Noroi

Noroi (The Curse) is a 2005 Japanese horror film made in the form of a mockumentary. It describes Masafumi Kobayashi, a paranormal expert who produced a series of books and movies on supernatural activity around Japan. He disappeared in the process of making his greatest and most disturbing film yet, The Curse. This film has not been seen much out of Japan, and is pretty lengthy at 2 hours.

I've just finished watching Noroi on Youtube. Let me warn you, if J-horror movies like Dark Water, Ringu or Ju-On gave you a bad scare, this movie will utterly mind-rape you and is a lot more disturbing. What makes Noroi so engagingly spine-chilling is the fact that the entire film is shot with a hand-held camera, and any shocking footage looks VERY real, hence a lot more disturbing. If you're a fan of watching reality shows or documentaries about the paranormal, Noroi is DEFINITELY for you.

And unlike similar western films, such as The Blair Witch Project, Noroi unabashedly reveals what was lurking in the darkness and any fucked-up imagery that the characters were seeing at the time. Noroi does a great job in creating an eerie atmosphere of fear from both creepy music and voices and strange paranormal phenomenon. In some scenes, you KNOW you're about the see something REALLY fucked-up, but morbid curiosity takes over and you just can't seem to look away.

Like most J-horror films, the plot can be rather scattered and shown in different time intervals. You'll find a hard time linking anything together and the different events don't seem to be related at all, but it won't really matter. Inevitably, everything begins to piece together in the second-half of the film. And the ending...really sums it up and will prove to be very shocking. The story and concept is both unique and outstanding. The cast were really excellent and believable to the point that it makes you wonder if this is really a film, or did it really happen in real life.

While J-horror films have a tendency to have some slow intervals throughout the film, there wasn't a dull moment in Noroi. From beginning till the end, it just grabs you and feeds your hunger to know what the hell is really going on. The only complaint I have is that some of the questions that were left unanswered but that's just a minor flaw to me. The entire movie definitely made up for it. Kudos to the Koji Shiraishi for this creation.

Leave it to the Japs to create really messed up horror. Noroi can give you some seriously disturbing chills and you might have trouble sleeping at night. I just hope the US doesn't suddenly get a hold of this and decide to make a crappy remake to ruin it.

Fabulous Weekend Out And A Very Surprising Reunion!

Last weekend was absolutely fabulous, spent both Saturday and Sunday almost completely outdoors. It was fabulous, not only because of great times with friends, but because I had a surprisingly unexpected reunion. Saturday's outing started off with a nice dinner at Nandos in Gurney Plaza. We sat right in front of the ground floor main entrance (Nandos there has 2 floors) and as we ate dinner, along came these tall and beautifully-dressed women who strolled directly past us and proceed up the stairs to the upper level. Then, I noticed that each of them wore a rather large ribbon. It seems that they were part of a pageant held earlier on there. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was for Miss Malaysia 2009.

Subsequently, it was movie time. We watched Angels and Demons and I gotta say, it was pretty AWESOME! I've not read the book, so I don't know how much of the plot in the movie resembles the book but it kept my attention glued to the screen nonetheless. The plot was really interesting but needed to be viewed with an open mind, especially if you're a Christian as it reveals and questions quite a few things in the history of Christianity. The facts and revelations that were laid out really caught my attention but if you don't follow it closely, you might miss out on what's going on. I totally loved the excellent cinematograhy throughout the movie. It brilliantly featured the breath-takingly beautiful and artistically intricate murals, sculptures and archtechture of Vatican City. The ambience and architechture really exudes a nice Roman charm.

After the movies, it was Momo time! Lately, I seldom go clubbing unless it's a special occasion or if a big group of friends are going. So this time, it was the latter. As I entered Momo and greeted some of my friends already in there, I was introduced to someone, who looked instantly familiar, but I didn't dare confirm. He introduced himself as Iz, and that almost closed the familiarity gap. Deep inside, I already knew who he was but I didn't say anything. Shortly after, he kept looking at me and talking excitedly to his best friend Nadia.

Then, I walked over, leaned towards him and whispered into his ear,"Are you from Seremban?"

To which he exclaimed excitedly,"YES!". And, we proceeded to exchange hugs coz we finally met for the first time.

