>>> The big, red guy...

... isn't too much of an asshole and is All Heart, ain't he?

LOL.

Yeah, finally getting around to reviewing both Hellboy 2 The Golden Army and Hancock.

Hellboy 2's visuals and created characters are everything that one would expect from Guillermo, with the strange, repulsive and yet strangely beautiful creatures that he designs or has designed to inhabit the worlds that he directs.

Other than that, the movie was rather disappointing.

That is IF you bought into all the hype that now surrounds a movie before it is released.

Though it departs from the traditional hammer-and-pound of the previous film, it's take of mythical and folklore-ish creatures along with some historical basis [Thank you, ABE!] more than makes up for it, in my honest opinion. Especially with the actual authentic Gaelic that the Sidhe speak.

Though the humour is rather lame at times, it somehow fits in the setting of Hellboy 2, more than one can believe. Though it had several watchers "palming their face", as it were, it had more than its fair share of the audience laughing.

My favourite portions of this movie were the scenes in which the Prince Nuada is performing his blade katas, and the drunken singing of Abe & Hellboy when they were feeling miserable over their loves.

I enjoyed watching the movie, though some may argue that one factor was that I'd managed to pull a dozen people - Alan, Andrew, Carol, Ero-Otaku, Ferret, Ghoul, Grim, Mach2, Pervalidus, Sassin, Ting and myself - along for the ride, but it was fun, visually appealing and not as predictable as one would expect.

Overall, it was an enjoyable watch, with a good mix of humour, action, drama and fantasy.

Oh, and by the way, Johann Krauss was a wicked addition to the cast and story.

Final rating: a 'grand' score of seven (7) out of ten (10).

Hey, it could've been worse. If Carol'd fallen asleep, the rating would've dropped even further! Hahahahaha!!!

But, do watch the film!

Next up, HANCOCK...

... is another kind of movie. Different in its own way and explores the human side of a superhero.

It was rather refreshing and the humour was easy enough to understand, leaving the audience in stitches.

Except for the prison confrontation which had the audience despairing about whether to feel horrified, to laugh maniacally or both!

That was genius and I can't wait for the Director's Cut DVD when it comes out. But that's another story in itself.

The real kicker is when we, the audience, find out about his past and the fact that the PR guy's wife is like Hancock... and Hancock's bloomin' wife.

And the newly designed suit that the PR dude makes for Hancock is kinda cool, even if it looks like something out of the X-Men.

I don't want to spoil this for everyone, but you gotta watch this movie, seriously!

And the ending is like nothing that you'll ever think of.

Oh, and by the way, the fact that the Singaporean theaters actually changed the vista that you see on reflected on Hancock's shades just plain SUCKS and reeks of utter hubris.

Final rating: a mighty score of eight (8) out of ten (10).

There done.

Finally I can rest my bloody eyes.

And I can stop cracking my head.

Till the next time.

Laterz, gatorz.

>>> Maple syrup cravings...

... lead to pancakes.

Yes, they do.

It's either that or Maple Macchiattos.

But, yes, I have a craving for pancakes.

Six-inch wide, fluffy, mouth-watering pancakes with a hint of vanilla with a thin spread of butter over the top and smothered in maple syrup. Along with creamy vanilla ice-cream scoops laid on thick over it all.

With a large heaping of bacon, sausages, fried sunnyside-up eggs and lightly done toast on the side.

And a large glass of sweet orange or blackcurrant juice to top it all off.

Yes, I am hungry.

Yes, it's a weird time to crave for pancakes.

But do I look like I care?

Do I?

No, I don't.

I. WANT. PANCAKES.

Soooo...

... who's buying?

>>> More photos...

... and I pray that I do not end up turning this place into a photo blog.

God, I seriously hope not!

Well, good evening, infidels. According to news reports, Osama ran into Blizzard's server room and things, well, went downhill form there. XD

Ok, I've been watching way too much Achmed the Dead Terrorist. Go look him up on YouTube if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

That, and watching my brothers play WoW.

*shrug*

Anyways, on the 23rd, I bid farewell to Starbucks Northpoint, one of my old haunts for years, as it shut down for the next year due to renovations. *sigh* So many poignant memories... now to see wether my crew and paint the walls!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Speaking of Starbucks, I believe that I'm married to my job... and, yet, I can still screw up without realizing it. CRAP. Therefore, plan number one: KEEPING MY MOUTH SHUT!!!

And that's it. Simplissimo!

Feh.

