Monthly Archives: March 2008

Product Reviews

Respro Techno Mask

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Respro Techno Mask

I have to work in Bangalore for another month.  This time, I am well prepared.  Other than my month long supply of instant noodles, I also bought a Respro Techno Mask from Mountain Equipment Co-op.  The mask can filter out hydrocarbons, sulphur dioxide, lead oxide, smoke, and sub-micron particulates.  It also has two valves for easy breathing and better ventilation.  It may seems too heavy duty to wear it in commute.  But given that Bangalore is so polluted, it is better to get the most powerful face mask I can found.  Wearing the mask makes me look like an funny month alien.  I don’t care how odd I look, as long as I am safe from the Bangalore air.  I don’t want to get sick.  Coughing for 2 weeks is not fun.

動漫

Eureka Seven 交響詩篇

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Eureka Seven 看「交響詩篇」的最大原因﹐是被譽為機設之神的河森正治。自從「超時空要塞」的變型戰機出道以來﹐他設計了無數的經典機體﹐從高達0080到艾斯卡科尼到創聖之大天使﹐每個設計也是創新兼獨一無異。這次在「交響詩篇」中的設計﹐超越以往所有機械人動畫的意念﹐是一臺在天空中踏著滑浪板滑浪的機械人。初聽到在天空滑浪這個慨念時﹐覺得有點兒無稽多些一舉﹐不過看罷第一集就已經認同這個別出心裁的設計。在這動畫的世界設定中﹐機械人是依靠特殊粒子波浪去漂浮飛行﹐在視覺效果上拖著長長發光的尾巴﹐就像是在天空中滑浪一樣。正如真正的滑浪會在海面留下痕跡﹐機械人劃破長空留下光痕特別悅目﹐令空中纏鬥場面好跳舞一樣好看。

不論打鬥場面多麼好看﹐也不能吸引觀眾連續追看五十二集﹐總要有個好故事作支撐。宏觀上「交響詩篇」的劇本寫得不錯﹐人類移民太空定居一個有生命個體的星球。這個星球的意識正在沉睡中﹐可是意識會在局部地區蘇醒﹐派出抗體來襲擊人類。政府軍打算以武力消滅星球的意識﹐讓人類獨佔星球的空間﹐主角一行人則主張與星球和平共存﹐關鍵就從星球意識誕生的女主角。星球為了收集人類的情報﹐生長出人類模樣的使者抗體﹐以及守護收隻者的生化機械人。女主角初出世時是白紙一張﹐因為她擁有使用機械人的能力﹐被政府軍作為兵器看待。在一次屠殺事件中﹐月光號的乘員叛變﹐帶同女主角離開運隊﹐保護她過正常的生活。這樣過了三年﹐月光號一邊逃亡與政府軍交戰﹐一邊宣傳與星球共存的理念﹐讓更多人站在他們的陣線。男主角是迷上月光號的少年﹐第一話初遇女主角便對她一見鐘情。少年亦很巧合地是天材駕駛員﹐與女主角一起坐上白色機械人﹐加入月光號開始冒險之旅。

微觀上 「交響詩篇」的劇本卻充滿沙石﹐劇情故然有讓觀眾追看的點子﹐打鬥和搞笑也有很好的平衡。可是故事欠缺起承轉合﹐每章之間的劇情交接很突然﹐恍忽編劇寫完了上一章的情節﹐還未想到下一章應如何發展。初段月光號似是漫無目的四處躲藏﹐間中接些傭兵工作來幫補收入﹐船員大部份時間則是胡鬧嬉戲。中段政府軍開始滅星行動﹐月光號搖身一變﹐成為只有一艘船的反抗軍﹐東奔西跑去阻止政府軍的行動。後段星球之謎解開了﹐劇情也開始失控﹐很多角色不知從那兒冒出來﹐全力協助男女主角的救世任務﹐雖然沒有人知道確實如何拯救世界。最後雖然是邪不能勝正大團員總局﹐卻留下一大堆未解的疑團。男主角父親在七年前發生了什麼事﹖男主角父親留下來的機械人部件有什麼特別用途﹖男主角使用了幾次的地圖必殺技是什麼﹖星球製造生化機械人給人類有什麼目的﹖主角機的宿敵黑色機械人從那兒來﹖星球意識想要什麼﹐沉睡蘇醒有什麼分別﹖故事中星球無端端變了地球﹐這個突然其來的轉折完全無必要﹐兼且有點畫蛇添足之感。消滅星球抗體保護人類已是很充份的理由﹐壞人根本不需要重奪地球作為攻擊星球的藉口。最後一話女主角化身蝴蝶﹐主角機第三次進化﹐已經完全超出正常劇情的推理﹐到底這套動畫的結局想說什麼啊﹖最離譜的謎題是動畫名稱中﹐Eureka是女主角色名字﹐那七是又代表什麼呢﹖

