WES CRAVEN (1939 - 2015) Posted on 31 Aug 2015 Horror maestro Wes Craven who is known for his chilling horror classics such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Serpent and the Rainbow and The Hills Have Eyes have died of brain cancer. Craven was known for creating the iconic Freddy Krueger character in 1984 and a decade later in 1996, he reached another career peak with Scream, the slasher horror that featured the memorable opening scene ... more

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Natalie Dormer, Woody Harrelson, Evan Ross, Elizabeth Banks, Sam Claflin, Robert Knepper, Gwendoline Christie, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Stanley Tucci
Runtime: 2 hrs 17 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/TheHungerGamesMovie

Opening Day: 19 November 2015

Synopsis:  With the nation of Panem in a full-scale war, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) confronts President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends ‐ including Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) ‐ Katniss goes off on a mission with the District 13 unit as they risk their lives to liberate the citizens of Panem, and stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. Although rebels now control most of Panem, the girl on fire must still overcome one last challenge to win President Snow's "game" - to conquer the capital at the risk of losing her friends. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games as she realizes the stakes are no longer just for survival ‐ they are for the future.

Movie Review:

Katniss Everdeen is back to kick some serious ass in the Capitol after suffering from severe PTSD in the very subdued The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.  

Of course this concluding chapter to the phenomenal franchise that turned Jennifer Lawrence into one of Hollywood’s youngest and richest star is the ultimate thirst-quencher for fans and series followers who have waited a year for it to unveil. As compared to other book-to-movie adaptations liked World War Z, writers Peter Craig and Danny Strong pretty much sticks closely to Suzanne Collins’ original writings so fans can heave a sigh of relief.

When we last left the Hunger Games, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) has begun orders to attack District 13. Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) on the other hand has been ‘hijacked’ into killing Katniss while rebel leader, President Coin (Julianne Moore) aims to destroy Snow’s military stronghold in District 2 before attacking the Capitol. As strong as she is, Katniss is still reeling in from Peeta’s attack and plight. Will our beloved heroine regain her strength and will to fight against Snow’s pending attacks?

After helming three instalments, director Francis Lawrence obviously demonstrate a firmer grip if not a much confident take on the material. Most people conclude that Mockingjay Part 1 is just Lionsgate’s ploy of buying time and money and essentially a long teaser to the finale. Fortunately, Mockingjay Part 2 has none of the deliberate pacing of its predecessor. Lawrence commits to move the story forward as much as possible within the 134 minutes timeframe. The showdown is set. Hidden agenda is finally revealed. Familiar characters are killed. The future of Panem is set in motion.

No doubt, the momentum is doubled and those longing for an exciting showdown between Katniss and President Snow will not be disappointed. Dictator Coriolanus Snow continues to showcase his high-tech weaponries though this time his beloved booby traps are no longer laid out in forests but the streets of the Capitol awaiting the arrival of Katniss and her teammates which include her ex-love interest/hunting partner Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), Boggs (Mahershala Ali) and a very unstable Peeta in tow.

For those who longed for some nasty action bits after they failed to make an appearance in Part 1 will rejoice at Snow’s elaborate tricks which include a rising tide of black oil and the unleashed of a group of underground mutated creatures (that seems to inspired from I Am Legend, one of Lawrence’s titles) upon Team Katniss. Both scenes are tightly choreographed, often heart-pounding and the CG looks very impressive on the big screen.

Though largely targeted at the teen’s demographics, The Hunger Games is not one trilogy that relies solely on its mixture of young and veteran cast members and action sets. Katniss’ dilemma in choosing her side lingers on as she ponders between living her destiny as a savior and warrior of District 13. Defying Coin’s order and insisting she deals with Snow herself proved she is no longer the 16 year old teenager who took her sister’s place for the hunger games. Consequences lie in her bare hands and the narrative is compelling enough to let us forget we have already waited four years for the answer.

Equally emotional is the romance aspect as audiences will definitely be keen to find out the final result of the love triangle as Katniss struggles on whom to trust. Is it Peeta who sacrificed so much for Katniss or the heroic Gale who has somewhat transformed into a ruthless soldier in the process? As always regardless of her roles, Jennifer Lawrence continues to be an awe-inspiring actress. Her incredible talents in portraying a convincing Katniss Everdeen probably accounts for the success of the series. What’s surprising is Josh Hutcherson who needs to be applaud for his incredible performance as the suffering Peeta. As for Liam Hemsworth, let’s just say Gale is simply not a role for him to shine. Sadly, Elizabeth Banks (Effie), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch), Jeffrey Wright (Beetee) and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch) has very little or in the case of Wright and Hoffman, fleeting scenes to make it a worthy outing.

