Found: Mystery song in WATCHMEN

When I was watching WATCHMEN, a song playing in the background when Dan Dreiberg, (Night Owl II) met Laurel (Silk Spectre II) in a restaurant, and I was unable to find it in the Watchmen soundtrack.

It didn't quite sound English to me and I thought it had a French ring to it. So I tried my luck on Yahoo Answers. Within 24 hours, one response came in:

99 Luftballons by Blondie? Or 99 Red Balloons

I did a search in YouTube and found that it was actually a German song sung by Nena in the 1980s, and a few bands have since sung the English version.

Original German MTV by Nena:


English version by Blondie, but lip-synced by someone else:


I was puzzled. Why was this song included in the movie? A little Googling led me to the Wikipedia entry which mentioned that this was actually an anti-nuclear protest song in the 1980s, so it fitted well into the context of the Watchmen graphic novel & movie.

According to this site, the German lyrics can be translated literally as:

Do you have some time for me?
Then I'll sing a song for you
About 99 balloons
On their way to the horizon
Are you perhaps thinking of me?
Then I'll sing a song for you
About 99 balloons
And that something (like the war) comes from such a thing (the balloons)

99 balloons
On their way to the horizon
They thought they were UFOs from space
So a general sent
A flying squad out there
To raise the alarm if it was true
Yet there on the horizon were
Only 99 balloons

99 jet airplanes
Each one was a great warrior
Thought that they were Captain Kirk
There were great fireworks
The neighbors didn't understand anything
And felt immediately felt "pissed off"/provoked
Yet there they shot on the horizon
At 99 balloons

99 war ministers
Matches and petrol cans
Thought that they were clever people
Already caught wind of great spoils [of war]
Shouted: War, and wanted power
Man, who would have thought
That one day it would come to this
Because of 99 balloons

99 years of war
Don't leave a place for victors
There are no ministers of war any more
No jet planes either
Today I'm doing my rounds
Seeing the world lying in ruins
Found a balloon
Think of you and let it fly


And here are the lyrics for the English version:

You and I in a little toy shop
buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got
Set them free at the break of dawn
'Til one by one, they were gone
Back at base, bugs in the software
Flash the message, "Something's out there"
Floating in the summer sky
99 red balloons go by.

99 red balloons floating in the summer sky
Panic bells, it's red alert
There's something here from somewhere red
The war machine springs to life
Opens up one eager eye
Focusing it on the sky
Where 99 red balloons go by.

99 Decision Street, 99 ministers meet
To worry, worry, super-scurry
Call the troops out in a hurry
This is what we've waited for
This is it boys, this is war
The president is on the line
As 99 red balloons go by.

99 Knights of the air
ride super-high-tech jet fighters
Everyone's a Superhero
Everyone's a Captain Kirk
With orders to identify
To clarify and classify
Scramble in the summer sky
As 99 red balloons go by.

99 dreams I have had
In every one a red balloon
It's all over and I'm standin' pretty
In this dust that was a city
If I could find a souvenier
Just to prove the world was here...
And here is a red balloon
I think of you and let it go.


Beautiful song!
:-)

Red dawn

It's been ages since I've seen a beautiful morning sky at home...

SNL: Colonel Angus comes home

I saw this last Saturday on SCV Star World. It was part of "The Best of Saturday Night Live" series and it took me a while to realise what the cast was REALLY talking about.

SNL...COLONEL ANGUS

Here's the transcript if you need to analyse it... :-)

Watching the Watchmen

My colleagues & I saw the Watchmen movie together, and as usual, we shared our reviews with each other. Here are some of the reviews:

Mine:

WATCHMEN gets a 7 out of 10 rating from me.

As DL reminded me after the show, I did borrow the comic from CTPL because this was a hot title in secondary school days but I never got down to reading it as the artwork was not to my taste. Instead, I passed it to DL .... :-)

I was curious enough to read about it in Wikipedia a week before today, and I must admit that the storyline was rather interesting and was in many ways, ahead of its time. I mean we now have a few anti-superhero TV series and comics like:
* HEROES (no costumes, got superpowers)
* THE BOYS (CIA superpowered agents keeping "superheroes" who are perverts, jerks or deviants in line)
* WANTED (supervillains have killed off all superheroes& are ruling the world together)
* AFTER THE CAPE (fallen superhero turns alcoholic bank robber)

but I don't recall another comics world in the 1980s in which all (but one) superheroes are actually normal humans without any superpower, which makes them more 'human' and credible. In the movie, the costumed heroes in the 1940s actually looked kind of cheesy because all they had to show for were ill-fitting costumes and newspaper cutouts, esp. the Mothman and the old Night Owl. If our world really had costumed vigilantes, that's how they might be...

