Rebooting the Man of Steel.

This will be tough. Check this out.

Superman, being the iconic hero that he is, has the reputation of a wholesome boy scout. Very different from Batman. That's no longer working in this day and age. The Christopher Reeve movies were stellar for its time, but it hardly made use of Superman's rich history. Superman Returns was indeed a jumping point for bringing Clark Kent back (excluding Smallville), but it turned into a sloppy, sappy lovefest. I loved Brandon Routh as Clark Kent/Superman, but I was disappointed in everyone else. Especially Kevin Spacey's interpretation of Lex Luthor (the Justice League animated series had it down!). The writing was just bad. Plain and simple. No wonder the movie tanked. It was a joke and a slap in the face for Superman fans, who had high hopes in a movie that does Kal-El justice.

Don't even get me started on Kal-El Jr. DUMB!

So will a reboot work? It did for the Hulk. Batman Begins was technically a reboot of the Batman movie franchise. So I don't why not. It couldn't hurt. It might even succeed. Superman does indeed need some of his other enemies making an appearance and leveraging the Man of Steel.

The same can be said for Wonder Woman.

Nolan's Best!

Now THIS is what a superhero-based movie sequel should be.

Taking place 6 months after the events of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight (Christian Bale|Michael Caine|Heath Ledger|Gary Oldman|Aaron Eckhart|Maggie Gyllenhaal|Morgan Freeman) ensembles an incredible cast for another round of Batman adventures. While Batman is the title character, he takes a backburner role in this movie. This time, the focus on the genius that is Joker and the downward spiral of Two-Face. Great stuff. Go see it.

Also, this is, unfortunately, Heath Ledger's final performance. He'll be hard to replace, for sure. I wonder how Jake Gyllenhaal is feeling.

From Princess to Warrior.

Its an unfortunate thing. Many have tried to produce good superheroine features. While some are more successful than others, they have never taken off (unlike their male counterparts). Well, the most popular superheroine of all, Wonder Woman, is finally getting her own feature animated movie. Have a look at the trailer. Personally, I have never been a big fan of the Amazon Princess, but I have to say ... the trailer looks absolutely spectacular! It's about time! Granted, I have yet to see Superman: Doomsday, Justice League: A New Frontier, or Batman: Gotham Knight ... I am excited for this one!

Speaking of superheroines and strong women, the 12-episode Ultraviolet:Code 044 anime is also being broadcasted in Japan. Hopefully Sony will bring it over here soon. The Opening and Ending animated sequences look good, and the songs are even better! I'll be previewing episode 1 soon, and I'll let you know what I think about it.

How to Survive White Supremacy.

Humor. That's how you do it. Check out Stuff White People Like. Its f*ckin' brilliant. Sheer Genius. As a person of color, I can't stop cracking up. Because, like it or not, there's a grain of truth in each entry. Delivered in very smart, tongue-in-cheek voice, you can't help but love how Christian Lander delivers his observations. But it is important to note that is not meant to be taken seriously. Satire is its name, and you need your sense of humor to get it. Clearly, some commentators can't take it. Hence why we have #101.

...and Jon Arbuckle is still a loser.

Face it. Garfield is why we go crazy over the famous Jim Davis comic strip of the same name. Garfield, Odie, Nermal, Arlene...they make the comics come alive. Well, now there's a twist. GarfieldMinusGarfield removes our furry friends from the comic and just leaves Jon to himself. Brilliant. Not only does it amplify how much of a loser Jon Arbuckle is, but it even succeeds in making the comic strips creepier. Kudos to Jim Davis for allowing this to happen and for publishing it. It isn't often that an author can relax, chill and allow his work to be somewhat bastardized. I might just have to get this book.

Hulk Smash! + I'm Sorry ...

I've been behind on my movies lately, so these last 2 weekends, I (being the comic-book geek that I am) managed to catch up on these two before they disappear.

The Incredible Hulk (Edward Norton|Liv Tyler|Tim Roth) isn't necessarily a stellar comic-to-screen movie adaptation, but it is still very well done. Directed by Louis Leterrier, it is much better than its previous predecessors. The story line and plot is fundamentally simple effective, with emphasis placed on good character development. Instead of Bruce Banner fighting his condition, he seeks to control it, and we get a glimpse into his dedication to achieving that goal. On the other hand, other characters in the movie are obsessed with his curse (to him), seeking to harness it for themselves. Adding in a nemesis that is suitably comparable to the Hulk himself certainly helps make the movie more balanced and believable. The CG effects are much better this time around. Be sure to look out for a cameo from another popular Marvel character. All in all, I was entertained.

Wanted (James McAvoy|Angelina Jolie|Morgan Freeman) was also a lot of fun, thanks to director Timur Bekmambetov. Taking the ordinary office cubicle-monger and thrusting him into the world of an ancient underground society of assassins (The Fraternity) is certainly a very graphic novel approach to things, keeping it in line with its origins. We get to witness Wesley Gibson go through his assassin training and honing his skills before taking on the ultimate mission: to avenge his father. Or at least, that's what it seems like. The effects and stunts are absolutely fantastic, as is Angelina Jolie's performance as Fox. A good twist and satisfactory ending wraps it up nicely. I have no regrets seeing this one in the theaters.

Overall, two movies that I am happy to have watched. More to come. Soon.

SquareEnix takes on the iPod.

The iPod is now a formidable gaming platform. Or rather, a potential gaming platform. Using the click-wheel as your controller, Song Summoner - The Unsung Heroes adopts the Final Tactics Advance approach to battles. What's different is that it uses your iTunes Library to create and level-up your characters. The more you play those songs, the stronger your Tune Troopers will get. Its a neat twist. $4.99 at the iTunes Music Store will nab you this portable game. Sadly, my old iPod Nano is not compatible, as it lacks video capabilities. Maybe its time for a new one.

FUNi, the Savior.

That's the title I have dubbed the R1 studio known as FUNimation. In a surprise announcement at their AX2008 panel, FUNimation announced that they have struck a deal with (the supposedly defunct) Geneon to market and distribute several remaining titles and licenses that were orphaned. Geneon will still maintain their licenses and will oversee production of the dvds (after all, most of the materials were already completed before their sudden departure from the R1 anime market). In addition, Sojitz, an ex-partner with ADV, has also approached FUNimation. The result is that FUNimation now also owns the rights and licenses of all Sojitz titles previously held by ADV. Bad news for ADV, great news for FUNimation and anime fans out there. That is a huge number of titles added under FUNimation's wing, but I believe they can handle it. CEO Gen Fukanaga has made TONS of fanboys and fangirls wet their pants with this announcement. And AX2008 isn't even over yet! FUNimation FTW! Now the question remains on how these titles will be handled. Will they continue releasing singles for those partially-released titles? Will they just restart the whole title via boxsets? Will we have to double-dip on some titles? Regardless, now I can complete Rozen Maiden Träumend and Red Garden. I am SO excited! Can the 4th of July 2008 weekend get any better?

Smoke and Mirrors Masterpieces.

The Weather Project. Your Black Horizon. The New York City Waterfall. 121Ethopia.
Such are the works of world-renowned artist Olafur Eliasson. Based in Berlin, the Danish-Icelandic artist and his crew of 30+ master crafters utilize natural elements such as water and sunlight to creates fantastic sculptures that evokes consciousness—both of the mind and the environment. Absolutely brilliant. Check out his works in the new book released by Taschen entitled Studio Olafur Eliasson: An Encyclopedia. While you're at it, don't forget to check out www.nycwaterfalls.org and www.121ethopia.org.

Of fireworks and socialites.

The 4th of July holiday weekend sneaked up on me. I realized that it was 7/4, but it didn't occur to my pea-sized brain that my company was not running on Friday. Thus ensued a Thursday of quick-fire chaos as I struggled to finish as much as I could to get out early. Well, I left at 4:45pm, so I guess that's ok. And a coworker gave me a ride home, which was really nice of her.

On Friday, I met up with another fellow Malaysian at my local Starbucks. It was nice to see someone that you have some commonalities and background with. Having come from New York City, he is definitely struggling, and doing somethings under-the-table to live-on. But I am very proud that he is working on getting his paperwork sorted. Having had to deal with paperwork (and still dealing with it today), I can understand his hardship. I wish him the best of luck.

That evening, Don and I went to a charity function for the Nevada AIDS Project, being held at the Las Vegas World Market Center. Its a giant monolith of a building that almost seems like there's no windows or doors. But of course, there are. Strictly B2B for the home furniture and furnishings industry, the public is usually not allowed in. But for special events such as this, an exception was made. And I must say that the building boasts a fantastic view of the ENTIRE Las Vegas valley, Strip and all! Anywho, the fundraiser was alot of fun, with lots of the local gay (and non-gay) community showing up for an evening of social interaction, drinks and fireworks. Of course, there was the auction and vocal singing for the evening. It was fun, and very refreshing to see what little a community we have here come out for an event. After that, Don and I went to Red Rock Casino for some late night dinner. We walked around the casino to walk said dinner after that. Every bit of exercise helps.

All in all, the day turned out better than I expected. That's a good thing. Why? Because I wasn't at home on the computer again, being bored and feeling like I am wasting my life away in my empty apartment by myself.

Picture courtesy of John Gurzinski for The New York Times.

I <3 WEIRD.

OK! So I am a few days behind ... but, lo and behold I am back in Las Vegas. And I already miss Portland. It was weird. And I love weird. My four days of walking was fantastic. I had booze in me a good bit of my trip. It was actually sunny on all four days. A little chilly, but sunny nonetheless. Portland is a very green and green-conscious city. Reuse. Refuse. Recycle. Everywhere. People of all kinds. Fantastic public transportation. Weiden + Kennedy. Pride weekend. And Michael. Meeting Michael there was so much fun. He's a really nice guy, and was gracious enough to let me stay at his cute, stylish studio. I call it the Taxidermy Suite, because he has a thing for fur. Nevertheless, it was nice place, located in Nob Hill, aka the Alphabet District, making it close to 23rd Street and to the Pearl District.

The 23rd Street area is very much like Virginia Highlands back in Atlanta. A few streets of great local stores, restaurants and bars, surrounded by residences all over. The Pearl District is just a few blocks away, and it is a downtown area, filled with many, many hip trendy spots. Contemporary industrial-modern styles meets historical greco-roman architecture at every corner, with mod-pop strewn in for a good mix.

I do want to go back. I didn't get enough time to see everything I wanted to see. And of course, to visit Michael again. But, what I did manage to see and experience includes:

Powell's Books - A whole block and 4 levels of books. Old. New. Used. Rare. Out of Print. A book lover's paradise. I could spend days in there.
Rich's Cigar Store - Best magazine selection in town. I don't smoke, but they do seem to have a great cigar selection too.
Hotel Lucia - A small boutique, modern and fun hotel. Includes a cute lobby area with a rotating art gallery. Check out Bo and Typhoon while you're there.
Ace Hotel - A mod, posh mid-century modern hotel in the Pearl District. Use that photo booth and capture the experience.
Ken's Artisan Bakery - fantastic sandwiches and baked goods. Always packed. Always good. Try some marionberry pastry.
Portland City Grill - the 30th floor location gives you an awesome view of the entire city, including all 7 bridges across the Willamette River. Very crowded and popular, so good luck scoring a table with a view.
Portland Japanese Garden - A beautiful place to spend a sunny day. Picturesque.
Reading Frenzy - A zine shop for all things 'zine.'
CounterMedia - small bookstore with all kinds of tasteful and not-so-tasteful erotica.
Mio Gelato - Go here for your Pearl District gelato fix.
Alotto Gelato - Go here if you're near 23rd Street.
Caffe Umbria - Fun, modern Italian joint. Good for a lunch break.
Masu - Grab some sushi and Hakutsure. Then chill.
Bleu - Enjoy an ever-changing menu, designed and served by the students of the Western Culinary Institute.
Silverado and Boxxes/Red Cap - Gay Nightlife.

PS. I also managed to see my ex-roomate John while I was there. Also managed to spend some time with Ben, another fellow Malaysian who was visiting Portland that weekend.

PPS. Southwest Airlines was ok an airline. The flight to Portland was nice and on time. The flight from Portland was delayed an hour and was completely full. I'll have to remember to check in early, so I can get good seats.

李聖傑 - 靠近

Here's another C-Pop song that I have been enjoying a lot lately. (Sam) Li Sheng Jie has a great voice, and Kao Jin (from the album So Fun 收放自如) is very powerful and emotional. The MV is very simple and evocative at the same time, proving that everything need not be flashy to be effective. And now, thanks to bubbleheadcharm, you get to sing along the KTV version! Yay! Have at it.

Proof that Originality is Dead!

You wanna live in the zip ... you've got to live by the code. That's a smart tagline. CW has apparently decided to resurrect Aaron Spelling's best hit of the '90s. 90210 is back, with a diverse all-new cast and an edgy, contemporary style. That catchy tune we all know is still here, as is that high-school atmosphere and teen soap-drama we all love to eat up like chocolate cake on a bad day. Now, I was never a fan of the original, so I can't say how great it was. Great enough to be a wondrous hit, that much I know. Even growing up in Malaysia, I heard about it. And now its back. Hollywood is just rehashing all these classic hits, updating them with today's relevance and hoping to catch the fans of yesteryears. Clearly, they're running out of ideas. So we will find out this Fall if 90210 can reclaim the fame it once had. Tori has given her support. Maybe Shannon Doherty should guest star. That would be a well-watched episode!

Alpha Kitty Awesomeness!

