電影

Son of Rambow 第二滴血

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Son of Rambow 請大家不要誤會﹐《第二滴血》不是《第一滴血》的續集﹐雖然兩套電影也不是全無關係。《第二滴血》的故事發生在八十 年代的英國小鎮﹐有兩個男孩迷上了《第一滴血》﹐自行拍攝電影的續集﹐幻想自己是藍保的兒子﹐在槍林彈雨下勇救被敵方的俘擄藍保。拍攝的過程不單笑話連篇﹐還見證了兩個男孩的一段感人友情。這齣電影由英國獨立電影公司拍攝﹐有別於荷里活的公式喜戲﹐不會夾硬造作引人發笑。英式幽默比較含蓄﹐不會明顯地逗人哈哈大笑﹐但會讓人內心不禁莞爾。

這個故事是圍繞兩個小男孩之間的友誼。他們兩人的家庭背景﹐可說是完全兩個極端。一個男孩生長在清教徒家庭﹐每天除了需要讀聖經外﹐還嚴禁接觸世俗的娛樂﹐不可以看會教壞人的電視和電影。另一個男孩則完全無王管﹐父母在長時間在外國工作﹐與不良少年的哥哥相依為命。在一次遇然的機會下他們相遇﹐壞男孩給老師罰出走廊站﹐好男孩則因為不能看電視要出走廊自條。最初壞男孩是明搵好男孩笨﹐當他是下屬般呼喝使喚﹐好男孩還以為自己交了個新朋友。在壞男孩家中好男孩初次接觸電影﹐偷看在戲院盜錄的《第一滴血》後完全著迷﹐還幻想出藍保兒子救父的故事。壞男孩正想拍攝真人特技電影﹐於是便照好男孩的故事作劇本﹐哄騙好男孩當主角兼土法特技人。

他們兩個人每天一起拍攝電影﹐原本壞男孩只不過視好男孩為一件拍攝工具。直到有一次拍攝發生意外﹐好男孩掉下潮中機乎遇溺﹐壞男孩把好男孩救回上岸﹐他們二人的關係發生微妙的變化﹐壞男孩把好男孩視為朋友兄弟﹐開啟了他的心靈接納好男孩的友誼。在另一邊廂好男孩每天暪著母親拍電影﹐在他家庭的保守教會引起一個騷動。除了兩個小孩異想天開扮藍保拍戲這條主線外﹐這齣電影的支線也很豐富感人。有從法國來的潮爆交換生﹐介入兩人的電影拍攝﹐令他們的友情受到考驗。也有壞男孩與他哥哥的關係﹐好男孩母親與保守教會的關係﹐因為他們的這套電影而轍底改變。兩個小男孩因拍電影而引起的家庭問題﹐換一個角度去看﹐不也是與每個人成長的煩惱源出一轍嗎。

這套電影最成功的地方﹐是兩位童星的演技令人讚嘆服佩﹐把角色的感情﹐內心的矛盾爭扎演活了。在銀幕上好男孩前很天真單純﹐對每個朋友也是同樣付出真心。他一心只想拍攝自己喜愛的故事﹐不明白為什麼牧師要阻止他﹐說他在做壞事。他一邊不想讓媽媽不開心﹐一邊又兼顧與朋友一同完成電影的承諾。演壞男孩早熟得像一個小大人﹐可是老積外表下不時流靈出內裏一顆童真的心。他對好男孩態度轉變的表達技巧精妙﹐演活從欺負對像到真心朋友﹐因為誤會以為友情受到背叛﹐但在最後關頭還是不能捨棄朋友的心路。飾演配角的法國交換生也很入形入格﹐活脫像個受學生歡迎追捧﹐喜歡藝術愛自戀的反叛少年。

據說史泰龍十分欣賞這套 《第二滴血》﹐不過印象中這套電影好像沒有在戲院上過畫﹐甚至DVD也沒有什麼宣傳。我也只是坐長途飛機時﹐其他電影不是看過了便沒有趣興﹐幸運地隨意看到了這套電影﹐直是一個頗意外的驚喜。

Daily Scribble

100 pieces of paper to get before you die

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I am reading the news about the author of the book “100 things to do before you die” has passed away.  The title of his book catch my eyes, so I went to amazon and check it out.  The book is about 100 places, festivals and events one should see in his life.  I am not a very cultural person, I am not interest in most of those events.  Why would I want to see some stupid festival in Africa or South America.  A few sports or fun events such as F1 racing or Nobel prize is quite attractive though.  Merely seeing things is meaningless unless you can get something out of the experience.  Most of those events will only contribute to your photo album and cocktail party chats.

