Maybe it is a place like what Scott Adams imagine below.
The Most Important Room in a Building
Last year, I posted about this sign that I saw in KL Sentral.
Maybe it is a place like what Scott Adams imagine below.
Maybe it is a place like what Scott Adams imagine below.
Birthday Suit
Mom : Happy birthday, son.
Dad : What do you want for your birthday?
Me : Thanks mom, dad. Uhm...what else do I want? But you've already gave me the suit.
Dad : What suit?
Me : My birthday suit... and it fits me really well... I'm going to show off to everyone....
Thanks to all who wished, and thanks to all who remembered. It sure made my day. Oh, if you know Fasha Sandha, send her my belated wish yah? Maybe sometime we'll celebrate together... hehe
Dad : What do you want for your birthday?
Me : Thanks mom, dad. Uhm...what else do I want? But you've already gave me the suit.
Dad : What suit?
Me : My birthday suit... and it fits me really well... I'm going to show off to everyone....
Thanks to all who wished, and thanks to all who remembered. It sure made my day. Oh, if you know Fasha Sandha, send her my belated wish yah? Maybe sometime we'll celebrate together... hehe
Alhamdulillah
This relates to me nicely! The song, I mean...
Here's the Original file, if you want to keep it. Kudos to the SamBakZa group for creating this.
And they say if you want someone to remember, remember about them first. If still, nobody remembered about you, then you're a loser and I can't help you. (:p)
So please put in your birth dates in the comments so if Tak ada aral melintang patah membujur lalu meniarap manja (if there's no problem) I'll try and make a special something for it.
Missing Persons
I heard over the news, about the 10 year old child (I think it's a girl) found dead in the bushes somewhere in KL. She (assuming I'm right) was brutally murdered, most probably 2 days before. When I say brutally murdered, I wasn't joking. She was literally butchered.
I leave the details of this news to the press, since I don't have the full story myself. But what bothers me is, given the efficiency of crime-solving by PDRM, how effective they are in finding a person, missing or otherwise?
I mean, most of those in the missing persons' column in the press are sent in by the relative themselves. Only those high-profile cases seems to have direct assistance from the Police in this matter. Others, usually ends up in a file, for Police use only. If they got lucky, the patrolmen would recognize the victim when they chance upon him/her. Worse, they use the report to identify the corpse they found.
I'm not saying that our Police force are incompetent. Far from it. I'm just saying there should be more that we, or with assistance with the police, could do. For instance, a daily sidebar in the papers with 5 reported missing persons, chosen randomly or upon request. Or, during the 999 show on TV3, a similar segment, showing the image and name of the missing persons.
At least, the victim have better chance being spotted by public.
What we have right now, is the relative themselves had to call the press to have an article of their missing persons printed. I don't know if there's any payment needed for that, though, unless if it's for the advertorial/announcement segment.
An alternative and cheaper means of spreading the word is by posting fliers, and for a wider audience, the Net. I believe that the fliers work better in sending the message, if someone would actually come up and read it, especially if there's a reward offered. Message sent via the Net reaches broader audience, but more often than not, it reaches the Spam folder or deleted before the messages have time to be encoded by our brain.
There should be a better way for the victim's relative to assist the Police in the search party. It should be easily accessible too, both by the relative (they had gone through enough, missing someone they love) and the audience.
I could only think of the papers, since readers have more time to read and view the victim's photo, rather than the short and expensive airtime in the TV. At least, a flier slipped in the papers could do the trick too. I'm open for ideas, guys.
I leave the details of this news to the press, since I don't have the full story myself. But what bothers me is, given the efficiency of crime-solving by PDRM, how effective they are in finding a person, missing or otherwise?
I mean, most of those in the missing persons' column in the press are sent in by the relative themselves. Only those high-profile cases seems to have direct assistance from the Police in this matter. Others, usually ends up in a file, for Police use only. If they got lucky, the patrolmen would recognize the victim when they chance upon him/her. Worse, they use the report to identify the corpse they found.
I'm not saying that our Police force are incompetent. Far from it. I'm just saying there should be more that we, or with assistance with the police, could do. For instance, a daily sidebar in the papers with 5 reported missing persons, chosen randomly or upon request. Or, during the 999 show on TV3, a similar segment, showing the image and name of the missing persons.
