… aka completing the media gamut before 25.

As I was remarking to the friend responsible for me being there, working as an extra on the set of local film “Leap of Love” means that within the short span of 3 years, I will have made an appearance on radio, television and the silver screen. Not bad at all.

How ironic that after more than a decade without the quintessential Japamerican comic, it’s En who re-introduces me to Usagi Yojimbo.

(Ironic, because En’s more or less dropped the American comic for manga, and manga is the one thing I would never touch, especially not Naruto - for reasons even I can’t comprehend.)

Anyway, En unearthed two volumes of Usagi comics from among the library@orchard collection, and I unflinchingly grabbed them from her. Shameless, but I really missed the rabbit ronin. My first encounter with him was in the cartoon version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the Fred Wolf version from 1987, not the current animated series from Fox) and back then I thought Usagi was the result of a mutagen experiment between a samurai and a rabbit. It was only years later that I discovered that Stan Sakai was the genius behind the bushido bunny who despite being an anthromorphic oriental warrior in the vein of Splinter and the Turtles, was conceived quite seperately from Eastman and Laird’s creations.

But I get ahead of myself. One of the volumes I was fortunate to *ahem* obtain thanks to En was the Grasscutter epic. A volume of 12 chapters (4 prologues and 8 story issues), the Grasscutter was one of the biggest story arcs ever found in a Usagi story. The titular item is the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, a mythological sword that equals King Arthur’s Excalibur in cultural prominence. In the story, two warring political factions (belonging to the Shogun and the Emperor) seek to obtain the lost sword, believing that ownership of the blade will represent the true mandate of authority. Naturally, the weapon falls into the hands of neutral party Usagi Yojimbo, who recognises its power over the populace, and realises that regardless of which side ends up with the blade, civil war will erupt.

The story is told in a simple fashion, with many of Usagi’s friends and enemies from previous stories making appearances, but the message is no less epic as a result. The climatic fight scene would rival any Naruto battle and the characterisation goes deeper than any Samurai X story. Truly, the tale of Usagi Yojimbo is an evergreen classic - two decades on.

So I ask En out for a movie today, hoping to catch Fantastic 4. Then, while walking down from Somerset MRT to Cineleisure, I catch sight of these four huge figures standing “guard” at each corner of the junction where Cairnhill Road filters into Grange Road. The one closest to me is the Thing, and I’m actually reminded of why he’s one of my favourite superheroes. I almost wanted to take a picture using my not so new Sony Ericsson k500i, but I guess I didn’t want to look more geeky than I already did.

So anyway, as I’m walking up and admiring the Thing (I’m sure there was a better way to put it) and getting reminded of the “Giant-Sized Man-Thing” joke… I notice that *horror of horrors* Fantastic 4 opens July 7th. D’oh! Fortunately, I’ve got backup movies in mind that open this week, but I’m not too keen on any of them. I would have thought En wouldn’t mind Initial D, but as I find out later, she caught the anime and wasn’t too impressed. Frankly, I didn’t want to have to put up with any of the Hong Kong Bad Boys (just say this in a Honkie accent… nuts!) so I’m glad we didn’t watch that.

So it was down to Be With You, claiming to be the “No. 1 Love Story in Japan and Hongkong” or the Amanda Peet, Ashton Kutcher vehicle “A Lot Like Love”. She allowed me to pick, so I went with the latter, even though I knew it only received a 5.3 rating on imdb.com. I figured it was mainly because of the male-dominated imdb.com members who couldn’t appreciate a good romantic comedy even if it hit them. Truth be told, I was also piqued by the tagline that went “A Great Romance Can Ruin A Perfectly Good Friendship”. Seemed to be the story of my life. “Great Romance” aside.

That aside, the movie wasn’t one that knocked your socks off, but you couldn’t fault it either. It seemed like it was meant to be filler for those who wanted something other than the barrage of blockbusters characteristic of the summer season. The plot itself seemed rehashed, although the delivery was unique.

Emily Friehl (played by the excellent Amanda Peet) is a rebellious punk girl who can’t seem to handle her emotions. Olivier Martin (Ashton Kutcher) is a dorky bummer who thinks he’s got his life all planned out. Together, the two forge an unlikely seven-year friendship that sees them through each other’s breakups, spells of loneliness and times of need. The pace of the movie was slow, but I assume that was done intentionally. After all, if a 107 minute movie was to demonstrate change over a 7 year period, then one wouldn’t expect the scenes to zoom by. However, pacing is one of the most important aspects of a film, and this one didn’t live up to it.

The casting seemed absolutely inspired, though. Amanda Peet just stole the show with her performance. I literally witnessed her age seven years during the movie. It was easier to believe that she was a different person, a different personality with each time frame. The SUPERDUPERMEGAdork named Ashton Kutcher looked absolutely incompetent next to her. En was very vocal about how he personified “dorky” by the way he carried himself. One thing I couldn’t fault though, was the excellent chemistry between the two. I could imagine Matt Damon for example pulling off the character of Oliver Martin better, but I can’t imagine him with Amanda Peet. So casting, inspired. Ashton, dorky.

The movie didn’t even open up as large a can of worms as I’d hoped, so I was glad En and I found something else to talk about during lunch. But that’s another story.