I got to know Iz about 5 years ago, which I will still studying in MMU Malacca. We found each other on a popular social networking website called Faceparty back then. For the last 2 years that I was still in MMU, we chatted only through Yahoo Messenger. Back then, we practically lived next door to each other. Me in Malacca and him in Seremban, but we never met for real. After I left MMU and began working 3 years ago, we kinda lost contact as I didn't sign into Yahoo anymore and just used MSN Messenger exclusively. According to him, he WAS studying in Penang for a while during the time I was already back in Penang working, but we never bumped into each other in the island. Now, he's working in KK (Kota Kinabalu) in Sabah (or some of you might know it as Borneo) and he came to Penang last weekend to enjoy himself and hang out with his friends.

It is so suprisingly ironic that we didn't meet at all when we were living almost side by side and were still in contact with each other, but bumped into each other only after I came back to Penang and he moved to KK, which is practically farthest across west to east of Malaysia, and having not contacting each other for almost 3 years! Actually, it was thanks to Iz's friend from Penang who had me on her Facebook, and he thought I looked familiar as well. So, he called her up and she agreed to introduce (more of re-acquaint) us in Momo last Saturday. Talk about A SMALL WORLD! So, I've finally met Iz in real life and he appears to be a little shorter than what I pictured him to be. I also think that he's adorable and has bubbly butt personality. Yes yes, I was attracted to him when I first laid eyes on him. Probably no surprise to my friends who were there that night, coz it kinda showed =P

Iz is actually a 20-year-old modern Malay guy, the type that gets with the times. But alas, I found out that his heart belongs to someone else, and it's been that way for more than a year now. Since he is so in love and I'm not into breaking any relationships, I'll just stay mum on the whole thing. That is unless, he finds out from my little bloggie here. Sigh, why must all the good ones be taken?

Moving on, I spent the whole of Sunday with Iz and friends as well. We had a very late sushi lunch at Sakae in Queensbay and then watched Push in the evening, which kinda paled in comparison with Angels and Demons. Although I can't really compare since both are different genres, but the latter left me with a much better impression. The night ended with a great dinner at Hammer Bay ikan bakar, a popular Malay seafood place just near Queensbay Mall.

Movie Review: Hancock

Synopsis: Will Smith plays an alcoholic superhero named Hancock, somebody that absolutely everybody loves to hate. Hancock's well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. One day, he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) who helps to rehabilitate him. However, Hancock begins to have an affair with the publicist's wife, Mary (Charlize Theron) instead.

Verdict: Not a movie about your average superhero indeed. Since I saw the trailer, I've been dying to see this. Frankly, I'd watch anything with Will Smith on it (coz he's incredibly funny and talented...oklah, also very cute). My expectations was slightly raised but it was not exactly as I had expected. Instead, it appeared milder than what the trailer indicated, but very entertaining nonetheless.

Hancock is not a superhero that you would gladly see to come save your day or salvage a situation. He's sloppy, clumsy, often drunk, haphazard and hot-tempered. Plus, he looks like a homeless hobo. Although he means well and cares for the welfare of the people, he couldn't careless about what happens in the process of helping, so he often leaves behind a trail of destruction which dips into the taxpayer's coffers. Sick of his heroic but destructive antics, he's often ostracized and criticized by the people. As a result, he often shuns the public and likes to be left alone.

Action and effects were great, as can be expected from a superhero movie with a big budget. Nothing too spectacular or memorable, but just fun to watch. Throw in some humor by Hancock's awkward behavior in certain scenes and couldn't careless attitude for whatever he does, and it's even more fun.Not much character development here, as Hancock keeps his lips sealed about his past only to reveal later on that he doesn't know anything about himself or what he really is. This is a change from the usual superhero movies, where the story or past unfolds at the start. Instead, we get a bit more development on Ray (Jason Bateman) and Mary (Charlize Theron) but it's not that significant. Both carried their roles just fine.

There are several twists to the plot here but they appear too usual. From the trailer, you can kinda expect it since you will see Hancock battling another woman will similar powers. Although there are no scientific explanations for Hancock's powers, it derives from a more mythical element in explaining how Hancock came to be, only with the help of the mysterious woman. The biggest twist for me would be the revelation on their relationship, which I think is very unique and well.....touching, to say the least (I'm trying real hard not to include spoilers here =P). I think the bad guys in this are pretty much idiotic and weird. Anyhow, they succeed to give Hancock at really hard time, but only toward the end of the movie. When Hancock is at his best, pretty much nothing can stop him...so when he's vulnerable, then only the bad guys will strike, right?

Overall, this movie doesn't really give me the wow factor but it's entertaining enough for me.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Other: Charlize Theron looks damn hot in this movie =P

Movie Review: Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

Synopsis: In this sequel to "Hellboy" ("Super Sapiens" in Malaysia), an ancient pact existing between humankind and the mythical realm is broken. A ruthless leader treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline by awakening an unstoppable army of creatures. Joined by members of his team from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Development, Hellboy must travel between the surface strata and the magical realm to prevent the resurrection of a mythical "golden army" and save humankind once again.

