Jakarta Fashion Week 2010: IVAN GUNAWAN

Inspired by the princesses of Versailles, here is Ivan Gunawan's latest collection from the show: GRAZIA Glitz & Glam in Jakarta Fashion Week 2010.

INAFFF 2010 Opening Movie Review: MONSTERS

I have been hearing a lot of hype surrounding this movie since Cannes Film Festival back in May. The critics generally favored this movie and gave it a lot of praise, so I have been very very curious. Lucky enough I was given invitations by this year's INAFFF committee to attend the showings of their Opening and Closing movies. Thanks to them, I had a chance to watch it for myself and I am now writing a review for them.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, this movie basically tells a story of a journalist who's made to escort his boss' daughter back to America through the alien-infected zone in Mexico. The premise is simple enough, but the movie itself is anything but. If you had the chance to watch the trailer beforehand, you might expect MONSTERS to be similar in tone to alien/sci-fi movies such as CLOVERFIELD or DISTRICT 9. Suffice to say, if you walk into the theater expecting huge action set pieces and lots of explosions, you will be disappointed.

At its core, MONSTERS is a drama about the nuances of human emotions and relationship set against the backdrop of alien invasion. There is a recently released alien invasion movie that you could juxtapose it to, SKYLINE. While SKYLINE is more of an alien movie with people in it, MONSTERS is a movie about people with aliens in it. 

One remarkable fact about this movie was that it was shot within a limited amount of budget, estimated around $200,000. The film was shot entirely on location: any settings featured in the film were real locations often used without permission asked in advance, and the extras were just people who happened to be there at the time. Edwards did all the special effects himself using off-the-shelf Adobe software. With that being said, the movie still managed to boast pretty nifty special effects. Sure the movie still had that low-budget indie movie feel, with dark shots obscuring the flaw in the special effects,  but that is exactly what the movie is. It didn't try to be shiny and glossy, preferring substance over style. 

Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy who portrayed the two main characters are relatively unknown talents. The two had good chemistry together. Able who portrayed the girl Samantha, somehow just didn't show a lot of range as an actress. However, it might be due to the material given to her. The script  just didn't provide much development to her character and from the beginning of the movie she was just pictured as a girl with a rich daddy who has a problem with his fiancee and wasn't quite sure of what she wanted. The character just wasn't sympathetic enough. The script didn't address the issue that the character had with her fiancee and why she was reluctant to return home. We were just left to assume. Her counterpart, McNairy, showed a broader range and was given a slightly better material. Considering everything though, both actors did pretty good job within the context of the movie. 

There were two points of social commentary that the movie tried to get across. The first one was about the state of media that flourish from tragedy and the violent human nature towards something we don't understand. The aliens weren't shown as aggressive unless provoked by the humans first. However, those messages didn't come across as strongly as they should have been. On the other hand, if subtlety was what the director was aiming for, then it was a success. In my opinion though, those messages should have been conveyed stronger and bolder to create a lasting and assuring emotional impact for the audience. 

To surmise, as with any sci-fi movie a certain degree of suspension of disbelief is needed to watch this movie for it to be an entertaining experience. MONSTER was definitely one of the superior selection in the INAFFF 2010 movie line-up and it is a nice change from some of the hollow Hollywood movies that are flooding our cinemas.

"Trapped" for TEMPER TRAP: My Recount of The Jakarta Concert

Sweet disposition, Never too soon...
Oh reckless abandon, Like no one's watching you...
A moment, a love
A dream, a laugh
A kiss, a cry
Our rights, our wrongs

That was probably one of the band's most popular songs. Temper Trap gained a lot of recognition in Indonesia after "Sweet Disposition" was featured in a soundtrack of (500) Days of Summer and as a theme song to JIFFEST 2009. The band received greater fanfare when we learned that the vocalist, Dougy Mandagi, was actually from Indonesia. Their other songs then went on to be featured in many popular TV Shows such as 90210, Grey's Anatomy, Chuck, and One Tree Hill. The band, who gained prominence with their atmospheric sound featuring grand guitars set to pulsating rhythms, was scheduled to have their debut Indonesia tour from 11-13 November 2010.

