Yay, movie reviews!

{31st October 2013}
How many eons has it been since I actually posted my opinions on this blog?
For me, Marvel fever is in.
And yeah, I kinda watched Thor: The Dark World on its premiere date.
The only time I've ever done that was for The Hunger Games.
Um, I guess the reason why I was so excited for this film was because of *cough* reasons.
This will not be a spoiler-free review.

Thor: The Dark World
So, where to begin. I didn't really know what to expect I suppose, but I was really hoping that it would be good. A lot of reviews went along the lines of Alan Taylor was a poor replacement for Kenneth Branagh, and that not even Tom Hiddleston (damn you) could save the film, and since his screentime was limited, there was even less hope (as though the only enjoyable thing about a movie with Thor in it is Loki, really now). I STRONGLY DISAGREE. I actually found this sequel to be better than the first movie. It was funnier, darker, and more unpredictable. The first film was a bundle of fluff, Asgard in The Dark World is a shinier/PG-13 version of Westeros. I'm pretty sure I saw more than one Game of Thrones reference in the film. Yes, the banter between Thor and Loki was amusing and definitely a highlight but the other parts of the movie weren't exactly what I would call boring. (To be honest, I like Thor here more than in the first film and in The Avengers, because in the first film he was arrogant and in the Avengers, redundant.) True, Lady Sif, The Warriors Three and even Loki could and should have gotten more screen time. Especially, Lady Sif who is my favourite Marvel heroine after Black Widow (strong and gorgeous!). I was really looking forward to the Jane Foster vs. Lady Sif love triangle catfight. Admittedly, it won't be much of a fight unless Jane bores Sif to death with dubious facts about quantum physics or whatever. The villain also wasn't given much to do, but the fight scene between him and Thor was still epic without resorting to destruction that levels whole cities like in Man of Steel. The only real question I have is why Thor needed a shirtless scene. Necessary? I think not. TRIGGER WARNING: Look out for the twists. Or don't bother, you'll never see them coming. Click here for the Tumblog.




But you know, it'd be pretty boring to just have one review. After all, the title is "Yay, movie reviews!" (plural).
So here are a few other films I've watched recently that I think you should check out. *grin*
(Note: I did not watch all of these movies at one go. Just so you know.)

Nothing beats watching a movie for the first time, especially when you're in a cinema.

Rise of the Guardians

Oz the Great and Powerful

10 Things I Hate About You
My favourite romantic comedy of all time. I first watched this when Alice came over and there was nothing to watch so we went online to check out what YouTube had to offer. Eventually, we stumbled upon this and we decided to watch it. NO REGRETS. I relate to Cat (played by Julia Stiles) SO MUCH, and Heath Ledger was in it as well. I laughed, I cried, and I discovered a bit more about myself and thought quite a bit of my future and what I wanted to do. This film didn't change my life, but it made me more optimistic about vague things such as the future and a certain four letter word. Go watch it, here.

Hairspray
The only time a film adaptation was better than the original Broadway musical. Hats off to Adam Shankman, the dancing beast. I first watched this a few years ago and I absolutely loved it, downloaded the songs, sang and danced along. After joining our local production, my love for it grew. I also had the chance to watch the live musical this year, and after watching that, I have an even deeper appreciation for the film. Because the original, dare I say it, was kinda bad. Sure, there was that one song that they didn't have in the film because Adam Shankman didn't want to use split screen but STILL. The characters are all abnoxious, unlike in the film and the singing and dancing... *cringe* Oh well, the film version had a better director/choreographer and cast. Seriously, John Travolta is the definition of is SWAG. How many male actors can dress up sassily in drag, sing and do a totally weird dance that no one else could possibly pull off and still be absolutely classy? NONE. Unless you're John Travolta. And James Marsden, really. Who knew Cyclops and Corny Collins were one and the same? Mind = Blown.

