World Cinema Showcase 2008 officially started on Thursday. I was so excited, I actually woke up at 8 this morning just to make sure that I can catch the 11.30 show of Opera Jawa.

It has been a while since I last watched an Indonesian film. I think it was Brownies. I know, total guilty pleasure. It is like the lamest film ever yet I find it highly intriguing and entertaining. Or maybe it was the brownies.

So, when I got to the Academy Cinemas @ Auckland City Library Building, I was the first one there. There was nobody else there! Damn, am I going to be the only guy in the theater? That is so not cool. But what the hell, paid my 14 dollars (ouch!) and wander around the place to see what else is on.

Once is playing there (yay!) but only til the first week of April so I had to catch it next week. And there are a couple of movies that look mighty awesome. Across The Universe and Outsourced. Definitely going to watch Outsourced. It was written by George Wing, the same guy that wrote 50 First Dates, one of the best rom-coms ever.

By 11.15, the place starts to fill up. I see weird people. A lot of weird people. There’s a Malay-speaking elderly white woman wearing a Punjabi suit (she said “Apa khabar?” to me, very intuitive!), a really tall tranny with his balding boyfriend, a shaky woman who drinks her hot latte in one sip and a middle age guy with residing hairline who looks a lot like a child molester I once saw on Oprah. All of them look sad and lonely, just like me. I love this place!

It is official, Academy Cinemas is my new favorite hangout place!

p/s: Opera Jawa review coming right up.

Perfection....

Oh God....

Doesn’t this constitute as child abuse?

I could understand the father’s frustration, growing up with a name like “Suparman”, must’ve been hard for him. But naming his kid “Batman”??? This kid’s life, as of the day he was named “Batman”, completely ruined. DC Comics is so going to sue him for trademark infringement!

Maybe next, “Batman” can retaliate, by naming his own kid “Green Lantern” (or “Wonder Woman” if it’s a girl)

Wonder Woman binti Batman, now that is a cool name!

That is the sexiest Xbox360 ever! I want one, but the problem is, I can't buy them in stores! What the hell is up Microsoft, are you freakin' kidding me with this!!!???

This limited edition GTAIV Xbox360 is unfortunately, limited. Only 500 made available for the press people and the who's who of the gaming world.

Two weeks ago, I went to a Lamborghini showroom, hoping to buy either the Gallardo or Gallardo Superleggera. As I was about to put a down payment for the Superleggera, suddenly the reality hit me, even if I sold both my kidneys and testicles, I can never afford a Lambo. Oh well, maybe one day.

Yeah, a Lambo would be like totally boss but you know what I really want? An Aston Martin. I've always wanted one ever since I saw the Vanquish in Die Another Day. At least in an Aston Martin I can pretend I'm 007. I wonder what Aston Martin they are gonna use in Quantum Of Solace (can't wait!!)

It looks like Gucci is finally opening a dedicated store here in Auckland. Maybe I should start saving, hehehe....

I’m a new age, kinda eccentric guy (my way of saying I’m not a total loser) so there are things in my life I prefer done in a certain way. Like, I’m very organize with my stuff, I can go out and have fun by myself, go from being a nice guy in one minute to a fucking nutcase in another, I don’t fall in love easily, I wear pink, I have neat handwriting, I really like Madonna but I'm straight and from my previous post, I also get touched easily and can cry during a movie.

And when I say cry, not bawling like a hungry baby or sobbing like a woman watching a Hindustan movie per se, but more like I can somehow connect with the character and feel whatever pain they are having. It just shows that even though I think I’m a cold person, I have feelings too. I just want to say this for the record, so that you guys know I’m not being a hypocrite.

The reason why I’m saying this is because somewhere, out there, among us, there is a person with a fake exterior. Masquerading around as if they are God’s gift to the world when in reality, they are no better than a mentally challenged person. You know what, scratch that. They are actually much lower than a mentally challenged person. Hypocrite, that’s the word I like to use.

People like to judge (including me). I can say that people judge me almost everyday. I don’t have sense of style, strike one. I’m fat, strike two. I’m ugly, strike three, YOU’RE OUT! Those things may not come from me but I know that people think that about me, all the time. But here’s the deal, I don’t care. Say anything what you like. I’m not going to stop being me. I learn to deal with it years ago, when I find out that I really like Kylie Minogue’s Locomotion.

