October

Yay. October coming, and for those of you unawared, October is my favourite month. Not only because it's my birthday coming, but you see, there are certain pattern in Hollywood regarding the release of movies. Everybody knew about Summer block-buster. That's when they put big-budgeted (but not necessarily clever) films on theater. The hype was usually started at May, and ended shortly before September. And after the exhaustive summer-runs, the studios were usually sits back at their offices to count the profits (and losses) they made in the summer, while throwing crap-shitty movies at the teather. Therefore, usually, September is the month of craps for films.

October, on the other hand, was the month when the studios usually prepared themselves for Oscar-runs. We've got a lot of decent dramas in the month, and some decent horror flicks over the years (October 31st, Halloween, anyone?). This runs continued until the Oscar preliminary judgement deadline (usually at December). Here, at my post, is a recap of what would be expected coming this year's October.

The Departed
Should i had to choose one great director who never wins an Oscar, Martin Scorces came to mind. I, for one, has established Gangs of New York as one of the first film that prompted me into loving the films more than usual. Goodfellas was arguably one of the best mafia films out there. Taxi Driver was one of the most insightful film that i've ever seen. And so does Raging Bull. In short, he's the one main reason why i dont care about Oscars.

Coming on October 6th, The Departed with Leo, Matt, and Jack. I won't went into details here, but if some of you had watched Infernal Affairs then you know what it's about. Because this was the remake of it. If you haven't, well, shame on you. Go rent it. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Little Children
Also coming on October 6th, but in limited release, Little Children. Little that i know about this film. No pun intended! But hey, Kate Winslet, on a role she choses by herself, in a film with limited release, i'm soooo there. Mark my word, Kate Winslet will be nominated on next year's Academy Awards.

Tideland
Another limited release. Okay, i admit. I knew nothing about this film but its premise.

Jeliza-Rose is a young girl in a very unusual situation--both of her parents are junkies and she is usually left to her own devices for entertainment. When her mother dies, her father, a rock 'n roll musician well past his prime, takes her to a remote farm in the country. She escapes the vast loneliness of her new home by retreating into a world that exists only in her mind. Here, fireflies have names, bog-men awaken at dusk, and squirrels talk. And the heads of her four dolls--ystique, Baby Blonde, Glitter Gal, and Sateen Lips--long since separated from their bodies, keep her company.

Well, there you go, a fantasy story. I vaguely remembered the relatively unknown MirrorMask by reading its premise. Tideland coming October 13th.

Flags of Our Fathers
Mr.Eastwood's another shot at yet another Oscar next year? Quite probably. I mean, check this film's still images, check this film's premises, check this film's productions trivia, check this film's trailer. You could see that little golden statuettes everywhere. Well, despite the fact that this film will be yet another proof of United States' hegemony in a film about war (be it WWII, Vietnam War, or Middle-East War), i'm there. Told the event of the Battle of Iwo Jima from the American prespective. His next film, scheduled to release in December (CMIIW!) would told the even from the Japanese point of view.

Marie Antoinette
Don't get me wrong. I'm not looking forward for this film. Two reasons: 1. Kirsten Dunst. 2. Sofia Coppola. Some news said, that when this film screened at Cannes Film Festival few months ago, this film receives a standing ovation. But there aren't few critics who despised this film as well. To do it justice though, this film is a very serious contender to win an Oscar for best costume.

The Prestige
Mr.Nolan says, he won't be doing the next film about that big-black-Bat. Not after he finishes this film. If the man who revived Batman thought that it was that good, why would i think otherwise? And Mr.Bale was on board as well. Also featuring Hugh J, and Scarlett J. Furthermore, it sets in 19th century, and it's about magic. Yay.

Further out we've got:

• Saw III. Well, it always fun to see people get slaughtered because of their own stupidity. I mean check out Final Destination 3. It's fun. I've got to admit that Final Destination was maybe a horror franchise i wouldn't miss. And the way we (and they) liked it, Saw X (or Saw the tenth) doesn't practically sounds as an absurd idea. Or Final Destination X (which more likely).
  
• Babel. One word: Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu
  
• The Grudge 2. Was the first that good? I can't remember.
  
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Dum dum dum. Huh?
  

Check that list out. Three horrors on a single month. Only in October you'd get such treatment.

Two Years Debt

.. has been settled. Fair and square. Easier than i had thought before. Much easier. Now i can concentrate to whatever i had in mind. And i had a whole lot of it.

JiFFest 2006 (December 8 - 17, 2006)

I've made up my mind, i'm going to do a movie-related news, such as movie reviews, movie experiences, you name it, full time. Well, at least, i'm going to try.

