Entertainment

Movie Rundown | July 2008

Posted on July 14, 2008 by Yoshke in Movies, Reviews |

Wanted (2008)
Genre: Action, Thriller; Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Stars: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman

I love love love this film. In fact, of all the movies I’ve seen this year, this is my favourite. Although many would have expected a complex plot, Wanted has a simple, solid, brave storyline which is executed beautifully. Technically, prepare for a visual orgasm. Might be a bit overdone, the editing and camerawork are stunning.

It kinda felt like I was watching a David Fincher masterpiece. (I actually thought he directed it.) I felt like watching Fight Club with more suspense, more violence but less ideologies. I was oh-so-prepared to be mesmerised by James McAvoy but it was Angelina who got me. I’ve always considered her hot but in this film, she’s HOTTT. Damn. I guess it’s time to update my fave films list. 5.0

…

Get Smart (2008)
Genre: Comedy; Director: Peter Segal
Stars: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway

I must admit that I only watched this film because of Steve Carell (and Anne Hathaway but primarily Steve). I like his brand of comedy and I love many of his films — The 40-Year Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine, Dan in Real Life. But Get Smart is not smart at all. It’s disappointing. It’s funny, alright. But I felt like I missed 30 minutes of the movie. Everything happened in a breeze. For example, Smart and Agent 99 falling in love made me go “What?! Where did that come from?!” It is established poorly and the entire process of falling isn’t really shown. The flick is wildly entertaining but that’s just it. It’s empty. 1.5

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Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Genre: Comedy; Directors: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Stars: Jack Back, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane

Of all the 3D films I’ve seen, this flick left a mark on me — as the most predictable. Really. I kinda knew what would happen in its every twist and turn. Nevertheless, it is still very solid and effective. Yeah, Kung Fu Panda is solid albeit formulaic. It’s nowhere near Shrek, Ratatouille or Finding Nemo but everyone will still surely give this panda a high-five. It cracked me up big time. And to be honest, that’s good enough for me. 3.5

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Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)
Genre: Comedy; Director: Michael Patrick King
Stars: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon

I know it’s one heck of a lengthy movie but it seemed short to me. I wanted more, more, more. And mind you, I was never a fan of the TV series. But I really really enjoyed it. I actually kinda regret that I only saw one season and still not religiously. I know the film is not as solid and cohesive as any decent film should be (more like a 3-hour TV season finale, if you ask me) but I enjoyed it. Immensely. 3.2

*images courtesy of shaggy4do.wordpress.com, apple.com, blog.indiewire.com, buzzsugar.com

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Somebody Console Me!

Posted on June 30, 2008 by Yoshke in Emo, Humor, Sports |

Status: Harried.
Music: The Game of Love | Santana feat Michelle Branch

Hahaaay. Euro 2008 Final. Germany lost to Spain 0-1.

I feel too harried and melancholic. Germany is really my favourite team. I’m in love with them as a group. And again, they came so close to grabbing that trophy but aaaargh, the Spanish team were just so damn skilled this year. For what it’s worth, they really deserve it. They played better than the Germans this tournament. They were never defeated. They definitely were the best team. (And mind you, all of them are under 30 yo.) Besides, it was just about time that Spain win something. Since I was born, I’d never seen Spain win anything. It’s been 44 years.

Maybe Ken was right. Maybe Germany just had to lose this time so they could have more drive and passion to win World Cup 2010. Maybe that’s it. (Wag nang kumontra. I’m trying to console myself here. Haha)

The truth is, I should be half-celebrating. Spain is my second fave national team after all. My top 2 teams at the final. Heck, my grandma was Spanish. What am I ranting about?

Anyway, I was browsing through BBC’s Euro 2008 photos and this picture just lightened my mood a bit.

I wonder if he got any. Tsk, tsk… Straight people! Haha.

images courtesy of bbc.co.uk and MSN Sport

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Bioman Who?

Posted on June 27, 2008 by Yoshke in Blurts, Family, TV, Vanities |

I hate it when my friends talk about Bioman. Why? Because I can’t relate. I can’t remember even a single moment I watched Bioman. I don’t know what their powers were and what they could do. I don’t know its theme song, either. I remember Shaider, Ultraman, Koseidon, He-Man, She-Ra, Conan the Barbarian, Maskman, and Power Rangers. But Bioman? Nah. Na-uh. Nadah. Not really.

Funny because my earliest childhood memory was when I was 3 years old. (I’m 22; born 1986.) I remember a lot. As in A LOT. There is a myriad of vivid childhood images that I always play in my head. Sadly, none of those images are Bioman’s. Maybe because I didn’t watch it at all. You see, I’ve always been choosy. Haha.

