Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone! Will continue after the holidays... more awards coverage definitely :)

US Top 10

10) THE BLIND SIDE - $184,387,000

9) Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - $196,573,705

8) Monsters Vs. Aliens - $198,351,526

7) AVATAR - $212,268,000

6) Star Trek - $257,730,019

5) The Hangover - $277,322,503

4) The Twilight Saga: New Moon - $280,924,000

3) UP - $293,004,164

2) HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE - $301,959,197

1) TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN - $402,111,870

The only one I haven't seen is The Hangover... would probably do so this weekend...

Of the 10, or 9, I'd say my favorite would be Up, followed by Star Trek, Avatar and The Blind Side. The least favorite would be Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I hope they won't make a third one. Come on people! It's called Transformers, not Sam Witwicky's Movie with Big Robots. Get a clue and focus back on the robots please...

http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/celebrities/gallery/2284/top-10-box-office-movies-of-2009#photo0

Watching Movies

Twas a long break during the christmas holidays... time to catch up on some movie watching in the cinemas... there was plenty to choose from... of course the first thing I caught was Avatar...

We came in slightly late... the movie has started... maybe 5 to 10 minutes late... the hero has been transported to Pandora already... oh well...

Avatar's story is about humans trying to survive after they've nearly destroyed their own planet. They found a planet full of riches called Pandora and they're trying to get rid of the natives (Na'vi) so that they could harvest these riches.

Unfortunately, the Na'vi are not budging. Instead of a full scale invasion, some scientists decided to infiltrate the Na'vi using body doubles that they can control remotely ie the Avatars.

They need to get the Na'vi's cooperation or the army will start bulldozing and shooting...

I watched it in 3D. Avatar really is a masterpiece, combining all kinds of technology. The story itself was good and the acting is excellent. The final battle is a sight to be seen. One of the best movies out this year. Really.

Bodyguards & Assassins have a huge cast and it ran for 2 and a half hours. Quite long eh? The storyline is simple. A revolutionary leader intended to stop by Hong Kong to meet with faction leaders to discuss, what else, revolting... an assassination order was given out and the local rebels decided to put their lives on the line to ensure the leaders meet.

The 'chase' scenes were pretty good but there were too little fighting sequences given that there were plenty of action stars in it. Maybe if they shorten the movie, then the action sequence would seem longer...

There was a dubbing problem, not sure whether it was intended or an oversight... but a lot of the characters's mouth were not moving as the voices/dialogue that we can hear...

Couples Retreat. The rare one in this mix. The one with a lot of talking and no fighting nor explosion in it. Some people find that a turn-off. Well, with a title called Couples Retreat... you should know what kind of a movie this would be yes?

One couple (Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell) found themselves drifting apart because they could not conceive so they enlist their friends to come with them for therapy.

This is quite a funny, charming movie. The writing and the acting was spot on. The actors have great chemistry. I really liked Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Heroes) and Malin Ackerman (Watchmen).

Now, we're back to action and explosions and fighting. Sherlock Holmes. Who doesn't know him? But they've updated him into someone more dashing and debonair, slightly in the veins of 007 but slightly looser... and Watson is not just a doctor. He's a swashbuckling, handsome one.

The story starts out as Holmes and Watson thwarted Lord Blackwood's latest attempt to murder and it spiraled out of control from there. Apparently, Lord Blackwood's dealing with the supernatural and has risen from the grave and is now killing off people still. So now, Holmes and Watson needs to solve the mystery and stop Lord Blackwood's devious plans.

In the midst of all these, comes a distraction in the form of Miss Adler, who is working for someone else... and this is being set-up for Sherlock Holmes 2 I think...

Pretty good show, nicely mixing comedy, drama, mystery and action. Robert Downey and Jude Law have good chemistry together. Can't wait for Part 2... :)

Finally, Muallaf... technically, Muallaf is not actually about Muallaf... not too sure why's it's titled that way. Maybe the second time round, I'd get it.

First of all, I love the late, great Yasmin Ahmad. Her movies are all inspiring, beautiful and touching.

But... with Muallaf, I felt a bit disconnected. Hmm, how to say this... it's not her best work... but it's still good...

Some of the acting was a bit wooden but the girls (Sharifah Amani and Sharifah Aleysha) and Brian Yap were quite good. Guess Sharifah Amani and good goes hand in hand...

Review: Santau

Santau follows in the footsteps of Jangan Tegur, Skrip 7077, Rasukan Ablasa, Momok the Movie dan Sifu & Tongga as the latest entry in the Malay horror film genre. Okay, Sifu & Tongga is not a horror movie but it was pretty horrifying. Hahaha.

But I digress...

Santau is about a well-to-do family who is unlucky enough to catch the ire and jealousy of someone who would resort to the black arts to ensure that the lucky family will be torn apart by tragedy and such.