Essentially dark, relentlessly mind stimulating and full of thoughtful material, The Hunger Games is one of those rare young-adult franchises that are more grown up than any of the mainstream flicks out there. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 marks a beautiful end to an epic saga but we are sure we will see more of Jennifer Lawrence in the not so distant future.  

Movie Rating:

(An immensely engaging and fitting farewell to everyone’s favourite Mockingjay!)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Nancy Meyers
Cast: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Anders Holm, Andrew Rannells, Adam DeVine, Celia Weston, Nat Wolff, Linda Lavin, Zack Pearlman
Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: http://www.theinternmovie.com

Opening Day: 24 September 2015

Synopsis: In “The Intern,” De Niro stars as Ben Whittaker, a 70-year-old widower who has discovered that retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin (Hathaway).

Movie Review:

As far as onscreen pairings go, ‘The Intern’ boasts probably one of the most interesting ones in recent memory. On one hand is Robert De Niro’s 70-year-old Ben Whittaker, a former vice-president in a now defunct phonebook printing company who has lost his wife to cancer and is presently struggling to deal with the concept of retirement; on the other is Anne Hathaway’s 32-year-old Jules Ostin, the founder and CEO of a tremendously successful fashion-based e-commerce company called ‘About the Fit’ or ‘ATF’ for short’ who is presently struggling to deal with the demands of her investors to find a CEO while not neglecting her six-year-old daughter and stay-home husband. Diametrically opposite as they may be, writer/ director Nancy Meyers wants to prove that these two individuals can have much more to learn from each other than you and I can imagine.

So through a community outreach programme which one of her company’s executives hatched, Ben finds his away into ATF as a senior intern after impressing some of the much younger employees with his warm sense of humour, his cheery can-do demeanour and proving least likely among his competition to drop dead while on the job (yes, we mean this literally). Despite Jules’ initial chagrin, that same executive assigns Ben directly to Jules in order to set an example for the rest of the employees in the company. And as the trailers would have you know, Ben will slowly but surely overcome her reservations with a keen sensitive eye and an unerring professionalism, eventually becoming not just a calming ear amidst the day to day chaos at the workplace but also an invaluable source of advice for her professional and personal woes.

Just so you know, De Niro and Hathaway do not eventually fall in love with each other, so you can rest easy if you’re wondering or worried if things would eventually get weird or awkward between them; and to put that at rest, Meyers finds De Niro a romantic interest in Rene Russo’s in-house massage therapist Fiona and occupies Hathaway with the discovery that her husband (Anders Holm) has been cheating on her with the stay-home mother of her daughter’s schoolmate. It is also in the latter where De Niro will come most prominently to play counsellor and confidante, nudging her not to blame her workaholic tendencies for her husband’s infidelity. Oh yes, there is a message of empowerment and encouragement for all career mothers within – and a slap on the face if you will have it for their other halves who use that as an excuse to commit adultery.

In keeping with her recent movies, Meyers has eschewed male-dominated Hollywood stereotype by fashioning Jules as a strong, opinionated and successful female individual who can be a hands-on CEO to over 220 employees at her company while being a dedicated mother and loving wife. Her response to her husband’s infidelity isn’t to fall in love with a fellow co-worker or to divorce him immediately; rather, she wants to give him a second chance, believing that a re-affirmation of their mutual love for each other will convince him to end his affair once and for all. You may disagree – as Ben does – with whether she is being naïve, but hey it’s undeniably still a strong gutsy move for a woman to put aside her pride and her hurt to offer forgiveness and to choose to stay together.

Meyers also has yet another intention here, and that is to quash ageism at the workplace. It isn’t just coincidence that the company Ben joins is in the Internet business; as incongruous as his presence may be in an industry that arguably does not appeal to his age demographic, Meyers wants to let the young upstart CEOs of today’s tech companies know that – as the tagline goes – experience never gets old and that there is something that the Gen-Y leaders can learn from their Gen-X counterparts. You can almost hear Meyers’ own lament through Jules that the men of today are a far cry from the likes of Jack Nicholson and Harrison Ford, and that just as Jules does, we will find something to learn from the silver-haired members of our workforce.

