Jiffest, Day 2.
If you count the dvd that I watched this morning, then I guess I've been staring at a television / cinema screen for the last 14 hours.
This morning, I watched Everything Is Illuminated. I've been wanting to watch this since I've seen the DVD cover. I like Elijah Wood. I like how he looks on the cover. That's how I ended up watching the movie. Because I like the cover of the DVD box. Turns out it's quite alright. Some hilarious moments here and there, and there's an excellent ending to wrap up the story. But it was.. boring. I almost fell asleep like 3/4 through. Doesn't mean it's a bad movie. I mean, it's funny. But it's a bit.. boring. Ok, fine, you got me. It's boring. Right. Next movie..
Then I went to Djakarta Theatre. I was going to watch Dunia Mereka. But I got there at 2.15. Screening's at 2.15. Apparently they ran out of tickets. Or something. So while I'm there, I bought a ticket for I Am Legend. 3.25 screening.
After wandering around PI and eX aimlessly for an hour, I went back to Djaktre. I was jumping up and down my seat with anticipation for this movie. I read the novel. I had this high expectations that this version of I Am Legend is going to be just like the book. And I was wrong. It was 'loosely based'. Ok, that's a valid point. But 'loosely based' does not mean that it has to suck. Batman Begins is 'loosely based' on a couple of non-canon Batman stories. But it didn't suck. No, not at all.
Maybe I'm just pissed off at the ending. In the novel, the ending actually explains the reason for the book's title. The protagonist realises that he has become a legend in a world full of vampires, much in the same way as Dracula is a legend in our world.. hence the title "I Am Legend". The movie fucked this up. The ending monologue didn't make sense at all. What's this about Neville being the legend that saves humanity? That's not what it means by the phrase 'I Am Legend'. Whatever.
This is what you get when you try to Hollywood-ize a damn good novel. And all along the movie, I still feel that it's like an Americanized 28 Days Later.
It was only Rp. 16000 so I really couldn't complain. The CGI-based effects were excellent. New York is envisioned as a city that's overgrowned with weeds and vines.. and for some reason there's elks everywhere. And lions. I wanted to say WTF, but the thought of hunting elks in Times Square is just too awesome. So it seems like the screenwriter's been reading too much Fight Club, i.e. Tyler Durden's thoughts on the end of civilization: "..and we shall hunt deers on highways, and Times Square will be grown with vines..".
Sorry, bad paraphrasing.
If you count the dvd that I watched this morning, then I guess I've been staring at a television / cinema screen for the last 14 hours.
This morning, I watched Everything Is Illuminated. I've been wanting to watch this since I've seen the DVD cover. I like Elijah Wood. I like how he looks on the cover. That's how I ended up watching the movie. Because I like the cover of the DVD box. Turns out it's quite alright. Some hilarious moments here and there, and there's an excellent ending to wrap up the story. But it was.. boring. I almost fell asleep like 3/4 through. Doesn't mean it's a bad movie. I mean, it's funny. But it's a bit.. boring. Ok, fine, you got me. It's boring. Right. Next movie..
Then I went to Djakarta Theatre. I was going to watch Dunia Mereka. But I got there at 2.15. Screening's at 2.15. Apparently they ran out of tickets. Or something. So while I'm there, I bought a ticket for I Am Legend. 3.25 screening.
After wandering around PI and eX aimlessly for an hour, I went back to Djaktre. I was jumping up and down my seat with anticipation for this movie. I read the novel. I had this high expectations that this version of I Am Legend is going to be just like the book. And I was wrong. It was 'loosely based'. Ok, that's a valid point. But 'loosely based' does not mean that it has to suck. Batman Begins is 'loosely based' on a couple of non-canon Batman stories. But it didn't suck. No, not at all.
Maybe I'm just pissed off at the ending. In the novel, the ending actually explains the reason for the book's title. The protagonist realises that he has become a legend in a world full of vampires, much in the same way as Dracula is a legend in our world.. hence the title "I Am Legend". The movie fucked this up. The ending monologue didn't make sense at all. What's this about Neville being the legend that saves humanity? That's not what it means by the phrase 'I Am Legend'. Whatever.
This is what you get when you try to Hollywood-ize a damn good novel. And all along the movie, I still feel that it's like an Americanized 28 Days Later.
It was only Rp. 16000 so I really couldn't complain. The CGI-based effects were excellent. New York is envisioned as a city that's overgrowned with weeds and vines.. and for some reason there's elks everywhere. And lions. I wanted to say WTF, but the thought of hunting elks in Times Square is just too awesome. So it seems like the screenwriter's been reading too much Fight Club, i.e. Tyler Durden's thoughts on the end of civilization: "..and we shall hunt deers on highways, and Times Square will be grown with vines..".
Sorry, bad paraphrasing.
EDIT (14/12): I Am Legend is a buttfuck, not a mindfuck. 28 Days Later is a mindfuck post-apo zombie movie. This is a buttfuck. Rottentomatoes concur.
So anyway, I went to watch my next movie right after I Am Legend. This one's called Wordplay and it's a documentary on crosswords. It's actually quite interesting. I didn't know they had a crossword championship. While watching, I couldn't help but to think of Sudoku and a certain friend of mine that really likes to play Sudoku.
She would totally kick ass if there's a Sudoku championship. :P
Then I went to watch a bunch of Swedish short films. I enjoyed watching all of them. Including the obscure animation film that nobody could really understand.
And finally, the winners of Jiffest script writing competition. One's a documentary about the lives of fishermen in a village that's threatened by the introduction of modern technology. Whoa, that's a long sentence. I think I was the only one laughing when the kid was sick. Yes, this documentary is about fishermen, but there's that subplot where the kid got sick and.. ah nevermind.
I'm sleepy. I've watched too much films for my own good. And I need some rest.
Ah, who am I kidding? (puts on Saving Private Ryan on DVD player. That first scene is just too awesome..)
So anyway, I went to watch my next movie right after I Am Legend. This one's called Wordplay and it's a documentary on crosswords. It's actually quite interesting. I didn't know they had a crossword championship. While watching, I couldn't help but to think of Sudoku and a certain friend of mine that really likes to play Sudoku.
She would totally kick ass if there's a Sudoku championship. :P
Then I went to watch a bunch of Swedish short films. I enjoyed watching all of them. Including the obscure animation film that nobody could really understand.
And finally, the winners of Jiffest script writing competition. One's a documentary about the lives of fishermen in a village that's threatened by the introduction of modern technology. Whoa, that's a long sentence. I think I was the only one laughing when the kid was sick. Yes, this documentary is about fishermen, but there's that subplot where the kid got sick and.. ah nevermind.
I'm sleepy. I've watched too much films for my own good. And I need some rest.
Ah, who am I kidding? (puts on Saving Private Ryan on DVD player. That first scene is just too awesome..)
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