Inside Embune

The long-awaited The Spirit has finally reached Indonesian cinemas thanks to Jive Entertainment which knocked on all doors and made an all-out effort to bring the action hero, red tie and all, to all of us holding our breath.

This latest effort from Frank Miller — the director who brought us the eye-catching effects in Sin City and the epic graphic novel 300 — tells a classic story of a hero hiding behind a mask who slinks among sky-scrappers at night to protect the city.

The hero, known as the Spirit (Gabriel Macht), is the alter ego of a dead cop who underwent experiments conducted by his nemesis, the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) and is cursed to live forever.

As always, the villain gets all the fun with his beautiful sidekick Silken Floss (Scarlett Johansson) and the mentally challenged clone, Phobos (Louis Lombardi).

The storyline develops around an eternal fight between the Spirit and the Octopus embellished with Hercules’ eternal blood and some shiny armor belonging to Jason of the Argonauts.

Basically the story offers no new spin on the hero-as-freak premise, so successful in the original misunderstood comic heroes portrayed in Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Spiderman, The Mask or any other good guys behind masks.

But this version, based on the comic strips by Will Eisner, begs to stand out by the added love-triangle sparkle among the Spirit, Sand Saref (Eva Mendes) and Ellen Dolan (Sarah Paulson), to show off to advantage the womanizing side of Miller’s new action hero. Somehow the added sparkle is not enough to ignite interest.

Several romantic scenes play out between the Spirit and these women, but somehow they fail to deliver the lady-killer persona already clinched by the Bruce Wayne panache.

The script didn’t offer enough good writing for the actors to build a charismatic aura. The Spirit passes us by like any man sporting a robe, fedora and red tie might, leaving no telltale charm behind as his signature.

This is Miller’s directing debut as well as his first screenplay adaptation, unlike his previous graphic novel efforts.

And Miller has finally shown his directorial Midas touch. He obviously know how to satisfy his audience’s eyes. He’s still busy playing with his visual stylistics spiced with a touch of noire already evident in his previous work, which wraps the Spirit in a cultic effect.

His signature use of red not only reflects back to his own earlier work but also to the masterpieces if stylist directors Pedro Almodovar and Wong Kar Wai.

Another new venture for Miller is the satire, slapstick and parody in the Spirit. You may get some entertaining moments from the body language carried off by Silken Floss or the oh-so-cheesy dialogue between the Spirit and the Octopus.

Disappointment still overrides. Take the scene where our hero is being tamed. The Spirit sits tied to a chair and from behind the curtain out slides the beautiful belly dancer, Plaster of Paris (Paz Vega), seductively dangerous. This scene is meant to set up the ensuing torture scene, but the momentum slips and the scene ends up adding nothing. Who pulled this one off the cutting room floor?

Then come the Octopus and Silken Floss with their Hitler parody flashing Nazi swastikas. The Hitler factor may be the influence of Eisner’s era, since he created the character in the 1940s.

Many U.S. comic strip artists draw on Nazi symbolism for their villains, and as the freaky heroes combat them we glean the strong underpinning of U.S. nationalism.

Which makes the Nazi scene all the more hilarious, but even for an audience here? Probably laughter through the theater owed something to the body language and comedy technique which reminded me of Indonesian’s comedic Ketoprak Humor, as enacted by Srimulat.

Resist the urge to hit the lobby for snacks because you do not want to miss the scene where the heroines present themselves in the Spirit’s life, especially when Sand Saref faces off with Silken Floss.

The scene was so strong it could have erased from our minds the first battle royale between the main hero and his nemesis from the first 10 minutes of the film. These two arresting women caught the audience’s attention with their beauty, guts, spunk and repartee.

Both give new meaning to the old-fashioned term girl power. You can be nasty but adorable and sexy at the same time. They make for relishing moments in a 90-minutes movie with few memorable lines to quote or a catchy soundtrack to lock in our attention on the important scenes.

One thing for sure, do not bring your under thirteens to this one. Even though the blood or the cut-off head — err.. spoiler, anyone? — are stylized and graphically uber, still it isn’t a nice inspiration for children to dream about later.

The best viewing mode is an outing with 6-7 of your gang, all adults in desperate need of a lighthearted movie heavy on effects. As Hollywood standard fare to round out your weekend, The Spirit might be a good choice.

source: www.thejakartapost.com

In a year that saw an increase in the number of films being screened at local theaters, there were plenty of choose from in 2008, but only a handful of excellent ones. The Jakarta Post‘s contributor Iskandar Liem picks ten of the best, in chronological order of release.