Both are equally poignant lessons, but perhaps not so wieldy in the same movie. Meyers tries to convey the latter first, and does so quite persuasively through a mixture of situational comedy and punchlines that are gently amusing but never by way of caricature – indeed, the closest she comes to farce is an ‘Oceans’ Eleven’ like ‘heist’ led by Ben to break into Jules’ mother’s house and delete an email that Jules had accidentally sent to her mother. The first hour of the movie cruises by like a breeze, in large part as well thanks to De Niro’s spot-on comic timing that he hasn’t lost since the last sequel of ‘Meet the Parents’. There is also much delight to be had watching De Niro and Hathaway break the ice between their respective characters, their dynamic sincere, heartfelt and genuinely affable.

Unfortunately, Meyers doesn’t quite do the former as well, and the latter half of the movie sags as a result of a more melodramatic change in tone and pace. Not to trivialise women in similar predicaments, but it isn’t quite so convincing just why Jules’ husband would cheat on her in the first place and a tad too convenient how Ben comes to chance upon the fact which ends up putting him in a moral quandary. Shifting the focus from Ben and Jules to Jules and her cheating husband also makes for a duller movie, particularly because it was the dynamic between De Niro and Hathaway that made the first half such a pleasant charmer in the first place. It also makes Ben less a fully-formed character, especially since his romance with Fiona gets short shrift once Jules’ marriage woes take prominence.

And though Meyers’ screenplay could do with some work, it is the sheer effervescent chemistry between De Niro and Hathaway that keeps the movie afloat. Both are equally lovely in their respective roles, and the strength of their performances is enough to make you forgive the fact that their characters are probably too good-natured to be true. Ultimately though, Meyers’ choice to put in a reassuring word of empowerment for career-oriented females proves to be her own undoing, not least in an ending that is limp and underwhelming. Yes, ‘The Intern’ works best when it is a two-hander between its unlikely onscreen pairing, and fizzles out especially in the last third once it decides to make three a crowd.

Movie Rating:

(De Niro and Hathaway's chemistry make their unusual onscreen pairing a sheer delight, but Nancy Meyers’ distracted screenplay in the second hour undercuts an otherwise genuinely entertaining start)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Thriller
Director: Eli Roth
Cast: Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Aaron Burns, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Magda Apanowicz, Ignacia Allamand, Daryl Sabara, Nicolás Martinez, Sky Ferreira, Richard Burgi
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: R21 (Violence and Gore)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/TheGreenInferno

Opening Day: 1 October 2015

Synopsis: New York college student Justine (Lorenza Izzo), a lawyer's daughter, meets a student activist named Alejandro (Ariel Levy) when he goes on a hunger strike on behalf of underpaid janitors. Smitten, Justine agrees to help Alejandro undertake his next project: to save the Amazon. She soon learns to regret her decision when their plane crashes in the Peruvian jungle and she and the rest of their group are taken captive by a tribe of hungry cannibals.

Movie Review:

There is good reason why Eli Roth has his fair share of haters in and outside Hollywood, and his fourth directorial effort ‘The Green Inferno’ won’t do anything to change that. Yes, anyone who has seen his earlier movies – namely ‘Cabin Fever’, ‘Hostel’ and ‘Hostel 2’ – will know that Roth has a distinct flair for the grisly and the grotesque, which pretty much describes this one as well. In fact, Roth is here paying very serious homage to the cannibal subgenre, a disgusting breed of films in the 1970s and 1980s mostly made by Italian directors where Westerners would encounter flesh-eating tribes in the jungle and that he makes explicit mention of during the end credits.

That is, if you even make it that far. Among one of the most stomach-churning imagery here is the sight of a 20-something year old male having his eyeballs gorged out and his tongue torn out before being hacked limb to limb and stuffed into an outdoor oven for a tribe of indigenous Amazonians to enjoy (though the classification authorities in Singapore have deemed the former too much even for an R21 rating and had the distributor snip it off). Notwithstanding its accuracy, the sight of these savages feasting on charred human flesh sliced from a roasted torso is surely to be stomach-churning for some and vomit-inducing for others, so we advise that you check your appetite for such gore even before stepping into this one.

