Fear The Walking Dead
This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper.
Poet T. S. Eliot called it back in 1925 in his poem The Hollow Men.
In the hit horror drama The Walking Dead (2010-present), the zombie apocalypse is in full swing from the get-go. The threat of the decomposing undead is everywhere and human survival is a touch-and-go business.
The companion series Fear The Walking Dead takes us back to when things are starting to fall apart. At this point in time, the term “walker” refers to a baby’s best friend as he is learning to walk and not to a dreaded monster.
There is barely a whisper of what is happening and the ones who have the earliest inkling of the truth are those on the fringe – a drug addict, a misfit at school.
But they are all on the cusp of a world that is about to change irrevocably. And we are right at the precipice with them.
The makers of Fear ratchet up the tension slowly and also play with the expectations of viewers, many of whom are likely to be well-versed with the rules of a zombie universe. Enough of them tuned in to make the show the No. 1 series premiere in American cable TV history with a viewership of 10.1 million.
In hindsight, things seem thuddingly obvious. But as they are unfolding, there is resistance, disbelief and reasonable doubt.
After all, which is the more likely: a world-ending infection or a particularly virulent strain of the flu?
Are cops shooting an unarmed person that unbelievable or would it be more unbelievable that they are mowing down creatures that will not stay dead?
Against this backdrop, the key characters are also dealing with complicated family stuff.
High school guidance counsellor Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) has a junkie son Nick (Frank Dillane) and a resentful daughter Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey).
Madison’s boyfriend is fellow teacher Travis Manawa (Cliff Curtis), who is trying to be a father to his son Christopher (Lorenzo James Henrie) with his ex-wife Liza (Elizabeth Rodriguez).
In the second episode, we are introduced to the Salazar family. The father (Ruben Blades) is a refugee from El Salvador who owns a barbershop, the mother (Patricia Reyes Spindola) is deeply religious and they have a grown daughter Ofelia (Mercedes Mason).
Their paths cross with Travis, Christopher and Liza as the city begins to crumble.
Expect relationships to be tested as the apocalypse brews and the interplay of emotional and end-of- the-world-as-we-know-it action drama promises to make for exciting television.
Plus, there is always the suspense of wondering which key character is going to get killed first.
(ST)
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Back To The Future
Da Mouth
Taiwanese group Da Mouth zoom in on an era of feel-good grooves on their fifth studio album, Back To The Future.
The retro dance of Funky That Girl features singer-host Pauline Lan and is already an ear-worm hit with its synth riffs.
Even the lyrics are retro with a reference to tapes no less: “Love is not less a cassette that can be rewound, wreck it and you can’t start over.”
Add a disco-ball and bellbottomed pants and the picture is complete. It is easily the most inspired thing here.
The rest of the album coasts along on a similar mix of dance beats, synth lines and rap, circling around one another the way men and women dance around each other – pleasant enough if somewhat forgettable.
But as Super Unclear makes clear: “It’s absolutely reasonable to pursue happiness, no need to ask if it’s permissible, don’t think too much, whether it’s appropriate or not.”
Shut up and dance is pretty much the message here.
(ST)
Da Mouth
Taiwanese group Da Mouth zoom in on an era of feel-good grooves on their fifth studio album, Back To The Future.
The retro dance of Funky That Girl features singer-host Pauline Lan and is already an ear-worm hit with its synth riffs.
Even the lyrics are retro with a reference to tapes no less: “Love is not less a cassette that can be rewound, wreck it and you can’t start over.”
Add a disco-ball and bellbottomed pants and the picture is complete. It is easily the most inspired thing here.
The rest of the album coasts along on a similar mix of dance beats, synth lines and rap, circling around one another the way men and women dance around each other – pleasant enough if somewhat forgettable.
But as Super Unclear makes clear: “It’s absolutely reasonable to pursue happiness, no need to ask if it’s permissible, don’t think too much, whether it’s appropriate or not.”
