Coffee Clicks

• Twilight Barbie and Spock (the Zachary Quinto version!) Ken? - IMDB


• Optimus Prime - Bedazzled. Inside joke: For the Singaporeans, this is what would happen if Xiaxue got her hands on Optimus Prime. LOL. - CNET Asia


• Leighton Meester aka Blair Waldorf in "Good Girls Go Bad", new music video by Cobra Starship. Song co-written by American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. Leighton - Hot! DioGuardi's writing skills - Not so much.


• Ooo, more stuff on Adam, one of those movies that I can't wait to see. Take the Adam Relationship Facebook Quiz. Adam is about a man with Asperger's Syndrome, who develops develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbor Beth, played by Rose Byrne. View Adam trailer. - Fox Searchlight's Twitter


• Taking bets - Drew Barrymore & Justin Long, on or off when their new movie Going The Distance hits theaters? - Adam Shankman's Twitter


• 10 Simple Tips for Managing Twitter as Your Usage Increases - @GuyKawasaki Twitter

Coffee Clicks is a compilation of random items on the web that catches my attention as I have my morning cuppa.

Swoon: The Evolution of Johnny Depp

What's better than Johnny Depp? 17 versions of Johnny Depp through his films! Woohoo, Total Film rocks for compiling this.

What's the best part about this list? Well, if you call yourself a Depp fan, you better know this list and seen all the movies at least twice (except Public Enemies, coz us folks in Singapore don't have it yet, sigh)! From Pirates of the Caribbean to Benny & Joon, this list is an excellent list to kick off your very own Johnny Depp-themed movie night.

My faves are Johnny as Wade Walker in Cry Baby and as JM Barrie in Finding Neverland. Hard fight, but I also loved Johnny in Ed Wood and What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Yes, as you can tell, my ideal man is one who has a heart of gold but is slightly off his rocker :)

See the complete Evolution of Johnny Depp at Total Film.

Guillermo del Toro's "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark"

Guillermo del Toro is the only reason why I would pay $10 for a movie ticket to watch Hellboy 1 and 2. Growing up, I've always been fascinated with strange, horrific-looking creatures, creatures that are not necessarily monsters, but unforgettable images that burn into your mind, the type of creatures that you don't want to meet in a dark alley, even if they are good (or appear to be). Growing up, I remember my fascination with Lord of Illusions, Hellraiser and all of Jim Henson's creatures in Labyrinth. That same fascination came back when I watched del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth - to this day, I cannot get the image of Pan or the Pale Man out of my head.

So news is slowly coming in that Guillermo del Toro is producing and co-writing an updated version of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, a 1973 TV movie. A young girl is sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own. If the plot sounds familiar, I don't blame you - my first thought was, "Wait, this sounds like The Orphanage, we just need to substitute scary dead children with creatures." But it's still too early to tell - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is scheduled for a 2011 release and the latest news is Guy Pearce has signed on to the movie, joining Katie Holmes. If you know me, you'll know I cannot stand Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce is a hit & miss for me. Holmes drives me nuts (bad nuts) with her I'm-a-lost-puppy-please-take-home look and marrying Tom Cruise or being best buddies with Victoria Beckham has in no way helped her image, nor her soon-to-air Judy Garland dance routine on So You Think You Can Dance. So I'm keeping an open mind and hope that del Toro will not disappoint!

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark will be the first feature for director Troy Nixey. Check out the trailer for his short Latchkey's Lament, which blends CGI animation and live action. It's too little to go by, the keys are slightly too cartoon-ish for my taste but I don't hate anything about it. Completely random, but am I the only one who thinks it's weird to have a trailer for a short film, considering that I've seen trailers that are as long as some short films?

Watch the short film Mama to get a taste of del Toro. Mama is a short Spanish film by Andy Muschietti, who del Toro is mentoring to produce a feature-length version of the same film. Seriously, it's the scariest 3-minutes of my life. I dare you not to jump in your seat. Watch Mama.

Micmacs A Tire-Larigot: New Jean-Pierre Jeunet film!

UPDATED: 7 new teaser trailers from Twitch!


Are zebras white with black stripes or black with white stripes? Is scrap metal worth more than landmines? Can you get drunk from eating waffles? Can a woman fit inside a refrigerator? What’s the human cannonball world record?

Yeah...that's part of the French synopsis for my fave director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's new film, Micmacs A Tire-Larigot. For those who know Jeunet, you probably know what to expect and the synopsis will barely raise an eyebrow. Most people will know Jeunet from Amelie, but from what I can tell from the trailer (from Twitch), I think Micmacs A Tire-Larigot will be closer to his older works such as The City of Lost Children and Delicatessen than Amelie.

