America Is Getting Ridiculous!

We want racial equality!

That’s what America yells all day, all week, all month, and all year! They cry about how racial injustice is running America and that racism is ruining so many people’s lives!!! Shut the fuck up!

You want to know what I see? What I see in newspapers, televison, internet, and etc? I see everyone trying to segregate themselves! That’s right.

It has been a great attempt by the comedians in the recent years to publicize racial jokes and to let everyone laugh about it. Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia, Chris Rock, and whatever! They have tried to make fun of their own race and other races, to wake us up. I can’t put my finger on which way, but it sure as hell didn’t stop racism. In fact, they’ve just made everyone take racist remarks to their face and they are forced to smile at it.

And of course, the divison of races itself is what I have most problems with. You say the word ‘racist,’ but what are you doing about it? I go to school and see whites with whites, blacks with blacks, browns with browns and yellows with yellows. I don’t see too much effort in creating unity?

All I want to say to those recent immigrants and second generations is that, it’s cool to stick with your own crowd, but you’re in America now. You have to LEARN to associate yourself with OTHERS. I hate to say this, but you can’t just hang around your own people and SPEAK with your own people. Sure, you’re scared and helpless, that’s why you have to throw yourself out there! Hiding in the cave is just going to make you more ignorant and weak, and it’ll justify others’ reason to criticize you and discriminate you.

We should all be like water(ironic, the fact that 70% of our body is water). We are all humans. We have to get along with one another. We have to be able to come together like a body of water, not like different densities of water and oils!

True peace and union won’t come together by boasting your own race, to prove that your race is great, but it comes from accepting others, and treating them just as you would treat your family.

“007: Quantum of Solace” (2008) Review

As many people know, there is a new James Bond. His name is Daniel Craig, and to tell you the truth, he is nothing like the old Bonds. I do not want to be misunderstood here. He is not an awful actor, nor do I dislike the new Bond. The old Bonds are legendary, but it was just too cheesey for me, and this new mood of realism is definitely better for me. In fact, Casino Royale was pretty much the best 007 movie I have ever experienced. But Quantom of Solace, the new addition to the franchise, was an utter failure.

The movie takes right off from the end of Casino Royale.

*WARNING* If you did not watch CR or QS, please press the back button.

Because he’s “LOVE” committed suicide in order to save him, Bond becomes mad with vengeance. He goes on a rampage to find out which organization she was in so that he can kill the one who was responsible for her doings. Because this organization was so secret and unknown, Bond is subjected to disobeying orders and disrupting the British Agency.

The beginning of the piece is a sheer thriller. Top of the line action. Literally, there existed no moments where you could relax and take a breath; but that was it. After that, the movie drags on like a wet carpet in an ice storm. I believe that the director tried to convey too much information just through dialogue-less transitions which shows the bad guys and Bond is making their moves. These transitions are quite redundant throughout the screening, and it made the audience yawn and moan in pain of boredom; especially since it was friday night.

A personal disappointment of mine is that the Bond girl did not live up to the expectations. She was just a stupid little girl who’s character did not have any tasteful personality or the sexiness that a Bond girl is supposed to possess. The character was so dull and shallow that it seemed as if she was a cameo.

Thankfully, there were some comic reliefs throughout the movie which sort of prevented me from falling asleep. I felt as if the writer(s) didn’t know what to write and decided to just add some witty lines, and that’s how much dialogue that was lacking in the movie. Because of too much action and long boring transitions, I wasn’t able to truly grasp the whole movie. It digressed the audiences’ minds from the story.

And in the end, I was throwed off by a sudden ending in which Bond realizes that revenge is not very satisfying, and that it’s pointless. I don’t know if it was just me, but I wondered, how in the world, by what process did he all of a sudden come to that conclusion? I say the moment of epiphany would have been good to use some of those silent moments in the movie to portray the dillemma and the emotions.