Shut up and dance is pretty much the message here.
(ST)
Woman In Gold
Simon Curtis
The story: Woman In Gold refers to a famous painting by Gustav Klimt that hung in the Belvedere Palace in Austria after World War II. To Maria Altmann
(Helen Mirren and Tatiana Maslany), it is a depiction of her beloved aunt Adele that was unlawfully seized by the Nazis from her family home in Vienna. Maria managed to escape to the United States and, decades later, with the help of an inexperienced but eager lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), she seeks to claim back what is rightfully hers from the Austrian government. Based on a true story.
It was recently reported that the trauma suffered by Holocaust survivors can be passed on to their children. The ordeal was so devastating that it fundamentally altered them at some genetic level and the distress continued to echo in their offspring.
While Maria managed to escape the horrors of the concentration camps, she saw her family torn apart, her home looted and her neighbours and acquaintances turning on Jews.
Embarking on a mission to recover her family’s painting means that she has to relive the painful past, but she does it “for justice and so people remember”.
Mirren (The Queen, 2006), illustrious member of British acting royalty, slips easily into the role with a central European accent and a sometimes terse demeanour which masks an underlying vulnerability.
Reynolds, in a regular dramatic role as opposed to a glossy effects-filled flick such as Green Lantern (2011), starts out as an obedient Jewish boy doing his mother a favour by listening to Maria’s story.
Then, he gets persuaded to take on her case when he realises that the painting is potentially worth more than US$100 million (S$140 million).
Eventually, he finds a deeper and personal connection and he hangs on doggedly despite the odds stacked against him.
Mirren and Reynolds play off each other nicely.
Director Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn, 2011) handles the underdogs versus the high-handed authorities legal battles effectively.
While the Klimt painting was described at one point as the Mona Lisa of Austria, its Jewish subject was also obscured by the title of Woman In Gold, reflecting the country’s uneasy relationship with its history even as a restitution programme was officially underway to redress past wrongs.
The Holocaust is no longer a fresh wound, but it throbs with an ache that reverberates in DNA, in ongoing battles for justice and in films such as these.
(ST)
Simon Curtis
The story: Woman In Gold refers to a famous painting by Gustav Klimt that hung in the Belvedere Palace in Austria after World War II. To Maria Altmann
(Helen Mirren and Tatiana Maslany), it is a depiction of her beloved aunt Adele that was unlawfully seized by the Nazis from her family home in Vienna. Maria managed to escape to the United States and, decades later, with the help of an inexperienced but eager lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), she seeks to claim back what is rightfully hers from the Austrian government. Based on a true story.
It was recently reported that the trauma suffered by Holocaust survivors can be passed on to their children. The ordeal was so devastating that it fundamentally altered them at some genetic level and the distress continued to echo in their offspring.
While Maria managed to escape the horrors of the concentration camps, she saw her family torn apart, her home looted and her neighbours and acquaintances turning on Jews.
Embarking on a mission to recover her family’s painting means that she has to relive the painful past, but she does it “for justice and so people remember”.
Mirren (The Queen, 2006), illustrious member of British acting royalty, slips easily into the role with a central European accent and a sometimes terse demeanour which masks an underlying vulnerability.
Reynolds, in a regular dramatic role as opposed to a glossy effects-filled flick such as Green Lantern (2011), starts out as an obedient Jewish boy doing his mother a favour by listening to Maria’s story.
Then, he gets persuaded to take on her case when he realises that the painting is potentially worth more than US$100 million (S$140 million).
Eventually, he finds a deeper and personal connection and he hangs on doggedly despite the odds stacked against him.
Mirren and Reynolds play off each other nicely.
Director Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn, 2011) handles the underdogs versus the high-handed authorities legal battles effectively.
While the Klimt painting was described at one point as the Mona Lisa of Austria, its Jewish subject was also obscured by the title of Woman In Gold, reflecting the country’s uneasy relationship with its history even as a restitution programme was officially underway to redress past wrongs.
