Movies and more Movies

Right, so the past week and a half have been pretty "hectic" for me. I guess I can call it that, being on holiday, watching movies etc. You know, stressful stuff. I've been wanting to do a proper movie review for awhile now but I keep watching new movies and then with the holiday, I didn't have much time to sit down and get to it.

Well, today is not any different, I'll just pretty much summarize all the movies I've watched in the recent past, be it on DVD or in the Cinemas. I will do more in-depth reviews once I'm in Penang as I presume (or rather pray/hope) that I'll have more time there and doubt I'll have as many distractions.

This month has been an awesome month for movies. Every movie I've been to the cinema to watch has been worth every penny (from here you should know that I did not watch New Moon) and I'm glad I've watched them. I'll start with movies I've watched in the cinema as it may sway your decision to go out and watch it instead of sitting at home and waiting for Mr. Pirate to sell it.


James Cameron's Avatar
Alright, just let me tell you, if you have not watched this movie yet. Go out and watch it now, turn off your pc and try to get tickets. I think this movie was already in the making by James Cameron 10 years ago but back then the technology did not live up to his vision. Now that he has found out a satisfactory way, and boy is it satisfactory, to make it, he has brought the world of Pandora to life.
The movie is about humans, as usual, going to another planet, in this movie, Pandora, to mine their minerals. (Sound familiar anyone? *coughUSinthemiddleeastcough*) Sam Worthington plays the role of this guy who pilots an "Avatar". An Avatar is one of those blue things, which is sort of a clone of the local people.
The plot is really simple, which leaves us the time to really admire the world of Pandora, and the amazing CGI on display. I watched both the normal and 3D version and I can tell you that 3D makes a whole lot of difference. This is not a movie that just puts lots of floating stuff in there as a 3D gimmick. It's very different watching it in 3D and I suggest you do the same.
Amazing execution of this movie, even if it's a bit long and the plot a little thin and predictable. If you're one those people that feel the journey is more important than the end. This movie is right up your alley. Even if you're not, watch this, cause this could pave the way for a new era of movies with animation. Lastly, this is NOT an animated movie, the actors actually played all the parts, with sensors on their bodies ala Gollum in Lord of the Rings.

9/10
Verdict: Cancel your other plans, go out and watch this before it is removed from Cinemas.



Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes, a name that is known worldwide, even if people don't actually KNOW who he is, I assume most of us know that he is a detective and a very smart one. The latest incarnation of Mr. Holmes reintroduces us to him, getting the Guy Ritchie treatment. This one is fast paced, full of hard hitting action, whilst still remaining witty and intelligent. Robert Downey nails the role perfectly, a mix of wit, intelligence and zaniness. In some ways a cross between Jack Sparrow and Jason Bourne if you will. Jude Law is also superb here in his role as Dr. Watson. He is the opposite to Holmes and gives us a sort of "control" character. Down to earth but every bit as intelligent as Sherlock. Then we have the beautiful Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, and Mark Strong who is brilliant as the baddie, Lord Blackstone.
The movie and plot moves fast, and keeps you guessing. The dialogue is witty and the characters lovable. There is everything in here, comedy, action, bit of drama. What there is not, is there is no reason you should now watch this, so go. Blockbuster done right.

8.5/10
Verdict: Good fun stuff, Watch it!



Zombieland
Alright, this movie sorta came outta the blue if your not a movie buff. Not much publicity and arguably low profile cast. But if you missed it, your loss. This is one of the most brilliantly made fun zombie movies I'ved watched in awhile. Touted as the movie version of the game Left4Dead, this one is fun start to finish. Go in, don't take it too seriously and you will come out very satisfied. Every character is so unique in their own way and with just about 6 actors through-out the whole show, the 4 main characters manage to carry the whole movie. We have the innocent but sincere geek, the ass-kicking tough guy, the ingenious but charming chick, and the innocent-looking but sneaky little sister. You come to love each of their characters because they're so simple but the chemistry between them is good, then again could just be the fact that I find Emma Stone HOT! The plot is basically just 4 people going across America to get away from zombies and finding themselves on the journey. And don't forget all those rules. This is one movie which I'll want to buy the DVD and watch again cause it's just such a laugh.

8/10
Verdict: Looking for a fun way to spend an otherwise planless night? This is it, you won't regret.

More ranting, Orianthi, and the Grammys.

In the light of news that the Grammy nominees have been released, I truly am not surprised that Taylor Swift has been given 8..... 8... YES 8, nominations for whatever categories. Only beaten by Beyonce with... 10... YES 10 nominations.

I may be extra hard on the mainstream drivel but somebody seriously needs to explain how or why Beyonce is so highly regarded as the Queen on the pop scene right now? Her music has hardly improved from when she was in Destiny's Child and the only reason I can see is because she got with Jay-Z that suddenly boosted her profile? I'll admit that her live performances are flashy, if not over the top but her songs are seriously quite rubbish. 3 off the top of my head.. the one which goes "To the left to the left", Single Ladies, and Sweet Dreams, all crap. I mean who seriously can listen through Sweet Dreams? Her vocals are nothing special, the beats nothing new, so why? Is it because of her Divaness? You tell me.