What I also liked was how these superheroes were weaved into an alternate history, like the Comedian being JFK's assassin or Dr Manhattan taking Neil Armstrong's photo on the moon. I also liked the opening sequence which sums up the rise & fall of superheroes, set to Bob Dylan's song.

What I didn't like about the Watchmen movie was the lack of personality in most of the 6 superheroes, except The Comedian and Rorschach:
* Dr Manhattan... you might as well talk to a toaster. For all the intellect and power he has, he has no perspective and becomes a weapon and a puppet. And no one could really criticise his costume... because he has none to speak of. ;-)
* Night Owl II... is a low-budget Batman wannabe w/o the detective brains or style (look at his Archie craft vs the Batmobile) ... which may explain why he needs Rorschach to be his partner.
* Silk Spectre II ... is the obligatory female in the team, methinks. If you read THE BOYS, you would have thought that Ozymandias was trying to make the Watchmen look like a bunch of fags....
* Ozymandias... I think his real power is not his quick kung fu moves or super brain, but his skin...

I really wonder how the 6 Watchmen actually functioned as a team in their hey-days.... :-)

When we first encounter Dr Manhattan talking to Rorschach (plus the Vietnam War scene), he was giant-sized and we learn that he can increase his size at will... Does that mean his *ahem* grows proprtionately too? No wonder he has the b**ls to toast Rorschach at the end.... :-)

Oh, if you're wondering which Watchmen character you are, try these quizzes:

• http://www.angelfire.com/comics/mooreportal/wpi.html (I am Night Owl I)
• http://www.quizilla.com/quizzes/259121/which-watchmen-character-are-you (I'm Night Owl II)
• http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=6060670582074285026 (I'm Rorschach ??!!)
  

Try it!



GT:
I loooooved the film.

Think I confessed to sm of u aft the show tt I actually cheated and saw it on Sat cos I wanted to watch it once w/o knowin anythin and once aft knowing evth. Read the comic on Sun, includin at the hairdresser's, on the train, over dinner, etc.

Loved it for those heart-stoppin moments set to Unforgettable (Comedian being flung across room), Times they are a Changing (Silhouette waltzing rd Times Sq aft VJ day kssin the nurse), Sounds of Silence (Comedian's funeral even as Rorshach as Walter watches w The End is Nigh).

And the piece tt broke my heart: Rorshach's final stand in the snow. Cried both times.

Loved it Loved it. LOOVED IT.

Best line I think will get evn better w age. Sally Jupiter: " As u get older, the future gets more unclear, and yet the past, even the grimier parts, get brighter all the time."

9/10

-1 for all the useless sex and chat up scenes btw Owl/Specter.



RH:
Cutting the review short.

I like the movie. The stylised slow motion fighting scene is nicee.
It's interesting how they link the movie periodically.

I think Rorcharch steals the show and
Dr Manhattan should put his pants on.

ratings: 8/10 :)


S Cedar:
7/10

Not a comic book fan and this is not the type of movie I would actually see, especially since ST gave it bad review (2/5). I was worried that this movie would be like "The Spirit", but thankfully it wasn't, though at times the movie was 'draggy'. (CK, i insist i saw u sleeping lor)

Was impressed by the soundtrack and the opening scene crafted to the tune of "Unforgettable" and the flashback to how the "minutemen" was formed...also impressed with the movie set design and the attention paid to details (the 3.5" diskette anyone?)
then the rest I mostly hide behind my fingers and bag because it was too violent..hahaha...

P2:
to cut a long story short.

i super like the show. especially since the director is Mr 300!

