2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003
I first heard about close captioning when I was living in Canada back in the early 90s since practically every station had it. Close captioning was created for the deaf community or hard of hearing individuals to help them understand what’s going on on TV. It’s a button on the remote you press to turn on and off and when on you can see subtitles on the screen along with sound descriptions. Turns out the system isn’t used here and so someone just started a campaign to try and push OSN to implement it. This is their aim taken from their Facebook page:
To urge OSN (Orbit Showtime Network) in speeding up the process of incorporating English subtitles in all OSN channels (whether the broadcasts are in English or Arabic) so that everyone – deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people – can have a better experience.
I’m surprised OSN don’t already have close captioning since they’re on the cutting edge of technology so I hope they listen and implement it soon. To support this campaign and for information on how you can help check out their Facebook page [Here]
On a side note they have a pretty cool campaign page with pre-written emails you can send with a click of a button and lots of information among other things. All campaign pages should be like this.
At least they don’t censor Steven Spielberg’s name because he’s Jewish. That’s what they’re doing in Lebanon! [Link]
If you’ve never been to a Cinemagic rooftop screening then this would be the perfect month to do so since the weather really doesn’t get any better than this (when it’s not dusty). Also this month they’re playing some great movies with my favorite being Goodbye Lenin! Check out the full schedule below:
Thursday, November 10th at 7:30pm
GOODBYE LENIN!
In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma, a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared.
Saturday, November 12th at 7:30pm
DOG DAY AFTERNOON
A man robs a bank to pay for his lover’s operation; it turns into a hostage situation and a media circus.
Thursday, November 17th at 7:30pm
COLONY
Several beekeepers around the U.S. cope with colony collapse disorder – the phenomenon that has caused millions of bees to mysteriously disappear.
Saturday, November 19th at 7:30pm
WAKING LIFE
A man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe.
Thursday, November 24th at 7:30pm
LA JETEE
Time travel, still images, a past, present and future and the aftermath of World War III. The tale of a man, a slave, sent back and forth, in and out of time, to find a solution to the world’s fate. To replenish its decreasing stocks of food, medicine and energies, and in doing so, resulting in a perpetual memory of a lone female, life, death and past events that are recreated on an airports jetée.
Thursday, November 24th at 7:30pm
SANS SOLEIL
“He wrote me….” A woman narrates the thoughts of a world traveler, meditations on time and memory expressed in words and images from places as far-flung as Japan, Guinea-Bissau, Iceland, and San Francisco.
Saturday, November 26h at 7:30pm
ALICE
A surrealist re-visioning of Alice in Wonderland.
Cinemagic Kuwait, is organizing these events as part of its efforts to contribute to the development of an internationally competitive Kuwaiti audio-visual production industry, partly by bringing the filmmakers and audiences together and by Increasing the public’s interest in – and appreciation for – the art of film-making. Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof on top of Alghanim Electronics and LG. Entrance is free of charge and includes refreshments, popcorn and much more. Here is a link to their Facebook group [Link]
The 99 Unbound film premiered at the New York Film Festival earlier in the month. The animated series will be starting soon so this featured film was a way to launch it. I’m not sure when we’re going to get to watch it here in Kuwait but for now you can watch a short clip from the film above. You could also read a review of the film [Here]
Nicely shot film by Timothy Carr on Al Sawaber, the PK Jaguars and Parkour. This is the description attached with the video:
Al Sawaber is a Kuwaiti housing project built in 1976. This once beautiful complex is now a run down slum known for housing the worst of Kuwait’s criminal element. It is also an amazing parkour spot filled with unique architecture mixing harsh concrete edges and organic landscaping quite nicely. With its rooftops, elevated walkways, massive stairways, parks and unique architectural touches the PK Jaguars, Kuwait’s first and best Parkour team have made it their favorite spot to train. This is a film about Al Sawaber, the PK Jaguars and Parkour.
The film is nearly 10 minutes long which makes it a bit repetitive and I’m also not sure how accurate the description is about Al Sawaber housing criminals is. Still, it’s an interesting video to watch. [Vimeo]
Thanks Anes
The Abu Dhabi Film Festival starts in a few days time (October 13th) and there is only one Kuwaiti movie playing during the festival and that’s the short movie Swing directed by Abdullah Al-Daihani. There isn’t a trailer for the movie online yet but in case you’re in Abu Dhabi on the 14th or 16th of October you can buy tickets from [Here]
Here is the Swing Facebook page [Link]
Since the weather has cooled down now with nice breezy evenings, the Cinemagic rooftop movies are back again and this year they’re no longer charging KD1, the movies are all free! Below is their schedule for October:
Thursday, October 6th at 7:30pm
THE FALL
In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances.
Saturday, October 8th at 7:30pm
THE ILLUSIONIST
A French illusionist finds himself out of work and travels to Scotland, where he meets a young woman. Their ensuing adventure changes both their lives forever.
Thursday, October 13th at 7:30pm
THE VISITOR
A college professor travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment.
Saturday, October 15th at 7:30pm
WINGS OF DESIRE
An angel tires of overseeing human activity and wishes to become human when he falls in love with a mortal.
Thursday, October 20th at 7:30pm
HUNGER
Irish republican Bobby Sands leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike.
Saturday, October 22nd at 7:30pm
LA HAINE
Abdel, a local hoodlum, is hospitalized after a riot, where a policeman lost his gun. His friend Vinz finds it and claims he will kill a cop if Abdel dies.
Thursday, October 27th at 7:30pm
BIG
When a boy wishes to be big at a magic wish machine, he wakes up the next morning and finds himself in an adult body literally overnight.
