i don't know if it's me or the weather we're having lately or my pms-ing mood just hit an all-time high that even if after 2 weeks of my period i am still pms-ing or what, but these past few weeks have been wrought with people who ask just the stupidest questions or suggest the most stupidest of things. most na nga stupidest pa! yes, ganoon siya kalala, lola, super! as in! you will never believe it. sabi nga ng isang letter na nagsi-circulate sa internet, THE! in the tradition of "been there been that!" hay nakuh...
kaya gusto ko lang magtago minsan dito sa bahay at lagyan ng force field ang paligid para walang kabuwisitang mag-interfere. like i don't know what's with some students lately pero kapag kaka-explain ko pa lang ng gagawin tapos tatanong ako "any questions" wala namang sasagot tapos mamaya pag dismissal na hahabulin ako at itatanong kung ano ang gagawin, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaay laslasssssssssssssssss. sa totoo lang, sa kada may magtanong sa akin ng ganito -- at alarming kasi parami sila ng parami! -- i wanna ask them "dude, do you drugs????" o di bah, in the tradition of the "and the final is me!" letter to dennis thing circulated a while back, which is actually a true story of the 90s, but i digress.
i swear. may mga taong magsa-suggest ng the most ludicrous of all ludicrous schemes to acquire some property, minsan kelangan mo atang itanong kung nag-iisip ba sila ng mabuti. o kaya kung may isang truly mega obvious event na apparently hindi sila puwede pumasok tapos itatanong pa sa yo kung bakeeeeet??? hay puta, dugo ko umabot sa bumbunan ko i swear...
pero ang pinaka-hate ko ay yung mga taong biglaang mag-a-assume na mega-close kami at mag-a-ask ng super daming super big favors in the air. lam mo yun? ito yung pet peeve ko e! sa totoo lang. like akala nila close na kami to the point na puwede kaming maghiraman ng toothbrush kind of close. alam mo yun. e never pa naman! tapos kung umasta sila parang ganun! tapos ang topper pa nito e they will not really ask you for favors but they will dictate to you the favor na you have to enact upon or else parang either may gagawin sila sa sarili nila na sasaktan nila sarili nila or worse ikaw sasaktan nila or something. haaaaaaaaaay laslaaaaaaaaaasssss.... nang nagpaulan ng psychosis ang diyos, nakatingala sila sa labas i swear.
tapos merong pagkatapos ko pa lang talaga sabihin ang instructions, as in painstakingly explaining in 100 frames per second na para mabagal at makuha nila agad sa mega-slow motion na ako, tapos tatanungin pa rin kung ano ang gagawin o puwede bang like this and like that afterwardssssssssssssss. huwaaaaaaaaah! i swear, may shortage ba ng common sense lately at parang naglahong parang bula ang mga katinuan ng mga tao?????? poonyetahhhhh... waaah.
maikli pa naman ang pisi ko sa bobo minsan, o kaya sa mga taong uulitin yung kakasabi mo lang. potah. nubah! nubang meron sa earth at nag-full moon eclipse lang e nawala na rin ang katinuan ng karamihan ng tao! what fucking gives?????
lately rin, pet peeve ko yung kunwari nagbabait-baitan pag kaharap ka pero pagtalikod mo e sandamakmak na saksak na pala ang nilalaan nila sa iyo. madaming ganyan sa academya na nagtataka nga ako kung bakit wala tayong wushu o swordfight o swordthrowing competition champion ever na academician. aba teng, ganda nila at winner ang eklavu nila pag nagkataon ng ganire! i swear i have ten candidates to date sa category na to. sana olympic event ang dagger throwing behind one's back, panalo na tayo dito super. gold medalist hall of famer baga. hay...
minsan talaga ako mismo kinikilabutan kapag witness ako ng ganyan o halata kong ako ang puntirya ng ganyan e. kaya lang kasi, ang pinagkaiba ko sa kanila, tubong showbiz kasi ako at humalubilo sa talagang mga halang ang bituka sa larangan ng showbiz natin kaya sanay ako sa ganyan at nakaka-detect ako easily kung amateur night ang style ng ganyan nila. kung baga kung para itong THE MATRIX, ako yung si neo sa moment towards the end of the film na na-realize ko na kung ano ang composition ng matrix at nakikita ko na ito and how it operates and kung pano lumaban sa mga sentinel agent chenes na nahihinto ko na yung bala na hahagip sa akin, at mahaharang ko at puwede ko pang ibato ulit sa kanila. i actually did this several times na sa mga ilang mga titser na super tigas ng tubol sa mukha, kaya they smartened up and left me alone. kaya happy ako sa achievement na ito. talagang kulang na lang e sigawan ko sila ng BRING IT ON PAAAAAAA! dahil nakukulangan pa ko e... hahahah. tangina talaga si jim morrison, tama siya when he sang people are strange. fucking strange indeed...
