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"You might have gone down the rabbit hole before. But never with a guide quite as attuned to the fantastic as Tim Burton."


The 1st trailer for Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" 3D, scheduled to be released on 5 March 2010 is out. The trailer transforms Lewis Carroll's magical Wonderland into Burton-esque ghoulishness! There's nothing like sitting through a movie experience of a made believe world, one which only Burton can conjure up.





Burton's dark rendition of the traditional tale delivers both shivers and excitement. You can definitely see how the 3D will be used, and its likely not subtle. Johnny Depp is the The Mad Hatter, freakish and clownish. Then there is the computer enhanced looks of the Helena Bonham Carter (Burton's wife) as the Red Queen, and Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

The film is actually a sequel to the original story. In fact, a very different one with new characters. Alice, 17, attends a party at a Victorian estate only to find she is about to be proposed to in front of hundreds of snooty society types. Off she runs, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited 10 years before yet doesn't remember.

Already 2010 has a line up of films which I am dying to catch - Pixar's Toy Story 3 and Peter Berg's adaptation of the Frank Herbert classic, Dune 2010. I'm already excited.

Read:
Stain Boy

Not in the original film, Upisodes clips - "Adventures with Carl & Russell"


Upisode #1


Upisode #2


Upisode #3

I haven't heard a single bad review for Disney / Pixar's 10th animation feature film, "UP". It's flying so high with rave praises that nothing can put it down. Who wouldn't love a story line about a cranky old man (Carl) and an overeager Wilderness Explorer (Russell) who fly to South America in a floating house suspended from helium balloons. But more importantly, the story is executed flawlessly, that it leaves you smiling.

It may be Pixar's 10th film, but there are certainly many 1st:


Pixar's First 3D Movie
My 1st 3D movie experience was at the IMAX theatre catching the 10th Anniversary of "Beauty and the Beast". In my opinion, an amazing movie-going experience. I was in awe of the 3D scenes where Belle sang in the gardens to "There's Something There" and the ballroom scene to "Beauty And The Beast".

I had to fork out that extra S$3 bucks to sit through 1.5 hours of "UP" with 2 pairs of spectacles. One for my short sightedness and the other for the 3D illusion which didn't quite work for me this time round. There were a couple of good 3D scenes, but most part of it was rather flat. Having the 3D glasses on, also meant the richness of the colours came through darker. The glasses turned out to be minus rather then a plus.


Discovering a Lost World


Unlikely Heroes
Pixar also introduced their 1st Asian American Character, Russell. The character is modeled after a Japanese American.
In many ways, Carl reminded me of the cute old Benjamin in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons". It reminds us that being old can be rather enduring.

The Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention is back for the 2nd year round, this time with fewer Cosplayers, fewer young, independent (and supposedly more interesting) start-ups and more major toy establishments (ToysRUs, Simply Toys, Action City) taking up large amount of exhibition space to clear old stock. For the Little Red Dot, this is the closest we can get to Comic Con, but no where near!


Nintendo was huge, covering a good deal of booth space featuring their latest Motion Sensor Wiimote in Wii Sport Resort. My "Wii" instincts naturally kicked in. Any try at Wii Sports gets you a goodie bag stocked with a July back issue of T3 magazine, a pack of Pokemon hologram cards, EXteel free trial CD-ROM and a whole bunch of Nintendo marketing and promo brouchers.


June got herself 5 sec seconds of fame on Prime Time News acting rather silly - 'cycling'


Guitar Hero also had its own jam stage which Wendy (on drums), myself (on lead guitar) and mystery guy (on bass guitar) rocked to Heart's "Barracuda".
Too bad June preferred to cheer us on down stage, she would have made a great lead vocals!

Tucked away in a corner was an enclosed booth featuring Wii's rated 18 and above video games. We all kind of enjoyed "Bikini Zombie Slaves", violently slashing zombies with a samurai sword (which brought out the Kill Bill in me) or a machine gun; which was preferred by Wendy. No doubt she's naturally the shoot and kill sort. On that note, Sony's Playstation and Microsoft's XBox 360 were no where to be seen!


Goofing around at the Monopoly Booth!



Transformers was a sure favourite. Display cases showcasing old school original Transformer toys.



I enjoyed Action City's "Where The Wild Things Are" figures. Was told that the toys are estimated to be retailing at S$70 each when they arrive. Tempting... tempting...


Where's Wall-E?


STGCC Exhibition Teaser

Read:
Singapore Toy & Comic Convention 2008

More Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention 2009 Pictures

The Question: Is Social Media a Fad?