8.5 out of 10


AAA:
I've not read the comic before nor read anything abt it so the only info I got about the story was from watching the movie. The 1st part was a little draggy but thru the middle, it was interesting how the story got pieced together with flashbacks and snippets and how it got linked. It was always raining in the show eh? Somehow some of the characters and bits reminded me of some of Batman.

And it WAS a violent movie! All the head hitting, bangings on tables, glass and the toilet bowl..... 6.5/10


SK:
how on earth to beat DL's review?

i liked the movie. it's something different from all the one-dimensional hero movies out there. Was thinking how a face off between Wolverine and Rorcharch would turn out. Wolverine might not win. There are some bits I dont like though: you can tell that the dialogue in some bits were transplanted from the book and this doesnt always make cinematic sense. Rating 7/10



NS:
To begin with, it's not really the kind of movie that I'd normally go for. So pardon me if some of my views are pretty jarring compared to those who raved it. =)

I agree that the special effects were fantastic and the way they linked one scene to another with such deep thinking dialogues made it marvellous. The fact that it's action-packed is another plus point. However, I felt that some scenes were too draggy and unnecessary which explains for the movie lasting more than 2 hrs.. I think I've also had enough of America trying to save the world.. With the massive credit crunch that's hit the world worse than great depression, it's time that the Americans save themselves first!


Can't deny that 'Roscharch's' character/presence was such a steal though...

ratings: 6/10


MHI:
7/10...

Doing flashback scenes, as far I know, is the most easiest thing to do - as far as writing, directing etc are concerned. But I thought the many flashback techniques used in this movie was commendable.... it helped me to get acquainted to the many many superheroes in just a movie... the plot, action scenes, flashback scenes, excellent scripting etc were balanced....

I havent heard of Watchmen until I saw their picture on a magazine cover sometime last year ( i think it was the First mag and initially, i thought 'watchmen' is a some kind of movie involving security guards or something.....ha! ...Maybe next time there will be a comic book heroes made up of all security guards....)

On another note, maybe I''m wrong but i think this is also another extension of the list of superheroes, mixed and matched together to come out with Watchmen (does it sound like De-Construction and Re-Construction? hmmm):

I could see the Nite Owl on similar grounds with Zorro and Batman. All three use animals as their heroic symbols, have an "office" underground that store their costumes and vehicles. When Bob Kane created Batman, he was highly influenced by Zorro. Not sure if Nite Owl was also influenced by either Batman or Zorro....

Dr Manhattan - similar to Incredible Hulk - scientific experiments went wrong, so he becomes strong. The glowing Dr reminds me of the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four too....

The Comedian - reminds of The Joker and The Riddler put together, but with a darker personality....

In a nutshell, I think the director/ producer wanted to highlight the importance of values and morals among each character in the movie - brotherhood-friendship-love-the nemesis within etc....


DL:
One of the things i keep thinking about is, why is Rorschach's mask like that?
IS that part of his power? haha, of course i know its not, since i read the comic before. But I am very fasinated by it through out the whole movie.
When he was unmasked in the prision, i felt kinda disappointed, but i was wrong, the man behind the mask was more interesting and unbreakable.
So i did some search on wiki on his name, then i found out about "Rorschach inkblot test". It is then i realize the movie is what you want it to be.

If you want action, it has it and it does it pretty good without too much of it. If you want effects, Dr Manhattan is the effects man. If you want sex Owl and Silk give you some. But if you would to go deeper into the plot you will find some mind-blogging stuff about grey moral world and the themes that Watchmen is all about.
So it just like the Rorschach inkblot test, whether its good or bad, its up to your own taste to judge the movie. The movie will be good if you read comics before and have a nerd knowledge for superheroes or even better read the Watchman comic itself, but most of the mindblogging stuff is from the interviews of the creator itself.

For me the movie works cause it stirs up a thinking ...... Rorschach inkblot test .... interesting...That how the world works ...


CK:
"I'm not stuck here with you, you all are stuck here with me!!!" - Roscharch's/Walter Kovacs

8 / 10

Not just an action movie, this comes with good storyline and witty dialogue...kept me up throughout the 160 mins. (yes S Cedar i didn't sleep)


AS:
Wondering why is this movie known as Watchmen? Are they supposed to look after USA / planet Earth?
Anyway, the story is interesting enuf to keep me stay awake (enough plots, actions, artistic scenes)
I give a 8 / 10 points..

