Lost In Translation

Bangkok Layover To Laos

Dim sum style dumplings on Soi 38 in Sukhmvit.

More streets stalls.

All this for only 40 baht ($1).

Seafood stall on  Soi 38.

Chicken rice stall on Soi 38.

A small order of fried chicken and rice for 30 baht (less than a dollar, and street food is even cheaper in Laos).

A restaurant near Ekamai BTS station.

In the city at night.

At the airport on my way to Luang Prabang.

Cross Of Iron

Cross Of Iron (1977) directed by Sam Peckinpah is an underrated classic. It stars James Colburn as a German soldier who becomes disillusioned by the war with the Russians, one of the few war films I’ve seen that deals with that brutal conflict. There are some other great character acting from people like James Mason and Maximillan Schnell. It has more of Peckinpah’s operatic violence and action scenes that show the carnage in slow motion and the period details look very accurate. Furthermore, the fighting scenes are impressive and realistic for a film made pre-80s without the aid of CGI effects.  It feels a little overlong at almost two hours in length, but a worthy war film not to be overlooked.

The Big Nowhere

The Big Nowhere (1988) is the second novel in James Ellroy's LA Quartet, following The Black Dahlia. This one takes place in the 50s and has the usual devious drug fiends, corrupt cops, obsessive detectives, and usual low life villains and vermin. The main protagonists are the bright and upcoming detective Danny Upshaw, the slick Lieutenant Detective Mal Considine, and the ballsy Howard Huges and Mickey Cohen procurer and bagman Buzz Meeks. Needless to say, not all of the main protagonists make it out alive. The main action concerns a red scare investigation in Hollywood ala the McCarthy red scare and a series of brutal killings of homosexuals by "The Wolverine Killer." Ellroy's dark, menacing LA, again, is awash in corruption, decay, weakness, murder, and crime. There are several other colorful characters that make appearances in other novels like Mickey Cohen, Johnny Stompano, and Dudley Smith. I am a big fan o f the film version of LA Confidential, and may have read it more than 15 years ago-I think I will revisit it again since I am enjoying Ellroy's LA Quartet and his re-imagined LA so much after the first two installments.

High Noon

High Noon (1952) is widely considered one of the finest westerns of all-time. For me, one of the most interesting aspects of the film is that it can be seen as an allegory in Hollywood for the failure of Hollywood people to stand up to the House Un-American Activities Committee during the Red-baiting era of Joseph McCarthy. The writer Carl Foreman was blacklisted shortly after this film. John Wayne has called the film un-American and it was Bill Clinton's favorite film of all time. It was one of Gary Cooper's greatest roles and a major come back as his career was in decline and the first staring role for Grace Kelly and the film debut of Lee Van Cleef, who would make a career starring in westerns.

Com.Cafe

North side of Shimokitazawa has some nice little cafes, Com.Cafe has a nice taco salad with a small salad bar option.

The Accidental Billionaires

As most people know the impressive film The Social Network (2010) directed by David Fincher was based on Ben Mezrich's book The Accidental Billionaires (2009). This is probably one of the rare cases where I thought the film was better than the book. I think Fincher added something that made it more than just another bio pic, but Mezrich has built his career on taking real life stories and presenting them in fiction-like scenarios by imagining what the main players were feeling and thinking. For example, see his book on traders in Japan, The Ugly Americans, and this is where my skepticism is raised. I read the book to get the real story about Facebook. And maybe we can never get the real story, however, we certainly won't get it from Mezrich, who seems to be courting Hollywood on every subsequent sensationalized publication.

Pina: 3D

I don't go to many films in the theaters in Japan due ot the excessive cost, but I figured Wim Wenders' 3D documentary Pina (2011) would be worth the exception. It was certainly a spectacle as advertised-great, inventive dances in some fascinating locations and interesting editing. I'm wondering if any of the other recent 3D films are worth a look as well-Martin Scorcese's Hugo and Werner Herzog's Cave Of Forgotten Dreams.

