手遊. 電競. 女神

從小就接觸電腦遊戲，不知何故一直不算太沉迷，雖然有玩過第一代PlayStation及Wii，也有好幾年完全脫節，最近幾次返港聽財經節目，有講及以手機遊戲為主要業務的公司，股價頗受關注，總之是有人炒的股；繼「手遊」後，又有新詞語「電競」，即電腦遊戲競技比賽，相關公司股票成為新炒作對象。其實電競日益「主流」化有跡可尋，美國有線「大台」TBS近年有節目ELeague轉播打機比賽，我看人家打Street Fighter看得很過癮，好像回到大學年代在Austin機舖星期五下午放學後到機舖和友人觀戰的歲月；而香港「大台」TVB旗下的網台Big Big Channel也有直播藝人打機聯賽，並在電視台的「男人」節目特地找來兩位將參與聯賽的港姐靚女馮盈盈及張曦雯訪問，她們這一代不只是「宅男」才打機了，這兩位都有豐富打機經驗，也把這些經驗轉為商機：上星期香港動漫展就找了她們出席，這一代的藝人不再單靠登登台剪剪綵等活動賺外快吧。

香港電影金像獎最佳電影十年

十分具爭議性的香港電影十年被香港電影金像獎評審選為最佳電影，再添爭議！首先，我未有機會欣賞，也不會像那班向主子獻媚的電影業商界奴才般說本片有否資格得獎，不過其中一單元由母校培正高一屆的師兄監製，多少有點虛榮地感到興奮，也為他們努力獲得認同而高興。老老實實，就算我看了本片，也未有資格評論它應否獨佔鰲頭，一來我未看過其他候選電影，二來我也不是電影藝術專家；不過，我有理由相信本片得獎並非因為護主奴說的所謂黑手支配賽果，可能他們對主子操控選舉太習以為常吧。至於另一批評指最佳電影何以沒有獲得其他獎項如最佳導演、編劇及男女主角等等，一位資深電影人解釋得很清楚：因為十年一片分數個單元，拿某單元的導演、編劇及男女主角和其他「長片」的比較，並不恰當。一個頒獎禮竟變成一塊照妖鏡，甚至帶挈譯名和十年相同的美國片在強國成為常被下載電影，實在很有強國特色。

SF's #1 radio station in 2014

I bet not many people would have guessed it correctly: it's KDFC, the classical music station, who is supported by listeners and beat out all those corporate-owned stations (soft rock KOIT at #3, news KCBS at #4, and sports talk/Giants baseball KNBR at #5). Personally, KDFC is #2 behind my beloved jazz station KCSM. I am happy for KDFC. It went through some tough times (it was previously owned by Entercom and the mothership decided to drop the classical music format so the folks working there formed a new station and had to find new radio frequency and financial supports from listeners. For the record, its music selection was way better than its commercial days) Looking back to 2010, the top 5 stations were KCBS, KGO, KOIT, KQED and Wild 94.9. (KDFC was close to the bottom of Top 10)

Retroactive product placement

Just learned this new term from this Rolling Stones magazine article: old music videos were edited to feature "new" products (i.e., brands who signed up after the video came out) For example, a billboard of Grand Marnier liqueur was digitally "inserted" to Darius Tucker's MV of "True Believers" from 2012 (Coincidentally, I saw/heard the song for the first time a few nights ago! He looked familiar and I was wondering if he was the guy from the Hootie and the Blowfish) I guess the songs chosen for retroactive product placement gotta be somewhat successful to begin with. Hopefully the musicians earn a few more $ than getting their songs streamed by Spotify (the streaming service which just lost Taylor Swift's catalog. Taylor said "We're not getting back to together again. I know you were trouble") 

香港遊：影視篇

記得有一段日子我很喜歡電影，喜歡程度高到可以一個人去戲院看戲。不知何故，此情不再！可能身在SF灣區太多其他選擇：戶外活動或音樂會，再加上網上實在太多東西可看。事實上，早年收藏的很多好戲，例如Black Swan, Frida等等，還未看呢。近年每年只看幾套，差不多一半是在飛機上為解悶而看！今次兩程都睡得極少，所以共看了四套電影:

- Searching for Sugar Man 一套關於folk rock樂手Sixto Rodriguez的紀錄片。他的故事甚具傳奇性，雖然曾推出水準十分高的作品，在他生活的美國，他鮮為人認識；反而遠在種族隔離政策時代的南非，有不少fans，欣賞他反建制的精神。 [Update:Rolling Stones雜誌有一篇文章關於十件這位音樂人鮮為人知的事。]

- Total Recall 翻拍大隻佬阿諾舒華辛力加以前的賣座作品。我最好奇的是有幾成相似。

- Ted 中文譯名賤熊30，可想而知是一套有點不文的笑片，事實也是如此。

- 大武當 背景是武當山比武，時代卻是民初，實在令我意外。編劇似乎對道家思想有點認識，雖然難免眼高手低，總算為本片帶來一點深度。兩個主角，一是打得的趙文卓，一是睇得的楊冪；對要求不高的我來說，不能不滿意。不看影評不知片中有道長救老婦的情節，飾演兩角的是現實的夫婦：方平及鮑起靜！ 