Moving on to Taylor Swift, this one is not so mind-boggling as she is manufactured to sell CDs to tweens and teens with songs moms would approve of. But seriously? Nominated for Grammys? I mean, how can anyone take her music seriously? Every song sounds so similar even in the chords used and don't even get me started on her singing ability. I believe that has been covered many times over by other writers out there. Just look around for her live performances.

And then there's this:

Record of the Year: Beyonce's "Halo," Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling," Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody," Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me."

Make of that what you will. That's the state of the music industry now. IT'S THE GRAMMYS btw. The only decent song in there is Use Somebody and we all know it's just there to make up the numbers.

This is an award that has been given to truly talented artists and we can just look through the past winners to see what mainstream music has become.

In the 50s and 60s, winners included Frank Sinatra, Henry Mancini, and Tony Bennett to name a few.

In the 70s, we had the Eagles, Billy Joel, Carole King, and Roberta Flack

In the 80s, along came Michael Jackson and Tina Turner.

And in the 90s, we still had Eric Clapton, Whitney Houston, Nat King Cole, Phil Collins and Celine Dion.

After the Millennium, winners included U2, Coldplay, and Norah Jones.

All the names I've listed out are respected proper talented artists. Closer to today though, names such as Green Day, and Amy Winehouse have managed to bag Grammys, god knows how. Then again, I remember last year, we had the Jonas Brothers perform at the Grammys and suddenly it's all a little clearer.

Anyway enough of the Grammys, I don't think anyone, even in the music industry takes it too seriously anyway. Look on wikipedia for what Maynard James Keenan has to say about it for example.

No, today I'm here to give us a bit of hope. You might have heard of her and seen her video on MTV by now, but I'm still sure the majority haven't even heard of her and I think that's an injustice when we have hacks like Taylor Swift at the top of the charts. Anyway, I present you, Orianthi. She's released an album now and her video, According to You is on MTV, you can search for it on Youtube as for some reason I can't embed it. The song isn't great but it's a smart way to penetrate the market to lead them on to what she is actually capable of.

Santana has been one of the few people who have backed her and she was the guitarist on MJ's This is It tour. The girl can ACTUALLY play guitar and is damn good at it. Anyway here are some clips.


Santana on her and some clips of her live.


Orianthi - According to You Live.


This one is a compilation but mostly of her playing guitar.

Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
Today is a gift,
That's why it's called the present.

Music... or lack thereof.

Soooooo, how's everyone been holding up? Really?? Like I care anyways. So, more casual blogging and something I've been wanting to get off my chest for a bit but never really got down to it.

The story goes, my CD player broke, leaving me with no choice but to be at the mercy of radio, or face driving everyday listening to myself breathe. After 2 weeks or so, I'm beginning to question the choice of listening to the radio. Either option appears to me now as dull as the other.

Alright, that is exaggerating, the DJ's and the Hitz Gotcha's are actually decent, and the only thing that keeps me entertained. Apart from that, being abused with the music, or what qualifies as music today, that spearheads the pop frontier, is frankly, SAD. Pathetic, listless, uninspired, boring. Call it what you will.

Looking at it from a broader scale, I think it is kinda what shapes us today. It represents society in a sort of obscure way. How everyone can be manipulated into thinking certain things are "nice", or being pushed around by corporates and liking something just cause everyone else likes it. In short, originality is dieing.

Turn on the radio, what do you hear? Bullshit? No.... I mean what music is playing. I can bet you at least 8 out of 10 times, you will listen to David Archuleta at least once during the duration of radio listening. David Archuleta is the epitome of boringness and uninspired music. It's basically the same disney-ish crap that's being spouted by the likes of Jonas Brothers and now, Kris Allen. There is no character, they all sing about the same things, even use the same cliches and they just sound the SAME!

On the other hand we have mainstream hiphop, that is seriously just utter bullshit. Leading the list are Rihanna, Soulja Boi and whatever crap is out there. The clearest sign of a manufactured artist is when you listen to them live. I mean honestly, listen to Rihanna and tell me she can sing? If you say yes, then you deserve to listen to that shit daily. BUT WAIT!!!!! SOULJA BOI, SOULJA BOI, SOULJA BOI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How is Soulja Boi even an artist?!?!?!?!?!?! Do people seriously enjoy his music? I think you have to bring your mindset down to the level of a piece of mud to actually level with his lyrics.

If you look back just a couple of decades. What was on air? The Beatles, Eagles, Santana, Aerosmith, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, Madonna, Queen. Just some examples.

And today? Like I've already stated above, Jonas Brothers, David Archuleta, Taylor Swift, Click 5, Soulja Boi, Rihanna, Sean Kingston, Miley Cyrus.