The only interesting character so far is Dr Manhattan (with the ability to bi-locate, teleport, reintegrate, manipulating objects and his god-like manner in analysing things),
The rest are more like "Kung-Foo" Buffs with not much of superpowers (except for that young handsome guy, who is fast (able to catch a bullet) and supposedly highly intelligence)

Mai Hiam Buay Pai Loh...


PS:
From the guts:

I think it was excellent! I read the comic novel, true, and knew the ending, or at least according to the book, but to see almost everything come to life on the screen, almost word for word from the book was awesome! No wonder they could only pull it off now, rather than before, cos the CGI and SFX is much more sophisticated today to allow the book to be turned to film.

The comic book was already groundbreaking when it was released, to be an anti-superherom initiative that only Alan Moore can think of. The dialogue was good, and above average in most scenes. The acting by all was pretty okay, but I like Roscharch's/Walter Kovacs the best. He acted better behind the mask than out of it.

Only worst actor award would be for Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman), she was so stiff. The best scenes with her was only when she was in action, fighting.

My ratings: 8/10.

Project UnLibrary

I'm currently managing this 'library takeover' experiment in which a bunch of non-librarians were challenged to design an 'unlibrary' within the confines of a public library. Why 'unlibrary'? It's because we wanted to let non-librarians to take control of a library space and redefine it ways alien to librarians. :-)

For this prototype, the testbed is the library@esplanade [blog] and Alvin Tan of The Necessary Stage had agreed to be the iconic personality driving this endeavour, and we have 10 creative volunteers involved in the project team as well, overseeing aspects such as the design of a central installation, satellite displays, happenings & a secondary prototype dubbed 'unlibrary in your head', which is a meant to be a portable experience.

One of the challenges issue to the team was to ensure that the installation and satellite exhibits be capable of being influenced and evolved by visitors to this unlibrary space. At the end of the day, we hope that the final iteration would be meaningful enough for Alvin Tan and the team of volunteers to develop into a tangible outcome such as a script for a new play.

Some photos of the project team in action....

Session 1 (11 Feb 09)

First session at West End room, library@esplanade

PK - the resident librarian (right) giving a guided tour to the volunteers.

Alvin Tan - as deconstructed by the volunteers who heard his personal sharing.

Session 2: 18 Feb 09

Team members discussing the design proposals:

Session 3: 25 Feb 09

Breakout session for the sub-teams in charge of the central installation, happenings & the portable experiece:

Nothing feeds the brain more than hot pizza...

... and library books. This one is entitled Museum of Lost Wonder.

Presentation & discussion of design proposals:

Pieces of 8

I usually buy 8 pieces of bird's nest a month (for my wife) at a Chinese medical hall, and the total sum would be about $140-$160. Imagine my shock when the aunty manning the shop told me that the total was $225.

I was puzzled. The price per kati was still $115, and the aunty explained that the promotional 10% discount was over. But that did not explain the difference of $60 to $80 for the same 8 pieces.

When I told the aunty that I'd pay a visit to other medical halls, she quickly told me that she could perhaps select 'thinner' pieces which would weight less.

BTW, for the uninitiated, bird's nest - as sold in medical halls - tend to look like those shown in the photo below. To the layman, one piece may be similar to any other, and one may sometimes believe that the people who pack these pieces would adhere to some kind of standard size or weight to make it easier for customers and cashiers working at the medical halls.

As it turned out, the aunty had to dig a long way into the tall glass jar before she could find the 'thin' pieces she promised me. I pointed out that prior to the economic recession, the thin pieces were usually placed at the top of the jar, and her colleagues could easily fish out 8 standard pieces which was within the range of $140 - $160.

As I walked home, I was reminded of a case study I read in Philip Kotler's marketing textbook back in my uni days: to increase usage of Ajinomoto MSG in an increasingly health-conscious marketplace, the manufacturer simply drilled larger holes in the bottle, so that each shake would see a 15% increase in the amount of MSG powder dispensed. (I rediscovered the story here). Looks like this medical hall may have borrowed a leaf from Ajinomoto, and placed the thicker pieces of bird's nest at the top. :-)