Life is funny. Just when I thought mine is going to hit rock bottom, there’s something pushing me from behind, making sure that my body will never hit that rock. In my case, it’s my family. I have a good job, I have a great life, and no, I can never make it alone. It was a choice, yes, but it was the support and courage from them that make it happen.

I could’ve stayed you know. I could’ve pulled tonnes of excuses out of my ass back then. It is a matter of whether I want it or not. I had enough giving excuses. I’m out of things to say whenever people ask me things like why I don’t have a job, why I’m 24 and single, why I don’t have a girlfriend, bla bla bla. It just doesn’t reflect me, but also my family. Would you like it to have a fat, jobless 24 year old in your family? And people talk, those gossiping bitches. You never know what they say.

In a way, my parents did a brilliant job raising the family. Not perfect, but close enough. I just want to give them a huge BRAVO for making us who we are today. They have a manager working with the Johor state government (soon to be a doctor), a general practitioner, a manager for Titan Petrochem, and then there’s me. Not many parents can say this, but mine can officially say “My children made it”. And you know what, they deserve it.

Time to wake up people, tick tock tick tock. Time is not going to wait for you, you gonna have to chase it yourself. The jig is up, so cut the bullshit and make it happen.

Out of 10 movies that I watch, usually there’s 1 (or maybe more) that threatens my machoness. You know, the kind that always have me reaching for more tissues (not that kind of movie you sick pervert!). So, to make this blog less bare and sad, I’m going to list my top 10 “Tearjerker” movies of all time.

10. Cinderella Man
Favorite bit: Braddock walks into a bar, take off his hat and went around asking for donations.

9. I Am Sam
Favorite bit: Sam, Lucy and Sam’s friends walking across the street holding the balloons and Across The Universe started playing in the background.

8. Le Fabuleux destin d’Amelie Poulain
Favorite bit: Amelie in her own world, amusing herself by asking silly questions and counting how many people are having orgasm at that time.

7. Forrest Gump
Favorite bit: Forrest asking Jenny to marry him, but when Jenny said that he don’t want to marry someone like her, Forrest said “I’m not a smart man, but I know what love is”.

6. In America
Favorite bit: Christy told Mateo that her brother died from brain cancer and Mateo starts to cry. Ariel wipes his tears and said “It’s ok, he’s in heaven now”.

5. The Notebook
Favorite bit: When the nurse found the old Noah and Allie together in bed, holding each other’s arms.

4. Dancer In The Dark
Favorite bit: Selma and Jeff singing the song “I’ve Seen It All” on a moving train.

3. Muriel’s Wedding
Favorite bit: A tie, between Muriel laughing uncontrollably during sex and the wedding scene, when “I do, I do, I do, I do” from ABBA started playing as Muriel walks down the isle.

2. Ponette
Favorite bit: At the cemetery, Ponette digging her mother’s grave because she wanted to see her again.

1. Hotaru no Haka (Grave Of The Fireflies)
Favorite bit: Seita rushes back to the bomb shelter, only to find Setsuko in the state of hallucination from all the starvation.

Oh my God, I am like totally over the moon right now (why the hell do I sound like an over excited 15 year old girl these days????) I got an email today from a friend of mine. She's this awesome person that I got to know back when I was working at that shithole, Citigroup. Her name is Sarah (Hi Sarah!) and she was my trainer. I swear to God, if she wasn't there, I would've killed someone. And one of the reasons why I hate Kelly Services was because they got me that job (nice work asshole!)

She told me that she like my blog! That is too awesome. Someone actually read this site. I thought I was just amusing myself, thinking that one day maybe some big publisher would take notice and turn it into a movie or something. Wishful thinking, but if it can happen to that stripper Diablo Cody, it can happen to me.

And I thought nobody would actually read my movie reviews. I've been writing shit lately. One of the main reasons was because I haven't been able to go to the movies that much. I need to get a place in the city like ASAP so I can go to the movies every night. That is why I don’t do reviews anymore. It is too taxing. The last movie I watched was like 3 weeks ago. It was a good one though, There Will Be Blood. Paul Thomas Anderson + Daniel Day-Lewis = WIN! It was one of those movies that will be forever etched in my head (next to Amelie and The Fifth Element) It is a must watch.

