DIY GoPro adjustable pole mount

I've recently purchased a GoPro Hero 3+ Black (due to this video) and was looking for a cheap alternative to the official pole mount (~$80). I then discovered that people usually make their own and there's plenty of resources online to guide one to making one. And so I set out to make one myself.

what to rent?

Kudos to Lixian who introduced me to whattorent.com, a site where after a personality test (for new users) it recommends you the type of films that would appeal to you based on the test results.

In addition to that there are also mood-based questions that pops up everytime you seek a recommendation in which it will alter its algorithim to pick one that will suit your current mood. I like this feature as mood greatly affects a person's viewing pleasure - there will be times where critically-acclaimed powerful depressing films would have to make way for some mindless popcorn flick.

So far it has been pretty accurate in getting a sense of my tastes - no recommendations like Behind the Green Door or Boys in the Sand yet. Do try it!

film thoughts

After some intense film watching at home the last couple of days, here's some thoughts.

Why so serious, Christian Bale?

When Batman Begins came out, everyone was lauding about Christian Bale being the best Bruce Wayne compared to the previous three actors (no, I'm not including Adam West) by bringing a more sombre dimension to the Caped Crusader.

But as I came into contact with more Christian Bale films I realized he is essentially channelling the same character into every film - the super-serious-with-absolutely-no-sense-of-humor guy. This supposed strength of his is actually a weakness at times where it is so frustrating to see him going so outta sync with the mood of the film (the recent Terminator Salvation is one great example). You could say the same thing for Clint Eastwood but at least his characters have the bad ass one-liners for entertainment.

And guess what, a look at IMDB shows that his upcoming films are all of the super serious type.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li is the worst film of 2009

I blogged about the film last year by saying if it could match the standard of DOA then it would be a success in my books. Although the very creative title was already an ominous sign, nothing would've prepared me for the atrocity of the product.

The biggest disappointment though would be the miscasting of Chun Li. You would have though they would get someone Asian looking (with the required thunder thighs) - I would have taken the opportunity to discover the next Zhang Ziyi and cast her but we are talking about Hollywood here.

I can talk more but I think the horribly CGI-ed kikoken at the end summed up the whole stink bomb.

Bison was caught off guard by a gust of dandelions

The actress-with-most-number-of-vowels award goes to...

Moon Bloodgood.

We all know how one's name can affect his or her success in the film industry - on one hand it certainly stands out (with images of Amazons and medieval tribes springing into mind) but on the other hand the name is just too over the top for her to be considered for serious roles.

From what I've seen so far I think she might be pigeonholed into tough chick roles or period films, something like how Kelly Hu's career ended up. She reminds me of a young Tia Carrere though.

review: harper's island

The bad thing about being a learner of writing and filmmaking is that you'll find your "critic" persona taking over more often than usual whenever you are watching a film or reading a book. It's like Brecht's distancing theory of the audience where instead of investing emotions into the characters and feeling for them, you take a distanced viewpoint to deconstruct analyze the plot scene by scene; By being critical, you don't quite get the emotional catharsis found at the climatic moment of the plot.

But when it comes to shows like Harper's Island (a la I Know What You Did Last Summer in episodic form) where part of the fun is guessing who is going to die in each episode, it practically encourages you to do so - there isn't much motivation to bind with the characters when you know most of them will be cannon fodder at the end of the show.

Despite suffering from the usual stuff associated with slasher films (characters doing stupid things alone, tons of red herrings to mask the weakness of plot) it's still enjoyable in a brainless kinda way. That is if you have extra time to spare.

Three guesses about the eventual killer:

(1) Killer is none other than the main character (Abby) - We all know about the unreliable narrator from films like The Usual Suspects and Memento.

(2) There is more than one killer - I remember feeling absolutely shocked when I saw the twist of Scream when I was 12. Nowadays it's a pretty often used plot device.

(3) The killer is one of the seemingly killed characters - I dislike using this device as it purposely misguides the audience and doesn't give any allowance for them to guess at all. Can be worked together with (2).

