Liar Game Season 1 - 2007

Category: TV Series

Genre: Psychological

Episodes: 11

Casts: Toda Erika, Matsuda Shota, Kitamura Soichiro, Wada Soko, Iwasa Mayuko and more

This is an adaptation from a manga.

It's always interesting to watch the psychological tv series from Japan. This one involves around one philosophy or belief: "Not everybody can be happy." and that "Humans will lie, cheat and steal to survive."
 

Nao Kanzaki (Toda Erika) is known for being naive and innocent. She is a high school student.
One day, she receives a black postcard indicating that she has been selected to participate in the "Liar Game Tournament". Along with that postcard is a box with 100 million yen (about $1,000,000). The goal of the first round of the game is to trick the other player out of their hundred million yen. At the end, the winner would get to keep the hundred million earned, and the loser owes the LGT (Liar Game Tournament office) 100 million yen, "will be collected by any means and at all costs".


One might think that the series is quiet unnecessary, placed on an impossible setting (but I'd rather have this over SAW who tests the "human fiber").

I like how it ended and how the events turned around.

However there's a slight implication or definition of MLM that is quiet misconstrued. They should have used the term "binary" or "pyramiding" company. Oh well.

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Category: Book

Genre: Sci-Fi

Author: Orson Scott Card


Set in Earth's future, humankind barely survived two conflicts with the "Buggers". A hostile alien race which protects its queen like ants does. In preparation for an anticipated third invasion by the Buggers, an international fleet maintains a school to find and train future fleet commanders. The world's most talented and brightest children, including Ender Wiggin are taken at a very young age to Battle School.



A good friend recommended this book to me. It's a rich and intelligent book and one that carries a  good storyline. It's actually not a hard read but is in fact engaging, despite how disturbing the relationships of the three Wiggins' siblings are.

A song was dedicated to this though.and it will be made into a film! :)

Photo Source: Good Reads

The Road to Gandolfo - Robert Ludlum

Category: Books

Genre: Comedy

Author: Robert Ludlum as Michael Shepherd.


This is a funny story about General MacKenzie Hawkins whom they dubbed of as "The Hawk", a military legend who seems to be popular. On an assignment he defaces an important Chinese memorial while being drugged by a Chinese general and in return was asked by the Chinese for the Americans for him to be kicked out. As revenge, he plots to kidnap the Pope, with a ransom of one dollar for every Catholic in the world.


It was ridiculous in most parts. And the two characters were good combo. Sometimes, one of them getting wee bit crazy. It is still intelligent. But I got confused with the ending, really. Anyway, it has quite interesting characters specially MacKenzie's wives, it's a refreshing, comedic side of Ludlum I'm reading. 

Limitless - 2011

Category: Movie

Genre: Sci-Fi

Writer: Leslie Dixon and Alan Glynn

Director: Neil Burger

Producer: Relativity Media, Virgin Produced, Rogue

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Robert de Niro, Abbie Cornish, Andrew Howard, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth, Tomas Arana, Robert John Burke and more

Tagline: What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?

This is about a desperate writer Eddie named Morra (Cooper), who was rejected by his girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) and confirms his belief about himself about not having a future. One day an old friend introduces to him an experimental drug called NZT, that allows him to be laser focused and more confident than any man alive and allows him to use 100 percent of his mind. As he becomes into the perfect version of himself, and begins to rise in the top of the financial world, he begins to draw the attention of Carl Van Loon (De Niro), a business mogul.

I was actually intrigued by the concept, a pill that can allow you to tap the untapped potential of the human brain. Of course, the ideal way would be achieving it through Self Mastery.... but then in a very Western way of thinking, they would always come up with a "pill solution" for everything. It's quite thrilling but it could use room for some improvement here and there and it would be a spectacular blockbuster! :) But, nevertheless, it was a good concept and I enjoyed it. :)

Inception - 2010

Category: Movie

Genre: Action, Mystery & Sci-Fi

Director: Christopher Nolan

Writer: Christopher Nolan

Producer: Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Syncopy

Tagline: The Dream is Real.

Cast: Leonardo di Caprio, Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy and more.


