JKQXZ are high scoring tiles in a scrabble set and there is only one set of each letter.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Maya Deren Experimental Films
Got this at the World Book Fair as I wanted to see what avant garde film is all about. Thought "Meshes of the Afternoon" and "At Land" were abstract but pretty interesting! Her background in psychology comes through in her films. The rest of the films were pretty boring though in my opinion.
Internet Movie Database Link
The Empress Yang Kwei Fei
Got a box set of Mizoguchi films from Commercial Press at the World Book Fair and chose to watch this first. Found it strange initially to see the actors and actresses dress in Chinese costume but speaking in Japanese but got used to it after a while. Liked how the director related the personal story of Ms Yang!
Internet Movie Database Link
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Hibiscus Town
Had a better understanding of the Cultural Revolution which is like a large scale social experiment! There is a very tight command and control structure and people's roles are reversed. The rich has to sweep the streets while the uneducated poor became civil servants. Learnt even more about the background to the Cultural Revolution when I chanced upon a talk on Mao ZeDong at the World Book Fair in the later part of the day.
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story
Was very happy that I managed to get the free tickets that Planet Ads was giving out! Learnt that this is not about a few bad guys abducting rich kids for ransom but involves large scale secret agent operation from a hostile country. Pretty informative as the political situation of both Japan and Korea was explained and there were interviews with Megumi's family and friends as well as a North Korean spy. Felt quite sad for the family of the victims as they had to visit many different places to publicise their cause and when the old photos of Megumi Yokota was shown on the screen!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The Experiment
Quite scary to see how the guards slowly start to abuse their authority while the prisoners have to endure the stress of living in a cell! Realised that it is based on the true story only after watching the film!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, May 19, 2007
The Dancer Upstairs
Not the usual CSI type of story where the focus is on getting clues to solve the crime as there is some discussion about family relationship and other social issues. A little slow pace but I liked how everything gels together towards the end!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Da-Yu: The Touch of Fate
Liked the animation, the fantasy sequences and the in-depth character study! The lead actor's female classmate looks quite cute too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Mother
Read from "One Hundred Years of Japanese Cinema" by Donald Ritchie that this is director, Mikio Naruse's, happiest film. The DVD cover with two smiling faces seems to convey the same message too! I think I agree with the comment based on the few films from the director that I have watched so far. The playful kids and the cheerful teenage daughter who is in love with a bakery assistant help to liven up the atmosphere while we see how the mother struggles to keep the family together. Good storyline and nicely executed!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Summer Palace
Had hoped to understand more about the Tiananmen Square incident as the protagonist was studying in Beijing University at the right time but was disappointed! The political events during the era only served as a backdrop and had nothing to do with the story at all! Liked the nice songs played but the film felt too long and could have been compressed a bit. Pretty good acting by the lead actor and actress although I find it hard to understand why they do certain things.
Internet Movie Database Link
Friday, May 04, 2007
When A Women Ascends The Stairs
Set in Tokyo in the early sixties, Keiko faced the same set of problems that women face today. She had to deal with pressures from work and from her family. At the workplace, she has a demanding boss but the manager likes her and she is on very good terms with the girls under her charge. Her public relations skills is put to good use when she deals with her customers that included a rich arrogant man, an old sugar daddy, a fat man who looked like her ex-husband and a good looking banker. Her family which included her mother, her retrenched brother and her polio inflicted nephew all depended on her to be the breadwinner.
I liked how voice over narration was used as both a social commentary and the inner thoughts of the lead actress! By listening attentively to what is being said and correlating it to the well shot documentary styled outdoor scenes of the city and ordinary people walking about, one is able to piece together a pretty concrete picture of people’s life then. The accompanying soundtrack that consists of light piano and xylophone music is soothing to the ears and does not distract one from the main story.
I also found out that the director was a very good story teller and was able to explain the cause of a certain action and its ripple effect of the resulting consequence really well! The tempo of the film was quick and I did not feel bored at any time! The director’s humanistic touch in the story also makes one feel for the character as they go through the ups and downs of their life.
This is one of the best Japanese films I have ever seen and I highly recommend it!
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Au Hasard Balthazar
A very unique film that sees life through the eyes of a donkey! The narrative is not very straightforward though and many scenes not directly related to the story are omitted to give it a minimalistic feel. Nice background music by Schubert and the ending was beautifully done!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, April 29, 2007
F*ck
Liked the animation and the film clips shown to describe the usage of the word! Was quite impressed by the number of meanings that the word could take on depending on the context!
Internet Movie Database Link
Atheism
Pretty interesting to hear about the opinions of people from different walks of life! Was not bored at all by this heavy topic and was particularly intrigued by the discussion on the effects that religion had on society.
German Animation
Liked "The Rocks", "Hessi James" and "Terminal Paradise" the best for their storyline and the humour! Fell asleep during "Cherchez la Femme" as I had a heavy lunch. Thought "Rubicon" was cute" while "Hobo", "Ghost Train", "Recently 2", "The Modern Cyclops" and "The Raven" were pretty interesting! "Harara", "Escape", "The Message", "The Moment" and "The Patchwork Queen" were too abstract for me.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Side Effects Of Love
Liked the many comical moments and how the male lead was able to explain his situation so clearly!
Internet Movie Database Link
Don't Look Back
All the three stories are about regret of some sort and how life must still go on despite of this. Liked the shots of the train and the railway tracks that appeared in all the film segments!