According to Babelfish, Micmacs A Tire-Larigot roughly translates to mean "An Intriguing Car Larigot" -- my French is awful but somehow I don't think that sounds right. /Film says that the movie is a satire on the world arms trade and it's a story of a guy with a bullet in his brain. Synopsis according to IMDB: A man and his friends come up with an intricate and original plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers.

If I had to choose, I'm a bigger fan of Amelie and A Very Long Engagement, which I recently re-watched. Although all of Jeunet's films share the same quirky vein, Amelie and A Very long Engagement were "prettier" and I love the use of colors in both movies. I'll definitely catch Micmacs A Tire-Larigot if it ever comes to Singapore, but I won't expect a beautifully shot piece, but more of a a grittier, darker quirky piece.

Check out L'Express for more film stills and on-set photos.

IFC's The 50 Greatest Trailers of All Time

I'm a huge fan of trailers. Looooove trailers because it's a big tease for what's coming. A trailer makes or breaks a movie. In my opinion, people who make good movie trailers are some of the best film editors around.

I totally loving IFC's collection of Top 50 Greatest Trailers of All Time - the best part is, they actually break down why and what makes these trailers so classics.

New Trailer: Amelia

Mira Nair is back! Mira Nair is an amazing director, one of the few filmmakers who has the ability to show complicated and controversial issues through simple yet beautiful storytelling on film.

I've heard about Amelia some time back but I completely forgot about it until now! A biopic about female pilot and pioneer Amelia Earheart, it stars Hillary Swank, Ewan McGregor (yay!) and Richard Gere. Scheduled for a October 2009 opening in the US, I'm hoping that this is "big budget" enough to come to our shores.

As a kid, I remember getting goosebumps reading about Amelia Earheart. Something about her disappearance during her flight around the world just didn't seem right. I loved Monsoon Wedding and Vanity Fair, and I have feeling it's because both films had strong female lead characters, and I'm hoping Amelia will be in the same spirit. I'm hoping the movie will be much better than the trailer, which felt like a run-of-the-mill Hollywood fare. And, there's not enough Ewan in the trailer! Keeping my fingers crossed.

Slightly unrelated, but apparently Mira Nair's has a short in New York, I Love You, the big apple's version of Paris, Je t'aime.

Rest in peace, Michael.

It's scary what can happen between the time you go to bed and when you wake up. The last thing I read before heading to bed was a tweet, "RIP Farrah Fawcett." It came as a minor shock, although I knew she fighting cancer for some time. The only thing I knew abotu Fawcett is that she used to be the Jennifer Aniston of hair back in her Charlie's Angels day, so I shrugged her death off.

At 9:00am the next morning, my boyfriend Zhuang wakes me up to tell me that Michael Jackson had passed away. And in my groggy, barely awake state, I responded the same way I would every time he tells me things like this, "Don't lie, that's not true!" For some random, unknown reason, Zhuang seems to messenger for news on shocking celebrity deaths. Last year, it was Heath Ledger (which I completely disbelieved) and now, Michael Jackson.

According to reports, Michael had a cardiac arrest and they failed to resuscitate him when he was brought to the hospital. Apparently he was rehearsing till late the night before at Staples Center for his new tour. It's strange when someone who's that influential and known the world over passes away. Michael Jackson was more than an amazing musician, e was a pop culture icon. He was the Elvis of our time. His music, made decades ago, still never ceases to amaze me, and millions of others today.

The world will remember Michael because of his music. For me...

• I remember that We Are The World was my first song from Michael


• I remember being freaked out by the Thriller video as a kid and having nightmares of the zombies crawling out of their graves and dancing away


• I remember my cousin showing off his best moonwalk


• I remember watching Beat It and Bad and thinking to myself, "that's baaaaad ass."


• I remember being in awe of 45 degree pose in Smooth Criminal and trying to figure how how they did the face fade in Black or White


• I remember begging my dad to buy me the Dangerous album


• I remember the pre-CD and internet days where I would fast forward and rewind the cassette to learn the lyrics to Heal The World


• I remember choreographing a dance routine to Remember the Time, just because the video was hella cool


• I remember learning to play You Are Not Alone on the piano


• I remember trying to hunt down the full 38-min version of the Ghosts video


• I remember Boyzone's cover of Ben (which I later found out was about his pet rat, eww!) and David Cook's version of Billie Jean


• I will remember the white-socks wearing, crotch-grabbing, Shiny-Gloved One.

