Every year I usually fancy my chances of entering the local radio stations' annual top 10 hits of the year prediction list, confident my musical know-how will finally translate into those 100 CD's being delivered to me, only to end up cursing the choice of the stations' so-called hit list annually. I've thus decided to buck my own traditions and am now gonna instead give MY own lists of favourites and turkeys of the year, as well as recap some pretty fine moments of 2008 for yours truly. Let's get the ball rolling, shall we?
The HS Award for Flicks that You Should NOT Have Missed
(be forewarned that the following list will definitely stir controversy and stimulate intellectual (I hope) argument, and I agree while they may not have been everyone's cup of tea and neither will their actors likely be rehearsing acceptance speeches come awards season, but they are awarded simply for doing what movies are supposed to do: entertain and make you forget how shit your life is)
1) Tropic Thunder
The poster screamed "Stiller, Downey, Black". Ah yes, with all the comic powerhouse, it would have been a letdown of gigantic proportions had this movie end up being not funny. While I found some of the scenes to be too in-your-face and slapstick to be funny, the overall movie had me guffawing (yes you read that right, HS HARDLY guffaws), and man, those Downey one-liners were so spot-on, you'd be left still repeating them in your mind and smiling like an idiot to yourself after the credits have rolled.
2) Forgetting Sarah Marshall
This movie really came to my attention in the most unlikely of circumstances. While at Hariz's watching my laptop being fixed (yes I was watching it being fixed, and yes I felt like I had numerous blonde moments when my laptop decided to not wake up, stop laughing!), I think he sensed the tension rising in me and decided to play this movie to sort of reverse my no-hope thoughts, or maybe he just thought I might be bored. Anyhow, this little movie turned out to be a delight! I admit I couldn't pay full attention to it seeing that my laptop was looking like it did not want to be resurrected, but there were enough interesting scenes that compelled me to buy the DVD. I loved the CSI parodies, the Russell Brand rock star character, the 2 very cute female leads, and the hilarious wailing scenes after he got dumped. Truly a movie that entertains and makes up for the producers' previous boring effort Knocked Up (man that was one seriously overrated movie).
3) Sex and the City The Movie
I know the critics literally tore this movie apart, but as a long-time fan of the series, it was such a joy watching the 4 best friends reuniting again. And no, I'm not listing this movie here because I was biased, but simply because I found it a heartwarming story (sigh I know this isn't gonna score me masculine points). The bottom line is, I realised it really isn't as funny as the series halfway through the film, but watching the relationships flourish and seeing the show end with the 4 female leads having a cosy dinner in a restaurant together, man THAT really got me. Ok ok, enough said already, next...
4) Mamma Mia!
Somehow I don't think listing this movie right after SATC is doing me any favours. Well it's not my intention to be all pro-chick flicks, but unfortunately the big blockbusters and the big guns all didn't cut it this year (like Quantum of Solace - loved the bang-bang's but where's the kiss-kiss?). I think everyone knows this movie and sang along with it (shame on you if you didn't), so no need to elaborate further (no, I didn't go to watch the musical).
5) Cloverfield
Dizzying moments aside, I simply loved this movie for being a brilliant take on the events of a monster invading the city witnessed by an innocent civilian like you and me. Together with a little touch of love story nestled in-between, it truly was something different to watch on the big screen, not to mention the lengths at which the director went to make the monster scenes seem so life-like, and that bold move of having the Statue of Liberty's head fly into the city streets (you see, Americans love seeing things like this in their movies. Imagine something like our Tugu Negara's arm/leg flying across the streets in a Malaysian movie. Would be like begging for the movie to be banned. If they don't arrest you first).
6) Bolt
Yes Wall-E was the critic's favourite for animated movie of the year. But throwing aside my own favouritism towards Pixar flicks, I've got to hand it to Bolt for the most entertaining one for the year. Thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end with nought a boring moment in between, this movie really delivered on the genuinely funny moments. The pussy with the egomaniacal laugh, the Mafia-like pigeons, the schizophrenic hamster in a ball, all such memorable characters. Too bad I missed the movie in 3D. Also, some token of acknowledment to Madagascar 2 for some truly funny scenes as well (in particular King Julian's constantly 'high' persona, and yes that Moto Moto line, "Name's so good, you gotta say it twice". Classic).
