Saturday, July 18, 2009
another review
Own Time Own Target
by W!LD RICE
Drama Centre, National Library Building
18 July 2009, 8.00 pm
Okay, I admit, I did expect OTOT to possess some elements echoing Army Daze.
(Honestly, I face difficulty recalling Army Daze, considering the fact that I first watched the movie in my very early childhood. But I remember it was such a careless film that you could see the furry sound mics in one scene.)
Well, the double-bill, consisting of Full Tank and Botak Boys, proved otherwise, and to be worth every dollar. (Since I'm probably watching it twice, that's doubly so?)
Full Tank tells the tale of four army men who hijack a tank, taking it on a joyride(?) and their curious encounters. The flashbacks are apt and possibly completely necessary to achieve such a comic effect, but are not executed smoothly enough. There were way too many flashbacks for prop/set transitions and repetitive lighting effects. Nevertheless, kudos to the cast for their performance that never failed to tease. All I can say is, Brendon Fernandez + Mamasan Mary = Good times.
Botak Boys was definitely a feast for the eyes, with some thoughtful employment of lighting and music. Perhaps the bigger cast brought slightly more energy onto the stage. However more light should have been shed on the main character's internal struggle, rather than some to-the-stars-and-moon weeping (sorry, bad analogy) that bordered on being melodramatic. I wasn't too excited about the somewhat predictable plot but the musical numbers were tight. The music was extremely effective and Botak Boys probably wouldn't be as well-received without it.
Overall, OTOT wouldn't be something to fret over, as compared to, say, Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It is really plain good fun. (Not really clean fun though, the weak-hearted may be jarred by the dizzying use of vulgarities.)
Totally worth the time, people!
by W!LD RICE
Drama Centre, National Library Building
18 July 2009, 8.00 pm
Okay, I admit, I did expect OTOT to possess some elements echoing Army Daze.
(Honestly, I face difficulty recalling Army Daze, considering the fact that I first watched the movie in my very early childhood. But I remember it was such a careless film that you could see the furry sound mics in one scene.)
Well, the double-bill, consisting of Full Tank and Botak Boys, proved otherwise, and to be worth every dollar. (Since I'm probably watching it twice, that's doubly so?)
Full Tank tells the tale of four army men who hijack a tank, taking it on a joyride(?) and their curious encounters. The flashbacks are apt and possibly completely necessary to achieve such a comic effect, but are not executed smoothly enough. There were way too many flashbacks for prop/set transitions and repetitive lighting effects. Nevertheless, kudos to the cast for their performance that never failed to tease. All I can say is, Brendon Fernandez + Mamasan Mary = Good times.
Botak Boys was definitely a feast for the eyes, with some thoughtful employment of lighting and music. Perhaps the bigger cast brought slightly more energy onto the stage. However more light should have been shed on the main character's internal struggle, rather than some to-the-stars-and-moon weeping (sorry, bad analogy) that bordered on being melodramatic. I wasn't too excited about the somewhat predictable plot but the musical numbers were tight. The music was extremely effective and Botak Boys probably wouldn't be as well-received without it.
Overall, OTOT wouldn't be something to fret over, as compared to, say, Conrad's Heart of Darkness. It is really plain good fun. (Not really clean fun though, the weak-hearted may be jarred by the dizzying use of vulgarities.)
Totally worth the time, people!
# posted at 11:52 PM
