[Movie Review] Pitch Perfect (2012)

by Daniel Chiam

Entertainingly fun to watch ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

Beca (Anna Kendrick) who just enrolled to Barden College decided to joined the all-girl a capella group - Bellas after being asked by her dad to try and experience the college life. The Bellas has been struggling all this while to be the champion with their never changing performances, and with the new recruit into their team, things still pretty much stays the same under the leadership of Aubrey (Anna Camp) - Bellas' senior. 

Everyone was expecting another Glee rip off with a predictable story line from Pitch Perfect and I say, you all are getting what you've asked for but only better and with a bigger bang! Turns out the movie was awesomely entertaining with great humor and of course great tunes.

Rebel Wilson who plays Fat Amy is really a comedic star on a rise. There's a lot of LOL moment during her appearance in the movie and it was completely fun to watch. It's really hard to fun a dull moment in the movie and please do not expect an impromptu musical session to sing about what's going on at the moment, no, because this is not Glee.

The songs selection was great as most of it was not yet overly used in film/series of such genre. It was anything but that-same-song-again-with-different-cover-version. The music arrangement was creatively done and really gets the audience grooving to it. I love the riff off scene.

Aside from Anna Kendrick, Alexis Knapp is really a hottie in the movie and oh my gosh isn't she tall! I didn't know she can sing (or she didn't?). She's always appear in movie as the pretty face, same goes for this one but at least she has more attitude and character to show off.

Overall the movie was all fun and entertaining to watch. I really had a great time laughing in the cinema and I love the soundtrack for the movie. I would watch it again with no second thought. The best musical comedy film in 2012 so far.

Thank you ChurpChurp and United International Pictures for the invitation.

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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[Movie Review] Soar Into The Sun (2012)

by Daniel Chiam

I wish can soar even higher ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4/10

Soar Into The Sun, also known as Return to Base (R2B) is a remake of the movie Red Scarf (1964). The Korean action film starring Rain (Jung Ji-Hoon) and Shin Se-Kyung as the main leads, tells the story of fighter jet pilots in the mist of facing crisis that might compromise the safety of their nation.

The movie was overall fun and entertaining to watch. Typical Korean funny moments and romance. Sadly the  plots didn't manage to soar high enough to really wow the audience with its action scenes or a remarkable story line. The movie in general was just moderate only.

I believe Rain still has the charm to lure all his fans to the cinema and watch the movie. Specially when this is Rain's last movie before he join the military service for at least 2 years! Not bad for a farewell gift to the fans.

Anyway, judging from the screenshot that I saw in their official Facebook page, I assume that there were a few scenes being deleted in the movie, no thanks to Malaysia censorship. Here are some scenes that wasn't shown in the cinema:

Tho Soar Into The Sun wasn't the best actions film made by the Korean, but with eye-candy like Rain and Shin Se-Kyung in the movie, you can't hardly wish the movie to end sooner but only for it to be better. The supporting cast was also impressive but yet I felt that they were undermined by the lack of build up for their characters.

Rain

Shin Se-Kyung

Thank you ChurpChurp and United International Pictures for the invitation.

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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Dumb Down for Love

by Aemy Nadira 

"No Malaysian men wants to date or marry someone who's smarter than them."

- Anonymous, 2012

Wow, seriously? Is it really a case of beauty over brains when it comes to love? Oh no. Blame it on Hollywood and what it does to men and women nowadays. With stars like Brooklyn Decker and Scarlett Johansson becoming a huge sensation in the media for their attractiveness, women are led to believe in order to attract men, it won't do them any good to quote Shakespeare's. So these women got the idea to hide their intelligence and play with their hair and giggle like a schoolgirl instead.

I've asked a male friend whether he prefers a girlfriend who is smarter or one who is a bimbo. He said he wants more than just a pretty girlfriend. A bimbo would suffice for a short-term thing only. But for a long-term relationship, he'd want someone who's smarter than him in some aspects. I couldn't agree more. 

Sadly, women are easily influenced by movies where the dumb blonde cheerleader gets all attentions while the Math genius gets none at all. They fear that the more they accomplished, the more they may have to sacrifice. So better dumb than lonely, huh? Maybe it's a case of low self-esteem, or a case of not wanting to be an outcast of marriage story. Whatever it is, many women are willing to drop their standards and date someone who doesn't value intelligence. 