7) Get Smart
Another underrated gem that really rocked the house down with it's comedic moments. The "Are you with CONTROL?" line was really good, as was the ballroom dancing scene. I think the main reason the above few movies really knocked my socks off were that they were really unexpected, in contrast to be huge movies that delivered zero to the table.
8) The Orphanage
Best horror movie in a very long while. The less revealed about this one, the better. Just buy the DVD and watch it.
Most Overrated Movies of 2008
1) The Dark Knight
A lot of people are gonna give me flack for this, but I really did not think this movie belonged to the "OMG, what do you mean you haven't watched this movie? Are you out of your f*****g mind? Go watch it now. Forget TV, ditch your girlfriend, start worshipping the ground treaded by Nolan and all the actors and start crying buckets for the awesomeness of the movie" category, like the reviews and people in general would have you think. I'm not saying the movie wasn't good. It was, and Ledger did well as the Joker, but no, it's not one to go ga-ga over.
2) Wall-E
As much as I had wanted to be bowled over by this movie as it was Pixar's, sadly I really wasn't. Ok, the first half of the movie where there was no dialogue whatsoever was creative, but they tried way too hard to make it cutesy to appeal to the audience's heart. Throughout the movie, I was waiting for the scene to tug at our heartstrings (damn those chick flicks!), and while the chasing each other in outer space scene with the fire extinguisher somewhat accomplished that, I still felt there was a lot left to be desired.
3) Iron Man
Another over-indulgent movie that didn't do it for me. Loved the Downey lines again. Bored by the lack of a truely seat-gripping moment. And Gwyneth? Yawn...
The LaiJing Award
(this award is handed out to movies in honour of my good friend who once told me, "the movie was such a waste of my 2 hours, I might as well have smoked, think how many sticks before it cuts my life by 2 hours? Haha miss you and your one-liners babe...)
1) The Mummy 3 & Babylon AD
What did the 2 biggest duds of the year have in common? Michelle Yeoh. No wonder they both stunk. In what is the biggest mystery to me, I fail to comprehend how Hollywood continues to hire her to feature as the stereotypical Asian-and-therefore-wise-and-intelligent female role when she has never been any good. Can anyone name one movie with her in it that didn't suck? I don't think so. And no, nobody outside America thought Crouching Tiger was any good really. The biggest insult was when in The Mummy 3, she decided to call upon her Chinese ancestors to help by summoning them....in ENGLISH! Like yeah, I'm sure they understood you loud and clear, honey. Still, for continually staring in turkeys, she's amassed herself a fortune, married the top dog in Ferrari, snagged a Datuk title while at it, and STILL is hired by Hollywood for the Asian-and-therefore-wise-and-intelligent female roles. I guess the rest of us common people have gotten it all wrong, huh?
2) X-Files: I Want To Believe
Yeah, sure we want to believe Duchovny and Anderson didn't make this pathetic comeback for the sake of the money. The least they could have done was act like they didn't. But no, they decided to make a movie that made you wished they had just put 2 old episodes back-to-back and made the fans nostalgic all over again.
3) The Happening
Oh come on, can the stories get anymore sillier than this? As much as I'm sure they wanted to send an environmental message to the world, having the protagonists run from the trees and the invisible infectious spores do not do the message justice.
4) Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The whiny and wuss of a prince just didn't do it for me. Too much time spent on haircare, I tell you.