Overall, Quantom of Solace was a two out of five stars movie. It’s lacking capablity to communicate with the people who are watching and the terrible rhythm and the tempo of the movie aggravated me. If you’re just looking for decnet action and a cheap class of romance and philosophy, do watch, but I wouldn’t watch it ever again.

“Gran Torino” (2009) Review

So I finally got to watch Gran Torino. I must say, and I’m not being sarcastic, that was the best movie I watched this year. I know, it’s only been a month into this year, but hell; it was really damn good.

Since I did not watch it in the first week it came out I have heard a lot about it from other people who have. Most of their comments were something like this:

“That movie is full of racist remarks! It was totally hilarious!!! No offense Shaun, lol.”

So, I was half excited and half worried when I walked into the theatre tonight. Oh, and just on the side note, Westgate apparently did some rennovations with the seats and I loved it.

Anyways, the movie is about a Korean War veteran (Clint Eastwood) named Walter. He is a bitter and a lonely man who hates everyone and everyone hates him back. The movie starts out with him “helping” out a neighboring Hmong boy named Tao from a group of Hmong gang-bangers. As you have seen in the trailers, the Hmong people are extremely thankful and shows him gratitude by bringing food and gifts to his doorsteps. He first refuses everything, as he is a racist old man, but through Su, Tao’s older sister, starts to form a strong bond with them; something like a family.

The plots itself are very common and predictable, but the lively characters, especially Walter, makes the movie so god darn intriguing. And on top of that, although presenting an obvious storyline, the piece plays out the scenes with such great depth and fine details that it will grasp your eyes and mind for the entire screening. Walter’s non-stop racial jokes, slurrs, slangs, profanity, remarks and his in-your-f’ing face attitude truly brings out the “bitter and sweet” laughter out of the audience. The film deals a lot about life and death; it is portrayed lightly and very heavy at the same time that you would not be so confused but will get you to think deeply about your own.

I usually include some spoilers in my reviews, but this work is just meant to be seen by everyone. Even though you are laughing, the quarrel of emotions that stir within you will get you to reflect your life, how you perceive it, and how you are carrying it out. It was very different from watching one of those typical Hollywood movies “that will keep you on the edge of your seats,” or “that will shed a million tears.” You can, really, almost see the sweat and fingerprints on the films and feel the breath of passion that was put into it; A byproduct of solid craftmanship of the people that all worked on the reel.

And personally, I was not offended at all, and those “Asians” out there who would get offended by this work is, I will say, an ignorant cock-sucker to the n’th degree. The racism and situations that goes on in this movie is not just for the laughs or exaggerated, but rather a pitiful and sad truth of our neglected society of today.

I am a person who usually do not care who the hell is in a movie or who directed it, but when I am impressed, I imprint names into my memory; and Clint Eastwood is engraved into the deepest part of my brain forever.

This is a must-be-seen movie.

I will give it four and a quarter stars out of five.

The Truth About President Obama

I found this on College Humor and was sort of hit in the back of the head with it, ha ha ha. So I guess we still don’t have the first “black” president? Some people just think of the craziest things!

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” (1958) Review

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo is one of the most visually stunning and suspenseful films I have yet to seen. The opening of the film itself is both intimidating and mesmerizing with an extreme-close-up shot of a beautiful woman’s eye with multicolored vertigo effects reaching out to the surface of the screen.

John “Scottie” Ferguson is a retired San Francisco police detective who suffers from acrophobia and Madeleine is the lady who leads him to high places. A wealthy shipbuilder who is an acquaintance from college days approaches Scottie and asks him to follow his beautiful wife, Madeleine. He fears she is going insane, maybe even contemplating suicide, because she believes she is possessed by a dead ancestor. Scottie is skeptical, but agrees after he sees the beautiful Madeleine. Written by filmfactsman

The film truly engulfs you in its blanket of fear and anticipation. Each scene is beautifully photographed with rich colors and dark, yet subtle cinematography, making the film even more difficult to take your eyes away from. You will be curious, but scared to find out what’s going to happen in the next scene.

