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.