Watching the dismal Eragon sometime back seemed to confirm more than ever that prodigious use of CGI can’t rescue a script, no matter how stellar or enthusiastic the cast. There are however cases where all the elements come together to craft a film that is unique, imaginative and unforgettable. I’m glad to say that this was so for Pan’s Labyrinth ( Read more... )

Went to watch Zhang Yimou’s much anticipated Tang-dynasty extravaganza Curse of the Golden Flower the other day with darkobsidian, discoecstasy and RY following dinner at the Eastern Restaurant (Centrepoint).

Zhang’s last few films - Hero, The House of Flying Daggers - are at the forefront of a move to bring wuxia films to a wider, western ( Read more... )

If you had been in the vicinity of St Joseph’s Church at Victoria street last Thursday evening and just so happened to have a hankering to drop by and admire the austere, elegant architecture and plaster saints (just play along with me, dammit), you would have found this rather surreal scene.

The church packed to capacity, fans whirling away; the ( Read more... )

You might say that the digital revolution has done fantasy movies a great service these past few years. After a slew of memorable films in the 80s, the nineties were as dry as a bone for the pointy-eared gang, presumably because of the tremendous costs involved in staging sumptuous latex epics before the advent of CGI, plus the fact that these ( Read more... )

You may have read that the race to build Singapore’s first Integrated Resort (otherwise popularly known as the Den of Iniquity) has been concluded. Out of the remaining contenders for the job, which included a fantastical proposal by renowned architect Frank Gehry (of Bilbao Guggenheim fame), the winning proposal was by Genting Resort a vision of a ( Read more... )

Rv8: Welcome to another session of “Talkback”, the talk show which brings together world leaders to discuss pressing global issues, preferably with weapons. We are pleased to welcome you to tonight’s Special Edition on Asian politics. At the generous invitation of Kim Jong Il, we are reporting to you live from the Palace of the People in Pyongyang ( Read more... )

Reverber8: Good evening and welcome to another session of Talkback - the talk show which has been described as “more violent than WWF, more embarrassing than Tom Cruise’s antics, and less politically-aware than a baked potato.” I’ve been told that Kim Jong Il is a regular viewer - he especially liked the bit in last week’s session when the Indian ( Read more... )

This casual-dining spot was opened by the same people who run the wonderful Zanotti, but aiming at a different demographic. Gone are the white tablecloths, the upmarket décor and the choice parmegiano reggiano. Prices are better-suited for local budgets - you certainly won’t get anything with truffle-oil here - but it’s still a fun, informal place ( Read more... )

Most people already know the story of this curious-sounding eatery. It’s the brainchild of the so-called Thai “Condom King”, the man who built a business empire from manufacturing condoms and has been instrumental in promoting safe sex, birth-control and AIDS education as part of his philanthropic outreach - the profits go towards AIDS prevention ( Read more... )

“If you go to Zanotti’s, you can forget about other Italian restaurant in Bangkok ( Read more... )