TRAVEL TO MOVIES: FEVER DREAM

Director: Claudia Llosa

Cast: María Valverde , Marcelo Michinaux , Emilio Vodanovich , Guillermina Sorribes Liotta , Germán Palacios , Dolores Fonzi , Guillermo Pfening , Cristina Banegas , Jolene Andersen (V)

Plot: A young woman lies dying far from home. A boy sits beside her. She is not his mother. He is not her child. Together, they tell a haunting story of broken souls, an invisible threat, and the power and desperation of family. Based on the internationally critically acclaimed novel by Samanta Schweblin.

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fever_dream

My Movie Review: The movie is a psychological drama with an element of magical realism set on surreal dream like location a deeply disturbing tale of sickness and the trials of motherhood! Fever Dream is a sensation that's felt a little wishy washy at first but cut deeps as it progresses the sunny whimsical treatment is giving cool calm collected vibes turning chill down your spine! The story starts when a woman named Amanda arrives in a quiet rural town in Argentina with her daughter Nina to spend a few days on vacation, next to their rented house is the house of Carola and David who's not her real son. The two women develop a quick close friendship, but Amanda soon realizes they are not as they appear to be when she found lot of stranger things! From then on, it becomes a very quiet story that lives from flashbacks and thus also tells the actual story. It's all somehow interesting and exciting, but it's also a very slow story that builds up if you always have the feeling of being in a dream where you can't grasp what's happening? Llosa's sensually shot film takes the story of a mother facing strange danger and casts a spell that feels like being dropped into the nuts it will tell the haunting story of broken souls, toxins, looming environmental and spiritual catastrophes, and the ties that bind a parent to its children!

Critics Consensus: The meaning of this alluring drama can feel as elusive as a Fever Dream, but it's steadily absorbing and consistently difficult to look away. The whole thing is bit bonkers but very beautiful too. There's an oppressive malevolence to Peruvian director Claudia Llosa's adaptation of Samanta Schweblin's novel that seeps through Fever Dream like a slow-acting poison. Lllosa's sensually shot film takes the story of a mother facing strange danger and casts a spell that feels like being dropped into the character's mind. After the first few minutes, you'll either be riveted, or looking for something else to watch. If you get on its wavelength, though, it might be the most haunting thing you've seen lately. In this thriller, Maternity is approached from different perspectives and diverse emotional states! Llosa, a filmmaker with an affinity for the unexplainable, mines acute observations on apprehensions of motherhood from the novel designing a serpentine narrative teeming with impending doom for all participants. An ominous and evocative psychological horror that will be divisive for many. A horror movie that begins with such discomfort and slowly evolves into full-blown dread. Horror connoisseurs might be disappointed about the deliberate pace and reliance on erotic and psychological tension to supply the thrills, but its sneaky and surreal genre film isn't interested in textbook horror tactics!

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fever_dream

TRAVEL TO PLACES: SINGAPORE-- III THE SHOPPES AT MARINA BAY SANDS

My Personal Experience: I went to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands for some third time or more I don't much recall but each time I come it's like the first' last August 6, 2022, together with my sister and family. The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is luxury redefine there's always new and fresh looking it's so cool this time got to capture palm trees outside while we're inside!

The Shoppes- Marina Bay Sands

Asia’s Premier Luxury Shopping Destination- The Shoppes is the only luxury mall in Singapore to offer a by-appointment only Personal Shopping service. It is also the first and only mall in Singapore to house a complimentary shoe-shine service. The mall is the only one in Singapore to open until 11pm nightly and until 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as eve of public holidays. With close to 800,000 square feet of retail space and 270 boutiques and restaurants, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands has transformed the retail landscape in Singapore with the country's first large- scale luxury shopping mall in the heart of the Central Business District. The Shoppes is home to more than 170 luxury and premium brands spanning across bespoke menswear, women’s collections, luxury children’s labels, well luxury watch and jewelry brands:)

Source: https://www.marinabaysands.com/factsheet-the-shoppes-at-marina-bay-sands.pdf

TRAVEL TO MOVIES: THE TRIP

Director: Tommy Wirkola

Cast: Noomi Rapace , Aksel Hennie , André Eriksen , Atle Antonsen , Stig Frode Henriksen , Erik Gunstrøm , Nils Oftebro , Christian Rubeck , Selome Emnetu , Galvan Mehidi , Harald Dal

Plot: A dysfunctional couple, Lars (Aksel Hennie) and Lisa (Noomi Rapace), head to a remote cabin under the guise of reconnecting, but each has intentions to kill the other. Before they can carry out their plans, unexpected visitors arrive and they are faced with such a greater danger:)