Another kiddie TV classic that I just can’t remember watching? Batibot. Seriously. I don’t have any emotional connection to the show, Pong Pagong, Kuya Bodjie or Ate whoever-she-was. Every time I try to rummage through my thoughts and search for a bit of any Batibot-related memory, what I always find is ATBP (Awit, Titik, Bilang na Pambata) — Trisha, Rex, Carlo, Tito Miguel (Piolo Pascual), and that ridiculous Kapitan Bilang. No Batibot.

You might be thinking that I missed a great deal of my childhood and how great a loser I was when I was a kid for not watching these programmes. But I think I had a childhood that many would envy. It’s just that TV wasn’t really that fun for me that time. Fun was outdoors. You see, I was a country boy. Haha. Lumaki ako sa lalawigan ng magigiting (Batangas). Less than a mile north of our house are woods and hills; south, a vast field and the beach. TV wasn’t that fun. Fun were the following:

flying/running kites
wandering around and playing hide-and-seek in the forest
climbing trees
stealing fruits from some farmer’s orchard
shooting birds with a slingshot (I was cruel as a kid)
hunting spiders for fights on stick
catching fireflies and grasshoppers
catching salagubang (June beetle), cutting its legs one by one, and letting it fly while tied to my wrist

Those were my definition of fun even after I was introduced to Sarah, Cedie, Remi, Julio, Julia, Mary, Romeo, another Remi, Tom, Huck, Cinderella, and the rest of them losers. And then, the magnificent world of violent anime. Haha. Starting with Sailormoon. (Er, okay, violent gay anime. Haha.) Zenki, B’t X and Thunder Jet soon followed. And then, the wacky Mojacko and Doraemon.

And oh, I remember being addicted to Superbook and Flying House. Thanks to my Catholic upbringing.

And yeah, right now I just miss my childhood.

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Some Quote, Some Football, Sam Milby

Posted on June 22, 2008 by Yoshke in Blurts, Hotties, Humor, Movies, Sports |

…

“Ang hirap kasi sa inyong mga Amerikano, ang hilig n’yong makialam. Ang hilig n’yong makisawsaw. Sa Iraq, sa Vietnam, sa Pilipinas…. Eh kung hindi ba naman kayo pumunta dito nung Panahon ng mga Kastila, eh malamang hindi kami nadamay sa World War II.”
— Toni Gonzaga’s character, “You Are the One”

Something I did not expect from a Toni Gonzaga - Sam Milby romantic comedy. Haha. But it was the highlight of the movie for me.

Speaking of Sam Milby, I don’t usually like him. But have you seen his latest Bench Blackout billboards? The hot ones, yes?

Damn you, Sam. Damn you, really. Haha. You almost got me there. Hehe.

…

And oh, by the way, despite being very sick lately, I’m actually in a very festive mood. Germany is through to the semi-finals of Euro 2008 after beating Portugal in the quarterfinal match. Honestly, I had been expecting a Germany-Netherlands showdown in the final until the Dutch were murdered by the Russians yesterday.

Anyway, I really hope the Germans would meet the Spaniards instead of the Italians. After all, Spain is my second favourite national team. (And David Villa, my second fave player. Miroslav Klose, you know you’re my #1 guy.)

Robin, you had better prepare my P1000 because Germany is sooo gonna win this whole Euro thing. I can smell it. Thanks for betting, haha. And Jon, don’t worry, as promised, if my team wins, I’ll treat you and some of our former officemates to a little booze party. Promise.

Oh Lord, I don’t wanna cry again…. Maybe not. Hey, it’s not THE World Cup.

Weise zu gehen Deutschland!!!
image courtesy of istockphoto.com and coleenpbb of pinoyexchange.com
and thanks to babel fish haha

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Top 9 Most Amazing Celebrity Transformations
(For a Movie Role)

Posted on June 7, 2008 by Yoshke in Celebrities, Lists, Movies |

There have been notable transformations for a single role in the past decades. Who would forget Robert DeNiro‘s stint when he inflated his body for his role in Raging Bull? Vincent D’Onofrio even set a Guiness World Record for the most weight gained for a single film role for his mind-blowing presence in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.

Contemporary actors, however, will not be left behind. In fact, in recent years, we have seen celebrities shed off their glamourous skin and almost magically transform to give life to some of cinema’s most unforgettable characters. Here is a list of the top 9 most amazing celebrity transformations that rocked Hollywood in the past 10 years.

9. Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain (2003)

Although starring opposite the ravishing Nicole Kidman will surely make anyone look “unpretty,” Renee Zellweger surely has the spotlight all on her in Cold Mountain. Fortunately for Renee, she has a more interesting role to play — a boyish country girl who never runs out of spirit and humour. After losing an Oscar (also to Nicole) the year before, she came back with a vengeance, winning her much-deserved, first Oscar for this role. She mastered every twist and turn of a farmer’s daughter, who is full of spunk and energy that you wouldn’t think she was that jazz-singing murderess in the hit musical Chicago. Transformation is not really a stranger to Renee as we have seen her gain lots of baby fats like a sack of french fries for her portrayal of Bridget Jones.

8. Edward Norton, American History X (1998)

As if his good looks aren’t impressive enough, Edward Norton takes everyone’s breath away with his intense acting skills. He surely showcased this in American History X, where he played a white supremacist. One of the scariest transformations to date, Edward gained more than 30 pounds before filming. As he ate a lot, he made sure the gym was his second home for his desired toned look. Like many other transformations, this schoolboy-looking wonder was able to transcend the physical by owning the character. This performance earned him his second Oscar nomination.

7. Nicole Kidman, The Hours (2002)

Many people think that it was all in the nose. The truth is, Nicole Kidman’s highly depressing performance is more than that. The nose just added to the character that Nicole had already created for The Hours. Yes, Nicole had to say goodbye to her doctor-that’s-what-I-want nose and wore a scarily large nose plus additional makeup to look like the famed writer Virginia Woolf. But even without it, she would still have won that Oscar. Her performance is beyond the physical. She perfected the accent, gestures and the overall character of an incestuous, insane genius. The result is a performance as beautiful as she is.

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A Salmagundi of Tasteless Thoughts
(In Short, Wala Lang)

Posted on June 3, 2008 by Yoshke in Blurts, Friends, Music, Vanities |

Status: Reaching.
Music: Entwined – Jason Reeves

REEVED UP
I am currently addicted to Jason Reeves and his music. Thanks to Berg. I especially liked “Reaching” and “Someone Somewhere.” Cool mixture of folk, acoustic and alternative. He’s absolutely awesome. And don’t just take my word for it, see for yourself and listen well.

SOMEBODY BUY ME THIS ALBUM!!! Come on. Give me a copy of this and I’ll love you forever!

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ALMOST ROMANTIC
As the hot doctor advised me, I’ve been on 1000 mg of pure vitamin C per day for more than a month now because my body’s relationship with infections and diseases is almost romantic. The funny thing is, I still catch a cold every now and then. (Told ya, it’s almost romantic.) Damn. Sometimes I feel like infections and my body are ganging up on me. (Yeah, like in college, haha.)

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QUITTING NICOTINE
Since my last tonsilitis, I haven’t touched a cigarette. Er, maybe once. Aright, fine, twice. Twice. Believe me, only twice. Hey, that’s good enough! It’s been two months and I have smoked only two sticks. Er, maybe more.

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My Top 50 All-Time Favourite Films (Part 7)

Posted on May 27, 2008 by Yoshke in Lists, Movies, Reviews |

So we’ve come to the end of the road. After almost a year of counting down my 50 all-time favourite films, we have now reached the end. If you missed the first 49, here’s help: Top 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11, 10-4, 3-2.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you my #1 favourite film of all time.

1. The Hours (2002)

Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Daldry
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Ed Harris
Plot: The time to hide is over. The time to regret is gone. The time to live is now.
Top Critics’ Average Mark: 80%

“A woman’s whole life in a single day. Just one day. And in that day her whole life.”

If you haven’t seen this film yet, here’s the trailer. Prepare to be blown away.

And here’s a clip from this stunning piece of work.

That’s arguably the most troubling among the many unforgettably affecting scenes in the movie. It’s actually very hard to choose one outstanding scene from the film because almost every scene is important and effective.

Anyway, I’ve seen this film exactly 20 times. I memorised probably 80% of its dialogues. Haha.

Let me enumerate the things I adore about this superb film and the reasons it’s on the top of my list:

Its quietness. It’s a very, very quiet movie but it moved me. Thanks to the awesome screenplay.
Its musical score. Although often dubbed ‘the weakest aspect’ of this film, I was totally haunted by the score.
It’s not preachy. It tackles life, death and everything in between with so much depth but without any attempt to force the audience to believe it. It gives enough space for the audience to think for themselves. Very insightful.
It’s liberating. Although many who have seen this think that this is one heck of a depressing film, I believe otherwise. Yes, it creates a sad atmosphere but it actually urges us to breakaway from sadness and just live life the way we want to.
Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep… How can you not love this movie?
Ed Harris delivers a poignant performance here, earning him an Oscar nomination although he was in only two scenes.
It’s the film that gave Nicole Kidman her first Oscar. Just how amazing Nicole is in this movie? See for yourself.

