Why "The Hunger Games" angered me

Before I continue, I must say that "The Hunger Games" is really one of the best films I've watched so far this year in regards to its technical filming, acting as well as story line but the themes explored in this movie (adapted from the novel written by Suzanne Collins of the same title) really shook me violently.

Well, before I continue, I must say that this post may potentially contain spoilers so if you have yet to watch the movie and do not want me to spoil this film for you, please turn away. Also, I will be discussing some of my personal views so if you do not want to hear my 2 cents worth, please also turn away.

Now that you're prepped for my rants. Here goes...

The Hunger Games promotional poster
Source: http://collider.com/hunger-games-poster-puzzle-hunt/132394/

SOURCE: IMDB
In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Written by Suzanne Collins  

That basically sums up the gist of the story without spoiling the entire thing. I'm just going to assume that everyone who's read thus far had either read the book or watched the film and are going to understand (I hope) what I'm trying to drive across so I'm not going to elaborate more on the story line. Let's drive straight to the issues I want to talk about.


Human Rights

Scene where Katniss is being escorted by agents of the Capitol
Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/sneak-peek-the-hunger-games-2012121/19925 

Well that's the first thing that really made me stir when I watched this movie - the theme of human rights. In the film, 24 young people of the ages 12 to 18 are recruited into this game from 12 different districts controlled by the Capitol against their own rights. Knowing that out of these 24 hopefuls, only one of them will emerge as the winner while the rest of them gets killed by each other or by acts of God, the families are helpless and definitely hopeless because there's only 1 in 24 chance that they will see their child ever again.

What rights do the Capitol have to make these young people fight?! What rights do they have to snatch someone's child?! Well even though this story is obviously fictional (if it isn't, it would make my blood boil even more), this theme kinda manifest in many contexts in reality. Well, no names but mandatory service in the military is one of them (If you get it, good for you. If you don't, this happens just like the movie - you don't really have a choice).

Don't these children have the rights of choosing whether or not they want to represent their district? Who can force them to fight for something they do not want to? I mean, if the person volunteered, that could make the person a hero because they believe in what they are fighting for but if the person is forced to, then what's the point?

No one should make someone fight for something they do not believe in because it just make them feel like victims of a grand scam. Well, that's what I believe...


Children in Military

Rue - a character from the film, probably the youngest victim of the games
Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/sneak-peek-the-hunger-games-2012121/19923

Though rare nowadays, you cannot deny the fact that children through time had been ill-treated before - for instance being drafted into the military in some nations or being forced into slavery in others. When Rue died in the film, I think I almost cried out of sadness, helplessness and anger because I don't believe that children should be treated this way. Thank goodness we are living in an age where the future are well taken care of but who knows, there may be part of the world where children are still deprived of happiness.

Furthermore, Rue is so adorable she shouldn't die! Maybe I'm just one of those people who gets angry when they kill my favorite character - like how I flipped the first time I heard that Jill Valentine was dead in Resident Evil 5 but thank goodness it turned out otherwise. But what I'm trying to say is that children should be given a chance to grow to a ripe age - everyone should be given a chance to do so! This Hunger Games thing is retarded!! Well, again, I'm thankful that it's fictional.


Oppressive Government

Effie & Katniss
Source: http://hungergamesdwtc.net/2011/12/two-more-hunger-games-stills-from-people-now-in-uhq-gale-effie-katniss/

As the proverb goes, "The poor gets poorer, the rich gets richer". In this movie, I would say that the Capitol represents an oppressive government who is sucking its districts dry. It's just like in modern days where the government taxes the people just to support it's selfish needs - in this movie, the need for high fashion which really tickles me throughout the film. In reality, this vaguely translate to North Korea - using resources to support the military and letting people starve to their death. Poor people...

Which also reminds me of how well paid some ministers are but there are people begging for money on the streets...


Necessity of War / Meaning of Peace

Katniss - Master Archer
Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/sneak-peek-the-hunger-games-2012121/19921

I'm grateful that they decided to make this movie PG13 - which means that gory and disgusting scenes are kept to a minimal because otherwise, I think I might really flip. Throughout the film, you see lots of people die unwillingly because they were forced to play this game against their will to begin with. Furthermore, you also witness the selfish nature of how people fight for their survival and also the nicer side of humanity where they look out for one another in an attempt to rebel against this concept.