The Holocaust is no longer a fresh wound, but it throbs with an ache that reverberates in DNA, in ongoing battles for justice and in films such as these.
(ST)
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Getting Ready
Eason Chan
The mood on Eason Chan’s latest Cantonese album after 2013’s more varied The Key, is sweet and optimistic.
The tone is set by lead single Unconditional, a ballad about loving someone through all the vagaries and challenges of life. It is a song which plays to Chan’s strength as an emotive singer. Come what may, he croons: “I only know to love you every day.”
Heart On Fire and To Like Someone are two more Eric Kwok-composed tracks tailor- made for Chan to make you gently swoon.
And the jangly opener Boss, I’m Leaving Early puts a lighthearted spin on escaping the pressures of work.
This being an Eason Chan album, some curveballs are thrown in.
The later half of the album includes the atmospheric The Halloween Nightmare and the gentle rumination of Monologue From One Soul. The moving lesson learnt: “Whether I was right or wrong in the past, it’s too trivial to bicker about now/But I want to say that love is never a burden.”
(ST)
Eason Chan
The mood on Eason Chan’s latest Cantonese album after 2013’s more varied The Key, is sweet and optimistic.
The tone is set by lead single Unconditional, a ballad about loving someone through all the vagaries and challenges of life. It is a song which plays to Chan’s strength as an emotive singer. Come what may, he croons: “I only know to love you every day.”
Heart On Fire and To Like Someone are two more Eric Kwok-composed tracks tailor- made for Chan to make you gently swoon.
And the jangly opener Boss, I’m Leaving Early puts a lighthearted spin on escaping the pressures of work.
This being an Eason Chan album, some curveballs are thrown in.
The later half of the album includes the atmospheric The Halloween Nightmare and the gentle rumination of Monologue From One Soul. The moving lesson learnt: “Whether I was right or wrong in the past, it’s too trivial to bicker about now/But I want to say that love is never a burden.”
(ST)
Monday, August 17, 2015
Triple Jam – Jam Hsiao World Tour Live In Singapore 2015
Singapore Indoor Stadium / Last Saturday
This was billed as a concert for the ears, eyes and nose. A triple dose of Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao, so to speak. During selected songs, a scent that he had a hand in creating would be released into the stadium.
It turned out to be somewhat underwhelming.
During the ballad Marry Me, a fragrance supposedly distilled from roses was pumped into the air. I spent a good minute or so inhaling, distracted from the song and wondering what it was I was supposed to smell. Eventually, it was the whiff of lavender that I caught.
The same floral scent was used during Kiss Me – it seemed at odds with the faster-paced number.
Visually, there was also a gimmicky moment when Jam’s Band, comprising eight muppet-like musicians, came on stage for his rendition of Calla Lily Love. It was just too random and had nothing to do with the rest of the concert.
Good thing, the Golden Melody Award-winning singer was in fine form when it came to the most important element – the vocals.
Cloaked and gloved in silver and black, he opened the show with Colours and The Prince’s New Clothes. Hsiao threw himself into the rock tracks with gusto and hit the high notes with ease. Even at the end, after close to three hours, his voice showed no hints of strain.
Often, the vocal drama was raised for maximum impact.
New Endless Love – the song he sang on the televised singing competition One Million Star in 2007, the platform which launched his star – started out with just his voice and keyboards and then built to a big and showy conclusion.
At times, he seemed to be channelling Michael Jackson with his howls and yelps and vocal tics. Other times, he seemed to be channelling Bruce Lee with his air kicks.
It made for an entertaining segment in which he let his falsetto run loose on the retro disco of Kiss Me and even showed off some dance moves.
His versatility as a singer is one of his biggest strengths, the crowd of 7,000 applauding his effortless gliding from pop to rock to ballads to a cover of Stevie Wonder’s For Once In My Life.
