The reign of the RABBIT is drawing to an end.

It’s going to be a forgotten chapter.

You see it as a tiny, furry, harmless animal, but hey – don’t they ever tell you that never to judge any book by its cover?

Just look back over the past months and count the series of havoc.

On a happy note, it’s pure relief that the unpredictable RABBIT is bidding a fast retreat to make way for the majestic Dragon.

And it’s about time.

2011 had not been such a bumper year as the whole world is awaiting healing from the reeling.

Dipping economies, natural disasters and global poverty have seen different parallels, and are still unresolved issues.

‘Tis been a year where we should also be wary about making foreign connections.

Old wine has been proven better. And safer.

And did we read somewhere that we should all be celebrating endings, bitter or sweet.

Endings herald new beginnings.

Smart guru CARL BARD has the last word:

 ”Though no one can go back to make a decemt new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending.”

Lamenting over lost opportunities?

Don’t!

 Yeah, when one door closes, surely another door opens.

But indecisiveness may take too long over that closed door that we do not see the new ones which are open for us.

LIFE IS LIKE THIS.

We will always win some, then we lose some.

Essentially, the quality of our choices will determine the quality of our lives.

Right.

Here’s a vintage MTV which was produced one decade ago by Singapore Mediacorp.

Time has flown.

It’s great stuff.

Relish.

The following is a divine song that embraces the “little moments”.

It’s exhilaratingly breezy and will strike an emotional chord in you.

Let’s usher in the YEAR of the DRAGON with this feel-good hit of the past.

Yeah, every dream will do.

(Part 1 of 3)

“THE VIRAL FACTOR”《逆戰》MOVIE

PRESS PREVIEW 

Shot on a whopping budget of USD 17 million, “THE VIRAL FACTOR” has to be one stupendous production.

 It does not fail.

No expenses are spared in terms of foreign exotic locales as the story kicks off in Jordan, meanders temporarily to China, ultimately breaking at the Malaysian shores where the principal tale unfolds – leading to one adrenaline pumping meltdown.

With this multicultural potpourri, what we witness will be an awe-inspiring feast for the eyes and the ears.

Stay braced.

Hong Kong renowned action director DANTE LAM helms the colossal project with Asian A-listers:   JAY CHOU and NICHOLAS TSE.

The two actors star as an unlikely pair of siblings on opposite sides of the law. It’s an implosive human drama albeit emotive crime story, laced with unforgettable gritty characters. So hang on for the ride of your life.

Crafted as an electrifying action thriller with nerve-racking tension, DANTE LAM promises you value-for-money.

This Hong Kong film director is as good as his words.

JAY CHOU plays Jon, a dedicated International Disease Commission (IDC) operative who is responsible for leading this dangerous mission: he is escorting a scientist from Jordan to the Netherlands to develop an antidote for the dangerous viral factor – a biological weapon derived from mutating the small pox virus that poses a threat to the world.

Naturally there’s to be a “mole” within the Organisation, and  he is in the form of traitorous colleague Sean (ANDY ON) who eventually abducts the scientist after a violent shoot-out leaving a bullet lodged in Jon’s brain which needs to be extracted if he were to live.

His fiancee cum fellow agent Rita, however, is brutally slain.

Jon is given a few more months of his life, unless he gets the bullet dislodged, and he chooses to spend the remaining months with his mother.

Jon’s mother discloses a two-decade old family secret: that she had dumped Jon’s gambling father and an elder brother when he was barely a kid. They are both, currently residing in Kuala Lumpur.

She implores Jon to get them back.

Two estranged brothers.

One is a law enforcer, the other’s a hardened ruthless criminal.

NICHOLAS TSE is Yang – an embittered hard-core criminal who leads a life dancing the hide-and-seek game witih the law. He is a single dad and lives a seedy existence with his young daughter and a crippled gambling father who had since lost the use of one leg to shield him from harm’s way.

Life for him is bleak as he soon finds himself embroiled within a corrupt world that threatens to engulf him. His life is in peril when he strips the facade concealing the stark motive of his triad boss who hires him to kill a female scientist.

The pace is set as terse, tense and edgy.

 Now, throw in a deadly virus concoction that’s looming to destroy mankind if ever it’s unleashed in this world.