JiFFest 2006 (Jakarta International Film Festival), which will be held on December 8th 2006, will be one of the first exhibit that i would like to cover fully (hopefully). Anyway, here's one interesting thing about the festival, should you interested:

1. Short Fiction Film Script Workshop

Two winners out of the ten participants will be awarded with:
• 25 million Rupiah cash, to be used for the production of the short film. A professional film-producer will be assigned to guide the production. The cash prize and other available production money will be managed by the producer.
• Free use of camera (16mm or professional video- camera), film-stock or video- tapes, camera/ light equipment and editing equipment.

Regulations:
• Fill in the application form IN ENGLISH.
• Applicant must be living in Indonesia and/or an Indonesian citizen and must be 18 years or older.
• The entry (a script) should be original, authentic and about an Indonesian subject and/ or rooted in the Indonesian culture.
• THREE COPIES of the completed application form should be sent BY MAIL, accompanied by other supporting materials
• The prime consideration of the selection committee that reviews all the projects will be the content of the application.

Interested? I do.

Welcome, Ramadhan

There's a new habit that i recently acquired during my stay in Jakarta. To ask for forgiveness from your friends, families, acquaintances, and strangers before the fasting month of Ramadhan.

So, with Ramadhan coming just in a few days ahead, i would humbly ask for your forgiveness for any mistakes i've made, deliberately or not to you in the year that has passed. Yes, you.

May this year's fasting month brought a new spirit to all of us. Let's win the fight.

Lux Short Films

Brace yourself, i'm going to do something unimaginable on the paragraphs that would follows. Praising an Indonesian film.

Ever heard of a soap called Lux? (i can't find its proper website, and what i mean by can't find was that i couldn't look for its proper address beyond the first page of a web-search engine). Well, they recently made several short-films each for their own 'stars' (as far as i know, they were Mariana Renata, Tamara Bleyzinski, Luna Maya, and Dian Sastro). I've seen for the whole 2 out of that 4 by the way. And here's the catch i warned you about, i actually liked Dian Sastro's short-film.

Nice soundtrack, great Indonesian village view, warming cinematography, pretty likeable chemistry between Dian and some-other-guy, and though it offers only a straight love-story with story-book ending it was told and given properly and not cheaply. It's pretty ironic since i was recently bashing the girl's capability of acting in my previous post. On my defense, by the way, Dian only says two lines in this film (yes, folks, two lines), and that was probably what made her acting skill better. By not speaking too much.

Mariana's short-film wasn't that bad either. But something wasn't right about her (and the film) that made me regarded it less than Dian's short-film. For the other two, Tamara's and Luna's, however, i dont give a damn. For you who don't know, i despised them, much to an extent that i wouldn't waste even ten minutes of my time to see if that their short-films were in par with the ones i wrote about here.

Nintendo Wii

With PS3 still far beyond my sight (and my wallet), and XBox 360 featuring an online features (in my p.o.v, the only reason you would buy an XBox 360 was because of its online features), which largely unavailable in here, it seems logical to point my target to Nintendo's baby toy, Wii.

Though it features lesser graphic capabilities than its two competitors, Wii was far more interesting in my eye because of its controller. As pictured, instead of old-school d-pad on your left thumb and colorful buttons on your right thumb, Wii controller looks very much like a remote control. In a sense, it does. Because, in order to play the game through Wii requires you to actually swing your remote, or point and click to the screen through a motion-capture sensor.

Last year, at E3, Nintendo stole the spotlight with Tennis game demo that requires you to actually swinging your controller as if you're holding an actual racket tennis. And though i'm not a big fan of Nintendo, i fell in love ever since. Furthermore, Mr.Iwata, Nintendo's president also promises that it would cost less than US$ 250. What a bargain, i say. With PS3, coming next March 2007 (which means, that i would actually bought the console at 2008, at the earliest), i wouldn't mind to swing my controller with Mario brothers.

And the news is up, Nintendo would launch its next-gen controller in N.America on November 19 (249 Us$), in Europe on December 8 (249 Euros) and in Australia on December 7 (399.95 Aus$). It's affordable. Yay.

Dunia Tanpa Koma: (Un)Proper Review

I was rather unwell on Saturday, so instead of up all-night at campus, i decided to stay home and watch TV. Switching rather rapidly between English Premier League, WWE, and Dunia Tanpa Koma. As my previous post states, this cine-screen was much hyped as probably the first Indonesian cine-screen that's going to break the tasteless, ultra-horrible, stupidity mainstream cine-screens that has been populated our television, and actually one of only two reasons of why i dont wanna have kids just yet. Or so they've said.