Mereka Bilang Saya Monyet! (They Say I’m A Monkey!)

Adjeng is a writer constantly shadowed by childhood demons.

Alternating effortlessly between the past and the present, the film charts her toxic relationship with her movie star has-been mother and the ramifications of juvenile sexual abuse.

Unflinching in its brutal honesty and fluid in its visual allegory, this adaptation of her own book marks controversial author Djenar Maesa Ayu’s directorial debut, heralding a rebellious new voice in Indonesian cinema.

El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

Produced by Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth), this Spanish export tells of a woman who moves to an ominous orphanage with her family, only to have her six-year-old son vanish. This tale of her valiant efforts to find him works on two levels: On one hand, it’s an effective ghost story that piles on the tension and chills (not to mention a couple of scream-worthy jolts) and on the other, it’s a deeply emotional tale of unyielding maternal love that’s deceptively simple yet tender. How often does one movie manage to terrify and touch an audience within a two-hour span?

The Fall

It was a given that renowned music video director Tarsem’s sophomore feature film effort was going to be visually resplendent, but who knew it would be this tour de force of cinematic storytelling as well? Shot in over 20 countries including Indonesia, the story of a bedridden stunt man telling a fable to a little Romanian girl transcends the reality of the hospital they’re in and the imaginary realms of the fable. Made more remarkable is that virtually all of the scenes are played out in improvised dialogue, creating an indelible chemistry among the two leads, one of whom is a six-year-old without prior acting experience.

Atonement

One fateful day in the life of an affluent English family, young Briony Tallis tells a slanderous lie that brings unthinkable repercussions to her older sister Cecilia, their family’s gardener Robbie and herself.

Set against World War II and chronicling Briony’s lifelong desire for penance, it features notable performances (James MacAvoy’s Robbie and an Oscar-nominated debut by Saoirse Ronan as Briony), gorgeous lensing (the much-lauded, five-minute tracking shot of a beachfront battleground comes to mind) and a heartrending revelation in the third act that haunts the audience long after the credits have rolled.

Juno

Not since Woody Allen’s best comedies has there been a film that sparkles with so much witty banter with a huge heart at its core.

Rising star Ellen Page shines as Juno MacGuff, a teenager whose “shenanigans” with best friend Bleeker leaves her pregnant, hence deciding to give the baby to an adoptive couple (Jason Bateman and a beautifully understated Jennifer Garner).

Hardly the average teenager, Juno’s acerbic conversational skills will put many English-speaking adults to shame, thanks to the Oscar-winning screenwriting debut of ex-stripper Diablo Cody.

Simply put, a feel-good gem of a film.

The Dark Knight

Films based on comic books have come so far.The Dark Knight possesses plenty of depth, often feeling like a classic crime saga with Batman, The Joker and Two Face forming an unholy trinity in an age-old clash between good, evil and everything in between.

Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film underscores moral dilemmas in the story, courtesy of a fear-provoking final performance from the late Heath Ledger as the anarchic Joker, wreaking havoc on Batman’s conscience.

The Mist

A group of people are trapped in a supermarket as a mysterious mist descends over the small town, bringing with it a myriad of otherworldly creatures. Based on a Stephen King novella, the true horror of this tale isn’t in the monsters outside the supermarket, but in the things terrified individuals resort to for survival, as the group is gradually split into two warring factions.

Marcia Gay Harden gives an over-the-top yet spine-chilling performance as an incendiary religious zealot. A shamelessly entertaining Hollywood concoction that jaw-droppingly defies conventions at the 11th hour.

Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warriors)

This heartfelt adaptation of the first book in a popular literary quadrilogy has held the title of the biggest selling local film ever since its theatrical release three months ago.

Chronicling a group of poor children and their struggle for education in rural Sumatra along with their two dedicated teachers, director Riri Riza takes the viewers on a joyous and heartbreaking journey set against the breathtaking vistas of Belitong Island, culminating in one of the most poignant endings ever committed to Indonesian celluloid.

Truly a film that makes audiences’ hearts soar on their way out of the theater.

*Rec*

A Spanish TV crew gets trapped in an apartment building quarantined by the authorities, as it contains a contagious affliction that turns humans into flesh eating zombies.

Told from the perspective of the camera, this Blair Witch Project concept is executed with brute efficacy, gradually amping up the tension until it reaches fever pitch in its final moments. Its practically shot-by-shot U.S. remake Quarantine is currently in cinemas now, but it’s still inferior to the petrifying power of the original.