Regardless of the controversies, there will only be one Michael Jackson, and I'm glad that he lived, danced and sang in my lifetime.

For some reason, most of Michael Jackson's videos on YouTube have disabled the embedding feature, so click on the links above to check them out - well worth the watch, considering that there are full versions.

Take me to the movies!

THE BROTHERS BLOOM
Finally! 3 weeks after The Brothers Bloom opened in Malaysia, it's finally here in Singapore! Yay! If I had to describe The Brothers Blooms in 4 words: eccentric, quirky, witty and explosive (in a non-Michael Bay kind of way)! Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are con artists and brothers who are trying to con Penelope Stamp, a lonely heiress played by Rachel Weisz. In the trailer, Weisz has one of the best lines I've heard ever. When Brody asked what she does for a living, her response, "I collect hobbies." Woohoo.

So, together with Bang Bang, an explosives expert played Rinko Kikuchi from Babel and The Belgian, both Brody and Ruffalo carry out the con. But here's the kicker (slightly predictable), both brothers start to fall for Weisz' charm and thing start to fall apart, so the question is, are they being conned instead by Weisz's character? By the way, can someone please tell me what's the role of The Belgian? Like is it code for something?

Check out The Brothers Bloom trailer.

Aud Approved: It's a smart movie, so avoid at all costs if you don't have half a brain and typically ask a lot of questions during "complicated" movies (idiots!). Otherwise, definitely a must-watch! And, it's directed by Rian Johnson, who also did the high school noir Brick which I absolutely loved! Only tricky part for Singaporeans is that it's only screening at GV Cinema Europa, so you'll have to hike over to Vivocity to catch it, and trust me, it's worth it.


TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
Regardless of what the critics are saying, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is worth watching. It's what a summer movie should be - a loud, entertaining, exciting roller-coaster ride of a movie for a big rowdy bunch of friends, with a storyline for those who didn't like the first Transformer movie and more (a lot more!) robots for those who didn't get enough of Autobots and Decepticons the first time round.

I saw Transformers: ROTF earlier this week and my first reaction was - "too much storyline, not enough cool robot transforming sounds." I appreciate the background story and how Michael Bay tried to build on the plot from the first movie but it got to point as I was watching the movie that I just didn't care about the storyline anyway, all I wanted was more robots! That said, I would definitely watch it again - wonder if anyone has an unwanted invite to a free screening lying around? Hmm. And what I would give to watch it in IMAX! Wooohooo.

My gripes - disclaimer is that I'm a girl and I honestly don't see a single hot bone in Megan Fox - there were countless unnecessary scenes of Megan Fox in tight shorts, tight pants and tighter tops. I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt that she's a better actor than what's on screen for Transformers: ROTF but throughout the entire movie, I felt that Megan Fox was doing her best impression of Paris Hilton, I was waiting for her to turn around and say, "That's hot." For those who are interested, the official Transformers web site has some cool wallpaper for your desktop, and guess what? The ones with Megan Fox conveniently have her running with her body arched toward the screen, i.e. best position for boobage. I can see the millions of boys out there wishing that the wallpapers are GIF files.

This paragraph contains spoilers, so skip it if you haven't seen the movie. I'm a total geek - I cried when Optimus Prime died, and I was on the edge of seat half the time hoping that Bumblebee doesn't die - so yes, I'm soppy that way.

Honestly though, I think Michael Bay did a decent job, and it probably helped to have Steven Spielberg as an executive producer. And this coming from someone who fell asleep watching Bad Boys and thought Pearl Harbor was utter rubbish, is saying a lot.

Aud Approved: If you have qualms about whether or not you want to watch Transformers: ROTF, don't be a cheapskate and go watch it at the cinemas because the giant screen with the surround sound is the ONLY way to enjoy it. And honestly, who doesn't like super cool transforming robots? And yes, that includes Megan Fox. *sticks tongue out*

New Trailer: The Box

Going by the trailer, The Box by Richard Kelly looks promising. I had high hopes on Kelly after Donnie Darko, but Southland Tales was soooo miserably bad. It was one of those movies which you can't wait to end, but you can't stop midway because you feel that you've already been cheated of an hour of your life, so why not stay till the end. So I'm hoping that The Box will deliver.

The Box gives me a Twilight Zone vibe, with James Marsden and Cameron Diaz as a young couple who's trying to make ends meet. One day, they receive a box with a button. An offer is made to them - if you push the button, someone that they don't know, somewhere around in the world will die, and in return, they get a million dollars. The movie sees the couple in a moral dilemma, and strange things start to fall in place.

