I sure do appreciate this:

In my opinion, Donny is a born communicator. Moving to the U.S. from Vietnam when he was eleven radically altered his ability to communicate in his new environment. He spent his playground time in those early years trying to learn English. He learned quickly, and even prior to the time I’ve known him, he has been publishing an online blog, or journal, where he reviews music, books, film, and software, and keeps up conversations about life in general with others who read his writing. This past year, he became a rather high-profile figure among the population of the international Vietnamese diaspora, and others interested in Vietnamese culture, for his Flash pieces combining music with images of Vietnam. As a result of his public voice on his own website, he has corresponded with people from all parts of society in different countries. Donny is clearly not a person who needs perfect English to be a communicator, yet he sets as a goal for himself working to perfect it. He has my respect and admiration for that.

With the negative comments about me pouring in lately, I decided to keep the author’s name off the site. I don’t mind being criticized at all since Visualgui.com welcomes unobstructed, honest opinions. Like I always say, you can attack me but not the folks I respect.

Bounce, Bush, bounce…

Red, why and how the color was created.

Anh Bang’s “Noi Long Nguoi Di,” a blues-inflected rendition performed by Tuan Ngoc.

Ngoc Tu Anh’s “Hay Giu Lay Hon Day,” an intoxicating presentation by Nguyen Khang.

I was planning on writing a review for Paul Greengrass’s United 93, but I didn’t get to watch the entire film. I had to walk out of the theater halfway into the movie or else I would have thrown up. The jerky camera work was torturing. The subject matter alone is sensitive, and the unprofessional, homegrown filming style makes it impossible to bear. Do we really need a poor-quality motion picture to remind us the darkest day of America? Here is what Manohla Dargris, film critic of the New York Times, has to say:

Sept. 11 has shaped our political discourse and even infiltrated our popular culture, though as usual Hollywood has been awfully late to that table. Yet five years after the fact and all the books, newspaper and magazine articles, committees and scandals later, I think we need something more from our film artists than another thrill ride and an emotional pummeling. “United 93” inspires pity and terror, no doubt. But catharsis? I’m still waiting for that.

Two dope Chinese boys infront of a webcam. I must have been repeating it for the last 10 times.

Waterboy, a well-executed animation for Evian Mineral Water.

Get a Mac, Apple’s ads. Check out the new digital camera from Japan. She’s cute!

Lien Khuc Ru, a Trinh Cong Son’s medley performed by Tran Thu Ha, Thanh Lam, Hong Nhung, and My Linh.

Like I haven’t have enough hate on my own site. Now I am getting my balls cut off by Minh Tuyet’s fans over at Thuy Nga’s forum after someone posted my review of Boi Vi Anh Yeu Em. Yes, I did expect it to happen so I am not going to sweat it, but I find some of the comments to be amusing. So let me repost some of them with my short responses to entertain myself. Believe it or not, I also am too embarrassed to step into strip clubs. The college days and fraternity’s Rush weeks are over. So here are some of the comments about me that I find entertaining:

that dude is always harsh! I admire his honesty but god geeze, he’s so bias! he trashes on every single pretty singer (male or female!) – puppyLo16

Voice has no appearance, puppy. But keep on barking!

That visualgui dude is into Dam Vinh Hung….I rest my case! – 411

For the 411, let me quote myself: “Mr. Dam is done. It’s time to drop the mic and pick up the clipper.” So do some damn research before opening up your mouth, or as Jay-Z is saying, “Dickface, get your shit straight.”

Seriously… it’s WRONG, guys dont like DVH… lol !!!! no kidding… that’s probably why he doesnt think Minh Tuyet is hot… he’s into guys, not girls !!!! lol :] – t_ninjia

Brilliant concept but not so convincing. You should say something like this: “He’s into guys, not girls. Girls can’t handle him because he has a PhD… Pretty Huge Dick, that is.” Now that makes more sense than arguing that if a guy doesn’t think a girl is hot, he’s into guys.

