Monthly Archives: March 2008

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In the memory of Arthur C. Clarke

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Today Arthur C. Clarke passed away at the age of 90. He and Issac Asimov are two of my most favorite science fiction writers. No only that he is a great writer, he is also a prophet of science. He wrote about many modern day inventions, such as satellites, moon journey, super computers, long before we see those become reality.

I read lots of his sci-fi novels when I was young. I always fancy by his world of possibilities. Although I don’t have much time to read novels these days, sci-fi is still my most favorite gene in movies or books. Actually, I don’t like his most well known novel, 2001 Space Odyssey, that much. I think the 2nd book in the series, 2010, is much better. The theme of the book is much easier to understand. Childhood’s End is another book I like very much. He warned us in the book that the human race may evolve into a dead end. Maybe so-call modern day green or pacifism ideologies are exactly following the dangerous path of evolving to extinction.

I always wanted to read his Rama series, maybe reading his novels is a good way to tribute to my second most beloved sci-fi writer. (P.S. I think Asimov is better than Clarke)

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Graphistudio

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Graphistudio

I just received my Graphistudio sample album today.  The leather binded wedding album comes in a elegant black suit case with a matching parent book set.  The sample album includes photos printed in different samples papers including, semi-gross paper in offset printing, gross paper with lamination and metallic prints.  It is very easy to order an album.  You just have to upload the pictures with to their FTP server, then submit an order form specifying the layout for each picture.  Graphistudio is probably the most high-end wedding album printing service I have seen.  The whole album is printed and binded in Italy.  It definitely beats the quality of your local print shop.  Don’t even mention to the crappy album come with the photo package from HK wedding studio.  It is like compare a Ferrari to a Hyundai, they are in two different league.  Highly recommended to couples who are planning their wedding.  Wedding album is the only thing, maybe except the video, in your wedding that you will often look back in 40 years.  It is a good investment to capture your finest moment in the best wedding album that you can afford.

電影

Das Boot U潛艇96

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Das Boot 喜歡看潛艇電影的朋友﹐不可能沒有看過「U潛艇96」 。這作品是潛艇電影的唯一經典﹐後來的「追擊赤十月」﹐「紅潮風暴」﹐U-571﹐K-19等賣座潛艇電影﹐在這齣電影面前也只能伏首稱臣。這電影是拍攝Outbreak和Air Force One的大導演Wolfgeng Petersen未成名前的作品﹐拍完這套作品就給發掘去荷里活發展。據說這套電影是有史以來最昂貴的德國電影﹐記錄至今還未被打破。

U潛艇是二次大戰時﹐希特拉用來封鎖英國的武器。U潛艇在大西洋巡邏﹐擊沉英國的運輸船隊﹐打擊盟軍的海上補給線。這套電影就是講述在戰爭後期﹐戰況越來越對德國失利時﹐潛艇U-96的最後一次出海任務。請不要誤會這套是戰爭電影﹐你不會找到令人熱血沸騰的交戰場面。這套電影內容的反戰意識十分明確﹐是描述潛艇內的低級官兵﹐在生死間面對戰爭的無奈。

說出來好像很行貨﹐潛艇片不外是這幾條公式﹐躲避驅逐艦的深水炸彈﹐發生意外越過極限深度﹐螺絲飛脫船倉入水﹐船員要與時間競賽搶修潛艇絕地求生。這套電影不是的特技片﹐在潛艇事故中不安局促的感覺﹐不是光靠畫面硬件去營造。而是靠演員迫真的演技﹐人性在災難中的自然反應﹐去把生死繫於一線緊張的緊張氣氛感染給觀眾。故事節奏有時會很緩慢﹐但卻像箭在弦上發射前的平靜﹐觀眾不由自主被牽引著﹐與鏡頭內的角色一同摒息靜氣﹐迎接下一刻未知的命運。眾人九死一生逃過深海死神的鐮刀﹐帶著千蒼百孔的U-96回到船塢。諷刺的是大難不死的U-96﹐下場竟然是停泊在碼頭上﹐給來襲的英軍轟炸機擊沉。

電影長片三個半小時 ﹐大部份時間也是拍攝三十個男人﹐困在不見天日的潛艇倉內。導演由始至終都捉緊觀眾的神經﹐完全沒有一絲冷場﹐導演不愧潛艇電影的表表者。戲中人物性格鮮明 ﹐交織出一幅描繪士兵心態變化的寫真。有憤世嫉俗的船長﹐一絲不苟的大副﹐嬉笑怒罵的二副﹐還有天真未脫的新兵。見證著他們最後之旅的人﹐則是初次乘搭潛 艇﹐對納萃充滿幻想的隨軍記者。雖然從船塢坐著潛艇出發﹐與活著回來下船的是同一個人﹐但這旅程徹底改變每一個船員的人生﹐這些改變正就是導演想輸達給觀眾的 感受。

