The UrbanWire      

The Hurt Locker blew up the Avatar party and made history in the process

“Ladies and gentlemen, the show is so long, that Avatar now takes place in the past.”

Co-host funny man Steve Martin said it best as he wrapped up the 3-hour plus show late into the night at the Kodak Theatre while echoing the sentiments of many voters in the Academy. That the supersized show with supersized categories and many random sequences took a toll on proceedings, resulting in a less ceremonious and rushed Best Picture victory for The Hurt Locker. Academy favourite son Tom Hanks even skipped announcement of the esteemed nominees.

And Martin was right on the money on another point – Avatar became an afterthought after losing out to The Hurt Locker in the most talked-about showdown between the low budget war drama and the monster blockbuster 3D sci-fi fantasy with a monstrous budget.

David took down Goliath, didn’t he? Or rather, didn’t she?

For brevity sake, read our condensed version here,  released 5 minutes after the ceremony before you can say The Straits Times. Yep, we beat them to the punch!

For a blow-by-blow, or tweet-by-tweet account, read our twitter feeds here and red carpet transcript here.

For predictions, read here. UrbanWire’s columnist, yours truly, scored 7 correct in 8 major categories and 17 out of 20 overall. Pat on my back! The self-congratulation continues…

The score line read like a tennis game: The Hurt Locker 6 Avatar 3. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing for THL while Avatar won in the visuals section with Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards was produced by Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic, the former a judge on reality dance show So You Think You Can Dance. So naturally, the show opened with a song and dance number by Neil Patrick Harris (that bling tuxedo jacket was as Elton John as it gets) in a throwback to Old Hollywood, all glamorous and feather boas. We heard an NBC joke somewhere in the number too.

Hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin did the usual opening jokes, dissing the dolled up stars and running the laugh riot act. Their co-star on It’s Complicated, Meryl Streep, was the butt of several jokes. “Meryl Streep holds the most number of nominations as an actress. Or, as I like to think of it, most losses,” quipped Martin. He continued later, “Can that woman act? And what’s up with all the Hitler memorabilia?” Perfect.

Others were not spared, especially George Clooney who suffered many lingering camera shots just because. “Oh, look, that’s damn Helen Mirren,” Martin pointed at the Supporting Actress nominee. Baldwin corrected with a smug, “That’s Dame Helen Mirren.”

The hosts worked like seasoned pros, or better still, like an old married couple. “Over here is the ‘Inglourious Basterds’ section,” said Martin. Baldwin jumped in, “And over here are the people who made the movie.”

There were 3D glasses thrown in for good measure, as Baldwin and Martin wore them and stared straight at James Cameron, King of the World and Ruler of 3D. And the show went into autopilot drive, dishing out award after award. Christoph Waltz picked up Best Supporting Actor for his devilish role as a Nazi officer in Inglourious Basterds, in what turned out to be the only win of the night for Quentin Tarantino’s star-studded movie.

Up nailed Best Animated Feature as expected followed by ‘The Weary Kind’ by T-Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham in Crazy Heart for Best Original Song.

Tina Fey, star of 30 Rock and Ironman Robert Downey Jr. got the audience cheering and perhaps high-fiving with a not-so-inside joke sequence. “Memorising, not paraphrasing,” Fey the writer told RDJ the actor. He retorted, shamelessly, “Actors want scripts with social relevance, warm-weather locations, phone-call scenes that can be shot separately from that insane actress that I hate.” Can we request for them to return next year?

The audience woke up from its mid-show slumber when Tina Fey read out The Hurt Locker’s win for Best Original Screenplay, beating out favourite Inglourious Basterds. Was that a sign of things to come for the war drama whose production budget was a tenth of Avatar’s? Writer and former journalist Mark Boal paid an emotional tribute to the soldiers in Iraq and his late father. The sentimentalities continued with a tribute to writer-director-producer John Hughes of National Lampoon’s Vacation and Home Alone fame.

In the spirit of the times, Ben Stiller outdid himself and appeared onstage in blue as a Na’vi to present Best Makeup. Irony: Avatar wasn’t even nominated in this category. He rattled off in Na’vi language, which he selflessly translated into “this was a better idea at rehearsal”.

He then grabbed the fishing line attached to his tail and flailed it helplessly before staring at James Cameron uttering an ambiguous and the naughtiest line of the night: “I see you, I want to plug my tail, my braid, into your dragon.” Whoa, I bet even the egomaniacal director didn’t see that one coming at all. By the way, Star Trek won Best Makeup.

Winners were kept to 45-second speeches for brevity, which to be honest, might as well not exist at all. Winners were reminded of the Thank You cams backstage where they could thank whoever they wanted, including their neighbour’s dog. But seriously, what about the audience? Where were the teary speeches and catcalls? We don’t mind a thank you speech to Sandra Bullock’s neighbour’s dog, as long it’s hilarious.

Jake Gyllenhaal and the ever gorgeous Rachel McAdams in an Elie Saab Haute Couture floral print dress presented Best Adapted Screenplay and what a shocker it turned out to be because Precious won. Up in the Air was snubbed!

UITA, considered one of the best films by critics and audiences, landed nothing in the category they were expected to OWN. This loss echoed its run-up since autumn 09 with so much promise in the beginning that fizzled out by the time awards season started. Why? My guess is still up in the air.

A standing ovation was in order for Mo’Nique, who won Best Supporting Actress for her monstrous role of an abusive mother in Precious. Her classy speech was a joy to behold as she congratulated the Academy for “showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics”. Mo’Nique refused to campaign or meet the press during awards season. She also refused to shave her legs (read: Golden Globes).

And by the time Sigourney Weaver wearing a bold red gown (didn’t she get the memo from the rest of the cast?) appeared onstage to present Best Art Direction to Avatar, there was a sense of relief that the 3D blockbuster was not slighted or ignored by the Academy. Tom Ford, fashion designer and director of A Single Man, and Sarah Jessica Parker, fashion muse, presented Best Costume to Sandy Powell for The Young Victoria. “I already have 2 of these,” said Powell. You can pass your third statuette to me, if you ask me.

The hosts appeared again to show us a spoof of Paranormal Activity. A slapstick act well done, including the watching-the-awards-show-from-backstage scene. In a conspicuous and vulgar move to boost ratings, young starlets and eye candies Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart appeared onstage looking radiant (and constipated), sending millions of Twilight fans gushing worldwide. They presented a very random Horror Movies montage, which included clips of Psycho, Rosemary Baby, The Exorcist and…Twilight. Seriously?! I always thought Twilight was a teenager stripper movie (oh the abs!). Somebody return me my $10 movie ticket money stat!

Morgan Freeman narrated the Best Sound Editing and Mixing category using The Dark Knight as an excellent example. Well done Academy for reminding us TDK was shut out from last year’s Oscars! More Young Hollywood beckoned as Zac “Immaculate” Effron and Anna Kendrick presented the abovementioned awards to The Hurt Locker.

Sandra Bullock presented Best Cinematography to Avatar and James Taylor performed In Memoriam. We saw Brittany Murphy, Natasha Richardson and even Michael Jackson. But where was Farrah Fawcett?

In another show of excess and extravagance, the Best Original Score nominees were performed and interpreted vis a vis a modern dance troupe. But we didn’t care, not even for that weird robot dance. Only if Ben Stiller danced…so Up won Best Original Score and Avatar won Best Visual Effects.

The Cove, a brilliant documentary on dolphin slaughter and trading in Japan filmed with passion and bravery, won Best Documentary Feature. In a sign of activism (remember Michael Moore?), Ric O’Barry held a banner urging audiences to text to a number for updates on the dolphin trade.

And the ceremony shifted into high gear despite the ticking bomb um, clock. 5 colleagues (Michelle Pfeiffer, Vera Farmiga, Julianne Moore, Tim Robbins and Colin Firth) appeared on stage to honour the 5 nominees. It’s a nice gesture but time’s running out! Perhaps the segment should be canned. Film an Inside Studio segment instead and screen it in future, please?