That’s the premise of the story, so it’s a relentless race against time to recover an antidote.

Everything in place, we’ve got the essential ingredients of Hong Kong Director DANTE LAM’s latest mind-blowing and explosively violent offering “THE VIRAL FACTOR” shot in the Middle East, China and Malaysia.

(Part 2 of 3)

What’s in Store when you watch this PULSE-POUNDING ACTION THRILLER:

-   ACTION is King, the cat-and-mouse chases are fast and furious.

You’ll cling to the edge of your seat as you watch ferocious pursuits among the police, the baddie and the underworld triads as they tear down the alley ways, the crowded streets, in the LRT foyer, in the train, aboard a freighter, in the helicopter, go on counting and there’ll be more.

-   Be bedazzled

by the fiery blasts from genuine military weaponry and army tanks in Jordan and in Kuala Lumpur you will be amazed by vehicles hurtling down from roof tops, cars crashing into monsoon drains and busy shopping centers. And of course, the never-ending explosions.

-   Tear jerking scenes are secondary and emotions are kept to a minimum, as with all DANTE LAM’s actioners.

-   NICHOLAS TSE shines in his role as a lawless hoodlum.

At film’s end, when he fires at his opponents, watch his steely expressions.  You witness a gamut of rage, pain, angst and frustration all rolled into one menacing, glazed stare.

An award-winning moment?

Perhaps.

Only time will tell.

(Part 3 of 3)

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

“Akimbo?  This ONE’S for the CAMERA!”

“BEST WISHES for the YEAR of the DRAGON!”

Here’s HOPING that “THE VIRAL FACTOR” will reap healthy BOX-OFFICE RETURNS around the world!

 ”My PLAN to DIRECT a new film is in the pipeline.

It will be a lovey-dovey story, surely.

And this LUNAR NEW YEAR, I am aiming to spend time with my family and loved ones.”

SMILE and the whole world SMILES with YOU.

The DIARY of LEARNINGS.

GOODBYE 2011.

We are sad to see you go amid the awesome fireworks …..

Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

HELLO 2012!

Radiant showers of colorful hues light up the darken skies.

Let’s pray for an upsurge in the GLOBAL ECONOMY and WORLD PEACE.

‘Tis going to be a SPLENDID YEAR!

Animal LOVE, whatever.

Sweet, divine LOVE. Aha …..

(BLAH) Here’s LOOKING at YOU, folks!

Yeah, finally, a brand new year 2012 has arrived at our doorstep.

New beginnings, new episodes, new adventures.

I am revisiting two of my old articles to extract the essences.

Come what may, irrespective of happiness, grief, joy or sorrow – never let go of this element called positivism.

We’ve sailed through many a stormy weather and we’re likely to hit the rut again.

Life and whatever it may bring is a journey of sorts, providing lessons along the way that we can learn, testing our confidences.

What about you?

In retrospective, you’ll look back in wonderment at yester year’s mistakes and wish that, if you had been wise enough, you’d never have made them.

12 new months are beckoning us round the corner as we push forward for glorious expectations.

Nothing comes from nothing, we will learn.

So we’ve to honestly promise ourselves to focus on planning and working hard.

Wistful dreaming will lead us nowhere.

No, it never could.

I write, therefore I am.

Without your unwavering support, I wouldn’t have headed this far.

It has been a long journey of learnings.

My profuse thanks to all of you, for the encouragements and well wishes.

TODAY our trudge begins with the first leaf.

In the following twelve months, there are a lot more paths to explore.

COME, let’s take a stroll down memory lane.

It’s gonna be one happy trek.

Writer CAROL PEARSON believes that ordinary people can lead extraordinary lives when she says:

“Heroes take journeys,

confront dragons,

and discover the treasure of their true selves.”

Do you?

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012, CHUM.

May the force be with you – always!

“THE DARKEST HOUR” PRESS PREVIEW

Aha, this is an alien flick.

Welcome aboard a journey of thrills, spills and run-for-your-life shoot-outs that will take you all the way to MOSCOW in order to experience this absurd apocalyptic adventure.

It’s a sci-fi to begin with, action-packed and crafted to bowl you over with its delivery of scares,

if not, then the sombre facade of the wicked Russian capital should do the trick.

