Lightsabers and Fanfare

Are you working or are you saja datang(just come)...I asked a sith...I saja datang. Ning Baizura was equally entralled by the man...I decided to take a picture with him...it's not everyday you have a picture with a Sith Lord...I asked him if he wants his face seen...he said to me...sith lord dwell in mystery and darkness...oh well suits him...in the cinema, lightsabers are waving in the air to much cheer and fanfare...if you haven't guessed it...I am watching Star Wars III : Revenge of the Sith.


A REVIEW
Irrespective of whatever whomsoever says of the movie Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith, it will command a big and eager crowd; some who are even bedroom Jedi with battery operated light sabers. I am no huge fan of the star wars franchise but I like movies as a whole and that in itself already got me all going, psyche up to get myself into one of its first screenings in Malaysia on the 18th May 2005, opening day. Having successfully done so, I sit and await with anticipation. As the screen turns black, I can already hear the theme playing in my head, it had already etched itself in stone at the back of my mind.

As usual the movie opens with a short summary on the recent happenings of the force, placing the audience well into the hot seat of a political intrigue and quickly making them cinema chair politicians of sorts engulfing the movie as some urgent matter at hand. Having already establishing a core by which to work, the movie immediately goes for the million dollar shot with a fleet of spacecrafts in battle peppered with explosions and a roller coaster of a camera. However, under these eyeballing attractions there is still an emphasis to tell a story. I have heard remarks from some fans that Sith has a lousy story but I think that remark just undermines its clever modesty of having an unclouded and uncontrived underlying story. Afterall, the movie having already a predestined end has the allure of all prequels, seeing how things unraveled and slowly mount up to become what they are, gives a strange satisfaction that comes with deconstructing and reconstructing anything. Done intensely but quick with just enough consideration for plot and pace, I have no complains.

I did feel that George, seeing this is the last of the six films (unless he changes his mind and do the next three sequels) began to be more playful at heart giving the robots wounded moans that’s sounded like it came from a children rendition of death in a play. I laughed heartily when 3CPO got kicked like a trash can. Adding to this, there was also a lizard beast that was so cute! These elements may seem corny to some but hey, George and frequent collaborator Spielberg’s (he’s not on this film) aim was always to make Sunday matinees.

The acting. A mix between the outrages and the serious the acting is…and that’s not something easy to pull off. Imagine having dress like a Jedi holding a lightsaber and being an actor…it isn’t easy to bring the world of star wars alive because it’s neither comedy nor noir whereby the actor can just veer right over and be either extreme. It’s a costume drama sitting on the fence and the fact that dialogue comes off the screen with enough integrity as the actors donned wondrously outlandish costume living in a land of make believe is an achievement.

The visuals of this film are far more intimate with closer static camera angles that often over shoulders without much camera drift or really wide vista shots. The colours are also very much muted down with a smaller palette being used. (Another reason for the muted colours could be attributed to the fact that this film was shot on Hi-Definition Video and transferred to film for the print that I saw. Could have sparkled more digitally)This isn’t necessarily bad but it does make the film feel much less epical in scale for me.

All in all, Stars Wars: Revenge of the Sith is an enjoyable watch as you immerse in the wondrously vivid world of George and follow it’s political intrigue with knights and light sabers out to risk all for the nation or should I say Republic. As I got out of the cinema the queue for the next screening is testimonial to its following and draw… irrespective of whatever whomsoever says of the movie.

Linus Chung

Froggy smile!

apologies for the vainity but I like this picture from an interview I had online. for the interview check out http://www.sarawakfilmsociety.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=76&Itemid=51

the cornily happy cast and crew..."When I was a kid, a book I read advised young artists to be themselves. That decided it for me. I was a corny kind of guy, so I went in for corn." - Walt Disney

smile yourself a happy day...

Expression or Depression

Yesterday I was in my car alone on the way to watch the star wars premiere when caught in a moment of sudden bliss I was singing to beribu bintang loudly and flailing my hands all over the place while waiting a red traffic light.Suddenly I looked over and there was this lady starring right at me with this look of amusement and disbelief like is this guy insane? is he allowed to drive? but seriously what's wrong with this picture?

