RIFLE RANGE BOY

You do not know how much an impact you leave on the ones around you whether you like it or not. Most of the effect is unintentional and mostly occurs by passive diffusion. You also learn so much by looking at people around you just as much as you do to them! Others are teachers to you just as much as you are a teacher to them. For all those unsavoury situations that my siblings found themselves in, I was admonished for not setting a good example, reminding of the obscure  things that I had done unwittingly or otherwise when I decided to let my hair down. I thought it was unfair for I had to be on my toes at all times for the younger ones to emulate. It was not fair to me for being first born. I did not ask to be born first. I needed space and freedom to express. I wondered why I was not 'praised' for all the exemplary things I did but that was a no brainer, I was expected to set a good example for the younger ones to follow anyway. In return, apparently, I was given certain ...

Groundhog Day (1993) This is supposed to be a comedy but ended up becoming immortalised as a movie with highly philosophical content. It is a story of an arrogant TV weatherman (Bill Murray as Phil Connors) who thinks he is God's gift to mankind who ridicules and belittles everything and everyone around him. He is sent to cover the all American celebration of Groundhog Day. Just for information, Groundhog Day is age old tradition which is celebrated on February 2nd to gauge whether following 6 weeks into spring is going to snow. Traditionally, the Groundhog is said to burrow out of his burrow after hibernation to look for his shadow. If he see his shadow, he would retreat to sleep indicating it would be a long winter. Conversely, if his shadow is not seen, it would mean cloudy skies and early spring! After finishing his stint, he and his team (producer, Andie MacDowell, his love interest and cameraman) had to stay overnight due to blizzard. The following day and the following ...

Yaar Nee? (Who are you? யார் நீ?, Tamil; 1966) This is one of the early Tamil psychological thrillers which is actually a remake of a Hindi film (Woh Kaun Thi 1964 - Who is She?). The 1966 offering is filled with many melodious tunes belted to the tune of its original movie. Both versions are so strikingly similar that they even use the same character names and settings. By no means, this film is a pioneer in the field of psychological thrillers. Of hand, I remember Sivaji's 1964 gem 'Puthiya Paravai'. Unlike most Tamil films of that era when it was customary to have a potpourri of songs, a few love sentimental tunes, a traditional dance, a cabaret or modern dance usually belted by LR Eswari. Here, however, many songs were sentimental ones presented by hauntingly intoxicating voices of P. Susheela and L.R. Eswari. They were mostly lyrics sang to their Hindustani music compositions of the mesmerising composer Madhan. I think one of the song versions in the Tamil one i...

I may not be a connoisseur of films, but I sure do indulge in a lot of them, not in the making but as a consumer. Sometimes, I wonder if I am hiding in a fictitious world of make-believe, fantasy and poetic justice. Or that the conventional wisdom that I learned in the course of my growing up facing the hurdles of life are somehow unlearnt and new thoughts are infused. If fact, way back as early as 1905, a Catholic priest had suspected that the newly introduced moving pictures were corrupting the mind of the masses. He objectively demonstrated his theory via a modern-day lie-detector type of a contraption to prove his conviction. Over the years, people started analysing movies and its messages, whether hidden or otherwise. Hence was born the field of film studies. After its successful role of being a propaganda tool of the Americans to justify their entry and actions in the first World War, it continued its heyday of trying to mould and unify the thoughts of the Western-educated w...

OFA – Be a little foolish, be a little different PFS to celebrate its 200th year – from The Star newspaper When I left Penang for university in the US, I also left Penang Free School before the school year ended. I felt I did so without disrupting much the life of the School: I wasn’t editor of the School magazine. I wasn’t Break Monitor, Class Monitor, Traffic Warden, House Prefect, or School Prefect. I didn’t captain any School sports team. In some subjects, I would usually get close to failing marks — ok, not in “some subjects” but in Art, specifically. Fellow students who were my seniors would routinely reject my writing submissions to school publications for my being too flippant (I had to look up what “flippant” meant the first time I heard back from one editor). School teachers would openly warn me in class for being disruptive, every so often. Fellow students who were my seniors and who trained with me in gymnastics would ask me why I kept coming back as I never seemed...

