The Social Network

When the reviews came out for The Social Network, I really couldn't believe the amount of near perfect scores given by every movie critic. After watching it, now I do. The Social Network must be your movie to watch for 2010. It was funktastic. For those that live under a rock, The Social Network is generally about the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and his journey from being dumped by girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara) to creating one of the most highly used social networking websites in the world. The film moves in a non-linear fashion, with Mark being sued by his best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) and the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer playing both twins) . Mark's testifies to both lawsuits bringing the film back and forth from past and present detailing the start of Facebook with an idea from the Winklevoss and founding the site with best friend Eduardo Saverin.

This film is about Mark Zuckerberg and his journey. There are many who say that the film vilifies him and makes him look like a big asshole who steps on everyone else just to get to the top. I say the film shows him as who he is; human. And Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark with such great consistency, mirroring a man who has everything and yet a man just as average and ordinary as anyone else on the face of the Earth. When Andrew Garfield was slated to take over the role of Peter Parker in the Spiderman reboot, I was in doubt at first. Mainly because the only other film I'd ever seen him in was the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus but after seeing his performance in The Social Network as the betrayed and dejected Eduardo, my doubts have since disappeared. Even Justin Timberlake put on a believable performance as Netscape founder Sean Parker, playing a slick sleaze ball who we all want to hate and yet admire.

The script, the script really overtakes the entire film with infectious quotes and witty dialogue that you wish you could think of yourself. All thanks to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin who had been involved with writing political based movies like A Few Good Men, Charlie Wilson's War, The American President and of course the television series, The West Wing. The Social Network wasn't even a comedy and yet it made me laugh more times than some comedies I've had the displeasure of laying my eyes on. It was funny, witty and the actors performed brilliantlt.

However, even if a movie had a good script, a potentially untalented director could steer the movie into shitville and that's where David Fincher comes in. David Fincher is one of my favourite modern directors and The Social Network marks a departure from Fincher's other works (Fight Club, Zodiac, Seven) that have a depressing and bleak tone to them. Fincher constructs a story that is so fluid, there is never a dull moment. Usually, a film that operates in a non-linear fashion tend to be messy, but Fincher manages two present cases and interlinks them effortlessly with the past, making the film a joy to watch. The music score is infectious and as of now, is what I'm currently listening to. The vibrant soundtrack kicks in at certain moments propelling the film to a new level of style.

The movie was flawless. Not a hair out of place. Although, it never did feel like a perfect movie in a sense. I felt that the film didn't take the risks necessary to propel it into one of the greatest ever. After watching The Social Network, I could tell that the film was brilliantly good, but not as good as those in my top ten and it bugs me that it could. The Social Network could have been up there with Citizen Kane. However, its great the way it is and all the best at the Oscars. I am thoroughly divided for the Oscars this year.. I want David Fincher to win but at the same time want Christopher Nolan to win as well. Two of the most talented directors to ever be gifted into Hollywood.

Final verdict - Funny, memorable and will change the way you look at Facebook. Its a sad tale of the youngest billionaire in the world. When the movie ends, you don't expect it because you would have enjoyed every minute of The Social Network.

10/10

The Benefits of a Vegan

If what I learned from Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is true, then I can assume that all hardcore vegans that do not consume meat nor the product of any animal are granted totally awesome telekinetic powers. I wonder why there is no super power admitted to those that require the eat of the meat. Meat is awesome too, but so is totally awesome telekinetic powers.

Which would appeal to me more? The ability to eat meat or the ability to fling people around like ragdolls?

If I went vegan, I wouldn't be able to eat the Beef Bacon Burger at Chili's and that sucks big time. If I ate meat, I wouldn't be able to do awesome stuff like, punch the moon. This decision is as hard as the time I had to decide between manipulating the stock markets and making tons of money at the expense of the world economy (Yes, I caused the Global Financial Crisis by increasing the issuance of mortgage through Adobe).

But if you think about it, can a vegan survive in a post apocalyptic future where food is scarce and the only thing available is human flesh? Thought so. Being vegan is awesome but the reality is, Chili's Beef Bacon Burger is beyond being a vegan.