The 12 November Jakarta concert was held in Tennis Indoor Senayan. And being  such an alt-rock fanatic that I am, I just simply couldn't miss it. Not to mention that IsmayaLive would be pre-selling tickets to the Two Door Cinema Club concert for February 2011. From IsmayaLive's twitter account, it was said that the gate would be opened from 5 p.m. and I got there at 6. I figured as it was with this kind of concert, of course there will be some kind of delay so I would still make it if I was late one hour. Turned out, they were even more late. The gate wasn't even opened when I showed up. Finally about 6.30, I got into the lounge.

The entriway into the lounge
 

As always with any IsmayaLive event, the lounge was set very classy with chic seatings, bar, food stalls, DJ booth, and a projection of Twitter TV (a live feed of all tweets with @IsmayaLive tag). It was very comfortable to spend time in while waiting for the gate to the concert hall to be opened. On a slightly negative note, the Toilet was located by the concert hall and patrons weren't allowed entry until the gate to the hall was opened and the foods were overpriced (as always).

 Food vendors from Sushi Groove and Pizza e Birra

The queuing alongside the DJ booth
 

Twitter TV

When the gate was opened at 7, people just rushed in. I managed to get a really nice spot in the front and center. However, the opening act by Efek Rumah Kaca and DJ James Yuill (whom I didn't really care for), took almost two hours and by then I already got so bored and restless that I decided to abandon post and just hang out at the lounge until the main act start. I managed to bump into some friends and spot a few celebs like DJ Winky and wife and other socialites like etc, etc. Then we heard news that the band will not even show up until 11. The Twitter TV was already up in flames with insults and negative comments about the long delay. One of the running joke of the evening was that one of the band member is Indonesian, so of course they would be late. I spotted several people leaving the premises because they can't handle the long wait, but since I actually paid for the tickets to the show I decided to stick it out.

By the time the band finally showed up on stage, it was already 11. You can feel the resentment and  the restlessness in the atmosphere. People actually "boo-ed" at the band. But then, the lights came on and the music started. You can feel the energy started to change around you. People started screaming out the band's name and dancing. The performance had a few climaxes with Sweet Disposition, Soldier On, and the drum song where all the lights went off and spotlight were shining only on Dougy as he beat the drum that he splashed with water previously. With the contrast created by the dark background and the spotlight, you could clearly see the water jumping around and  dancing to the beat and erupting like a geyser.

After all is said and done, the band played with vigor. They gave off a great performance, would have been perfect if not for the long wait. The lighting arrangement was out of this world. But still, there is something very traumatic about the whole being made to wait for 5 hours. Even though people danced and screamed during the performance, I got the feeling that the ambiance could have been more energized had we not been made to wait that long. Personally, no matter how a great show is, if you have to wait 5 hours for a one-hour-show, the pay off is way to little. And instead of a sweet disposition, I was left with a bittersweet disposition.
 

The crowd clapping for an encore.

TOSCANA: A Taste Trip Through Italy

One evening, I and my friend were driving to Kemang. We were planning to pick up the tickets to Joko Anwar's musical play "Onrop", but that didn't work out because the tickets to the seats we wanted were already sold out. Not wanting to go back with empty hands and empty stomachs, we decided to grab a bite around the area. And then we stumbled upon an Italian restaurant incidentally. I have been craving Italian foods for the past few weeks ever since I watched "Eat, Pray, Love" so I suggested that we go in.

At the first glance, Toscana didn't look like much from the outside. However, the minute you entered to restaurant, you will immediately feel like you were being transported to a charming eatery in a secluded valley somewhere in Italy. We were greeted by a butler who showed us to our table and we noticed that most of the clienteles were expatriates. Smoking area is available which is always a plus. The overall look of the place felt very authentic. The dimly-lit cabin-like interior gave off very warm and romantic vibe. With no annoying music blaring from speakers, the tranquil ambience is sure to keep the conversation going with you and your date.

