SAW:
Hairspray (2007) US:
Now, I seldom recommend Hollywood films (cos i hardly watch them, i know, unbelievable in this day and age and living in Syd!!) but I would definitely recommend this nice meaningful film for those who missed it. I expected a light-hearted comedy but it was surprisingly meaningful and nice...and further, I have a personal bias in favour of 50s/60s fashion of frocks and gowns and musicals...haha...
Brothers and Sisters (2007/08) US:
I seldom watch Hollywood movies, much less American TV dramas such as Heroes or Desperate Housewives, which all do not catch my attention at all, but I watched Brothers and Sisters and really like it...love Sally Field, still as good as ever...people should watch it if u like family dramas..its also surprisingly progressive, anti-Iraq war, pro-gay...one son is gay and at the end of last season, it was revealed that Sally Field's brother and their uncle was possibly gay too...
Official Site: http://abc.go.com/primetime/brothersandsisters/index?pn=index
TO SEE:
CJ 7 (2008) HK:
Stephen Chow and his son (which out of interest for those who didn't know is played by a girl!) in a heart-warming embrace.
The alien teacher in a tight-fitting white 1960's style qipao (chinese dress) uniform.....
I am really looking forward to the new film from HK all-time funny man Stephen Chow, CJ7. I am particularly keen on this film because it has a more sentimental and emotional theme of father-son relationship unlike his previous two films, Kungfu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, which were more masculine in nature. Further, there is an extra draw for me, being that the main female actress's uniform in the movie is a tight-fitting 1960's style cheongsam!! This was a pleasant surprise for me as clearly it shows a re-appreciation for the cheongsam (chinese dress) amongst chinese people and Stephen Chow(??) as it must have been a deliberate choice to make her uniform that of a cheongsam. This is as the cheongsam as either a uniform or daily wear has fell from fashion since 1949 with the communist takeover. Further, even if the story was set in HK (it isn't, its set in a city in modern day China) the cheongsam as a school teacher's uniform was only used in a handful of hong kong schools and only then until the 1970s when it was abolished as a rule.
43 comments:
Lust, Caution is pretty good on the cheongsams too.
marcellous: Yes, I saw that already...indeed nice cheongsams..though the storyline was nothing worth getting excited about...alot of commentators have said it is 'revolutionary' in sexual terms for a chinese film but i found it very 'stereotypical', the sex scene was where the man dominated the woman, it even had the tragic 'typical' ending of the chinese virtuous woman sacrificing her life for the man she loved...or maybe its just the feminist streak in me:)
Stephen Chow's movies are always good, so looking forward to it.
aimlesswanderer: yeah, thats true!! But i am way more excited about this film than his previous ones cos of the sentimental father-son relationship theme. So u into Asian entertainment too?
Some movies, yes. In this case it looks like it won't be as funny as previous ones. Will be interesting to see what it's like.
I've watched K and J dramas, and a few HK and TW ones too. Mainly watching K dramas now.
aimelesswanderer: I used to watch kdramas alot..haha..but nothing new or interesting to watch recently...:)
I tend to like more serious dramas, don't like the fluffy, sappy ones. Watching Yi San (mostly bureaucratic and political machinations) and Hong Gil Dong (interesting and sometimes silly). Lobbyist certainly shone a light into the extremely dodgy world of weapons lobbying.
Though often not reflective of everyday life, they are interesting windows into other countrie's life, society and culture.
aimlesswanderer: Couldn't agree with you more:)Though, my taste are more emotional, romantic kinds though i too hate the sappy fairytale love stories where the guy is just unbelievably perfect...abit silly and not credible in my opinion...the ones u mentioned, r they k dramas or k movies?
They are Korean series. Yi San and Hong Gil Dong are ongoing,and Lobbyist recently finished. Good ol d-addicts has everything you need.
Gee, CJ7 is on really soon.
I have just seen rating for Lust,Caution on imdb, rated 8.1, wonder if it good enough to get ang lee another oscar though, will try to see this one.