Best Actor award went to Jeff Bridges for playing Bad Blake in Crazy Heart. The highly regarded and underrated actor let out a joyous laugh and went on to thank his “Mommy and Dad (the late Lloyd and Dorothy Bridges) for turning me on to such a groovy profession.” The Dude had spoken and the self-congratulations continued in the Academy.

Sean Penn, in an incoherent speech, presented Best Actress to Sandra Bullock who gave a heartfelt speech, considered the best of the night. “Did I really earn this or did I wear ya all down?” exclaimed Sandy. For the record, she earned an Oscar and a Razzie, setting a new record. She went on to praise (“Carey, your grace, your beauty and your talent… makes me sick”) and flirted (“Meryl, you’re such a good kisser”) with her fellow nominees. And to her mom, whom she considered a trailblazer. That’s when we all started to well up.

And out came diva and 2-time Academy Award winner Barbra Streisand to present Best Director, an obvious hint Kathryn Bigelow would win. She opened the envelope and announced fittingly, “Well, the time has come.”

There were cheers and catcalls, which we then saw Kathryn Bigelow making history and walking onstage to collect the Best Director award. Bigelow is the first female director to win Best Director in an industry crowded with alpha males and infused with gender politics. She is also the first female director I have seen with such nice biceps.

Bigelow dedicated her award to Mark Boal “who sacrified his life”, the people of Jordan, and the soldiers overseas. “May they come home safe,” said Bigelow. By then, the air of excitement was palpable. The Hurt Locker looked all ready to blast.

Academy Governor Tom Hanks rushed onstage, skipped announcing the 10 esteemed nominees and uttered The Hurt Locker for Best Picture. Bigelow rushed back onstage to collect her award and the entire Academy looked on at Cameron in sympathy. The contest between Avatar and The Hurt Locker turned out to be pedestrian, as THL took home 6 awards and had all the languishing independent film studios believing they can.

The show closed with Martin stealing Bigelow’s statue, finally introducing Baldwin, and Baldwin quickly bidding farewell (“That’s all the time we have!”) to the weary audience (half of them were already at the bar or canoodling backstage), informing us once again why the Academy showmasters never learnt.

In an age of online streaming, live twitter updates and minute-after uploads, the Oscars broadcast on television may seem out of touch but it can still be relevant. If the audience waited months watching Hollywood turn into a circus during awards season, the additional 20 or 30 minutes showing Ben Stiller dancing or actresses giving long-winded teary speeches would be just fine. Just spare us the modern dance segments.

Images captured from recorded footage.

And the winners are…

Best Picture
The Hurt Locker

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress
Mo’Nique, Precious

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker

Best Adapted Screenplay
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious

Best Animated Film
Up

Best Foreign Language Film
El Secreto do Sus Ojos (Argentina)

Best Art Direction
Avatar

Best Cinematography
Avatar

Best Costume Design
The Young Victoria

Best Documentary
The Cove

Best Film Editing
The Hurt Locker

Best Makeup
Star Trek

Best Original Score
Up

Best Original Song
‘The Weary Kind’ from Crazy Heart by T-Bone Burnett & Ryan Bingham

Best Sound Editing
The Hurt Locker

Best Sound Mixing
The Hurt Locker

Best Visual Effects
Avatar

Best Documentary Short
Music by Prudence

Best Animated Short
Logorama

Best Live-Action Short
The New Tenants

The Hurt Locker blazes apart a predictable Oscar night with six wins, including one with history made. Uploaded at 12:35pm.

Boom. The bomb squad is moving in now at the Kodak Theatre.

And so it has just been decided after 3 hours of glitz, self-congratulations, spilled Moet, brief speeches and making history at the 82nd Academy Awards, war drama The Hurt Locker wins Best Picture. Coupled with Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow (first ever female director to win), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing,  Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing, the low-budget (production budget is 1/10 of Avatar) and low-grossing film at the box office ends up the biggest winner with six awards.

What can we make of James Cameron and the Na’vi people from Avatar, the monster blockbuster and one of the favourites to win Best Picture? At least it scores in the less glamorous categories – Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. No matter, the awards are always secondary to the titanic box office takings.

Jeff Bridges, Mo’Nique and Christoph Waltz win Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively. Yawn. All were locked in winners before James Cameron ruled 3D and the box office. What about the match up between Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep? No drama there either, as Sandra Bullock clinches Best Actress with panache. To boot, she won the Razzie earlier and even showed up to accept it. Don’t we just love Sandy?

The only shocker here? Up in the Air’s loss to Precious for Best Adapted Screenplay. Most considered the film to be the best this year, including this writer. At least writer-director Jason Reitman is still young full of remarkable potential and we can’t wait for his next hit after Thank You for Smoking, Juno and UITA. Another almost empty-handed loser is Inglourious Basterds, save for its Best Supporting Actor win.

But perhaps, the real biggest loser is the audience. What happened to a great awards show? Where is Brangelina?! Speeches are so short thanks to the backstage Thank You cams so here’s to an average awards show with predictable winners, succinct speeches without any dramatic tears or catcalls and safe dresses in safer colours at the red carpet.

Nonetheless, we love the triumph of the underdog and how The Hurt Locker reminded us that the little movie can.

Check back here for a full and complete coverage of the Oscars tonight. Until then, see you at the movies.

And the winners are…

Best Picture
The Hurt Locker

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress
Mo’Nique, Precious

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker

Best Adapted Screenplay
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious

Best Animated Film
Up

Best Foreign Language Film
El Secreto do Sus Ojos (Argentina)

Best Art Direction
Avatar

Best Cinematography
Avatar

Best Costume Design
The Young Victoria

Best Documentary
The Cove

Best Film Editing
The Hurt Locker

Best Makeup
Star Trek

Best Original Score
Up

Best Original Song
‘The Weary Kind’ from Crazy Heart by T-Bone Burnett & Ryan Bingham

Best Sound Editing
The Hurt Locker

Best Sound Mixing
The Hurt Locker

Best Visual Effects
Avatar

Best Documentary Short
Music by Prudence

Best Animated Short
Logorama

Best Live-Action Short
The New Tenants

Join us for live tweets on www.twitter.com/theurbanwire on the awards show!

This is what you missed:

End of Oscars preshow and red carpet. Onto the awards show.

Favourites at the red carpet: Meryl Streep, Rachel McAdams, Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe, Zac Effron and Jennifer Lopez.

Meryl Streep: “I like seeing all my friends all cleaned up.” Referring to all the stars descending at the awards show.

I found out what Rachel McAdams is wearing. It’s an Elie Saab Haute Couture gown.

“I’m all Gucci-ed up,” Jeff Bridges, Best Actor nominee and hot favourite.

“Everyone’s taller and better looking,” Tina Fey.

Last min attempt to bet in the office pool. For help, check my predictions at http://theurbanwire.com/2010/03/06/oscarspredictions/

15 minutes before show starts. They have stopped serving Moet at the bar.

Morgan Freeman talks about jewellery!

Deep juicy burger, fries and milkshake. Sandra Bullock’s post-Oscar diet.

OMG. She actually said you have commitment issues to George Clooney in front of Elizabeth Canalis.

Penelope Cruz is smoking hot in maroon gown.

Everyone in America is switching from E! News to ABC for more red carpet action. In Singapore, we switch to Channel 5.

Ryan Seacret asked Cameron Diaz if this is the last Shrek movie. Please say yes!

Cameron Diaz at the red carpet. Her eyes are really small. Bad makeup or shudder, surgery?

Robert Downey Jr will present with Tina Fey. LOL already!

Spotted: Taylor Lautner descending at the red carpet.

Gerard Butler, presenter at the awards, wants to do a “mooney”.

“If fashion was porn, this dress is the money shot, and you know it!” Gabourey Sidibe on her gown.

Robert Downey Jr wears a blue bow tie at the red carpet. Did he vote for Avatar?

Gabourey wears a beautiful blue on the red carpet.

Gabourey Sidibe hijacks Keanu Reeves’ chat with Ryan and does an awkward buddy punch with him.

Jenny from the Block wears a yummy Princess dress with a funny train.

