Silver Screen Surfer

Win a Free Boracay Package from WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc

2010-12-23T00:18:00.001+08:00

Bamboo Boracay Beach Resort - Win a Free Boracay Package only from - WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc.

WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. is one of the most respected and trusted names in Philippines Travel, arranging short trips and family vacations to any of the 7,107 Philippines Islands. We have been specializing in all inclusive packages since 2005 to top destinations like, Boracay, Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, Puerto Galera, Baguio, Tagaytay, and Manila as-well-as other island destinations.

WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. is the 1st travel agency in the Philippines to offer FREE VACATION PACKAGES to BORACAY ISLAND, the number #1 Philippines Tourist Destination. Now everyone has a chance to WIN a FREE all expenses paid vacation to Boracay, and all you have to do is to enter the contest is to CREATE a BLOG and paste this info into it, that’s it, it’s just that easy.

Enter our Free Boracay Vacation Package Giveaway at – www.boracay-packages.com

3 Days / 2 Nights - Bamboo Boracay Beach Resort

Enjoy this beachfront resort in Boracay located in station 3, set just a few meter from the beautiful Boracay beach, where you will enjoy beautiful Boracay sunsets and music. The Bamboo Boracay Beach Resort specializing in pampering their guest with beautiful rooms, delicious food, and excellent service from their professional staff.

Flights to Boracay - Manila to Kalibo Airport via Philippine Airlines

No true vacation package is complete without having the air-fare included. WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. will be including ROUNDTRIP AIR-FARE from Manila to Kalibo and back to Manila. Once you arrive at the Kalibo airport you will be greeted by SOUTHWEST Travel & Tours, and transported to Boracay Island via a tour bus.

Boracay Island Transfers - Kalibo Airport to Boracay (roundtrip)

SOUTHWEST Travel & Tours is the OFFICIAL transport company of WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. SouthWest Travel & Tours has been in business for over 15 years, and is considered one of the safest carriers in the Philippines.

Daily Breakfast – Buffet Style

The winners to this Free Boracay Package will also have included a daily breakfast, a set breakfast will be served at the Bamboo Boracay Restaurant.

Boracay Activities - Island Hopping Tour

For one full day our winners will enjoy a tour around Boracay Island that includes snorkeling, as-well as visiting surrounding beaches. (does not include entrance fee into Crystal Cove)

Win an iPad and other gadgets with BuzzKorea!

2010-12-23T00:14:00.001+08:00

Korea Tourism Organization’s official global campaign, buzz Korea, will be holding a special event from December 15, 2010 to January 15, 2011 for people to become a part of buzz Korea’s mission to promote Korea through social media.

Buzz Korea will be holding three different events during this specified time frame. We encourage you to participate in all of them!

Event 1: Sign-up for i buzz!

Participants will need to sign-up for i buzz and enter their blog address into the personal information section. By signing up for i buzz, participants will be automatically entered into the event to win an iPad. One lucky winner will win an iPad and five other winners will win a traditional name care case.)

Event 2: Join let’s buzz!

Participants are to write a post on their travels in Korea into their blogs. By entering buzzKorea into the title or name tag, participants will be automatically entered to win a Macbook Air. One lucky winner will win the Macbook Air and 10 other winners will win an iTunes $20 gift card.

There is one more special surprise. For those who write the best posts, they will be awarded with more prizes. Six posts will be chosen, and the best out of these posts will be given a Samsung digital camera NX 100 and the other five posts will be awarded with a traditional name care case.)

Event 3: Promote buzz Korea!

Participants are to copy and paste the buzz Korea URL, www.buzz-korea.com, into their blogs, twitter or facebook. Afterwards, participants are to register their blogs, twitter or facebook into the buzz Korea website.

One lucky winner will win an iPad and five others will win a traditional name care case.)

NOTE : All winners would be announced on January 31, 2011.

Visit the buzz Korea’s webpage, www.buzz-korea.com, for more information.

Loving Bonifacio Global City

2010-07-22T11:03:00.003+08:00

People say that one’s lifestyle is defined by one’s city. If that were true, then I probably am a living, breathing fragment of that big scoop of wonderful called Bonifacio Global City. Yes, I have more than enough reasons to love the BGC district. From ultra chi-chi malls to dirt-cheap bazaars, art tours to fun runs, ritzy restaurants to quiet coffee shops, I find myself waking up to interesting everydays right at the heart of BGC.

Dining out can be quite a challenge here with its wide array of restaurants. For an Asian-fusion dinner, my top pick is Chef Laudico at Netsquare. For a cozy and laidback night with scrumptious tapas and some Spanish wine, I usually head towards Barcino in Forbeswood Heights . Being a big fan of French cuisine, I swear by the croissants and aperitifs at Alexandre ( 31^st Street ) , the Pinot Noir at Cuillere (Serendra) and the lamb shank Provencal at Je Suis Gourmand (Net One). For a night cap, there are eclectic drinks being served at Distillery in Burgos Circle. There’s always something to do at Bonifacio Global City . Each day holds a wonderful bag of surprises for me---- there’s always a new shop to ransack, a happy mix of people to carouse with, a new restaurant to test and a wave of hot parties to get invited to.

Cats Now and Forever this July 2010!

2010-06-28T11:36:00.004+08:00

Theatre-philes everywhere are having sleepless nights in anticipation of the biggest theatre event this year. Tony winner Lea Salonga is set to star as Grizabella, the Glamour Cat in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats Now and Forever", the second-longest running musical in Broadway history at the Cultural Center of the Philippines- Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo beginning July 24, 2010 until August 2010. She will be joined by an international cast from Australia and the United Kingdom.

The show, based on a T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber including the karaoke killer “Memory”. Before becoming a Broadway sensation, “Cats” first opened in London’s West End in 1981 and went on to win the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical. It originally starred Broadway icon Elaine Page (not to be confused with "Juno" star, Ellen Page.)

The show is brought to us by David Atkins Enterprises, Concertus Inc., Lunchbox Theatrical Productions , The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific and All Youth Channels Inc.. Presented by Citi and supported by Infinity powered by Smart,Philippine Airlines, McDonald’s.With the official marketing arm, OOCL and Dusit Thani the official Hotel.

Get your tickets now before you miss your chance to see the award-winning musical! Here are the Show Dates:

SAT July 24 Matinee
SAT July 24 Evening
SUN July 25 Matinee
SUN July 25 EveningTUE July 27 Evening
WED July 28 Evening
THU July 29 Evening
FRI July 30 Evening
SAT July 31 Matinee
SAT July 31 Evening
SUN August 1 Matinee
SUN August 1 EveningTUE August 3 Evening
WED August 4 Evening
THU August 5 Evening
FRI August 6 Evening
SAT August 7 Matinee
SAT August 7 Evening
SUN August 8 Matinee
SUN August 8 EveningTUE August 10 EveningWED August 11 Evening
THU August 12 Evening
FRI August 13 Evening
SAT August 14 MatineeTicket Prices:MatineeSAT (3:00pm)
SUN (2:30pm)
PhP7000 PhP5000 PhP3500 PhP2000 PhP1000 EveningsTUE, WED, THU (8:00pm)
SUN (7:30pm)
PhP6000 PhP4500 PhP3000 PhP1500 PhP750 EveningsFRI, SAT (8:00pm)
PhP7000 PhP5000 PhP3500 PhP2000 Php1000
SAT August 14 Evening
SUN August 15 Matinee
SUN August 15 Evening Tickets are available at all Ticketworld outlets. Visit Cats in Manila Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/catsinmanila) and Tumbler page (http://catsinmanila.tumblr.com) for more details and updates.

I Am an Explorer!: Conquering Ilocos...on Video

2010-05-25T13:45:00.004+08:00

"Explore your mind, discover yourself. There are heroic possibilities waiting to be discovered in every person.” – a memorable genius once said

It’s an amazing feeling when you put on your adventurer’s hat, eager to explore a new place and in the process, you end up discovering new things about yourself. An untapped potential you didn’t know was there and was just waiting to be unraveled.

Last May, my siblings and I packed our bags on a three-day, two-night getaway to one of the country's hottest summer destinations, Ilocos. This three-day vanishing act couldn’t have come at a better time. I was more burned out than an effigy at an anti-PGMA rally, and was dying to get away from the pre-election craze. And what could be a better escape than the swirling turquoise tubes of Pagudpud and the lovely smell of beach spray? Or perhaps, a plateful of Vigan longganisa on the side?

So we gleefully embarked on our evening flight to Laoag almost bursting with anticipation. Our first night in Ilocos was spent sleeping and cooling our socks at Northview Hotel, a budget-friendly inn which was a five-minute drive from Laoag International Airport.

facade of Northview Hotel

The real action began on the second day when we explored the lusty, lusty sun, sand and sea of Pagudpud. We took an almost two-hour ride in an aircon-less bus on our way to the coastal resort town (fare is at P60). Upon arrival at the town proper, we hired a tricycle driver to give us a Pagudpud tour for just a thousand pesos. To sweeten the pot further, we sat down and tantalized our taste buds at a nearby carinderia with an exquisite Ilocano breakfast: dinengdeng, bagnet and the to-die-for Vigan longganisa.

gateway to Pagudpud

We had time to burn what we ate when we took the 1.5- kilometer trek to the majestic Kabigan Falls in Brgy. Balaoi. Jeepneys or even motorcycles are not allowed in the area so we had no choice but to take a sun-splashed walk across rice fields and shallow rivers. If you think this will just be another leisurely trek, think again. The trail runs across low cliffs and dips down to some rocks that could get slippery. Despite that, the trail is too scenic too ignore. You could find yourself stopping sometimes and just admiring the lush greenery.

the trail to Kabigan Falls

the 90-ft. Kabigan Falls

Next stop was the Patapat Viaduct, a concrete coastal bridge that connects the Maharlika Highway from Laoag to the Cagayan Valley Region. We posed for a few pictures before hitting the road and leapfrogging to the piece de resistance of this trip – the Blue Lagoon!

Patapat Viaduct

polvoron-like sand of Blue Lagoon

The beach is L-O-V-E! No amount of advanced information could really prepare you for the beauty of the mesmerizing Blue Lagoon beach. The moment I laid my eyes on it, I wanted to run like a five-year old and bury my head under its polvoron- like sand. Equally-fetching are the Bantay Abot Caves, the Timmangtang Rock and the famed Bangui Windmills which are not hard to miss on the way to the beach.

clockwise: Blue Lagoon, Timmangtang Rock, Bantay Abot Caves and the Bangui Windmills

We all got into Annie Leibovitz mode and started taking pictures. And that’s when inspiration hit me: this place is too stunning to be frozen in a photograph. It should be captured on a moving medium that could give justice to its natural beauty….Yes, I should make a music video, right here! In Ilocos!

Armed with my dependable digicam and the instincts of an amateur, I set out to explore the creative possibilities of handheld filmmaking. I choose to lipsynch to a cheeky track by one of my favorite artists, Michael Penn. Soon enough, I was having more fun in this trip than ever. Instead of the usual plethora of a bazillion blurred pictures, I bobbed my head and sang along with Michael Penn all the while capturing it on video.

from top: interior of St. William's Cathedral, the Sinking Bell Tower and the Marcos Museum

The day that followed was spent taking more video shots at the historic town of Vigan. Our timetable was littered with visits to the St. William’s Cathedral, the Sinking Bell Tower and the Marcos Museum in Batac.

Paoay Church

A major highlight was our detour to the breathtaking Paoay Church (St. Augustine Church), a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its unique 16^th century “Earthquake Baroque” architecture. But the real treat was the calesa ride down the quiet, cobblestone streets of Heritage Village (for P50) right in the heart of Vigan. It was a transporting experience to stroll down alleys upon alleys of colonial architecture. It leaves you in a pensive mood and gives you a better appreciation of the past. I wasted no time in setting up my camera and doing silly bits for my video.

Heritage Park

My Ilocos trip was memorable in so many levels. First, as a traveler with an insatiable wanderlust, I was able to discover the crystal-clear beaches of Ilocos Norte and the heritage of the south. Second, as an explorer who continues to find new avenues of self-growth, I was able to unravel my knack for filmmaking and revel in it. And so without further ado, let me show you the music video I filmed in Ilocos. (see video below).

Proof that Dora isn’t the only explorer around these parts. “I am an Explorer and I use IE8!”.

Mirro sings No Myth from Silverscreen Surfer on Vimeo.

Must-See Movie of 2010: Inception!

