Yesterday (15th of February) was a special day for me, as it is for any year to come. So I decided to put out a certain home made recording as a dedication to it. Please download, I'm begging ya!
And yeah, someone should be singing on this track, someone who is apparently anyone but me. :-) ...So, for the time being, we have to accept with warms wide open that it is only some kind of minus-one. And it is only in demo quality.
Get your hands on the mp3 here.
There's more to come in the future. Probably.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
This Is Spinal Tap
It suddenly dawned on me that my consumption of comedic movies throughout the holiday might be too excessive for my own well-being. So I decided to treat myself one final session of laughter before carrying on with new things (which still remain vague up to this point). Who knew I ended up watching the funniest movie I have ever seen and arguably one of all time? So, without further ado, I present to you… “This Is Spinal Tap”.
I had come across this 1984 title on several occasions previously, mostly in the abundance of Top Ten Lists on the internet. I never bothered to give it a shot though since my attention typically tends to be captured by contemporary mainstream offerings, those produced in the late 90’s upwards to recent years. I had watched a considerable amount of Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell, Jack Black and suchlike but although these Hollywood funny bones do have their share of hysterical gems, I was certain that there must have been funnier people on the big screen history. So I settled on selecting a comedy from the earlier decades and I picked this one. This particular movie convinced me that I was right. There ARE funnier, way funnier people and scripts and this one here might as well be the perfect embodiment of comedy at its best.
“This Is Spinal Tap” is a mockumentary that documents a certain period of the career of Spinal Tap, a fictional British rock band. It features interviews, live performances and “real-life” dramas akin to the nature of reality shows that almost anyone can star in nowadays. Almost every element of the film has something to tickle the audience, except, perhaps, the pleasantly light play on emotions when it approaches the ending. The charm that it maintains through the runtime of 1 hour and 20 minutes mainly occurs in the fact that everything is depicted in moderation. Nothing over the top, and surely no slapsticks or unhygienic jokes being shoved in our faces to force the viewers to laugh. The characters are placed in realistic situations with subtle humorous twists and they also appear genuinely serious when those funny bits leap out of their mouths. The jokes are always there but only if you anticipate it. Get a bit distracted and you might miss an unforgettably amusing moment which millions of others have enjoyed and felt great about. That's a serious loss. I’m glad I managed to catch most of the punchlines and immediately feel that the world is suddenly a better place. But still, I’m sure there must be others that I overlooked. Which prompts me to watch it again and again. Yeah, three times already in just three days. And still counting.
So, let me end this with an interview scene at the very end of the film credits…
Q: What would you do if you don’t play rock and roll?
A: Well, I suppose I could work in a shop of some kind or do a freelance selling of some sort of products.
Q: A salesman?
A: Yeah, like “What size do you wear sir?”. And you answer me.
Q: Hmm, seven and a quarter.
A: “I think we have that”. Something like that.
Q: So, do you think you’d be happy…
A: (Interrupt) “Oh, we’re all out. Do you wear black?”. See, that’s a sort of thing I probably could master up.
Q: So, do you think you’d be happy doing that?
A: (After a reflective expression). I don’t know... What are the hours?
In conclusion, go watch this movie or else! Additionally, we can observe that I’m a terrible movie reviewer.
Warm regards,
Hisyam.
I had come across this 1984 title on several occasions previously, mostly in the abundance of Top Ten Lists on the internet. I never bothered to give it a shot though since my attention typically tends to be captured by contemporary mainstream offerings, those produced in the late 90’s upwards to recent years. I had watched a considerable amount of Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell, Jack Black and suchlike but although these Hollywood funny bones do have their share of hysterical gems, I was certain that there must have been funnier people on the big screen history. So I settled on selecting a comedy from the earlier decades and I picked this one. This particular movie convinced me that I was right. There ARE funnier, way funnier people and scripts and this one here might as well be the perfect embodiment of comedy at its best.
