【警告!這不是影評,也沒有劇透!如有雷同,實屬斷估!】
想入場睇戲,但《Inception》(潛行凶間)下星期才上正場,《Toy Story 3》和《史力加大結局》又已睇左,咁點算?你有兩個選擇:一. 睇那套唔知點解仍未肯落畫既殭屍人狼愛情片(no comment);二. 睇那套剛上畫的《Salt》(叛諜狂花)(highly recommended)。
我 Highly recommend,並不是因為我知道這套戲好看(我未,亦不打算入場睇,而只會等 DVD),而是因為有 Angelina Jolie。
據講這套戲本來由 Tom Cruise 擔正,但因為撞期所以改人,找 Jolie 頂上,並將主角由男轉女。Cruise 結果走了去與 Cameron Diaz 拍了另一套同樣都是做特工的戲《Knight and Day》。Cruise 另一個拒絕的原因是這角色太似他 Mission Impossilbe 裡的 Ethan Hunt,同樣都是神級特工被屈,都是一方面要為自己還清白之同時又要一方面對付壞蛋。不過,其實近年所有特工故事也如是:經典如 Matt Damon 的《Bourne》系列又或者 Cruise 自己的《Knight and Day》都是這樣的一條橋。
講返《Salt》,tagline 是《Who is Salt?》我們當然知道 Salt 就是 Jolie。但她是甚麼身份?或者更直接地問:究竟她是忠是奸?是 CIA 還是 KGB?
出動到陳年「KGB 橋」其實很老套。近年的間諜片早已將敵人改為中東或中國。但剛剛發生的俄羅斯間諜新聞卻出奇地合時:安插間諜潛伏英國、美國幾十年,為的就是要一朝走出來幹一件大事。主角 Evelyn Salt 就是被指是這樣的一個人。從 trailer 所見,導演曾嘗試將 Jolie 塑造成一個可潛伏於人群幾十年而不被留意的平凡女人 look 去切合這情景設計。這可以算是失敗的,因為她這樣的面貌裝扮要做一個平凡人其實並沒有甚麼說服力:Jolie 是做開 Lara Croft,Mrs Smith 和《Wanted》內的超瘦女殺手的嘛!
所以,她一早已被觀眾看穿並認定是一個特工(而且是一個不似真特工的特工)。問題只是她究竟屬於哪一方。又或者問得清楚一點:從她中段又染髮又刺殺的劇情來看,導演似乎要讓觀眾知道她表面上真的是個 KGB 派過來的雙重間諜。不過實際上究竟有沒有內情呢?她是否真心幫 KGB 的呢?
我沒有答案(據某些影評講,睇完也不會知答案,因為想博出續集)。不過如果要估,我會估佢係忠既(即是 CIA。荷里活電影嘛!)。點解?因為從 trailer 和 making-of 見到她當初「出事」後千方百計也要找回她老公,回到家取得物資後亦冒著風險將自己的小狗找鄰居小朋友托管,這樣的行徑只會是忠的角色才會做。同埋,我估我知道邊個先至真係奸既 ── 果個在佢身邊完全唔似係奸既通常最後就係最奸果個。而且,Liev Schreiber 多數都係做奸角多,咁樣估錯既機會較細。如果有人睇左呢套戲,請告訴我我估得岩唔岩。
唔知頭唔知路都可以估到劇情既戲都夠膽 highly recommend?!因為有 Angelina Jolie。
今天 iPad 於香港正式上市。唔知道有幾多人買 iPad 黎係用黎咁樣用既呢?
【Warning!Don’t try this at home without adults around or without a deep pocket avaialble!】
Other readings about iPad:
What is iPad?
Meet iPad
我唔會買 iPad!
The beginning song of the legendary debut album “Parachutes”. My all time favorite mid-night tunes, after this.

今天乃家駒死忌。
十七年的六月二十四日他在日本為宣傳樂隊而參與遊戲節目時不幸從高台跌下,頭部著地重傷昏迷,延至六日後逝世。時年只有三十一歲。很可惜的是,他甚至不是在做音樂時過身。以一個崇尚音樂,對於娛樂至上的香港樂壇/娛樂圈感到失望與抽離的他來說,這樣的死真的有點諷刺。
下面載有一幫玩人聲的老外為家駒致敬而唱的《海闊天空》。唱不唱得出原曲的韻味就見仁見智,但卻使大家因家駒的音樂能宏揚四海感到欣慰。
This is supposed to be cool and funny. But I don’t quite get it. Please enjoy it anyway.