First of all, Dunia Tanpa Koma was packed-full of commercials, and for a remote-happy person like me, watching a film, a cine-screen with commercials was usually resulted in ignorance.

Thus, to call this review as proper was of course, an over-estimating of things. There were only two distinct scenes that i watch during the show. But let me elaborate of what i think about those two scenes.

First scene, meeting-room scene, or as in many films would be dubbed as a war-room scene. The film-maker uses two distinct meeting-rooms, both discussing about the same thing (which is, a drug-network in Jakarta, or so to speak). We've seen this kind of technique rehashed in a film. In DTK, however, the meeting-room scene were overlong, uninteresting, and boring. In every meeting-room scene, there should've been a leader figure, an intimidating figure, a figure whose presence made us look, and listen as if the meeting was meant for us. And i dont see Fauzi Badilla as a leader figure. Okay, maybe, but not intimidating enough, he's squeaking instead of bellowing. And that's almost made me switch channel everytime he appears. Damn, i really hate the guy. How come there were a lot of screaming girls out there whose drolling over him? I say it once, and i say it again, this man, can't act. Worse, there was this infotainment show about English Premiership League where he was one of the host. And guess what? he can't do shit in it as well.

Back to the scene, the camera rarely on focus. I know, they wanted to show that this is a meeting room where people stares at each other, exchanging glances, ruffling papers, pointing at pictures, and so forth. But must we be reminded of the activity by shifting camera's focus (and focusing on useless facts, add to that) every two seconds? Again, the lack of commanding figure was responsible here.

On a brighter note, i like Cut Mini's performance, she's the one who should've been on the commanding role not Tora Sudiro. Wulan Guritno was also far beyond her on-screen character's nemesis, Dian Sastro. And what about Dian Sastro, the star, herself? well, she's overrated, can't see why she manages to receive such high praise over the years.

Second scene, Cut Mini with Dian Sastro, discussing things after the war-room scene. One note, and this note made me turn on my PS2 and forget about the show. On this scene, Cut Mini lectures Dian Sastro about 5W 1H (Who, Why, Where, When, What, How) and Dian - who was supposedly a New York graduates - swallow it like a newborn baby. I was immediately laughing. I mean, come on, she was supposedly to be a New York grads. Okay, a Mental Institution perhaps. I mean, i was a school journalist once, and 5W 1H was the very first thing they teach you. Maybe, i'm just clueless about what do they teach in New York, but honestly, she was supposedly much smarter than that. Much much smarter. All she did was providing meaningless trivial rethorical comments which doesn't required you to go to New York to learn about.

Kudos to Cut Mini and Wulan Guritno. In my light note, they were the ones who made this cine-screen worth your time. That is, if you can endure long commercial-breaks, and Fauzi Badilla's or Dian Sastro's acts.

Film Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984)

At long last, it comes the chance when i finally able to watch this great-great mockumentary about a washed-up (by time) mostly fictional heavy rock band from England, Spinal Tap. Spinal Tap featuring 3 semi-permanent members, at least 20 ex-drummers, all of which died in an obscure way (e.g spontaneous combustion, choked on vomit (possibly not his own), onstage explosion, and so-forth), and if that 'fact' doesn't strike your laugh then i don't know what is.

In short words, this film was one of the most funniest movie i've ever seen. I can't even stop laughing at the time i wrote this review (which is Thursday), a full five days after i've seen the film for the first time.

The film which was hailed as one of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, was directed by Rob Reiner who portrays himself as a documentary director who was a big fan of the band and one day decided to follow through the band's tour in America at the times were their stardom was slowly waned. The entire film was shot in a documentary style with genuine dialogs that almost felt like fact. But of course, as the band was only mostly fictious (not entirely fiction), all of the soundracks were performed by the actors who played the band.

Further, the film serves as a tongue-in-cheek parodying about heavy metal stereotypes. If you're a fan of heavy metal you'd understand the jokes, but if you don't, well, it still a great film-viewing experience.

Paris Hilton (via Fox Trot's Cartoon Strip)

Yeah, right! face it Paris, you can't sing. However you shake that booty, or wearing nothing, would still made us, true music lover mutes our TV change the channel. Face it, face the fact, you suck. Well, literally as well.

Book Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

This novel (i would prefer to call it a short-story though) was written from the point-of-view of a 15 years old austic British youngsters, Christopher. He loves math, has a photographic memory, doesn't like being touched, nor eat the food if they had touched each other, despises everything brown or yellow, and ultimately, unable to decipher other's emotion. But, when the dog across the street from his house was killed, implaed by a garden-fork, he sets up a journey, which from an austic point-of-view requires a tremendous effort and facing many of his own fears.