Here are some photos of my fellow Starbuck-ians, from NP and OE. Gods, I love you guys. :D

Boi, Abang Isk, Abang Nas, "Haven't Even Clocked in Yet" Eugene, Aisyah and Daniel "Dan Dan the Man, Twice the Man of the other Dan". A most fantabulous bunch of people. Hope to work with all y'all again! :)

And apologies for the lateness of the post, you guys, I've been busy.

More stuff needs to be posted up here, but it's getting quite late and I need to save my DS from my youngest brother...

... that, and I need to sleep!

After a quick smoke, of course.

Peace out, SGC!!!

>>> No ideas for a title...

... and running out of time 'coz I have to get ready for work.

Cor and blimey.

Yet again, I find myself in front of the computer screen when I shouldn't be. Oh, well, I'm a computer addict, so I guess that's one reason why I'm back again.

That, and the fact that this here blog o' mine really needs some somewhat meaty literature.

But there's not much to tell. Not right now, in any case. Why?

'Coz I'm still up to the same old tricks, like still trying to finish art requests, composing the so-called first chapter of The Crossbones' Tales, searching for & compiling a list of songs as a playlist for said story, planning clothing [as in patches, t-shirts and hoodies] concepts and watching anime. And all this while juggling work, household chores and my time with my crew. *shakes head* This kinda living could definitely result in a burn out or, at worst, a complete meltdown.

But I digress and I have less than 9 minutes left in which to type, so I'll keep this short.

Things to look out for on this wonder ful little blog located somewhere in the vast electronic inkiness of cyberspace:
- A review of the movie Hellboy 2
- A recap of the past coupla weeks, in detail
- Another photograph series upload
- Possibly an 'art dump', who knows?

And is there anything else that you lot would like to see up here?

Aside from sex related items, that is. I'll leave those kind of things to the professionals.

Hahahaha!

See y'all in a few.

Peace.

>>> Long overdue...

... photos of the SBTP outting on the 16^th of May.

A great looking bunch of people.

What say you all?

*grin*

>>> Alright, ALRIGHT, gorrammit, I'll admit...

... that I miss her.

Yes, I miss Schakatze.

But, no, not as a girlfriend.

As a close friend.

Why the sudden declaration? I blame the discovery of some old vids we shot, in experimenta, with my DXG multicam.

I miss the laughter, the insanity, the closeness... EVERYTHING.

The fact that we could just hang around each other and not have much of an issue.

But now? Feels like a field icy glaciers between us. As in between her and me. With Pervalidus catching it, too. Crap.

*sigh*

But what can one do? If you're shut out, you're shut out... unless she wants to let us back into her life again.

All one can do is pray, eh?

>>> Photos galore...

... and, blimey, someone shoot the photographer!!!

Friday [the 11th] was an extra long shift at TP, with a inventory run to Woodlands. I shall spare you all the details, but suffice to say that I'm starting to think that I'm married to my job at Starbucks. :D A great BIG thanks to Christine [you didn't have to come but you did! WE LOVE YOU FOR THAT!!!] Rad and Shikin for helping out! :)

Birthday party at Andrew's crib on Saturday [the 12th]. The nutter didn't tell me that it was his birthday celebration and fibbed that it was just a dinner! And all I got was one lousy photo! Cor!!!

Tuesday [the 15th] was a long yet fun shift at Holland Village. But then again, aren't all attachment shifts fun? Hahaha! A great, large round of thanks to Joyce, Joy, Shah and Lala... omg, there's a damn slim teletubby at HV!? LOL!

>>> Resistance is futile ver.2.0.1

Xzibit Lyrics
Concentrate Lyrics

Ver.2.0.1 Xzibit - Concentrate

^{We're baaaaaaack~!}

>>> I shouldn't be sitting here...

... because I should be getting ready for work.

Yeah, that's right.

I have to be at work by 11, but I gotta get in early to design the graphics on the coffee board. SO, I really should be in the bathroom having a shower right about now, but since I'am a procrastinating nutter, I'm sitting here, in front of my PC and updating this here blog for y'all to read.

Wish I had more pictures to put up, but they're kinda stuck on Himawari, my first portable hard disk that my family disconnected. I have to remember to purchase one of those multi-pin adaptor sockets today. *sigh*

Anyways, I'm dead exhausted, as I've been for the past two weeks. I'm not very sure why I haven't recovered yet, but Lastride and I have our theories. *shrug* Oh, well, no rest for the wicked and etcetera.