Instead of slick patter, he offered earnest anecdotes, which sometimes simply trailed off, and a sense of humour.
Hsiao wondered aloud why the song Anywhere, Somewhere, Nowhere was widely requested when it was actually used in a little- seen 2014 Taiwanese movie of the same name. He said: “I got a scientist to investigate and the reason is because the singer performs it too well.”
Later, he claimed that coming to Singapore felt like returning home, before admitting he had said the same thing in Hong Kong. At least he backed up the claim about Singapore by mentioning his love of bah kut teh.
What is definitely true is the key role played by Singaporean musicians in his career.
The opening track on his 2008 self-titled debut, Collection, was composed by veteran songwriter- producer Lee Wei Song. After he performed it, he asked Lee, who was seated among the audience: “Teacher, did I sing well?”
Thanks to Lee’s request, the fans got to hear another hit he composed for Hsiao, the lovely ballad Believers.
It might have been Hsiao’s night, but Lee certainly came up smelling of roses.
(ST)
Singapore Indoor Stadium / Last Saturday
This was billed as a concert for the ears, eyes and nose. A triple dose of Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao, so to speak. During selected songs, a scent that he had a hand in creating would be released into the stadium.
It turned out to be somewhat underwhelming.
During the ballad Marry Me, a fragrance supposedly distilled from roses was pumped into the air. I spent a good minute or so inhaling, distracted from the song and wondering what it was I was supposed to smell. Eventually, it was the whiff of lavender that I caught.
The same floral scent was used during Kiss Me – it seemed at odds with the faster-paced number.
Visually, there was also a gimmicky moment when Jam’s Band, comprising eight muppet-like musicians, came on stage for his rendition of Calla Lily Love. It was just too random and had nothing to do with the rest of the concert.
Good thing, the Golden Melody Award-winning singer was in fine form when it came to the most important element – the vocals.
Cloaked and gloved in silver and black, he opened the show with Colours and The Prince’s New Clothes. Hsiao threw himself into the rock tracks with gusto and hit the high notes with ease. Even at the end, after close to three hours, his voice showed no hints of strain.
Often, the vocal drama was raised for maximum impact.
New Endless Love – the song he sang on the televised singing competition One Million Star in 2007, the platform which launched his star – started out with just his voice and keyboards and then built to a big and showy conclusion.
At times, he seemed to be channelling Michael Jackson with his howls and yelps and vocal tics. Other times, he seemed to be channelling Bruce Lee with his air kicks.
It made for an entertaining segment in which he let his falsetto run loose on the retro disco of Kiss Me and even showed off some dance moves.
His versatility as a singer is one of his biggest strengths, the crowd of 7,000 applauding his effortless gliding from pop to rock to ballads to a cover of Stevie Wonder’s For Once In My Life.
Instead of slick patter, he offered earnest anecdotes, which sometimes simply trailed off, and a sense of humour.
Hsiao wondered aloud why the song Anywhere, Somewhere, Nowhere was widely requested when it was actually used in a little- seen 2014 Taiwanese movie of the same name. He said: “I got a scientist to investigate and the reason is because the singer performs it too well.”
Later, he claimed that coming to Singapore felt like returning home, before admitting he had said the same thing in Hong Kong. At least he backed up the claim about Singapore by mentioning his love of bah kut teh.
What is definitely true is the key role played by Singaporean musicians in his career.
The opening track on his 2008 self-titled debut, Collection, was composed by veteran songwriter- producer Lee Wei Song. After he performed it, he asked Lee, who was seated among the audience: “Teacher, did I sing well?”
Thanks to Lee’s request, the fans got to hear another hit he composed for Hsiao, the lovely ballad Believers.
It might have been Hsiao’s night, but Lee certainly came up smelling of roses.