The World Cinema Showcase 2008 is starting next week (so excited!) and I promise I will do more reviews like last time. Unfortunately, the movies that I'm planning to watch are mostly arthouse releases (read: will not play in any cinemas in Malaysia unless the hell freezes over) so you guys might want to give places like Holiday Plaza a visit. I bet those ah beng and ah lian working there can hook you up with something.

That's what I'm talking about! Fierceness all over! Something to compensate that half-assed, super lame single cover. That huge rounded font is still a little lame, but overall, awesomeness. Hard Candy? More like a JawBreaker!

How many 50 year old you know actually look this good???

Let us not talk about the lame single cover. It is so uninspired, makes me wanna barf. She can get people to shoot pictures of her looking like this

and this

yet she can't find a good photographer for the single cover?? What the hell??

Anyway, let's talk about the new single. Officially, the single is suppose to hit the airwaves on Monday. Security has been pretty tight, with radio only getting the full version of the song on Monday, a few minutes before the allowed airtime.

Unofficially, it had been playing on repeat on my iPod for almost a week now. Tough luck Madonna. I like you, but I don't give a shit. Welcome to the Internet.

So I download and I listen and I love it! While the one that I'm listening to right now is not the official album version, it's pretty close to the final thing. The problem is, while I like the song, I can't help but wonder, why is Timbaland pissing me off?

The horn looping non-stop in the background is classic Timbaland. He did the looping thing on Bjork's Volta, Nelly Furtado's Loose and his own album Shock Value. And now, he's infecting Madonna's Hard Candy. It's not that big a deal, but he needs to find some new material like asap. All he did was: sampled 5 second of beat and put it on repeat and voila, new song. Real producer my ass!

And yes, Timbaland also left his trademark "wicky wicky" in the song. Whoopee....

A pimply-faced maggot @ Subway (that sandwich place) called me "Sir" a few days ago. Sir! SIR!!!

I can still tolerate bro or mate, but Sir, that is testing my anger.

I'm 24 you dipshit, not 50.

Fucker....

I haven’t been able to post on my blog for the past few weeks, and let me tell you why.

Last week, an asshole broke into my room and stole my laptop, my work phone and my totally awesome 4 megapixel circa last millennium digital camera. I don’t really mind the phone and digicam, but my laptop is filled with my blood, sweat and tears and some fucker got his hand on it. There goes my 4 gigabytes of mp3 collection and 500 pictures of LOLCATS. Damn! Now I have to redownload everything! Thank God I backup most of my important documents and put them in an online space (that is so geeky, I find it not even remotely funny).

I went into a state of grieving ecstasy when I found out that the asshole wiped my table clean. I had to explain to my boss how I loss the phone and it was scary as hell. I mean, I worked for 2 months, they gave me a really nice phone and I lost it. It is not my fault but still, I feel so responsible for it. But the difference between having a New Zealander boss and Malaysian boss is that the NZ boss is totally boss about it (no pun intended). Not only that he was ok with it, he got me with another cool phone, the new 5 megapixel Sony Ericsson K850i! How totally boss is that? Back in Malaysia, I know I would be in loads of trouble for losing a company property.

Anyway, I have been hunting up and down for a new laptop and that new Macbook Air is looking really good but I don’t know if I want to spend 3 grand on a something so anorexic, it doesn’t even have an optical drive. That is total bullshit. I hate Bill Gates but Steve Jobs is really pissing me off with his locked iPhone, and now no optical drive laptop. I think I stick with Windows for now. The old bitch that is my landlady loaned me her desktop and this piece of crap is what I’m using right now. A Pentium 4 running Windows XP. Even the Flintones are going “Say What??!!” Not only that, she dropped in today to tell me that she’s increasing the rent from 100 dollar to 110 dollar a week. What a nice lady. How I wish I had machete so that I can ram it into her head as a thank you.

A few weeks with no Internet really put me into perspective. I found out that computer is consuming my life (even the blind and headless knows that!). It was so liberating to not have Internet for a few weeks. I got to bed early, and even manage to finally finish the book I was reading (A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian . Hilarious! A must read) and right now I’m reading Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes. A total chick lit and I’m loving it! I blame my sister and my niece, but what the hell, reading a chick lit will not make me less of a man.

Ok, enough with the rant. I’ll see you suckers later.

The Barisan lost Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor