Vickiepedia

I randomly came across these 30-second ads by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta on YouTube while I was looking to expand my Schubert collection. Let me just say this: I. Absolutely. Love. Those ads! Love! Description of videos provided below each one if you can’t/don’t want to view them or don’t understand Cantonese.

Video 1 (Beethoven)

Beethoven(-lookalike) straggles down the street whistling (Beethoven’s) Symphony No. 5, one trouser leg shorter than the other. Camera zooms to his legs with noises of flies around, he scratches one leg with the other foot. Camera zooms up, his hair is grey and messy. He continues down another street and a passerby does a double take. A policeman approaches him around the corner and asks to check his ID card. Beethoven reaches for his ID, dropping his tissue, keys, more keys, coins and everything in the process, and hands the police the ID.

Narrator (while Beethoven is shoving all the crap he’s dropped back into his pockets): Beethoven was known to be a very messy person. So why do you think classical music is pretentious now?

Video 2 (Mozart)

Mozart(-lookalike) flamboyantly hops into a barbershop. He greets the barber by rubbing his face, laughs out loud as he reads a comic book and switches his wig with the toupee of the man next to him who’s nodded off.

Narrator (while Mozart is laughing and playing with toupee in mirror): Mozart was known to have a playful personality. So why do you think classical music is only serious now?

Video 3 (Schubert)

Schubert(-lookalike) is in a small and shared bedroom with two other men in their undershirts. All three men have no shoes on and are eyeing a pair of shoes in the room. They play rock-paper-scissors and one man wins. Schubert and the other loser look frustrated as the winner happily claims the shoes.

Narrator (while Schubert and the other man watch the person with the shoes walk out): Schubert was known to be completely broke. So why do you think classical music is something reserved for the rich now?

And I Say

And that’s classical music, seriously! I’m sick of people telling me that I have a refined, elegant, pretentious, strange or what-have-you taste in music. What I like is very much like what you like. If you (don’t) like it, you (don’t) like it. If you (don’t) understand the appeal, you (don’t) understand the appeal. It’s really just that.

Whoever came up with these ads should give themselves a pat on the back. Or quote this blog and redeem their voucher for a free hug/drink/more.

My brother alerted me to this first, but “The Storm Warriors” (風雲II), the upcoming sequel to a semi-popular Hong Kong movie, is using the first 22 or so seconds of the Guild Wars theme song on their official website. For a movie with a HK$100 million budget, you’d expect them to compose their own music (unless, of course, they bought the copyright to the song / had permission otherwise)!

Here is a sample of the Guild Wars (Guild Wars Prophecies) opening theme song: DirectSong > Guild Wars > 01 – Opening Theme.

Here is the movie’s official site: Traditional Chinese version, Simplified Chinese version or English version.

This is my expression after I heard the song on the movie’s official site:

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear no-longer-little Little Brother Jacky!
Happy Birthday to youuuuu!

This is also probably Hong Kong’s most mis-sung song. And the lyrics are copyrighted? Outrageous! I’m so ignoring that.

Later, Vickie gets sued.

I always thought I was one of those super-cool, mega-flexible, multi-cultural type of people. The truth is, I’ve been affected by my culture much more than I cared to admit. The truth is, one simple question Western people ask one another daily would stump me.

“How are you?”

I can’t really speak for the rest of the Hong Kongers; but generally speaking, unless you know the person personally and haven’t seen them for quite a bit, you don’t ask them how they are. Cashiers say hi, they don’t ask how you are. Neighbours don’t necessarily know one another; they say hi if they’re particularly friendly, they don’t ask how you are.

“How are you?”

I feel like crap. I’m stressed. I’m loaded with Uni assignment. I’m hungry. I’m tired. I’m PMS-ing. I have period cramps. “Good! How are you?”

I’m not a blogger who likes to blog about the latest trends or hits; but when it’s a movie based on a video game — a video game I’ve played and enjoyed for years at that — nothing could silent me. Hehe, pardon my bad pun.

Silent Hill the movie wasn’t released in Hong Kong until the day before, so naturally I went to the movies with Bro first thing after work that night. We actually made it on time for it (and even had time to be subjected to the torture of slimming product ads before it started), seeing how we didn’t usually get to see the first 10-15 minutes of other films. My first impression of the movie actually had nothing to do with the production itself. Just look at this.

What the hell is up with the Chinese title, “鬼魅山房”? The direct translation of Silent Hill wasn’t powerful enough, so they justify themselves in making up a name that isn’t accurate to the movie or the game, huh? Well, Bro and I already mocked at it enough, so let’s move on to the movie.

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