With Italian foods, my mind instantaneously thought of a few items. Pizza, pasta, gelato, and wine. And those were exactly what we ordered. 

 The complementary bread basket. A staple in any Italian restaurant. Served with cream cheese and olive oil.

They say that to know how good a cook really is, you just need to order the simplest item on the menu. So, for our first course we decided to go with the simple Margherita Pizze. The tomato and mozzarella pizza, cooked in an Italian wood burning oven, was not the best Mergherita pizza I've ever tasted, but it was still better than some generic restaurant chains' pizza and the portion was quite large for just 4 slices. 38k.

The second course was Pasta. A Canneloni Bolognese. A new item on the menu, the rolled fresh egg pasta filled with bolognese meat sauce and bechamel cream topping and cheese was clearly the star of the evening. As you cut through the layers of cheese, cream, pasta, and meat, and scooped it into your mouth, it literally melted on your tongue. 48k.

For the dessert, we had a scoop of Kiwi gelato. I was expecting more acidity to the gelato, so I was a little bit surprised when the flavor was actually quite tame. Not too sweet and not too tangy.  The perfect balance. It was refreshing and a nice palate cleanser. 20k.

Finally for the wine, we ordered 1/2 litre caraf of red wine (house pour) to compliment our meals. It was quite nice for a house pour and it was not absurdly overpriced like in some mall-fine-dining-resto. So it made me very happy. The wine had a hint of peppery flavor and a nice fruity finish. 95k.

With a five-star service, great foods, and wide price range, Toscana is the kind of place that I would definitely come back to again for another appointment and perhaps with a company with little more of a romantic liaison in nature ^_~*

Toscana

Jl. Kemang Raya No. 120

Ph. 021-7181216/17

Blackberry PIN No. 25512DF3

Walking Sleep: A Magnificently Orchestrated Pop-Rock Soundtrack For A Glistening Spring Morning

Walking Sleep originally formed in 2007 under the name The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra. The six-piece band came together as the natural extension of lead singer Hunter Curra’s exploratory songwriting, in which he combined male and female vocal harmonies, classic rhythms, and curiously dark lyrics. Drawing influence across genres and decades, their songs include echoes of the melancholy psychedelic pop of The Zombies, the uptempo stomp of classic Motown, and the moody melodicism of Fleetwood Mac, but placed in a modern context, akin to bands like Belle & Sebastian, The Shins, and Camera Obscura.  

Walking Sleep takes those band's breathy pop and adds a little weight to it  while maintaining the predilection for orchestral touches and adding the occasional cinematic touch (the dramatic marching tempo and the haunting female hooting that pops up occasionally on “In A Dream”). The band is confident enough in its pop songwriting to never allow any of these exotic elements to pressure the music toward novelty. Like the best modern pop groups, Walking Sleep manages to recall many elements of the past fifty years of development without sounding like a direct copy of anyone else.

The band unveiled its first full length album, Measures, in May 2010. Measures features 10 tracks showcasing the scope and breadth of Walking Sleep’s unique sound. From the fast-and-tight garage-rock of ‘Final Chapter’ to the expansive strings (played by members of The Section Quartet amongst others) and Nancy-and-Lee vocals of ‘Let It Go On’, the songs offer a variety of textures and hooks while maintaining a strong sense of identity and purpose. 

 www.walkingsleep.com  

www.myspace.com/walkingsleep 

www.facebook.com/pages/Walking-Sleep/307809117702?ref=ts 

Also check out their other song, "Don't Be Fooled" on Myspace

SCREAM 4 Official Teaser Trailer Has Just Debuted.

"What's your favorite scary movie?" 

Remember that line? Fans of the horror movie genre who grew up in the '90s have got to be be familiar with the aforementioned line. The line itself was so iconic and the movie whence the line was spewed  has become a staple in pop culture. Yep, your favorite scary movie is back!!!

