Falling Awake [Paul Alan]
This review is approximately 1 week overdue (as with all things that I'd already seen). But allow me to share my two cents worth about the quality of the music.
To kick things off, Paul Alan is HARD TO FIND. I first heard his record on the internet radio (special thanks to The House FM for playing great music!). They were playing "She's The Reason" and the lyrics simply touched my heart. I'd been hunting for the CD since then (and that was about 2 months ago?).
Also many thanks to C for buying the CD online for me too! Although it was more expensive than the local market rate, Paul's music and lyrics are worth far above any price offered.
A product of some of the most trying times in his life, Paul recorded this CD with his band in an ill-conditioned garage. It's hard to tell on this CD because most of the the tracks are simply for demo purposes.
The sound quality was really good. But let's not go into the technicalities. The CD kicks off with the hit "She's The Reason", personifying the church as a bride of Jesus Christ, and what she looks like in the eyes of the world ("She is a poster child for the faceless and she'll go down in history as forgettable"). My other favorite songs include "The One Thing" and "Leaving Lonely". "Sarah" is nothing like the secular hit. Reflecting the death of a friend's baby sibling, he uses this song to encourage his friend by putting things into perspective for her. Who wouldn't like a friend to write a song about you?
As simple as the CD looks, it certainly packs a punch! Paul's website has yet to release any information about his upcoming projects, but rumor has it that he is releasing a sophomore album, which has so far been unconfirmed.
So until then, enjoy the one he has right now! And find some means to get it!
Heartland [Daren Shiau]
It's not a very big picture because I don't know if this book has gone beyond Singapore or not. Anyway I haven't read a local writer's works for a loonnnnnggg time. I think the last thing I read was one of those Catherine Lim books and that was it. I don't know why I never got around to read our local stuff.
But anyway I think I'm glad I read this book. Actually I didn't know about this until the Read SMU book launch.
Wing Seng [one of the many, many characters in this local treat] lives near my neighbourhood and the story of his life and his friends are reflected from their JC days till NS/Univeresity. There isn't much of a focus, really. We, as readers, act as witnesses to their lives, and there hasn't really been a start or a finish, probably because there isn't going to be one. But Wing Seng has an interesting life, of him feeling like he doesn't really belong to one place, not even towards his own family [or mother, really. But who his father is, go read yourself. it's pretty twisted]. And even after 2 relationships he still couldn't find his "perfect mate" and he ends up questioning his own philosophies towards life. He feels like a Singaporean but his relationships and communication with the people around him tell him otherwise.
I think the main objective of this novel is to reflect our culture as a whole. We don't really belong anywhere. We don't have any eccentricities [other than the Singlish, I think], and for the most part, everyone's just living whatever the phase in life is going to come. And we are portrayed to be so individualistic it's almost disgusting. But then again, I think hardly anyone reads this and so nobody really knows how to live.
Personally I wish more of us would read more. We're just so caught on with life that we forget what the big picture is. But we are so focused on the little things we forget some of them aren't even life-threatening. Inconvenient? Yes. Are you going to die because of it? Of course not!
So why aren't people slowing down? It's so weird.
and 1/2
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory [2005]
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Two words for this movie: downright weird.
And may I add another? Freaky.
I finally got my hands on Roald Dahl's novel before watching the movie. I thought the book was cute, imaginative, kind of like an Aesop's Fables thing. But, this version of the story is "quite" different. Tim Burton brought out another edge of Willy Wonka that probably NOBODY wants to know... (like how his dad was a dental surgeon and he didn't have very good parental relationships with him... was that necessary?)
Once again we check out Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore together in action. Doesn't help one bit when you find out that they both share the same birthdays... And Freddie was Johnny's personal pick for the role of Charlie Bucket (my friend said Charlie wasn't skinny enough. I think I quite agree with her).
The 4 brats and their equally weird parents fit the roles perfectly. Veruca couldn't have been more spoilt (upon receiving the Golden Ticket: "Daddy, I want another pony."); Augustus really was fat. I wonder if the kid himself is that size, or he's just stuffed underneath; Mike was.... well... the kind of kid you do NOT want in the house; and Violet? Makes me feel better that not all winners finish the race. And did I mention that her haircut reminds me of the children from Village of the Damned?
But personally I really liked Freddie's portrayal of Charlie. Very sweet, and kind, every mother-in-law's dream.
But seriously, I think the character(s) that got to me was/were the Oompa Loompas. Deep Roy must've been the unsung hero throughout the movie. Genius. But the music was just... well... quirky? I really didn't expect Roald Dahl's lyrics to come out that way!
