Blog

Short blog posts, journal entries, and random thoughts. Topics include a mix of personal and the world at large.

Not for a snack

A friend was introducing a Korean restaurant to me. The first thing I wanted to know was: how much? Readers of this blog would know I am price-sensitive like that. But then again, it’s difficult to pay $14 for a roll of kimbap (Korean-style sushi roll) when I know for a fact that same roll sold in Korea is around $2. It just seems wrong.

Moreover, kimbap is more like a snack food, something filling you take to-go. Think of as the Korean equivalent of a home-packed American sandwich. Would you pay $14 for a peanut-butter and jelly sandy? Sounds absurd, doesn’t it?

With the recent high inflation, you really can’t take numbers at face-value. Deadpool and Wolverine had an $211 million opening weekend at the box office. That’s a properly large number. However, I paid $19 for a Saturday morning matinee showing. Yes, just like everything else, the price of a movie ticket has gone up. It’s easier to get to $210 million when the cost of each ticket sold is higher than ever.

As for the movie itself, the third Deadpool film is fantastically fun. The story is super basic, but the ceaseless action and comedy more than make up for it. I’m not saying you should definitely see it at a theatre for the visuals. More like you would want to see it as soon as possible to avoid spoilers. There are a ton of surprises jammed into Deadpool and Wolverine. To have them spoiled by a random YouTube commenter for a video that has nothing to do with the movie whatsoever would be unfortunate.

At least movie tickets are tax inclusive. So are gas stations: the prices on the big board is what you pay. I like that a lot. The aforementioned $14 roll of kimbap still has to factor in tax and tip, adding at least 25% to the cost.

Barbenheimer Part 2

Let’s begin by saying how lucky we are here in San Francisco to have a proper IMAX theatre. One of about 40 in the whole world capable of showing Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in the way it was shot: IMAX 70mm film. The image quality is beyond anything digital is currently capable of, and the vastness of the multi-story screen utterly fills the peripheral vision. It is indeed motion picture film at its qualitative zenith. Kudos to Nolan for being just about the only director to fully use this fantastic medium.

This is why whenever there’s a new Nolan release, I make it a point to go see it in IMAX. Sadly, didn’t do that for Tenet, because of the bloody pandemic.

You’re going to be disappointed if you’re coming into Oppenheimer looking for a Michael Bay-style romp about the atomic bomb explosion. This movie is a pure character piece on the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer vis a vis the invention of nuclear weaponry. And as a character piece, Oppenheimer is superbly done. The audience is with the titular character practically the entire time. The story structure can be a bit Nolan-esque (read: it jumps around), but the whole story gathers itself nicely once the picture is complete.

Of course, a character piece can only be done with brilliant acting. There’s superb acting talent in Oppenheimer, and superb acting all around. The highlights are, expectedly, Cillian Murphy (J. Robert Oppenheimer), Robert Downey Jr (Lewis Strauss). and Emily Blunt (Kitty Oppenheimer).

I really like this movie, and will definitely see it again - but with captions. There's so much detail in the dialogue, but somehow Nolan refuses to mix the speaking parts louder. It's been an ongoing thing since The Dark Knight Rises. Other than that, the sound design/score is magnificent. Particularly during the trinity test sequence: as the atomic bomb explodes, all manner of sound was cut. After a bit, the loudest bang you can think of pops shockingly in. This perfectly mimicks how physics work: you see before you hear, because light travels faster than sound.

For a film that’s three hours long, there needs to be an intermission in the middle for people to take a breather and a bathroom break. For Oppenheimer, the perfect place to break is exactly where you think it is.

Barbenheimer Part 1

Alright, it’s the movie double-feature of the summer: Barbie and Oppenheimer. I am seeing the latter in proper IMAX 70MM film this coming Monday. Barbie I saw yesterday evening, and here are my thoughts. (Spoilers, obviously.)