提起鮑姐，自然想起她忠心打工多年的亞視，今時今日的亞視，水準及收視均不堪入目，淪為笑柄，連鮑姐亦棄之他投。吊詭的是，今次在香港看得最多的竟然是亞視！皆因除夕夜亞視的新數碼電視頻道「歲月留聲」啟播，該台專播亞視當年的經典節目，例如驟雨中的陽光，萬家燈火，甜甜廿四味，浣花洗劍錄，變色龍等等，我們一於大懷舊，以慶祝家中新添置的高清電視。不少網民都預料該頻道的收視有機會超越主台呢！

50後阻住60後上位

最近常常聽見香港人談論50後阻住80後上位，新一代沒有機會云云。其實這個不是甚麼新鮮事，在位的如果坐得太舒服，又怎肯離開座位？美國電視界剛剛就有一單：話說NBC的老牌深夜清談節目The Tonight Show，自92年起由50後棟篤笑藝人Jay Leno主持，04年他和NBC續約五年，NBC當時已安排Leno約滿後該節目由60後的Conan O'Brien接任。09年六月，該節目按協定換人。滿以為Leno會退休或轉到另一個電視台，原來NBC已安排他主持一個較早時段性質相近的節目，並於九月啟播。不過三個月後，謠傳公司將再安排他重掌The Tonight Show。

坦白講，誰人主持和我關係不大，皆因我甚少看該節目。雖然以前Leno主持時期我會偶爾一看，但從不少網民的評價看來，Conan實在做得不錯。上位的機會得而復失，我想很多人會替他不值。

Star of the day: Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze died of cancer yesterday. Most people will probably remember him for the movies "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghosts." These two are certainly among my favourite movies.

RIP.

每週一噏：巨星殞落

講的當然就是Michael Jackson！無論你喜歡他的音樂與否，也不論他的私生活是否有問題，無可否認，他是流行音樂界一代巨星，82年一張Thriller，九首歌中有七首出single，全部都能打入Billboard十大，實在架勢堂！

不過，我認為MJ最值得被紀念的，是由他和Lionel Ritchie為非州旱災帶來的饑荒賑災，合寫We are the World一曲，該曲及相關的Hands Across America活動總共籌得一億美元善款。

最後想提一件個人的MJ小插曲，話說小時候有朋友問我最喜歡聽甚麼音樂，我說MJ，其實當時對外國樂壇一竅不通，只知有MJ，一首歌也未聽過；她即時嗤之以鼻，因為她喜歡的是巴哈！

Star of the day: Conan O'Brien

Conan made his big move last week: from the Late night show to the Tonight show. Well, I haven't watched any episode yet since I am not a big fan of him and the show even though Tonight Show was pretty much the only talk show I bothered to watch once in a while because of its band (featuring jazz guitarist Kevin Eubank!)

I did hear one of his joke on the radio and it was a good one: the 3 most time wasting websites, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, will be combined into one: YouTwitFace :D

Stars of the day: the "My Name Is Earl" gang

This is one of the very few TV shows I still watch regularly. It's sad to see it get canned by NBC. This is yet another unexpected move by a media company in one week (smooth jazz was ousted by Clear Channel from its KKSF radio station) Apparently it is less popular than I expected. I know I tend to like non-mainstream stuff so maybe I shouldn't be so surprised to see them go. I bet I wasn't even counted as a viewer by NBC's standard as I skipped all commercials.

Once this show is gone, my 17+ year streak of watching at least one show on NBC's must-see TV lineup is over. I'm actually quite amazed by this fact. Those shows included Wings, Mad About You, Seinfeld, Friends, Joey, The Office and of course My Name is Earl. These are some awesome shows!

Will I miss it? Probably not much. To me, TV shows are for killing time/filling gaps (mostly during commute) Nevertheless, I would be glad to see it being revived on another network.

Star of the day: Sean Penn

Congratulation to Sean Penn for winning his second Oscar best actor award (for his role in the movie "Milk," a biopic of the SF gay politician Harvey Milk who was assassinated.) I remember the first movie that I watched starring him (and Robert De Niro) was "We're No Angels." That was a hell of a funny movie! I also enjoyed his other movies like "I am Sam" and "Sweet and Lowdown" very much.

Some people in the gay community think that this Oscar might help the cause of overturning gay marriage ban. I am not too sure about that. (Studying what effects movies have on real world issue would be very interesting.) In any case, it will provide a boost to the morale of the community for sure. And I am glad to see that.

Topic of the day: even bad movies look good?

Roger Ebert supposed to have said that, according to this review. Ebert did not say so about the movie being reviewed, Hotel For Dogs, but the reviewer thought it applied to this movie. In fact, most critics are rather harsh on it.

Oh well. I enjoyed it (watched with my daughter yesterday.) Having a good looking young actress, Emma Roberts, certainly helped. Forget about the critics!

BTW, I googled but could not find where Ebert said that. Nevertheless, I kinda agree with that in the sense that the technology, effects, costumes...... are so good these days that it is not too difficult to make a grandiose movie with a terrible story.