Zwartboek (Black Book)

Finally arriving on local screens after being released two years ago in its home turf, this Dutch World War II thriller revolves around a Jewish woman who joins the resistance to infiltrate the Nazis, only to end up being an enemy to both sides.

Basic Instinct director Paul Verhoeven’s forte may not be subtlety, but he tells his wartime epic with such a master stroke — there’s no plot twist in its two-and-a-half hour running time.

Ceaselessly compelling.

Honourable mentions: Edith Piaf biopic La Vie En Rose with Marion Cotillard’s career best as the doomed chanteuse, the nihilistic greed and violence of Liam Neeson of No Country For Old Men seeking his kidnapped daughter in the relentless Taken, the tender coming-of-age Danish vampire flick Let The Right One In, local anthologies Love and Perempuan Punya Cerita (Chants of Lotus).

source: thejakartapost.com

Don’t get me wrong, I do like my job, I just hate the people I have to deal with, I should say the families I have to deal with. I work at a funeral home. I don’t mind the deceased, they don’t talk. But come on people, who let you leave the house like that? You are at a funeral home. I’m not saying that everyone has to be dressed in all black anymore, but maybe a nice pair of dress pants and a nice shirt? Is that too much to ask for? Oh, and you are here to pay your respects to the deceased not stuff your face in the lounge then smoke a pack of cigarettes while you are here. First of all, the family should not bring in crock pots full of food, cases of soda pop, and then bitch that we don’t have enough room for all of your food you are going to stuff down your fat neck! We are not a banquet facility, we are a funeral home. To those of you who do not know what a trash can is…..let me explain. It is, usually made out of rubber, has a lid on it, and the top opens and closes, usually all you have to do is push the top and it opens so you can throw garbage in to it. Why do I find gum wadded up in my plants in the hallway? There are tissue boxes everywhere, put your gum in the tissue then use one of those trash can things! We have several wicker waste baskets around the funeral home for tissues. Don’t throw your frosty, half drank, into the wicker trash cans. THEY LEAK! all over the carpet! I know you are not that IGNORANT! Also, to the moron who threw his coney dog in the wicker trash can, thanks a freaking lot. My cleaning lady loved cleaning onion, chili, and mustard out of the carpet and it smelled! Don’t bring your children to the funeral home if you plan on staying long. They get bored. Then they start to run around. They get loud, and I have no problem reprimanding your child as I see fit. You are in my building, I will make you child cry if I want to. Then I will come find you and let you know how rude and ignorant it is not to watch your child, especially at a funeral home. That does not mean, to start yelling at your child in front of everyone. It means, leave! Because one of the things that is exceptionally rude is yelling at your child in front of everyone, and loud enough for everyone to hear. Talk about rude trailer trash! If you have a teenager and they will be coming with you, please check what they are wearing before you leave the house. They can manage to dress appropriately for an hour or so while you are here. That floor length crushed red velvet spaghetti strap dress with black platform shoes….well lets just say it is inappropriate, did she just come from a brothel? Girls pull up your pants, no one wants to see your g-string while you are up at the casket saying good-bye to granpa. You look like a whore!