Mulan
My favourite Disney movie OF ALL TIME. When I was a kid, I would just watch this on repeat every single day. Seriously, watch, rewind tape, watch again, rewind and repeat. (Those were the days of the VCR.) Maybe it's because she was the only Asian (and more importantly, Chinese) Disney princess, but I'd like to think it was more than that. She was the first Disney princess who was actually the hero of her own story, who didn't need a Prince Charming or a knight general in shining armour to come save her. She saved herself and brought honour to us all. (I'm sorry, I had to.) At first she was confused and unsure about herself, but later she decided: you know what? SCREW SOCIETY AND ITS EXPECTATIONS OF ME. And just generally kicked butt. The part where she finally climbs up the pole, something everyone else couldn't do, gives me the shivers and tears, and cheers for her. And just simply inspires me to be stronger and to keep trying no matter what. Bonus: According to my dad, when I was little, my leg would fly up the same moment Mulan & Co. did their epic flying kick thingy at the end of "I'll Make a Man Out of You".

Mean Girls
I've been dying to watch this for like, ever after seeing an infinite number of GIF sets on Tumblr. So at last, I went to one of those non-questionable movie watching sites that are probably illegal, to watch it. Pre-loony LiLo, what more do you need. And to be honest, she had a really bright future. Sad! But go watch it anyway, this show was created by Tina Fey and has one of those infinitely quotable scripts.

Pitch Perfect
I JUST WANT IT OUT THERE THAT JESSE SWANSON IS THE CUTEST EVER and if for some ungodly reason, you want to win my affections, just do what he does. A mash up of Mean Girls and GLEE and 10 Things I Hate About You, a.k.a. PERFECTION IN MOVIE FORM. The first thing I watched online illegally, besides whatever's already on YouTube.

Pan's Labyrinth
I have often heard people describe this as the best film ever, even by my dad. So I just had to watch it, right? (Again one of those nothing else to watch on television stories, also applies to the film below.) My dad just popped in the DVD and we watched it. And after watching it, well. I don't know what to think. It's like a fairy tale for adults, telling us that the world isn't sunshine and rainbows and magic, and in the end, the world stamps out all that is good. Which is true, but incredibly harsh to play out on screen. The music is hauntingly beautiful and I'll be downloading it later. I don't recommend watching it if you're one of those people who just think life is all good. Life isn't like that, and I think this film can only be truly appreciated by those who know and accept that.

Changeling
What turns out to be a simple story about a mother trying to find her son escalates into something much more. Worth watching for an Oscar-worthy performance by Angelina Jolie and all the issues of the 20's displayed here. Feminism, and such. But a lot of motherly love, as well. You might not cry, but you will want to. Just watch it, we need more reminders that there's no place like home besides The Wizard of Oz.

And why don't we just throw in a couple of recent TV show reviews as well.

Avatar: The Legend Of Korra
This will mainly be about Book 2, since it's currently showing on Nickelodeon. UM, I'm actually a little disappointed even though I relate even more to Korra than I did in Book 1 (this matters, because my Halloween costume last year was Korra and obviously I have reasons for choosing her), the plot is a little weird I guess? Unpredictable is good, but messy, isn't. The "Beginnings" episodes were pretty epic but everything else... DO SOMETHING, BRYKE.

Game of Thrones
Before we begin, I would like to paste a huge NSFW sticker on this. WARNING: This show is rated R or something so yeah, that should tell you about some of its contents. Again, Tumblr affected me into watching this. My dad thinks it's boring but I think the TV shows he likes are boring so whatever. But then again, HBO Asia kinda censors out all violence, nudity and profanity, so... You're not left with much. The real entertainment is in the dialogue. I can't say I like all the characters, but there's enough here to question what is good and what is evil, and whether sometimes they are one and the same.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Firstly, #CoulsonLives. Tumblr didn't have much to do about this. By the time it started airing here, I had completely evolved into a Marvel fangirl. SO THERE. I haven't been able to form any coherent thoughts on it because you can't judge an entire TV series based on a pilot episode, so here's my liveblog and summary, i.e. how I feel about it so far.

I hope you liked this post. It might be a while before I post anything new. But you can click here for more mini film reviews. Till next time. xoxo (I don't know why I did that.)

Where'd you go?

If you're reading this, I shall assume that you have taken an interest in my life and are wondering why I have not posted anything new in over a month. Thus, it is highly possible that you currently have this question posed on your lips. One word: Tumblr.

