Terminator: Genisys
People who were upset that Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn’t involved in 2009’s Terminator: Salvation better be overjoyed this time. Not only does the 67-year-old star in the fifth installment of the franchise — he fights himself. The trailer shows the original T-800, in all his muscular glory, trading blows with his graying counterpart (apparently, Terminators age). If you need one reason to see this movie, this is it. After the disastrous Terminator: Salvation, which Arnold publicly dissed (“It sucked”), this movie is considered a return to form. Even franchise creator James Cameron (who hasn’t been involved with it since 1991 and dislikes the third and fourth films) likes it. Oh, and Salvation didn’t have time travel. Genisys sure does — maybe even a bit too much, as this movie is a reboot that runs with the concept, altering much of what we knew about the Terminator universe. Our favorite characters are still there — but they might have different backstories. Be prepared to have your mind blown — or be very confused. If you exit the theater wondering what the heck just happened, well, at least you just saw Arnold fight Arnold.
Magic Mike XXL
If shirtless men with ripped bodies perfecting the art of the pelvic thrust is your cup of tea, look no further than Magic Mike XXL, sequel to the 2012 Magic Mike. Inspired by lead man Channing Tatum’s real-life experiences as a stripper, the original film was billed as a comedy but carried serious undertones (as serious as muscular men in gold thongs can be) as the film explored the excessive lifestyle of the industry while Mike struggled with his hopes and dreams. The sequel starts off in a similar vein — Mike is three years out of the business and unhappy with his life — until he falls back with his old colleagues (sans Matthew McConaughey and Alex Pettyfer) who convince him to take a road trip for a last hurrah at a massive stripper convention. While the road-trip comedy format lacks the contemplative tone of the previous film, it promises more explicit and sexier dance scenes. And, most importantly, you will see Tatum in a thong.
Monk Comes Down the Mountain 道士下山
Acclaimed Chinese director Chen Kaige (陳凱歌), better known for his arthouse films, takes his first stab at the martial arts genre with the comedy-drama Monk Comes Down the Mountain, featuring big-name stars from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Based on a novel of the same name, the film is set in the turbulent early years of the Republic of China and tells the story of a young Taoist monk who leaves his isolated monastery and enters the “real world.” He embarks on a bizarre journey where he gets caught up in the struggles of various colorful characters — including a ninja, a Kung Fu master and Chinese Nationalist Party spies — and comes to learn the true essence of martial arts, changing his life for good. Let’s see how Chen, who seems to have been pushing his boundaries of late, fares in unknown territory.
Wish I Was Here
In what seems to be a middle-aged version of his 2004 hit Garden State, Zach Braff again writes, directs and stars in Wish I Was Here. Again, he plays a struggling actor, Aidan, but this time he has a family to take care of. Garden State begins with the funeral of Aidan’s mother, and the events in Wish I Was Here are triggered by his father’s cancer. Like Garden State, there will be the hyper-sentimental dialogue, the self-absorbed characters trying to find themselves, the hipster-friendly indie soundtrack and yes, plenty of closeup shots of Braff. Yet, the subject matter of simultaneously having to take care of an aging, sick parent and needy children while trying to find the meaning of life has the potential to strike a chord with viewers and even melt a few hearts and jerk a few tears along the way.
V/H/S: Viral
Do we really need more nausea-inducing found footage horror films? Maybe. V/H/S: Viral actually seems intriguing. Like its predecessors, the film contains three shorts by different directors followed by a wraparound segment that is supposed to tie everything together. What’s even more intriguing is that the description of the shorts don’t seem to be scary at all, leaning towards a Twilight Zone weirdness instead. First up is Dante the Great, about a wannabe magician who finds a magic cloak that propels him to fame — but the cloak needs to be fed, and we can be sure it’s no vegan. In Parallel Monsters, a scientist switches places with himself from a parallel universe for 15 minutes. Apparently, there’s a deadly monster vagina involved. You then have teenage troublemakers battling Mexican zombies in Bonestorm and finally, an ice cream truck of doom and gloom in Vicious Circle. All of this sounds way more thought out than your regular horror flick — just don’t puke before the show is over.
In the March 9 edition of the Taipei Times a piece by Ninon Godefroy ran with the headine “The quiet, gentle rhythm of Taiwan.” It started with the line “Taiwan is a small, humble place. There is no Eiffel Tower, no pyramids — no singular attraction that draws the world’s attention.” I laughed out loud at that. This was out of no disrespect for the author or the piece, which made some interesting analogies and good points about how both Din Tai Fung’s and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) meticulous attention to detail and quality are not quite up to
April 28 to May 4 During the Japanese colonial era, a city’s “first” high school typically served Japanese students, while Taiwanese attended the “second” high school. Only in Taichung was this reversed. That’s because when Taichung First High School opened its doors on May 1, 1915 to serve Taiwanese students who were previously barred from secondary education, it was the only high school in town. Former principal Hideo Azukisawa threatened to quit when the government in 1922 attempted to transfer the “first” designation to a new local high school for Japanese students, leading to this unusual situation. Prior to the Taichung First
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) hatched a bold plan to charge forward and seize the initiative when he held a protest in front of the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office. Though risky, because illegal, its success would help tackle at least six problems facing both himself and the KMT. What he did not see coming was Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (將萬安) tripping him up out of the gate. In spite of Chu being the most consequential and successful KMT chairman since the early 2010s — arguably saving the party from financial ruin and restoring its electoral viability —
The Ministry of Education last month proposed a nationwide ban on mobile devices in schools, aiming to curb concerns over student phone addiction. Under the revised regulation, which will take effect in August, teachers and schools will be required to collect mobile devices — including phones, laptops and wearables devices — for safekeeping during school hours, unless they are being used for educational purposes. For Chang Fong-ching (張鳳琴), the ban will have a positive impact. “It’s a good move,” says the professor in the department of
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