grabe ayoko rin yung masyadong free rider na tao. na di ko alam kung talagang free rider lang sila dahil pagkatao nila yun o kasi dense sila na di nila nalalaman na may limitasyon ang bagay-bagay, o talagang...free rider lang sila. nay, free loader is the term nga dapat e. marami pa ring ganyan lately. and i really don't know why... hay... yung para bang uy, baka puwedeng gawin natin ito ek ek ek ek, o kaya uy baka puwede mong gawin ito para sa akin ek ek ek ek, o kaya uy baka puwedeng makisama ako diyan ek ek ek ek.. hay putangina. nakakairita dito kasi parang sa umpisa e papalabasin nila na goodwill effort it o for the good of all pero ang totoo naman e for the good of them lang, as in selfish lang talaga sila ateng, disguised as mabokang pananalita. hay, the symphony of the phoney and baloney... para bagang instead of being like euripides and running outside naked screaming eureka! e ako naman i will scream while running outside fully clothed but torn to shreds by my own irritation saying wasak ka wasak ka!!!!!! waaaah...
and then, hindi pa diyan nagwawakas ang ating saga... sa lunes, whole day na thesis proposal defense galore... tignan na lang natin kung ano ang mangyayari sa araw na iyon. minsan kasi s events na ganyan, there are gems unearthed and there are also shit being thrown... huwah. let me suit up my armor... wah. gudlak sa inyong mga magde-defend. dapat bago kayo sumulong sa ganyan, take heed of sun tzu's advise on THE ART OF WAR 'know your enemies' and 'familiarize yourself with the terrain.' that alone will make you survive anything. look at me. buhay pa. devah.
people are strange...
kaya ngayon, di ako alam kung paano aalisin itong stupid questions magnet na nalunok ko di ko alam kung mula saan. ewan ko bah. what gives talaga sa earth lately at biglaang nagkakaroon ng kung anu-anong kachenesan... leche.
29 August 2007
accidental snoop notes+cable cine chichirya
i am what you may call an "accidental snoop" because of the living conditions i always find myself in. kung may accidental tourist as that novel turned into film suggested, ako naman ang accidental snoop.
alam ko kayo din medyo ganito. have you ever found yourself accidentally eavesdropping on your neighbors, dahil sa tabi-tabi style ng tirahan dito sa pinas na para kasing wala tayong konsepto ng firewall (yes, the original as used in architecture, not cyberspace) na dapat e harang sa pagitan ng dalawang bahay para mas private at in case of emergency ay di ma-damage ang isa't isa or something. o kaya nakatira ka sa apartment o townhouse like most of my friends are, saka ako na rin, na may mga katabi kang kapitbahay na either naririnig mo ang mga conversations by accident, kahit ayaw mo, at anupamang ingay na nagaganap sa bahay nila, kahit ayaw mo.
marami nang conflicts ang na-produce ng ganitong scenarios. merong mga nagbabanda na di makahataw kasi magagalit yung lola sa kanto. malas lang din pag yung neighborhood e biglang naging commercial area of sorts, like my writer friend before who lived on nakpil street sa malate tapos boom, eto't kapitbahay niya ang episode cafe, verve room at katapat niya ang old gay haunt na blue cafe before and all that. imagine the color of that street! so medyo nabulabog ang mundo nila. dito naman sa tinitirhan ko ngayon, within earshot lang talaga ang gigs sa 70s bistro so that's why i could imagine the irk of the neighbors who sued/are still suing them. kasi naman, all i have to do is open one window sa isang room nearer anonas to listen to what kind of music is on for the night (e.g. ay tunog reggae ngayon, or ay, rakista, ang ingay!). mga ganun ba.
dito naman sa apartment ko, may isang kid with down syndrome na minsan nag-iingay for whatever reason di ko alam. pero ang alam ko e stimulant niya ang noontime gameshows kasi he always shouts "wowoweeee." so kaya my girlfriend and i refer to him as "si wowowee" for lack of a name. i decided not to be neighborly kasi dito sa unit na ito this time, kasi ayokong nakikialam sila sa life ko at hindi rin naman ako nakikialam sa life nila. minsan lang kasi neighbors are too much, especially yung mga machichismis na ale o manong na nakatambay lang sa porch nila or something and looking at everybody else's business. kahit anong kalye yata sa maynila, may isa o dalawang ganito sa neighborhood. hindi uso ang village idiot sa pinas pero maraming village snoops. ayan sila.
naisipan ko lang isulat ito kasi na-assault ako ng isang rumaragasang ale na kakadating lang sa bahay nila at may na-miss na phone call na nasagot nung manong na topless na nakatambay sa garahe nila. nasa second floor ako while this all happened that's why i accidentally saw all of this, at kahit mag-turn off ako e naririnig ko pa rin ang usapan nila. hay...
kaya sa mga moments na ganito, marami ka talagang makukuhang mga bits and pieces of stories from other people. sabi ko nga sa mga students ko, buksan lang nila mata at tenga nila, marami na silang masusulat na storya dian sa paligid. and they agreed naman, base sa resulta ng latest eavesdrop a dialogue exercise namin sa scriptwriting class kung saan karamihan ng na-eavesdrop nila ay sa kanilang pagsakay sa public transportation of some sort sa maynila. actually, sa accidental snooping na ito ko naisipang gawin ang eavesdrop exercise na yun para ma-train ang tenga ng mga bata. fruitful naman at nasasayahan sila sa resulta. so that is good.
*
well, while we're at it, let's chichirya some cine i saw lately.
BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
d. larry charles
i missed this sa big screen when it came out but i'm glad we featured it this month sa cine adarna para big screen experience pa rin. i have this purist thing kasi about watching films on dvd, specific films lang naman, na kapag i deem one film na "pang-dvd watching" lang e medyo demotion siya ng kanyang production values. basta.
this one is okay. naging super-popular siya dahil sa no holds barred docu style chenes na ginawa ng seemingly clueless foreigner traveling across america. that is such a nice concept, and a brave one at that. actually, puwede nga siyang mapatay sa ginawa niya and i am not surprised kung nabugbog man siya ng aktwal dito.
pero ano ba ang pinapakita nya? as usual, we see slices of the real american people who are not as tolerant, understanding nor knowledgeable of multicultural/multiracial issues na dapat e alam na nila, given the current stature and longtime citizen composition of that country. in short, marami pa ring sexist, islamophobe lalo na, racist, homophobic, classist and all bigotries you could imagine. but the thing is, it's just funny. i don't know why we laugh at these things pero siguro kasi our laughter shows us that people are still...weird. strange. or whatever. basta.
i guess his approach is also satirical din kasi. we laugh at him and laugh at ourselves and laugh at the bigotries because at one time or another, either we were guilty of the same thing or we were victims of the same thing, or both. most instances, it's both. so therefore, it's very human. timely, political, brave. that's how borat showed us the current state of this kind of world. and it's effective.
IN GOOD COMPANY
c. dennis quaid, topher grace, scarlett johansson
some months back, nonoy our cinema programmer sa film institute showed this for like one or two weeks, na medyo na-off ako kasi well, it's just another hollywood flick as i saw it. the current hot dude of the moment in another usual city-set story about the battle of the ages. pang-dvd, to my taste.
so tama nga. sa cinemax ko yata ito naabutan last weekend at doon ko na lang pinanood over dinner. at tama, pang-dvd lore nga siya pero hindi pala siya typical hollywood story din. of course nandoon ang mga rise and fall of characters chenes, pero gusto ko yung nangyaring character development nung 26 year old executive hotshot. he had a fall from grace thingie pero humanized, di tulad ng usual corporate world-set stories wherein mga saksakan sa likod chenes ang nangyayari.
actually, the whole treatment sa film is human, quite tender but not sappy. cautious lang, and quite realistic in a way. for instance, i like the story arc of scarlett as the new nyu creative writing major (yun pa lang inggit na ko! hehe) na hindi apologetic getting it on with this guy and at the same time athletic siya pero she chose cw as a course at sinuportahan siya ng magulang dahil nyu yun at kahit mahal, go pa rin sila. that was really nice, pero hindi siya heavyhanded sa treatment. tapos yung anggulo na nangyayari i'm sure sa mga 50something executives na napapalitan o threatened ng young executives nga. ang daming ganito kasi, at ako mismo witness--if not subject--ng ganitong klase ng age conflict before, that's why i understand where it's coming from from both sides of the corporate fence.
tapos ang ending, the old exec gets his justice chenes pero tender pa rin ang approach, tapos yung young exec ay naiwan sa pagmumuni-muni kung ano ang gagawin niya sa buhay niya, a very realistic characteristic of people that age who are in that state. interesting. siguro kasi relate lang din ako sa kanya kasi it was also at that age that i left the corporate calling and headed to...tadaah, creative writing. hindi nga lang nyu hehe. although sarap sana kung ganun ano. well, maybe later, who knows.
maganda siya, well written, directed, and acted, except for that topher guy na kahit saan siya lumabas e dala pa rin niya yung mannerisms niya sa THAT 70S SHOW. i hate when he does that, parang yung sa SPIDERMAN 3 siya. men, leave the acting quirks at home. or adapt naman sana to the story at hand. labo niya eh. nakakairita lang minsan kasi. sarap putulin dila.
THE DA VINCI CODE
d. ron howard
also caught this one on cable lately, sa hbo yata. for lack of a better programmed evening, and because of a migraine that incapacitated me to roam around and prompted me to just sit on the sofa for a good deal of time, i just hung out and watched this again.
seeing it again for the second time made me think of how ron howard romanticizes stories a lot, most times to a fault na. kasi if treated as it is sa book (which, surprisingly, wasn't such a snorefest as i expected, although i am not a fan of dan brown's writing style in general), baka mas okay pa ang approach. nakakainis lang yung hollywoodized chenes sa treatment ng shots, na parang nagpapaka-noir siya pero hindi achieve, o nagpapaka-old hollywood whodunits siya, pero di rin keri.
bakit hindi keri? kasi siguro the way he directs is so maarte. hello BEAUTIFUL MIND na lang kaya? maganda sana yung materyal na yun pero how he handled it just turned something concrete into mush. sayang. ganda sana ng inner conflicts ni john nash pero halatang hindi naiintinidhan ni ron howard kung ano ba talaga ang nagaganap sa isip ng karakter niya. in short, hindi niya talaga kilala yung characters niya, and the way he shot it ay lumabas ang paghuhusga niya sa kanila, na mababa pala ang tingin niya sa mga characters na ito.
