Rememba, rememba, rememba...when FAME had an abortion scene?

Just a quick one tonight to say the remake of Fame was actually worse than I expected--and believe me, my expectations were lower than what I'd have for a Korean cake. I actually have no idea what the movie was about, even though I know the original by heart. I am still very, very puzzled. What was that movie about? Nothing happened. Occasionally people sang, or danced, or acted...badly. But what was the story? School years passed like a VD during Spring Break, and I have no idea what any of the characters were named. Did I even watch the movie? Did I imagine it? Maybe I fell asleep and was completely unaware. Fame has proven to be an existential nightmare. Save your money, hard drive space, etc... Let's just pretend this never happened.

GLEE has replaced Gossip Girl in my TV-heart

With Gossip Girl's poor performance at the inception of its third season, my TV-heart felt empty and that void required filling--but not by anything as trite as models that will never walk real shows or designers that will never move out of their parents basements. Then came Glee. You might recall I ripped this show a new one just last week because of its ridiculous treatment of minorities and "REAL 2-D" characters. But I think someone out there heard my prayers (yes, I know these episodes have already been produced, but let me feel like I made a difference) and scrapped all the bad and dragged in a whole lot of good. Thank you, to whomever made it possible, for making the characters real living, breathing human beings with real problems. This is drama. And true comedy stems from drama. From this day forth, I am a full Glee supporter!

Paranormal Activity: One of the scariest movies ever made?

I'd never heard anything about the film Paranormal Activity before hearing about it while flipping through the Pusan International Film Festival's catalogue, but maybe that's because I've neglected to keep updated with Latino Review for the past week. Apparently some people have seen it...and they were terrified. Even Steven Spielberg claims the DVD screener momentarily haunted his screening room. Man, I hope my apartment gets haunted too. It's not fair!

Anyway, here's a link to the Latino Review article. Can't wait to possibly cry like I did watching The Exorcist, The Blair Witch Project, and Rent the movie (because it sucked dirty homeless dick). Click here for the trailer.

What we can do together.

Dong Wook recently completed his first draft illustrations for a story I wrote some three or four years ago. The story is called Daredevil, and is written in a children's book style. It deals more with adult issues, such as regret and death, but it reads in rhyme like Dr. Seuss. Anyway, here's a glance. We'll be submitting it for possible publication once we're happy with it. Feedback would be much appreciated.

Super Junior Saves the World!!!

I've never been a fan of Super Junior, but I'll admit a sauna gang bang with the lot of them would be like babies first Christmas. Nonetheless, here are the boys being rambunctious and smarmy, trying to save the world through energy conservation and song...oh, and the implication of gay lovin.

Hong Kong Disneyland looks super boring

After careful consideration, and consulting our current finances and saving plan, we've decided that our winter vacation trip will be to (drum-roll please)...Hong Kong. Didn't already guess that from the title? Anyway, so far we've got our tickets booked and we're in the process of scoping out hotels and possible apartments to rent for our week abroad. We'll be there for their famed New Year's eve celebrations, which is super exciting, but sadly we've voted against Hong Kong Disneyland. I bleed Disney blood, but it just looks like no bang for your buck. Even the boring as a night with a republican Tokyo Disneyland looks like a night in Tommy Lee's underoo's. More to come as we lay down our plans.

PIFF: The Verdict

Last night my boo and I enjoyed dinner with our friend Amy to discuss which films we planned on watching at the film festival. We tried to work it out so that we could meet for meals and share our film-viewing experiences, since our core lists were quite different. This morning was truly a rude awakening. Tickets went on sale at 9am. Dong Wook sat ready to go at some PC room, while I sat in my office trying to work...on biting my nails off from the anticipation. 9:30 passed and still no call, so I went ahead and phoned DW. No answer. I figured he was paying for the tickets or something. Then Amy Skype'd me with the bad news: she only managed 3 of her 8 films. Immediately I felt all was lost. We were going to end up seeing 'The Proposal' or insert cheesy movie title. That's when my phone began to jiggle. It was DW. We'd managed 3 out of 5 films, but he did think quickly and immediately purchased 1 of our back-up film choices. The kick in the cooter was that we didn't manage tickets to two of the films we looked forward to the most: Trick'r Treat and Air Doll. Doesn't matter. In the end, we'll be (hopefully) enjoying the celluloid-excellence of the following films:

