Bates Motel: Episode 1x01 - First You Dream, Then You Die (2013)

Developed for television by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano.

Network: A&E

Cast: Vera Farmiga (1), Freddie Highmore (2), Max Thieriot (3), Nicola Peltz (4), Mike Vogel (5), Keegan Connor Tracy (6), Nestor Carbonell (7), and Olivia Cooke

Do you ever think about the backstory of all the infamous killers in film and television? Were they ever normal? Did they go to school? Did they have friends, or even a best friend? Is there a turning point in their life that made them become killers and what was it? All these questions are sometimes never addressed in slasher flicks or suspense thrillers. I mean you can only put in so much detail and backstory in 90 to 150 minutes. But it is this curiosity to fully understand a character such as Norman Bates that will make this series a hit. 

I don't do well with suspense horror films. That's my excuse for not ever watching Psycho. I have watched Hitchcock's Vertigo though, in class. But watching Hannibal, and now Bates Motel, and actually liking them has made me reconsider my self imposed embargo on suspense thrillers. Maybe I just need to muster up the courage to be open to watching suspense thrillers. 

It's interesting that there are so many recent television series that build on or expand on the universe of already well known characters. Just this year alone there are shows like Arrow that build upon the universe of the Green Arrow. Beauty And The Beast featuring of course the title characters, Elementary with Sherlock Holmes, Hannibal featuring Dr Hannibal Lecter and the characters from Red Dragon, Ripper Street which is linked to the universe of Jack the Ripper, and of course Bates Motel. But I love majority of the shows mentioned here, because whether I previously knew of the characters or universe they are based on or not, there's always something new and fascinating to discover about them. I see it as a new point of view. Or a new insight to an already well loved character. 

Every good suspense thriller needs a creepy house!

With Bates Motel, much like in the new series Hannibal, I think it gives a new dimension to the character of Norman Bates. He is no longer just the creepy guy with a split personality and a violent streak. This is an updated version, set in the modern world. And it's beginning to look like it's gonna be a really interesting world. 

Our experiences shape who we are. Maybe if Norman Bates never witnessed his mum killing the man who raped her he wouldn't have become a psycho killer? And if they never tried to cover up his murder, Norman Bates would have never found the book with graphic images which may or may not have put those sadistic thoughts in his head? We will never know if the absence of these incidents would have made a difference, but still it's interesting to think about. And this is what draws me into the series. The characters. 

Hannibal: Episode 1x01 - Apéritif (2013)

Created by Bryan Fuller (1)

Network: NBC

Cast: Hugh Dancy (2), Mads Mikkelsen (3), Laurence Fishburne (4), Caroline Dhavernas (5), and Hettienne Park (6)


I have never watched any of the films or read the books about Dr Hannibal Lecter. I can hear some of you crying foul saying that I have no business commenting on films, or books, if I have never seen Silence Of The Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon, or Hannibal Rising. But the truth of the matter is, I dislike gore and horror and I barely tolerate thrillers. Which is really quite odd because I love crime shows. 

Television shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: NY, Dexter, The Mentalist, Flashpoint, Grimm, Elementary, NCIS: Los Angeles, Hawaii Five-0, Beauty And The Beast, Lie To Me, Murder, She Wrote, Bones, they all fascinate me. Even though sometimes the scenes get a little bloody or if they use those kind of creepy music and sudden, loud, and high pitched sound effects. I enjoy playing the 'whodunit guessing game' while watching the episode. 

Now I know all the series I mentioned above aren't really creepy. Hannibal probably goes more along the lines of series like American Horror Story, Alcatraz, 666 Park Avenue, and probably the new series Bates Motel, a series that I'm going to watch next. And honestly, when I first heard of the series Hannibal, it was on my 'avoid-at-all-costs' list. Just because I'm chicken and scare easily. What changed my mind? 2 words. Hugh Dancy. 

