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Not just your average barbecue Posted: 01 Dec 2012 04:59 PM PST A scaled-down asado for four... note the two cheeses being grilled as well. — Picture by Eeleey Koay BUENOS AIRES, Dec 2 — A warm and sunny day, slowly burning ember, drinks flowing freely, people gathering and making merry — these are all the essential elements of a barbecue.  But to whom does this belong to? Of course the Australians would lay claim to the "barbie" being their thing, the Americans as well.  But everywhere you go everybody seems to have their own version of the barbecue. In Argentina, it is called asado, not quite the same thing as a regular barbecue they would claim.  Argentinians are very proud of their asado and every visitor should try it at least once. You can have it served in hot platters to share or in singular portions of cuts in their famed parillas (restaurants), and even delivered straight to your door from the neighbourhood takeaway place specializing in meat a la parilla.  Even if you do not partake of the complete asado meal, being near one taking place out in the open is an experience itself.  A great place to witness this is at the famed Feria Mataderos, a weekend fair south of the capital of Buenos Aires where the aroma of meats grilling in the open air greet you as you approach the artisanal product stalls.  Personally, the parillas I am drawn to the most are the neighbourhood establishments, ones that exude the soul of the barrio and where the proprietor or waiters make you feel less like a foreigner.  The ones I will remember best are Angelito in Villa Crespo, greasy and familiar; and La Quadra in Villa Urquiza, chic but friendly with a lunch menu well worth the price.  But restaurants aside, the best experience of all is undeniably one in an Argentinian home where one can appreciate the asado process and Argentinian hospitality at its best.  One of the key differences from your average barbecue is that food is not marinated beforehand and then added to the grill as and when so wished.  In an asado, each element is added and arranged just so that it receives the right amount of heat, all ultimately coming together like a picture, ready to be served at their turn — a three course feast of meat if you will.  The spread consists typically of the tira de asado (long strips of ribs), vacio (flank), chorizo (sausage), morcilla (blood sausage), chicken, pork and other cuts of beef.  Typical parilla fare... Tira de Asado with Papas Fritas or Ribs with French fries. — Picture by Eeleey Koay The star, of course, is local beef, simply and lightly seasoned with salt and left to slowly grill over a wood or coal fire, under the watchful eye of the designated asador, meaning "the griller."  With the impressive display of meat goes the sides which include whole potatoes and vegetables such as capsicum, onion or eggplant.  A fresh mixed salad of lettuce, onion and tomato is usually present but as with many typical dishes, vegetables are almost dismissible. On the grill also goes spiced and herbed Provelone cheese which becomes a creamy fondue enjoyed with bread.  It is not a quick nor quiet affair, the asado. Like most Argentinian gatherings of any sort, it is an occasion that often takes an entire day or evening, filled with food, wine, music and loud conversations crisscrossing the table, starting and ending in all possible directions.  It is, among all the other dishes they could tell you about, closest to their hearts and speaks most true to the character of the people — a reflection of their warmth, overwhelming sense of kinship and their easy ability to simply take their time.  Further details:  Angelito, Villa Crespo — Camargo 490 (corner of Avenida Scalabrini Ortiz and Camargo).  La Quadra, Villa Urquiza — Mendoza 5502 (corner of Mendoza and Barzana).