Let Me In

I hate it when Hollywood remakes good foreign films. For the uninitiated, Let Me In is a remake of Let The Right One In, a Swedish film based upon a Swedish novel. All I can say is that Matt Reeves does a fucking brilliant job at crafting a haunting vampire love story. Let Me In holds its on and is just as good, maybe better than the original.

In a nutshell: Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a frail 12 year old boy and generally an outcast who is constantly bullied by Kenny and his gang. One day, he spots an old man and a girl about his age move into the apartment unit next to his. The girl is Abby (Chloe Moretz) who to Owen looks to be a weird and mysterious girl. What he doesn't know is that Abby is a vampire who offers a new leap in Owen's life.

I've noticed that a lot of Malaysian's have complained about the film's lack of scare elements and contribute that the film is a bore and offers nothing in the horror genre. Horror doesn't have to be scary, it can mean a lot of other things as well. Let Me In had a thoroughly haunting presence, complimented by an awesome music score, subtle dialogue and the sleepy town itself.

Both Kodi and Chloe play their parts with absolute professionalism and bode a natural chemistry between the two on the screen. You can actually believe there is a bond between Owen and Abby because it is just that good. However, in comparision with the original Swedish version, Lina Leandersson beats Chloe's performance by a slim mile. Let Me In is more violent than the original, the feel of such is produced by Reeves method of making Abby more volatile when it came to making the kill as compared to Alfredson's style of making Eli more subtle in her kill.

My main complaint would be Reeves slight change in the storyline by eliminating the Lacke/Virginia subplot as I thought it made the confrontation between Eli and Lacke more profound and emotionally effective as compared with the unnamed Police Detective and Abby. I was also hopping for a more prevalent relationship connection between "The Father" and Abby in Let Me In but I can understand Reeve's decision to cut out those subplots in favour of concentrating more on Abby and Owen.

Props to make up for when Abby's in her vampire mode. Definately unsettling to see Chloe who is normally adorable in a shroud of true horror.

On a super plus side the vampire mythology is back to its basics with sunlight actually killing vampires as opposed to 'you know what'. This is how vampires are supposed to be. They're not emo and certainly not glamorous. They're tortured creatures of the night that beg to be released from their curse and true monsters that won't think twice about ripping out your throat.

Closing verdict: One of the best films of the year

9/10

Back From The Outer Limits

You must have thought to yourself, what happened to Haikal's awesome blog? I know as of now, most of my devoted readers have committed suicide due to the absence of their life essence but before more of you do, I am pleased to announced that this blog is far from dead. The tumour has since been removed and life goes on as the atheist god pleases.

I am back from my harrowing adventures of travelling the countryside searching for the meaning of forgetfulness. Fortunately I wrote it down and gave it to my PA to document within my company but she has since forgotten where she has placed it.

Memo to self: Fire PA

Don't go away, the blogs gonna get the rebirth it needs. Like a jab of microbes in the eyeball of a phoenix. That sounds so rock and roll.

To My Favourite Flower

My heart moves to the sound of your voice

There is nothing in the world that I'd rather hear

Than the love you give me through your choice

There is that notion, there is that fear

That I would one day stand alone atop that cliff

Watching down upon the waves that wash ashore

Remembering that face which captured my heart, wondering if

I would throw myself into the ocean's floor

Before that day comes, I want you to know

That I love you more than life, more than anything in the world

You are my life, you are my beau

You are the treasure I have found, an oyster's pearl

Not one day passes that I don't think of you

Of your smile, your laugh, your beauty

This is not a lie, as what I say is true

You are the everlasting angel that my arms will forever carry

You are my Yoshimi

Update: Dragon Age Poem

Haven't added anything new to the blog probably because of the lack of inspiration, motivation, writer's block and general laziness.. There was supposed to be five more parts to the Dragon Age: Origins epic poem but, my god.. so fucking lazy.

But in brief, this is what will happen. Sacred Ashes quest, defeat High Dragon guarding ashes, take ashes to Arl, heal him, proceed to completing all party members personal quests, kill that bitch from Orlais for Leliana, sex with Leliana, kill that old bitch Flemeth for Morrigan, find Sten's bitch sword, visit Alistair's long lost bitch sister in Denerim, get Ohgren together with bitch at Lake Calenhad, kill bitch assassins going after Zevran, give bitch Wynne closure, proceed to Landsmeet to confront Loghain, Anora crowned queen, Alistair leaves because I fucked up, have sex with Morrigan as perse of ritual, final battle with Archdemon at Denerim, kill that fucker, goddamn fucking hero of Ferelden. And then there would be the epilogue poem that ends everything.

