The fact is when you care too much, you get hurt in return. Note to self, attachment brings about dissatisfaction. The Buddha taught this truth more than 2, 500 years ago.

Journey to the West

This will always be the original Journey to the West for me. What a timeless and powerful story that amazes generations after generations. When I was in primary school, I used to imagine during bedtime that I was part of the entourage seeking shelter for the night and another adventure awaits me the next day.

After which came 2 Hong Kong versions during secondary school / junior college days featuring Benny Chan and Dicky Cheung as Monkey. Prefer the Benny Chan's version more.

And the latest China-HK co-production, the final episode tomorrow. Whenever a long tv series end I kinda will go through a period of "withdrawal".

the million dollar question

To soldier on even without much improvement on thus far or to give it up or move on? Now that's the million dollar question.

4 of a Kind

My first time backing a film on Kickstarter, USD$50 for a start. Jack Marchetti is a young aspiring filmmaker who wants to make his debut feature film before he goes blind. Find out more here.

Headshot

My review of the film, Headshot, for THIS Buddhist Film Festival:



Headshot is the latest work of one of Southeast Asia’s leading filmmakers, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. The film follows Tul, a policeman betrayed by the very system he swore to protect. Disillusioned, he joined a syndicate of professional assassins who take justice into their own hands by weeding out corrupt politicians, businessmen and crooks.

 Pen-Ek on set Headshot.

During an assassination job, Tul gets shot in the head. He recovers but he now sees things upside-down – literally. At the same time, the “long arm” of kamma also catches up with Tul as the scion of a corrupt politician begins to hunt him down. Thus begins Tul’s spiritual awakening as he sought to lead a life in the saffron robes. He puts away his pistol and kneels before a Buddhist monk (you would have expected to see an aged Thai Luang Phor or senior monk, but here, a Caucasian monk ordains him; a nod towards Westerners who come to Thailand to seek spiritual awakening).
Even though he is now a monk, Tul is not spared from the relentless manhunt that is targeted at him. And in order not to tarnish the sanctity of the robes, Tul disrobed while his Western Ajahn chants a loving-kindness mantra.

Despite the imagery of sex, gore and stylized gunfights, Headshot is a film embedded with subtle Buddhist themes. The camerawork is still, quiet and meditative, as if inviting the audience to view the film as an exploration behind the causes of the ugliness of humanity – lust and hatred, as well as the law of cause and effect.

 

Even with good intentions, Tul’s unskillful and unwise methods to bring about “justice” through violence and killing has it that certain negative consequences cannot be avoided. While his spiritual awakening is not clearly spelled out, Tul’s impaired vision means that he is now forced to look at things attentively, instead of the past where he “sees things in passing and not paying attention.” The film is perhaps titled so because of Tul’s eventual ability to see things mindfully and that liberation is not confined to the physical realm, but happens also within the mind – or head.

Headshot is not exactly the best introduction to Pen-Ek’s body of works, but it is a decent effort with beautiful cinematography and solid acting (Nopachai Jayanama as Tul) which cinephiles can appreciate.

Catch Headshot and other Buddhist-themed films at the THIS Buddhist Film Festival 2012, this September. Box Office here.

"Loyal but disappointingly, often find that those who are close to them fail to understand them. "

"sometimes they must labor long hours to accomplish little."

The Ninth of August

"Every time we look back on this moment when we signed this agreement which severed Singapore from Malaysia, it will be a moment of anguish. For me it is a moment of anguish because all my life ... you see, the whole of my adult life ... I have believed in merger and the unity of these two territories."

 

 "Now I Lee Kuan Yew Prime Minister of Singapore. Do hereby proclaim and declare on behalf of the people and the Government of Singapore that as from today the ninth day of August in the year one thousand hundred and sixty five Singapore shall be forever a sovereign democratic and independent nation, founded upon the principles of liberty and justice and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of her people in a more just and equal society."

 

 I am not here to play somebody else's game. I have a few million people's lives to account for. And Singapore, will survive!

Happy 47th Birthday, Singapore.

We Live in Singapura

The Iron Man

"Whoever governs Singapore must have the iron in him or give it up. This is not a game of cards, this is your life and mine... and as long as I'm in-charge, nobody's going to knock it down."

The Original Ironman

Lion-Hearted

 

"Your parents' and grandparents' generations had hard lives in shanty huts with no running water or modern WC, not knowing what the future could bring. They simply concentrated on hard work and built the foundation for the Singapore of the 21st century...
 ... Your generation can take Singapore forward to become one of Asia's most vibrant and beautiful cities... ...
The success of Singapore came from the hard work, resourcefulness and ingenuity of your forefathers and their leaders.

You are the descendants of these lion-hearted pioneers."

liberation

The Buddha's teachings liberate my mind from religious dogma and the reliance on an almighty supernatural being (high up in the skies) for peace and fulfillment. I learn that the human mind and the human potential is limitless. I am empowered and put into a position whereby I am responsible for the way I shall lead my life, while being mindful of the importance of wisdom and compassion.