I'll let you guys work that one out yourselves. How the hell did music fall so far? Or rather how did mainstream music fall so far? Out of the 2nd list, I'm curious to see how many of them are remembered even 10 years from now. People will probably scoff and say, oh... that crap. Why? because the music corporates would've manufactured a new style of crappy music that would be considered "cool" by the listeners.

I don't know why they're getting worse, maybe because it's the fact that talent is either getting harder to find, or real talented people are smart enough to keep away from the mainstream labels. I think even the boyband era was better that the crap on radio today.

Well, I've gone on long enough. I hope my CD player will be fixed soon because then I am reminded there's hope. There's so much talent out there not making music for money, or fame. The roots are still there, the raw feeling of making music because you want to. I think Malaysia needs a rock or underground channel because every channel plays the same crap. At least BFM has the guts to go against the norm, playing good stuff of yesteryears that aren't the same 20 or 25 "oldie" songs LightFM constantly plays.

If you think I've been talking crap, I thank you for sticking through-out the entire post. Maybe I have to accept one man's meat is another man's poison. But in this case, shit is shit. No 2 ways about it. Cheers.

Ah some things change... and some do not.

In a bid to blog more frequently, I think I might just start blogging more casually now. Whereas previously I would pigeon hole my posts down to chicks, movies etc. I think from now I might just post what's on my mind.

After a hiatus from posting to post on Twitter and the like I still think blogging like this is the best way to write. So much more freedom and proper useage of the English language no?

So anyways, I've started watching a TV series named, Californication. Starring the affable David Duchovny in the lead role, the series is about this broken down guy, who's a writer and became famous because his book was made into a movie that he hates but did well. Because of this fame and possibly his good looks, he draws women with no problem at all. Every episode there's at least a sex scene if not 2. So a warning not to watch this with your parents eh?

This guy though, who's aptly named Hank Moody by the way, is a divorcee who's still kinda in love with his ex-wife. She has moved on however and is getting married to another guy, Bill. So it's quite a funny situation where he hates Bill but has to just put up with him cause his daughter, Becca, would be staying with him and all that.

For some reason, I kinda feel there's something inside there we can all relate to. Even though this guy's a loser and a bum, he appeals to the viewer in some weird way. It's also got excellent dialogue which is witty and is pretty funny in most parts.

Yeah... so just wanted to get that out as a start. Check it out if you got the time.

Hope I'll be writing more soon, till then, Au Revoir.

Chick of the Week: Caroline Wozniacki (US Open Watch)

Ah, tennis season is around again and that means my obsession with women's tennis's women will cause this blog to arise from the depths of Davy Jones's Locker. These urges to post are usually caused by watching the matches and wanting to share them with all of you. Ah well, down to the post then eh?

Followers of this blog will be no stranger to the name Caroline Wozniacki, who, at 19 is actually 1 year younger than I am. She turned pro in 2005 and has very quickly risen to her current world ranking of #8.

Affectionately known as Caro, or in other quarters as "Danish Delight", she was also awarded WTA newcomer of the year 2008. Stunningly beautiful and with a megawatt smile, this girl can actually play some tennis, as proven by her match against Kuznetsova. Anyway, some pics of her in action in the US of A.

Trademark smile, in her doubles match.

In action against Kuznetsova.

Some promo shots from earlier.

P.S. Cast your vote in the poll on the right. Vamos Rafa!

Those that cannot learn from history,
Are doomed to repeat it.

Is our education system putting too much emphasis on grades?

Ah, exactly one month from my previous post. So, I wrote this piece for my public speaking but didn't manage to do it due to several reasons. It's something I've been wanting to write for quite awhile so when I got the chance I just sat down and got to it. If you've got the time and interest, I'd be honored if any of you guys read it and give me some feedback.

Right, so here goes:

One of the definitions that the Oxford dictionary gives us for education is the process of 'bringing up' or the manner in which a person has been 'brought up' with reference to social situation, kind of manners and habits acquired, calling or employment prepared for. This definition seems to be the ideal outcome of a successful education system. However, as you will soon find out, unfortunately our education system does not function in this way.

I will start with the simplest of examples and what our entire education system is built upon. Examinations, tests, call them what you will, like it or not, they are the backbone of our education system. And to people that don’t already know, we have these exams in abundance, and quite a fair bit of them are rather useless. The 3 main ones in the school system as of today are the UPSR, PMR, and SPM.

Just an example is UPSR, which is a compulsory exam set by our education ministry to indicate the finishing of primary school. I would like to ask one question. How necessary is this exam? Students are made to believe they study 6 years building up to it, but what does it signify? You continue to secondary school regardless of your results. The problem with our exams though, is how they are presented. Students memorise rather than learn, for the sole purpose of passing or acing the exam, only to forget everything once they have done so. There is a quote which says, Too often we give our children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. I believe this sums up our examination system and the way we are taught to study.