The official teaser trailer for Scream 4 has just debuted over on Yahoo! Movies. Scream is one of my favorite horror movie franchises and I can't wait to go back to Woodsboro, reunite with the survivors of the massacres, and witness the next chapter of the Ghostface killer story. It seems like forever since I first heard about this project to this day when we can get glimpse of what's in store for us.
 

Ten years have passed since the first trilogy ended, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer once again. Scream 4 stars an ensemble cast of David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Nico Tortorella and Erik Knudsen. Campbell, Arquette and Cox are the only returning main cast members from the previous films. Emma Roberts resumes the role of Sidney's cousin who is poised to become the next heroine of the franchise.  

Scream 4 is once again directed by horror mastermind Wes Craven, of The Hills Have Eyes, Swamp Thing, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Shocker, Red Eye and the original Scream trilogy. The screenplay was written by franchise creator Kevin Williamson, who wrote Scream 1 & 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer. The Weinstein Company / Dimension Films is bringing Scream 4 to theaters in 3D on April 15th, 2011.
 

I really hope that this next installment can live up to its predecessors in terms of reinventing the slasher flicks genre and not just become another cliche in the piles of trashy horror movies. There was a little anxiety concerning the script and cast changes in the early stage of  development, but from watching the teaser trailer just now, I can't feel anything but get so excited. From the teaser alone you could already spot many teen stars cameos, such as  Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin, Lucy Hale, and Shenae Grimes. I'm so giddy that some of my favorites get to make appearances and they better die gruesome deaths!!!

LANVIN Fall Winter 2011 by Steven Meisel

Lanvin Fall/Winter 2010/11 Campaign photographed by Steven Meisel features model Magdalena Frackowiak, Anja Rubik, and Mariacarla Boscono.

 

 

Carlo De Huts, Senayan City

I discovered Carlo De Huts about 3 months ago, not too long after their opening and since then it has become one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Carlo De Huts' homey space is warm and welcoming while its friendly atmosphere offers comfort to those who have grown tired of other so-called trendy restaurants where it's always too crowded, the music's too loud, the food is overpriced, and the portion is just too tiny. In Carlo De Huts, everything is juuuuuuuuuuust right.

Carlo De Huts provides a wide selection of menu from various locales such as American (Steaks and Grilled Ribs), Dutch (Pannekoek) Italian (Pasta and Pizzas), Turkish (Kumpir or Baked Potato), and Indonesian (Mixed Rice). When it comes to where to eat and what to eat, it comes down to just a few simple things: the food tastes good, the price is right, and the service is pleasant. And Carlo De Huts indeed delivers.

 
Carlo De Huts

Senayan City Lantai Lower Ground Unit 45
Jl. Asia Afrika No. 19
Room Crystal Lagoon
Tanah Abang, Jakarta Pusat
Indonesia 10270 

Phone: +62 21 72781653 

Email: carlodehuts@gmail.com

FOODS
 

My personal favorite, Smoked Salmon Fettucine with White Sauce. 45K

Oxtail Bolognaise. Mixed local and italian style. Nice aromatic flavor. 45K

American Combo Breakfast Style Savory Pannekoek 
with beef bacon, fried egg, tomato, mushroom, & crispy potato. 37.9K

Classic Apple Struddle with Pastry Short Crust. Surprisingly satiating. 40.5K

Also worth trying is the Banana Pie with fried sliced banana and pastry short crust for 38.5K.

I just wanna keep coming back for more!!!

 

DRINKS

Blueberry drinks with lychee fruits and jelly. 33K

Orange passion fruit. Orange jam with marquisa and jelly.

The perfect summer drink. 32K

Strawberry grenadine with soda and lime. 32K.

Milk tea with grass jelly. 27K.

... and don't forget to save room for...

DESSERTS

Baked Alaskan. Sandwiched chocolate ice cream with lemon meringue. 27K

Smokers can have a puff on the patio.

Can't wait to go back and try the other stuffs next ^_~*