Monday, January 20, 2014

The Best of 2013 : Part 1 20 -11

I'm just gonna go straight to the point. Hard it may be, I've finally finalize it. Top 20 of 2013 Part 1, here it goes ...


20. The Wolverine

Aaaah The Wolverine, my least favorite X-man that is overly exposed in both silver screen and comics. With that said, I like this one, it's less mutant oriented and at least the continuation  from other X flicks are better thought out. It could have been higher up my list if! .. both Silver Samurai and Viper characteristic, powers, look etc followed more closely to the comic..oh well at least Yukio is somewhat similar, you can't win it all.

Best scene : if not for the bonus scene at the end, this movie won't be in the list, I was such an excited fanboy when Prof X popped out..(well that and the fact that this is an X-Men flick)

19. Pacific Rim

I had a wonderful time watching this alone at the cinema on IMAX, the IMAX experience made me enjoy the movie immensely ..and then I saw it at the tv screen. Honestly Pacific Rim is best enjoyed at a big screen with Kick-Ass audio system (3D is optional)....the flick is tailor made for it. It is however an enjoyable monster-robot flick. Who doesn't like watching robots and monsters duking (if that's even a verb)
 it out. And good choice of words naming the monsters and robots..it clicks.

Best Scene : The brawls were excelent, but Mako's flashback scene during her first encounter with a Kaiju was well made, and sad

18. The Heat

The Heat is a fun buddy cop flick with chics in it. Sandra Bullock had played this sort of character before but the addition of Melissa McCarthy made the movie stood out a tad more. Both leads played the role down to the tee. McCarthy's cussing made me blush and Sandra is just a wacky girl next door which I would date, eh?

Best Scene : McCarthy may have stolen the show, but every time that albino cop appears..he made me lol

17. Stoker

Once a while there comes  a horror (or thriller if you really wanna be technical)  flick that totally blows your mind even though it takes your hours to interpret the flick. Stoker is it for me in 2013. All 3 leads played their roles very well. Specially liked Matthew Goode in this one. I don't wanna say more but go watch it.

Best Scene : The opening scene..beautiful

16. Kil

This sounds pretentious but once a year I promise myself to watch a malay flick at the cinema, last year I dunno what possessed me but I saw 3 local flicks at the cinema..1 was average, another made me scream oh god why! (refer post Worst Movie Ever early this year) and luckily for me...another one was a gem. Kil is a gloomy flick which I enjoyed. It's certainly different from your average local flick (eventhough I can smell the ending a mile away), if more local movie makers try something like this I might just go see more local flicks at the cinema. Oh another thing, the two leads ..win! Specially the chic thats ooze that New Girl chic ( I suddenly forgot her name) aura.

Best Scene : the first date, just cause Zara oozes Zooey (yeah I finally googled) during this time

15. Iron Man 3

Not an Avengers fan but Iron Man 3 was a fun ride. If this is in fact the last  Iron Man flick then It ended well, a good full circle. And good job making us Marvel fans believing The Mandarin was The Mandarin ...really did not see that coming. Some fans hated it, I didn't. Oh I want to add, who swoooned when Gwyneth punch a hole on one of the Iron Man suits??!.. I know I did, the lady is fit!

Best Scene : Monkey in a barrel scene

14. Maniac 

Elijah Wood is a question mark for me. Sometimes I hate him and sometimes I don't..but I do think he's a good actor. And his portrayal of a shy-awkward-maniac was believable. He nailed it...and the gore, me like! Some scenes are kinda hard to watch but I still dig it. I bet all the feminist in the world hates this flick..blah, to each their own.

Best Scene : When he scalps the lady agent, yoikes dude means business!

13. Rush 


I know jack bout F1. A colleague of mine wanted to watch it, so he asked me to tag along. So I did and ended up loving the flick more than the F1 fan. I don't really know how close the movie is to real life and don't even want to check but what I saw from the flick bout the rivalry and some history of F1..I like it. It is much easier to watch AND understand than watching these F1 drivers go round and round during their matches :P. Oh Daniel Bruhl was good, why he didn't get an oscar nod? Weird.

Best Scene : hmm I dunno if there's a best scene for me in this one. It's just all around a well tailored movie.

12. Evil Dead remake


A lot of fans hated it. I did not, I watch this with an open mind knowing IT'S A BLOODY REMAKE. And I enjoyed what I saw...well except the what in the world is happening last 15 minutes (it involves blood rain..go figure) ..I thing missing though..the scare factor..at first I was kinda afraid watching it alone at night cause I remember watching the original Evil Dead back then all alone which scared the living daylight out of me. It was yikes-able at the beginning but then you get use to it.

Best Scene : Any Mia self inflicted torture scene..I said BRRRRRRrrrr

11. Ender's Game


I like to dubbed Ender's Game as one of the great movie of 2013 that no one saw. Seriously I asked around and no one saw it. Only my cousin and another movie friend saw it..and that's it. It's a good movie bout morals. What is right and what is wrong. And the quote from the beginning of the flick really made me think. I love that quote. Acting wise..the lead kid rules..and also the bully, eh let's just say all the youngsters played their roles well...the veterans though...korang tido ke apa? ..one thing though..I did NOT like the ending...WTF was that?

