Summer 10' Movie Marathon

Hello people! I've been pretty busy this summer with a lot of travels (as a matter of fact, I'm heading to Chicago, IL for Lollapalooza this weekend!) but I do still have time to watch a whole bunch of movies. Voila!

1. Pi
2. Heat
3. Moon
4. Brick
5. Kafka
6. Brazil
7. Jogho
   
8. Lenjan
9. Amelie
10. The Fly
11. Invictus
12. Insomnia
13. Robocop
14. Selubung
15. Inception
16. Predators   
17. The Road
18. The Birds
19. Following
20. Alphaville
21. Mat Gelap 
22. Kaki Bakar 
23. Iron Man 2
24. Poltergeist
25. Raging Bull
26. The Losers
27. Blue Velvet
28. The Crazies
29. An Education
30. Rear Window
31. Bujang Lapok 
32. A Serious Man
33. Soylent Green
34. Boogie Nights 
35. The Informant!
36. Gangster No. 1  
37. Fahrenheit 451
38. The Other Guys
39. Ringgit Kasorrga
40. The Proposition
41. Mulholland Drive
42. This Is Spinal Tap
43. Gangs Of New York 
44. Back To The Future I
45. Assault On Precint 13 
46. Back To The Future II
47. (500) Days Of Summer
48. Back To The Future III
49. Remember The Titans
50. The Long Good Friday
51. Village Of The Damned
52. Beyond The Motor City
53. Thunderbolt & Lightfoot
    
54. It Came From Outer Space
55. Perempuan, Isteri & Jalang  
56. John Carpenter's Halloween
57. Close Encounters With The Third Kind
58. Phillip Kaufman's Invasion Of The Body Snatchers  
    

Spring '10 Movies

Not bad for spring semester, eh? Managed to chip-in a good amount of film noirs, especially the German expressionist "M"; also watched "Shutter Island" & "Casablanca" on the big screen. I definitely won't be seeing any movies until the end of my final exams so I'm currently compiling a list of movies to watch for summer!

1. Casablanca 
2. Zombieland
3. The Big Heat 
4. Fritz Lang's M
5. Shutter Island 
   
6. Touch Of Evil
7. The Big Combo
8. The Hurt Locker
9. A Scanner Darkly
10. Night & The City
11. Strangers On A Train
12. Capitalism: A Love Story 
    
13. A Nightmare On Elm Street
14. The Men Who Stare At Goats
15. Creature From The Black Lagoon
16. Midnight In The Garden Of Good & Evil
17. Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans

Travelogue Atlanta: Spring Break Special

Recently during spring break, I went down to Atlanta, GA with my mates from PSU's American Society For Microbiology. We visited the Center For Disease Control (CDC), volunteered three days for Habitat For Humanity building houses & met some new people along the way. All great times, right? Yes, but these memories made it greater.

March 9

• 6:02 pm - Saw a dude jumped the "Repair" sign of an escalator & proceeded to run down the out-of-order escalator.
• 7:12 pm - Lauren hugged her jacket tightly & wishing she brought along her pepper spray when walking around a shady-looking part of town.
• 8:27 pm - "Que?" Response of the shopkeeper when I asked her where the peanut butter was.

March 10

• 7:40 am - Amalina dressed-up as if she's like a kid going to school (or at least Atlanta Metropolitan College).
• 8:08 am - After traveling by train & bus using the MARTA seven-day pass  from the hotel to the build site, Juan asked "How do we get back?"
• 4:30 pm - Seven teenage girls being very, very raucous at the back of the bus with random sing-a-longs got warned by the bus driver twice.
• 4:39 pm - One of the seven aforementioned noisy brats somehow fell down the stairs at the train station.

March 11

• 7:37 am - Some voodoo-looking lady was preaching about "Jesus Christ" on the train & was asking for donations.
• 8:31 am - Improvisation 101: trashbag poncho!
• 1:24 pm - Dan being adamant that the English system was better than the Metric system in face of strong opposition by everybody else.
• 7:24 pm - Saw a dude wearing a Penn State hoodie at The Vortex at midtown Atlanta.
• 10:43 pm - Akmal mengigau. 'Nuff said.