SIFF 2009

If you guys have yet to know, the 22nd SIFF is already on its sixth day - despite the ease of getting films on the internet these days, there are still the independent works, non-English foreign films and documentaries that are outta the reach of netizens. For someone like me who likes to watch films in the comfort of my home film festivals are a time for me to get my ass to the cinema to catch such films.

In this year's bunch, Boy, Men's Group and Wendy & Lucy looks pretty interesting. A perfect time for me to indulge in one of my passions coming off the back of my (last!) exam week.

AWOL part 41

You know the feeling when you come across something so gargantuanly ridiculous that your usual criteria for judgement ceases to be applicable? You feel confused yet contented at the same time, counting yourself blessed for experiencing it firsthand cause no amount of audio-depiction to your friends is gonna capture that moment fully?

After watching the trailer of Big Man Japan (Dai-Nipponjin), this has the potential to be ranked alongside The Story of Ricky, Weng Weng and Kung Pow in my list of films which gives me that same exact feeling.

Check out the trailer here.

uninspiring movie posters

I was checking out the latest movie trailers on Apple' site when I can't help but notice the poster designs of some of these million dollar productions.

How About You: Looks like a combination of Love Actually and The Upside of Anger.

Yonkers Joe: This looks like it was done by using the 'poster edge' effect on Illustrator.

New In Town: This pose has been done to death already - can't really remember other examples right now except Bewitched.

Knowing: Okay this one isn't really bad, just that it just reminds me of...

edmund chen in street fighter

I was pretty excited when I heard that there's gonna be a Street Fighter movie about Chun Li (starring Kristin Kreuk) next year, (very originally) titled Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li. So I went to the official production blog and went over the list of cast, which I saw...

Damnnnnn.

I know Edmund Chen's has been getting roles in films outside of Singapore before (The Eye, Turn Left, Turn Right) but this is just wayyy too cool. Imagine your children playing Street Fighter IV and you tell them: "Son, I was in a Street Fighter movie..."

As for the film itself, I think as long it is better than the DOA movie it will be good enough in my books.

this is wai kit part 9

Me and some of the HDD guys were having dinner after our soccer session last Sunday.

(The coffeeshop's television shows a commercial with Daniel Wu endorsing a Loreal product.)

Thomas: Actually I didn't really like Daniel Wu initally, but after I watched some of his recent films I must say he is quite a good actor.

Wai Kit: He is not bad, along the likes of Takeshi Kaneshiro who have both looks and acting ability.

Thomas: Not really - Daniel Wu is more of a 'macho' good-looking kind.

Wai Kit: In either sense he is better than that jackass, Edison Chen.

Thomas: Haha yeah - did you see his 2 second scene in The Dark Knight?

Weijian: Speaking of that show did you know that the main chinese villian in it used to act in the first local English show?

Thomas: Huh? You mean the accountant? I didn't know that.

Wai Kit: I know - he acted in...

Wai Kit: Masters of the Universe.

(Moment of silence as Thomas and Weijian struggles to find out what's wrong this time.)

Thomas: IT'S MASTERS OF THE SEAS LAH!!!

tropic thunder easter egg #1

The ingredient in Kirk Lazarus' (Robert Downey Jr's character) pigmentation alteration surgery is...

WTFFFFFFFFFF?!?!?

Absolutely brilliant in a WTF kinda way (although I have no idea how the Western audience is going to catch this joke.)

Go watch Tropic Thunder when it comes to town - seeing Downey Jr. in blackface and Tom Cruise's cameo alone is worth the price of admission.

review: joker vs joker

For Batman fans, it was the inevitable that comparisons will be made between Jack Nicholson's Joker in 1989's Batman and Heath Ledger's interpretation in the current latest installment, The Dark Knight.

While the superhero movie received almost unanamious praise from everyone, the best compliment was reserved for Ledger's performance, with many saying that it was much superior than Jack Nicholson's version.

After catching the movie, here's my take - there really is no basis for comparison as both actors fulfilled what was required of their version of the Joker within the context of each film.