“This Is Spinal Tap” is a mockumentary that documents a certain period of the career of Spinal Tap, a fictional British rock band. It features interviews, live performances and “real-life” dramas akin to the nature of reality shows that almost anyone can star in nowadays. Almost every element of the film has something to tickle the audience, except, perhaps, the pleasantly light play on emotions when it approaches the ending. The charm that it maintains through the runtime of 1 hour and 20 minutes mainly occurs in the fact that everything is depicted in moderation. Nothing over the top, and surely no slapsticks or unhygienic jokes being shoved in our faces to force the viewers to laugh. The characters are placed in realistic situations with subtle humorous twists and they also appear genuinely serious when those funny bits leap out of their mouths. The jokes are always there but only if you anticipate it. Get a bit distracted and you might miss an unforgettably amusing moment which millions of others have enjoyed and felt great about. That's a serious loss. I’m glad I managed to catch most of the punchlines and immediately feel that the world is suddenly a better place. But still, I’m sure there must be others that I overlooked. Which prompts me to watch it again and again. Yeah, three times already in just three days. And still counting.
So, let me end this with an interview scene at the very end of the film credits…
Q: What would you do if you don’t play rock and roll?
A: Well, I suppose I could work in a shop of some kind or do a freelance selling of some sort of products.
Q: A salesman?
A: Yeah, like “What size do you wear sir?”. And you answer me.
Q: Hmm, seven and a quarter.
A: “I think we have that”. Something like that.
Q: So, do you think you’d be happy…
A: (Interrupt) “Oh, we’re all out. Do you wear black?”. See, that’s a sort of thing I probably could master up.
Q: So, do you think you’d be happy doing that?
A: (After a reflective expression). I don’t know... What are the hours?
In conclusion, go watch this movie or else! Additionally, we can observe that I’m a terrible movie reviewer.
Warm regards,
Hisyam.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday The 20th
(Setting : The week after next)
This is the final installment of my Friday trilogy. On this particular Friday, February 20th 2009, I'll be returning to New Zealand. And I predict that on that day, there will be a mixture of emotions. I will be feeling...
...SAD
for finally being back in Auckland but having to leave home and family. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I carry the love along. (Cue a melancholic orchestral piece in minor key)
...BAD
for finally being back in Auckland, but dang, missing the Iron Maiden gig! Bugger. This is such a big thing because, trivia time : What was the first rock band Hisyam ever listened to in his entire life? Reward yourself a slice of bread if your answer is Iron Maiden. Congratulations. Back to blogging time : Strolling down the memory lane, I still remember spending my dad's money on a rock compilation cassette when I was, probably, in standard 4. I immediately got hooked on the song 2 Minutes To Midnight. And that was the prologue to my lifelong hunger for hard music. And somehow I didn't know the band will be playing in Auckland till days ago. Ramly Bugger!
...GLAD
for finally being back in Auckland. Yay. I'm looking forward to move into the new house in Railway Campus, go to the places I have listed down beforehand, chat with my dear friends about the summer break, eat more kebabs, jog a bit more in Domain, cycle my bike around in more repetitions, snap an abundance of pictures of the campus and city, go to a circus, attend more deafening concerts, wear more denim bermudas (no, not at once), get a new job (preferably modelling*), study slightly harder, reunite with friends and enjoy life alongside Dzeti Alfina again. So Aotearoa here I come!
This is the final installment of my Friday trilogy. On this particular Friday, February 20th 2009, I'll be returning to New Zealand. And I predict that on that day, there will be a mixture of emotions. I will be feeling...
...SAD
for finally being back in Auckland but having to leave home and family. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I carry the love along. (Cue a melancholic orchestral piece in minor key)
...BAD
for finally being back in Auckland, but dang, missing the Iron Maiden gig! Bugger. This is such a big thing because, trivia time : What was the first rock band Hisyam ever listened to in his entire life? Reward yourself a slice of bread if your answer is Iron Maiden. Congratulations. Back to blogging time : Strolling down the memory lane, I still remember spending my dad's money on a rock compilation cassette when I was, probably, in standard 4. I immediately got hooked on the song 2 Minutes To Midnight. And that was the prologue to my lifelong hunger for hard music. And somehow I didn't know the band will be playing in Auckland till days ago. Ramly Bugger!
...GLAD
for finally being back in Auckland. Yay. I'm looking forward to move into the new house in Railway Campus, go to the places I have listed down beforehand, chat with my dear friends about the summer break, eat more kebabs, jog a bit more in Domain, cycle my bike around in more repetitions, snap an abundance of pictures of the campus and city, go to a circus, attend more deafening concerts, wear more denim bermudas (no, not at once), get a new job (preferably modelling*), study slightly harder, reunite with friends and enjoy life alongside Dzeti Alfina again. So Aotearoa here I come!
