Monday, December 31, 2007

Recent top showings on Astro


I’ve been dreadfully sick for ONE WHOLE WEEK and have had ample opportunity to watch Astro. Since I always give Astro a lot of flak I thought that perhaps I’d tell some other hapless, frustrated viewer that there are the rare finds once in a while.

The other night, I caught ‘Eight Below’ which is a beautiful story about beautiful huskies left, with a great deal of heartache of course, by their mountain guide owner in the Antartic (was it?) for almost 6 months during the winter season. He wasn’t heartless the poor cutie, he was quite torn up about it. But lordy, at the end of it all, when he did get anough funding to go back, he found almost all of them intact. A couple had died but the rest toughed it out by virtue of their thick luscious fur coats and their ingenuity in catching birds and tricking a leopard seal for food….though I was a bit shocked to see the carcass of a whale somewhere in that ice surrounded valley……It’s a movie that’s inspired by true events – that’s what they say nowadays isn’t it, ‘inspired’ instead of ‘based on a true story’ – I guess it gives them more poetic license.
Best Actor: All the huskies
(Note to self, buy a house, get some huskies!)

Next, I saw ‘Kinky Boots’ which was fantabulous. Those who know me, know I love a good drag queen and this one had one AND cool footwear AND the British accent, there’s no way it could go wrong…So though me meds were making me extremely sleepy, I fought through my drugged stupor to stay awake for the full nine yards. It was not a waste of time! Tells of the story of a young bloke who is left with the stolid shoe factory making (Beautiful by the way) shoes for men – oxfords, brogues etc….but with the new commercial business of ‘sell them less quality, keep them buying more’ motto of the new consumer market, he’s finding the expensive, life time guarantee shoes not selling. It’s then a matter of ‘move on or ship out’. So there on, the male protagonist branches out and finds his niche market – strong, solid, sexy boots that can carry its weight in men, so to speak….

The lead drag queen was played with much aplomb and oh, yes, it had singing and dancing in it as well – what else could make it better!
Best Line: The sex….is in the heel!
And yes, it was also ‘inspired’ by true events.

Last night, there was another ‘inspired by true events’ story on Hallmark, ummmm ‘What Kind of Mother Are You?’. Not really my cup of tea though this one. Firstly it had Nicholle Tom in it whom I hate – remember her? Maggie from ‘The Nanny’. And the mother played by so-and-so was so weak it made me want to puke. If it’s wrong to wallop your daughter and run her out of town when she leaves her five fingered imprint on your cheek and chin, then I don’t want to be right! But then again, I’m not a mum so what do I know.
Best Scene from Movie: none.

I also watched ‘Crossing Delancey’ yesterday I believe. It was a really good, happy movie. It had Amy Irving in it, whom to me, will always be Maid Marion from Robin Hood Man in Tights (remember that, Nigel??!) singing in a beautiful (fake?) voice. But well, it’s about this single Jewish woman for whom her grandmother is trying to find a man. She of course is not interested in the nice, sarky, witty, cute pickle man because she has fallen for the supposedly handsome cad of a writer she is in close circles with. Needless to say, pickle man won out but only after going through the most wonderful series of actions to win her heart – not in a soppy, common way but well, watch the movie and I’m sure you will see what I like about it.

Best Character: kooky grandmother
Best Scene: on female protagonist’s birthday, male protagonist sends her a cake and a hat – female protagonist gets the message. He’d told her she should try on a new hat and she’d get a new perspective in life.
Best Feel Good Moment: Female protagnonist finds out male protagonist did not see her for the first time at the match-maker’s, he saw her 3 ½ years ago and had wanted her ever since.
Best Pick up Line: "I have this book, I carry it around with me all the time. When I have a thought that I can see clearly, I write it down. Here’s one you’ll like – "How do I speak to Amy?" (Amy being name of female protagonist).
Best Name: Bubbie (for kooky grandmother)
Best Happy Moment: Female protagonist invites out Male Protagonist to introducce (sic) him on her friend. Friend is left sitting at the bar, waiting for the tug of the earlobe, to come over to the dinner table to be introduced…..

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

When will Malaysian tv be as interesting? I’ve never liked anything produced by our shores except Gol and Gincu! Most boring case in point – Mari Berdansa…..I guess a spoof of ‘Dancing with the Stars’….It’s a dancing show, come on! I watched the first 10-15 minutes of the show without seeing anything remotely close to a shuffling of feet, much less dancing! Jeeezzzzz, I don’t wanna hear anything, I don’t wanna know the history of zapin – it’s a dance show – so DANCE!