I personally feel stephen chow is a bit overrated, It is surprising even a director of zhang yimou's calibre is not as well recognized as stephen chu in the western media.
I guess media hype does it for him.
aimlesswanderer: Yeaa...i'm so gonna watch that film as soon as it comes out!
Anon: I beg to differ..i personally think the director that is overrated is Zhang Yimou and its media hype for him that keeps him in the limelight..I like Stephen Chow (NOT Stephen Chu) so back off!! haha..i'm kiddin':) To each their own taste.
also what is really good about kdramas, is it that they are different and mature compared to western sitcoms?
anyways all of the american sitcoms nowadays are toally monotonous, most of them are pointless romantic comedies, really getting fed up with them.
anon: Well, its popular in Asia because of the similar culture and look of the actors. American people and culture are more distant to Asians as compared to Koreans...but korean dramas can get pretty repetitive too!!
Yeah, some kdramas are definitely repetitive and formulaic (esp the romantic ones, not that I watch them), and they seem to be less popular than they once were both overseas and in Korea-a case of them being more familiar. Their productions values are generally high as well-they look good.
But there are some which really are different-would a US series show what dodgy things go on in the defence procurement (ie defense lobbyist) area? There is so much opportunity (and criminal convictions) for graft there.....
Yi San is mostly about the bureaucratic and political shenanigans in the Chosun era (a few hundred years ago), with just a small dash of romance and action-no way that would fly in the US.
aimlesswanderer: Yes, thats true..in the US they can be pretty conservative in terms of not wanting to stray away from certain mainstream appeal formulas...as for romantic dramas, well, my taste are very different from urs i watch korean dramas for the love and family dramas, i'm not interested in chosun dynasty ones,action ones, or political ones..haha..and no need to clarify that u don't watch romantic dramas, i know alot of guys whom watch them and enjoy them..and they r straight too:)
I have watched a few sappy ones, which no self respecting red blooded male would touch with a barge pole, but after a few they became annoying and way too predictable, hence the shift to more serious (and hopefully less predictable and more sensible) dramas.
Each to their own.
aimlesswanderer: oh my god, i hope i don't have another conservative reader..i seem to be getting alot of conservative readers lately...i personally don't believe that what is appropriate for guys and girls should be so rigid in the 21st C. In fact, I admire 'hot blooded guys' whom are 'man' enough to indulge in supposedly 'female activities' or have female characteristics such as liking romance dramas, having a compassionate heart,etc..in fact, i think its attractive and sweet...but then again i'm prob the odd one out:)
Me, conservative? In some ways, yes. I generally don't like those type of series, but then again other people don't like what I watch. Everyone has different tastes, that doesn't worry me. But what does my taste in dramas have to do with compassion? That's a human thing, not a female thing.
But on the flip side, does that mean that in the 21st C you shouldn't be so rigid in your thinking and should watch more 'serious' dramas?
aimlesswanderer: I think I have to apologise for not making myself clearer. What i meant was its fine that everyone has their own likes and dislikes, be it guy or girl, but i interpreted your comment 'no self-respecting red-blooded' male to mean that real (straight) guys wouldn't watch these kind of dramas which i disagree with. I don't believe in making people 'fit' their category.
Thus, its fine if u dislike love dramas just like i dislike 'serious' dramas. i don't watch them because i genuinely don't like them, not for any other reason. Thus, if u don't watch romantic dramas cos u dislike them and not bcos u think its 'unmanly' then thats fine too:)
Also about the compassionate bit, i meant 'conservative' people would think men shouldn't like babies too much, or cry when watching romance films, or want to be kindergarden teachers, all of which i associate with having a compassionate heart. (and all the above seem to be associated with women more) I hope you understand where i am coming from, i am NOT saying u r not compassionate.
btw, are u christian-just out of curiosity?
That's ok, I didn't think you were serious, and I wasn't really being either. They are just boring. Pretty girls are good all well and good, but boredom, frustration and a frequent urge to shout out "WTF" mean that they generally aren't for me.