Those who get a kick out of such vulgarity or those simply curious to experience its viscerality will find themselves hooked for a good one-and-half hours. Yes, as gross as it is, there is more than a measure of skill and wit to Roth’s method which even his harshest critics will grudgingly admit. After all, it isn’t just any bunch of Whites who find themselves staring down the teeth of these cannibals; instead, Roth places in their crosshairs a bunch of idealistic but ultimately misguided activists led by the charismatic but sly Alejandro (Ariel Levy) who are on a trip to the Amazon to pull off a social media stunt ostensibly aimed at preventing a ruthless corporation from decimating the indigenous population.

Even before these eco-idealists are captured by the very people they had intended to save, Roth lays bare the irony of such student activism, as it turns out that Alejandro was paid by a representative of a rival corporation to delay the deforestation. Even more despicable is how Alejandro manipulates his group’s newest participant, Justine (Lorenza Izzo), whose father works in the United Nations in order to get the attention of the gun-toting militia whom they are facing down. The hypocrisy of their mission is twofold – one, in the blind faith that they had placed in their leader; and two, in their ignorance of just who they are fighting for – the latter of which will cost at least most of them their lives.

It is only at the halfway mark that Roth unleashes the gore, and it is to his credit that he serves up enough social commentary before the carnage to convince that there is more than just bloodlust up his sleeve. Not to say that he has lost his taste for blood; like we’ve said at the start, the ensuing depictions of violence are as gruesome as it gets, so don’t you go assuming that Roth has mellowed in the eight years since his last big-screen feature. And just so you know, the women have it worse here, seeing as how the aborigines test their virginity by penetrating their vaginas with sharp objects and then perform a ritual of genital mutilation on those found to be virgins.

There is no two ways here – if you’re prepared to sit through ‘The Green Inferno’, you have to recognise that gore is Roth’s method. Indeed, there is no subtlety when it comes to violence and blood, and those who are squeamish simply need not apply. Otherwise, Roth is a smarter filmmaker than the more primitive aspects of his film suggest, and no matter how put-offish his method may be, it is a visceral experience all right, one that will make your heart pound and your palms sweat. Whether or not you like to admit it, that’s good enough proof that Roth has succeeded.

Movie Rating:

(A disgusting but admittedly effective gore-fest that pays homage to the cannibal subgenre of the 1970s and 1980s)

Review by Gabriel Chong

This reviewer remembers watching Disney’s musical romantic drama film Pocahontas alone in the theatres when he was 14 years old. The character design and storyline just didn’t seem to appeal to any of his friends – hence the decision to buy a ticket to catch the movie directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg himself.

And boy, was he blown away by the poignant themes of commonality, acceptance and environmentalism depicted in the 81 minute feature.

While it’s nothing like the cutesier characters in Disney’s previous works (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King), this film definitely has its place in animation history. Needless to say, the songs are less comedic and the score is more dramatic. In conjunction with the film’s 20^th anniversary, we have a two disc soundtrack album containing a very generous amount of gorgeous music from the 1995 movie. 

Compared to the CD released 20 years ago, fans are getting more than 40 minutes of material. Alan Menken’s music and Stephen Schwartz’s lyrics are given stellar treatment with this commemorative release.

The 61 minute Disc One kicks off with “The Virginia Company”, a catchy and patriotic tune that sets the mood for the white men’s haughty entrance. An effervescent “Steady as the Beating Drum” follows, introducing the tender Native Americans into the picture. Judy Khun breathes life into the titular Pocahontas with the lovely “Just Around the Riverbend” and “Colours of the Wind”. The playfully menacing “Mine, Mine, Mine” is pompously performed by David Ogden Stiers (a Disney regular in the voicing department) and Mel Gibson – yes, you’ve read it right – the movie star voiced the handsome John Smith in Disney’s 33^rd animated feature.

The music by Academy Award winner Menken is wonderfully presented on this soundtrack. From the ethnic “Pocahontas” and the mythical “Grandmother Willow” to the cheeky “Percy’s Bath” and the romantic “They Meet at the River’s Edge”, each note tells the bittersweet love story with great effect.

Running at 48 minutes, Disc Two opens with the famous deleted song “If I Never Knew You” performed by Gibson and Khun, making this release a must own for Disney fans. “Savages” is one song that contains graphic and very bold lyrics (“What can you expect from filthy little heathens/ Their whole disgusting race is like a curse”; “Destroy their evil race/ Until there is not a trace left”) that makes you wonder how this song were approved by Disney executives.