Verdict: Since I heard of this sequel, I've been looking forward to it. Both movies showcase different worlds but are equally entertaining. The first movie focuses on old world demons, sorcery and dark, alien-like gods. This sequel unravels the mythical, magical world that exists unseen among humans, like elves, goblins, trolls, fairies etc. Of course, the variation to the tales are different and nothing like what you read in books or fantasy movies. Does it live up to the first movie? It certainly doesn't disappoint.

Though much less darker than the first movie, it shows more variation of creatures and continues to amaze the viewers with their uniqueness. Although, I think that venturing into the troll market with so many alien-like creatures about feels like something out of Star Wars instead. Great detail and effort is done to enhance every creature seen in this movie.
As for the characters, Hell Boy still remains the macho, loud, clumsy, kitten-loving and sarcastic protagonist that we love. Liz doesn't seem to contribute that much but that's alright, coz somehow, she's always meant to stand behind Hell Boy anyway (or at least that's what I notice).

As they've enter a relationship, it's oddly amusing to see how they go about handling it but in the end, the strength of their love is proven. Abe Sapien is still the lovable, telepathic genius but this time...he has a partner! Equally brainy and exuding the charms of a German professor with a heavy accent, new agent Johann Krauss joins the team as an ectoplasmic ghost encased in a robot-like suit and he is quite a delight to watch. Abe and Krauss are quite similar, very smart with no combat abilities but possess special abilities to compensate. Abe compensates with his acute telepathic senses while Krauss is able to perform special tasks when he releases part of the ectoplasm (part of his body actually) from his suit. The scene where Krauss beats up Hell Boy...with a series of mini lockers was hilarious! Prince Nuada excelled as the driven prince, torn between love for his kind and betraying them to dominate humanity, of which he chose the latter. Princess Nuala might have been forgettable, if not for her 'relationship' with Abe. It was funny to Abe getting drunk over beer while talking with Hell Boy about it!

Action scenes and the creatures involved are entertaining enough but not mind-blowing. Adding a pinch of Hell Boy's sarcasm made it more fun to watch. I preferred Prince Nuada during the fights coz he looks more graceful, fast and skilled with hand weapons. Due to his size, Hell Boy is more clumsy and slightly slower, but makes up for it by being able to take a good beating and keep standing up. He should stick more to his guns, but I guess it wouldn't be a movie if he could just blow Prince Nuala away =)

Story wasn't too bad. Typical bad guy wants to take over the world and is stopped by good guy who doesn't know how to express himself to his girlfriend, faces a barrage of enemies and wins fight with bad guy in the end. Overall, very entertaining due to great effects, good cinematography and decent action scenes.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Other: The trailer is what got me excited to watch it!

Movie Review: Wanted

Synopsis: Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) finds out that his long lost father is an assassin. When his father is murdered, Wesley is recruited into his father's organisation and trained by a man named Sloan (Morgan Freeman) to follow in his dad's footsteps. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov.

Verdict: A very fast-paced action movie with little character development, except for the protagonist. Storyline was a bit hard to swallow but the twist in the end is quite good. Casting is good, with a few powerhouses like Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman in the mix.

Jolie was exceptional as Fox, Wesley Gibson's mentor. Sizzling hot, full of attitude and exuding a natural grace as a sexy assassin, which is rather reminiscent of Lara Croft.


James McAvoy was believable as the sorry, dorky guy with anxiety issues turned professional assassin (kinda cute too =P).


Morgan Freeman was just alright as the Fraternity's (name of the assassin organisation) head honcho. Nothing to shout about. In my opinion, he was under-used for an actor of his caliber.

However, the action scenes movie are very fast paced and chaotic but the gunfights are a bit far fetched. The idea of curving a bullet's trajectory by merely waving your arm is definitely something new, albeit rather ridiculous, with no proper scientific explanation to back it up. Also, stopping or deflecting a moving bullet with ANOTHER moving bullet, either with the bullets hitting head on or deflecting it from the side!?! [Spoiler Alert!] Given the fact that Wesley Gibson is 'gifted' with an ability to periodically amplify his senses and see movements around him in much slower motion, no normal human being can react fast enough to a speeding bullet, let alone shoot it accurately against another moving bullet! Although this is what makes this movie stand out, the concept is still hard to swallow.

