Wifey has been hounding me to do this post fer fooking ages & now me has been tagged by JonC to list me top5 films of all time. So here goes, (from top to bottom according to pix):
Seven Samurai (1954): Often cited as one of the most influential films of all time, this tour de force from Akiro Kurosawa is a master class in movie making. From the soundtrack to the grand cinemascope, you can see why it is legendary. Story is how impoverished farmers turn to a group of ronin to defend village from bandits & ensuing tensions between the farmer & warrior classes are revealed. Poignant & subtle with its anti-war message, this is Asian cinema at its best. Without Seven Samurai, there would be no Star Wars (Lucas decided to make a sci-fi version after seeing it), Magnificent Seven or . . . er . . . Last Man Standing (The Bruce Willis shoot-em up tribute).
Escape to Victory (1981): Still get goosebumps whenever me watch the final match portion. Was on the telly recently & it still makes me want to jump up & cheer when Pele scores dramatic equaliser with overhead kick. Simple tale of WWII prisoners challenged to a game against the occupying Nazis in France. Still has the magic ability to make me feel fooking twelve all over again. Also Sylvester Stallone's finest hour as an actor. (I am fond of pointing out to footie fans that the Allied team managed to come back from three goals down with a team comprising world cup winners Bobby Moore, Pele & Ossie Ardilles. LFC did it in Istanbul with the likes of Djimi, Djibril & Dietmar!!!)
Gandhi (1982): First time me ever shed tears watching a film. The tragedy & sheer human waste in this film is absolutely gut-wrenching. The struggle of one man fer freedom, equality & justice fer all is brilliantly brought to cinematic life by Ben Kingsley (who deservedly won an Oscar fer his potrayal). I was but a wee lad when this came out but it had a profound effect on me & I probably watched this over a dozen times over the next few years (having video taped a TV screening of the fim). It was to me utter disgust that later around 1985, all me school friends (mainly Chinese guys) had dismissed this film as unimportant (eg: "who cares about some Indian guy?" - Yeonzon Yeow / "Its not a classic like Star Wars is it? - Soo Teck Loong). Yup, this film formed an integral part of me formative years & highlighted the differences between me & me chosen friends . . .
Godfather II (1974): Six fooking Oscars. Cast with the magic pairing of Al Pacino & Robert De Niro (though they did not appear on screen together). Story telling of epic proportions, this film acts as both sequel & prequel. Showing the rise of new Godfather, Michael Corleone (Pacino) interspersed with the story of his father's (De Niro) rise from orphaned immigrant to New York overlord. Filmed in wonderful sepia tones, turn of the century Big Apple soon turns to the blood bath of 50s gangland. Legendary director, the late, great Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey / A Clockwork Orange / The Shining - who is not known to give praise to anything or anyone) quipped to an author friend, "Godfather II is the best film ever made. End of story."
Pulp Fiction (1994): Quentin Tarantino is a fooking genius! I know his recent films haven't been all that great but anyone who can capture our attention with dialogue about what a fooking cheeseburger & a Big Mac is called in France deserves all the plaudits he can get. A noir crime thriller with a spectacularly non-linear sequence, the film saw sterling performances & ultra-hip, cool dialogue from Uma Thurman, Samuel L Jackson, Bruce Willis (again, wearing his trademark singlet - Pagoda should fooking sponsor this dude la) & John Travolta. Anyone who has not seen this should be interned in a prison fer crimes against cinema! (ps: the soundtrack is spectacularly eclectic & started the trend of including snippets of dialogue on albums).
There you have it. Since its only five, there was no space fer any of the Scorcese classics like Goodfellas or Mean Streets, Glaswegian drug craziness of Trainspotting or James Cameron's awesome Titanic (only kidding!) . . . Happy viewing!
ps: Afif (http://afifplc.blogspot.com/) & @dam (http://adamscreek.blogspot.com/), you've been tagged!
Seven Samurai (1954): Often cited as one of the most influential films of all time, this tour de force from Akiro Kurosawa is a master class in movie making. From the soundtrack to the grand cinemascope, you can see why it is legendary. Story is how impoverished farmers turn to a group of ronin to defend village from bandits & ensuing tensions between the farmer & warrior classes are revealed. Poignant & subtle with its anti-war message, this is Asian cinema at its best. Without Seven Samurai, there would be no Star Wars (Lucas decided to make a sci-fi version after seeing it), Magnificent Seven or . . . er . . . Last Man Standing (The Bruce Willis shoot-em up tribute).
Escape to Victory (1981): Still get goosebumps whenever me watch the final match portion. Was on the telly recently & it still makes me want to jump up & cheer when Pele scores dramatic equaliser with overhead kick. Simple tale of WWII prisoners challenged to a game against the occupying Nazis in France. Still has the magic ability to make me feel fooking twelve all over again. Also Sylvester Stallone's finest hour as an actor. (I am fond of pointing out to footie fans that the Allied team managed to come back from three goals down with a team comprising world cup winners Bobby Moore, Pele & Ossie Ardilles. LFC did it in Istanbul with the likes of Djimi, Djibril & Dietmar!!!)
