The Shortest Man In The Village Who Can Soar Like An Eagle

Why are there no pro-cyclists from Kenya?

I think many of you would already know I am unabashedly a fan of documentaries churned out by LIANAIN FILMS, and that the dynamic duo of James Leong and Lynn Lee continue on their fantastical journey around the world to bring us sights unseen, and more importantly, telling very touching, human stories. From their lens, I've seen forgiveness in Timor Leste, witnessed the clearing of land mines in Cambodia, and attended a world cup event for homeless people from Hong Kong, which is my choice for local documentary film of the year to date.

The teaser for their new documentary - The Shortest Man In The Village Who Can Soar Like An Eagle - is already up on YouTube, and you can view it above. A clip tells more than the words I can use to describe it.

I cannot wait to see the film already! However it's still a work in progress, and we can follow the filmmakers' adventures first hand from their blog entries here.

Child's Play

That's right, she's Xu Jiao the little 'boy' from "CJ7". In her original cutesy female form and parading a HK quality children's wear line named Chickeeduck. Not used to seeing her so quaint and ladylike. Click on the link for more pictures.

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Television Watching

If your television is switched on to Channel 8 in recent times, you will notice it's constant bombardment of the trailer from Fann Wong's upcoming drama, "The Defining Moment". You definitely won't miss Fann and Jeanette Aw going into A1 hysterical mode. It's either A) Fann shouting or B) Jeanette yelling. I suppose they are both aiming for next year Best Female Actress award or it could only mean that the writers need to seriously polish up their scripts.

In Case You Missed It - Kidnap

Quite a surprise to see this one skipped the local theatrical run last year. "Kidnap" stars two well-known pretty faces, Rene Liu and Karena Lam. Directed by Law Chi-Leung from "Inner Senses" and "Koma" fame, the plot revolves around two woman who are entangled in a kidnapping case. Click here for the review and trailer.

Fame: The Next Deadly Disease

Indy's Jr, Shia LaBeouf landed himself in deep trouble after he allegedly made an illegal left, striking another car in LA. Shia is believed to have injured his hand. With "Transformers" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" under his belt, the 22 year old star is reaching the A-list but we doubt drunk driving will be of any help. Shia will be seen in "Eagle Eye" in October and next year, "Transformers 2". Fame can be fatal if you do not know how to control it. Just look at Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears.

The Last Lecture

'The Last lecture' professor, Randy Pausch famed for his life-affirming message passes at 47 yesterday. Pausch celebrated living the life he had always dreamed of instead of concentrating on impending death. You might wonder what's that got to do with moviexclusive.com, thing is it concerned everyone of us, how we go about living our life and facing our dreams. His popular last lecture in September 2007 garnered international attention and was viewed by millions on Youtube. Take a minute to check it out. Inspiring stuff.

Spot The Difference

How much differences can you spot between the PG rated "Ah Long Pte Ltd" DVD and the Director's Cut edition of "Ah Long Pte Ltd" DVD? Our reviewer is tasked to check them out, you just need to follow the links above to know more lor...

DVD...DVD...DVD...DVD...DVD...

In case you missed them in stores, here's more DVD reviews: "The Pye Dog" a little known HK drama starring Cantopop King Eason Chan, yes it's Van Damme's "The Shepherd", Raintree's co-funded NZ production, "The Tattooist" and Jude Dior Law and Michael Alfred Caine's "Sleuth".

Threesome Action

Gotcha! Knew some of you will be caught by the header. Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem stars in this romance drama about a chaotic entanglement written and directed by Woody Allen. Click here for the trailer and more. We envy Bardem.

Jude A Sport

English star Jude Law has not been seen on the screen for a while. His last movie outing we recall was "Sleuth". But the man has been raking in the $$$ by appearing in ads. He's now a spokesman for Dior Homme Sport, a woody aromatic fragrance for men. He wears Dunhill and smells like Dior.

DVD...DVD...DVD...DVD...DVD...

The title says it all. Although we are not a major media outlet, we try our best to cover the latest DVD releases in town for our dear readers. All thanks to the generous, hardworking marketing team behind the small group of DVD labels that believe in us. We have reviews of "Funny Games", "Cassandra's Dreams", "Over Her Dead Body" and "Death Proof". Lots more coming up in the days to come...Enjoy!

Hear Bats Fluttering...

If you like "The Dark Knight", how about getting the OST? The pair of talented composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard are back to collaborate on the sequel to "Batman Begins" and our reviewer is mesmerised by the Joker's theme. Why So Serious? Click here for the full review.

Torture Porn Starts with the Letter "P"

Definition of 'Torture Porn': A splatter genre that depict nudity, torture, mutilation and sadism.

Our reviewer sits through two torture porns in a row and here's his thoughts on "Prom Night" and "P2". Not forgetting there's the horror thai thriller "Art of the Devil 3" as well. Next week releases are a tad packed so watch out for them. It's torture porn week!