[Spoiler Alert!] There are some gaping loopholes in the plot as well. How the organisation gets its assignments for the assassins is also a bit ludicrous. Trusting 'fate' which delivers the target's names in a secret language found in weaving cloth? Any idea of logic is out the window here. Although Wesley did question about the authencity of fate's decision and justification of the killing each target, the answer wasn't very satisfactory to me.

Overall, this movie is entertaining enough but you really need to sideline logic and the laws of physics while watching this. However, the twist is the end is rather good.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Other: NA

Movie Review: Doomsday

Synopsis: Authorities brutally quarantine a country as it succumbs to fear and chaos when a virus strikes. The literal walling-off works for three decades - until the dreaded 'Reaper' virus violently resurfaces in a major city. An elite group of specialists, captained by Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra), is urgently dispatched into the still-quarantined country to obtain a cure by any means necessary. Shut off from the rest of the world, the unit must battle through a landscape that has become a waking nightmare.

Verdict: In a nutshell, this movie is non-stop action, full of blood-spattering violence and delightfully filled with dark elements.

In terms of character development, there isn't really much here, even for the heroine herself. But anyway, who needs it? This movie is mostly about no-holds barred action with generous amounts of gore and copious amounts of swearing (enough for too much of awkward censorship from our Malaysian board, so bear with it if you're watching in the cinemas). The only thing we get to see is how our heroine ended up on the other side of the wall safely but [Spoiler Alert!] lost one of her eyes. Rhona Mitra handled her character skillfully, effectively portraying the heroine as a tough-as-nails, no-nonsense and unshakable leader. And MY GOD, that girl is FIT AS HELL in this movie.

As for the cinematography, the area of quarantine is very well done to reflect what a long abandoned town/city would look like; full of decay everywhere, derelict buildings plagued by vandalism and years of neglect, and the street littered with bones and rotting corpses. The whole setting is basically reminiscent to movies like Resident Evil and 28 Weeks Later.

In terms of the plot, there are some gaping holes big enough to swallow a whale, but it can be forgiven, due to the aforementioned abundance in great action scenes above. Some loopholes in beginning of the movie was left answered, like:

How could the world just sit by and allow this to happen without any protest?

How could the world not even try to look for a cure in those 30 years?

How could ANY government permit such merciless quarantine, abandonment and even killing of its own civilians (infected or otherwise)?

[Spoiler Alert!] How could they possibly have erected such a tall, thick steel wall covering the entire land boundary of the COUNTRY in a only a matter of weeks?

Well, I guess it's not important enough and this IS just a movie, so I didn't let it bother me that much.

In the quarantined zone, the outcome of three decades of total abandonment from the outside world, utter moral decay, collapse of all administrative systems, total descent into anarchy and untold desperation; is two different factions formed among the remaining survivors. Both cultures are sworn enemies, but in twist, you will find out that they are more related than you think.

[Spoiler Alert!] One side developed more of a punk culture:

[Spoiler Alert!] Whilst the other followed a medieval path:


I find the first to be more believable, since it doesn't take much to become a punk. But to fully adopt a medieval culture in ONLY three decades? Kinda hard to swallow there. One of the loopholes that needs more justification I believe.

Use of camera angles and shots were excellent as well, especially in the action and chase scenes, providing enough tension to excite and rattle your nerves for a week.

All in all, would I watch is again? Hell yeah, that's for sure!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Other: Because I'm nice, here's the trailer to get you excited! =D

Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk

Synopsis: Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is living in the shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote. However, the warmongers who dream of abusing his powers won't leave him alone, nor will his need to be with the only woman he has ever loved, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). Upon returning to civilisation, he is ruthlessly pursued by The Abomination - a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match The Hulk's own. A fight of comic-book proportions ensues as Banner must call upon the hero within to rescue New York City from destruction.

Verdict: From the action, effects and storyline, it's definitely better the first Hulk movie. In terms of action and effects, we get the usual stuff and more:

- loud, deep voiced, neanderthalic roars that can possibly shake mountains.

- [insert vehicles here] flying through the air, as a result of being thrown, kicked and...possibly even just spit at by the Hulk.

- numerous building, roads and [insert other architectural structures here] being badly damaged or destroyed by the Hulk, as a result of him rampaging or possibly just letting go a fart around the city.

- futile attempts by the military using loads of firepower and [Spoiler Alert!] even a brand new SOUND CANNON to subdue the Hulk. It's thoroughly entertaining to watch the military getting their asses kicked repeatedly and continue to dish out more firepower!

- [Spoiler Alert!] a really intense, violent battle with a new villian called The Abomination, a horrific mutation of Emil Blonsky, a military assassin. The Abomination is one fucking ugly badass who's bigger than the Hulk, but is more of a monster than a human being. The only thing they share in common is being green.