Gandhi (1982): First time me ever shed tears watching a film. The tragedy & sheer human waste in this film is absolutely gut-wrenching. The struggle of one man fer freedom, equality & justice fer all is brilliantly brought to cinematic life by Ben Kingsley (who deservedly won an Oscar fer his potrayal). I was but a wee lad when this came out but it had a profound effect on me & I probably watched this over a dozen times over the next few years (having video taped a TV screening of the fim). It was to me utter disgust that later around 1985, all me school friends (mainly Chinese guys) had dismissed this film as unimportant (eg: "who cares about some Indian guy?" - Yeonzon Yeow / "Its not a classic like Star Wars is it? - Soo Teck Loong). Yup, this film formed an integral part of me formative years & highlighted the differences between me & me chosen friends . . .
Godfather II (1974): Six fooking Oscars. Cast with the magic pairing of Al Pacino & Robert De Niro (though they did not appear on screen together). Story telling of epic proportions, this film acts as both sequel & prequel. Showing the rise of new Godfather, Michael Corleone (Pacino) interspersed with the story of his father's (De Niro) rise from orphaned immigrant to New York overlord. Filmed in wonderful sepia tones, turn of the century Big Apple soon turns to the blood bath of 50s gangland. Legendary director, the late, great Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey / A Clockwork Orange / The Shining - who is not known to give praise to anything or anyone) quipped to an author friend, "Godfather II is the best film ever made. End of story."
Pulp Fiction (1994): Quentin Tarantino is a fooking genius! I know his recent films haven't been all that great but anyone who can capture our attention with dialogue about what a fooking cheeseburger & a Big Mac is called in France deserves all the plaudits he can get. A noir crime thriller with a spectacularly non-linear sequence, the film saw sterling performances & ultra-hip, cool dialogue from Uma Thurman, Samuel L Jackson, Bruce Willis (again, wearing his trademark singlet - Pagoda should fooking sponsor this dude la) & John Travolta. Anyone who has not seen this should be interned in a prison fer crimes against cinema! (ps: the soundtrack is spectacularly eclectic & started the trend of including snippets of dialogue on albums).
There you have it. Since its only five, there was no space fer any of the Scorcese classics like Goodfellas or Mean Streets, Glaswegian drug craziness of Trainspotting or James Cameron's awesome Titanic (only kidding!) . . . Happy viewing!
ps: Afif (http://afifplc.blogspot.com/) & @dam (http://adamscreek.blogspot.com/), you've been tagged!
pps: Before anyone starts asking who me dream date to the movies would be, sorry, its still wifey!
53 comments:
GODFATHER!!!!!!!! Damn man I'm a HUGE fan la..Read the book, watched the movies and I even played the game and became the Don of NYC hehe..Nice list of movies, especially with Godfather, Pulp Fiction and Gandhi..
Incidentally, have you watched this tamil movie called Hey Ram??
Fer some reason, me wifey couldn't log onto gmail, so here's her comments
Reena:
Since I can’t count anyway, I’m going to do 10, in no particular order.
1. the city of lost children (la cite des enfants perdus)
this green-hued, visually sumptuous feast from Jean-Pierre Jeunet,is a surrealistic and somewhat disturbing fable about children kidnapped by a barmy bloke who steals their dreams. European auters huh?
2. Richard III
back when it was not yet fashionable to transport the bard to contemporary settings, this version was set in the 1930s.
Sir Ian McKellen's depiction of the title character as a sneering fascist is absolute genius and a masterclass in acting.
3. purple rose of cairo
i love woody allen (yes, u can have bitting dialogue without the incessant profanity) and i think this was the one that started it all. A film-within-a-film, it literally espouses the concept of movies as a form of escapism.
4. Living in oblivion
Another movie about movies, this low budget indie was just one mad ride with dwarfs and green apples. ‘Nuff said.
5. memento/ irreversible
wife is raped and/or murdered. Man seeks revenge. Both movies adopted a non-linear progression to turn a tired genre on its head but while the former relies on a clever narrative that will f-k with your mind as the story unfolds, the latter is a visceral brute wherein the stark savagery of the opening/ending sequence will leave you breathless (and questioning your concept of right and wrong).
6. a clockwork orange.
bala knows how much i hated space odyssey 2001 (except for the first 10-odd minutes), it was meandering and i am actually partial to the idea of artificial intelligence - why isn't blade runner on your list bala? so i wasn't looking fwd to this especially since the book is one of my faves (i was around the same age as alex when i read it and was fascinated by the vocabulary). But, i have to admit kubrick's version, though an abrupt departure from the bleak, grey tones of the book, manages to up the ante on the creepiness.
7. babe
the story of the pig who wanted to be a sheep-dog should be mandatory viewing for all kids. Although i have sadly become the epitome of cliché ness in my choice of profession, the tale of the pig who refused to accept his destiny, and persisted in doing what it was told was beyond it, is inspiring to say the least. "That'll do Pig. That'll do", never had more resonance.