well, kinda same with this one. the way he paced the shots and scenes and the way he blocked the actors kinda made me feel as if the actors just needed to deliver their lines the best they could because it's the job. case in point, yung revelation chenes scene ni no less than the ultimate gay rights icon sir ian mckellen when he was being taken away by the police. nagmukha lang siyang lunatic spewing nonsense chenes. masyadong maarte. dapat na-tame down ng director yung ganung treatment, but no. hay... o kaya minsan parang it just feels like the actors are delivering chunks of information because they need to, but it doesn't necessarily have heart. buti na lang at mahilig siya sa special effects at nilagyan na lang ng some kinda picture in picture scenes of the things the characters are talking about while they are talking about it.
hay. clearly i am not a ron howard fan, dahil naiinis ako na maganda sana mga materyal niya like APOLLO 13 pero hay... laos.
lalo na kung whodunit film ito, at maganda ang pagkakagawa, maeengganyo ka to watch it again and again dahil sa pagkakahulma. sadly, mas lumabas ang flaws sa subsequent watchings. like i don't know if audrey tautou was struggling more with the dramatic acting or the english speaking (huwat ees eet, prufehszorh? jacques saunier ees may ghrondfutherrr.). actually, hindi ko nga siya nakilala sa film until after i read the end credits! hm, nag-dye lang ng buhok at nag-inggles, nawala na ang charm niya... sacre bleu! n'est pas bon.
sayang. ganda pa naman ng discussions na nilabas ng libro at pelikulang ito sa kamunduhan ng relihiyong katoliko. na sana e kung minarapat nila, kababaihan ang tunay na asawa ng diyos at ang nararapat na tagapangalaga at head nito. it is strikingly interesting. and concepts such as this one will not really have smoke na sobrang kinatakutan ng mga chenes diyan like opus dei kung wala siyang mayadong bearing na apoy, hane? and i agree with some points. the bible is really just a good read of a book full of tall tales, and it is sexist to boot most times. kaya nga naiinis ako kapag ito ang pinangangalandakan ng mga moralista. malamang di pa nila nabasa lahat ng entries at they just take verses out of context and use it as ammunition to assault people who don't believe in it much as they do. sad no?
pero maganda rin na material like this would shake up foundations and cores of institutions like the church and all. high time artistic works did that. ayuz.
*
o shah, yan na munah. laterz.
alam ko kayo din medyo ganito. have you ever found yourself accidentally eavesdropping on your neighbors, dahil sa tabi-tabi style ng tirahan dito sa pinas na para kasing wala tayong konsepto ng firewall (yes, the original as used in architecture, not cyberspace) na dapat e harang sa pagitan ng dalawang bahay para mas private at in case of emergency ay di ma-damage ang isa't isa or something. o kaya nakatira ka sa apartment o townhouse like most of my friends are, saka ako na rin, na may mga katabi kang kapitbahay na either naririnig mo ang mga conversations by accident, kahit ayaw mo, at anupamang ingay na nagaganap sa bahay nila, kahit ayaw mo.
marami nang conflicts ang na-produce ng ganitong scenarios. merong mga nagbabanda na di makahataw kasi magagalit yung lola sa kanto. malas lang din pag yung neighborhood e biglang naging commercial area of sorts, like my writer friend before who lived on nakpil street sa malate tapos boom, eto't kapitbahay niya ang episode cafe, verve room at katapat niya ang old gay haunt na blue cafe before and all that. imagine the color of that street! so medyo nabulabog ang mundo nila. dito naman sa tinitirhan ko ngayon, within earshot lang talaga ang gigs sa 70s bistro so that's why i could imagine the irk of the neighbors who sued/are still suing them. kasi naman, all i have to do is open one window sa isang room nearer anonas to listen to what kind of music is on for the night (e.g. ay tunog reggae ngayon, or ay, rakista, ang ingay!). mga ganun ba.
dito naman sa apartment ko, may isang kid with down syndrome na minsan nag-iingay for whatever reason di ko alam. pero ang alam ko e stimulant niya ang noontime gameshows kasi he always shouts "wowoweeee." so kaya my girlfriend and i refer to him as "si wowowee" for lack of a name. i decided not to be neighborly kasi dito sa unit na ito this time, kasi ayokong nakikialam sila sa life ko at hindi rin naman ako nakikialam sa life nila. minsan lang kasi neighbors are too much, especially yung mga machichismis na ale o manong na nakatambay lang sa porch nila or something and looking at everybody else's business. kahit anong kalye yata sa maynila, may isa o dalawang ganito sa neighborhood. hindi uso ang village idiot sa pinas pero maraming village snoops. ayan sila.
naisipan ko lang isulat ito kasi na-assault ako ng isang rumaragasang ale na kakadating lang sa bahay nila at may na-miss na phone call na nasagot nung manong na topless na nakatambay sa garahe nila. nasa second floor ako while this all happened that's why i accidentally saw all of this, at kahit mag-turn off ako e naririnig ko pa rin ang usapan nila. hay...
kaya sa mga moments na ganito, marami ka talagang makukuhang mga bits and pieces of stories from other people. sabi ko nga sa mga students ko, buksan lang nila mata at tenga nila, marami na silang masusulat na storya dian sa paligid. and they agreed naman, base sa resulta ng latest eavesdrop a dialogue exercise namin sa scriptwriting class kung saan karamihan ng na-eavesdrop nila ay sa kanilang pagsakay sa public transportation of some sort sa maynila. actually, sa accidental snooping na ito ko naisipang gawin ang eavesdrop exercise na yun para ma-train ang tenga ng mga bata. fruitful naman at nasasayahan sila sa resulta. so that is good.