I would push the button - would you?

Ed Westwick in GQ: Drool!

This is completely gratuitous but I'm hooked on Gossip Girl. It's the closest thing to a replacement since Sex and the City ended its run. Besides the fabulous fashion on Gossip Girl, another drool-worthy reason to watch Gossip Girl is Ed Westwick who plays Chuck Bass, playboy millionaire.

We all have our favorite TV "bad boy" - from Johnny Depp in 21 Jump Street, Luke Perry in Beverly Hills 90210, Joshua Jackson in Dawson's Creek and now, CHUCK BASS! Woohoo. Ed Westwick is smokin' sizzling hot. To top it off, he sings (he's the frontman for indie rock band The Filthy Youth) and he has a British accent! Swoon.

Ed was recently featured in GQ Magazine, July issue - besides the two top shots here, go buy your very own copy of GQ (it's worth it!) or head over to JustJared for a small selection. Snaps to my ever efficient Alex who emailed me scanned copies of heaven, ahem, Ed's fall fashion spread in GQ.

Ed is officially replacing Jude Law on my very short to-do list. Hahaha. Bye Jude, cheating, a receding hairline and a mustache in Sherlock Holmes will get you nowhere.

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland: Weird & Wonderful Photos!

Gorgeous! Dark! Johnny Depp maddder than ever! Another movie that I'm extremely excited about, even if I have to wait 9 months (movie targeted for March 2010 release) for is Tim Burton's version of the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice in Wonderland.

From /Film (my all-time favorite movie web site!), check out the new photos from Tim Burton's imagination, with Depp looking delicious, Helena Bonham-Carter looking weird as usual and Anne Hathaway looking like herself but with white paint. Slightly disappointed with Hathaway as the White Queen - would have expected someone a tad more eccentric, like a female version of Emile Hirsch or James Franco.

I'm loving the imagery, especially of Tweedledee and Tweededum, who look like oversized porcelain dolls. And I don't what it is about the White Rabbit, but a human-size rabbit in coat tails have always given me the creeps.

Pics below, but head over to USA Today to check out the images in high-res and you can even scroll around to see more details - definitely worth it.

Updated: Bruno's World Tour

Thought this would be a fun compilation of Bruno's (Sasha Baron Cohen) appearances as he hops from country to country for the movie's premiere. Wonder if he'll show up as a leprechaun in Ireland? Now what would he show up as if he actually attended a premiere screening in Singapore?

Germany


London
Doesn't he look strangely like Zachary Quinto in this pic?




Spain


Amsterdam


Paris


Source: Reuters, Getty Images

Take Me To The Movies!

There's nothing to watch this weekend in Singapore cinemas! Eeeeeeeks.

The only 2 "new" movies are I Love You, Man with Paul Rudd and the not-so-funny Jason Segel and Russell Crowe/Rachel McAdams/Ben Affleck's conspiracy whistle-blowing drama State of Play.

I Love You, Man
This actually looks quite decent from the trailer, but I guess I've just seen so many average movies that my brain is screaming out loud - no more, no more! So even though the IMDB rating is 7.8 / 10, I'll likely give this a miss unless I get dead bored on Sunday afternoon. And it's Paul Rudd, I find it rather strange that he's been doing a helluva lot of comedy lately, coz when I see Paul Rudd, I think of dreamy eyes in Clueless! And honestly, Jason Segel (from Forgetting Sarah Marshall) isn't that funny. If you have to, download.

State of Play
Murder, politics, cover-ups, let's-blow-the-whistle-&-break-the-story-on-the-front-page movies aren't really my thing. It's a pity though, coz Rachel McAdams is in it. And in my opinion, Ben Affleck can't act, the acting genes definitely went to Casey. The last movie I saw with Ben Affleck in it was Daredevil (I can't believe I'm admitting this) and I intend to keep it that way.

Aud Approved: Nothing this week! Stay home and watch your DVDs or your downloaded stuff! On my list - So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 and Harper's Island!

Grey's Anatomy Season 6 Spoilers!

So could this be true? Izzie in, George out? It sure looks like it!

Quick recap! Season 5 had a nail-biting cliffhanger ending (I gave it four OMGs!) where we find out that George O'Malley (T.R. Knight) is the John Doe who was in the bus accident (007 people!) and Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) crashes from her cancer treatment. So enter dream-like sequence where Izzie walks into an elevator in her prom dress. Elevator door opens and we see George on the other size of the door, in his military uniform and his head shaved (hot!). Cut back to Izzie, then back to George, then back to Izzie. So here's the kicker - this is how Season 5 ends! Gasp gasp.