Brazil’s Alex Atala to open tapas bar in Sao Paulo Posted: 01 Dec 2012 04:28 PM PST Chef Alex Atala. - Afp-Relaxnews pic SAO PAULO, Dec 2 — One of Brazil's most popular chefs, Alex Atala, has revealed plans to open a bar in Sao Paulo next year in a legendary space once used as a gathering place for leftist intelligence officers.  Though details are scarce, according to the Folha de S. Paulo, Atala has teamed up with a local nightclub owner for his next project, a bar that will serve snacks and small plates.  The 300-square-meter space will include wrap-around terraces that will expand the ground floor, and an upper level that will house a stage.  Other top restaurants across Brazil include Mani, in Sao Paulo, ranked 51 on Restaurant magazine's World's 50 Best Restaurants list, and Roberta Sudbrack in Rio.  Atala's restaurant D.O.M., meanwhile, is ranked the fourth best restaurant in the world for its inventive use of local products.  The chef is a vocal champion of promoting Amazonian ingredients and Brazilian cuisine. — Afp-Relaxnews

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Canfield brings US match racing talent to Monsoon Cup Posted: 01 Dec 2012 07:56 AM PST PULAU DUYONG, Dec 1 – US Virgin Islander Taylor Canfield and his US One Sailing Team will be bringing young match racing talent from the United States to the event. He will be joining eleven other teams from five countries to compete in the Monsoon Cup, the final event of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT) starting Monday, December 3rd here at the Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort. While there have been numerous US-based crew on teams competing in the AWMRT, Canfield will be the first US-based skipper racing on the Tour since Ed Baird raced in 2004 on his way towards winning the America's Cup in 2007. Canfield was selected from a field of more than ten interested teams for the Wild Card entry to the Monsoon Cup based on his victory at the last AWMRT event, the Argo Group Gold Cup in Bermuda last month, as well as his fourth-place finish at the Chicago Match Cup in July. But even if Canfield wins the Monsoon Cup next week, he will not be able to win the World Championship, since this is determined by the summary of scores from all AWMRT events held this year. The current Tour leader is Sweden's Bjorn Hansen on 104.25 points, followed closely by reigning champion Ian Williams on 102 points. Canfield has 41 points, placing him at 9th on the AWMRT Leaderboard, the highest ranking of any team not holding a Tour Card this season. "We're very excited to have reached the Monsoon Cup, it's a real milestone for us after three years of effort. CMRC has been an essential element of our success, and we're extremely grateful to have had this opportunity to reach this level by racing and training right here in the US," said Canfield who is joined by team members Dan Morris, Hayden Goodrick, Mike Rehe and Rod Dawson. – Bernama

Misery for Benitez as West Ham beat Chelsea 3-1 Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:52 AM PST LONDON, Dec 1 – Chelsea are still waiting for their first win under interim manager Rafael Benitez after they surrendered a halftime lead to lose 3-1 at West Ham United in the Premier League today. After consecutive 0-0 draws since Benitez (picture) replaced crowd favourite Roberto Di Matteo the European champions at least found the net courtesy of Juan Mata's 13th-minute strike. However, West Ham responded after the break with Carlton Cole equalising against his former club just past the hour mark and substitute Mohamed Diame firing the home side ahead after 86 minutes to send the Upton Park crowd wild. With Chelsea's fans again singing songs in support of Di Matteo, West Ham completed a miserable day for Benitez when another substitute Modibo Maiga struck in stoppage time. Chelsea remain in third place on 26 points with West Ham moving up to seventh on 22. Premier League leaders Manchester United (33 points) are in action at Reading in the day's late match after second-placed Manchester City (32) take on Everton at the Etihad Stadium. –  Reuters

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Posted: [unable to retrieve full-text content]

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Household dust found to have unsafe levels of toxic chemicals Posted: 01 Dec 2012 07:36 AM PST Household dust has been found to have unsafe levels of flame retardant chemicals, often used in sofas, electronics, and other items. – shutterstock.com LOS ANGELES, Dec 1 – A study released this week finds that most household dust contains toxic chemical flame retardants seeping from couches, electronics, and other items. Researchers from the US-based environmental research group Silent Spring Institute also found high levels of a carcinogenic chemical called chlorinated Tris that was banned from children's pajamas in the late 1970s in the US. In a separate study also published this week, University of California chemist Dr. Arlene Blum found that 85 per cent of couches were treated with flame retardants, with the most common being chlorinated Tris, in addition to others also linked to cancer. In the study, she and her colleagues tested 102 sofas for flame retardant chemicals. In the study led by Silent Spring research scientist Robin E. Dodson, researchers found that dust from most of the 16 California homes they tested in 2006 and later in 2011 had unsafe levels of at least one flame retardant chemical. But there is some good news. Researchers found lower levels in three homes that had been remodelled with new floors or new furniture after 2005. As foam in sofas age, for example, chemicals can escape and get released into the air, the scientists said. Both studies appear in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. – AFP/Relaxnews

Indian inventor wins cash to develop Braille phone Posted: 01 Dec 2012 02:17 AM PST [unable to retrieve full-text content]NEW DELHI, Dec 1 – A 29-year-old Indian inventor on Tuesday won US$50,000 (RM151,960) to help him make a new low-cost mobile phone for the blind that uses a Braille display. Sumit Dagar, an industrial designer from New Delhi, beat thousands to win the money from watch company Rolex, which announced the five winners of its Awards for Enterprise ...

