All posts by jameslsy

World Stage

You know that 40 year old virgin.

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Everyone, somehow rather knows that 40 year old virgin.

I’m sure you know who I’m talking about. It’s that woman who you just made acquaintance recently, or someone you’ve already known for quite a bit. Think about it, the woman who you silently agrees in your heart that she will definitely grow up to be a 40 year old virgin. Yes, that’s the one I’m talking about.

There could be a lot of factors why we would think that way. Their looks, their attitude, their dressing and so on. I believe deep down they are trying their very best to be better. To find love, to be attractive, to feel sexy!

But you and I know there’s a slim chance that would happen. Should we help them or could we even help them? We can try to help but in the end of the day, it’s all about herself. She can find love, can be attractive, can be sexy the day she wants it hard enough.

[image=http://nondani.deviantart.com/]

Stage 2.0

I want to but can’t support local radio stations in Malaysia.

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The Habit
It has been a long time since I’ve listen to the radio. This is mainly because I’ve got a USB port in my car. Who could resist songs that you love on demand anytime, anywhere.

The Incident
Whenever it rains heavily, I would choose to leave my office earlier or later. I picked the later and left my office at 8:30pm. Upon driving towards B1 from B3, I’m surprised that I needed to queue to get onto ground floor.

Baffled by the situation, I decided to turn on the radio in hope to catch up with traffic updates. It’s ridiculous that rain alone could cause such massive jam on the Sprint highway and LDP at such late hours.

The Radio Station
Patiently, I listened to the preset channels on my radio. Station to station, song after song I let them play out. Within minutes, I couldn’t help but notice the funny DJ scratching alike noise that is caught in between certain parts of the song. Shortly, I realized what that sound was all about. It’s trying to censor out lyrics that contains swearing, dirty thoughts, inappropriate behavior and biblical references even.

How to support?
Scratching noises is just one of the method used. Meridith Brooks has this famous song name ‘Bitch’ where they totally deleted the word in the song. Same goes to Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed A Girl’ where they deleted the word ‘girl’ and recently ‘skinny dipping’ was censored from ‘Last Friday Night’. Katy Perry did mention about her song ‘I Kissed A Girl’ when she was performing in Malaysia. She thinks that by deleting the word ‘girl’ from the song just makes it even more nasty cause then you can put whatever word after ‘I kissed a _________ and I liked it…’

This whole censorship thing is extremely disgusting to my taste. What is the point of censoring or deleting certain words when you’ll get to see the whole title when you buy the CD? We would know certainly what fits in ‘I kissed a _______’.

I love my music, so much that a slight, short distortion could throw my groove away. So, I want but really couldn’t bring myself to support local radio stations. I miss Capital FM.

[image=http://oo-rein-oo.deviantart.com/]

Silver Screen

Watch it! Crazy, Stupid, Love. 2011

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Remember Eat, Pray Love 2010? I think it was really bad. So my natural perception towards a similar 3 words title like Crazy, Stupid, Love is somewhat bad too. Lucky for this movie, Emma Stone was the reason why I’ve decided to give this movie a chance.

The Story
The Weaver couple Cal & Emily (Steve Carell & Julianne Moore) have got a perfect American dream life until Emily decided to asked for a divorce. Cal’s life sinks to a desperate point where Jacob (Ryan Gosling) comes along to turn his life around into this suave irresistible gentleman. Despite Cal’s makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can’t be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began. This however isn’t the main plot of the movie. It also follows Jacob, Hannah (Emma Stone), David (Kevin Bacon), Robbie (Jonah Bobo) and Jessica’s (Analeigh Tipton) romance. It might sound complicated but I think the directors Glenn Ficarra & John Requa did a great job by showing us how different love is for the singletons & couples.

The Film
Judging from the title & trailer, this movie might seem like a chick flick. I strongly beg to differ after watching this movie. It is a sweet romantic comedy about good-hearted people.

Now you’re gonna think that sweet romantic comedy is predictable throughout all the titles from Hollywood. This is where Crazy, Stupid, Love shines because the plot twist from being crazy and stupid catches you by surprise and gives the movie its needed climax points. The love isn’t painted out to be this magical solution to every scene to make everyone happy.

The characters portrait in this movie are realistic and believable. Every character has got their flawed side and it works! It gives us a glimpse into the raw, human moments that imprints precious memories to bring two people together or tear them apart. Great cast by the directors also helped making scenes that made you laugh, cry, wonder and cover your eyes.

Perfect date movie.

Favorite Scene
The scene of Jacob & Hannah hanging out together when Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – The Time Of My Life music came on.

Official trailer

Manifesto

I want to be an actor.

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There are lots of things I would like to be in this lifetime.

  1. Astronaut
  2. All Blacks Rugby Player
  3. Big Time Criminal like Al Capone
  4. Spy much like James Bond
  5. Superhero like Mr. Incredible
  6. Villain like Lex Luthor
  7. Jet Fighter Pilot
  8. F1 Driver
  9. National Geographic wild-life photographer
  10. Professional Con Artist
  11. Professional Dancer
  12. Car Reviewer like Jeremy Clarkson
  13. Game Developer for Blizzard
  14. Rock Star like Aerosmith

So what does that has got anything to do with me wanting to be an actor? Most of the profession I’ve listed requires a lifetime to achieve. I can’t just spend 2 months of studying how to be a jet fighter pilot and fly one. Or take a F1 driving license and be competitive in the track next to Sebastian Vettel. Send a resume to Mi6 and be James Bond. No, it all requires a lifetime and dedication to achieve.