Internet Movie Database Link
The Choice
Liked how the film unravelled the thought process of the police in solving the case! There was quite a bit of suspense where the audience had to decide who could be the real murderer! Very well written script with great dialogue!
Internet Movie Database Link
Friday, April 27, 2007
Life in Loops (A Megacities RMX)
Liked how the music complemented what is shown on the screen and the MTV feel! Interesting how the film is cut to show the parallels among the different cities!
Internet Movie Database Link
A Zen Life
The documentary interviewed many people who are influenced by him. Learnt quite a bit about the Zen philosophy through them and Suzuki's television interview.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Scream of the Ants
Liked the interesting imageries and the dialogue! It is also funny at times! Good that most of the dialogue is in English so that I spend less effort reading the subtitles.
Internet Movie Database Link
Monday, April 23, 2007
Ad Lib Night
Liked the script and the quiet moments of the film! The girl looks very pretty too! Especially liked the sock changing scene that symbolised the decision to step into the shoes of the other person and the dialogue in the car towards the end where the revelation made everything fall into place!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, April 22, 2007
The Other Half
Liked how the different clients presented their cases at the law firm! The different problems that they faced helped me understand life in China better. Also liked how the digital camera captured the small town life so realistically!
Feet Unbound
Liked the interesting personal stories told by the old soldiers! They looked smart in their uniforms and so animated when they recalled how they had to traverse the mountains, cross the rivers and fight the enemies all at the same time! Also liked the narration by the young woman that served to contrast between the past and present life!
In a Year of 13 Moons
Liked the extensive use of voice narration and the scenes where Elvira had to talk to strangers in the street! Also liked how the nun weaved her way across the different characters as she walked and the interesting dance that was performed in Anton's office!
Internet Movie Database Link
The Woven Lives of Others
Liked the leisurely pace, the songs and the music in the film! Not much of a plot though as it just shows the daily life of the different types of people in the tribe.
Betina
One particular cow seems to be a witness to what goes on in the village as people interact with it. The girl milks her and lies together with it in the barn while her colleague is jealous of the cow and abuses it. Reminds me a bit of "Au Hasard Balthazar" about the life of a donkey which I am watching halfway.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Unfolding Florence: The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst
Interesting use of animation to tell her story! Also liked the interviews with her staff who clearly loved her and feared her at the same time! Didn't like the part where they simulated a day in the life of Florence showing her walking around as I thought it was quite pointless.
Internet Movie Database Link
The Last Chip
Interesting look at how the casino works in the eyes of both the staff and the client! Quite educational since the Integrated Resorts will be opening in Singapore soon!
Internet Movie Database Link
Prague
Was quite surprised to see the bad guy in "Casino Royale" act in this film! Great acting and nice scenery! Liked how the male lead tried hard to communicate his feelings even though he is clearly not very good at it!
Internet Movie Database Link
Friday, April 20, 2007
M
The film described the different roles of the female gender pretty well! As an adult, she has to fulfil her role as a wife to her husband and as a mother to her child, yet she longs to be just a daughter of a father figure. At other times, she is just a sexual image in the head of her husband and other men. Had a better understanding of this through the young housewife's dealings with her husband, her son, her pimp and a young man who befriended her son at the baseball field.
Grbavica
Liked how the film showed the group of single mothers quietly sitting down and staring at different directions! The songs and poems are beautifully written too! Also liked how the individual parts combined nicely together towards the end!
Internet Movie Database Link
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Journals of Knud Rasmussen
Liked the opening that showed the family preparing for a group photo and how the director showed their everyday life! Compared to "Nanook of the North", which is another documentary about Eskimos, this films describes more on the family relationship and the spiritual aspect rather than how they catch fish or canoe around on the icy waters. One girl who sat in the corner quietly in her thick bearskin fur coat reminded me of one particular character in "South Park"!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, April 15, 2007
The Marriage of Maria Braun
Liked how the strong minded Maria manage to survive the tumultous times! She figures out other people's mind easily but has people guessing what she'll do. Very nicely written dialogue that cuts straight to the point! Liked the explosive start and finish too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Simon the Stylite
Learnt a bit about history from the film even though it was not quite what I expected!
Match Made
Interesting to see the entire work process from the arrival at Saigon to the interviewing process, and then to the actual marriage cermony. The interviews gave a peek to the thoughts and feelings of various parties. Also liked the filming of the bride's peaceful village home town! The ending really caught me by surprise though!
More insights into Vietnamese brides in here
Best Foods
Liked the nice black and white documentary and the close up shots on the characters!
Be Quiet, Exam is in Progress!
Pretty fun movie to watch on such a serious topic! I also liked the documentary shots interspersed in the film!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
KAFA Animation
Didn't catch the titles for most of the works but they are pretty nicely drawn! There is a plant that turns into an umbrella, a realistic doll house, a visit to the zoo, a visit to a sister's place, two big eyed children who rears fish, role reversal between dog and master, a cool detective type of story involving mermaids and the fight for survival between the rabbit clan and the wolves. There is one more shorts but I have forgotten what is it about. My favorite would be the detective story!
Effi Briest
Liked the black and white cinematography, the third person narration and the intertitles shown on the screen. These contribute to a theatrical feel to the film. The storyline reminded me very much of "Anna Karenina" that I read recently! Both stories had a cold rational high ranking civil servant as the husband, a wife who had an affair and a heartbreaking mother and child reunion.