Should be leaving my house in 12 minutes, but I think I'll stretch that to 25 ticks [minutes, not the bug variety!!!] or so.

Speaking of Lastride, I met her and Adik along with Adik's friend Asli [spllg?] yesterday in the Arab quarter. I shouldn't have gone, but I've never been able to say no to Lastride for some strange reason. Ended up having a 10 dollar dinner at the Mosi Cafe, a Tuna-Muna sandwich and a Vanilla smoothie, along with paying nearly $13 for sheesha [spllg?] of the Strawberry Mint variety. We got nicely mellowed out and comfy, and just talked about stuff. It was pretty cool, just chilling.

Adik was a mischievious li'l bugger on the train ride home. I've always believed that there's a li'l juvenile inside of all of us, and Adik proved me right. NUTTER!!! :D

Anyways, my store just called me and it seems that I need to drop by the Civic Center in Woodlands to pick up straws 'coz my store is almost out. And my new store manager sounds rather, well, cute over the phone [and excuse me for using that word which I honestly detest. Which word? Simplissimo: the word cute. =P Eck, used it again. *washes mouth out with soap*].

So, looks like I gotta jet.

Laterz, gaterz.

Tchao.

>>> Crossbones' Tales: Prologue

JOVIAN CHRONICLES
Crossbones' Tales

PROLOGUE

Dripping with sweat and blood trickling down his face, he opened his remaining eye.

Through his cracked visor, he looked out at his cockpit.

It was bathed in the crimson glow of warning lights. Alarm klaxons wailed, viewscreens crackled with static and frantic comms-net traffic competed for his attention. And yet, above the chaotic din, he heard the sibilant hiss of leaking atmosphere.

He sighed and looked down at the simple two-dee picprint of his fiancee affixed to his dashboard by a piece of chewed gum. The ghostly echo of her last words rang in his ears. He plucked it from its place and gazed at the woman he had loved through tearing eyes.

Then, surrealistically, the picprint began to fragment and dissolve. He blinked and his fingers held nothing, the last fragments winking out of existence.

As the collision proximity alarm shrieked, his eye snapped up to his last operating viewscreen. The bulk of an escort carrier filled the screen, details becoming larger as the seconds passed.

His target.

He sprang into action, juking and jinking his already battered exo as the escort carrier's point defenses opened up, solid projectiles and laserbeams crisscrossing space, slashing up towards him.

A laserbeam sheared off his exo's left leg. Solid shot peppered his mecha's frame, gouging and shattering armour plating. The reactor was pierced by shrapnel, venting atmosphere and reaction mass like a glittering cloak of stardust.

The operating systems shut down, his last viewscreen winked out, his life support faded with the hum of the recyclers and his flight controls froze.

Trapped by momentum and inertia, his exo was locked in a fatal, suicidal dive towards the carrier.

Gripping the useless controls, he shut his eye with a scream on his lips.

>>> An overly insane weekend...

... and a finally a day off from work.

I swear to God that I am going to take a week off from work next week.

Seriously.

Anyways, I'm waiting for flicks from Ero-Otaku of Saturday's outing to CosFest VII at Downtown East with him, Pervalidus, Cho'bitz [now known as Grimm Grimoire] and Plasticated [aka Kawaiikunaii].

I spent a hundred bucks there, after defacing the "graffiti wall" with my hideous design. Hahahahaha! *coff, coff*

I also rushed down to Ang Mo Kio to meet up with Ian and Kenneth for Jon & Angel's wedding. It was a grand ceremony and I wish the newly wed couple a happy prosperous future ahead!

Ian, Kenneth and Fei were introduced, for the first time, to North Indian cuisine at the wedding reception and they loved it! See, Indiands are good for some things, like food! HA!

Angel was gorgeous in her gown and Jon should be having some really achy cheeks and jaw by now with all the smiling that he was doing. Hahaha!

It was a great time, seriously. And about time that the two of them got hitched... next up, Ian and Fei! :D I jest, I jest! Don't kill me!!!

After said wedding, Kenneth and I hung out at Ian's [oh-so sweet] crib, playing Guitar Hero III on his PS3. Ian said that it's best to get the PS3 from Sony itself. They have large outlet in Wisma, if you guys and gals were wondering.

And I've just realised that quite a large number of my friends actually live along the way to my current workplace, or more accurately, in the northside of things. Quite slow, eh? Kekekekeke...