So check out Alpha Kitty on YouTube. They've got an absolutely series on NYC Fashionistas being themselves and sharing their passions. It can be anything and everything. It's very clean, simple, basic, and yet has a style that doesn't obstruct the message, yet gets the idea across. Very fun, pop, kitsch ... just pure genius at a raw level. This one here is one of my favorite, and has a very important message as well.

Shopping on the South Side

I recently visited Town Square with Taylor, and I must say that it is shaping up rather nicely. It was a beautiful spring day, and there were plenty of people everywhere. Their dogs too. And why wouldn't they? They have great restaurants like Louis's and Fish Camp, the Apple Store, Rave Motion Cinema and the best Borders in town. I'm bound to be there alot more once I get my wheels. You should too if you ever come to Las Vegas.

PS. The District II in Summerlin should be nice too, once it gets done.

The Engineeringz of Kittehz!!!!1!

Feeling dumb about Kittehz? Well, this iz for u!

Riko ... aishiteru.

I'm pleasantly surprised and quite pleased with how this collaboration between Top Cow and Gonzo turned out. While there's definitely alot of fanservice and great action scenes, it doesn't stop there. The story and plot is fairly simple, but is made stellar with solid art direction and well-planned pacing, thanks to director Yoshimitsu Ohashi. We get a decent amount of fight scenes, but there are also plenty of story-development scenes, with the occasional comedy bits thrown in to lighten the mood. This gives Witchblade a good progression rate that's easy to swallow. Questions raised get answered as the series progress. In addition to that, an incredibly well-casted bunch of characters makes the whole story even more intriguing. This is where Witchblade shines as well. Time is spent on fleshing out the cast, giving them history, personalities, roles, and progressive development. You eventually relate to the characters and care about what will happen next. The japanese seiyuus did an amazing job of delivering the essence of the characters, bringing life and energy to them. The music score is very fitting to the mood of the show, the sound effects are spot-on, and Uno Makoto's fantastic designs just makes the series even more appealing. Add in FUNimation's well-done efforts in the R1 DVD release (including the Top Cow covers), and there's very little to not like about Witchblade. While it's not the most mind-blowing show ever done (and some may find the ending to be anti-climatic), it's a very well-done and enjoyable anime adaptation of a western comic property. And that's what anime is all about: being enjoyed.

Amaterasu's debut ... on the Wii.

I don't own a Wii (yet), but I do want this game. Like its previous installment, it just looks like visual watercolors coming to life, right off the old scrolls. The music is wonderful, and the gameplay looks slick! Who knows, maybe one day when I own a hi-def tv and a Wii...I will get a copy of Okami. And while I'm at it, the Okami: Official Complete Works artbook looks like a needed accessory as well. In the meantime, check out okamiart.com for your (official) Okami art needs. There's a ton of it.

More Shinkai Goodness!

The last few weeks have been crazy-busy at work. Not that I'm complaining, because being busy is a good thing, but I do look forward to the weekends. A whole two days when I don't have to work. I received my copy of 5 Centimeters Per Second, and I'll be viewing it this weekend. It is Makoto's third feature animation, and the trailer looks fantastic! Granted, Voices Of A Distant Star and The Place Promised In Our Early Days were awesome movies too, but this one looks like its his best yet! Check it out for yourself!

UPDATE. Well, I must say I'm impressed. Its very similar and different at the same time (from his previous animation projects). Tragedy is a common staple, so expect it, but in a very different presentation. Told in 3 distinct chapters of a character's journey, its impressive to see how Shinkai portrays Tono and his journey in life. All of the characters have distinct personalities, adding a sense of depth and realism to the story. You can't help but feel for them as the naturally evolve and develop over the course of the movie. At the same time, the technical production details are astounding, if not even better, to his previous projects. Colors, shadings, gradients, tints ... the realistic and highly-detailed details are amazing, something you would only expect to find in a live-action movie (because the details are carved into the damn props themselves!). There are no action scenes, per se, in this movie, but its not needed. Some sci-fi elements remain intact. Fluidity is a forte of any Shinkai project, and he often animate scenes in ways that are distinct to Japanese animation that western movies and tv series would never be able to leave intact (they're considered a waste of space, if you will. Pity). It really adds to the overall mood, value and artistic expression of the movie. The Japanese voice acting, music and sound effects are stellar as well, bringing the whole story together and evoking the emotions within you that Shinkai wants you to experience for his characters. Tenmon did a fantastic job with the musical score, as always. And yes, the story does have a closure to it. In short, Shinkai Makoto lives up to his previously set bars of expectations, if not surpassing them. Do I recommend this? You bet your your bottom dollar I do! The man is a friggin' genius! Avoid this if you must have moe, boobs, supernatural elements, guns, swords, mecha, explosions, or slapstick humor.