Tim Burton's Batman was the first onscreen adaptation of the Caped Crusader, following the "good guy versus bad guy" format and retaining a comic feel. In that sense Nicholson delivered brilliantly, giving an over-the-top performance contrasting against the Michael Keaton's brooding Batman.

In The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan reconned the franchise by giving it a gritty, realistic reconstruction which feels more like a crime drama reminiscence of The Departed. It's similar to WWE's transition from the Hulk Hogan "Golden Age" to the "Attitude Era". As such the Joker had to be adjusted to this new setting. Ledger's sinister performance, in my opinion, was great but he was greatly aided by the script's theme which tackles the issue of moral dilema involving Batman, Joker and Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent (which I think IS the soul of the film - take away Harvey Dent and the film would have revert back to the "good guy versus bad guy" format).

In short, both are tailored according to the film and would have been outta place if they had swapped films.

Final verdict: Draw

plot cliches part 1

Speaking about cliche plot devices in the last post, most films and TV shows today are greatly lacking in originality. As a film buff myself, there are a couple of times where the only motivation in sitting through a really bad movie/TV show is to predict what will happen next.

There some famous cliche stuff that people have already covered, such as Roger Ebert's Principle of Evil Marksmanship and the One-at-a-time Attack Rule. So I'll give my own observations:

The In Sync Bad Weather Rule
This rule comes into play whenever there is a scene where the character in question undergoes a great emotional trauma after (1) finding out his/her lover has been cheating on him/her, (2) having a massive argument with his/her family which he/she vowed never to return home again (3) receiving news that his/her lover/best friend/family member has died having met a horrific accident (4) any bad news stemming from love, friendship or family issues that happened at night. After this rule is triggered the weather will changed into a heavy downpour (complete with lighting and thunder). The character at this point will not be seeking shelter but instead run aimlessly in the open and getting drenched.

Examples: Almost every film, TV show and Channel 8 dramas (where the uncompromising dad is always played by Chen Shu Chen)


Principle of the Formidable Last Bullet
In an action flick towards the climax where the main boss is either (1) getting away or (2) in a final duel with the hero, the hero's final bullet will be exceptionally accurate and deadly. In the case of the former scenario where the villain is nearly disappearing out of view the hero will still be able to pick him off with his final bullet in spite using his non-shooting hand (due to an injury to his shooting arm) and the sheer amount of distance between them. In the case of the latter where the villain (usually equipped with a seemingly indestructible body) is winning, this bullet fired by the hero will locate the one milli-centimeter chink in the villain's armour, killing him.

Point to note: However this principle can be overruled by the I'll Be Back Rule, in which the villain is planned for the sequel.

Examples: LXG, Die Hard 3, John Woo Hong Kong action flicks


More to come.

review: slam

Went to catch the local sneak premiere of a China-made film with a friend on Tuesday.

Titled "Slam", the story focuses on a die-hard basketball kid who enters a Adidas 3-on-3 basketball competition with his friends in the hopes of winning the grand prize money in order to pay off damages due to an accident involving the school bully, the star captain of the school basketball team (the typical eqivalent of the arrogant star college quarterback in Hollywood teen movies).

I enjoyed the film - this was partly due to good casting and also the acting of Lin Xiao Fan, Zhang Yi Shan and Wang Zhi Gang who plays the lead character Mouth, his best friend Monkey and Mouth's father Lao Lin respectively. As there're all unknown actors to me it made the film more believable. And even though it was packed with one-dimensional characters, cliche plot devices and some unrealistic scenarios it partially redeems itself by avoiding a typical Hollywood feel-good ending.

Also, doesn't everyone just love a underdog story?

The film opens in cinemas this month on the 20th. It'll be a refreshing change from all the Hollywood blockbusters.

no more tv?

If you guys are not into American TV shows and motion pictures, the Writers Guild of American (WGA) is currently on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The reason for the strike is that they are asking for a percentage of DVD sales and residuals for reruns on television and new media. It remains to see if AMPTP would accept such demands.