At least, the victim have better chance being spotted by public.
What we have right now, is the relative themselves had to call the press to have an article of their missing persons printed. I don't know if there's any payment needed for that, though, unless if it's for the advertorial/announcement segment.
An alternative and cheaper means of spreading the word is by posting fliers, and for a wider audience, the Net. I believe that the fliers work better in sending the message, if someone would actually come up and read it, especially if there's a reward offered. Message sent via the Net reaches broader audience, but more often than not, it reaches the Spam folder or deleted before the messages have time to be encoded by our brain.
There should be a better way for the victim's relative to assist the Police in the search party. It should be easily accessible too, both by the relative (they had gone through enough, missing someone they love) and the audience.
I could only think of the papers, since readers have more time to read and view the victim's photo, rather than the short and expensive airtime in the TV. At least, a flier slipped in the papers could do the trick too. I'm open for ideas, guys.
First Letters of the Paragraphs
Facing life, we put on our facade of smiles and giggles, while our heart torn and rot itself in invisible agony. It's never the other way around. Nobody wants to be lied to, yet we lie each and every single day, without even noticing it. A smile is like a snake's venom, both heals and kills.
Under normal condition, we use our smile as an honest expression. Under the same, normal condition, we use that smile of ours to hide the fact that we're not exactly the person we appear to be. Weird, this smile is.
Camouflaged beneath the smile, is always a heart misunderstood, either by others, or by itself. Sometimes, even both. It suffers form the world, feeling that others won't be able to help them, let alone to share their pain. Any attempts to let it go, would usually result in even more pain.
Knowing this, nothing much can be done, really. If we chose to freely let our feeling dictate our actions and reactions, we're risking being a social outcast, for not conforming, or at least appear to conform to the norms and expectations of the masses.
After all, we are living in a world of expectations
Love is said to be the reason the world is still spinning. But look around. Most of what actually spinning this world, is either shiny and glittery, or pieces of colored papers with paintings and numbers printed in not-so-friendly letters.
Life looks bleak, no matter from which angle it is seen. Innocent children burdened with adult problems and mistakes, and adults acting like children, prancing around people's wound, sprinkling salt and lemon juices on it.
Time seems to fly, oblivious that we're lagging behind. There's never enough time to do much, but there's so much things to do. And suddenly, we realized that we have been on autopilot, just gliding through time, neglecting our primary purpose, but then it's too late.
Hate is the lingua franca nowadays, where more of us are connected by hatred rather than love. If love makes the world go around, hate speeds it up, to the point that the world shatters and crumbles, exterminating the virus infecting in it.
Infection, is that what we are? Infecting the world with much of what it doesn't need, taking it away of what it needs.
Sigh...
Under normal condition, we use our smile as an honest expression. Under the same, normal condition, we use that smile of ours to hide the fact that we're not exactly the person we appear to be. Weird, this smile is.
Camouflaged beneath the smile, is always a heart misunderstood, either by others, or by itself. Sometimes, even both. It suffers form the world, feeling that others won't be able to help them, let alone to share their pain. Any attempts to let it go, would usually result in even more pain.
Knowing this, nothing much can be done, really. If we chose to freely let our feeling dictate our actions and reactions, we're risking being a social outcast, for not conforming, or at least appear to conform to the norms and expectations of the masses.
After all, we are living in a world of expectations
Love is said to be the reason the world is still spinning. But look around. Most of what actually spinning this world, is either shiny and glittery, or pieces of colored papers with paintings and numbers printed in not-so-friendly letters.
Life looks bleak, no matter from which angle it is seen. Innocent children burdened with adult problems and mistakes, and adults acting like children, prancing around people's wound, sprinkling salt and lemon juices on it.
Time seems to fly, oblivious that we're lagging behind. There's never enough time to do much, but there's so much things to do. And suddenly, we realized that we have been on autopilot, just gliding through time, neglecting our primary purpose, but then it's too late.
Hate is the lingua franca nowadays, where more of us are connected by hatred rather than love. If love makes the world go around, hate speeds it up, to the point that the world shatters and crumbles, exterminating the virus infecting in it.
Infection, is that what we are? Infecting the world with much of what it doesn't need, taking it away of what it needs.
Sigh...