Let’s pause for the preamble:

Young professionals Sean (Emile Hirsch) and Ben (Max Minghella) are two arrogant American software developers.

They fly to Moscow to pitch their new social networking computer program to a potential Russian investor, only to discover that their intellectual property rights have been deviously usurped by an unscrupulous Swedish collaborative counterpart Skyler (Joel Kinnaman).

The hapless duo head for the nearest pub to drown their sorrows, but as fate would have it, the power around the city suddenly goes out, and they espy a heavenly “on-off”  shower of glittering strange lights dancing in the sky.

The lights turn out to be the arrival of aliens that are invisible to the human naked eye and operate via electricity.

Sean and Ben seek refuge in the basement of a nightclub for several days along with a pair of pretty young tourists – American Natalie (Olivia Thirlby) and her Aussie pal Anne (Rachael Taylor).

The frightened group emerges from hiding to witness Moscow in tethers and ruins, with its inhabitants turned to dust.

Now they must band together to uncover other survivors and figure a way to combat the  gruesome alien invasion.

Once out in the open, they discover that mankind is almost eradicated, and the aliens are roaming freely throughout the badly battered city.

But these creatives are invisible, and the only clue to their presence is that all vehicles and lights automatically ignite whenever an alien passes by.

At the end of the film, they learn that there may be a safety catchment – a submarine is waiting in the Moscow River to transport all survivors back to their home countries.

This Reviewer sees the regular 35 mm presentation for the press members, so he is unable to comment on the 3D version.

Indeed “THE DARKEST HOUR” should reap better returns in the East where there can be a more appreciative audience.

It may not be as pulse-pounding as it should have been,

nor is it a heart-stopping horror Alien flick about creatures that loom and kill in the dark.

In addressing this film, we should share two schools of thought:

For those seeking light entertainment, this one’s value for money.

For the armchair skeptics who are looking for dissections as in a surgery room, there are enough flaws to gripe about.

The thrills and frights may not be that rampant – but there are still the sweet young things to gawk at as we watch them deliciously, battling for dear life, then screamingly succumbing to their unfortunate demise, one by one. When killed, victims are reduced to a pulp of swirling ashes and floating embers.

Now, that’s some kind of enjoyment.

What can we say about the film director CHRIS GORAK?

HIS CAREER RESTS IN YOUR HANDS.

“FLYING SWORDS of DRAGON INN”《龍門飛甲》3D PRESS PREVIEW

Renowned film director TSUI HARK is beaming all the way to the moon during his 19th December 2011 press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

And rightfully so.

His is a deserving picture of how hard work, meticulous planning, perseverance and a clear vision can pay off.

His newest Martial Arts offering with this intriguing title “FLYING SWORDS of DRAGON INN” has the honor of being the first Chinese film to be released in IMAX 3D in CHINA barely a couple of days ago – in 59 IMAX theaters across CHINA.

The film surpasses expectations by reaping a cool 2.5 million USD over one weekend alone.

Strong marketing, he nods, and of course – himself and an impressive all star cast help to pave the way.

Shooting a Martial Arts feature flick on 3D is a colossal task.  Unlike the standard 35mm film, you need to pay intricate details to each actor’s positioning, the 3D camera’s operation, the integrated lens (“left” and “right” eye function) set-up, the depth-of-field as well as the complicated and painstaking post-production editing.

He did his research well, aside from being a special effects guru coupled with the collaboration of a pool of foreign expertise to form a formidable 3D team.

The results show.

And this is just the beginning of a promotional journey across the worldwide market frontiers.

There’s nothing new with the story line.

It is the film director’s visionary treatment that is noteworthy, akin to dressing  his babe in fine style.

Here’s the synopsis:

There are the baddies who are the devious eunuchs of the Imperial Court with their own hidden agendas.

They are armed with deadly weapons and are relentless in their quest for power and richness. Nothing stands in their way.

Then there are the goodies led by a resigned general who has been stripped of his rank by the eunuchs. He has his righteous principles and sets out to protect the innocents, to restore normalcy amid the political Imperial Court.

Finally the uglies are a bunch of stubborn bandits who are seeking the hidden treasure.

The three parties’ conflicts converge at Dragon Inn, a desolate outpost in the barren desert.