2010-03-30T00:34:00.001+08:00

photo from filmofilia.com

The sci-fi thriller “Inception” is number one in my must-see flicks this year. I’d probably file for a leave from work (seriously!) when it comes out for a host of reasons:

First, the Director. Christopher Nolan has consistently made one good film after another. Let’s have a brief rundown of his resume: Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight! From his filmography alone, you can be sure that you will be in for some top notch entertainment!

photo from wired.com

Second, the Cast. Leo di Caprio! Ellen Page (yes, “Juno”)!, Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("500 Days of Summer")!, Cilian Murphy ("28 Days Later") Ken Watanabe (“The Last Samurai”) and Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”)! Woot-woot! If this cast won’t send you to movie heaven, I don’t know what will. The cast has 6 Oscar nominations distributed among them from their previous work.

photo from slashfilm.com

Third, The Story…or The Lack of It. Nolan has shrouded the plot of “Inception” in great secrecy. All that we know is that it’s like a dream-based version of “The Matrix” with some psychoanalysis thrown in and plenty of special effects. Even Leo di Caprio said that he even had to do some detective work to find out what the movie he was doing was about!

Between today and “Inception"'s release date, I know I have to endure a lot of sleepless nights. I just saw the trailer last week while watching “I Love You Philip Morris” and I almost pissed in my pants! It sure looks like it’s going to be a real treat on IMAX. Can't wait to see it!

Win The Hotel Elizabeth Experience!

2010-03-03T20:38:00.002+08:00

El Niño can be such a killer, that's why Baguio is emerging once again as a top summer destination.

Trip or Treats is having an awesome goodie giveaway: 2 nights of Baguio breeze in a Deluxe Room good for two guests at The Hotel Elizabeth! This includes complimentary wifi internet and breakfast for two! This is perfect for the upcoming summer season! HOW? Look below!

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY

Only followers of Trip or Treats are eligible to win. Choose "Follow ToT!" in that cute little box over on the right hand side menu of the TriporTreats blog where all the mug shots are. (The Anonymous set are still encouraged to make some noise!)

Leave some love! Comment on this post for an instant entry! (Remember to be a follower!)

You can get up to 3 additional entries by including any or all of the following on your comment:

Copy this link: http://triportreats.blogspot.com/2010/02/goodie-giveaway-3-hotel-elizabeth.html
Post this Goodie Giveaway link (on your Facebook status (Make this post public) and include your FB username on your comment!
Post this Goodie Giveaway link on your blog (Blogspot, Multiply, personal), Or "Link to this post" at the bottom of this page, and include the link to your site on your comment!
Tweet "I want to win the Hotel Elizabeth Experience @triportreats http://triportreats.blogspot.com/2010/02/goodie-giveaway-3-hotel-elizabeth.html " and make sure you follow me on Twitter, then include it on your comment!

Comment entries will be accepted until Wednesday, 03 March 2010, TOT blog time. Any comments after that will only be that, comments :)If you are NOT from the Philippines, you are eligible to join! Just make sure you are planning on heading to Baguio! The Giveaway winner will be announced on 4 March 2010.

Win a Free Boracay Vacation Package by WOW Philippines Travel Agency!

2010-03-03T07:23:00.001+08:00

Win a Free Boracay Vacation Package by WOW Philippines Travel Agency!

WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. is celebrating it's 5th year in business during July of 2010, and we would like you to have a chance to celebrate with us, so we have decided to give-away a FREE Boracay Package complete with 5 Star accommodations at the luxurious Le Soleil de Boracay Hotel on Boracay Island. The lucky winner will win the following Boracay vacation package.

Vacation Package Inclusions:

- 5 Days / 4 Nights Luxury 5 Star Accommodations at the Le Soleil de Boracay Hotel
- Flights to Boracay from Manila to Caticlan Airport on Philippine Airlines

- Island Transfers - Door-to-Door from Manila to the resort and back to Manila

- Three (3) Meals each day, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

- Boracay Activities - Horseback Riding, Island Hopping, Glass Bottom Boat

- PLUS - 5,000 peso Spending Cash

Read More Information: http://www.boracay-packages.com/

Beautynomics 4th Anniversary Contest

2010-03-02T08:59:00.000+08:00

Beautynomics turns four years old, and is marking the event with a bevy of giveaways for its Philippine readers:

The prizes are definitely something to crow about:

Haircare
One winner gets 1 gift pack
4 Schwarzkopf Essensity Gift Packs ( includes a shampoo, conditioner, and texturizing mud ) - oh, I promise you’d love this ! They smell heavenly, the texturizing mud is the best I’ve tried so far - instantly makes your hair looks soft. Like naturally soft.
Fragrance
1 bottle of CK Euphoria perfume - as a CK loyalist, this is definitely an amazing addition to the CK fragrance line - the king of fragrances!
1 bottle of Kenneth Cole Black perfume - too yummy to resist. I’m so tempted to keep this to myself to give to my beau!
Skin Care Loot
( 1 winner for each item )
1 pc PCASkin C-Quench Antioxidant Serum
1 pc. Sunforgettable Perfecly Clear Retractable Brush
1 pc. Obagi Sunblock
1 pc. Colorescience Tote Bag
1 pc. Glytone Facial Wash
3 pcs. of House of Obagi Gift Certificates worth P 1,000 each
Cosmetics
Three sets of Avon Cosmetics gift pack - 1 Eyeshadow Quad, 1 Avon Glazewear Lipstick, 1 Supershock Mascara or Curlacious Mascara
Three sets of Charm Makeup Brush Set that consists of Dual Fibre brush, 2 eyeshadow brushes, and 1 concealer brush

That's a total of twenty ( 20 ) prizes! There’s definitely a lot for everyone!

How to qualify for these lovely giveaways?

Do the following:

1.Add Beautynomics on Twitter ( http://www.twitter.com/sophiedoodles )
2.Add Beautynomics on Facebook ( though I am still fixing this )
3. Link the blog up your blogroll
4. Blog about this contest
5. Retweet this contest ( “Beautynomics Turns Four Giveaway! )
6. Leave a comment at Beautynomics on what features you’d like to be written about.

Contest runs from February 9 until March 9. Excited?

Happy Birth-month to Beautynomics!!!

Years with Rohmer

2010-02-19T09:41:00.000+08:00

Rohmer fresh out of the box, circa 2003

I found Rohmer inside our old shoe cabinet, gathering dust for what seemed like years. It didn’t take me too long to find it and when I did, I was instantly hit by a wave of nostalgia. People, here’s my trusty pair of sneakers for six years. Now, he's just a raggedy old thing.

When I was younger, I had this romantic thing going with movies and had developed a penchant for naming shoes after my favorite filmmakers. This pair I named after Eric Rohmer, the French New Wave director. Rohmer is a pair of black Shooter ’78 LOs I bought with my very first paycheck. Not counting the leather shoes I wore all throughout college and some rubber shoes my parents bought for me, Rohmer is technically my Shoe Number 001.

I bought Rohmer on a day in August 2003. I will not forget the first time I caught a glimpse of him from a shop window-- it was like a scene from a religious movie. (Cue ray of light shining through dark clouds! Cue the hallelujah chorus!) It was love at first sight.

I thought he was absolutely neat. The shoes fit perfectly and they were light on my feet. I could sleep in them at night and jump straight into my day the next morning. Rohmer also blends well with the anti-trend personality I was trying to adopt in my early twenties. He looked like something worn by someone who doesn’t give a damn.

Thus began my six-year love affair with Rohmer.

We were inseparable. He was my shoe of choice for road trips and mountain treks. We went out dancing on Saturday nights and jogging on Sunday mornings. I can remember the countless times some gum got stuck on his sole and I had to put him in the freezer overnight so I could remove it. He got stepped on, spat on and vomited upon. Rohmer was a warrior.

By the fourth year, Rohmer had shown signs of wear and tear. I loved him all the more for it. I thought the raggedness gave him more attitude. He was also an attention-grabber and a conversation-starter. A friend of mine once asked if I have plans of replacing Rohmer any time soon and I said, “No way! These are my comfort shoes!”

I ate my words when Rohmer started exploding at the seams and my little toe began to say hello at the soles. He used to be a classic, easy-going low- top with a lightly cushioned footbed. Now, his soles were almost onion-skin and beyond a Mr. Quickie-fix. By then I knew one thing was inevitable: Rohmer had to be replaced.

Just two months ago, the real Eric Rohmer died at the ripe age of 89. It gave me the urge to look for my old pair and just wax nostalgic. True, I’ve had several shoes after Rohmer—Godard, Von Trier, Kurosawa. My current favorite is called Scorsese. Getting a new pair of shoes is easy. But they don’t quite have the feel of Rohmer. And I don’t think there is a pair in the world that can look as nice as that old ragged thing.

This is my official contest entry for the "Red Shoes Story Contest". Catch the movie when it hit screens on March 10, 2010. For details about the movie click here.

Oscar Nominations Out!

2010-02-04T08:58:00.001+08:00

"Avatar"! "Inglorious Basterds"! "Up in the Air"! "The Hurt Locker"!

The 2010 Oscar nominations lineup has got to be one of the most satisfying we've seen in years! The expansion to ten nominees for Best Picture seemed to have done the Academy some good with a shortlist that includes critical successes (Avatar, The Hurt Locker), indie fare (Up In The Air) and public favorites (The Blindside, District 9). Why, we even have an animated film nominated for Best Picture (Up), the first one since "The Lion King" back in 1994.

The full list of the nominees were announced by Academy Award- nominated actress Anne Hathaway and Academy Awards president Tom Sherak at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills on February 2, 2010 at 8:30 am EST.

The 82nd Oscar Awards night will be held at the Kodak Theatre on March 7, 2010 and will be hosted by comedians Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

Best Picture
* “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
* “The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
* “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
* “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
* “The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
* “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
* “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
* “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
* “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role
* Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
* George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
* Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
* Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
* Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role
* Matt Damon in “Invictus”
* Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
* Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
* Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
* Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role
* Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
* Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
* Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
* Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
* Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role
* Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
* Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
* Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
* Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
* Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Animated Feature Film
* “Coraline” Henry Selick
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
* “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
* “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
* “Up” Pete Docter

Art Direction
* “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
* “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
* “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
* “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography
* “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
* “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
* “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
* “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
* “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design
* “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
* “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
* “Nine” Colleen Atwood
* “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Directing
* “Avatar” James Cameron
* “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
* “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
* “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Documentary (Feature)
* “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
* “The Cove” Nominees to be determined
* “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
* “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
* “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)
* “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
* “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
* “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
* “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
* “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing
* “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
* “District 9” Julian Clarke
* “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
* “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film
* “Ajami” Israel
* “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
* “The Milk of Sorrow” Peru
* “Un Prophète” France
* “The White Ribbon” Germany

Makeup
* “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
* “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
* “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)
* “Avatar” James Horner
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
* “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
* “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
* “Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)
* “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
* “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
* “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Short Film (Animated)
* “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
* “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
* “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
* “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
* “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Short Film (Live Action)
* “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
* “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
* “Kavi” Gregg Helvey
* “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
* “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing
* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
* “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
* “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
* “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Sound Mixing
* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
* “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
* “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
* “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Visual Effects
* “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
* “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
* “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
* “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
* “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
* “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
* “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)
* “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
* “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
* “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
* “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
* “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

“Avatar”, “Hurt Locker”, “An Education” lead BAFTA race!

2010-01-27T01:18:00.001+08:00

“Avatar”, “The Hurt Locker” and “An Education” lead the pack of British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award nominations with 8 nods apiece. Fresh from their Golden Globe wins, Mo’Nique, La Streep, Christoph Waltz and Jeff Bridges are also nominated in their respective categories.

The BAFTAs is considered the British equivalent of the Oscars.

Snubs: No Sandra Bullock. No Sam Rockwell in the Best Actor race. No Julianne Moore in supporting. (500) Days of Summer was shut out. And Nine got only one nod for Make Up & Hair. Lol.

Smiley Face: Vindication for District 9 with multiple nominations in the directing, adapted screenplay and the technical categories. Can’t be happier to find Quentin Tarantino and Neil Blonkamp in the Directing race.

Here's the BAFTA lineup.