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_trip_2021

My Movie Review: The movie is a dark comedy-horror in which an unhappily married couple takes a trip to a remote cabin, with each planning to kill the other- This is definitely not for kids:) The Trip is a slapstick horror as the couple must suddenly team up in their cabin' situation goes awry when they encounter 3 bumbling escaped convicts who were hiding in the attic' with back and forth fighting their unexpected appearance put them on distress and constant head bang! A lot of 3 Stooges-like smacks to the face as everyone has a bloody face in this movie it was a good fight laugh out loud on scenes that really stick to the gut with so much gist they maximize! It was actually a fun movie that flies by the one you enjoy without looking the time but not a perfect movie of course they are scenes you wish that gone different but overall this delivers! Favorite character was the lead convict takes a solid punch without anyone business he was just so calm and matter of fact throughout the whole picture makes the movie enjoyable satire:) Towards the end, Lisa had the opportunity to drown Lars along with Petter, but she made a moral choice and saved her husband maybe this journey is just way to realize lover even more!

Critics Reviews: The Trip thankfully steps back from the sadness of a crumbling relationship and instead presents its chaotic flipside! There's a whimsical, Wes Anderson-like quality to the way Wirkola introduces characters and plot twists, though the tone is more Martin McDonagh with a dash of Quentin Tarantino. This is a gruesomely graphic and pitch-black comedy-horror-thriller loaded with entertaining plot twists great and small. “The Trip” isn’t for the faint of heart. Some scenes are extremely intense and the further it goes the gorier the movie gets. Yet it’s all fused with this wicked sense of humor that often pops up in the most unexpected moments! It inspires a few choking laughs, it's challenging to see, and it's likely to satisfy any iron stomachs who are up to the task. The fights are violent, bloody, all in a pronounced tone of macabre and absurd humor. What then follows is 90 minutes of occasionally hilarious, sometimes gruesome but certainly inventive cinema. Like a cross between My Poor Angel and Funny Games. A wild, zany ride that Wirkola and his cast are 100% committed to. At the risk of sounding cliché: you'll want to take this trip. Bloody good fun, and damned bloody and damned funny in their bargain!!

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_trip_2021

TRAVEL TO PLACES: SINGAPORE-- MARINA BAY SANDS OUTDOORS

My Personal Experience: I went to Marina Bay Sands Outdoors at Promenade where the sun shines bright on the city skyscrapers in clear blue skies- a sight to behold last August 6, 2022, together with my sister. We went there to unwind after going into The Shoppes at MBS where we left her husband and child to have some sibling bond in those cool palm trees for air/shade!

Marina Bay Sands Outdoors

The Marina Bay Sands Promenade is a visual treat for walkers and runners in Singapore. The running route provides a flat, well-maintained path that’s perfect for all fitness levels. Along the promenade lies the Event Plaza, which offers unparalleled views of the city skyline and front-row seats to Spectra, a light and water show. Every evening, a striking spectacle comprising water jets, laser projections, and a majestic soundtrack illuminate the waterfront for a dazzling experience like no other. For a relaxing outdoor activity around, opt for a drink at our waterfront bars overlooking the promenade. Savour a delicious serving of Beef Wellington at the refined Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay, else have Truffle Fries to share at Dallas Café & Bar!

Source: https://www.marinabaysands.com/outdoor-activities-around-marina-bay.html

TRAVEL TO MOVIES: THERE'S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE

Director: Patrick Brice

Cast: Sydney Park , Asjha Cooper , Sarah Dugdale , BJ Harrison , Diego Josef , Jade Falcon , Théodore Pellerin , Jesse LaTourette , Burkely Duffield , Aason Nadjiwon , William MacDonald

Plot: Makani Young (Sydney Park) has moved from Hawaii to quiet, small-town Nebraska to live with her grandmother and finish her final year of high school. But as the countdown to graduation begins, she and her classmates are stalked by a killer intent on exposing their darkest secrets to the entire town, terrorizing every victim while wearing a life-like mask of their own face. With a mysterious past of her own, Makani and her friends must discover the killer's identity before they become victims themselves.

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/theres_someone_inside_your_house

My Movie Review: The movie is a slasher gone wrong for most reviews I've read but there's something fresh about it on how the killer's execute one by one kill nothing I've seen on before! The opening scene is such a shocker wish the whole film maintain that intensity with mask that's stare back to your face and dark grey jacket with hoodie could be perfect killer ensemble! There's Someone Inside Your House is coming-of-age that doesn't deliver on its promises with low body count, unsatisfying drama with less connection less to root for, and a lack of scares but this film has both style and substance to gorgeous likeable young stars that look promising! As one by one them the students of her new high school begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, Makani doesn't know who's next on the list & her own secrets from the past to keep! Between this and her scorching relationship with the school misfit, this school year may turn out to be one to die for until Darby and Alex help the players find their way out, while Ollie and Makani try to find Zach to their surprise they ultimately confront the killer, piecing together who's on it now wearing Skipper's face, who kills Skipper before revealing himself to be Zach:)(