The Dragon Gate is a portal to a wealthy world under the sands.

THE FINAL BATTLE TO THE DEATH is fought here, amid the perilous traps of a lost city.

“FLYING  SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE” shines with style and brilliance and is one of the best, if not the greatest martial arts film of all time.

It is gushing with stoic brilliance and TSUI HARK  once again takes Hong Kong Cinema back to a classic era of martial arts nostalgia.

He pays homage to the 3D technology and has  mastered it well,  and we shall continue to see him experiment with this discipline.

This is a hi-tech action film that will transport the Martial Arts World to a brand new level.

“FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON INN”  is a definitive entertaining piece where solid action is king.

Actor JET LI returns in top form, but not alone.

This time he shares the limelight with a glittering team of able veterans such as CHEN KUN, ZHOU YUN, KWAI LUN-MEI and LI YU CHUN who will give  him a run for his money, threatening to topple his presence.

TSUI HARK is at the top of his game, and this film is his magnum opus.

The color grading is stupendous and the 3D treatment takes you through the realm of your aesthetic mind and is pure enjoyment to boot.

You only have to see to believe.

And justifiably so.

SUCCESS?

“Strong marketing,” says legendary film director TSUI HARK, “and of course – an impressive all star cast help to pave the way.”

Shooting a Martial Arts feature flick on 3D is a colossal task.  Unlike the standard 35mm film, you need to pay intricate details to each actor’s positioning, the 3D camera’s operation, the integrated lens (“left” and “right” eye function) set-up, the depth-of-field as well as the complicated and painstaking post-production editing.

“WE BOUGHT A ZOO” PRESS PREVIEW

“WE BOUGHT A ZOO” is a Yuletide cinematic offering with a sleepy title.

Make no bones about that.

Yet upon unwrapping, you will be pleasantly surprised that the content isn’t any duper sleeper.

More than that, you’ll be treated to a family parable of a love lost, another love regained and hey-presto! … with love in this life there’s always hope

and everything can be insanely possible, if we only dare try.

After all, it’s approaching Yuletide, ’tis a season to be jolly.

“WE BOUGHT A ZOO” is based largely on a true story about a man and his zoo.

Now, not everybody can or will buy a dilapidated zoo and give it a new lease of life.

The film focuses on Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon), a recently widowed father who’s in denial with the unexpected demise of his beautiful wife.

He is grieving and he has to contend with taking care of a rebellious teenage son Dylan (Colin Ford) and a younger daughter named Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones).

Taking the cue from his older brother (Thomas Haden Church) about starting life all over again, Benjamin looks for a new house in a different locality, but when he stumbles upon the dream abode, he discovers that it’s actually a defunct zoo wanting of attention.

Seeing how much his daughter is fascinated with the place, Benjamin decides to invest in refurbishing the menagerie and works with the head zookeeper, Kelly (Scarlett Johansson) together with her enthusiastic team to restore the park to its former glory.

 ”WE BOUGHT A ZOO” is uplifted by terrific performances from the entire cast and a mesmerizing soundtrack to boot.

 Now there’s a charming chemistry between the leads Damon and Johansson.

 Matt Damon is awesome as Mee, a die-hard who has to plow his way through several self-defeating experiences whilst learning at the same time.

He does so with an indefatigable spirit of courage and positivism.

But behold the future generation of young talents – Colin Ford who plays Dylan Mee,

Elle Fanning as Lily Miska and sweet cutie Elizabeth Jones as little Rosie Mee.

They steal the thunder from the veterans.

This heartwarming film is emotively driven, heart, soul and all.

You’ll laugh at the exploits of the loyal employees as they work zealously to ensure the zoo becomes a reality factor, watched by the troupe of gawky wildlife that is oblivious of the unwarranted fuss and attention.

“WE BOUGHT A ZOO” is directed by Cameron Crowe, based on the memoir by Benjamin Mee.

The film director conjures a finely crafted family entertainment for those who are seeking for a few hours of escapism.

It does not preach the heavenly goodness,  but we surely know there’s light at the end of the tunnel for every good man.

Here’s this three-in-one package of warmth, friendship and camaraderie that will have us tingled all over – as long as we allow ourselves to be immersed with the feel-good emotion.