Driving: Between Virtual and Reality
According to a Malaysian Medical Resources article, quoting a report from BBC, computer driving games breeds bad drivers, especially amongst teens. Although the claim does hold some truth, but I beg to differ.
Actually, the generalization made in this report made it less accurate. While it's true, that certain driving games encourage teen angst, thus increasing road violence and misconduct, some others, under the Driving Simulation genre, actually trains gamers to drive.
I believe, that violent games, is actually an alternative means of anger management, where gamers are allowed to release their anger virtually, rather than thrashing the nearest phone booth, for example. Although the cases differ from one gamers to another, many enjoyed releasing the stress they had kept since Monday on a weekend of games, rather than actually joining the Fight Club.
Maybe I'm a bit biased in this issue, since a driving game did save my life. It was when I borrowed a car from a friend, who forgot to inform me about her under-pressured brakes. I was going down a 10% slope, towards a junction. Both the hand brakes and the brakes do not work, and I was at a semi-panic state that I didn't think about down shifting my gear.
So, having played Codemaster's Colin McRae Rally game on a daily basis a couple of weeks before, I decided to brave the junction drift-style. Luckily, there was no other car coming through that road. I swerved just like how i used no brakes on most of the corners in CMR, and let the car stop itself on the side of the road.
I wonder if there's any real case where a kid influenced by the game s/he played, that s/he did all the stuff in real life afterwards? There has been accusations, but the case seems to have another reason, not the game itself.
Maybe, if game influence is as bad as they say it is, then we should resort to fantasy, sci-fi, and puzzle games only. For those who wants realism, then provide them with simulator games. We'll see if there's any decrease in bad behavior, or accidents, for that matter.
Actually, the generalization made in this report made it less accurate. While it's true, that certain driving games encourage teen angst, thus increasing road violence and misconduct, some others, under the Driving Simulation genre, actually trains gamers to drive.
I believe, that violent games, is actually an alternative means of anger management, where gamers are allowed to release their anger virtually, rather than thrashing the nearest phone booth, for example. Although the cases differ from one gamers to another, many enjoyed releasing the stress they had kept since Monday on a weekend of games, rather than actually joining the Fight Club.
Maybe I'm a bit biased in this issue, since a driving game did save my life. It was when I borrowed a car from a friend, who forgot to inform me about her under-pressured brakes. I was going down a 10% slope, towards a junction. Both the hand brakes and the brakes do not work, and I was at a semi-panic state that I didn't think about down shifting my gear.
So, having played Codemaster's Colin McRae Rally game on a daily basis a couple of weeks before, I decided to brave the junction drift-style. Luckily, there was no other car coming through that road. I swerved just like how i used no brakes on most of the corners in CMR, and let the car stop itself on the side of the road.
I wonder if there's any real case where a kid influenced by the game s/he played, that s/he did all the stuff in real life afterwards? There has been accusations, but the case seems to have another reason, not the game itself.
Maybe, if game influence is as bad as they say it is, then we should resort to fantasy, sci-fi, and puzzle games only. For those who wants realism, then provide them with simulator games. We'll see if there's any decrease in bad behavior, or accidents, for that matter.
The Story of a Mat Rempit Whose Ride was Confiscated
Once, there's a mat rempit by the name of Mail. He leads a double life. During the day, he works as a brick layer in a construction site. But during the night, he's the famous Mat Rempit Kalumpang Ago-go team leader. With his trusted Yamaha, he conquered the circuit along main roads in From KL to Sabak Bernam.
He loves his ride so much, that he have a parking lot, only for his ride!
Unlucky for him, he got arrested one night, when he was rempiting along some undisclosed highway, straight into a Police road block. Given his reputation, the Police wasted no time in detaining him, and confiscating his ride. He was released under bail by his boss, since there's nobody else to do his job.
And so, for several days, Mail spent his nights NOT rempiting, but his addiction makes him uneasy. By the 3rd night, he went to his workplace, to see if there's any motorcycle he can borrow for the night.
To his disappointment, nobody wants to lend him their ride, for they are afraid o losing it to the police. Mail dragged his feet, and proceed solemnly home.
Upon exiting the construction yard, he walked past the motorcycle shed, and he saw all the motorcycles was locked, but theres one that's not. Nobody have ever attempted to Rempit using that one before. So if he wins, everybody would respect him! In fact, there may be others who look up to him who'll follow the trend HE set.