*
well, while we're at it, let's chichirya some cine i saw lately.
BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
d. larry charles
i missed this sa big screen when it came out but i'm glad we featured it this month sa cine adarna para big screen experience pa rin. i have this purist thing kasi about watching films on dvd, specific films lang naman, na kapag i deem one film na "pang-dvd watching" lang e medyo demotion siya ng kanyang production values. basta.this one is okay. naging super-popular siya dahil sa no holds barred docu style chenes na ginawa ng seemingly clueless foreigner traveling across america. that is such a nice concept, and a brave one at that. actually, puwede nga siyang mapatay sa ginawa niya and i am not surprised kung nabugbog man siya ng aktwal dito.
pero ano ba ang pinapakita nya? as usual, we see slices of the real american people who are not as tolerant, understanding nor knowledgeable of multicultural/multiracial issues na dapat e alam na nila, given the current stature and longtime citizen composition of that country. in short, marami pa ring sexist, islamophobe lalo na, racist, homophobic, classist and all bigotries you could imagine. but the thing is, it's just funny. i don't know why we laugh at these things pero siguro kasi our laughter shows us that people are still...weird. strange. or whatever. basta.
i guess his approach is also satirical din kasi. we laugh at him and laugh at ourselves and laugh at the bigotries because at one time or another, either we were guilty of the same thing or we were victims of the same thing, or both. most instances, it's both. so therefore, it's very human. timely, political, brave. that's how borat showed us the current state of this kind of world. and it's effective.
IN GOOD COMPANY
c. dennis quaid, topher grace, scarlett johansson
some months back, nonoy our cinema programmer sa film institute showed this for like one or two weeks, na medyo na-off ako kasi well, it's just another hollywood flick as i saw it. the current hot dude of the moment in another usual city-set story about the battle of the ages. pang-dvd, to my taste.so tama nga. sa cinemax ko yata ito naabutan last weekend at doon ko na lang pinanood over dinner. at tama, pang-dvd lore nga siya pero hindi pala siya typical hollywood story din. of course nandoon ang mga rise and fall of characters chenes, pero gusto ko yung nangyaring character development nung 26 year old executive hotshot. he had a fall from grace thingie pero humanized, di tulad ng usual corporate world-set stories wherein mga saksakan sa likod chenes ang nangyayari.
actually, the whole treatment sa film is human, quite tender but not sappy. cautious lang, and quite realistic in a way. for instance, i like the story arc of scarlett as the new nyu creative writing major (yun pa lang inggit na ko! hehe) na hindi apologetic getting it on with this guy and at the same time athletic siya pero she chose cw as a course at sinuportahan siya ng magulang dahil nyu yun at kahit mahal, go pa rin sila. that was really nice, pero hindi siya heavyhanded sa treatment. tapos yung anggulo na nangyayari i'm sure sa mga 50something executives na napapalitan o threatened ng young executives nga. ang daming ganito kasi, at ako mismo witness--if not subject--ng ganitong klase ng age conflict before, that's why i understand where it's coming from from both sides of the corporate fence.
tapos ang ending, the old exec gets his justice chenes pero tender pa rin ang approach, tapos yung young exec ay naiwan sa pagmumuni-muni kung ano ang gagawin niya sa buhay niya, a very realistic characteristic of people that age who are in that state. interesting. siguro kasi relate lang din ako sa kanya kasi it was also at that age that i left the corporate calling and headed to...tadaah, creative writing. hindi nga lang nyu hehe. although sarap sana kung ganun ano. well, maybe later, who knows.
maganda siya, well written, directed, and acted, except for that topher guy na kahit saan siya lumabas e dala pa rin niya yung mannerisms niya sa THAT 70S SHOW. i hate when he does that, parang yung sa SPIDERMAN 3 siya. men, leave the acting quirks at home. or adapt naman sana to the story at hand. labo niya eh. nakakairita lang minsan kasi. sarap putulin dila.
THE DA VINCI CODE
d. ron howard
also caught this one on cable lately, sa hbo yata. for lack of a better programmed evening, and because of a migraine that incapacitated me to roam around and prompted me to just sit on the sofa for a good deal of time, i just hung out and watched this again.seeing it again for the second time made me think of how ron howard romanticizes stories a lot, most times to a fault na. kasi if treated as it is sa book (which, surprisingly, wasn't such a snorefest as i expected, although i am not a fan of dan brown's writing style in general), baka mas okay pa ang approach. nakakainis lang yung hollywoodized chenes sa treatment ng shots, na parang nagpapaka-noir siya pero hindi achieve, o nagpapaka-old hollywood whodunits siya, pero di rin keri.
bakit hindi keri? kasi siguro the way he directs is so maarte. hello BEAUTIFUL MIND na lang kaya? maganda sana yung materyal na yun pero how he handled it just turned something concrete into mush. sayang. ganda sana ng inner conflicts ni john nash pero halatang hindi naiintinidhan ni ron howard kung ano ba talaga ang nagaganap sa isip ng karakter niya. in short, hindi niya talaga kilala yung characters niya, and the way he shot it ay lumabas ang paghuhusga niya sa kanila, na mababa pala ang tingin niya sa mga characters na ito.