I have been on Tumblr since 22nd August 2011, way before I started this blog (9th January 2012). But I've only been posting (not reblogging) more actively here recently. Why? Because I kinda wanted to document my life so I can remember, before I turn all old and gray grey gray.

But Tumblr has always been more of a visual thing than a text thing. And on Tumblr, people tend to like shorter posts, which is why I have not deleted this blog. I have always expressed myself in words and that is why I will always need a place to dump my word walls. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Blogger is better for posts that involve a lot of media in it.

I've been reading a lot of articles written by teenage girls (mostly American), who have a penchant for the phrase "in retrospect", on this website called Rookie. It also has stories, comics, playlists, and my personal favourite - how to's and loads more besides. I am currently waiting for a theme that I can write for so I can send in a submission. *grin*

Also, I have another blog where I post my poems and other stuff. But maybe I should move them here... I don't know, maybe I will. I have an awful lot of things to upkeep. I am also trying to reduce the number of Tumblogs I have.

AND I'm learning how to code.

What else have I been doing that's made me so busy?
After my trip to Singapore and the BRATs camp during the school holidays, I...
1. Went back to school for a week.
2. Went to Langkawi for the National Music Camp for a week.
3. Came back from Langkawi and started leaving class and staying back at school in preparation for our school's first ever Symphony Orchestra concert. I was a conductor, concertmistress and I played a duet.
4. Catching up with all the schoolwork.
5. Rehearsing for PPO/KVSO/whatever concert on 20th July.
6. Trying not to implode.
7. Tumblr-ing. See above.
So I'm so sorry if I didn't manage to post, it's totally my fault.

Finally, I'll be revamping this blog, i.e. the design and the pages. I've already gone through a few changes over the past year and half, mainly in the background, from wicked to vintage, that short-lived The Hunger Games craze, and Part-Time Poet. Plus all those awkward animations, with the chandelier and the falling petals. I remember when all my fonts were cursive, I especially abused Crafty Girls. We all grow up, and grow out of things. And now, I think I want my blog to be more minimalistic, a bit more like Tumblr but not quite. I'm currently changing my fonts, from Crafty Girls to Trebuchet Ms to Georgia (page), from Sunshiney to Josefin Slab to Courier (title), and from Indie Flower to Arvo (gadget). (That last sentence was more for my benefit than yours, tbh.) Now, the music only plays when you want it to, because let's face it, auto-playing music is annoying. I'm trying to live life more simply, and what better way to showcase that than through my blog? Crossed out that whole sentence because it's nothing but a lie. But it is true that I want things to be more simple, and less messed up. The art is to not get attached, to learn when to let go.

Ok, I think I better stop now. This post is getting me nowhere.
Thank you for reading this.

Bratty Potatoes

I met so many amazing people in this camp.
The experiences.
The friends I made.
The mentors treated us differently compared to most adults.
I want to do more assignments, I wish I could do this instead of school...
I miss it already.
Potatoes.
Videos.
Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter.
I'm glad I joined.

{To be updated when I finally get over my feels.}

Suspension of Disbelief

{Note: This is the opinion of a teenager who's attempting to be less biased in her blog posts. Agree or disagree, comment below and tell me why. Also, there will be no GIFs this time.}

Sometimes, I wonder if certain people are qualified to judge a competition. Do these people really know everything there is to know? In fact, do they know anything at all? If so, what makes their opinion matter more than everyone else's? For example, what is Nicki Minaj, a rapper with limited singing ability, doing as a judge on a singing competition? She's not a producer like Randy Jackson or Simon Cowell who can offer them a recording deal. What can the contestants, as singers, hope to gain from her besides unrelated performing advice?
Anyway, I digress.

I think I should keep the real reason why I'm writing this article confidential. Just know that there are some many things that I'm not happy about.

This is regarding the theatre, and those who supposedly "judge" it. I will be referencing a drama that I co-wrote with some members of my school drama team, called "The Box of Heart".