James Stewart in "Vertigo"

One element that stood out most for me in this film was the POV of the camera. Hitchcock’s extensive use of the first-person point-of-view shots from Scottie Ferguson’s (James Stewart) perspective transcends the level of a mere spectator to an actual observer of the events in the films, as if they were happening to you. Scottie Ferguson’s eyes become the audience’s eyes. His fear becomes the audience’s fear. His love, his defeat, and his tragedy, all become the audience’s.

Kim Novak in "Vertigo"

Another remarkable factor that made the film amazing was the performance by Kim Novak, who plays the characters Madeleine Elster and Judy Barton. She plays two completely different characters, yet was able to fall in love with the same man twice. The acting, by classical standards, is impressive, precise, and lovely. It’s safe to say that Scottie Ferguson isn’t the only man who’s fallen in love with Madeleine Elster.

The film studies deeply into the psyches of the characters. Scottie falls in love with Madeleine, an illusion created by Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore), and Judy Barton, who plays the illusion for Gavin so that he may kill the real Madeleine Elster, falls in love with a man who does not look at her as a person, but an object. When “Madeleine” dies, Scottie is struck with ever-deepening depression and longing for the illusion that disappeared. While he wanders the streets, day and night, he runs into Judy. Judy foolishly accepts Scottie’s request to go on a dinner date in her desperate desire for him. Scottie begins dressing Judy up just like “Madeline” with the same shoes, clothes, and hair she had on at the time of her *death*. Judy, although her heart being torn apart because Scottie won’t love her for who she is, but WHAT she is, accepts to appear as “Madeleine” because she loves him. He recreates the illusion he can’t let go, and she is worshiped by a man who does not love her.

The pain that throbs in the heart while watching these characters swirl in a pool of lust, obsession, love, and betrayal is unbearable. A man who is dying of loneliness, yet does things upon a woman that no one should feel. A woman who is wrongly treated by a man she loves, but has done bad deeds for the wrong reason.

“District 9″ (2009) Review

Neil Blomkamp’s District 9, produced by Peter Jackson, is truly mind-consuming to watch.

The story begins with the landing and hovering of an alien species’ (Sprawns) mothership over the city of Johannesburg.

Because of their behaviors, practices, and appearance are unfit for the human society, the government of Johannesburg makes the decision to segregate them, caging them inside a designated slum: District 9.

As anticipated as it was for me, the film was a basket full of fun to watch. The mixture of documentary, blockbuster, and dramatic style of filming, the piece brings realism, thrill, and emotions all together.

In English classes, students are taught to think deeply about any piece of art work’s title. Being that, I could not help but to find out the significance of the title myself, being brainwashed in highschool for nearly four years.

“It is the last of the digits, and thus marks the end; and is significant of the conclusion of a matter.

It is akin to the number six, six being the sum of its factors (3×3=9, and 3+3=6), and is thus significant of the end of man, and the summation of all man’s works. Nine is, therefore,

THE NUMBER OF FINALITY OR JUDGMENT,

for judgment is committed unto Jesus as “the Son of man” (John 5:27; Acts 17:31). It marks the completeness, the end and issue of all things as to man—the judgment of man and all his works.”

[Source]

“Nine represents attainment, satisfaction, accomplishment, and our success to achieve an influence in our circumstances. The spiritual meaning of number Nine deals with intellectual power, inventiveness, influence over situations and things. Nine beseeches us to recognize our own internal attributes, and extend these abilities out into the world to make a positive, influential difference.”

[Source]

It is all so fascinating isn’t it? I’ve found two meanings for number nine, and they both seem to sort of contradict one another; opposites. If I attempt to go ahead and proceed with my analysis of the relationship between the number and the film, I’d probably have to spoil some of the plots for you, so let me just jot down a brief thought.