Rachel McAdams is looking beautiful and dreamy at the red carpet. I love you Rachel!

Meryl Streep, Lead Actress nominee, at the red carpet: “You were cheerleading a little.” Referring to Seacret’s dalliance with Bullock.

George Clooney, “I’m not the lonely guy. I’m surrounded by women in long dresses. You (Ryan Seacrest) are the lonely guy.”

George Clooney, Oscar nominee at the red carpet: “I voted for Jeff.”

Spotted: George Clooney worked the crowd signing autographs. Is it me or is his hair growing longer?

Charlize Theron is gorgeous in fuschia gown but too much details at her chest.

Whoa. Kathryn Bigelow is almost a head taller than Ryan Seacrest.

“She scared me. She still scares me.” Sandra Bullock on meeting Leigh Anne Tuohy, the character she played on The Blind Side.

Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing Chanel couture at the red carpet.

Ryan Seacrest and Jake Gyllenhaal share a brief bromance on the red carpet.

“I thought you got creeped out!” Tina Fey to Ryan Seacrest after he apparently pushed her to get a better view in front of the camera.

Diane Kruger at the red carpet: “Mad.” When asked to describe Quentin Tarantino on set.

Tina Fey wears Michael Kors at the red carpet: “[Hosting the Oscars] is easier than doing SNL. Steve (Martin) tells me it’s only 20 minutes.

Ryan Seacrest asked Tom Ford of A Single Man what was he wearing at the red carpet: “It’s…a Tom Ford suit.”

Elizabeth Banks, presenter, at the red carpet: Pretty in soft lilac Versace frock.

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Supporting Actress nominee, and Peter Sarsgaard at red carpet: “My birthday gets postponed if she wins.”

James Cameron: “We don’t feel any competition at all. She (Kathryn) saw Avatar 5 times.”

James Cameron at the red carpet: Tuxedo with blue hanky slipped into breast pocket. Nice touch.

Vera Farmiga, Supporting Actress nominee, at the red carpet: “I voted for Kathryn (Bigelow).”

Spotted: James Cameron at the red carpet. Not wearing blue.

Nicole Richie at the red carpet: What is she wearing? It looks like an expensive blanket.

Zoe Saldana at the red carpet: Gorgeous in purple and bling.

Mariah Carey at the red carpet: “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” Ryan Seacrest: “I’m not sure what diamonds you’re referring to.” Cheeky

Get the brollys out! It’s raining at the red carpet.

Anna Kendrick, presenter and Oscar nominee, meets Mo’Nique at the red carpet.

Zac Effron at the red carpet: 2 minutes of airtime translate into 2 million females gushing worldwide.

Sam Worthington (Avatar) at the red carpet: That’s why I’m here. You put on your monkey suit on.

Random fact: Moët & Chandon is the official champagne of the Oscars.

Sandra Bullock wins Razzie and shows up to collect it. Will she be the first actress to win a Razzie AND Oscar in the same year?

This is it. We are live tweeting at the Oscars. Thank you for joining us. We will begin from the red carpet shortly!

Ronald Wan imagines what Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, the two co-hosts for the 82^nd Annual Academy Awards, would say and pip against each other

It will be a riot at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. The two co-hosts are terrific in hosting (Alec Baldwin hosted Saturday Night Live 14 times while Steve Martin hosted the Oscars twice in 2001 and 2003) and are qualified comedians themselves. We can’t wait to hear what they have to say at the awards so we imagine up some not-so-funny quotes for our own amusement.

Steve: “Alec, I admire you. You are dashing and you have Tina Fey as your partner on 30 Rock.”
Alec: “You’re not that bad either. You have…the Pink Panther?” – Steve Martin starred in The Pink Panther and The Pink Panther 2.

Alec: “Steve, I just realised the earnings for our last 5 movies combined together can’t even buy us the craft service for Avatar.” – Both actors had rather dismal film careers recently.

Steve: “Alec, I love you and I will always answer your calls. If the producer wants to change the script, I will answer your call. If you want to do a movie together, I will answer your call. If you want to have supper at Rodeo Drive, I will do it too. Just do not leave any voicemail messages on my phone!!!” – Alec Baldwin’s infamous incident involved leaving an angry voicemail message on his daughter’s cell phone.

Steve: “Alec, we shared the same woman on set. But I do not want to share your woman in our personal lives!” – Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin were co-stars with Oscar nominee Meryl Streep in It’s Complicated. Baldwin’s ex wife is actress Kim Basinger, who’s been involved in an ugly divorce and custody battle with him.

Steve: “Alec, you know, I had better co-hosts.” – Steve Martin co-hosted with Donald Duck in Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years shown at Disneyland.

Steve: “You know, Alec, you’re not that bad a host yourself and you are a successful TV personality. Ever considered getting your own TV talk show?”
Alec: “Seriously?”
– Alec stars in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. NBC was recently flagged for mishandling the Jay Leno-Conan O Brien late night talk show saga.

With the Oscars just days away, The Zeitgeist weighs in on his 10 Best Pictures of 2009. Guess what? It doesn’t even include half the Oscars’ snooty list

(500) Days of Summer
(500) Days of Summer is a romantic film made for the Youtube generation, kinda like what Grease or When Harry Met Sally did for Mom and Pop. From the montages, split screens, musical numbers, cool soundtrack to the starry-eyed cast, (500) possesses a goofball quirk and charm unlike any other romantic shows. Besides the fluff and puff, (500) stands out for its real and honest take on love: it’s not as idealistic or easy as it seems.

Avatar
A definite fixture on everyone’s list and we know why – spectacular effects, layered narrative and the creation of a new world filled with fantasies, impossibilities and wonder. Avatar offers the audience a sensational cinematic experience and a mesmerising visual fest in 3D no less! Movies are meant to be escapist and Avatar had us believe Pandora can be a reality, at least for those three hours. It’s entertainment at its purest and magical best.

The Cove
After watching The Cove, one should feel upset and sad at the same time. That was how I felt – fighting back tears and raising my fists halfway through the movie. And this is how documentaries should be made – filmed with a cause, passion and bravery. In fact, The Cove is an unconventional documentary that feels like watching a thriller, as it exposes the inhumane dolphin trade in Japan and…shame on those Japanese fishermen! I’m still trembling with anger as I type this.

District 9
What a mind-boggling movie! District 9 is a sci-fi classic in the making. We’re talking about a movie layered with deeper understandings on partheid, military porn, invasion of privacy, distortion of reality and perception, aliens as humans, humans as aliens and many other wildest possibilities that gotten us (or at least the geeks) seriously thinking and excited.

The Hangover
If there were ever a party like the one Bradley Cooper et al had in The Hangover, I want to be there. Let’s recap: A tiger in the bathroom, runaway stripper bride, baby in the closet, a missing tooth, playing (or was it counting?) cards, driving a police car, cash stashed in the satchel and all of them don’t even make sense! The movie was so full of laugh out loud moments, which were enough to warrant a mention on the list. Cheers (pun intended) to that!

The Hurt Locker
The seconds leading up to the explosion (or not) is so suspenseful audiences are sitting on the edge of their seats. The Hurt Locker is intense and nerve wrecking, as skilfully and emotionally crafted by Kathryn Bigelow. Besides the thrills, the war movie is also a psychodrama revealing how the soldiers are affected by the traumas of war, fighting the unseen enemies, dealing with death daily and feeding on the war like a drug. Will the craziness ever end?

Paranormal Activity
I’m not a fan of horror films, especially the slash and gore kind or worse, torture porn. Paranormal Activity isn’t like that. It’s a clever horror flick that scares you with absolutely nothing – the silences, the slight sounds in the house, the anticipation. Its comparison to Blair Witch Project is heartening because we know we would still be talking about classics like these many years from now. That’s horror for you. By the way, sleep tight.

Invictus
There was this fear of falling for the maudlin trap but Clint Eastwood rises above the challenge and made Invictus truly beautiful, moving and inspiring. It could have been your predictable sports movie fare but with history, politics, emotions and especially the nuances and gravitas portrayed by Morgan Freeman, the movie becomes a graceful epic. It has heart.