Internet Movie Database Link
Friday, April 13, 2007
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
The director gave a very in-depth character study with a simple storyline! I especially liked how Ali summed up his situation in just a few Haiku-like German phrases! There is not much dialogue but the looks on Emmi and Ali's faces said everything! I also enjoyed how the director was able to highlight social issues very clearly and concisely!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, April 07, 2007
An Inconvenient Truth
Al Gore is a very good presenter! He explains complex scientific concepts very simply through all sorts of graphs, charts, photographs and video clips so that even a layman like me can understand them. I also liked how he begins the lecture with various photographs of the earth to appeal to the audience's heart and how he ends it by breaking the top three misconceptions on global warming to convince the audience's mind!
Ten things to do to stop global warming
Internet Movie Database Link
Friday, April 06, 2007
I Don't Want to Sleep Alone
The director's style of having very long takes and little dialogue gives a relaxing feeling as one watches some scenes run real time. Some other scenes are pretty abstract though and I didn't like those. Liked how songs sung in different languages are interspersed throughout the film!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Peacock
Liked how the film goes through the life of each sibling in turn with voice narration in the background! The storyline is interesting and the slow pace of the film gives it a poetic mood!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Freedom Writers
Very impressed by the teacher's dedication to her work and how she managed to help the students work together as a team! I also liked how the film presented each student's journal with voice narration in the background! They sounded very sincere and personal!
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Nine Lives
Liked the natural dialogue and how the different roles played by women are presented! Each segment provides a sample on a typical mother, wife, lover or daughter through basic daily activities.
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, March 25, 2007
McDull, prince de la bun
Liked the film's distinctive Hong Kong flavor that came out through the social issues discussed and the realistic 3D cityscape! The bedtime story is also very interesting and meaningful!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Hula Girls
Liked the interesting dance moves and the pretty costumes! Was caught a little off guard by the melodramatic moments but they were pretty well executed and not too over-the-top.
Internet Movie Database Link
The Old Man and the Sea
Liked the narration that describes the old fisherman in great detail! Great action at sea too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Osen of the Paper Cranes
Was really impressed by the scene where Osen whipped out a crane from nowhere and blew it towards the sky! Didn't really understand the first part where they described how the bad guys cheated other people and felt quite puzzled. Liked the special effects and the exciting finish though!
Internet Movie Database Link
Nightly Dreams
The husband looked like the landlady's husband in "Kungfu Hustle"! The director would suddenly zoom very close to a character's face for several scenes and I didn't really like the effect as it made me dizzy. The storyline is quite good though!
Internet Movie Database Link
Woman of Tokyo
The story telling is very well done and everything falls in place nicely! Liked the tense "face-off" among the chracters towards the end! The girlfriend, played by a young Tanaka Kinuyo, looked quite pretty! Only seen her in later films like "Life Of Oharu", "Flowing" and "Equinox Flower" and she looked a little bit older in those films. Hmm, those films happened to be one Mizoguchi, one Naruse and one Ozu too, similarly to what is featured in this film festival!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, March 10, 2007
The Pursuit of Happyness
Really impressed by how Chris Gardner manages his time and his skills as a salesman! Would have liked the film even more if it was more compressed it is quite longwinded with multiple chase scenes of a similar nature.
Internet Movie Database Link
The Sun
Liked the claustrophobic feel of the underground bunker and the interaction between the Emperor and General MacArthur! The animated dream sequence was very nicely done too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Pan's Labyrinth
Very nice visual effects but it was more violent than I expected! Liked the green dress that the little girl was wearing and the interesting tasks that she has to complete! I was very worried when she took her time on one of them!
Internet Movie Database Link
The Lives of Others
Nice plot and the film explains the work of the Stasi pretty well! Quite scary to see the things that people do when they have a lot of power in their hands! Realised that one always have a choice on how he leads his life even under very trying circumstances!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Casablanca
An exciting story and great acting by the leading actor and actress! The actress, Ingrid Bergman, is very pretty too! I also liked how Rick manages the bar! He treats his staff well, drives a hard negotiation with his stakeholders and goes out of his way to help his customers! Interesting to note that most of the cast were real life refugees who escaped from Europe! No wonder I felt a genuine sense of patriotism when they sang the French anthem!
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Miss Potter
Liked how the film showed the little things that happened in Miss Potter's life that helped her to become a good writer and the nice use of animation to make the animals in the illustrations come alive!
Internet Movie Database Link
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
The Birth of a Nation
Not too familiar with the historical events depicted in the film at first and felt it dragged a little bit but the pace picked up towards the end! Learnt how the Ku Klux Klan came about and how people coped with the racial tension that was present at that time.
Internet Movie Database Link
Monday, February 19, 2007
Notes on a Scandal
Great acting by Judi Dench! She can look lost like a kitten or fierce like a giant tiger in a split second! Liked the voice-over narration as well!
Internet Movie Database Link
World of Geisha
Thought I could learn a bit more about Japanese history from this film but it only made use of several newspaper cuttings to describe the major events of that era so I didn't learn as much as I hoped to.
Pretty comprehensive coverage of the different types of geishas! There is an apprentice undergoing on-the-job training, a geisha with her first client, a popular geisha doing a show for a group of clients and an obnoxious aged geisha who spends her time sucking flies from the ceiling with a special gadget. Didn't like the blatant use of gigantic words written on the screen to convey the so-called "principles" though.