That night, he want racing with a new ride!
He loves his ride so much, that he have a parking lot, only for his ride!
Unlucky for him, he got arrested one night, when he was rempiting along some undisclosed highway, straight into a Police road block. Given his reputation, the Police wasted no time in detaining him, and confiscating his ride. He was released under bail by his boss, since there's nobody else to do his job.
And so, for several days, Mail spent his nights NOT rempiting, but his addiction makes him uneasy. By the 3rd night, he went to his workplace, to see if there's any motorcycle he can borrow for the night.
To his disappointment, nobody wants to lend him their ride, for they are afraid o losing it to the police. Mail dragged his feet, and proceed solemnly home.
Upon exiting the construction yard, he walked past the motorcycle shed, and he saw all the motorcycles was locked, but theres one that's not. Nobody have ever attempted to Rempit using that one before. So if he wins, everybody would respect him! In fact, there may be others who look up to him who'll follow the trend HE set.
That night, he want racing with a new ride!
Updated: I Need Your Help - Criminal Wanted
This post will be displayed here for a month, or until the man is apprehended, whichever comes first.
* 20 Feb 2007: updates highlighted in red
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Dear all.
I would like to ask for your cooperation to detect this Chinese man, who had stolen a bag from a friend of mine. This incident happened in Giant Batu Caves Selayang, on the 13th February 2007, around 9.30-10.00 PM.
Although my friend knows it's a lost cause looking for the stuff he stole, but there's a picture of her late father, of which she do not have any other copy. This is what matters most to her in this matter. There's also her motorcycle and house keys, causing her and her family to be in danger, since the thief would have easy access to her house and belongings.
To those who have any information regarding this matter, would you please contact me via this blog, email me at pizzarebus@yahoo.com, or via my handphone 019-6731412. You could also directly contact Selayang Police Station. For those who had given us the information leading to the capture of this man, or return the bag and/or its contents, whether in its entirety or not, especially the said photos and keys, a small token of appreciation is in order.
Thank You.
Lizzam Abdul Latiff.
[updated video] Swing It Baby!
Have you ever watched Dawn of the Dead? If you did, remember the scene where they relaxed o n the supermarket roof, and shoots the zombies of their neighbors for fun? Sarcastically sick, right? It's like if our dreaded enemy (i.e. boss, neighbor, in-laws) become a zombie, would we be humane in disposing them?
And to make things even more sarcastic, was the music. At first, I didn't recognize the score, until it reaches the chorus. I've heard it before, but not in swing. But when it reaches chorus, it is unmistakable. It was Down With The Sickness by Disturbed.
You see how sarcastic that scene was? Survivors, enjoying themselves on a supermarket rooftop, making headshots with the zombies down there, while commenting on how bad that person have been when still alive, accompanied by a Alternative Metal song played in swing. (actually I was wrong. The shooting scene was NOT accompanied by this song, but both the scene and the song is there, nevertheless).
The swing version was performed by Mark Jonathan Davis aka Richard Cheese. This musical genius is comparable to Weird Al Yankovic, but instead of changing the lyrics like Weird Al did, he changed the mood and tempo to Jazz, Lounge or Swing.
The beauty of his songs, were in it's unoriginality. It maintains the original song just enough to recognize the original one, but it is good enough to be played by a string quartet. In fact, his band, Lounge Against the Music is a lounge band, that if a 5 star hotel mistakenly asked them to perform in a dinner, they would survive the night until someone actually bothers to listen to the lyrics.
If you enjoy Rockestra, or acoustic versions of hard core songs, or pretty much every other fast tempo songs, you'd definitely enjoy his work. His songs include those from Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Papa Roach, Radiohead, Disturbed, Linkin Park, Weezer, Metallica, Nirvana, Blink 182, Rage Against The Machine, Led Zeppelin, Madonna and many more!
Click here to listen to several of his tracks via Radio Blog Club.
and here's another video of one of my favorite Richard Cheese's masterpiece: His rendition of Enter Sandman!
And to make things even more sarcastic, was the music. At first, I didn't recognize the score, until it reaches the chorus. I've heard it before, but not in swing. But when it reaches chorus, it is unmistakable. It was Down With The Sickness by Disturbed.