Taken
To some, it may seem like a puzzling choice but it was sure fun watching Liam Neeson does a Jack Bauer and fights villain after villain to rescue his kidnapped daughter. So what if the script and characters seem somewhat one-dimensional? Let the fists and bullets fly. Fun times.

Up in the Air
This is filmmaking at its best from its inventive screenplay, perfect casting with the perfect chemistry, smooth direction to a layered narrative that intertwines issues and resonates with stories closer to home: retrenchment, unemployment, ambitions and coping with a brave new world. There’s even romance for good measure. You should hate George Clooney for carrying that cocky swagger while firing folks like us but by the end of the movie, you have fallen for his charm and most humane spirit. This is a movie of our times, of the moment and never once a flightless entertainment. It soars and lands with wit, grace and style.

With every vote up in the air, a blind side is in order. Will Avatar be banished to the losers’ hurt locker? It takes a serious man and resident film buff like Ronald Wan to offer UrbanWire his precious annual predictions and an education on the Oscars

The Oscars race this year feels rather lacklustre, perhaps a telling reflection of the movie calendar for the past year, thanks to the writers’ strike in 2008 that seriously affected the industry, creating a ripple effect and dearth of quality screenplays. A look at the 8 major categories and I can lock in at least 6 dead certain winners. Where’s the fun then?

We know you have to win the office pool and impress the female receptionist.Well, try upping the stakes in the dramatic showdown between David and Goliath, ex-wife versus ex-husband, bomb squad versus blue creatures, $1.5 million versus $237 million, you versus the impressionable female receptionist, or simply The Hurt Locker and Avatar. Despite upsizing to include 10 nominations, the playing field narrows into a lockdown between the low-budget suspenseful war drama The Hurt Locker (picture below) and the spectacular 3D fantasy epic Avatar (picture above) in the Best Picture category.

Both films have been sweeping wins at awards’ dinners and critics’ circles, but in my opinion, the year’s best belongs to Up in the Air, the all-American movie about retrenchment, unemployment, ambitions, traditions and coping with the new world order, clearly a true reflection of our times. The Zeitgeist would agree (in fact, read about his top 10 movies of 2009). Doesn’t the Academy just love to award movies that are of the zeitgeist, of the moment (read: Chicago’s win in 2003)? How UITA lost its frontrunner momentum still befuddles me. But I digress from the Avatar-Hurt Locker love fest.

Maybe the Academy couldn’t resist some drama. After all, they are in the business of moviemaking. The recent controversy surrounding THL producer Nicolas Chartier’s ban from attending the Oscars after his email urging voters to not vote presumably for Avatar is an example of raising alarm over smoke. Plus all eyes will be on THL director Kathryn Bigelow and Avatar director, a.k.a. king of the world, James Cameron, once-married couple and present rivals in the Best Director category.

And who can resist a triumph of the underdog story? We want THL to win, not just Best Picture, but also Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. We want indie pictures to put in a good fight. Slumdog Millionaire, Little Miss Sunshine, Brokeback Mountain – these are some of the movies we were rooting for in recent times. We hear some folks still can’t quit griping over Brokeback’s loss to Crash.

Categories from Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress to Best Adapted Screenplay are locked in and those Up in the air include Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and just maybe, and I meant maybe in the strictest sense, Best Actress. And that’s because I’m in love with Carey Mulligan, whom Variety hails as the next Audrey Hepburn. Again, I digress with this crush. And so here are my humble and serious predictions for your consideration. You can paint me Na’vi blue if I don’t score at least 6 out of 8 correct predictions this time round. Eltu ayoe eywa hapxi kewong!

Best Actor

Colin Firth, A Single Man

George Clooney, Up in the Air

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Alcoholic, estranged father, triple divorcee and a has-been country singer relegated to singing in the saloons. Jeff Bridges inhabits the multiple challenging roles as Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, which is what voters love. During an early scene where Bridges reclined in a chair with his beer belly exposed and a glass of whiskey in his hand, you knew that sense of grittiness would send him on the highway to Oscar glory. Bridges is one of the most underrated – 5 nominations so far – actors who deserves to win.

Best Actress

Carey Mulligan, An Education

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Helen Mirren, The Last Station

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

My heart says Carey Mulligan, but my head knows Sandra Bullock will be the sentimental favourite to win as the fearless and feisty Leigh Ann Tuohy, mother to an African-American teenager who life coached and pushed him to succeed in football. Bullock is a spitfire and the Academy loves a comeback win (after a series of flops before The Blind Side) for one of their own darlings. Brit Mulligan ranks as an outsider with her classy turn in An Education. Fingers crossed she wins, which would be a wonderful blind side.

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Matt Damon, Invictus

Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Evil reigns in 2 outstanding roles here – Stanley Tucci as a serial killer and Christoph Waltz as the delicious and devilish Nazi officer Colonel Hans, who strikes fear with his cold and calculated gaze. Don’t bet against the latter evil incarnate.

Best Supporting Actress

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

Mo’Nique, Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Penelope Cruz, Nine

Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

We know Mo’Nique is a sure-win as the abusive and deranged mother of a teenage daughter. She was a monster who made us hate her despite playing a character that was supposed to win our hearts. Mothers are supposed to be nice. I wanna do a shout out to the sensational Penelope Cruz as the mistress who seduces the audience with a sexy and titillating dance number. Damn, those legs are hot! Who knew ropes could be so fun?

Best Director

Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

James Cameron, Avatar

Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

We’re about to witness history here. Kathryn Bigelow will be the first female director to win the award for steering The Hurt Locker. Bigelow worked magic not in the explosion but in the sequence leading up to it, the minutes, the seconds and suspense that is killing the audience. It’s a masterful and realistic work of Hitchcockian suspense – way better than rendering 3D effects on a computer.

Best Picture

An Education

A Serious Man

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Up

Up in the Air

Stranger things can happen when it comes to a Best Picture. Gatecrashers (Crash), surprised winners (Shakespeare in Love) and those with momentum that never made it. Up in the Air is an example of a piece of work with great buzz as early as last autumn, but somehow the pendulum has swung in The Hurt Locker’s favour after it won several awards, including its esteemed win at the Directors Guild of America awards.

The category takes another strange or complex turn with a new voting style: voters vote in order of preference, which means every film gets a vote, so it boils down to the second, third or even fourth choices. This translates into a tight race hence many are throwing Avatar into the mix for a two-horse race thanks to its populist wave.

I’ll go with The Hurt Locker simply because it has momentum.

More insights on the 10 nominees here.

Best Original Screenplay

A Serious Man

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

The Messenger

Up

It’s a tale of 2 brilliant screenplays so vastly different in their treatment – one doesn’t say much except to build on what is unseen and the other talks way too much, smacking of wit, pomposity and fun. We’re referring to The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds, the 2 films locked in a tight race. Quentin Tarantino is such a fave with actors and actresses in the Academy so the lobbying might help. We’ll go with The Hurt Locker considering its potential in Best Picture. Usually, a Best Picture and Original Screenplay go well together, like entrée and dessert.

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9

An Education

In the Loop

Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Up in the Air

It’s my favourite film of the year so I will be partial and generous in my plaudits here: The writing is sharp, clever and lucid, possessing a playful wit. Jason Reitman proves he can write and direct and after 3 successful features (Thank You For Smoking, Juno and Up in the Air). It hurts to know UITA might not win Best Picture, but at least, it lands and wins something.

And the rest of the categories:

Best Animated Film – Up, up and away!

Best Art Direction – Lush forest, forest fairies and those darn mountains hanging in mid-air! Somebody bring me to Pandora. Avatar by a mile.

Best Costume – It’s a fine, fine line between fashion and costume and the pieces in Coco Before Chanel serve the film well.

Best Cinematography – Again, bring me to Pandora. In 3D. Avatar, no contest.

Best Documentary – The Cove. Inspiring, moving and this is how a documentary is supposed to be made: with bravery and passion.

Best Film Editing – How do you create suspense? Cut scenes according to precision (wires, facial expression, cutting wires, facial…boom!). Kudos to The Hurt Locker.