Since watching him in the film Adam, I have been a resolute fan. He piqued my interest when I first watched him in the film Ella Enchanted. And I've been following his work since then. But Adam was the film that really sealed the deal for me. It was his performance in that film as a man with Asperger Syndrome that really impressed me. And you know what, I would love to see Hugh Dancy and his wife (Claire Danes) both go home with an Emmy each for acting. It's his turn to shine because he deserves it for his performance as Will Graham. 

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Directed by Jason Moore (1) 

Cast: Anna Kendrick (2), Skylar Austin (3), Anna Camp (4), Brittany Snow (5), Rebel Wilson (6), Alexis Knapp (7), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (8), Elizabeth Banks (9)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quotes - "Look honey, college is great. You get to create memories here. I see it every day. You just have to give it a chance.", "How do you not like movies? Not liking movies is like not liking puppies.", "You guys are gonna get pitch slapped so hard, your man boobs are gonna concave.", & "Even though some of you are pretty thin, I think that you all have fat hearts. And that's what matters."

My favourite dialogue -

Bumper: You are probably the grossest human being I've ever seen.
Fat Amy: Well you're no panty dropper yourself.
Bumper: So I have a feeling that we should kiss. And, but is this feeling a good feeling? Or an incorrect feeling?
Fat Amy: Well, I some times have a feeling I can do crystal meth, but then I think... ummm... better not. 

Jesse: What's up weirdo! 
Beca: Oh! What's this?
Jesse: As much as I love spending time with you stacking CDs. And I do. I love it. Like more than life. I figured we can do some other fun things that don't make us wanna kill ourselves right?
Beca: Yeah. 

Jesse: So, I brought some movies. Jaws, E.T., The Breakfast Club, Star Wars, and Rocky. Best scored and soundtrack movies of all time. That's what I wanna do when I grow up. I wanna score movies. Bring people to tears, you know, blow their minds. I feel that only music can do that. 
Beca: Yeah. You must really sweep your girlfriend off her feet.

Jesse: Oh I don't have a girlfriend.
Beca: What? 
Jesse: Yup.
Beca: You have juice pouches and Rocky!

Jesse: Okay. So, what do you want to watch first?
Beca: Can we do something else? We could relive my parents' divorce, visit a gynecologist. 

Jesse: What do you not like movies or something? Like any movies? What the hell is wrong with you! How do you not like movies? Not liking movies is like not liking puppies.
Beca: They're fine. I just get bored and never make it to the end.

Jesse: The endings are the best part.
Beca: They're predictable. Like the guy gets the girl, and that kid sees dead people, and Darth Vader is Luke's father.

Jesse: Oh right, so you just happen to guess the biggest cinematic reveal in history.
Beca: 'Vader' in German means 'father'. His name is literally Darth Father. 

Jesse: Huh. So you know German. Well, now I know why you don't like fun things. You know, you need a movie education. You need a moviecation. And I'm gonna give it to you.

Did You Know? - The film is loosly based on a non-fiction book of the same name by Mickey Rapkin. 


Beca Mitchell: No one was more surprised than me. But I really liked those girls.
Dr Mitchell: And you er, you thought quitting was the answer?
Beca Mitchell: Seriously? You can say that to me?
Dr Mitchell: Oh come on Bec. That's so unfair. Look, your mum and I, we didn't work. But I tried so hard to make things right between us. But you just shut me out.
Beca Mitchell: Well I shut everybody out. Don't take it personally. It's just easier.
Dr Mitchell: It's also really lonely.
Beca Mitchell: What do I do?
Dr Mitchell: Well that's up to you.

No man, or woman, is an island. And that is especially so with a cappella. Besides showcasing the wonderful world of a cappella, Pitch Perfect tells the story of Beca Mitchell, played by the talented Anna Kendrick, who is forced by her father to attend college. All she wants to do is to be a DJ and produce music, but her father doesn't feel that there is a future to being a DJ. So he insists that she attend college, get a proper education, and experience college life. 

What Beca learns through the course of the movie is that letting people in isn't the end of the world. 

Once upon a time, I was like Beca. I got burnt before, so I closed myself to other people and didn't trust anyone enough to form strong bonds or any kind of friendship or relationship. That was during my secondary school days. So for 3 years, I was a loner. 

