for his numerous films...  A section also shows interviews of famous producers and directors  who had nothing but praise for Mr Hu...  a section was also devoted showcasing his many illustrations - being a talented illustrator, as well - with two major Animation films in the 1990s: Golden Monkey and The Boiling of the Sea.  Many of his original illustration art from both films were on display - so it was an added treat for me....  sadly, photographing them were prohibited - and this section was very much guarded....  intentional or coincidental - I really could not say....

Was amazed with the overall exhibition, I had to walk through it all for a second time....  Overall, it was a GREAT ART DAY FOR ME, I would say.... no, correction - I WOULD BOAST!!!

L O V E * AI

Was fortunate enough to be able to catch the VIP Screening of this Taiwan made film....   LOVE....  I believe it came out around Valentine's Day - so I was surprised to get a Pass for a special screening just last nite.....  Thanksto Lyn and Shaun - for not wanting to see it - I got to go.... hahahahahahahaha....

Almost did not go for a few reasons:

-so last minute..

-it was a rainy nite so being lazy was more on the agenda...

-was afraid it will not have English Subtitles like most Chinese films released here...

am sooooo very glad I had a changed of heart and actually got myself to go.....  it helped that the rain subsided a bit when I went (even stopped altogether on my walk home!)....  from the poster alone, I knew I was interested in seeing the film....  too many familiar faces that I like - Mark Chao, Ethan Ruan & the MONGA BOYS, Zhao Wei, A-Shin's Eddie Peng and the main draw for me: SHU QI...  and the movie was sprinkled by special appearances of other familiar faces.....   plus filmed all throughout Taipei that I recognized and even a bit in Beijing.....   the director & producer and star of the film, Doze Niu even made an appearance before the movie commenced.

I knew that with the subject matter... and all the intertwined stories, i knew that even without the English subtitles, it will be easy enough for me to comprehend....   it was an added plus, that I was treated to English Subtitles.....    not at all expected.....    and yes, the stories were simple enough and even somewhat, predictable, as most love stories go: "she loves him, he loves another" variation, "man who cannot feel falls in love", young love, middle aged love, old love, etc...; ....  but the way there handed down to us - was quirky, funny, touching.....     the actors all delivered....   all as charming as can be....  maybe it helped that there were many of them to watch - one does not tire entirely of just one actor's acting.....most of the IDOL DRAMA actors are better watched in small dosages....   and SHINE they did....  they made me laugh, cry and feel.... which was a bit weird as I was seeing the movie on my own....

Shu Qi, to me is incomparable.....  so understated in her acting but can make you feel so much with just a glance....   she is, like most of us, is getting on in age but still, as luminous and as commanding a presence, as ever....  when she is in the screen - everyone else disappears.....

THE SORCERER AND THE WHITE SNAKE

The Sorcerer and the White Snake is another retelling of an old popular Chinese film - updated, infused with so much CGI that thrills and sadly, overwhelms the poignant love stories....  just as it did the retelling of A Chinese Ghost Story - shown a few months earlier....

This visual delight of a movie is a Chinese tale about the romance between a human, herbalist XuXian (Raymond Lam), and a demon in the form of a white snake which can take human form (Eva Huang). Between them comes a crusading monk and sorcerer Fa Hai (Jet Li) whose mission it is to fight demons, and of course, to his sensibilities, this liaison is not acceptable.

Overwhelming the love story are the elaborate fight sequences, amazing to watch but it did get tiring after a while as one would like to see more of the main characters' emotional story. And as an added bonus, familiar faces decorates the film throughout: Miriam Yeoung, Vivian Hsu & Charlene Tsoi as the Green Snake.   Nonetheless, it is an entertaining film under the direction of famous action choreographer turned director, Tony Ching.

I totally recommend this film - the younger generations would not be disappointed by the colorful & amazing graphics and the older ones will be touched, even just a bit, by this modern take...  

but of course, for me, the one I saw many years back, White Snake/Green Snake, is still a better film - after all, who can forget and resists the charms of both Maggie Cheung & Joey Wong as the snake sisters..... and the super Hottie Hunk, Wu Shing Kuo as the Sorcerer Monk...  and as a TREAT for you all - here's the trailer for the Original with Maggie Cheung and Joey Wong...