“It’s not what’s inside you, it’s what you do that defines who you are.” –Rachel Dawes, Batman Begins

At least, I believe that’s the quote from the movie. I might have to watch the movie again to get it right. Not that I would mind, actually. Perhaps it’s just the bias due to having just watched the movie, but I dare say that Batman Begins is the best superhero movie to date.

The Batman character has always been one of the most revered, for it alone had the ability to champion and pioneer the evolution of the darker superhero, one who was not always morally upright, or idealistic to a fault. Batman’s origin remains as one shrouded in agony and loss, his mission one driven by vengeance. Few other superheroes can claim such pain as their legacy. And thanks to the darker persona given to the Batman by writers such as Frank Miller, such pathos is given full reign in a retelling of the origin story in Batman Begins.

The famous beginnings of Batman are told in a manner that is instantly believable without detracting too far from the original story. As a young boy, Bruce Wayne is frightened by a horde of bats as they stream out of a cave beneath his house. This fear unnerves him so much that while watching an opera, he is traumatised by dancers portraying bats and encourages his parents to leave. The family is accosted by a desperate petty thief who ends up shooting both father and mother, killing them. The boy then grows up and after a series of events, realises that he wants to fight crime in order to atone for his guilt.

Christian Bale brings a brooding anti-hero feel to Gotham’s business heir apparent Bruce Wayne, one that hasn’t been seen since Michael Keaton played the Dark Knight. The rest of the movie refuses to give in to its comic book heritage, preferring to keep things realistic. Even when describing a temple filled with a secret ninja cult, director Christopher Nolan refuses to give in to the camp of the situation. The pace of the film is slow and stately without having the feel of a dragged corpse, perhaps in no small way due to the excellent scores by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. Even the supporting cast do their bits to perfection without overshadowing the story. In particular, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson bring out their characters with such panaché that I am sure they were brilliant role models for their less experienced counterparts. Younger thespians such as Katie Holmes and Cillian Murphy, who despite working with such distinguished company in the midst of a huge franchise, hold their own in roles that would falter in the hands of lesser actors.

All in all, a top-rate story that makes one proud to be a comic-book fan.

Technically, I only got around to do this because Sam reminded me indirectly when she put her list up. But the “little” bit was NOT aimed at Sam. Believe me. Anyway, here goes:

“Things you enjoy, even when no one around you wants to go out and play. What lowers your stress/blood pressure/anxiety level? Make a list, post it to your journal… and then tag 5 friends and ask them to post it to theirs.”

1) Talking to God. Ranting, mostly. Scolding, sometimes.
2) Playing computer games. Although, as of late, that actually stresses me to some extent. Games not easy.
3) Watching CSI. It’s cathartic, I tell you. Brilliantly cathartic.
4) Running away from the problem. I’ve honed this to an art. Which is bad, considering it’s essentially a bad habit.
5) Sharing problems with others. Unlike many people I know… I’m no stranger to sharing deeply and honestly, if someone’s willing to listen.

It’s funny when I think of it. The “Runaway Bride” story occurred in small-town USA, but got picked up by international media. And even after international interest has died down, a popular comic such as Non Sequitur still continues to reference it, which implies that interest over in the US still hasn’t.

Which begs the question (as well as the source of the father’s agony): What is news?

I personally have no standard answer. To me, news IS the info-tainment derided by the father in Non Sequitur. News is hearing about Michael Jackson’s acquittal. News is this morning’s Batman Begins special in Lifestyle. But news is also knowing that somewhere out there… there are people dying for the sometimes the silliest, sometimes the most tragic reasons. And yet life goes on.

Perhaps Gloria Borger said it best when she said “For most folks, no news is good news; for the press, good news is not news.” In fact, Thomas Jefferson himself writes “I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it. “ And that seems to be the general cynical viewpoint on what truly makes the “news” today.

For what is news, but a constant reminder on the human condition? What is news, but a re-emphasis on the heights that human beings can rise to, or the depths from which there seem to be no return? What is news, if it is supposed to be a collection of facts, but remains distorted by branding or editorial biases? News is truth, gone horribly wrong.

The industry itself is full of self-serving people, each looking out for their own interests, or the interests of the company. All too often, the painstakingly prepared press releases from corporate communications executives are savagely ripped to shreds by media reporters, who only want the juicy story within. All too often, a story about love, or courage, or hope is distorted, ruined or taken out of context simply because media companies believe that the public is more interested in reading a human interest story about a “woman in a men’s world”.

The news is and should always be the business of truth.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” –John 8:31-32

In Pope John Paul II’s last message to the mass media, he writes “Modern technology places at our disposal unprecedented possibilities for good, for spreading the truth of our salvation in Jesus Christ and for fostering harmony and reconciliation.” He warns against misuse of the media and against a false portrayal of events, but reminds the world that “the media have enormous potential for promoting peace and building bridges between peoples”. To those in the industry, he reminds them of the Vatican II Council’s exhortation to know the “principles of the moral order and apply them faithfully”. Indeed, “Communicators have the opportunity to promote a true culture of life by distancing themselves from today’s conspiracy against life”. Let us all seek to report the truth in our lives.