However, I'm not gonna do it cause I'm lazy and shit so.. The End.

DRAGON AGE ORIGINS: As Told By A Blind Poet (Part Four)

Greeted by Zathrian, Keeper of the Dalish

The Warden offers the binding treaty

Only for Zathrian to propose a quest the Warden must finish
The threat to the Dalish lies towards the werewolves

Ferocious cursed beast who stand to destory Dalish livelihood

The Warden must seek Witherfang and take its heart

To cure Dalish infected, thus to kill the wolves brood

The dark Brecillian Forest awaits the Warden's steps

A werewolf who calls himself Swiftrunner shows

Calling the Warden to desist his quest or risk further zeolous traps

The Warden presses on, cutting through werewolves and darkspawn alike

As the Warden reaches the Southern Ancient Tombstone, Swiftrunner reappears

It is learned that the werewolves of the Brecilian Forest bear a deep grudge toward Zathrian

With questions unanswered, the only hint being the Lady's tears

The Warden travels deeper for answers

Entering the Elven Tombs, delving in history

They reach the Lair of the Werewolves, with bloodied armours

Swiftrunner meets the Warden and grants him an audience with the Lady

The curse is of Witherfang, a spirit who calls herself Lady of the Forest

The Lady reveals what Zathrian did not

The curse was called upon by the Keeper against those of evil purest

Hundreds of years before, men fouled the children of the Keeper

Zathrian in vengeance, summoned Witherfang and her curse

Hundreds has passed, those that are werewolves are now those innocent, filled with bitter

The Lady asks the Warden to bring Zathrian to her, to meet

The choice of whatever happens next falls to the Warden

Side with the beasts and kill the Dalish, side with the Dalish and kill the beasts

Or act as paragon, sacrificing Lady and Keeper for the sake of the children

Zathrian, in a ritual, takes his own life as well as the Lady's

The curse is lifted and all is well

Lanaya is Keeper and the beasts, curse uplifted return to their human duties

The Dalish elves honour the treaty and lend their hand to battle the Blight

The Warden sets out to complete an unfinished quest

To retrieve the Sacred Ashes for the Arl

The next clue to the journey bears the royal crest

Brother Genitivi holds the key, the key which lies in the capital of Ferelden, Denerim

DRAGON AGE ORIGINS: As Told By A Blind Poet (Part Three)

On the way to Orzammar does the Warden encounter
Antivian Crows set to ambush and assassinate
Brandishing their bows and daggers
The Warden slices through, breaking the attack
The leader of the assassins lays his sword in surrender
His name, Zevran, an elf
Pleads mercy for his allegiance to the Warden and no other

The Warden sheaths his sword to the dismay of Alistair
Who's trust for the assassin does not go far

Orzammar, the last of the Dwarven cities
Whose gates stand before the Warden
The treaty is prepped to behold towards the Dwarven King, behold towards his knees
Alas, the King has died leaving no heir
Political turmoil engulfs Orzammar with a house divided
Those supporting Lord Harrowmount, those supporting Prince Bhelen
Only the Assembly can decide who drinks the royal fluid

The votes are deadlocked and thus only the Warden can break them
He picks Harrowmount but must prove his allegiance to the Lord
To enter the Proving and become Harrowmount's gem
The Warden emerges champion and is given his next task
To gain the favour of the Assembly, to kill Jarvia and her gang
Through Dust Town they journey, questioning the casteless
Finding entrance to the hideout and into the wolf's fang

Fighting through legions of dwarfs proves no walk
Tis a hard earned road all the way
The Warden finally battles Jarvia herself, a hardened warlock
Ending with her blood feeding the grounds of Orzammar
The Warden returns to Harrowmount thinking the deed is done
Yet, the Lord provides another task to be completed to secure the throne
To search the Paragon Branka, within the ruins of the broken

Battlemaster Ohgren, husband of Branka joins the Warden's task
Determined to see his estranged wife once more
The search would take many dawns and many dusks
The trail leads the Warden through Caridian's Cross, Ortan Thaig and the Dead Trenches
Where thousands of darkspawn lurk within each and every wall
With no choice, and the fate of Ferelden in the Warden's hands
They press on towards each clues call