8. dark city
alex proyas’s hauntingly beautiful dystopian imagery had led to unfair criticisms of style over substance. To these critics I say, ÿour loss
9. children of heaven
About siblings and lost shoes. Sometimes less really is more.
10. casablanca
it was with much scepticism that i went to watch this and left, fully comprehending the hype. Despite unintentionally comic, wooden moments, it overflows with charm, not least as a result of Bogart’s arresting screen presence. i always wondered how his awkward features led him to be a romantic lead but watching him was a mesmerising experience. x-factor indeed.
Notable mention: Shakespeare in love - for the brilliant script.
bala: ok, here is my feedback:
godfather - u know i loved the book (read it 3 times, more than any other book, ever) but sorry, x like it. just left me cold. hugely disappointed since i made the effort to watch it on the big screen. preferred goodfellas and even casino, a lot more.
gandhi - i was 8 when i saw this.my mum took me to the cinema. maybe it was my age but when ET (which was my favourite movie then) lost to this at the academy awards, i cried.
seven samurai - u missed out a bug’s life. Preferred rashomon. we still x seen the hidden fortress.
escape to victory - yes, bala , thank u for getting me to watch this.
pulp fiction - if we were doing a list of best scenes ever, the bit where bruce willis is trying to get his gal to escape, would definately be up there.
I'm too young for those films man. I've only watched Gandhi on TV long time ago.
Pretty good selection of movies you got there mate! Actually one of the only reason i watched the Godfather trilogy was because of the one and only Al Pacino.
Akira Kurosawa is still an awesome director even by todays special effects filled standards.
Afif: Hey, bro, that's what DVDs are fer. Beisdes am sure you've seen all the P Ramlee classics, rite. So same diff here.
Anyways, look forward to reading yer top5 films at yer blog!
ps: you mean you have not seen pulp fiction?!!!? Woi!
JonC: Can you pls burn me a copy of Citizen Kane. Don't have a personal copy of me own.
RE: Godfather II - Pacino aside, you have to say that the whole concept of the film was superbly executed - cast, score, script, cinematography etc was simply brilliant.
Pub quiz: Did you know that the studios wanted Robert Redford fer the role of Micheal Corleone. Imagine a blonde Italian mafia dude!!!
wifey/reena: Fooking Cheat! What is it about 'top five' you don't understand?!?
Even with top ten, you couldn't find a place fer any Scorcese classic. Shame on you. Babe rates higher than Goodfellas? Tsk tsk
RE: BLaderunner. It isn't in me top5 coz I adhered to the rules of the tag. There are plenty of other films I love but didn't make it - City of God?
Tinnesh: sorry, no, have not watched Hey Ram. Hate tamil/Hindi films. Largest fooking film Industry in the World & yet it produces only ONE type of movie. Bollocks! Even Iranian cinema is far superior to Indian movies. Think about it, fight scenes are integral to Indian movies but just look at the quality. Compare to HK or even China movies which have made it into an artform that Hollywood borrows from.
OK, here is my top 5. Was hard to choose as well... but here goes. i am a sucker for medieval movies... so 3 out of my 5 would be sword wielding movies... not meant for the faint at heart. Hahahahaha sorry for the long long write up.
Troy - Fooking excellent movie. Was never a fan of Brad Pitt and am still not, but i loved his performance in Troy. Loved his cocky-ness and disregard to authority ie King Agamemnon. wish i could spit out some of the same lines he said to my managers here. Fight scenes were brilliant... especially the fight scene with Pitt and Eric Bana. Sword fighting at its best. I must say i have watched this movie about 20 times.
Braveheart - from the synopsis i read at the back of the VHS tape, i really thought this movie would be shite. the usual rebellion against an unjust ruler. how original. my sister rented it coz she studied in Scotland and visited Fort William so of course she wanted to check it out. So i thought what the heck...and then after watching, i was totally mesmerized by the movie. me nearly broke down in tears towards the end of the movie where he was tortured and he shouted FREEDOM!!!
13th Warrior - Awesome movie.. based on the famous Beowulf story but done in a more realistic fashion. loved the way Anotnoio Banderas learnt the foreign language by just listening and then it was all in English as we understand it. DVDs are hard to find, i am looking for one for my collection as well, so if anyone finds it, please let me know.
Fight Club - Most common comments i heard form others “he is just a guy with a dual personality” yes, but its much deeper. its about who we want to be and to what lengths are we willing to go to change and be that person. for him, he was tired of being a corporate suck up who is in a vicious cycle of debt and desire for material things. get more money, spend more..get a promotion and pay raise... spend even more money. Sound familiar? i think most of us live our lives like this. was a wake up call for me on how we are constantly chasing the carrot like a donkey.