Especially apparent here, is the mentality set in our minds. The need to achieve a certain grade that is deemed acceptable means they are forced to endure countless hours of extra tuition to achieve the grades, sacrificing time for extracurricular activities. As the saying goes, all work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy. This way of thinking comes from the parents, who value grades so much higher than other achievements, that they are willing to bribe their children with money or gifts to push them towards those results.

Another view here is that the science stream is somehow better than the art stream. The education system streams students with better results into science and students with lower grades into the arts. The logic of this is baffling. People automatically think that students in the science streams are smarter than those in the arts. And because of this, students with good grades automatically go into the science stream, without considering the arts. Students like me, who regret that decision, because it is simply not what I am interested in doing.

The next sign that our education system is flawed and puts too much emphasis on grades, is the dire condition of the nation’s sports infrastructure. Here, it is frowned upon when someone’s ambition is to be a professional athlete. Why? Because there are no proper channels in which someone can reach this goal and make something out of his life. Sport is something schools do once a week, which they label Physical Education. It is not hard to see that the classroom is the emphasis of every education institute here. Look around you for example, we’re in an office building. How often are we encouraged take up a sport or an emphasis put on taking up sports seriously? Never, not in this country anyway.

Take a look at the US meanwhile, how many students there realise their potential at a certain sport in high school, then go on to receive sports scholarships from colleges and universities, and finally go on to make that sport a full time job. Are they products of the education system? Yes; they may not be able to explain to you Quantum Physics, or do integration, but they came out of the schooling system, and made themselves a career. I doubt very much anyone will realise any form of potential or talent from Physical Education, one hour a week. You may ask me, what has sports got to do with our education system? It’s just an example to show that grades are not everything.

So, what can be done to remedy this predicament we find ourselves in? First and foremost, we have to actually realise that the education system is flawed. We have to recognize that something needs to be done to cure this imbalance; because grades do not help us in one of the biggest parts of our lives, which is socially and culturally. Walker Percy once said, you can get all A's and still flunk life. The student who cheats and bluffs his way through school is considered smart, because he does not get caught. In the end, in the real world, he becomes a hopeless, helpless bundle of confusion and unbelief. If this does not show us that the system is flawed, I don’t know what will.

There is a saying that goes, a person may be well schooled, but that does not mean he has been well educated. He may have gone to the best schools, gotten the best grades, but he may be morally bankrupt. Our system is one in which culture plays no role in our education. Does one mature and grow up locked in a study, memorising words and passages simply because that’s how he has been taught to learn? No.

A balanced education system will do more than just help us study better, it will make us more cultured, more refined and overall, more civilised. All the more in a nation like ours, where we are growing as I believe this will do a lot in helping the country mature and develop. The first steps our education ministry need to take are to put aside the politics and have a serious review of the examination system, if that can be achieved; we could already be laying the groundwork and moving in the right direction. They then need to ask themselves, what should we gain from an education? And proceed from there. After all, there is a great deal more to the process of becoming educated than the actual instruction and schooling one may receive. Before I go I would like to leave you with a few sayings to ponder.

The aim of education is the knowledge not of fact, but of values.

The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think.

An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a life.

Chick of the Week: Wimbledon Special

Alright, been a loooooong time since I last blogged. Not much material really and just a plain laziness to actually do it.

Anywhooo, this is my attempt to revive this dieing blog and what better occasion to do it than in conjunction with Wimbledon? Yes, no Rafa this year, but what tennis gives us year after year, is fit, good looking girls who prance around in skimpy dresses while screaming and grunting. Fun? Definitely.

Actually though, I just needed a reason to post up some Hantuchova pics, but anyways here we go!

To mark the 50th post on this blog, Some of the hottest chicks playing Wimbledon this year:
(Click on the pics to maximize them should you want to.)

Maria Sharapova
The 22-year old has been out for the game close to 10 months due to injury and is slowly making her way back. Sadly though she lost to Gisela Dulko in the 2nd round, still looks beautiful as ever though, even if she's not my favourite.

Famous, or infamous rather, for her screaming, she seems to have lost focus on tennis slightly, being caught up in the glam of being tennis's poster girl and also earning millions in terms of endorsements. We do hope she makes a comeback cause boy does women's tennis need a boost now.



Caroline Wozniacki
You might not know her if you don't follow tennis, but that would be your loss. The 18-year old Danish beauty is definitely one of the sweetest looking girls on the tour, especially when she gives us that megawatt smile. Turning pro in 2005, she is the only Danish woman in the top 300.



Elena Dementieva
Ahh, the lovely Elena Dementieva. If you've followed my blog you will know that I absolutely adore her. Well, she is Russian and 26 this year. She has won 2 Olympic singles medals, including the gold at Beijing 2008. Here's hoping she does well at Wimbledon this year, and we love you Lena.