In the Dead Trenches, horror awaits
Of the discovery concerning the fates of Branka's House
In her mad obsession to obtain the Anvil and its ability to create
Branka had sacrificed her entire House to the hands of the darkspawn
The Warden comes across a creature most grotesque, The Broodmother
The battle lasts a sundown, blades, arrows and magic fly
It ends when the Warden rips out the creatures cancer

The journey serves to end at the Anvil Void
Where Branka shows her face and asks the Warden to help clear a path to the Anvil
The Warden abides and finds himself in a choice to have the Anvil preserved or destroyed
Caridin, the creator of the Anvil states the evils of using such a device
While Branka wants to use it, to bring glory back to the dwarves
The Warden sides with Caridin, earning the wrath of Branka
Upon defeating Branka, Caridin smiths a crown he himself carves

Caridin, knowing his creation is gone
Drops himself into the lava below
Finally resolved, he dies with his soul reaching the Makers warmth
The crown is presented to the new King of Orzammar, Harrowmount
And in turn, promises aid to end the Blight
Bhelen, in a fit of rage attacks the Warden, knowing who to blame for his defeat
The disgraced Bhelen dies in his spite

And for that, it ends but the story is far from over

For the next journey would take the Warden to the Dalish in the Brecillian outskirts

DRAGON AGE ORIGINS: As Told By A Blind Poet (Part Two)

In the tavern of Lothering does the Warden stumble upon a woman

Leliana, a woman of song and Chantry

A rogue and bard at heart, bow and dagger, as deadly as a falcon

Joins in on the Warden's quest to destroy the Archdemon

At the end of the vilage, the Warden discovers a qunari

Entrapped in a cage for a malificious crime

A built warrior with eyes robbed of glory

The Warden convinces the village to have him released

To have this qunari by the name of Sten serve Ferelden

The party leave Lothering, their next destination, Redcliffe

To seek the Arl and ask for his help against both Loghain and the Blight

As they arrive, the city reaked of the stench of death

Arl Eamon had grown sick from poison

And the castle taken over by Fade creatures of demon breath

The Warden saves the village outside the castle walls

And proceeds to vanquish the evil within

Inside, they find an imprisoned blood mage, Jowan who recalls

Of his past mistakes of poisoning the Arl on Logahin's orders

He explains, the culprit behind the Fade demons was a possessed Connor, son of Eamon

The Warden fights through onslaughts of creatures

Entering the throne room to ensure the evil's undone

There, the Warden finds Connor with mother Isolde

Upon defeating the minions of the demon, apostate Jowan presents two choices

Kill Connor and demon within or a sacrifice to confront the demon face to face,

The Warden chooses a sacrifice and Isolde boldly volunteers

Morrigan enters the Fade and battles the Desire Demon

Blood is drawn and the Witch kills the unloved

There will be no celebrations for Isolde lays down frozen

The Arl still sleeps in a poisonous slumber

With the only known cure being the Sacred Ashes of Andraste

To the Circle of Magi, the Warden leaps next, a tower cloaked in its magic banner

In order to seek the alliance of the mages

The ashes would have to wait, another time, another day

Adventure follows those that seek it

And so does trouble, without delay

The Circle of Magi is under siege from within

A fellow mage corrupted by his lust for a new world

Has opened the Fade, releasing Shades and Undead under evil's grin

As the Warden enters the tower, the Templars greet him proclaiming all is lost

But Grey Warden's fear no abominations nor darkness

The Warden leads the party for survivors and to save the Circle

The heroes rally their weapons for blood will befall the canvas

The Warden stumbles upon a few surviving mages lead by elder Wynne

They tell of Uldred who is behind the evil that inhabits the tower

Wynne joins the Warden to rescue First Enchanter Irving from Ulder's sins

A long and brutal campaign awaits along the path

The Sloth Demon stands in front of the blood stained road

Trapping the Warden and those among him into the realm of dreams

Alone, the Warden defeats all in the Fade, every trial mowed

As the Sloth Demon fell, the Warden proceeds on

Facing with Uldred who has lost his soul

The blood mage fights along his hell spawn

But the might of the Warden proves too much and Uldred falls

The Circle is saved but the Templars think otherwise

Fearing another incident as such, the Tempars give the Warden a choice

To lock up the remaining mages or release them as allies

The Warden sides with the Magi ending another chapter of the plot

The Warden then sets sights on Orzammar, city of the dwarves

DRAGON AGE ORIGINS: As Told By A Blind Poet (Part One)