5) Twilight
I know this movie sent a hormonal frenzy throughout the Meyer-reading world, but was this not the most boring vampire flick made, like ever? The movie was so caught up in telling us how the two leads were pining for each other but restricted by the their differences, it forgot how to entertain the rest of the non-female-and-above-20 years old audience. The most comical scene for me was when Edward the vampire decided to step into the light and show Bella his true colours. And I mean colours literally. Not having read the book, I thought he was gonna turn into some ghastly being that would send Bella screaming away, but noooo, instead he looked exactly the same, and Bella had to utter the most corny line in the movie, "You're beautiful!". And just when I was thinking what was so different (or beautiful) about Edward, his skin starts to sparkle in the sunlight!!! Oh come on...And to make matters worse, the villain really sucked, the African-American vampire who looked like he could give a good ass-kicking chickened out and became the good guy, and the female vampire villain decided to save her fangs for the next sequel. Talk about a really lame movie...
Most Ear-Pleasing Tunes of 2008
1) Viva La Vida & Lost - Coldplay
I have to admit I have always been a casual Coldplay listener until their latest album really made me sit up and listen. Yes, I'm well aware the die-hard fans will tell me it is nowhere as good as their first 2 defining albums, but I never said I was a die-hard fan, did I? I think the reason this album and, in particular the 2 songs above, appealed to me so much was that the mood of the songs really spoke to me. Starts being melancholic, and then slowly rising to an uplifting and inspiring mood. I was mightily pleased they were nominated for a bunch of Grammy's and of course got the nod for Best Album as well. Oh well, no surprise if they don't win. As usual, the Best Album winners are always the legendary and least-commercial nominees. Or if you're U2. And not Kanye West.
2) Mrs Officer & Lollipop - Lil' Wayne
Everyone has been raving about Weezie this year. While I'm still adamant that I can't listen to a pure hip hop album in full (except Eminem's), I simply loved these 2 singles released from The Carter III. It took me a while to really get into the groove of Lollipop, but oh my, after hearing the remix with T-Pain, it has really grown on me! And then there was this song called Mrs Officer, which to me, was such a perfect R&B/hip hop collabo that was such a smooth tune to swing to (yup, the video of course has the obligatory policewoman fantasy).
3) Touch My Body - Mariah Carey
Say all you want about Mariah, but without doubt she's the only female artiste with true staying power who can stay relevant enough to compete with the current crop of wannabes. Whitney? There's been a rumour of a comeback for years, and we're still waiting. Celine? Well let's say her Vegas shows earned her enough dough to release silly albums like Taking Chances to stage a mock comeback. Don't we just adore the way Mariah is able to release teaser songs such as Touch My Body, and then follow that up with an equally teasing video that had all the perfect fantasy sequences for the nerds? Check out the lasergun fights, the now-you-see-me-now-you-don't peek at her underwear when she stands up from her picnic seat while wearing the short skirt. So so good!
4) Need U Bad (Remix) - Jazmine Sullivan feat Missy Elliott & T.I.
A truly interesting song released this year. The best part is the music in the beginning, where as Asha aptly describes, "makes you feel like you're in a drug-pushing joint somewhere in Amsterdam". Fantastico.
5) I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry
The award for naughtiest song of the year undoubtedly goes to Ms Perry. To be honest, when I first heard this song I pictured the singer to look something like Kelly Osbourne, and not the hot chick she ended up to be! Definitely a summer anthem of 2008, though I question why local radio stations still want to play it when they need to blip out the "a girl" lyrics. Quite pointless, really.
6) Lucky - Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
I have no doubt everyone will vouch for I'm Yours to be their preferred choice of Jason Mraz song for the year, but this one I like much much more! What a really sweet combination of voices, and I can just imagine the guy sitting on a rock by the beach strumming the guitar and singing with the girl to this song. Also THE theme for my good buddy when he wants to get lucky ;) (you know who you are).
7) There For Me - Sarah Brightman & Josh Groban
Ok I know this song was probably released before 2008, but I make an exception simply because I only came to discover it this year, plus it's really such a grand song I needed to share it with everyone. If you've not heard it, please play and listen to it, it's surely one of those songs that make you feel lifted and in awe of the wonderful combination of vocals. This live version may not be as good, so if you like what you hear, go and get the studio version ok?