March 12

• 8:45 am - Everyone NEARLY didn't get out of the train at Inman Park. Tired and sleepy, perhaps?
• 9:00 am - Ilham kena kacau by some dodgy-looking dude.
• 9:13 am - Same dodgy dude sat beside Ammar on the bus and proceeded to fart at him.
• 1:59 pm - "This is Atlanta, it ain't New York baby!" A woman teaching some crowd manner of getting in and out of the train at Five Points station.
• 2:04 pm - A Penn State t-shirt sold at a sports shop at Underground Atlanta, that looks eerily similar to Sg. Wang Plaza.
• 2:10 pm - Met some Indonesians who were selling cajun food, of all places!
• 3:34 pm - Amalina randomly stepping on bricks with names etched on it for no apparent reason at the Olympic Park.
• 4:04 pm - Saw the first Jew in Atlanta in front of Coca-Cola World!
• 6:59 pm - "They get nervous with no brown people around" Free talking about Lauren & Dan who were left at the supermarket. In a Black neighborhood.
• 10:17 pm - Lauren grabbed Ammar's arm after claiming that a dude we passed while walking to the bus stop were checking her out twice.

March 13

• 6:55 am - Cool view of the sunrise from the train.
• 8:02 am - Saw a street named "Tiger Flowers Drive."
• 4:42 pm - Waved back from the bus at a dude who was randomly waving at the bus.
• 4:44 pm - Saw an intersection of "Gun Club Rd" & "Hollywood Rd."
• 6:51 pm - Ilham made a joke about trytophan which nobody understood.

What Kind Of Idiot Are You On Facebook? #2

Well, well. It has come to this. I didn't want to do it but the situation has gotten out of hand and someone has to step in and save these souls from impending doom. Here are more random destructive behaviors that citizens of Facebook indulge on.

1. Becoming a fan of every random quote imaginable - this is one example of the fast-paced society that we live in. Pretty much goes like this:  you see someone becoming a fan of "I hate when I accidentally make awkward eye contact with people", think "Hey, that statement gets me!", click THAT button & move on with your life.
2. The cocks who made those fan pages in the first place - shows that pathetic losers do get some recognition in life!
3. Promoting that you can make money on Facebook - definitely a ponzi scheme which is prevalent in Malaysia ever since the advent of the catch phrase "skim cepat kaya." Quit being a lazy-arsed slacker & get a real job. Seriously, I have more respect towards Indonesian construction workers than these greedy opportunists.
4. 'Tag' Abusing - The 'tag' system was made so that it will be easier to identify your friends or acquantainces in a given photo. But it just had to be screwed with. Now, any imaginable picture can be tagged with all your friends & the latest spam (notably The Sims spam) can automatically 'tag' your friends unknowingly, causing wall havoc.
5. "I Can't Believe..." type fan pages - something new to Facebook here. Apparently you have to become a fan of these kind of pages to see how Megan Fox looked like when she was small or the answer to the riddle that 77.7% Oxford students got wrong or the best divorce letter ever. Definitely something shady is going on here...

My Top 10 Albums Of The Decade: The Nearly

Well, spring break has started & the sun has been shining for the past couple of days. Everything's just great at the moment! Before I head off to Atlanta, GA with the rest of my ASM gang, I felt compelled to do a write-up on the albums that did not made into my Top 10 list as they lost out by a fraction. So, to do justice to my musical taste, here it is!

Jet - Get Born (2003)

The rip-roarin' debut by this Australian quartet brings back rock & roll to its roots. The thunderous tunes reminds me of AC/DC but their garage rock influences makes their music dirtier, grittier & not to mention, shake-able. Having the talent to tear the house down (Are You Gonna Be My Girl") & belt out catchy ballads ("Look What You've Done") truly makes them the real rockstars.

Favorite tracks: Rollover DJ, Get Me Outta Here, Sgt Major

The Strokes - Is This It (2001)

Across the world, another form of garage rock revival (and the mod dressing too) took place in the boroughs of New York City. Their lo-fi sound coupled with Julian Casablanca's lazy & stoned voice was a perfect match for the ears to listen as exemplified by the songs "Is This It", "Someday" & "Barely Legal." This album, alongside The White Stripes' "White Blood Cells," brought indie/garage to the forefront of mainstream music throughout the decade.

