Mr. Haxa Does The Blogs

New DVDs Collections

1. City of God - Brazilian ganghood and a man who inspires to become a photographer and got what he wants. If you are not into violent, don't watch this.
2. The Nest - This one is French. Two plots [1] national guard transferring a high-profile criminal [2] rob squad who was holding up a warehouse full of IBM laptops!!
3. Under The Sun - haven't watched yet.
4. LOTR - The Two Towers - Special DVD Extended Version, finally!

LOTR: The Return of The King | The Premier Event & The Movie

At the conclusion of the LOTR third instalment, I finally made sense to my belief that Tolkien who wrote the books during WWII was based his writings of Lord of The Rings based on the war he was going through. If John Maynard Keynes wrote his General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money reflecting problems and solutions for economics based on his real experiences during the Great Depression, and made an important landmark in economics, J.R.R. Tolkien is the literature counterpart for his contribution in the field of literature, storytelling, and characters development has surpassed any other writers' fame and popularity in this century; for his masterpiece has now touched so many hearts; young, adults, and elderly.

And last night at the premier of the Return of The King, I have for the first time feel the excitement of going to a movie like I have never had before. Imagine the character Salvatore De Vita in Cinema Paradiso in his early discovery of films. That was exactly the same sentiment I felt that with a friend of mine, that had us busy following the promotional sponsors' personnel who dressed up in Gandalf, Aragorn, Arwen, and Nazgul costumes and shooting some pictures. And looking at those pictures, I do feel like a hobbit as these guys were so tall!

So, following the parade to the hall with Gandalf, Aragorn, Arwen, and Nazgul, we rushed into our hall and ten minutes later, the movie started, without ADS!!!

The movie began with the story of how did the ring fell into the hand of Smeagol. Form there on, the movie developed into two main plots, the journey of Frodo, Sam, and Gollum to Mordor and the battle for the Middle Earth as well as the diversion war that was planned to defeat Sauron. Both plots were as enjoyable and thrillling. I will let you watch all the excitements in the movie, but suffice writing here that I wish there were more to the movie. I wish it was 4 hours or 5 maybe?

Would love to hear what you think about the movie. I give it 5 stars! And I believe that it is the strong contender for Film of The Year as well as Best Director. Hopefully in the actor nominees goes to Viggo Mortensen. Watch out for this actor in forthcoming years. At least we now have another great talent besides Russell Crowe!

LOTR: The Return of the Kings CHARITY PREMIER | Here I Come!

This is like my birthday gift, which will be coming in next 12 days. I have never got the lifetime chance to be a true follower of Star Wars trilogy and while I think The Matrix failed, this one is the biggest classical epic film that I can relate and be fond of.

For all the cinematic experience it gives, for all the fantasy it has opened me up to, for all the wisdom and different interpretations of life that Tolkien told us, for all the brilliance of Peter Jackson who deserve an award for directing this masterpiece, for all the beautiful landscape in New Zealand that has enticed me to go for vacation there, for all the digital and 2d encounter I truly appreciate, for all the record breaking box-office it achieved, for all the power of visualization and imagination it inspire me, for all the English literature made easy my understanding, for all its honesty in screenplay, for all the different interpretations I have made sense for my knowledge repository, and for all the sense of excitement, discovery, sadness, friendship, and bonds; I truly appreciate these movies more than any other.

And for that, I can hardly wait to be among early viewer of LOTR: The Return Of The King. I can only wish that I was in Wellington right now, in line for the premier at that theatre owned by Peter Jackson, and parading with other fans, while got myself dressed in Nazgul costume. Yes, I love the Nazgul costume!

And in case anyone knows where to get the extended DVD version of the earlier LOTR, please tell me so where to get it. I really look forward to watch the extra 40 minutes.

