In keeping with my decision to take a break from reporting on SARS, here're some DVD reviews for your perusal. ( And with most of us staying in nowadays, this should be useful :))

Ghost Ship -- Totally overrated, with trailers that are ten times better than the actual film. Yawn.

The Tuxedo -- Jackie Chan is always good for a laugh, and he doesn't disappoint here. High-kicking and cracking one-liners along the way, he's in his element as a bumbling chauffeur turned international superspy. Jennifer Love Hewitt isn't too bad either, but I've always found her kinda old-looking and scrawny, despite John Mayer singing about her body being a wonderland and all. Jason Isaacs, however, is smooth and sexy as Clark Devlin ( Chan's on-screen boss ). This is the guy who played Mel Gibson's nemesis in "The Patriot" and Lucius Malfoy in "Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets", and here, he's a completely different character yet again. Quite enjoyable.

The Ring -- This is the Hollywood-ized version, aka the brainchild of Tom Cruise himself. Not too bad, but I found the Japanese original much creepier -- perhaps because that was the first time I ever saw a ghoul with long hair crawling out of the television. Naomi Watts is competently horrified in all the key scenes, and the pace picks up later in the movie. But if you're looking for a real scare, I recommend "What Lies Beneath", "Stir of Echoes", "The Sixth Sense" and "The Others" any day.

White Oleander -- This one was a surprise. I rented it for only 1 reason -- Michelle Pfeiffer -- but it turned out to be one of the best 2 out of all the DVDs I got this time. Pfeiffer is fantastic and gorgeous, as always, and newcomer Alison Lohman is absolute dynamite reminiscent of Kirsten Dunst ( "Interview With The Vampire", "Spiderman", "Bring It On" ). It's a talkie, and based on a chick novel, but it had even my parents at the edge of their seats, so you can imagine how good it is. :)

The Good Girl -- Now this one's goooooood ( no pun intended ). Indie, low-budget, but starring some famous names like Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal, it traces the destructive path taken by a bored small-town housewife when she becomes tempted by a young co-worker to commit adultery. Aniston is appropriately dowdy and turns in a nicely understated performance, but the true star is Gyllenhaal. This promising young actor was in "October Sky", where he sensitively portrayed a poor boy who later became an astronaut ( based on a true story, by the way ). He also appeared in "Bubble Boy", a complete turnaround ( being a rather silly comedy and all ) that showcased his ability for comedy. Here, however, he is lovesick, depressed, an alcoholic with suicidal tendencies -- ie. a total basket case -- and yet manages to be lovable. Beat that, Leonardo!

And who would've thought The Bachelor 2 is capable of teaching us something? Gwen, the sweet and pretty blonde, offered some wise words on how to live
life to the fullest: "Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody's watching." Too bad she doesn't get the proposal in the end -- oops. :)

To everyone who emailed to ask how I am, many thanks, and yes, I'm feeling much better now. In truth, my mood was already on its way up on Thursday afternoon, after my fellow team doctors bought me a giant ice-cream cone called a "Superhero". Thanks, guys. :)

Last but not least, the female surgeon in TTSH ICU is, contrary to rumours, in stable condition. A nice piece of good news. Get well soon.