mistressnaoko, posts by tag: reviews - LiveJournal

This is going to be a quick review because I really wanted to post this two days ago but had no time to write.

Summary of this is that if you’re new to watching theatre in Malaysia, want something different and can take a joke, come and watch Short+Sweet Theatre Malaysia, happening this week till next.

I caught the First Week (next week there will be different shows) and I highly recommend catching this week’s one before they finish their run. Among the skits to look out for:

Cari
For a Malay play I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I do know is that the cat here is cute. The twist isn’t something you see coming from a mile away, which is a very nice touch compared to most Malaysian media. I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. On another note, this sketch was in Malay, and so if it’s not your first language you may find it hard to follow.

Anda Rasa?
This was another Malay play that blew me away. The premise may be popular, but I loved how they tackled the question of sanity here. What impressed me most was the acting; I really got the sense that the prisoner knew he had been sentenced to death, but he was exhausted, somewhat, by the procedure involved. Easily one of my favourite plays.

Captain Everything
Never have I seen the power of a child’s imagination portrayed so effortlessly, so realistically, so wonderfully ever. It’s a whole hodgepodge of pop culture references and one that’s incredibly nuanced.

However, I think the ending would have been better if it had stuck to the “lost in imagination” premise instead of “knowingly making a fourth wall reference” that it went to in the end. The latter is overdone, I think, in Malaysian theatre, and I think the former would have made the message of the play much stronger. Swiych mentioned that this ending weakened the play, and I agree.

Allegra the God
Bias alert: I know the playwright for this, and I am familiar with the canon she’s creating. Part of my glee comes from watching a world come alive, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this.

That said, if you have sharp ears, enjoy word play, and delight in sarcasm, then this one’s for you. It’s a pragmatic view of how Gods operate, has reference to bureaucracy and cage matches. Sadly, the delivery is a little marred, and I could barely hear one of the actresses during the play.

The rest of the acts are quite intriguing in their own right and fun to watch. Some, like Tough Love, employ good timing and great delivery. Others, like But If I Don’t, Know That I Love You and Sticky Situation are slice of life.

The only skit that I had a personal issue with was Partner, Pattna. While I understand it was to poke fun at the older generation, I felt it was stereotypical and quite standard. Don’t get me wrong; I thought the script, acting and execution was spot-on. It just didn’t make me feel anything more than “meh” after watching it. The other plays, even the ones I haven’t mentioned here, left me with something to think or feel after they ended. This one left me feeling empty inside, cause it didn’t feel there was any point to it.

With that said, go and catch Short and Sweet Theatre Week 1 before they end! You can find more info on the KLPac site.

Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.

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Lucy was awesome.

Lucy is… seriously, quite really, awesome.

You need to know my biasness first. It’s Scarlett Johansson. I loved her as the Black Widow, I love her even more as Lucy. And I love how in Lucy, I felt very terrified for her character in the first 10 minutes than I did screaming for her in Avengers. So there.

Now back to Lucy. TL;DR summary? Lucy is a fairly innocent young woman who becomes the first human with the ability to use 100% of her cerebral capacity. What follows is a mix of anime cutscenes, Korean action sequences and the realisation that it’s a very European show.

TL;DRating? 8/10.

More under the cut! And some some spoilers ahead!

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Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.

So one of the things I kinda resolved to do this year was to make my way through my pile of unread books. I’ve read (in no particular order):

• Dragonfly Falling by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• The Great Magician by Christian Jacq
• Dead Man’s Drive by Michael Panush – Sponsored review; I received a copy of this and am going to write a fuller one later
• Ico – Castle in the Mist by Miyuki Miyabe (RM8 was a steal at the Big Bad Wolf Sale!)
• Assassin’s Creed: Forsaken by Oliver Bowden (I have issues with his writing style)
• A Memory of Light by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan (it finally ended but man what an ending. A bit peeved by it, to be honest. Another hardcover steal too!)

Just finished Ico, so I’m taking a quick break before I continue. I might be starting on Alternative Histories soon OR Playing That Yaoi Game I Bought At CF That I Need To Rip. It’s… NFSW apparently, but the artwork looks gorgeous.

2 guys but 24 endings WHAT INSANITY IS THIS?

Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.

