The movies have ruined everything. From childhood memories to historical events. From great shows they decended to mediocre adaptations and worse still, pathetic extensions known as Part 2.
Now the original Ring (Ringu in its orginal name) was a great horror show. It scared the beejeesus out of me (made me stayed away from dark rooms with TVs in them for a month or so) and I think it also made my sister blame me for her nightmares. Surprisingly, the subsequent installations may not have reached that height but they were decent in closing off the loops in the original. The horror came when Hollywood burst in, took over the show and cast everything in their Westernised form. The silent horror became the usual run-of-mill person draped in white sheets and sporting hair that just came out of the showers and then trying to sound eerie while giving supposed warnings while to the tune of "high tension" background music. That is of course accompanied by the constant screamings, as if to remind you what you should be doing. Yawn. And that is just me understating it.
Now almost every chinese or historian worth their weight in salt knows of the period of the Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. The heroes of the era are well known, particularly those of the Kingdom of Shu-Han. Now they've decided to do a large-scale movie of the infamous Battle of Red Cliff. Which was fine and dandy given the use of special effects to make the battle more grandious than it can ever be filmed (without actually burning down the set, or a hole in the producers' pockets). Now here's my beef. What does a one minute sex scene got to do with this significant event? Or the fact that they had to change the storyline just to make everything gel (The long dead people didn't have to wield majestic-looking swords or engage in great drama to make everything the way they were). Shu-Han's leader, Liu Bei, was reknown for being a man of virtue and they had to make him out to look like a coward running for his life. All because they thought it was a more dramatic way of making the ruse look more plausible. Warrior princess, Sun Shang Xiang, suddenly became a spy in the Cao-Wei encampment (falling in "love" with an enemy bumpkin in the meantime too). The great tactician, Zhuge Liang, became a clown. What's the go? Quit twisting my history just to suit your Western fantasies.
Now most guys my age would know about names like "Street Fighter"and "Dragon ball". Full of violence, heroics, supernatural powers (and some bits of minor soft-porn). All these that is enough to make boys drool and satisfy raging hormones. Then the movies came along. Along with that, all the childhood fantasies went down the drain as well. Typical western stereotypes filled the air in the original SF movie. Now they've gone a bit further by twisting the characters of DB. The characters suddenly got American citizenship and the dirty-minded Tortise-sage became a normal wise-cracking old man (oh why Mr Chow? You were too good an actor for such ridiculous roles). Now quit butchering my childhood memories too!
Amazing I tell you. I think every Chinese nationals or others who's been trying to gain US citizenship using Singapore as a stepping board should take note of this pertinent fact. Try getting superpowers, be tormented by mean-spirits and most importantly, get adapted into a highly successful movie. Hollywood will get you your citizenship faster than their banks can cheat you of your money.
The writer has decided to boycott Hollywood movies, or those made for Western audiences in mind. He wishes to elaborate that not all movies are bad. He particularly enjoyed the LOTR trilogy and some selected action-adventure films as well.
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