Lost in Translation II

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of seeing a screening of "Seediq Bale" - a two parter Taiwanese film documenting the historical Japanese occupation of Taiwan waaaaaay back before WWII... it is the Mountain Aboriginals plight - in preserving their ancestry, regaining their territory and PRIDE back from the Japanese.

Part one covers the origins of Mona Rudao, the taiwanese Hero and the main character of the film. We see him grow up, become a man... fight for his tribes rights and freedom, only to be captured and succumbed to the Japanese... and fast forward to the 1930's - he is now an older man co-existing with the Japanese but deep down brooding(and brewing) for their freedom. The two hour movie culminated in the "oh-so-very-bloody" revolt against the Japanese.... I had to turn away or close my eyes in certain parts but it is not, I assure you, bloodshed just for the heck of getting reactions from the audience... all was done true to the tribesmen's historical ways of dealing with their enemies...

Been looking forward to this movie for quite some time.... the PREVIEWS looked AMAZING and EMOTIONAL - and BEST OF ALL, they had ENGLISH Subtitles... Alas, there was none when we went to see the film.... even at the Warner Viewshow, which is frequented by foreigners so one would think they would show the ones with English Subtitles... The movie was in both Japanese and the Aboriginal Dialect... and the subtitles were in Chinese... I was OUT OF LUCK!!!

But not all was lost... the story was very UNIVERSAL... the EMOTIONS quite apparant, thanks to the wonderful actors... and I did get a little bit of Translation help in the most PIVOTAL parts.... so i still got the JIST of the whole thing - was caught in the beautiful cinematography, great landscapes used for settings, and the emotion of the whole thing... Now I cannot wait for

PART 2 of the film...

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with "Amphetamine" - who says Friday the 13th is UNLUCKY!!!

Have always been told to watch out come Friday The 13th.... so many superstitions.... so many things to avoid and look out for.... overall it is to be a very UNLUCKY Day... so most of the time, I try to do little - especially if it involves being out and about... take extra precautions and all...

Well, what could have been a boring nite turned out rather nicely when I decided to see the Premiere showing of AMPHETAMINE on my own.... a brand new, Gay-Themed, movie from Hong Kong director, Scud.... Normally, I do not go run out to see these types of movies when they first come out, often I get disappointed... but after seeing the oh-so-artsy preview a couple of times - I knew I wanted to see it in the big screen....


...and am so very glad I did!!!Not only was it a very nice film.... I got to meet and hang with the leads and the director... YOWZA!!!

A little backstory on how the Nite unfolded for me: I was really hoping my friend would get us tickets for this film, but that did not happen... so later that nite, I decided to still go and see the last showing anyway - not even knowing the Showtime.... I decided, if I get there on time, I get to see it... if not, I at least, can feast on Burger King, which happens to be next door to the cinema... I did not only get there in plenty of time, I was able to treat myself to my Fave Chicken Sandwich at Burger King.... and I got there early enough to ENJOY the Press and Fan Personal Appearance of the movie's director and two male leads.... A COMPLETE SURPRISE, as I knew nothing about it.... I was just ushered into the room... Director Scud was funny and gave insights to the film... and the two male leads are just as charming (and HUNKY!) off screen, as they are on screen.... so this was an added treat, indeed...

MOVIE SYNOPSIS (From the Official Site)
Kafka, a straight fitness trainer meets Daniel, a passionate executive who happens to be gay. The young men fatefully fall in love and believe that their love can bridge anything, even their difference in sexuality and Kafka's drug habits.
Daniel does not regret his love for Kafka, who tries to love him back against his nature. But a dreadful memory from Kafka's past makes it difficult for their relationship to work. It turns out that their addiction to love proves more fatal than the drugs they use to explore the boundaries of their friendship...

The movie was artsy indeed.... great images especially on the dreaming/hallucinating scenes... the storyline was well written enough, and very compelling... I was truly moved and wanted to know more and more about Kafka.... why he turns to Amphetamine? why Daniel, a successful, handsome financier, could stay with Kafka and his addiction? Little by little the story unfolded and all questions were asked.... and keeping true to the movie's TAGLINE: "There is no way to quit a fateful love" - the movie chronicled their love affair: from their fateful meeting, their happy & adrenaline pumping adventures, and right down to their relationships' bittersweet ending...

Don't want to have to give away more of the story... rather, I will just recommend you go out and see the movie... and experience for yourself this emotional roller coaster of a relationship...