It's been bugging me since I saw the finale, and personally I rather see George stay and Izzie go, but honestly, looking at the story line, George is going. And apparently, that's what it looks like. According to PerezHilton.com, T.R. has been let off his Grey's Anatomy contract and is heading to Broadway. E! says that "sources" confirm that Katherine Heigl "will be back" but ABC and Heigl's reps are keeping mum.

I just re-watched the last 5 minutes and it gave me gooosebumps! Check it out below, you know you want to. Psst, I think they left easter eggs in the last scene. I just realized that for a split second, Izzie hesitates! And my fellow Grey's Anatomy looney Fenix points out a very good point - we see Izzie in her past (the prom dress is the one she wore to meet Denny) but we see George in his future, he's moved on and in his mind, he's ready to join the army. Sobs!

The Time Traveler's Wife: New Poster!

Finally - new poster from The Time Traveler's Wife! It's not much but so glad to see more stuff from this movie. I can't pinpoint why I'm excited about The Time Traveler's Wife, but I am! Hate Eric Bana (wrote him off from Hulk) but absolutely love Rachel McAdams! Such a beautiful, talented young actor.

I could only figure out 2 reasons:

• I'm a big fan of love stories that involve time traveling (except The Time Machine with Guy Pearce). Ok, fine - it's a niche genre but I adored The Lake House. I liked it so much, I even watched Il Mare, the original Korean version which The Lake House was based on.


UPDATE: Corrected by boyfriend, technically there was no time traveling involved in The Lake House or Il Mare, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock's characters just lived in separate points in time and only their messages "traveled" through time. Boyfriend also notes that Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain and Hou Hsiao-hsien's Three Times both fall in the time traveling love story genre. I'm going to disagree with him on Three Times and I vaguely remember The Fountain, so I'm rewatching it - yay!


• I'm attracted to love stories that may not have a happy ending. Baz Luhrman's Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood for Love. With pain & sadness, love comes across as a much stronger emotion that the stuff you see on Valentine's Day.

Chan-Wook Park's Thirst Red Band Trailer

If you've seen Old Boy and the Sympathy for Lady Vengence series, Chan-wook Park needs no introduction. And if you've never seen a Korean movie (honestly, Korean dramas with bad hair & makeup & clothes from the 80s don't count), then you're missing out!

Check out the red band trailer for Thirst, Park's new movie, I'm hesitant to label it horror because then you'll expect your typical Korean horror movie with creepy, pale looking women and extremely slow shots, and there's an expectation to be scared. Chan-wook Park is not your typical horror film director. If you've seen Park's previous films, it's more like a mind fuck, his movies take you to dark, dark places that you've never thought existed. But all done tastefully and beautifully shot.

Thirst tells the story of a priest who is accidentally transformed into a vampire when he dies from a medical experiment, and receives a blood transfusion that turns him into a vampire.



Ooo, also - apparently when the original poster came out in Korea, it was considered too sexual and had to be pulled and replaced with a slightly toned down version, which is also the version that we'll likely see internationally. I prefer the original poster, way more interesting. What do you think?

Thirst Poster - original version


Thirst Poster - Likely the version that we'll see for international releases

In Case You Missed This: GQ Interviews Bruno

Can't wait, can't wait for Bruno! Woohoo. Bruno was my favorite character on the Ali G Show, after Ali G of course. GQ magazine had a Q&A with Bruno and it's hilarious, totally in character! Oh, did I also mention that Bruno is nude on the cover? Muahaha - wonder if they'll have this GQ cover on sale in Singapore - I can totally imagine the faces of the cashiers at Borders/Kinos or the Indian/Chinese uncle at the corner magazine store - "Uncle, do you have this month's GQ? The one with Bruno naked on the cover?"

My favorite Q&A from Bruno below. Here's the full interview at GQ.com.

Social & political commentary with a giant dose of ironic humor. Did I say I can't wait? Bruno is out July 10 in the US, peeps in Singapore will only have Bruno one month later (gasp!) on August 20. Sigh - SLOW.

Dear Brüno, where should I be putting my iPhone? The wife says the belt clip is totally out, But it looks like a tuna sandwich in my pocket. Anyplace else?
Vhat ein stupid question. Keep it in your assistant’s pocket, obwiously.

