[Transformers] Takara Transformers Generations Fall of Cybertron Skywarp (TG-18)

While in Singapore, I managed to pick up the (so far) Takara-exclusive figure of Transformers Generations Fall of Cybertron Skywarp (TG-18)0. It's a ridiculously long name for the toy, I know, but if you want to be accurate, that's what you'll end up calling it. This Japan-exclusive figure is pretty much "just" a repaint of Transformers Generations Fall of Cybertron Starscream. But even repaints can be a lot of fun.

Now I'll admit that I'm quite the Skywarp fan - he has always been my favorite of all the Seekers. Beyond his typically "cool" black and purple paint sceme (so classic Decepticon), he had the ability to freaking teleport! Now that's a cool power, even given he hasn't necessarily been the sharpest tool in the shed.

So this figure was a fun find, and pretty much inevitable as soon as they released Starscream. After all, the Seekers have always been the most classic of all repaints on the Decepticon side.

[Books] The Invention of Hugo Cabret

In my grade school days, I used to spend a LOT of time at the school library. I remember that we had a borrowing limit of up to 3 books at any one time and I always made sure to maximize that limit at all times. Oh yes, I have many, many fond memories of that library.

I particularly remember a significant period when I went through a Caldecott phase. For those unfamiliar with the award, books are awarded the Caldecott medal particularly because of their art. And so I made it a point to borrow every single Caldecott book that I could get my hands on. I never got into a Newbery phase, which seems a little weird in hindsight.

So I only learned about the book The Invetion of Hugo Cabret after watching the 2011 CGI animated feature film Hugo. I enjoyed the movie a lot and this is one of the rare cases when the movie actually helped me appreciate the book even more. You see, this being a Caldecott Medal book means that the art in itself was worth celebrating beyond just the story. And now I realize that the movie did a great job of giving proper homage to the art that defined the book to begin with.

[Movies] Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

Steve Carell is probably best known for his work on the TV series, The Office. But beyond that he seems to have a penchant for these odd comedy drama pieces like Dan in Real Life. And that pretty much defines his range as an actor - thus it sort of echoes the likes of Jim Carey, but still more distinguished, in my opinion.

When I first saw the trailers for Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, it certainly seemed promising. I know it was going to be another movie that feels like a show reel pitching for Steve to become a leading man in more romantic comedies or something like that. However the overall premise of the inevitable end of the planet certainly added a certain sense of urgency to the overall narrative structure.

And there's a dog on the poster.

The movie wasn't quite what I hoped, but it wasn't overly bad either. And my specific issues with the movie are a little hard to determine off hand, but I'll try to explain over the course of this review.

[Pink Scene] Know Your Oh Divas - Bernie

One of the things that I love the most about drag queen culture is that there is no one "right" way to be a drag queen. In the same way that the LGBT community has enough color to make up any number of rainbows, so does drag culture include a wide variety of queens. You have pageant queens and comedy queens and you have those queens whose sheer physicality is beyond reproach. And the Oh Divas of O Bar Ortigas certainly demonstrate quite a wide range of those different types of queens.

I don't quite know how to classify Bernie - one moment she can be soft and feminine and the next she's an intensely fierce performer. She can strut with grace and charm and then shift into some pretty wicked dance moves. And that transition between the different aspects of Bernie is totally seamless - thus she always leaves the audience guessing as to what she's going to do on stage next.

This week's Know Your Oh Divas feature interview is the one and only Bernie!

[Movies] Transamerica (2005)

In most countries, June is often celebrated as Pride Month - a time to celebrate LGBT culture and renew the pledge to continue the fight for LGBT rights. In line with this, I'm adding focus to my Friday movie reivews for this month by trying to focus more on big box office movies that included LGBT themes.

And so we get to this week's movie - Transamerica.

"This is the voice I want to use" - a line that remains almost burned into my memory. And in many ways, it sort of helped define the central theme of this movie and a lot of the inevitable arguments around it.

And among the various groups that make up the LGBT community, the transgender / transsexual segment has always been a more misunderstood than most. And thus this movie represented a major achievement by trying to put us in the shoes of a pre-op transsexual.