It’s obvious that the cast and crew had put in a lot of thought and hard work into the film, so it is deserving of a watch in the true spirit of Christmas.

Go for it!

“MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL” PRESS PREVIEW

No apologies folks, it’s TOM CRUISE returning as Agent ETHAN HUNT for the fourth time running.

If you are an avid fan of slick guys and drooling cool action, then this is one breathtaking actioner you should never miss.

Never mind the absurd plot because TOM CRUISE is at it again, this time blazing the trail – fast, deadly and furious, hamming it all the way in this impressionable “MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL” installment.

Pulsating, heart stomping and adrenaline charging, spilling from one sweaty peril to another, this

feature is thrillingly action-packed – designed to keep you on edge, especially if you are viewing it in the splendor of the latest IMAX phenomenon.

As with the other three previous MISSION IMPOSSIBLE chronicles where exotic locales are a geographical treat in each segment, this time we are peremptorily transported to the scenic wonders of MOSCOW, BUDAPEST, DUBAI and MUMBAI.

It’s a potpourri of thrills, spills, dark humor, dry wit with the action most foul.

Directed by the reputable Animation Director BRAD BIRD (The Incredibles, Ratatouille), it has something for everyone and is a pure wholesome “getaway” entertainment.

Let’s delve further …..

Of course, the magnificent ETHAN HUNT has to be in trouble to roll the story.

It starts with a jail break from a Moscow prison.  He has been falsely accused of being a terrorist by his hapless superiors, of a bombing at the Kremlin. His entire operations are shut down because of this.

His next new mission is aptly called “Ghost Protocol” which is to seize nuclear codes and devices from an opportunistic war merchant KURT HENDRICKS (MICHAEL NYQVIST) who intends to mastermind a devious plan involving a global nuclear holocaust.

A new team has been handpicked by ETHAN’s bosses and they are:

BENJI DUNN (SIMON PEGG), Agent JANE CARTER (PAULA PATTON) and BRANDT (JEREMY RENNER) but trust has to be earned along this globe trotting adventure.

“MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: Ghost Protocol” is loud, explosive and shows you that the pace seldom slows and that action is king.

There’s enough worthy dialogue to set the ball rolling, spiced with unexpected humor.

Naturally, ETHAN HUNT has to prove his mettle this time by displaying the impossible and making it possible – scaling and hanging precariously on Dubai’s tallest building, the BURJ KHALIFA.

The stunt choreography has its splendid moments, specially the scenes showcasing a car that plummets headlong from several storeys to the ground below and of Agent BRANDT taking a controlled fall down a shaft, suspending mid air within a vacuum.

The film’s headline screams “NO PLAN. NO BACK-UP. NO CHOICE.”

That being the case, it’s NO SWEAT then. Right?

(DECEMBER is brrr …  a cold and wet month.

Let’s band together for warmth.

Let’s find solace to embrace fond reminiiscences as we trudge down memory lane.

Let’s pay tribute to those we truly love and treasure, irrespective of them being alive or dead.)

Here goes for a NEW YEAR’S PRELUDE:

 2012 is set to roll in.

‘Tis a magical moment of the year to congregate with loved ones to salute the awesome, colossal fireworks. Wherever you are.

A smashing sight would be to observe the frenzied excitement of people as they soak in the celebratory mood, burst into song, heralding the New Year amid strains of “AULD LANG SYNE”.

The mood surely, is of cheery gusto, and maybe of, drunken stupor.

It’s NEW YEAR’S EVE, man. Let the countdown begin.

Tonight you’ll look back in wonderment at yester year’s mistakes and wish that, if you had been wise enough, you’d never have made them.

12 new months are beckoning us round the corner as we push forward for glorious expectations.

Nothing comes from nothing, we will learn.

So we’ve to honestly promise ourselves to focus on planning and working hard.

Wistful dreaming will lead us nowhere.

No, it never could.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012, CHUM.

May the force be with you!

NOW, SCROLL DOWN FOR THE MOVIE REVIEW.

“NEW YEAR’S EVE” PRESS PREVIEW

  “NEW YEAR’S EVE” is mush, pure mush.

This may be a corny line, but it will eat your heart out and have it palpitating with the essence of love.

