So, I had two tickets to the Epik High. I got to the venue, Fillmore Theatre, at Irving Plaza? Place? at around 3:30 so I could make sure it was the right place. And there was already a line of people that stretched down and around the corner. I got in line and waited until my friend got there at around 5:30. By then, Epik High had gotten there and went in, I think, because people started screaming and everyone stood up. Of course, the doors opened late and it wasn’t until 8:00 did the concert start. (more…)
Movie Review: WALL-E July 3, 2008
Yeah, I know, I haven’t been writing lately. But hey, it’s summer. I’d rather be running around under the sun than wasting away in front of the computer.
Today, I went out with a couple of friends to see WALL-E, which has been out for about a week. To explain the basic plot:
The story takes place in the future, and man has evacuated a heavily polluted earth and has been living in outer space for centuries. A group of robots, called WALL-E, served as cleaners on Earth but were put away upon man’s evacuation. However, one was left on, and he continued his cleaning duties ever since. This WALL-E has a vibrant personality and dreams of love. And during one of man’s missions to find a morsel of life on earth, WALL-E falls in love with a robot called EVE.
WALL-E Trailer posted by GerbilGod7 @ YouTube
Now, I don’t want to spoil anything else beyond the plot but I assure you that this movie is well worth the watch for audiences of any age. There are big handfuls of laughs and sweet moments that will surely make you smile. Next to that, the animation is wonderful, vivid, and exciting.
Personally, I’m a huge sucker for cute characters and quiet, sensitive love stories. So you know if you’re like me, WALL-E is probably the movie for you. My friend, on the other hand, thought it was too “hyped up.” I don’t know what that means but that’s just another opinion for you guys to think about. But he was impressed by the graphics.
What I really like about this movie is that the people who made it remembered that it was a love story. What do I mean by that? The main plot of this story is WALL-E’s affections and loyalty towards EVE, but the subplot is how man has ruined itself and Earth. However, to me at least, they taught us the lesson, “take care of yourself and the earth,” without trying to stuff it down our throats. They kept in mind that the robots were the main idea and gently intertwined the lesson they wanted to teach us into the plot. Bravo!
I’d say WALL-E deserves a 4.9 out of 5. Why such a weird score? Mainly because it didn’t completely impress two of my friends, and I know that it’s not the best movie. But for now, I can’t quite pinpoint what exactly is so imperfect about it. I think tonight’s movie ticket was the best $10 I’ve spent this summer. $10 for a movie ticket, can you imagine that? So expensive!
Album Review: Super Junior M 迷 April 26, 2008
Yes, 迷/Me is out. Apparently, in China, their release dates vary depending on the province. Only Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea have official release dates. So I really didn’t know when to expect it. But yes, I managed to get a hold of it and I listened to it. It consists of six Super Junior remakes, one Sandy Lam remake, and five brand new songs. The album goes by Super Junior’s original style – except it’s in Chinese.
The title song, 迷/Me, is a charming, upbeat start to the album. It leaves the listener eager to hear what’s next. The U remake, as I’ve said in a past post, is a big improvement on the song. The song is more mature than its original and makes us feel as though Super Junior is only maturing and improving. 至少還有你/At Least There’s Still You is a lovely remake of Sandy Lam’s song, reinterpreted to fit the image of these seven handsome young men.
However, there are a few down sides. 愛你愛你/Love Song didn’t stand out. It sounded too much like Miracle and Happiness. I didn’t even notice that the song changed from Miracle to Love Song. 我抱着我/In My Arms has a different, unusual style. I’m not too sure what to think of it, but it may be a good guinea pig for something new. As for the Super Junior remakes, some were slightly awkward to hear in Chinese. Vocals from Han Geng and Henry aren’t very strong. Han Geng should probably stick with dancing, and Henry may have a blooming voice and needs more time to grow and gain experience. Zhou Mi, although he sings well, doesn’t stand out at all. Forgetting that Zhou Mi is there seems to be a growing pattern in not only the album but in public appearances as well. That’s something they should work on. Next to that, the mixture of various Chinese accents – Han Geng’s Northern accent, Henry’s Taiwanese-Canadian accent, and the many Korean accents – is unusual but not really a major setback.
Overall, the album is alright. It is definitely a huge step up for Super Junior. I hope to see them improve and release more in the future.
Track listing:
1. 迷/Mi/Me
2. U
3. 至少還有你/Zhi Xiao Hai You Ni/At Least There’s Still You
4. 你是我的奇蹟/Ni Shi Wo De Qi Ji/Miracle
5. 愛你愛你/Ai Ni Ai Ni/Love Song
6. 我抱著我/Wo Bao Zhe Wo/In My Arms
7. Don’t Don
8. Marry U
9. 我的二分之一/Wo De Er Fen Zhi Yi/Full of Happiness
10. 渴望/Ke Wang/Man in Love
11. 這一秒/Zhe Yi Miao/The Moment
12. The One
Personal highlights:
1. Ryeowooks singing. I do believe that Kyuhyun has the strongest vocals, as do most people. But I really love Ryeowook’s voice because it’s very stimulating and spirited. Even though he’s singing in a foreign language, he enunciates the words as though he understands them.
2. Donghae’s Chinese rapping. It’s a wonderful effort indeed. I really want to applaud him for taking that risk and succeeding.
3. Henry’s English rap in 這一秒. Despite being Canadian, we’ve never heard him speak English before. It was about time.
4. Henry’s Chinese rap in 我的二分之一. It gave the song a sweet boyish feel. In my mind, I’ve always referred to Happiness as “the queer song.” But with Henry’s youthful voice, it’s feels more boyish than gay. So I suppose that’s an improvement.
Miss Chiu’s Rating: 3
Since this is my first review, I’ll explain my scale:
5 – Amazing
4 – Pretty good
3 – Moderate
2 – Okay
1- Not too great
0 – Fail
I’m pretty tough with music, especially if it is mainstream pop, so don’t go into a tantrum if you don’t like my ratings.
Picture Credit: superjunior-m.iple.com
HONG DOU 