true secrets of magic
Once upon a time in the not-too-distant future (in distant days longing to sense it all so clear):
PS: Thanks to the always awesome Monica Vega for the great comments. I now has some self esteem.
^_^
Finally seen: A Chinese Ghost Story III
I saw the trilogy out of order, mostly of how and when the movies became available to me. I saw the second one first, then the original and then this past weekend the last one. In between, I saw the animated adaptation.
The third one, like the animated movie, rehashes the original (and classic) tale of an individual who stumbles upon an abandoned temple, runs into a ghost working to lure him to a tree demon who wants to eat his soul but the ghost ends up falling in love with the dude. The difference in this tale of the story is it is set a hundred years after the original and attempts to put an end one and for all to the tree demon (who I thought was killed in the first one anyway) and the haunted temple.
Instead of Leslie Cheung we get Tony Leung and instead of a tax collector we get a monk and his master, a demon killer and their golden Buddha. We still get the lovely, lovely, lovely Joey Wong as the ghost and one really wishes she still does movies. She was still very effective in this central role. We also get Cantopop star Jacky Cheung who may or may not be playing the character he played in A Chinese Ghost Story II.
Despite being a rehash- it is still a decent movie, the kind I wish there were more of. Not a lot of martial arts (besides it is not that kind of movie), but lots of mystical mumbo jumbo including a scroll that becomes a suit of armor. And it is more in the vein of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead movies of which these were inspired by rather than spooky tales regarding the afterlife (just as some of Raimi’s work later were inspired by these movies- you cannot watch the Xena finale without recalling these movies).
A very fun movie, a bit more so than the original helped by the portrayal of the helpless and clueless monk and happier ending. But the original one is still the best of the three and if you have to watch any of these, I would stick with the original.
That said, I think it is time for a new Chinese Ghost Story. The original story was a classic, as previously mentioned, but the subsequent rehashings of the story has not diluted the tale (and besides, the animated movie and the third one were not half bad at all).
My grade for A Chinese Ghost Story: B+
Also seen: Sesame Street Beginnings DVD
Because this entry is brought to you by the letters, D, I, E and the number 666.
Well, I did not see all the shows on the set (which has the first episode of each of the first five seasons of the show). I did see the sales pitch and the selected shorts that accompany the set.
In short, if you are a Muppets fan- you got to see these. Freaking hilarious without being offensive to anyone.
Unless you are a grouch, of course.
Especially if you have not seen the antics of Regular and Super Grover and the Yip-Yip aliens since you were a kid. I must have laughed myself silly.
(I especially the Best Of take this release takes. I would pick up any follow up releases and hope that more of the classic shorts are included and maybe, that Death of Mr. Hooper episode- or at least highlights from it)
This review brought to you by the letter A+.
No desire at the moment to see the Simpsons Movie. Yes the trailers are funny (especially the clip with the Presidential Governator) - how much you want to bet that those are the best parts of the movie? And besides, why see the movie when the show can be seen at least once a day (and the undisputed fact that Futurama was a better show)?
Chowing on this:
Stephen Chow as Kato in a Green Hornet film? Only if Stephen Chow writes, directs and has creative freedom. And Kato is the lead character. Otherwise, I like the fact that Stephen Chow has avoided Hollywood because we all know how great they treated Chow Yun Fat (second billing to Stifler?), Tsui Hark (A Dennis Rodman movie?), Michelle Yeoh and to a lesser extent Jet Li (although his better Western roles have been via the French- see Kiss of the Dragon and Danny the Dog).
But Stephen Chow is a huge Bruce Lee fan and might do it just for the hell of it. By the way, did you know that Stephen Chow’s fortune mostly comes from successfully investing in real estate? This explains why he is not doing like ten movies a year like he did when he first became popular- and is a good thing as his more recent movies are just getting better and better.
Currently thinking of: People I used to know (mostly because I know no one in Texas)
Whatever happened to them? Occasionally I get random flashes of the names and faces of old friends, classmates or co-workers. Names like Starleigh, Angie, Greico, that dude at the library at Oxnard College, that chick who used to work at Salzers, that brainy chick from high school who became a party girl when she got to college, Joon, Erika, Edna, Stina, people who know me in St. Georges, Bee Bee, Bea, Chuck, Stephanie and others.
I tell myself that I am happy I am not like 90% of the population who spend the vast majority of their lives approximately an hour’s drive from where they were born. And I am happy about that, it is good for the soul to move around and see new things.
I just miss home every now and then, a bit more now than I usually do as I glanced at the date earlier today and realized it has been two years since I packed everything I could and the two cats into my car and made the drive to Texas.
And the fact that I have a need to visit the California beach and rejuvenate myself.