Saturday, October 29th at 7:30pm
THE SHINING
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.
Cinemagic Kuwait, is organizing these events as part of its efforts to contribute to the development of an internationally competitive Kuwaiti audio-visual production industry, partly by bringing the filmmakers and audiences together and by Increasing the public’s interest in – and appreciation for – the art of film-making. Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof on top of Alghanim Electronics and LG. Entrance is free of charge and includes refreshments, popcorn and much more. Here is a link to their Facebook group [Link]
Update: I just found out that they’ve removed the KD1 charge this year so I updated the post accordingly
Mustache – شنب from Meqdad Al Kout on Vimeo.
The locally produced short film Mustache is finally available to watch online. I haven’t watched it yet so glad they finally uploaded it.
I’ve previously posted about old cinemas in Kuwait but I’ve got some more old photos to share, ones that aren’t on the Cinescape Facebook page. The picture above for example is of the Hawalli open air cinema. I can’t imagine sitting on this hard metal chairs for 2 hours and in this heat, not sure how they used to do it before. Below are all the pictures I got:
If you want to see some more old pictures you can check out the ones that are on the Cinescape website [Here]
Thanks Ali
[YouTube]
I saw the trailer to Winnie the Pooh while I was in Lebanon last week and I really liked the illustration style. They’ve basically kept the original look from 1966 and just given it the HD treatment which I thought was perfect. I hate the way some cartoons get revamped and a recent example would be the new Voltron which I think looks like crap. Winnie the Pooh is getting released by Cinescape on Thursday and I don’t think anything will be cut from it.
I watched the movie Super 8 tonight here in Lebanon and all I can say is that it kicked ass. If you’re a fan of 70s/80s sci-fi/adventure movies then you’re going to love this. I thought it was a combination of three great classics, ET, The Goonies and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I loved it.
There was no nudity, kissing or anything of the sort so it should be censor free in Kuwait.
I watched Limitless last night here in Beirut since my only other options were Scream 4 (crap) and Pirates of the Carrabian (more crap). I wasn’t expecting it to be great but it ended up exceeding my expectations. It was entertaining without any slow parts and it left a good impression on me way after the movie was over. There might be less than a handful of scenes cut in Kuwait (mostly kissing scenes) but nothing that would take away from the movie. I highly recommend it.
Just watched Thor tonight here in Lebanon. I don’t think anything would be cut in Kuwait, maybe just 1 kissing scene and that’s about it. It’s a good movie to watch, dragged slightly somewhere around the middle but other than that it was entertaining. I sadly watched it in 3D since there wasn’t a 2D option available. Is there anyone who actually enjoys wearing glasses to watch a movie? Does anyone really care about 3D movies? Thor is not worth watching in 3D, if you have a choice watch the non 3D version.
I thought April would bethe final month for Cinemagic’s rooftop movies since they usually stop playing movies once the weather gets really hot but they’re still on for May and they’ve got some very cool movies lined up for everyone.
Thursday, May 5th at 7:30pm
CUBE
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Country: USA
Release: 1997
Genre: Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi
Running time: 90 minutes Language: English | English Subtitle Awards: Best Director, , Best Cinematography
Rated: R
Saturday, May 7th at 7:30pm
LADY VENDETTA
Director: Park Chan Wook
Country: South Korea
Release: 2005
Genre: Crime | Drama | Thriller
Running time: 112 minutes
Language: Korean | English Subtitle
Awards: Best Film, Best Director…
Rated: R
Thursday, May 12th at 7:30pm
DANCER IN THE DARK
Director: Lars Von Trier
Country: Denmark
Release: 2000
Genre: Drama | Musical
Running time: 140 minutes
Language: Danish | English Subtitle
Awards: Palm D,or and Best Actress
Rated: R
Saturday, May 14th at 7:30pm
VOLVER
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Country: Spain
Release: 2006
Genre: Drama
Running time: 121 minutes
Language: Spanish | English Subtitle
Awards: Nominated Palm D,or, Winner Best Actresses
Rated: R
Thursday, May 19th at 7:30pm
UZAK
Director: Nuri-bilge Ceylan
Country: Turkey
Release: 2002
Genre: Drama
Running time: 110 minutes
Language: Turkish | English Subtitle
Awards: Grand Prize of the Jury, Best Actor
Rated: PG
Saturday, May 21st at 7:30pm
OF GODS AND MEN
Director: Xavier Beauvois
Country: France
Release: 2010
Genre: Drama
Running time: 122 minutes
Language: French | English Subtitle
Awards: Grand Prize of the Jury, Best Director
Rated: R
Thursday, May 26th at 7:30pm
THE HUNTER
Director: Rafi Pitts
Country: Iran – Germany
Release: 2010
Genre: Drama
Running time: 90 minutes
Language: Persian | English Subtitle
Awards: Nominated at Berlin festival for Best Film
Rated: PG
Saturday, May 28th at 7:30pm
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD
Director: Sidney Lumet
Country: USA
Release: 2007
Genre: Crime | Drama | Thriller
Running time: 117 minutes
Language: English | English Subtitle
Rated: R
Cinemagic Kuwait, is organizing these events as part of its efforts to contribute to the development of an internationally competitive Kuwaiti audio-visual production industry, partly by bringing the filmmakers and audiences together and by Increasing the public’s interest in – and appreciation for – the art of film-making. Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof on top of Alghanim Electronics and LG. There is a KD1 charge for the venue fees which includes refreshments, popcorn and much more. Here is a link to their Facebook group [Link]