I recently saw the brilliant trailer for Christopher Nolan's new film, Inception, and was completely blown away by the shots in the short 2 minute segment. Gorgeous fucking visuals.
So I've decided to compile a list of five of my favourite shots ever in movies.
(This list changes! Keep in mind my memory's only good for like...What's this blog about again?)

SPOILER ALERT!


5. Zombieland - Opening Credits - Man in the Dinner Jacket


Reminiscent of the final shootout of Scarface, this shot, accompanied by a kicking Metallica soundtrack, smashes serious ass. In fact, the entire opening credits for Zombieland would fill up many Top 5 shot lists. But something about smartly dressed guys mowing down the undead does it for me. Although it was kind of tough choosing between this shot to the one with the fat guy running from the stripper zombies.

4. Kill Bill Vol. 1 - Bill?

Our first glimpse of the eponymous character, is through a simple, static window, revealing nothing but a withered hand on the hilt of a shell black Katana sword. That's it. Through that shot, Tarantino still manages to convey Bill's menace and authority with a few simple contractions and finger movements. Bloody cool.

3. Lord of the Rings - Return of the King - Trolls!

"You are soldiers of Gondor. No matter what comes through that gate, you will stand your ground!"
Of course Gandalf didn't factor in the possibility of armoured frakking trolls in the front line. The reveal of the trolls was so sudden and so shocking, particularly when juxtaposed with the tense, slow, grinding build-up of Grond battering down the gates before. Those dear soldiers never had a chance.

2. Terminator 2 - Got Milk?

Years later, this shot still manages to shock audiences everywhere. The pan across the T1000's arm to this kebab fest manages to successfully convey that the domestic scene isn't quite as fluffy anymore.

1. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Who's there?

One of the funniest, and yes, maybe creepiest shots ever, you could practically bottle up the audience's squeals as the camera slowly tilts down to reveal an unwelcome visitor.

Da_movie_kid was shot at 4:52 PM

Okay Okay! I'm blogging!
Been on a TV series roll lately. First Psych, now Monk.
Man do I love Monk. I have no idea what took me so long to get onto the bandwagon.
The funny thing is as insane as he might seem, I'm pretty sure we all see our daily habits in his behaviour.

For example, here's what I share with the OCD detective:
- Scared of Heights
- Scared of plain milk (actually I just hate the smell, and I saw a worm crawl across my cup once, and tasted sour milk)
- Scared of spiders and bugs
- Above average memory
- Hate Christmas
- Lonely
- Anti social
- Some things have to be even ( I scrape my ice cream and spread so the top stays even throughout)
- Hate overlapping tomatoes on sandwiches
- Hate people who don't display rational thinking
- Hate being touched
- Scared/hate crowds
- HATES loud noises
- Things have to be aligned.
- Arranged according to size.
- I'd wear the same thing everyday if I could (preferably navy blue collared shirt and pants).
- Like our food separated (I cried once when I was a kid cause my food was touching. They bought me a segmented plate after that)
- Hate looking at ourselves.
- Hate taking/looking at photos of ourselves.
- Hate being naked
- Hate looking at people who are naked/naked-ish (Seriously! Keep everything behind closed doors!)
- Can only drink water if the taste is familiar. (I didn't drink for like 16 hours because the water tasted funny)
- Cannot go if someone uses the toilet directly before me. (You'll notice I try my best not to use public restrooms. Vacations are always fun. )

Da_movie_kid was shot at 10:18 PM

Top 20 films of the decade
1. LOTR Trilogy (I don't care! It counts as one!)
2. Casino Royale
3. Gladiator
4 Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
5. Kill Bill Vol.1
6. X Men 2
7. Iron Man
8. Shaun of the Dead
9. Hot Fuzz
10. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
11. Star Trek
12. The Dark Knight
13. Inglourious Basterds
14. Avatar
15. Wall.E
16. Finding Nemo
17. Monsters inc.
18. Hellboy 2
19. Little Miss Sunshine
20. I Not Stupid
Just kidding. Number 20's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Go ahead, complain. I'm a blockbuster child.

Top 5 of 2009
1. Avatar
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. Star Trek
4. Up
5. Sherlock Holmes
Honourable Mention: Zombieland
Movie I should have seen: District 9

Top 10 Characters
1. Tony Stark
2. Bond
3. The Bride
4. Wolverine
5. Shaun Riley
6. Maximus Decimus Meridius
7. Wall.E
8. Jack Sparrow
9. Gandalf
10. The Joker

Top 10 Life events (years 7-17)
1. O levels
2. BackPacking
3. First Fencing session
4. Primary 3
5. Primary 6
6. NDP '06
7. Getting a computer
8. Lord of the rings
9. First Trick or Treat/Sleepover
10. Loss

Da_movie_kid was shot at 11:03 PM

Avatar was amazing.
Doesn't matter the dialogue was almost laughable, the movie had this incredible story and visuals that made up for it. James Cameron's movies have always guaranteed a rolling good time, and this one is not any different.
Pandora was so fleshed out you genuinely believe this was happening somewhere, and the movie was so littered with these small human touches that make you forget that Avatar was a movie.
Just so you know how mind-blowing it was, people clapped in the theater after the movie ended. This is Singapore, land of the apathetics. I've never seen that happen before.
Avatar just turns you into a kid again, where after you watch a movie, you immediately start hoping the world was real and you could be part of it. Like Harry Potter.
Heck, I wanted to buy the action figures and start role playing with them.
Fuck it, screw this review.
*lapses back into delighted squealing*

Da_movie_kid was shot at 6:14 PM

Enjoy my pretties. Gorgeous freaking suits.
Can't wait.

Da_movie_kid was shot at 1:18 PM

The convenience of modern technology. Yeah it's a great thing.
But can't SOMETHING be done about Handphones?
Those things are as useful at the end bits of a loaf of bread.
They're terribly annoying and noisy when used properly, yet if you use the silent function, they don't work.
I hear you.
"Why don't you set the vibration function?"
I can't feel it's pulses when it's stuck in my backpack.
"So keep it in your pocket!"
Logic states my 2 pockets should be used to hold objects I use most often. Which means, right hand would be my wallet, left would be my iPod.
Where does that leave my phone?
And it really sucks cause I don't check my phone regularly cause no one EVER calls. But when they do I usually miss it and they get angry.
Then I get guilty and ticked off.
What hell do I need a phone for?

Da_movie_kid was shot at 2:47 PM

I'm allowed one day per year to be bimbotic. That's not a lot to ask. It's tough trying to think 24/7.
So I'm allowed 24 hours where I can complain about the radio recorder being broken only to realise my earphones weren't plugged in.
If they had recorders back in Einstein's day it may have happened to him.
One day.

Da_movie_kid was shot at 7:54 PM