Master Oscar Bait

It’s time for the fall season, and all the movies angling for an Oscar start preening their cinematic feathers to woo the elusive golden man.  Movies that are obviously courting an academy award are call Oscar Bait.  And some are masters of it.  Here are some of this year’s frontrunners:

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

These are the 2 latest trailers for the 1st part of the 7th movie.  Although the Harry Potter movies have not been traditional Oscar Bait, they might just reward them for the last installment.  They did the same for LOTR.  Although 4 of the 6 HP films have been nominated, none have won an award.  Plus, it’s included because it’s my favorite.

The Social Network

This is the real frontrunner.  Most Oscar-watchers say this is the film to beat.  From one of my favorite directors of all time, David Fincher, I’m itching to watch this one.  We actually have an invite to watch the media premiere tomorrow, but we have a hosting, so I’ll have to wait a little longer…

The King’s Speech

I am so intrigued!  I love British Oscar Bait!  Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush? It’s a critical orgasm!

Stone

The 2 leads seem a tad hammy for my taste (at least as far as the trailer showed), but Robert De Niro is my male Meryl Streep.  I’d fawn even if he played a mushroom.  Same with Edward Norton.  And I really think Milla Jovovich is just waiting for a role that will get Hollywood taking her seriously.

Love And Other Drugs

Just when I thought it would be another romantic dramedy, it’s nice to see this in the backdrop of the age of Viagra.  I don’t see this as a major contender, but who knows?

Conviction

NOT a fan of Hilary Swank.  Never have, never will be.  But I must say, I might just watch this movie when it comes out.  The idea of spending the rest of your life trying to save your brother’s life is an inspiring theme for a movie.  I just hope she doesn’t get nominated.

127 Hours

True story of Aron Ralston’s ordeal where many viewers supposedly walked out or fainted during the film’s climax.  I don’t want to spoil it for those who don’t know the outcome of the story, but it hearkens to the Saw series.

Hereafter

I guess anything with Matt Damon in it means it’ll be taken seriously.  I was just surprised that the 2004 Asian tsunami was written into the story.  I’ve forgotten how eerie that whole disaster was until I saw the film’s version of it, bringing back a lot of the harrowing images of that day.

How Do You Know

The sole comedy that has strong buzz going into awards season, mainly with Reese Witherspoon as an early front-runner.  I’m surprised, given that the academy usually ignores lighter comedy fare to weepy dramas.

The Black Swan

I expect this to be over-the-top, but this really piqued my curiosity, playing like a garish euro-horror flick, ala Dario Argento.  Plus, I LOVE Natalie Portman, so it can’t be that bad.

Welcome To The Rileys

Melissa Leo is still an undermined treasure, despite a nomination a couple of years ago.  She reminds me of Patricia Clarkson, hugely underrated.  And I’m curious to see Kristin Stewart outside of the Twilight morass, and see how she fares in heavier roles.

Nowhere Boy

By virtue alone of being a huge Beatles fan, of course I’m going to line up to see this film.  It doesn’t really tackle the height of Beatlemania, but more of the prequel to their story.  It’s the icing on the cake to see Kristin Scott Thomas as Lennon’s aunt Mimi.

The Kids Grow Up

I’m just surprised that no one thought of doing this before!  What a brilliant idea, to film your daughter from when she was little until she leaves for college, and make a movie out of it.  Reality TV has nothing on this!

Catfish

One of the strongest buzz in the fall season.  Not so much for being an awards front-runner, but more of the supposed “shocking” conclusion.  People who have seen it say that it’s better to watch the movie with ZERO info on what it’s all about.  The lesser you know, the stronger the impact.

Ok fine, I’ll include a movie that is NOT Oscar Bait.  Just to lighten the mood:

Little Fockers

The Top Ten Things To Say To Someone Who’s Leaving

I hate saying goodbye.  Especially when it’s someone you love.  I get messed up saying goodbye even to non-living things.  Like when I sold my last car, I was really depressed!  It was a very sentimental car.  Moving on isn’t one of my strongest points.  So what to say to someone who’s leaving?  I’m usually out of words.  But if you don’t like the one who’s leaving, it couldn’t come any sooner, beeyotch!