Favorite tracks: Someday, Last Nite, New York City Cops

Dum Dum Tak - Hentikan Penindasan (2009)

A late entry but this Kuala Terengganu socio-political punk band is to borrow it from The Clash, "The Only [Malaysian] Band That Matters." Forget Bunkface, this is the real deal: they're one of the few bands that have the guts to say what they want to say & don't give a shit about what other people think about them. Songs range from anti-ISA ("Demokrasi Tanpa I.S.A."), rise in gas prices ("Petrol Petrol Petrol") & civil rights ("Suara Kami") will sure to make your blood boil & spirits raised.

Favorite tracks: Suara Kami, Perangi Mereka, Hak Asasi Hipokrasi

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (2008)

Lost out to Couple on my Top 10 list, this Columbia University prep-boys pack one hell of a beat. Mixing indie with classical and African tunes you'll get massively addicting songs like "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", "Oxford Comma" & "M79." Not to forget, the very very very catchy "A-Punk" that once got into my head for a week! Definitely the album to bring along on a fine summer's day picnic by the park or the beach. 

Favorite tracks: A-Punk, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, The Kids Don't Stand A Chance

The Thrills - So Much For The City (2003)

A good complement to Vampire Weekend would be this album that celebrates the beauty of America's west coast ["Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)", "Big Sur"]. Actually hailing from Ireland, The Thrills style was aptly branded as "sun-drenched, inspired by classic American pop of the late '60s and early '70s" reminiscent of The Beach Boys. 'Nuff said.

Favorite tracks: Big Sur, Don't Steal Our Sun, Say It Ain't So

The Otherside Orchestra - ElectROMANCEstacy (2008)

When the Malaysia underground scene boomed in late 2007, everyone pretty much wanted to be in an indie band but not these guys. Their brand of hard-hitting "rock-tronica" coupled with the haunting voice of Dhiya Izwin besides having their own lighting effects during their live shows (which is a must) takes raving to a whole new level.

Favorite tracks: Eksperimentasi Elektro Cinta, Possessive, Eternal Punishment

Lily Allen - Alright, Still (2006)

I'm not a fan of mainstream pop stars & had a fleeting period liking a couple of her songs but once I re-listened this album again, I fell in love with Lily Allen. I was swayed because her music is deeply influenced by ska and dub ("LDN", "Friday Night", "Friend Of Mine") that was sadly not apparent in her sophomore album. This is one fine piece of British street music that is worth delving into or in my case, having an infatuation with ;)

Favorite tracks: LDN, Friday Night, Everything's Just Wonderful

Komuniti Haiwan Marah, Kecewa Dengan Insiden Masjid

Petaling Jaya, 27 Januari - Presiden Badan Integriti Ahli Ternakan & Ladang (BINATANG) Sulong Sapi menyatakan kemarahan dan kekecewaan yang menimpa masyarakat haiwan ternakan di Malaysia lantaran kes-kes membaling kepala binatang di rumah-rumah ibadat. Hal ini berlaku akibat rasa tidak puas hati sesetengah pihak terhadap keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi yang membenarkan majalah Katolik Herald untuk menggunakan nama "Allah" sebagai terjemahan "God" ke Bahasa Malaysia.

     Ketika diminta mengulas di sidang media khas di ibu pejabat PKNS petang semalam mengenai kes membaling kepala babi yang dilontar ke dua perkarangan masjid sekitar Petaling Jaya, beliau berkata "Saya berasa sangat kesal kerana terdapat anasir-anasir yang mahu mengheret bangsa kami ke dalam isu yang penuh kontroversi ini sedangkan kita tidak pernah memberi apa-apa masalah kepada kamu [manusia]. Malah kami sanggup mengorbankan diri demi menjadi Ayam Masak Lemak, Daging Masak Kicap & Bak Kut Teh kamu semua."