I think it’s a brilliant move to have an auteur filmmaker like Greta Gerwig to helm this film. Barbie is refreshingly layered in its expected commentary on the legendary doll brand. We did not get a cookie-cutter hero’s journey, which is a surprise given how safe studios play it these days with franchises. Bold move by Mattel to hand the reins over completely to a director’s singular vision. It’s partly why Barbie has such a buzz around it (and Oppenheimer, as well): audiences know they are in for something different, something unique.

Historically, was Ken always such a needy nice guy? The Barbie movie played on the theme that Ken is completely dependent on Barbie. His happiness is totally hinged on her whims and approval. Who knew the blonde-haired buff guy on the beach is such a clingy nice guy? Whose every action to seek approval from Barbie only erects the barrier further higher.

So then Ken fully embraced the “men’s right movement”, the pendulum swinging completely the other way. The patriarchy looks super attractive when it seems to solve all the resentment Ken has towards Barbie. No need to seek approval when the world view is women are the enemy, and only the docile, placate-able ones should be let in. What a pleasant surprise to see this particular commentary on masculinity in Barbie. And we thought it was going to be just about feminism vis a vis the titular doll.

Ultimately, Ken arrives at a happy medium between being a doormat and Andrew Tate. Barbie needs him to be his own person, to have his own life and dreams. That is what will make him attractive and trustworthy. She also admits her part in their relationship, how she took him for granted.

Barbie gets a recommendation from me. Onwards to Barbenheimer Part 2!

Movie rentals

I’ve been an Amazon Prime subscriber probably since inception. Back then they offered discounts for college students, something like 50 bucks a year for free two-day shipping. Obviously nowadays it’s far more expensive - $139 annual - and I’m no longer in college.

With the accompanying Chase Amazon Prime card giving me 5% cash back on purchases at both Amazon and Whole Foods (there’s one a few blocks from where I live), I make back that annual fee in no time. The card also gets you 2% cash back at gas stations, which is lovely. Last year I got back over $300, which is more than comfortable enough to continue my Prime membership.

There are times I really don’t need to receive an item in two days or less. Amazon gives me the option to forgo the standard two-day shipping. In return, it gives me a dollar or two of digital spending credits. What I do with those credits is rent movies on Prime video. Often times that rental comes out to be free. It’s how I’ve been watching movies at home for quite some time now.

I can’t remember the last time I actually bought a movie. With mountain of books taking up shelf space, I don’t have any left for Blu-ray discs and DVDs. Besides, I’m not the type of person to watch movies a second time, so physical copies of movies would literally be decoration after the first watch. This is why I rent digital versions as well, instead of purchasing outright.

Besides, whatever is stored on Amazon servers doesn’t really belong to me, does it? Who do I make a claim with if those servers go down? Do I get mailed a copy of all my digital purchases on a hard-drive?

(Often free) renting movies is the way to go for me.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Everything Everywhere All at Once is the multiverse done correctly! I am so glad I watched it after seeing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Because had it been reserved, I would have been sorely disappointed at the multiverse treatment in Doctor Strange. Everything Everywhere All at Once is a masterpiece in storytelling, weaving a first-generation Chinese American story into an allegorical tale about the meaning of life.

The film is surprisingly nihilistic! I did not expect to find the positive interpretation of Nietzsche in this movie, one I resonate with profoundly. Because “nothing matters”, we are then free to do anything we want to. A nihilistic view of the world provides the proper perspective for me. The little annoyances of everyday life simply disappear. The big challenges get tackled with a clear mind and plenty of courage. Setbacks and tragedies cannot hurt me: because none of it matters.

This juxtaposes the common view of nihilism: because nothing matters, why try at anything? It’s a defeatist attitude that I am completely against. But whenever I bring up Nietzsche in polite conversation, that’s the reaction I get from people. Something tells me they aren’t ready to accept their ultimate cosmic insignificance. The daughter in Everything Everywhere All at Once explains to the mother that this moment, our lives, is but a spec of dust in the grande scheme of universal time.