When the contestants (or in the context, the "tributes") die, I was constantly reminded of their families who are made to watch them die on screen - as though the Capitol was not sick enough to implement this game. Imagine the hurt and pain they have to go through... Also, it also reminded me of the aftermath of wars.

Are wars necessary to obtain what one needs? Are military required just to demonstrate how strong a nation is? Are they just mere decorations just to show the world that "Don't mess with me because I can kick your butt real well and make your citizens bleed to hell"? Really...?

Is throwing in so much money to create nuclear bombs at the expense of your nation going hungry necessary? Is throwing in so much money into expensive military equipment better off feeding the people or investing in health care or helping the homeless more effective in making the nation strong? Is investing so much manpower and funds into fighting imaginary enemies on imaginary terrains with imaginary weapons and imaginary troops necessary when these money can be used for a better cause?

The Reason for being angry?

Honestly, I don't know. I decided to blog this entry just to reflect on my emotions because I have never ever watched a movie that got me thinking so much - to the point where I actually got pretty angry. Maybe because some of the themes mentioned above are still true in this modern society where people think that everything seem okay. Maybe because some of the themes still affect me in this age. Things may seem peaceful but when shit happens, you never know...

Maybe because I feel like I'm just a pawn on the chessboard. Well, the Hunger Games may not be real but in different contexts of life, it may very well be. If you can see the reference I'm trying to make here, you probably would have guessed why I'm so mad but oh well... What's there I can do? I don't want to be banished to death like the 13th district of the Hunger Games fiction.

Well, I guess that's the end of my rather useless rant. Makes me feel so much better for just bitching and whining about a fictional story that somehow translate a lot into my reality.

I'm awaiting the sequels of this movie where Katniss will go kick the Capitol fat puwets for the freedom of it's oppressed citizens. I think only then will my anger for the Capitol be fully contained... 

Hopefully one day, the Capitols of the world will have their puwets kicked and they will realize that decorations are not necessary and that there are other more important matters to look at...

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一炮而红 (Already Famous)

It's finally out! The DVD of the highly acclaimed local comedy movie written by, directed by and starred by the multi-personae Michelle Chong and Taiwanese icon, Alien Huang, is finally out!

Normally, I wouldn't want to watch a local production because they are normally the same old "against the government in a tongue-in-cheek" manner (yes, you can easily guess who would normally direct these kind of movies). But once I know that Michelle Chong is actually starring in her own production, I told myself, and my friends, that this is one movie that I will not miss.

Well, but again, if it wasn't for Michelle, I probably wouldn't want to watch the movie as well. Being the marvelous comedian that she is, proven by her forever changing and forever refreshing images and characters on "The Noose", I expected her character in this film to be as wild and crazy but yet, entertaining to watch in this film.

In fact, I've actually watched this movie in the cinema and I got the DVD just for the bonus "making of" contents. And of course, to share the movie with my siblings who did not go to the cinema for the movie.

Let's start unboxing the DVD, yes? :D

The clear DVD casing is packed in the sleeve as shown above. In terms of packaging, there's nothing to really be fascinated about but nevertheless, the content is worth the S$19.90 that I paid for. The DVD comes with the movie as well as the bonus contents - the making of. I normally get DVDs just for the bonus contents and people call me crazy but oh well~~

Oh yes~ If you haven't watch the movie, you will be pleasantly amazed by the casting of the entire film because there are tonnes of local artistes that you'll find in this really humble film. In fact, if you inspect the cover of the DVD, you'll see an entire list of the movie's cast written all over. Interesting touch, no?

The back of the sleeve basically summarized the movie and displays some interesting screen grabs from the movie. These screen grabs are definitely not enough to show how humorous this film is. And apparently, they changed the PG sticker and it still looks hideous as ever.