Right at the beginning, the antagonists were set up for us to figure out. So we don't really know which one is the culprit... actually, I knew... straight away from that scene...

I don't know, maybe it's the writer in me or maybe the trailer has spoiled it for me... but I figured out the red herring early on... also, sometimes the casting can also reveal the storylines...

The entities in this film are not too scary. One of them... we can totally see through the makeup and recognize her as legendary actress, Mariani... the other one is a bit heavily made up so guess that one passes for an entity...

Which would bring me to the scare factor... the ambience of the movie was effective and the location chosen played a role in upping the scary levels... but as I said, one ghost was not scary enough... but this movie brings more of the yuck factor with the maggots and stuff in the food... *blerg*

Story-wise, it's not really new territory as Jangan Tegur has explored the realm of 'santau' also... and there were some bits in the movie that did not exactly gel... or needed...

Acting-wise... some parts were kinda horrible... like in the beginning of the movie, some of the dubbing was quite bad and some of the acting is kinda wooden... but towards the middle and the end, it got better...

So, how did Santau fare against the other horror movies? It's decent enough... but nothing to shout about or recommend to friends... just passable entertainment...

On a side note... why does most Malay horror films out this year (and last year) basically have the same formula? Take one family, put them a situation where an entity would haunt them, and then have them go to a bomoh/imam and the entity will be exorcised and they'd live happily ever after...

Histeria did not follow this formula... and it was still a decent horror movie... good even... I really enjoyed that one... hmm, Skrip 7077 is also one that did not follow the norm... but that movie was not exactly that scary... guess Rasukan Ablasa doesn't look like a copy of Jangan Pandang Belakang as well... Rasukan Ablasa is genuinely scary because it was really bad... all the screaming, good God, make it stop... hmm, Skrip 7077 and Rasukan Ablasa came from the same moviemaker yes?

Please someone make an 'out of the box' horror movie for next year...


P/S - Niyang Rapek looks set to be kinda awesome and scary...

Satellite Winners

The 2009 14th Annual SATELLITE AWARDS™ (it was The Golden Satellites previously) has named winners...

Nominations: http://moviewritings.blogspot.com/2009/11/golden-satellite-noms.html

Motion Picture, Drama:
The Hurt Locker

Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical:
Nine

Director:
Kathryn Bigelow — The Hurt Locker

Actress In A Motion Picture, Drama:
Shohreh Aghdashloo — The Stoning of Soraya M.

Actor In A Motion Picture, Drama:
Jeremy Renner — The Hurt Locker

Actress In A Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical:
Meryl Streep — Julie & Julia

Actor In A Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical:
Michael Stuhlbarg — A Serious Man

Actress In A Supporting Role:
Mo’nique — Precious

Actor In A Supporting Role:
Christoph Waltz — Inglourious Basterds

And GLEE sweeps the TV categories...

Full list of winners: http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2009.shtml

Screen Actors Guild

FILM

Ensemble
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Precious

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabby Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds
Mo’Nique, Precious


TELEVISION

Best Actor (Drama)
Simon Baker, The Mentalist
Brian Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
John Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

Best Actress (Drama)
Patricia Arquette, Medium
Glenn Close, Damages
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order SVU
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Ensemble (Drama)
The Closer
Dexter
The Good Wife
Man Men
True Blood

Actress (Comedy)
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who
Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis Dreyfuss, The New Adventures of Old Christine

Best Actor (Comedy)
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Tony Shaloub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

Ensemble (Comedy)
30 Rock
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Glee
Modern Family
The Office

Full List of Nominees:
http://www.sag.org/press-releases/december-17-2009/nominations-announced-16th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards%C2%AE

16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremonies will be held on Jan. 23.

RIP: Brittany Murphy

I am saddened by this news... so early in the morning... I loved her in Clueless and Don't Say A Word... and her song with Paul Oakenfold, Faster Kill Pussycat... full cardiac arrest is being reported although investigations have begun to fully determine what happened...

Full News: http://omg.yahoo.com/news/brittany-murphy-dead-at-32/32963?nc

& http://omg.yahoo.com/news/brittany-murphy-dies-family-releases-statement/32960;_ylt=AnOfLjL0stuC927ooatsQAh7pxx.;_ylv=3

New Movies

According to GSC, new movies released today (17/12):

AVATAR
Running Time: 2 hours 43 minutes
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Stephen Lang.

"Avatar" is an emotional journey of redemption and revolution. The story tells of a wounded ex-marine, who thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, and eventually crosses over to lead an indigenous race in a battle for survival. Thus, combining the elements of massive spectacle and intimate character that made James Cameron's "Titanic" the highest grossing film of all time.