Gisela Dulko
Most of you might know her by now, seeing that she knocked Maria Sharapova out of Wimbledon. She might not be your typical stick-thin hottie but I just find her beautiful. She's Argentinian and 24 this year, and an interesting fact is, she previously dated Fernando Verdasco.



Maria Kirilenko
Another Russian beauty, Maria Kirilenko. Once again not your typical "bombshell" but she looks like a cute angel. Turning 22 this year, she's affectionately known as Makiri and a very close friend of Sharapova. She is also the face of Stella McCartney's Adidas range. As you will see at the bottom, she posed for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit edition 2009, cute angel? Hmm, maybe slightly wrong description eh?



Zheng Jie
Some Asian flavour to the mix! Zheng Jie, is the pint sized cutie from Chengdu, Sichuan, China. 25 this year, she is Asia's highest ranked player at 15th. She has also already won 11 WTA doubles titles with partner Yan Zi. Standing at only 5 ft 4, she must be one of the smaller girls on tour. I find her so adorable though, very cute especially when she's laughing or smiling, and also with a good heart. She donated her 2008 Wimbledon winnings to the Earthquake victims of the Sichuan Earthquake 2008.


Daniela Hantuchova
Okay, basically I've been building up to this point in the post. I present you, the legs of Slovakia, Daniela Hantuchova. She's actually the sole reason I watch women's tennis, hoping I somehow get to watch her play. Her play has been up and down, mainly due to weak mental strength. 26 this year, she has dropped to 32nd in the world rankings.

Nicknamed Dani, I truly believe she is the perfect woman in every single way. Don't ask me why, I'm just obsessed with her and would like to marry her. She also posed in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Shoot as you will see below. We(I) love you very much Dani, and hope you do well this year.

legssssssDAMN





Song of the Week: Nine Inch Nails - Head like a Hole

This is..... Your Final 7.

Okey Dokey!!! It's been like lightyears since I last posted. I'm afraid this post will most likely turn out crap due to me actually physically forcing myself to post to avoid this blog from being deader than it already is. Well, the last thing I had on my mind was American Idol since I just watched it.

I will post my upcoming rant on the current state of the Music Industry if I can get myself to post after this.

So anyway, AI's top 7. We have, Kris, Lil' Rounds, Adam, Danny, Anoop, Matt, and Allison. In short, AI should have ended last week or 2 weeks ago and should just have crowned Adam winner, seems the show week after week is just a formality that will eventually lead up to that.

There, could've ended this post there. Oh but I won't, not to worry, I'll have a breakdown of the current state of the competition.

So, I'll start from the judges. Kara has actually proved me wrong in a way. I think her opinion actually makes sense most of the time, even if she still does seem a bit bitchy at selected times. I still think she was highly unnecessary though, and the farce that was last weeks episode where only 2 judges got to speak proves my point. Paula, on the other hand has gone off worse than ever, I seriously won't be surprised if someday they reveal that she snorts a truckload of Coke just before every show. Jumping around, pulling stupid faces and making far-out metaphors.

Crazy.

Contestants wise. I firmly think Adam is the winner of this season. I mean seriously, it's like man against boys here. Everyone is competing on 1 level and then Adam comes out and looks like a guest performer.

Closest we can get to an actual competitor is Danny but as much as I like the guy, I will admit that he fails to surprise us. Every week is a great performance though, very solid and consistent. But he dosn't have the same pull that Adam does, where you tune in week after week just to see what he will do next.

Anoop, Lil' Rounds, Kris and Matt are obviously just fillers even if Kris is slowly getting better. I really dislike the guy cause he's absolutely average but I'll have to say that, his performance today was pretty awesome. Today being Disco week, for those that aren't reading my blog on a day-to-day basis. Lil is definitely out, and shoulda been earlier. Same boring shit every week. Anoop meanwhile, I think he saved Matt for another week. Those 3 should be the bottom 3 but comparing Anoop and Matt, I think Anoop actually did worse.

The judges meanwhile fawn over their dark-horse, who has a face to match her title, Allison. Haha sorry, that was a cheap shot but yea I really don't like her and I don't see why the judges praise her every week. I get the feeling that people just support the youngest there everytime because... hmm, come to think of it, I dunno people do it, underdog votes perhaps?

So yea, she's just another chubby 16 year old who wants to be a rocker chick. I'll admit the tone of her voice is alright, husky and pretty suitable for rock n roll. But I see her being marketed as just another gimmick. If she wanted people to take her seriously, she would be in a band because thats what her talents would be best utilised. Then again maybe she will after this, after an increased profile.

So, thats the verdict so far to anyone who gives a damn. Danny Adam final with Adam winning it cleanly. Lil Rounds and Anoop to be eliminated next.

Until my next post,
See yas.

Fashion often starts off beautiful and becomes ugly,
Art meanwhile, starts out ugly, and sometimes, becomes beautiful.

This is..... American Idol

Okay, got off my lazy ass and decided to post something, just to get the flow going again. I'm sorry if this post will sound half-assed but I'm gonna just write it off the cuff cause I need a kickstart.

Alright, anyone who watches TV knows that American Idol 2009 has started and as of today has swung into full gear by starting with our Final 13. I would've done week by week updates from hollywood week but was frankly just abit too lazy.

So I'm gonna keep this brief and summarize what I have to say about the show since the first episode of this season. Right, here we go.

American Idol is something that everyone subconsciously waits for if you've been following it from seasons before. It just gives you something mini to look forward to on TV. And of course is a talking point.

However, I really felt this season's AI is starting to get jaded and frankly a little boring. It's obvious they feel the same on their side, wringing the changes left right and center. I think this year's show should be the last but as we all know, franchises will be milked for all they're worth and I can still see it going, 2 or 3 years from now, nothing but a bag of gimmicks.

So, anyway. First and most obvious change Kara Dioguardi. Up yours if you think I care that I spelt it wrong. I think they attempted to maybe make it fresh by bringing another unnecessary addition to the well balanced judging table. FAIL. I, like many people, think that the reason why AI is so popular and entertaining is due to the right balance of things on the show. Brilliant host in Ryan Seacrest, entertaining judging table in the 3 judges, etc. Add one more to that and the show slows down a little.

Firstly, just look at her and you can tell she can be a bitch, and she showed it to Bikini Girl during the earlier rounds. Also I don't see why they need her, she can't grasp the concept of speaking into a microphone or the concept that the mic picks up your hands banging on the table. We have Paula, who's constantly high so she only says good things, then Simon to counter-balance that by speaking sense, albeit in an overly harsh way. Then we have Randy to be a balance between the 2. Kara has some weird mood swings, sometimes she is as nice as Paula and sometimes she verges on being Simon. In any case, absolutely unnecessary and a clear sign the producers feel the show has stagnated.

I feel the different way of qualifying to the finals is actually a pretty good audition and out of the pool I think the system did select the best 13, even if Jamar from hollywood didn't even make it to the final 36.

This is getting a tiny bit long so I'm gonna cut to the exciting part, the contestants. I feel this years contestants are pretty average and some of them are just there to make up the numbers. But first of all, let us thank god that Tatiana did not make it through.

OK, in a nutshell, there are only 5 of them that are even worthy listening to.

Danny, who already sounds like a recording artist, and also sings with so much emotion and this combined with the fact that his wife died a few weeks before the competition and he's doing this for her, means he is a clear favourite. I will say that he will at the very least be in the top 3, if not the final 2.

Adam Lambert. Boy, this guy, to borrow the judges words, is in a class of his own. I personally feel he has an unfair advantage over the rest in that he was part of the cast of the stage play, Wicked which is a fairly large production. That obviously means he has the singing chops and as we saw, he is supremely confident on stage. Problem is I think he's the typical emo kid. If America accepts him, easily into the top 3.

Lil' Rounds. Your typical black singer. This girl reminds me of Fantasia, Latoya London and Mary J all rolled into one. With the lack of blacks in this years edition, she might just nick it. At least top 4 for me. Only problem being that with typical black singers like she is, it might get a little boring after a few shows.

Scott McIntyre. Not sure of the spelling but he's the blind guy. His courage is just stunning. I really feel this guy whenever he sings and he's just so likeable. I'm just waiting for the week where he can sing Josh Groban and I hope he does "You raise me up". He'll obviously get sympathy votes but realistically I don't think he will win it. Top 5.

Apart from the 4, which I feel are clear favourites, I also really like Alexis, she's just such a cute little pixie and boy does she have soul. The tone of her voice is really something special. I also think Matt is pretty cool. He looks a bit like Justin Timberlake and he knows what he wants to do. They'll fall somewhere along the wayside though, but maybe appear on the music charts sometime in the future?

Alright, now for the rest of them. I think the fillers are Sawyer or whatever his name is, the oil rig dude. He's such a nice guy but do we really need another Rubben Studdard or Taylor Hicks? Average at everything. Same goes for Kris. Absolutely average in every way.

Jasmine is such a sweet girl but her voice borders on being irritating with all the screaming. She'll always be in Lil Roundss' shadow so I doubt she will go far. I like the other girl purely for her hair but she's such a gimmick, the one with red hair. Just another typical rocker chick wannabe. These girls would do so much better in bands. She actually reminds me of the nurse from last season.

Last girl, Megan. This one is a pure and utter joke. I have no idea why she's in the final 13. Her singing is so average and from tonights performance, she made a mockery of the show. What do you think this is? The 70s? Her dancing is also irritating as hell, with her hips swaying thing. As usual though, beauty can take you places, as we saw with Kristy last season. I think her tattoo is cool though. But kick her out fast.

And lastly Anoop and Jorge. Anoop has such a smooth voice and he looks like a cool dude but I don't think he has the consistency to make it far. His lack of experience shows on stage and in song choice. Jorge is just such a lovable guy. He's funny and he does have a great voice. But not for American Idol, the fact that he has to work on his accent makes it a little to hard for him. Unless they allow him to sing Juanes or something every week cause I think he can break into the Latino market.