In terms of storyline, it's more on the journey of Bruce Banner, as we might expect. It mostly dwells on BB's sad and elusive life after the first movie, to escape the military from obtaining the secrets of his body and to protect Betty's well being.

Another aspect would be his past relationship with his lady love (Dr. Elizabeth Ross or Betty) in the first movie and how they got back together again in this one. [Spoiler Alert!] I especially loved the ROMANTIC scene when they finally meet face to face on a bridge and embraced each other in the rain, and all the while, Betty is saying,"Don't leave me, please don't leave me again.". GOSH, so SWEET! (yes, I'm a romantic bastard and happen to think that kissing the rain is very romantic, ok?).

As for character development, most of it would be on BB (who else could it be) and Emil Blonsky, who is portrayed as being driven at the beginning, and eventually becomes obsessed with killing the Hulk. Some mild humor is successfully injected here as well; like when BB is shopping for over-sized pants and when sex could've gone horribly wrong in a motel room, IF BB didn't have his heart rate monitor (BB uses a heart rate monitor to make sure he doesn't exceed a certain heart rate, or...you know what).

There are a few a couple of minor loopholes in the movie as well. Like how [Spoiler Alert!] BB jumps from a helicopter, fails to turn into the Hulk and smashes though the road into the sewer, in human form. Yet, he manages to turn into the Hulk in the sewers and climb back up, as if gravity didn't work and crush all the bones in his body. There is also a question of why BB's pants ALWAYS never disintegrate completely like the other pieces of clothing when he turns into the HULK and thus, leaving a naked BB when he turns back.

Also, [Spoiler Alert!] Tony Starks (Iron Man) appeared in the end of the movie. You can also catch (blink and you might miss it) some elements of Tony Starks in the movie background as well. I guess this shows that the Incredible Hulk actually a sequel for both the first Hulk movie AND Iron Man. Being the unofficial sequel to Iron Man, this could possibly be part of the development of the Ultimate Avengers movie later on, of which both Iron Man and The Hulk are team members.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Others: Out of all the superheroes, I think The Hulk is one of the scariest coz he doesn't have any real weaknesses (girlfriends DON'T count). I mean, even Superman has kryptonite and Batman is vulnerable to human injuries. Bloody hell, once he starts rampaging, he's basically unstoppable! Like our country's fuel price hike lah!

Movie Review: Kungfu Panda

Synopsis: The lazy and irreverent panda, Po (voiced by Jack Black), must somehow become a kungfu master in order to save the Valley of Peace from a villainous snow leopard, Tai Lung. Set in the legendary world of ancient China, this is the story of Po, our unlikely hero, who enters the rigid world of kungfu and turns it upside down. Po ultimately becomes a hero by learning that if he believes in himself, he can do anything.

Verdict: This is definitely one of the best movie animations I've seen so far and I think that it has set a new benchmark for future animations to top. Kungfu Panda is definitely funnier than Over The Hedge (which I think is the funniest animation I've seen before this!) and more heart-warming that the likes of Ratatouie. The animated graphics are astounding, have great clarity and are extremely detailed. And add that along with generous splashes of humour and witty dialogue, amazing fast-paced action choreography (c'mon, you gotta give them props, they used animals to do kungfu and still made it look good!) and great use of different camera angles to enhance the action scenes; you've got a winner right there. Another thing which caught my attention was the viewing experience was the random insertion of slow-motion moments during all the action scenes, which will definitely tickle your funny bone! [Spoiler alert!: The scene where Tai Lung and Po were tumbling down the temple steps, followed by a slow-motion scene where Po's ass actually SAT on Tai Lung's face was PRICELESS!].

In terms of character development, it centered mostly on Po and Master Shifu which I think it vital to fully understand why the both of them were doing what they did throughout the movie. As for the rest of characters, not much is done but no complaints there, as all of them were thoroughly entertaining, especially Master Oogway!

A movie animation would not be complete without an important lesson in the end, right? The lesson here is that sometimes there is no secret ingredient, something can be special if you BELIEVE that it's special! This is great message to everyone out there (myself included!) that sometimes it doesn't matter what the world or everyone around you thinks of you, whether it's because of what you look like or can do, the most important thing is to look inside yourself and realize that you ARE special and that if BELIEVE in yourself, you can do anything.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Others: I've watched it twice already in the cinema. In fact, I just came back from watching it the second time from Queensbay Mall 20 mins before writing this. Both times I laughed my ass off...and that was PRETTY LOUD!