Other Stuff:
One of my favourite urban myths is the one about mad genius Alan Moore tells about the times he had met a fictional character that he had created.
As he told it:
“One day, I was in Westminster in London-this was after we had introduced the character-and I was sitting in a sandwich bar. All of a sudden, up the stairs came John Constantine. He was wearing the trench coat, a short cut-he looked-no, he didn't even look exactly like Sting. He looked exactly like John Constantine. He looked at me, stared me straight in the eyes, smiled, nodded almost conspiratorially and then just walked off around the corner to the other part of the snack bar.
I sat there and thought, should I go around that corner and see if he is really there, or should I just eat my sandwich and leave? I opted for the latter; I thought it was the safest. I'm not making any claims to anything. I'm just saying that it happened. Strange little story.”
I first heard that story a while ago and just loved that story. I then heard that he ran to Constantine again, although this time, it was a wee bit more metaphysically.
“Years later, in another place, he steps out of the dark and speaks to me. He whispers: 'I'll tell you the ultimate secret of magic. Any cunt could do it.' ”
I think at the time, Mr. Moore was doing one of his magic performances so who knows what chemicals were coursing through his veins.
Not that it makes the story false. If any fictitious characters could ever break the walls of reality just for the hell of it, it would be the old Con Job.
Of course my favourite urban myth of writers coming across their characters is the time Neil Gaiman went on a plane ride and one of the Endless was on it. You can guess which one it was as another passenger suffered a fatal heart attack during the trip.
And while we are on the topic of writers, Jo Rowling’s favourite bands The Smiths and The Clash. Hey, she is just like us. Apart from the fact of course that she is a billionaire.
I have not finished reading the last HP book yet*. To all the people who got the book on midnight on Friday night and locked themselves in until Sunday afternoon so they can have a marathon read I say this: You are the TREKKIES for this generation. I am going to take my time and enjoy the ride.
*[I read two chapters and accidentally started reading Crooked Little Vein (which I was originally going to save for later), laughed out loud a few times and am now barreling though to the rest of that book instead.]
I have read some spoilers, but I do not trust them. But if the one regarding the final fate of the three main characters are true, I would have to say the readers have been ripped off and Rowling took the easy route to not piss off any fans and parents of fans.
And I would have loved to hear that Harry’s last words, instead of being about his scar, being 'I'll tell you the ultimate secret of magic. Any cunt could do it.'
________________________________________________________________________
PS: Thanks to the always awesome Monica Vega for the great comments. I now has some self esteem.
^_^
Finally seen: A Chinese Ghost Story III
I saw the trilogy out of order, mostly of how and when the movies became available to me. I saw the second one first, then the original and then this past weekend the last one. In between, I saw the animated adaptation.
The third one, like the animated movie, rehashes the original (and classic) tale of an individual who stumbles upon an abandoned temple, runs into a ghost working to lure him to a tree demon who wants to eat his soul but the ghost ends up falling in love with the dude. The difference in this tale of the story is it is set a hundred years after the original and attempts to put an end one and for all to the tree demon (who I thought was killed in the first one anyway) and the haunted temple.
Instead of Leslie Cheung we get Tony Leung and instead of a tax collector we get a monk and his master, a demon killer and their golden Buddha. We still get the lovely, lovely, lovely Joey Wong as the ghost and one really wishes she still does movies. She was still very effective in this central role. We also get Cantopop star Jacky Cheung who may or may not be playing the character he played in A Chinese Ghost Story II.
Despite being a rehash- it is still a decent movie, the kind I wish there were more of. Not a lot of martial arts (besides it is not that kind of movie), but lots of mystical mumbo jumbo including a scroll that becomes a suit of armor. And it is more in the vein of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead movies of which these were inspired by rather than spooky tales regarding the afterlife (just as some of Raimi’s work later were inspired by these movies- you cannot watch the Xena finale without recalling these movies).
A very fun movie, a bit more so than the original helped by the portrayal of the helpless and clueless monk and happier ending. But the original one is still the best of the three and if you have to watch any of these, I would stick with the original.
That said, I think it is time for a new Chinese Ghost Story. The original story was a classic, as previously mentioned, but the subsequent rehashings of the story has not diluted the tale (and besides, the animated movie and the third one were not half bad at all).
My grade for A Chinese Ghost Story: B+
Also seen: Sesame Street Beginnings DVD
Because this entry is brought to you by the letters, D, I, E and the number 666.
Well, I did not see all the shows on the set (which has the first episode of each of the first five seasons of the show). I did see the sales pitch and the selected shorts that accompany the set.
In short, if you are a Muppets fan- you got to see these. Freaking hilarious without being offensive to anyone.
Unless you are a grouch, of course.
