Life’s a contradictory constant

*bangheadbitefistskicklamppostshakeheadwhineinagonystrangleneck*

God sure has a funky sense of humor. Come, one and all, let me tell you the situation at hand so that you, too can participate in the abovementioned actions. Or you could laugh. Very hard.

SITUATION:

I have signed on to do a travel pilot for the HDTV Trials. Titled ,Mountain Journeys’, it hopes to feature 12 more  exciting episodes of whining, climbing, dragging and of course, hosting.  I have also, by a wonderful stroke of luck(or humor), entered the semi-finals of the Discovery,Travel & Living ‘5 Takes’ TJ casting.

Guess what? The closed door audition for 5 Takes will take place on the 29th & 30th when I am in Bali from the 26th - 31st!

LIMITS OF SITUATION:

(1) The audition dates cannot be moved earlier or later, as other contestants will be flying in

(2) The contestants have to be there throughout the audition day as it will take place in a series of elimination rounds

(3) My shooting schedule allows for the 29th afternoon to be free. But I have a morning scene to shoot on the 30th.

CONCLUSION:

What can I do? I really really really want to do the ‘5 Takes’ gig but I have already signed a contract for ‘Mountain Journeys’. Even if I reshuffled my schedule to fly to Singapore, audition and fly back, it still won’t work. *pull hair* I have an obligation to fulfil my responsibilities and I can’t possibly quit altogether. But I have already practised my rousing election speech in front of the mirror, in the toilet, in the middle of the road, even under the blanket! Why why why? *sigh* So, Discovery Travel & Living 5 Takes, I will have to say Goooooo-d Byyyyyyy-e. So hard, so hard *struggle with overwhelming pain in fragile little heart*

Now THAT, my dear friends, is what I call MURPHY’S LAW. nabeh chicken foot (fwah sounds quite vulgar hor) *grumble*

I’m sick *grumble* But I’m also going on a chocoholic overdose. Woot. Anyway, read Neil Gaiman’s Stardust. Really interesting stuff! It so whimsically gothic, it’s pretty cool. Thought it would have been nice to have Dave McKeane illustrate though. Can someone please make it into a indie film?? *jumpjump*

And btw, watched Marebito (I know I’m slow, laggard whateveryoucallit) but I’m glad to annouce that this is one heck of a gothic film! Way better then all the gothic texts I’ve ever done, and totally on par with Angela Carter. Man, the show is so full of liminality and sexual deviancy and pleasurable terror that I was totally chilled to the bones! It was like that time I read Anne Rice and was so freaked because I was only 14 and things like THAT were PRETTY new to me*winknudge*

Lalalalalalalaaalaaa. *sniff* Hello to all! *cough*

I GOT INTO THE TRAVEL & LIVING ASIA 5 TAKES CONTEST! I AM A FREAKIN SEMI-FINALIST OMFG! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

*serious tone* please go to http://www.travelandlivingasia.com/5takes/casting/sea/2/index.shtml
to try and make sense of what I am crazily blabbering about…

and if you still dont understand, i’m one step closer to travelling the world as a Discovery Channel host!*hyperventilate*

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I just saw Royston Tan’s ‘Cut’ and…I just had to share the love. Damm freaking funny! Watchwatch!

http://gssq.blogspot.com/2006/08/happy-national-day-for-my-national-day.html

Good evening and welcome to the 2am edition of Issy’s News Hour. It has been confirmed that Isabella is to host a travel pilot for the MDA-commissioned HD trials alongside renowned mountaineer and entrepreneur David Lim. This will require all her effort & will to hike up the Mt Gunung Agung in Bali while attempting to host in a coherent manner. She hopes to survive this experience and complete the remaining 12 episodes - for the sheer delight of others watching her struggle and whine like a mad woman.

In other news, farts have been going around freely and Army of Darkness is sheer B-grade goodness. Weather-wise, cloudy with bouts of interesting things raining down from the sky.Thank you for tuning in and good night.

West Elm has the best-looking mod furniture that side of the moon! I love the lines and the colours…simple and oh-so-comfy! I do hope they come here *cross fingers* Introducing 2006 Fall Collection:

I know this is going to sound lame but…hasn’t anyone noticed that Disney theme songs are actually very  perverse? Think about it:

Aladdin: A Whole New World

Snow White: Someday My Prince Will Come

"someday my prince will come…"

Beauty & The Beast: Beauty & The Beast

"barely even friends, then somebody behinds…unexpectantly"

Cinderella: Fairy Godmother

" Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" (Well, sounds perverse.)

Little Mermaid: Part Of Your World

"how many wonders can one cavern hold…" (*winkwinknudgenudge* "cavern" geddit?)

Pinnochio: Hi Diddle Dee Dee

"hi-diddle-dee-day, an actor’s life is gay…"

Have fun looking for more perverse phrases in more Disney songs! Well, doesnt exactly prove how horribly corrupt Walt Disney was (although we do have sooomeee idea) *aheam* BUT, sure shows lot about a person’s nature. You’d be surprised at what you can find if you look properly *grin*

Now, I was watching Moulin Rouge on DVD that day and I was wondering why it was so difficult for Baz Luhrman to pull it off as a stage musical. Other then the tremendously overwhelmingly huge budget, there must have been some other reason why it did not take off. It is after all one of the best musicals I have seen on film for awhile (Chicago is another, but thats a different story altogether) After sipping abit of tea, and acting intellectual, I have deduced the following;

(1) The obvious; they are both different mediums with different elements

(2) The psychological/emotional interplay between characters & narrative worked in the film because of the editing (frenetic MTV-esque montages, intercutting) and cinematography (close-ups etc). Doesn’t work as well for stage because there is limited control of the audience’s eyes and how much information they are exposed to. Lighting only does that much.

(3) Film created a reality for the characters in Moulin Rouge, theatrical as its mise-en-scene was. The "play-within-a-play" concept added depth by contrasting it with the reality of the lovers’ tragedy & yet complementing the dramatic nature of the film. This would be harder to do on stage because the medium itself is already performative. Tricky.

(4) The set itself will be a big headache to construct. Can’t imagine what crazy things will happen during transition of scenes. To elaborate - because we can’t rely on film (unless there is multimedia involved in the musical) to create that depth, it has to be done through the set design, lighting & directorial elements. Good luck!

(5) Getting musical numbers to work with that many people on a tiny stage is a freaking headache. Even with that, it simply just doesn’t convey that atmosphere that the film generates with full-on, breathless visuality. Not that the musical would not be a sensorial spectacle in itself, but when compared with the film, it is just not the same. And can you imagine how long the musical would be compared to the film?

Just a couple of technical and directorial difficulties, but more then enough to impede established person from attempting career suicide with this adaptation. But seriously, if we can pull this off…it will be bloody fantastic! And I don’t think that its impossible. Just need the guts (and money) to get down and whack it. So I hope hope hope that someone in Singapore will start the ball rolling…and Ill be there in a heart beat!

Since bloggers seem to be receiving alot of flak nowadays for being narcissistic, deluded individuals who have super egotistical psychological tendencies…

I shall indulge all critics with a full-blown camwhoring session! This is what I have been busy with the past month. Enjoy!