I know what you mean - the 'old' (or not so old) stereotype. Babies are good, unless they are feral or need burping. I'm not game enough to teach a bunch of kids day in and day out though.
No way, I am not religious. Do I sound like it? That's a bit worrying.
aimlesswanderer: Haha. The religious bit- I was just making sure..
That's interesting. I didn't think I sounded religious, but I guess I do a bit.
BTW, as I guy, I can say that, if guys are staring at you and drooling, then they definitely like what they see, despite your modesty.
aimlesswanderer: Huh?? I don't have guys oogling at me! I wish i did though...haha...
I was skimming through your archives yesterday, and didn't you mention guys were staring at you?
aimlesswanderer: U obviously don't have the experience of weird men looking at u...these are not cute guys or appropriate places( eg. like a club) to be doing this kind of thing..they are WEIRD FREAKS...i would be flattered if they were either 1)hunks 2)not so overt and obvious 3) or it happened at an appropriate place like the clubs or bar...i mentioned it not to boost my ego.
No, I must admit that I haven't experienced anyone staring at me like that-I could do without it.
Sorry about that, I can understand that it would be worrying in that case.
aimlesswanderer: It's ok. I hope you don't ever have to...but then again, if its some pretty gal, you prob would not mind..haha...
That's right, pretty girls of the world, go right ahead!
If I'm at a restaurant and a pretty young Chinese girl is taking photos of everything she eats I will try not to drool too obviously.
aimlesswanderer: Haha..
On second reading, it sounds a bit dodgy, like I've absorbed one of the less savoury aspects of Japanese culture, so I should amend "young Chinese girl" to "young Chinese woman".
aimlesswanderer: Its ok...:)
If you say so, but I would prefer to set the record straight.
Guys my age should most definitely not be drooling over young girls.
aimlesswanderer: Hahaha...yeah...but i think you have read my previous posts...thats y ur making an effort to please me, which is nice but not necessary..you can speak your mind frankly, its really ok:)
My general guide to staring etiquette.
Guys my age staring at women my age=ok.
Guys my age staring at women older than me=ok. Guys half my age staring at girls half my age=ok.
Guys my age staring at girls half my age (and barely in their teens)=not ok.
When I get to 40 it'll be ok to stare at women half my age, but that's a long way away.
aimlesswanderer: Hahaha..cool guide! But i think u shouldn't stare TOO obviously cos women half ur age by then won't appreciate it...i mean it would be like a 'dirty old man'...or in malaysia, we call these people 'dirty uncles'..haha..
Yeah, I think you're generally right, but if I do, somehow, look like a successful, distinguished older gentlemen then they may well be flattered.
aimlesswanderer: Well, i guess thats true for some girls...but it depends on a person's values and outlook i guess...
Oh yeah, they will fall down (likely out of sheer horror) like flies before me! But ideally the wife will prod me if she catches me doing that. Then again, I guess I should be staring at her instead.
I suppose a few million $ (or looking like you have it) always helps impress many people, but then the kind of people that it attracts...
aimlesswanderer: yeah..it will be attractive to some people but then again, like u said, the kind of ppl it attracts may not be all that attractive (in terms of personality)...but then again, if a guy is after sexual pleasures then who cares if the younger woman doesn't love him? hey, at least she loves his money!! its a case of both getting what they want, 'the man her body, the woman his money'..difficult to make a judgement i guess..altho if he is married then its bad...gosh, i am going off the topic,i am talking about affairs mere staring and ogling is fine i guess..hehe..
Well, I don't know if I will ever have lotsa $, so that's not likely be a problem.
The majority of guys will always like looking at pretty women, if they can get away with it.
Aiya, no post for Chinese New Year? Goong hei fat choy, san din fai lock. Ok, that's it for Cantonese, back to ingrish.
Do you still get your share of the intergenerational wealth redistribution even though you're overseas?
aimlesswanderer: Happy Chinese New Year to you too!!!!!!:) Have a great Chinese New Year celebration with your family:)
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