Until the situation is resolved, production of new episodes of almost all American TV shows are currently put on hold.

As an aspiring writer myself, I feel that WGA is certainly justified by asking for better contracts - currently writers only get paid once for writing an episode. For them writing is a pretty unstable job and they are subjected to season breaks where they are not employed at all.

With the last WGA strike (in 1988) lasting 22 weeks, I shudder at the thought of no more House, Heroes and Simpsons. Oh well, time to start watching their reruns.

gurmit singh nominated for best actor in the 44th golden horse awards

Just another example proving nothing is impossible in this crazy world.

review: rambo IV teaser trailer

When Nick told me that the first teaser trailer for Rambo IV was out needless to say I was pretty much excited, especially when Stallone's Rocky Balboa came to end the Italian Stallion's saga on a high.

25 seconds into the teaser we found out that John Rambo has been living (surprise!) the life of a recluse somewhere in Southeast Asia. Maybe all the killing and slaughtering has mellowed him down. Maybe all he wants now is some peace and quiet, living on a boat and catching fish with his trusty bow and arrow.

Bow and arrow??? Maybe it's really difficult to get fishing rods and nets in those parts. Now you wonder if he still keeps his machine guns and limitless rounds of ammunition.

Apparently there's this group of good do-ers that wants John to ferry them up to Burma to do some Christian-y missionary stuff for the people. John refuses, and tells them it's a warzone - it's just too dangerous for them to go.

Woah, some soldier with a flame-thrower. Guess military technologies hasn't really much improve within the last 20 years for those Asian radicals. They could just put in scenes from Rambo II and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

As all plot devices require this bunch of dumbasses persisted to go on their own. Expectedly they are all soon captured by the local militia which gives them a hard lesson on the consequences of trespassing.

Soon after an US army officer comes instead of Colonel Trautman (the actor Richard Crenna died of cancer in 2003) and tells John about the plight of the missionaries. He proceeds to persuade him by quoting some scriptures about 'being an instrument of peace' and 'it is by dying that you will find eternal life.'

It's a whole bunch of bullshit but Rambo buys it anyway, giving him an excuse to go on another killing spree. Now this is where the fun starts.

Ok, Rambo doing his usual sneak-up-and-kill routine again.

He punched the guy's head off?!?! Oh, he decapitated the guy using his bowie knife. That's a new trick right there. But what's next really got me speechless.

He fired a GPMG at someone's face at point-blank range. Now even Don Corleone's embalmer will find it hard to patch that guy up.

Next he tries to stop a minion from raping the female lead. He grabs the guy's head and neck, and I'm awaiting the classic snap-the-neck-like-its-made-of-toothpick maneuver.

HE FUCKING RIPS THE GUY'S NECK OUT?!?!?!?! Looks like John's having his PMS moment.

We are then treated to a general dose of explosions, Rambo taking out dozens of minions, more explosions and Rambo taking out dozens more. Standard fare.

Ah, another nostalgic scene - you would have bet he'd bring his trusty bow and explosive arrows along.

At the end our dear old John shoots up a one liner - “When you're pushed… killing's as easy as breathing." - before ending the trailer with the words "Attacking Soon."

Check out the teaser trailer here. You've been warned.

die hard 5: my dream version

After watching Die Hard 4.0, I've come up with an idea for the people at Hollywood to consider in a event of another sequel.

---

Title: DIE HARD 5 - RISE OF THE MACHINES
Tagline: BRUCE WILLIS IS GOD.

Script
The year is 2025. Earth is at stake when supercomputers become self-aware and controls every electronic weaponry in an attempt to take over the world. John McClane is 60 years old but he comes out of retirement to take on the machines. John McClane takes on mammoth tanks. John McClane takes on fighter planes. John McClane even takes on an aircraft carrier. He travel across continents to take out the supercomputers one by one. In the final climatic scene he found out that the Decepticons were behind the whole entire conspiracy. No problem for wisecracking John McClane. He single-handedly take out all of them and saves the world. Why did he succeed while so many has failed? Because he is John McClane.