1. City of Life and Death (Nanjing! Nanjing!)
2. Balibo
3. Paranormal Activity
4. Anita

I hadn't mentioned Balibo in my previous post, so here's the trailer. I hope they spread the Aussie on thick...like Kath & Kim but with Indonesians and guns.

PIFF: My Dream Screening Schedule

The Pusan International Film Festival is supposedly the most influential film festival in all of Asia. I've been once before and it was quite a time. It's odd how the very Korean town of Busan, which meets the sea at the south of the peninsula, seems very much European whenever the film festival rolls around. The beach is lit up, the glitterati are abundant, and the endless train of banners and movie posters lining the boardwalk give it a very Cannes feel. That's why this year Dong Wook and I will take the midnight train to Busan to give 'Korean Cannes' another whirl. Upon first glance of this year's program, let's just say I wasn't exactly sleeping in line for tickets. The line-up seemed "fine"...and as anyone in the industry knows, "fine" is not the most welcoming word. After a few days of really giving the endless lists of synopses their due, it was to my surprise that there were some real gems in there that my judgmental eyes failed to notice. With that, I now present to you (all three of you) my hopeful list of films to view, granted I can snag some tickets (complete with trailers!):

Friday, October 9th

Trick'r Treat - Produced by Bryan Singer and directed by Michael Dougherty, this darkly comedic horror film follows four stories on Halloween night: a high school principal who moonlights as a vicious serial killer, a young virgin whose quest for that someone special takes a gruesome turn, a group of teens who carry out a cruel prank with disastrous consequences, and a cantankerous old man who battles a mischievous trick-or-treating demon. I hope this is as crazy as it looks. Not usually a horror fan, but this looks like the perfect midnight movie...which is the hour it is playing. Starring Anna Paquin.

Saturday, October 10th

City of Life and Death - A film depicting the invasion, destruction, and massacre of Nanking by

Japan. The death-toll has never been confirmed, though it is believed that upwards of 300,000

people may have been massacred there. This film, judging only by its trailer, captures the

essence of the time, the horror of the atrocities, and the black and white film stock sends chills

down my spine. This is the one film this year that I am (forgive my phrasing) dying to see.

Air Doll - A Japanese film, directed by Kore-Eda Hirokazu, about a blow-up sex doll that comes

to life much to her owners surprise. She must learn to understand what having a soul is. Looks

quirky, cute, and could either be ridiculously bad, or heart-warmingly good.

Mai Mai Miracle - I know little about this film except that it's of a young girl with a funny curl

on her forehead who daydreams about the past. For now, it's this and the beautiful animation

that has convinced me to see it.

Sunday, October 11th

Paranormal Activity - This trailer speaks for itself. Oh mama, I wish this were playing late at

night!

Now, the next two films I have to choose between. They are in two completely different areas

of the city, yet they both interest me intensely. I know one will be more accessible to my in the

future, but which would I enjoy best as a closing film to my Pusan experience? Can you help me

decide? I'm hung up.

Mary & Max - This is the story of two very different pen-pals living in two completely different

worlds. It seems so incredibly charming, and I live and breath for animation...so it's difficult for

me to even consider passing this up (and the voice of Toni Collette, Eric Bana, and Philip

Seymour Hoffman?).