Internet Movie Database Link
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Employee of the Month
Pretty interesting look at the life of the people working in a supermart! The competition at the end was very well thought out and tested the skills of the cashiers to their limit! Hmm, maybe someone should organise a cashier competition inviting NTUC, Carrefour and Giant to take part!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Babel
Liked how the director cleverly linked the different stories together and showed how each family unite in the face of crisis!
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Bobby
I liked the documentary clips that were inserted into the picture! The film dived directly into showing the thoughts and actions of the ordinary folks with a brief overview of the era of that time. Lots of big stars in this film but the small characters were interesting too! Thought the girl working in the F&B outlet and the reporter from Czechoslovakia looked quite cute!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Tickets
The professor in the first segment reminds me of the "Little Red Riding Hood" story where the little girl asks why her grandmother's nose is so big! Liked the multiple flashbacks that presents several perspectives of what happened.
Second segment had an unreasonable old lady, a helpful young man who travels with her and a cute girl in braces. Great acting by the old lady! I felt intimidated when she was arguing with other passengers and sad for her towards the end when she was left alone.
Last segment was about an encounter between a group of Scottish soccer fans and a refugee family. Liked how the dilemma faced by one of the soccer fans was presented and how they struggled to decide what to do!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Millenium Cup 2006 (Day Two)
Was more than 150 points ahead when I bingoed with OCToPUS(74) and my opponent played a few phoneys. He held an EGIINS? rack one time and tried dIEINGS* and tIEINGS* but both were challenged off. He managed to play SINGERs(76) after getting rid of the extra I. This was one of the few games that I tracked correctly and I found out that he could bingo out with an AEELNRT rack and blocked it with LENS(32).
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: OCToPUS(74) Opp Bingos: SINGERs(76)
My Phoneys: CLIT* Opp Phoneys: DEA*, LEO*, dIEINGS*, tIEINGS*
My High Moves: ADZ(43), SEX(34), LENS(32) Opp High Moves: -
W 420-288, +132. 2W 3L (Accum spread -62).
Game 6: vs Low Bee Tiang
Our scores were quite close until my opponent played CURVE with the C on the TWS line. Had the choice of playing MU(22) on top of CURVE or CREAM(30) down the TWS line. In the end, I played CREAM(30) and Bee Tiang pulled ahead with QUEST(76) with Q on the TWL cell and T on the DWS cell!
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: STAN* Opp Phoneys: ETS*, OORN*, RINT*, DOGER*
My High Moves: CREAM(30) Opp High Moves: ZIG(33), TOTES(39), QUEST(76), YEW(30)
L 309-357, -48. 2W 4L (Accum spread -110).
Game 7: vs Chua Zhong Jie
A combination of my opponent's phoneys and having high scoring tiles on my part helped me win the game despite being outbingoed 2 to 1. Missed challenging NUP* although I knew it looked suspicious. I used to think DUH* was good as it was part of the vocabulary of Homer Simpson but remembered that somehow it wasn't in SOWPODS!
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: NERDIEST(60) Opp Bingos: ROUTINEs(66), SEATERS(71)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: OIR*, OIS*, DUH*, NUP*(29)
My High Moves: REH(32), EVADE(33), BY(30), NOX(47), RIZ(38) Opp High Moves: -
W 450-342, +108. 3W 4L (Accum spread -2).
Game 8: vs zzBye
W 150-100, +50. 4W 4L (Accum spread +48).
Game 9: vs Valli
Interesting to note that my opponent's first move was VALI which is similar to her name! My break came when I tried TALKIER(87) that turned out to be good when challenged! My opponent had very bad luck as she changed twice and phonied several times. Had the chance to bingo again towards the end of the game but I threw it away when I played something that blocked the two existing bingo lanes!
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: TALKIER(87) Opp Bingos: ASSIGNEd(59)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: PAU*, RETOWNER*
My High Moves: CORDS(38) Opp High Moves: ZED(33)
W 378-323, +55. 5W 4L (Accum spread +103).
Game 10: vs Ng Ming Wei
Start of the KOH round. Realised after the tournament that I could have gotten 3rd place if I had won all 3 KOH rounds. Alvin was placed behind me at this point in time and he eventually got 3rd place. My opponent scored well with the high scoring tiles and got away with several phoneys. Lost despite outbingoing my opponent 2 to 0.
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: NEWSIER(91), INFESTED(76) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: ZOEAEL*(23), WINT*(21), BORG*(23)
My High Moves: - Opp High Moves: ZOEAE(48), MEDIC(36), QAID(48), VEX(38), QUEY(48), PORN(30)
L 378-402, -24. 5W 5L (Accum spread +79).
Game 11: vs Ashley
My opponent had two blanks, all 4 S and JKQX while I only had the Z. Was basically thrashed by my opponent!
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: LOUsiER(79)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: QUILTY*
My High Moves: FIZ(30), CAR(34) Opp High Moves: EXACT(39), KEEN(38), HUH(35), GNAW(31), TEENSY(62)
L 311-440, -129. 5W 6L (Accum spread -50).
Game 12: vs Low Bee Tiang
Was holding a ADDEILT rack and hoped that my opponent would somehow open an E out for me to bingo. My wish came true when he played BRAVE back hooking the R to iTEMISE and hitting the TWS line with the E. I had to restrain myself from calling out "Challenge!" as iTEMISER* looked very much like a phoney. Played DETAILED(149) as a nine-timer on my next turn! My first nine-timer in a tournament!