Best Makeup – I’ve no idea and it’s the strangest category with 3 nominations only. Say, Star Trek?

Best Music (Original Score) – Avatar. Hello? It’s James Horner, the Titanic man.

Best Music (Original Song) – ‘The Weary Kind’ in Crazy Heart. That song has so much gravitas especially after you’ve watched the film.

Best Sound Editing – The Hurt Locker.

Best Sound Mixing – See above.

Best Visual Effects – No brainer. Give it up for Avatar.

Do you agree with Ronald’s predictions? Take the challenge! Let’s see who shall paint who blue! Comment away.

Imai Tsubasa (今井翼) has spread his wings (“Tsubasa” means “Wing” in Japanese) and released his solo debut single Backborn, almost 8 years after entering the music scene with Takizawa Hideaki (滝沢秀明) as duo Tackey & Tsubasa (タッキー＆翼). No, it’s not a typo or spelling error; “backborn” is a word invented by the 28-year-old from “backbone” and “born”, to illustrate his intention to go back to his roots. And from the name of the 2 concert tours Tsubasa held in Japan last year, his roots would be none other than Dance & Rock.

Long-time fans will marvel at how much Tsubasa has grown with this brand new offering. As his first step to carve out a name for himself, the talented dancer chose to go with a rock number instead of standing firm to his established image as one of Johnny’s “Dancing Kings”. Even the lyrics, penned by the man himself, seem to suggest that he’s not going to just let his wings ride along with the wind, but to show the world who he really is, as he roars that he’s “born to be wild”, “born to be free”, and “born to fly”.

The promotional video (PV), included in the bonus DVD in the “Music Clip” edition, accentuated the rock element well, where the flamenco enthusiast turns into the lead vocalist of a band, working his microphone stand skillfully while throwing a sure-kill look as he lets out a soft breath after the last chorus. It’d be interesting if he’d actually performed a choreography for this upbeat tune.

The song “Backborn” appears to be a showcase of what Tsubasa has absorbed and learnt over time performing other songs of the same genre such as “Samurai” and “Toriko” (“Prisoner”) instead of a virgin attempt. His vocals also proved to have matured into a deeper, richer voice compared to the younger, shallower singing in Tackey & Tsubasa’s debut album, Hatachi.

The coupling track “Kimi to nara” (translated as “If I am with you”) is an instant favourite, where the sweet guy belts out lines such as “守り抜く心を誓うさ” (translated as “I vow with my heart I’ll protect you till the end”) and “例え君が挫けそうな時も / そばにいるから My Precious You” (translated as “At times you feel defeated, I’ll be near, my precious you”), written as a message to his supporters. This lighthearted soft rock arrangement complements these saccharine words, and has the potential of topping karaoke charts as you hum along with him, “Baby, baby, baby”.

[ASAP], included only in the regular edition, is closer to the slightly techno dance genre that Tsubasa’s generally associated with, similar to his other songs like “Slave of Love” and “Edge”. It’s a motivational track that challenges you to “有言でTry” (try without going back on your word) and “勇敢にFly” (fly bravely). There’re some random abbreviations though, that left listeners to their imagination. “T4U” = “Tsubasa for you”?

Backborn is actually a platform for Tsubasa to convey his message, through writing the words for the entire single: that he wants to break out of his shell, to be himself and fly. It was a good choice to experiment different genres while still keeping a reasonable distance within the image he’s established so far. If there’re plans for a next release, UrbanWire hopes he’d go all out to show off what he does best: dance.

Title: Backborn
Artiste: 今井翼 Imai Tsubasa
Language: Japanese
Record Label: Avex Trax
Release Date: Feb 24, 2010

Tracklist:

1. Backborn
2. 君となら Kimi to nara
3. [ASAP]

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Ronald Wan discusses the 10 nominees in the expanded Best Picture category.

It just keeps getting bigger and bigger and we’re not referring to James Cameron’s maniacal ego. The Best Picture category has been upsized to include 10 nominations for obvious reasons. In a bid to attract more TV eyeballs come Oscar night on March 7 (March 8 morning Singapore time), the Academy expands the playing field to include more populist choices like Avatar, The Blind Side and even Up. But with more films in the running, everyone is scrambling to watch all 10 films in order to make an informed bet, a task almost as impossible as speaking the incredulous Na’vi language for busy mortals like you. This writer does a favour and recaps the 10 nominated films for your consideration.

Avatar

Eltu ayoe eywa hapxi kewong?!?! I have no idea what I just wrote either. From the wondrous Na’vi language to the enchanting Pandora planet, in glorious 3D no less, director James Cameron has created a whole new spectacular world and crowd-pleasing movie so rich in conceptual storytelling and special effects. Avatar is the Titanic of this awards season and it might just avoid the iceberg to secure a Best Picture win.

The Blind Side

Some Academy insiders didn’t see (pun intended) this surprise nomination coming but we know why. The Blind Side, starring the feisty Sandra Bullock as the white Christian mother of an African-American teenager who went on to become a very talented football player, is your typical sports movie filled with good family values that appeal to the Christian conservatives in Middle America. Will the movie strike a Hallmark chord with the voters residing largely in Los Angeles and New York? Not a chance in Hollywood hell.

District 9

Besides the impressive action and effects in this sci-fi movie, District 9 is heavily layered with subtext and speaks of issues of our times from discrimination, apartheid to military porn. It’s your rich and intelligent sci-fi yarn dreamt up by geeks that confuses reality and perception, humans and aliens and then makes it so real for our disbelief. It’s an indie favourite but due to its earlier-than-awards-season release, the movie might not register on voters’ minds.

An Education

Carey Mulligan, Carey Mulligan, Carey Mulligan.  The British actress is the life of this charming movie about a teenage school girl who was swept off her feet by a charming and suave older man, thrown into a post-war world of new riches, style and class. The movie is sweet and sophisticated like Mulligan and as the title suggests, a learning experience for all on the fallacies and ideals of youth.

The Hurt Locker

The suspenseful war film is gaining momentum to be the underdog to crash Avatar’s party. Recognised for its straightforward storytelling and intense moments, The Hurt Locker is the war film that makes the audience sit up in suspense and see the effects the Iraq war had on Americans. “War is like a drug” is a quote that opens the movie and induces the audience into a visceral, mind-blowing and dramatic ride through the Gulf desert.

Inglourious Basterds

What a crazy movie! Inglourious Basterds had all the wit, action, kosher porn, terrible spelling, gory violence and an awesome shootout sequence in a local bar that had fans all stark raving delighted. Like how the movie made by geek-director Quentin Tarantino is made for the geek fans, its nomination perhaps serves as the Academy’s calling card for all geeks and fan boys to tune in on awards night.

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

The premise is depressing but as you watch along the struggles of Precious and her determination to bury her past and make a bright future, you feel a sense of joy and quiet relief for the protagonist. Characters, personalities and emotions are strong in this tough film about life in the poorer inner-cities and how life is sometimes treated unfairly with the shadiest circumstances. The movie is inspiring nonetheless, enough to earn Best Picture street cred.

A Serious Man

What is the meaning and morality of life? Can we live on faith alone? Such are the pondering questions A Serious Man posits in doses of wit, humour and death. Directed by the Coen brothers, the movie is sort of an autobiographical look at their serious Jewish lives determined by families and faith. It’s a personal movie that will warm the cockles of very important Jews in Hollywood from writers, directors, producers to actors. In short, almost the entire Academy.

Up

Possibly the best animated feature to come out of the brilliant Pixar studios (what do they serve in the pantry seriously?), Up is on a high achieving the distinction of nominated in the Best Picture category in addition to Best Animated Feature. Up sets the benchmark in animation filmmaking with its creative imagination, rich visuals, fantasy unlike any other and a sense of adventure in its plot and storytelling.

