As Far as the Eye Can See

Max Vadukul – Fashion Photographer

2009-05-05T16:44:00.002+08:00

Now here’s a guy who ran away from home at the tender age of 16 because he didn’t feel like complying with his parents’ wishes for him to marry some girl. That was in the early 80s. By 1984, Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, on the hunt for young blood, took him in a few months after he successfully photographed an assistant to movie producer David Puttnam.

The rest, as they say… is history.

Max Vadukul is now one of the most respected names in avant-garde photography with his works having appeared on the covers of top fashion publications like Vogue, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, GQ, Mademoiselle, and so on, for many years.

Max Vadukul, born in Nairobi to Indian parents, prefers black and white photography. It may be a hindrance to the eyes of some towards a more successful career, but for this talented photographer contents himself in capturing a woman’s beauty in his photos.

The following photos of model Jeisa Chiminazzo by Max Vadukul appeared in Vogue Russia, 2002.

Nothing beats black and white.

Max Vadukul Official Website

Taken

2009-04-08T10:47:00.003+08:00

Taken is a movie filled with impossibilities so unimaginable that it is soo good. Liam Neeson’s character as an ex-CIA agent is reminiscent of Jason Bourne the only differences being (1) he has a daughter who was incidentally kidnapped by human traffickers and (2) he needs the services of a language translator.

Within 96 hours, Neeson massacred Albanians right inside their lair, burned up a construction site, and shot the ambassador’s wife, among other things. Sweet. That should keep you at the edge of your seat. In the end, Taken is all about family. It marks where a father should stop to make sure that his child is safe and sound - nothing. Lesson learned: Do not flirt, no matter how cute a French guy is, when you are abroad. If you must, do not give him your address right away, gandemit.

Director: Pierre Morel
Producer: Luc Besson
Studio: 20th Century Fox, EuropaCorp

Watchmen

2009-04-01T17:25:00.002+08:00

The movie adaptation of Watchmen the comic book by Alan Moore fell short of my expectations on some levels. Yes, there are good points like (1) the uncanny resemblance between the live action heroes and their comic book counterparts, (2) the more judicious ending compared to that in the graphic novel, (3) the action scenes, and (4) Rorschach.

I was disappointed with some selections that are included in the soundtrack though - those that gave me the feeling that I was watching an episode of Cold Case. I expected Dr. Manhattan to be totally void of emotion but his voice in the movie failed me. It should have sounded more Transformers-like or something.

Now I’m a staunch believer that the visual and the printed versions of one masterpiece should always be seen in different lights. Watchmen is not your typical superhero story; it is out-of-the-box, as they say. It just seemed as if the movie was “trying” too hard to be out of the box. In an attempt to cover too much ground, it failed to convey so many emotions that Moore successfully drew on paper.

Director: Zack Snyder
Studio: Legendary Pictures, DC Comics
Release Date: March 2009

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-04-01T13:32:00.002+08:00

It is all but fitting for Slumdog Millionaire to have bagged several Oscars and Golden Globe Awards. It is the kind of movie that leaves you feeling good in the end . It shows you the worst of the world (or this part of the world called the slums of Mumbai) and then shines the light of true love and hope in just the right places.

Slumdog Millionaire, a movie adaptation of the book, Q & A by Vikas Swarup, was filmed in slums of India. Filipinos could surely relate to it, being from a third-world country themselves, a country where game shows freeze time and lines to lottery ticket outlets go on for miles.

I found the movie both painful and refreshing. I was never a fan Bollywood but the scoring on this one was ingenious, proliferating much awe and newfound respect for Indian music. Although there is said to be a few altered elements from the book, the transitions are flawless and the plot is simple enough. A sucker for beautiful cinematography, I have to say that this is one of the best. The characters were very well-portrayed and I developed a special liking for Madhur Mittal, who played Jamal's brother, Salim.

I guess on the technical aspect, Slumdog Millionaire is as British as it could get under the direction of Danny Boyle but at the heart, it is very much Indian, regardless of the inauthentic accents and all.