BEST FILM
Avatar – James Cameron, Jon Landau
An Education – Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer
The Hurt Locker – Nominees TBC
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire – Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness
Up In the Air – Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Daniel Dubieck
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
An Education – Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer, Lone Scherfig, Nick Hornby
Fish Tank – Kees Kasander, Nick Laws, Andrea Arnold
In the Loop – Kevin Loader, Adam Tandy, Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche
Moon – Stuart Fenegan, Trudie Styler, Duncan Jones, Nathan Parker
Nowhere Boy – Kevin Loader, Douglas Rae, Robert Bernstein, Sam Taylor-Wood, Matt Greenhalgh

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Broken Embraces – Agustín Almodóvar, Pedro Almodóvar
Coco Before Chanel – Carole Scotta, Caroline Benjo, Philippe Carcassonne, Anne Fontaine
Let the Right One In – Carl Molinder, John Nordling, Tomas Alfredson
A Prophet – Pascale Caucheteux, Marco Chergui, Alix Raynaud, Jacques Audiard
The White Ribbon – Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka, Margaret Menegoz, Michael Haneke

ANIMATED FILM
Coraline – Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox – Wes Anderson
Up – Pete Docter

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
LUCY BAILEY, ANDREW THOMPSON, ELIZABETH MORGAN HEMLOCK, DAVID PEARSON – Directors, Producers – Mugabe and the White African
ERAN CREEVY – Writer/Director – Shifty
STUART HAZELDINE – Writer/Director – Exam
DUNCAN JONES – Director – Moon
SAM TAYLOR-WOOD – Director – Nowhere Boy

DIRECTOR
Avatar – James Cameron
District 9 – Neill Blomkamp
An Education – Lone Scherfig
The Hurt Locker – Kathryn Bigelow
Inglourious Basterds – Quentin Tarantino

LEADING ACTOR
JEFF BRIDGES – Crazy Heart
GEORGE CLOONEY – Up In the Air
COLIN FIRTH – A Single Man
JEREMY RENNER – The Hurt Locker
ANDY SERKIS – Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

LEADING ACTRESS
CAREY MULLIGAN – An Education
SAOIRSE RONAN – The Lovely Bones
GABOUREY SIDIBE – Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
MERYL STREEP – Julie & Julia
AUDREY TAUTOU – Coco Before Chanel

SUPPORTING ACTOR
ALEC BALDWIN – It’s Complicated
CHRISTIAN McKAY – Me and Orson Welles
ALFRED MOLINA – An Education
STANLEY TUCCI – The Lovely Bones
CHRISTOPH WALTZ – Inglourious Basterds

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
ANNE-MARIE DUFF – Nowhere Boy
VERA FARMIGA – Up in the Air
ANNA KENDRICK – Up in the Air
MO’NIQUE – Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS – Nowhere Boy

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Hangover – Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
The Hurt Locker – Mark Boal
Inglourious Basterds – Quentin Tarantino
A Serious Man – Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Up – Bob Peterson, Pete Docter

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
District 9 – Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
An Education – Nick Hornby
In the Loop – Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire – Geoffrey Fletcher
Up In the Air – Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar – Mauro Fiore
District 9 – Trent Opaloch
The Hurt Locker – Barry Ackroyd
Inglourious Basterds – Robert Richardson
The Road – Javier Aguirresarobe

EDITING
Avatar – Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron
District 9 – Julian Clarke
The Hurt Locker – Bob Murawski, Chris Innis
Inglourious Basterds – Sally Menke
Up in the Air – Dana E. Glauberman

MUSIC
Avatar – James Horner
Crazy Heart – T-Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton
Fantastic Mr. Fox – Alexandre Desplat
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll – Chaz Jankel
Up – Michael Giacchino

PRODUCTION DESIGN
Avatar – Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair
District 9 – Philip Ivey, Guy Poltgieter
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – Nominees TBC
Inglourious Basterds – David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds Wasco

COSTUME DESIGN
Bright Star – Janet Patterson
Coco Before Chanel – Catherine Leterrier
An Education – Odile Dicks-Mireaux
A Single Man – Arianne Phillips
The Young Victoria – Sandy Powell

SOUND
Avatar – Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Tony Johnson, Addison Teague
District 9 – Nominees TBC
The Hurt Locker – Ray Beckett, Paul N. J. Ottosson, Craig Stauffer
Star Trek – Peter J. Devlin, Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Mark Stoeckinger, Ben Burtt
Up – Tom Myers, Michael Silvers, Michael Semanick

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar – Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones
District 9 – Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros, Matt Aitken
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – John Richardson, Tim Burke, Tim Alexander, Nicolas Aithadi
The Hurt Locker – Richard Stutsman
Star Trek – Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh, Burt Dalton

MAKEUP & HAIR
Coco Before Chanel – Thi Thanh Tu Nguyen, Jane Milon
An Education – Lizzie Yianni Georgiou
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – Sarah Monzani
Nine – Peter ‘Swords’ King
The Young Victoria – Jenny Shircore

ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD
Jesse Eisenberg
Nicholas Hoult
Carey Mulligan
Tahar Rahim
Kristen Stewart

The Killers cancels Manila tour!

2010-01-27T01:08:00.000+08:00

"The Killers" have canceled their Asian tour citing “unforeseen circumstances” in a statement on their official website. What a bummer! Aside from the Manila concert set on January 31 at the Mall of Asia concert grounds, the band have also canceled their appearances in Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, Tokyo and Seoul.

"The band deeply apologizes to their fans and hope to reschedule their shoes in these cities soon," the statement read.

This was confirmed by the show's organizers Worldwide Bomb and Saga Events. However, the band's planned concert in Australia will remain as scheduled.

My hopes are still up that they would be able to reschedule.

For the uninitiated, The Killers is composed of Brandon Flowers (vocals, keyboards), David Keuning (guitar), Mark Stoermer (bass) and Ronnie Vannucci (drums). They are responsible for two of the best songs to come from the last decade: “Mr. Brightside” and “All These Things That I’ve Done”.

Refunds will be given by Ticketworld.

Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock win acting honors at 2010 Golden Globes!

2010-01-20T08:28:00.002+08:00

It was a night of the "underappreciated" as Hollywood longtimers Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock and Robert Downey Jr. win their first Globes in the star-studded affair hosted by Ricky Gervais. Even in the television categories, the consistently brilliant but usually underrated stars (Julianna Marguilles, Chloe Sevigny, Toni Collette) triumphed in the acting categories.

*BEST SPEECH OF THE NIGHT- Mo'Nique
"I am in the midst of my dream, and when I look into the eyes of the man that I stood next to at fourteen years old, and I said to him, 'One day we're gonna be stars,' and he said 'You first,' I love you more than you will ever know, baby."

*WORST SPEECH OF THE NIGHT- Drew Barrymore. She just rambled and rambled and rambled.

*FUNNIEST QUIP: Meryl Streep
"I just want to say, in my long career, I've played so many extraordinary women that basically I'm getting mistaken for one."

*MOST METAPHORIC SPEECH: Christoph Waltz.
He talked about stars and constellations and planetary orbits like a mad scientist and ended his speech with: "I wouldn't have dared dream my little world, my globe, would be part of that constellation, and now you've made it golden."

*MOST IRONIC SPEECH: Sandra Bullock
"(If I may steal from Michael Oher), I may not be the most talented, but I've been given opportunity,"

Here's a rundown of this year's Golden Globe winners:

MOVIE
Best Picture: Drama — Avatar

Best Picture: Comedy or Musical — The Hangover
Best Director — James Cameron, Avatar
Best Actor: Drama — Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress: Drama — Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Actress: Comedy or Musical — Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Best Actor: Comedy or Musical — Robert Downey, Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Best Supporting Actress — MoNique, Precious
Best Supporting Actor — Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Foreign-Language Film — The White Ribbon
Best Screenplay — Up in the Air
Best Animated Feature Film — Up

TELEVISION
Best Television Series: Drama — “Mad Men”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series: Drama — Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series: Drama — Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
Best Television Series: Comedy — “Glee”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series: Comedy — Toni Collette, “The United States of Tara”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series: Comedy — Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television — John Lithgow, “Dexter”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television — Chloe Sevigny, “Big Love”

Spring Film Festival at Shang on Feb 2010!

2010-01-16T09:17:00.000+08:00

Finally, we got the first film festival for 2010!

The 2010 Spring Film Festival showcases four contemporary Chinese-language films that have English subtitles on February 3-9, 2010 at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City. Tickets are available at P100.

The event is presented by Ateneo de Manila University- Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies, in Partnership with Ateneo Celadon and Shangri-la Plaza. It will also feature a painting exhibit by the renowned painter Dr. Alex Chan-Lim and his students.

Hmm, I'm a bit suspicious of the line-up because I've already seen "Cape No. 7" and thought it was one of the most terrible films I've seen last year. Or maybe I'm just not the target audience for an uncomplicated bubblegum love story. Anyway, for the interested, here is the list of films to be screened:
1. In Love We Trust 左右 (115 mins)
Directed by Wang Xiaoshuai. Winner of the Silver Bear at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival. Meizhu and Xiaolu were once happily married and a lovely daughter, Hehe, is born to them. After their divorce, both remarry, but when Hehe contracts leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant from a sibling, they face the dilemma of their lives. Their loyalty, relationships, love and commitment are all put to the test.

2. Cape No. 7 海角七号 (133 mins)
Directed by Wei Te-Sheng. Multi-awarded at the 2008 Golden Horse Awards, Grand Prize in the 2008 Asian Marine Film Festival.
Aga, a frustrated-rock-star-turned-substitute-postman, tries to form a band for a concert organized by the Japanese talent agent, Tomoko. They soon find themselves linked to an earlier time, when a Japanese schoolteacher fell in love with a Taiwanese girl he had to leave behind. This romantic comedy-musical, the all-time movie blockbuster of Taiwan, is a fresh approach to Taiwan’s history as a Japanese colony.

3. The World 世界 (105 mins)
Directed by Jia Zhangke. Best Foreign Film at the Toronto Film Critics Association (2005). ‘The World’ refers to a theme park that invites visitors to see the world without leaving Beijing. With its replicas of world icons such as the Eiffel Tower and the leaning tower of Pisa, the park and its shows are a glittering attraction, but behind it are lonely workers struggling to communicate and find love. The story follows the pretty dancer Tao and the security guard Taisheng in a film that tries to reflect on the fate of individuals in the face of globalization.

4. Seventeen Years 過年回家 (85mins)
Directed by Zhang Yuan. Won Best Director at the Shanghai Film Critics Award (2000) and the Singapore International Film Festival (2000). In her teenage years, Tao Lan accidentally kills her stepsister and is convicted of murder. After seventeen years, she is granted a new year’s furlough, but her parents do not fetch her from prison. Tao Lan befriends a prison guard who helps her mount a reunion with her family, but after the tragedy and the heartache, is a reunion possible?

Screening schedule per day:
February 3, 2010 (Wednesday)
In Love We Trust 11:35am-1:30pm
Cape No. 7 2:00-4:15
The World 4:45-6:30
Seventeen Years 8:00-9:25 (invitational screening)
February 4, 2010 (Thursday)
Seventeen Years 2:00-3:25
The World 3:55-5:40
Cape No. 7 6:10-8:25
In Love We Trust 8:55-10:50
February 5, 2010 (Friday)
The World 2:00-3:45
In Love We Trust 4:15-6:10
Cape No. 7 6:40-8:55
Seventeen Years 9:25-10:50
February 6, 2010 (Saturday)
Seventeen Years 2:00-3:25
The World 3:55-5:40
In Love We Trust 6:10-8:05
Cape No. 7 8:35-10:50

February 7, 2010 (Sunday)
Seventeen Years 2:00-3:25
Cape No. 7 3:55-6:10
The World 6:40-8:25
In Love We Trust 8:55-10:50

February 8, 2010 (Monday)
The World 2:00-3:45
Seventeen Years 4:15-5:40
In Love We Trust 6:10-8:05
Cape No. 7 8:35-10:50

February 9, 2010 (Tuesday)
Cape No. 7 2:00-4:15
In Love We Trust 4:45-6:40
Seventeen Years 7:10-8:35
The World 9:05-10:50

The Chinese Painting Exhibit on the other hand will be displayed on February 3-11 at the Grand Atrium, 2F Shangri-La Mall. Paintings are by the Chan Lim Family & Ateneo Confucius Institute Chinese Painting Students. Got this from clickthecity.com.

Backstreet Boys Live In Manila in February 2010!

2010-01-14T12:36:00.000+08:00

Backstreet Boys will visit Manila for the third time in a concert dubbed Backstreet Boys This is Us Tour 2010 on Feb. 27, 8 p.m. at Araneta Coliseum.

As a teenager in the late 90s, I abhorred the Backstreet Boys...and all the other boy bands. But as I matured, it became abundantly clear to me that this is probably my generation's New Kids On The Block and I can't help but hum along every time one of their songs gets played on the radio.