Dr Mitchell: Beca? Beca, wake up. Funny, this doesn't look like your Intro to Philosophy class.
Beca Mitchell: I'm posing an important philosophical question. If I don't actually go to that class will it still suck?
Dr Mitchell: Look honey, college is great. You get to create memories here. I see it every day. You just have to give it a chance. You've been here, what, a month now. Do you have any friends?
Beca Mitchell: Kimmy-Jin is my friend.
Kimmy-Jin: No.
Dr Mitchell: You gotta get out there Bec. You gotta try something.
Beca Mitchell: I got a job at the radio station.
Dr Mitchell: Oh great that place. Yes. Dark and dirty, has like, what, those 3 weirdos who work there.
Beca Mitchell: Well 4 now.
Dr Mitchell: You gotta try something new Bec. Join one club on campus. And if at the end of the year, you still don't wanna be here, you still wanna go off to LA and be P Diddy, well then, you can quit college. And I will help you move to LA.
Beca Mitchell: Seriously?
Dr Mitchell: Yes seriously. But I really need to see it Beca. This is college. Join in. 

Since doing School Days, a recent television series I worked on, I have been thinking a lot about my own school days. And looking back, I really don't have many fond memories of my primary or secondary school. For the first 10 years of compulsory education, I can count the number of friends, from those school days, I still keep in touch with regularly today. (PS: I'm excluding those on Facebook). Zero. Well, maybe 1. But I know her through Sunday classes rather than school, so to me, that doesn't really count. 

I don't have many fond memories during my primary or secondary school days, so after many years of being mostly friendless and keeping to myself, I decided that I needed to make a change and make friends. You see, I got lonely. I think it was my secondary school prom that made me wake up and decide that I need to break out of my shell and trust people again. On a side note, my prom experiences have never been good. Something bad always happens during my prom. But I'll save that story for another post on a film like Drive Me Crazy or Wish Upon A Star. 

Truth be told, I would say that my college years were the most eventful and fun, yet heartbreakingly painful. My polytechnic years were the most pleasant and memorable, with a healthy dose of suffering. And my university years were the most driven and educational period of my life. But I agree with Beca's father, there's much to experience when you are a student. If you can afford it, slow down and enjoy every minute of your school days. Don't be in such a hurry to get into the real world and work. 

You might think you know what you want, and you may actually end up doing what you love and want you think you want now. But who knows, all that could change over the years. In college, I wanted to be a Literature teacher and teach at my alma mater Catholic Junior College. But look where I am today! I'm a writer. I'm fulfilling a childhood dream.
This prayer is a favourite of one of my ex boyfriends, Mr 4.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity 
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.

- American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr

This prayer always reminds me that change is the only constant. But also that we must know what we can or cannot change. And remember that there are some things we cannot change no matter how hard we try.

I applaude how Beca dreams big and is such a go-getter. But I'm glad she eventually learns to slow down and smell the roses. It makes it all worth while to know that she realises that some people are worth being around and fighting for.

Beca isn't the only one who had to learn to be open to new things and change. Anna Camp's Aubrey also had to learn to let go of her need for control and accept that change isn't always a bad thing. Control. We can't always control the situation or people around us. And I'm glad Aubrey, played by Anna Camp, learns to let loose and go with the flow by the end of the film. And I loved the way Brittany Snow's Chloe finally took control of how she wanted to be treated by Aubrey and stood up for herself. These two wonderful actresses did a fantastic job as Aubrey and Chloe. Especially Anna Camp. She was able to play the "villain" without us writing her off as a total b***h.

Legally Blonde: The Musical (Original Australian Cast)

Directed and Choreographed by Jerry Mitchell

Cast: Luck Durack (Elle Woods), Rob Mills (Warner Huntington III), David Harris (Emmett Forrest), Helen Dallimore (Paulette Bonafonte), Cameron Daddo (Professor Callahan), and Erika Heynatz (Brooke Wyndham)

My favourite songs - Omigod You Guys, Ireland, Chip On My Shoulder, So Much Better, Take It Like A Man, Legally Blonde (Remix), & Find My Way/Finale.