Alongside the nihilistic theme is a Chinese American story. An overbearing mother, yearning to undo the mistakes of her parents, creates a monster of a daughter? Most of us first-generation Chinese American kids can relate to that. This is the sort of representation in film that we would want to see: how to tell an Asian American story, without telling an Asian American story.

Everything Everywhere All at Once had better receive some Oscar nominations. Otherwise, it’s AAPI hate!

The downside of OLED

OLED televisions have stunningly beautiful picture, an infinite contrast ratio, and perfect blacks. What you usually don’t read about is that OLED technology is best suited for very dark rooms. If you have windows that otherwise cannot be shaded completely, you’re going to have a bad time watching content on a sunny afternoon. Because current OLED televisions cannot get as bright as their LED counterparts. Sports and gaming you can get away with, but for movies and serious TV shows, OLED may not be the best.

This past Sunday afternoon I decided to watch The Batman. Thanks to my homie with a full HBO Max subscription, I get to watch the latest rendition of the cape crusader in the comforts of my own home. But I made a huge mistake: I should have watched the movie during nighttime. The reflections of my windows off of the TV’s glass surface wrecked havoc on the picture quality. It was a struggle to make out the dark details clearly. And for a film that makes an homage to film noir, it was doubly not ideal.

Most new movies and TVs shows these days are mastered in HDR. Meaning, you can’t really adjust the brightness. However well your TV can fight through the glare and reflections during the daytime, you’re stuck with it. For a room with multiple windows, I really should have bought an LED TV instead. Alas, the inky true blacks of OLED got to me. Henceforth I just have to relegate any movie watching to the evening hours.

Lesson here is: if your room have windows that you cannot install black-out curtains for, do not get an OLED TV.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Batman. It’s a nice change of pace to see the character act out his title of the world’s greatest detective. Robert Pattinson offers a fantastic take on the emotions of a young Batman, while Paul Dano’s Riddler provides a mirroring counterpart that’s every bit as intriguing. I honestly don’t understand how the movie got its lukewarm reviews. Sure, it’s not paced like a typical super hero movie, but I greatly enjoyed the immense amount of substance crammed into the hefty runtime.

The cinematography and the score is top notch as well. The Batman theme is so simple yet hauntingly weaved throughout the film.

Back in a theatre

First time back in a movie theatre since the pandemic began is super easy when said theatre is within walking distance. Proximity to a mall is one of the things I really like about this place I am renting. Groceries and everyday items can be easily taken care of by a Target, Trader Joe’s, and soon, a Whole Foods. There’s an Apple store should any of my computing electronics conk out. Of course, there’s plenty of food choices available if I don’t want to cook.

And now there’s a Regal cinema where an old Macy’s used to be (going to have to find another place to buy fragrance). I’ll have to start convincing my friends to come to this theatre, instead of our usual haunts further south. They can even pick me up en route to the mall, saving me even the short walk. But that would be just a bit too absurd.

So what’s it like to be back in a theatre? Other than wearing a mask (which isn’t mandatory, as of this writing at least), everything is as it were back before the COVID outbreak. Ticket purchasing at this Regal is mostly done via kiosks, though we found the interface to be laggy. A brand-new system shouldn’t act this, and also ought to accept payments via NFC. I only bought along an iPhone and could not use Apple Pay. Rather disappointing.

We watched the ninth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise. As expected, F9 is mindlessly entertaining, a really fun movie if you don’t scrutinize the details. The film is even self-aware to its own ridiculousness. There’s a scene when Roman (Tyrese Gibson’s character) went on a diatribe about how utterly unlikely it is that he keeps surviving the crazy missions the team has done. And he’s right: there’s at least a dozen times someone on the team should have die in this movie.

Enemy bullets aren’t nearly as effective as those of the protagonists!

Much like eating indoors, it was lovely to be back inside a theatre, briefly escaping reality with a film. Now that there’s one so close to me, I reckon I’ll go to the movies more often than I did before the pandemic.