Other Side of the Planet dot com

Movie: Slumdog Millionaire

Posted on January 12th, 2009 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Movies.

Loved it.

I was on the edge of my seat.  I was curled up in my seat.  Every moment was a thrill; every reason for the answer to every question believable.  It was funny, it was sad, it had tension and it had love.  It had a great soundtrack.

I didn’t need to be set in America.  It didn’t need to have big-name leading American actors.  It was refreshing.

And in the end, it brings it all together.

And after the end, it’s a whole-cast song a’la Bollywood.

Loved it.

1 comment.

Movie: Doubt

Posted on January 12th, 2009 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Movies.

Speaking of things I forgot to blog about…

Great drama with Meryl Streep as a nun and the principal of a Catholic school, who suspects the preacher of messing with the school boys.  Her character was brilliant - I loved every bit of her.  And as for Sister James, the teacher of the boy in question…I relate to her…that’s all I can say.

The movie never answers the question as to whether or not the preacher was messing with the boy, and maybe it’s my nature to be overprotective of my students, but I say the bastard did it.  Would be interested to hear any other opinions, though.

(My logic being that the boy had alcohol on his breath when he came back to class…the preacher said he’d pulled the boy out of class to discuss his stealing wine…but then, he wouldn’t have been drinking it with the preacher, would he?)

1 comment.

Movie: Jouney to the Center of the Earth in 3D

Posted on July 30th, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Movies.

I wasn’t really expecting much from this movie…I didn’t really know anything about it.  In fact, I didn’t even realize the whole thing was in 3D until they charged me an extra $3 (automatically tagged on to the ticket price) for the 3D glasses that the ticket sales associate tossed on the counter in front of me.

I’d seen some 3D stuff before.  It’s been slowly improving over the years, but generally looks slightly off and gives the watcher a headache.  I remember seeing Superman Returns at the IMAX in 3D in Taipei, where I got my first set of polarized lenses to watch the 3D clips with - that was fascinating.  But it wasn’t like this.

The 3D effects, on the whole, were excellent (and I didn’t even have a center seat.)  I didn’t get a headache at all.  There was the occasional spot in the movie where they obviously filmed something just so they could show off the 3D effects, but hey, when they do it that well, even I’m not going to give them a hard time.

And while I may not be a huge fan of Brendan Fraser (although I admit he’s gorgeous), it was a good movie, complete with a plot and everything.  (After Hellboy II, I’ve really had to lower my standards.)  But anyway, it’s a fun movie to watch if you’ve got a free afternoon (and for those of you who have deigned to spawn, I hear it’s great with kids.)

0 comments.

Movies: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Posted on July 21st, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Movies.

So…I’d heard it was good.  Marcus had heard it was good.  We decided to go see it.

While there were a couple parts that were medicore, by and large, the film was just awful.  The special effects weren’t even that impressive.  I love the superhero movies they’ve been producing lately, but this was a huge disappointment.  Don’t bother with this one - save your money, or perhaps see Dark Knight a second time instead.

0 comments.

Movies: The Dark Knight

Posted on July 21st, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Movies.

…wow…

This movie was amazing.  It had me on the edge of my seat.  It had me curled up and cringing.  152 minutes of action-packed suspense and anticipation.  Exciting and scary and mind-blowing.  I really don’t know what to say, but if you’re going to see one movie this summer, let this one be it.

UPDATE 2008.07.23:
Having had more time to gather my thoughts, I’ll expand on my earlier post.  It’s really Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker that makes this movie so phenomenal.  Never is the movie did it occur to me that this might just be an actor, or any sort of sane person, playing a part…he WAS the Joker, undeniably.

And a freakier villain I don’t think I’ve ever seen…  His movements, his insane laughter, even when he believes himself falling to his doom.  And his voice, the way he spoke…but on that note, I was pondering his accent, trying to place it.  From what I’ve read, he was apparently going for a Chicago/Midwest accent, but that’s really not what I heard…I was thinking almost traces of an Irish accent…who knows?

0 comments.

Movies: Iron Man

Posted on July 21st, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Movies.

I’d been wanting to see this movie for months, and it did NOT disappoint.  I totally geeked out.  OK, yes, the suit was awesome - I acknowledge this as readily as the next geek.  (And if I think I can’t move in my stormtrooper armor, I can’t imagine what that costume would be like.)

But beyond the suit, I’ve gotta say that I geeked out over every bit of technology Tony Stark has at his disposal.  His relationships with the machines he had was comedic, but also very telling: the man had no friends.  All the money he could want, beautiful women and fun toys, but he was very alone.

And even though Stark was a complete jerk, Chris and I couldn’t help but like him: behind the money and the lifestyle, Stark is a huge geek, and that’s something I can appreciate.  I’m looking forward to seeing the next Iron Man installment in 2010.

0 comments.

Movies: Hancock

Posted on July 21st, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Movies.

[The transformation of superhero John Hancock]

I thought this would just be a raunchy comedy, so I went in to see Hancock with relatively low expectations.  I was pleasantly surprised when, about half-way in, the movie took a serious turn as Hancock begins to embrace the whole “with great power comes great responsibility” slogan, though it was presented in different words.

* * *(small) SPOILER WARNING: Next paragraph only* * *
More than taking responsibility, he also learns how to make sacrifices for that which is important to him.  I don’t think I’m spoiling much by saying this: he ends up alone and far from home in the end, but despite those hardships, he’s a happier and healthier person as a result of the lessons he learned in the movie.
* * *End Spoiler Warning: Previous paragraph only* * *

0 comments.