Digambara Saamiyar (Tamil, 1950) Long before Sivaji Ganesan appeared in 9 roles in Navarathiri, Gemini Ganesan in 9 roles in Naan Avanillai and Kamalhaasan in 10 characters in Dasaavaratham, the often forgotten star of South Indian cinema, M.N. Nambiar had acted in a 9-role movie (some say 11!) Even though Manjari Narayana Nambiar had always been stereotyped as the most villainous villain in most of the 50s through the 70s, his debutante role was as in a comedic role in 1935. His illustrious career of 1000 over films which span over half a century started with many of him in a lovey-dovey major heroic role. Even though he was always downcast in negative roles with evil in his eyes, in real life, he is said to be a jovial chap, a teetotaller, an exercise freak and a devoutly pious Swami Ayyapar devotee. Here is a 1950 film, Nambiar dons multiple costumes to narrate the ballad of a sage, Digambara Saamiyar (Nambiar), who tries to bring justice to the people conned by a conni...

A woman's secret (1949) One of those RKO's film noir during its trying times when the company was on a losing streak as it was restructured by the eccentric multimillionaire, Howard Hughes. The story revolves around a singer, her protege, a pianist and a shooting. The singer, Marian (Maureen O'Hara) confesses to shooting her protege (Susan) whom she has been grooming to be a star. It keeps me reminded of the many Tamil movies where the hero or heroine keep sacrificing their future and life for a crime they never committed all because they want to hide a bigger truth. The story looks disjointed as if the story seemed draggy and the dialogue out of place. The saving grace of the cast is, however, the investigating officer's wife who is an amateur private eye who provides slight comic to the otherwise stiff band of actors. It is indeed sad to see the studio that produced one of the greatest movies of all time - 'Citizen Kane', spiral down to offer such a...

Like a line of falling domino tiles, one by one, they all fall. Yet another one fell prey to the black dog. Even the outwardly strong minded ones with barrage of ammunition to shoot you down if you were to cross their paths, go into fetal position like a helpless infant when the final straw of hay broke their back. Like an epitome of patience, like a turtle she went on her duty on earth with diligence without complaining. Then came the challenges, one, another and another and poof she went all jello. Young and old alike, they seem to be swept by this epidermic. Coming mostly from humble backgrounds, one would have think that after enduring the uncertainties of life for a square meal and other comforts in life, enduring uncertainties by now would literally be a walk in the park. The general consensus is that one could not buy himself out of all troubles. Crying in a BMW, however, certainly looks less pathetic then crouching over a pavement but then the hopelessness are the same. It...

Forlorn faces of hunger, yearning for recognition and a place to call home. A few days ago, yours truly was involved in a chat about the recent apprehension of illegal immigrants off the waters of Langkawi Island. The banter started in a typical Malaysian manner when one sniggered that the only reason the undocumented aliens were caught was because of abandonment by the middlemen. Their capture belies the dozens, scores or God knows hundreds of successful landings at the 'promised land'. And this phenomenon is not isolated here. All over the world, the have nots have scaled the impossible to have a figment of hope of living.  One party voiced that saving them is only the human thing to do.The forlorn sunken cheeks were testimony of the hopelessness of their condition. The exodus from their motherland because of political reasons and the denial of the safe landing in shores of neighbouring countries will only make them float around to the sway of the ocean and die a sl...

Happy Days here to stay? They say it is the latest happening place in town. With the U.S. 1950s rock and roll theme, flashy photos of automobiles of yesteryear and matinee idols of that era plastered on the wall and equally striking paint work, it gave the impression of a bugle call for the hipsters, the young, the nouve riche and the like. Welcome to the love child of capitalism, unabated vulgar consumerism. Sure, they like the calories filled cholesterol laden jumbo sized servings, they also like the personalised wishes that we cheerily call out as they enter or leave the premises. Some say that our frequent breaking into songs and dance routines is annoyance but I do not see anyone complaining! They even seem to swing about, sing along and even dance a step or two with us in tandem. Given a choice, I would like to have that mandatory dance performance struck off my numerous lists of duties. The old injury that I inherited enroute to the maternity shed back home in Cebu is ac...

http://cilisos.my/7-malaysians-share-their-most-vivid-memories-of-may-13-1969/ 7 regular Malaysians share their vivid memories of May 13, 1969     Imagine if you woke up one morning to find that Malaysians are being killed by their fellow countrymen,  and people who used to be friends, colleagues, neighbors, or even the friendly pakcik nasi lemak outside your office are now eyeing you with hatred in their eyes as they hunt you down  for no reason other than the color of your skin.  Imagine when the neighborhood shops you visit on a weekly basis are nothing but charred cement and brick and your every movement restricted at the threat of death. Well,  that happened exactly forty-six years ago during the May 13 racial riots of 1969  which,  by official count , saw almost  200  Malaysians killed by other Malaysians. Original image from HelenAng. But for most of us reading this, “May 13″ is kinda...