And I am now apparently on a quest to annoy my friend with that stupid song that's now playing in my head:
Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka,
The amazing Chocolateteer
Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka,
la-la la la la la laaaa....
I think this movie is for those who, like me, wanna see Johnny Depp in action. It's not a great movie, but it's enough to make you exit from the theatre and go, "huh"?
and 1/2
God Chicks [Holly Wagner]
I didn't know about this book. Honestly! I just picked it up along the way while waiting for a friend during lunchtime last week. The title was just really attractive to me, okay? At that point I'd already asked Times the Bookshop to reserve two books by C.S. Lewis for me. More reading to do!
But this book was a FUN read for me! The author, a self-declared sanguine (I think that's how it's spelt), makes the book as colorful as the world itself. Based on the Proverbs 31 woman, she points out that in every woman, there is a specific chick in us: the party chick, the lover chick, the friend chick, the b u chick, the warrior chick, the princess chick, and the whatever-it-takes chick. All these chicks have their special unique place and duty. And Holly sure knows how to make it sound like it's not only great and a real privilege that we've been given by God to possess them within us, but that it's our duty and responsibility that we use these God-given gifts to share with the rest of the world, and to let them know that they've got something within them that's waiting to explode!
It only took my ONE day to finish this book. I told you it was fun!
For people about 18 years old, right up till middle-age (and I don't mean Hobbitsland!). Teenagers who want to read this book as well is perfectly fine. They might not be able to identify with a couple of situations and scenarios here though, since it is a young adults book. But no limitations stated!
Go read this book! You will enjoy it and feel the compassion and the excitement to share it with your friends! A great gift for those whom you treasure in life.
I Kissed Dating Goodbye [Joshua Harris]
Wouldn't it be nice if you were twenty-one and, having received the strongest revelation from God that you could possibly get, write about a matter that has been pressing in your heart, and get worldwide recognition for it, God's way?
Thus is the life of Joshua Harris in 1995 when this book was first released.
I first got in touch with it a few years back, when I was just starting college. I thought it was one of those Christian romance novels (I mean, come on! With a suave-looking guy and the word "Date" printed on it, how could anyone not get dreamy just by thinking about it?), so I didn't bother. I wasn't into reading at that time, either.
Then last year while I was away in the U.S. and hanging out with a bunch of fellow Christians, some of them were reading it and they were telling me how great this book was. So I did get curious - for about five seconds. Then I totally forgot about it.
Then early this year I finally got around to buy the book. And then I took a peak at the back cover and went, "Whoa, damn yan dau lor!" (i.e. he's way handsome)
So this book is about relationships between guys and gals - specifically, those that have had the conception of dating.
I have to admit, I didn't get this book at first because I thought what my friends were talking about was basically what I had always firmly believed in: you DON'T mess with a person's heart if you are NOT ready to commit the next FORTY years of your LIFE with him/her.
But, as you can see, I got it anyway. Probably because I wanted a confirmation that what I had been thinking really was right.
Well, not only did it make me feel better, but there were a lot of new principles that I never thought of before, and there were others that I had known were right but I never got around putting them into words. Joshua did it so well in this book.
For those who have read it, or at least heard about it, it's NOT a pleasant read, simply because it goes against the grains of popular thinking in today's culture about dating the opposite sex.
But that's not what I'm hear to say. What I'm saying is how much I am IMPRESSED with this guy who wrote this book when he was MY age, and how he has such an amazing revelation about a topic that's been really dangerous to tread upon (simply because it offends people and popular thinking), and still come out refined like silver. God's way.
Like I say, this book is not for pleasure reading. It is a WAKE-UP CALL to those who think that dating is the way to go. And even though what I firmly believe in this area has been confirmed by this book, it cannot phrase it in any other way than how it does so now.
Hats off to you, Pastor Harris. For God's amazing gift that he's given to you.
You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown: The Broadway Musical [1999 Revival]
Yes, it's been ages since I've updated. So sue me. But I'm back and I've got something really good (in my opinion) to share with you!
Of all the CDs I had to get, it had to be PEANUTS. The man [Charles M. Schulz] has been dead for five years, so why am I bringing this up?
I've not heard the original version. And I didn't know that there was even a revival broadway show based on the original 1967 off-broadway musical.
So my first hint? Roger Bart. And I didn't even know who the man was at first. I just heard him as Snoopy (turned out he won a Tony Award for that role. Way to go!), and I just marveled how well Snoopy sang (yeah, kinda cheesy).