The Singapore Grip

I had never heard of Irishman J.G. Farrell before coming across this book, The Singapore Grip. It seems that he achieved a lot in his short life (he died while swimming in 1979 at the age of 44). This is the third of his books based on the fall of the British colonial empire known as the —Empire Trilogy— that began with Troubles (Ireland) and the Booker prize-winning Siege of Krishnapur (India). This novel is an epic novel in scope starting in 1939 before Singapore falls to the Japanese. Farrrell gives a detailed look at life in the colonies among the expats and captains of industry. His characterizations of those in the colony are often comic, but they also serve as conduits for dissemination of his research on the economic practices of those times and of the operation of rubber plantations in particular, since this is the industry of the main characters the Blacketts and the idealistic Matthew Webb. Matthew in particular is also a conduit for information about world affairs. As the eccentric heir to the Walter Blackett's late partner, he has been working for some international agency in Geneva and is prone to provoking to big discussions about economics and world peace. Farrell is never clear what "the Singapore grip" is, but Matthew is told many different things before he settles on a meaning that suits his world view-one in which colonial powers set their grip on local people and squeeze them dry. A grip that will only be broken by the impending war and its aftermath.

February Films

The Ides Of March (2011) is the latest political thriller directed by and starring George Clooney. However, the lead is played by Rayna Gosling, who plays a political adviser who goes from being a innocent, naive cog to major player in the course of the film. There are several great character actors in supporting roles like Philip Seymor Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, and Marisa Tomei. It is a well made and entertaining film.

The premise for the documentary Chasing Bernie Madoff (2010) seemed like a good idea. Looking at the story of the guys who brought the ponzi scheme down. The truth is that it is not all that compelling of a story that gets trumped up with suggestions that lives were at stake by dangerous criminal elements, which caused on whistle blower to buy a gun and practice shooting at a shooting range. I think there was a good story there, but it got lost somehow in the process.

The documentary Young At Heart (2007) on the other hand was a moving film about a group of senior citizens from New England that sing their own chorus versions of a variety of songs. These songs include some from the likes of Sonic Youth, Talking Heads, Allen Toussaint, James Brown, and several others. During the filming of this documentary two members died. A compelling look at the restorative power of art and belonging to something larger than oneself.

I was surprised how much I liked Joe Wright's action thriller Hanna (2011) starring Eric Bana and Saorise Ronan. It is like several films in one. It begins in the wilds of antartica and then moves from Morocco to Spain to Germany. There are great action sequences and wonderful cinematography.

The Postman Always RIngs Twice (1946) is base don the classic crime noir by James M. Cain and stars the fabulous Lana Turner. I suppose it was risque for the time, but I don't think it caputured the spirit of Cain's novel enough-perhaps it was impossible to do so at the that time and age. Many see it as one of Turner's greatest performances. I would be curious to see the 1981 re-maek with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange as well.

Tioman Island

Tioman Island is a small island off the coast of Malaysia, where the musical film South Pacific was filmed in 1958. It is a popular place for people from Singpore to vacation. We spent the first night on Paya Beach at the Paya Beach Resort, but it was too isolated from the Berjaya Beach Resort where the bulk of the wedding party was staying so we moved there the next day and stayed the following day as well.

Paya beach.

Paya Beach Resort.

Watch out for coconuts.

In the lobby at the Paya Resort.

The Berjaya Resort.

Watch out for the iguanas!

And the monkeys...

My bungalow.

Lunch with Pete and Marcus in Tekek village.

The bridge to the ferry in Tekek village.

Lovely flowers on the grounds of the Berjaya Resort.

View from the bridge.

The beach near sunset.

Gathering the clan for post dinner drinks.

Marcus and Bret (one of Jase's brothers and business partner) have a chat.

Tex (another of Jase's brothers) and 7 month old son Cooper.

Sean (another Dibbin brother) on his birthday.

The spa at Berjaya Resort.

Heavy vegetation.

More beach.

Near the Marine Park.

Giant bird near ABC beach.