     Beliau yang juga berketurunan satu perempat babi sangat sedih kerana imej buruk binatang minoriti ini telah diburukkan lagi dan bimbang golongan khinzir yang merangkumi 17% populasi haiwan ternakan di Malaysia akan menjadi sasaran diskriminasi seterusnya. "Mereka sedar bahawa mereka memang jijik, kotor & patut dipandang hina masyarakat. Tetapi, cukuplah dengan menggunakan nama mereka setiap kali kamu ingin memaki atau mencaci," sambung beliau.

     Sebelum ini, komuniti haiwan ternakan juga gempar dengan demonstrasi menentang pemindahan kuil Hindu di Shah Alam dimana kepala seekor lembu diheret ke bangunan Setiausaha Kerajaan Selangor tahun lepas. Mangsa yang dikenalpasti, Saiful Sapi, diingati oleh ibunya, Sharifah Sapi, sebagai seekor lembu yang sopan-santun, prihatin & sangat berisi; Saiful merupakan salah satu lembu cemerlang yang terpilih untuk dijadikan korban Aidiladha sebelum nasib malang yang menimpa dirinya.

Exco Kebajikan Ayam,Itik & Puyuh BINATANG, Wong Kokok, yang turut hadir membidas rakyat Malaysia yang dikatakan tidak berpegang kepada semangat perpaduan 1Malaysia. Beliau berucap "Sebenarnya, kami sudah berzaman memegang kepada konsep 1Malaysia. Setiap haiwan yang tinggal di kandang, ladang & reban saling menghormati antara satu sama lain walaupun terdapat perbezaan kulit, tanduk & bulu pelepah. Pernah nampak ayam gaduh dengan kambing? Kami kamceng lah, bro!"

Travelogue Miami: A Collection Of Random Memorable Moments

Inspired by Shazwan's obsessive-compulsive desire to record every interesting non-touristy moment during our travels in Texas, I did my own travelogue for the recent winter break trip to Miami, FL added with some interesting statistics (no entry for December 28 since I totally forgot about keeping tabs with my journal).

December 27

•  1:37 pm} "Gun or no gun, don't go." - desk staff Charlie's take on visiting Little Haiti.
  

December 29

• 9:04 pm} Our Key West tour guide Pieter "hijacked" a Toyota Yaris that blocked our tour bus and moved the car to an adjacent lane.
  

December 30

• 8:02 am} I got scolded by the scary hostel housekeeper ("Don't make no mess!") for misplacing the sugar although it was only 2 inches from its original postion. Boycotted the next seven free meals the hostel offered.
• 12:27 pm} "Don't you ever show that knife at me or I'll shoot your fucking head off!" - A police officer's response to a hobo who literally showed at knife at him on Ocean Drive.
• 4:37 pm} Two African-Americans, presumably poor, were at each other's throats on the bus as one of one them was clearly unhappy at the other for showing-off a.k.a. being a "bad boy."
• 7:50 pm} Shanaz got barked at by a dog for running to the public bathroom.
• 10:27 pm} Govind kantoi going out alone to the ocean front by hiding behind a traffic light post while the rest were at the hotel.
• 11:14 pm} Ganu put down three Queens after Na'el put down two Queens while playing bluff.

December 31

• 2:05 am} Shulhi lost bluff three times in a row; had to gulp down the wretched peanut butter smoothie.
• 11:43 am} Saw a hobo sunbathing by the coconut trees at Ocean Drive.
• 1:47 pm} "Well, yeah I had to endure the wrath of the cleaning lady" - dorm roomate Nik after being taught a lesson in cleanliness by the aforementioned cleaning lady.
• 2:40 pm} Saw an African-American, presumably in his 20's, belting out an R&B song by the sidewalk on Ocean Drive.
  
• 3:56 pm} Aizuddin & I saw our first orthodox Jew driving an SUV at Washington & 5th.
• 4:05 pm} "Yesterday my friend Stephanie called & asked 'What should I wear?' and I said, 'A dress of course!'" - some random woman by the beach.
• 4:53 pm} Got bitten by the first mosquito seen in Miami.
• 5:09 pm} Aizuddin & I noticed that Ari & Harris' hostel is "smoker central."