Read:
Social Networking: Understanding Communication Changes
Michael Jackson takes over the Internet
Barack Obama: The Internet President
10 Years of Blog

The route, mood and activities that happened during the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon were nicely captured in the below clips:


Flag-off in the darkness of the morning. Starting the run through Marina Bay. I woke that morning at 3am and arrived at the Esplanade at 4:45am! Insane!


East Coast leg catching the break of sunrise. Nicoll Highway's Bell Ringers and Slit-walkers


Last leg back to the finishing line. Through The Singapore Flyer, F1 Paddock, Benjamin Sheares Bridge and the Padang.
Check out the belly dancers!

Read:
SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009
SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009 Results

Results for the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009 are in and I've officially clocked 3hrs 07mins for my very 1st Half (21km) Marathon. For NIL training and little rest, I am surprised I didn't get cramps or a deadly heart attack. Lots of thanks goes out to my Polar FT80, this time round working in tip top condition and producing accurate heart rate results. I kept well within the Moderate to Performance (135 - 170bmp) range, ensuring I do not exceed 185bmp. It was extremely tempting at the start to speed along with a starter's adrenaline, but I kept my pacing for the long road ahead.

As usual, I made it a point to take the run easy, no stress, no targets...



Despite the fact that news reports mentioned that the Sunday morning run saw 70,000 running enthusiasts; only 10,000 over runners' stats were tracked. It leaves me wondering what happened to the rest. Out of those that were tracked, 19% were women and 81% men. Women's participation rose by 35% while men saw a 15% increase.



This year at the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run & Army half Marathon, a disposable chip was used. A 1st in a major running event locally.

Considering the double distance in this 21km run, I've kept almost consistent to my 'happy pace' in last year's 1st 10km in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2008.



Below are a series of my heart rate stats during the run:

Noticeable drop in stamina after the 12 - 14km mark





Much to my surprise, this run turned out to be one of the more enjoyable runs. Then again, I've only participated in 3 marathons including this one. Not a very good judge.

In all merits,
1) There were sufficient water points.
2) A well crafted running route (through the Marina Bay area, East Coast, The Singapore Flyer through the F1 Paddock and the Benjamin Sheares Bridge toward the Padang).
3) Fringe festivities which included stilt-walkers clad in ethnic costumes lining the roads together with Brazilian maculele performers, belly dancers (which the guys had to slow down to take a peek), African percussionists, cheerleaders and jam bands which created the perfect carnival and sporty ambiance for both runners and supporters.

What I didn't like were those gluey, slimy, sweaty army boys' arms that rub against you through narrow running paths. And the lack of a nice running singlet.

Next run: Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009. Another 10km attempt, to improve on my scoring at the Adidas Sundown Marathon 2009.

Read:
SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009
SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009 Route Clips

I'll be attempting my 1st Half Marathon (21km) this weekend at the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009. And in all honesty - I'm totally freaked out. Let's just say I haven't been diligently training as much as I had planned to. There were excuses for work, sleep, some other activity... bad weather... I had originally planned to train for this 21km as a gauge for the year end Standard Chartered Marathon. For the little I have sowed, I am ready for the pain and agony. Somewhere along the course of run, I'm pretty certain I will be swearing at why I put myself through such torture!?!?!

It's too late to do anything more. There were a couple of decent runs in the last 2 or 3 weeks, but the runs weren't long.

Here's some advise from a wise, seasoned runner:
- Keep heart rate at moderate 70% between 135 - 150 bpm
- Keep running pace with small steps
- Run upright, straighten back
- Find out where water and medical stations are
- Hydrate frequently
- Take a power gel every hour



I'll be keeping faithful to my heart rate in the Green Moderate zone, so I'm hoping my trusty Polar FT80 don't fail me on marathon day. At the Adidas Sundown Marathon in May, the heart rate chest belt dried up and the watch wasn't tracking for 1/2 the run.


SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009 Route Map

I've already informed Wei Sian that if I don't call him by 10:30am on marathon day, he can probably head over to SGH to check if I've been admitted. Dom was nice enough to comment that I'm not a boy, and walking is perfectly fine!

Keep me in your prayers for a safe run!

Read:
SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009 Results
SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009 Route Clips

Terry Gilliam is back in form to release "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" in October. The film features a dazzling cast - Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Christopher Plummer and will go down in history as Heath Ledger's last film since his death in January 2008.

"For me, it was like, Let's just close up shop here, because without Heath I don't want to continue on this project. He was so central and so important. And everyone just kept beating me up, saying, ''No, you have to keep going for Heath. He wanted to see this film.'' Then we made the quantum leap: What if we get three actors to replace him? Johnny was the first person I called. I said, ''Would you consider helping finish Heath's part?'' And he said, ''Done, I'm there.'' Same with Jude and Colin. I had no confidence that it would work. It was just that I didn't know what else to do, so let's just gamble and do it. Because I was determined that Heath's role was not just going to disappear.

