Vampire – Iwai Shunji

This is not a typical vampire story or I will say it is not even a vampire story at all.

Inside an abandon factory, on top of a commercial use fridge lies a delicate girl. She spreads her arms and legs getting ready to get drained and leave her life behind. On the other hand a nerdy man setting four empty glass bottles on the four corners of the fridge, getting ready to poke needles in the girl’s limbs and empty her blood.

The story never actually reveals the true identity of the protagonist if you insist this is a vampire flick then you have to accept the fact that vampire in this story doesn't have supernatural power as we have learnt from times. He has to lull his suicidal victims to alter their ways and technically drain their blood by using needles and drink it from the bottle.

Simon (Kevin Zegers Damien from Gossip Girl), the protagonist, looks for his pray in a chartroom called "Side by Side" where people will find companies to commit suicide with. He looks into the vulnerabilities of human to minimize his guilt of sucking others blood. There is no denying that in either way he is murderer. What he did is evil, monstrous and unforgivable.

But yet the mood of the movie is not consistently dark and unbearable. While the evil bloodsucker is talking people in giving their blood, he is being annoyed by a psychopath/desperate woman, Laura (Rachael Leigh Cook). How she always appears in Simon’s home and cooks dinner for him without any invitation. The appearance of Laura lightens the heaviness of the movie and brings a contrast with Simon. One appears to be having psychological issue and the other is killing people to survive. Who’s worse?

I love how Iwai Shunji cleverly and carefully let the audience ponder what is really happening. To my acknowledgements, there are so many little details hinting that the protagonist himself is not really a vampire. And it would be much more meaningful if he isn’t one.

To what extent you are willing to sacrifice yourself to improvise your dreams? Would you kill yourself or kill others to live up your dreams? Not only Simon desperately wants to be a vampire, but also Laura, how she fools her into believing she is dating Simon. Even the Japanese student Mina (Aoi Yu) is seeking for attention by killing herself. The bottom line is do you have a bottom line.

It’s amusing how Iwai Shunji Japanese styled sound tracks work so well with a western movie. That's a plus and not to mention for his breathtaking cinematography.

When I walked out the cinema I thought it was just so so, and it's nothing about vampire. But it lingered for days, even when I was watching other movies, scenes popped up in my mind constantly. Till then I realized the movie is hitting me hard with an impact. Good movies should have the power to last in one’s mind and affect them without them noticing. And Vampire does that to me.

Kaboom – Gregg Araki

I have to say this is one of the best movies I have ever seen! Alright, the ending might have gone a little bit too far, but who cares? Don’t take it too serious, that’s what the whole movie is about! We are so uptight. It’s a wake up call for those who are working 9-5, all so routine-ish, to let loose. Enjoy the ride and have some fun! Like you were young!

At the end the lead Smith (Thomas Dekker) might be just still hallucinating after eating that cracked cookie at the party. Either way, it both works for me, no matter it is really a ridiculous sci-fi or a “teenage dream”, I still enjoyed this whole experience.

“You are the chosen SON.”

One thing for sure, teens are a bit paranoid. I’m not talking about how Smith was all over the missing red hair girl but his best friend Stella (Haley Bennett). I just love how the movie lightly penetrate the idea of people not only adolescents love to exaggerate things in their lives. It sarcastically made her girlfriend Lorelei a witch! That’s intriguing. How obsessive teens are with the whole paranormal genre. I love the scene which Stella breaks up with Lorelei and Lorelei is on her kneels crying, stuff flying around the room and the wind is coming from everywhere. One more thing, people tend not to have the nerve to strike up a conversation but they do dare to scream at you. How amusing!

“If A fucked B, B fucked C, it’s like A fucked C.”

How causal sex is for teens nowadays! Even with your roommate sleeping just right next to your bed? Seriously? Though, I found the “surprise” London (Juno Temple) dropped to Smith pretty inviting! You can pick up somebody at a bar, at a beach, or at lunch?! And there is no mind playing just cut to the trace and ask, “Do you want to fuck anyway?”

“Straight guys are gayer than the gay guys, the fact they are in love but can’t suck each other dicks, makes them queerer than Clay Aiken.”

I don’t know whether all gays like to fancy straight guys are gay, but if I were Smith I would think Thor his roommate is gay too!! There is no way straight guys would wrestle in their underwear, have their flip-flops ordered by colour and want to give themselves a blowjob? We are really living in a super-confusing world! So stop stereotyping!