The soaring “Farewell” ends the story on a somewhat melancholic note, before the pop song versions of “If I Never Knew You” (performed by Jon Secada and Shanice” and “Colours of the Wind” (sung by Vanessa Williams) come on.

Six bonus tracks round up Disc Two – expanded versions of existing songs, demos of tracks with different lyrics and deleted songs like “Different Drummer” and “First to Dance” are a joy to listen to.

Fans are also treated to liner notes by Dave Bossert on how the story was conceptualised as an animated feature, and beautiful concept art from the film. This is one remarkable title from the Disney Legacy Collection series that is highly recommended. 

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (6) Farewell – Disc Two

Review by John Li

While this reviewer did not grow up watching Walt Disney’s classic Sleeping Beauty, he has read enough to know that it is a landmark film which warrants a place in The Legacy Collection, a commemorative album series celebrating the anniversaries of several Disney movies.

This two disc soundtrack celebrates the 55^th anniversary of the 1959 animated film directed by Clyde Geronimi, Les Clark, Eric Larson and Wolfgang Reitherman. The score and songs are arrangements or adaptations from the 1890 Sleeping Beauty ballet by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky – this probably explains why younger listeners may find the music very different from the usual contemporary compositions and pop tunes they hear in modern animated cartoons.

This doesn’t mean that the music isn’t relevant in this day and age. In fact, we should appreciate the nobility and prestige of this timeless classic. Disc One contains 63 minutes of material, presenting the songs and score from the film in the order they appear in the movie. Kicking off the presentation is the familiar “Main Title / Once Upon a Dream / Prologue”, before we hear the Disney Studio Chorus perform “Hail to Princess Aurora”. We are reminded of the Aurora’s beauty and the fairies’ graciousness in the regal “The Gifts of Beauty and Song”. This is before the menace sets in with “Maleficent Appears”, and finally setting the stage for the quest for true love in “True Love Conquers All”. 

Elsewhere, we follow Auroraas she grows up and sings “Do You Hear That? / I Wonder” and everyone’s favourite “An Unusual Prince / Once Upon a Dream”. A light moment is presented as the two rulers croon “Skumps (Drinking Song) / The Royal Argument”. The five minute “Battlewith the Forces of Evil” is magnificently scored, before we are treated to the signature Disney happy ending with “Finale”.

On Disc Two, you get 30 minutes of music. There are some deleted songs and their original demos. “It Happens I Have a Picture” would have been sung by the two kings, while “Riddle Diddle One, Two, Three” was meant as a song performed by the fairies. “Evil – Evil”, was, of course, a tune composed for Maleficent (maybe they could have gotten Angelina Jolie to perform the song in the 2014 live action movie). Four bonus tracks of compositions heard in Disc One round up the soundtrack.

What makes this a must own for Disney fans is also the digibook showcasing gorgeous artwork and liner notes chronicling the history of the music featured in the film.

This soundtrack is a fine illustration of the rich culture behind the countless Auroradolls and merchandise on sale in toy departments around the world. 

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (17) Battle with the Forces of Evil – Disc One

Review by John Li

This is a review of THAT GIRL IN PINFORE Blu-ray edition (2015). The original movie was released theatrically on 1 August 2013 and subsequently on DVD. 

SYNOPSIS: Should you listen to your heart or follow your soul? A coming of age teenage romance from Singapore set in 1993 about dreams, friendship, first love and the difficult choice between following your head or listening to your heart. The story follows the teenagers' efforts to bring business back to a struggling folk music pub and blossoming love between Jiaming and May, both fans of Singaporean folk music. 

ORIGINAL DVD REVIEW:

In short, That Girl In Pinafore is Singapore answer to Giddens Ko’s 2011 hit, You Are The Apple of My Eye. Please don’t assume this is a mere copy of the Taiwanese flick but both are strongly rooted in the same vein even though they are geographically apart.

The young talented Chai Yee Wei co-wrote and directs this effort, which is set in the early 90’s using xinyao as the backdrop. A group of four teenage buddies, Jiaming (Daren Tan), Cao Gen (Seah Jiaqing), Hao Ban (Kenny Khoo) and the obligatory fatty, Xiao Pang (Kelvin Mun) are preparing for their ‘O’ levels. At the end of the day, all of them successfully went into JC except Jiaming who has not much of an interest in study. Roping in the rest of his buddies to help out at his parents’ dismal music pub, they gets to know a fellow bunch of girls who shared the same interest as them – music.