January 1

• 12:42 am} "I'm not yelling at you!!!" - One dude, very high/drunk, yelling at his friend.
• 2:00 pm} Ari kena burger on South Beach!
• 10:28 pm} Aizuddin's attempt at throwing a water bottle into the trash can failed, despite his experience at playing basketball.

January 2

• 3:54 am} Aizuddin was rambling about how the hostel desk staff white-out our names from the guest list soon after he woke up from his nap at the airport.

What Kind Of Idiot Are You On Facebook?

I had this for quite a while now & I felt compelled to list down the idiocy of people that Facebook created after reading my mate Shafar's parody on Facebook addicts, moi included. Here are five things I find troubling about our human race when we go about with our "social networking."

1. Posting a status/link then "Liking" it - that just reeks of loneliness & the need to grab people's attention. Please, get a life.
2. "Liking" a person's post on another person's wall - I know Facebook put it there for you to join in the fun but must you be so intrusive? It's as if you're being nosy snooping about other people's conversation. 
3. Fans demanding their favorite artists to come to their state/country - you know they give fuck all about your comments. They wanna go on tour wherever they wanna go on tour; please, stop deluding yourself with "fan power."
   
4. Fans proud to be the first to comment on a post - ah, the joyful monkeys that get the banana peel instead of the banana.
   
5. Deactivating account then reactivating it again - the worst of the lot; primarily done because he/she is "having a turbulent time" (in other words, being emo) or just wants cheap publicity.
   

My Top 10 Albums Of The Decade

Yes! It's the time of the year for people to do lists & one list I won't be doing is "My New Year's Resolution" because face it, you'll be trying to break each and every one of those resolutions you wrote down before the end of next year. So, since this will be the end of the first decade of the noughties, I'll wrap it up with my best ten albums that holds dear to my heart & are musically, if not culturally, significant to the masses.

 











Green Day - American Idiot (2004)  
Green Day was the first ever band I listened to when I got into music & when this album came out I said to myself: this is the rock opera of the 21st century. Clocking at nearly an hour, this album takes you through the life of Jesus of Suburbia filled with hope & despair in typical three-cord punk rock fashion. All songs were solid but what surprised me was their two 9-minute epics "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Homecoming" that consist of five medleys played furiously non-stop, not letting me catch a breather at all. 
Favorite tracks: Letterbomb, Whatsername, Jesus of Suburbia.

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)
Move aside The Killers, the real post-punk revivalists are none other than London's Bloc Party. First introduced by my cousin, it took a while to get into their groove but when it clicked, I just got hooked to it. Blending intense guitar rhythms, tight drum beats & Kele Okereke's hallowing voice, "Silent Alarm" also packs a punch with socio-political messages in their lyrics e.g. "Helicopter" is basically a bash on George W. Bush ["Just like his dad, just like his dad (the same mistakes); some things will never be different"].
Favorite tracks: Helicopter, This Modern Love, Pioneers.

Butterfingers - Selamat Tinggal Dunia (2005)
I dare say that this was the album that sparked Malaysia's indie music scene three years later. Although panned by the local media,they made a right move in shedding their Nirvana-esque 90's grunge & took their experimental progressive folk a step further by launching a full-Malay album. The result: an absolute bliss of fusion  between their brand of music with Malay culture e.g. "Tentang-Tentang" was adapted from a traditional Malay tune ("Geylang Si Paku Geylang") and turned into a protest-folk song.
Favorite tracks: Daulat Tuanku, Selamat Tinggal Dunia, Kabus Ribut 

The White Stripes - Elephant (2003)
There's only one word to describe this album: monu-fucking-mental. Everyone thought "Fell In Love With A Girl" was a one-off hit for them but they came back with a big one. It's garage rock at its purest with Meg White pummelling the drums & Jack White plucking the guitar strings like the gods of rock riding on a thunderstorm. Case in point: the  mind-blowing "Ball & Biscuit" intertwines calm verses with gargantuan rollicking guitar solos by the male half of The White Stripes.
Favorite tracks: Ball & Biscuit, The Hardest Button To Button, There's No Home For You Here.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) 
These Sheffield lads' debut album took the whole world by storm because 1) they used the internet to give away free songs and 2) they're just that good. What makes them differ from the rest of the garage/post-punk pack is their relentless tempo, that sexy Yorkshire accent & even more relentless tempo although they can tone down a bit with songs like "Riot Van" & fan favorite "Mardy Bum." Perfect album if you want to go mental.
Favorite tracks: A Certain Romance, I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor, Dancing Shoes.