Pulp Fiction - Ha.. finally a movie me and Bala agree on. Hehehehe. Excellent movie. was my first ever Quentin Tarantino movie... loved the way all the different parts which didn't seem to fit at first... finally made absolute sense at the end. Brilliant stuff.
achilles: Well said on the Fight Club bit. Fooking spot on observation about what film/book by Chick Palahnuick was all about. Also the modern world has killed the warrior man & turned him into a snivelling cubicle dweller.
Hey, since you like sword wielding movies set in ancient times, perhaps you would like to check out Seven Samurai. Other classic ronin films by the famed Kurosawa include Sanjuro & Yojimbo. Great stuff & easily available at all 'good' pirated DVD emporioums.
Pulp Fiction (the Director's Cut Version): tarantino...genius...made me re-discover why foot massages are so fooking important in a relationship..
Reservoir Dogs : tarantino...genius, absolutely fooking brilliant opening scene i.e the intellectual discourse on why madonna composed & sang "like a virgin"
Like Water For Chocolate (the spanish one...) : after watching this, u just wanna cook, eat & fook!!
Predator : just got to have it in my all time faves..."If it bleeds, we can kill IT...."
Bad Taste : B-grade cult classic...from Peter Jackson (LOTR fame)...raw, stupid, but brilliant movie when absolutely pissed..
AND...
THE ENTIRE ROCKY SERIES...from I to Rocky Balboa...inspirational dude...(just can hear Bala saying expected from an angst filled hot head like me..)
Reserve List : BORAT...
My top 5:
1. Pulp Fiction - never seen anything like it before.
2. The Apoclpyto - brilliant!
3. The Evil Dead - freaked me out for weeks man! I was 9 by the way.
4. God of Gamblers - Chow Yuen Fatt is the man. Somehow i remember the TVB series more.
5. Pesum Padam - Indian. Strictly no dialogues, songs or death defying stunts. The movie tells a story. By maestro Kamal Hasan.
cibai la y'all nobody tagged me. that said, i'm no movie-buff la actually...hehehe...
lets see what we've got here. Godfather is definitely one of my all-time favs. while the rest, sorry chief but cant relate much.
here are my 5s.
1.Goodfellas- the 2 gangsters, De Niro and Pesci works better in this than they were in Casino.
2.Simpsons, The Movie- after more than 15 years around, it was only a matter of time before they were made into a movie. You just gotta love Homer.
3.Inside I'm Dancing- About two cacat Irish fellas fighting for their rights, squeezing every by-laws there is in getting all the benefit thats rightly theirs.
4.Dumb and Dumber- sorry mate, i just love jim.
5.SLC Punk! - story on the daily lives of the supposedly only two young punks in the whole of Salt Lake City.
there. like i said la bala, am not much a movie fan. only go for comedy, horror flicks, some independent and road trips like Detroit Rock City and...Britney Spear's Crossroads.
hehehehehe...
Isa: Reservoir Dogs was probably the most daringg debut of all time as well.
Bro, what is it that you & me wifey don't understand about top FIVE? Semua big shot lawyers but simple ilmu hisab pun tak faham . . .
segar: Interesting list! See you next weekend fer the MERSEYSIDE DERBY (yes, people, we have a bluenose in our midst) . . .
I don't have a top 5 but a few movies spring to mind:
a) The Godfather series
b) Usual Suspects
c) LA Confidential
d) Dogma (I find Jay & Silent Bob absolutely hilarious)
e) Chasing Amy
f) Mall Rats
g) Star Wars - Return of the Jedi
e) Lord of the Rings
anfielddevotee: Actually i would love to check out seven samurai's i have a feeling i would love it as well. Will raid me friendly neighborhood DVD shop... but sometimes old stuff is hard to find. Also, please help me keep a lookout for 13th warrior if you happen to find it anywhere.
kerp: sorry bro! Thought Mr JonC had tagged you! Nevermind, you've been officially tagged (just in time fer the weekend again!). So, do talk about yer top5 films & tag another two bloggers.
SLC punk - yeah dude! saw that too. great stuff. Really captured what it was like to be in a minority group in a middle-of-nowhere town. Great stuff!
ps: You are more than welcome to include yer fave porn films in the list he he, you fooking pervert . . .
Isa: Oh yeah, saw Bad Taste ages ago in the cinema. He he, sickeningly good. Really couldn't believe that Peter jackson went on to make Lord Of The Rings. Talk about extreme ends of the spectrum!
becky @ mark: Fooker, another cheating non-counter! Now entire series pulak ala Isa with his Rocky collection!
Eh, isn't Empire Strikes Back the choice of the original trilogy?
And yes, Usual Suspects is da bomb!
will u kill me if i confess that i have never watched any of those movies? =/
senorita: No, but we hope you will seek em out & have a jolly good time viewing them, especially Pulp Fiction. Me thinks you will enjoy it immensely.
I believe JonC tagged you on this one, when will we be able to see yer top5?
yo mark,
I'm with you on Mall Rats man. and they have like the coolest soundtrack around.