This is not a ridiculous movie, it has little of everything, comedy, thriller, drama, sci-fi, action (if you know what I mean). Haven’t laughed so hard for so long! And it remains me to just constantly checking whether I’m in the “up-tight mood” or not. Just breathe and relax.

KAZAKY

The web sensation Ukrainian boy band Kazaky is taking the world by storm. Their debut single “In the middle”, generated 1.7 million hits on youtube to date, and their second single “Love” received similar attention!

In both videos the four members (Oleh 30, Arthur 26, Cyril 21 and Stas 20) dressed in tights and put on their chic black stilettos and shirtless most of the time showing off their “ablious” body, dancing. Oleh the leader was the top 20 in a dancing reality show in Ukraine, also the chorographer of the act. Arthur is an American and a ballerina. Can’t find much about Cyril and Stas. it doesn't really matters anyway, course they are all damn SEXY!!!

They instantly become my LOVE!!

Does it matter what their lyrics about? NA!!! It’s about the Dance and their body!! it's strange that they didn't make the whole thing drag or gay, it was "wow" jaw dropped, "Hot" eye popped and "SEXY".........

here are some making of of their latest video Love :

Enjoy the sensational experience now!!!!!! Some more eye CANDIES!!!!!! Their Debut "in the middle" wanna own their musics?? http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/in-the-middle/id428828336

Room in Rome – Julio Medem

A night in an unfamiliar but exotic place, your anxiety gets the best of you and your life is not doing so good to you. You have every reason to go wild, to be the one you always wanted to be. And finally you got someone with you to your room which embarks a series of exploring and self denying and your darkest moment.

Alba (Elena Anaya) travelling to Rome for a business trip met Natasha (Natasha Yarovenko) who is enjoying her nuptial vocation from her identical twin sister. First from causal sex then unleash an unexpected bond. The more impossible their fast bonding is the more fragile and insecure they are, how desperate they needed to put down their burden.

Meeting someone new is always intriguing, it is only viable when there is an underlying potential in developing a relationship. The little mind games, the leads were playing were adorable - fake names, backgrounds, and identities. A night your words hold no responsibility, a night you could be who ever you like to be.

There is no denying that stranger is the most difficult/the easiest to share things with. It could be embarrassing telling a stranger super personal stuff, on the other hand, it has no string attached, especially with those one night stands, there is a limited chance in bumping into them in your life again, even if you do, he/she might not even remember they had met you before.

There is only one setting in the movie, the hotel room, which was decorated with ancient paintings. Credit has to be given to Medem, how he linked those decors to the two leads, the little details of the painting, the history background. And the most significant one is the cupid, it symbolised few things, one their past/present situations, two, the cupid arrow is pointing down at them from the ceiling which literally referring the two of them bonding, and last the inseparable feeling caused by the cupid.

The movie would not have worked if it had depicted a pair of gay homosexual or a pair of heterosexual. Whenever sexual content is featured and once men come to the picture, it could easily become “pornish”, or irrelevant or stolen the attention of the message. The way the direct portrait their sexual experience is beautifully orientalised. The slow motions make you admire the artistic side of the sexual content.

Despite 90% of the flick contains nudity, it did not take away the light from the movie. Lust is just one of the element of our life, and communications is another. How Medem stresses both of them is enlightening, and the vulnerability of human is well depicted. How we handle our life.

This is a sexy, lustful, mind provoking experience. The lesbian sensation is hot!

Last Night – Massy Tadjedin

Joanna (Keira Knightley) suspects her husband Michael (Sam Worthington) is into his colleague Laura (Eva Mendes) and while the two of them went to a business trip together, Alex (Guillaume Canet) Joanna’s ex was in town for work. A night unfolds temptation, curiosity and suspense. How certain are you, this is not going to be your last night of your former life?

“It’s natural people have curiosity.” Joanna said.

The struggles of the married couple are thrilling to watch. “Did we marry too early?” Jo asked after an argument about Michael never did mention his stunning colleague Laura to her. “No, it only gets better.” Michael replied. Who would dare to say yes.

“Remind me why it didn’t work?” Alex asked

The relationship between Joanna and Alex is much more complex than the other. Obviously they both love each other, the problem is Jo is married. They met when Jo and Michael were in between of their relationship. They both write, sharing the same passion made them bond faster and deeper.

“If he were here, I would still be attracted to you.” Laura said.

What Laura wants is obvious it just down to what Michael is willing to break. How Laura keeps inviting Michael to non-drinking, asking sensitive questions, we know Laura is disparate. It’s sarcastic that she keeps stressing she would be faithful to her late boyfriend but her actions are telling the opposite.