Have you ever done anything drastic for love? Or even changed your hair colour or hairstyle because of love? It's funny cos one of my recent posts The Wedding Planner was about how failures in love have made me who I am today. 

I recently caught Legally Blonde: The Musical in Brisbane Australia. It's on at the Lyric Theatre until 21 April and it'll be showing in Melbourne from May 2013 at the Princess Theatre. If you haven't gone to see it, you MUST GO! I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think it's even better than the LEGALLY blonde film! As you can tell I throughly enjoyed the musical. Why you might ask?

I feel that the musical did a great job with the character building. There are of course rather significant differences between the film and the musical. Some characters have been combined with others for the stage, which is totally understandable. But the changes applied to the characters made the story work better. Also, I love the fact that the musical expanded on the backstory of two well-loved characters in the film - Emmett and Paulette. Paulette even has her own solo song titled Ireland. And for Emmett, through the song Chip On My Shoulder, we find out more about what drives him to be a lawyer and his backstory makes us fall for him more than we do in the film. 

The musical is also hilarious! If you thought LEGALLY blonde is funny, you will love the musical even more. Yes, as with most stage productions, the actions and acting is more dramatised and over the top. But in the case of this musical, it works for it and not against it. The witty dialogue between songs adds flavour to the musical so that it becomes a great stand alone performance from the film, and without taking away what we love about LEGALLY blonde. 

While I feel that Resse Witherspoon's Elle Woods gives the audience more to chew on with regards to Elle's lovely nuances, Lucy Durack is a wonderful more comedic version to the film's Elle Woods. Reese Witherspoon's emotional performance is not seen as much in the musical, but due to the nature of stage performances, I think giving the musical's Elle a more lighthearted (read: Blonde) personality suits it perfectly. 

I first heard Rob Mills perform in Sydney, when he was playing the role of Fiyero in the musical Wicked. Maybe it was an off day for him when I saw him perform in Sydney, cos he went off key and was pitchy during the performance. While it didn't ruin my entire Wicked experience, it did make me take note of who he was, just in case I see him name come up again at any other musicals. Hearing him in Legally Blonde: The Musical, I have to applaud him for his performance. It was flawless and I really wanted to slap him, well not him but Warner, for being such an ass. And comparing to the film version of Warner, I think that the character is evenly matched. 

Cool bar eh?

When the Australian and Asian tour of Wicked came to Singapore I went to watch the musical again. But before I watched the show, I had bought the tickets of course, I was a little worried knowing that it was the Australian production because of Rob Mills' performance as Fiyero. I was thrilled to find out that Fiyero was played by another actor. A fact I only realised on the day of the musical. The performer for Fiyero in Singapore was none other than David Harris. He plays the beefed up role of Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde: The Musical, and he did a fantastic job. 

Emmett Forrest gets a backstory in the musical, something lacking in the film. And I enjoyed the fact that he has a bigger role in pushing Elle to be a better person. Legally Blonde: The Musical's Emmett also more outwardly (at least to the audience) believes in Elle's abilities and I think that was a very smart move. This also enabled the audience to actually see Elle and Emmett gradually fall in love with each other. 

Professor Callahan's nasty personality shines right through from the first time we see him on stage and I think this version of the character, though stereotypical, is more credible and less of a surprise. Props to Cameron Daddo for playing a wonderfully mean and utterly heartless Professor Callahan. 

I love Selma Blair's Vivienne to bits. Even though she was such a b***h almost all throughout the film. She played in well. Ali Calder's Vivienne was more aggressive so I find her change from foe to friend rather abrupt. But I suppose it had to be someone within the team of lawyers to remind Elle of the right she has to be legally blonde. 

I have to do a shout out for Erika Heynatz and stage debut as Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde: The Musical. She has great stamina! In the musical, she is introduced through a very funny and well staged video workout, but in it, she has to sing and skip at the same time. Then, to make things more interesting and harder for her, she has to 'pause' while the lawyers talk about her case while she's halfway through her routine (she was doing a pelvic lift). Omigod you guys! A-mazing! 