Cynicism attracts readers – a cheap tactic employed by irresponsible reviewers. This is nothing but typical of such rubbish… – Le_Chi

Maybe my writing is rubbish, at least my piece isn’t filled with ass-kissing shit like, “Overall I’m delighted to have this album. Good music, best vocals, outstanding arrangement with a healthy mix of metals, strings, and a touch of sax. The song selection is meticulous considering the variety, the layout, and the quality of each and every song. Great job!”

I’ve been feeling Jay-Z lately, particularly The Blueprint and The Black Album. Listen to both joints, one after another, generates a fascinating experience. Jay moves from a young hustler (Blueprint) into a grown man (Black Album).

Although the Blueprint is not as intriguing as the classic Reasonable Doubt, Jay proves that he still has his hustling swag. In “U Don’t Know,” a soulful production from Just Blaze, Jay rhymes, “I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell / I am a hustler baby, I’ll sell water to a well / I was born to get cake, move on and switch states / Cop the Coupe with the roof gone and switch plates / Was born to dictate, never follow orders / Dickface, get your shit straight, fucka this is Big Jay.” In contrast to Shawn-Carter-the-hustler in Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt, Black Album finds Jay mellows out as he reflects on his accomplishments throughout his rapping career: “There’s never been a nigga this good for this long / This hood, or this pop, this hot, or this strong / With so many different flows there’s one for this song / The next one I switch up, this one will get bit up.”

Personally, Black Album is Jay’s finest work in term of his wise words and def flows. Whenever I am on the freeway these days, I set my cruise control at 70mph so that I don’t have to look out for the bitch-ass cops, and just experience the whole CD straight through with my eyes on the road and my ears and mind on his every word. Jay’s delivery is so natural and effortless that he could even punctuate his flow. In “Moment of Clarity,” he raps with confidence over Eminem’s hypnotic beat and violin sampling, “We as rappers must decide what’s most important / And I can’t help the poor if I’m one of them / So I got rich and gave back, to me that’s the win/win / So next time you see the homey and his rims spin / Just know my mind is working just like them… rims, that is.” Love the way he pauses and then adds in the parenthetic expression.

Unfortunately Jay has left his artistic vision behind and moved on to the business side of the game. Jay needs to get his ass off that CEO’s chair and back to the lab because the game needs his presence.

Mia Goldman who is a Vassar alumna presented a preview screening of her debut Open Window to the Vassar community last Wednesday. Goldman wrote the script, directed, and edited her own work. The film, which will hit the theaters in September, is based on Goldman’s personal tale regarding to a woman’s struggling to recuperate after being raped and beaten. The sweet life with her fiancé and everyone around her turns sour after the incident as the victim tries to deal with her drama.

Although the subject is heavily intense, Goldman throws in a few appropriate jokes to lighten up the atmosphere. The chemistry between the actors—Robin Tunny, Joel Edgerton, Cybill Shepherd, and Elliot Gould—is wonderful, but the storyline is not so moving. The pace is 97 minutes long, but it seems much longer. The problem is that the film tries to get a message across instead of delve into the art. A great example is when Izzy (the victim) explained to the psychiatrist why she didn’t report to the police. Her reasoning was that she made a promise to him not to tell anyone so that he wouldn’t kill her. She went on and explained that she saw some humanness in his eyes when they exchanged a few lines, even though he slapped her, threatened to stick a screwdriver into her head, made her blew him, and raped her. If I could remember correctly, the psychiatrist responded with something like Izzy had begun a relationship with the rapist. Now that is something interesting. Unfortunately, the film never came back to that topic again.

Other then that, I don’t see Open Window as being distinctive from other sexual-assaulted films. Victims were raped, humiliated, and remained silence trying to deal with it. From a male and a foreigner viewpoint, I find it ironic because America is one of the most voiced countries in the world. We express ourselves freely and blatantly from politic to sex to anything else. Yet when it comes to rape, we’re having a hard time fronting it. If Open Window is based on a true story, I am sure the guy who raped her would be watching it, patting himself, and saying, “Damn! I did her good.”