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Reese Witherspoon and Nick Hornby get ‘Wild’ Posted: 01 Dec 2012 06:21 AM PST Reese Witherspoon. — AFP-Relaxnews LOS ANGELES, Dec 1 (Relaxnews) - Reese Witherspoon called up British writer Nick Hornby to adapt Cheryl Strayed's biographical bestseller Wild to the big screen, reveals Deadline.com. Reese Witherspoon plans to take on the lead role in the movie. Following a divorce and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed decides to hike the 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Washington State. Hornby, who has had his novels adapted to the big screen (High Fidelity, About a Boy) has focused on adapting other people's literary works in recent years, such as Lone Scherfig's An Education and Colm Toibin's Brooklyn. The production timetable has yet to be set by Pacific Standard, a company set up in March by Witherspoon. The actress just wrapped up the drama Devil's Knot directed by Atom Egoyan in which she plays opposite Colin Firth. — AFP-Relaxnews

Avatar’s Cameron tips Hobbit to spark film tech revolution Posted: 30 Nov 2012 11:24 PM PST Director James Cameron (right) and Suzy Amis at the world premiere of "The Hobbit" movie in Courtenay Place in Wellington on November 28, 2012. — AFP-Relaxnews pic WELLINGTON, Dec 1 — Oscar-winning director James Cameron on Wednesday predicted Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" would do for high-definition film-making what his own hit "Avatar" did for 3D movies. Jackson has filmed "The Hobbit" at a groundbreaking 48 frames a second rather than the standard 24, a move that drew mixed critical reactions when a preview was screened in Las Vegas in April. But Cameron, a surprise guest at the premiere of the first instalment of "The Hobbit" in Wellington on Wednesday, said he faced similar scepticism pioneering modern 3D techniques on "Avatar", now the highest grossing film of all time. He said Jackson's latest movie was destined to be a hit, making it easier for him (Cameron) to employ 48 frames a second which eliminated the "strobing" seen in standard films. "If there is acceptance of 48, then that will pave the way for Avatar (sequels) to take advantage of it," Cameron told reporters. "We charged out ahead on 3D with Avatar, now Peter's doing it with the Hobbit. It takes that kind of bold move to make change." Jackson this week likened the higher shooting rate to the introduction of compact discs, saying it was the way of the future for film. "I personally think it's fantastic, but it's different," he told Radio New Zealand. "I remember when CDs came in and there was a nostalgic feeling that the sound of a needle on vinyl was what music should sound like - suddenly you've got this pristine clarity and a lot of people were nay-saying it." Cameron said Jackson was a singular film-maker who had turned the New Zealand film industry into a global force. "He's elevated the industry to a global level, where people from all over the world - artists, film-makers, special effects technicians and so on - come here to work, that's unique," he said. "It's really only happened a couple of times before, in Los Angeles and maybe London ... it's the first time it's been done by a single film-maker." Cameron, who owns a farm in New Zealand, said he was on the property working on scripts for sequels to "Avatar", complaining: "Unfortunately it's too damn distracting because it's so beautiful". He said he hoped to have the scripts completed by February and begin filming by the end of next year. "I want to get these scripts nailed down, I don't want to be writing the movie in post production," the director said. "We kind of did that on the first picture, I ended up cutting out a lot of scenes and so on and I don't want to do that again." Cameron, originally from Canada, said he was enjoying the relaxed lifestyle in New Zealand. "We knew our immediate neighbours in a couple of mile radius a heck of a lot better in the first few weeks than we did in Los Angeles in 10 years," he said. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Father’s shadow looms over Australian billionaire’s book launch Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:07 PM PST Australia's richest woman and mining magnate, Gina Rinehart (right), adjusts a cap on the head of Australia's Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism, Martin Ferguson during a visit to the Alpha Coal project test pit in the Galilee Basin about 800 km northwest of Brisbane in this November 6, 2010 handout picture. — Reuters file pic SYDNEY, Dec 1 — Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart, one of the world's wealthiest people, has displayed a trait rarely revealed publicly among the super-rich: insecurity. Rinehart's first book was eagerly awaited by an Australian