You see how sarcastic that scene was? Survivors, enjoying themselves on a supermarket rooftop, making headshots with the zombies down there, while commenting on how bad that person have been when still alive, accompanied by a Alternative Metal song played in swing. (actually I was wrong. The shooting scene was NOT accompanied by this song, but both the scene and the song is there, nevertheless).
The swing version was performed by Mark Jonathan Davis aka Richard Cheese. This musical genius is comparable to Weird Al Yankovic, but instead of changing the lyrics like Weird Al did, he changed the mood and tempo to Jazz, Lounge or Swing.
The beauty of his songs, were in it's unoriginality. It maintains the original song just enough to recognize the original one, but it is good enough to be played by a string quartet. In fact, his band, Lounge Against the Music is a lounge band, that if a 5 star hotel mistakenly asked them to perform in a dinner, they would survive the night until someone actually bothers to listen to the lyrics.
If you enjoy Rockestra, or acoustic versions of hard core songs, or pretty much every other fast tempo songs, you'd definitely enjoy his work. His songs include those from Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Papa Roach, Radiohead, Disturbed, Linkin Park, Weezer, Metallica, Nirvana, Blink 182, Rage Against The Machine, Led Zeppelin, Madonna and many more!
Click here to listen to several of his tracks via Radio Blog Club.
and here's another video of one of my favorite Richard Cheese's masterpiece: His rendition of Enter Sandman!
Mukhsin
This latest project by Yasmin Ahmad, is something for all. Despite using kids as the main casts, adults would enjoy it because of the story, and the nostalgia it brings.
Mukhsin, in a nutshell, is about a naive love between 2 matured children. Orked is a 10 year old girl who prefers to play with the boys, rather than joining with the girls, simply because she loathe the stereotypical things other girls do, following the typical Malay women template. Mukhsin, is a poor boy living with his father, and were staying with his aunt for the semester break.
Both of them quickly grew fond of each other, and soon starts to develop a relationship beyond a platonic one.
Staying true to other films by Yasmin, the main story is not the only story you'll see. There'll be other subplots, which is developed enough to be a short movie on it's own. From the tales of Orked's neighbour, to the concept of 36 months installment. All told nicely, not much thinking is needed. It is laid in plain for all to see and feel, making this movie feels close to heart.
One thing I'd like to say is, I'm utterly jealous of Orked's family. They dance around, they joke around, and even in facing a problem, they seem happy. Maybe they are considered as being untrue to themselves, or maybe that is their true self.
Mukhsin, prior to it's release, have been generating enough positive publicity, with it's winnings in Berlin Film Festival, word of mouth (and hand, by fellow bloggers), coverage from mass media, and even advertisements. This in itself, have put down much of the flames from her previous controversies.
Yasmin, loves to mention about her happenings in her movie. If you've followed her news long enough, you'd find snippets of dialogues mentioning about her controversies, her past films and projects. For example, there's a mention about the bathing scene in Rabun. Not to mention dialogues that sounds like Yasmin's reply to her critics. Or maybe it's just me.
Technical wise, Yasmin's shots and angles are as her trademarked shots, with minimal camera movement. Although there are glimpse of today in this movie (which is set to the year 1994), it's minimal and blurred in the background. It won't matter, especially after you see the props her crew had prepared like the public phone, and the road tax sticker. It really does bring back memories.
Another thing I like about Yasmin's movie is, technical wise, they almost have no lip-synching issues. Most of the dialogues were recorded on set, and sounds credible, which is to me, critical in believing a film.
All in all, this is an enjoyable movie, but I know some will not like it, especially for those who dislikes her previous work. But for me, I give it a 4/5 rating.
Mukhsin, in a nutshell, is about a naive love between 2 matured children. Orked is a 10 year old girl who prefers to play with the boys, rather than joining with the girls, simply because she loathe the stereotypical things other girls do, following the typical Malay women template. Mukhsin, is a poor boy living with his father, and were staying with his aunt for the semester break.
Both of them quickly grew fond of each other, and soon starts to develop a relationship beyond a platonic one.
Staying true to other films by Yasmin, the main story is not the only story you'll see. There'll be other subplots, which is developed enough to be a short movie on it's own. From the tales of Orked's neighbour, to the concept of 36 months installment. All told nicely, not much thinking is needed. It is laid in plain for all to see and feel, making this movie feels close to heart.