well, kinda same with this one. the way he paced the shots and scenes and the way he blocked the actors kinda made me feel as if the actors just needed to deliver their lines the best they could because it's the job. case in point, yung revelation chenes scene ni no less than the ultimate gay rights icon sir ian mckellen when he was being taken away by the police. nagmukha lang siyang lunatic spewing nonsense chenes. masyadong maarte. dapat na-tame down ng director yung ganung treatment, but no. hay... o kaya minsan parang it just feels like the actors are delivering chunks of information because they need to, but it doesn't necessarily have heart. buti na lang at mahilig siya sa special effects at nilagyan na lang ng some kinda picture in picture scenes of the things the characters are talking about while they are talking about it.
hay. clearly i am not a ron howard fan, dahil naiinis ako na maganda sana mga materyal niya like APOLLO 13 pero hay... laos.
lalo na kung whodunit film ito, at maganda ang pagkakagawa, maeengganyo ka to watch it again and again dahil sa pagkakahulma. sadly, mas lumabas ang flaws sa subsequent watchings. like i don't know if audrey tautou was struggling more with the dramatic acting or the english speaking (huwat ees eet, prufehszorh? jacques saunier ees may ghrondfutherrr.). actually, hindi ko nga siya nakilala sa film until after i read the end credits! hm, nag-dye lang ng buhok at nag-inggles, nawala na ang charm niya... sacre bleu! n'est pas bon.
sayang. ganda pa naman ng discussions na nilabas ng libro at pelikulang ito sa kamunduhan ng relihiyong katoliko. na sana e kung minarapat nila, kababaihan ang tunay na asawa ng diyos at ang nararapat na tagapangalaga at head nito. it is strikingly interesting. and concepts such as this one will not really have smoke na sobrang kinatakutan ng mga chenes diyan like opus dei kung wala siyang mayadong bearing na apoy, hane? and i agree with some points. the bible is really just a good read of a book full of tall tales, and it is sexist to boot most times. kaya nga naiinis ako kapag ito ang pinangangalandakan ng mga moralista. malamang di pa nila nabasa lahat ng entries at they just take verses out of context and use it as ammunition to assault people who don't believe in it much as they do. sad no?
pero maganda rin na material like this would shake up foundations and cores of institutions like the church and all. high time artistic works did that. ayuz.
*
o shah, yan na munah. laterz.
25 August 2007
myuzahk
since i currently have a music-related misery, i wanna answer this music question meme from my multiply contact ginny. saka kasi interesting siyang pamatay-oras habang umiinom hehe...
Which bands/artist do you own the most albums by?
-- that would be tori amos, up until her scarlet's walk album and skipping that double album named venus something, and alanis morrisette up until the one with the song "hands clean" and her mtv unplugged cd, and i'm not sure if natalie merchant counts, but i have her first 2 albums when she went solo from her 10,000 maniacs stint (but i also have the last 2 maniacs album na kasali siya
What was the last song you listened to?
-- my neighbor's radio was playing this opm song revival kanina, forgot the title. sa dami ng revivals ngayon, i lose track na of what's on air
What's in your CD player right now?
-- alanis' mtv unplugged cd. it's good soundtrack when you do your laundry, pramis.
What was the last show you attended?
-- musical show you mean? that would be the last friday film bar hours ago, where agaw agimat played, and their very muscled aggressive drummer ruined the skins of my drumset i lent them. hence the source of my misery tonight.
What was the greatest show you've ever been to?
-- alanis' one night only concert at the araneta coliseum in 1996 yata or 97, and also paula abdul's feast for the senses concert back in 1991 o 92 yata. i swear dedma na sa pagkanta niya pero the spectacular visual display and the choreography of that show is something else! pramis! i mean, dancing on stilts! dancing on air, even way before the concept of airdance! man i tell you, she is a pioneer and a visionary!dedma na sa american idol career niya now. she rocked before, tapdance and everythang!
What's the worst show you've ever been to?
-- oh man, sorry to say this but lea salonga's solo concert in 2001 o 02 ba yun where she sang broadway tunes chenes which was musically directed by her julliard-trained brother was such a snorefest! walang arrive ang lola mo outside musical theater! hindi marunong magdala ng show! huwaaah. buti na lang libre ang tickets ko dun no. wala siyang libog ati... mas natuwa pa ko sa isang freebie stint ng aegis na pinanood ko sa isang kinda hole in the wall bar sa cubao dati noh! as in! yan ang authentic pinoy talent! aegis rocks hahahahah!
What's the most musically involved you have ever been?
-- hm, i was backstage help sa high school musical production namin of andrew lloyd weber's joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat. chos. i also learned how to play the drums in late high school-early college. wah. i also play some small indigenous musical instruments for the all-women world music group engkantada. yun na siguro. pero kung biniyayaan lang ako ng nice voice that could live up to my last name, men nag-audition na ako nung 1990 sa miss saigon i swear hehehe...
What is your favorite band shirt?