Dear Brüno, how would you define “Obama style”?
Firstly, ich vant to say zat I find Obama an inspiration—it gives me great hope zat, after years of struggle, someone can at last get to ze White House, despite being incredibly hot. On ze other hand, it’s slightly disappointing that he needed zat beard, Michelle, to help him—but vone shtep at a time. In terms of his style, he perfectly bridges Serious und Sexy...Oval Office und Oval Orifice.

Dear Brüno, who are the other best-dressed world leaders of all time?
JFK. Obama. Castro. Timberlake.

Dear Brüno, what do you sleep in?
In reality, ich sleep in a seaweed body wrap under a Zac Posen Navy-Cut Nightshirt. In mein dreams, ich sleep naked in a giant reed basket drifting slowly down ze Nile, cradled in ze arms of Daniel Radcliffe.

Dear Brüno, is it okay to “manscape” down there?
It’s more zan okay; it is most essential. Be careful if you do it yourself, though—yesterday ich tried to self-wax mein arschenhaller und glued meinself to ze bed. Manscaping ist important, but not as crucial as getting regular anal bleaching. If Brüno didn’t get his schmutziger arschenhaller bleached twice a month, his shtinker vould resemble Dizzy Gillespie during a trumpet solo. In Austria anal bleaching ist considered so important zat it’s paid for by ze state. In fact, you cannot run for office if you don’t have a vhite arschwitz. Indeed, ex-chancellor Kurt Waldheim vas elected on ze back of a prishtine anus. Zere are added benefits to getting ze bleaching—on my last session, mein beautician, Klaus, found ze long-lost head of a David Beckham action figure up zere.

The Wild Things: New Novel Based on Sendak's Short Story & Jonze's Movie

Where the Wild Things Are is another movie that I'm really looking forward to - the trailer is mesmerizing and I love the idea of how children can easily "escape" from the world through their imagination. And partly, I'm big on sadness in movies/book when the child realizes that he has to grow up, leaving his childhood behind and there's no turning back (see Finding Neverland and To Kill A Mockingbird). Love the furry wild monsters and I'm a big fan of all things weird. The movie, directed by Spike Jonze (director of Adaption and Being John Malkovich) is based on children's illustrated book by Maurice Sendak. Movie is supposed to be out in Oct 2009.

According to /Film, there's a novel titled "The Wild Things" by Dave Eggers that's based on both Sendak's book and Jonze's new movie. Eggers co-wrote the movie's screenplay with Jonze. Amazon.com is open for pre-orders now for August delivery and there's even a fur-covered edition! So cute! It's an interesting concept, a novel that's based on a picture book and a movie - wonder if there are others like it?

Check out the Where the Wild Things Are movie trailer at Apple Movie Trailers.

Cover of The Wild Things novel
Poster of Where the Wild Things Are movie

Thundercats Trailer (Fan-Made): How many movies can you name?

I'm totally showing my age with this fan-made Thundercats trailer. Can someone please re-make Thundercats soon? Pretty, pretty please? So I can geek out and go to a screening with my Sword of Omens - haha, now that's a sight.

How many separate movies can you spot from the trailer? Extra points if you can name the actor too! My guesses after the trailer.



My guesses:

• Lion-O -Brad Pitt in Troy


• Panthro - Vin Diesel in The Chronicles of Riddick or Pitch Black (Need to re-watch the 2 movies to tell)


• Cheetara - Halle Berry in Catwoman (Ewwwww!)


• Tygra - Hugh Jackman in X-Men Origins: Wolverine


• Snarf - Garfield


• Wily Kit & Wily Kat - Sky Kids

I also spot scenes Spy Kids and Stargate. Can't tell who "plays" Jaga, Snarf, Mumm-Ra and his henchmen. Apparently there are also scenes from Mortal Kombat, Aliens and India Jones but I don't see it! Darn.

Repo! The Genetic Opera: Fishnets, spinals cords and one good song?

I've been meaning to watch Repo! The Genetic Opera for some time, and thanks to Alex (yay pirates!), I finally did tonight!

It's definitely not a movie for everyone, but if you like OTT musicals with good rock music and singers, go watch We Will Rock You on stage. Haha, just kidding. I think the intention for Repo! was good, but somehow along the way, the musical became too ambitious and slightly out of control. I was going to write it off when I found out that Paris Hilton was in it, but I changed my mind after seeing a few scenes from the movie. There are definitely scenes that were over-sung and lyrics that make you groan, but I can't seem to get this one song out of my head - Zydrate Anatomy. Tempted to put it as my iPhone ringtone for the next couple of days. Check out the song below, with stills from the genetic opera.