PULAU ASMARA
Running Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
Director: Uttam Kumar Thangiah
Cast: Abby Azis, Faizal Ramliy AF4, Sheikh Bolkhiah, Shasha Arsheela, Nadia Kesumawati, Leez Rosli AF4, Dato’ Aziz Singah, Azie Shah, Latif Ibrahim.

Synopsis: Three friends Taufik, Jeffri and Sam go to beautiful and mystic Pulau Langkawi for a break from their IT jobs in the big city. Each of the youths has his own notion of Love and women.

Sober and sweet-mannered Taufik does not believe in romance and says that he will marry the girl of his parents’ choice when the time comes. For ladies’ man Jeffri, there are many fishes in the sea and thinks that love and marriage are only forms of captivity. Comic and naïve Sam believes in love-at-first-sight, and hopes to meet the love of his life on the island.

Fate however, brings three young women into the lives of the youths. Sam chances upon pretty and chirpy village lass, Sofia seated at the window of a kampung house and decides that she is the love of his life. Sam pursues his love but is shocked when he finds out that Sofia is physically handicapped. Unable to accept her imperfection, Sam flees from Sofia. Sofia’s fisherman father Anwar is heart-broken when he sees his darling daughter in tears.

Jeffri saves little Daniel from a danger and at once becomes attached to the cute boy. However, Daniel’s young and attractive mother Amy warns Jeffri to stay away from her son. Jeffri’s every encounter with Amy ends in a fiery and bitter quarrel. Amy breaks into tears when Jeffri calls her a frustrated woman who probably does not get enough love from her husband. Jeffri later learns that Amy is widowed, and regrets his harsh and cruel words. Jeffri realizes that he needs the love of a family, and proposes to Amy. Amy, though regretting her earlier misconception of Jeffri, turns him down.

Taufik who thought that no woman can affect his life meets sad, mysterious and attractive Lina. Taufik helps Lina’s father Osman when the elderly man slips and falls in the waves. Osman and wife Halimah are immediately drawn to Taufik’s good manners and soft nature. Taufik is shocked when at a later meeting Osman reveals that Lina is terminally ill with cancer. He feels deeply sorry for the old couple but at the same becomes totally disturbed by the news. After a fight with Sam who accuses him of running away from love, Taufik realizes that he wants to marry Lina. Taufik meets Lina’s parents to seek her hand in marriage but Lina insults him and turns him away.

The three youths find that their holiday on the island has brought only misery, and decide to return home. Taufik makes a last minute decision to join a yacht cruise when he sees Lina and her parents amongst the cruisers. The three friends join the cruise in a tensed mood.The climax is a misadventure at sea. Lina and Taufik go missing in the waters. What happens to them? What becomes of Amy and Sofia? Does the love island turn into a tragedy island?

BODYGUARDS & ASSASSINS
Running Time: 2 hours 19 minutes
Director: Teddy Chen
Cast: Donnie Yen, Wang Xue Qi, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Nicholas Tse, Hu Jun, Eric Tsang, Li Yu Chun, Simon Yam, Fan Bin Bin, Zhou Yun, Wang Po Chieh, Leon Lai.

Synopsis: 1905, City of Victoria (British Colony of Hong Kong). Before Dr. Sun Yat-Sen can become the Father of Modern China by instigating the revolution of 1911 that overturns the Qing Dynasty, his life is almost cut short when he arrives at Hong Kong for a secret meeting to establish a united anti-Qing revolutionary front.In the distance of thirteen blocks, the one man Dr. Sun Yat-Sen who holds a nation’s fate must survive relentless attempts on his life with only five bodyguards, a group of ordinary men and women who actually possess extraordinary fighting skills. Against hundreds of assassins, these men must put their courage to the test in order to protect the hope of millions even if it means fighting to the death...

VETTAIKARAN
Running Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Director: Babu Sivan
Cast: Vijay, Anushka Shetty.

Synopsis: "Vettaikaran" is an action film starring Vijay and Anushka. The film is said to have the usual commercial elements of any Vijay film and similar to his previous hit "Thirupachi". Vijay plays the role of an Auto driver and Anushka plays a medical student as his love interest.

