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Showing posts from January, 2011

Split Second Murders (死神傻了) movie review

Split Second Murders (死神傻了) movie review This was a cold spotter... I saw it on a paid TV channel and it was offered for free, and being piqued by the title, I proceed to give it a shot... if the dearth of good scripts and stories in Hong Kong movies is causing concern, this movie will go some way towards alleviating such worries. The ensemble is a collection of the coolest people in showbiz and includes some of the hottest actors, singers but with such an ensemble, you worry if it's all looks and no acting chops... However director Herman Yau does a splendid job, helped by a rather unusual script. The story is told through the eyes and imagination of the protagonist, Ah Luk, a struggling comic strip artist, looking for his break. There is good chemistry between the actors, and the addition of some heavyweights help to lend some real acting skills, although the "Young, Hot and Beautiful" assembly also show that they can do better than just pout and pose. All in all you w

Liang Wern Fook's First Instrumental Album "Please Tell Her"

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http://www.passioncard.com.sg/promo.aspx Release of Dr Liang Wern Fook's First Instrumental Album "Please Tell Her" 《请你告诉她》音乐专辑 Cultural Medallion Award (Music) 2010 winner, Dr Liang Wern Fook's highly anticipated new recording and first instrumental album, "Please Tell Her" will be on sale at CD-RAMA, Popular Bookstores from 6 Dec 2010. Produced by Jiu Jian, Artistic Director of Ko-nen Creative, the instrumental album includes 12 of Dr Liang's best classic ballads like "Please Tell Her", "Worries" and "If There're Seasons" and features prominent local musicians including Elaine W. Chan, Bang Wen Fu , Tan Kah Yong and Peng Chi Sheng. Dr Liang's new contemporary Chinese poems will also be showcased in the album. Well I am a big fan of local productions, and of course he is my "si siong" in school, so that makes it two reasons to get this. However it was rather disappointing... Technically

State of Play - Movie review

Movie Review State of Play (DTS-MA 5.1) - Tier1 When you put an ensemble cast together, it can be successful or backfire badly, depending not only on a good script, but also the C word - chemistry. In such a suspense thriller about the inner workings of the US Congress and how corruption and power intermix, the way the protagonists interact and play off each each other, make for a wonderful state of play (pun intended and literal too). What better way to show off this ensemble than in a movie about politics, corruption and murder. Russel Crowe uses his brooding nature to interplay with the fresh and beautiful Rachel McAdams, who uses her looks, energy and a real freshman outlook as an excellent counterfoil to Russell. Helen Mirren is also perfectly cast, and this is another C word - Casting of all the actors could not be better and each looks excellent in their roles. Ben Affleck proves he is no pretty boy only, yet is able to use his matinee idol good looks to portray a crooked C

Once Upon A Time (2008) Korean movie review

Once Upon A Time (2008) The Koreans make some cute and whacky stuff as well as some rather melodramatic shows, and this is definitely in the former camp, with the Korean kind of humor, a little of the the three Stooges, plus some bits borrowed from a few classic heist stories, flavored with a bit of the "Thieves Like Us" genre, with some Spy vs Spy bits and finally a decent dollop of romance thrown in too.  This all could backfire, but the Koreans pulled it off to make a rather enjoyable hour plus worth of distraction, and if you are a big Korean movie fan, esp of the genre like the Good, the Bad and the Weird sort, this will suit you to a tee. Forgot those tear jerkers where everyone dies, and sit back and enjoy the twists and turns as thieves, singers and patriots all try to steal this jewel known as the "Light of the East". Set in the end days of WWII in Japan occupied Korea, it probably brought a lot of joy to Korean viewers, but for the non partisan audience, t

Cliffhanger Blu Ray Review

Cliffhanger Blu Ray Review it was 1993, Sly was in top shape, and was rolling out hit after hit. This was perhaps his greatest movie before he slid into obscurity (well that is until Rambo, Rocky V and Expendables revived his career). Before Tom Cruise showed off his moves pretending to rock climb in Mission Impossible II, Stallone showed the world his abilities, strength and the awesome sights of the Italian Alps in a movie which was successful for action fans, climbers and even Stallone skeptics. The plot isn't that complicated, a bunch of criminals led brilliantly by the wonderfully talented John Lithgow who outshines himself as a master villain, steals the money from a plane but the plane crashes and they need the Rocky Mountains Rescue climbers Rooker and Stallone to find it. The plot is a new twist on the good guys versus bad, with some mind games, mixed in with good action and the backdrop of the Alps (standing in for the Rockies) certainly helped. Stallone played the roles

Description of scenes in the demo

  Hurt Locker I choose this one for two reasons. First reason is obvious, the detonation of the bomb is not only a workout for volume, it also tests the tightness of the impact and the punch makes you feel like you are in the “Kill Zone” too. A good sub will start and stop the explosion scene swiftly and then there is an infra-sonic impact around the 25-15Hz zone, which only the better subs will show. Then there is the ambience. Listen out for the breathing sounds, which place you in the bomb suit itself. The muffled voices outside, and then the use of bass to heighten the tension. I would also suggest the Hurt Locker Sniper Duel This scene is subtle at first, with sounds of the desert, good dialogue and ambient sounds, until the point of the first sniper sound. Then you will get the impact of the sniper rifle going off, and the click of the rounds, and the details of the rounds chambering etc. Subtle but effective and shows how your system handles suc

My suggested list of titles for a solid HT demo:

My suggested list of titles: 1 – start with a nice DTS-MA logo in 7.1 2 – then THIS IS BASS – Inception Paris scene 3 – You want more bass – Pacific Bombardment / Bastogne from Band of Brothers 4 – real life bass – Fireworks from Vienna disc 5 – But life is more than bass – good ambience – “9” starting sequence 6 – Bass helps the ambience – Dragon Hunters 7 – Akira – 24/192 start 8 – Bass also helps the action – district B13 9 – Put the mood into the movie – PTU lift scene 11 – Music makes the world go round – Vienna scene in the factory 12 – Blu Man group 13 – MJ Blu Ray 14 – Grand Canyon 15 – Putting it altogether: Band of Brothers – assault on the 105mm gun 16 – Book of Eli – Assault on the house 17 – Kill Bill 2 Coffin scene 18 – Godzilla – 48 min ambush 19 - Behind Enemy Lines – minefield scene 20 – Masters and Commanders – First sighting & the cello solo at Galapagos Island 21 - Dancing birds scene from "Life" - good music and visuals 22 – Casino Royale – Par