Best Scene : the final "simulation"

next post ..Part 2 ...are you excited as I am? #tetiba

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

FIRST (remembering that awesome mag)

  
I was doing a little bit of spring cleaning and stumbled upon this stack load of Magazines which brought back fond memories. It's First!, the mag I followed religiously back then. In my opinion this is one of the best SEA based mag ever published. It has everything in it plus monthly freebies (which one of the major reasons why I love this mag). Near each month there would be a (or 4) movie postcard(s) stapled in the middle of the mag. Each time buying the mag, I go straight for these postcards first. Thankfully it looks like all the postcards I've collected is still intact, never used ..never stick up my cubicle.

But mark my work, one day. I'm gonna use all these freebies when I have my own media room. This will all go up my wall..yeah one day...one day. Haiyoo when am I gonna have my own kick ass media room?
ANYway...the First is a Singaporean movie mag that comes out monthly from Dec 2002 - May 2009. I only started collecting in 2006 by chance and continued buying it till it ended it's run. Total mag bought 32. Apart from the freebies the other reason I love this mag is because of the monthly ..top 10 or top 100 list of movie related stuff. I live for these lists. Most blog / movie website I follow are because of the top 10/100 list..well mostly, I do like reading reviews as well. But list? YUM! Recently I've started collecting FILM Malaysia, it's OK but really pale in comparison to First..heck even The Score another mag I used to collect (after First) is kinda better than Film Malaysia. FILM Malaysia looks pretty but lacking in content. And most of the reviews are kinda back dated, I know cause it's "Malaysia" but still....man how I miss First Mag...bring it back!

p/s: if anyone remembers there's this Singaporean Mag during the early / mid 90s which was also good but I forgot the Mag's name. I remember once they Photoshopped Meg Ryan + Slash's mug together...any ideas anyone?

Monday, January 06, 2014

Worst Movie Ever - Comic Book Guy


Hey hey, it's that time of the year again. We'll start the new year as usual with Top 10 Horrendous flick of the year.Basically this year most of the ones in my bad movie list are the ones I'm disappointed with, not necessarily bad but disappointed. Also sadly, most of the bad movies in this list are horror flicks, I guess I'm more judgmental on horror genre.So here goes 

10. Riddick
It's not really a bad movie. However ...well let me quote the reviews that I agree with from the net "this is not the Riddick movie I wanted" & " I waited 14 years for THIS!!!"  ...It's a letdown to say the least.

Saving grace : surprise surprise the addition of  Katee Sackhoff as a kickass macho chic was superb. You see once upon a time I hated this chic, HATED! It's all because of her so annoying character in Halloween Resurrection. I swore her off there n then. But in Riddick? Such a vast improvement, Kudos to her

9. Penanggal

I don't wanna say much bout this one other than "this is my new Saint Ange" ..those who are close to me would understand.

Saving grace : well at least visually it's stunning..I'll give em that.

8. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

So...where the monsterS? Plural ok! Percy 2 is not really THAT bad, but I'm disappointed with it. To compare with the first flick the budget looks to have been cut down massively , heck they even replaced Pierce Brosnan with Anthony Stewart (which is not bad but I want Mr Bond!), and the challenges Percy met in this installment was downright laughable , the big bad was defeated by just one stab..COME ON!

Saving grace : the cameo from Nathan Fillion ..funny!

7. G.I Joe Retaliation

Bad guy sux, I don't feel any dread from em. I believe from the get go the GI Joe's are gonna beat the living crap out of the bad guys. There's no sense of danger at all...and...I fell asleep like the first 15 min..LOL

Saving grace : the fight scene at the mountains was kinda cool...KINDA

6. Hansel and Gretel : Witch Hunters

Great concept but BADLY executed...awesome looking witches, NOT USED to the fullest!, ya that's it

Saving grace : there's an troll named Edward, I laughed so hard


5. Among friends

Oh my what the hell is this crap, I watched this solely cause Danielle Harris helm the director's chair. And for someone very familiar with the horror genre, I can't believe this is the best that she can come up with. The acting was appalling the shock factor was...well non existent. Bad bad movie

Saving Grace : nada

4. R.I.P.D

I guess Ryan Reynolds don't have much luck in comic book adaption flicks. He should stop now cause RIPD is just lame...so lame. It's the kind of flick that you watch and 10 mins after you forget all bout it.

Saving grace : like my last statement above...I don't remember anything.

3. Fright Night 2 2013

I...I.. sigh, this one was bad. Could the just have made a follow up to the first remake flick. Sure it ain't a masterpiece but at least people can relate to it more. What we got is a kinda rehash idea from the original 80s flick but set in foreign country (not US)...boo!

Saving Grace : 1 name , Jaime Murray

2.Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D

The quality of tcm flicks seem to go lower with each new entry. A pity cause I dig leatherface. This new entry is just blagh..they should just stop trying hard and just focus on the chase and kills. Look at Friday the 13th flick, it's not mindblowing but at least you got the awesome kills! And add more cast member, remember what randy said in Scream 2. Body count should be more!

Saving grace : the dames in the flick, they're hot!

1.The Last Exorcism 2

I'm well aware that this is not The Last Exorcism 2 poster, but it should've been!
Tsk tsk such a waste, the first flick was good. The last few frames are one of the most $$#×ed up images in horror history. So you can imagine my excitement going in the cinema to watch this. But I got none of the elements I like from the first flick. The makers should have just stayed back at the farm, the different approach/angle they were going for just...did..not...work.

Saving grace : eh none of that here

so that's it...horrible mentions : Oblivion and Epic for being so bloody boring.  Sharknando for being way too silly. The Purge which was saved because of the interesting concept and also it made me think."what if" ..and Olympus has Fallen for being stupid boom boom flick. Vikingdom could've made the list as well but I feel asleep throughout the movie so that does not count...or does it? hmmm