Mark Haddon works an extra mile by presenting the book in a rather absurd way, which sometimes forcing us, reader to believe that the book was actually written by Christopher - our hero, the austic boy - not with Haddon. The chapters were numbered with prime numbers, and each chapters consistently told about Christopher's random thoughts followed by his actual investigation on the murder.

We, reader, knows about the nature of the murder way before Christopher did. It draws our sympathy, well, mine at least, to see how clueless Christopher was when the facts presented to him in a careful words by his neighbor and his teacher.

I ended up hating Christopher anyway, and only after i've read the book, learn more about the social disorder Christopher suffered, i felt that i'm not mature enough to appreciate, to learn, and to cared more about other's disability. It actually made me think about if someday my son suffers the same illness as Christopher did, would i be ended up hating him? gosh, i hope not, but, what could us, men, chose what future lies on our path?

By having this kind of emotion during and after i've read the book, proves that Mark Haddon succeeded in bringing a coming-of-age story, a different if not unique kind of story that not just entertaining, but also broaden one's prespective about the many-folds of life out there.

Angra - Live in Indonesia!

With the new CD coming this October, as well as celebrating their 15th anniversary, a heavy metal band from Brazil, Angra was scheduled to held their concert at Jakarta on October 16th. Ain't that huge?

I've known Angra from my high-school days during the time which i would prefer to call pre-Dream Theater era. At the time, beginning from Metallica, i was introduced to and loved the music which many would branded as Heavy Metal. And that love has never waned ever since. However, regarding Angra, from six of their albums, only two of them were ever in my possessions (plus one guitar album from their guitarist, Kiko Loureiro), Angels' Cry and Temple of Shadows. But, i think that that won't stop me to attend the gig. Not with my friends coming and all.

Third is the Charm

I've been lucky two times, granted forgiveness and redemption beyond beliefs. But, i'm afraid there would be no third. Got to be more careful next time.

Dunia Tanpa Koma

As with most intelligent reasonable educated young adults in Indonesia, i shared the same hatred, disgust, contempt, or whatever negative attitude toward Indonesian-made TV series. If, by any chance, you caught me watching one of those shows it would be because one of these three reasons. One, i wanted a good laugh by laughing to and make fun of those blackest black and whitest white characters as portrayed by the cine-persons behind the series. Two, i wanted to had some sense of pride and relief by knowing that, 'Hey, they actually still made these craps to made a living'. Now, really, sometimes when i'm at my lowest, i actually watch some random Indonesian TV series to boost-up my confidence. And three, well, just like every entertainers around the globe, some of the girls, were actually an object of my fantasy desire. And i dont think i dont have to name them.

But now, after the relative success of Arisan! Series (verification needed, i've never seen the show, but some young adults said that it was different, in a good way), it seems that those Indian-capitalists producers would started to think about delivering a good show.

And thus with that spirit, which i sincerely hope would holds true, came Dunia Tanpa Koma which featuring some high-rated stars such as i-can't-do-any-role-but-Cinta's-look-a-like-role Dian Sastrowardoyo whose rumored to billed 100 million rupiahs per episode for this series, a funny, but i found him rather boring lately, Tora Sudiro, and a highly over-rated Fauzi Badilla (this guy really can't act, i tell you). RCTI has been very active to promote the flick, but in my eyes, still miles away from building the hype.

Anyway, the first episode will be aired on RCTI tomorrow at 9 pm. And it's featuring yet another hey-i'm-cute-so-i-dont-have-to-know-how-to-act, Mariana Renata. Alas, how unfortunate that i'll be watching English Premier League soccer match at the time. Well, good luck, "Dunia Tanpa Koma".. the future of Indonesian-cinemas lies on your hand.

Important Peoples on the News

Suri Cruise's first images. Duh, talking about some high class highly publicized person. My sympathy goes for her. Really. Ever since the birth, this little daughter has been in the eye, ears, and mouth of celebrity lovers. Even some weirdo dedicated some web-site that doing some countdown to when would Suri be considered legal (18? 21?).Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a famous deathseeker animal lover, Steve Irwin, whose i bet most of you knows him by looks on TV, met his end at the tail of a Stingray which ironically, an animal whose general nature was far from aggressive. From what i read, even if threatened, a Stingray usually swim away rather than defend itself. And that, in my opinion, was ironic because Steve, on his show, often boldly, even almost recklessly deal with far more dangerous animals than a Stingray.

...

I ate the fruit, now i had to clean the mess.