New words learnt: KALE
My Bingos: DETAILED(149) Opp Bingos: iTEMISE(81)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: MEaTIES*
My High Moves: HEW(40), LIMN(38), ZIN(32), FARO(31), QUAT(39) Opp High Moves: NOSY(30), AXIL(49)
W 475-386, +89. 6W 6L (Accum spread +39).
Had 6 wins out of 12 including a bye and came in 9th out of 13. Didn't do as well as I thought I should. Hope to reach above 1500 ratings by the end of the year!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Millenium Cup 2006 (Day One)
I went to HCI much earlier than needed to catch the div A players in action. Witnessed the exciting finish of the first game between Jiang Pern and Dorai where Dorai managed to bingo out to edge out a win with a DIMNOOS rack! After that, I had lunch at the pool side restaurant where I met Alvin, Huang Zhi and Bee Tiang who were also playing in div B. I saw a few more familiar players including Arul, Boon Hock and Thiam Yong back at the playing venue. Waited for a while more before the pairings were announced shortly after 1pm.
Game 1: vs Chen Huang Zhi
Was quite confident as I had played with him at the Causeway Cup last year. A bingoless game but my opponent tried BARINGS* and another bingo back hooking AJAR with S which I challenged off. Missed challenging AME* though.
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: BARINGS*, AJARS*, AME*(25)
My High Moves: WIZ(51), LOX(43) Opp High Moves: -
W 392-260, +132. 1W 0L (Accum spread +132).
Game 2: vs Tan Boon Hock
Had lots of vowels at the start and played AIA right in the middle. Probably should have changed instead as my opponent placed BAKE on top of it to score 38 points! He also set up a bingo line across the TWS with NOD and bingoed with mInNIES(83) front hooking NOD with the S! Had DEMOTES(73) late in the game but was too far behind to catch up.
New words learnt: CLEPT, SNOD
My Bingos: DEMOTES(73) Opp Bingos: mInNIES(83)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: JAG(39), EX(39) Opp High Moves: BAKE(38), CLEPT(30), QI(31), ZIT(48)
L 374-417, -43. 1W 1L (Accum spread +89).
Game 3: vs Dewin
My first time playing with Dewin and he is a very polite guy who apologises for counting too slowly or overdrawing. He bingoed with RELISTS(91) first and I bingoed next with LINTERs(65) just below the TWS line. He tried FENnERS* later but was challenged off. I blocked one of the bingo lanes with EX but we realised after the game that two more bingo lanes were available: one back hooking the S to OLD and another front hooking the S to LINTERs. He put FENdERS(84) back hooking to OLD later not realising the existence of the other higher scoring bingo lane.
New words learnt: GOOPY
My Bingos: LINTERs(65) Opp Bingos: RELISTS(91), FENdERS(84)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: FENnERS*, MOVEN*
My High Moves: PEH(31), QI(44), EX(32), MEAL(31), JUN(36) Opp High Moves: DEMON(34), ZANY(32), GOOPY(49), WEFT(30)
L 357-461,-104. 1W 2L (Accum spread -15).
Game 4: vs Lee Thiam Hock
My first time playing with Thiam Hock although I have seen him several times at tournaments. He started well with ZINEB(52). I scored badly as I was trying to fish for bingos. Tried UNGASSED* with a ADEGNSU rack through an S on the board but it was challenged off! Lost badly in the end!
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: MASsAGES(70)
My Phoneys: UNGASSED* Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: LEWD(32) Opp High Moves: ZINEB(52), CRONY(35), DJINNI(44), FOE(32)
L 244-423, -179. 1W 3L (Accum spread -194).
Finished day 1 badly with 1 win and 3 losses in 12th position. Hope to do better the next day!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Pandora's Box
Liked the cute hairstyle of the lead actress played by Louise Brooks! She also acts very well and has great screen presence! The DVD extra features include a documentary "Looking for Lulu" that talks about the life of the actress and I find it very interesting too as it shows the actress acting in many other films and how her real life parallels that of the life of Lulu!
Internet Movie Database Link
Looking for Lulu
Saturday, January 20, 2007
The Dog in the Manger
Interesting to see the tricks up the sleeves of the countess! She is quite fickle minded though and I could empathise with the secretary's situation! Liked the nice looking costumes and the beautiful verses spoken!
Internet Movie Database Link
Flowers from another World
Read about the "Spanish Film Festival" at the Arts House from the papers, so decided to go there and take a look. Was delighted to hear that it was free of charge and stayed for two films in a row!
The story is about how three women adapted to life in a small Spanish town after they got to know the men through a singles party.
Liked how the director weaved the lives of the people together seamlessly! She described the everyday problems that people face realistically and in an interesting way! The hairstyle of the daughter of Patricia looked quite cute too!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Fast Food Nation
Was pleasantly surprised that Bruce Willis, Avril Lavigne and the lead actress of "Maria Full of Grace" appeared in the film! Not as exciting as "Super Size Me" which is a film about the harmful effects of eating fast food as there were quite a few dull moments. Appreciated how the director tried to cover many different perspectives to give a fuller picture though.
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, January 13, 2007
The Sweet Hereafter
Liked the complex structure of the film where the director broke the storyline into fragments and used lots of flashbacks and flashforwards to tell the story! The film also portrayed how each of the parents treated their children and cleverly incorporated the Pied Piper legend into the voice narration! The little baby looked quite cute too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
School for Scoundrels
The story is about how a young guy enrolls in an unusual school to build his confidence and chase the girl of his dream. Things get complicated when his teacher decides to get more involved with his personal life.