public enthralled and sometimes appalled by her story of big business, family feuds and almost unimaginable wealth. But the 58-year-old widow with a fortune estimated by Forbes at US$18 billion (RM55 billion), played it safe at the launch of the book, Northern Australia and Then Some: Changes We Need to Make our Country Rich. Media were hand-picked for events around the country and Rinehart surrounded herself with hundreds of supporters mostly from the mining fraternity, where she is revered for transforming her late father's debt-ridden iron ore business into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. There were no advance copies of the book and no questions over a fractured family life that has left Rinehart wrestling with three of her four grown children over control of a family trust that rakes in hundreds of millions of year in royalties. Nor was there mention of her contentious plan to hire nearly 2,000 foreign workers to help build a us$10 billion outback iron ore mine, at a time when Australians by the thousands are losing their jobs across the sector. "The way she went about controlling the launch of her book shows a deep insecurity on her part given these types of things are typically designed as promotional media events," said David McKnight, an associate professor in Journalism and Media at the University of New South Wales. "This was Gina Rinehart controlling the media in order to display her over-developed sense of hero worship for her father." Shadow of Lang Rinehart's book Northern Australia, a collection of essays, speeches, and poems, calls on politicians, environmentalists and the public to support Australia's miners, the nation's main growth engine, or face the consequences of economic decline. The book displays Rinehart's adoration of her larger-than-life father, Lang Hancock, which can be touching, but echoes much of Hancock's famed right-wing utterings. Rinehart has spent much of her life in the shadow of her mining magnate father, who also pressured Australian governments to better support the mining sector. It was Hancock, a prospector and one-time "jackaroo" or Australian cowboy, who was credited with discovering the vast iron ore deposits of far west Australia's "Pilbara" in 1952 while he was piloting his own plane though a storm. Anxious to exploit his find, Hancock lobbied for years to get a ban on iron exports over-turned and made a fortune when it was. He also proposed using small nuclear bombs to help mine the Pilbara, advocated secession for Western Australia state and had business dealings with the brutal Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. His disparaging comments on the unemployed and Aborigines outraged many Australians. A mountain range and a rail line hauling tens of millions of tons of iron ore across the outback, destined for Asia's steel mills, now bears the Hancock name, as does the private company Rinehart now oversees. Hancock often referred to his softly spoken daughter, his only child, as his "right-hand man" or simply "young fella". "I think he would probably have preferred a son," Debi Marshall quoted Rinehart as saying in her 2012 biography: The House of Hancock. The Rise and Rise of Gina Rinehart. Twenty years after Hancock's death, Rinehart heads a mining empire hundreds of times bigger than her father's, but she still appears fixated on gaining his approval. "Thank you for doing this for Australia, Gina, and once again you have outdone your dad," wrote John Singleton, a well-known advertising executive and a family friend, in a publicity flyer for the book. One invited guest said the book showed "her lifelong desire to meet and beat" the achievements of her late father, once Australia's richest man. "This will prove once and for all that she listened to her father all those years ago and took his achievements a step further," said the guest, requesting anonymity. Wake up Australia Rinehart's relationship with her father deteriorated when he married his Filipino housekeeper after the death of her mother but was reconciled before his death in 1992. Rinehart has since been engaged in a gloves-off war with three of her children over a trust set up by Hancock. She has described them as lazy and spoiled and warned their security would be at risk if they persisted with the action. Her daughter Ginia, the only one of her four children not suing her, was seated beside her at the book launch, along with her fiancé Ryan Johnston, son of Beach Boys performer Bruce Johnston. For hours at the book launch, giant movie screens rained down recurring grainy images of a younger Rinehart courting politicians and business people in 1979 aboard a chartered Qantas 747 dubbed "Wake up Australia". The trip was an early expression of the views of father and daughter — the need for recognition of the importance of the mining industry, lower taxes and less red tape. "We don't want to see Australia continue on a course with too many heads buried in the sand, critical investors discouraged by bad policies — even hated — too few understanding the problems while Australia moves towards being another Greece, Spain or Portugal," Rinehart said at her Sydney launch, Rinehart's poetry in the book reinforces the message, in one verse she writes: "Through such unfortunate ignorance, too much abuse is hurled. Against miners, workers and related industries who strive to build the world." — Reuters