August 21, 2009 → The Top Ten Things To Say To Someone Who’s Leaving

1. Ted – “Missing you gets easier everyday because even though you’re one day farther from the last time I saw you, you’re one day closer to the next time I’ll see you again.”
2. Jon Pogi – Ingat pare, I’ll miss you…large sa t-shirt at size 10 sa sapatos…”
3. Jerguin22 – “A goodbye isn’t painful unless you’re never going to say hello again.”
4. Biggest Loser – “Leaving isn’t half as hard as being left behind.”
5. BabyJen – “You forgot to take something with you…ME!”
6. McDenzel – “Yaya, bago ka umalis, mag-iwan ka man lang ng remembrance…okay na yung panty…”
7. Mr. Perk – “We knew from the start that this is where we were going to end up, so there’s nothing left to say, but goodbye.”
8. Astroboy – “Pag iniwan mo ko, hindi kita hahabulin, masasaktan lang ako.”
9. Humudifier – “Pag napagod ka na sa pagpapakalayo, alam mo kung saan mo ko babalikan.”
10. The Fire Below – “Bakit dumating ka pa kung aalis ka lang din naman?”
11. Diane – ”Once you lose someone, it is never exactly the same person who comes back.”
12. No name – “Couldn’t you fight for me just a little bit longer?”
13. Ninang Hotness – (for someone who’s dying) “Tandaan mo, kami ang bibisita sa iyo, hindi kami ang bibisitahin mo.”
14. Bitter X – “If you go, be gone for good.”
15. Apathetic – Before my mom passed away, I told her: “Please be the one to fetch me when it’s my time to go.”
16. Jerguin22 – “When I remember your smile, and I remember how it was never for me, that’s when I’ll miss you.”
17. Realbccoy – “Letting go of you is like throwing the oars away in the middle of the ocean.”
18. A Charm Sits In – “Sana kung babalik ka, hindi dahil inihatid ka ng tadhana, kundi dahil sa kagustuhan mo.”
19. No name – “No one leaves me, because no one comes into my life.”
20. Holluhock17 – “How lucky am I to have known someone who was so hard to say goodbye to.”
21. Vorvisurfan – “Wag kang mangakong babalik; mahirap ang umasa.”
22. Astroboy – “Where is the good in goodbye?”
23. Toymansi – “Kiss me and SMAFFLE me, tell me that you’ll wait for me…”
24. Mr. Miser – “So I’m closing this door, but just so you know, I’m not locking it.”
25. Jigen Daisuke – “Sana maging masaya ka sa pupuntahan mo, para naman hindi masayang ang sakit na nararamdaman ko ngayon.”
26. Edryan – “Mag-ingat ka…wala kang ulo…”
27. Michelle Ann – “You don’t have to leave. I will.”
28. Hermil – “Pag umalis ka, wag ka nang babalik, kasi wala ka nang babalikan!”
29. Kaye – Bilis, umalis ka na! Para makabalik ka kaagad…”
30. Tin Toy – “I don’t know how to live my life starting tomorrow, doing everything exactly the same…only this time, without you.”

The Amazing Race Asia 4

Thank you to Caltex for tagging us along for the media launch of The Amazing Race Asia 4, in a wonderful road trip to Batangas!  We were all on the same bus together with the 2 Team Philippines, and even some previous teams like Marc/Rovilson!  The first pitstop was the opening and the blessing of the San Antonio Community library that was donated by Chevron to the city:

And after some speeches, everyone got a treat as Kuya Bodjie regaled the kids with a story about a rainbow fish, as he was helped out by Rich Herrera, Lani Pillinger and Jacinta James of Team Philippines, and Michelle Ng of Team Singapore.  It was a hoot as everyone was game as Kuya Bodjie infected everyone with his pixie-like energy.

The story-telling took on an even more surreal level when they cast (and storyteller) donned some homemade costumes.

After the story-telling, it was time to eat, as the guests were serenaded by the beautiful Kitchie Nadal.

It was loads of fun!  After that, we proceeded to the next pitstop, Pontefino Resort in Batangas City.  It was an overnight thing, with the coastal clean-up the following day, but since I had boardwork the next day, we had to skip the overnight part.  We proceeded to where the actual media launch will be, had our dinner then we watched the pilot episode of TARA 4!  I was glad because I missed the premiere the night before, so I was happy to see it and with the contestants right there with us!  Then, the teams were presented to the media, with the other Rich, Rich Hardin, joining the rest of Team Philippines:

I was green with envy when each member of Team Philippines was given a year’s supply of fuel courtesy of Caltex!