Yet this books give me an idea.  Over our life time, we have to write exams, get license, acquire many pieces of paper that prove our existence.  I should write a book about “100 pieces of paper to get before you die”.  It should not be too hard to elaborate on each entry, talk about the benefits and justify the why you have to get it for a few pages.  That would make a nice little book.  Oh! Well! I can’t came up with 100 items, I can only think of half of them.  Here is my list (not in order) so far:

  1. Birth certificate
  2. High school diploma
  3. Bachelor degree
  4. Master degree
  5. Ph.D degree
  6. Grade certification of any musical instruction (paino, violin, etc.)
  7. Driver license
  8. Driver license for motor bike
  9. Private pilot license
  10. Sky diving license
  11. Paragliding license
  12. Hang gliding license
  13. Motor boat operator license
  14. Sailing certificate
  15. Yachting certificate
  16. Scuba diving license (PADI, etc)
  17. Any sport instructor license (Ski, snowboard, golfing, etc.)
  18. Marriage certificate
  19. Birth certificate of your children
  20. Passport
  21. Baptism certificate (or any spiritual certificate)
  22. Firearm license
  23. Hunting license
  24. Fishing license
  25. Any second language proficiency exam certificate
  26. Mensa membership
  27. Membership of any political party
  28. Professional designation or trade certificate
  29. PMP
  30. MBA
  31. Equity or bonds (stock certification)
  32. Any awarded scholarship
  33. Any sport award
  34. Credit card
  35. Library card
  36. DNA map
  37. Ticket of a cruise
  38. Ticket of a major sport event (World Cup, Olympic, etc)
  39. Ticket to outer space
  40. Will
  41. Toastmaster
  42. First aid certificate
  43. Life saving certificate
  44. Patent
  45. Property ownership
  46. Six Sigma
  47. Write a book
  48. Take a master piece of photo
  49. Any martial art belts (Karate, King Fu, etc)

Strictly speaking, you don’t get the last piece of paper before you die, you get it after you die – the death certificate.  Any suggestion to add to the list?

Daily Scribble

A cruel practical joke

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I just pulled off a Here is a very cruel but harmless practical joke on my friend today.  We went to have dessert after dinner and chatted for a long time.  When we are about to leave, my friend really want to go to the washroom.  Unfortunately the dessert place has no washroom, so I asked whether he can hold on until we go to a McDonald or gas station.  He said he really have to go, so we look for washroom in the shopping mall next to the dessert place.  It is quite late, so the mall is half closed.  We managed to sneak inside and locate the washroom.  I walked first, so naturally I grab the door handle of the washroom for him.  Out of the blue, I decide to pull a practical joke on my friend.  I pretend the door is locked and fake trying very hard to open the door.  It is so funny to see the look of my friend.  I think he almost at point of no return that he can no longer hold it anymore.  If I didn’t tell him at once the door is actually not locked, I think he could have peed in his pant.  Oh!  Yeah. I waited quite some time outside the washroom for him to finish his business.

Daily Scribble

India round 2

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This year I really travel a lot.  I went back to HK last Christmas, then I went to India twice in Spring.  I just come back from my honey in Rome and Mediterranean, now I am preparing to go to India again.  I have been kinda expecting to go back to India.  Thing is not going so well with the project.  My Indian guys are not as productivity as we want them to be.  It is just a matter of time before I have to go back and shake thing up.  The boss has just announced a delay, so it is probably the time to go back and get the Indian guys in shape.  Moreover, there are quite a few new hire since I came back, it is always good to know the face of your subordinate.