Anita - This is the only Spanish-language film on my list (slim pickin's) but man does it look like

a good one. The film focuses on the character of Anita, a young woman with Down syndrome,

who enjoys a life of happy routine. After a bomb explodes outside her shop, she wanders and

becomes lost, losing her routine and herself in the process? Will she be forever lost? This film

looks incredible in every way possible. The cinematography is gorgeous, the acting already

looks superb, and something tells me the story is a gem waiting to be discovered. To see or not

to see...that is the question.

So that's it. My list. I am now officially excited about this.

Miss Li: Oh Boy! Where have you been all my life?

While scouring through Youtube for film trailers, I came across this little ditty. Miss Li is a singer/songwriter from Sweden whose songs have appeared on shows such as Weeds, and the ever annoying Grey's Anatomy. I hope ABC and Apple don't rape her music and cause her to become the next Moby or Sarah Bareilles. As for now, me likey oh so much.

RODARTE: Queens of Thrash

Kate and Laura Mulleavy are young, brilliant, and are not afraid to portray their twisted view of our future yet to come. Their future is not full of colorless smocks, tin-wear, or neon. These queens of thrash see chaos and beauty colliding in our future to create something wild and vibrant--clothing that not only covers us...but defines us. Call it tribal-chic, pretty-messy, or an inspired attack at the fabric store--ultimately we have one thing...a masterpiece.

Ready to 'SMIZE'?

If you haven't already read about it, Tyra went off the Banks-Crazy chart the other day on ANTM. This video really does speak for itself.

Tiny Tim would be proud...and possibly turned on.

This girl melted my heart.

The "Reality" of Teaching

There happens to be a lot of downtime in the closing hours of my workday. The classes have been taught, the children shuffle away to their dark little corners to torture small animals or go off to continue learning at some form of after-school program. But it's only 2pm and my "day" ends at 4:30pm...what to do? I may be in Korea, far, far away from my home in California--but best believe I still get my TV fix thanks to the various joyfully illegal Internet sites offering up today's best and worst (aka BEST) shows the networks and cable channels have to offer. Shows I have been following recently are: Glee, Hung, Gossip Girl, Project Runway, Models of the Runway, America's Next Top Model, and Top Chef. Admittedly, my guilty favorites tend to be the terrible reality shows that relentlessly attempt to spice things up with every passing season (or "cycle"), but are usually just the same ridiculous fare...that I happen to drool over at my desk. Today in particular I feasted on the likes of Top Chef season 6, and America's Next Top Model cycle 13. Top Chef never ceases to make me hungry, but more importantly I wholeheartedly believe it makes me a better cook. I don't necessarily learn any technique from it, as anyone who watches knows they don't focus on that. What it does is inspire me to try new things and mix and match flavors that maybe I wouldn't have had the moxie to toss together to begin with. It's also my kind of sports show; almost like watching skilled athletes flexing their muscles. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that it's a show about food. Did you see my blog title? I was sort of bummed this week to see my delicious French morsel, Mattin, get the boot. He deserved it, no doubt, but I will miss his playful smirk and gorgeous teeth. Sigh. Au Revoir, hermosura de mi vida.

Speaking of beautiful people, ANTM cycle 13 is full of them in a whole new pint-sized package. Not one single model is over 5'7 this time around. I suppose it was imperative that Tyra force us to become interested again. We all know that the show never produces any super models, though it does produce working models (who can be caught from time to time on the runways, from New York to Boise). It's not the show itself, however, that I'd like to speak about. If anyone else caught last nights show, you may have noticed Tyra acting...well, crazy. Tyra? Crazy? How? Yes, Tyra has managed to out-crazy even herself. For some reason that will forever evade me, Tyra chooses to make a fool of herself on as many episodes as possible with every cycle that passes. I'm convinced she is done trying to trump Oprah and has moved onto trumping herself. On this fine episode, she appears as a sheepish, meek woman partaking in a photo shoot with a Napoleonic photographer. When she can't takes no mo', she strips down to reveal a cape and becomes (wait for it...wait for it...)...SUPER SMIZE!!! Yes! She can crush the runway with a single stomp, and phase away her opponent's with a single smize! Just in case you're unsure, to "smize" is to smile with ones eyes. Oh Tyra. Tyra, Tyra, Tyra. I'd love to join your writing team. I too can be a yes man! My first contribution: Tyra Banks is NARCISILLA! She needs to shut it down. Shut it down!