A Galore of Straight-To-Video Titles

While the big screen is busy churning out blockbusters, the video side isn't idling either. There's a HK romance drama "L for Love. L for Lies" starring Alex Fong and a horror thriller "Dead Air" which touches on showbiz. A comedy from China called "Dangerous Games" and enjoy a deadly game of seduction called "Impulse". So many movies, so little time...

Speeding to DVD!

Alternatively known as the "Speed Racer" that never reaches its first gear, the Wachowski Bros film will be available on Code One DVD and Blu-Ray on 16th September. The DVD will include a full-disc DVD game ("Speed Racer Crucible Challenge"), features include how the car racing scenes were created without using a single real car, a digital copy of the film is also thrown in. This might arouse your interest if you didn't manage to catch it on the big screen.

MONEY NO ENOUGH 2: THE GREAT CASH GRAB!

Jack Neo and the cast of MONEY NO ENOUGH 2 will be working to help Singaporeans deal with the recent price hikes! Members of the public will have a chance to grab cash in the first ever movie cash giveaway. With every purchase of a pair of MONEY NO ENOUGH 2 movie vouchers at the Cash Grab event, they will have a chance to grab up to $10,000 in cash in 10 seconds! In addition, the movie vouchers will be sold at a $2 discount off the regular ticket price. Goodie bags will be giving away free to any member of the public who shouts out the password "MONEY NO ENOUGH 2"! So be there at Front Plaza, Plaza Singapura on 19th July Saturday starting from 3pm onwards.

Gone Shopping with MediaCorp Artiste Kym Ng and Director Wee Li Lin at IMM

In line with the DVD launch of Gone Shopping in July 2008. MediaCorp Artiste Kym Ng and Director Wee Li Lin will be meeting fans for a fun-filled evening at IMM. Prior to the event’s commencement, 50 Gone Shopping tote bags filled with goodies will be available for redemption. Each tote bag can be redeemed for a minimum of $3 but shoppers are encouraged to give beyond the minimum amount as full proceeds of the charity drive will be presented to “Make-A-Wish Foundation”. Kym Ng and Wee Li Lin will also auction 2 sets of autographed items which include a Gone Shopping poster, a DVD and a tote bag. The event will be held at IMM Level 3, Garden Plaza on 2nd August 2008 (Sat), 6.15pm.

TVB Star Tour 2008

TVB Star Tour 2008, a highly anticipated event every year was held on 11th -13th July 2008 by Scorpio East Entertainment & TVBI. Ha Yu, Susanna Kwan, Joe Ma, Chen Fa La & Lai Lok Yi was in Singapore to make TVB Star Tour 2008 a successful event. During the star tour, the TVB artistes greeted members of the media and updated them on their recent happenings at the press conference. The artistes also made two mall appearances at Capitaland Malls (Bugis Junction & IMM) to greet their fans and supporters, signed autograph and to interact with fun and games! More than 3000 fans and supporters turned up during the two mall appearances. On the first night of TVB 41-hour drama marathon, the artistes also turned up at the contest venue to give support and encouragement to the contestants.

Louis 'Coppola' Vuitton

Famous moviemaker Francis Ford Coppola and his daughter Sofia Coppola are the latest spokesmen for luxury fashion company Louis Vuitton's luggage campaign. We suspect this is one way to fund their independent films.

Send In The Accountants!

"Red Cliff" has beat "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" over the weekend in Singapore with accumulated box-office of S$1.03 million and still growing strong. "Red Cliff" has bowed in most parts of Asia including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea. Malaysia will open this thursday with Japan in November. Looks like John Woo can sleep in peace knowing that his $80 million production is likely to be recoup soon.

Trivia

If you had watched "Hellboy II: The Golden Army", you would have noticed the fist fights and action sequences in it are more fluid, well choreographed as compared to the usual Hollywood productions simply because it's helmed by stunt coordinator Bradley James Allan. The Australian is a member of Jackie Chan's stuntman team and has notably fought against Jackie in "Gorgeous". Hollywood needs action talents like him.

Sweet Chiling

Pity we didn't get a closeup chance to interview Lin Chiling (Xiao Qiao). But the touted most beautiful woman in Taiwan and Osim's spokeswoman is indeed very sweet-looking, has an even sweeter voice and very nice porcelain complexion. Click here for our RED CLIFF coverage with photo slide and video clips.

Storm Rider - Clash of Evils

At this juncture, we are not sure whether this will come to Singapore but it looks pretty good. HK director Dante Lam took 5 years to finish this animation piece and it's due to open 19 July in the mainland. Nicholas Tse and Richie Jen voice the main characters, Wind and Cloud respectively. Check out the official website for the trailer and more goodies.

Get Connected

The Asian wave isn't going to slow down as the year goes, Benny Chan ("Invisible Target") latest action thriller, "Connected" is scheduled to open here on October 1st. In a weird turn of trends, the movie is a remake of the 2004 Hollywood movie, "Cellular". The HK version stars Louis Koo, Barbie Hsu, Nick Cheung and Liu Ye. More news will be published here as we get hold of them...