At Short+Sweet, I learnt that the principle of theatre is the suspension of disbelief, and that the theatre is a shared act of imagination between those watching and those doing, the audience and the actors respectively. While writing a script for a play, I had to think in stage, I had to think about what makes it a play and not a movie, and why it had to be performed on stage, not in front of a camera. Also, the character had to want something and do something to get it.
In The Box of Heart, a toy ballerina and toy soldier (no, it's not the Nutcracker) desire to become human. The ballerina because she wanted to dance in front of a real audience, the soldier because he wanted to help protect his country. They set off on a journey to find the Pandaro* Box, which contained a heart. Along the way, they began to feel different emotions and learnt what makes a human, human. So characters who want and do, check!

On stage, you have to speak loudly and clearly with perfect pronunciation. Or else the audience will not understand what you're saying, lose their focus, get distracted, and ignore you completely. Check! My actresses worked hard and their pronunciation was a vast improvement compared to previous years and to be frank, they had the best pronunciation that day.

But the big question remains: What makes a play, a play?

One of the given guidelines was "minimise use of props". Check! We only focused on the essentials and forgoed forwent did without the background scenery. In fact, we had the least props. After all, if we act as though we were in a dark forest, and we act it right, can't we trust the audience to be smart enough to figure it out we are? After all, we also have sound effects going on in the background. Unlike other schools, who besides even more props and sound effects, had backgrounds. One even had a projector with a screen!
We often forget that the audience is smarter than we think. I think we have forgotten that we don't need backgrounds, effects, scenery and sometimes a single prop to create a good play. After all, it's not like we're putting on a full-scale production on Broadway. Sometimes, even Broadway shows have no or little use for props. I know that most of the time, certain props are essential. For example in a cafe, you might need tables, chairs. But do you really need to have the counter, the kitchen and the windows too? No!
To be something or somewhere, we don't need proof that we are.

Do we really need to show the audience the sky to let them know we are flying? No, all we need is to ask them to suspend their disbelief and let their imagination take flight. All we need is the belief that we are more than what can be seen. All we need is to believe.

So now, I ask you, whether or not you are the writer/director/producer, the actor, the judge, or the audience, to suspend your disbelief and just believe in the magic that unfolds before your very eyes. For that, is the stage, that is the theatre.


*Pandaro: We were thinking of a name to call the box. Eventually, we gave up and someone just typed in "Pandora". (We were writing the script on the laptop.) Well, she made an error and it showed up on the screen as "Pandaro". Hence, the Pandaro Box was born.

Drama Bananas

{30th April 2013}
It's funny how things here contradict themselves.
We didn't win. I won't say much more beyond that because in my heart, we were, are, and always will be the best. I love you all, thank you all for being so perfect, amazing, and talented.
If we won, I promised Rose to treat you all to a slice of cake each at Indulgence...
Now, I guess I'll just get a pandan cake from the bakery haha.
I kept the Pandaro Box by the way. Sentimental value. :P