Its apparent Chai cheats a little since the xinyao movement has long disappear by the 90’s replaced by music from the four heavenly kings and bands liked Nirvana and Guns N Roses. Still, Chai managed to craft a piece of genuine coming-of-age tale that is guaranteed to warm your hearts. Who can forget about the coolest technology at that time, the Discman or mugging late into the night at airport and the experience of first love?

Jiaming’s affection for May (Julie Tan) becomes the bulk of the last act despite the upbeat, often engaging first hour. A series of memorable songs from one of xinyao pioneers Liang Wen Fook and a couple of dance segments from the cast (who actually hold their tunes pretty well) will keep you humming and tapping to the beat. Sadly, it’s the rather melodramatic love story between May and Jiaming that bogged the rest of the movie. The usual clichéd moments when a worried atas mother refused her daughter to see her poor boyfriend, add to the fact that May actually has a serious heart condition and it becomes a stark contrast to the far potential first half.       

As to the performance of the cast, Project Superstar Daren Tan makes a good match with TV actress Julie Tan. Both looks (and sounds) good especially Julie who surprises us with her sweet vocal and makes a convincing pair of lovebirds. The Woo sisters (Jayley and Hayley) and the rest of the relatively new faces including Sherly Ng as Xiao Pang’s love interest and Naomi Yeo who appears for the finale seems ready made for the local television and movie circle.

After doing two horror thrillers, Chai’s That Girl In Pinafore is a wonderful piece of sentimental tribute not only to the bygone days of xinyao but also acts as a time machine that takes us back to our youthful days.     

Click here for the original movie review

SPECIAL FEATURES:

For a start, the navigating menu is given a graphical boost. The Blu-ray extras consist of Teasers and Trailers (from the original DVD), a 23 minutes Behind The Scenes/Making of (from the original DVD) which has the main cast members and Director Chai discussing about the movie themes and story. Veteran music producers also shared their thoughts on recreating the xinyao music onscreen. The new feature on this Blu-ray edition happens to be six Music Videos presented in glorious HD for your sing-along.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

That Girl in Pinafore looks gorgeous in 1080p high definition as compared to the earlier DVD release. Sharpness and clarity are obvious. Facial detailing and colours appear natural. In addition, there is no noticeable banding to speak of.

The DTS/Dolby Surround 5.1 finally does justice to the movie which is primarily made up of several catchy music sequences. Music is dynamically delivered though when it comes to the movie’s quieter moments, the volume needs to be increase accordingly. All in all, this is definitely an excellent release, one that is destined to be the ultimate collectible for fans of the movie. 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

Turns out that wooden puppets do age, but in this case, gracefully. Walt Disney Productions produced its second animated feature in 1940 after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) – a story of a wooden puppet who yearns to be a real boy. Based on the Italian children novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, the film is considered one of the finest animated movies of all time.

In conjunction with the 75^th anniversary of iconic film comes this collectible two disc soundtrack. A full length soundtrack album for this title was not released until 1956, followed by an expanded version in 1992. For those who have not owned any of these older editions, this is definitely a must own.

Disc One presents the previously issued 25 track sequence of the 1992 CD in remastered glory. Listening to the CD without visuals is a treat, because every cue is a magical moment to cherish. You aren’t distracted by the movie’s dialogue and sound effects, and can fully immerse in the songs written and composed by Ned Washington and Leigh Harline.

In case you don’t already know, the signature tune “When You Wish Upon A Star” is from this classic film. It kicks off the 65 minute Disc One on a delightful note. Elsewhere, you smile while listening to tracks like “Give a Little Whistle” (having a cricket personify conscience is one of the most brilliant ideas on film ever), “Hi Diddle Dee Dee (An Actor’s Life for Me:” and “I’ve Got No Strings”. Score tracks like “Little Wooden Head”, “The Blue Fairy”, “Old Gepetto” and “Off to School” are timely reminders why old is gold.

Disc Two, which runs at 15 minutes, contains eight bonus tracks: three modern recordings of songs cut from the movie, and five tunes by Cliff Richards (the voice of Jiminy Cricket) on the “I’m No Fool” segments of The Mickey Mouse Club. Though brief, it is refreshing to listen to the music presented on Disc Two.

Like the other titles in this highly recommended series, fans will be pleased with the lovely digibook packaging. You get to read about the historical background of the film, and some details about the songs written for the film. The concept art is also breathtakingly beautiful to look at.

