Archive for January, 2005

Films that impressed me in 2004

Monday, January 17th, 2005

A yearly review at last. No countdown, no top 10, but all ‘new’ films, which means release in 2003 or 2004.

1
Fanchan (TH/2003)

Yes, I wrote some 4000 characters for it. I watched 3 times last year. It tells a well-structured story of childhood, and packs many childhood elements neatly. A film for us who born in 1970s.

2
Macbere Case of Prom Pi Ram (TH/2003)

A movie distributed by a large Thai movie enterprise, but still have something to tell. It portrays the indifference and greed of men. Male characters in the film simply lead to the death of the main female character.

3
Adventure of Iron Pussy, The (TH/2004)

Indeed the 4th episode! Apichatpong mixes drag queen, and extraordinary love relations into the world of old Thai movie : love between rich and poor, action, dubbing dialogue, songs and dance.

4
Barbarian Invasions, The (CA/2003)

Hey, here is the blog of one of the webmaster of cinemathai.com, but not cinemathai.com! Let’s talk about some other movies. The volume 2 of the story of Remi, which let viewers wait for 17 years. A black comedy, and the dream of neo-conservative seems come true: dying leftist(s), return of family value, declining Catholic belief (how about Protestant?), and a free, free market, which overcome most of the barriers in daily life.

5
Revolution won’t be Televised (IR/2003)

A documentary tells a failed coup in Venezuela. However, this piece catches me is the conflicting middle class and grassroot in Caracus. Using a HK phrase, both sides have “nothing to say”. They have no trust and few understanding to another side and said another side is too greedy. Would it happen here?

6
Mcdull, Prince de la Bun (HK/2004)

Mcdull is still attractive, even though the smart Mcmug have only few scenes. Some songs in this animation caught me, say Mingri Tianya (original sung by Roman Tam and composed by Joseph Koo), and Wo de xin le zi you ta (Only him/her in my heart, this time by At 17).

7
20, 30, 40 (HK+TW/2004)

Sylvia Cheung, the director and one of the main character in the film, first murmurs, and last confirms in the film, “Yes, I am a woman that no one wants.” A positive attitude at last, and it enlightens me. Some good singing also, including Bobby Chen and Angelica Lee, another main character.

8
3-iron (KR/2004)

Kim Ki-duk, a director with lightning working speed. This film takes less than 2 weeks to shoot. It tells how a urban nomad gets the heart of a wife, whom has been abused by her husband.

9
Before Sunset (US/2004)

Also have it written. Good friends that can keep on chatting, something let people envious.

10
Nobody knows (JP/2004)

4 brothers and sisters, under 15, struggling for their lives in a gloomy apartment. However, you cannot meet expected tears and sorrow in this film, and with few worries.

11
Shutter, The (TH/2004)

A horror film, its scaring ability is better than Pang Brothers’ Eye 2, The. The story telling surprises audience, and the film can warn you don’t be so hestitate.

12
Tropical Malady (TH/2004)

Lively, like his first feature Blissfully Yours (2002). Apichatpong tells another love story outside Krung Thep (Bangkok, which plenty of Thai movies have their story there), and brings folklore, surrealism and sacrifice into it.

13
Old Boy (KR/2003)

Park shall make his revenge trilogy this year, 2005. I am waiting any DVD boxset of Park’s revenge trilogy. In the episode 2 of this trilogy, Park mixed taboo, taking revenge, violence, common wrong acts in a good piece of work. Nearly forgot to put it into my 2004 film list.

14
Kung Fu Hustle (HK/2004)

A well-built theme park, no matter as a world of martial arts plus kung fu (of course a 20th century ‘no FOX’ version), and as a reconsturction plus mixture of 1920-30s Shanghai and 1950s Hong Kong. The storyline is a bit weak, be honest.

Why write something in English, and even Thai

Sunday, January 16th, 2005

My readers, you may aware that sometimes I offer a piece of English, or even partly Thai, writings. I deliberately to do so.

The obvious reason, as you may get it, is to polish my written English and Thai — I hope I can offer more Thai wrtings in coming days. Another reason is to draw more readers. I write for telling people how I live and what I think. This reason also explains I not to write any article here in Guangzhou Dialect (Commonly known as Cantonese), but in yuti Chinese. But you still can find I reply to comments in Cantonese.