(ST)
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Paris Holiday
James Yuen
The story: Kit (Louis Koo) moves to Paris for his new job in the wine business. He ends up sharing an apartment with the recently dumped artist Man (Amber Kuo).
Given her hatred of men, Kit has to pretend to be gay for Man to tolerate his presence. As he comforts her and offers her advice, they find themselves getting closer. And then Kit’s ex-girlfriend comes to Paris to look for him.
Holidays are meant to be sweetly pleasant occasions. But this Parisian confection leaves a sour taste in the mouth instead.
For starters, a romantic comedy soars or falls on the chemistry of the couple in question, and the vibe between Koo and Kuo is more familial than romantic.
He is the more experienced and sensible older brother to her petulant younger sister, patiently offering advice on how to get over a broken heart while cleaning up the apartment and making it fit for human habitation once more. Watching them kiss is an exercise in awkward intimacy.
Neither does Koo share much chemistry with his onscreen former girlfriend played by Chinese actress Candy Liu.
In other words, the audience has no couple to root for in a movie whose script is packed with cliches, contrivances and stereotypes.
The iconic attractions of the city of lights are dutifully showcased but, otherwise, it is a place of creaky lifts, douchebag cabbies and easy women.
There is something to cheer only when Alex Fong shows up, playing an Asian emigre with plenty of sex appeal in a Western society. That is as inventive as it gets story-wise.
Man is the worst cliche of a sensitive artist who feels too much and Kuo overacts alarmingly.
At least Koo turns in a more reined-in performance and offers his reliably affable presence.
To stretch things out, Man and Kit have to play along as a married couple as she had already signed up for a wedding photo shoot in anticipation of the big day with her ex.
The point of this is mainly to have the stars all dressed up taking pictures with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Towards the end, it seems as though the movie is going to head in an unexpected direction, suggesting that you can find your soulmate and not end up together. That is merely a feint, though.
It would have been too much to expect that from a way too packaged Holiday.
(ST)
James Yuen
The story: Kit (Louis Koo) moves to Paris for his new job in the wine business. He ends up sharing an apartment with the recently dumped artist Man (Amber Kuo).
Given her hatred of men, Kit has to pretend to be gay for Man to tolerate his presence. As he comforts her and offers her advice, they find themselves getting closer. And then Kit’s ex-girlfriend comes to Paris to look for him.
Holidays are meant to be sweetly pleasant occasions. But this Parisian confection leaves a sour taste in the mouth instead.
For starters, a romantic comedy soars or falls on the chemistry of the couple in question, and the vibe between Koo and Kuo is more familial than romantic.
He is the more experienced and sensible older brother to her petulant younger sister, patiently offering advice on how to get over a broken heart while cleaning up the apartment and making it fit for human habitation once more. Watching them kiss is an exercise in awkward intimacy.
Neither does Koo share much chemistry with his onscreen former girlfriend played by Chinese actress Candy Liu.
In other words, the audience has no couple to root for in a movie whose script is packed with cliches, contrivances and stereotypes.
The iconic attractions of the city of lights are dutifully showcased but, otherwise, it is a place of creaky lifts, douchebag cabbies and easy women.
There is something to cheer only when Alex Fong shows up, playing an Asian emigre with plenty of sex appeal in a Western society. That is as inventive as it gets story-wise.
Man is the worst cliche of a sensitive artist who feels too much and Kuo overacts alarmingly.
At least Koo turns in a more reined-in performance and offers his reliably affable presence.
To stretch things out, Man and Kit have to play along as a married couple as she had already signed up for a wedding photo shoot in anticipation of the big day with her ex.
The point of this is mainly to have the stars all dressed up taking pictures with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Towards the end, it seems as though the movie is going to head in an unexpected direction, suggesting that you can find your soulmate and not end up together. That is merely a feint, though.
It would have been too much to expect that from a way too packaged Holiday.