This is the kind of soundtrack that you will admire decades down the road, when things have gone too fast, too furious. 

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (1) When You Wish Upon a Star – Disc One

Review by John Li

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Wong Pak Ke 　
Cast: Paw Hee Ching, Susan Shaw, Law Lan, Jacqueline Chong, Sammy Sum, Jumbo Tsang, Alan Luk, Don Li, Vivian Chan, Angela, Aka Chio
Runtime: 1 hr 27 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Violence and Horror)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/areyouheremovie

Opening Day: 15 October 2015

Synopsis: Min (Jacqueline Ch´ng), Lung (Sammy Sum), Keong and Fen are business partners of an online game design company, which is on the verge of winding up due to the lack of clients. Just as things start to get worse, a mysterious lady, Mrs. Wong (Paw Hee Ching) offers them a sizable sum of money if they could complete the final stages of her deceased son's online game – Ouija Board and launch it thereafter. They readily accept the business. Soon mysterious things happen and they experience ghost sightings…

Movie Review:

We believe we have seen enough marketing ploys to know whether a product is, well, in this case, scary or not. The movie poster of this Wong Pak He directed horror thriller uses not one, but two of such tactics to lure audiences into the cinema.

First, the marketing folks tell you that the 87 minute movie stars three of Hong Kong’s creepiest aunties – Paw Hee Ching (Rigor Mortis, Special ID), Susan Shaw (SDU: Sex Duties Unit, As the Light Goes Out) and Law Lan (The White Storm, Overheard 3). Of the three, Law’s performance as ‘lung poh’, an eerie old lady in the Troublesome Night series (there are probably more than 15 of these movies) is one that sends chills down viewers’ spines.  

As if throwing out big names isn’t enough, the poster finds space to tell you that the visual effects in this movie are from the same team who created Rigor Mortis (2013), an effectively bittersweet horror film directed by Juno Mak.

Fifteen minutes into the movie and you know there isn’t really anything to shout about. The story’s protagonists are a group of unlikable characters who have come together to form an online app company. They quarrel because of bad business, and when they are about to wind up their business, along comes a mysterious lady who wants to them resurrect her deceased son’s online game which did not see completion. The game takes the form of an ouija board, and needless to say, strange things begin happening to the group.

Jacqueline Chong and Sammy Sum portray a couple who are facing relationship problems because of his gambling addiction. The bigger stake here is her unborn baby. Jumbo Tsang plays a bimbotic woman who, well, does nothing much except wearing skimpy clothes and going on dates. Alan Luk is the last member of the group: he spends most of his time checking out online sites to look for prostitutes to spend his evenings with. Hmm, are we missing a feel good factor here somewhere? Not what you’d exactly call A listers, this four actors do the bare minimum to keep you interested in the story.

What about the three leading aunties whose names are plastered on posters to attract people to purchase tickets? Their effortless attempts at looking sinister and throwing cold stares remind you why they are veterans in the industry. Unfortunate thing is, their characters aren’t exactly the most developed. Paw is a mysterious woman who shows up, Shaw is an exorcist of sorts, and Law plays an actress who excels at playing an exorcist. Err, the screenwriters were not putting much effort into the script, were they?

The plot becomes predictable and almost repetitive after a while, and you definitely won’t be leaving the theatres feeling spooked. The usual themes of betrayal, revenge and karma are all in, with no innovative twist or approach to make this otherwise well shot movie stand out from the crop of forgettable horror movies. You may be better off renting those dated Troublesome Night movies to watch at home. 

Movie Rating:

(The filmmakers were probably thinking of pulling a fast one by casting Paw Hee Ching, Susan Shaw and Law Lan in this mediocre horror movie)   

Review by John Li

Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Ericson Core
Cast: Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey, Ray Winstone, Teresa Palmer, Delray Lindo, Tobias Santelmann, Clemens Schick, Matias Varela
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Sexual Scene and Some Violence)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/PointBreakMovie

Opening Day: 3 December 2015

Synopsis: In the fast-paced, high-adrenaline action thriller “Point Break” a young FBI agent, Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey), infiltrates a cunning team of thrill seeking elite athletes --led by the charismatic Bodhi (Edgar Ramirez). The athletes are suspected of carrying out a spate of crimes in extremely unusual ways. Deep undercover, and with his life in imminent danger, Utah strives to prove they are the architects of a string of inconceivable crimes. The film is replete with the most daring athleticism ever seen in a motion picture. These action adventure feats are performed by elite athletes representing the world’s best in class in big-wave surfing, wingsuit flying, sheer-face snowboarding, free rock climbing, and high-speed motorcycling.