Facts about LOTR

Source: Chicago Sun-Times Article: Welcome to Wellington, home of the happy Hobbits, December 14, 2003, BY JAE-HA KIM STAFF REPORTER

First day of principal shooting: Oct. 11, 1999.
Last day of principal shooting: Dec. 22, 2000.
Number of days spent filming pickup shot this year: 50.
Number of dialect coaches hired for the actors: 2.
Products stylists used to keep the elves' hair so shiny and flaxen: Frizz Ease and Bryl Cream.
The man who could've been king: Stuart Townsend, who was replaced by Viggo Mortensen.
Number of extras: 26,000.
Number of horses: 380.
Number of horses that didn't get make the cut: 750.
Why PETA should love them: In many of the battle scenes, filmmakers used fake horses filled with foam.
Number of prop skulls: 1,000.
Number of links knitted for the chain armor: Twelve million.
Number of artisans who handknitted the armor: Two.
Number of feet created for the hobbits: Almost 2,000.
Number of noses created for Gandalf: 150.
Worldwide gross for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring": 860 million dollars.
Worldwide gross for "The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers": 950 million dollars. [Pic: TheOneRing.net]

Review: Bowling for Columbine

I couldn't believe that I could stayed up the night of a weekday for a one hour and 59 minutes until 2 am in the morning to watch a documentary on guns, moral, and socio-economic maladies in the United States.

Nevertheless, the brilliance of Michael Moore in his Bowling for Columbine that grabbed the Academy Awards for a documentary feature is a very honest insight and analysis to all the problems crippling the social values in the America.

Moore explored the two events that set the main theme of this entire production, the Columbine school shooting and the 6th grader killing by another 6th grade kid.

The American historical background against other countries, the interviews with the victims and suspects (of Oklahoma bombing, Waco, Columbine, Littleton, etc), the case against the National Rifle Association (NRA), the byproducts of those events, the counter and balance argument against why did those things had to happen, the new reality in the changing economic landscape and welfare program, and the petition against Kmart selling of shotguns and ammunition probably best describes this entire documentary.

Thus, for me watching this documentary is like going through a social analysis and its historical backdrop of America. Little did I know that:

1. Columbine is located near the Lockheed Martin weapon plants,
2. South Park was actually a derivate of the Columbine 'massacre',
3. America dropped more bombs and killed more people in the Kosovo war more than any other days during the battle on the same day of the Columbine killing, that President Clinton, went out on national television twice that day,
4. Reform in welfare program has taken a dimension that it dehumanize the goal of its program,
5. The students who were shooting at the Columbine high school were at the bowling alley the morning of the tragic event,
6. Charleston Heston dared to rally alongside the NRA in both towns just after events took place,
7. Mairlyn Manson was the main blame for he was the idols to those kids who did the shooting
8. Most importantly, if one is to answer why those events unfold in America, there couldn't be any single answer to it. Moore attacks all his interviewee reasoning by logical arguments that you couldn't deny. At least, Charleston Heston in the final interview of the documentary failed to argue with Moore points.

If you are (or were) or somewhat took a course or two or majored in political science or economics, this is a good source of ‘edutainment’. Or perhaps if you would want to understand the history of America, there's a good cartoon slot in this documentary that satirically done it well.

In all, I think the purchase of this DVD worth every single cent of it for it has given me a lesson to look into things from different angles. Kudos, Moore!

New DVDs Collection

Can't wait to watch all these movies. Piling up the DVD collection is becoming so much fun!

Anyway, latest news has it that Peter Jackson will be doing the prequel to the trilogy of LOTR: The Hobbits. Early news on this has it that the right to the book was quite impossible to get. And Liv Tyler role will also be quite significant in this movie although her character, Arwen is hardly mentioned in the book.

1. All The Real Girl - Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel, and Patricia Clarkson star in this love film
2. Nowhere in Africa - Another WWII Jewish movie
3. Malena - Another Giuseppe Tornatore and Ennio Morricone movie after the Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
4. West Side Story - Is it really the best film adaptations of a musical ever created?
5. Irreversible - See what's all the fuss is about
6. Bowling for Columbine - Remember that guy who blasted Bush at the Oscar? This is his documentary feature that won the Academy Awards.

