Jason
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Say wha--?
This was taken at Mackay Memorial Hospital.
The sign is full of spelling errors.
But this one in particular is one hell of a Freudian slip.
Jason
The sign is full of spelling errors.
But this one in particular is one hell of a Freudian slip.
Jason
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wha--?
I get to walk by this everyday on the way to my new job.
I still haven't found the better half.
Jason
Monday, February 11, 2008
My latest obsession
In just about every MRT station and 7-11 you'll find these toy machines. And they're actually really popular in Taiwan. You can get anything from Pooh to Thomas to Doraemon (and they're actually licensed and legal!) toys just by dropping in a $50 NT coin (about $1.50 USD) and turning the knob. You don't know which one you'll get. It's best to get these from stations that have employees hanging around. This way, if you get one you already have, then the worker can open up the machine and swap the one you got for another one.
While the 7-11 stores have the machines where you can get the toys in the capsules, some of the nicer toys are the vinyl ones that are nicely designed and full of detail. You can get these from any 7-11 or any other quick stop. Just buy a specific drink or snack and pay an extra $39 NT ($1.20 USD). Unfortunately, the boxes are all the same, so its a crap shoot as to which one you'll get. And the 7-11 workers don't exchange them if you get one you already have.
I know these are somewhat popular in America among the comic/toy collectors, but in Taiwan they are popular among everyone. Just about every cube in my office has at least one entire collection of one of the 7-11 toys.
This is from the CiBoys Zodiac Warriors series from 7-11.
This is from the Sam series from 7-11.
Mild-mannered panda by day. . .
. . .ruthless viking warrior by night!
Here's the capsule they come in when you get them from a machine.
This guy is from the Legend of Zelda line.
This is Doraemon. Outside looks like his head. . .
. . .but when you open it, you get a scene from the cartoon!
This is Carnage from Spider-Man. I actually got this one in Japan.
1984 Transformers Jazz.
1984 Transformers Megatron.
How can you not love these? Hours of fun!
This is only a small sample of my collection. . .
Jason
While the 7-11 stores have the machines where you can get the toys in the capsules, some of the nicer toys are the vinyl ones that are nicely designed and full of detail. You can get these from any 7-11 or any other quick stop. Just buy a specific drink or snack and pay an extra $39 NT ($1.20 USD). Unfortunately, the boxes are all the same, so its a crap shoot as to which one you'll get. And the 7-11 workers don't exchange them if you get one you already have.
I know these are somewhat popular in America among the comic/toy collectors, but in Taiwan they are popular among everyone. Just about every cube in my office has at least one entire collection of one of the 7-11 toys.
This is from the CiBoys Zodiac Warriors series from 7-11.
This is from the Sam series from 7-11.
Mild-mannered panda by day. . .
. . .ruthless viking warrior by night!
Here's the capsule they come in when you get them from a machine.
This guy is from the Legend of Zelda line.
This is Doraemon. Outside looks like his head. . .
. . .but when you open it, you get a scene from the cartoon!
This is Carnage from Spider-Man. I actually got this one in Japan.
1984 Transformers Jazz.
1984 Transformers Megatron.
How can you not love these? Hours of fun!
This is only a small sample of my collection. . .
Jason
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Another reason to hate the Oscars
Where the hell are The Simpsons Movie, 300, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters?!
These are the only categories that matter to me. Winners are bolded.
Best Animated Feature
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's Up
Best Music– Original Score
Atonement
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
3:10 To Yuma
Best Animated Short Film
I Met The Walrus
Madame Tutli-Putli
Même Les Pigeons vont Au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)
My Love (Moya Lyubov)
Peter & The Wolf
(Sorry, didn't see any of these.)
Best Visual Effects
The Golden Compass
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Transformers
Best Original Screenplay
Juno
Lars and the Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille BRAD BIRD!!!
The Savages
Special Achievement Award for Awesomeness
Transformers
Special Achievement Award for Anyone Whose Name Starts with Brad and Ends with Bird
Brad Bird
Yes, it's true. Ratatouille and Transformers are the only ones I saw on this list. But really, that's all you needed to see in 2007.
Screw the Oscars.
Jason
These are the only categories that matter to me. Winners are bolded.
Best Animated Feature
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's Up
Best Music– Original Score
Atonement
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
3:10 To Yuma
Best Animated Short Film
I Met The Walrus
Madame Tutli-Putli
Même Les Pigeons vont Au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)
My Love (Moya Lyubov)
Peter & The Wolf
(Sorry, didn't see any of these.)
Best Visual Effects
The Golden Compass
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Transformers
Best Original Screenplay
Juno
Lars and the Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille BRAD BIRD!!!