The Script (Live @ Singapore Indoor Stadium)

I've always liked the architecture of the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

What an awesome night! Watching The Script live in concert was mind blowing. I may get flogged by many for saying this, but personally, I think The Script beat Lady Gaga's concert hands down. (Although it's probably cos I'm more of a Script fan than a Lady Gaga fan.)

No distractions or theatrics. 3 LED panels, 2 huge screens and a stage. That's all The Script had, and needed, to give their Singapore fans something to scream about. It all boiled down to pure musical entertainment and simple interaction with the audience. 

Local band The UnXpected opened the concert for The Script and their first as yet untitled song was really catchy and upbeat. It's a song I'd definitely look out for when they finally name the song. The other songs they sang like Thunder was nice, but I felt it was a little too slow for my liking. Especially in terms of getting the crowd hyped up. I wish they sang more songs like the first one. But still, lead vocalist Shirlyn Tan has a great voice and the songs had a pretty decent tune. Can't say too much about the lyrics as the music was a little too loud.

* Check out The UnXpected's Facebook page here. At the moment, they play at Wala on Thursdays and Saturdays and at Sky Loft on Fridays. 

Pretty lights to set the mood.

A lighting designer's heaven...

Although the ticket stub said 8pm, it was closer to 9pm when The Script finally took to the stage. I expected to wait, but not that long! However, all that is forgotten the minute the band walks onto stage. Right from the start of the concert, I knew it was going to be a night of pretty lights and soulful music. Most of the songs that I love was performed during the concert and it was fun singing along with The Script and the rest of the crowd at the Indoor Stadium. The crowd really helped make the concert an unforgettable one. Everyone sang along, swayed along, and screamed. A lot. They sung their big hits like The Man Who Can't Be Moved, Six Degrees Of Separation, Breakeven, For The First Time, Nothing, If You Could See Me Now, Science & Faith, and of course Hall Of Fame.

The Man Who Can't Be Moved is the song that put them on my radar so when they sang it acoustically, I was floored and very very happy. And I knew that the song If You Could See Me Now was a tribute to Danny O'Donoghue's father and guitarist Mark Sheehan's parents so it gave me a context that helped me appreciate the song so much more. That, and the fact that the lyrics always reminds me of my grandmother. 

Spotlight on guitarist Mark Sheehan.

The night was all about pretty light displays and awesome music!

There were many high points during the concert. My favourite moment was when the band members each started drinking a bottle of beer and talked about drunk calling. Then Danny O'Donoghue asked the audience in the mosh pit to call their ex on the phone. When one of the calls got connected, he took the phone and started to sing to the person on the other line. Someone called Elaine. Lucky girl! Though I wonder if she hung up even before the song ended. Does anyone know? LOL! I guess it's something I might never find out. The mention of Danny's habit of drunk calling is not new, but I haven't seen any videos of him actually singing to someone on the phone while singing that song. Yet. Maybe after tonight's concert there'll be videos of that.

I know it's not a very clear shot, but if you look more closely, Danny is
holding onto the phone that he borrowed from a member of the audience.

The audience sitting at the right side of the stage had a real treat when Danny O'Donoghue turned up at the top of the stairs and ran down from the top back to the stage. It was probably planned for already, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the security personnel who had to fend off the fans when he did that. Still, I think it was a really nice thing that they did for the fans who were at the side. 

Danny O'Donoghue went close to the audience to interact with them quite often during the concert, even guitarist Mark Sheehan went towards the audience area once. Although I wasn't one of those who managed to get really close to them or shake their hand etc., I think those in front really appreciated their attempts to connect with their fans. In fact, I think plenty of Irish nationals attended the concert. I saw an Irish flag being held up by someone in the mosh pit area. Pity I didn't think to take a photo of that at the time. 

Like constellations in the night sky.
That's what the lights on the LED panels remind me of.

The Eclectic Reviewer thinks.... All in all, The Script gave me a night to remember, and I'm eagerly waiting for them to come back to Singapore!

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