The multi-Grammy nominated Backstreet Boys gained worldwide teen adulation when its first seven albums landed in the Top 10 of the US Billboard charts. In the ’90s, Backstreet Boys churned out pop hits like Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), Quit Playing Games (With My Heart), I Want it That Way, Larger Than Life, plus songs that gave them 14 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The Backstreet Boys has sold over 130 millions worldwide. Originally a five-man group, the Manila leg will include band members Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and A.J. McLean. (What?! No Kevin Richardson?!-- screamed Layla, a big BSB fan, hand in mouth.)

The event will be brought to us by Araneta Center and Viva Concerts & Events, in cooperation with Uniprom.

Ticket Prices at ticketnet:

Patron VIP (Reserved Seating)- 4760
Patron (Reserved Seating)- 4280
Lower Box (Reserved Seating)- 3810
Upper Box A (Reserved Seating)-2860
Upper Box B- 960
Gen. Admission- 480

"When Timawa Meets Delgado" at U-View Fully Booked, Jan 17

2010-01-14T11:48:00.000+08:00

Here's a chance for you to watch Ray Gibraltar's indie gem "When Timawa Meets Delgado" (2007).

The Tioseco-Bohinc Film Series picks up where Alexis Tioseco left off with his Fully Booked screenings, featuring independent cinema that deserve more audience than it has. "When Timawa Meets Delgado" is an experimental narrative documentary about health care and the nursing boom in the Philippines that is virtually indescribable and also funny as hell.

The film will be shown on Sunday, January 17, 2010, at Fully Booked High Street (U-View) from 3 pm to 5pm. Filmmaker Ray Gibraltar and poet J.I.E. Teodoro will be in attendance. Admissions is free, hope to see you there!

Silverscreensurfer's Top 100 Films of the Decade (2000-2009)

2010-01-12T08:02:00.144+08:00

The last decade was a treasure trove of great movies and I’m only too happy to share my Top 100 Favorite Movies from the era. Before anyone turns snappish and ask, “Why isn’t “insert movie title here” on your list?”, let me tell you that it pains me to leave out some terrific pictures from the list. I had to be pretty conservative and stick to 100, omitting several amazing films in the process (The Wrestler, Tropic Thunder, L’Enfant, Hero and the Martin Scorsese films, to name a few).

My criteria for the list are as follows:
a. Will I watch it again?
b. Did the film bring me to another place while I was watching it?
c. Does the memory of it make me smile?

In short, I do not have a criteria.

Hahahahaha!!!

The films are arranged according to my degree of love:

1. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (Wong Kar-Wai), 2001

2. ALMOST FAMOUS (Cameron Crowe), 2000

3. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson), 2007

4. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (Darren Aronofsky), 2000

5. MEMENTO (Christopher Nolan), 2001

6. LOST IN TRANSLATION (Sofia Copolla), 2003

7. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch) , 2001

8. DANCER IN THE DARK (Lars von Trier), 2000

9. Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN (Alfonso Cuaron), 2002

10. SIDEWAYS (Alexander Payne), 2004

11. GARDEN STATE (Zach Braff), 2004

12. AMORES PERROS (Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu), 2000

13. DOGVILLE (Lars von Trier), 2003

14. GHOST WORLD (Terry Zwigoff), 2001

15. AMELIE (Jean Pierre- Jeunet) , 2001

16. EIGHT WOMEN(Francois Ozon), 2002

17. MOULIN ROUGE (Baz Luhrmann), 2001

18. TUHOG (Jeffrey Jeturian), 2001

19. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michel Gondry), 2004

20. 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS (Cristian Mungiu), 2007

21. ONCE (John Carney), 2007

22. IN THE BEDROOM (Todd Field) , 2001

23. 28 DAYS LATER(Danny Boyle), 2003

24. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (Marc Webb), 2009

25. DONNIE DARKO (Richard Kelly), 2001

26. THE DREAMERS (Bernardo Bertolucci), 2004

27. ADAPTATION (Spike Jonze), 2002

28. KILL BILL VOL. 1 (Quentin Tarantino), 2003

29. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Jared Hess), 2004

30. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Farris), 2006

31. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Ari Folman), 2008

32. HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (John Cameron Mitchell) , 2001

33. PAN’S LABYRINTH (Guillermo del Toro), 2006

34. WAKING LIFE (Richard Linklater), 2001

35. INTO THE WILD (Sean Penn), 2007

36. GOSFORD PARK (Robert Altman), 2001

37. OLD BOY (Park Chan-wook), 2003

38. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Danny Boyle), 2008

39. THE LIVES OF OTHERS (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck), 2006

40. PUNCHDRUNK LOVE (Paul Thomas Anderson), 2002

41. CRASH (Paul Haggis), 2005

42. PERSEPOLIS (Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi), 2007

43. CITY OF GOD (Fernando Mereilles), 2003

44. INFERNAL AFFAIRS (Wai-keung Lau & Alan Mak), 2002

45. MALENA (Giusepe Tornatore), 2000

46. JUNO (Jason Reitman), 2007

47. THE SQUID AND THE WHALE (Noah Baumbach), 2005

48. DISTRICT 9 (Neil Blonkamp), 2009

49. PIECES OF APRIL (Peter Hedges), 2003

50. FAR FROM HEAVEN (Todd Haynes), 2002

51. BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOUR DEAD (Sidney Lumet), 2007

52. TRAFFIC (Steven Soderbergh), 2000

53. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Tomas Alfredson), 2009

54. YOU CAN COUNT ON ME (Kenneth Lonergan), 2000

55. 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (Michael Winterbottom), 2002

56. BILLY ELLIOT (Stephen Daldry), 2000

57. CHILDREN OF MEN (Alfonso Cuaron), 2006

58. RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (Jonathan Demme), 2008

59. THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE (Sylvain Chomet), 2003

60. THE OTHERS (Alejandro Amenabar) , 2001

61. NOTES ON A SCANDAL (Richard Eyre), 2006

62. NO MAN’S LAND (Danis Tanovic) , 2001

63. ATONEMENT (Joe Wright), 2007

64. SECRETARY (Steven Shainberg), 2002

65. LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS (Peter Jackson) , 2001

66. HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (Vadim Perelman), 2003

67. BEFORE SUNSET (Richard Linklater), 2004

68. A SCANNER DARKLY (Richard Linklater), 2006

69. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (Ang Lee), 2000

70. (REC) (Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza), 2007

71. I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (Philippe Claudel), 2008

72. LAGAAN (Ashutosh Gowariker), 2002

73. AVATAR (James Cameron), 2009

74. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (Sam Mendes), 2008

75. ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD (Werner Herzog), 2008

76. TIMECODE (Mike Figgis), 2000

77. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Wes Anderson), 2001

78. ELEPHANT (Gus Van Sant), 2003

79. SPIRITED AWAY (Hayao Miyazaki), 2002

80. EL JUEGO DE LA SILLA (Ana Katz), 2002

81. KUNG FU HUSTLE (Stephen Chow), 2005

82. THE PIANIST (Roman Polanski), 2002

83. VOLVER (Pedro Almodovar), 2006

84. ABOUT SCHMIDT (Alexander Payne), 2002

85. THE MAGDALENE SISTERS (Peter Mullan), 2003

86. LOS CRONOCRIMENES (Nacho Vigalondo), 2007

87. ANTI-CHRIST (Lars Von Trier), 2009

88. MARGOT AT THE WEDDING (Noah Baumbach), 2007

89. LOVE ACTUALLY (Richard Curtis), 2003

90. THE KITE RUNNER (Marc Foster), 2007

91. QUILLS (Philip Kauffman), 2000

92. ZOOLANDER (Ben Stiller)

93. TALK TO HER (Pedro Almodovar), 2002

94. SO CLOSE (Corey Yuen), 2003

95. BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (Larry Charles), 2006

96. HIGH FIDELITY (Stephen Frears), 2000

97. SIN CITY (Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller), 2005

98. VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (Woody Allen), 2008

99. NOUSUKAUSI (Johanna Vuoksenmaa), 2003

100. A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (David Cronenberg), 2005

My La Vie Boheme Moment

2009-12-25T22:50:00.002+08:00

What's your La Vie Boheme moment?

My La Vie Boheme moment happened back in 2007 after I quit my job and literally lived a "bohemian life" for six months. It was the peak of my quarter-life crisis and was inclined to take life as lightly as I could. Boy, did I dig a deep hole in my parent's pocket! I enroled in French and Spanish classes (yes, at the same time!) and took up a film directing class.

Being a cinephile, I became a permanent fixture at the movie theatre and was always in a tizzy at the film festivals. Movies became part of my daily diet, and I dissected them with friends over dinner at night. I was the King of Spontaneity;I gleefully embarked where the wind would take me -- concerts, performance art events, poetry readings, heck, I even attended spirituality seminars. I was a bum who was always on the look out for a good place to eat or a nice party to crash and went on oomp-pah-pah drinkathons with people I just met. On my quiet days, I devoured books and visited museums.

I guess, it was my reaction against a redundant workload and a punishing office schedule. I searched for my niche by exploring all available options. Or maybe I was just young and stupid, and had nothing to lose. But of course, to every great party, "then the morning comes". Fact was I.Had.No.Money and there was the urge to finally give up the title of being my parents' oldest living headache. I cleaned up my act: I looked for a job and am now in a state of happy equilibrium between myself and the universe.

Looking back, "those six months of joblessness" was the most fun, enriching phase of my life. Will I do it again? Not in a heartbeat. Nevertheless it was a great experience to have, at one point in my life, lived totally bohemian.

Want to experience "La Vie Boheme"? Watch the Manila staging of "Rent" brought to you by Our Awesome Planet on February 6, 2010 (Sat), 8 pm at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza. Reserve your tickets by emailing amillionmiracles@gmail.com or call Minnie Fong at 0917 8676332.

Owl City, Paramore, Boys Like Girls In Manila in 2010!

2009-12-24T22:59:00.003+08:00

The first quarter of 2010 looks very exciting for music enthusiasts everywhere. The Killers, Ne-Yo, Owl City, Boys Like Girls and The Beach Boys are set to perform in Manila! Mark your calendars when these acts hit the town:

Ne-Yo at the MoA Concert Ground
Date: January 9, 2010; 8 pm
Ticket Price: 7500 (VVIP)
5500 (VIP)
4000 (Platinum)
2500 (Gold)
1500 (Silver)
500 (Bronze)

Boys Like Girls with Hed Kandi at the MoA SMX Convention
Date: January 27, 8 pm
Ticket Price: P3696 (VIP Standing)
P1696 (Gold Standing)

The Beach Boys at the Araneta
Date: January 27, 8 pm
Ticket Price: P4020 (Patron VIP)
3700 (Patron B)
2960 (Lower Box)
1900 (Upper Box A)
850 (Upper Box B)
530 (General Admission)

The Killers at the MoA Concert Ground
Date: January 31, 2010; 8 pm
Ticket Price: 5550 (VIP Standing)
3950 (Gold Standing)
1550 (Silver Standing)
550 (Bronze Standing)

Paramore at the MoA Concert Ground
Date: March 9, 2010
Ticket Price: 3950 (Gold)
1550 (Silver)
550 (Bronze)

Owl City at the MoA SMX Convention
Date: March 14, 2010
Ticket Price: TBD

The New Me

2009-12-24T20:54:00.007+08:00

21 pounds lighter

Exhibit A. Bulging midsection, massive thighs and legs reminiscent of Eddie Murphy in “The Nutty Professor”.
Exhibit A1. Double, err, triple chin. Puto- like cheeks. Circumferential expansion of the neck (or more appropriately, disappearance of the neck).
Exhibit A2. Saddlebags and beer handles galore.

Verdict: By a unanimous vote, the Court of Gluttony found Silverscreensurfer guilty of being fat and upon the recommendation of this court, he is sentenced to a minimum of 150 push ups a day for the next six months, and is ordered to stay at least 200 yards from all major fast-food chains.

That’s it. My Chicken Burger days are over. I snapped from my cheesecake coma and found that I have ballooned into 158 lbs. So I guess it would be bollocks to hide behind excuses: I got fat, period. Let’s all laugh about it, har-har-har!

It all feels weird since I’ve never had a weight issue before. Well not until people who are dear to me have started labeling me “Mojacko”. When I was growing up, I’ve been called a lot of things but fat wasn’t one of them. It was always “ting-ting” (reed-thin) or “pihikan” (picky eater). There was a time when I’ve been guilty of habitually chucking my meals in the bin just because I didn’t have the appetite. (Oh, what I would give to relive those lovely anorexic years!)