Have A Taste of CHOCOLATE

If you haven't catch an action movie which tells the story of an autistic girl who becomes a lethal fighting machine whenever she becomes angry, CHOCOLATE the DVD is now out in stores. Action fans sure won't be disappointed with this Thai release.

Make A Date With the Guru

Despite being a flop in the U.S., the Mike Myers' latest comedy "The Love Guru" will commence his appointments on 7 August. All else fails, there's still Jessica 'eye candy' Alba. More about the movie? Just follow the link here..

TVB 41-Hr Drama Marathon

Scorpio East Entertainment & TVB are pleased to announce that 5 popular TVB artistes Joe Ma, Ha Yu, Susanna Kwan, Chen Fa La and Lai Lok Yi will be in Singapore for a Star Tour from 11th-13th July 2008! During this 3-day star tour, a 41-hour drama marathon will be held at IMM in conjunction with TVB's 41st anniversary this year; from 11th July 9pm to 13th July 2pm. Contestants will be watching TVB popular drama series during the drama marathon for 41 consecutive hours! Winner of TVB 41-hr Drama Marathon will walk away with a Pioneer 42-inch plasma TV & home theatre system and there are also lots more fabulous prizes worth S$10000 to be won. To participate in TVB 41-hour drama marathon, please log on to www.scorpioeast.com.sg

Has Wong Jing Lost It?

The prolific Wong Jing is back yet again with "My Wife is a Gambling Maestro" after the dismal "Beauty & the 7 Beasts".
Check out if our reviewer likes the gambling maestro which stars Nick Cheung and Natalie Meng.

Made of Pleasure

Thailand born director Ekachai Uekrongtham’s film about Singapore’s infamous red light district has an interesting premise: pleasure seekers visiting pleasure providers in the pleasure factory, where pleasure is a manufactured commodity. Hop onto "Pleasure Factory" DVD to find out yourself.

Orlando Bloom Not Included

2008’s Summer Movie blockbuster session just got hotter with Shaw Theatres latest cinema promotion. Shaw Theatres and Mediatech Services, partnered with Borneo Motors Singapore to give away the all new 2008 Orlando Bloom endorsed Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6 to one lucky Shaw cinema patron! The Grand Draw was held at Lido Cineplex on 26 June and a lucky winner, Ms. Emily Fok who watched Kung Fu Panda at Shaw Jurong Cineplex was picked from over 300,000 entries. Congrats!

Keen to be mentored by film critics, scholars and programmers?

The Asian Film Archive is launching the Young Critics & Jury Programme, a film appraisal scheme under the Archive’s larger educational outreach project - Cineodeon 2008. For this programme, the Archive will be selecting 20 students to be mentored by film critics, scholars and programmers from July to September 2008. Students can apply to either be Young Critics who will write on the artistic and social issues evoked by the films and present their papers at the Symposium or be part of the Young Jury who will assess the film-craft in these films to determine the films or filmmakers who will receive Cineodeon Awards at the Symposium. Interested? Application forms can be downloaded here.

Amateur Porn

The term “snuff film” first originated in the early 1970’s. This controversially title USA release DVD was sent to Moviexclusive.com for reviewing purposes. After the first few minutes, it was obvious why it was so hard (pardon the pun) to watch this film... to continue reading click here. (Disclaimer: Knowing that Singapore society has zero tolerance for porn, this DVD has been disposed off in the most discreet manner after viewing.)

Holy Batman Cereal Toys & Spoiler!

Check out the local supermarkets' Cereal Box section! The cereal boxes are packed with The Dark Knight Super Deformed (Big Head) Toys.

Potential Spoiler Below

There a surprising discovery at the range of toys that are included in the cereal boxes

What look like Harvey Dent with a hood over his head turned out to be Scarecrow! Yup, Scarecrow is included among 2 Batman and the Joker toys. Initially, it might look like it's an outdated inclusion but after speaking to a fellow Bat-Fan, it might be another piece of evidence that Scarecrow might be appearing in The Dark Knight since there are already rumours of such appearance!

Find out when The Dark Knight hits our cinema 17th July 2008

Kallang Roar the Movie

Follow up to our earlier post, we have received the temp poster and some stills from the upcoming local film, "Kallang Roar". Opens 21 August.

Spot The Difference

Besides the credits placement and title treatment, there's one major difference between the local (right) and U.S. version (left) of "Hancock" posters. Can you spot it? Hint: Our reviewer has an insane idea on how Hancock should deal with it. He must be feeling very stressed out from all the writings.

Straight To Video - Conspiracy

Top Gun probably summarizes Val Kilmer's career of late, that he's rarely been seen as the lead in a movie these days and is flying as a wingman. In Conspiracy, he stars as an ex-US Marine and a Desert Storm veteran who brings justice to a small border town. As in how good the movie is, you might like to check out our review.

Standees & Banners

Another outstanding standee. This time from "The Dark Knight".