“Why didn’t you tell your husband about Alex?”

Do we need an answer here? There are certain past that we could never get over with, especially those who you are deeply in love and there is never a chance that you guys could be together, would you tell your love that you think of someone else when you doubt the relationship you are having now?

This happens around us all the time. Every step you take leads to a different end. But are you willing to take a risk?

The King’s Speech – Tom Hooper

People like to see how royals, celebrities, superheroes fall. That makes them relatable. This is how the Marvel once again thriving the comic industry. Because we learnt that heroes are just like one of us, they are also weak and vulnerable. This is what The King’s speech made us feel. Even the King was vulnerable too, trembling with his own feet.

The Price Albert/ Duke of York (later the King George VI played by Colin Firth) had always been struggling with stammer. After an embarrassing moment at a public speech, his wife, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham) set out to find a cure for her future king and ended up to an unconventional therapist Lionel Longue (Geoffrey Rush).

He was the second son of King George V, he was never suppose to be the next heir. Due to his brother gave up his throne for marrying a divorced woman. He had to work much harder to cure his stammer. He quit for a few times but it was not his call anymore.

“Because I have a voice.” George VI Shouted at Lionel Longue when he was sitting in the Royal Chair and refused to get off. People tended to make fun him just because he always stumbled on his on words, even his father King George V. When we see his reddish face inhale and exhale heavily, we know he wanted to make a difference, wanted others to see him as the way he look at his father.

Despite all the struggles, the movie could still be able to portrait with wit. When the king trembled with his words how he added muted “Sh*T, Fu*k” in between his speech, was delighting to watch. He is trying hard. No one would deny that.

What so captivating about this movie? Colin Firth as King George VI is mesmerising. The historical story itself was just only a typical story line for cinema. However, the performance of Firth brought the movie to a whole different level. Last year when I saw the Single Man, I was already aware of Firth’s acting could elevate the story. And The King’s Speech just proved me right.

This is the third biopic nomination of this year Oscars, and the winner of Best Picture, best Director, Best actor and best original screenplay.

The Fighter – David O. Russell

An authentic fraternal boxers story which is more than just about fighting. Family, brotherhood, self-reassurance, drags, glory and that are life, and life is full of pretty much everything. I believe there is not a single movie which merely focusing on one theme, but how to make it coherent, relevant and heartfelt is hard. And The Fighter just nails it.

The story is a biopic based on the 90s former WBU Light Welterweight Campion.

Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) was living in the shadow of his half brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) who was a former Welterweight Champion. The story is expectable, they rise they fall and they get back up. But what make it different from the others in the same genre? This family must come together, dominant Mother, understanding father, cracked Dicky, confused Micky, and 7 crazy sisters. The genuine dynamics of the family light up the story. The way their family struggles to stay united, moves the audience from the heartbeat.

Family can be the poison and the remedy at the same time. Micky would have a total different career if he had gone away to get trained in Vegas. His mother/his manager always putting pressure on him, telling him that he should not trust anyone beyond his family, which resulted Dicky was Micky’s trainer who often showed up late wasted. Micky got hold back by his family. Dicky got back on his feet when he noticed he was dragging his brother down, it motivated him to get clean and be the brother/trainer he had to be.

How to stand up from the mistake you have made? From the start of the movie we all acknowledge Dicky was a junkie, by his hollow eyes and his skinny figure. The irony was Dicky kept boasting that HBO was making a film on him, the truth was they were making a documentary on the downside of drags “High on Crack Street: Lost Lives In Lowell”. He was too wasted to notice anything wrong, not until he was soba watching it together with all the inmates. And there was the magic moment, he suddenly woke up from the dark. People are horrified to notice or face their own flaws, once they fall hard, real hard, then they will understand. There is no talking sense into them, we only have to wait and give them our hands when they are willingly to take them.

Bale, he once again dropped tremendous weight for playing a role, yet this time he was not as skeletal as his role in the “Machinist”. The determination and compelling performance just take your breath away. And it earns him the award for the best supporting male actor in the Oscar and the Globe. Melissa Leo also won best supporting female actress in the Oscar, which make this is the first movie to win both supporting actor and actress since 1986.

The effort of the casts is noticeable, Bale, Leo, Adam and even Wahlbery had been preparing to get into the shape of the real Micky for four years having his PT along with him on set in everything single movie he had made in the past four years.

This is inspiring, not only because the authenticity of the story itself but also the determination of the whole crew.