Then, it was our turn to play a game.  We were all grouped into teams of 4, and up for grabs was an all-expense paid trip to Singapore four all 4 to attend the finale viewing of the season together with all the TARA 4 teams!  I was on Rich Herrera’s team, together with Patrick of Magic 89.9 and Nicole of Speed Magazine.  We were close, but no dice.  Some other team won the prize.  Oh well, it was a fun event though, and it was nice seeing the new teams and the previous teams as well!

Again, thank you to Caltex for bringing us along (thanks Ickhoy!), it was quite an experience.  Now it would be very interesting to follow the The Amazing Race Asia 4, now that we’ve met the contestants representing the Philippines.  I’ve always been a HUGE fan of the series since the 2nd season, the one with Marc and Rovilson, and we got high hopes for the new teams.  Marc and Rovilson ended up 3rd, Geoff and Tisha landed 2nd, who knows, one of our new teams might just bring home the prize.

(Is it just me, or don’t the five of us look like quintuplets? Hahaha!)

The Top Ten Proofs That Love Isn’t For Everyone

I’ve always known that I was built for love.  Even practically a lifetime of solitude did not jar my resolve in the belief that I was made for partnerships.  In some strange way, despite all the signs that pointed in the other direction, I knew I’d find love someday and take to it like fish to water.  For some however, the outcome could be different.  Not necessarily inferior nor superior, just different.

August 20, 2009 → The Top Ten Proofs That Love Isn’t For Everyone – Sent in by: Mango Float

1. Del Almanzor – The existence of old maids who have no stories of love to tell, except love for country during World War II.
2. RC and Cess – When all your “bridges” end up with the people you were courting.
3. McDenzel – In the gender ratio, women outnumber the men by a huge margin.  And if you factor in the many gay men nowadays, the forecast is grim.
4. No name – Sometimes, all it takes is one look in the mirror to see why love isn’t for you.
5. No name – If you are everybody’s BEST FRIEND.
6. Acer – If the first step in finding love is loving yourself, and you hate yourself, then therein lies the problem.
7. Dru – Because inter-species romance just won’t work. So, kung mukha kang unggoy at mukhang siyang kabayo, patay…
8. PurpleRose – Kung ni minsan hindi ka binalikan ng mga umiwan sa iyo.
9. Desty – For transgendered persons like myself, we were meant to entertain, but also often meant to live alone.
10. Jedi Master – Kung 2 inches ka lang…at galit pa yun!
11. Eien17 – because all the “good” men I meet are either taken, gays, or jobless.
12. Boknoi – Kung ang hanap mo ay Prince Charming, pero ang lagi mong nahahanap ay Prince “Charing!”
13. Catwoman – If you have a low tolerance for pain, then love is so NOT for you.
14. Jerguin22 – If you’re a member of “Handmaids Of The Lord” (a Catholic group for unmarried women).
15. Cybermumu – When I started listening to you guys years ago, I was young and single.  Now, I’m just single.
16. Gopher – Some people love themselves too much, that there is no space left to love anything or anybody else.
17. Lei – If you’re a good proofreader, kasi lagi kang may nakikitang mali.
18. Mars – Dahil sa panahon ngayon, ruler nalang ang straight.
19. Ash Ketchup – Ang malabong relasyon ay parang taong mataba…hindi nagwo-work out.
20. No name – If you’re a stuck-up bitch who won’t come out of the closet.
21. Mc Denzel – Kung ang hanap mo ay Vicky Morales, ngunit puro Susan Enriquez at Doris Begornia ang iyong nahahanap.
22. Racquel – If you’re the type who insists on getting the guy or girl, even if they happen to be so wrong for you.
23. LanieGanda – Love is only for those who truly believe in it.
24. Jade – Love isn’t for everyone, but making love is!
25. Gorgeous Bitch – Because fairy tales DO come true…just not for YOU.
26. Eien17 – When each time you fall in love, you realize he means everything to you, but you mean nothing to him.
27. Blutots – If you live your life like a person who comes to the pool, but never swims in it.
28. Lai – If you have the deadly combination of being too choosy and having nobody choose you.
29. Jeguin22 – If you have a partner but you still frequent QC Circle, with bakal boys in tight sandos, love isn’t for you. But promiscuity is.
30. YñaKì – Kung ang hanap mo, soulmate. Pero ang mukha mo, primate.