Up in the Air

If there’s an overused phrase or bad pun to describe this amazing movie, I apologise. But Up in the Air soars! The Academy loves to award movies that are current and timely (read: Chicago) and UITA is the perfect in-flight entertainment and parable of our dire economical times. From its arrival scene of airplane views of the American landscape to the departure scene of well, rolling credits, the movie throws up a good mix of humour, sadness, nuances, wit and romance weighing in on the American job market, retrenchment, ambitions, traditions and coping with a new world order. Up in the Air is such a joy ride you kinda hope it continues flying and never lands.

“So, are you as good as Rooney?”

Nike’s latest issue of a challenge to football fanatics out there is part of the Total 90 Laser III football boot launched by the leading sports and apparel manufacturer this year. Now in its third generation, the T90 Laser III features “enhanced accuracy” and “mercurial speed”, yielding triumph at matches with “focused power and precision”.

March 6 is the day to mark on your calendars, because you’ll get to trial the T90 Laser III and attest to the deadly accuracy of the football boot. Apart from that, Nike is giving out attractive prizes to challengers, the first prize amounting to $1000 worth of Nike products. If you’re aged 15 to 24 years and would like to participate, log on to register and you’ll receive a T90 Laser III laser pointer.

Besides the stunning green and red colours of the boot, every pair of the T90 Laser III comes with a specific user-code that provides online access to Nike Football+. It provides a training programme in the comfort of the place of your choice to keep you at the top of your game. With the use of the online platform, users get accuracy training drills and expert tuition imparted by the coaching team at Italian giants Juventus FC. The virtual experience also highlights a “detailed ‘signature move’ coaching session from Fernando Torres of Liverpool FC”.

With the new generation of the football boot, Nike’s design team delved into studying the relationship between the boot and the ball to give players a better playing experience, with “truer strikes and leverage surface friction for maximum swerve”. The fresh configuration of ‘Shot Shield’ aims to do just that, enabling players to connect with the ball, without sacrificing accuracy.

Try out the T90 Laser III and feel like a pro, playing with precision and speed.

Janelle Li and Shermaine Yeo

Samsung Corby PRO

Business-like yet youthful is what describes the Samsung Corby PRO. That’s not the only 2 worlds that phone users get to enjoy, it’s also a QWERTY and touch screen packed into the mobile phone. While professional looking on the outside, many will swoon over the vibrant colours of the QWERTY keypad once it’s slid out.

If you’re fickle or you just want to get your accessories to match those concentric patterns on your shirt, the Samsung Corby PRO will indulge your whims and fancies with a changeable back cover. There are 3 back cover designs that come in the box with the product.

Keeping up with the trend of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook taking over our lives, compelling us to update the happenings as we breathe, this gadget will aid that infatuation with widgets. These widgets are easily found on the phone, as they are pre-installed.

If you find a need to use instant messaging services on the go, the phone will also serve that demand with a one-stop application that allows you to use accounts from various instant-messaging platforms.

Another noteworthy element of the device is the threaded SMS display, which helps to condense the messages from different people. While most smartphones in the market don’t allow Bluetooth transfer of files with other devices for security reasons, the Samsung Corby PRO is one that permits such a function. But rest assured, there’s a protection measure in the form of a code, so as not to receive unwanted files using the Bluetooth transmission.

With the best of both worlds combined into a gadget, there would be some drawbacks. The touch screen is rather slow and less reactive, that is, if you’re used to other touch screen devices. All it needs is a little patience and getting used to from the user, which isn’t too much to ask. The QWERTY keypad is big enough so that your fingers get to push each button without hitting another one, but the wide surface means no typing with one hand, and that’s probably why you’ll need the touch screen.

However, it’s notable that the displays switch very smoothly with much ease when changing from touch screen to QWERTY. The landscape and portrait orientation adjust effortlessly and don’t lag.

The Samsung Corby PRO is also adequately equipped with a 3.2 megapixel camera and it has good projection of sound from the speakers if you ever need some music blasting. While this mobile phone may not match up with it’s more intelligent counterparts in the market, it has it’s pluses and is stylish enough to win some fans.

Samsung Corby^TXT

Available from last December, the Samsung Corby^TXT is an economical texting handset that endorses the image of fun. It has all the basic functions of a web-enabled phone: voice calls, SMS/MMS, internet browser, 2.0megapixel camera, applications and such. One function that outshines would be the cute camera functions that allow you to take neoprint-like photos with its “Frames” or “Mosaic” options. The QWERTY keypad may be a little too small though, and it’s easy to fumble while pressing the direction keys as they’re too narrow. You tend to end up pressing 2 keys at the same time. There are also default Twitter and Facebook links in the Shortcut Toolbar, making them conveniently accessible.

Samsung Corby

If you prefer a clean, sleek design without the hassle many, many buttons, check out the original Corby, a full touch-screen phone and the lightest among the Corby series at less than 80 grams.

5 guys and a girl from Copenhagen, Denmark, turned down touring the USA with Katy Perry to focus on this piece of work. So, press play and prepare to be amazed – Alphabeat have returned with their brand of pure pop magic, in the form of their second album, The Beat Is….

Alphabeat first appeared in the UK music scene in 2008, with runaway hit song, “Fascination“. It peaked at no. 6 on the UK Singles Chart and was even used in a Coca Cola Light TV commercial in the region.

Stine Bramsen and Anders Nielsen are the lead vocalists (If the Danish names confuse you, Stine is the only female, and Anders male). They’re supported by another 2 Anders: Anders Bønløkke on guitar, Anders Reinholdt on bass, Rasmus Nagel on keyboards, and Troels Hansen on drums.

The Beat Is.. is 43 minutes of powerhouse aural magic that pays homage to early 90s dance pop. The band have credited their influences to 90s hit-makers Black Box, Corona, and Ace of Base, among others.

Compared to their debut record, This Is Alphabeat, the band’s taken the sugar-rush and happy down a notch, ditching their cheerful 80s vibe for sleeker outfits and a decidedly more electronic sound.

The record employs a good deal of digital arrangement, with synthesised vocal warbling, intense bass, and electro-instrumentals coming into the mix. Pretty much all the songs are about love, as is the case with most pop records.

Noteworthy tracks “The Spell”, “DJ”, and “The Right Thing” showcase the band’s talent for clear, pop-songwriting. Coupled with key elements like catchy choruses, dynamic beats, and strong vocals, Alphabeat prove to be true masters of their craft.

The album opens fittingly with first single, “The Spell” – a worthy tribute to 90s dance, driven by high energy, Stine’s astounding vocal prowess, and a smashing chorus. Magical stuff.

“The Spell” single deservedly hit the no. 1 spot on the Danish singles chart upon release, and was well received in the UK, and won over even critics who hated their first record. The music video is a sprightly rendition of the single, packaged in electric blue and flashing lights, reminiscent of a musical era past.

The third song, “DJ”, is probably the easiest tune to catch on to. It sounds very much like Daft Punk’s “Digital Love”, and is a tad more relaxed than the other tracks, but retains some energy in its rhythm. Remember the sheer excitement added to that feeling of restfulness when school’s out? This number feels just like that.

Another notable track is “Heat Wave”. The record reaches its peak as this fast-paced tune builds into the chorus, where Stine’s remarkable vocals bring things to a dynamic explosion, and you can’t help but start bobbing fitfully along to the music, if you haven’t already.

Alas, there’re some bumps along the track list. The mellower numbers don’t fare so well.

The song “Q & A” seemed to go on forever, with Stine moaning, “We need some Q, and A, Q and A-hey, Q and A-hey” for the entire chorus. The lyrics were too corny for this one, and since it’s a slow number, such flaws are more noticeable.

“Chess” had background instrumentals that had an annoying bubbling sound effect, and the slow sway of the rhythm made it seem like the kind of song you’d hear at a cheesy beach party. It has the potential to grow on you, but with a title like “Chess” and a vibe so different from the rest, it stuck out like a sore thumb.

Overall, Alphabeat have really polished their act, churning out a record worthy of pop greatness. This album saw male vocalist Anders take a backseat, while Stine’s mighty lungs gave their all, injecting power and spunk to every tune she belted out.

Opinions will swing both ways, and fans will either be thrilled or bummed by the band’s new sound, which has moved into a completely different genre of pop – from the happy, sugary 80s to the danceable tunes of the 90s.