The movie is about Dom Cobb (Leonardo di Caprio) who is a world class skilled thief a.k.a an extractor when it comes to stealing valuable secrets from someone's subconscious in dream state. The rare ability that Cobb has opened up a new world of corporate espionage but it also made him a fugitive. Now, someone is offering him one last job where he can return to his country and get his life back if he can do something other than stealing an idea from someone's mind but plant one - called Inception. He then looks up for the perfect team for the task.

This is one of the best of the Hollywood movies I've ever seen. It's something different from the usual Sci-Fi - robot-filled scenario... but they delved into the subconscious. I watched it twice. It's a highly original film that I consider it's one of the best movies in 2010. (Although I am aware about the technicalities when it comes to "dreams" because they claimed he was just inconsistent with some theories.) but, wth? i was entertained.

Leonardo di Caprio did great... as usual... but this time... it is not only him who would get your attention but he shared the limelight with the rest of the team. I love all of the actors. They were really perfect for their roles. I love the twist of the movie... gives you the adrenaline edge even if it's all about "dreams". Great great great. I could watch it over and over again. A couple of years and this would be a classic - must see film!!!

this was my favorite scene:

Ariadne: What's happening?
Arthur: Your subconscious is looking for the dreamer; me. Quick, give me a kiss.
Ariadne: [She kisses him and then looks around]
Ariadne: They're still looking at us.
Arthur: Yeah, it was worth a shot.

Haha.


Saito: Don't you want to take a leap of faith? Or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone!

Cobb: You create the world of the dream, you bring the subject into that dream, and they fill it with their subconscious.
Ariadne: How could I ever acquire enough detail to make them think that its reality?
Cobb: Well dreams, they feel real while we're in them, right? It's only when we wake up that we realize how things are actually strange. Let me ask you a question, you, you never really remember the beginning of a dream do you? You always wind up right in the middle of what's going on.
Ariadne: I guess, yeah.
Cobb: So how did we end up here?
Ariadne: Well we just came from the a...
Cobb: Think about it Ariadne, how did you get here? Where are you right now?
Ariadne: We're dreaming?
Cobb: You're actually in the middle of the workshop right now, sleeping. This is your first lesson in shared dreaming. Stay calm.

Cobb: What do you want?
Saito: Inception. Is it possible?
Arthur: Of course not.
Saito: If you can steal an idea, why can't you plant one there instead?
Arthur: Okay, this is me, planting an idea in your mind. I say: don't think about elephants. What are you thinking about?
Saito: Elephants?
Arthur: Right, but it's not your idea. The dreamer can always remember the genesis of the idea. True inspiration is impossible to fake.
Cobb: No, it's not.

Arthur: So, a totem. It's a small object, potentially heavy, something you can have on you all the time...
Ariadne: What, like a coin?
Arthur: No, it has to be more unique than that, like - this is a loaded die.
[Ariadne reaches out to take the die]
Arthur: Nah, I can't let you touch it, that would defeat the purpose. See only I know the balance and weight of this particular loaded die. That way when you look at your totem, you know beyond a doubt you're not in someone else's dream.

The Aviator - 2004

Category: Movie

Genre: Biography / Drama

Writer: John Logan

Director: Martin Scorsese

Producer: Forward Pass, Appian Way and more.

Tagline: For some men, the sky was the limit. For him, it was just the beginning.

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Gwen Stefani, Jude Law, Alan Alda, Ian Holm, Danny Huston, Adam Scott,

Overview and Review of The Aviator directed by Martin Scorsese.

I heard about this movie when Dr. Andre mentioned it in one of his seminars, a movie about one of the richest man in the world. The movie begad as a young Hughes directs one of Scorsese's favorite films, Hell's Angels. Hughes was an obsessed man when it comes to details from the planes to cloud formations which can prolly drive you crazy. He also makes controversial huge budget films. This was a movie on his life from the 1920s to 1940s.

Interesting and good cinematography as well, but it was a long movie for me. A good autobiography at that. Maybe, I watched it a the wrong time. I was helluva sleepy. Good performance of the actors and actresses. And, i think the movie was in a hurry in the end.

Are you Stupid?

You're Kind of Stupid

You got 6/10 questions right! There's some things most people know... except for you.

Are You Stupid?