Utusan Malaysia | Berita Harian: ACA vs. The Minister

This is interesting. Look at how the use of language can alter the readers' perception towards the entire article. The title on Utusan gives a 'win' to ACA, while the Berita Harian's title gives it is 'yes, you are quite right' to the minister, although the entire article says otherwise. Which side? which camp?, eh?

Tiada peruntukan larang kritik menteri [Utusan Malaysia]
KUALA LUMPUR 8 Dis. - Ketua Setiausaha Negara, Tan Sri Samsudin Osman menjelaskan bahawa sepanjang pengetahuannya memang tiada peruntukan di dalam Perintah Am Kerajaan yang menyebut penjawat awam tidak boleh mengkritik menteri secara terbuka.

Penjawat awam tiada hak tegur Menteri [Berita Harian]
KUALA LUMPUR: Pegawai kerajaan tidak seharusnya mengkritik Menteri walaupun tidak ada peruntukan di dalam Perintah Am yang melarang pegawai awam daripada berbuat demikian, kata Ketua Setiausaha Negara, Tan Sri Samsudin Osman.

The Wise Words of Samwise Gamgee [LOTR: The Two Towers]

These are the best lines of the movie in a scene that concludes the second film of the trilogy. It is so inspiring!

Frodo:
I can’t do this, Sam.

Sam:
I know.
It’s all wrong.
By right we shouldn’t even be here.
It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo.
The ones that really matters.
Full of darkness and danger they were.
And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy?
How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?
But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow.
Even darkness must pass.
A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer.
Those were the stories that stayed with you that meant something.
Even if you were too small to understand why.
But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand.
I know now.
Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t.
They kept going because they were holding on to something.

Frodo:
What are we holding on to, Sam?

Sam:
That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo.
And it’s worth fighting for.

The Miracle Baby Boy

The article 'Miracle' baby draws Bethlehem crowds on cnn.com is an interesting one if you carefully take a look at the reactions from the different religion. Read more on cnn.

It's about the birthmark on this baby boy's cheek that has an Arabic letters forming his late uncle name, Ala. Ala was a Hamas martyr, who was killed by the Jews after he was suspected of being a suicide bomber. The baby boy was born on the Ramadhan 27th, the night when Muslims observe the Quran revelation to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

The Imam's reaction:
"The imam from the camp's main mosque entered the crowded living room, traced a finger along the swirling birthmark -- which finishes behind the baby's right ear -- and pronounced it a "gift from God."
The Grandmother's reaction:
"The birthmark was a sign "the soldiers can kill our sons but not our spirit." She voiced hope Israelis and Palestinians would make peace and allow her grandson to grow up free from violence."
The Palestinian's reaction:
"Thousands have been flocking to the Aida refugee camp for a glimpse of the 11-day-old infant many are calling a "miracle baby." "
The Christian's reaction:
"Local Christians preparing for subdued Christmas observances have quietly dismissed it as lacking religious significance. "
The Jew's reaction:
"It sounds very freaky."
The Israeli's army reaction:
"As the grandmother spoke to the reporter, the Israeli army patrol fired tear gas at stone-throwing youths nearby."

Seven High Points of the Day

1. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is opening up the local loop. This means more broadband provider, much competitiveness, and ultimately better pricing for improved QoS! Read more.
2. Intel is pushing for wireless desktop ... that means, no routers needed for home wifi-set-up! Read more.
3. iMAC will soon be in the classrooms in Malaysia. The Ministry of Education have ordered 5005 of the machine for assisting teachers to teach Science and Maths in English. Given few more years and if the pilot succeded, we could get iMAC for RM1,000 here!!! Read more.
4. Saw Master and Commander last night. It is one of the best movie I've ever seen recently besides LOTR. Review coming soon! Peter Weir, the director is awesome! Rusell Crowe is the BEST actor there is today!
5. LOTR Wellington world premier has it that the conclusion of the trilogy has Oscar written all over it. Looks like it'll be a year of Peter Jackson vs. Peter Weir. Read more.
6. I'll be watching the LOTR world premier in 15 days more!
7. And the weather today is awesome!