Flashforward to summer of 2009, food occupies either positions one or two in my top three thoughts for the day. All my shirts look one size smaller and my cheeks—the horror!—looks like the local bakery has stuffed me with too much pan de agua.

What’s more, it seems like everywhere I looked, forces of nature were conspiring to compel me to do something about my weight. Sometime in July, I turned on the TV and chanced upon an episode on obesity in a lifestyle program. It featured an overweight guy who got a botched liposuction and has hanging remnants of excess skin around the waist. Enter the surgeon’s voiceover: “Life is happier for thinner, taller, more attractive people.” Revolted, I switched programs to Oprah where the camera was focused on a sorry- looking teenage girl. Oprah, off- cam: “Coming up, the story of a 136 lb. teenager who got bullied because of her weight!”

Too much.

This has got to stop. No more procrastinating. I’ve got to adhere to a healthier lifestyle before I become a candidate for abdominal lipectomy: Enough of the “Mojacko” jeers. I need to transform!

Part of my "getting thin" agenda are the following: sign up for a gym, get a nutritionist and participate in more physical activities. Tall order, isn’t it? I gave myself four months and I told myself, if my plan backfires, heck, I can always go back to Chicken burger with the very appetizing grease at the bottom of the wrapper.

With the square-jawed determination of a Marine, I began my journey towards losing weight. For dramatic purposes, I called it “Project: Transformation”.

1. Turning Into a Gym Rat. I signed up for a one-year membership at a fitness center near my area at the prodding of my gym rat of an officemate. I was a skeptic at first but thought it would be a nice start. The first few weeks were an ordeal; I went home with my body sore from all the cardio and weight-lifting I did. But after a few weeks, going to the gym became a habit. The treadmill became my bestfriend. When I started noticing my body fat turning into muscles, I realized that the pain was all worth it.

2. Diet! Diet! Diet! This is the hardest part. For a person like me who consumes two cups of rice per meal, sticking to a healthy diet is next to impossible. You know what I did? I posted my most unflattering picture on the fridge for inspiration. I also met with a nutritionist and asked for professional advice. She gave me a diet schedule and consistently monitored my progress. Soon enough, the junk food, chocolates and soda in my fridge were replaced with fruits, oatmeal crackers and sports jelly beans. I must admit though, occasionally, I rewarded myself with a slice of cheesecake for a job well done.

3. Getting Hooked on Running. In my quest for fitness, I was bitten by the running bug. There are about a gazillion fun races organized by small and big organizations and I signed up for a few of them. I did the Ayala Eco-Dash in September, the Octoberun Festival, The Timex Run in November and more recently, the Philstar Celebrity Run. The fun in running is the fact that it’s a lone sport – you set your own goals and your own pace. It also doesn’t entail much special equipment and the cost is not prohibitive. It also was a good excuse to buy new running shoes.

And so it can be told. After four months of slaving it off at the gym and dieting like hell, "Project: Transformation" finally paid off. I am now 21 pounds lighter and mighty proud of it. I can now slip into my old size 32 jeans without holding my tummy in. Heck, I can now even hit the beach with the confidence of a Baywatch cast (Lol). And the compliments I’ve been getting from people have been overwhelming.

Of course, the transformation doesn’t end here. The real challenge is to maintain my ideal weight and to have the gumption to say “No” to beer baths, cheesecake binge and sinful sisig nights. Am I up for the challenge? Hell, yeah!?!

How about you? Still waiting for that life-changing transformation to happen? Start with a healthy body that has loads of energy, good immunity and perfectly glowing skin. Experience the change with GlutaMAX.

GlutaMAX, See The Results!

2010 Golden Globe Nominations Revealed

2009-12-18T22:23:00.005+08:00

"Avatar", "Up In The Air" and "Nine" lead the 2010 Golden Globe nominations.

Hurrays: Mo'Nique, Julianne Moore and (500) Days of Summer got the love that they deserve.

Boos: No love for District 9's Sharlto Copley and the Inglorious Basterds' femme fatales Melanie Laurent and Diane Krueger.
The awards will air Sunday, January 17, 2010 on NBC. Here is the complete list of nominees:

Best Motion Picture -- Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sadibe, Precious
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Julia Roberts, Duplicity

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo-Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Best Animated Feature Film
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up

Best Foreign Language Film
Barria
Broken Embraces
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
The Maid

Best Director -- Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Best Screenplay -- Motion Picture
Up in the Air
It's Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds

Best Original Score -- Motion Picture
Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Original Song -- Motion Picture
"I Will See You," Avatar
"The Weary Kind," The Crazy Heart
"Winter," Brothers
"Cinema Italiano," Nine
"I Want to Come Home," Everybody's Fine

National Board of Review Picks "Up In The Air" 2010 Best Picture

2009-12-08T06:32:00.004+08:00

The Oscar season officially begins with the announcement of the 2010 National Board of Review honorees. The NBR traditionally beats everyone to the draw as it announces its winners in early December. Not a major ripple in the pond though, as NBR isn’t really a reliable barometer of the Oscars.

This year's winners include George Clooney, Morgan Freeman and NBR favorite Clint Eastwood.
NBR snubs: “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire”, “Nine”, “An Education”, “Avatar” and “Lovely Bones”

NBR Biggest WTF: “Star Trek”? Seriously?!

Here is the complete list of NBR winners:

BEST FILM: "Up in the Air"

TEN BEST FILMS
(Alphabetical order)
"An Education"
"(500) Days of Summer"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Invictus"
"The Messenger"
"A Serious Man"
"Star Trek"
"Up"
"Where the Wild Things Are"

BEST DIRECTOR: Clint Eastwood, "Invictus"
BEST ACTOR (tie): George Clooney, "Up in the Air"; Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"

BEST ACTRESS: Carey Mulligan, "An Education"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: "A Prophet"

BEST DOCUMENTARY: "The Cove"

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: "Up"

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: "It's Complicated"

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR: Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS: Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"

SPOTLIGHT AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTORIAL DEBUT: Duncan Jones, "Moon"; Oren Moverman, "The Messenger"; Marc Webb, "(500) Days of Summer"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Joel and Ethan Coen, "A Serious Man"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"

SPECIAL FILMMAKING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Wes Anderson, "Fantastic Mr. Fox"

WILLIAM K. EVERSON FILM HISTORY AWARD: Jean Picker Firstenberg

NBR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
"Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country"
"Invictus"
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"

FIVE BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILMS
(Alphabetical order)
"The Maid"
"Revanche"
"Song of Sparrows"
"Three Monkeys"
"The White Ribbon"

FIVE BEST DOCUMENTARIES
(Alphabetical order)
"Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country"
"Crude"
"Food, Inc."
"Good Hair"
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"

TOP 10 INDEPENDENT FILMS
(Alphabetical order)
"Amreeka"
"District 9"
"Goodbye Solo"
"Humpday"
"In the Loop"
"Julia"
"Me and Orson Welles"
"Moon"
"Sugar"
"Two Lovers"

What am I Thankful for This 2009?

2009-12-04T08:59:00.000+08:00

Remember two years ago when Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for Best Actress and she tearfully exclaimed, “Thank you, life! Thank you, love!” Well, I want to have the same beaming declaration as this year draws to an end. There’s a lot to be thankful for in 2009 that I want to run around like an idiot savant and announce with glee: “2009 rocked my life!”

Here’s a list of things that I’m thankful for this year:

1. Moments that made the Filipinos proud: the double whammy of Manny Pacquiao over Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, Director Brillante Mendoza’s triumph at Cannes, educator Efren Peñaflorida’s win as the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year, Charice, Arnel Pineda among others. I glowed with pride when these outstanding Filipinos took the spotlight and showed the world what we are capable of. Thank you, Pinoy superheroes!

2. Outpouring of Love and Support in the aftermath of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. The worst truly brings out the best in us. This has never been more apparent in the days that followed supertyphoons Ondoy and Pepeng. The term “bayanihan” was revived as we witnessed the young and the old, the rich and the poor extend their hands to the victims. For my part, I volunteered and helped in my own little way in the relief operations at Sagip Kapamilya and the Ateneo. Thank you, fellow volunteers!

3. Philippine Stage is alive! I had the great fortune of watching brilliant stage productions this year: Repertory’s “Portrait of An Artist as Filipino” last February and “Sweeney Todd” (still running this month), and Atlantis Productions’ “Spring Awakening” last October. I’m just heartened to know that our luminous stage talents still continue to give us our most unforgettable and moving theatre experiences. Who says the theatre is dead? Thank you, theatre artists!

4. Film Festivals of 2009: A cinephile’s heaven! I grew heady with the treasure trove of excellent movies I saw at this year’s Pelicula Spanish Filmfest in Greenbelt, Cine Europa and the Korean Filmfest in Shang Cineplex, and Cinemanila in Taguig. Not to mention the eclectic selections at Mogwai and U-View Fully Booked. Many film lovers, myself included, had a whale of a good time obsessing about cinema in these events. Thank you, festival organizers!

5. Great Films of 2009. Still on the subject of cinema, my oh my, there were many releases this year that were just mind-blowingly good! There's "District 9", "Wanted: Border", "500 Days of Summer", "Anti-Christ" and "The Hurt Locker". And then there are the awards contenders that we haven't seen yet: "Up In the Air", "Precious", "Invictus" etc. 2009's film output is probably the most exciting we've seen in years. Thank you, actors and filmmakers!

6. My Personal Circle of Support. I wouldn't have survived the year without the love and guidance of my family and friends. They were there during my choicest moments this year. Thank you, family and friends!

7. The Mistakes I Made in 2009. On a more personal note, I would admit that I made some pretty bad decisions this year (on my finances, career and life in general) that I could've done differently. No regrets, though. I'm not resentful for the wrong choices that I made because I know it's part of my learning experience and growth. My mistakes actually made me gain insight of how much I'm growing. Thank you, my mistakes!

How about you? What's in your thank-you list? Make one now for a chance to win a Moleskine Colour a Month Daily Planner 2010! Check out details at www.avalon.ph. Here's the link: http://blog.avalon.ph/2009/12/win-a-moleskine-colour-a-month-daily-planner-2010/.

Pinoy Classics Review: Kampanerang Kuba (1973)

2009-11-23T09:37:00.001+08:00

The loooong lines at Glorietta for “New Moon” discouraged me from even trying. So I ended up channel-surfing at home and found an even better alternative: a cable TV showing of the Vilma Santos starrer “Kampanerang Kuba”.

I’m not a big fan of TV so I have no idea how the serialized version turned out but the 1973 original is a work of awe and some and ness. It’s Pablo S. Gomez in his golden age of terrible shit. Here's an example of a retro film that truly celebrates the shtick, "it's so bad, it's gone past good and back to bad again"

Vilma Santos plays Andang, a female Quasimodo with a heart of gold who lives in the church bell tower. She is also sort of an idiot-savant who talks to the statue of St. Martin de Porres and calls it “Mang Martin”. She also speaks to the church bells and asks them: “Bakit malungkot na kayo? Wala na ang inyong saya at awit.”

Despite of (or perhaps because of) her hideous appearance, she is held dear by the parish priest Padre Damaso but abhorred by the church caretaker, Edeng who maltreats her at every opportunity. Andang is ugly, ugly, ugly and deserves all the pain she can get.

Padre Damaso tries to bring sense to Edeng and talks to her outside the church.

Padre Damaso: “Edeng, ilang ulit ko ba namang sasabihin sa iyo na wag mo nang pagmalupitan si Andang? Napakabait na bata nya. Malambot ang puso.”
Edeng: “Tama ka, padre. Para siyang tupa sa kabanalan. Pag kaharap kayo. Pero pagtalikod nyo, sutil. Ubod ng tapang, naninibasib!”

Naninibasib. This is just a sample taste of the knee-slapping goodness of Pablo S. Gomez and Nilo Saez’s script.

Enter Celia Rodriguez as Tateng, Edeng’s devilish daughter who is practically ten times meaner than her mother and hangs around the church wearing skimpy red outfits. Celia Rodriguez is at her most versatile here as she is also the town nymphomaniac who preys on married men starting with the character of the late great Dindo Fernando.

One night, Celia and Dindo exchange smooches outside the church. Celia can’t take the heat anymore and invites Dindo inside. In the crudest Pablo S. Gomez joke, Dindo’s character is named Crispin.

Crispin (Dindo): O, bakit dito?
Tateng (Celia): Wag kang mag-alala. Sariling- sarili natin ang simbahan.