One thing I'd like to say is, I'm utterly jealous of Orked's family. They dance around, they joke around, and even in facing a problem, they seem happy. Maybe they are considered as being untrue to themselves, or maybe that is their true self.
Mukhsin, prior to it's release, have been generating enough positive publicity, with it's winnings in Berlin Film Festival, word of mouth (and hand, by fellow bloggers), coverage from mass media, and even advertisements. This in itself, have put down much of the flames from her previous controversies.
Yasmin, loves to mention about her happenings in her movie. If you've followed her news long enough, you'd find snippets of dialogues mentioning about her controversies, her past films and projects. For example, there's a mention about the bathing scene in Rabun. Not to mention dialogues that sounds like Yasmin's reply to her critics. Or maybe it's just me.
Technical wise, Yasmin's shots and angles are as her trademarked shots, with minimal camera movement. Although there are glimpse of today in this movie (which is set to the year 1994), it's minimal and blurred in the background. It won't matter, especially after you see the props her crew had prepared like the public phone, and the road tax sticker. It really does bring back memories.
Another thing I like about Yasmin's movie is, technical wise, they almost have no lip-synching issues. Most of the dialogues were recorded on set, and sounds credible, which is to me, critical in believing a film.
All in all, this is an enjoyable movie, but I know some will not like it, especially for those who dislikes her previous work. But for me, I give it a 4/5 rating.
[Updated] 300
As Nell had aptly commented (in tears!) about this movie:
Some say it is a historical fact, some say it was only the imaginations of Frank Miller, the author of the graphic novel of the same title this masterpiece is based on. My knowledge limits me from acknowledging either, but I don't care.
In fact, somebody tried to make provoke me by telling me the storyline. I said it won't matter. It's just that good.
I'm trying to write a good review on this masterpiece, but I'm lost for words. You'll just have to watch it for yourselves. It's one of the best 2 hours spent on a movie.
---
After re-reading this post, and writing a review on Mukhsin, I believe that it's not fair for me to write it in this way. So, allow me to start again from the beginning.
300, is a movie about 300 Spartan warriors and their King battling the Persian Army. Persia, under the rule of God-King (Pharaoh?) Xerxes is at that time leading an expansion campaign. Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) had the whole of Asia at his disposal, hence the massive army.
Sparta, at that time, were within a sacred period, where no war should be waged. King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), on the other hand, thinks that Sparta should not lay low as the Persian Army march through their land. So he gathered 300 of his warriors, and set on a quest to slow, if not stop, Xerxes' army.
So Leonidas left Sparta in the hands of the Queen (Lena Headey), and set forth to defend his land. The Queen, needs to use her influence to convince the Greek ministers(?) to allow the Spartan army to fight the impending doom.
The story is narrated by Dilios (David Wenham) , the only soldier to survive the battle. I must say that the visual in this movie, is astounding. It is made similar to the techniques used in Sky Captain And The World of Tomorrow, but the final results are nothing to compare to. The action and the fight scenes are top notch, especially when it involves a lot of slow motion action sequences.
The soundtracks surely does magic in this movie. You're really on the edge of your seat, especially when the Spartan and the Persians clashes. Blood splatters are everywhere, although if you had enjoyed blood in Tarantino's movies, it would not satisfy your hunger (are you a vampire or what?). Blood sprays are mostly computer generated, but surely, you won't notice it. You'll be busy either oogling at the hot-bods, or the fight itself.
The imagery is surreal, with the painting-like quality. The character's are well defined, both in character building, and the character's body themselves. It is reported that the male casts for the Spartan undergo 6 month of physical training prior to the shooting.
There's nothing to hate about 300, except that we're portrayed as the bad guys, and our tradition and heritage got ridiculed, specifically our 'mystics'. But as far as it is a movie, I'd say this is one of the best RM11 (Kerol's money) and 2 hours (sans 10 minutes waiting for Nella and another 5 fetching her from the ticket gate.) spent in a cinema.
I'm giving 300 5/5 stars for 300
Life as we know it has ended; There'll no better movie to watch!Visually stunning, fast paced action, and somehow, although us Asians were portrayed in bad light, we get to love the brave 300 Spartans who fought the unimaginable forces of the Persian Army, especially the King Leonidas.
