Songs for the lonely and deep in thought .... sometimes I feel that Mavis Hee style is very much alike to Faye ... perhaps a more localized and Singaporean version of Faye Wong ... the nostalgic and melancholy feel of their songs ... with lyrics that seems to be singing out to a particular someone... or maybe not again

Mavis Hee, one of our most popular singer in the 1990's, was well known for her songs such as Moonlight In The City aka. Tofu Street's theme song, Chen Li De Yu Guang and Tie Chaun (Metal Window) ... faded out in the late 90's and re-surface lately with news of her mental breakdown and creating a scene in the hotel... 

There are much speculation behind her breakdown, depression, love life problems, a singing career gone down...  it was sad that such a wonderful singer comeback to publicity would have to be this way ... sometimes, it's hard for people to remember, celebrities are human too and they also have feelings, that perhaps are even more vulnerable than you and me ... remember them for their music, not for their flaws... here's sharing two of my favourite Mavis songs ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vAZu8fXGXo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1lgOzbNLnA

Video:

Quote ... "It must be hard loving a child that is not your own..."

The Orphan

Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman

This was easily one of the creepiest films I have seen this year. For very good reasons too. Nope, there are no ghosts, demonic manifestions or any form of supernatural element involved. It has something far more powerful than any of these... a little girl named Esther. Who is Esther? Nope, she is not Sadako from The Ring who will crawl out fro your TV. Neither is she the young Linda Blair from The Exorcist who will vomit slime all over you and turn her head 360 degrees round. She is a far bigger nightmare to handle than any girl terror on film history and is on parallel with even that evil little boy from The Omen.

Esther, played by relatively new comer, Isabelle Fuhrman (Hounddog), is a litle girl adopted by a couple, Kate and John (Vera and Peter) who has recently lost a baby (Kate miscarried). Trying to get over their pain and also in the midst of keeping a marriage that is going downhill, they decided that adopting a child might help to improve the situation.

At first sight, Esther is a sweet and pleasing child who adapts easily to the family, warming especially fast to the couple's 5 year old deaf daughter, Max. Everyone adores her, except for elder son, Daniel, who dislikes Esther at first sight. For a start, things appears to be going well but as a series of alarming events begin to unfold in the family after the girl's arrival, Kate grows suspicious of Esther, who, beyond her initially sweet facade, might not be as innocent as she seems. After making some startling discoveries, Kate is about to realize that Esthe's true intentions for staying with the family would be anything but honorable. However, her feeable attempts to convince her husband and everyone else that Esther could be a danger falls on deaf ears and by the time the truth gets out, things have already spiral disturbingly out of  control ...

This is obviously no Disney movie despite the fact that it has kids in it. The element of suspense is very well played out and treaded throuhout the film as we were kept to the very edge of the seat, guessing and  speculating the fate of it's seemingly hapless characters trapped in a situation headed for doom. Special credit has to be given for 12 year old Isabelle's acting as the psychologically deranged Esther who is also, at the same time, a tragic personlity in her own right, to some's opinion, that will leaves much to be pitied even way after her fated demise. Vera's powerful performance as Kate is also another highlight of the film worthy of a mention. She has brought out the sheer haplessness of her character so well at certain point of the film that you just feel like reaching out to comfort her by giving her a hug or a pat on the back and telling her that good will eventually triump over evil (or not?)

Seventh month might be coming and before you would want to catch that ghost movie you have been waiting for, see The Orphan first. Let it be the first scare to open your journey of scare feasts as more horror movies start hitting your cinemas this month ...

Many people believe that when a person dies, the spirit will return home on the 7th night. After Shun was brutally murdered, his spirit returned to possess his 13 year old sister to exact his revenge. On the 7th night, blood will flow and just deserts will be served.
Blood Ties The Movie is Singapore's most anticipated supernatural thriller to premiere in 2009. Supported with strong performances from newcomer Joey Leong, veterans such as Cheng Pei Pei (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Kenneth Tsang (Memoirs of a Geisha), as well local artistes like David Leong (Painted Skin) and Vincent Tee (Pleasure Factory)

Blood Ties opens nationwide 10 September 2009.

故事大綱
據說人死了之後，會在第七日還魂。這第七日，也是所謂的頭七。順是一名被私會党慘殺的 警察。他的愛妻也不幸被姦殺。順在頭七還魂上了他十三歲妹妹小琴的身，將謀害他的人趕 盡殺絕。

《還魂》是新加坡本年度最精彩的靈幻驚悚片。演員陣容包括新人梁祖儀，鄭佩佩（臥虎藏 龍），曾江（艺伎回忆录），梁凱迪（畫皮）以及池素寶。

《還魂》九月十日全島獻映！

Sorry, this is actually lifted directly from the website as I haven't watch the movie yet. Sounds like we are in quite a scare feast from what's written in the description. Will review it here in my own words when I have seen it :)

I will be reviewing the following movies this week:

1. The Orphan

2. Transformers 2 (okay, I know this is long over)

These are long over too ...

3. The Wedding Game

4. Coming Soon  (that irritating Thai horror show that keeps popping up some time ago)

As it's Hungry Ghost festival now in Singapore, many aplenty horror feasts will be hitting our local theatres, starting from our very own Jack Neo's Where Got Ghost? to new director Yee Wei Chai's Blood Ties, and also Thai's highly acclaimed sequel to 4Bia (actually meant to rhythme with Phobia), titled 4Bia 2, with a team of heavy weight directors who has helm the production of Shutter, Body 19, Alone (reviewed here much earlier) and Dorm before.

Of course, I will be reviewing them here once I manage to catch them outta my busy, busy time .... *hapless look*

Here's a trailer for 4Bia 2 ... watch @ ur own risk *shivers*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyP3a-MSK8o&feature=player_embedded

HAPPY 44TH BIRTHDAY, SINGAPORE!!!

For all 22 years of my life staying here, thank you for the stable and wonderful homeland that you are :)

Now, sharing a video of this year's National Day theme song, performed brillantly by Electrico to the refreshing style of rock music for the first time :

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlgBEhx3tr8

This is  the Chinese version by Project Superstar winner and celebrated local singer, Kelvin Tan Weilian :

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DCS_6Rn_qc

To all the people who do not like this year's theme song or the band, well, it's really a shame since you guys do not appreciate the good talents and music Singapore has been grooming and developing all these while. I'm sure by no means will it be easy for them to take this step and choose a contemporary local indie rock band to horne the national day song but guessed somebody's has to introduce a change at some point of time. With due respect to all the previous songs, which are just as good and unique in their own ways, it won't hurt to have a different NDP song playing on our airwaves this time round right?

Let's hope that Electrico will continue to flourish in both our local as well as international music scene :)