And then I totally forgot all about it until I saw Roger Bart on The Stepford Wives (which was good show, by the way). And then as I was reading through the list of credentials, I got curious with Roger and decided to read up on him instead. That's how I found out he was actually Snoopy.
So the more I got to find out about this record, the more interested I got. Okay, I gotta admit I was doing it the illegal way (naughty girl, yes I am!). But the more I heard it the more I realized that I had to get the CD itself. Listening to it without knowing that I actually bought it disturbed me. (As a matter of fact, for anyone who actually manages to illegally download a whole album of music without buying the original copy has got some serious moral issues to deal with!)
Think of the album as a story, and that instead of the characters reading it to you, they sing (such is the role of all Broadway musicals). This is one great story-telling CD. It bursts with energy while appropriately toning down at the areas where it definitely gets more mellow and thoughtful. Expression is an A+.
There is plenty of good singing to go around. Here's a website about the cast!
Let's start with Anthony Rapp, a.k.a. the round-headed kid Charlie Brown. the gullible, loser, blah approach to life as a whole (as well as himself) really gave me a sense of understanding how he really must have felt, with none of his peers giving him enough support to uplift his sense of self-worth.
Roger Bart, for one, was REALLY good. "Snoopy" and "Suppertime" were milestones (but I prefer the latter. It shows off his range better). I guess that's why he had his Tony Award.
Kristin Chenoweth is another talented cast member. She plays Sally Brown. Her rendition in "My New Philosophy" was GREAT. It really showed off her range, and the same ol' attitude that Sally really carries.
Stanley Wayne Mathis (I can't believe he doesn't have a website! IMDB.com didn't give enough details about him etiher) played Schroeder (yeah, Black guy playing White Blonde... you really must pack a punch to pull that off!) and his singing was.... wow. For a moment, he gave Schroeder a glimmering sense of hope that he could actually sing. Hear "Beethoven Day" for your listening pleasure... somewhere else, that is.
And if you want deliberately bad singing (and yet able to pull it off), there's Ilana Levine who plays Ms. Crabby a.k.a. Lucy Van Pelt. I never knew crabby people sounded so bad! "Schroeder" - her love song to him - was just plain weird. And so was "Little Known Facts". I have to admit, her sense of bad singing made me cringe a lot because it was BAD (although in reality I KNOW Ilana doesn't sound half as terrible!). But her part in "The Book Report" was downright funny. I appreciated that.
And finally there's B.D. Wong who plays Linus, the all-so-wise-one, and yet unfotunately fated to be Lucy's younger brother. "My Blanket and Me" was kinda weird too. And he deliberately pronounced his words like how Daffy Duck does (sthufferin' Sthukci-sthomething!). But I cracked up when I heard his part in "The Book Report". It was so out of place it was downright funny for me.
Honestly, the songs that I completely recommend are "Opening/You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown", "The Book Report", "My New Philosophy", "The Kite", "T-E-A-M (The Baseball Game)" and "Suppertime". These songs aren't very long either, so treasure them while you can! (each song lasts for about 2 - 3 minutes).
If you really want to get the most out of this record, listen to it from start to finish. It's like "Finding Neverland". You can't just pick one song and favor it over the other because it's all meant for different seasons.
It's a very sweet CD. I wish there were more musicals like this - which is weird cos I've never seen it before, and chances are I don't think I will... *sigh* - instead of those big-time high-profile ones which cost so much money it's unbelievable.
Kingdom of Heaven
Ah yes, the ever good-looking, charming Orlando Bloom, never failing to captivate the hearts of many of his endearing fans (not so much of myself included) ever since his fanatical and crazy debut as the gorgeous elf Legolas in Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Unfortunately, for this movie, I cannot help but feel that it is because of the reputation of the man himself, and the fact that Ridley Scott was the director of this film, that the movie is received well by most who have come to admire the duo.
The visual effects were great. I loved the way the film was taken. The sceneries, the costumes, the weaponry, the landscape, everything was really good. It's hard not be convinced that you really were taken back to the 12th century to be part of this experience.
But then that was all it offered: a visual eye candy.
The plot was really lame. The script was dull. I found no direction in the movie. In short, it was boring. Short and sweet. The fact that the scenes simply jumped from one to another, well.... it disappointed me, really.
This is a movie for all lovers of Orlando and Ridley. Other than that, the movie is not something I will remember in another 2 weeks from now.