So, after I did some thinking and I realize that by being an actor, it’s the only way I could achieve almost all my want-to-be list of careers. May it be only 1 day of being a spy, F1 driver, it’s enough!

Silver Screen

Watch it! In Time 2011

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Just when you’re so over prequels, sequels, superheroes and robots. This show arrived ‘In Time’.

The Story
In Time is set in the future where everyone lives till 25 and stops aging. To continue living everyone needs to buy time or you drop dead like flies. Unfortunately, time is also the currency. Time is what you get after you work, time is what you use to pay for your luxuries and necessities. The poor is on a constant race to get more time to survive the next hour while the rich strolls around aimlessly living forever. Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) and his mother (Olivia Wilde) struggles to live day to day till Will met a man with over a century to live. His journey starts the moment he was given a century to live.

The Film
Months ago I covered this film’s trailer. I was extremely smitten by Amanda Seyfried’s looks, and the plot/story of the film. Trailer always looks promising I know, but this show delivered!

The director, Andrew Niccol hasn’t got any big titles under his belt that excites me. But he wrote and produced The Truman Show 1998 and The Terminal 2004 which I thought was great. The cast besides Justin Timberlake & Amanda Seyfried, includes Olivia Wilde, Cillian Murphy, Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory), Matt Bomer and Alex Pettyfer just to name a few.

After watching the movie, I can’t help but think that this movie actually gave me the exact thrills of Speed 1994 by Keanu Reeves. It’s rare that a  movie can make you feel like you’re being pushed to the edge but this show did it. Constantly your mind is wired into their world racing against time in hope that you’ll survive. The closer the time gets to 0:00 the faster your heart beats.

In Time also made me realize that most of us are wasting our time. If we have a clock that is similar to the movie. I bet we will live day by day to its fullest.

Favorite Scene
How Will Salas managed to break free from the arm fight in the hotel with Sylvia Weis.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdadZ_KrZVw]

Silver Screen

Watch it! Jeux d’enfants (Love Me If You Dare) 2003

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You’re Missing Out
Till today, Love Me If You Dare 2003 is still my favorite film of all time.

It’s your great loss if you do not watch foreign films because these films are the ones unlike the norm of Hollywood crap. I think Bollywood these days do a much better job than Hollywood even. Of course I’ll leave that for another article.

The Film
This French film directed by Yann Samuell is simply brilliant. The film infuses fairy tale cues with realism that didn’t seem exaggerated. The chemistry between Julien (Guillaume Canet) and Sophie (Marion Cotillard) is perfect with extreme complexity of feelings. Although do note that “Jeux d’enfants” is translated closer to “Games of Children” instead of “Love Me If You Dare”. A great gimmick!

Trust me, as the movie begins. You’ll fall in love with the mood and color of the movie. The dream like effect will glide you through the entire movie and soon enough you’ll realize that life is short and we all should make the best out of it, everyday.

The Story
Love Me If You Dare 2003 is a story about 2 children who started an odd game of outdoing each other with limitless dares and stunts, but as they grow into adulthood their stunts become more dangerous and life threatening. Soon enough they realize that their continuation of the game had been a desperate attempt to hide the fact that they were meant for each other.

Watch this movie with childlike innocence and let your heart filled with fantasy and suspend your reality for a moment. Let the movie make you smile, laugh and cry. Celebrate life.

Cap ou pas cap?

Favorite Scene
The fake rob and the bunch of things Julien said while driving off.

The best English trailer I could find.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtzjUjVQe9Q]

Stage 2.0

Yue Yue’s death, an eye opener to China?

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After seeing the video of Yue Yue, a toddler who was run over by 2 cars and ignored by 18 passer by. I think we can all agree that Yue Yue has gone to a better place instead of staying at the cold and heartless nation of China.

As reported by The Guardian
Before giving himself up to the police, the driver of the second vehicle, a van, told the media why he had run away. “If she is dead, I may pay only about 20,000 yuan (£2,000). But if she is injured, it may cost me hundreds of thousands of yuan.”

Eye Opener
What is going on in China? How could a country made humans so inhumane?

It all started back in 2006, the “Nanjing judge” story. In the capital of Jiangsu province, Peng Yu helped an old woman who had fallen on the street to the hospital. Instead of receiving the standard gratefulness from the woman and the family. He was accused of causing the woman’s injury and the judge ruled out that he acted against “common sense” because after causing her to fall, he decided to help. Luckily the public too has “common sense” and outcry and support on Peng adjusted the final verdict in Peng paying 10% of the medical cost instead of the total.

Today, it’s no surprise to the citizens of China what has happened to Yue Yue. They claimed that they would too walk pass her just to avoid another “Nanjing judge” incident. China is now in discussion of introducing a new law that imposes “duty of rescue” which exists in many European country.

China as you can see is rising rapidly in the economic sphere. But is that healthy if the core of the 1.4 billion nation are heartless?

Yue Yue, Elder brother & Mother

Death of Yue Yue
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFBwhIvp_zY]

Manifesto

Brilliant short film – The Butterfly Circus

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Was so busy the past few weeks that I didn’t had a chance to watch this short film till last night. Love the brilliant cast and story by Joshua Weigel. A short film that is definitely worth your time and tears.

Story
At the height of the Great Depression, the showman (Eduardo Verastegui) of a renowned circus leads his troupe through the devastated American landscape, lifting the spirits of audiences along the way. During their travels they discover Will (Nick Vujicic), a man without limbs at a carnival sideshow, but after an intriguing encounter with the showman he becomes driven to hope against everything he has ever believed.

The Butterfly Circus – HD from The Butterfly Circus on Vimeo.

[Official Homepage = http://thebutterflycircus.com/]