In the city of Denerim, an elf by the name of Mars

Lives within the walls of the Alienage

The slums of the city, beyond the veil of Andraste and her stars

A wedding awaits, betrothed to a fellow elf

But tragedy befalls as the son of a noble wisks the bride away

A rescue is mounted and Mars with sword and sandal

Slayed the waste into the fray

Trouble awaits those that taste noble blood on their hands

Mars would share the fate of a mother

The tale of legends, a Grey Warden stands

None other than Warden Commander Duncan

Through the Rights of Conscription, Mars is saved

And would journey to Ostagar, entering the Joining

Surviving the darkspawn taint, the sigma of a Warden is engraved

Mars has become a Grey Warden

And is told of the Blight, an evil that would destroy Ferelden

Trouble brews in the tents of King Cailan

For his trusted general, Loghain would rather see him burn

A quest is taken, to search for the lost Grey Warden treaties

Treaties kept within the Koncari Wilds

Where the Witch of the Wilds awaits with her beasties

With guidance from the mysterious Flemeth and alluring Morrigan

Are the treaties found to aid the battle against the Blight

King Cailan riles up the troops before the stand against the darkspawn

The Archedemon would be defeated in the darkest night

At the Battle of Ostagar, the darkspawn attack

Loghain betrays the King and leaves Cailan to die

The south of Ferelden is engulfed in the taint of black

The Wardens are slaughtered and so is their King

But two remain and out of the ashes they survived

Alistair and Mars, the last of the Wardens

Take upon themselves to fight the evil that has arrived

The two Wardens, treaties in hand

Head to the three factions, Elves, Dwarves and Humans

To ensure their part in protecting Ferelden's lands

Accompanied by Morrigan on the behest of her mother

Do this heroic party journey to Lothering

A small settlement filled with refugees from the south

Fleeing the tainted flooding

There, Mars would meet his future lover, Leliana

Buttfucking Movie of the Week: The Big Lebowski

When the Coen Brothers do comedy, you know for sure its gonna be funny as hell. The Big Lebowski has all the Coen Brothers comedy trademarks; eccentric characters, absorbing plot, quotable lines, dream like scenes, profanity and of course, John Turturro who has appeared in 3 of the Coen Brothers movies. The film has an ensemble cast of stars including the amazing Jeff Bridges as the slacker Jeff 'The Dude' Lebowski, John Goodman as Walter, Steve Buscemi as Donny, Julliane Moore, Phillip Seymour Huffman, cool as fuck Sam Elliot and err.. Tara Reid.

The plot concerns a case of mistaken identity as debt collectors enter Jeff's house demanding that he pay money owed to Jackie Treehorn, wealthy pornographer and loan shark. The person the thugs were really looking for was Jeffrey 'Big' Lebowski, multi millionarre. Jeff goes to see Jeffrey over the cas that the thugs that confronted him peed on his rug and Jeff politely asks Big Lebowski to compensate him. During the course of Jeff visiting Jeffrey's house, he meets Bunny Lebowski, Jeffrey's trophy young wife.

What happens next, Bunny goes missing, Big Lebowski gets ransom note, Big Lebowski contacts the Dude asking him to facilitate the ransom drop. Things get out of hand with the Dude, Walter and Donny picking up the pieces but all they want to do is win the local championship bowling tournament.

And then there's John Turturro playing bowling rival Jesus, proclaiming the immortal line, 'Don't fuck with the Jesus'. Seriously, I have to get that as a bumper sticker.