So should you give this a go? To be safe, I would say no, unless you know what you're getting into. Oh, if you're squeamish, definitely a no (the director Darren Lynn Bousman also did Saw II, III and IV). But give it a go if you have about an hour and half to kill, it's a weird trip. Repo! made me miss my fishnets and there's an actor credited as Ogre in the movie (which I later found out is actually Nivek Ogre who apparently is a vocalist for a band called Skinny Puppy).

"Zydrate comes in a little glass vial, a little glass vial, a little glass vial...Grave robber, grave robber..."

Moon: Can't wait for this to open in Singapore

Moon is opening in New York and Los Angeles this weekend, and there's a web site with a whole list of US cities where the movie will be screening soon. Wonder if they will start updating it with international release dates?

I bet Moon will get a limited opening in Singapore, if it does at all. But the movie looks good, it seems to channel 2001: A Space Odyssey.

New Trailer: The Time Traveler's Wife with Rachel McAdams & Eric Bana

Finally! I blogged about this August last year and was looking forward to it

It's an interesting way to look at a relationship, what happens when one partner's not always there, and it's out of his control? Or is it?

What's it about: A man (Eric Bana) who has a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel involuntarily. He meets his wife (Rachel McAdams) through different points in their lives together, and we see how his constant absence affects their relationship.

Slated for US release in August 2009, but no sign of a Singapore release yet - sobs!

Can't figure out how to embed the Yahoo! movie trailer, so click through on link below: The Time Traveler's Wife trailer

Creation: Charles Darwin Biopic with Paul Bettany

Trailer for Creation, a biopic on Charles Darwin, with Betanny playing Darwin, battling his faith in God and his theory of evolution. I like Paul Bettany, he's an actor's actor - always the character before the actor.

Found this on FirstShowing, and I loved how they described the film which opens in UK in Sept 2009: "Part ghost story, part psychological thriller, part heart-wrenching love story..."

Check out the Creation web site creationthemovie.com for more details - could be the scrapbooker in me, but I love how they used tags as the nav visual for the web site.

Take me to the movies!

UPDATE: Drag Me To Hell is definitely worth watching, Raimi is the master of comedic horror. People were laughing their heads off in the cinema I was in, but I have to say, there were some shock scary moments, but always followed by some cheesy, laugh-out-loud scene after.


DRAG ME TO HELL
It'll be a tough fight between me and Zhuang, as I'm 100% certain he wants to watch Sam Raimi's Drag Me To Hell. I'm hoping he'll forget to buy tickets today and they'll be all out - muahaha. As un-scary as the trailer looks, reviews have been surprisingly positive. Sam Raimi's been on my to-avoid list as I can't stand Spiderman as a superhero or a movie (I'm not going to start on the bad casting - Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker? Come on! And the only bright sparks in the Spiderman series - James Franco & Willem Dafoe - barely had any air time). But I have to say, the first time I saw Evil Dead, I was freaked out, and I'm a sucker for OTT cheesiness. Critics are saying that Drag Me To Hell possibly marks Raimi's return to his Evil Dead glory. What's it about - girl wants to get promoted at work, pisses off a Eastern European sounding bag lady, gets cursed through her jacket button, girl tries to convince her boyfriend played by Justin "I'm-a-Mac" Long that she's curse, enter witch doctor with scary voice who tries to help girl get rid of curse.

Aud Approved: It's a good date movie if you have a scaredy-cat partner who plans to watch the movie through her palm, just make sure she doesn't have long nails.


THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123
I'm a Travolta fan, and have been one since his Grease days (yes, I know the lyrics to Summer Nights) and I will watch Travolta in almost anything. If you need proof, I saw him in Wild Hogs and chances are, if I'm bored enough, I might even watch his horrendous new Disney movie with Kelly Preston & Robin Williams - see trailer for Old Dogs. Same director as Wild Hogs (with Wild Hogs 2 in production - groan). Pelham 123 is a remake of a 1974 movie of the same name, Travolta leads a gang of men who are hijacking a NYC subway train and Denzel Washington plays dispatcher-turn-negotiator. Denzel's been sort of a hit & miss in his past few movies, but he's a good actor that doesn't disappoint. Generally, I don't like movies that have a single set (read: subway train and dispatcher booth, possibly some running around train stations) but with the sad selection of movies in theaters in Singapore, one can't be too picky. Random, but I prefer the poster from the 1974 version better.

Aud Approved: Good movie for bunch of guy friends (with or without your girlfriends) looking to hang out. Unless of course, you're one of those guys who hold their girlsfriend's Juicy Couture handbag proudly - then you're probably better off staying pussy-whipped and watch Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.