The two definitions I would like to draw out from my sources are “extend” the “abilities out into the world to make a positive, influential difference,” and the “end.” There was a churnning in my guts that told me this movie was dealing with the issues regarding immigrants and illegal ‘aliens’. The number nine does not have any negative annotations with the film itself. The number, and the film itself is taunting our attitudes and behaviors toward these issues and carefully pushing the audience into a realization that should be very simple: We are all the same. We must end the prejudice. WE, have to make the change.

Getting back to the reel, the film was visually stunning with its state of the art CGI and the cinematography that is a major contributing factor to its realness of the District 9 universe. It was a constant edge-of-the-seat suspense, gross and masculine action that draws out gasps from the theatre, and a drama that attacks deep into the core of our ethics and morales.

The film is a drive to test human’s capacity to love, hate, and sympathize through the character of Wikus Van De Merwe.

Sharlto Copley, portraying the character of Wikus Van De Merwe, and his performance well depicts an average human being: holder of prejudice, assumptions, oblivion, selfishness, and compassion.

Neil Blomkamp has done an amazing job creating a universe that will creep into your mind that will make you believe what you see.

I strongly encourage everyone to see this movie. I’m giving this four stars.

Waiters or Helicopters?

Did you ever walk out of a restaurant feeling that something wasn’t right? You know, a dark feeling, creeping behind your head as you walk out that door? You worry that someone might talk to you unnecessarily. Someone might stalk you! Someone just god damn might kidnap you!!!

If you had that sorta feeling, it was probably your waiter.

I went to a restaurant tonight with my family. You know the drill. The waiter sits us down, asks us if we’ll have anything to drink first, and offers us some appetizers… That’s normal. I don’t mind them being excessively friendly at this point, because first impression is an important thing, and a good one gets them a good tip.

Well, while he was jotting down our order after bringing the drinks out, apparently he was multitasking- writing and eavesdropping – and decided to stop my mother from saying her order and speak with me and my older sister. I’m not going to say what we were talking about. It’s private.

So this guy rudely jumps in and I’m a little ticked off but we put on that fake smile and just let it go. He leaves the table with the order and everyone’s face is like “WTF—”

So he comes back with the food…
…
…
He doesn’t go. Literally, he stood there about a good fifteen seconds until I asked him “What the FUCK do you WANT!?!?!”

Kidding.

Well, I did ask him in a more polite way than written above. He responded with these exact words: “I just wanted to check if everything was alright :)”

What the fuck are we? Some farm animals? If you want to know if anything’s wrong, you ask the god damn person, and not stand there and watch the table I’m eating on as if it was a zoo!

I say thanks, and he says okay and walk away.

He came back. Five minutes later. He left. He came back. Five minutes. He came, left, back, five minutes.

At this point, which is past the emotion of rage, I’m wondering: ‘Doesn’t this guy have anything else to do?’ He just kept coming back and asking how things were! I really wanted to tell him to leave us alone, but he just had that… smile! Brilliant, grade-A waiter smile that inhibited people from being bitter.

However, no matter the experience, being good people, we left him a good (it could have been ‘great’) tip. Although I can remember the number of times the waiter came to the table and not the taste of the food, he was a good guy. No doubt. It’s hard to find people like that.

But leave the customers the fuck alllooooonnnneee!!! We go to EAT and SOCIALIZE at a restaurant, not be babysat.

It’s just too painful swallowing the food when they are hovering over you like a helicopter.

When is the final for Final Destination?

I cannot believe that they are making another Final Destination! Didn’t they have enough of this crap?

This movie, or should I say ‘these movies’, start out with the main character foreseeing a disastrous event where a lot of people die. He/She freaks the hell out, escapes the spot with a bunch of people who are either scared of what the main character says or concerned of the main character’s mental meltdown.

Then BAM. Mr. Death strikes the scene.

Everyone dies except the main character and the select few who have escaped with him/her.

But Death is a hard-working employee of hell, and he dawns to finish job, one by one.