Especially if you have not seen the antics of Regular and Super Grover and the Yip-Yip aliens since you were a kid. I must have laughed myself silly.
(I especially the Best Of take this release takes. I would pick up any follow up releases and hope that more of the classic shorts are included and maybe, that Death of Mr. Hooper episode- or at least highlights from it)
This review brought to you by the letter A+.
No desire at the moment to see the Simpsons Movie. Yes the trailers are funny (especially the clip with the Presidential Governator) - how much you want to bet that those are the best parts of the movie? And besides, why see the movie when the show can be seen at least once a day (and the undisputed fact that Futurama was a better show)?
Chowing on this:
Stephen Chow as Kato in a Green Hornet film? Only if Stephen Chow writes, directs and has creative freedom. And Kato is the lead character. Otherwise, I like the fact that Stephen Chow has avoided Hollywood because we all know how great they treated Chow Yun Fat (second billing to Stifler?), Tsui Hark (A Dennis Rodman movie?), Michelle Yeoh and to a lesser extent Jet Li (although his better Western roles have been via the French- see Kiss of the Dragon and Danny the Dog).
But Stephen Chow is a huge Bruce Lee fan and might do it just for the hell of it. By the way, did you know that Stephen Chow’s fortune mostly comes from successfully investing in real estate? This explains why he is not doing like ten movies a year like he did when he first became popular- and is a good thing as his more recent movies are just getting better and better.
Currently thinking of: People I used to know (mostly because I know no one in Texas)
Whatever happened to them? Occasionally I get random flashes of the names and faces of old friends, classmates or co-workers. Names like Starleigh, Angie, Greico, that dude at the library at Oxnard College, that chick who used to work at Salzers, that brainy chick from high school who became a party girl when she got to college, Joon, Erika, Edna, Stina, people who know me in St. Georges, Bee Bee, Bea, Chuck, Stephanie and others.
I tell myself that I am happy I am not like 90% of the population who spend the vast majority of their lives approximately an hour’s drive from where they were born. And I am happy about that, it is good for the soul to move around and see new things.
I just miss home every now and then, a bit more now than I usually do as I glanced at the date earlier today and realized it has been two years since I packed everything I could and the two cats into my car and made the drive to Texas.
And the fact that I have a need to visit the California beach and rejuvenate myself.
Other Stuff:
One of my favourite urban myths is the one about mad genius Alan Moore tells about the times he had met a fictional character that he had created.
As he told it:
“One day, I was in Westminster in London-this was after we had introduced the character-and I was sitting in a sandwich bar. All of a sudden, up the stairs came John Constantine. He was wearing the trench coat, a short cut-he looked-no, he didn't even look exactly like Sting. He looked exactly like John Constantine. He looked at me, stared me straight in the eyes, smiled, nodded almost conspiratorially and then just walked off around the corner to the other part of the snack bar.
I sat there and thought, should I go around that corner and see if he is really there, or should I just eat my sandwich and leave? I opted for the latter; I thought it was the safest. I'm not making any claims to anything. I'm just saying that it happened. Strange little story.”
I first heard that story a while ago and just loved that story. I then heard that he ran to Constantine again, although this time, it was a wee bit more metaphysically.
“Years later, in another place, he steps out of the dark and speaks to me. He whispers: 'I'll tell you the ultimate secret of magic. Any cunt could do it.' ”
I think at the time, Mr. Moore was doing one of his magic performances so who knows what chemicals were coursing through his veins.
Not that it makes the story false. If any fictitious characters could ever break the walls of reality just for the hell of it, it would be the old Con Job.
Of course my favourite urban myth of writers coming across their characters is the time Neil Gaiman went on a plane ride and one of the Endless was on it. You can guess which one it was as another passenger suffered a fatal heart attack during the trip.
And while we are on the topic of writers, Jo Rowling’s favourite bands The Smiths and The Clash. Hey, she is just like us. Apart from the fact of course that she is a billionaire.
I have not finished reading the last HP book yet*. To all the people who got the book on midnight on Friday night and locked themselves in until Sunday afternoon so they can have a marathon read I say this: You are the TREKKIES for this generation. I am going to take my time and enjoy the ride.
*[I read two chapters and accidentally started reading Crooked Little Vein (which I was originally going to save for later), laughed out loud a few times and am now barreling though to the rest of that book instead.]
I have read some spoilers, but I do not trust them. But if the one regarding the final fate of the three main characters are true, I would have to say the readers have been ripped off and Rowling took the easy route to not piss off any fans and parents of fans.
And I would have loved to hear that Harry’s last words, instead of being about his scar, being 'I'll tell you the ultimate secret of magic. Any cunt could do it.'
________________________________________________________________________
posted by Catterpillarboy at 4:42 AM
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