Weight Wars

Although I was never really BIG big, I guess I’ve been struggling with my flab all my life as well, just to a lesser degree.  The heaviest I ever got was 160 lbs.,when I spent 5 months in Seattle, playing house-brother to my kuya, taking care of the household chores, but eating up a storm while I do it.  For example, I’d wolf down a whole Pietro’s large pepperoni pizza while I vacuumed the house and watched Duck Tales at the same time.  All that American fast food made my weight balloon and I came home a walking tub of lard.  That’s me weight-wise, I’d gain weight, then I’d lose weight.  I just react faster than most yo-yo dieters.  That’s why I have stretch marks, because I keep gaining and losing kilos all the time.  Last summer, I went way beyond my 65 kilos, almost reaching 70 kilos, so I decided to cut back on the fat and sugar.  And add to that the doctor forbidding me to take any sort of sugar, I’ve been constantly losing weight, some days even dipping below 60 kilos.  But here I go again, once I see my weight going down, I start cheating again.  The past 2 weeks I’ve been binging on lechon, kare-kare, softdrinks, french fries, even white rice, all the stuff that I haven’t touched for the past 8 or 9 months!  And I can feel my weight going up again, although I haven’t stepped on the scales yet because I’m afraid to confirm my fears.  I don’t want my weight to go on the upswing again.  So I always watch this video to inspire me.  I can’t really run, I have very bad knees, so I brisk walk instead.  As I write this, I’m still sweating because I started walking our dogs again.  Even my Yorkie is overweight, so we’d both benefit from the extra activity.  Why does food taste SOOO good?  Argh!

The Top Ten Things You’d Do If You Could Travel Through Time

Many time travel movies fail mainly when it comes to messing around with the space time continuum.  Loopholes galore, with every movie that tackles time travel.  It’s a tricky concept because nobody has traveled through time so we don’t really know what effects, if any, would a time traveler have on the continuum.  Okay, I think I just nerdified what was supposed to be a fun topic.

August 18, 2009 → The Top Ten Things You’d Do If You Could Travel Through Time – Sent in by: Mr. Perk, Alab, and Specialist

1. Mac – I’d travel back to the 70′s, bring my PSP, and be the coolest boy in the world!
2. Mang Jose – I’d travel back to see what would’ve happened if I said yes to the band asking me to do lead vocals for them back in college, the band that would go on to later become Orange & Lemons.
3. Tyler Durton – I’d travel forward to see who’d I eventually end up with, my wife or my mistress.
4. Boknoi – Because my mom invested so much in finding Yamashita’s treasure, I’d travel back to once and for all see where Yamashita buried his treasure.
5. Gio – I’d travel back and NOT bully that little boy who still hates me now as an adult to this very day.
6. Mark – I’d been having recurring memories of being molested as a child. My brain blocked the memories so much that I remember the acts, but not the identity of the perpetrator. I’d go back to finally put a name and face to the crimes.
7. No name – I’d travel back to prehistoric times, kill a butterfly, then travel forward back to the present to see if the “butterfly effect” is true.
8. SPY Shadow – I’ll go back to the early 70s and try to save my japanese spitz, Trinket, from being gang-raped by askals.
9. No name – I’d go back to the time when my boyfriend was still a baby so I could hold him in my arms and take care of him even for a few minutes.
10. Akel – I’d go back and warn my mom right after she first met my dad.  I’d warn her about him and tell her they’d eventually break up because he’d cheat on her over and over.
11. No name – I’d go back to ancient times to check for myself if Alexander the Great was really bisexual.
12. Dru – I’d go back pre-1997 and release a book about a certain boy wizard who had a lightning scar on his forehead.
13. Terryaki – I’d go back just 10 minutes ago, and turn left on Ayala. I missed my turn because I was busy listening to you guys!
14. Gopher – I’d bring my camera and go back to the greatest events of ancient history and take photos of such historical events as the parting of the Red Sea or Cleopatra at her peak.
15. El Toro – I’d go back and warn my fallen mistahs of the dangers during missions that eventually took their lives. It’s so hard to see the families they left behind suffering because of their deaths.
16. RVincent – I’d travel forward to April 26, 2012 to our impening wedding to see what could go wrong, so I could fix them now to prevent them from happening later.
17. Manoy Joe – I’d go back to Hilter’s time and shave off that silly mustache while he slept.
18. Sephulturero – I’d travel forward to see if I’d end up with someone amazing, so I could take comfort in the fact that all this waiting will eventually be worth it.
19. Quiddy – I’d travel back to June 27, 2000 and stop my then fiance from riding his motorbike which would lead to an accident that would end his life.
20. Paul Ignatius – I’d go back to that very instant when the iceberg hit the Titanic, just to see how it really was, then travel forward again right before I fall into the water myself.
21. No name – I would stop Chapman from shooting Lennon.
22. No name – I’d go back to that day that I got pregnant and tell myself: “Wear a condom, stupid!”
23. No name – I’d like to go back to the time when I was 1 year old, when my mom left us. Until now that I’m 29, I still have no idea what happened.
24. Maximo/Gotgot – I’d travel back to see the winning lotto numbers, then travel back again, just early enough to bet on them.
25. Norma Jean – I’d travel back to the crucifixion, to see how Jesus really looked like and see how he died for our sins.
26. Specialist – I’d go back to when I was grade 6 to see what would’ve happened if I pushed through with my showbiz career after I auditioned for “Ang TV”.
27. Madhatter – I’d go back to February 14, 2007 and ask a doctor to spend the night at our house. So he would be there to save my dad who will have a heart attack later that night.