I feel everybody is walking too straight nowadays...I really do. Aside from moments when people let loose and get down in discos I often find that people generally walk the same, talk the same and don't express anymore...it is often said that we grow up and forget our childhood dreams, losing our childish innocence in a manner of growing up...but I think sometimes it's decidedly loss by ourselves not wanting to be a fools or wanting to strangely be atypical and voluntarilly fitting in to society's norms...

This weird stiffling tendencies could also be attributed to the city lifestyle that pigeon hole us into organised, scheduled being and utterly overly stiff individuals.I feel sick to my stomach when I see the lift lobby of my apartment at about 7pm everyday...you have a bunch of zombie like people with a sad look, a shoulder droop composure and an overall depressed aura...a smile, a skip and a hug could make everyone so much happier but it doesn't happen...sometimes on occasions there is a sparkle of hope with a small smile between friends or a baby is there and an auntie is making faces but it ussually doesn't ignites...

I am going to star wars...why do we enjoy so much the cinema, a play, a song or art? ...well I think because only in an expression and when we have an expression or when we are privy to an expression do we finally embrace the perhaps intrinsic nature which we have inside as God's beings to celebrate life and thus we feel happier.

Today, fashion trends ecetera sells us happiness in desires but what I feel is that true happiness lies in being expressive... I was thinking of the word that oppose expressive for the title of this blog...non-expressive, mundane and then it hit me...depressive could be the reverse of expressive...so we should all just be expressive. If not alot, sing a little, dance a little, smile a little and see what joys you can paint into your heart with this little bits of expression...

Off to blow bubbles!

Linus

In the pictures above I am suppossedly a bad singer somewhat like a william hung character but with the haircut etc, someone said to me...you look more like rachel lee cook in She's All That...if that's true...freaky!

No internet : (

my internet's down....to those who pop by...thanks alot...will be back posting shortly after I ammend my 'connection' problem.

Froggie tank About a week ago...i bought a new little froggie for my tank.It's a clawed frog and though it sounds ferocious it's actually a very reserved water frog that just waddles around...
At only about an inch in size,I was initially a little worried about letting him run free in my frog tank with it's other inhabitants that could digest crickets its size but after some thought I decided that it should be relatively safe as my other specimens are tree frogs and peat frog which does not hunt in water and this little froggie only stays in water. I had great joy watching my frogs in the tank though it's a little annoying that frogs are largely nocturnal which means they sleep by day and wake by night which makes observation a little more difficult and the tank less interesting by day or when the lights are on.

Other than that I throughly enjoy my little biosphere of a tank with a little dry sand area for burrowing,a little shallow water where the frog could waddle and some open water for swimming.Watching frogs give me a great serenity and allows me for a moment to escape pollution both physical and emotional that comes with my city living...I encourage anyone to do the same and keep rather than eat froggies.

Symbol of Fashion and fucking Excitement?

A friend of mine recently provoked the following email which have been adjusted into a post cause it's relevant.

I think it's fun and okay for you to party...to live life while young...I wish I can have the time to experience it myself... but something disgust me about you /some of the teenagers .... I really think that one should not be wearing his/her crucifix when she/he is calling her/himself a slut or partying hard because it then becomes a fashion accessory...

Also, it's one thing to be having your 'vices' it's another altogether to have it while in full declaration of your faith and believes which totally oppose it...the difference being somewhat like fucking another guy quietly at your husband's back and strapping your husband down and fucking another guy in full view of him.

Let Jesus remain a symbol of Christ love and not a symbol of fashion and definitely don't mock him by having him there and crucifying all he stood for.Hence why I don't wear a cross though I m Catholic from birth...I am still waiting till I am ready.

Linus

something I took on the 1st April 2005...how time pass fast...just for fun!