Bala,
like casettes, Porn movies are dead, especially with youporn available with just a click or 2.
haha youporn.... i think they have XTube too.. or smtg like that..
and oh,Bala,u sure know how to make ur wifey happy.... =)
correction, senorita...
its redtube. I was googling for RED & white army and all the innocent shit but chanced upon this site instead. ehem..yes...
kahkahhh...
bala, thats because I see Rocky as an epic tale, undisputable champion of all movies hahahaha...u need to watch all to fully understand his slurred speech patterns..I have ALL of them..should join me for a marathon viewing session...lepas tu, rasa besar, terror and can pukul anyone...
damn, that movie even inspired me to run up those museum steps in Philadelphia..complete with the victorious dance at the top of the stairs..all done with a knee brace whilst recovering from a torn meniscus...
hola there
1) come back little sheba (old black and whire movie)
2) fantasm 2 (a scary movie)
3) my bicycle (an italian movie)
4) pink floyd - the wall (am still thinking what this movie is really about)
5) the gods must be crazy - hilarious
*am fooking nervous against united
*biting nails*
Busy day at work so these my top 5, after much deliberation, in accordance to genre:
1) Goodfellas (drama/gangster)
2) Empire Strikes Back (sci-fi)
3) Mallrats (comedy)
4) Full Metal Jacket (war)
5) Exorcist (horror)
There were plenty more I would've included if I didn't know how to count :)
it was difficult leaving out stuff, i too liked city of god and pulp fiction but as u said, had to be selective. completely disregarded east asian cinema - completely criminal.
but in retrospect, i think i should have added snatch and i shot an wharhol to my list. surprised no one mention usual suspects or romper stomper or cinema paradiso...
yes premo, good for you that u can count. so, who else apart from the luscious ms lawson shd bala spend time on a desert island with? r u implying i m incapable of cooking for my husband? lucky for u, i think she's hot.
azer: Very interesting choice of movies!
RE: The Wall - its about alienation, dude. Or as me wifey says self-indulgence!
RE: Big game on Sun. Care to join us fer MyRawk gathering at phileo d'sara1 fer a friendly drink & some Kopipte camaderie? See site fer more details.
Isa: Ha ha! Can just imagine you doing that Rocky hobbling up the stairs bit.
premo: Hmmmm . . . mallrats instead of say clerks? I personally think mallrats was the weakest of the Kevin Smith movies (no, didn't see Gigli or whatever it was called). Dogma, Chasing Amy & Clerks were superior.
senorita: me tries . . . me tries.
kerp: Yeah, rite, stumbled upon the porn site by mistake eh. Fook off! So you gonna do a desert island chick top5 or what? Sure comment overload!
Gosh this is tough.... i couldnt stop at 5 for the music one... how do u stop at 5 movies? u know that i love movies and i can watch up to 7 movies back to back.
gimme sometime to think about it.. however would like to comment on movies mentioned so far...
bala's choices
i simply enjoyed the godfather trilogy with 2 being the best.. though my fav mafia movie is still the goodfellas...
7 samurai - Brilliant!
Ghandi - great movie...
escape to victory... nice movie but i wouldnt put it as fantastic la.. though the final match was fantastic... and the final scenes where the crowd help them out was amazing...
pulp fiction - the best tarantino film...
my sister's list
i remember Richard III.. i think i watched it with my sister on VHS and remember it being brilliant... need to find the damn DVD..
memento/irreversible - i loved them both especially the former...
a clockwork orange.. it was a great movie... i agree it raised the ante on creepiness... but i think the book was better... its one book u can read over and over again...
babe - i loved the movie... but not worthy on any top 5 list
dark city - took me a while.. but i finally realised which movie u were referring to.. i think i have the vcd somewhere...
achilles' list
4 our of ur 5 movies are on my all time fav list.. in fact i keep the dvds to those 4 movies in a special folder... one that i revisit very frequent.. however i must say that the 13th Warrior.. SUCKED BIG TIME FOR ME!... i may be able to the dvd for you though...
Ias's list
i love reservoir dogs... also in my special folder...
how can you like the Rocky series? i really thought it was crap.. same goes to the rambo series.. i love stallone in tango and cash though...
water for chocolate was brillianT!
kerp's list
Simpsons movie... AMAZINGLY FUNNY.... one movie u can laugh from opening to end credits!
but how do u appreciate dumb and dumber? as for mr jim carrey... i think he was brilliant in the mask, liar liar and truman show...
mark/becky's list
MALLRATS!- fucking funny... perfect timing as i was a sungai wang rat at the point in time... and simple loved jay's jedi mind trick in the movie... damn need to find the DVD too...
LA confidential and the Usual suspects are also in my special folder..
gosh... its hard to choose just 5 movies.... i think its probably easier to put top 5 from difference genres....
i do have a list of favourite movies.. but there's probably like 50 movies in there or something...
lemme sit on it and revisit this post again later... with some form of top 5
slacker: Make it simple la, you've been TAGGED!
But please keep it down to FIVE!