Oh well, thats about it. If I missed anyone they probably didn't deserved to be mentioned anyway. Lets see what new system they put into the results show. I'm guessing it will give the judges some form of control. Prediction on elimination, hmm. If 2 are out, I would say Megan and maybe Kris, cause his votes are split with Matts and who performs better out of the 2 will stay, and Matt did pretty well. Bottom 4 would be Megan, Kris, Anoop and Jorge though. But the fact that Anoop and Jorge have their own independant voters in Indians and Puerto Ricans mean that I think they're in slightly stronger positions. However as we all know, surprises do happen. The voters are the same ones who once voted Bush into Presidency and Taylor Hicks all the way to winning.

Life, is too short when we're having fun,
but too long when we're not.

Chick of the Week: Scarlett Johansson

Sigh busy busy busy has been keeping me from my beloved blog so this week I will give all of you a treat. Scarlett Johansson!! There's just something about her that really draws me to her. She's really beautiful and in a classy way too, with a beautiful smile. Enchanting.

The fact that she's only 24 might be surprising as the New York-born girl has been in quite a few movies, namely The Horse Whisperer and Lost in Translation. She has also released an album covering Tom Wait's songs. Unfortunately though, it's not that good, speaking from experience. However 2 movies that really have me captivated and first got my attention were The Island and The Prestige. I thought she was absolutely stunning in both.

Unlike the rest of Hollywood which is stick thin, Miss Johansson actually has some curves and apparently dosn't believe in Hollywood diets. Unfortunately for us though, she IS married to Ryan Reynolds. Oh well, we can see her next in He's Just Not That Into You which is due this year. Until then, enjoy.

Absolutely captivating.

Oh god....

Favourite of the bunch.

Isnt it Ironic,
That Rush Hour, is the slowest time of the day.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Ah, hello again dear readers, as usual the preliminaries, Uni work, inter-department football training and playing games has prevented me from updating more frequently. Nevertheless, I was at Signature, the Gardens to catch The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which much like it's name, made me curious to watch it soon as I heard it's "story".

What the story is about.
The movie starts showing us a dieing woman telling her daughter her life story, details are not made clear but it seems the daughter almost regrets not spending more time with her mother and they're not exactly close. Anyway the brief outline of the story is, after the war, a baby is born, his mother dies in the process of giving birth. His father, so distraught, picks up the baby and it's the ugliest thing ever. He runs out and leaves the baby at a welfare house. The caretaker of the home takes the baby as her own and nurses it. It appears the baby is affected by all kinds of diseases, the kind old dieing people get.

This is where the movie "begins". Benjamin Button starts growing up, but he is no normal child. Physically he grows younger every year, but mentally he is normal, growing older. As you can probably tell his life will not ever be normal and the movie sweeps us into his life as he attempts to find his purpose in life, and find love among other things along the way.

Who is in the movie.
Brad Pitt adds another feather to his cap, doing so well as Benjamin Button. He pushes through the age dimension and you recognise him, no matter at what age. Cate Blanchett really ups my respect for her again. Thoroughly versatile, she ages beside Brad Pitt and is really his contrast. Holding her own against him, I really thought she did extremely well. Well the movie is really based around these 2 but other notable members of the cast included, Tilda Swindon, whom you might remember from Constantine, Jason Flemyng as Thomas Button, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali plays Tizzy and last but not least Taraji P. Henson as Queenie, the caretaker, who was brilliant.


Why you must watch this movie.
When I left the cinema and the movie finished, I felt a little blown away by what I had witnessed for the past 3 hours. Yes, the movie is very long, almost 3 hours but when your in there, it definitely does not feel like 3 hours. It really just flows on by. From Benjamin's childhood all the way to his "old age".

The first thing I would compare this movie to is Big Fish. If you loved Big Fish, you will most definitely love this movie. The idea of it is so farfetched but it works. They manage to put it across in a manner that dosn't have you asking questions every few seconds. Going into the movie I was already questioning myself how it would turn out. But they do it extremely well, making everything simple to digest and in the process just nudging the story on, making it easy to follow.

I really take my hat off to Brad Pitt. His portrayal of Benjamin Button really sucks you in, you feel for him, you want him to do well, you cheer him on. Even from a young age they somehow manage to make it look like Brad Pitt and boy does he transform in front of your eyes. The makeup is simply mindboggling but I'll come back to that later. The fantastic thing about Brad Pitt is not only does his character transform physically, he mentally transforms too, one going younger and one going older. The way he manages to do this really is just astounding. He grows as a man and slowly finds his place.