OTHER MOVIES SHOWING THIS WEEKEND

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past: Download. Seriously, how many romantic comedies can you watch with Matthew McConaughey before you get bored? 1.

Land of the Lost: Go watch it if you're: a) High or drunk b) Will Ferrell fan. Apparently it's completely random, utterly nonsensical and just plain bizarre - and of course, with a huge serving of mindless slapstick humor. Don't get me wrong, Will Ferrell's a funny, funny man in the right movies but sometimes, he just doesn't hit the spot.

True Blood is back y'all!

Woohoo - True Blood Season 2 is back - June 14! Loved the cliffhanger from Season 1, can't wait to see what's in store. Who's the strange lady that takes Tara in? What are her real intentions and how does she know Sam? Will Sookie be turned into a vampire?

Was tempted to start reading the Sookie Stackhouse series when I was done with Season 1, but was doing some reaching and apparently the TV series deviates quite a lot from the books. And Anna Paquin rocks, so I'll stick to the HBO series for now.

If you can't wait and don't mind spoilers, check out the extremely brief synopsis from TV.com

Download, download, download!

New Trailers, including Scorsese's Shutter Island!

Must-See!
Shutter Island: Looks amazing! I love Leo and Scorsese but wasn't excited at all when I heard the premise of the new movie (Two U.S. marshals investigate a disappearance in an asylum on an isolated island), but damn, the trailer completely changed my mind. Definitely on my must-see list now, although there are scenes that look like it could turn out to be a bad horror movie under the wrong hands, I trust Scorsese.



Maybe, Baby:
Seraphine: French award-winner film based on a story of a housekeeper turned artist, inspired/guided by a higher power to create art. I'm not an art person, and highly doubt this will come to Singapore, so will likely pass on this.

Special Interest Documentaries:
Unmistaken Child: Devoted disciple of the Dalai Lama goes in search of the reincarnation of a Tibetan master.

The End of the Line: "The Inconvenient Truth" of over-fishing.

For some strange reason, all the movies below seem to come from a genre that I can't stand:
Surveillance: Slasher film disguised as a crime thriller. Wow, Bill Pullman has not aged well since his "While You Were Sleeping" days. Convoluted story line with junkie parents, a little girl who knows too much, some drunk cops and murder(s).

The Road: I'm not a fan of end of day movies or of Viggo Mortensen. My boyfriend was reading the book of the same name (from Cormac McCarthy) and he was bored because I quote, "nothing happens." If the trailer is anything to by, it's going to be subpar.

Fifty Dead Men Walking: Jim Sturgess, Ben Kingsley with hair, IRA, British spies, based on a true story - I'm not even going to try.

The Answer Man: Mid-life love story. 'Nuff said. Failed self-help guide writer meets chiropracter, falls in love, finds himself. Yada, yada. I'm sooo not their target audience.

Forget it:
Not Forgotten: Lame mumbo jumbo combined with Z-list actors. It was so bad I couldn't even finish the trailer.

Confessions of a Slightly De-Cluttered Mind

I'm almost certain "de-clutter" is not a word, but heck.

It's been ages since I've blogged, and for a while, I honestly felt that it wasn't for me anymore. Only to realize that I really miss having a space to vent, but my "lifestyle" for the past two years was definitely not blogger-friendly. For the uninitiated, I have quit my job at Hill & Knowlton. After 2 years, 1 month and 26 days, I've finally took the leap and did what I've always told people to do -- if you don't like your job, just quit. It's a scary thought, but I'm glad I did it.

I'm at a strange place right now. I'm content and in the present. It's weird to say this, but I've never been here before. It's like discovering a whole new part of my emotions that I never really gave time or thought to. All my life, it's been go, go, go! From high school to university to work, I've always looked ahead and raring to move on. I know that there are important people in my life that may not understand my decision to quit, especially in this market and with no job waiting, but I need a break. I need to be honest with myself and I'm hoping to try something different. Whatever it is that I move on to, I want it to be closer to something that I'm honestly interested in, rather than pursuing a job simply because I know that I have the skills for it and forsaking my interests. I'm tired of looking forward to weekends, to the end of the work day, and simply loathe going to bed on Sunday night because waking up would mean having to start the work week all over again.

So what next? I have a general direction of where I'm headed and I guess there's no better place to start than here. I'm going to try to blog again. My attempt this time will have more focus -- looking into movieland. But of course, every now and then you'll have posts about completely random things, but hey, it'll always be me.

PS: If you're in the movie studio / film industry and looking for someone who's willing to give everything up to do film publicity/marketing/promotion - you know where to find me!