A film review: 'Vikingdom: The Blood Eclipse'... is one bloody epic!

Oleh / By: Iki.Ali

Director: Yusry Abdul Halim
Producer: Norman Abdul Halim, Shireen Hashim
Screenplay: James Coyne
Genre: Action / fantasy
Starring: Dominic Purcell, Conan Stevens,
Natassia Malthe, Craig Fairbrass, John Foo,
Tegan Moss, Jesse Moss, Patrick Murray
Release:
MY - September 12, 2013; US - October 4, 2013
Studio: KRU Studios
Distributor: Universal Pictures, Epic Pictures,
United Pictures 

This is one of those films where you don't really know what just hit you. In this case, it hit me and my old roommate (also still faculty-mate and currently also course-mates), where he suddenly asked me for an impromptu movie-watching session just before my Italian Language class, and surprisingly, we watched on the day it was released... and it was also surprisingly kinda good! Huh!

What do you know? The urban legend finally comes true. What does that mean? Well, I first heard of its initial title, known simply as Vikingdom, from a classmate of mine who told me he was somewhat involved in the film as an uncredited labour as his part-time job. And I was like... KRU (partially-active musicians and now kinda-devoted film making/producing trio of siblings), a bunch of MALAYSIANS, making a film about VIKINGS of SCANDINAVIAN legends? Questions in my head would be.. how is THAT gonna be possible, how are these two related and HOW is it going to relate to the local audiences since it is NOT from our local culture? Being skeptical, I was highly doubting this crap and accepted it as a rumour and nothing else... until I saw its teaser trailer.

Apparently, the film is a real deal. And what they showcased really did give some shockers.

A film review: '5 Broken Hearts'

Oleh / By: Iki.Ali

Director, screenplay, producer: Ezzah Mahmud
Genre: Documentary
Starring: Aleena Isa, Izzati Shahirah, Leo Huzair,
Faridah Mahmud, Nadiah Sabry
Release: 2013
Studio: Dark Light Productions

Well, this is the first. A documentary review. And the first English review for a local film, since its language is primarily in English. How the hell do I do this? By judging its participants or something? Or just write whatever that's necessary or related to the intent of this particular one? I choose the second option, please.

Apparently, I got bored. And my heart feels... pretty empty for no particular reason (no deep shit or anything... just... y'know... empty) all of a sudden, probably because I thought I was soulless. Adding a kick in the nuts to that fact, I also felt kind of like a jerk for having to finally watch this much trended and talked about documentary that my junior made (yes, a WRITING student, go about making a DOCUMENTARY FILM, as opposed to ME, a FILM student, didn't do jack as of yet... except for slacking off at even the easiest yet mentally demanding job as a time code keeper and a script 'goreng-er'... so sad, yeah?) and was made as an entry for the already passed KaryaOne Awards 2013 (awards ceremony previously mentioned on my double review of two upcoming films) and was even in the running for the Best Documentary Award, but apparently lost to a graffiti-themed documentary film called Legalize It...  due to my ego finally allowing me to watch it. There, confession time.

Alas... another possibly uninteresting opening. Just do your shit, dude...

Sebuah reviu filem-filem yang akan datang: 'Mana Mau Lari' dan 'Hantu Tok Mudim'

Oleh / By: Iki.Ali

Hah. Inilah dia filem-filem yang aku kata aku nak reviu sebelum ni sebenarnya. Lama sangat dah aku tunda. Peh. Filem-filem ni walaupun aku dah lama tonton, tapi tak keluar lagi kat pawagam. Tapi nak kata aku ni privileged, tak juga. Sebab filem-filem ni bukannya cinema-worthy pun. Tapi sekurang-kurangnya filem yang ada hantu macam samurai tu lagi sedaplah untuk ditonton berbanding yang lagi satu tu. Nanti aku bagitau pasai pa, na.

Seperti yang dapat dibaca dalam poster promosi di atas, aku telah dipaksa (YA, DIPAKSA) untuk menonton filem-filem ni (sebenarnya Mana Mau Lari je yang aku terpaksa tengok disebabkan oleh misinformation yang disengajakan daripada korang-kenal-siapa sebab aku ingat markah aku akan dipotong kalau tak tengok; tiket dia pulak 2-dalam-1, jadi terpaksalah tengok sekali Hantu Tok Mudim!) yang dipakejkan sebagai majlis Malam Apresiasi Filem 2013 sempena hari anugerah Malam KaryaOne 2013 (aku masih tak boleh terima kehodohan nama ni!) yang katanya nak menghargai karya-karya kreatif para pelajar UiTM (dulu untuk pelajar fakulti aku je, tapi depe kasi pulak semua UiTM masuk sekali tahun ni). Maklumat pasal tayangan ni ada dalam poster kat atas.

Tanpa melengahkan masa, inilah dia pandangan aku tentang dua filem tempatan akan datang ni!

(AMARAN: SPOILER ada BANYAK GILA! Serius!)