The Dude is one of the most memorable characters in a movie. He's kind of like half a real person and half a cartoon character with a lot of bad shit coming his way. He's just an average guy that just wants to live the world by his own rules. For a better description, The Dude lacks any ambition whatsoever because he's happy with the way it is. He has a crappy car, a non-existent job and a house without a rug and yet, he's happy and doesn't care. While Jeff Bridges was extraordinary as the Dude, the real scene stealer is John Goodman's Walter who's bigger than life itself personality just grabs your attention. Walter is the fucking man as you can see from the two videos below. In the second video, the profanity is cut out and replaced with a dub which sucks but I can't find another video of this scene anywhere else. In the original film, he says, 'This is what happens Larry, this is what happens when you fuck a stranger up in the ass'. Fuck and ass are censored which is retarded.





Finally, there's Sam Elliot as the narrator and Sam Elliot does what Same Elliot does best, talk in a deep resonant voice sporting that trademark thick horseshoe moustache.



If your looking for a fun film to watch with memorable characters, memorable moments, awesome dialogue that you'll be quoting for years to come and a dash of Coen Brothers style humour, watch the Big Lebowski.

Shut the fuck up Donny!

OSK Investment Challenge

This Wednesday, the OSK Investment Challenge kicked off. For those that don't know what OSKIC is, its a competition where participants from universities around Malaysia compete for the top portfolio in the stock market based on Bursa with virtual money. Let me tell ya one thing. I am shit in this. I started out with $100000 capital and have lost nearly $4000.

The richest one percent of this country owns half our country's wealth, five trillion dollars. One third of that comes from hard work, two thirds comes from inheritance, interest on interest accumulating to widows and idiot sons and what I do, stock and real estate speculation. It's bullshit. You got ninety percent of the American public out there with little or no net worth. I create nothing. I own. We make the rules, pal. The news, war, peace, famine, upheaval, the price per paper clip. We pick that rabbit out of the hat while everybody sits out there wondering how the hell we did it. Now you're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy, are you buddy? It's the free market. And you're a part of it. You've got that killer instinct. Stick around pal, I've still got a lot to teach you.

And that my friends is a quote by Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas in the movie Wall Street for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor. I am that 90%. I am part of the general public. Royally fucked in the ass by the rich.

You see that building? I bought that building ten years ago. My first real estate deal. Sold it two years later, made an $800,000 profit. It was better than sex. At the time I thought that was all the money in the world. Now it's a day's pay.

I want to be Gordon Gekko. I want to make his kind of money and not get caught. I want to be the one fucking people over. Not the one's getting fucked in the first place. Can I be that guy? To have no conscience, no guilt and with only profits and money on my mind.

It's not a question of enough, pal. It's a zero sum game, somebody wins, somebody loses. Money itself isn't lost or made, it's simply transferred from one perception to another.

I've only made a profit on 4 stocks so far, and the rest have gone into the red. And the profits weren't really extraordinary. The losses were. And that sucked balls. As of now, I just want to get the certificate for 75% game time. Getting into the top ten zone is way beyond reach with those wankers racking in 20000 increases in value. I'm no Gordon Gekko, just a regular man making average time.

I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much.

Buttfucking Movie of the Week: A Clockwork Orange

I love this film. The plot, Malcolm McDowell, the dialogue, the setting, the satrical nature, Beethoven, the choreography and of course the inappropriate use of Singing in the Rain. In my opinion, my favourite Stanley Kubrick film.

Set in the not too distant future, the film explores the decay of society and in this instance it focuses on Alex (Malcolm McDowell) and his gang as they engage in the sport of ultra violence, rape, killing an elderly woman with a statue penis (only happens once and is disturbingly funny) and drinking drug laced milk. In the first half, the film takes on a heavy satrical feel that aims to produce the sort of life that society hopes to become. When Alex gets arrested and sent to jail for murder, the government uses Alex in their experiment to eliminate his sexual and violent desires. The Ludovico technique. He is presented as a cured individual and released into the world. But the treatment didn't eliminate his sexual and violent desires, merely transferring a bout of pain if he has a sexual or violent thought. The second part of the film goes into darker territory and asks the question: How does a cured violent and disturbed gentleman handle himself in a world that embraces violence?

Embedding has been disabled by the user so I can only provide links to these scenes:

Alex Shows His Droogs He's Still The Leader

This is quite possibly my favourite scene from A Clockwork Orange as it shows the captivating Kubrick style of directing that really makes it an art of its own. The one major thing I liked from A Clockwork Orange was the dialogue. It was Alex's made up slang and is quite infectious. Listening to them talk had me trying to copy it.