In a way, being too intelligent could be a buster though. I myself find it tough dealing with a friend who's smarter at everything. I have to shut her up by saying "that's what I meant" whenever she points out my mistakes. Correcting me is good but in a way, it's annoying when a simple thing becomes complicated. And she's still single.

Still, playing dumb is not the key for a relationship. There's no chance of you playing the dumb game for a long time. Yeah there are guys who need hot chic to just stand by them, which serves no purpose. Trust me, there are also guys that are really looking for a life partner, not a Barbie doll. 

At the end of the day, it's all about being yourself. You deserve someone who appreciates your intelligence and loves you for who you really are. Honesty and sincerity go a long way. :)

Photo source: 1, 2

Checkout Aemy at emynadira.com for more of her updates!



"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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[Movie Review] Skyfall (2012)

by Daniel Chiam

Back to Basic ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10

Skyfall marked the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond series which started back in 1962 with Dr. No. It is also the 3rd installment for Daniel Craig to reprise the role as James Bond and in my opinion, Skyfall is the best Bond installment ever if compared to previous Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

This time, rather than an international crisis that's threatening the MI6, the threats were much more personal for the villain -  Raoul Silva/Tiago Rodriguez (Javier Bardem) torward the head of MI6 - M (Judi Dench). In order to keep M safe from Silva, Bond revisit his past in Scotland - Skyfall, Bond's childhood home.

Everything was stripped to the core for Skyfall and it was genuinely a bold direction for a Bond movie to be made as such. No fancy gadgets, no overly expensive car with crazy weapons, no seductive female co-star, no crazy stunts and it was truly an original non-over exaggerate Bond movie. I love it.

Even without all those that made Bond of who he is the last time, it is still an actions filled and entertaining movie to watch. Skyfall really reinvented James Bond with much more character, charisma and charm. You will be extremely delighted with it (I hope, haha). 

The 143 minutes movie prove to be worthy of watching. It's original. It doesn't overdo. It's stay true to Bond's capabilities and charm. Skyfall really brings something very fresh to the famous franchise and instead of serving the expected treat, you are in for something ecstatic this time.

Thanks to Sony Pictures Malaysia and Nuffnang for the invite.

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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How to Tell Real Leather from Fake Leather

by Max Law from MaxMayo.com

If you're not a fan of leather goods, most of the time you can't tell the difference between a real and a fake leather.

In general, fake leather (or synthetic, artificial, human-made leather) is made of plastic compound and its identity is naturally reflected in the price tag.

You may have already known this:

         

                    Genuine Leather is never cheap.

However, there are times when a premium priced leather good may appear dubious.

For example, a new or a relatively unknown label that claims to use genuine leather in their bags. A "Made in Italy" or a "Genuine Leather" tag inside the bag can't really guarantee their statement.

Before you seek for the advice of experts, here are a few quick tips you can try:

• Real Leather Doesn't Smell Like Plastic

Real leather is made of real animal skin. It should smell like a skin, and it never smell like a plastic, even when it's still a new bag.

• Real Leather Looks Like Skin

Scrutinize the leather and if you see uneven pattern on the leather, it's most likely a real leather. Real skin is not perfect.

Real skin has pores, and the texture varies on different spot of the fabric, just like your skin.

A fake leather will look "too perfect" in comparison. You should be able to notice almost identical pattern and texture across the surface.

Faux vs Genuine Leather. Which is which?

• Real Leather Feels Like Skin

Touch and feel the leather with your hands. The smoothness should be very pleasant, as if you're touching a skin.

Related to the previous point, the texture on the leather should feel natural, not "bumpy".

• Real Leather Wrinkles

Try to flex or pinch the leather. Real leather should wrinkle according to your pressure, while fake leather will stay the same. Fake leather is similar to Botox-injected faces: they won't wrinkle naturally when they smile.

Wrinkles appear when pressed = Genuine Leather

No wrinkle = Faux Leather

So now, let's do a test:

By looking at the texture, can you tell if this leather below is genuine or faux? Let me know your answer at the comment below and do tell me why.

[Click to enlarge]

Ending this post with an informative video on how genuine leathers are made. The tedious process explains why genuine leather is much more expensive than faux:

Hope you find this post helpful.

Source: Image 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Checkout Max at MaxMayo.com and follow him on twitter @maxmayo for more updates and fashion tips!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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