Any review of this movie wouldn't be complete without mentioning Cate Blanchett though. She is the normal person in the movie and is the "control" unit to Brad Pitt, showing you what age they are at the moment in time. She plays his love interest, Daisy and boy does she pull this one off. Much like Benjamin, you watch her grow throughout the movie, from a young girl, to a ballerina, a grown woman, and finally a dieing one. This woman is seriously versatile and I would say she is definitely one of the best drama actresses of our time. She exudes a beauty I did not notice before and she is one classy lady. Breathtaking performance.

Coming back to make-up though, I think they will win, or come close to picking up an Oscar in this department. This really just stands out in the movie. The visual effects used on Benjamin are superb as you see him grow backwards, from a 70-year old Brad Pitt to a teenage one. Very believeable. Same goes for Cate Blanchett, she grows from a young pretty Ballerina into a beautiful mother and gracefully ages in front of you.

There are so many quotable quotes from this movie, quirky ones similar to those in Forest Gump. The way he moves around questions of his age and quotes that shape his life. The script does not bore in a way some 3 hour movies can. No babbling on about nonsense, very to the point, and witty.

Unlike Big Fish though, where it's a happy and quirky through out, Curious Case is different. It's a slightly darker tale of a misfit in life, trying to get by. While your not laughing with him or cheering him along, you want to cry for him. The movie is a sad tale of how this man can never live properly cause in a way, he's old his whole life. When he was "young" he had to act old because it was simply how he was treated for looking that way, and when his appearance grew younger he was old in though and mind. The things he had to sacrifice along the way and how he has to live his life are pretty sad as well.

Overall though, you want to watch this movie. It's something so different, unique. It might drag along a little in the middle but you'll hardly feel it. All the actors do brilliant jobs and it's just enjoyable through-out despite it being a sad story. Go out, take the time to enjoy this in the cinema and you'll be glad you did.

8.5/10

We're meant to lose the people we love.
How else would we know how important they are to us?

Music for the Lounge.

Alright, after a considerable pause in which I have started Uni and then celebrated CNY, I feel it's time to post again. Since I've been labeled a "womanizer" because I post nice pictures of hot women, this week I'll go back to giving you guys and girls some music. Don't panic though, my chick of the week series will be back when I find another nice one.

So down to business. This week's music will be something slightly different and maybe less played or known but it'll be lounge music. Lounge music is very wide ranging from soft jazz to upbeat modern electro beats. Well my compilation is a sort of middle ground.

Have chic chill-out parties that you can't really find the music to go with? This will be suitable for you, it's chilled out, laid back, yet the beat is not too slow to ensure you have a jazzy background to people mingling or just chilling out. Y'know, music that would even be at home at a swanky art gallery party or something like that. Or even, after a long day, you just want to sit back, have a drink and enjoy for a bit, this is for you.

Ladies and gentlemen, music:

1) Incubus - Are You In? (Paul Oakenfold remix)
Alright Incubus and Paul Oakenfold might turn you off abit for lounge stuff but fear not. This is definitely one of my favourite lounge songs, the beat is so chill out the whole vibe of the song just really flows along.

2) Bebel Gilberto - Aganju (The Latin Project remix)
Now this is almost the epitome of lounge music in my opinion. As it is, Bebel Gilberto is one of my favourite musicians because her music is just beautiful, if you want softer lounge music definitely check out her stuff. This remix ups the tempo a little, giving the song a beat and just adding that little bit of chic to it. Suitable loud or just flowing background music. I made up this post almost solely based around this song.

3) Jazzanova - No Use (feat. Clara Hill)
Jazzanova, another of the lounge specialists. This is one band where you can just put them on and do other stuff (mingle, surf the net). It's inobtrusive yet it just gives you something to groove to in the background. All their stuff just goes along, with classy beats to compliment the jazzy melodies. Great for dress-up parties.

4) Liquid Lounge - Complete Life (Jazzanova remix)
As you can see, the artist's name is already Liquid Lounge, complete with a Jazzanova remix, the song builds slowly and bounces along, bubbling just under the surface. Once again you can just leave it on softly and you may not notice each and every note or melody in the song but this is where it excels, in the background hardly noticed but appreciated. It's a long song but you probably won't notice it is as it's just chilled out beats.

Hope you guys and girls enjoy this one, something a little different.

You can download it here.

The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe,
is that none of it has tried to contact us.

Chick of the Week: Isla Fisher

I can't believe I didn't post this sweetie earlier than this. Must've just slipped my mind.

Anyways this week we have Isla Fisher of Wedding Crashers fame. I love her because she is possibly the cutest redhead to ever have graced the planet Earth. Her character from Wedding Crashers is also one of my favourite on-screen character because it just really symbolises everything I love about her.

Born in Australia, the 32 year old is currently living with her Fiance Sascha Baron Cohen of Borat fame. She has one daughter and film-wise has appeared in roles for Oliver Twist and Scooby-Doo. Her next release due in 2009 will be The Confessions of a Shopaholic.

Without further ado,

Yummy?

Best pic of the lot. Epitome of Cuteness

If something seems too good to be true,
It probably is.