Little loops of magical romantic moments will assail you – illustrating that in life, love remains forever a many-splendored thing.

Directed by GARRY MARSHALL who also helmed the hit smashes “PRETTY WOMAN” and “VALENTINE’S DAY”, this feature untangles the mesh that love shouldn’t be too far away, if you care to seek it.

In each mundane life, a sweetened spoonful of wacky romance will surely help to “make the medicine go down in a most delightful way”.

The brilliance of love is reflected here, in its purest form, decked in fine glory.

Let not love slip through your fingers but should you allow so, there is always a second chance.

We may make mistakes, and there’s a redemption exercise that rises above forgiving and forgiveness.

Life’s thorny issues are tackled in a select assembly of intertwining stories aligned here, amid the pulse and pace of Times Square New York City, culminating on New Year’s eve.

 ”NEW YEAR’S EVE” features an impressive  ensemble cast of glitterati such as  Zac Efron, Robert De Niro, Ashton Kutcher, Sarah Jessica Parker,  Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer, Katherine Heigl, Jon Bon Jovi, Matthew Broderick and Jessica Biel.

This festive story centers on:

A frustrated corporate woman executive who is overseeing the operations of the annual Times Square extravaganza. And of course, something is bound to go wrong.

A beautiful gourmet chef is supervising the haute cuisine for the rock concert of her rock-star ex boyfriend who had dumped her years ago. Naturally the rage is still burning deep in  her heart.

A sexy female back-up singer gets trapped in an elevator with a skeptic who swears not to celebrate New Year’s eve. Yes, infatuation changes everything.

A mother who is too engrossed to protect the virginity of her teenage daughter to worry about her own needs. Mothers are always selfless, so she will find true love.

Two pairs of parents-to-be engaging in a battle-of-wits in a hospital, competing for a prize catch of USD 25,000 which will be bestowed to the first born of the New Year. Will all the snarling and bitching be worth it?

A dying man’s wish to be brought to the hospital’s roof top to witness the celebrations.  Persistence pays off and he gets his wish, eventually.

A stressed-out pretty middle-aged spinster being wooed by an ardent admirer half her age. Well, you’d need love irrespective of whatever.

Now, all roads finally converge at Times Square, so STOP in the name of LOVE.

This movie glorifies that love gives us hope and for goodness sake, believe it.

“NEW YEAR’S EVE” will not be your cup of tea if you are looking for an actioner.

But it will surely find appreciative audiences in ASIA who relish this kind of emotional genre.

Satisfying, dramatic and romantic, it is a fun-fun-fun film reeking of yuletide warmth and beauty.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

See, I am tickled pink now.

(DECEMBER is brrr … a cold and wet month.

Let’s band together for warmth.

Let’s find solace to embrace fond reminiiscences as we trudge down memory lane.

Let’s pay tribute to those we truly love and treasure, irrespective of them being alive or dead.)

Here goes:

It’s vintage time, so let me usher you into the magical era of the 60s.

3 am, pre-dawn.

The rain has just stopped.

And there’s no owl in sight (good grief).

This 24-hour radio service is belting out an old, familiar song called SUKIYAKI.

It’s in Japanese, and for goodness sake, I do not comprehend a single word.

The crooner’s voice is pleading, lilting and soulful, so much so that it sears deep inside. Badly.

Enthusiasm persuades me to look up the dictionary.

Have you gone through rejection pains as this guy is pining out sadly in his song?

Then look no further.

Listen to the man, he is nursing his angst on being dumped by his lover.

Being betrayed in love spells a thousand sorrows, trust me.

Try it if you do not believe that life has its stark brutalities.

I used to hum along with the song when I was a kid.

SUKIYAKI?

I googled for the name of the singer and yes, the name KYU SAKAMOTO surfaced.

He was really famous then, but he perished in the sky in the 80s, such a real pity. It’s horrific.

Is death predestined?

On August 12, 1985, the ill-fated JAPAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 123 carrying 520 passengers and crew including KYU SAKAMOTO plummeted from mid-air.

It was the deadliest single-aircraft accident in history,

and the third worst plane crash in history behind the TENERIFE DISASTER and the SEPTEMBER 11th ATTACKS.