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Khairy: Anak muda sudah kembali kepada Umno Posted: 01 Dec 2012 01:37 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 1 Dis — Umno sudah memenangi sokongan anak muda dan golongan ini kembali menyokong parti, kata ketua pergerakan pemuda, Khairy Jamaluddin (gambar) dalam ucapan penggulungannya hari ini. Dalam ucapannya, beliau berkata program transformasi dari pimpinan presiden menunjukkan kerajaan adalah "mesra orang muda". "Perdana menteri kita mesra orang muda. Ini dibuktikan dengan Bajet 2013 yang memang mesra anak muda, seperti pemberian BR1M, skim bantuan perumahan dan banyak lagi, kita tidak pernah ada bajet yang begitu mesra untuk orang muda," kata Khairy. Tambah ahli parlimen Rambau itu lagi, pemuda Umno hari ini menggerakkan tenaga intelektual untuk membantu kerajaan. "Kita sudah ada Kelab Penyokong Barisan Nasional yang ditubuhkan di IPTA dan IPTS kerana kita tidak mahu Umno hanya banyak kuantiti, tetapi kualiti juga," kata Khairy. MENYUSUL LAGI

Kesaksamaan jantina hasil usaha Umno-BN, kata Shahrizat Posted: 01 Dec 2012 01:33 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 1 Dis — Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil menyampaikan penghargaan kepada Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN) kerana menaikkan status wanita di Malaysia dan berterima kasih di atas usaha mereka wanita hari ini tidak perlu "membakar bra" atau menjadi aktivis bagi mencapai kesaksamaan jantina. "Terima kasih kepada lelaki di Malaysia, terutamanya lelaki Umno kerana selalu menyokong wanita," kata Ketua Wanita Umno tersebut semasa ucapan penggulunggan di Perhimpunan Agung Umno ke-66 hari ini. "Ia adalah kerana pencapaian kerajaan Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) kita... maafkan kata saya... kami tidak perlu menjadi aktivis, kami tidak perlu bakar 'bra' kami untuk capai kesaksamaan jantina," katanya dihadapan lebih 2,000 delegasi yang berkumpul di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) hari ini. Bekas menteri hal ehwal wanita tersebut juga memuji pemimpin Malaysia terdahulu dan perdana menteri kerana mengiktiraf peranan wanita dalam pentadbirannya terutamanya Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan juga Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak kerana polisi yang mementingkan wanita. Beliau (gambar) turut menegaskan atas usaha mereka, seramai 31.7 wanita hari ini terlibat dalam "membuat keputusan" di perkhidmatan awam. "Hari ini, sejak Najib menjadi PM, enam wanita pelbagai agama telah memegang jawatan ketua setiausaha kementerian "Dibawah Najib, berlaku banyak transformasi kepada wanita luar bandar.... Sekarang, lebih 30 peratus jawatan pembuat keputusan dalam syarikat berkaitan kerajaan mestilah wanita," tegas Shahrizat lagi. MENYUSUL LAGI

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Must-win for Real and Dortmund Posted: 30 Nov 2012 04:09 PM PST DEC 1 — European football's two biggest and best games this weekend take place tonight, with Bayern Munich hosting Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga and then Atletico travelling to the Bernabeu for the Spanish La Liga season's first Madrid derby. Both games have the potential to be real thrillers and they can certainly exert a profound impact upon the title races in their respective leagues. Bayern have made a spectacular start to the season and are currently 10 points clear at the top of the table as they look to end Borussia's consecutive run of title triumphs. A couple of months ago I wrote in this column that Bayern were looking like the strongest team in Europe, and not much has happened since then to alter that opinion. True, they stumbled in the Champions League with a surprise 3-1 defeat at unfancied Belorussian side BATE, but that seems to have been a one-off bad night and they've recovered well since. The thing I like about Bayern is that they possess a great balance between defence and attack, with the endlessly reliable Bastian Schweinsteiger continuing to play a vital link role in the centre of midfield. Thomas Muller and the "Super Marios" Gomez and Mandzukic provide plenty of goalscoring options and they ooze creativity with Toni