Alphabeat have proven themselves to be one of the better European pop acts to emerge in recent years, and are certainly not letting past Scandinavian pop greats – like fellow Danes Aqua and legendary Swedes Abba – down.

UrbanWire rates The Beat Is… a 4/5.

Title: The Beat Is…
Artist: Alphabeat
Choice Picks: The Spell, DJ, Heat Wave
Language: English
Record Label: Polydor UK
Release Date: Mar 1

Track list:

1. The Beat Is
2. The Spell
3. DJ
4.Hole In My Heart
5. Chess
6. Heart Failure
7. Heat Wave
8. Always Up With You
9. Q & A
10. The Right Thing
11. Til I get Round
12. 365 Degrees

Whatever it is that the Swedes add to their water, we want it. From the Cardigans to Ace of Base, and from ABBA to Lykke Li, these guys have been consistently and constantly churning out tunes guaranteed to make you bop and sway.

And they’ve managed to wear out our dance shoes again.

Famed Swedish producers Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, famously known as Bloodshy & Avant, team up with American singer-producer Andrew Wyatt to form Miike Snow.

The result – a musical triumph, if their eponymous first outing is anything to go by.

Miike Snow is a commendable, polished production. BBC Music proclaims it to be “damn near perfect”, and the Guardian calls it “…intelligent pop music that has the ability to cradle taste-making purists and reach anthemic heights”.

Of course, UrbanWire expects nothing else from a group of esteemed producers – the Swedes have worked with dance-pop music luminaries Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears, while the American has headlined a few bands (Fires of Rome being one of them) and recently collaborated with Mark Ronson to produce Daniel Merriweather’s latest album Love and War.

What’s remarkable is that the guys managed to garner genuine interest for their music without revealing their star identities – they only did so after coming out from hiding behind the Internet to perform a couple of sets in New York.

The music can best be described as ambitious ‘winter pop’ – the type that transports you to a mildly cool, sophisticated winter’s day in Scandinavia. It’s loaded with addictive hooks and atmospheric charm. The album starts off strong and wanes off at the middle, before pulling itself together and concluding with aplomb. It’s an album that talks of loss and ruined love, but the musical arrangements, which sound upbeat and amazingly refreshing, suggest otherwise.

Their latest single, Silvia, is a standout of the album. The track,  released on Jan 25, is pure aural nirvana. Wyatt’s expressive vocals exhibit a sense of regret, longing and emotional depth over lost love, while the music reaches admirable crescendos that warrant repetition on your playlist. “Animal” brings together electronica and heady pop, and “Burial” is a track that sounds playful, but the macabre lyrics, which talk of misery and the pointlessness of fixing a broken relationship, are anything but fun.

The lyrics are a show of juxtaposition – poetry interspersed with contemporary American-style, rap-influenced lyricism. We like it that the stanzas don’t repeat themselves – a common annoyance in the latest pop tunes like J. Lo’s “Louboutins” and Chris Brown’s “I Can Transform Ya”. However, it sometimes seems like the band’s trying too hard to come up with arresting lyrics steeped in poetic melancholy that, quite frankly, don’t belong in the same league as anything from local music veteran Leslie Low.

That these guys have no name recognition in Singapore (or anywhere else!) is really unfortunate. This may be intentional, judging from their reputation for keeping things under the radar, but we see no reason why these guys should not be given the attention they deserve.

[Pullout quote]
“Well, you know, I think that doing interviews is great. But I don’t think we have any interest at all in being pop stars or anything like that. In fact, that’s kind of our worst fear…  We want people to get into that image; it’s more about, “Go have a crazy adventure,” rather than have it be about our personalities. Because it really isn’t. It’s an experiment, and it’s an adventure. And it’s not much about anything else. I think it’s always a mistake when you start connecting a band to a personality. You begin to limit what you’re able to do.” – Andrew Wyatt, interview with Interview Magazine, June 2009.

The UrbanWire gives Miike Snow 4 out of 5 stars.

Title: Miike Snow
Artiste: Miike Snow
Language:English
Record Label:Columbia
Release Date: 12 May 2009 (Sweden), 23 October 2009 (United Kingdom)

Tracklist:
1. Animal
2. Burial
3. Silvia
4. Song for No One
5. Black & Blue
6. Sans Soleil
7. A Horse is Not a Home
8. Cult Logic
9. Plastic Jungle
10. In Search Of

11. Faker

12. Billie Holiday (Bonus track)

J.K Rowling’s beloved conception of a boy wizard who discovers his true identity in the world of talking spiders and sleek flying broomsticks in his quest for an ultimate showdown with the Dark Lord is surely the template for the newest kid on the old fantasy block.

They say that imitation is the best form of flattery. But I digress.

The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan’s bestselling children fantasy that is alike Harry Potter in so many of its elements, takes its shot at joining older and more established film franchises with its first big screen movie adaptation. The story gives a contemporary, pop culture twist to ancient Greek mythology, making it all the more fun and appealing to a young audience: the Empire State Building is actually Olympus, home of the gods, the Underworld is below Hollywood, and every Greek god that lives in the heavens also has an updated 21^st century persona. (Well, if I were Hades, I’d take a Mick Jagger human form too!)

As with previous fantasy novels that have been brought onto the silver screen, the books are infinitely better. While the first of the Percy Jackson & The Olympians print series was lavish on details of its hero’s epic adventure to the Underworld and his side quest to find out more about his heritage (his mother is mortal, while his dad is an ancient Greek god), the movie had streamlined the book’s 375 pages to a 119-minute film that’s bigger on its visual effects than its flimsy plot.

Zeus (Sean Bean), ruler of Olympus and god of the skies, accuses Percy Jackson, son of the sea god Poseidon (Kevin McKidd), of stealing his master lightning bolt that’s the most powerful one on earth and the heavens as well. The teenager has 10 days before the summer solstice to return the bolt to its master, before an apocalyptic war so disastrous and destructive even mankind won’t be spared, begins between the gods.

So now, Percy must travel to Half-Blood Camp, a lousy reference to the title of the sixth Harry Potter book, where he will train in swordfighting and learn more of his long ancestral past before he begins on his dangerous quest to the Underworld.

Joining him on his Herculean mission across America is the daughter of the goddess Athena, Annabeth Chase, who is played terribly by Alexandra Daddario because she tries too hard to ape Hermione Granger, and the satyr Grover Underwood, who’s reinvented by actor and funnyman Brandon T. Jackson to reflect a more comedic personality onscreen than the timid role he played in the book.

Undoubtedly the best looking of the ensemble cast, Logan Lerman (3:10 to Yuma) stars as the titular hero. His cheeky grins and mythical god image are set to put him on the radar of screaming fan girls worldwide, even though he makes you barf whenever he tries to get all emotional during the film. The scene where Percy had discovered the sacrifices that his mum had made for him after she had supposedly passed away is a reason enough to send the actor for some classes that the scriptwriter should tag along for as well. “She did all these for me? Why didn’t she tell me earlier?” says the boy who has just lost his mother, with a few drops of teardrops glistening in his sparkly blue eyes. Double barf.

The strong supporting cast that includes Pierce Brosnan as Chiron, trainer of heroes and half-man half-horse, Uma Thurman as she vamps it up as the seductive Medusa (who has little snake friends on her head where her hair should be), and Sean Bean, fans may remember him as Boromir from the Lord of the Rings series, who plays the angry lightning god.

However, the action sequences were jam-packed with fast cuts and spectacular digital effects that are worth the value of the movie tickets alone. This comes as no surprise given director Chris Columbus’ track record with big budget action-packed pictures like 2 of the Harry Potter film franchise and the Fantastic Four films. Whether Percy is battling the gargantuan Minotaur or the 5-headed fire-breathing Hydra, the film is rapidly paced to keep you at the edge of your seat while throwing up some dazzling lighting bolts and nimble swordplay in the air.