Gang Fight

The fight between the two gangs is one that crosses the absurd. And all to the playings of classical greats.

A Clockwork Orange is a very deep film that requires you to intepret certain scenes and not see them as they are. Sure, there's plenty of violence, nudity and sex but the film requires you to look beyond them. Its not just about those three things. This film is the answer to moral decay, an answer to society's answer to moral decay and an answer to the governments answer to moral decay. On top of that, the film is poetic at times and parallels to Shakepeare.

It has also been referenced in countless songs, tv shows, films, videogames and even Heath Ledger based his portrayal of the Joker on Alex.

A Clockwork Orange is a classic that stands the test of time and is Kubrick's as well as McDowell's best.

Artists I'd Like To See Perform In Malaysia

After watching Coheed and Cambria perform in Malaysia last week, here are some other artists I'd like to see perfrom in Malaysia.

WHITE STRIPES

POETS OF THE FALL

REGINA SPEKTOR

THE PIXIES

ROB ZOMBIE

THE SUBMARINES

SHOUT OUT LOUDS

SMASHING PUMPKINS

CRASH KINGS

THE DEAD WEATHER

DEVOTCHKA

DETHKLOK

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL

FLOGGING MOLLY
FLORENCE AND THE MACHINES

THE FRAY

THE HIVES

MARIANAS TRENCH
MOTLEY CRUE
MOTHER MOTHER

MOTORHEAD

MURDER BY DEATH OZZY OSBOURNERACOUNTEURS RICK FOWLERROLLING STONESSTEPPENWOLF TENACIOUS D VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Coheed and Cambria Concert in Malaysia

I took that picture. That's how close I was to Coheed and Cambria. It was fucking AWESOME!! But it was such a waste.. I have no idea what was wrong with the camera but I got a lot of blur pictures. One I'm regretting is this:

Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with the camera?! Who cares? I got to meet Coheed and Cambria up front, shook their hands and they signed my fucking hat!! Claudio Sanchez signed my hat!!

I went with Ridzuan and we listened to the best of Coheed and Cambria along the way to the venue; KL Live. Although it could be at somewhere better, but having the concert at KL Live gave us the opportunity to get up close to the band and with only a few people attending, everyone got to meet the band up close and personal.

A local band by the name Love Me Butch warmed up the stage for half an hour and they were quite good. Might look them up. They left the stage for C&C and everyone including me were screaming out their name.

The stage went dark.

Lasers danced across the stage as their instrumental song One played in the background. Then.. like an uber explosion to your balls, the lights blasts forth and Claudio belts out the beginning to the song Broken. They played Here We Are Juggernaut, Time Consumer, World of Lines, Three Evils, No World For Tomorrow, The Suffering and A Favor House Atlantic during the 1st half. The crowd in the middle were going wild with mosh pits and hardcore dancing.

Me? I was jumping up and down like a loony singing along to the lyrics while taking blurry fucked up pictures.

The first high point of the concert was when they played the epic In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 where everyone was screaming out the chorus.

The second high point came at the last song. Everyone was yelling out, 'WELCOME HOME!!' again and again. Claudio first went, 'This is going to be our last song' and Travis went, 'And we're gonna give you what you want'

Claudio plays the beginning guitar riff of their most famous song Welcome Home and everybody, everybody went fucking wild. That was the song that introduced me to Coheed and Cambria and the most epic one under their belt and it seemed fitting to play it last.

The fucked up blurred pic with Ridzuan shaking Claudio's hand. He was supposed to take a pic of me as well, but the security kept pushing Ridzuan out of the way. Fucking anal cunts.. I guess you could say that the pictures were so blurry because my hands were shaking like ice on the water. I was in their awesome presence.

If I could go back in time to any point in my life, this would be it.

Crackdown 2: Renegade Agility Orbs

Crackdown 2 is a fun game to play but the Renegade Agility Orbs.. Nothing frustrates me more than those orbs. Fucking sons of bitches. For those of you that aren't a gaming geek, agility orbs increase your agility level in Crackdown. Increasing your levels makes you jump higher than Gary Oldman in Sid and Nancy and the last level unlocks the awesome Agency chopper. Crackdown had orbs that didn't move. It was an addiction to get all the orbs. I guess for Crackdown 2, some anal cunt asshole decided, 'Hey, lets make orbs that run away from you'

There still are the classic agility orbs that stay put but for additional bonuses, there's 30 Renegade Agility Orbs. Here are some responses to renegade orb collecting word by word.