Name: The Empty Hearse

The few things I can say about this episode is:

• TROLLS! THEY ARE ALL TROLLS I TELL YOU
• Tumblr I see your hand.
• OMG ALL THE FUJOSHIS. ALL THE FUJOSHIS MARK GATISS I LOVE YOU BUT AT THE SAME TIME I HATE YOU
• Re: Mark Gatiss: Refer to previous item. Insert more flailing and table flipping
• FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF YOU DIDN’T TELL US HOW YOU DID IT
• TROLLS I TELL YOU! TROLLS!

Bloody hell now I got to wait another week!

Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.

This is a sponsored post, commissioned by The Tech Kaiju. I acknowledge that I have received some form of compensation for this post. However, I further admit that this compensation has NOT affected my opinion nor judgement of the units that were lent to me.

A party phone and a business phone. Which would you choose?

And

This pretty much sums up the last of my phone reviews. I’m returning them tomorrow as per agreement, but I will miss them after one week of use. So here’s a summary of what I think everyone should know before purchasing one or the other:

U9X1:
Get this if your criteria is one of the following:

• You don’t need a large phone
• You need something quick and responsive
• You have a budget, but want something fast. Brand name does not matter
• Did I mention reliable?
• Inbuilt security is important to you. The U9X1 comes with the M-Warranty and NQ Mobile Security apps. The former lets you register your warranty without having to send in the physical card from your phone. The latter is an anti-virus suite.
• You want a vanilla Google experience but can’t spring the cash for the Nexus series.

I highly recommend the U9X1 mainly to middle-end users like me who will tinker and root their phone. By default, the almost-vanilla experience is great for those already familiar with the Android user experience and are seeking for something a little bit more. The U9X1 is a great jumping point. Just… watch out for the back cover. It’s kinda slippery and can be a bit hard to open.

Optimus G Pro:
Get this if your criteria is one of the following:

• You want a really big phone for readability issues.
• Your phone stays in your bag more often than your pocket.
• You want a camera that’s good at deciphering lighting and has a beauty mode.
• You’re new to the Android/smartphone scene, and you want something more user-friendly.
• Themes are important to you. The LG Optimus had a really cute pink theme that was very childish yet cheerful. They also had a few other “corporate” kind of themes.

As you can tell, the LG Optimus is pretty much a premium phone, and it’s very user-friendly. The LG Optimus skin is pretty much geared towards allowing you to customise your phone the way you want to, and if you’re never going to go beyond installing/removing apps, I’d say the Optimus would be for you. Oh, and unlike the U9X1, the back cover comes out easily.

TL;DR: Get U9X1 if you’re a mid-range user. LG Optimus if you’re not.

Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.

Not going to comment on the Yellowface debacle in Cloud Atlas.

That said? I loved the movie. It was sweet, it was simple, it was tragic. I love how all the stories wove in with each other, building to a crescendo that reached across the skies. The sweetness of each story, the bitterness of some endings, the hope of others, all these are beautiful, beautiful things. I was swept away by the stories. There is something beautiful, bittersweet, and hopeful, especially about the end, even if parts of the movie was censored.

Shall I watch it again? Definitely. Is it a story worth listening to? Yes, many times.

Now… how do I get the music? ;3

Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.

Everything will be under the cut because there are spoilers ahead. If you’re familiar with the story then read on ahead. If you’re not and you would rather not be surprised, then stop and wait another 48 hours till the movie is released. Otherwise, head on! Note: I haven’t read the book but I have spoiled myself, so I know some plot points.

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Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.

Found at:
Lot F142, 1st Floor,
1 Utama Shopping Centre (Old Wing)
Opposite Wong Kok

When I reached The Nail Parlour, the first thing that struck me was that these people were waiting for customers to come in. I had passed the Colour Culture on the way, and the nail girl was eating at one of the counters openly. I didn’t look into Missy Nail’s shop but I had read horror stories online about their treatment, so I gave them a pass.

By contrast, The Nail Parlour had people waiting outside when I passed and stopped to look at their price list. One of them approached me immediately at my interest. In two minutes (actually less than that) I was seated at a table and waiting for one of their manicurist to attend to me. There was a form to fill out with some details, and judging from what they asked me, I suspect they were meant for repeat customers with specific issues.

The tag on my manicurist said Jackie and she was quietly efficient. She was gentle and careful with my hands, asking if it was alright to cut my nails. The process was interesting to experience.