The inside of the plastic case holds the DVD as well as full spread screen grab from the movie depicting Alien handing something to someone. Honestly, I was surprised that they actually did something like this because normally, the designers wouldn't really bother decorating the insides so this was a good touch.

A close up on the DVD. I wonder why they did not choose this one as the main cover of the DVD because it's so much more interesting and tells a whole lot more about Michelle's role in the movie as opposed to just the two of them standing side by side.

Now with the DVD removed, you get a clear view of what the whole picture is about.


Anyway, in case y'all want a synopsis of the movie...

The story basically revolves around Michelle's character - Ah Kiao, a Malaysian, (yes, we love it when Michelle does accents because they are so over-the-top and funny) who dreams of becoming a celebrity. Throughout her path to stardom, she faces many challenges. Like all movies, romance seem to intertwine with the storyline and so, she meets a coffee boy starred by Alien, and sparks flew between this unlikely couple. Yeap. That's my very brief take on the story plot.

In terms of the funny aspect though, rest assured that this movie is meant to entertain and to make people laugh. Well, at least it made me laugh because the jokes were simple, the actors were spontaneous and energetic in their acting and it definitely affects the audience. Some may find that the jokes are lame or meh but to me, it's the simple ones that tickles me because then, I wouldn't have to go through the process of trying hard to understand what's so funny.

Well, there's only that much I can put in words because I'm not a professional reviewer. If you ask me about the packaging, I can probably tell you more but I just can't do proper reviews. But I would really highly recommend this movie to those who wants to be inspired for a moment through the laughs and simple lessons of perseverance because it's definitely worth the money.

Now, let's pray that Michelle will do a Lulu movie one day. Yessi? :D

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TEDDY / Chasing a Mirror

TEDDY

If I were to tell you a secret
That no one in the world knows
Will you start questioning?
Will you start running away?

If I were to tell you a secret
That seems as unnatural as it may be
Will you start laughing with me?
Will you start escaping away?

Surely you know why
Of all those people out there I chose you

Are you going to keep my secret?
Away from the watchful eyes of the world
Prying and tearing to see my real identity
I know I can run to your side
And dive into your embrace
To hide from the rest of the universe

I know exactly that you will keep this promise
But how long is this going to last…

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Chasing a Mirror

Beyond the fog
I see a familiar figure
Running away 
With tears dripping onto the ground

Into the fog
I ran after the figure
Approaching closer
I could hear the painful cries

That was when you turned around
And I saw my face in yours

We are still childish
We yearned to be loved
We are still learning to love
We are still hurt
We hold the memories of yesterday
We still bleed within

I reached out 
And touched my own face
Wiping the tears away
Comforting myself from crying

That was when you turned around
And started to run away again

We are still childish
We don’t want to be neglected
We don’t want to cry
We have to cry out loud
We are imperfect
We yearn to be perfect

Letting go is painful
But not letting go is too
Confused and lost at what to do
The kite in my hand flew away
Forgiving over and over again
But not seeing any changes
Tears the rainbow into different colors

We are still childish
We are still chasing 
We are still searching
We are still looking for the rainbow
We are still crying
We are still laughing

When are you going to disappear, my other self
So that I do not have to see myself miserable again

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Even though these were written some time back, 

they still hold a lot of meanings to me. 

Dedicated to those with secrets and the ones who share these treasures...

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Koda Kumi - JAPONESQUE (CD+2DVD)

Last week was a week of mails. When I came back home on Friday, I have stacks of parcels and a couple of letters on my table. Amongst the pile is this A4 box which surprised me. I know that I ordered a Koda Kumi 10th Anniversary FANTASIA in TOYKO DOME and her latest album but I have no clue why the box was so big because it was only 2 small items.

Sure enough. When I opened the box, I was greeted with the FANTASIA DVD but there was something else inside and it wasn't scary - thank goodness. Here's what I saw...

TA DA! I know that I've ordered Koda Kumi's latest studio album - JAPONESQUE but I did not know that it was to be packaged like this. The first press of the Hong Kong version which I got came with an A4 plastic file! Weeee~~ Surprise surprise! Other than the A4 file, the album is packaged in a really cool digipak. This has to be one of the best packagings in my collection so far.