替朋友宣傳宣傳

Wednesday, January 12th, 2005

teleporter.jpg

by bee

熱情總會消失的

Monday, January 10th, 2005

星期五晚有的沒的看或聽那講華語的藝人主導的大匯演。標題的那一句,聽聲音好像是張衛健。管他呢,總之是一個男人。

熱情在匯演的那晚,相信已漸漸減退;取而代之進佔香港報章頭版的是林煥光,下一個大題目,或者是兩天後的施政報告。今天耳聞目睹,有同事提早為傳聞的滅貧政策大動肝火。

但願他們沒有為印度洋畔的災民給過一分一毫!在這矛盾和不連貫是常態的世界裡,如有這般對陌生人或所謂窮人未必有情的貫徹始終,或雖可惡,但因「貫徹始終」四個字,好像仍見可貴——畢竟我們整日價都將這四個字,作為把人打分數比高低的標準。

是的,我開始納罕,為甚麼會這樣的踴躍捐輸,給斯里蘭卡人錢、給泰國人錢、給印尼的蘇門答臘人錢(聽說印度很早婉拒國外捐助)。我不否認此地的善款終會對他們起一點幫助,哪怕是太遲,但我想,如果他們真有一天來到香港,他們也許是我們不少人口中搶飯碗爭福利的其中一群吧?如果沒發生這場海嘯,我們當中很多人,或許不會想到他們,認識他們,也或許只把他們視作某處「落後之地」的窮鬼。

又或者,只想到熱情的興滅,卻未曾把熱情跟我們整個生活和生活觀連結,後果是我們比較心安理得。

日不落〈瞬間‧忽然〉
熊一豆〈好難頂〉
熊一豆〈反省反省反反省〉

三戰百萬富翁?

Friday, January 7th, 2005

沒有第三次了,暫時。

電視台沒給我電話。

但,感謝各位朋友支持。

Mourn whom lost their lives in recent Indian Ocean Tsunami

Thursday, January 6th, 2005

I fear it is too late to mourn them here, however, if you like to know how Hong Kong Chinese think about this incident, or make more contribution to those survived, please click the following Chinese links:

或許真的太遲才在這裡致哀,但對活著的人而言,我們不妨多捐一點。以下是一些感受和捐款連結:

Feelings links grouped by deki deki的感受連結
Oxfam HK Asian Tsunami Donation Page 樂施會亞洲海嘯捐款網頁
(專於災區重建 Specializes in Reconstruciton)
HK Red Cross Asian Tsunami Donation Page 紅十字會亞洲海嘯捐款網頁
(專於提供救援物資及尋人 Specializes in Aid Provision and Seeking people)
World Vision HK Donation Page 宣明會捐款網頁
(專於家庭生活支援及提供應急物資 Specializes in Supporting Family and Aid Provision)
UNICEF Asian Tsunami Donation Page 聯合國兒童基金會亞洲海嘯捐款網頁
(專於兒童支援及提供應急物資 Specializes in Supporting Children and Aid Provision)

For those living in Hong Kong, you may make your donation through HK Caritas, HK Catholic Diocese and/or HK Salvation Army.

你亦可經香港明愛、香港天主教教區及/或香港救世軍
助印度洋海嘯災民。

(Information from HKiBBS and Zilu@HKEJ)

入寒‧吐舊

Sunday, January 2nd, 2005

剛過的除夕並不好過。那天氣溫低於十度,腸胃疑遭寒氣入侵,影響胃口;午飯過後一小時吐出三分一。準時下班後只想回家臥床休息,進了家門喝了點不溫不熱的清水後又吐,全午飯的四分一連清水被請出體外。只好像下午般喝點溫水,抱著頭痛在床上輾轉反側才睡去。我少有的在眠中送走舊年,起來喝溫水跟麥片粥時已是2005。再睡了十個小時,之後吃了一個很晚,有菜有肉的「正常」午飯。

記得十二年前的十二月,又是如此寒冷天,我也是因寒氣(那次兼進未全熟的燒烤食物)嘔吐大作,並害感冒。這回已較好了。