Golden Globes Nomination

Movie Category:

Motion Picture, Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Motion Picture, Comedy/Musical
500 Days of Summer
The Hangover
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Actress, Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabby Sidibe, Precious

Actor, Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Actor Comedy/Musical
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joe Gordon Levitt, 500 Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Actress, Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated

Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

TV Category:

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
BIG LOVE
DEXTER
HOUSE
MAD MEN
TRUE BLOOD

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
GLENN CLOSE, DAMAGES
JANUARY JONES, MAD MEN
JULIANNA MARGULIES, THE GOOD WIFE
ANNA PAQUIN, TRUE BLOOD
KYRA SEDGWICK, THE CLOSER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
SIMON BAKER, THE MENTALIST
MICHAEL C. HALL, DEXTER
JON HAMM, MAD MEN
HUGH LAURIE, HOUSE
BILL PAXTON, BIG LOVE

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
30 ROCK
ENTOURAGE
GLEE
MODERN FAMILY
THE OFFICE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
TONI COLLETTE, UNITED STATES OF TARA
COURTENEY COX, COUGAR TOWN
EDIE FALCO, NURSE JACKIE
TINA FEY, 30 ROCK
LEA MICHELE, GLEE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
ALEC BALDWIN, 30 ROCK
STEVE CARELL, THE OFFICE
DAVID DUCHOVNY, CALIFORNICATION
THOMAS JANE, HUNG
MATTHEW MORRISON, GLEE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
JANE ADAMS, HUNG
ROSE BYRNE, DAMAGES
JANE LYNCH, GLEE
JANET McTEER, INTO THE STORM
CHLOË SEVIGNY, BIG LOVE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES,
MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
MICHAEL EMERSON, LOST
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
WILLIAM HURT, DAMAGES
JOHN LITHGOW, DEXTER
JEREMY PIVEN, ENTOURAGE

Full list: http://www.awardsdaily.com/?p=16590#more-16590

Watching Movies

Last Friday, me and my colleague went to Pavilion to catch The Storm Warriors...

It's the sequel to The Storm Riders, which was shown years ago. It is based on a comic (which has been translated into Malay - Pedang Setiawan)...


This time around, evil Lord Godless has taken over China. Cloud (Aaron Kwok) and Wind (Ekin Cheng) are not strong enough to fight him. So they went to seek more power. One decided to go evil for a power upgrade while the other did it the hard way, with the help of a martial arts master.

Of course the heroes would defeat the bad guy... but then, who's gonna stop the good-guy-turned-evil? Looks like it's gonna be a battle to the death between the two heroes...

I enjoyed watching The Storm Riders. Technically, The Storm Warriors is the better film. It obviously has a bigger budget because the film looks fantastic. The effects are great and there are even sequences that are reminiscent of 300. For a minute, I thought I was in Sparta, not China... very stylized...

But that's all there is to it I guess. I did enjoy watching the movie but something's missing. Maybe it's the fact that the main villain is disposed of half way through the movie? Maybe it's because the heroes' upgrades are too easy? Maybe it's because the female characters are not substantial enough? Anyway, now I know why Cloud's sword has a hole near the hilt... :)


On Saturday, I went to see Jump at Pavilion. It's a Chinese movie directed by Stephen Fung (Gen-X Cops) and is backed by Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer).

It stars Kitty Zhang as a village girl going to the city to follow her dreams of becoming a dancer. She and her friends got a chance to go to the city to work in a factory, while she moonlights as a cleaning lady in a dance studio. But of course, it's not that easy for her because the city folk all look down on her because she's a cleaning lady and from the village...

The movie's nice enough but there's something wrong with the dubbing. It doesn't seem to tally throughout the movie. It appears that the actors are not actually speaking the lines properly...

And, just for your info, Leon Jay Williams came in to replace Edison Chen in this movie. All of Edison's scenes had to be reshot and edited out. Yup, because of his erotic photos scandal.

Leon Jay Williams

Stephen Fung, Kitty Zhang, Edison Chen

And then, on Sunday, I went to Pavilion with a friend to catch The Princess and the Frog, a Disney traditional animation film.

It's nice to see Disney going back to its r oots. Iremember the day when Disney movies were all that and a bag of chips. Remember Aladdin? The Lion King? Beauty and the Beast?

Those were the days... TPATF is a throwback to those times when characters would break into song and dance around and stuff.

TPATF takes place in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1920s during the jazz age. The princess (Anika Noni Rose of The Dreamgirls fame) kisses the frog but instead of him becoming a prince like in the fairy tale, she becomes a frog! To get changed back they have to go through bayou country to find Mama Odie, a good voodoo priestess. They are, of course, guided by a firefly and an alligator who plays jazz.

This movie is a lot of fun. Nice enough to take the kids, although there are some creepy parts in it... but still, pretty entertaining... :)

AFI

The American Film Institute has chosen its Top Ten Movies of 2009... in alphabetical order...

CORALINE

THE HANGOVER

THE HURT LOCKER

THE MESSENGER

PRECIOUS

A SERIOUS MAN

A SINGLE MAN

SUGAR

UP

UP IN THE AIR

And also the Top Ten TV Shows of 2009:

THE BIG BANG THEORY
BIG LOVE
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
MAD MEN
MODERN FAMILY
THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY
NURSE JACKIE
PARTY DOWN

and the show I am currently following (besides The Vampire Diaries and Eastwick)...

Glee

http://www.awardsdaily.com/?p=16448#more-16448