大慨這動畫最明顯的其中一個主旨是﹐男女主角克服萬難走在一起。女主角因為學懂愛情﹐讓星球意識懂得如何與人類和平共存。女主角是典型的非人類角色﹐從愛與被愛中慢慢學習成為人類。初時我不太喜歡女主角﹐她看起來只是個賣萌的角色﹐專出公仔騙宅男金錢。後來女主角慘被毀容﹐頭髮脫落變為醜陋的小老人﹐不能再單靠靚樣賣萌﹐我才可接受她的性格。在她失去可愛少女的萌樣後﹐難得男主角知道她不是人類兼有一把年紀﹐還是對她不離不棄從一而終。不過男主角的感情倒也過份單純﹐只能存在於這類少年系熱血動畫中。

整體來說「交響詩篇」不過不失﹐娛樂性豐富可觀性強。不過看完後留下一大堆問號﹐讓人有點兒不吐不快。

Daily Scribble

Wedding Preparation

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There are two ways for wedding preparation. One way is the dream wedding way, try your best to prepare a perfect wedding. Search many places around before deciding what is the perfect decoration, the perfect dresses, the perfect reception, the perfect banquet, basically everything has to be perfect. The pro is you will have the wedding you truly desired if everything goes as planned. The con is Murphy’s law always gets into your way. Unless you have a deep pocket to hire a really good wedding planner or have lots of free time to plan the wedding, the dream wedding way usually result in lots of stress.

The second way is the engineering wedding way. In term of engineering, everything has to be practical, and the result is judged only by the end.  Having the perfect or having a pretty good wedding makes no difference to most of the guests.  In the perception of the guests, a wedding is yet another wedding, unless it is really screwed up. Like studying for exam, it is quite easy to get 90%, but it takes a lot more extra work to get the remaining 10%. The same principle also applies to wedding planning. It is relatively easy to get a pretty good wedding, you can reuse the experience and tips from friends married ahead of you. However, trying to customize the wedding to be your perfect wedding is like getting the remaining 10%, it takes lots of time.

The return of investment for a perfect wedding does not justify its cost. Probably other than the couple themselves, no guests would pay any attention to the small details that make the wedding a the prefect wedding.

Daily Scribble

Blog about serious things

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Someone asked me why don’t I blog about serious stuff, such as politics, social issues, lately.  I took a look at my recent entries in the past month.  Indeed I wrote a lot more about TV, movies, Anime than usual.  I guess my work at India really disturb my routine writing schedule.  I am so tried after work every day that I don’t want to think about any thing seriously.  I still catch up with my daily newspaper and weekly Economist, so I am aware of what’s happening around the world.  It is just that I lost interest in making comments on the news.  Taiwan election, riots in Tibet, Bear Stern crisis, all of them are interesting topics to blog.  The normal me would happy to jump in and make me mark on those big issues.  I still leave a comment or two in other people’s blog, which doesn’t require much effortless.  However writing a well thought blog entry takes too much brain juice.  I lack the discipline to organize my thoughts, so I rather remind silence than write something not up to my standard.

電影

破事兒

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破事兒 彭浩翔上次那套「出埃及記」拍藝術電影﹐結果成為他執導以來的最大污點﹐幾乎悶死了入場的歡眾。今次「破事兒」不扮高深﹐正經地搞笑不正經地說點道理﹐彭浩翔回複當日「買兇拍人」﹐「AV」的狀態﹐不愧為香港第一鬼才導演。「破事兒」結集七個短篇故事﹐其中有些改篇自他的舊小說﹐也有些故事是新創作。七個故事有長有短﹐長的有十數分鐘﹐短的不過兩三分鐘。每個故事演員不同﹐不是好戲的綠葉﹐便是當紅的明星。故事照舊走他最擅長少少鹹多多趣的風格﹐大玩性笑話卻樂而不淫。

第一個故事「不可力抗」講中年夫妻的性生活不協調﹐兩公婆分開見性事輔導員。兩人談論性生活問題﹐結果變成一齣羅生門﹐很點題到肉極好笑。第二個故事「公德心」全片英語對白﹐竹升仔在酒吧向靚女搭訕﹐很校突地大講自己如何有公德心。電影中玩屎玩尿見得多了﹐玩得這樣直接地而又不落低俗則很少見﹐高章高章。第三個故事「做節」是長篇﹐故事說穿了就不過癮﹐不過非常黑色幽默﹐我認為是全片最好看的故事。第四個故事「德雅星」扮教育電視﹐故事本身沒有什麼特別﹐勝在拍攝手法抵死。第五個故事「大頭阿慧」是另一個長篇﹐有點時也命也的淡淡哀愁。第六個故事「增值」很感性﹐講男人去召妓完事後﹐因為一件小事令他忽然有所感觸。這個故事也是很短﹐似是明益監製兼男主角的杜文澤。片中還有露三點的鏡頭﹐不明白為什麼過到電檢不用被評為三級。最後一個故事是「尊尼亞」﹐可以說是進化版的「買兇拍人」﹐殺手故事比以往的更加荒謬。

七個故事七種味道﹐ 「破事兒」完全滿足了彭浩翔迷的胃口。不過電影太短﹐連過場浪費的時間﹐才不過九十分鐘﹐有點兒不夠喉。希望彭大導快些開拍下一部長篇電影﹐繼續瘋狂搞笑為觀眾帶來歡樂﹐不要再學王家衛拍些沒有人看的藝術電影了。