Vilma catches them kissing while scratching each other’s back on the church pew. Tateng panics and slaps Andang. She threatens to kill Andang if she squeals.

Now, Tateng may be the town “Malena” but she’s also choosy. She only goes out with hunks like Dindo Fernando and she’s not about to play hide-the-salami with Max Alvarado. Max plays Diego, the town’s classic baddie who has the hots for Tateng but has been rejected many times over. Tateng is not just into him.

One afternoon, a pissed-off Diego bumps into Andang who was on her way to the river.

Diego (Max): Ano ba?! Tatanga-tanga ka kasi.
Andang (Vilma): Bakit ang init ng ulo mo? Siguro tumalbog ka na naman kay Tateng ano?
Diego (Max): Anong tumalbog? Ako ang pinipilit nya. Ako lang ang may ayaw.
Andang (Vilma): Ayaw nya sa iyo—ampangit mo kasi!
Diego (Max): Ha?! Sinong pangit?!
Andang (Vilma): Sino pa. Eh di tayong dalawa.

Ngok. Ngok. Ngok. Ngok.

The Tateng-Andang conflict reached its pinnacle with a girlfight at the pigsty after Tateng said, “Bagay ka diyan. Mukha ka na ring baboy!” Tateng is the more robust chick and quickly overpowers the hunchback. Thankfully, the parish’s hot new priest Father Agaton (Bobot Mortiz) stops the fight and brings Andang back to the church to tend her wounds. Celia Rodriquez seethes.

Andang’s misery hasn’t ended yet. In a sick twist of fate craftily arranged by Tateng, she was accused of stealing jewelry from about 70% of the female population in the barrio. Andang was chased up the bell tower and attempted to end her life by jumping from the top of the church. But no, the women wanted blood in their hands! They coaxed Andang to come down and they beat her to a pulp. Then she was tied to a horse and dragged behind like Eric Bana in “Troy” before leaving her for dead in the bushes.

The very weak Andang crawls back to the church and throws herself at the foot of the Virgin statue. Cue the apparition scene of “Mang Martin”. It rained petals and Andang miraculously transforms to a ravishing beauty.

Now at this point in the film, things play out like scenes in a David Lynch movie. While praying inside the church, Andang was suddenly approached by two hysterical spinsters (Perla Bautista and Rossana Marquez) who both swear she is Sandra, their long-lost jewel of a sister. There is no explanation what happened to this real Sandra character whom Andang replaces. We just take it hook, line and sinker that she IIIS Sandra and she now lives the high life – with a huge mansion, some servants and polka-dotted blouses with shoulder pads.

Andang, este, Sandra gets flocked by suitors but noo, she only has eyes for Father Agaton. Sandra goes to confession and declares her love for the priest.

Sandra (Vilma): Patawarin mo ako, Padre. Ang lalaking iniibig ko ay IKAW.

Padre Agaton rejects her and Sandra leaves the church heartbroken. As if the poor priest’s faith hasn’t been tested enough, Celia Rodriguez appears in a red outfit and runs her hand across his chest.

Tateng (Celia): Ako’y nauuhaw. Painumin mo ako. (she turns around) Babae ako. Ikaw ay lalaki. Malulunasan mo ang aking kagutuman.

Padre Agaton turns down two girls in one night! But the worst is yet to come. Because hell hath no fury than Celia Rodriguez scorned!

Soon enough, rumors spread like wildfire that Sandra and Padre Agaton are having an affair. The town gets livid and storms the church, crying for blood. It appears that the most livid are Dindo Fernando and Max Alvarado. Like a Salem witch, they tie Padre Agaton to a tree and start to burn him at the stake. Max and Dindo cackle like the resident baddies that they are.

By a stroke of faith, Sandra happens at the burning and tries to stop it. Max Alvarado slaps her for even trying. Desperate, she runs to the church and implores the help of "Mang Martin". She climbs the tower and rings the bell. A miracle! The rain begins to pour and stokes the fire!

The very wet Celia Rodriguez suddenly achieves clarity and tearfully announces, "Padre, mula ngayon ay iuukol ko ang nalalabi ko pang buhay sa paglilingkod sa Diyos." Behind her, Celia's mother beams, "Salamat sa Diyos at naliwanagan ang kanyang isipan!"

But don't think Mang Martin will give the miracle for free. Vilma emerges as the ugly hunchback Andeng! Sandra is gone! Death to fantasy! Up yours, "New Moon"!

Review: 2012

2009-11-21T09:19:00.003+08:00

I want to hurl myself towards a taichi sword every time I come across people who try to dissect the storyline, the coincidences and the motivation of characters in a Roland Emmerich movie and scoff and bitch when they finally get down to..nothing. Wake up, Einstein! You don’t go inside a theatre holding a ticket for "2012" and expect to see “Schindler’s List”. Hullooo.

Wag na tayong maglokohan. "2012" is a formula picture trying to cash in on the Mayan doomsday prophecy and a big-budget excuse for Emmerich to blow up the world in eye-popping CGI. But man, oh man, does it work! Leave your common sense at the door and sink in a tub of popcorn and you’ll have what is probably the silliest, most enjoyable time at the movies this year.

2012 assembles a talented cast delivering lines from a script that seemed to be aiming for gold at the Razzies. John Cusack plays Jackson Curtis, a science fiction writer who, after his failed marriage to wife Kate (Amanda Peet) tries to squeeze in some bonding time with his son and daughter (Liam James & Morgan Lily) by taking them on a camping trip to Yellowstone. There he meets a nutty pirate radio DJ (an over the top Woody Harrelson) who tells them about some special arks being built by the government to save the human race from a major ecological cataclysm.

As it turns out, huge solar flares are heating the Earth’s core and California is turning into pot roast. Thanks to the efforts of geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Dr. Satnam Tsurutani (Jimi Mistri of “The Guru” Hahaha!) this was brought to the attention of the White House chief of staff (Oliver Platt) and the President (Danny Glover).

What follows is standard Emmerich as he bug-fucks the world like never before. What he hasn’t destroyed yet in “Independence Day” and “The Day After Tomorrow”, he does it here with gusto. OMG! St. Peter’s Basilica! Christ the Redeemer in Rio! The tip of the Himalayas! And...the Grand Prize winner of the “What-The-Fark-Disaster-Movie-Moment of The Year”—aircraft carrier USS JF Kennedy riding a mile-high tsunami and taking down the White House!

The only bumps in this thrilling ride are the father-son dramatic moments (booo!) and the abhorrent clichés! Don’t get me wrong: I revel in clichés, but this one I can’t take: the US President gives another stupid speech that’s supposed to make everybody cry. And yet another dog survives a disaster flick. One of these days, all these dogs will come together and star in the live action version of “All Dogs Go To Heaven”.

Nevertheless, “2012” should be your choice of blockbuster on a mindless nighout. It’s ridiculous, brash and excessive. To cite Oliver Platt’s golden line in the movie: "What did you think we were going to do? Hold hands and sing `Kumbaya?'"

Rating: 3 stars

Scoop: Krista Ranillo - Mocha Hot Lesbian Kiss!

2009-11-20T12:56:00.001+08:00

I’m interrupting my own regular programming with these steamy lesbian smooches between self-confessed bisexual singer Mocha Uson and controversial ~~Pacman mistress~~ starlet Krista Ranillo. The photos appeared in Mocha’s own blog where she recounted how the kiss happened in a secluded spot at the Maxim Magazine office in ABS-CBN last April. Mocha declares “she’s proud that she was Krista’s first (girl kiss).”

That’s the latest update in starletdom. Now back to my regular movie-watching schedule.

(Photos from http://mochauson.com/)

Robert Pattinson Plays Salvador Dali in Little Ashes!

2009-11-15T17:51:00.002+08:00

One of the most magical moments in my years of blind devotion to movie-watching was when I first saw a 15- minute 1929 masterpiece called "Un Chien Andalou" by master surrealist Luis Bunuel. It was dream-like, shocking and nothing like anything I've ever seen. For a time I was obsessed with the works of Bunuel and this obsession extended to the works of Bunuel's frequent collaborators, the painter Salvador Dali and writer Federico Garcia Lorca.

Imagine my excitement when I found out that a movie has recently been made about the lives and relationships of the formidable trio. The movie "Little Ashes" follows the 18-year old Dali as he attracts the attention and develops a bond with the university's social elite, Bunuel and Lorca in 1922 Madrid.

If it sounds rather boring, wait till your 13 year-old daughter finds out that it stars "Twilight" heartthrob Robert Pattinson as the very Spanish Salvador Dali. (Uhmm. That bit kind of ruins the film for me.) This is Pattinson's first post- Edward Cullen film and is sure to drive public interest. The film also stars Javier Beltran as Garcia Llorca and Matthew McNulty as Bunuel. Paul Morrison directs.

Hmmm.. Why do I have the feeling that this film is going to be truly abhorrent and forgettable in an "Other Boleyn Girl" kind of way? Ikaw? What do you think? Should this be in the crap bucket? (Hi, Peter Travers)

Pacman Destroys Cotto! In Other News: Manny Pacquiao To Star in Superhero Flick "Wapakman"

2009-11-15T16:18:00.003+08:00

Still picking up my jaw from the floor after watching the sensational Manny Pacquiao- Miguel Cotto bout. The two warriors put up a terrific fight in twelve pulsating rounds. The Pacman destroyed Cotto with his amazing speed and swarming style and won by TKO.

Mayweather, you're next, bitch!

While I catch up on oxygen, here's the teaser of Manny Pacquiao's upcoming superhero movie "Wapakman" by "Ouija" director Topel Lee. Will Pacman's drawing power in the ring translate to box office magic?

I don't know about you but I'm watching if only for the perverse pleasure of seeing the Pacman let it out on a giant talangka. Really. There is such a scene.

Review: Paranormal Activity

2009-11-14T08:38:00.006+08:00

stars: Katie Featherston & Micah Sloat
director: Oren Peli

Ten years ago, two fiercely original horror movies came out that took scary to a totally different plane: "The Sixth Sense" and "The Blair Witch Project". The first one signaled the end of the public’s fascination with Wes Craven-type gore films while the second triumphed with its minimalist filmmaking and its viral marketing strategy.

“Paranormal Activity” follows the template of “Blair Witch” but misses one element, albeit the most important one: the Scare Factor. Sorry, hype-followers but "Paranormal Activity" is just-not-scary.

Don’t believe the hype. Hype is a bitch. This hideous creepshow failed to elicit even a fake gasp from me. By the final act, I was scratching my balls.

I may not just be the type of audience for a low-budge, one-note nightmare about a young couple (Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat) running around the house with a videocam in the hopes of capturing some nightly demonic presence. Mostly, we watch them bicker and groan like dull couples in an episode of “Wife Swap”. I let out an empowered "What the faaarrkk?!?" as the film liberally steals inspiration from “Blair Witch” and “Ringu”. It gets worse.

In between a mish-mash of dull scenes, there are ludicrous bits that only 15 year olds could take as scary. I mean, come on. Heavy footsteps? Loud thuds? Scary? Seriously??? It grows less convincing with each passing moment.

And it doesn’t help that the shoddy script consisted mainly of the female lead shrieking, “Micah? Micah! Micaaaaah!!” with the acting intensity of Paris Hilton in “House of Wax”.

One of the movie’s blurbs declares: “Don’t See It Alone”. I say, “Don’t See It” period. Save your popcorn. You want a good horror show with lots of handheld shit? Rent. Watch “Rec”. Cheerio, fanboys.

Rating: 1 star

Martin Scorsese To Receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes

2009-11-13T07:55:00.002+08:00

Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese will receive the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes this January 2010, the Hollywood Foreign Press announced today.

Scorsese is a two time- Golden Globe Best Director winner for "The Departed" and "Gangs of New York", two of the most un-Scorsese films that I've seen from Scorsese. Just last year, Scorsese presented the same award to buddy Steven Spielberg.

The Globes will be broadcast live on NBC on January 17, Sunday and will be hosted by British comedian "Ricky Gervais".

Scorsese's next film, "Shutter Island" will arrive at theatres on February next year.

Music: Ne-Yo Back in Manila on January 2010!

2009-11-10T06:04:00.003+08:00

This just in: R&B crooner Ne-Yo will be back in Manila to perform in a concert at the SM MoA Concert Grounds on January 9, 2010! "Eurasia", an all-female performing group from Viva Records (think Hot Babes) will be the opening act.