It had been reported that, before the aircraft lost its bearing, SAKAMOTO wrote a farewell note to his wife.

Toying with Fate?

Don’t. It is bizarre and an eerie recall.

LIFE IS SHORT, reminding you again.

So enjoy every “moment” while you can.

It’s here now, gone forever tomorrow.

The 60s to the 80s carry the REAL years when you MUST have a genuine voice to be a singer.

These days, if you are prettily endowed, then you can get connected to a music producer, indulge in image packaging coupled with decent studio “enhancements” for high-pitch songs …..

This’d be the first step to the entertainment threshold.

The rest is up to you.

KYU SAKAMOTO has the distinction of being the only Japanese artist to ever scored a top international hit.

His song (”I Look Up When I Walk”; Sukiyaki in the West), sung completely in Japanese and against all odds, reached #1 in the US Billboard charts in 1963.

The music was written by Hachidai Nakamura.

It is said that Rokusuke Ei wrote the touching lyrics after his heart was broken by actress Meiko Nakamura.

The lyrics tell the story of a man who looks up while he is walking so his tears would not fall.

It is interesting to note that Sukiyaki is not even mentioned in the song ; the West just needed something that was easily pronounceable and associated with Japan.

SUKIYAKI is translated thus into ENGLISH:

I look up when I walk

So the tears won’t fall

Remembering those happy spring days

But tonight I’m all alone

I look up when I walk

Counting the stars with tearful eyes

Remembering those happy summer days

But tonight I’m all alone

Happiness lies beyond the clouds

Happiness lies above the sky

I look up when I walk

So the tears won’t fall

Though my heart is filled with sorrow

For tonight I’m all alone
(whistling)

Remembering those happy autumn days

But tonight I’m all alone

Sadness hides in the shadow of the stars

Sadness lurks in the shadow of the moon

I look up when I walk

So the tears won’t fall

Though my heart is filled with sorrow

For tonight I’m all alone
(whistling)

Yeah, LIFE is a song, no less.

We can’t all be happy everyday.

But whatever life’s lot is, there is always somebody out there who’s a lot less fortunate than you.

We just have to count our blessings.

RIGHT?

Taking a walk down memory lane?

I have selected 3 songs from You Tube for your listening pleasure.

The first is sung by the grand master KYU SAKAMOTO.

The last two are fitting tributes.

“PETALING STREET WARRIORS”

《大英雄，小男人》

PRESS PREVIEW

No pun intended, just “send in the clowns”.

American composer Stephen Sondeim says so in his famous 1973 song from the hit musical ‘A Little Night Magic’.

“Send in the Clowns” uses the medium of music to brilliantly illustrate about how you can grab life by the horns.

It’s stark humor and it suggests that if your show isn’t going as well as it should, then it may be time to “send in the Clowns”.

Now, who are the clowns?

“PETALING STREET WARRIORS” is one classic example.

You just have to strip away the immaculate make-up to unearth this cranky parable with an odd-ball name, dwelling on an infamous tourist attraction in Kuala Lumpur dated a century back.

More than meets the eye?

Probably.

“PETALING STREET WARRIORS” is positioned as a helluva screwball comedy that Malaysians and Singaporeans would love to sink their teeth into, to unload their emotional baggage after a hard day’s grind.

What do people do when they are stressed?

An option would be to go to the cinema, pick a good comedy and get tickled pink.

Hilarity wins at the end of a long day.

Everybody loves a madcap genre where you are treated to huge doses of action versus laughter. We forget our blues and are willingly transported to neverland.

Essentially a Kung Fu spoof  - as in the case of “PETALING STREET WARRIORS”, it is ace Hong Kong Martial Arts Choreographer MA YUK-SING who’s responsible for bringing this movie up to the fore.

MA displays his professional dedication in no small measure.

He stylizes and livens the pace of the movie.

He accomplishes a splendid job of nailing the action scenes together with concrete realism.

He cajoles and instructs actors who can barely fight by taking them through the necessary combat stances and patiently guiding them to deliver the pow-wow action sequences – layer upon layer. No mean feat, for a fact.

Yes, MA succeeds – as the action scenes in “PETALING STREET WARRIORS” speak for themselves, reeking of raw touches of a similar themed film called “KUNG FU HUSTLE” by STEPHEN CHOW.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we learn.