The Savages
Special Achievement Award for Awesomeness
Transformers
Special Achievement Award for Anyone Whose Name Starts with Brad and Ends with Bird
Brad Bird
Yes, it's true. Ratatouille and Transformers are the only ones I saw on this list. But really, that's all you needed to see in 2007.
Screw the Oscars.
Jason
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
When we went to New York last year, we wanted to go to a Broadway show just for the experience. We didn't know if we'd like it or not, but we knew it would still be more fun than looking at the Statue of Liberty. We narrowed down our choices to two options: Spamalot and Sweeney Todd. I didn't know much about Sweeney Todd at the time, except that it was dark and bloody. We eventually decided on Spamalot, and we certainly don't regret it.
After seeing Sweeney Todd the movie, I'm glad we didn't see it in New York. Musicals like this have to be pretty light on story in order to fit in all of those songs. I don't know exactly how much of the movie is different from the Broadway show, but I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I had already known how it ended.
But the whole Broadway musical part of it is second to what really matters about this film–it was directed by Tim Burton. If you don' t agree that Burton is one of the greatest and most innovative directors ever, then you might as well stop reading this. If you're afraid of spoilers, then you might want to come back later.
In an interview, Burton said that the original show was centered more around the character of Mrs. Lovett, but for his movie he wanted Sweeney Todd to be center stage. This is what I like about Burton's movies. He picks the character he likes most and centers everything around him or her. A perfect example is when Mrs. Lovett is fantasizing about what her life will be like with Sweeney Todd after they leave London. She is singing with enthusiasm and optimism, in a park, on the beach, on a pier, and on a front porch, while Todd just sits through the entire montage brooding over his miserable existence. This is supposed to be Mrs. Lovett's moment, but Burton doesn't care. While Mrs. Lovett constantly thinks of the future, Todd can't leave the present. Todd is someone who cannot let anything go. And by the end of the film, once the main characters fates are determined, Burton, much like Todd himself, doesn't bother telling anyone what the future holds for those who survived. Once his favorite character is gone, as far as he's concerned, the movie is finished.
This approach could be why Charlie and the Chocolate Factory didn't work as well as it could. The story is supposed to center around Charlie, but it's obvious that Burton would rather tell a story about an emotionally scarred adult boy rather than a poor, kind-hearted boy.
Another thing I like about Burton is how the central characters of his movies stand out significantly from the rest of the world. Again, in Mrs. Lovett's fantasy scene, Burton has three of the darkest, most pathetic characters in London, dressed entirely in black, white, and gray, picnicking while surrounded by the greenest grass and the bluest sky you'll ever see. Burton isn't afraid to remind you that the characters whose lives you currently care about are most likely hated by everyone else in London. In that same interview, Burton said he intentionally didn't want any other Londoners to sing. Restricting the musical numbers only to the main characters even separates them from the "normal" people, thus making them even more unaware of what is happening right under their noses.
Then there's the blood. There wasn't as much as I was hoping there would be, but it was so over-the-top that it still made me smile every time someone got slashed. I don't know how much of it was CGI. But just when you thought the blood was as sick as it could get, you actually see what happens to the bodies. I'm not talking about the pies, I'm talking about the drop. It was hilarious in a very sick way. This is from the same man who found many creative ways for a head to fall off after being cauterized in Sleepy Hollow.
Something else that stood out for me was the makeup. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter were so pale that when they walked into a dark room, they looked like heads floating in.
Johnny Depp really pulled this off well. I think Helena Bonham Carter does a great job of making Burton's characters believable instead of looking like Helena Bonham Carter trying to pull off a character. She would have been capable of carrying the movie herself if they had found a weaker actor for Todd. And Alan Rickman still has one of the greatest voices after James Earl Jones.
Highly recommended. But don't be a pansy like some of the people in the theater I went to by covering your eyes throughout half of it. Embrace the grotesqueness.
Jason
After seeing Sweeney Todd the movie, I'm glad we didn't see it in New York. Musicals like this have to be pretty light on story in order to fit in all of those songs. I don't know exactly how much of the movie is different from the Broadway show, but I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I had already known how it ended.
But the whole Broadway musical part of it is second to what really matters about this film–it was directed by Tim Burton. If you don' t agree that Burton is one of the greatest and most innovative directors ever, then you might as well stop reading this. If you're afraid of spoilers, then you might want to come back later.