*Calm down, I'm being humorous. So please ease your excitement.
Friday The 6th
(Setting : Today)
I'm arranging these words while doing a few of my favourite things. Getting cozy in a sofa filled with cuddly cushions of various sizes, munching on some crackers and listening to some of the greatest songs mankind ever came up with. That's some multitasking in action there. And I'm also amazed by my ability to surf the net and watch the TV at once, with only my eyes juggling these two tasks ; not a single muscle moved or a bone turned.
I also feel the urge to share about my night. It hasn't been so dull, really. I watched some of the better parts of Malaysian comedy : The last 45 minutes of Raja Lawak, and before that, the first 15 minutes of Buletin Utama.
Sincerely, I'm not someone who's always got his finger on the pulse of the recent goings in national politics. But on the news tonight, everything seems clear, even for someone like me. Apart from laughing at the news anchors for their overdone attempts at sounding cynical and sharp, I also chuckled watching the stars of the show being overconfident about getting away with pretense. But this is merely an opinion. I'm not bothered to take sides. I admit, what does someone like me know. Or can do. Or say. When even the Perak citizens haven't got the opportunity to say anything. I mean, so far, at least. Who knows what happens tomorrow, so I reserve judgement.
Oh, about the comedian reality show, it did have its golden moments. Some of the participants were unquestionably good while others who didn't shine much still managed to linger around. But there were still times in the show when my interest in Malaysian comedy were restored. I'm quite proud, I would say!
I'm arranging these words while doing a few of my favourite things. Getting cozy in a sofa filled with cuddly cushions of various sizes, munching on some crackers and listening to some of the greatest songs mankind ever came up with. That's some multitasking in action there. And I'm also amazed by my ability to surf the net and watch the TV at once, with only my eyes juggling these two tasks ; not a single muscle moved or a bone turned.
I also feel the urge to share about my night. It hasn't been so dull, really. I watched some of the better parts of Malaysian comedy : The last 45 minutes of Raja Lawak, and before that, the first 15 minutes of Buletin Utama.
Sincerely, I'm not someone who's always got his finger on the pulse of the recent goings in national politics. But on the news tonight, everything seems clear, even for someone like me. Apart from laughing at the news anchors for their overdone attempts at sounding cynical and sharp, I also chuckled watching the stars of the show being overconfident about getting away with pretense. But this is merely an opinion. I'm not bothered to take sides. I admit, what does someone like me know. Or can do. Or say. When even the Perak citizens haven't got the opportunity to say anything. I mean, so far, at least. Who knows what happens tomorrow, so I reserve judgement.
Oh, about the comedian reality show, it did have its golden moments. Some of the participants were unquestionably good while others who didn't shine much still managed to linger around. But there were still times in the show when my interest in Malaysian comedy were restored. I'm quite proud, I would say!
Friday The 30th
(Setting : Last Friday)
Exactly a week ago, I journeyed to Mid Valley to meet up old friends. It was interesting to speak to them in person again, just like in school. Syahid seemed to have grown into an oversize Bollywood co-star. Fa'aiza and Ain were pretty much like the last time I saw them, which was quite long ago. EG and We' didn't appear to change much apart from their glasses. It was a joyous day indeed. There were many things to catch up on, paired with a healthy dose of bowling and eating session. And yeah, to elaborate more on bowling, I did manage to score three (3) strikes in a game. Anyway, I do hope to meet the others someday. Especially my friends from 5 Amanah. It should be fun too. A get-together like this reminds me where all these different paths that we lead today originated from.
So, those are the screenshots of that day.
Exactly a week ago, I journeyed to Mid Valley to meet up old friends. It was interesting to speak to them in person again, just like in school. Syahid seemed to have grown into an oversize Bollywood co-star. Fa'aiza and Ain were pretty much like the last time I saw them, which was quite long ago. EG and We' didn't appear to change much apart from their glasses. It was a joyous day indeed. There were many things to catch up on, paired with a healthy dose of bowling and eating session. And yeah, to elaborate more on bowling, I did manage to score three (3) strikes in a game. Anyway, I do hope to meet the others someday. Especially my friends from 5 Amanah. It should be fun too. A get-together like this reminds me where all these different paths that we lead today originated from.
So, those are the screenshots of that day.
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