First she sprayed disinfectant on both her hands and mine, then showed me how to spread it all over my hands. She then opened a pack of sterilised instruments. My long nails were quickly clipped. As she clipped them, my hands took turn being soaked in a warm bath. Once they were soaked and presumably soft, they were followed by a thorough yet gentle cuticle cleaning. Jackie clipped my little finger but apologised for it and sprayed disinfectant on it. I actually didn’t realise she’d clipped it until she pointed it out; her touch was that gentle.

Once my nails had been cleaned, buffed and sharpened, it was time for the nail polish. I went for colour instead of brand, so I ended up getting the Jessica Bikini Blue for my nails. The colour turned out much nicer than I expected.

Once my colour had been chosen, she applied the base coat to my nails, quickly but carefully to ensure that all nails had been coated equally. This was then followed by two coats of the colour, and finally a gloss overcoat. By the time she was done, my nails looked icy cool. Jackie then instructed I wait for about 5 minutes while my nails dried in front of the tiny and cute fan they had. I did, but now I think I should have waited for 10 because I chipped my nails as I was paying.

Otherwise, I really like the effect. :D

At RM35 for a basic manicure, I like what they did. Would probably go back there again for Chinese New Year or something. We shall see.

Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.

I have an imp (a really tiny bottle from Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs) of Fallen that has aged. It’s about a year old (slightly more than that) and still quite full. Here’s what the original description says:

A regal scent, glowing darkly, elegant and patrician, but unfathomably desolate. Cherubic white sandalwood and golden musk with a dark halo of amber, a breath of imperial florals, unbending woods, and the shadow cast by vetiver and violet.

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Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.

Made the impulse decision to go and watch Sucker Punch earlier today. Was afraid that I wouldn’t make it in time since I decided at the very last minute after mom had ruined my mood and was afraid I’d miss the start of the movie. Turns out I was right to watch the movie. Traffic was heavy but smooth and I found parking barely 5 seconds I turned into the lot. Walked upstairs very quickly and found no queue in front of the ticket stand, got a ticket very fast AND I had time to buy popcorn!

I sat in my seat about 2 minutes before the schedule start and went “OMG WTF was that The Rock in Fast Five? WANTSSSSS!” and “McAvoy in XMen First Class so hot do want!” when the trailers came on. Then the KLMU advertisement came on and I cringed. Not so much because of the cheesy song, but the roles they made the girl play. I mean, women in Malaysia CAN be more substantial than just a pretty face, right?

Then the movie started.

This was where the magic began.

The background was told in a very quick, yet easy to digest manner. It’s as though I was reading a book instead of watching a movie. You see, books make me think and they make me use my imagination. But at the same time, I’m swept away by the elements in the story; the plot, the characters, their thoughts and their reaction to the things around them.

Yes, watching Sucker Punch was very much like reading a novel. Except with more visual imagery. The fight scenes feel as though I’m playing a game, but I could understand what they signified. What they were supposed to represent and what it meant to each character. The only thing that made me scratch my head was the Missions Giver man. For a moment I thought he was Leonard Nimoy because there was something in his accent.

That’s a minor gripe, but for everything else…

Oh gods! How I understand how they structured the story! I mean, I could actually understand the different layers worked. What it meant. The story is told from Baby Doll’s point of view, and like any good novel, the most important thing to understand is this: Sucker Punch is a novel told from the first person perspective of Baby Doll. No one else. So as long as you keep that in mind, everything else makes sense.

I will admit this. Visually, Sucker Punch is meant to appeal to those who are easily scintillated. To those who enjoy watching a movie for just the hot babes (aka part of the crowd that made Megan Fox famous and the reason why we have “Bieber fever”) . I counted at least 3 pantsu shot in the first fight scene alone. But that wasn’t just it.

Sucker Punch works when you realise what you’re seeing through Baby Doll’s eyes is being reflected in the real world. Reality is there. It intrudes on the girls in the most unpleasant, gruesome way, without actually being there. At the same time though, it feels really antiseptic. Like you’re watching an “approved” version. There were moments in Sucker Punch where I thought it would evoke the same intensity of feelings as Watchmen did (which was director Zack Synder’s previous work). It didn’t and in a way I am disappointed.

However, Sucker Punch works! A lot of people will say that Sucker Punch doesn’t make sense, and I don’t blame them. It’s very easy to forget that Baby Doll’s not in an asylum when you watch her story, but if you keep the fact that she’s in asylum and that she’s trying to escape…

It makes a whole lot more sense.

4.5 out of 5.

Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.