Editor's words:
Bumped into a fantastic movie, read an absorbing book, or listened to a great CD recently? If you are still seething with excitement, then why not drop us a few lines and enable our readers to share your feelings? Do it right now! Send your English review to vivi@xmrb.com (400 words or less) and receive some cash once it has been printed.

编者的话:
最近是否欣赏到精彩的电影,书籍,或是CD?如果至今还令你回肠荡气不能平静的话,不妨把感受写下来与我们的读者共享.现在就开始行动,往vivi@xmrb.com里发英文短评吧(字数在400字内).一经采用,必有稿酬.

 

The reason why I loved "Nirvana"
By Jack Li



For those of you who have never heard of this band, Nirvana belongs to Grunge that is generally characterized by "dirty" guitar, strong riffs, and heavy drumming. It is also a band whose music speaks eloquently about the anger and alienation of youth. Being loved if not worshiped by many young people, it became one of the most influential bands in the history of Rock and Roll.

I first encountered this band in 1995, the first year of my university life and the second year after Kurt Cobain, the guitarist and lead vocalist of the band, died of a self-inflicted gunshot.

At that stage of my life, being totally indifferent with my university curriculum, I had plenty of time to spend with Nirvana and eventually fell in love with it. Reasons? Who needs reasons when you've got his albums playing again and again in your bleak university dormitory?

Anyhow, seriously, I know some people would find it rather odd, but I have spent quite some time contemplating how Kurt Cobain managed to come so close to me, although never once had I found a satisfactory answer until after so many years, when recently, one sunny afternoon, I was rummaging through my wardrobe(衣橱) and saw his sad face again on a faded T-shirt.

The answer is his hopelessly sad life - a life that had to be ended in order to keep its passion and vigor, a life full of hatred, a life full of love that can not be expressed, and a life buried under the heavy shrill of guitar strings and coarse(粗野的) shouts.

As for me, his hopelessly sad life simply makes me want to be less sad; less sad about everything that has happened to me in my stupid little life. And I think THAT is the reason why I loved Nirvana and Kurt Cobain.

 

 

Mayday's Time Machine
By Anita Zeng



First known by the songs "Hug" and "Rainbow", the Taiwan band Mayday celebrated its 5th anniversary in Hong Kong this year.

With a group of 5 boys, Mayday has a talented vocalist and songwriter - A Xin, who actually becomes the soul of the band. The band men are not handsome idols but they appear cordial and have a live expressive force.

As a pop && rock band, Mayday is technically matured and has a powerful and unconstrained style. Their latest album "Time Machine", which was released in 2003, carried on their style. Their songs are mainly concerned with young peoples' lives, thoughts and love affairs.

They play their music with an attitude of playing games though sometimes it's a little blue. Maybe sometimes you will find them noisy or even childish, but I think it is just because they're unaware of sad things, which makes them popular and easy-going.

Besides "Time Machine", there are also several interesting and imaginative songs called "Armstrong" (yes, the astronaut), "Gambling God" and "End the Loneliness". It is absolutely not a sleepy album(唱片) but it makes you feel happy and nothing is a big deal.

 

 

Spatial Behavior
By Vivian Zhang
Photos by Yao Fan



On June 4, a drawing and installation exhibition named "Spatial Behavior" was opened at the Chinese European Art Center, Xiamen University. Aam Solleveld and Erik Olofsen, a couple from Holland who are engaged in contemporary art, present their works at the show.

Aam Solleveld makes drawings about spaces. In the exhibition, she draws with black cello tape directly on the walls. "Walls are not just a carrier for artworks. I intend to make the viewer repeatedly switch between seeing the drawn space and the actual space."

In an exhibition at the same place in 2002, she made a tape wall drawing of a red bar. In her new wall piece, Chinese street archetypes, architecture and daily objects are combined with elements of mass media and fast-culture.

Erik Olofsen is displaying sculptures and photographs. A binding factor in the installations, photographs and videos made by Olofsen lies in the spatial experience of them.

In general, the works give an impression of a landscape or a surrounding in which scale, gravity and time are being redefined. The works have a mental character, whereby, for instance, one's psychological state is made visible through materializing this in a collection of objects surrounding the person.

Erik Olofsen received the prestigious Prix de Rom , the honorable second prize, for his work.
The exhibition will last till June 29.

 

 

 

Troy (2004) 特洛伊



Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Starring: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana
Plot Outline:
In 1193 B.C., Prince Paris (Bloom) of Troy stole the beautiful Greek woman, Helen (Kruger), away from her husband, Menelaus, the king of Sparta, setting the two nations at war with each other, as the Greeks began a bloody siege of Troy using their entire armada, led by Achilles (Pitt), that lasted over a decade.
This blockbuster will soon be shown at the Jinying Cinema from June 12.
6月12日起金鹰影院原声放映!
Venue: Jinying Cinema, on the western side of the 5th floor of Shimao Commercial Building
地点:金鹰影院,世贸商城5楼西侧
Tel: 0592-5815000

 

 

Message Board

Renowned soprano Dilibaier solo concert
著名花腔女高音迪里拜尔
独唱音乐会
Conductor: Zheng Xiaoying
指挥:郑小瑛
Time: 19:30, June 11
时间:6月11日19:30
Venue: Xiamen Arts Theatre
地点:厦门市艺术剧院

Ballet "Women Red Army"
芭蕾舞剧<红色娘子军>
Performer: China Central Ballet Troupe
演出单位:中央芭蕾舞团
Time: June 8-10
时间:6月8日-10日
Venue: Xiamen People's Convention Hall
地点:厦门人民会堂
Ticket line (订票): 5884711 5638387