Trailer: Gravity (2013)

I love the cinematic triumvirate of  Guillermo Del Toro, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and Alfonso Cuaron. Between the three of them, we have a treasure trove of some of the best films in the world. Del Toro is clearly the busy bee of the bunch – writing books (The Strain Trilogy), directing (watch out for Pacific Rim this July), producing, and just lending his name to whatever project he deems worthy – while Inarritu and Cuaron seem positively unproductive in comparison.

Don’t mistake their small output for sterility: Innaritu’s  Biutiful (his best work yet) is both mesmerizing and powerful, while Cuaron’s last full-length outing, Children of Men, is nothing short of a masterpiece. These guys (Del Toro included) pick their projects seriously.

But Children of Men was more than six years ago; what could Cuaron possibly bring to the table after such a long time? I love his take on Harry Potter, and you already know how I feel about Children of Men, so can Cuaron come up with something that’s good or, gulp, even better? The bits of obscure news about Cuaron’s upcoming Gravity did nothing to bolster my faith.

After watching the newly released trailer, I’m glad to say, I believe! Granted there’s not much to go on, but hey, this is outer space we’re talking about here. Hell, just based on what I’ve seen of Cuaron’s work and this trailer, I’m gonna go out on a thin, fragile limb and say this: Kubrick and his 2001 are gonna get their asses justifiably kicked.

Trailer: The World’s End (2013)

Those of you who

1. have been following the so-called “Cornetto Trilogy” (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz)
2. would kill to see a movie that is directed by Edgar Wright and has Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike, Paddy Considine, and Eddy Marsan in it
3. think doing 12 pints (of beer) in 12 diferent pubs in one night is the greatest idea ever

need to check the full trailer for The World’s End (click on the image above) right now. ‘Nuff said.

Trailer: Man of Steel (2013)

Truth be told I’ve never had high hopes for Zack Snyder‘s take on Superman; not for a moment. It feels like something Warner Bros. greenlighted out of obligation, and Snyder’s last three outings (Sucker Punch, Legend of the Guardians, and Watchmen) were meticulously CG-ed and incredibly soulless. Throw Christopher Nolan into the mix as consultant and co-writer (together with David S. Goyer) and you got potential for a heavy, plodding CG-fest that takes itself so seriously it’d actually be funny if it were able to pull its ass off its head for a moment or two (Yes, I’m talking about the last two instalments of the Dark Knight trilogy).

But surprise, surprise, this first full trailer for Man of Steel actually holds a fair bit of promise. Other than Kevin Costner‘s flat delivery and the voiceovers, the trailer suggests the film might actually work. Take a look and see how you like/dislike it.

Spotify is here!

At long last, Spotify has hit Singapore. In terms of digital media content (music, movies, books), this country has always been oddly two steps behind many other countries in the world. Hell, I say oddly because Singapore touts itself as the media hub of Asia. Come to think of it, Singapore touts itself as the regional hub for business, education, innovation … in other words, the little king of everything. Well, not quite.(Go check out how easy it is to get a digital download of a fairly recent mainstream Hollywood film or music album. Hell, we only just got iTunes around nine months ago, and the content is, to put it succinctly, sorry ass.)

Anyway, it’s nice that Spotify is finally here. Gonna give it a whirl, see what the fuss is about.

 

ModernPost-it #10: Singapore’s Graciousness Index (snigger)

The Singapore Kindness Movement said pressing issues such as cost of living and car and housing prices may have sent graciousness to the back seat.

“Maybe in their own preoccupation with problems of their own, they’re probably not as aware of the need to smile… all those things can add up, and give the impression that we’re really not as gracious,” said Dr William Wan, general secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement.

God help the nation that needs a Kindness Movement and – gulp – a Graciousness Index.

Trailer: Elysium (2013)

Finally, Neil Blomkamp’s Elysium has a trailer. While it looks like it’s treading the same theme as District 9 (social class politics and oppression), the visuals are just as attention-grabbing, and a cast with Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, and the largely under-used (except in District 9) Sharlto Copley. Overall, Elysium looks like it has been worth the wait.

Trailers: Only God Forgives (2013) and This Is the End (2013)

We’re almost at the end of the working week, and there’s nothing better than trailers of what looks to be two extremely cool flicks coming our way.

Touted as “Drive 2,” the upcoming Nicholas Winding Refn/Ryan Gosling outing features a longer title that tells just as little about the film. But no matter, right? Refn is not so much about the story as the way it is told. And Gosling can simply do no wrong as a leading man. In short, Only God Forgives probably has no connection whatsoever to Drive, but from the looks of the trailer, we can look forward to more cool ultraviolence, broken damsels in distress, and expertly chosen pop songs. Can’t wait.

Another movie that’s affectionately termed as a sequel (“Pineapple Express 2″) but isn’t one, This Is the End puts Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride together, trying to survive when an apocalyptic event strikes right in the middle of a mega-celeb party at Franco’s house. When I first heard of the concept, I thought, nah, how could that work? As the trailer shows, I am so, so wrong.

Google Glass … woah

I never really put much stock into the concept of Google Glass—in a we-were-promised-jetpacks kind of way—but this little “demo” really promises all kinds of future-is-now coolness. Click here to find out more.

 

ModernPost-it #9: Why Pearl Jam is better than Nirvana

I have been told there’s a longstanding feud between Pearl Jam and Nirvana fans, so let me say from the outset that this is not an addition to that pointless debate. We all respond differently to different music; leave it at that.

For me, Pearl Jam will always be the best rock band of my time, with Nirvana coming in a fairly distant second and Soundgarden a very close third. While Kurt Cobain’s suicide and Nirvana’s music caught my attention, they didn’t hold it. Pearl Jam, on the other hand, grew on me and more importantly, the band itself grew, and wasn’t afraid to take chances (No Code) or show off its quirks (Vitalogy) along the way.

In other words, Nirvana was stillborn, while Pearl Jam survived and helped me embrace life with all its pain and joy.

And what brought on this little ModernPost-it? This morning I was listening to “Rearviewmirror,” and I hadn’t heard it in a while: I got goosebumps. I hear “Smells Like Teen Spirit” all the time, and never once did it have the same effect.

Enjoy the song, and have a good weekend.

The Huffington Post on sexist Super Bowl ads?

Came across this amusing little article in The Huffington Post this morning. There was a time when HuffPosts were just plain fun, informative, and eve thought-proving. In recent years, I find I can’t keep my eyes on any HuffPost for more than ten seconds; that’s usually when my brain engages right after my visual sensors, and millions of brains cells suddenly cry out in terror and are just as suddenly silenced.

To call these ads “sexist” is like saying Mel Brooks‘s Blazing Saddles is a document of his hatred of westerns. To tell people, Hey, Brooks doesn’t hate westerns, he’s just making fun of them, is to insult your audience; they already get it, and they’re laughing hard and trying not to fall out of their seats. In other words, it’s really disingenuous to say anything. These are commercials, so watch, laugh, forget. Sexists will probably always be sexist, and they didn’t get that way watching TV.

Below are the eight ads that the writer calls ”the most sexist ( and sexualized) Super Bow ads in recent history.” With the exception of PETA‘s “Veggie Love” (“Studies show vegetarians have better sex.” Studies show? Really? Wow, is that  your agenda rubbing hard into my face, or are you just happy to see me?), I’m fairly entertained by most of them. Take a look and see how you feel about them.