People who have escaped gets killed one at a time due to supernatural events. Main characters and his/her friends tries to figure out what’s going on and stop it, but in the end, every damn character in the movie dies.

That’s how it was with the last three. The only difference that occurs between these movies one after another is the way the people die. They tend to make the deaths shocking and gruesome in order to attract audience.

In other words, sequels for a certain movie isn’t fun when they all have the same plot line. There’s a limit to getting creative with killing multiple people in one movie.

Stop making Final Destinations!!!!

Review: “Funny People” (2009)

Director: Judd Apatow
Genere: Comedy/Drama
Release Date: July 31, 2009

This review is actually dealing with a “recent” film in a long time.

Funny People is a drama with comedy melted on top of it like a good omelet with cheese.

George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is a famous comedian that has everything that a man can want: Money, fame, and the babes. He lives quite contently until one day he is pronounced “terminal” by his doctor.

George meets Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) and decided to hire him as his assistant. As they began to bond as friends, Ira suggests to him that he has to spend more time with people that matter to him. So George takes a chance at getting his girl back from the days, Laura (Leslie Mann), and the drama begins.

This movie is quite great. Like I’ve said, it’s like a cheese melting on top of an omelet. The comedic elements are presented in a very subtle way, but uncontrollable-laugh inducing at the same time. Because the laugh (cheese) is good, the drama (omelet) underneath it becomes less painful, but still sips into the mood. The two elements swirl together and make the screening intensely bittersweet.

Because these people that you seen on the big screen are funny, you can still see the envy, hate, fear, pain, anger, and love, you are forced to laugh while emotions twirl and twist inside your head. I mean, it’s like a subliminal message. I laughed through the entire film, but when I walked out of the theater, I felt like I’ve gotten hit in the back of my head with a frozen fish.

The stars of the film, Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen was impressive. There were some scenes where the emotions lacked, but Adam Sandler really pulled off the depressed guy. For Seth, it was a bit weird at first. Seeing him in Superbad (2007) and Pineapple Express (2008) made me expect him to be funnier in this piece. Then I realized that he’s character was completely different from what it used to be. He was shy, awkward, sensitive, caring, and passionate. No, not like the pretending-to-be in Knocked Up (2007). Oh, and Seth Rogen lost a lot of weight.

Basically, the film takes you through a journey or adventure, whatever you want to call it, of immature people learning to live with their mistakes past, and to sacrifice themselves for others’ happiness.

This is definitely a good choice of movie to see in the theaters with your pals, and girlfriend/boyfriend.

Three and a half stars for this movie.

Really? Alcohol Education?

So pretty much all students who are entering college for this fall term had to do this alcohol education thing, am I right? I mean, we’ve got no choice here. Either we do it, or we can’t go to school! What a good waste of a perfectly fine time.

Come on! By the time people graduate from highschool, they know what alcohol is going to do to them and their lives. Even though the legal age to drink alcohol in the United States is 21, it’s not too hard to get hands on some liquor. So if an “innocent” students really wanted to experiment with alcohol, they won’t have any trouble in doing so.

There’s no point in telling people that drinking is bad for them. It’s like saying people shouldn’t use public transportation because there is a chance of disaster. People who are afraid of riding on planes will by all means avoid using them and attempt to ride trains or buses; same thing for the alcohol. People who wouldn’t drink won’t drink, and people who would drink will drink. The only fucking way a person would stop drinking is if Jessica Alba or Meagan Fox/Brad Pitt or George Clooney like person walks up to them and tells them “I like a man/woman that doesn’t drink.” Or, when they have the worst experience of their lives by getting drunk. And the funny thing is that some people would still drink after being T-Bagged and buttfucked by men in their mid 40s.

Conclusively, if they don’t bring bottles of vodka (sake/soju for the Asians) to our doorsteps and pour it down our throat, setting our livers on fire, and buttfuck us while we are blacked out due to the impairment of the hippocampus (part of the brain that makes new memories), it won’t really change our opinions about alcohol.

So fuck you alcohol education.