Very interesting school syllabus but pretty expensive in my opinion! Liked how the young guy and his teacher tried to outwit each other towards the end of the film!
Monday, January 01, 2007
Borat
It is interesting to see how the film place people in extreme situations and see how they behave much like the television show "Candid Camera"! Didn't like the coarse language, the gratuitous nudity and the lowly attitude towards women and Jews in general but I guess it highlights the problem of discrimination of people who are different from us when taken to the extreme. Liked the lessons with the humour teacher and the dinner etiquette teacher the best as it shows how miscommunication can occur due to cultural differences.
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Death Note 2
I regretted slightly of not watching the first episode and plunging right into the sequel as I was quite lost at the beginning but managed to deduce who the main characters are as the story progressed. The rules on how the Death Note works just flashed across the screen! Light Yagami's sister Sayu and the pop singer Misa Amane looked very sweet! I also liked the exciting battle of wits between L and Yagami towards the end! I was totally engrossed by it and marvelled at how both sides were able to outwit each other!
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Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Battle in Heaven
I liked how they panned 360 degrees around to show what's happening in the surroundings and how they simulated the point of view from the driver by blurring some scenes and filtering out some sounds. Also liked the boss's daughter's hairstyle with lots of interesting hair pieces on top!
Internet Movie Database Link
Monday, December 25, 2006
Red Diaries
Read that the Phillipines police wanted to ban the movie because of the third segment as they depicted them in a very bad light. The first segment was pretty straight forward. Liked the dreamy sequences in the second segment and didn't like the violence in the last segment.
Internet Movie Database Link
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Quinceanera
Pretty realistic look at how each of the characters spend their free time! Watched my first Mexican film a few years ago and I am still quite amazed at how some of the accent reminds me of "Speedy Gonzalez" which is a cartoon character. The grandfather has exactly such an accent! The two neighbors remind me of Keanu Reeves and Richard Gere!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Scrabble Quiz
Causeway Cup 2006 (Day 3)
Round 16 vs Dinna Lim (Sin)
Lost to her narrowly by 2 points earlier on, so this was my chance for revenge! I bingoed with EARRiNG(69) early in the game but allowed my opponent to catch up when I let go VENE* for 21 points which I genuinely thought was good. EENV has 3 anagrams and none of them starts with V! Lost again 354-355 but at least improved from the previous game. Hmm, maybe I'll draw with her the next time.
Round 17 vs Ho Yue Jing (Mal)
Scored well with QUOTA(77) early on while my opponent bingoed with ENTRIES(62). Later scored with LEERY for 41 points which was challenged unsuccessfully. Won 425-281.
Round 18 vs Valliammah Thamb (Sin)
Had TOADIES(80) early in the game but she came back with QUIVERER(135) and WIRIEST(86). Had ELNNSU? on my rack. Saw tUNNELS and fUNNELS but I needed a bingo that started with a vowel. Tried UNLENdS* but was challenged off. Had SUGAREd(80) later on but was too far behind to catch up. Lost 383-535.
Round 19 vs Ruby Sim (Sin)
Bingoed early in the game with GORIEsT(69). My opponent didn't have a chance as I had QZ, both blanks and all 4 S. Was playing too conservatively in the end as I could have scored more if there were more bingo lines available. Won 419-282.
Round 20 vs Alex Hong (Mal)
My opponent had two bingos ANTSIER(68) and LACIEST(69) while I had WORKING(106) back hooking to YOK which got challenged. Lost as I had a poor end game finish with 416-423.
It was an interesting experience taking part in this competition! The organisers did a good job making sure everything went on as planned although there were some small hiccups along the way! Only pity is that I didn't have the chance to play against players from Thailand, India, the Phillipines and the UK. Hope I'll be able to do that in the next Causeway Cup!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Causeway Cup 2006 (Day 2)
Met another Australian player whose mother was also playing the field. Didn't have a chance at all as he bingoed twice with DOnATED(77) and mEETING(72) consecutively and lost 278-472.
Round 5 vs Tan Jun Horng (Mal)
Was leading until my opponent bingoed with HEROINE back hooking to PIC to form PICE which I challenged unsuccessfully. Lost 334-395.
Round 6 vs Noor Hanis (Sin)
Knew that she won 2nd place in this year's Nationals div C section as I browsed through toucanet during my free time. Pulled ahead when I bingoed with DIETARY(71) which she challenged. She could have formed ZO/ZANY/OE with the Z on the TWL for 69 points and TAX/DA/MUX on the TWS line for 42 points but she missed them. She also went over time by 2 min. Won 397-309.
Round 7 vs Dinna Lim (Sin)
First time playing with this Singaporean player. She pulled ahead with a STOnILY(72)bingo. Would have caught up with a QUIST(76) late in the game if I hadn't spend a lot of time deciding whether it was good or not to go 1 min overtime. Lost 365-367.
Round 8 vs Ganapathy (Sin)
Failed to challenge his opening bingo phoney OUTSEND*(70). Tried to back hook an S to OUTSEND* later to form RECOILS but was challenged off. Narrowed the gap with VOICERs(74) but he widened the gap again with BANTERS(70). Lost 369-491
Round 9 vs Ruby Sim (Sin)
Lost to her in this year's Nationals, so it was time for my revenge! I scored quite well with QUIM(35), JEERED(44) and DITZ(34) while she scored with FAITH(30), WEANS(39) and PAROLE(31). Got my break when she challenged my MIB on the board. Managed to still win narrowly when she finished her tiles first by 345-343.
