Stuck In The Middle With You

"I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair, and I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs, clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you!"

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Holy Strike!

This is so true. I know many friends who act exactly like this.

Lightning strike-ed out my wireless router! The funny thing is that my ZTE ZXDSL 831 made-in-China modem has so far miraculously survived two major strikes. The first which took out my LAN card, the makers of the ZTE made the modem as if to bypass any destructive current to the next device connected via the network.

Something like Thailand during the Japanese invasion of Malaysia during WWII! :)

So, it may not have the eloquent boxy beauty of an Aztech ADSL modem, but it sure as hell rugged. Like an AK-47!

Imagine if your entire network, computer, keyboard and mouse were made by ZTE!

Lightning would then proceed to kill the user instead.

"Our orders were specific!"
"Rescue the crew, salvage what's left of the ship... the crew is dead, doctor. Your ship killed them."

Event Horizon (1997)

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Conclusion of Exams and Flushed Away!

Bitter and sweet, happy and sad, I’m sure as hell not going to miss the Monash MPH anymore!

My finale finals are finally finished!
Well, I still got one more summer class to go… Thanks to the insidious Thomas and his draconian Law!

Hmm… By the way, does anyone know when summer classes starts?

First thing I did post-examinatrus was to catch some sleep. It surreal not resting with perpetual burdens hanging over my head, like vultures waiting for me to kick the bucket. Feels like there is something missing from my life already…
LOL, I hope that passes very soon. I DO NOT want to miss exams and assignments.

That is, if I don’t flunk any of my papers. That would suck… big time.

Anyway, at night, I took the little sister out to watch Flushed Away.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The film evidently contrasts the sheer gap in production quality, scriptwriting, humor and creativity between a UK-made production and those mass-produced junks from the States.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Roddy (Hugh Jackman) and Rita (Kate Winslet), the two protagonists of Flushed Away

For example, Flushed Away pokes fun at the quirky nature of Londoners, The French and the ever arch-typical ignorant American tourists. However, unlike the more crude parody of such traits, as employed by many US-made comedies, Flushed Away does it in such a manner that is funnier because of its genuine authenticity of the portrayal.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Le Frog (Jean Reno), without a doubt one of the more hilarious characters found in Flushed Away

And the film is an Easter egg galore for the more observant viewers. I’m going to get the DVD just to see how many Easter eggs I have missed out in the cinema. Be on the look out for a carbon-frozen Han Solo, Nemo and X-Men’s Wolverine!

Flushed Away’s dialogue is not only cleaver but intelligently witty as well, something in which CGI films nowadays seem to lack. Many are usually heavily leaning towards slapstick jokes or toilet humor. Although there are tons of such outtakes in Flushed Away (the protagonist did get flushed down the loo after all!), it is done with a more refined British charm.

And who can forget the singing slugs! It is original, cute and slightly disturbing all-in-one!

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Concept art of the underground mice city of London

Right now, I can’t really think of anything bad to say about the film. Guess it is the kind that appeals to me, thus producing a rather bias review here.

Anyway, it is a must watch comedy in my opinion. I give it a 9.9/10!

"Aw, don't think like that! Damn it to hell! Don't go by the book. Think like a pirate. I want a man with a tattoo on his dick. Have I got the right man?!"
"By a strange coincidence, you do, sir..."

Down Periscope (1996)