8) Here In My Home - Malaysian Artistes For Unity
With so much political arguments ongoing this year, it was really timely for the local artistes to band together and make their voices heard. Truly a song every Malaysian should listen to and appreciate the meaning behind the words. Be sure to catch the video from one of my previous posts!
The Reflex Motion Award
(dedicated to the handful of songs that commit the most cardinal of sins in songwriting, the ability to induce a reflex movement to switch the radio channel upon listening to the first few notes being played, and which may be followed by a reflex show of distaste on the face of the poor victim)
1) Anything released by Miley Cyrus/Jonas Brothers/High School Musical
Maybe it's a sign of aging, but are the current crop of teeny boppers who masquerade as pop stars really incapable of making catchy, if not listenable, music? At least during my teenage years, the Britney's & Christina's, the BSB's and Westlife's, released songs that you could not deny was at the very least, catchy. Or did the 20 somethings during my teen years also thought so lowly of the pop idols during my time? I find the current crop of teen stars to be highly unlikeable, and I truly do not understand how people can be buying their CD's and truly enjoying the rubbish (it's ok, Ryan, you're still my buddy). Which therefore leads me to the original queen...
2) Womanizer - Britney Spears
Another year, another soap opera in the tabloids for Britney. In what was supposed to be a comeback single for her, I really felt it was just another Toxic rehash and people are getting tired of the S&M persona she shows in the video. The general public is thus divided into 2: those who preferred the Britney when she first became famous out of nowhere:
Or those who prefer the reimaged Britney after 10 years:
Which do I prefer? Can I say Christina? Ok ok, if I had to choose (musically I mean), it would have to be the lesser of 2 evils. So maybe the former then (ok stop booing me already).3) In The Ayer - Flo Rida feat Will.I.Am
Such a totally annoying and waste of airtime of a song. Will.I.Am seems to have totally lost all ability to make a good tune, as evident by the awfully shameful I Got It From My Mama last year.
4) Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield
Is it just me, or does the whole sunniness of this song really annoy you too? Just brings out the dark side in me even more (the stomping-on-cute-bunnies type, not that I've reached that stage YET).
5) If I Were A Boy - Beyonce
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Yes I was a big Beyonce fan, but the recent album has truly shown that the marketing has taken over the substance. Too many silly songs? Well no problem, let's package them into 2 separate discs and give them themes, and wala, the fans are gonna lap it up. Well, not this one! This song was downright annoying, I was glad my hommie R.Kelly decided to throw in his own remixed version with the male lyrics. You da man!
6) All Summer Long - Kid Rock
This song belongs here because Kid Rock decided to rip off the famous Lynyrd Skynard classic Sweet Home Alabama and made it his own comeback, with the corny excuse that this was his tribute to the classic band. Excuse me, you could do a sample, heck you could even do a remix version, but to really take the song, change the lyrics and call it your own and then say it is a tribute really rubs salt into the wound. It's like, I could also be creative and release my own song and be famous what. Yes, everyone, let me introduce you to my new song called Mozarella:
(sang to the tune of the chorus of Umbrella)
When you want to eat, we'll eat together,
We can go to (insert famous pizza chain / Italian restaurant here) together,
Sure you can call all your pretty friends,
Order a pasta, a pizza, a lasagne,
Now that we're more hungry than ever,
Know that we want our food sooner,
But don't forget the most essential ingredient, dear waiter,
Oh you must not forget the mozarella, ella ella eh,
eh eh, don't you dare forget the mozarella, ella ella eh,
eh eh don't you dare forget the mozarella, ella ella eh,
eh eh don't you dare forget the mozarella, ella ella eh,
eh eh eh eh eh.
What do you think? Rihanna would be proud right? Any big pizza chain out there wants to sign me for an endorsement??
