Pete's Write

Watching Lions and Tigers at play… The last time I watched the Malaysia cup final was in 1991, when we visited Malaysia Uni, and decided to watch Kedah versus Singapore at the Merdeka stadium. It was a memorable experience, with the deafening roar, the palpable passion and finally the disappointment, when we were defeated 1-3. It didn't help that a friend led me to sit amongst the Kedah fans... I missed the earlier tie when Singapore beat Malaysia 5-3 and by all accounts that was a sensational tie. So when I found out that it was to be telecast, and I have an evening that wasn’t bogged down by work, so I grabbed a soft drink, some chips and turned on the telly. Now after watching years of poor soccer, lack of motivation and the will to run, I wasn’t expecting much for this match. Bribes, boring S-league matches and a copious use of foreign but second rate talent talent has also dilated my interest in this match. However, it got off to a good start, with plenty of hard runn...

IMO Speaker placement is one very important aspect which can be overlooked, as we pursue the best, baddest, biggest speakers. Somethings using the right location, and implementing basic room acoustic treatment will yield better results, than buying an expensive but wrong-sized speaker for the room and then placing it in a less than ideal position. A couple of friends came over last night, and we watched "Reign of Assassins", which has quite a bit of rain, and thunder. If done nicely you should be able to hear the rain falling from above you, and the peals of thunder from above as well, and then radiating to the surroundings immersing you in the centre. Start with the suggested positions that Dolby has posted in their website for 5.1, 7.1 etc speakers, and for monopoles and dipoles etc. The hard truth is that, if aesthetics come first, and you are stuck for position of your speakers, no amount of auto-EQ will make up for this and you will miss that surround effect. If you can...

The Marquis (2010) movie review This is a French production, with English subtitles.  The French have a flair for the zany, and even if you don't understand the language, their sense of timing and combination of physical comedy and witty dialogue (courtesy of subtitles for those who don't understand French) can make for an alternative source of entertaining movies. This story uses a well tried theme of mistaken identity, where a small time criminal mistakes a silly salesman who is in jail for a moment of greed for the infamous Marquis, a big time thief.  The rest of the show is about these unlikely duo teaming up to pull of a large caper and outwit the cops, the big baddie behind the caper and save their loved ones. This movie does not have big action sequences, explosions of note, but instead uses the physical expressions, the banter between the two leads, who have an exquisite chemistry to make it work. Not a lot of eye candy, except a seriously dumb blond… Will y...

Let the Bullets Fly - movie review If China were to make a their own version of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, then this would be the closest to it. Directed and acted by Jiang Wen, along with other heavyweights like Chow Yunn Fatt, and interestingly, Feng Xiao Gang as an actor instead of the director, this show has action, comedy and a real boiler of a plot. However those expecting a shootfest will be disappointed. The tilte is a misnomer really. Sure there are the obligatory showdowns, but the words and dialogue are were the jousting occurs, and it comes fast and furious, whereas the action comes along like a leaking facet, giving us just enough to prevent the action from going totally dry. However the heavyweights employed didn't just come to collect their paychecks, and it is especially gratifying for me to see Chow Yunn Fatt back to top form, giving us the magical sparkle we last saw in his hits from the 90s. Its been a while and his co-actors keep up and seeing him play a...

Triumphant general rouge  Made a couple of years after the original Glorious Team Batista with taeguchi and hiroshi abe in the lead once more, this is a Japanese slow burner medical crime drama.  And when I say slow it does tend to meander allowing for the usual Jap acting theatrics which may not appeal to the general or causal viewer Esp if they don't understand Jap. But you will gain insight into the Japanese healthcare system and I can affirm to its accuracy.  This time the drama or action focuses around the Emergency department and the suspicion that the chief is on the take from a pharmaceutical rep.  Our lovely heroine again comes to the forth and adds a vulnerable dimension as well some comic relief and serious eye candy. Staring at her too long runs the risk of giving you diabetes.  If only all our doctors look like her... Yuko Takeuchi rocks...     Hiroshi Abe stands out literally at clo...

Unknown movie review  If there is a familiar feel to this show starring. Liam Neeson, January Jones and Diane Kruger it is probably because it is a mishmash of recent hits and in particular one with Liam Neeson - Taken.  The plot is slower and plods along, perhaps because the actors all look tired and perhaps they are, there are recognizable old timers and they seem to be walking and dialing in a staid performance.    Liam is now the go go person replacing Harrison Ford as the quiet senior hero who springs into action more reluctantly than the classic Rambo genre.  Instead he thrives on being the underdog in trouble who overcomes the odds.  The plot is reasonable and Liam is someone who gets into a accident and forgets who he is and he spend a good part of the middle section of the movie doing so. Herein lies the weakness of the movie in that the rediscovery process takes too long an...

Adjustment Bureau movie review First I gotta attempt I liked the concept of it even though reality hit me like a pile-driver halfway. Here is a quasi religious romantic scifi movie that talks about a Chairman, members of an Adjustment Bureau - who by the way curse and use 'son of a bitch' more often than hello. And they are out to stop Matt Damon falling in love with Emily Blunt. It's sweet how these two hook up on a feeling and strive to undo what is written for their lives. This movie would make for a classic study on Hollywood style love, where people hook up on a feeling, spend their lived looking for this someone and feel that moment of love / lust / passion will keep them together forever. Or at least the movie doesn't attempt to answer at all about what happens when the feelog goes away or how their fiancé feels to be left at the alter. The ideal of chasing after love at all cost is the notion we observe and to some it will commensurate with this and yo...

Shutter Island movie review  This movie has so many apparent links to a later production called Inception that I had to do double take as to whether it was planned as a prequel to Inception and if Chris Nolan had a hand in it.  Apart from having the same lead Actor, who also lost his loved one and some very serious concepts of layers of delusion and illusions. Check out the lake drowning scene and tell me it doesn't look like the same spot they used in Inception ? We also see the concept of pretense mixed in with a bit of suspense and intrigue.  It's a tad hard to follow and the kicker needs viewings to help you understand the plot. Even so once you get it, it its hardly the keeper like inception and will be fine for a rental on a night when you have enough patience to work out the plot.