早前在家播了下面 Glenn Gould 神級的彈奏表演給 Jacob 看。播了一會兒之後我本想直接跳到後面交叉手狂風掃落葉那段讓他欣賞,但他卻嚷著要我不要亂弄,因為他想原汁原味看整個十分鐘的足本表演。
他一方面有耐性聽畢整段音樂,但更吸引他的是 Gould 的坐姿、手法和樣子。聽罷後他最先問的問題,是為甚麼這老頭可以像他自己一樣不用睇譜(他這樣問因為他了解到這樂曲比他自己彈的複雜千百倍!),而且口中不停喃喃唸著甚麼,又曲著身子左搖右擺,一切鋼琴老師說的不應該做的事都似乎做齊了!
當然最使他目瞪口呆的是他彈奏時手指的速度。我問他像不像我們在鍵盤打字,但他說其實更像在幫琴鍵搔癢!之後 Jacob 練琴時往往會快指亂彈一通來扮高深!他似乎已找到藝術的精粹了!哈哈!
Jacob 之後問我為甚麼這個人這麼老仍可彈琴。我告訴他彈琴不分年紀,只要手指、手腕還有力,便仍可彈。不過我也告訴他其實這「老頭」已死了近三十年,而且死時只得五十歲。唉。

世情無奈,只好嘗試到另一個 Dimension 去尋找新希望。看下面完這個建基於 M-Theory 的短片,我對這「十維世界」(10 dimensions)有了一點似是而非的了解。但若要深究詳情,可能要問阿靚仔 Professor King 景博教授了,話晒佢係個「天才物理學家」嘛!(不過唔知點解佢 office 很多 bunsen burner 和 test tube 那些 chem lab / bio lab 才常見的物件,而且牆上還掛住一幅 periodic table。似乎他真的是多才多藝!)
Beyond【永遠等待】《超越亞拉伯演唱會》(Oct 1987)
家駒甩嘴,笑住繼續唱,正!阿 Paul 條阿婆辮,正!全隊那不倫不類的「類阿拉伯人」裝束,好正!但最正就係現場觀眾的反應,近距離派對,氣氛實在超正!
… but a sad and killing reality.
A short film by voisinanthony on aniBOOM
“Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. ” ~ Red (The Shawshank Redemption)
Story of Stuff Project 用精警的動畫簡明介紹了「樽裝水」如何揾笨,這是附有中文字幕的台譯版。
這精采的短片讓我想起黃子華《越大鑊越快樂》內關於樽裝水的一段。而之後那段關於出街食飯與膠碗的,雖然與本題無直接關係,但也有異曲同工之妙!
第二年,我終於開始買樽裝水。我用左一年既時間適應樽裝水。但我阿爺用左成世都適應唔到出街吃飯:「同一味餸,屋企食,10蚊。出街食,100蚊。點解要出街食?」我同距講,唔係架阿爺,出街食有人幫你洗碗丫嘛!阿爺答:「同一味餸,屋企食,10蚊。出街食,100蚊。即係洗碗洗左90蚊啦!如果洗碗要洗90蚊,我寧願掟爛D膠碗!!」我作為一個有識之士,研究過我阿爺果個年代係無膠碗呢樣野既,所以個膠字唔應該係果個位,應該係個「掟」字之前……
The new iPad commercial — “What is iPad?”
iPad is thin. iPad is beautiful. iPad goes anywhere and lasts all day. There’s no right way or wrong way. It’s crazy powerful. It’s magical. You already know how to use it. It’s 200,000 apps and counting. All the world’s websites in your hand. It’s video, photos, more books than you can read in a lifetime. It’s already a revolution and its only just begun.
Other news about iPad:
我唔會買 iPad!
Meet iPad
Most computer companies start by telling you they make great products. Apple does the opposite. It starts by telling you why it makes computers. According to the speaker Simon Sinek in his TED’s speech, Apple actually communicates like this:
“Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”
To explained his “Golden Circle”: from “why” to “how” to “what”, a reversed, inside-out direction as compared to everybody else, he also quoted other examples like Martin Luther King and the Wright brothers in his speech.
A inspiring content by a inspiring speaker!
After thoughts:
I read an article this morning about an essay on “causal reasoning” vs. “effectual reasoning”.


The diagrams in the essay shown how an entrepreneur is not bound to a given target. Rather, he/she would optimize what he/she has and gives the best performance. The result would then flow along.