My second avex file after ayumi hamasaki's FIVE, also the Hong Kong press bought from YesAsia! Just have to show it off~ In case y'all didn't know, Koda Kumi is pregnant and I think she did this creative for her album to show of her slim body before she gets out of shape with a baby in her tummy. Hopefully she doesn't stay out of shape for too long because that would ruin her signature, no?

The back of the plastic file with the title of the album. I think JAPONESQUE is pronounced like "Japanese", yes? The logo representing the album is also interesting - looks like some emblem that came out from Power Rangers or something. But again, Power Rangers originated from Japan so I guess that's fair...

To save my wallet, I got the Hong Kong version of the album from YesAsia. JAPONESQUE is Koda Kumi's 10th studio album and was released in January 25, 2012 in Japan. The version you see here is the CD+2DVD but there are also other versions like the limited edition one (which you can click here to see - presented to you by Meatpao, one of the bloggers I read) and the CD-only version as well as the CD+DVD version.

Here's a close up of Koda Kumi's thigh the sticker on the album. Basically, it introduces the album and describes the content roughly. The CD+2DVD version contains the album's CD as well as 2 DVDs - one containing 17 music videos of the tracks in this album (just like what they did for KINGDOM) and the other DVD featuring some of her live performances as well as the CMs of her previous studio albums. Interesting stuff.

The back of the digipak with the obi on. The Hong Kong press' obi isn't that visually appealing with all the Chinese words on it but it does a pretty good job in terms of informing the buyer of what's inside the box. Here, you get to see the screen grabs of the music videos as well as more information that's left out from the tiny sticker you see at the front.

I love the creative of this album - the use of really "Japanese" props and costume with a modern Koda Kumi interpretation. It's like high fashion meets music! Had to take a photo of the album without the obi and the sticker because it looks so much better.

Here's the back of the digipak with her in another pose. This album is filled with tonnes of really good photos - thanks to the wonderful creative and photographer, and I think it's really a masterpiece. With the obi removed, the back reveals the track list neatly printed on the side. Clean and clear.

Just to give you an idea of how thick the digipak is - it's slightly thinner than a VCR tape. The quality of the digipak is good - made of hard cardboard, it's pretty sturdy and good to hold.

The first thing you see when you open the lid is a close up of Kumi in a beauty shot on the right and the lyric booket on the left, slotted away at the back of the cover.

Behind the beauty shot is where the discs are stored. Unlike the recent digipaks which can't be bothered whether the discs are kept properly or not, this packaging makes sure that your discs are kept properly and scratch free in these jewel casings inside the digipak. This is how digipaks should be like! Not those slot-your-disc-into-a-pocket thing~

The design on the disc is pretty elaborate as they made use of motifs ranging from Japanese styled objects and patterns to a poker card Queen? Look closely in the photo - above Koda Kumi's name. I swear that's the Queen from the poker cards, no? A little out of place if you look closely but other than that, the CD looks good.

Now, let's turn our attention to the lyric booklet that looks equally amazing even though Kumi is not on it.

As you might have guessed, the lyric booklet is packed with lots of stunning pictures as well. The first one that you see here is also cover-quality. In fact, all the photos are cover-quality throughout the entire production. I hope ayumi releases something like this soon though - her latest album's cover "Party queen" doesn't look promising to me.

Another gorgeous photo! I'm not even going to go into how the lyrics are well laid out because the photos just snatch all your attention away.

I WANT THOSE PANTS! But I think I'm too short to wear those. But again, I don't think she's very tall either considering that she's Asian like me. :P Kumi is so versatile, no? She can do sexy and masculine and fierce and everything~

This shall be the last photo of this entry even though there are so many more photos that I would love to share with y'all but I would rather you go buy the album to experience the beautiful packaging for yourself. This album is definitely one of the best packaged one so far because it ticks everything that I'm looking for - creative and unique packaging, stunning photos, a place to store your CDs without scratching them and of course, free gifts!