(ST)
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
The Gift
Joel Edgerton
The story: Simon (Jason Bateman) and his wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall) return to the place where he had grown up and move into a new home. They bump into Gordo (Joel Edgerton), one of Simon’s former high school mates. He starts to leave gifts for the couple on their doorstep, but Simon is less than thrilled. Wondering what had happened between the two, Robyn starts to dig into the past.
Each time we watch a movie, inevitably, we bring with us certain assumptions. In this thriller, writer-director-actor Edgerton cleverly plays with those preconceptions in his feature directorial debut.
A young couple moving into a new home is a set-up seen in many other movies. Often, things go awry quickly, thanks to things that go bump in the night – witness movies such as Paranormal Activity (2007) and Poltergeist (2015).
Edgerton builds tension from the familiarity of the situation but otherwise does not follow the same script. The Gift is not a supernatural thriller even though it uses some of the same tropes deployed in horror flick after horror flick.
While music cues are too often overused as a scare tactic, they are used sparingly here for misdirection. Instead, suspense grows as silences are drawn out.
Even the casting is not as straightforward as it seems.
Bateman is known for playing the harried nice guy in comedies both on the small screen – Arrested Development (2003 to 2006, 2013 to present) – and big – Identity Thief (2013) and Horrible Bosses (2011).
As The Gift unfolds, the dark edge to Simon’s likeability is gradually revealed.
The story itself keeps you guessing as to where it is headed with question marks hanging over the key trio.
Is Gordo merely socially awkward or is there something sinister going on in his unannounced visits to the house?
Is Simon being evasive about the past or is he just a concerned husband? Is Robyn paranoid or does she have good reason to dig into the past?
The competent cast handle the material well. Hall is a consistently reliable actress (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, 2008), while Edgerton is a versatile and prolific actor whose credits include Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and The Great Gatsby (2013). His malleability serves him well here.
Twist piles upon twist in the final revelations, although a greater degree of murkiness might have worked better.
This movie is one gift you will not want to return to the sender.
(ST)
Joel Edgerton
The story: Simon (Jason Bateman) and his wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall) return to the place where he had grown up and move into a new home. They bump into Gordo (Joel Edgerton), one of Simon’s former high school mates. He starts to leave gifts for the couple on their doorstep, but Simon is less than thrilled. Wondering what had happened between the two, Robyn starts to dig into the past.
Each time we watch a movie, inevitably, we bring with us certain assumptions. In this thriller, writer-director-actor Edgerton cleverly plays with those preconceptions in his feature directorial debut.
A young couple moving into a new home is a set-up seen in many other movies. Often, things go awry quickly, thanks to things that go bump in the night – witness movies such as Paranormal Activity (2007) and Poltergeist (2015).
Edgerton builds tension from the familiarity of the situation but otherwise does not follow the same script. The Gift is not a supernatural thriller even though it uses some of the same tropes deployed in horror flick after horror flick.
While music cues are too often overused as a scare tactic, they are used sparingly here for misdirection. Instead, suspense grows as silences are drawn out.
Even the casting is not as straightforward as it seems.
Bateman is known for playing the harried nice guy in comedies both on the small screen – Arrested Development (2003 to 2006, 2013 to present) – and big – Identity Thief (2013) and Horrible Bosses (2011).
As The Gift unfolds, the dark edge to Simon’s likeability is gradually revealed.
The story itself keeps you guessing as to where it is headed with question marks hanging over the key trio.
Is Gordo merely socially awkward or is there something sinister going on in his unannounced visits to the house?
Is Simon being evasive about the past or is he just a concerned husband? Is Robyn paranoid or does she have good reason to dig into the past?
The competent cast handle the material well. Hall is a consistently reliable actress (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, 2008), while Edgerton is a versatile and prolific actor whose credits include Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and The Great Gatsby (2013). His malleability serves him well here.
Twist piles upon twist in the final revelations, although a greater degree of murkiness might have worked better.
This movie is one gift you will not want to return to the sender.
(ST)
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