- Nella
Some say it is a historical fact, some say it was only the imaginations of Frank Miller, the author of the graphic novel of the same title this masterpiece is based on. My knowledge limits me from acknowledging either, but I don't care.
In fact, somebody tried to make provoke me by telling me the storyline. I said it won't matter. It's just that good.
I'm trying to write a good review on this masterpiece, but I'm lost for words. You'll just have to watch it for yourselves. It's one of the best 2 hours spent on a movie.
---
After re-reading this post, and writing a review on Mukhsin, I believe that it's not fair for me to write it in this way. So, allow me to start again from the beginning.
300, is a movie about 300 Spartan warriors and their King battling the Persian Army. Persia, under the rule of God-King (Pharaoh?) Xerxes is at that time leading an expansion campaign. Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) had the whole of Asia at his disposal, hence the massive army.
Sparta, at that time, were within a sacred period, where no war should be waged. King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), on the other hand, thinks that Sparta should not lay low as the Persian Army march through their land. So he gathered 300 of his warriors, and set on a quest to slow, if not stop, Xerxes' army.
So Leonidas left Sparta in the hands of the Queen (Lena Headey), and set forth to defend his land. The Queen, needs to use her influence to convince the Greek ministers(?) to allow the Spartan army to fight the impending doom.
The story is narrated by Dilios (David Wenham) , the only soldier to survive the battle. I must say that the visual in this movie, is astounding. It is made similar to the techniques used in Sky Captain And The World of Tomorrow, but the final results are nothing to compare to. The action and the fight scenes are top notch, especially when it involves a lot of slow motion action sequences.
The soundtracks surely does magic in this movie. You're really on the edge of your seat, especially when the Spartan and the Persians clashes. Blood splatters are everywhere, although if you had enjoyed blood in Tarantino's movies, it would not satisfy your hunger (are you a vampire or what?). Blood sprays are mostly computer generated, but surely, you won't notice it. You'll be busy either oogling at the hot-bods, or the fight itself.
The imagery is surreal, with the painting-like quality. The character's are well defined, both in character building, and the character's body themselves. It is reported that the male casts for the Spartan undergo 6 month of physical training prior to the shooting.
There's nothing to hate about 300, except that we're portrayed as the bad guys, and our tradition and heritage got ridiculed, specifically our 'mystics'. But as far as it is a movie, I'd say this is one of the best RM11 (Kerol's money) and 2 hours (sans 10 minutes waiting for Nella and another 5 fetching her from the ticket gate.) spent in a cinema.
I'm giving 300 5/5 stars for 300
300 Mukhsin At Sungai Gabai
I've had an interesting weekend, and a tiring one! Watched 2 movies (300 and Mukhsin - reviews to come) on Saturday, and witnessed how a good movie can make you cry, even if it's about 300 tough men slaying other men. On Sunday, went to Sungai Gabai, had fun, but due to the lack of sense in some people's head, I had to write these letters and hope it gets published in our local papers.
On the other hand, I've found out that I'm actually afraid of things that I cannot control, and things I cannot control are all over me now. I can't face it though. I'm running around avoiding it. Facing it cause too much pain and suffering, and worst, I can't do anything about it.
On the other hand, I've found out that I'm actually afraid of things that I cannot control, and things I cannot control are all over me now. I can't face it though. I'm running around avoiding it. Facing it cause too much pain and suffering, and worst, I can't do anything about it.
I’ve been to Sungai Gabai Waterfall recently, after not having the chance to visit any waterfalls for several years. I’ve put high hopes on the experience, after seeing some photographs of the said waterfall, and the satisfying experience I had at Sungai Congkak. For those who don’t know, Sungai Congkak and Sungai Gabai Waterfall are situated several kilometers from each other.
However, what I see was disappointing. As soon as we arrived at the site, we were charged RM2, where I think is not worth it, judging from the amenities available. For starters, we had to park our cars by the roadside, where a single miscalculation could send our cars tumbling down into the slope.
Upon getting out of the car, we’re expecting to hear birds chirping, and the thunder of the waterfall, but instead, there was none! Sungai Gabai Waterfall administrations have prepared a Karaoke system, playing Malay Rock songs. Customers are charged RM1.50 per song, which is cheap for the singer, but an earful of pain to others.