Fierce combats and stunts are conjured to look strikingly “authentic” and is an enthralling visual feast for the eyes.

The film may drip with corny dialogue and action, but assuredly you will lap up the crazy fighting stunts amid the guffaws galore.

If you care to google, you would have noticed that the original public announcement pointed out that JAMES LEE was to helm the movie.

Now when the film is completed, JAMES has another competent director to shoulder responsibilities as well as to share the limelight.

Executive producer SAMPSON YUEN expounds proudly that he is in talks with overseas investors who are keen to distribute the film. Meanwhile on home ground he espies hopefully, a box office taking of 8 million ringgit.

Nothing is impossible, given the quality of action versus spoof and one laugh-out-loud script. You can say it’s a lot better than any deplorable Hong Kong screeching comedy.

An impressive line-up of veterans such as YEO YANN YANN, MARK LEE, FREDERICK LEE and CHRIS TONG add character and depth to this martial arts spoof.

You see, it’s the action that speaks louder than the words.

But you best be your better judge.

Lights, camera, action!

Now, here’s the storyline:

In 1908 Petaling Street is anything but a safe abode.  The place is infested with corrupted colonial cops and triad leeches.

It is here that an unlikely married couple SEE (MARK LEE) and wife ZHUNG (YEO YANN YANN) run a Hokkien mee stall.

SEE is unkempt and unruly, albeit a compulsive gambler whilst ZHUNG is pretty and dutiful.

Both are putting up a brave front as they have yet to consummate their marriage due to SEE’s seemingly sexual health.

One fine day SEE discovers a Chinese seal embedded in his wife’s pillow and gambles it away.

ZHUNG is furious and moves out of the house to live with her cousin LIU KUN (NAMEWEE).

To woo ZHUNG back, SEE ropes in his friends and neighbors to set up a martial arts group to fight the triads.

Suddenly out of the blue a beguiling Kung Fu lady (CHRIS TONG) appears who insists that SEE is a descendant of the missing JIAN WEN, emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

At the same time, a powerful eunuch called MA FU (FREDERICK LEE) arrives with four imperial guards.  They are sent by the Empress CIXI to retrieve the treasure map, wherever it might be.

Bloody mayhem ensues when skilled fighters from Japan as well as from the Qing government congregate in Petaling Street to pursue SEE for a mysterious century old map he never knew he had.

Thank heaven that the use of “wirefu” and CGI are kept to a tolerable minimum in order to maintain a balance.

YEO YANN YANN and MARK LEE are commendable performers, but it is the presence of CHRIS TONG and LEE MING ZHONG, whenever they appear – they steal the thunder.

Pay enough attention, and you will notice that SINGAPORE’s ever popular gag-king cum cross-dresser JACK NEO does a cameo for friendship sake.

If you are a fan of STEPHEN CHOW mindless slapsticks, then this one will surely work on you.

DIRECTOR JAMES LEE SAYS:

“It has been an exhilarating first-time experience directing a Martial Arts Comedy with SAMPSON YUEN and Action Director MA YUK-SING.”

PRESS CONFERENCE PHOTOS, courtesy of FRANK TIAN:

THE CAST,DIRECTOR AND ACTION CHOREOGRAPHER TEAM UP FOR A GROUP SHOT. CO-DIRECTOR JAMES LEE IS CONSPICUOUSLY MISSING.

YEO YANN YANN AND MARK LEE BEAM FOR THE CAMERA.

“YOU REALLY MUST COME AND WATCH THIS MOVIE.  WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!”

“KUNG FU FIGHTING ……. Ahhhhh!”

FREDERICK LEE MING ZHONG cites:

“This is my virgin big screen role and I play MA FU, a ballsy EUNUCH.  Gosh, I’ve to mimic this awful girlish voice for authenticity.”

Film Director SAMPSON YUEN and MA YUK-SING – Action Choreographer from Hong Kong.

“THE EUNUCH” + FILM DIRECTOR

THE MOVIE TRAILER

THE MUSIC VIDEO

The ever capricious Malaysian Singer NAMEWEE shows you that even HIP HOP can happen in 1908 at PETALING STREET.  Enjoy!