Quick, who's the leng chai star in Vanilla Sky? Who's the director of a better tommorow? Who's the director of Jurassic Park? ...the answers? Tom Cruise, John Woo and Steven Spielberg.I think most of you will have gotten them right...but what if I ask you who's the gaffer? (person who does the lights) or the sound man? Today I photographed some of my friends who work in the film industry...not as flamboyant actors or hotshot 'chick-magnet' directors, but the often unheralded heroes behind the magic of it all...many of you have congratulated me on SEPET but two of these people also worked hard to realise that film...the other three also serve to bring you stuff like commercials, kopitiam, 3R, homecoming and Visits: the hungry ghost anthology. Please give a hand of applause to my good friends; Yoke who's was a camera assist and now a soundman, Eleanor Low the art director, Auntie Zai the makeup artist, Pitrine the production coordinator and Kamariah the production assistant! Auntie Zai has worked as makeup since I was 2 years old and she's the one who has worked on SEPET...other little foreign movies which bears her touches? Entrapment and Anna and the King! : P BRAVO!!!!!!!! Also buy Vida who deserves credit for greenlighting an article high-lighting these marvelous hidden gems!

On the 3rd of April 2004, Sunday, I had to have a haircut as I was going to play a nerdy fella in a commercial.I had to cut my hair after 8pm the day before my shoot...needless to saymy regular barbershop isn't open and so aren't a dozen or more others I had hoped to cut my hair...finally I found one that was and the poor stylist had to endure my grunts, groans and etcetera...

what to blog?

I don't know what to blog...as I do not want to be preachy going on and on with rhetorical ramblings....then there's self censorship...something very funny and embarassing happened to a friend but I can't blog about that as he may not like the news spread further than it already has..so I am here you guys but am figuring out what's worth saying before shooting my mouth off saying what amounts largely to nothing...reebit

Linus

picture from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3305285/?GT1=6428

The Pope has passed...

*the following may be religiously inclined and sensitive*

I’ve a many a post to put up today…there’s lots of things happening I want to share. But of all things I think I should put this up for this very day.

Today marks the passing of Pope John Paul II.

… I never know how to feel on such an occasion of death of a friend of a family or a stranger, much more that of a Pope. For one, I feel tremendous guilt for not having a lousier day or a gloomier day, one that I may offer up as my cross. I also feel that I should be at the church to offer my prayers for him today though I was not; being busy running around most of the day.

In the papers I see the crowds in the Vatican’s St. Peter Square and the masses with head bowed in solemn prayer, I wish in my heart like them I’d be…holy and united in prayer for a Pope, for a God, for a religion always there for me. But I am not there.

I am very selfish. For the little I’ve done, I want people to care. For the pope, only in his passing had I took notice and said I wish I’ve done more…. never have I actively followed in his agenda of uniting the people of the world and creating peace. Never have I gone beyond the promoting the idea beyond my friends, family or parishioners having to put my life at a limb or doing anything more difficult than lifting a finger. It’s that easy and ‘fashionable’ to say peace to all or forgiveness but how many of us actually go out and do it and how many of us actually still hold grudges even against small seemingly insignificant failings of our acquaintances.

For what I’ve done, I may as well be condemned…but it’s not too late…I am still alive and salvation is at hand if I’d only want and deserve it.

When I mentioned how I don’t know how to behave at the occasion of death, I am referring to an observation of mine where the deceased’s joint acquaintances take his death and subsequent wake as a reunion of sort and start talking loudly and drink gleefully…it’s funny cause to look at it in another manner, some of us are doing just that right now, going on with life as usual though the pope has passed. Please do pray for him and yourselves my friends.

P/s In hindsight it's so ironic that the previous post was mockingly about praying for me.

Pray for me...

I woke up with a big frown today,
I am terrified, petrified....in the mirror,
I saw something I can't wash away,
I had the face of a man in terror,
I contemplated 'what if there's an error'
I forced a smile but the frown chosed to stay,
I was facing the nightmare of nightmares afterall today.


I am going to the dentist today for a toothache...pray for me.

and since I am in a photo posting mood...here's more froggies!!!!!!

Malaysia Muhibah Network Ryze Malaysia!

A friend's dream come true...a birthday gathering of her friends...

...mockery is the other sincerest form of flattery...and for you stuck-up stupids at the censorshipboard board...this is a joke ok?