tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100208872024-03-10T10:46:53.863+08:00(A Nutshell) ReviewProbably Singapore's #1 Movie Review BlogStefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.comBlogger3618125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-47704055016439343572020-05-31T20:54:00.000+08:002020-05-31T20:57:01.611+08:00Muallaf (The Convert) - Discussion with Film CastHosted by The Center for Global Muslim Life, this was held online about 2 days ago. For fans of Yasmin Ahmad, her cast, and the film, needless to say this is something that should not be missed!
You can read my review of the film Muallaf here, as well as read about my visit to the set here. You can also find out more about the film here when Yasmin and cast were in town for the Singapore Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-74343055178423617862014-01-29T20:07:00.000+08:002014-01-29T20:07:08.335+08:00re:solve / 决议案 TrailerThere's a release date! And a new trailer to accompany the one month wait to its debut. Touted as Singapore's first police crime thriller, anticipation and expectation is, naturally, high.
A little bit more of the story, written by Matthew Ing, Olivia Loh and director Randy Ang, gets teased in the new trailer, though I'll hold my tongue if it seemed a wee bit like...
Trailer:
Teaser:
BookmarkStefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-57448287643122539652014-01-21T00:40:00.000+08:002014-01-21T00:56:59.622+08:00Protect Citizens of Straight Laced Singapore with Rubbers!We all have our personal favourite filmmakers, whose films we never fail to watch, and recommend.
And when your favourite filmmakers make an appeal, you want to help in any way you can.
Hence, Rubbers (套).
I chanced upon this film when the creative folks at 18g Pictures were incubating it sometime circa 2012, picking up a promotional postcard (at the Hong Kong International Film Festival), Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-56632749819751399412014-01-01T00:01:00.000+08:002014-04-10T19:39:12.596+08:002014 Singapore MoviesFriends, this is to keep track of Singapore movies (made by Singapore Filmmakers / selected co-productions) screened, or going to be screened, for this year - 2014.
Do check back for periodic updates, as and when I discover them.
Or help me! If you know of those not in my list, please let me know?
Or if you're a filmmaker and have an upcoming project, would you grant me the opportunity of tryingStefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-88476812863263592322013-09-27T23:40:00.000+08:002013-09-28T13:35:02.454+08:00Innocents
Heading Somewhere
While accolades are going Anthony Chen's and Ilo Ilo's way, there's another award winning film that's just been released and screening at The Arts House under its Frame X Frame banner. Producer-Director-Writer Wong Chen-hsi received Best Director at the Asian New Talent Award at last year's Shanghai International Film Festival, and like Ilo Ilo, the film finally found its way Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-48692458621985933352013-09-26T23:45:00.000+08:002013-09-28T13:42:56.691+08:00ILO ILO (爸妈不在家 / Ba Ma Bu Zai Jia)
Family Matters
Who would have guessed that Singapore's film of the moment, and possibly of this year, has its English title refer to a location outside of the little red dot, a city that was never even mentioned in the film. And this was also the case for its Chinese title, although the phrase was possibly the key reason why its youngest key character got up to his shenanigans for the most partsStefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-43422655784331519382013-05-18T23:09:00.000+08:002013-05-18T23:09:33.203+08:00Life's PrioritiesThis is one of those rare blog entries that isn't a film review. I've done that in the past, but those were few and far between.
I thought I could carry this on indefinitely, writing these reviews for pleasure, which had opened some incredible doors for the good part of my life in the past decade or so. The galas, the premieres, the parties, the festivals, and best of all, getting to meet and Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-35481235820421678022013-05-14T23:59:00.000+08:002013-05-15T20:37:05.781+08:00Spring Breakers
New World Order
Babes gone bad. A simple enough premise, set around teenyboppers who just cannot wait to break their goody-two-shoes mould, and take on something grittier on film. Written and directed by Harmony Korine, Spring Breakers is that film you may feel nauseous when sitting through, no thanks to its psychedelic colours, repetitive voiceovers, in your face camera angles, and non linear Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-4216327847477750012013-05-11T13:28:00.000+08:002013-05-14T00:45:06.210+08:00The Call
Anticipation
You'd have a fair idea just how this film would transpire from beginning to the end no thanks to its verbatim approach adopted by the trailer, which does the film no justice, leaking out every little detail, key scenes, and identifying all the major characters in the movie, giving away some supporting characters' demise as well. So what's left in the movie that would make anyone Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-67404139892614660042013-05-10T23:51:00.000+08:002013-05-11T08:42:02.793+08:00The Big Wedding
Disaster
This could have been a fine romantic comedy and heartwarming family drama, but it turned out to be nothing more than an extension of its trailer, having revealed the entire plot, and a total waste of talent at its disposal. Directed by Justin Zackham, who also adapted the screenplay from the 2006 French-Swiss movie Mon Frere Se Marie, The Big Wedding is light on laughs, and even lighterStefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-22351416657257156302013-05-09T23:13:00.000+08:002013-05-14T00:29:22.312+08:00Evil Dead
Something Between The Legs
It's hard to live up to one's tagline, especially when it's screaming the words "most terrifying", because it's building expectations sky high, only for it to come out a little bit underwhelming, despite having cult classic pedigree backing it. Evil Dead is that continuation of the Sam Raimi Evil Dead films that had Bruce Campbell in the starring role, but this Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-75471425160218287202013-05-03T23:26:00.000+08:002013-05-05T23:41:36.763+08:00Trance
What Do You See?
To say that Trance is this year's Inception, is to do either films a disservice. But if I were to lean toward a preference, then Danny Boyle's latest movie has an edge for being succinct in its tale, little loopholes and while fewer characters, is no less complex, but equally stylish in treatment, and bold in its story-telling, dealing with the premise of a heist gone wrong, andStefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-14702099085928427192013-05-02T23:23:00.001+08:002013-05-03T00:18:12.267+08:00Scary MoVie
The Horror
I thought after some days of hectic work I'd pick the funniest film on release this week to laugh my rear off, but unfortunately Scary Movie 5 turns in a disappointing form, with the Wayan brothers abandoning their franchise for A Haunted House instead. Despite having David Zucker in a writing capacity, this installment seems finally to have run out of steam in its long-running Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-86361268560624905732013-04-25T23:35:00.001+08:002013-04-28T02:45:50.939+08:00Iron Man 3
Just Chillin'
Iron Man 3 opens up the first chapter in the run up to the next Avengers movie in 2015, with Thor set to return later this year, Cap in the summer of next together with the members of SHIELD, with you-know-who already primed to give them all a run for their money. Shane Black takes over the helm of the Iron Man films from Jon Favreau, and in some ways it's quite timely, given the Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-78387594678209351492013-04-24T01:57:00.000+08:002013-04-24T01:57:08.567+08:00ILO ILO (爸妈不在家 / Ba Ma Bu Zai Jia) to World Premiere in Cannes!
Duration: 99 mins
Written & Directed by Anthony Chen
Starring: Yeo Yann Yann, Chen Tian Wen, Angeli Bayani, Koh Jia Ler
It's been some time since a Singapore film found its way to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, and now, it's none other than Anthony Chen's debut feature film ILO ILO (爸妈不在家 / Ba Ma Bu Zai Jia) making its world premiere in the prestigious Directors' Fortnight Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-63899546886336790052013-04-23T23:34:00.000+08:002013-04-24T00:36:37.376+08:00AV Idol
Lap Dancing Queens
This is probably one of the rarest occasions where you can watch something mainstream that's as close to a real AV film as possible on the big screen, and not feel too embarrassed being caught in, say, one of the more infamous cinemas here that has selections like this one as a staple. In fact, AV Idol even has a real life AV idol as a leading star in the film, which means Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-73652555066350684322013-04-19T23:51:00.000+08:002013-04-20T08:06:59.766+08:00Dark Skies
Did You Do That?
Can a science fiction film be given the horror treatment? This isn't something new, like The Fourth Kind, but unlike that film, this one is truly terrifying, especially when you least expect it to be. Granted its credits never fail to remind you that the producers here were also behind Paranormal Activity and Insidious, but look hard for that ghoul set to spook, and you'll neverStefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-61655205897791739022013-04-19T23:43:00.000+08:002013-04-20T21:37:14.883+08:00Drug War (毒战 / Du Zhan)
Drug Lord
This year we have two Johnnie To films hitting our screen - well at least I'm hoping Blind Detective does so soon after its bow in Cannes - and what would be striking in Drug War is that it's done with Chinese collaboration. After all, being shot in the Mainland, with a production partner and a majority of the cast hailing from China, it's a trend that won't see itself buckling Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-76506102372219200802013-04-18T23:54:00.000+08:002013-04-19T01:28:45.521+08:00Judgment Day (世界末日 / Shi Jie Mo Ri)This is the breath of fresh air injected into the mainstream Singapore film line up in many years, with that constant barrage of not so good horror films, and mediocre comedies finding their way to the big screen, some of which are so badly made you'd wonder what exactly were the merits that found them distribution, doing nothing but damage in perpetuating the supposition that local movies are Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-70272483851604332302013-04-13T23:09:00.000+08:002013-04-13T23:09:42.530+08:00Masquerade (광해: 왕이 된 남자 / Gwanghae: Wang-i Doen Namja)
Conspirators
A critical and commercial success in South Korea, and that's really no surprise. For a period drama, Masquerade contains plenty in its formula that made it so, from a premise that piqued curiosity, an A-list cast, and really solid production values with attention paid to detail, recreating the Joseon period under the reign of the 15th emperor Gwanghae, giving its interpretation to aStefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-91226432992139219112013-04-13T22:34:00.000+08:002013-04-13T23:45:57.320+08:00Conspirators (同谋 / Tong Mou)
To Malaysia
This could have been labelled A+ Detective, but I suppose the filmmakers here didn't want to sound too pompous in what would be a logical title in their Chen Tam detective series of films, with Conspirators being the third film, and possibly primed for more. But even if director Oxide Pang stops here with what would be his best creation, this would already be one hell of a memorable Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-23207553539949707412013-04-13T21:49:00.000+08:002013-04-20T21:53:47.652+08:00I Give It A Year
Happy Together
The trailer alas put in all the best comical bits from the film, so if you haven't seen the trailer yet, don't. Otherwise all that's left in this romantic comedy, is the romance portion only, which begins with the marriage between the leading characters, and I suppose we can agree that sometimes that will suck all romanticism from the film. Which it clearly did.
It's quite an Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-773756556436114772013-04-11T23:35:00.001+08:002013-04-11T23:53:29.854+08:00Oblivion in IMAX
What Do You See?
I came out of the screening with a grin. Oblivion was good. So good, I was mesmerized from start to end, and was rooted to my seat throughout. I didn't want it to end, and dreaded as the minutes ticked by to the inevitable finale. It had everything I hoped for in a science fiction film, and more. There was of course the genre elements, a steeped emotional and romantic core, plusStefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-87311569350128064332013-04-10T23:00:00.000+08:002013-04-11T01:18:22.416+08:00Olympus Has Fallen
Your Appearance Fee is What?!
The release timing cannot be more coincidental than it already is, with the movie's marketers quickly jumping onto the bandwagon to link this to a potential what if given the current North Korean crisis, with the hypothetical scenario of their clandestine forces somehow making its way into the USA, and doing the audacious with the taking over of the White House, Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020887.post-38847226031449367282013-04-06T23:47:00.000+08:002013-04-13T22:49:16.101+08:00The Place Beyond The Pines
Cameo
Written and directed by Derek Cianfrance, The Place Beyond the Pines is that ambitious dramatic epic that tried, but failed to reach its lofty peaks. It had moments mostly brought out by superb casting, but bogged down by an average father and sons tale that didn't have much emotional punch, sagging toward the end when it failed to pull out all its stops. Which is a pity, given the talent Stefan Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07397118509561533746noreply@blogger.com0