In an interview, Burton said that the original show was centered more around the character of Mrs. Lovett, but for his movie he wanted Sweeney Todd to be center stage. This is what I like about Burton's movies. He picks the character he likes most and centers everything around him or her. A perfect example is when Mrs. Lovett is fantasizing about what her life will be like with Sweeney Todd after they leave London. She is singing with enthusiasm and optimism, in a park, on the beach, on a pier, and on a front porch, while Todd just sits through the entire montage brooding over his miserable existence. This is supposed to be Mrs. Lovett's moment, but Burton doesn't care. While Mrs. Lovett constantly thinks of the future, Todd can't leave the present. Todd is someone who cannot let anything go. And by the end of the film, once the main characters fates are determined, Burton, much like Todd himself, doesn't bother telling anyone what the future holds for those who survived. Once his favorite character is gone, as far as he's concerned, the movie is finished.
This approach could be why Charlie and the Chocolate Factory didn't work as well as it could. The story is supposed to center around Charlie, but it's obvious that Burton would rather tell a story about an emotionally scarred adult boy rather than a poor, kind-hearted boy.
Another thing I like about Burton is how the central characters of his movies stand out significantly from the rest of the world. Again, in Mrs. Lovett's fantasy scene, Burton has three of the darkest, most pathetic characters in London, dressed entirely in black, white, and gray, picnicking while surrounded by the greenest grass and the bluest sky you'll ever see. Burton isn't afraid to remind you that the characters whose lives you currently care about are most likely hated by everyone else in London. In that same interview, Burton said he intentionally didn't want any other Londoners to sing. Restricting the musical numbers only to the main characters even separates them from the "normal" people, thus making them even more unaware of what is happening right under their noses.
Then there's the blood. There wasn't as much as I was hoping there would be, but it was so over-the-top that it still made me smile every time someone got slashed. I don't know how much of it was CGI. But just when you thought the blood was as sick as it could get, you actually see what happens to the bodies. I'm not talking about the pies, I'm talking about the drop. It was hilarious in a very sick way. This is from the same man who found many creative ways for a head to fall off after being cauterized in Sleepy Hollow.
Something else that stood out for me was the makeup. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter were so pale that when they walked into a dark room, they looked like heads floating in.
Johnny Depp really pulled this off well. I think Helena Bonham Carter does a great job of making Burton's characters believable instead of looking like Helena Bonham Carter trying to pull off a character. She would have been capable of carrying the movie herself if they had found a weaker actor for Todd. And Alan Rickman still has one of the greatest voices after James Earl Jones.
Highly recommended. But don't be a pansy like some of the people in the theater I went to by covering your eyes throughout half of it. Embrace the grotesqueness.
Jason
Thursday, January 10, 2008
American Dog
How do you go from this
to this?
When I first found out about American Dog, I got really excited. It looks like an Edward Hopper painting brought to life. I loved Lilo and Stitch, but American Dog looked like a much more personal project from Chris Sanders. The story even sounded a little like Cars, where the dog, cat, and overgrown rabbit take a road trip through middle America. Rumor has it John Lasseter didn't like Lilo and Stitch and didn't care much for Chris Sanders. I'm sure Lasseter had his reasons for stopping production on the film, but it's disappointing to see it replaced with something that looks so generic and unoriginal. American Dog is unique. Each character has his own personality. And some of the stills and concept art I saw were just plain quirky. Bolt just looks like Balto with a higher budget. And why do they always make these character pose and grin in these images? It's just plain... blah.
I understand that Disney had to release some kind of animated movie about a dog in order to fulfill their marketing obligations, and that's the only reason to make Bolt. But I really hope American Dog isn't gone forever.
Cartoon Brew posted a nice cartoon from Chris Sanders. At least we still get to see how the cat is supposed to look.
Even if Sanders just brings back the characters in comic form, I'll be happy. However, I know that's impossible since Disney now owns all rights to the characters as well as 30% of Sanders' soul.
Jason
to this?
When I first found out about American Dog, I got really excited. It looks like an Edward Hopper painting brought to life. I loved Lilo and Stitch, but American Dog looked like a much more personal project from Chris Sanders. The story even sounded a little like Cars, where the dog, cat, and overgrown rabbit take a road trip through middle America. Rumor has it John Lasseter didn't like Lilo and Stitch and didn't care much for Chris Sanders. I'm sure Lasseter had his reasons for stopping production on the film, but it's disappointing to see it replaced with something that looks so generic and unoriginal. American Dog is unique. Each character has his own personality. And some of the stills and concept art I saw were just plain quirky. Bolt just looks like Balto with a higher budget. And why do they always make these character pose and grin in these images? It's just plain... blah.
I understand that Disney had to release some kind of animated movie about a dog in order to fulfill their marketing obligations, and that's the only reason to make Bolt. But I really hope American Dog isn't gone forever.
Cartoon Brew posted a nice cartoon from Chris Sanders. At least we still get to see how the cat is supposed to look.
Even if Sanders just brings back the characters in comic form, I'll be happy. However, I know that's impossible since Disney now owns all rights to the characters as well as 30% of Sanders' soul.
Jason
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