The Cast:
~ Ballerina | Li Winn
The latest addition to the drama team. As the main character, you sure had a lot on your shoulders. And you did beautifully. You improved so much in such a short time, an inspiration to me. :)
~ Soldier | Xin Hui
You're unbelievably good as a guy... Next time, don't make me have to stand in! Even though you missed a few practices, you're still easily one of the most dedicated of the team, I think you memorised the entire script. Appreciate everything. And yes, your map is beautiful. (Is it still intact?)
~ Fairy Godmother | Roselyn
It almost feels like this character was made for you. Thank you for being yourself. That was enough. And you were a gorgeous fairy godmother.
~ Jenny | Shu Qi
*Cough cough* I keep calling you "Jenny", you don't like it, sorry! Never expected you to be so good, I was pleasantly surprised by your audition. You remind me of myself a couple of years ago (omg sounding like an old lady), especially when we co-complain about certain uninvolved people.
~ Bobby | Mei Kwan
I really hope your studies don't get affected, but no worries, I'm sure they won't, cause you give everything you do your 100%. Thank you for making the "10 years later" sign. You are perfect. I'm not lying.
~ Mom | Zhi Xin
I still think you're too pretty to be the mom, but you did an awesome job and you and the crazy chick below impressed me so much, especially during the hospital scene. Your skills are truly impressive.
~ Doctor | Jun Qi
You could have done more with the doctor but whatever. Thank you so much for helping me with the sound effects (i.e. doing everything for me), being so supportive, slapping sense into me, and always keeping cool, you're the best, and i wuv u. <3
~ Jenni & Marytha
Babies of the group. Thank you for trying and doing your very best. The two of you are only going to get much better, I just know it.
The Crew:
~ The Glue | Me
Sorry for being the wet blanket. Thank you all for putting up with my inexperienced incompetence. Thank you all for making me feel like I was doing something right. Thank you all for making me feel so proud and happy.
~ Fireworks | Sharmine
Thank you for helping out and doing everything so I had much less to think about! And for all the advice you gave everyone.
~ Objects | Elysa/Pei Wen
You only joined in a bit later, but you were so dedicated with the props and you did a really good job, especially with the round thing. You're a little blur at times, but your focus was there when it really mattered.
The Mentors:
~ Lee Rachel
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING BACK EVEN THOUGH YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO. Hugs and kisses. xoxo I really hope we didn't let you down... Thank you for believing in us and always pushing us to be even better. I wish I could have been in your English class, I bet they were really fun.
~ So Jun
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. The advice, the threats, the support... The list goes on. Big hugs and kisses to you too. XOXO
~ Rachel Lee
You weren't there physically but you gave us support via your Facebook posts. Thank you for making us better people and for your never ending support and advice. Btw, we called you and we got your mom, and when she picked up we thought it was you and we screamed. Apologies to your mom for that, she must have been pretty bewildered. Banana monkeys indeed. <3

To the judges: Whatever. These girls are the best, and they don't need you to tell them that.

Family photo.

When You Believe

Last night was the AMC Chinese Orchestra concert.

I didn't forget any notes, I was pretty stiff, but I tried, and therefore no one should criticise me.
Anyway, I'm quite proud of myself for not freaking out in front of so many people. :)

Short + Sweet

So I joined some of the Short+Sweet writing and directing/acting workshops last week.
They were all conducted by this really awesome Aussie dude, Alex Broun, who according to Wikipedia, is known as the "Shakespeare of short plays". Impressive, eh?
{WARNING: This will be a wordy entry.}

～ 12 April, Friday night: Playwriting (Level 1)
Whoa, learned that I actually know nothing about writing for the stage. Started from scratch, learned loads of new things. Including the principle of theatre: the suspension of disbelief. The workshop was mostly about learning how to write 10-minute plays. Alex was really good, he said: "Alex walks into the room. Alex stands still for 10 minutes. Alex leaves the room. For those of you who thought it's impossible for you to write a 10-minute play, I just proved you all wrong." Unbelievable. Among other things, I learnt to think in stage and not film. Difficult for people like me, since we're all bombarded with screen, not stage. Learnt the tools for writing a good 10-minute play, the structure of a 10-minute play, etc. My notebook is filled with notes.

～ 13 April, Saturday midday: Directing & Acting (Level 1)
This workshop was conducted together with this beautiful girl from Dubai called Dana. The best thing about Dana and Alex is their "feedback" aren't critiques, they're actually advice. The difference is that critiques make you feel bad about yourself, advice make you feel more positive, like "yeah, I can do that". Know what I mean? Anyway, we worked in groups to come up with a 1-minute play with the title "Blue Sunset", and a 2-minute play beginning with the phrase "Something just happened". It was a lot of fun, and all the people there were so talented and creative. (I am not just throwing these words out, by the way.)

～ Same day, afternoon: Playwriting (Level 2)
Actually wasn't planning on attending this workshop, but I gave in. I WANT TO LEARN MORE!! Thank God I changed my mind, I learned the most important thing about writing. Period. THE HERO'S JOURNEY, which can be applied to all manner of writing.

So thank you KLPAC, Datuk Faridah Merican, Alex Broun and Dana for this learning experience.

～ Failed to attend Sunday workshops due to my living elsewhere and having to make it home in time for school.

Random picture taken from the AD studio of KLPAC.

No more ducks in the lake. :(

"The theatre is a shared act of imagination for the audience and the actors."