India still sucks.  No one is really looking forward to go there.  Everyone come back with their version of horror stories.  On the bright side, I only have to go there for 2 weeks.  I had experienced the culture shock, so I can be productive once I get there and overcome the jet lag.  The boss promised me extra bonus last time, but the extra bonus I got is less than my dinner bill in India, so there ain’t much incentive going to India.  I have seen more than enough India from my last trip.  I had already used my Indian quota for the next 10 years.  I am not really excited going there this time.  Whatever have to get done has to get done.  I have to go to India or my work won’t get done.  The only positive thing about this trip is that I can stop over Hong Kong on my way back for a weekend to visit my grandma.

電影

Be Kind Rewind 低清老翻王

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02be_kind_rewind_poster.jpg 原本坐長途飛機有幾十套新舊電影可供選擇﹐ 我竟然給獨立媒體的一篇文章誤導了﹐浪費了個多小時看這套無聊兼白痴的《低清老翻王》。這套電影的故事很有創意﹐片頭頗為吸引﹐可惜內容卻完全是另一回事。話說一間拍烏蠅錄影帶店的店長外去﹐把店子留下給一黑一白的古怪二人組打理。因為某些超自然現像﹐所有錄影帶離奇失效變成播雪花。黑白二人組沒有錢重新入貨﹐為留著僅餘的忠心客人﹐他們決定自己重拍客人想租的經典電影。他們粗製濫造的老翻電影意外地大受歡迎﹐口啤一傳十﹐十傳百﹐影帶店門外排滿想租帶的客人﹐每個人也想他們重拍一套屬於自己的經典老翻電影。

片頭中見黑白二人組惡搞 《捉鬼敢死隊》﹐《火併時速》﹐《火併時速》﹐《鐵甲威龍》等多齣經典電影。他們只有一台爛攝錄機﹐隨手拿來癈物利用當道具﹐最抵死是用紙板作特技效果。他們的老翻電影簡陋馬虎﹐妙在仍然忠於原作的經典場面﹐向熟識原作的觀眾開玩笑。雖然戲中的老翻電影是宣傳重點﹐戲中其實沒有多少套老翻電影﹐最精彩的鏡頭在片頭已經全部看過了。這套電影的主線是很老土的濫溫情﹐浪漫化與時代脫節的舊式影帶店。無論影帶店如何頑抗DVD的潮流﹐抗拒轉型去迎合市場需要的小商店﹐最終也不能阻擋歷史的洪流。諷刺是這套電影歌頌錄影帶店的人情味﹐自已卻完全擁抱DVD的主流市場﹐索性連錄影帶版本也不發售。

電影中最後黑白二人組不再拍老翻﹐聯用小鎮上的居民一起拍齣完全屬於自己的電影。本來這個結局勉強可以接受﹐豈料他們選錯了電影的題材﹐拍攝最沉悶的記錄片﹐講述一個明不經傳小人物的人生。作為最後高潮的戲中戲﹐與前段老翻電影的惹笑相比﹐這套低成本記錄片讓觀眾大跌眼鏡。更要命是在他們原創電影中﹐那個在當地薄有名氣的小人物的生平﹐大半是居民刻意杜撰出來。戲中有個小鎮的居民還說﹐小鎮的歷史是屬於他們的﹐他們有權改寫自己的歷史。他們毫不尊重歷史客觀性的態度﹐只求自己開心過癮便擅自改寫歷史﹐那麼他們與《一九八四》的真理局有什麼分別。

這齣電影本身平平無奇﹐不過借電影宣傳之手聯同Youtube﹐精心策劃出一個老翻熱潮。導演更為老翻創造了一新的英文字Swede﹐鼓勵網上同好自已動手拍攝老翻﹐並上載到Youtbue參加老翻王大賽。老實說﹐那些上載參賽的老翻短片比《低清老翻王》精彩多了﹐識我豈在電腦前看了整個晚上。最搞笑是老翻《低清老翻王》的短片﹐正是老翻人片者﹐人亦老翻其片也。