iPhonographs

Here are some pics I took with my iPhone and touched up using adobe photoshop app for iPhone:




Christmas curls





Yuletide lights



Halo shade



Stacks
Hope that you like my pics. Please comment.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Making a blog post from my iPhone.

This is my first blog post from my iPhone. I've downloaded the blogpress lite app for iPhone as it is the only native app that can post to blogger (that I know of). Do you use iPhone to blog? If so, please share how you're doing it.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

StormWarriors (a.k.a StormRiders 2) / 風雲2

Finally after more than a decade, the sequel to the StormRiders is finally released. And I have to say, my expectations were sky high for this sequel. Going into the cinema, armed with a drinks and some popcorn, I was ready for a good time. Add to this, I had a conversation with someone working with UIP just a few days ago and he was telling me this should be a good movie with all the Hollywood-styled special FX. And being a big fan of the first movie (back when I was still in university), this sequel came already too late with a series of postponements. For those who don't know what Storm Riders or Storm Warriors is, it is very successful and popular Hong Kong comic series created by the Ma Wing-Shing.

This will be a pretty brief review and I hope it does not contain any spoilers (BE CAUTIONED: THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!). The most noticeable improvement was of course the special effects and eye candy. Being a decade later, this shouldn't come as a surprise with the rapid development in computer technology and cinematic techniques. So you SHOULD expect good graphics and special effects here. The graphics mostly tries to portray its comic counterpart and makes the action parts in the movie very comic like (much like Marvel's super heroes movies in the USA). For most of the movie, the special effects is pretty much enjoyable, so thumbs up for this department.

As for the sound department.... one word: HORRENDOUS. Okay, firstly, either the stupid film operator turned the volume too loud or he was instructed to turn it TOO loud. Every clink and clank of the swords will hurt your eardrums and sometimes even when the guys shout. Super loud and there were parts in the movie that I had to squeeze my ears to actually watch it. Anyway, I doubt it was the operators mistake. Why I say that? Well, the movie excelled in graphics and video department and they probably tried to make the sounds effects good too. They failed.... AGAIN. All too common in Hong Kong movies. No wonder I didn't see any THX or Dolby Digitial Surround intros at the start. In the movie, the music was pretty "surround-y", but that was all. Apart from one part in the movie where Nameless wrote something with his sword on the mountain walls, everything else was not surround at all. Add to that, music selection and placement was pretty bad too (but thats only me, probably some may have no problems with it or may even like it). It makes you feel like the sounds were pretty much a rush job. So that is why I suspect the film operator was instructed to turn the volume up, so that the sound "feels" like surround.

The movie starts off pretty well I would say with the villain Lord Godless (I know, I'm speechless with the direct translation of the names as well) capturing most of the martial art experts in China and most importantly Nameless (if you ever have no idea what to name your child or pet, this would be a good name =D). The story continues with Godless wanting to conquer China by capturing the Royal tomb of the Chinese Kings. The dialog in the movie was terrible and also minimal. The actors/actresses had a pretty easy time I would say. I will not say too much about the story but I will only say I did not like most of it. There was a little too much drama for my liking (keeping in mind this is suppose to be an fantasy action Kung Fu movie). And at the end of the movie, it either keeps you wanting more (the ending makes you feel that StormRider 3 will be made, maybe in another 10 years?) or makes you glad it has ended. I was mostly glad it ended. Another 10 years to wait for the next sequel? Maybe, but by then the two main characters would be another 10 years older.... they'd probably them. That brings me to one of the rare plus points of this movie, the two main characters are still Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok. Had it been any other stars replacing them, this movie would be even crappier. I hope you enjoy it more than I did, but unless you're high on something, I don't see how this could be a recommended must-go movie.

My final rating for this movie: 4/10.