Movie Review:

Raise your hands if you are craving for some 80s classic action remakes?

Like it or not, Hollywood is bent on shoving all these remakes down our throat despite the dismal box-office results of Total Recall (2012) and Robocop (2014). The latest to jump on the bandwagon is the reboot of Point Break, the long gestating project, which saw the likes of Jan De Bont and Gerald Butler attached and dropping out over the years. Back in 2008, Singapore was tipped to be one of the shooting locations but this had obviously been dropped as well.  

Following the likes of the Hemsworth brothers, Sam Worthington and many more that came before them, the latest import from Down Under, Luke Bracey (The Best of Me) plays Johnny Utah (a role originally played by Keanu Reeves), a young FBI agent being assigned to infiltrate a gang of thrill-seeking criminals led by the charismatic Bodhi (Edgar Ramirez from Wrath of the Titans and Deliver Us From Evil). Believing all the wrongs they are doing are for the sake of nature, Bodhi and his gang go round the globe committing robberies and employing extreme sports to escape from the authorities.

This re-creation of the 1991 cult favourite basically retains the original idea and screenwriter Kurt Wimmer (Total Recall 2012, The Thomas Crown Affair 1999) does very little to tamper with it. Seriously very little. As you can see from Wimmer’s resume, the man has enough experience to reimagine classics for the contemporary audience or so we think. Instead of plain surfing, the current version showcases every extreme sports ever created on earth, and that includes motorcycling, wingsuit flying, snowboarding, free rock climbing and more and that by far is the only biggest departure from the original.

The original was a huge success, and till today, fans can still recall the iconic President masks' robbery sequence, skydiving and surfing stuntwork as well as Kathryn Bigelow’s incredible vision in delivering a macho thinking man action movie. Point Break 2015 on the other hand is more comfortable delivering adrenaline-driven action sequences than philosophy. Director Ericson Core who started his career in cinematography (The Fast and the Furious) and previously helmed the sports movie, Invincible, has the eye to shoot a couple of heart-racing sequences but he is pretty much out of his depth here. It’s cool to take a heist movie, repackage it and bring it to a higher level but we probably have seen too much of it especially in the recent Fast & Furious instalments to find the so-called grounded in reality, life-threatening stunts as performed by true professionals to be really exhilarating.

The experience of watching a movie is different from watching sports taking place on TV. Point Break aims to be an adrenaline-driven movie but ends up as a soulless picture with footages of extreme sports inserted in between. It sort of muddles the entire watching experience as the minute goes. You will never find any of the onscreen characters worthy of your time because Wimmer’s script and characters are wafer-thin. In the Patrick Swayze version, Bodhi is sort of a mystic, Zen-like creature but right here, the character of Bodhi only turned out to be some baloney sportsman who uses nature as an excuse to carry out his beliefs. Not only the story has let him down, we feel pity for the miscast Edgar Ramirez as he simply is not a match for the charismatic Swayze.

On the other hand, Reeves’ acting wasn’t that fantastic to shout about back in 1991. The pre-Speed fame star was an embarrassingly stiff young actor so Luke Bracey apparently got lucky. Warm Bodies star Theresa Palmer took on the token female role, English actor Ray Winstone plays field agent Pappas, a role originated by the wacky Gary Busey while Delroy Lindo plays a FBI instructor, a role probably given to Laurence Fishburne if he is not too busy.

On the bright side of things, Point Break features a series of lavish, well-shot action sequences that took place at far-flung locations in Venezuela, Austria and Italy. We can’t deny it indeed looks pretty breath-taking on the big screen; unfortunately this is the sole aspect of the remake that is noteworthy. While we applaud the movie’s attempt in bringing messages of eco-terrorism and radical environmentalism to the masses, the messages in the end are tragically buried under all the gigantic waves and action set pieces. The movie spends the entire duration delivering one exhausting sports sequence after another that any sign of a decent story is non-existent by the time Utah abruptly bids farewell to Bodhi. 

Movie Rating:

(This updated Point Break is tailored for the Go-Pro and extreme sports channel crowd)

Review by Linus Tee