Director: Danny Boyle
Co-Director: Loveleen Tandan
Studio: Celador Films, Film4
Release Date: Nov 2008 (US)

Award-Winning Photos 2008

2009-04-01T13:23:00.003+08:00

Take a peek and feast your on some of the most awesome photos that won in the 66^th Annual Pictures of the Year International Competition. These are some of the most awesome works by the likes of Susana Vera, Leonhard Foeger, and more.

Winner, Golden Eye of Russia
Photo taken by: Sergei Karpukhin

Finalist, Sports Action. The Press Photographer's Year 2008
Photo taken by: Phil Noble

Pictures of the Year International, Winner.
Photo taken by: Susan Vera

Winner, PDN Annual Sports section
Photo taken by: Lucy Nicholson

Runner-up, Austrian press photographer of the year
Photo taken by: Leonhard Foeger

Boston Press Photographers Association (BPPA) 2008 Still Photographer of the Year
Photo taken by: Brian Snyder

World Press Photo Awards. Second prize, Spot News category
Photo taken by: Bo Bor

More award-winning photos at Reuters.com.

Coraline

2009-04-01T13:05:00.003+08:00

Coraline discovers a door in her home that leads to another house exactly like her own. There she finds a somewhat twisted version of her mother and her father who want her to stay with them forever. She is promised that she will be given everything she has ever wanted. The offer might be tempting but the 11-year-old girl finds that she needs to use her wits to get back her real parents and return to her normal life.

Coraline is a critically acclaimed piece of children’s literature by master storyteller Neil Gaiman. It imparts valuable lessons about family through a cunningly contrived storyline, detailed imagery that is horrific and engaging at the same time, and unexpected twists. You will find yourself cheering on for Coraline as she takes every step in her mental battle with an ancient creature, which has stolen the souls of many children in the past. But most of all, Coraline reminds adult readers what being a child is like and how it is never easy being one.

Coraline has been adapted into a 3-D horror fantasy film directed by Henry Selick. It is scheduled for release in February this year.

Author: Neil Gaiman
Published: 2002
Publisher: Bloomsbury and Harper Collins

Across the Universe

2009-04-01T12:59:00.004+08:00

Across the Universe is everything a Beatles-themed movie should be. It’s colorful, it’s vibrant, it’s surreal, it touches the heart, and it wracks the soul. I loved the movie as early as the opening scene.

Directed by Julie Taymor, Across the Universe revolves around 1960s America, when the landscape was currently being changed by the Vietnam War. The beautiful and tumultuous era served as the backdrop for the main characters Jude, Lucy, Max, Prudence, and Sadie, whose names were apparently taken from Beatles songs, as they struggled with freedom, relationships, and global politics. They narrated most of the story through singing and each of them did so convincingly it would break your heart.

Jim Sturgess (21) as Jude, the main character, almost brought me to tears when he sang “Girl” in the opening while Evan Rachel Wood (Practical Magic) did a heartbreaking rendition of “If I Fell in Love.” I was totally awed with the way Chinese/Filipina/American actress Teresa Carpio sang “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” as Prudence. These are just a few of all the very-well interpreted classics Beatles fans know by heart.

Everything about the movie is just… beautiful. The spectacular scenes, the fantastic actors, the well-crafted numbers and choreography, and the wonderful music stir all kinds of emotions all at once you’d want to explode. The film is mostly about the love story between Jude from Liverpool and Lucy of New York but I did not find it even a tad cheesy.

Across the Universe celebrates youth, love, peace, true friendship, and of course, the Beatles’ music and its influence. It successfully blended surrealism with realism, making it truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. It you are not a musical fan, it is still worth seeing and I guarantee you will find yourself singing along with “All you need is love!” or “Jai guru deva om...”

Director: Julie Taymor
Studio: Columbian Druglord Pictures/Revolution Studios
Release Date: Sept 2007