Naked Mole Rat

Is it just me, or does the naked mole rat look like a human penis?  Especially when held by a human hand.  Exhibit A:

It all started when Delle and I were doing the Morning Rush, engaging in our usual conversations that turned the usual shade of green; and being on air, we needed to code certain words, to avoid sanctions for indecent behavior.  We got to the topic of genitalia, and she asked me how “it” looked like.  Not that she didn’t know, but she was baiting me (being a master at baiting), to say something incriminating.  She wanted me to describe how mine looked like.  So I told her, for lack of anything else to say, that it looked like a mole rat.  She didn’t know what a mole rat was, so I asked her to google it.  After she did, she shrieked with disgust, finding rodents repulsive in general, and was bleching endlessly about how gross it looked.  I don’t find the mole rat, naked mole rat to be specific, particularly ugly, I just happen to think it looks like a penis…with legs.

Also known as the desert mole rat or the sand puppy, mole rats are burrowing rodents from Africa, which are practically blind, cannot feel pain, and is highly resistant to cancer.  They are also known as the longest-living rodents, surviving for as long as 28 years.  Very interesting animals.  But to me, they’re still the walking penises, with teeth.

The Top Ten Drama Queen Quotes

Let’s admit it, we all had our drama queen moments.  It wasn’t funny then, at the heat of our emotional agony, but it sure looks funny looking back.  Some people’s pains seem more elegant, more laced with grace, while with others, it’s flamboyant and verging on hysterical.  I guess it’s the latter that’s loads more fun.  Sometimes we like to take our pain a little too seriously.

August 14, 2009 → The Top Ten Drama Queen Quotes

1. JoannaSas – “Don’t tell me something crazy like you love me, because I might do something crazy, like believe it.”
2. Eating Mashin – “Ang love life ko parang Coke…ZERO.”
3. No name – “Today, I look at the sun, and I feel no warmth.”
4. Sasha Purse – “The difference between my life and hell…is it’s better to be in hell.”
5. Sasha Purse – “Why don’t you just paint me gray if you’ll just leave me like this?”
6. RC and Cess – “Why can’t I drown in a river of my own tears and die already.”
7. RC and Cess – “Life is only cruel to me on days that end with ‘Y’.”
8. RC and Cess – “Out of 10 things that happen to me everyday, 11 are bad.”
9. SPY Shadow – “No colors for me…I’ll order dinuguan, black gulaman, black forest cake and black coffee.”
10. Nico Robin – “Another cruel morning has come. Oh, joy!”
11. Apathetic – “What is death, but freedom from this chain of pain called life?”
12. Boknoi – “I’m a waste of space, a ghost without a home.”
13. Sephulturero – “Ang tanging lasa sa matabang kong buhay, ay ang alat ng sarili kong luha.”
14. KathyPie_05 – “Do I have a sign on my back that says, ‘break my heart’?”
15. KathyPie_05 – “‘I love you’ is composed of 8 letters. But then again, so is ‘bullshit’.”
16. Gil Ghost – “I’ll stop running…because no one is chasing after me.”
17. RVincent – “The advantage of talking to yourself, is that you know at last somebody’s listening.”
18. Elizabeth Ramski – “Why don’t you love ma half the way you love your dogs? Am I not the biggest bitch there is?”
19. Ayem Mahyo – “I just wanted to collapse in someone’s arms and cry…then I realized there’s no one there to catch me.”
20. AM – “My life is one long slow death.”
21. Blutots – “The leaf went with the wind because the tree didn’t ask her to stay.”
22. Penguina 17 – “Why has my world stopped revolving? Oh yeah…love makes the world go ’round.”
23. Jerguin22 – “You say you don’t like seeing me cry. So what have you been doing all this time? Closing your eyes?”
24. No name – Q: “How long will you pursue me?” A: “It depends on how long before you reject me.”
25. Greg – “My definition of happiness are those few moments I forget just how much in pain I am.”
26. Paddington – “Everybody mocks my happiness.”
27. JoannaSas – “The worst thing is being forgotten by someone I will never forget.”
28. Nipo – “I love sleeping, because my life has a tendency to fall apart when I’m awake.”
29. No name – “Today was going to be a good day. Then I woke up.”
30. Plumbum – “What’s that awful noise? Oh yeah…my heart breaking.”