Round 10 vs Yeap Gim Sai (Mal)
Knew that she won 1st place in this year's Lim Boon Heng div B section. Was playing in the same division but didn't have the chance to play with her then. Both of us had one bingo each with STIPEND(70) from me and STINTER(71) from her. Could have won if I was not too greedy and played HANS back hooking the S to an existing YON on the board. She held for a long time and decided to challenge YONS* which turned out to be no good. Went overtime for my last move and lost 345-350.
Round 11 vs Chen Huang Zhi (Sin)
Both of us had one bingo each, TrOLLERS(79) from him and ANESTRI(75) from me. He was complaining to me all the while about his bad luck throughout the game! Wonder if he says the same things to his other opponents. Won 403-297.
Round 12 vs Ho Yue Jing (Mal)
This Malaysian player wore his school scrabble uniform personalised with his name at the side that looks pretty professional! His good nature was a contrast to my previous opponent. Was more than 100 points behind when he bingoed twice with SNARLERS(70) and LINtERS(65). Managed to overtake him when I bingoed with BRUISING(86) and scored well with ZED(50) and STOW(44). Won 404-375.
Round 13 vs Ismail Kassim (Sin)
Started well with ZETAS(48) and both of us bingoed once each, ROUTInE(70) and MOoDIEST(75) from him. Made a big mistake when I wanted to score with either COD, CON and COL but forgot which one didn't have a front hook. Played CON for 21 points and he played TRAIN for 24 points down the TWS line promptly. Tried to bingo with POLARIED* later but was challenged off. His KRONE(33) and WOXEN(48) sealed the game and I lost 346-381.
Round 14 vs Yeap Gim Sai (Mal)
Had CEIORW? early on in the game. Saw the bingo but didn't know whether it is good or not. Played COW just next to the left TWS line intending to front hook S later on but somehow convinced myself that SCOW may not be good when it was time to play it. Completely didn't have a chance after that when she bingoed with BEAdIER(81) and SPRAINT(75) while I had LORRIEs(62). Lost 360-521.
Round 15 vs Noor Hanis (Sin)
Had a choice of playing the next day but my opponent seemed very enthusiastic to continue so I agreed to play. On retrospect, maybe it was a bad choice as my opponent bingoed twice with STINKING(73) and TASTERS(81) while I phonied twice with ARRETING* and FEETING*. Still had a chance to win if I had blocked the Q spot towards the end of the game but I think I was too tired by then and lost the game 325-353.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Causeway Cup 2006 (Day 1)
Three rounds were played in the Open Division for the first day and we had a Chinese wedding style dinner in between the games. The food was delicious and we heard interesting news of the latest tourist attractions in JB from the guest of honour!
Round 1 vs Diane Ward(Aus)
Got thrashed by this elderly lady from Australia with her REtAINS(71) and INULASE(79) while I phonied at least 3 times with BINO*, VICER* and NARRY*. Had BGIMNOO for my last rack but she blocked the only bingo line. Lost 269-464.
Round 2 vs Martin Teo(Mal)
Had one bingo each, HIRiNGS(84) from me and ETOILES(73) from him. Gave away 20 points for challenges (ETOILES, LATI, SWAMI, VADE) and 30 points for going 3min overtime to lose 390-400.
Round 3 vs Aloysius(Sin)
Quite confident as I had a 2-0 record against him. We had one bingo each, LOAThES(81) from me and LABORiNG(61) from him. He was plagued with consonants towards the end of the game and I was able to play FOUL to set up FREAK(48) above it across the TWS line to win 396-348.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Sex and Philosophy
The film is a bit slow and I felt that the forty-year old man is pretentious when he said that he is measuring his happy moments with a stop watch. Nice scenery and interesting dance movements though! One of the lovers look quite pretty too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Sketches of Frank Gehry
Interesting how an idea gets transformed to something concrete for everybody to see and walk around! Liked the nice weird buildings shown and Frank's innovative spirit! His design is unique, pretty and keeps in mind the functional objective at the same time!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, November 26, 2006
The Princess and the Warrior
Liked the part of the soundtrack with the bell ringing in the background! Sounds very nice! Also liked the depiction of Simone at work and how she managed to find out who Bodo was and where he lived. The ending is very nicely done and it showed in an innovative way how Bodo was able to forget about his past and move forward.
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Time
Interesting look at how plastic surgery is looked upon as a solution to all sorts of problems as one erases the past and starts a new life with a new face! Time comes to a freeze during the 5 months when a person recovers from the face change operation and the relationship is tested through the passage of time. Time's cyclical nature is also revealed through the opening and closing scenes. A good social commentary on current society!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Digicon 6+2 Showcase 1
The list of shorts are:
The Legend of Shangri-la, The Bad Egg, Kioku, Oasis, Hunting, After Blue, Robota, Graffiti, Nioh, Lotus, No. 5768, Tsumiki ningyou, Miniascape Mix, tough guy! 2005, The Four Seasons, The Running Man, The Naked Ape, Hana, Kungfu Gecko, Hunters
Great action and humour in "Oasis", "tough guy! 2005" and "Kungfu Gecko"! I also liked "Graffiti" which is like watching an animated game being played on the blackboard and "The Running Man" for its story about an overweight man running to keep fit.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Contempt
Great acting by the leading actress played by Brigitte Bardot! I also liked the fluid camera work within the house and the nice scenery at the sea! The conversations are intellectually interesting too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Casino Royale
Very exciting chase sequence at the start! The small fry bad guy is really good at jumping from one place to another! A bit disappointed with the lack of new gadgets though. Seems like the handphone, the notebook and the car are sufficient for any spy's needs. The leading lady looks not too bad and the poker action at the casino is reasonably exciting!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Rhythm Is It!