Escape to victory - no, its not a classic by any stretch of the imagination. Just brings back very fond memories of childhood. Personal choice that one arther than overall artistic merit.
ps: Tango & Cash?!? At least the first Rocky & Rambo movies were critically acclaimed.
Bro Isa, if you enjoy movies with boxing storyline, get a copy of Raging Bull. Brilliant directorial work by Martin Scorcesse and awesome acting by Robert Di Nero. Beats the crap out of the slurring Stallone. Hehehehehee ;0)
Reena: Please don't kill me! With your cooking that is!! Harharhar :P
Anyways I was just kidding - merely trying to give ol Bals a wicked jab so that he'll spill the beens on his fav desert island chick! That pervy ol bastard!!!
Now I know I'm really fooked:)
Bala: Yes, I know Mallrats was the weakest of Kevin Smiths' trilogy. Wanted to list Chasing Amy down instead but my inner Neanderthal stomped any notions of writing the words (romance/comedy) next to it since I'm really not a fan of that lame-ass genre.
Unker AD, will try to copy Citizen Kane for you. Dunno if it possible as the damn disc is from US, hope its not blardee copy-protected. Hehehehe.
JonC to Isa: Yup, De Niro's first ever Oscar & fantastically shot in monochrome. Raging Bull tells the real life rise & fall of tragi-hero Jake La Motta.
premo: Ha ha! Waaah, man got balls ah! Nice knowing you dude . . .
this is me at half-past five at a friday evening; cursing the world
at why i can't just bloodyfark go back like
every
body
e-l-S-e-rghghgghghhggh
no that's me in denial. it should read..why the hell can't i just
finish my work on time..
just like e
every
body
els-e-pantatpukiayamygketat.
what the hell.
might as well "pretend" to do the work. yes, yes, chief
staring strenously at the screen now...sorry screens...
okay top 5 (again disdainfully chosen out of painstaking myriad of movies left a dent on two
in the skull..some etched in the head replete with dialogues heard
since the penis was a willy wanker)
no.tuan-tuan franchiess. wa belum mabuk. tapik akan dimabukkan tatkala senja mencecah di pinggiran ufuk - nescaya
aku gerenti
mabuk - setidak-tidak dimabukkan.
top5:-*sigh*..it's alright..makes ya really think again..
again..in corrupt disorderly fashion:-
1. american history x:-
something that can happen in our backyard anytime the sun does a back l-f-i-p...something that has happened before..or ha-p-pe-ning as we speak. memorable scene - a neo-nazi skinheadpunk gig scene; with the band on stage spewing..what i believe..could have been a skrewdriver number. another scene with a kid..bellowing the words to minor threat song...guilty of being white? (premo: correct me if i'm wrong..getting muddled up la bro..sudah tua..or was that in romper-stomper?)
2.In the name of the father
based on a true story of the infamous (or should i say..erroneously infamous guildford 4).
i'm a sucker for anything oirish -the less-orange, filthily gaelic & republican it is;
the better.
maybe it's the accent and it's semblance to a certain other accent
where the "R"s a rolled to a trill.
there was nothing republican about this though..aside from
prick up the old lady's arse that is the IRA.
what tugged me - was the father/son consternation goin'on throughout various parts of the movie. particulary one momentous night
son comes home stoned in jaiyll with a coupla rude-bhoys.
reminded me of my old man. he's still alright. just the amount of shite i had put him through
*sigh*
(keep the kleenex - useit for a buttrub)
3. taxi driver:-
"yu talkin to me?" / "i'm tired but i can't sleep..need to keep or working..need to get my stuff together...i need to get myself
organa-si-zed"..
say chief - that soundtrack for the movie...the slinky sax in the background...when he's goin on auto-narration..any idea who played it? i thought it was mr.coltrane and accidentally bought a comp of his. but bhoy
was that a blessing in diguise
4. lawrence of arabia or
"O'ranncee". another hand-me down influnce courtesy of my old man. like "gandhi" i never cease to miss the chance whenever it's being
re-runned.
fav scenes: the camel ride across the gulf of aqaba. the lemonade at the officer's pub - and the dampening of fire on matchstick with his fingers. peter o'toole eloquent.
5. young & dangerous - part 3. i can't explain this. ask chan ho nam. i have all 6. maybe the realism that it portrays in certain aspects? but what appealed to me..was the bond they had as schoolkids right through to kings of causeway bay.
there you have it 5. and i really like some of what you and the other fellas have put up.
escape to victory - for OBVIOUS REASONS. man the number of times i must have tried that
immortal ARDILESS hook..over and over on the padang..
and fall flat on my arse..
tell me something chief..honestly how many times have you played without actually enacting the scenes in your head? mine
countless. i hated the goalie the most though. mwahahahhahahaa
tuan kerpov,
my apologie tuan. since you will be here - i will put my top 5 albums here if you dun mind tuan balakov, since the topic already basi:) in nor particular order:-
1.shonen knife - brand new knife
2. carcass - descanting/reek (yes, thats 2)
3. j.coltrane - can't remmber name of album now so i'd like to substitute this with bendera'itam everything went black...fav track rise above/tv party...and i think gimme gimme gimme if it was on that lp.
