Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Animation

ahaha, another of Tim Burton's weird shows. Plot is so-so, the movie has its up moments. Not for kids, as they might find some sequence too gruesome.

Official Warner Bros' site:
http://corpsebridemovie.warnerbros.com/

on woe is teeth...

Just came back with my mom from the dentist. She has been complaining of teeth pain and gum woes intermintently for the past 6 months, but hasn't been doing anything about it. Finally, the pain got so bad last night (giving her headaches) that she decided to go see the dentist. I can understand her fewar of seeing the dentist - no fun sitting on the dentist's chair, being drilled with big scary equipment in your mouth.

But she had to go through the procedure, in order to get her teeth checked out. She asked one of us to accompny her, because she was scared. So I had to drag my tail out and go with her to the dentist. No fun leh, watching your mum being subjected to the dentist. Thank God the dentist is an experienced fella, and he was patient and kind. Halfway through the extraction, the tooth broke into two. Thankfully, he was still able to extract the remaining half of the broken-off tooth... well, it's all over now. My mom can now go about nagging wothout tooth pain.

Last night was talking with my two friends on the LRT ride to church. One of them just went through a minor sugery operations, to remove his wisdom tooth. Had 3-4 days' MC, but still had to go back to work yesterday. He was saying at least the pain was not that bad already, compared to the initial day when the tooth was freshly extracted. But he he still experienced pain when he takes his ffod at meal times. The other friend also has the same problem with his wisdom tooth. Think this other friend also apporaching the edge liao; he's booking an appointment with his dentist to extract his wisdom tooth.

Me, I haven't been to the dentist in a while. Last time i checked my teeth out was about a year ago. The painful memories still linger. oh, it's nice to have them fresh lingering feeling, of getting all the built up tartar removed from your teeth, and to be able to feel the spaces in between your teeth again. But even a simple scaling will set me back by at ealst $60. Maybe after I find a job la.

Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children (FFVII:AC)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

Much anticipated sequel to Final Fantasy 7 (FFVII), the Playstation (PS) role-playing game (RPG) that took the world by storm in 1997. This follows up to what happens 2 years after the end of the game.

The battle sequences in FFVII:AC are superb, which will please fans. Plus the familiar music accompaniment (from the battle victory tune to the various characters' themes) are performed amazingly now on instrumental pieces, which are different when heard in MIDI format. The characters has lost their super-deformed (SD) appearances for more realistic forms (akin to Final Fantasy 8 or FFVIII characterisation). So for above 3 aspects, this film would have easily rated 5 star in any review.

However, the plot would be confusing to the person watching it without ever first played the game. Oh, you can be wowed by the technical superbness of the computer-generated (CG) rendering, the tightness of the battle action sequences, blah blah blah; but without a clear plot-explanation to the novice, I feel this is a major flaw to the film. Also, the use of actual CG cut scenes from the actual game is nostalgic, if you do it once; but to repeat them twice in the film actually feels like you dun have that many new scenes to contribute (or you don't have that much plot).

oh, I'm a whiner in this case. I guess lotsa fans would bash me over the last few negative comments. But I guess I'm a perfectionist when it comes to FFVII - it's a fabulous story, and I don't want it to ruined...

Fans site:
http://www.adventchildren.net/ff7ac/movie/about.php

Square-Enix Japanese site:
http://www.square-enix.co.jp/dvd/ff7ac/

Square-Enix English site:
http://na.square-enix.com/dvd/ff7ac/

Night watch (Nochnoy dozor Ночной Дозор)

Rating:	★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

hmm, not a typical Hollywood film. It's a Russian flick, supposed to be along the same lines as "The Matrix", of an fantasy alternate reality. Might be based on a video game, cos' the plot would have suffice for a video game (but not a film). Went to watch it, despite my friend's warning that is not really good on special effects and the plot is confusing.

on seeing a rainbow and the full moon

saw a near complete rainbow at sunset yesterday evening. Best part it wasn't even raining. l was so entranced that I kept looking up at it while walking to church. one of the rare moments, where you witnessed God's wonders.  Too bad I din have a digicam to capture the moment; but it was still nice to see it.

Later, as I left church after service, saw the full moon in the sky. Last night marks the 15th of the 8th Chinese lunar month. We celebrate the mid-autumn festival on this day, and stuff ourselves silly with mooncakes and play lanterns. Well, I'm too old for lanterns, and mom told us not to get any mooncakes these year. Still, I enjoyed the full moon, and started sending out this Chinese poem via sms (which I received earlier on in the day):

人生是一道风景，

快乐是一种心境，

春看桃，夏看柳，秋看菊，冬赏梅，

愿幸福快乐伴随你，

月园是诗，月缺是画，

日上灿烂，日落浪漫，

祝中秋愉快！

yes, full moon brings out the strangest in people...

 

 

 

 

 

Starship Troopers

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author:	Robert A. Heinlein

Join the Army and See the Universe!

From back cover of Ace books edition
In one of Robert Heinlein's most controversial bestsellers, a recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the Universe - and into battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against mankind's most alarming enemy!

See plot, sypnosis and commentry using the following hyperlink:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers_%28novel%29

Commentary:
ah, another great classic. It's amazing the technology detailed is so far advanced ahead of its times (this novel was actually written in 1959), detailing powered armour exoskelton, the drop, tactical nukes. Man, it's a geek guy's fantasy comes true... ;p Besides the gadget, the commentary on politics and militarism is also fascinating. A must read.

The Amazing Maurice and His Eeducated Rodents

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Childrens Books
Author:	Terry Pratchett

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents is the 28th novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, published in 2001. It was the first Discworld book to be aimed at the younger market, followed in that by The Wee Free Men in 2003.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Maurice_and_his_Educated_Rodents for sypnosis. WARNING: Spoiler ahead in this link.

Comment:
ah, though it's an old book, first time I'm reading it. A great book, though I won't really call it a chidren's book. Usual Discworld madness, from the maestro himself. A must-read for Pratchett's fans