Not just the blaring karaoke sessions disturbing other paying customers, the play lists are not suitable especially for a family and tourism spot, and for those escaping the hustle of city life, for some peace and quite by the waterfall.
We then had to choose to climb to the top levels, where the noise pollution is least felt. We thought that our issues are going to end there, but how wrong we were!
Amongst our group, there were 2 women, and they had to change before they can swim in the river. It’s true, that there’s a toilet on the top level, but it was so filthy and smelly, that the simple changing huts in Sungai Congkak looks grand. A place to change is nonexistent, that some parents had to allow their daughters to clad in a towel to change, for the viewing pleasure of many.
I’m hoping the administrators of Sungai Gabai Waterfall to take actions for the safety and comfort of paying visitors, and not just taking it for granted. I’m feeling very ashamed to foreign tourists I saw coming over that day. Is this how Sungai Gabai Waterfall administration promoting one of our natural beauty in Visit Malaysia Year 2007?
Confusing Hormones
Am I really in need of a hug, or am I just plain 'gersang' (desperate)?
Darn these confusing hormones...
Darn these confusing hormones...
What's Your Evergreen Advert Song?
You know those pesky little things, that disturbs our favorite programme on TV, takes up to half the airtime of the programme itself, and sometimes, causes us to miss the whole show because our child(ren) starts to wail wanting the thing they just saw.
Yes, advertisements.
However, I'm not going to rant about it, nor am I going to write anything good about it. It's just that some adverts have their own legacy, their own tradition that stands against time, ever since we're still small. Something that we can relate to our child years, something that we may not know explicitly, but it's there in our mind. Just a little intro, and we would remember the rest, without even knowing it. Thanks the Marketers who hammered it right onto our brain
I'm talking about the adverts' song/music.
Anybody remembers any songs made specifically for a certain brand/product's advert? Here's some example:
I'm not sure though, if these are the right lyrics. Please feel free to add yours.
Yes, advertisements.
However, I'm not going to rant about it, nor am I going to write anything good about it. It's just that some adverts have their own legacy, their own tradition that stands against time, ever since we're still small. Something that we can relate to our child years, something that we may not know explicitly, but it's there in our mind. Just a little intro, and we would remember the rest, without even knowing it. Thanks the Marketers who hammered it right onto our brain
I'm talking about the adverts' song/music.
Anybody remembers any songs made specifically for a certain brand/product's advert? Here's some example:
Kami Dah Pulang, Mak Buat Cucur,
Mudah Saja Tambah Air
Adun Sebati, Goreng Dan Sedia,
Tepung Cucur Adabi Rasanya
Kami Nak Lagi Bolehkah Cepat
Mengail Dengan Ayah, Ku Rasa Bertuah,
Pulang Sebelum Hujan.
Kerna Kami Ada Kawan, Bernama Scotts Emulsion
Ramai Yang Gemarkannya,
Terasa Segar Sentiasa
Resepi Yang Ku Suka,
Tinggi Kualiti,
Gardenia,
Sungguh Enak Dimakan Begitu Saja,
Oh Gardenia,
Sungguh Enak Dimakan Begitu Saja,
Nano-Nano, Nano-Nano (3x)
Oh Nano-Nano,
You Make Me Crazy,
I Love The Taste,
What You've Done To Me,
Sweet, Sour And Tasty,
Nano-Nano, Nananana...
Nano-Nano
Kisah Seorang Anak Yang Duka Nestapa Kerana Ibunya Batuk...
Sungguh Riang Rasanya Hati,
Coklat Cair Dinikmati,
Choki-Choki Enak Sekali,
Choki-Choki Adik Gemari,
Susu Segar, Susu Segar,
It's Fresh and Good,
A Milk A Day, A Milk A Day,
It's All To Make Your Day,
Roti, Roti, Roti, Roti,
Makes You Strong Like Me,
Come Here Auntie, Buy My Roti,
You can even Eat It Plain,
Kopi Susu, Any Susu,
Goes With Anything,
Roti Kaya, Roti Sardin,
Any Roti Also Can
I'm not sure though, if these are the right lyrics. Please feel free to add yours.