By the first 60 minutes, most people who are able to follow the poorly developed story would have guessed the identity of the original lightning thief already, which is such a letdown considering that the author of the books had gone to such great lengths to keep his readers in suspense right till the last chapters. Screenwriter Craig Titley had also forgone some of the breathtaking moments in the book, such as the first time Percy had learnt to will water to his advantage in Half-Blood Camp and the taming of the ferocious 3-headed dog Cerebus by the sharp-witted Annabeth, for a much looser narrative that would have buckled in the film if not for its strong visual support. Perhaps the director should have been more faithful to the original story that made Riordan’s book a major bestseller.

The ultimate showdown in the book between Ares, the war god, and Percy was also scrapped in favor of a completely new face-off where the lead character summons water in air bending and gravity-defying fashion to defeat the main antagonist. The consequences of doing so may spill over into the subsequent films where the additional arc of Percy’s bitter relationship with Ares will call for additional screen time and development.

Forged with danger, suspense, action, evil dark lords, and even a cheesy romantic subplot, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is poised for big numbers at the box office. The heroic saga made and marketed to capture of some of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings colossal fan base will inevitably do so, as movie-going audiences get their fix of magic and glitter in a year that’s quickly shaping up to become one in celestial territory, given the upcoming release of mega blockbuster Clash of the Titans on Jan 25 in Singapore that is also based on the legends of greek god Perseus.

UrbanWire gives Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief 2.5 out of 5 popcorns.

Release: 11 Feb (Singapore)

Duration: 119 minutes

Rating: PG

Language: English

Genre: Fantasy / Action

Director: Chris Columbus

Screenwriter: Craig Titley

Cast: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson, Steve Coogan, Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Kevin McKidd

The Spy Next Door was released in cinemas just a month ago, and Jackie Chan churns out another offering in time for Chinese New Year and Valentines’ Day. He plays the role of the Foot Soldier and sole survivor of the Liang army in action-comedy Little Big Soldier. Set in some hundred years B.C., before the emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified the country into one China, the plot revolves around the fictional encounter between Jackie’s character and the General (played by Wang Lee Hom) of the Wei troops who ambushed and triumphed over Liang.

Their fate began when the Soldier, whose greatest wish is to lead a peaceful life on his own farm, captured the injured General so he may exchange his captive for a great reward, including 5 mou [an Chinese unit to define area, where 1 mou ≈ 667m²] of land. The duo bickered and argued along the way back to Liang, while collaborating at crucial times to escape from tight situations, including a ferociously hungry bear and a native tribe intending to enslave them.

^{The Foot Soldier (Jackie Chan, right) holds the General (Wang Lee Hom) captive in hopes of exchanging him for a great reward from King of Liang.}

As with all movies with Jackie Chan’s name, there were lots of fighting scenes with cheeky humour smack in the middle of kicks and punches, especially the several exchanges between Soldier and General. It definitely lived up to expectations of its genre, and you’ll walk out of the cinema mimicking the Soldier’s pet phrase, “挺好的 (Not bad)” or hum the song that belts out the route to his home from the Mountain of Liang.

^{The Foot Soldier (Jackie Chan) and the General (Wang Lee Hom) often exchange blows throughout their journey.}

^{The Foot Soldier (Jackie Chan) and the General (Wang Lee Hom) often exchange blows throughout their journey.}

Lee Hom’s realistic portrayal of the General came as a pleasant surprise, as his well-established image of a talented, gentlemanly musician conflicts with the general perception of, well, a General. The 33-year-old brought out the proud air and high-and-mighty aura required of the role through his stern facial expressions and glares.

^{Wang Lee Hom as General of Wei army}

^{Wang Lee Hom as General of Wei army}

Besides the Taiwanese heartthrob, another eye-candy to look out for would be Steve Seung-jun Yoo, former Korean pop idol and new addition to Jackie Chan’s entertainment management company, who makes his big screen debut as Wen, the Prince of Wei, and showing off some well-toned abs and biceps.

^{Steve Yoo as Wen, the Prince of Wei}

^{Steve Yoo as Wen, the Prince of Wei}

However, it’s advisable to leave your logic and reasoning outside the theatre before stepping in. The best way to enjoy this 95-min chain of events is to treat each scene as separate entities, or you may be yawning and checking your watch by the time General caught Soldier’s virus of singing to the mountains. A range of random characters appearing out of nowhere, such as the forest natives and the scout from Liang who never seems to understand the situation, doesn’t help reduce the confusion either.

^{The Foot Soldier (Jackie Chan, right) and the scout from country of Liang (left)}

Remember to stay back for a while until the credits end to catch the hilarious behind-the-scenes footage and take a peek into the NGs and instances of Jackie fumbling his lines.

Release Details:

Title: 大兵小将 Little Big Soldier
Opens: Feb 14 at Cathay cineplexes and other local cinemas
Duration: 95 mins
Language: Mandarin (with English subtitles)
Rating: PG
Genre: Action Comedy
Director: Ding Sheng
Cast: Jackie Chan, Wang Lee Hom, Steve Seung-jun Yoo

6 years ago, Mel Gibson (Lethal Weapon, Braveheart and The Patriot) decided to take a break from acting and went on to work behind-the-scenes, directing The Passion of the Christ in 2004 and Apocalypto in 2006.

It’s then with piqued interest that Gibson returns in front of the camera in the film adaptation of 1985 British drama serial Edge of Darkness, as a police officer no less, after more than half a decade off screen.

The story revolves around Detective Thomas Craven (Gibson) of the Boston Police Department who investigates the murder of his MIT-graduate activist daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic). Craven soon discovers that his daughter’s death by a shotgun round to her chest on the doorstep the day she decides to come home was more than he could’ve imagined.

The case leads him into a world of government conspiracies and cover-ups involving a Massachusetts-based nuclear research facility called Northmoor and its boss Jack Bennett (Danny Huston). He eventually becomes a target of the very people he sets out to catch.

From the get-go, the film is in good hands with director Martin Campbell and producer Michael Wearing, who were also responsible for the drama series that gathered 6 accolades at the 1986 BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards.

Gibson gives a commanding performance throughout, and to be honest the film really is him all the time. In essence, this is the perfect role for an obviously aging veteran actor who looks visibly haggard and sports greying hair with a receding hairline.

Still, the 54-year-old manages to hold his own among younger counterparts in the action department, unleashing heavy blows and displaying surprising agility in fight scenes that seem to come with ease. The showing accuracy in shooting a moving target (in this case a person in a car rushing head on at him) in another scene involving an attempt on his life is evident that he packs as much punch.

British actor Ray Winstone (Beowolf, Fool’s Gold) as CIA agent Matt Jedburgh (originally to be played by Robert De Niro), who’s sent to prevent Craven from “connecting A to B” in his investigation is notable. Though he doesn’t have many appearances, Winstone performs admirably alongside the main character.

His character displays a cold, cynical front while from time to time showing hints of support and admiration for Craven and his cause.

The storyline is also well thought out, delivering an adrenaline pumping hook to the senses just when you think the events unfolding in front of you are getting a little bland. On hindsight though, the movie seemed a little draggy at some parts, especially as it isn’t exactly the typical gun-slinging action cop film you might be used to.

Fight scenes and shootouts are significantly toned down compared to previous Gibson films like Lethal Weapon. Instead, the movie chooses to play more on the emotions and investigative skill of Craven, so there’s understandably a significant proportion of the film spent talking and going around to interrogate people.

However, don’t expect the dialogue to be particularly deep. Like many dark police films these days it packs a substantial amount of expletives into character interactions, making the film’s rating in Singapore a not-so-squeaky-clean NC16.

Ultimately, Edge of Darkness is a fitting re-entry into acting for the Academy Award-winning director, and combines the emotional capability he displays in The Patriot and Braveheart with the familiar detective role in The Lethal Weapon he is equally known for.

This isn’t by any account one of the best films out there, nor is it very likely to be as highly grossing as the more recent popular titles, but still manages to offer movie goers the variety of both good action and some intelligence, so as to appeal to a wider audience. A decent watch all round.

Release Details:

Opens: Jan 28
Duration: 117 min
Language: English
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Bojana Novakovic