For the longest time, “The Hours” was considered “unfilmable.” Now it’s a real masterpiece.

Here’s the COMPLETE LIST of my top 50 all-time favourite films. Read more

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My Top 50 All-Time Favourite Films (Part 6)

Posted on May 22, 2008 by Yoshke in Lists, Movies, Reviews |

I know this post is long overdue. It’s been seven months since I posted the last installment and I think it’s just time to reveal my top 3 favourite films of all time. You may view the rest of the list here: 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11 and 10-3.

Again, usual disclaimer: this is not a list of the BEST movies for me. This is a favourites list — films that I can watch over and over again, regardless of how many awards they swept.

…

3. Love Actually (2003)

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director: Richard Curtis
Starring: Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson
Plot: Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely and interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas.
Top Critics’ Average Mark: 60%

“Christmas is a time for people with someone they love in their lives.”

This is the ULTIMATE romantic comedy. If you want to feel good and believe that one day, you’ll find the right person for you, watch this movie. Wahaha. This is extremely enjoyable and, er, romantic. In fact, since its release, watching this film on Christmas Eve has become a tradition in my room. Haha.

What I love about it is that it is entertaining and touching. Despite the huge cast and the Altmanesque approach, each storyline actually managed to create a connection to the audience (at least, to me). I especially liked the line of action of Jamie (Colin Firth) and Aurelia (the Portuguese girl).

I also fell in love with the scene above. It’s just moving but poignant. Emma Thompson is also effective here. I felt her pain. Laura Linney’s struggle, too. And oh, that worse-than-the-agony-of-being-in-love kid is love.

Can’t wait for Christmas Eve. Hehe.

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On American Idol 7

Posted on May 9, 2008 by Yoshke in Music, TV |

SEMI-FINALS

Round 1 (Judges)
1. David Cook | The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
2. David Archuleta | And So It Goes
3. Syesha Mercado | If I Ain’t Got You

Round 2 (Contestants)
1. David Cook | Dare You to Move
2. Syesha Mercado | Fever
3. David Archuleta | With You

Round 3 (Producers)
1. David Cook | I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing
2. Syesha Mercado | Hit Me Up
3. David Archuleta | Longer

If performances tonight were the only basis, Syesha could (and should) make it to the finals. But nah, it’s gonna be a “Battle of the Davids” finale.

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My Balls and I

Posted on May 3, 2008 by Yoshke in Sports, Vanities |

I promised myself that I would devote my Sunday mornings to football (soccer). Last week, my friends Jon and Aika were with me playing at the Sunken Garden in UP Diliman. It rained but we still went on. Football in the rain. Woooh. This is the life. Haha.

I am not the athletic type. Certainly not. But it doesn’t mean that I have no interest in sports. I love sports. In fact, when I was in high school, I was our school paper’s Sports Editor (and Associate Editor and Layout Artist and Photojournalist). I was also my school’s representative to sport/Physical Education quiz bees, because of which I have travelled many places. In college, I was first a Sports Science major before shifting out to Film.

Although it doesn’t really show, I am madly in love with sports — especially football, tennis and bowling. I am not great (not even good) at any of them but heck, I absolutely always have fun playing.

FOOTBALL

I don’t remember exactly when I fell in love with football. I have always hated basketball and volleyball. Maybe because when I was a kid, I couldn’t play well because of my then useless left arm. So since I couldn’t move my left arm, I started kicking basketballs around the garden. I started playing futsal in grade school but I never really became good at it. It was my biggest frustration.

Then I got addicted to watching football on TV. I instantly became a Bayern Munich and Chelsea fan. During the 2002 Japan/Korea World Cup, I began admiring Miroslav Klose, who is my ultimate idol right now.

One of my most prized possessions is my Adidas 2006 Germany World Cup ball. I don’t let anyone play with it unless I’m watching. Haha. I bought it out of utter sadness after Germany lost to Italy in the semi-final match. It was darn expensive but heck, I was lonely.

Again, I’m devoting my Sunday mornings to football. So if one Sunday morning, you see someone playing football at the Sunken Garden who looks as if he doesn’t know what he’s doing, that’s probably me. Haha.

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I blog for myself. This is a personal online journal of a nobody. Every person has a story. Every place brings back a memory. Every object triggers an emotion or a thought. What I blog about are these ordinary, average, little things, little happenings, little lives around me. But I have always believed that the universe is fueled by things common and little. And I hope that this blog, no matter how personal, would somehow touch, move, or inspire others the way they inspired me to blog. Even just a single person. Even just a little.

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