Response #1: WHAT THE FUCK!! HOW THE FUCK??!! HOW THE FUCK DID THAT ORB TURN AT THE LAST FUCKING MINUTE??!! AT THE LAST FUUUUUUCKING MINUTE!!! AAAAARRRRRGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Response #2: CUNT! FUCKING CUNT! MOTHERFUCKING GRRRRRRAAAAAARGHHH CUUUUUUUNT!!!!!!!

Response #3: This is fucked.. This is fucking retarded.. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCKKK!!!!

Response #4: If I don't get it within the next hour, fuck that motherfucker [after an hour] MOTHERFUCKER!!!! CATCH THAT FUCKING ORB!!!

Response #5: [Punches wildly in the air]

Response #6: [Pulls out hair while gritting teeth]

Response #7: I go up, it fucking comes down, I go fucking down, it fucking goes back up. One more try.. FUCKING CUNT!!!! CUNT!!!! CUNT!!!! [Punches wildly in air]

It's giving me stomach ulcers and yet I MUST get all the Renegade Agility Orbs...

Buttfucking Movie of the Week: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

To start off, this is the best comedy I have ever seen in my life. Nothing beats Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Jam packed with the most memorable lines, scenes and the best ending in a film, this is one comedy you have yo watch. Simply put, the story is about King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his Knights of the Round Table in the quests to find the Holy Grail. The adventure leads them to fighting a knight that would not die, discussing the virtues of communism, battling the Rabbit of Caerbannog, getting ass kicked by the French, seeking shelter in a castle full of women and leading to the final epic battle to take the Holy Grail.

For those that lived under a rock, Monty Python is a Brit comedy group comprising of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Eric Idle and Michael Palin playing multiple roles in the film. Also, the group write the film with Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam directing. I would like to see a reunion but after the death of Graham Chapman in 1989, that wouldn't be possible. Being the comedic personas they are, during Chapman's funeral, John Cleese delivered the eulogy which goes as such:

Graham Chapman, co-author of the "Parrot Sketch", is no more.

He has ceased to be. Bereft of life, he rests in peace. He's kicked the bucket, hopped the twig, bit the dust, snuffed it, breathed his last, and gone to meet the great Head of Light Entertainment in the sky. And I guess that we're all thinking how sad it is that a man of such talent, of such capability for kindness, of such unusual intelligence, should now so suddenly be spirited away at the age of only forty-eight, before he'd achieved many of the things of which he was capable, and before he'd had enough fun.

Well, I feel that I should say: nonsense. Good riddance to him, the freeloading bastard, I hope he fries.

And the reason I feel I should say this is he would never forgive me if I didn't, if I threw — threw away this glorious opportunity to shock you all on his behalf. Anything for him but mindless good taste…

All right Cleese. I know you are very proud of being the very first person ever to say 'shit' on British television. If this service is really for me: Just for starters, I want you to become the first person ever at a British memorial service to say 'fuck'

The film itself is a marvel to watch. Its the weirdness of it all that makes it so fucking funny. There is a sort of sophisticaiton and wit in Brit humour that makes the film so deep. Each actor brings a different character to stage. Like I said before, this film is packed with the most memorable scenes and here is one of them. The confrontation between Arthur and the Black Knight who proclaims that having an arm cut off is 'Tis but a scratch'

And of course my favourite part, the fight with the Rabbit of Caerbannog. This film is a gold mine in laughs.

Or when Tim the Enchanter makes an appearance.

Or in the scene where the undertaker calls out upon people to bring out the dead.

And all this is just a small portion of what the film is. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is always included in any top comedy list has to be one of the most referenced and paid homage in films, comic books, novels, video games and TV shows from Superman to the Simpsons to Shrek to even commercials like Gatorade. Not watching this film is like missing out of a significant moment in pop culture. All the jokes you see in comedies of today, all influenced by Monty Python. Its funny, smart, witty, memorable, has great characters and the best ending EVER!

Other Monty Python films would include:

Monty Python's Life of Brian

Monty Python and the Meaning of Life