-- wala yata akong band shirt talaga. bumili lang ako dati ng cambio shirt kasi binentahan ako ni earnest weheheheh saka cute kasi yung orange shirt nila. i heart orange. pero i have a favorite musical-inclined shirt, yung top40 branded miss saigon logo tee ko noong 1991 na up to this day e buhay pa rin! pramis ati ang tibay niya!
What musician would you like to hang out with for a day?
-- oh man. i'd like to explore how tori amos translates her thoughts into munchable music, know what i mean? because i'd like to do the same, pero prose level. ah basta. gusto ko siyang maka-hang out kahit isang oras lang. pero i have a feeling it will be like hanging out with chinchin gutierrez for a day if i hang out with tori..minus the talking to the plants thing and greeting every living being na non-human "good morning." basta. gusto ko ring makahuntahan si alanis para tapatin niya ako kung nakikiuso lang ba siya sa bisexuality chenes niya o ano ba ang real score, at kung paano niya hina-handle ang artistic psychosis niya kasi hihingi ako ng tips heheheh.pero to flashback, i'd like to spend time with billie holliday, and maybe ask her how it feels like to be closeted that way during that time, and produce music like that pa rin.... hooooweeey baby. bring on the gin!
Who is one musician or group(s) you wish would make a comeback?
-- i've always wondered where irene cara went. ganda ng boses ng aleng yun ha, pati nung songs niya nung 80s. saka i wanna know what suzanne vega's up to now.
How many music related videos/DVDs do you own?
-- i'm not sure. sa dami ng hiniram na di na sinoli, i lost count.
Name 4 or MORE flawless albums:
-- alanis: jagged little pill, mtv unplugged
-- tori: little earthquakes
-- soundtrack: i am sam, the l word
-- anthologies: red hot+blue a tribute to cole porter
-- musical: rent, sunset boulevard
-- indigo girls: 10000 curfews
Name 5 of your favorite songs of all time
-- na pag nakanta ng ninuman ng maganda ay puwede akong mainlab habangbuhay type? hehehehe. well, it has happened before...
1. time after time, ebtg or tuck n patti version
2. downtown by petula clark
3. moonriver by audrey hepburn from her film
4. nearness of you, any jazz version
5. selling the drama by live
6. galileo / virginia woolf by indigo girls
-- actually marami pa yan pero yan na lang muna
What is your favorite movie soundtrack?
-- of all time? wala. i love a lot of osts kasi. pero currently, heavy rotation sa aking cd player yung ost ng DE-LOVELY. i also love the osts of chocolat, i am sam, pretty woman, forrest gump, girl interrupted, il postino
What was your last musical "phase" before you wisened up?
-- none that i wanna be apologetic about. i am not that apologetic about lots of things i like, music or whatnot. e that's what makes me a person e, bakit ba? so i liked and like some pop tunes? so what? i heart grunge and altrock when it evolved. so what? i love old school rap, pre-hiphop. so what? i love lots of music e. bakit ba? eclectic is the bomb! when i was asked nga in a job interview kung what kind of feminism i subscribe to, i said i am what you may call an eclectic feminist, because i believe in the chorvas of many strands of feminism, not just one or two (but lesbian feminism takes much room in my personal discourse)
What's your "guilty pleasure" that you hate to admit to liking?
-- like i said above, there's nothing to be guilty of, to quote that song by barbra streisand and that member of beegees the brothers gibb blah... see, talagang eclectic ang taste ko sa music men. hmm ok pero kung guilty pleasure lang pag-uusapan e... okay paula abdul na nga i admit, pero first album lang, saka kasi she tapdances kaya men i like that. hm sino pa ba? abba dapat pero cult status na sila so it doesn't count... ay wala talaga e. i live by qaf's brian kinney's credo of "no apologies" and that applies to all aspects of my life kasi, including my taste in women and in music. c'est vrai. deal with it.
18 August 2007
picture of the night (last night)
spotted at the UP Film Institute Bernal Gallery announcement board...
er, i believe in big-headedness. related ba?
i'm just saying.
question: kapag babae ang napili nila, will they make her take the stage name "rica blanca" kaya?
just asking...
it's the cordillera fruit wine speaking. harhar. chos.
wala, naloka lang din siguro kasi ako kanina when, over dinner in a resto with a few friends, napanood namin sa tv si tessa prieto valdez (google her image na lang...for more!) in her usual tatak-lang-niya-ever fashionista style singing avril lavigne's hey hey you you i don't like your girlfriend... with no less than jolina magdangal. thank goodness we missed tim yap's number!
huwaaaah. what is the world coming to? beer pa nga.
this is a strange day.
er, i believe in big-headedness. related ba?
i'm just saying.
question: kapag babae ang napili nila, will they make her take the stage name "rica blanca" kaya?
just asking...
it's the cordillera fruit wine speaking. harhar. chos.
wala, naloka lang din siguro kasi ako kanina when, over dinner in a resto with a few friends, napanood namin sa tv si tessa prieto valdez (google her image na lang...for more!) in her usual tatak-lang-niya-ever fashionista style singing avril lavigne's hey hey you you i don't like your girlfriend... with no less than jolina magdangal. thank goodness we missed tim yap's number!
huwaaaah. what is the world coming to? beer pa nga.
this is a strange day.