Details about the concert are still sketchy but according to H&S Productions, the “Miss Independent” singer is also slated to perform in Malaysia on January as well. This is great news for my Mom who loves listening to Ne-Yo. Seriously.

The Ne-Yo 2010 Concert is produced by Brown Cross Investments Inc. For tickets inquiry and sales, call 891.9999

Cinema One Originals 2009 in Gateway Mall, Nov. 13-17

2009-11-10T05:36:00.002+08:00

Five competing films will be screened at this year’s edition of the Cinema One Originals digital film festival exclusively at Gateway Cinemas in Cubao, from November 13- 17. Ticket price is at P120.

Now celebrating its 15 years in the cable television industry, Cinema One continues its tradition of giving an opportunity to budding filmmakers to make their films with a grant of one million pesos from a competitive search. This year’s five finalists are: “Si Baning Si Mayamay at ang Asong Si Bobo”, “Bala Bala”, “Wanted:Border”, “Paano Ko Sasabihin”, and “Maximus and Minimus”.

What I’m especially excited about in this year’s edition are the retrospective tributes to directors Brillante Mendoza and….Danny Zialcita! Danny Zialcita films are a blaze of tropical sunshine. This will be your chance to watch his rah-rah flicks such as: “Dear Heart”, “Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan?”, “Nagalit Ang Buwan sa Haba ng Gabi”, “Palabra de Honor” and “Bakit Manipis ang Ulap?”.

Festival Program

November 13, 2009 Friday
11:50 AM - Yangaw
2:00 PM - Dear Heart
4:30 PM - Kinatay
7:00 PM - Maximus & Minimus
9:20 PM - Wanted Border

November 14, 2009 Saturday
12:30 PM - Dose
2:30 PM - Gaano Kadalas and Minsan
5:00 PM - Si Baning, Si Maymay, at Ang Asong Si Bobo
7:30 PM Paano Ko Sasabihin?
9:15 PM - Bala Bala

November 15, 2009 Sunday
12:30 PM - Confessional
2:30 PM Nagalit Ang Buwan Sa Haba ng Gabi
5:00 PM- Serbis
7:30 PM Lola
9:55 PM - Maximus & Minimus

November 16, 2009 Monday
12:30 PM - Tambolista
2:30 PM - Palabra De Honor
5:00 PM - Tirador
7:15 PM - Wanted: Border
9:10 PM - Paano Ko Sasabihin?

November 17, 2009 Tuesday
12:15 PM - Altar
2:00 PM - Bakit Manipis Ang Ulap?
4:30 PM - Masahista
5:50 PM - Himpapawid
8:00 PM - Bala Bala
9:50 PM - Si Baning, Si Maymay, At Ang Asong Si Bobo

Review: The Hurt Locker

2009-11-10T04:54:00.003+08:00

Kathryn Bigelow has balls. Super-alpha macho balls. In “The Hurt Locker”, Bigelow has crafted a first- rate war picture about elite soldiers disarming bombs in Iraq enough to make Oliver Stone crap in his pants and whisper, “Intense.” Yes, this is your “Not Another Iraq War Movie”. Here, the tension is palpable, the characters are complex and in the film’s most thrilling moments, you’ll catch your heart up your throat.

Okay, let’s just pretend “K19: The Widowmaker” never happened. In her triumphant comeback, Bigelow fleshes out an absorbing character drama while shrewdly avoiding the usual trappings of a Hollywood war movie. She can now stand beside ex-husband James Cameron and wear a “My Balls is Bigger Than Your Balls” shirt and get away with it.

Jeremy Renner gives a career-making performance as an arrogant EOD officer completely hooked on adrenaline. If the movie keeps its steam till December, he might just snag an Oscar nom. Don’t go to the restroom or you’ll miss the cameos of Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin To Host Oscars!

2009-11-06T08:01:00.002+08:00

Funnymen Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will share hosting chores at the 82nd Academy Awards. This was announced by Oscar telecast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman last November 3.

Uhmm. That�s a welcome surprise although I was kind of rooting for Neil Patrick Harris after his superb showmanship at this year�s Emmys.

With Baldwin in, I bet my Tracy Jordan t-shirt that the show would be littered with a few Tina Fey jokes.

Incidentally, both Baldwin and Martin appear with Meryl Streep in the Christmas release �It�s Complicated�.

Movie Capsule Reviews: Cinemanila 2009 Part 3

2009-10-30T09:04:00.007+08:00

*KARAOKE (Chris Chong), Malaysia, 2008
stars: Zahiril Adzim, Nadiya Nissa
Boring has a new name. And it's "Karaoke". Watching this piece of Cannes trash is like driving rusty needles into your eyes. What a dull, indulgent crapper! The plot, if you could call it that, revolves around Betik, a young man who comes home to help in his family's karaoke business. When not busy staring at nothing, Betik indulges in the most boring of movie courtships with a woman called Anisah. The rest of it was all hazy as I was too busy snoring my ass off. There's nothing to be missed though. I woke up as the film shifts to an excruciating ten-minute scene showing how a factory processes palm oil. I kid you not. Only the most indulgent artsy-fartsies would find meaning in this pointless exercise. Good torture material.
Verdict: BOMB! Avoid!

*HUNGER (Steve McQueen), UK/Ireland, 2008
stars: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham
Like a centerpiece in a sparse living room, there is a radiant 16- minute scene in the middle of “Hunger” that features a conversation between Irish Republican martyr Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) and a prison chaplain (Liam Cunningham) about the rationale and ethics of a hunger strike. This single-take scene officially puts the “serious actor” stamp on Fassbender’s resume and “OMG-what-is-he-going-to-do-next?!” on Steve Mc Queen’s.
Alternately disturbing and mesmerizing, “Hunger” recreates the last six weeks of the life of hunger striker Sands and the brutality administered to him and several IRA inmates in the infamous Maze prison. By the film’s final third, Michael Fassbender joins Emile Hirsch, Tom Hanks and Christian Bale in the multiple choice question: “Who lost the most weight for a movie role?”

Verdict: 3 stars

*LITTLE ZIZOU (Sooni Taraporevala), India, 2008
stars: Sohrab Ardeshir,Boman Irani
What happens when you put India’s Parsi superstars in one movie? You’ve got a charmless family comedy that will make you want to curse your misfortune for even giving it the time. “Little Zizou” follows a little boy caught in the middle of a cartoonish family feud in the Parsi community. This uber-Parsi movie should appeal to Indian audiences, but for non- Indians like me and my uber-bored friend, you’ll find yourself checking your watch more than usual. We just failed to connect with it. Not even the presence of superstar John Abraham can lend energy to this travesty. And what’s the deal with the mambo dancing and Besame Mucho group singing?
Verdict: 1 star

*SAMSON AND DELILAH (Warwick Thornton), Australia, 2009
stars: Rowan McNamara, Marissa Gibson
It’s a good thing that this is the last film I saw at Cinemanila. Somehow, it breaks the chain of crap-ola movies I saw the past few days and leaves the whole festival on a good note. Warwick Thornton’s piercing cinema is a quiet exploration of adolescent love between two aboriginal fringe-dwellers set in the barren Central Australian desert. Samson is a petrol-sniffer lost in music while Delilah is a traditional dot-painter forced to take care of her ailing grandmother. Thornton’s almost wordless film expands as the lovers confront substance abuse, poverty and racism. Slow in certain parts but don’t zone out, there is so much beauty in this picture to be ignored. The performances are heart-wrenching and the scenery will leave you breathless. A convincing snapshot of the destitute lives of Australian aborigines.
Verdict: 3.5 stars

Scoop: "500 Days" Cutie Chloe Moretz To Star in "Let The Right One In" Remake!

2009-10-28T08:16:00.002+08:00

If you've seen "500 Days of Summer" (and if you haven't already, I hope you will), you surely would have noticed that scene-stealer who played Joseph Gordon Levitt's "insightful" younger sister. Precociousness! That superstar-to be is Chloe Moretz and she's slated to appear as the lead in the remake of Swedish vampire masterpiece, "Let the Right One In".

The ~~dumbed-down~~ Hollywood remake will be called "Let Me In" and will be directed by Matt Reeves, he of Cloverfield fame.

The film follows a young bullied boy who befriends a young female vampire living in secrecy with her guardian. You can read my capsule review of the original Swedish film here. Rounding up the cast are Richard Jenkins and Jimmy Pinchak.

Will this give "Twilight" a run for its money? Ahh, ewan.

Reviews: 500 Days of Summer

2009-10-28T07:30:00.002+08:00

Just when I’ve lost my faith in romantic comedies, Marc Webb’s “500 Days of Summer” comes along and singularly redeems the genre. What’s not to love about this film? IT IIIIIS lovable. You got that big scoop of wonderful named Zooey Deschannel in her Golden Age of Hotness. Then there's Joseph Gordon- Levitt (who was smashing in "Brick", by the way) looking like the cooler younger brother of Heath Ledger.

It has a delightfully poignant story that charms you and leaves you hugging yourself. Plot is simple enough: Boy and Girl hooks up then breaks up. Boy reflects back on their brief relationship and hops around between the good and bad times.

And then there’s THE music. Yes, the caps-lock is intentional. People who read me well know that I’m a sucker for pop films – those rare pieces of modern cinema that features an atmospheric use of pop songs. “Almost Famous” is one. “Garden State” is another. “500 Days..” completes the trio.

You can probably tell by now that I'll be singing hossanas to this movie but you should've seen me inside the theatre. I was frothing in the mouth.

The film opens with a funny disclaimer (the one that ends with “Bitch") and sets its achronological narrative with Regina Spektor’s “Us”. We are then introduced to Tom Hansen (Gordon-Levitt), a hopeless romantic convinced that he’s found the girl of his dreams in Summer Finn (Deschanel) the first time he sees her at his workplace. Problem is, Summer is a pragmatic tease and a commitment-phobe. And she's not the type to subscribe in the idea of "love", no sir, she likes Tom but she wants them to be friends. But anyway, somewhere between Day 1 and Day 500, he still gets to win her. And bed her.

The film then inventively charts the couple's descent to heartbreak with lots of witty dialogue and slick visual gags (the splitscreen! the splitscreen!). All the while, we are treated to a string of pop songs that are just pure gold: "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" by The Smiths, "Bookends" by Art and Garfunkel, and "Veni Vidi Vici" by The Black Lips. When I heard the strings of Carla Bruni's "Quelqu'un ma dit", I exploded in spasms of joy.

The love affair with pop culture doesn't stop there: there's a nod to Mike Nichols' "The Graduate", a reference to Rene Magritte's works and a wink at JD Salinger (Bananafish!). In one of the film's brightest moments, Gordon-Levitt does a funky Astaire to a Hall & Oates number. With all its showiness, Gordon-Levitt and Deschannel still both manage to stay afloat and deliver realistic and sensitive performances.

By the film's end, I have already edified it in my heart. Let me have my pa-feeling authority declaration: this generation just got their "An Affair To Remember". Their "Annie Hall". Their "Love Story". A movie that so exactingly captures a whole era's romantic sensibility and its quirks. My God, in one scene, Tom and Rachel discusses love while playing Wii! This is just too much goodness in one movie.

Rating: 5 big fat stars (as fat as Kirstie Alley in Fat Actress)

Cinemanila 2009 Winners

2009-10-27T02:47:00.007+08:00

Caught 5 more films before Cinemanila 2009 officially ended last Sunday, October 25. I’ll post my thoughts on each movie momentarily.
In the meantime, here are the winners of this year’s festival:
(You can click on the films with links to read my review:)

CINEMANILA 2009 HONOR ROLL

Main Competition (International Films)
Best Actor: Alfredo Castro, Tony Manero - Brazil
Best Actress: Tsilla Chelton, Pandora's Box - Turkey/France/Germany
Grand Jury Prize: Tulpan - Germany/ Kazakhstan/ Poland/ Russia/ Switzerland
Grand Prize Lino Brocka Award: Hunger - UK

SEA Competition
Best SEA Short Film: Focal Point - Malaysia
Best SEA Film: Talentime - Malaysia
Special Mention SEA Film: Woman on Fire - Malaysia

Young Cinema in Competition
Best Short Film: To Siomai Love (Remton Siega Zuasola) - Philippines
Ishmael Bernal Most Outstanding Young Filipino Filmmaker: Remton Siega Zuasola

Digital Lokal
Lino Brocka Grand Jury Prize: Biyaheng Lupa
Lino Brocka Grand Prize: Anacbanua

Lifetime Achievement Award: Paul Schrader

Indie Spirit Award: Lav Diaz

Awards ceremony was held last Sunday, October 23, 2009 at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City.

