Ambition as a Recipe for Self-Destruction

SCARFACE
Brian De Palma, 1983

We all have ambition. (Well, maybe some of us don't, but most of us do.) It is so powerful that it can either make or break us. In Brian De Palma's crime thriller, Scarface, he shows us how ambition can lead to self-destruction.

Television: As Seen by Pedro Almodóvar

As a way of passing time, most people like to sit in front of the television. They enjoy viewing things that can be entertaining or informative (or both at the same time). Watching TV is like taking a road trip minus the car. Just press your remote control and you can see things of different sceneries: dramatic, comedic, creepy, action-packed, etc.

There are two kinds of television: the useful one and the useless one. The useful one feeds our mind with insightful thoughts, while the useless one eats our time by parading a bunch of bullsh*t (e.g., celebrity gossips, "reality" shows).

Acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar mostly sees television as the useless one. Take note of how he presented the tube in two of his films:

Songs for "The Main Event"

All right. A few weeks ago I listed down some "aphrodisiac songs." Now I listed down the songs that are best played while, you know, making love.

Takuya Kimura and Faye Wong in 2046.

1. ANGEL – Massive Attack

Sexiest Lines:

You are my angel
Come from way above
To wake me up

Songs to Turn You On

For a sense of variety, I decided to write something that is not so related to cinema: a music playlist. I listed down 20 songs that can set the mood for some love makin'.

A scene from Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love

I also quoted some lines which I think has the power to turn you on. (First song listed is my most recommended aphrodisiac. The rest, in alphabetical order.)

A Soldier Woman

LAUREN
Lesli Linka Glatter, 2012

Being a soldier is one thing. Being a soldier in combat is another thing. Being a female soldier in combat is something — something very difficult to deal with.

Late last year, WIGS produced a web series called Lauren. It's about a young soldier, Lauren Weil, who was raped by her fellow soldiers. Lauren decided to stand up and seek justice for what happened to her. But will she ever find the kind of justice that she's looking for?

Cinematography: Fallen Angels

FALLEN ANGELS (1995)
Director: Wong Kar-wai
Cinematographer: Christopher Doyle

Having made visually stunning films together, Wong Kar-wai and Christopher Doyle are easily one of the best creative teams in the film industry. 2046, Ashes of Time, In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express, and Fallen Angels are just some of their best collaborations.

In Fallen Angels — WKW's splendid take on loneliness, melancholy, and undeclared love — Doyle had quite a big challenge: the film had only one day scene, so he had to make the most out of the night scenes, which he filmed in such a charming way.

 

Urban Hong Kong

Favorite Movie Moments: Jackie Brown

The final shot of 1997's Jackie Brown shows a close-up of Pam Grier's face, looking rather heartbroken while lip synching Bobby Womack's Across 110th Street. Driving away from a love that could have been, Jackie Brown (played by Grier) sings along the lines:

Cassavetes on Screenwriting

(Image source here.)

In 1953, John Cassavetes knew practically nothing about writing. Sam Shaw decided to help him by introducing him to Edward McSorley, a novelist, who gave him a crash-course in screenwriting. Cassavetes said that McSorley taught him the three most important things he knew:

Fave Movie Moments: 2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is considered by many as one of the most beautiful and transcendent — if not flawless — films of all time. Deeply cerebral and photogenic, Kubrick's 1968 oeuvre is utterly mesmerizing on many levels. (If I say too much, I might spoil the film's beauty; so please check it out if you still haven't.)

One of my most favorite moments in 2001: A Space Odyssey is its ending, which is mindf*ck at its most orgasmic. I've always thought that Kubrick's film is two films in one; you just have to watch it again right after your first viewing.

A Song from My Childhood

 

"Unhappiness where's when I was young, and we didn't give a damn."

ODE TO MY FAMILY

Samuel Bayer, 1994

♪ Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo... ♪

I wouldn't forget that tune. It's from The Cranberries' hit single Ode to My Family, an intimate ballad that reminds me of the olden days, when things are simple yet fun.