Anyways, I attended the spring cleaning of my Starbucks store after they closed on Saturday. We were there till about 6+ in the morning. And it was fun yet tiring... and way too many people got wet, d=being doused in water. We had pizza after it was all done and there was a farewell cake for Alfons. It was one of those days where you had to have been there to understand what was happening. *slight grin*

I took a cab back home and crashed for the whole day till I had to get up to work again.

Suffice to say that I am exhausted beyond all belief.

Anyways, I'm gonna go chillax for a bit.

Laterz.

>>> Black, white and chop socky...

... with curving bullets, explosions and insanity.

Two movies in two weeks, at ten bucks a pop 'coz of Friday rates, may be killer on the wallet but so satisfying for the soul.

Bloody amazing.

First up, the new animated film from Dreamworks: Kung-Fu Panda.

And for those who've managed to catch it before me, do not start cackling.

Or the Wuxi Finger Hold will wipe the floor with you, haha!

The opening of the film was to put it mildly, different. A rather flat, 2D-ish, cartoon-like but vividly-drawn approach was used, like that of Samurai Jack, which therefore concludes that hand-drawn methods have not died yet, haha! But it was so tres cool!!!

The opening basically indicated to me that this was going a bloody good watch.

And it was!

You get the emotional vibes from the characters, even though it is an animated film and the characters are nothing more than animated silicon polygons. For example, the scene with the disparaging comments by the Five about Po.

And the humour, though quite a bit of it was lame, was able to pull laughs from the audience, even from this humble [and rather jaded] reviewer.

Also, there were some lessons about life weaved into the movie through the screenplay, but I'll leave it to you to figure out what exactly I'm talking about.

Overall, Kung-Fu Panda was an enjoyable experience and it guaranteed to pull a few laughs from even the most hardened, unfeeling criminal.

Final Rating: a cool seven-point-five [7.5] out of ten [10], due to the sheer campiness prevalent at times.

Next up on the list, the motion picture from Universal Pictures, Wanted.

Though I think it really does deserve to have the title in capital letters.

So, let's try that again...

... the motion picture from Universal Pictures, WANTED.

There much better.

A cliche whiny newbie to master in under two hours of filmtime was saved from mediocrity by a few factors.

Firstly, it stars Angelina Joile and there are way too many Jolie fetishists out there who can't resist her. I honestly don't quite fancy her, but she is a rather good actress... and it was too damn awesome when her character kills everyone with a single bullet, including herself. "GOODBYE", now that was brilliant, betcha no one saw that coming!

Secondly, McAvoy, as Wesley, is a change from the usual Hollywood leading man syndrome. And he can apparently act the part of a geeky, whiny, underachieving coward of a man quite well. His transformation from that into masterful assassin is quite interesting, with a hint of evil malice in his confidence.

Thirdly, the plot twists are fantastic, even if somewhat transparent. Yeah, I saw some of it coming. But it was still a beautiful mindfuck.

Fourthly, the gun-fu and fast-paced action. Enough said?

Lastly, which is my ultimate favourite, the breakage of the fourth wall at the end of the movie with Wesley so-called narrating to the audience with the question of "What the fuck have you done lately?", or something to that extent. My favourite portion of the whole movie.

All in all, a nutty, action-packed, fast-paced, thrill ride to nowhere, probably written by a pack of juveniles and so loosely based on the comic series, that that claim shouldn't even be there at all. It should've been "inspired by", not "loosely based on". YEESH.

Final Rating : a slightly above average six [6] out of ten [10]. Definitely not something that I'd buy to watch again unless I have pack of juvies at my crib to keep entertained. Mebbe rent, but probably not buy.

Go watch these movies if you're really bored or have the time to spare, but they're not a must-see kind of deal.

'Nuff said.

See ya at the next review!

>>> A little bit of art...

... to remind the heart of loss.


In loving memory of Julie "Baby Jewelz" McIntyre, crewmate, dear friend and beloved li'l "sister".

May you have found your peace and continue to be watching down on us from up on high.

Much love.

Peace.

>>> Exhausted...

... and it is more than bone deep.

The past couple of weeks haven't really allowed me to completely rest and recuperate.

And my family really hasn't been helping any. *sigh*

I just wish that I could curl up in a ball and bury myself under my blankets... and to be left alone.

But, life carries on, things need to be done and time doesn't wait for anyone.

Oh, well, y'know what they say...

"No rest for the wicked, No respite for the righteous, No peace for the dead."

Feth.