Steve Rogers

The Avenger I identify with most is Steve Rogers aka Captain America. The conservative, pro-establishment, goody-two-shoes, nice-guy, ever-reliable, self-reliant, idealistic but boring, conventional and old-fashioned.

I'm quite humble too, ok.

because we love making movies

When I chose law enforcement instead of going into the media industry upon graduation, I told myself that it's only going to be a 2-year sabbatical from my first love (i.e. film & video). I rejected an opportunity to produce a drama serial and convinced myself really hard that it was the right thing to do. The trauma of not doing my best during national service have haunted me in university, coupled with the disappointment of meeting people with some of the most outrageous criticism of the country and its system (yes, there is room for improvement but no, it's not doomsday and there is no spawn of the devil). Let me earn my right to call myself a Singaporean.

Joining the bureau gave me another chance to serve my country and to contribute in a platform which I have never done before and which I will probably never have the chance to do so again. It has been an honour serving with some of the most dedicated and respectable people I have ever met. In another 4 days time, I would have spent 2 years with the public service. My training bond will only end in December. After which, my time here will come to an end as planned. I'll miss this place, the fine people and the values it stand for.

It will be a leap into the unknown. I'll lose that monthly paycheck, which has been quite attractive. But I believe it's the right decision to make. Hopefully someday, I will say it loud and say it fine with conviction the way Quentin Tarantino did,

"because we love making movies!"

Sight & Sound's poll of the Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time

Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (I very much prefer Rear Window) dethroned Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. What?! Conducted once every 10 years, the 8th Sight & Sound's poll of the Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time.

1. Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958)

 

  Mai lai lah

 

 Hitchcock to Novak, "now go break some hearts."

2. Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)

 "So what/who the hell is Rosebud?"

 Broken leg, no problem. Orson Welles was 26 when he shot Citizen Kane. I'm 27.

 3. Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953)

 

 "Mu."

   

 This is Zen.

4. La Règle du jeu (Renoir, 1939)
5. Sunrise: a Song for Two Humans (Murnau, 1927)
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968)
7. The Searchers (Ford, 1956)
8. Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929)
9. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer, 1927)
10. 8 ½ (Fellini, 1963)
11. Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925)
12. L’Atalante (Jean Vigo, 1934)
13. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960)
14. Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)
15. Late Spring (Ozu Yasujiro, 1949)
16. Au hasard Balthazar (Robert Bresson, 1966)
17. Seven Samurai (Kurosawa Akira, 1954)
17. Persona (Ingmar Bergman, 1966)
19. Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1974)
19. Singin’ in the Rain (Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly, 1951)
21. L’avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960)
21. Le Mépris (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963)
21. The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)
24. Ordet (Carl Dreyer, 1955)
24. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, 2000)
26. Rashomon (Kurosawa Akira, 1950)
26. Andrei Rublev (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1966)
28. Mulholland Dr. (David Lynch, 2001)
29. Stalker (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979)
29. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann, 1985)
31. The Godfather Part II (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
31. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)
33. Bicycle Thieves (Vittoria De Sica, 1948)
34. The General (Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman, 1926)
35. Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927)
35. Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
35. Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975)
35. Sátántangó (Béla Tarr, 1994)
39. The 400 Blows (François Truffaut, 1959)
39. La dolce vita (Federico Fellini, 1960)
41. Journey to Italy (Roberto Rossellini, 1954)
42. Pather Panchali (Satyajit Ray, 1955)
42. Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959)
42. Gertrud (Carl Dreyer, 1964)
42. Pierrot le fou (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965)
42. Play Time (Jacques Tati, 1967)
42. Close-Up (Abbas Kiarostami, 1990)
48. The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1966)
48. Histoire(s) du cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, 1998)
50. City Lights (Charlie Chaplin, 1931)
50. Ugetsu monogatari (Mizoguchi Kenji, 1953)
50. La Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962)

The only film from the 2000s to make it to the list is Wong Kar-wai's In The Mood For Love. I've only managed to watch 24 out of the 50 films listed. Looks like it's a long way to go before I can "christen"myself a true-blue cinephile.

Siao Liao

So many things to do, so little time.

Predator

My mom bought this Predator figurine for me upon my request, sometime in 1990 when the sequel was released. That will make it 22 years old.



And the original Predator, 1987.

"We need the best, that's why you're here."

Part man, part machine, all cop.

Battle-damaged Robocop action figure released in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the first Robocop film back in 1987.

Robocop brings to a mind a time when I spent afternoons watching movie re-runs on SBC/TCS 5. The new Robocop reboot is expected to be released in 2013 with Jose Padilha on the director's seat. He can go no wrong. After all, Tropa De Elite is one of the best cop films ever made.

Trailer of the first Robocop in 1987:


Robocop 2013 teaser in the form of an Omnicorp advert


The professor from Popular Cinema once told the tutorial class that the screenwriter of the 1987 film was his former classmate. He looked like he expected a response but nobody said anything, myself included. I guess (New) Hollywood blockbusters have no place in the hearts of local communication students where the likes of Ozu, Wenders and Wong are the real deal.