Monday Evening, 6 pm

Okay, the office has been deserted from like two hours ago. I could go home just then, as well. And if i do that, that would be a rare experience to went home while the sun still glistening on the west. But, of course, i just dont feel like it. First, it has become a habit lately, that i came to the office at 8 am, lunch at 12 pm, take a short-nap at 1.30 pm ~ 2.30 pm (really, i was usually asleep at the time, lest i won't be able to concentrate), Spongebob at 2.30 pm, working some more until 4 pm, another Spongebob, and then 'whatever'. Now, this 'whatever' takes time between an hour or as much as seven hours depending on the situation. It could be: Chatting, DoTa sessions, an episode (or two) of Honey & Clover (pictured), chatting, read some articles from various e-magazines (i was illegally subscribed to EGM, SA, and Wizard magazines), chatting, read some technical articles (only if the mood serves right), read comics, finished some work or mostly chatting, and browsing for some useless craps about this and that, here and there. Secondly, if i went home now, i wouldn't had anything to do except playing game, read a book, or sleep. Well, you know, a lonely, sad, and typical life of a young and handsome bachelor. So here i am, almost 6.30 pm and still blogging. And though actually at the beginning of this post, i was about to write something witty more useful. But, as my interest waned, i dont know what the purpose of this post anymore. Ah well...

Dream Theater: Score - 20th Anniversary World Tour

It's out.

1. The Root Of All Evil
2. I Walk Beside You
3. Another Won
4. Afterlife
5. Under A Glass Moon
6. Innocence Faded
7. Raise The Knife
8. The Spirit Carries On
9. Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
10. I. Overture
11. II. About To Crash
12. III. War Inside My Head
13. IV. The Test That Stumped Them All
14. V. Goodnight Kiss
15. VI. Solitary Shell
16. VII. About To Crash (Reprise)
17. VIII. Losing Time/Grand Finale
18. Vacant
19. The Answer Lies Within
20. Sacrificed Sons
21. Octavarium
22. Intro
23. I. Someone Like Him
24. II. Medicate Me
25. III. Full Circle
26. IV. Intervals
27. V. Razor's Edge
28. Encore: Metropolis

The "Score" 2-DVD contains the entire "20th Anniversary World Tour" grand finale recorded live at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 1st, 2006 (nearly 3 hours of music - over 90 minutes of which was performed with a full orchestra).

The DVD also contains a 1 hour Documentary tracking the entire career of the band from the very beginnings at the Berklee College Of Music in 1985 all the way to the Radio City Music Hall grand finale. Including rare never before seen footage and interviews with current and previous members of the band.

Also included on the DVD are several live Bonus Tracks from through the years taken from the Portnoy Archives.

At juraganbuku, Amazon's associate at Indonesia which payment doesn't require that cursed credit card, but instead direct transfer to the bank the item priced at a mere Rp 159.118,85. Don't buy piracy, at the very least, support your favourite artist by buying their original works. But anyway, i must warn you, that the shipping price was even more expensive than the price of the item itself. Damn.

Can't wait. Can't wait. Can't wait.

Film Review: Brick (2005)

There were times when i dont have a clue about a film that i was about to watch. Brick was one of them. A debut feature from writer/director, Rian Johnson, it was a strange film in which the blend between modern and noir were apparent. The setting was modern, but the dialog, was soemthing that you would only read on novel. I was forced to watch it with subtitle on (which means that i had to open Google and then look for the appropriate subtitle, and it was tiresome).

Brendan Frye was a remote introverted boy, and seemingly always keeping his distance with everyone. But when, his ex, Emily Kostich went missing, he plays detective, shakes up things, dealing with underground drug-network, nasty fights, and deaths. His motive was simple: love.

I've known the film previously from cinematical, my ultimate source of film-informations. One of the editors there really anticipated this film at the Sundance Film Festival 2005. But, as with other festival films, the information never went through me beyond the title. And even though that the film was too long (read: rather boring at times), it was awesome (though, i'm not looking forward to seeing it the second time).

Ow, surprisingly, even if the film uses a considerable portion of drug community, there was only one 'f' word throughout the film, and it's not even audible. Talking about a high-class dialogues. And it does really high class, let me quote you one: Throw one at me if you want, hash head. I've got all five senses and I slept last night, that puts me six up on the lot of you. That's when Brendan faces the already stoned guys after he punches a drug-dealer and in which the punched drug-dealer mouthed (but not audible) the one and only 'f' word and the like throughout the film.

Bored?

Try this. You will be given a blank cube with several symbols (ten) on the sides. Your objective is look for the correct sequences of symbol to click in order to produce the final "congratulatoratory" pictures that would be look like the picture i put on this post. There are many frustrating fun puzzles at the site. Just make sure that your boss isn't behind your back when you played it.