From HYR , musical director blog!
HHEEELLLPPP!!! (Woo Hoo!! SM GOH CHOK TONG LIKES 12 LOTUS!!!)
August 23rd, 2008

Sorry that I pasted this blog on both my blog sites, but it's coz the on going survival of this movie 12 Lotus needs everyone's support, so 2 blogs are errr better than one. So I whack here too!!!
Actually, my header for this post was supposed to be HEEELLPPP!!!! As the 12 Lotus box office so far has been quite dismal, some blame it on the Olympics making people stay at home, some people blame it for the timing being one week late as a result, not being in line with the seven month activities…

And of coz, some just simply didn't really like the film. Actually I remember when I watched this movie, I was thinking to myself, oh nooo…Oh no not becoz it's not nice, oh no is coz it's not as commercial as 881. I remembered having this conversation with Roy and 600, I told them, it's very intense, not as commercial, but then again, with 881 making the 1st commercial headway into the hearts of the err…heartlands. It might bring the mainstream buying audience to challenge themselves to up a step into something more deep. But then again, it's a 'might' hence everyone is worried.

Some also commented that this time, the movie has too much music…To that, I find it amusing, the movie is not called a musical for nothing. It's a musical of coz shld have a lot of music what?!!?!? hahhahaha…No music, then what?

Some also said that the movie is slow, to that, I feel actually the music is part of the plot, it's actually contributing to the momentum of the movie together with the main spoken plot, taking that in mind, I actually don't feel that the movie is that slow. Actually I feel the reason why I respect Roy for making the movie 12 Lotus as how it is, coz he clearly doesn't wanna be pigeonholed. He wants to take a step up. Remember there used to be a time where U would watch a Stephen Chow movie just becoz it's a Stephen Chow movie? where U expect EXACTLY what's gonna happen and U laugh at all the slapstick stuff and go home entertained with no surprises? Even Mr Chow has moved away from that direction, times are changing, the world is maturing and though it might not please some, but well, U can't please everyone, but respect to those who are bold enough to not cash in on a working formula.

And this time, in 12 Lotus, in terms of music, I have a terrific working partner also involved in the soundscape of 12 Lotus, and that's Mr Ricky Ho. Before I even picked up a guitar, Ricky was already making waves in the Asian Mandarin music scene. With our works combined, the story in 12 Lotus unfolds not just thru the visuals, but in the aural experience, whether it's thru the song lyrics or thru the sensations U get thru Ricky's scoring or my FM team's arrangements…Hence I guess, making things not as straightforward as a normal movie, challenging the audience to engage both senses of sight and sound in order to appreciate and be touched by the movie 12 Lotus.

Actually this is what I thought about 2 days ago, but I didn't have time to post it. Today, I slept at 7am, but woke up at 830am just to have the honour of catching the movie with SM Goh. After watching the movie, SM Goh reaffirmed my thoughts regarding this, he felt that the movie is very powerful, and the evils of money is a very big and very real theme in this movie, and that is something real that anyone can relate to. He felt that we need a director willing to take risks, and not just jump on the bandwagon. He also said that this movie is not that commercial, but it will be a good film to challenge the mentality of Singaporeans towards local films.

This is something that I also strongly believe in, I feel that MOST Singaporeans love their entertainment in a bubble gum way, which means easily absorbed, but easily disposable and forgetten at anytime, whether it's in the form of music, design, movies, dance, all those creative stuff…But Singapore IS already building up and making noise in some parts of the creative industry, whether it's internationally or regionally, for e.g. in music(where we got Yanzi, JJ, still strong and not forgetting the behind the scene guys like Si Song Wei Song, Billy Koh, our FM gang, Xiaohan, Jim, me etc), in movies(Royston and his 20000 international film festival awards, and I still think Roy's, ban until cannot ban anymore in Singapore, movie, 15 is freaking brilliant, I was so happy when I met one of the actors last year, I was like I KNOW U!!!! Then he said I ALSO KNOW U!!! hahahah), the fashion industry etc.

With our acheivements, mostly abroad, I always thought it would be nice if fellow Singaporeans are willing to support their own kind, commerical or not, allowing them to be more creatively sophisticated in their absorbtion of our local talents.

And yeaahh, Daniel Yun, Tow Kay of Raintree, told me that SM Goh still remembers me coz I gave him my only copy of the 1st master test print of the 881 OST last year, so today I presented him and his wife the 12 Lotus OST, this time not CDR test print, but in it's full glory. He said last year the OST he hear waahh very 'song' but then before he knew it, the song ended, as it were all movie length songs. In which I replied yah lah! I heard about that, so this year, we steady one, the songs all record full full give u!!!

Mdm Goh and a few other friends in the theatre said they preferred 12 Lotus to 881, SM Goh feeling this movie is a powerful one, all these supportive but yet honest remarks made our whole team very relieved, happy and very grateful today. To which we shouted a few HUAT AHs! like mad dogs outside the theatre. 600 sister was of coz very happy, but feared that they appreciate the movie coz these people are all 'standard' one, as in high standard people laahh, and hence don't think like the buying mainstream public. I feel though they are all great leaders, but they are still no different from U and Me, as in we are all still mortal humans, only difference is they are born leaders. And when leaders lead, people will follow…

So yeaahh, test your senses, not just of sight, but of sound too, go check out 12 Lotus. Today. NOW! Don't say, wait for DVD…Coz on DVD, it won't be the same, besides the visual experience of watching in a theatre, U also definitely cannot experience the ah beng-ness of the sub bass coming from our techno beats at home.

So…Go watch hor? Support the local film industry lloorr, if U don't, who will?!
Huat ah…