Critics Consensus: A likable cast and strong set pieces give There's Someone Inside Your House a lift, but they're outweighed by its messily misguided story. There's Someone Inside Your House is intermittently effective, but ultimately unremarkable, and it feels like a product of its time in disappointing ways. In trying to have it both ways, Brice has created a messy, overstuffed parody of moral policing that squanders the promise of its cleverly executed opening. While it is easy to compare this to the admittedly more unique slashers before it, There’s Someone Inside Your House at the very least does everything on its own terms. It is not capitalizing on nostalgia or trapped in the past. It’s slasher formula 101 – introduce the killer’s fodder (most often a group of insufferable teens) and then slice them, carve them, chop them, and impale them one by one. That’s this movie in a nutshell. All its failings could be semi-forgiven if There's Someone Inside Your House did the one thing that was promised on the box be frightening ...well-made, well-acted and should keep couch-bound sleuths guessing until the end... There's never really a moment in There's Someone Inside Your House that suggests its protagonists are real enough to be worth rooting for. There's nothing inside this one. It’s like eating a cookie that’s just a little bit stale. It’s hard to complain but it's still a cookie!

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/theres_someone_inside_your_house

TRAVEL TO PLACES: SINGAPORE-- MONSTER PLANET

My Personal Experience: I went to Monster Planet at The Jewel- Singapore Changi Airport last August 5, 2022, together with my sister. We went there to dine after seeing the vicinity and the rain vortex- time to eat this one really caught my attention with its colorful orange backdrop! Monster Planet isn't my usual go, don't eat curry but the bigger plate surprise us in a good way!

Monster Planet

Halal Japanese Curry Brand -- The demand for halal Japanese curry has been growing over the years with that Monster Planet has landed. The halal Japanese concept will primarily cater to the Muslim community in Singapore. Big on size and big on taste! Our curry rice comes in 35cm and 41cm sized plates, giving us good reasons to call ourselves Monster Planet. Share the love of our monstrous plates of delicious curry with your friends and families! Must-try halal Japanese curry dishes the Signature Chicken Katsu Curry, the Supreme Beef Omelette Curry:)

Source: https://monsterplanet.com.sg/

TRAVEL TO MOVIES: UPCOMING SUMMER

Director: Leste Chen

Cast: Zifeng Zhang , Lei Wu , Lei Hao , Feng Zu , Xiaohai Liu , Dan Liu , Tie Zhou

Plot: Chen Chen, high school student, finds the love affair of her mother just before the college entrance exam and gets depressed. After the unsuccessful exam, Chen gets acquainted with Zheng Yu Xing, handsome campus cyber celebrity, because of a lie. The two join hands to face growing pains, and witness growth and metamorphoses of each other, in the summer of their unsettled youth.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13575838/?ref_=ls_mv_close

My Movie Review: The movie is whimsical don't know but there's something magic on it about these two young stars who are high school seniors under pressure to pass college exams on the top of it all discovering selves, falling in love, dealing with family affairs- in their pivotal time! Upcoming Summer is captivating presenting us different scenarios that put us on the spot of seeing the light coming to one's life that changes the course of her life the advent he represent show us a person can change one lonely life and bring some color to it when you least expect:) The feelings were so raw their romance comes natural as when you feel unsure on what you feel that's when you know that the feelings are real just like Chen Chen feels to Zheng Yu Xing! As seen in my poster the film ends with Chen Chen comes to the crowd while Zhen Yu-Xing walks himself to the stage so he finally gets to lives his dream as a DJ. It closes with a narrative by “Zhen Yu-Xing, when is the future?” Asks Chen Chen. “It’s right now. The time when the person you like, likes you back. It’s the future.” Zhen Yu-Xing replies. An open ending and up to your interpretation nevertheless them two starts with a lie but ends up with their truth!

Critic Reviews: The relationship between [the teens] is touching and complex, and the actors make it feel as if their difficult navigation of the grownup world is real. Lighter than a mooncake and full of the stuff that's fueled tales of teens in love for ages now, Upcoming Summer strikes a nice balance between self-awareness and cutesy burgeoning romance. Even though they’ve found themselves an item despite themselves, railroaded into dating by grownups, you find yourself rooting for Chen Chen and Zheng Yuxing to get together for real since they’re so darn cute together. When an after-school study session becomes an opportunity for Zheng to show off his DJ gear and skill as a guitar player to the shy, curious Chen Chen, the pair are singing a song about lotus flowers and hugs until a stern glare from Zheng’s dad kills the moment. But what might’ve been pretty soon becomes what’s meant to be as they stare into each other’s eyes at a rate of 128bpm, it’s another chance for Upcoming Summer to scratch that familiar teen rom com itch. Upcoming Summer wears its coming-of-age bona fides on the sleeve of a Chinese high school uniform, and the chemistry between its two young leads-- carries the day:)

Source: https://decider.com/2021/10/04/upcoming-summer-netflix-review-stream-it-or-skip-it/