Explosions In The Sky - Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever (2001) 
Truth be told, I became a fan of post-rock about two years ago but once I understood it, it's one of the best genres of music there is; this brings me to Explosions. They are a four-man orchestra that craft amazing songs that will evoke all kinds of emotions in you & you will always experience something new every time you play it. This album was my choice because out of all the five albums they released, somehow this one just gets me. 
Favorite tracks: Greet Death, Have You Passed Through This Night?, The Moon Is Down

 Couple - Top Of The Pop (2006)

I wanted to put in Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut but once I remembered Couple, there's no way Walcott's gonna get out of Cape Cod. "Happy, clappy but not crappy" aptly describes this band and their brand of power-pop is just a joy to behold; you just can't not dance to their music. Although the lyrics are cheesy, but hey who cares? This album is the best remedy when you're down. From "Now That I Can See" to "Are You Ready", your frown is guaranteed to turn into one big smile.

Favorite tracks: Now That I Can See, Rock N Roll, Tentang Kita 

 

Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)
Before they started to spew mediocre mainstream rubbish, Coldplay was actually a pretty legit band. "Parachutes" was a breakthrough phenomenon but I had to go with their sophomore effort as this album layed-down the "Coldplay sound", stamping their own genre on the music industry. From the thunderous opener "Politik" to the maniacal "A Rush of Blood to the Head", this is Coldplay at its peak.
Favorite tacks: Politik, Green Eyes, A Rush Of Blood To The Head. 
  
 











Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (2004)
I'm not a fan of dance music, but dance-able music, now that's an interesting proposition. Scotland's very own art-rock outfit Franz Ferdinand got me first sucked in to their infectious  rhythms with their debut single "Take Me Out" that started out in typical indie strumming fashion before breaking out into an "everybody move!" moment. Yup, even when I'm doing assignments on my laptop while listening to them, I'll still imagine shaking meself on the dancefloor.
Favorite tracks: Take Me Out, Darts Of Pleasure, 40'.

Gorillaz - Demon Days (2005)
Everyone's favorite animated band continued where they left-off from the self-title debut four years back & its just got better and better. Still having that gritty British feel to it, this album is a musicologist's wet dream with funk/rap ("Dirty Harry"), 80's-dub ("Last Living Souls") & dance ("DARE") mixed into the fray. They also had a "is it the music or are we high?" moment with their last three tracks that featured a spoken word ("Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey's Head") proceeded by a haunting choir ("Don't Get Lost In Heaven" & "Demon Days").
Favorite tracks: Last Living Souls, Dirty Harry, DARE.

Winter '09 Movie Marathon

Hi there people! 'Tis a long time since I've updated my blog as I was pretty much committed to my academia this autumn & it's been going well. I have a couple of interesting posts coming up celebrating the end of the noughties but I'll leave you first with the list of movies I'll be watching before & after my trip to Miami, Florida (because I'm not that rich to stay there for three whole weeks); not as sophisticated as my summer list but I need to catch up on some of 'em.

1. Otis
2. Jaws
3. Gadoh
   
4. Choke
5. The Eye
   
6. Memento
   
7. Dark City
8. District 9
9. Waking Life
10. High Fidelity
    
11. The Hangover
12. Public Enemies
13. Batman Returns
14. Minority Report
15. Sherlock Holmes  
    
16. Dial 'M' For Murder
17. Crank: High Voltage 
    
18. North By Northwest
19. Paranormal Activity
20. Tim Burton's Batman
21. Terminator: Salvation
    
22. The Blair Witch Project
23. Blade Runner (Director's Cut)