OFFICIAL SITE

Complete Photos Here

"Blood Brothers" Revisited...

This whole week, as I work , I have been watching a whole lot of DVDs.... it is good to have them on the background - for company... catching up on TV seriese am so behind in (Vampire Diaries, LOST); checking out what everyone else is talking about (TRUE BLOOD); and re watching some movies I like... Atonement, What Dreams Are Made Of, & Blood Brothers... love love love them all....

and then I came across this ENTRY of mine (Pre Baxter-Ramblings days) in "and the Beat Goes On", dated Aug 19th, 2007 (almost 3 years to the date!!!!) over on FRIENDSTER after seeing Blood Brothers - so I decided to add it here, too:
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Blood Brothers
Since it is still non-stop rain here in Taipei and am adjusting to my Chinese mode once again - what better way to while away the SUNDAY afternoon than a Chinese film…

"Blood Brothers", starring basically all my Chinese fave actors and actress that you have heard me write about many times over (Daniel Wu, Tony Yang, Chang Chen & Shu Qi ) proved to be a GREAT CHOICE…

Set in the 1930’s - the movie told a tale of 3 friends from the countryside of China who went to decadent Shanghai to seek fortune and Paradise… literally as they end up working for a MOB BOSS who owns and runs, Paradise Club….

In true gangster style the trio ends up working for the Mob Boss… one falls for the Mob Boss’ gal, one becomes thoroughly corrupted by power and bigger dreams, and one becomes the innocent victim of it all… the sets are great and so is the costuming… Shu Qi, whose role was expanded during the film is so luminous as the Club’s star performer and the object of the men’s desires….

Overall, the acting from everyone is just right on…. and the story - though simple and predictable at times - still delivers all the emotional impact needed to make one memorable film….

For a bit more back story on the film - click here:
Blood_Brothers_(2007_film)
and for the TRAILER with ENGLISH subtitles:

Love You 10,000 Years

What a Night!!!

On Friday the 6th, I was LUCKY enough to be invited to attend the Special Media Screening of this brand new movie, Love You 10,000 Years, starring Taiwanese Actor Vic Chou of Meteor Garden Fame (also of the boy band F4) ... it was such a FRENZY - with so much media.... A FUN movie... and the Japanese Actress Youko Kato....

At first I was not sure about going - since am not a biiiig FAN of Vic Chou, the movie's main star.. I was never into Meteor Garden... in fact I think, I only got to see one episode ever... in my life - though it seems it is always on TV.... But being the starstruck person that I am, I decided to go anyway.... what the heck, I would at least get to see beautiful people...

The story is quite simple: Japanese Girl leaves her native Japan for the first time, goes to Taiwan for 3 months to hone her Chinese, so she can move to the Shanghai's office of her company... of course, she falls for a Taiwanese boy - not just an ordinary boy - but a ROCKER with so many issues, including the fact that he has never had a relationship past the 3 month mark... so Perfect for them, right? WRONG! as all CHEESY love stories aimed at teenagers go: they fall deeply, madly in love in the midst of their fightings and cross racial adjustments.... Typical story, predictable & just mindless fun, really...

What makes it work for me are the colorful visual images the directors kept feeding the audiences.... the great Taipei locations used..... the familiar personalities sprinkled throughout the movie.... and the title song itself - I was hooked - very catchy and cheesily done in one segment of the movie... I loved it!!!! hahahhahahahahah

I actually liked the Japanese actress Youko Kato - do not really know her... she was soooo natural and it helped that she is not your typical Gorgeous starlet that makes it believable the role she is playing..... she handled her Chinese deliveries quite well - coming from a fellow foreigner trying to get by with his Chinese.... as for Vic Chou - well, am not too sure here.... again, I was never a fan.... never see what others see in him.... Yes he is not bad to look at... and looks good in clothes but that's about it for me.... I have never seen him in anything he's done that I can actually believe him in... and him playing a ROCKER here...well, I could think of many other Taiwanese actors more suitable for the role.... but anyway, am sure the movie will see - just because of his star appeal alone.... Actually when we got out of the cinema after the screening, I was AMAZED at how many people were outside - thousands really - all lined up for the next showing.... and to get a glimpse of this Taiwan Heartthrob...