One observation, though: where’s the audience!?! I watched more than ten films and except for the buzzed-about “Kinatay” and the premieres (“Inglorious Basterds, Coco Avant Chanel”), I noticed the alarming lack of audience at the regular screenings. At the screening of Australia’s “Samson and Delilah”, there were just three of us inside the theatre. This is sad considering that the intention of the festival is for good, quality films to reach a wider audience.

IMO, the P122 ticket price is too off-putting for some. Especially if you would compare it with similar festivals: the highly successful Spanish filmfest at Greenbelt pegs their tickets at P100 while Cine Europa shows their films for free at the Shang Cineplex!

The lack of buzz about the festival was also a bit of a downer. Nobody seemed to care when Paul Schrader had a talk and when Diego Luna didn’t make it to the event. And the pedigree of the this year’s lineup seemed...ho-hum.

Cinemanila needs a booster shot.

P10 Film Fiesta at SM Cinemas!

2009-10-27T01:29:00.004+08:00

Selected SM cinemas will be showing re-runs of family movies for just P10 (plus P5 amusement tax) with the P10 Film Fiesta running from September 4 until December 3, 2009. The festival will screen ~~box office debacles~~ movies like Streetfighter, Inkheart, The Golden Compass, P.S. I Love You, My Sassy Girl among others. Not a thrilling lineup there, but anyway who’s complaining when you get to watch them on the big screen for just ten bucks?

For complete screening schedules, visit the sm cinema website.

Scoop: 'Precious' Director Lee Daniels Eyeing 'Miss Saigon' Movie

2009-10-26T11:38:00.009+08:00

Iron-hot director Lee Daniels is setting his eyes on the adaptation of the hit stage musical "Miss Saigon" for the big screen. As most of you know already, the musical is a retelling of Puccini’s opera “Madame Butterfly” about an American GI and a Vietnamese bar girl falling in love in the midst of the Vietnam War. Former United Artists CEO Paula Wagner is set to produce the adaptation.

This piece of news will surely get bigger come Oscar 2010 when Daniels’ career hit supernova status on the strength of his latest film, the awards-bait “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire”.

Now, since this is not a Viva Films production with Joel Lamangan at the helm I’m dashing all hopes of Lea Salonga starring in it. Here’s an unsolicited casting advice though (Paula Wagner, I hope you’re reading this): For the role of Vietnamese bar girl Kim, I’m putting my money on: Vanessa Ann Hudgens!

Think about this: Vanessa’s a hot teen star with the pipes to sing “Sun and Moon” and has box office potential. Plus, she’s a half-breed and is kind of whorish. For the GI role, let it be…Zac Efron! Now, they got themselves a hit! Take that, Disney!

Movie Capsule Reviews: Cinemanila 2009 Part 2

2009-10-24T00:11:00.007+08:00

Capsule reviews of Cinemanila 2009 films Part 2.

*TULPAN (Sergey Dvortsevoy), Germany/Switzerland/Kazakhstan/Russia/Poland, 2008

stars: Ondas Besikbasov, Samal Esljamova, Askhat Kuchencherekov

“Tulpan” is the first narrative feature from director Sergey Dvortsevoy and chronicles a young shepherd’s quest to marry the only available woman on a deserted steppe of southern Kazakhstan. The film astonishes as it captures a realistic picture of Kazakh life – the barren landscape, its nomadic inhabitants and the interdependence of humans and animals. Its simplicity will leave you astonished. At the heart of the movie lies a truly resonant message about following your dreams. However be forewarned: there is a very graphic scene of the birthing of a lamb that you will find both hypnotic and appalling.

Verdict: 3 stars

*MY MAGIC (Eric Khoo), Singapore, 2008

stars: Francis Bosco, Jathisweran

After sitting through this tired father-son drama, I have an urge to go to the cinema counter and demand that they give me the last two hours of my life back. Excrucicating. The movie drips with melodramatic clichés that would make a “Maalaala Mo Kaya” episode look subdued. The paper-thin story follows a single father taking solace in the bottle as he makes a comeback as a magician. Nothing that we haven’t seen before in “The Wrestler” and without the care and depth. I’ll give this crapper 20 yawns.

Verdict: 1 star

John Hughes Film Festival at Shang!

2009-10-22T07:48:00.001+08:00

There must’ve been something really terrifying about the 80s for us to forget about it after 20 years. There was Michael Jackson looking like a normal human being, Madonna singing about virginity and Cher winning the Oscar (hu-waaat??).

I suppose it must be because of how people looked back then: those bangles, oversized shirts and teased hairdos. Ugh. I sometimes see my Mom’s 80s pictures and I tremble. God, the shoulder pads!

Well, thank God, I was too young to experience it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t get a kick for 80’s pop cultural shit. Now, we all have a chance to relive it at the John Hughes Film Festival happening at the Shang Cineplex, Cinema 3 on October 23 to 25.

There's "Some Kind of Wonderful", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "Breakfast Club" and the Molly Ringwald rah-rah prom flick "Pretty in Pink". Ticket price is P150.00. C'mon, c'mon!

John Hughes Film Festival
October 23 - 25, 2009

Cinema #3

Screening Schedule:

October 23 (Friday)

2:00 PM-Pretty in pink

4:30 PM-Some kind of wonderful

7:00 PM-Ferris Bueller's day off

9:30 PM-Breakfast club

October 24 (Saturday)

2:00 PM-Breakfast club

4:30 PM-Ferris Bueller's day off

7:00 PM-Some kind of wonderful

9:30 PM-Pretty in pink

October 25 (Sunday)

2:00 PM-Ferris Bueller's day off

4:30 PM-Pretty in Pink

7:00 PM-Breakfast club

9:30 PM-Some kind of Wonderful

Ticket Price : P150.00

Movie Capsule Reviews: Cinemanila 2009

2009-10-22T06:40:00.003+08:00

It's movie heaven again at Cinemanila. The international film festival runs from October 15 to 25, 2009 at Market! Market! cinemas and Fully Booked High Street. I have a resolve to watch more good Filipino movies this time and it seems like Cinemanila is the perfect venue for it. Here are some capsule reviews of movies that I recently saw at the festival:

*69 1/2 (Ted Manotoc)
stars: Nico Manalo, Bituin Escalante

An aspiring filmmaker and his best friend accept the offer of a green-minded businessman to make a pornographic film to disastrous results. The film itself is an absolute disaster -- it's pretentious, unfunny and filled with "Long live Philippine cinema!" chest-beating. This is the stuff that makes you feel sorry about the freedom that independent cinema affords. When some un-talented hack makes a pathetic film that does not deserve an audience. I almost feel sorry for the miscast Nico Manalo who was sensational in "Spring Awakening".

Verdict: BOMB! Avoid!

*WHEN TIMAWA MEETS DELGADO (Ray Gibraltar), 2007

stars: Kristoffer Grabato, Rhenomar Soqueño

An Ilonggo film that revolves around the unconventional lives of Jun and Ruben and their American dream. The transfer of the version I saw was a bit pixelated and I really have something against hand-held indie crapola. But then again, it invested in a wonderful story about Filipinos taking up Nursing and migration. I take it's a very personal film and it's not hard to be drawn in. Stylistically, the film is a winner. The use of Ilonggo music also creates mood.

Verdict: Four stars! Watch it!

*LAKE TAHOE (Fernando Eimbcke), Mexico, 2008

stars: Diego Cataño, Hector Herrera
One of the joys of going to film festivals is when you walk inside a theatre not having an idea about what you would see and leaving it enthralled. "Lake Tahoe" is a simple picture with a very simple story and I just....fell in love with it. A young man crashes into a pole and gets introduced to different people while finding someone to fix his car. There's no music, no attention- calling camerawork, no kilometric dialogues-- just a straightforward story with a tight script. Lovely.
Verdict: Four stars!

*LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Tomas Alfredson), Sweden, 2009

stars: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson

A friend whose film instincts I trust has already enshrined this film in his "best of the year" list before I had the chance to see it. When I finally had my turn, I was blown out of the water. Twilight what?! "Let the Right One In" is the shit! It follows Oscar, a 12-year old bullied boy who befriended a beautiful vampire-girl. Vampire-girl has a peculiar relationship with an old man willing to kill people to protect her. The screenplay is hefty and the performances stupendous. There's also a most poignant ending that will turn your heart into jelly.

Verdict: 5 stars!

*KINATAY (Brillante Mendoza), 2009

stars: Coco Martin, Maria Isabel Lopez

Finally had the chance to see the much talked-about film by the 2009 Cannes Best Director winner. I didn't hate it. I didn't like it either. Let's just say, it has it's moments-- mostly gross. It follows a newly- married policeman who accepts a job involving killing (and hacking to pieces) a prostitute. The film's biggest argument: Coco Martin is the sharpest actor of today. I'd go as far as saying that we now have a male Nora Aunor incarnate. Here, his eyes do all the acting. Otherwise, the film is a dark, violent headtrip to Pinoy police crime.

Verdict: 3 stars

Lifestyle: Running in the Metro (Ayala Eco Dash, 5th Octoberun Festival, Philstar.com Celebrity Run)

2009-09-10T11:50:00.002+08:00

I'm not a health buff. Far from it. But over the past two months, I've been trying to adhere to a healthier lifestyle after snapping from a cheesecake coma and finding out that I have ballooned to 158 lbs.

Part of my "getting thin" agenda are the following: sign up for a gym, get a nutritionist and participate in more physical activities. I've done the first two. Now I have several opportunities to do the 3rd. There are about a gazillion fun runs organized by small and big orgs and I've signed up for a few of them. For the skeptics who detest the idea of jumping into the "running bandwagon", it may interest you to know that the races are being held for the benefit of certain institutions.

* ECO DASH: The Ayala Malls Environment Run

September 13, 2009/ 28th St. beside Bonifacio High Street

-Registration fee: P250 for 3 km/5 km

P300 for 10 km/21 km

P400 for on-site, all categories

-- Eco Dash (according to the ayalaland website) is "a race against time to save the environment". That sounds promising. Ideal enough to have as my first official run. Assembly and On-site registration is at 4 am and the race starts 5 am. I signed up last week at the Nike outlet in High Street and got my singlet. For complete details click here.

*5th Octoberun Festival

October 4, 2009/ Fort Bonifacio Global City

-Registration fee: P250 if you register between July 15 - Aug 31

P300 - Sept 1 -20
P350 - Sept 21 - Oct 4

An annual fun run organized by the Fort Striders Club this time for the benefit of the Real Life Foundation which provides scholarships to underprivileged youth. Did my registration at the ROX outlet in High Street. At ROX, you could also request for a personalized race bib for P150. The singlet looks nice too. Download registration forms and race map here.

*Philstar.com Celebrity Run 2009
October 11,2009/ Fort Bonifacio Global City
-Registration fee: P350 for 3km/5km/10 km
P450 for 21 km
-- Philstar.com, the online arm of The STAR Group of Publicationsl will have its first running event dubbed as Celebrity Run 2009 on October 11 at the Bonifacio Global City grounds.

The project will help fund the computerization projects for Philippine public high schools under the GILAS (Gearing up Internet Literacy and Access for Students) program. Gilas is a multi-sectoral initiative composed mainly of corporations and non-profit institutions spearheaded by the Ayala Foundation.

I signed up for the 5k run also at the ROX outlet in Bonifacio High Street and was told to come back on September 15 to claim my singlet and race kit. Interesting spin: Runners are invited to run as their favorite celebrity. Three participants will be named Best in Costume (Celebrity Look-a-Like). For more information, click here.

I'm also planning to sign up for the Subic Marathon this October. First, let's see if I would still be standing on my feet after the three races I've signed up for.

Am I killing myself? You could say that. But it's a healthier way to die thatn say, eating a vat of cheesecake or drowning in a cesspool of vomit with alcohol and bits of sisig.

Music: Owl City - synthpop heaven

2009-09-10T11:42:00.001+08:00

With breezy vocals and tangy pseudo-electronica beats, Owl City is a one-man Postal Service. It amazes me that the wunderkind behind this project is an emaciated-looking, emo-hairdooed 23 year-old by the name of Adam R. Young. He does with a laptop what other artists could only hope to do with a full band.

It's hard not to get hooked to "Hello Seattle" at first listen.

And "Fireflies" is synthpop at its tongue-in-cheek perfection.

happy first blog entry

2009-09-10T11:00:00.000+08:00

first blog entry on my birthday. how's that for starters?