Wednesday night.
written: 12:42 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 09, 2009
Thus ensued a conversation between the cab driver and my boyfriend about an online game. He educated the middle-aged cabbie on the nuances of the game, details which no one reading this blog is interested in save for two people so I shall spare the rest. I was greatly amused when the cabbie complained about people plundering his city/cities and taking his resources when he's out driving his cab and making a living.
So cute, right? When the cab driver paused the conversation to take a phone call, Wei Chuen whispered to me, "See, everyone's playing the game. Even your friend is playing."
The cab driver was very nice, even helped us avoid a stupid jam along the Keppel Road AYE exit. And because he plays Evony, I forgive him for making me horribly car sick.
*
We randomly chose to watch some Bruce Willis movie called Surrogates which was absolutely terrible. I can't even say it had an interesting concept because it's essentially an idea that has been done ad nauseum, and much better, in other movies, and in another, superior, medium (i.e. books). This whole humanity going to waste, human beings losing touch with what makes them human - er, been there, done that, not so interested anymore. The stupid speech towards the end that the Bad Guy gave was SO badly written that I laughed out loud. I would've laughed through the whole thing, but was distracted by Wei Chuen when he got to the end of his speech.
Stupid movie had no plot, no characterisation, no sense of urgency whatsoever. Wei Chuen pinned it right when he said it was one of those crap movies he'd watch on Channel 5. Only difference is, I never watch the stupid movies that Channel 5 airs, and last night I PAID (okay, my boyfriend paid) to watch one of them.
I blame this on him though: he made me choose between that and Phobia whatever. AS IF I WAS GONNA WATCH AN ASIAN HORROR MOVIE. AS FUCKING IF. MAYBE I WOULD IF WE LIVED TOGETHER, BUT WE DON'T, AND I'D HAVE TO SLEEP BY MY POOR LONELY SELF AT NIGHT, SO HELL TO THE NO, SORRY.
Okay, there was also the Adam Sandler comedy with some other dude but I HATE Adam Sandler, and I thought Surrogates wasn't THAT crap (though I was prepared to hate it based on its trite anti-utopian premise alone) but oh, it completely exceeded my already-low expectations. Utterly brilliant. Not.
Wei Chuen was shocked when I said I hated Minority Report. To be fair, I half-watched it when I was sick as hell in a hotel room in Fei Chui Wan, Taipei, in like, 2006...omg, wait, I just checked my archives and it was 2004?!?!?!?! OMG I AM SO OLD. THIS IS SO DEPRESSING.
Anyway, as I was saying, I half-watched it when I was sick out of my mind in Taipei (I can't do winters, apparently; I always fall sick when I go back in December). I was feverish, had a bad headache, was falling asleep; but managed to watch enough of the movie to form the opinion that it SUCKS. First, Steven Spielberg should stop trying to make serious movies because, at least based on the ones I've seen, he utterly cannot do so. Munich was an overblown piece of crap, and Minority Report was...actually, to be perfectly honest, I don't even remember. It's utterly unmemorable. If I watched it again I'd probably complain about how it's pretentious and oozing with bloated self-importance.
But that's exactly my problem with science fiction movies based in some futuristic setting that try to have a point, which leads me to my second point with regard to why Minority Report sucks: The same damn ideas have been done before, and they have been done better, and they have been done before AND better in Literature. Therefore, unless you have something new to offer to the table, don't do it. If you have to do it, don't pretend you have a profound message to impart, because it's a message that I'm a bit too familiar with, and therefore I'm not interested if it's the same old damn "humanity is good" message. I get it, okay? And I got it years ago without the aid of extraneous, silly special effects and overly drawn out and boring action scenes.
To be fair, though, The Island is the absolute WORST movie cut from this cloth that I've ever seen. But what does it say about Minority Report that I remember The Island more than it? Well, maybe that's because I was sick. Sure. Okay.
I think Surrogates might've been better if it'd left out the stupid "implicit meaning" (implicit my ass. It was completely obvious).
Then again, even as an action movie it was boring. Sure, I'm not a fan of action movies; my favourite action movie is The Bourne Identity (actually, the whole franchise) and it's pretty old school in that it doesn't have shit blowing up every 10 minutes, doesn't rely as heavily on special effects, doesn't have some plot gimmick that's central to the premise of the movie. It's straight-forward story-telling with a very believable and human titular character, and that's why I love it.
Most action movies are just bang bang bang people die male protagonist fucks someone bang more people die end of story. What happened? Don't know, don't care. No fucking plot. Much like Transformers, which I hate with every fibre of my being. And Michael Bay. And Jerry Bruckheimer. Fuck these idiots wasting good money on pure CRAP. It boggles my mind the amount of money Hollywood wastes every year on absolutely rubbish movies. Stupid summer blockbusters. I hate them. I'm sorry but for me, they don't even possess any shred of entertainment value. I really don't get the whole Transformers thing. Both movies. I was bored watching both. I just don't get the fuss over computerised robots fighting each other.
Okay, I've lost my point. I guess my point is that Steven Spielberg sucks at serious movies and I hate action movies and I HATE anti-utopia movies (won't call them science fiction 'cause there's a difference). I wanna watch Blade Runner, and that's pretty much the only exception. Of course, maybe I'd watch it and call it crap; but it's not my fault I can't be impressed by anything else after Brave New World and 1984. Among other novels.
Oh wait, I like Terminator too. The first two. Maybe the third. Definitely not the stupid Christian Bale crap.
*
After the movie ended I wanted watermelon juice. We walked to the Esplanade as everywhere else was closed (it was 11-something at night).
We sat facing the river, facing what would be the integrated resorts a.k.a. EVIL CASINOES NOOOO MORAL VALUES BYE BYE, and just sat and talked. I love spending time with him, talking to him, just being with him. I love his company. I love leaning against him with his arms around me, my legs stretched out in front of me, in the near-stillness of the night, looking out at the outline of a new development in this country, and simultaneously holding on tight to what I already have.
before sunrise // before sunset
Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010