The Star-Spangled Banner

Interestingly,when watching many American movies, we tend to see the patriotism and compassion in the eyes and demeanor of the American audience as they responded in homage and respect to their national anthem.

I sometimes wonder what is so special about the Star-Spangled Banner compared to our Negara Ku.

Let us look at the lyrics and perhaps you may see some difference.

Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming;
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there:
Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In fully glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution!
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust":
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The Indefatigable Mary Poppins.

One great revisit. View Mary Poppins for old time sake.

Wonderful movie, wonderful songs, great feelings.
Julie Andrews was her charming self and her acting as a nanny is superbly natural. She deserved her Oscar! As usual Dick Van Dyke was a super duper dancer.

Have a spoonful of sugar while watching the movie!

Rage and Outrage

It is rather strange that some people you did know to be at first, considerate and understanding can suddenly be possessed by an towering rage that cannot be contained.

Like a lawyer,they trooped out all the points to continue their rage at something that has long passed on. A a rationale person would have let it go. A person in rage goes on plain fault finding and making mountains out of all molehills.

So how would you respond to this kind of person? They are needling you all the time.Grind your teeth and bear it? Turn a deaf ear? No can do.

You can forget about suggesting an anger management course. It will only fuel the fire and enrage a tsunami of sorts.

Maybe they need a dose of counseling. The religious type!

Darkest Congo!

The Dark of the Sun was released in Malaysia as The Merceneries. It was one shocking movie when I saw it in Form 4. Unused to violence, you can feel your skin creep at the helplessness of people who are victimised by wild rebels and they virtually chop you up with machetes or skewer you to death. Biting fear!

The place-the Belgium Congo. The time-in the 60s when anarchy prevailed. Rod Taylor (Curry) and Jim Brown braved themselves as paid mercenaries into the Congo to save missionaries as well as collect US$50 million in diamonds. Continues to be suspenseful in spite of it being filmed in 1968. Yvette Mimieux provided the female attraction.

Watchable film even by today's standards. The closest to rival it was Hotel Rwanda.

Not Tippi's Best

Marnie is a psychological Letdown

Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie was meant to be a hair-raiser-a psychological thriller. It had the then famous and beautiful Tippi Hedren and the debonair Sean Connery as star billings. I believe this was one of the duller Hitchcock films. The usual sound and visuals may have worked in those days but they pale in comparison to the wizardry of special effects today.

Not exceptionally great story line. It was reported that Tippi had a hard time with Hitchcock and fell out with each other after Marnie though Hedren was the hot favourite of Hitchcock after The Birds. Also, Hedren's beauty did not shine through in this role as the fearful Marnie.

Nothing great about this movie. Give it a miss.

Coffin for a Gunfighter-that was the name it was released in Malaysia in the late 1960s.

It was then the era of the spaghetti western and stars like Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef held sway. And then there was Franco Nero.

He was different. He was sullen. He had no horse. He is seen just dragging along a coffin. The music is nostalgic and the violence was never seen before-the gatling gun action is just stupendous!

Simple revenge story with a gold heist in between.

The gunfight in the graveyard is great.

Another Type of Legend?

I Am Legend is another film of the future-the background-a deserted New York after the world has been ravaged by an unknown virus that slowly killed everyone except for one million people.

Will Smith stars with a dog in the main part of the movie. It documents how he adapted to life scrounging in empty homes for canned and bottled foods and his experimentation on zombie-fied beings affected by the virus, trying to find a cure.

Oftentimes he goes crazy and shoots things up.

The movie ends with his demise after he has found the cure to the viral inflicted condition on humankind. Exciting at times.

Watchable fare.