Memorable Moments of 2008
I thought I'd cap off the post with some moments in 2008 that really made my day(s) and made getting through the year so much more fun with things to look forward to:
1) Attending Lee Leng's wedding, which for me, was a truly happy moment as she is the first of my close friends to get married. From a rather tomboy-looking girl when I first met her, she looked simply beautiful on her wedding day and it was a really happy day for me to witness her first step into wedded bliss. Lee Leng, may you have many years of happiness ahead, enjoy each other's company, and please learn how to cook up a storm ok?
2) Having celebrated my birthday several times with different groups of people. Haha really had a feast at Shogun (twice!) and seafood (twice again!). Of course the fab trio of Asha, Zeb, and myself had really enjoyable dinners consecutively for all 3 of our birthdays at the Damansara seafood place (Zeb, I still can't believe how you managed to get those Myanmar waiters to sing the birthday song!), Jake's followed by Waikiki (What a night! Still savouring the thought of the porterhouse and the French wine, then the really cheesy but fun music at Waikiki's), and at Dave's 1U (I still remember the discussion on the OCs, the debate on walking as an Olympic sport, the really nice cake courtesy of yours truly). Ah the memories...
3) Joining Zeb and Keith for the road trip to Ipoh and Cameron's. Totally enjoyed the conversations, the makan sessions, the going to 7 Eleven after the movie that ended up with us eating chicken wings and drinking, the driving about the hilly slopes of Cameron in an unfamiliar car(!), sneaking onto a golf course, then coming back with a massively sunburnt skin and an allergic skin reaction that turned ugly.
4) Having the chance to revisit the GamarJobat show again! Although the story mode this time round was not as funny as last year's, it still was a show worth the ticket admission price. I highly recommend those who missed this show to catch it the next time these Jap duos decide to visit our shores again.
5) Going for my first ever durian buffet. I've heard of such buffets like it was a long hidden rumour. Although the desire was to go for one, this was the first time I actually found kawan game enough to join me, and oh my, how many durians did we devour again? I literally lost count! And all for just RM10! Looking forward eagerly to the next season again...
6) Going to Jake's for the 2nd time this year to mark our year-end celebratory feast. Another deliciously-sinful meal. Check these out:
And these people at Jake's were so kind. After such a meal, instead of making you feel guilty for the rising cholesterol levels, they instead frame this up to make you feel good about yourselves:
Ah such thoughtful people, no?
Alright it's been a real whammy of an entry this time around. Thought it would be an atonement for not having written for so long. To everyone reading this, have a great new year ahead and may we all have more memorable moments to reflect back on come end of 2009.
And allow me to give a parting gift to all of you. Was introduced to this stand-up comedian by my buddy, and I've managed to find a snippet of a funny segment on YouTube, which I hope you guys will enjoy as much as we did, as well as give you a new creative way of 'expressing' your frustrations in future. First watch this video and pay attention to the hand signal:
Hmm what does it mean?? All will be revealed by our good friend below:
Happy New Year!
So Cloverfield was this big secret hush hush movie that no one had any idea what is was about until a few weeks prior to its release. The marketing gimmick for this movie was genius, to say the least: release a short teaser one year ago about some terrified person speaking into a camcorder about some attack, causing a lot of internet buzz, showing a picture of a decapitated Statue Of Liberty (don't we just love watching flicks where real life landmarks are reduced to smithereens?), and of course talk of a monster nobody knows looked like what.
This was really a so-so movie for me. It's about a terrorist plot to assassinate the US president (of course, every movie that's politically-inclined must depict the US president), but told from the views of 8 different people. I would say the story-telling mode was really creative, and goes something like this:
Of course all dance movie are the same plot-wise. It's always about a bunch of losers who aren't so well-off, but can dance so well we wonder why they didn't think of making it big by dancing in a Britney video and then getting laid by her ala Kevin Federline.