4. the fall - this is a comp of the peel sessions. (yes, yes, but kerpov you allow comps don't you?)
5. n/death - scum/harmony corruption (yes,thats another 2)
tuan kerpov, the ironic thing out of the aformentioned list is..i currently only have 3 still in my hands. shonen cd, carcass-descanting & n/death scum on tape. the rest? good question
have been wondering for these
past few years meself.
bloody cd/tape rapists.
see ya later franchise dudes.
p.s. tuan kerpov. loved the piece or serambi mekkah & ETAKKKK:)))..or as i called it oyster gempak. will drop by soon. this was wee bit more temping. later bro.
okay okay i will play by the rules
n/death - SCUM only
scrap carcass out i got one better.
..fear factory dude..soul of a new machine...
SCAPPPEEEEEEGOATTTTT!!!
p.s. premo - thanks for showing me what mark e.smith is all about. heh heh hehhhh.
AD : Seem like you've been very free these past 2 weeks with so many blog topics....
Just came back from Bali last week & have been trying to clear my pile of work, and am still at it. Since I'm pressed for time, will kill 2 lists in one. But first & by way of explanation as to why people like Isa & Reena can't bloody count is simple. They, like me, are lawyers & by definition, can't count. Have always been bad at maths hence my choice of career was limited. Also since we can't count, don't blame us for those exorbitant bills we slap on clients.
OK, as far as albums are concerned, here goes:
1. Led Zep IV - surprised no one put up any Led Zep albums until one of the last few comment. If I want to do an Isa, I'd probably put down Led Zep I to IV....
2. Led Zep II
3. Fugazi - Repeater + 3 Songs
4. Happy Mondays - Pills N thrills & Bellyaches; gotta have at least 1 from the Madchester scene...a close 2nd would be The Stone Roses' self-titled debut album. Good for those solo full moon party on the desert island...
5. Carole King - Tapestry; for those mellow moods....alternatives could be John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", Don McLean's "American Pie" or Miles Davis "Porgy & Bess"
With a bigger allowance, would probably throw in some Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Queen, Willie Dixon, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Cream & The Smiths....
As for movies & in no particular order...
1. Reservoir Dogs
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels
4. Snatch
I think the first four films have been described in one way or the other but not the last one here.
5. Ran - Akira Kurosawa's last epic movie & an adaptation of King Lear. Memorable for me as it has helped me in my work. Quite often we get these old folks tottering into the office asking us to immediately transfer a share or all of their property to their children or kin.
Having watched the film early on in my career, its helped me to convince these old folks not to divide up their hard earned fortune (or what little of it) so soon & only to do so through a will lest they be caught in the same situation as the old guy in the movie & get kicked out of his own castle.
I have some blog tales of my own (eg. Bali Babiventures & an impending F1 Corporate Shindig tomorrow) & will try to put something up once I can clear up the mess at the office!!!
PS. Just bought a "farn pan" copy of Godsmack's "Good Times Bad Times...Ten Years Of Godsmack" & playing it as I'm posting this. Have to say they've done one of the best cover of a Led Zep song I've heard since Dread Zeppelin. Not like the lame shit pulled by Ex-Mrs Lance Armstrong, Sheryl Crow.
PPS: Dey...you got a copy of Rashomon-ka? Boleh pinjam or burn me a copy & pass to me on Sunday? Just finished reading a collection of short stories by the author of Rashomon, Ryunosuke Akutagawa. It'll be interesting to see how Kurosawa expanded the original story.
HOHOHO dude, Hey Ram is a semi-fictional story about the assasination of Gandhi...It's about this guy who gets brainwashed by these hardcore Hindus during the India-Pakistan partition..He gets chosen as the person to kill Gandhi but changes his mind last minute after meeting Gandhi..Brilliant movie man..
Eventhough i know the top 5 movie list will be coming up nxt..
It wasn't as Easy i thought it will be
Here's Me Top 5
1. Omega Man(Charlton Heston)
My Father had recorded this movie back in 84 VHS cassete when they showed tis On TV3..Made a huge impression on me...It was cool watchin Charlton Heston cruisin in the streets..After 20 plus yrs, watchin this film brought back old memories when i was 6...Of the films i saw in this period(EarthQuake(Heston),Hatari(John Wayne),Midway(Heston),The Big Red One and many others...this was my pick...the New Version I Am Lagenda...was good but i like the old one for obvious historical purpose fer Me...
2.Seven...
This was a tough one coz it was either this or Fight Club..Both Directed by David Fincher..Fight Club was superb...i loved the film mainly because i loved the idea that Brad Pitt was the Split Personality of Edward Norton and him batlling with himself was like experiencing playing chess with yourself..but when i watched the Seven...What i really liked was the idea how Kevin Spacey Kills Brad Pitt without actually killing him..through his wife...and the last scene was a real gem...
