10/01/2012

A note on Upside Down and Looper


以防萬一還是加一句: *spoiler alert*

一連兩天看了兩齣科幻片,Upside DownLooper
再仔細分類,前者屬愛情片,後者是動作驚慄片,把它們作比較其實並不公平。
不過,既然在自己地頭,那我就不客氣的給一點評語。

不能說自己是個Sci-Fi迷,我也只不過在近年才開始多看不同片種。
但以我有限的認知,我覺得人家在三十多年前高科技還未普及的時候已能夠拍出Star Wars/ Star Trek
Blade Runner這些具前瞻性的經典作品,現代的科幻片製作要追上大師級水平絕對不容馬虎。

或者除了看電影之外,我們做任何事情都不應期望過高,否則換來失望時只會讓自己更失落。
看過Upside Down的預告片已心中有數,此戲為爛片的機會率達90%。
感覺就是整齣電影最精彩和最重要的片段都已被放在那兩分鐘裏。而事實的確如此。
懷着打定輸數的心態到戲院,原因有兩個:
1) 想看Kirsten Dunst,因為我一直都覺得她挺有氣質。
    我還以為她是公認的美女,原來有不少人都嫌她表情奸狡,有些男人甚至說她長得很醜... 這怎麼可能?
2) 都怪那討厭的宣傳技倆,還有毫無新意的港式電影譯名,看到電影海報時我還以為它的「構思」能「媲美」
    Inception(港譯:潛行凶間),原來它指的是In Time(港譯:潛逃時空)。
    算了,都不重要,反正網上許多影評都形容它為浪漫版Inception
    而實情是,除了都有上下顛倒的世界外,這兩部電影根本沒有共通點可言。

由於我不相信「愛可以戰勝一切」,所以要說服我這種麻煩觀眾是有點難度的。
電影完結前約十五分鐘,Adam因為跟Eden在Up Above偷偷約會被警察發現而要速逃,回到Down Below後男主角
告訴孤兒們 其實上面的世界並不如他們想像中天堂一般美好。
那刻我心想,這樣結束便好,Adam終究明白到勉強無幸福,放手不是更好嗎?
Never cross the line,愛可以很愚蠢,可以把你燃燒直到你身心負荷不來。
當然,編劇還是選擇以童話式happily ever after作結。有驚,沒有喜。散場時感覺到其他觀眾跟我一樣看到一肚火。

另外,我很討厭電影把人類的未來cyber化。
是的,科技於近年來對我們的生活產生了很深遠的影響,但我不認為以後的世界就只剩下銀色/ lab coat/ 倒轉喝的酒。
而假若科技真的那麼先進,我不明白為何保安們警察們永遠捉不到Adam,他又不是蜘蛛俠或蝙蝠俠...

反地心吸力的愛戀,一個有趣的意念卻沒有給好好拓展,真是浪費。
火上加油的還有多餘的旁白,跳線一般/ 簡略得過分的情節。
警告過你了,這個長週末假期若要到戲院的話有別的更好的選擇,例如Looper

同樣是主角對坐的劇照,不是故意選的,剛剛才發現。
你看,都是描寫未來的電影,兩者的佈景卻有着很大分別。
我們對於未來的幻想,什至恐懼,或許不是因為事物有了太空般的包裝,而是來自超乎想像的科學技術和它們的副
產品:人類不可理喻的價值觀。
不想透露太多劇情,去看吧,這電影會讓你有所得着的。

p.s. 學校時間表的編排方便我逢星期四下課立刻去戲院看最新上映的戲,真好。
        九月份看了差不多十齣電影,而讓我動筆的竟然是我評分最低的那齣,搞什麼?

9/15/2012

Train Rides, Blue Skies & A New Girl



































開學一星期,慢慢的摸清楚中大的地理環境,記得要趕哪架校巴,還有一些方便上落這個山城的捷徑。
差不多有大半年沒上過課,這幾天踏進新的課室真有點興奮,因為我知道我終於可以專注的讀我喜歡的科目。
這裏有藍天白雲,很多綠色,有山有樹有湖,有具幽默感的教授,有友善又好學的同學。
差點忘了,有今天下午喝的好味紅豆冰。(就只是四蚊!)
雖然上學路途遙遠,但聽着我的秋天歌單,坐火車回校的那一個小時倒不怎麼難捱。

有人會嫌這裏沒太多俊男美女...
要上通識課、體育課很無聊。

可是,我仍然覺得,
我會愛上這裏。

7/31/2012

Union Jacks

All photos shot on Lomography LC-A+ by me.