These days, many Vietnamese male singers, including Bang Kieu and Tran Thai Hoa, attempt to give their performances a smooth-out flavor by rounding up their vocals. Most of them end up in the sissy instead of sexy territory, which irritates my ears. Duc Tuan is one of a few young singers that could pull it off and still maintain his masculinity. In fact, his cocksure technique makes other cats sound like pussies. He has a fervent, handsome, and strong voice with a wide range of emotions, which allows him to bend and glide easily between rough and gloss phrasings.

His interpretation of Pham Duy’s and Trinh Cong Son’s music in Ngam Ngui… Chiec La Thu Phai is fabulously fresh. The album has only six tracks (three from each songwriter), but the quality of the arrangement and performance makes up for the quantity. His rendition of “Toi Ru Em Ngu” starts off with a strumming guitar, and then builds into a full-blown orchestration. The acoustic drumbeat in between gives the tune a contemporary aroma. In contrast to Nguyen Khang’s wry version of Pham Duy’s “Thuyen Vien Xu,” Duc Tuan’s gorgeous legato provides a warm, comforting vibe to the composition. Despite the opposite approach each singer takes, one quality remains in common is the testosterone in their delivery.

After proved his success with classic ballads, Duc Tuan takes on a different direction in Tinh Yeu Trong Sang with brand new songs written and composed by Quoc Bao. I support his bravado in breaking away from his comfort space, but Quoc Bao’s music isn’t suitable for his style. The title track is passable, but the rest is unenergetic. Even in “Dua Em” (a track that Tran Thai Hoa would slaughter), his soothing, relaxing flow isn’t bringing out its liveliness. Worse track on the whole joint is the corny, tacky “Hold On, Baby.” Duc Tuan’s English accent is barely understandable, and Quoc Bao’s lyric is just straight elementary. I could hardly distinguish what he sings, but the words go something like this: “All of the nights that I miss you / All of the stuffs that I gave you / … / Change the right to the wrong / when you leave my love.” I speculate that Quoc Bao tried to write within his limited vocabulary.

Two albums demonstrate where Duc Tuan’s strength is in. Experimentation is excellent, and I don’t expect him to recover old tunes again and again like many do, but he needs to choose his repertoire wisely. He definitely has the right voice and remarkable skills for intimate-atmospheric music.

If Viet Nam War’s politic is a boxing sport, no one punches the controversial bag harder than Asia production. In Nhat Truong/Tran Thien Thanh dedication, Asia, once again, elevated the art-of-war music and visual. Inducing the ebullience of an adrenaline rush, the show opens with explosive gunshots, flashes of bomb bursts, and smoke of ashes. Accompanied by the battling stimulation of the musical arrangement, Thanh Lan approaches “Anh Khong Chet Dau Anh” with a heart of a combating woman. Her voice soars with braveness and her face expresses courageousness. Her strident performance packs more heat than the oven door.

Even though the video is filled with political propaganda, Asia have managed to balance it out with mesmerizing performances from start to finish—even Trish and Asia 4 are listenable in the remix of “Tinh Thu Cua Linh.” Asia’s musical producers, especially Truc Ho, have an ear for making old tunes sound fresh and clean. “Bay Ngay Doi Mong” is a gorgeous bossa-nova orchestration with the invigorating mesh of violins, saxophone, and piano. Both Truc Mai (old generation) and Y Phuong (new generation) bring their unique voices to the tune. Another delightful arrangement is the simple picking-guitar on “Ta Tu Trong Dem,” a song I loved when I was a kid, and hearing Phuong Dung’s ageless voice floats over the rumba rhythm strikes a nostalgic chord.

“Han Mac Tu” is a savory gap-bridging performance between Thanh Thuy and Y Phung. The contrast between Thanh Thuy’s thick, raucous voice and Y Phung’s thin, clear vocals produced an intriguing effect. Y Phung is pretty damn hot too (hopefully she won’t turn trampy any time soon). Speaking of appearances, Kim Anh’s figure looks amazing for her age and in the sky-blue ao dai (long dress). Her slightly raspy voice is marvelous next to Tuan Vu’s warmness. While we’re on long dress, what Diem Lien puts on—the black dress, the pearl necklace, and the hairstyle—epitomizes a Vietnamese woman.