Movie: Wall-E

Posted on July 21st, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Movies.

Note: Need to catch up on my movie blogging, too…my apologies that everything is coming out in clumps.  I’ve been behind.

I really had no clue what this was about going in, but it was a robot and it was Pixar and I really don’t see how you can go wrong with that combination.

It turned out to be a love story, complete with beautiful imagry and a fantastic soundtrack.  It also depicted a disturbing future for mankind, where we become fatter and fatter and, as we become lazier and have machines do more for us, our bone structure actually deteriorates over the generations do to lack of need.

Earth itself is completely covered in trash, and humans have left Earth while it’s being cleaned up.  A giant megacorporation, Buy n’ Large, has monopolized every facet of business.  Everything has fallen into disrepair - the only thing left is a mobile, eccentric, trash-compacting robot named Wall-E.

Another thing I found interesting is how the movie, through Wall-E’s ecclectic collection, serves as a time capsul for our modern culture.  His collection includes everything from a mounted, singing fish to Christmas lights and a Rubik’s cube.  It’s something like what a museum of the 1900’s might one day appear.  Hopefully no culture will ever watch Wall-E as their sole connection to understanding out culture, but if we wipe ourselves out through neglect of our planet, I suppose it could happen.

0 comments.

Movies: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Posted on July 17th, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Movies.

This is pure genius.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is a short musical comedy, 42 minutes in length, being released in three acts.  The first two acts are currently available for free on the Dr. Horrible website, with the third being released on Saturday, the 17th, but they’ll all be pulled Sunday at 12:01am, after which point you’ll either have to buy them on iTunes or wait for the DVD.

The show, created by Joss Whedon, features - get this - Doogie Howser starring as the main character, Dr. Horrible.  His nemesis, Captain Hammar, is played by Firefly’s Nathan Fillion.

My favorite song thus far is Freeze Ray.  I’m not sure exactly how a song about using a freeze ray to achieve global domination is romantic…but it is.  Maybe I’m just that geeky.

QUOTES:

Dr. Horrible: “I wanna be an achiever…like Bad Horse…”
Penny: “The Thoroughbred of Sin?”
Dr. Horrible: “I mean…Gandhi…”

“…she may cry, but her tears will dry when I hand her the keys to a shiny, new Australia.”
- Dr. Horrible

0 comments.

Movie: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Posted on July 8th, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Movies.

GENERAL: My laptop has serious issues with regards to pictures (I can’t open any image files, nor can I insert pictures on my blog…however, it works fine from my university’s computers…I may need a new computer this summer.)

WARNING: This blog contains spoilers, which I will warn you of, on the off chance that you’re sinful and have yet to see the movie.

I’ve now seen Indy 4 twice - first at the midnight showing at the Zeigfeld: love that theater!  After hours of discussion and debate with fellow geeks, I saw it a second time so I could watch with a more critical eye.

To begin with, I’ll say that I greatly enjoyed the movie both times, though in different ways.  There were many things I enjoyed about the movie, such as a fun soundtrack, great action sequences, and lots of references for the Indy fans.  Although I was initially wary of seeing a 65-year-old Indiana Jones, he quickly grew on me.

***SPOILER WARNING*** (next two paragraphs)

Now, there were also things that really bothered me about the movie.  The big thing that got me was the ending: aliens and Indy seem like two separate genres to me, and I was rather offended that they were being mixed in Indy4.  Rebekah, however, pointed out that it made sense because communism and aliens (think Roswell) were two huge media issues in the 1950’s, so it fits as well as the 1930’s Nazi stories.  Good point.

The elimination of the artifact was also a point that bothered me.  On second viewing, however, I caught that it was a lost site…and it was maintained by an undiscovered tribe…so…yea though it wasn’t buried or anything…yeah, I’m a harder sell on this point, but they did cover their rears.  Grr.

***END SPOILERS*** (previous two paragraphs)

The vine-swinging thing was still lame and disgusting and I still want to know who on Earth approved that…  I mean, don’t Spielberg and Lucas at least WATCH the movie before its release?  What were they thinking???

Now, another point which Andrew initially brought up is that Indy lacks the passion that he has in the earlier films.  At the beginning of each film, he totally geeks out, going deep into historical and mythological relevance as he explains things, dreams about things…it’s like having a teacher who is passionate about his or her work - it made us excited.

Does he have that same passion that engrosses us in the film?  I don’t think so.  On second viewing, I found what I would describe as “wonder”.  Generally interested in a concept, mildly impressed by things…often disbelieving or dismissing ideas and legends that he was so passionate about in previous movies.  That’s really disappointing, because if Indy doesn’t believe in it, why should we?  He is, after all, the expert.

On the lighter side, here is the quote that makes me happy:

“You’re…a teacher?”
“Part-time.”

And fun references…I can’t even remember them all.  A couple to the first of the three tasks in The Last Crusade.  The squirrels/chipmunks…people said they were Jawa references…eh, I couldn’t help but think Caddy Shack.  Mutt taking offense to being called “son”, just as Indy always took offense to being called “Junior”.  Oh, and the native looking through the eye-holes in a stone face…cartoons with eyes peeping through Mona Lisa paintings!!!

I can’t think of any more off the top of my head, but there were a ton…drop a comment with any you can think of (or any other positive or negative remarks you have regarding Indy 4.)

0 comments.