I think it is time that I do this photo blog post since A) it has been way overdue and B) now that everyone is talking about the London Olympics. I have not watched any of the races yet but I did stay up late last Friday night for the opening ceremony where my favorite band played at. (Somebody has to stop me from fangirling anymore. It has been four days I KNOW BUT STILL THAT PERFORMANCE WAS SIMPLY MAGICAL.) The opening was beyond impressive. The illuminated duvets, flying Mary Poppins, the funny-looking Voldemort, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band costumes, Kalle Blomkvist James Bond and the Queen (with her pugs!), keyboard player Mr. Bean... that was a feast for the eyes and also the ears. And you gotta admit that British humour is very very adorable. There are indeed a lot of things I love about their country. Legacy of colonialism I suppose..?

I had been on three trips since my A-levels were done in late April. In my first trip this summer I went to Southern England. It was my first visit there so London would be one obvious destination. I have also been to Brighton, Bath, Salisbury and Oxford. I had a great time in all these beautiful places. As you can see from the photos above, most of the spots I went to are quite touristy, namely Buckingham Palace (where the Changing the Guard ceremony takes place), Big Ben and the House of Parliament, Covent Garden, Brighton Pier, Stonehenge, and the like; but I have also visited some cultural attractions such as Tate Modern (for Yayoi Kusama's solo show), the National Portrait Gallery (for Lucian Freud's), Shakespeare's Globe (because our Lit teacher told us it is a must-see place in London) and the Jane Austen Centre. The biggest surprise of the trip has to be Dover Street Market's returning MARKET Museum. I should consider myself lucky as the event was held only for three days. I knew about it just when I was on my train ride back from Bath to London. (Thank you Susie for tweeting that useful guide on the crazy sale!) It was fun just to look around at the sea of shoes, the racks of bizarre clothes, and fans who're busy trying on different items in front of the mirrors. 

What made the trip all the more memorable are the conversations with strangers that I have acquainted with at restaurants/ on the train/ at some of the tourist spots/ at the hotel. Meeting new people is undoubtedly the best part of every journey, isn't it? (Joy, thank you for linking that good read on your post. :D) I will get back to some of these lovely meet-ups in future posts. I think I'd also write a post on the FOOD I had in England. It wasn't just fish and chips and English breakfast. Some restaurants and cafes are really worth-going. So stay tuned for my recommendations. Posts about my travelling experiences will be filed under on the road.

p.s. Finally got time to sit in front of my laptop and type a post only because I took a sick leave. Should I be happy or not? My schedule this summer has been packed so far and time just slipped away too quickly. A month till the end of the holiday? This can't happen. :S 

4/10/2012

I don't want to be alone, I want to be left alone.

每隔一段時間就會孤獨感氾濫,
這次很可能是因為太久沒見我想見的人。
做了這個,一個人 特集。

一個人出去逛/ 又一個人躺在床/ 這晚有多少的一個人沒伴

我到了這個時候還是一樣/ 夜裡的寂寞容易叫人悲傷/ 我不敢想的太多/ 因為我一個人

喜歡一個人孤獨的時刻/ 但不能喜歡太多

我輕輕抖落鞋裡的沙/ 看著我的腳印/ 一個人 一步步  好寂寞

這次真的覺得累了/ 是我一直醒不來嗎/ 走在一個人的路上 走不完

音樂響起/ 我一個人 演出重複的舞曲

好想把我的 全部都給你/ 一個人 多平凡 的期許

我開始學會一個人 等等等/ 等你的出現

3/22/2012

Ridiculousness



































說得漂亮是堅持,難聽一點就是固執。
我在說我自己。
其實並非甚麼很嚴重的事情,只是因為最近在回想這兩年間的一些事,
加上昨天不經意聽到陌生人的一段對話,才有以下的感想。

我總覺得凡事都應該付出誠意地去做。
那當然,不要過分執着於芝麻綠豆小事而令自己和別人受苦。
但對於自己所喜歡的事情(至少你向他人聲稱自己很喜歡),怎麼能不交出真心,認真地對待?
既然你有自由,而且僥倖的能夠選擇自己想讀的科目或是自己希望能加入的公司,為什麼不就好好投入的學習/ 工作?
以敷衍塞責的態度辦事,那乾脆不要做吧。
責任這回事,不只是對老師/ 上司/ 家人交待,而是自己對自己應有的要求啊。
之前都說過,其實一切外表上的東西都只不過是虛殼。
草草了事完成任務,別人可能無法察覺,有些人什至以為你表現超卓,當你偶像一般崇拜。
但問心,這樣快樂嗎?

我想,定必會有人覺得沒問題。有誰不想不勞而獲?
但我做不到 。
朋友都說我是不介意付出的人,是辛苦的,很多時都是所謂的「自己攞黎賤」,
但要知道認真努力過才會賺到真正的經驗和滿足感。

或者是因為年少氣盛,還未受過現實世界的摧殘,才說得出這些話來。
希望幾年之後,自己不會淪為此刻我受不了的人吧。