I was disturbed by the fact that this movie will further convince Americans with regards to the stereotype that ALL Chinese people know kungfu. This movie could have been so much more tasteful and epic-like, but unfortunately it ended up being a cheap thrill. Nevertheless, I have to admit it was a fun movie to watch (quite rare nowadays) and a good family fare. The lengthy Jet and Jackie fight was also great, if only it did not end with Jet speaking in yet more embarrassing English. But the best scene? Definitely the part where Jet pee'd on Jackie when tricking him into believing the heavens were opening. This scene will forever remain as one of the most memorable moments in Chinese filmmaking since Ang Lee tricked all the Americans into believing that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a great Chinese kungfu movie and to shower it with Oscars, a move that befuddled most of the Chinese community.
While it has garnered widely positive reviews, I really have to state here that this movie was wayyyy overrated. Don't get me wrong, it was not a bad movie, and Robert Downey was great in the role, and it had some really funny lines, and the Iron Man suit looked damn cool. But that was about it. Let me tell you what was wrong with it. When I watch movies of such nature, I expect to be held at the edge of my seat for at least 1 scene (if not more). Sadly, the most promising scenes failed to set my fireworks off because right when I thought it was gonna take my breath away, it ends abruptly (example: the part where Iron Man is pursued by the jets). The king of comic movies, for me, is still Spider-Man 2. It had all the right ingredients: gripping thrills, smart content, actors that spoke and touched the audience, the tears-in-your-eyes scenes (not mine of course). Iron Man? Not quite there yet. AND the final fight scene was not enticing either, there was no recognisable bad-ass villain, Gwyneth Paltrow was as lacklustre but overrated as usual. I rest my case.
This was another bore-fest for me. The first one was nothing to shout about, but this one, though slightly more entertaining, failed because the main character it was trying to push was a wuss. I mean is it just me, or did Prince Caspian appear more like a spoilt immature brat who wanted to be a wannabe hero and leader? It doesn't help that in such turbulent times, the exiled Prince seemed to had a lot of spare time grooming his hair to perfection (not shown to the audience of course), and apparently Vidal Sassoon already existed back then to provide him with the perfect shampooed and blowdried locks. Such movies are also often gauged by how elaborate and mind-blowing their final battle sequence is, but LOTR this is not. AND that final part where the girl succumbs to her lust and kisses the Prince? Was I the only one who was left with a sour taste in the mouth?
I would have to say this movie was the complete opposite of Iron Man. While the script was not as sharp and witty and the plot was really incredulous-bordering-on-ridiculous, it did have that ONE scene that kept me glued to the screen and lapping it all up. The said scene was of course the jungle scene where Indiana and his groupies were running away from the Russians while trying to grab the skull. The action was spot-on! Loved loved the swordfight between Shia and Cate Blanchett while balancing on the jeeps. Cate obviously had fun playing the Russian woman, and why wouldn't she? I love these Russian people. They speak in a cool accent, they look cool, and don't you just love the Russian female tongue-twisting names? With alumni like Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kusnetsova, Karolina Kourkova, Anastasia Myskina, it's like the moment you have a Russian female name, superstardom beckons. Quick, it's not too late to change your name (sadly, male Russian names are instead rather dull. Need examples? Nikolai, Mikhail, zzz...).
This was the latest flick I caught and think it sure beats the hell out of all the summer blockbusters to date. Yes it is a Spanish movie and directed by that Pan's Labyrinth director. It's seriously one of the best horror movies I've watched in a while. Still have chills when I recall some of the scenes from the movie. It will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat, and some of the best moments include the part where they employ a medium to seek the spirits in the house. And unlike the run-of-the-mill Asian horror flicks, it does not rely on fake shocks, there are no long-haired females, and has a thought-provoking plot as a bonus. Please catch this while it is still showing!
2) Wall-E (trust Pixar to save the summer once again. Still thought Ratatouille was the best movie of 2007) 
3) The Happening (latest M Night Shyamalan movie which hopefully will finally rival Sixth Sense) 
4) Sex and the City the Movie (yes I know this is a chick flick, but I adored the series. Keeping fingers crossed it has the brilliant lines from the series) 
While one of the White Chicks was squeezing into a tiny outfit in the dressing room with his girlfriend (girlfriend as in girlfriend when you are a girl, not when you are a guy):