I am open from 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday. If we have visitation we are open until 9pm. 9pm 9pm 9pm….got it. YOU paid for visitation until 9pm. NOT 10pm, not when you feel like you want to leave…9pm. GOT IT! Also, if I am the only one in the building during normal business hours, my doors are locked. There is a door bell, us it. Then WAIT. When I answer the door, do not get an attitude with me about how the door is locked, there is a sign on the building, right by the door bell that says ring bell for attendant. Your lucky I am even answering the door for you at all. Why are you here if you do not have an appointment anyway? So someone died, and you just thought you would drive right to the funeral home and say…”my grandma died and we need to make arrangements.” Well, here is a tip. Make an appointment. Who is to say that there is a funeral director here to help you? Did you stop to think that there are other people on this earth besides you? Of course not, how silly of me. Because you are they only family who ever lost someone, right! Wrong. Maybe we had a funeral service early that morning and the director is with ‘another’ family…GASP, yes ‘another’ family, how dare he/she! Maybe the director is with another family, who had an appointment, to make funeral arrangements for their loved one. Or maybe he or she is just out to lunch. So, when I say, well I do not have a director here, you can wait until they get back or I can schedule you an appointment and you can come back, don’t give me the stare down like I am suppose to make magic happen and pull a director out of my ass! Oh, and no we do not take payments! You pay the total bill or you don’t have a funeral. I love when I hear “what do you mean, but we don’t have any money and you are going to make us pay after we just lost our grandfather, father, wife, etc….”. YES, we are going to make you pay and if you don’t you are not going to be having your funeral here! We are a business just like the one next door or down the street. How do you think we keep our doors open or make any money? If we don’t charge people for our services, well then we wouldn’t be here! HELLO? For those of you with cell phones, who just can’t manage to leave it off or at least on vibrate during a funeral service. YOU SUCK! Turn it off. And if you do have it on, don’t freaking answer it while someone is speaking, such as the priest who is up there saying prayers, you asshole. Don’t even get up and walk out of the room and answer it. One last thing, when you are outside smoking your 100th cigarette, use the ash tray, not the parking lot, or grass, or throw it in the landscaping. Oh and back to the 9-5pm thing. To the white trash family that showed up at my door at 5pm, when you clearly saw that I was in my coat with my purse in hand and starting my car….thanks a freaking lot! YOU knew I was getting ready to leave. But, you had to insist on “just getting some pricing”. I should have told you to come back in the morning. You said you had been to other funeral homes in the area getting pricing, how about using that cell phone that kept ringing and your skank daughter kept answering, why didn’t you just use that to call to see how late someone was here? Nope, just thinking of yourself. And, NO, I am not going to give you an exact price and put it down on paper. I told you I would give you an estimate that you could look over. I am not the director, only they director can give you the ‘final” price. But you kept insisting that you wanted to know exactly how much it would be for this amount of time, then this amount of time just at church, then what about just 3 hour, etc….you reeked of smoke and your teeth were gross. Your daughter is a whore. I hope you don’t come back here, we can live without your business, thats for sure. Then you tell me you have a insurance policy for $2500. But then asked if we could cut you a break. Go fuk yourself! I told you to call back and make an appointment and speak with the owner because he is the one that can cut the prices not me. That wasn’t good enough for you, you said that you would really appreciate if I could tell you that he would cut some prices. You are a pain in my ass and it is people like you that will cause me to not want to get up in the morning and come in to work. I know that what I did give you as far as pricing is going to come back and bite me in the ass. You had me so freaking confused, congrats, I am sure that is what you intended to do, I couldn’t keep up, I think I even forgot to write down embalming charges. I told you before you left, to CALL if you decided you wanted to use our funeral home, so I could set up an appointment for you with the director to go over the pricing and the days and times, etc. I’m waiting for you to show up at my door today, probably at 5pm again. So be prepared, because if you show up and it is even close to 5pm, I am not answering my door. You will have to call and schedule an appt. just like every other person. Well, I could go on and on……Just a bit of advice for people who will be attending a funeral anytime soon. First, dress appropriately. DO NOT bring in a ton of food, a meat and cheese tray some donuts, maybe a few bottles of water. That’s fine. But don’t be a pain in the ass and bring in whole meals. Don’t throw shit on the floor, use the trash cans. If you are here to pay your respects to the deceased, than do so, don’t spend your time in the lounge laughing and smoking, spend it in the chapel with the deceased. You can manage not to smoke a cigarette for an hour while you are here. No liquor, I really don’t like picking up your empty bottles out of the couch cushions. DO NOT bring your children if you are going to be a long time. If you do bring them, make sure they are well behaved and you are watching them at all times. Do not yell at them in front of everyone, it’s rude and disrespectful, trailer trash like! We supply the coffee to you, do not take the whole can of coffee home with you at the end of the evening. It is ours! If you do bring in food, clean up and take it back with you. It is obvious we do not have a garbage disposal, do not throw your food in the sink! OH! and the best one! The things that you see in the fridge CLEARLY labeled “STAFF ONLY” belong to the staff. You know, it may be my lunch or my bottle of pepsi, etc….you get the idea. Well, don’t freaking drink it or eat it. Are you that desperate for something free. You think I just brought in some yogurt and a bottle of ice tea because you were coming in? No you ass it’s my lunch! Don’t come up front to my office and say “I saw that there was some pop in the fridge that says staff on it, but I have some kids and they are really thirsty can they have some?” NO, your snot nosed kids cannot have anything in there that says STAFF on it. I Cannot believe you ignorant, rude, motherFers! How many times do I go back to the fridge and find my shit gone, if I labeled it “specimen”, I’m sure someone would still try it.

source: http://www.afunnystuff.com