3. The Thing
Fer Me this was again a hard choice between Alien and The Thing...I went the Thing coz it was better hahaha and i loved the haunting soundtrack at the end of the Movie where Kurt Russell and the other survivor...dunno where the thing is dead or still alive...chilling End
4.Snatch
First time i saw this film i told myself this has got to be in my Top 10 so why not top 5...
5.Cube
I kind of Chanced upon this gem when i was actually lookin for some other genre (Ahem!) film in Petaling Street..it's a movie worth checking out coz its the precursor to films like Saw...try to get the first part..only...here' the synopsis
Six different people, each from a very different walk of life, awaken to find themselves inside a giant cube with thousands of possible rooms. Each has a skill that becomes clear when they must band together to get out: a cop, a math whiz, a building designer, a doctor, an escape master, and a disabled man. Each plays a part in their thrilling quest to find answers as to why they've been imprisoned.
Thas All folk's
P/s Balaji do check out Paruthi Veeran...if there's a tamil film worth watchin this is it..
anba & tinnesh: Tq fer the heads up on the Tamil movie scene. Cheers!
Bernard: Sorry la, me Kurosawa collection os on that super out-dated format, Laser Disc. U are welcome to borrow the disc & player as well . . .
hi. in no particular order.
1. godfather II
2. blade runner
3. deer hunter
4. cinema paradiso
5. last tango in paris
chief,
add this to the tamil list if you're planning to check out any soon.
nayagan - a maniratnam feature. no if yu're into the godfather, think you'll dig this one. k/haasan - he even got that brando hand-running through hair down to a pat.
never got bored with this despite numerous viewings.
appreciatively,moz.
p.s. for your info - this is based on the true life story of a bombay-based tamil underworld don (varadarajan mudaliyar) circa the pashtun mafia era/pre-dawood ibrahim.
and oh yeah.
if you dig
"islander" sentiments..
you should also check out
"kannathhil muttham-ittal" - another maniratnam feature. literally translates to "if you get kissed on yer cheeks". funny that...it gives yu an impression of what may amount..to one of them round-around the trees sort of fare eh? as one of the main tenents of this complex feature mainly centres on the contradictions of war - namely whether orchestrated on purpose or a genuine fight of the ltte AND
the casualties it takes. both from the tam/singha persepective.
however i dun dig the sentiments.
but utterly refreshing movie though.
1. Lawrence Of Arabia: "If Peter O'Toole were any prettier, they'd have to call him Florence of Arabia"
2. Lion of the Desert: Omar Mukhtar - Allahu akhbar! never resonated so well
3. Old Jet Li stuff, starting from his earliest movies in The Shaolin Temple with other old wushu masters
4. Transformers (better yet, its original take when Bumblebee was a VW. Optimus Prime is still the sexiest machine around)
5. Gandhi
oops, ok that was me. for some weird reason i was logged in as my girl's id.
ok here's the original comment again;
slacker dude, cant help it man. am a huge fan of mr carrey. cant be too serious la sometime.
mozz,
no worries, buddy. i'm always here. but cant stay long lah boss, gotta run along. ma girl's around so need to spend whats left of the weekend with her.
*the only song from Shonen Knife i've heard is ofcos la, Top Of The World....hehee...
ciao sin, bros.
Arsenal are heading for another trophy-less season. we're doomed. aku dah campak tuala. no excuses this time altho that motherfucking linesman deserve a whack on the head for one tiny silly decision that cost us the game.
Bernard - i have both seven samurai and rashomon on DvD... dont have Ran though.... do u?
Slacker : Yes, I've got Ran on VCD format. Will burn a copy for you in exchange for Rashomon. There you have it, a fine excuse to meet up for a drink....
BTW Bala, since you have so many "fans" on the blog, some of whom I'm sure you haven't met, why not organise a "meet the peasants/turun padang" session. Not asking you to belanja minum la, unless you want to which nobody will bloody mind. Can PYOD (Pay Your Own Drink).
bernard: eh, what fans? These are mostly our kawan kawan la. Besides a few like Kerp, Anba, tinnesh & Azer whom I've never met. Am actully planning to meet kerp at fatty crab one of these days. Will let you know & perhaps will get some of the others to join us - premo, nick etc.
woits: welcome to fer fook's sake. Are you anyone we know?
Fatty Crab?? Don't think that's good for your gout no?? But do count me in for any such session.
Bernard: Sure, will give you a heds up. Fatty Crab - coz Kerp stays nearby & is a regular there. Plus the beer is cold.
How bout next Friday? - get JonC, Becky, yerself, Mun, Kerp, Premo fer a thani & seafood session. How?
Tell me the time & I'll be there! Doris will probably tag along. Mun, fill up that leave form NOW!!
Hear goes...in no particular order
1. Transformers
2. The Holiday
3. Independence Day
4. Ratatouille
5. Beetlejuice
Jo: Thanx fer yer belated entry. Anyone we know?
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