The Movie's Theme Song

Big Thanks to my friend, Carry Lee, for knowing that this is just the kind of things I love attending.... here's hoping I did not get giddily excited that I will get invited again soon.... hahahahahahahahahaha

MORE PHOTOS HERE

Wong Kar Wai, where are you???

... yes, you are missed.... and it is time for another one of your movie masterpieces..... and be sure you get Maggie Cheung out of her retirement... and reunite her with Tony Leung.... am sure it'll be movie magic once more - just as it was here in one of my FAVE movies of all time: In The Mood For Love

i can never get tired of this one... raw emotions, great cinematography.... and oh-so-moodily stylish.....

"Hot SUmmer Days" : The Movie

This is TRULY a FUN FILM to ESCAPE the HEAT of the SUMMER DAYS about people trying to escape/deal and find LOVE over a period of Hot Summer Days...

Intertwining 5 separate stories, the movie worked well, as the audience is left to laugh, cry, salivate, sweat, love and even feel the heat of the summer days... something for everyone... standout for me were a couple of the story lines: 1) young love set in the 40's China... the young stars from China are both captivating to watch... and possibly the best actors in the bunch... 2) has to be about the photographer who goes blind... and this story line ties in really well with the characters of the young lovers.... this is not to say that the other stories are not entertaining, as they were... and that they come as snippets is an added bonus to the viewers - makes us welcome them more when and as they appear... and we are able to overlook the flaws of the storyline - which would have been more apparent if shown in their entirety all at once....

The eclectic cast are all familiar faces - from Hong Kong, China & Taiwan: Nicholas Tse, Daniel Wu, Barbie Hsu, Jackey Cheung, etc.... even Pau Mei, the legendary Kung Fu star of Hong Kong... plus added surprise cameos by many: Charlene Choi of TWINS, Shawn Yue and most surprisingly, a personal fave, Maggie Cheung...

So if you are looking for a fun escape movie - give this one a chance.... you will definitely be able to deal with the summer heat a whole lot better.....

If You Are The One - Movie Review

Am awfully glad to finally have seen this movie right from the Poster itself, not even knowing anything about it. After all, Taiwan's Shu Qi starring as an Airline Stewardess - surely, could not be bad at all. Alas, it was not in the cards for me, as I was away on a trip when it first came out. So glad for the 2nd run movie house as am able to catch up on some movies missed.

If You Are The One is a smart romantic comedy that become the highest-grossing Chinese movie of all time. Directed by popular and world reknown Chinese director, Feng Xiaogang, the movie follows Ge You (a staple in numerous Xiaogang films), plays Qin Fen, an inventor who strikes it rich thus making him free to basically just do whatever he pleases. What's next for him? Find a wife. He promptly puts up one of the most hilariously on-line ads you’ll ever see/hear. “To avoid mutual disappointment, no PhD’s should apply. Don’t be too young. Don’t be too complicated.” It would be a sexist screed if he wasn’t also devastatingly honest about his own lack of charms. After spending a decade overseas he reports that he’s a three-strikes returnee. “No company. No stocks. No degree.” What follows is a series of 5 to 10 minute, funniest blind dates one will ever witness. The along came the ever- radiant, and a personal FAVE of mine, Shu Qi as Smiley Liang, a flight attendant with whom Qin shares a disastrous first date - but not until aftetr they shared a few drinks and confessed sob stories with each other - thinking that neither one of them will ever see each other again. WRONG!!! As later on, they happen to all be on the same flight - along with Smiley's married lover and his wife.

The two meets again when she’s at rock bottom, suffering through a tortured break-up with her married boyfriend (Alex Fong) who promised her 3 years, but can’t bring himself to leave his wife. The two wounded romantics decide to become friends & lovers, watching each others’ backs as they travel the road to romance in the beautiful city of Hokkaido. A place that holds dear memories to Smiley, as it was a place where she strarted her affair with the married man, and wehere she would like to say goodbye to it all - literally.If You Are The One pulls you in with its charms - flirting and seducing its way into your heart -- until finally, you fall head over heels in love with it. Clever storytelling, witty dialogues, luscious locales, and both leads pulling you into all sorts of emotional entanglements. You feel what they feel. It is one of those films that in lesser hands and inadequate actors - would have been just another Chinese film. But it is more than a film. Under Feng Xiaogang's direction, it gives you hope that one's past doesn’t matter. That no matter how screwed up it might be, the present is, and will always be, full of possibilities and the future looks brighter all the time.