Racebending

Okay fine, I’m tickled pink that my Avatar: The Last Airbender post landed on WordPress.com’s Freshly-Pressed homepage.  But I really planned to follow that up with a post on racebending, a new term coined after the much-maligned M. Night Shyamalan movie came out.  So I’m not doing this just because the previous post was a hit (hahaha, defensive much?).

Anyway, after the movie came out, critics were beyond belief that the 3 leads, Aang, Katara and Sokka were all played by obvious caucasians, while in the cartoon series, they were obviously of Asian descent.  Basically the Water tribes were modeled after the Inuit culture, Aang and the Air tribe dressed like Shaolin Monks, the Fire nation looked roughly Japanese, etc.  And while the heroes were mysteriously racebended into whites, all the villains remained suspiciously faithful to their darker, Asian roots.

From that initial uproar sprung the term racebending, and an eventual website, http://www.racebending.com. The group aims to tackle proper representation of the different races in entertainment casting.  Which brings me to an interesting blog entry I caught that suggested an alternative, more Asian cast.  The writer made sure to point out that the post was NOT written as a corollary to the racebending topic, but I just thought it would be a logical segue.  Check out the full article HERE.

So before I proceed, let me just say that this isn’t a review of the movie because I haven’t seen it yet.  I only base my comments on the pictures of the actors I’ve seen on the internet. So here are some of the suggested alternative casting choices:

Brandon Soo Hoo                                                              AangNoah Ringer

Yeah, I see where the writer was coming from.  I would be nice to get an actual Asian to play Aang, and a kid who has that naughty streak in him, a hero, but very much still a kid.  Brandon appeared in Tropic Thunder, while Noah Ringer was discovered from an open casting call.

Ayesha KapoorKataraNicola Peltz

This is brother-sister tandem was the weirdest casting for me. Nicola looks nothing like Katara.  Ayesha Kapoor is an award-winning Bollywood actress while Nicola Peltz is an American actress who appeared in Deck The Halls.

Dev PatelSokkaJackson Rathbone

What a stroke of genius!  Dev Patel is the only member of the original cast that the writer chose to stay, but in a different role. I agree 100% that Dev has a friendlier vibe to him, much better fitted for the zany Sokka, than the grim Zuko.  And Jackson Rathbone?  His last major role was the sullen Jasper the vampire in Twilight.  So NOT Sokka material. But then again, I haven’t seen the movie.

Harry Shum Jr.ZukoDev Patel

Like I said, I don’t see Dev as the conflicted future firelord. And looks-wise, Zuko is East Asian, while Dev is unmistakeably South Asian.  And I so don’t see Zuko as Indian.  And Glee’s Harry sure looks the part, but I don’t know if he has the acting chops to dissect such a complex character.

Chow Yun FatShaun Toub

I mentioned in my last post that my most favorite character was General Iroh.  I think Chow Yun Fat would be able to mix the gravity and the comic timing needed for such a meaty role.  But I think they needed to get an Indian actor to play Dev’s uncle since Zuko is Iroh’s nephew.  So they need to match both characters’ races.