經典即是經典﹐沒有看過 「U潛艇96」﹐就等於沒有看過潛艇電影。

電影

Enchanted 魔法奇緣

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Enchanted 坐沒有私人電視的舊式飛機有一個好處﹐就是會看到些平常自己不會選擇的電影。反正在長途飛機沒有其他事情可做﹐抱著不妨一看的心情﹐有時也許偶有驚喜。「魔法奇緣」是迪士尼出品的愛情童話﹐觀眾對像大慨是十多歲的小女生﹐又或者是幾十歲人但不願長大﹐整天幻想自己是公主的老女人。雖說這套電影是愛情故事﹐但劇中的愛情觀純過蒸溜水﹐絕對老少咸宜適合一家大細欣賞。

電影開始那一段是正宗的迪士尼卡通﹐故事是老土到點搞笑的王子救公主﹐惡毒後母施魔法阻止婚事﹐把公主送到一個沒有快快樂樂地生活下去結局的地方﹐這個地方就是現代的紐約曼克頓。接下來鏡頭風格一轉﹐從卡通變成真人演出﹐上演一齣童話公主紐約街頭落難記。男主角是前妻走路﹐獨力撫養小女兒的律師。他從來不相信童話故事﹐認為世界只有殘酷的現實。男主角與女兒回家路上公主﹐駁不過心地善良的小女兒﹐於是好心收留落難公主。現實與童話交錯相遇﹐男主角幾乎以為公主有精神病﹐不過這個公主又真係顛得幾渾循。另一邊廂王子發現不見了公主﹐於是與 小松鼠追來紐約救人。後母發現公主竟然未死﹐於是派出下手帶同毒蘋果追殺公主。正如所有童話故事的壞人手下一樣﹐永遠也是撞板多過吃飯。後母最後還是要親自出馬﹐從老遠的童話世界跑過來紐約。童話故事當然例牌大團員結局﹐有情人終成眷屬﹐快快樂樂地永遠在一起。咦~ 不過到底誰才是公主的真命天子呢﹖

說這套電影是童話故事只說對了一半﹐這套電影同時也在惡搞大家耳熟能詳的童話故事。平時在卡通中看那些老土情節﹐換上了真人很認真嚴肅地演出﹐間中加插現實的吐嘈諷刺﹐竟然意外地很滑稽惹笑。白雪公主唱歌叫動物幫手做家務﹐戲中的公主也有樣學樣﹐不過在紐約能只請老鼠烏鴉蟑螂來幫手。戇直王子上演巴士屠龍記﹐壞蛋手下千方百計送免費蘋果給公主吃﹐也同樣生鬼有趣。最抵死是公主要去舞會﹐現實世界找不到仙女幫忙變身怎麼辦。小女兒人細鬼大說有樣東西比仙女更管用﹐原來是偷爸爸的信用咭帶公主去買晚裝。

這套電影可以說為迪士尼七十多年的公主卡通作一個總結。在戲中落難公主身上﹐觀眾可以找到經典公主﹐白雪公主﹐灰姑娘﹐美女與野獸﹐睡公主﹐小魚仙等的熟悉影子。故事劇情雖然老老土土﹐但混入新鮮的現實元素﹐效果卻出人意表地討好。這套電影始終是迪士尼的作品﹐不會像史力加般瘋狂惡搞童話故事﹐只是在美化王子與公主故事之飾﹐在細微處讓人會心微笑。特別值得一讚的是女主角Amy Adams﹐雖然只是藉藉無名的新人﹐她完全演譯出童話公主應有的氣質﹐讓觀眾信服那個真的是從平面世界跑出來的難落公主﹐她可以說是這套電影的靈魂。城市人也許不再相信童話﹐但仍然愛看童話式的電影吧。

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Vacation at home

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After over 24 hours of flying, finally I arrived at the Vancouver International Airport.  The long flight from India to Canada is though, taking off at 3a.m. make it even worse.  Usually when I take vacation, I will fly away from home and spend my times off in some where else.  This is the first time I fly back home for vacation.  I have a 2 weeks break in between my 2 months India assignment.  Life would be quite miserable if I have to stay there for 2 months continuously.  Actually it is not really a vacation, I still have to come to work in the head office.  However, comparing to working in India, going to work in Vancouver already seems like a vacation to me.