Okay. That's all I have for you after typing on this entry and doing all sorts of random stuff for over 2 hours. The next few weeks will be busy for me (in fact, it's been pretty packed these weeks) so I guess I will have to go on hiatus again from blogging but rest assured I will continue come April because at that point, I will be pretty free~

Can't wait for June 6~ Freedom is awaiting...

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Koda Kumi 10th Anniversary FANTASIA in TOKYO DOME

Well I know this is definitely a late purchase because I can't find this DVD anywhere on the shelves of any Singapore CD stores! And I didn't want to just get this one alone from YesAsia because the shipping fees cost an arm and a leg. But anyway, I've finally gotten my hands on Koda Kumi 10th Anniversary FANTASIA in TOKYO DOME!

This concert is to commemorate Kumi's 10th anniversary and was performed at Tokyo Dome. Well according to the sources (considering that I've only watched like a couple of Koda Kumi concerts on DVD), the stage in FANTASIA is bigger and better than her previous concerts. Talk about celebrating with a bang, yes? In addition, this concert was not a tour so she only did it once. So exclusive, no?

As usual, even before I actually watched my DVDs, I take pictures of them and rant about their packagings and anything else I deem worthy/unworthy. Well, let's get the ball rollin' for this one!!

This spread caused me tons of wasted time, no thanks to Photoshop for being so anal about colors. Some settings messed up the colors during saving and I spent hours trying to remedy it just so that y'all get nice looking things to look at. So dedicated and shameless of me, no?

Back to Koda Kumi's 10th anniversary concert DVD. Here's the cover and you'll have to agree that this is probably SIMPLEST and sleek looking cover ever! I love how she photographs here because she is so relaxed even with mind in her face. The fonts on the cover are embedded gold and it keeps the whole look really simple but royal.

I wonder when will they realize that DVD region code is nothing but a huge pain in the puwet. As usual, in order for me to enjoy my DVDs without having to fumble with region locked devices, for instance my laptop and PS3, I have to get the Hong Kong press. But even if I have region free devices, the Hong Kong press is the way to go considering that it's so much cheaper than the Japanese counterparts. Here's the sticker on the Hong Kong press DVD and it roughly translates to... something to do with 46 songs of Kumi and it also includes the making of the concert.

The back of the casing is not that attractive though. Here we have the track list of the concert - and it doesn't suggest anything about 46 songs though. Maybe I read the Chinese character wrongly but anyway... I like how the fonts are clear and easy to read but her face is... I don't really understand her face. It looks gentle but you can tell that she seem to be struggling to keep her eyes open. Probably from all the wind. Not liking the photo.

In case y'all want a clearer view of the track list. Weeee~~ She started the concert with the very first song that got me listening to her songs - Butterfly! Before I listened to Koda Kumi, I used to think that she's slutty because of the image she portrays but after listening to Butterfly, I kinda fell in love with her raw voice. Then, I went on to get her KINGDOM album and fell in love with the way she does ballads! Really amazing singer she is!

Let's look at the insides now. This concert comes in 2 DVDs with the first disc being the main concert while the second being the encore plus the extra bonus stuff. It also comes with a booklet of photos. Yes - there are no lyrics this time round. Saving on paper perhaps?

A close up of the simplistic design of the disc.

Here's the booklet included inside this set. Reminds me of KINGDOM somehow - the brown tone and the very royal feel.

Well personally, I think there's nothing much to be fascinated about with this booklet because it basically just contain screen grabs of the concert to show off the really gorgeous looks of Kumi and her wardrobe but other than that, there's nothing more to it. It's not like there are that many photos inside as well - only a couple of pages.

Another one of the many looks in this 10th anniversary concert. Looking through the booklet, I realized that her hair changed again and again. I wonder how many wigs she has and which look is actually her real hair. Nowadays, fake hair look so real it's so hard to tell apart and it's really confusing to me. But so long as the artistes sing wonderfully, I don't really care if they have hair or not. :)

Well, that's all I have for FANTASIA. Can't wait to actually have time to watch it because judging from the photos and track list, the concert sure looks promising. Anyway, stay tuned tomorrow for yet another Koda Kumi release - her latest album "JAPONESQUE" gets reviewed right here on wordshutter!! :) 

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