Interesting to see the youngsters at the dance rehearsals! They were taught by two very experienced artistes who knew how exactly to bring out the best of these young people who are distracted at times. As a result of their coaching, they became more disciplined and were motivated to test themselves beyond their limits! Their original teachers on the other hand were clearly not as good motivators and would give in when they see their students struggling.
Nice music by Stravinsky! Good that the conductor explained the background story to the music! I finally understood what it meant after hearing it several years ago in the library. It was a piece that I randomly picked that I thought would be relaxing as it contained the word "Spring" in it. The final music and dance performance also blended very well together!
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Saturday, November 04, 2006
49 Up
Interesting to see how the lives of these people change over time! We cheer for them when they do well and feel sad for them when they do not so well. I especially like the black and white footages of the time when they were seven years old. They look cute and their comments were humorous!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Robokon
Quite coincidental that I was playing Jenga just before watching the film as the contest is about robots stacking up blocks. Two teams play against each other at any one time. Each robot has three empty spots to stack their blocks and only the top most block at the end of the time limit scores a point. The team loses a point if it causes the opponent's blocks to fall while trying to stack on top of it.
Was thinking that it might be boring to see robots stack blocks but I couldn't be more wrong! The competition is very exciting with each team cracking their brains to outwit each other! Was totally engrossed by it! I realised that the performance of the machine is only part of the success formula. The ability to think up good strategy to counter the opponent's moves and to improvise when facing unexpected problems contribute to the other parts!
Internet Movie Database Link
Minds Cafe Outing
My first game was with Mr Lai from CPF. Had a very closed board and might have won if I didn't miss one bingo but I lost eventually by a narrow margin.
Second game was with the CPF captain. Lost to him two years ago, so this was my chance to take revenge! My tiles were quite good and I managed to bingo twice and win!
After that, we played Jenga whose objective is to remove one block from the bottom of a pile of blocks and place it on top without causing everything to collapse. Not too challenging as the blocks seem quite stable.
Walked towards National Museum after the game to catch the Japanese Film Festival which is free of charge.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Grimm
Liked the modern twist to the fairy tale and its many funny moments! It is very much darker though.
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Little Red Flowers
Pretty interesting to see a day in the life of the kindergarten kids! The day starts with the children waking up and changing their clothes. Then, they go to the toilet together to get rid of the previous day's waste. Quite surprised to see the so called toilet is a narrow stretch of drain that can accomodate more than ten kids squatting down in line simultaneously! The day ends with the teacher wiping the bottom of every kid and sending them to bed. Liked how the process of removing one's clothes as well as wearing socks and shoes is broken down into many detailed steps and presented as a poem!
Great acting by the kids! I got to see the social dynamics and how a non-conformist thinks and feels. Liked how the film mixed reality and Qiang's perception of it seamlessly! Nice ending too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Werckmeister Harmonies
Very nice opening as it gives a hint of what is to follow! The protagonist walked from one place to another to run errands and in the process, he discovered that people are gathering in the square and acting mysteriously due to the presence of the whale. Liked the black and white cinematography and the long takes that slowly uncovered the truth! I also liked how the film made us accompany the protagonist along his journey! WH reminds me of "Songs from a Second floor" by Roy Andersson which has a similar theme with equally long takes.
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Little Miss Sunshine
The little daughter look quite cute in the over-sized spectacles! Liked how the family members overcame their differences and worked together towards a common goal!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, September 30, 2006
The Thunder of the Mountain
Didn't understand how the husband can be so cold and distant when the wife maintains her smile and cares for the family! The home imprisons the wife within instead of becoming a safe haven for her. The whole film is so sad that I felt indifferent about the characters as they are so helpless. Liked the family warmth displayed by the father towards his daughter-in-law though.
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Akeelah and the Bee
I am already familiar with the rules of the game as I saw a National Spelling Bee documentary, "Spellbound", a few years ago but it is still exciting to watch the kids trying to spell difficult words! I like the human touch in the film! This can be seen in the unconventional methods used by the coach and how Akeelah treats the people around her. It is also funny at times and educational to see unfamiliar words being spelled or being played at a Scrabble game. I learnt new words like FUCHSIA, SOUCHONG, XANTHOSIS*, LOGORRHEA, PLACEBO and LIMN!
I like the ending too that had an interesting twist to it! It made me understand what true sportsmanship is!
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Saturday, September 23, 2006
The Banquet
Quite a violent film! I had expected more erotic scenes with Zhang Ziyi and less violence! Liked the nice songs and the beautiful costumes! The imperial guards looked just like mini Darth Vaders in their uniform while the court ladies looked very pretty in their dresses! Interesting study into human behaviour and office politics too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, September 16, 2006
The Host
Was quite surprised to find out that the first scene where an employee was ordered to pour chemicals into the drain was based on a real incident! The monster looked like an ugly fish but it is as agile as a monkey! Liked how the family stayed together throughout the crisis and how it depicted the authorities ignoring the voice of ordinary folks!
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