Nguyen Khang is a bit disappointed in “Khi Nguoi Yeu Toi Khoc” with Ngoc Ha. He doesn’t hit the high note like he gets to do at the end of the program with the group collaboration, in which he is assigned to take charge of the bridge. Don Ho’s rendition of “Tinh Dau Tinh Cuoi” isn’t so bad, but he could not surpass Ngoc Lan’s version. In “Tinh Co Nhu Khong,” the young Anh Minh is even better than the wannabe-young Mai Le Huyen. The attempt of pairing up Da Nhat Yen and Pham Khai Tuan is a huge mismatch. Putting a rhythmless dude who could barely pull off a two-step move next to my dancing queen, what were they thinking? Should have let her run the show herself.

The most bone-wrenching performance is Lam Thuy Van and Lam Nhat Tien’s “Nguoi O Lai Charlie.” The cries of Lam Thuy Van’s voice combined with the image of a helmet positioned on a gun gave me a chill. Asia 50 is undoubtedly an audacious political statement. Too bad the video is filmed after the talented songwriter Tran Thien Thanh/singer Nhat Truong had already left us. Imagine how much more powerful it could have been if we could hear the man himself talks about his own work. Now that would be priceless.

According to the sitcom, “Con Duong Nghe Thuat Chong Gai,” in Paris By Night 81: Am Nhac Khong Bien Gioi 2, I am not qualified to criticize Thuy Nga’s product since I didn’t pay twenty five bucks for it, even though I get to watch the original DVD. I am not interested in writing another review since ninety-six percent of the video is garbage anyway. Yes, even Tuan Ngoc’s performance is awful. Mad kowtows, however, to his pops Lu Lien. Even with such an unaesthetic program, Thuy Nga still manage to sell their product, and I have to give their marketers the credits for that. They know their real consumers, and they know how to entertain them. Who are they targeting? The Vietnamese married men.

Unlike American married men who find their entertainment in strippers, Vietnamese married men are either too shy or too scared to step into strip spots, and Thuy Nga marketers see that. Somebody has to entertain the Vietnamese married men because their wives don’t. When was the last time a wife stripped her for man? She makes love to him, but she doesn’t tease him. Part of a wife’s responsibility is to make sure her man gets his mandicine. And when a woman works twelve hours a day (many Vietnamese women do), she just wants to get it done and over with. So she would give him a quick blowjob, just enough for him to be hard for five minutes. After that she could get a peaceful rest. She satisfies his needs, but won’t entertain him. So he has to find another way to entertain himself.

Why and how do Thuy Nga marketers target Vietnamese married man? Buying a Thuy Nga’s video is like killing birds with one stone. He could get his fantasy on while watching Paris By Night’s video with his wife and kids. Thuy Nga are so clever at incorporating PG-13 entertainment into their videos. Let’s take Minh Tuyet’s performance of “Da Khong Yeu Thi Thoi” for example. She is so good at stripping that she doesn’t even need a pole, and Thuy Nga wouldn’t want it to be so obvious either. To take the performance to the next level, they wanted to give a sense that she is floating in the air by grabbing on to the red curtain. To pull this off, they have four strong hands behind the curtain supporting her ghetto booty (Damn! I want that job). She works like a professional stripper while the camera focuses on her slightly sagged breasts. She even pulls off some of her garments. If her presentation is not a strip tease, I don’t know what is. Minh Tuyet is not alone, the usual suspects includes Nhu Loan, Bao Han, Loan Chau, Ho Le Thu, Thuy Tien, and Luu Bich.

To show how much a Vietnamese married man loves his wife, he would run out and buy Thuy Nga’s DVDs whenever they release regardless if they are good or bad as long as the whole family can enjoy. He could sleep through other performances as well as Nguyen Ngoc Ngan’s and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen’s yakidiyak, just make sure to wake him up when the girls come on stage.