I don't think it's ever happened before that a main actor dies, and three A-list actors come in and take over his part. It tells you how much they cared about him. It was unbelievably brave and foolish. There was no time to prepare. We had Johnny for one day, three and a half hours. He just came in and did it. I'd shown them some clips of some of the stuff that Heath had done. I didn't know that it was going to work, but it did.

There's so much luck involved with this movie. There's a magic mirror Tony goes through, and he's wearing a mask. It wasn't even in the script. It just kind of happened. Each one of the choices that were forced upon us improved the film. I've been saying Heath co-directed it — he forced me to do all these things differently, to make a better film than I was making.

Everybody in the cast and everybody in the crew was determined that this film would be finished and everybody worked longer, harder, and somehow we got through it. It was really people's love for Heath that propelled this thing forward." - Terry Gilliam on Heath Ledger's death

This full length trailer looks amazing! It's lush, dark, whimsical and chilling. While many are focusing on the film as Heath Ledger’s last, I'm totally excited to have another piece of Gilliam magic. Gilliam had a lot to work with having very difficult unforeseen situations befall him. You'd have to admire his creative and brilliant mind to re-craft the film. I've been a fan since the Monthy Python days, but it was certainly "Brazil" that blew me away!

Having had so much fun with my Double Bill Tribute to John Hughes, it wouldn't be long before I run a series of Gilliam's best. There's nothing like enjoying the works of a fantastic director.

Here's to the Brat Pack Director, John Hughes (1950 - 6 August 2009) who made being an 80s kid totally cool. It was an era of industrialised growth, stars had big hair, synthesizer sounding music, Nintendo games and everyone wanted a friend in E.T or Alf! Coupled together with Smash Hits and MTV; films like "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty in Pink" made my growing up years a fabulous one. I used to adore Molly Ringwald! Those were the VHS days when the Fairways kids will each contribute about 50cents to a dollar on movie rentals. We've rented Hughes films over and over!

Other Ole School Movie Memories:
The Goonies ARE good enough
When All Hell Break Loose

I'm thinking back on Hughes' films now and am realising what an integral part they played in my childhood. And I think to many other Generation X kids, we really related to his portrayals of being a teenager. We rooted for his underdog characters that emerged heroes. Even today, teens are rediscovering his films and identifying with them.

During the extended National Day weekend, it was my honour to dedicate some time to relive some of his greatest works. I decided to do a back-to-back double bill tribute of "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". It was awesome to hear Simple Mind's "Don't You Forget About Me" at the start of "The Breakfast Club" - a fitting song title to a darn good director and writer.

In the making now is a documentary of the late director who left Hollywood in 1991. The 4 filmmakers went in search of him giving us an insight of his works, with interviews from cast of his films and those who worked with him behind the scenes. Looking forward to catching it when it releases.


The Breakfast Club (1985) Trailer with a awfully young Emilio Estevez

"And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds; are immune to your consultations, they are quite aware of what they are going through." - David Bowie

"Dear Mr. Vernon: We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did was wrong, but we think you're crazy to make us write an essay, telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as: a brain, an athlete, a basket case, princess, and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at 7 o'clock this morning. We were brainwashed."

"Dear Mr. Vernon: We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But, we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But, what we found out is that each one of us is: a brain . . .
Andrew Clark: And an athlete . . .
Allison Reynolds: And a basket case . . .
Claire Standish: A princess . . .
John Bender: And a criminal.
Brian Johnson: Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club."


Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) Trailer with a awfully young Matthew Broderick

I must confess that I've never read the actual story of "Where the Wild Things Are" by author, Maurice Sendak as a child. But I had (or still have) a couple of misc spin-off story books from the Wild Things characters, teaching kids good values.

Following the untimely deaths of 80's icons Michael Jackson and John Hughes, this film has incubated the world's supply of nostalgia, escapism and sentimentality.

Director, Spike Jonze puts together with animation and special effects what many couldn't imagine as a live action film. Then again, after Peter Jackson's LOTR Trilogy, nothing is impossible any more. Jonze pulled in Maurice Sendak to work closely on the fantasy and story aspect of the film. I'm already looking forward to the film due in theaters on October 16, 2009.

The movie trailers look really promising:

Where The Wild Things Are Trailer #1


Where The Wild Things Are Trailer #2

Wooo... now I want to have my very own pair of real 3D glasses!
What can I say - TOY STORY RAWKS!

Read:
Watch out for Toy Story 3, to be released next year.
"To Infinity and Beyond"!