"Why ain't you smizin', gurr?"

Band of Brothers: Just for dudes?

This one will be short...it's really more of a thought. I'm currently watching 'Band of Brothers,' the incredible HBO miniseries about Easy Company--a platoon of men battling World War II in Europe. This show was an instant favorite of mine and I never missed an episode while it was on, and watch it every time it's on cable. The writing is exactly as it should be--smart, harsh when it demands it, and subtle or tender when necessary. These are characters that anyone who's had the pleasure of experiencing this miniseries will never forget. But I can't help but wonder...is 'Band of Brothers' just for dudes? Traditionally, men seem to love war. Not necessarily the real thing (not all the time, anyway), but movies or other forms of entertainment dealing with the theme. I myself have always had a deep interest in World War II history, so much so that I've visited three concentration camps and have taken the 8-hour walking tour of Berlin. But is this something women can get into? There's no doubt the piece is a work of art, but do they get it? Does the theme of fraternity cross no-man's-land over to estrogen territory? In contrast, there are incredible films that garner mostly a female (and gay) audience, for example, 'Pride & Prejudice.' It does fall neatly into the "chick-flick" milieu, but it is one of the greatest films I've ever seen (the Joe Wright version). Do men understand it's greatness? Not so sure about that. Anyway...I was just wondering. Ladies: does 'Band of Brothers' make you weep like a child as it does us men?

Seriously, GLEE is UGLY BETTY with singing.

Over the past couple of weeks I've been trying to understand and accept the craze over FOX's newest show, GLEE--a show centered around a high school show choir. Now I was a member of a show choir in high school and those were some of the greatest moments of my high school career. Most of my show choir friends are embracing the show with open jazz hands...but I just can't muster up the same enthusiasm. Like most shows today, they are trying to appeal to too many markets. They want to please the gays because they know a gay fanbase is incredibly loyal, so they added gay characters that resemble people I've never met in my entire life as a butt-plugger. Then of course there's the black girl who can 'Sang.' It's episode three and they've already referred to her as Effie White (of 'Dreamgirls' fame). She finally got a full solo, and it dealt with vandalism brought on by her broken-heart. Mind you, her heart was broken by her gay friend who doesn't love her. This gay character, again, is so gay he shines brighter than Rudolph's puckered cherry. So, apparently the black girl is also gullible. Let me also mention that the only other gay character with screen-time was fired from his teaching position for lewd conduct with students. Classy as ever, FOX. There's a throw-away character in both the Asian girl, and a handicap young man in a wheelchair. They're there, of course, to fulfill the stock needs of the show--not mention to meet the "we're offensively edgy" quota of jokes the show tends to favor. The show does, however, focus on the choir coach, a handsome white man, and two high school students, also good-looking and white. They did throw us ethnic folk a bone by making them brunettes, however, so let me give credit where credit is supposedly due. After perusing Google, I found that the female character is actually of Spanish-Italian descent. Not a lick of Caucasian. You'd never know the way she's portrayed in the show. I guess a Latina would've tipped the scales a bit too much. The buttercream frosting on top is the fact that several of the songs in their repertoire range from hip-hop to R&B. Quite a wide-range, I know. What bugs me about this is, who gets to cover these songs? The white characters. Call me crazy, but it's this millennia's minstrel show. I'm not saying that one ethnic group owns any particular kind of music...it's all in the execution. Seriously, all they're missing is black face. They did manage to sing the karaoke-anthem, "Don't Stop Believin," by none other than Journey, which I'm sure just puts the cherry on top for suburban middle-agers recounting their heyday in the 80's. All in all, everyone can in fact sing. Some are stronger than others, and stock or not the characters are fun but embody the depth of a koi pond. My hope is that the show stops trying so hard. The material is there, so why on earth muck it up? With 'Glee,' you have every high school stereotype smothered in hip gravy. It's 'High School Musical' for psuedo-edgy people. It's so broad it doesn't need shoulder pads--but it wears them anyway. White suburban kids singing R&B songs just isn't cool. Doesn't anyone understand that? Justin Timberlake was an accident.

Almodovar makes me wet.

Seriously. The man knows his way around my twat. After thoroughly enjoying (but not loving) Los Abrazos Rotos, his newest film, Dong Wook and I broke out some of his more recent masterpieces. Though La Mala Educacion is indeed a masterpiece, it's definitely darker than I like my Pedrito to be. I prefer him at his joyfully campiest, such as my all-time favorite Todo Sobre mi Madre. La Agrado, Manuela, and me...Huma Rojo--does it get any better than trannies and pregnant nuns? Dong Wook enjoyed Hable con Ella the most, which I was happy to see. I've never seen a more masterful work where two of the protagonists are in comas. You'll laugh, you'll cry, blah, blah, blah. I want to introduce him to some of Almodovar's older work so that he can understand the trajectory of his work. For now, however, we're going to try and find Volver on DVD. It's around here somewhere. To round things up I just want to comment on Penelope Cruz's sudden hottness. I never thought she was more than merely attractive before Volver. And go figure, it wasn't a fluke! Vicky Christina Barcelona, Los Abrazos Rotos--HOT!!! She has officially topped my 'Chicks I'd Do' list...and as anyone who knows me would know--that list is incredibly short (Scarlett Johansson, and Natalie Portman).

When the snow falls, I fly...

Get me the heck out of Korea when winter hits. It gets colder than a meat locker, without the wonderful smell of carcass. This year is a bit different than others, in regards to vacation time, thanks to our good friend swine flu. A well known fact in Korea to most foreign teachers is that we're not to leave the country unless we complete a 7-day quarantine upon return to Korea. Now, this may seem odd or inconvenient--and it is. However, it does serve a purpose and in a way lengthens our vacation by 7-days, which is fantastic. We are, after all, public servants and spend most of our time around children. Because of this we must take precautions to try and ensure not only our own health but the health of the more susceptible children. Though some of us may understand the reasoning it is a bit of a wrench in the proverbial gears. In the good old days we were able to travel during the Chuseok (Thanksgiving) holiday. This year, we may not because there's not enough time for quarantine. So we must be patient and travel to far off lands in the winter. I'm cheating a bit and Dong Wook and I have planned a trip to Busan for the first weekend of October. We'll be attending Asia's foremost film festival, the Pusan International Film Festival. We didn't manage to snag a fancy-schmancy hotel as we wanted, but we did manage lodging and train tickets at a modest price. This will tide us over (or so is our hope) until good ol' winter rolls around (how I dread you bitter cold). Keeping things bright and happy, I was welcomed with the news that my vacation runs from Christmas day to January 31st. Quite a sizeable vacation...but where to go? The choices are seemingly endless. I mean, I can afford for my boyfriend and I to go virtually anywhere. The only trouble is we don't want to spend our entire nest egg on yet another trip. Also, if we choose a less expensive area of the world (ie. South-East Asia) we can presumably stay longer and still save money. On the other hand, who wants to spend 2-weeks fearing tranny pick-pocketing and tummy-typhoon when we could spend a week getting our nails filed and culture polished in Europe? So, I may be jumping the gun a bit, but I'm a planner--what can I say? So far the list reads as such: Oahu, Osaka, Cambodia, Paris, Barcelona, Malaysia, and the Philippines. What to do, what to do? Sun and beaches on the cheap, or pretty cold in some of the most beautiful cities on earth? Grrr and harumph...