Mark Dacascos/Lord OzaiCliff Curtis

The Iron Chef host is a perfect match for the evil Lord Ozai.  He’s got the stoic glare down pat!  Cliff Curtis appeared in such films like The Piano and Whale Rider (a great film!).  He’s Maori, in case you’re confused by his ethnicity.

You can check out the other actors in the link I posted. No casting needed for Toph since she doesn’t come on board until the succeeding seasons. Well, what do you think?  Casting is always tricky when it comes to remaking iconic works, especially a live-action remake of a beloved animation series. Many said it shouldn’t have even been attempted because Avatar: The Last Airbender is unfilmable as live-action.  Or maybe it should have been handled by a director who has a stronger vision than the creatively foundering Shyamalan.  As long as we’re recasting, maybe we could suggest a different director as well?  Maybe any of the visually adept Mexican Directors like Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy) or Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkhaban, A Little Princess) could have done better.  And as long as I’m dreaming, why not the fantasy genre orgasminator, Peter Jackson?

Anyway, despite the warnings, I will watch the movie as my next project as the final step in this Avatar experience.  Good or bad, I’d like to achieve closure and see the live-action version.  Wish me luck.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

(photo by finni.deviantart.com)

“Epic” is too puny a word to describe this television show, nay, life experience.  I have finally finished the 3 seasons of the life-bending animated series (thank you Janet for the DVD’s and thank you Mr. Perk for the “digital copies”), and I must ‘fess up, that I’m still pretty stunned.  From the 1st episode, I was hooked.  There was something about the way the characters were molded that made you care even about the non-speaking, non-humans as if they were major characters!  One of the most emotionally gripping episodes for me involved a flying bison, for crying out loud!  And for me, the series involved one of the most complex, most finely crafted characters in recent memory, General Iroh.

In essence, I guess the reason the series was very attractive to me was because it very much reminded me of another series that’s inextricably close to my heart, the Harry Potter saga.  There are many similarities:

1. Both are boys with marks on their foreheads that signal their significance, and the future of their respective worlds lay solely in their hands.
2. Both reach a point where they have to face their enemies/destinies alone, with no help from anyone.
3. Both have a male/female tandem as best buddies, the loony male and the serious female.
4. 4 nations=4 houses play a major role in the plot structure, with one nation/house playing the villain role.
5. Characters Zuko and Snape both keep you asking the is-he-good-or-is-he-bad question.
6. The Roku/Sozen and Dumbledore/Grindelwald power-couples-slash-frenemies angle.
7. Zuko and Harry both learn to come to terms with both good and evil co-residing in themselves.
8. Both emphasize heavily the themes of friendship, loyalty and destiny.

Seriously, the list is long and getting into every minute similarity will be geek fanboy overload.  But you get the point.  Of course it’s hard to assume anything since Harry Potter approximately was laid out between 1997-2008 while Avatar had it’s run 2005-2008.  Are the similarities coincidental or was some migratory “inspiration” derived from one series to another in one form or another?  No matter, for each series, in my opinion, rose on the merits of top-notch writing, the perfect mixture of entertainment and art.

I really love it when something out there, whether a book or a movie or a TV series, grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me to my very foundations.  It’s not easy to move me at this stage in my life, so it was a pleasant surprise to find myself gripped, and by a cartoon series at that!  I’ve learned to love the characters as if they were real.  I was the fictional nth member of Team Avatar (I guess I was the Bodilyfluidsbender?) and when the series ended, just like the Harry Potter series, I went into grieving mode.  One time it got so bad, that while I was sleeping, I dreamed that I was Aang and Appa was licking my face.  I woke up to see that it was Cairo, my Yorkie (who kinda looks like Appa, come to think of it…).

Anyway, I’ll miss Aang and the gaang (hwehwe) and I have no choice but to accept the fact that it was just a cartoon series, get a life, and move on.

POSTSCRIPT: I took the Facebook test, “Which bender are you?” and it turned out I was a Waterbender.  And as I was watching the final battle between Firelord Ozai and Avatar Aang, the rain was pouring with primal rage!  Of course I filed that under my waterbending powers, the weather mimicking my turbulent state of mind as I watched in suspense if Aang would step up and kick Ozai’s sorry firebending ass!  Okay, I think I overshared again and my “loser alert” is going off wildly.  Anyway, try to catch it if you haven’t. It’s really a good watch. Yip, Yip!