Kroos, Xherdan Shaqiri and Franck Ribery all top-class performers — even though Arjen Robben has endured a poor season so far. In short: an extremely good team. If Bayern are the best team in Europe, then Dortmund aren't far behind. They produced one of the most impressive performances I've seen so far this season with their dismantling of Real Madrid in the Champions League in October — a game that could easily have ended up with a far bigger winning margin for the Germans than the eventual 2-1 scoreline. Dortmund are another team in the true sense of the word, striking a perfect balance between the attacking and defensive aspects of their game. Classy central defender Mats Hummels has looked excellent every time I've seen him, and Lukasz Piszczek is surely one of the best right backs currently playing. Further upfield, Sebastian Kehl performs the same link role as Schweinsteiger for Bayern, allowing livewires Marco Reus and Mario Gotze to play with freedom in creating opportunities for main striker Robert Lewandowski. This weekend's game is an absolute must-win for Dortmund, who have suffered a few surprisingly under-par outings on the domestic scene — perhaps distracted by their European campaign — and are currently 11 points behind Bayern. It's a game that could go either way and, with both teams always focussed on attacking intentions, it should present a demonstration of football at its finest. The Madrid derby could also be an absolute cracker. Real come into the game with manager Jose Mourinho under considerable pressure following last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Real Betis, which saw his team fall 11 points behind league leaders Barcelona. Yesterday, the Spanish sports newspaper El Mundo Deportivo claimed that Mourinho will probably be sacked if Real lose tonight and, although that particular publication is heavily biased towards Barcelona (and therefore heavily biased against anything that Mourinho says or does), it provides a good indication of how much pressure the Portuguese boss is facing. Atletico, on the other hand, are absolutely flying after a brilliant start to the season that has exceeded all expectations and propelled them into second place, just three points behind Barcelona and a full eight points ahead of their cross city rivals Real. Their star performer is the Colombian international striker Radamel Falcao, who has scored 11 league goals so far this season and is attracting the attention of Manchester City and Chelsea, both of whom may well be prepared to meet the €60 million (RM237 million) buy-out clause in the striker's contract when the transfer window opens in January. Falcao is a hugely admirable performer. He works tirelessly for the team, never (or rarely) complains about the kickings that he routinely receives from opposition defenders and is constantly alive to any opportunities that might appear inside the penalty area — and he's also good enough to take those chances when they come along. But they are far more than just a one-man team, and again I have to return to that word "balance": they know when to defend and when to attack, and carry out both sides of the game with absolute efficiency. Manager Diego Simeone, the former Argentina international midfielder, has fashioned a team in his image: hard-working, relentless and physical. If you can remember Simeone as a player, imagine 11 of him and you'll have a pretty good idea of how Atletico play. And that is intended as a big compliment because in addition to the "hard man" image, which was admittedly well deserved, Simeone also played with a high level of technical ability — you don't win more than 100 caps for Argentina without being a very decent footballer. Real have been excellent at home this season — their troubles have come on their travels — but there's an unavoidable atmosphere of tension and mutual mistrust around the Bernabeu at the moment: the fans don't trust the manager, who doesn't trust the players, who don't trust each other. Despite romping to the league title in a magnificently clinical fashion last year, Los Blancos have barely played well all season and right now they seem to be teetering on the brink of a major breakdown — and Simeone's intense Atletico are the perfect team to pounce on any weaknesses. If that happens, maybe El Mundo Deportivo will get their way, after all. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Lonesome, but not forgotten Posted: 30 Nov 2012 03:55 PM PST DEC 1 — It's a great time to be alive if you're movie crazy like me. Just like how VHS and DVD brought a whole host of previously out of circulation movies back into the public consciousness, the rise of the Blu-ray format is already looking like an even more exciting time. While VHS and DVD definitely did not lack in terms of the quantity of titles, the sheer amount of storage space that the technological advancement of Blu-ray offers (50GB compared to a DVD's mere 4.7GB) means that in terms of the ability to store the highest possible definition and fidelity with regards to picture and sound, Blu-ray is quite simply miles ahead of its competition. Heads, shoulders and even feet above, if I may say so. While Blu-ray is clearly the best format to view such titles as "Transformers" or "The Avengers", not many people realise how gorgeous old films can look on Blu-ray as well, even the silent ones. If you don't believe me, just pop the region-free Blu-ray of F.W. Murnau's 1930 film "City Girl" into your player and weep at how crystal clear and beautiful the images are, restored from a near-pristine print. The past few years have seen a host of iconic silent films released on Blu-ray, from Charlie Chaplin classics like "Modern Times" to Buster Keaton's "The General", D.W. Griffith's "The Birth Of A Nation", Sergei Eisenstein's "The Battleship Potemkin", Murnau's "Sunrise" and all the way to Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" and more. If releases of established classics like these are expected whenever a new home video format comes around, the advent of a new format also promises a fair fresh new (re)discoveries. Some of these rediscoveries may turn out to be a bit overpraised, nothing more than a case of film geeks trying to champion relatively obscure directors not yet established in the film canon, like the big fuss made last year around the Blu-ray release of Jean Epstein's 1923 film "Coeur Fidele". From a technical point of view, it really is a beautiful Blu-ray movie image-wise, as the print used was almost spotless, but as a narrative film it didn't really do that much for me emotionally. And since it's a silent film about forbidden love, what use is it if it doesn't cut it in terms of emotions, right? But sometimes a rediscovery can be so unexpected, so special and so beautiful that one just can't help but sing its praises. And with "Lonesome", a 1928 film by almost forgotten director Paul Fejos, recently released on Blu-ray and DVD by The Criterion Collection (with his two other Universal Studios films, "The Last Performance" and "Broadway" added as bonus features), we film fans everywhere can finally see the film in its full glory after only getting to read or hear about it from the sporadic screenings it got since the premiere of its restoration at the Telluride Film Festival in 1994. Made at Universal Studios in 1928 with total creative freedom (because Carl Laemmle Jr, son of Universal head Carl Laemmle was a big fan of Fejos' independently-produced debut film "The Last Moment", now sadly lost), the film tells a supremely simple story of two lonely people from New York City, Jim and Mary, who meet in Coney Island on a Saturday afternoon during a carnival, playfully flirt and chase each other, only to lose each other afterwards in the aftermath of an unfortunate incident and a storm. If the story sounds simple, it's because it really is that simple, as it was actually adapted from a short story that the studio bought for US$25 (RM77). The genius and beauty of the film is in the execution, with Fejos employing all sorts of visual tricks from multiple superimpositions, combining documentary-like "city symphony"-type footage with the Russians' famous rapid montage, playfully roving camera movements that recall Murnau and Jeans Rouch and Epstein and even hand-painted colour sequences that will remind you of Melies and lots more. There's nothing that Fejos wouldn't try, and for some reason, it all works in the film. Because it's 1928 and talking pictures have become popular that year, the studio forced Fejos to add in three dialogue scenes into what's undoubtedly a silent film in spirit and form. Film critics have always complained how these three awfully earnest scenes with clunky dialogue almost ruin the film, and I have to admit that they're almost right. But even these three scenes (clocking in at about six minutes out of the film's 69 minutes) fail to negate the movie's splendour and the wonder you'll feel when you watch this achingly lovely little film. If not for the many errands I had to run after I watched it for the first time, I would have immediately watched the film again just to experience that joy and happiness once more. This is one previously mythical film that deserves that status, talking scenes or not.  And I'd like to wholeheartedly thank The Criterion Collection for making this film available in the best home video format possible for we film fans to experience again and again, and share it with our friends and family. Give it a shot, guys! * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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