I tend to disagree with this argument, especially after watching the TED’s speech above. I tend to think that the reason behind the success of an entrepreneur is not the “freedom” behind it. The reason behind the success is the “sense of purpose” and the “why” before the start of anything. That “Given Target” or “Imagined Ends” are just the “what” in the equation, and the “why” is somewhat untold in the story here.
Well, not quite, in the original article, the author did mention something like: “Yet at any given moment, there is always a meaningful picture that keeps the team together, a compelling story that brings in more stakeholders and a continuing journey that maps out uncharted territories”. It is funny that all sentences before and after, but not this part itself, was underlined. But if you ask me, this in fact is the core of the whole matter. Start with “Why”!
數分鐘前剛貼過兩篇 TED 的演講,同一個講者相隔數年講成功之道。雖然是老生常談,但演講手法風趣爽快,值得一看。
看畢後,在 “other great talks” 一欄留意到 Seth Godin 早期他用來解釋 Purple Cow (紫牛) 的一場演講。每個 marketing 人(或其實任何人)都應該一看!與之前那關於成功的演講一樣,是那種「唓,唔使講都知啦」的內容,但正常人講唔出就係講唔出,冇得拗。這道理如他自己所說:”… the success of almost everything we’ve been talking about at this conference, is not always about what the patent is like, or what the factory is like; it’s about can you get your idea to spread, or not.”
當然,細心看時便會發現,他說能 “get your idea to spread” 之道就是 “being remarkable”。這又不就是之前那八項成功的秘密所說的事嗎?Seth Godin 只是在尾段加了一個注腳,就是成功得來也要能找到對口欣賞自己才能發揚光大。唓!這不亦也是人人懂說的老生常談嗎?不過看得過癮而且印象深刻,就不是一般人的功力所能表達出來。這就是他的價值吧!
看罷陳牛嘗試解說近日的 Punch Party 淪為網民聯歡會之謎,雖然覺得參與者影响別人無論如何也是有缺公德的行為,但卻亦同意講者的表現和內容也會影響大會秩序。我沒有去過任何一次 PPHK,所以我在這裡說甚麼也是意義不大,也只是在抽水。不過,籠統來看,「Content is King」,就算在課堂中,如果講者的內容或技巧不吸引,儘管同學們肯守規矩,訊息也無法有效傳輸開去,更何況現在的參與者本來並沒有任何的義務和責任去乖乖坐下!
剛在 TED 看到幾段演講,正正是一個好例子。短短三分鐘,簡單、易明、吸引、而且有意思。如果 PPHK 當晚有如此的風格的演講,我相信各位會暫且放下手頭上的 iPad 留心看看講者的內容吧!我知道以 TED 來與 PPHK 比較並不是太合適,但以這為目標也未嘗不可。
Gees! This kid really can play! As if its neck is really a part of his arm, and his fingers are the extensions of the strings. But most important of all, you could feel that the music is coming out from his heart instead of the guitar.
The video above is his version of the famous Pachelbel’s Canon in D major. I had that in my wedding for the march in, but of course not in this style.
The later video is a nice cover of a Jimi Hendrix’s classic. By how he reinterpreted and reformed the original you would really think that he actually knows Jim in person.
Thanks Dustless for the referral!
之前那惡搞卡通版 Twilight 是出自一個名為 How It Should Have Ended 的 YouTube channel。他們作品的質素都幾參差,有些諷刺得很抵死到肉,但又些卻太長氣或夾硬來。下面選來了這個像 trailer 多過像 ending 的《Terminator Back to the Future》,將兩套邁飛佛經典 mix and match 混在一起,絕!
The Lord of the Rings 這個新結局好笑。還有 Star Trek,雖然點子有點重覆,但結尾卻是一絕,而且配音一流,也值得一看。Spiderman 3 那篇有點太長,但可以理解為作者故意讓觀眾覺得 Spiderman 廢。還有 Ocean’s 40,The Blair Witch Project,Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,Se7en,Superman 和最後一個大 remix:How to Survive an Alien Attack。Enjoy!
那天我們在家看了 New Moon 的 DVD。結論是其實這套戲也都算不錯,只要如果改由幾位稍為懂做戲的主角擔正,與及將片長縮短為十多分鐘的話。
又或者,故事的第一集可以像下面提議般完結,之後的第二、三、四、N集或會更清脆利落!