17 August 2007
"Huwag kang lalabas ng bahay! manood ka na lang ng TV!"
yan ang classic line ng lola ko when i was growing up, during rainy days such as the one we're having this very moment. bakit? kasi kahit ganitong maulan e kaming mga batang kalye ng suburbian project 4 ay nagtatatakbo sa ulan at naghahanap ng mga rumaragasang water flow sa mga kanal (not the murky black water canal that we know of now) sa gilid ng kalye, at ilalagay ang mga tsinelas doon para maging karera ng tsinelas sa tubig. pero dapat mabilis ka ring maghabol kasi kung hindi, lulusot sa drainage yung tsinelas mo at patay ka sa nanay, tatay, lolo o lola mo kapag umuwi kang isang paa lang ang may suot.
isang pastime lang yan. ang isa pa ay ang main event -- ang maligo mismo sa ulan. lalo na kapag summer, tapos yung unang ulan ng abril o mayo ba yun e may ek na dapat maligo ka doon para for good luck yata or something superstitious like that. pero kahit hindi summer, basta malakas ang ulan, maliligo lang kami ever. dedma sa knowledge ng acid rain anesh? kasi naman noong panahong iyon e mababa pa ang reading ng air pollution index chenes ng maynila (at ng buong pilipinas to boot) kaya we were safe and okay. papasok lang sa bahay o time out lang kapag nilamig na sa ulan o nangulubut na ng sobra ang balat sa paa, whichever came first.
minsan naman, lalo na whenever i spent weekends or holidays in marikina, ang pastime naman doon e maglayag sa iba't ibang kalye kasi baha. as in hanggang bewang ng bata ang baha, which means bewang namin. and no, there was no danger of those rat thingie diseases like leptospirosis(sp?) chenes going on that time. eto buhay pa kami lahat o. dun naman, dahil sobrang provincial pa noon ang marikina (think may sapa-sapa areas pa noon doon with real live fishies kung saan may mga tunay na maningisda ka talagang makikita na nagfi-fish) at marami pang vacant areas and big lots with grass na kapag umulan nga e biglang nagiging fishpond, naaliw kaming rumonda kapag umuulan nang ganito. minsan nga, sa isang paglalayag, hindi namalayan ng isa namng kalaro na may bukas na manhole or something smaller sa isang gilid, at bigla na lang siyang lumubog, a in swoooksh! kala namin may monster na humila sa paa niya or what (yeah we watch a lot of fantasy movies din back then). nang makita naming nahila ang isa niyang leg sa butas, natawa kaming lahat habang umiiyak siya. lalo kaming natawa kasi fraidycat ang dating niya hahahaha. ang evil ng mga kabataan talaga ever ano?
naaliw lang ako sa pagflashback when i read an email from miss jo, our new college secretary oic sa masscomm, isang email na nakapagpangiti sa akin ngayong tanghali. eto nilagyan ko ng annotation kong sarili in [brackets].
enjoy! your youth only comes once. live it to the fullest. life's too short to dillydally on the sidelines. go to where the action is, pipol! like now!
isang pastime lang yan. ang isa pa ay ang main event -- ang maligo mismo sa ulan. lalo na kapag summer, tapos yung unang ulan ng abril o mayo ba yun e may ek na dapat maligo ka doon para for good luck yata or something superstitious like that. pero kahit hindi summer, basta malakas ang ulan, maliligo lang kami ever. dedma sa knowledge ng acid rain anesh? kasi naman noong panahong iyon e mababa pa ang reading ng air pollution index chenes ng maynila (at ng buong pilipinas to boot) kaya we were safe and okay. papasok lang sa bahay o time out lang kapag nilamig na sa ulan o nangulubut na ng sobra ang balat sa paa, whichever came first.
minsan naman, lalo na whenever i spent weekends or holidays in marikina, ang pastime naman doon e maglayag sa iba't ibang kalye kasi baha. as in hanggang bewang ng bata ang baha, which means bewang namin. and no, there was no danger of those rat thingie diseases like leptospirosis(sp?) chenes going on that time. eto buhay pa kami lahat o. dun naman, dahil sobrang provincial pa noon ang marikina (think may sapa-sapa areas pa noon doon with real live fishies kung saan may mga tunay na maningisda ka talagang makikita na nagfi-fish) at marami pang vacant areas and big lots with grass na kapag umulan nga e biglang nagiging fishpond, naaliw kaming rumonda kapag umuulan nang ganito. minsan nga, sa isang paglalayag, hindi namalayan ng isa namng kalaro na may bukas na manhole or something smaller sa isang gilid, at bigla na lang siyang lumubog, a in swoooksh! kala namin may monster na humila sa paa niya or what (yeah we watch a lot of fantasy movies din back then). nang makita naming nahila ang isa niyang leg sa butas, natawa kaming lahat habang umiiyak siya. lalo kaming natawa kasi fraidycat ang dating niya hahahaha. ang evil ng mga kabataan talaga ever ano?
naaliw lang ako sa pagflashback when i read an email from miss jo, our new college secretary oic sa masscomm, isang email na nakapagpangiti sa akin ngayong tanghali. eto nilagyan ko ng annotation kong sarili in [brackets].
enjoy! your youth only comes once. live it to the fullest. life's too short to dillydally on the sidelines. go to where the action is, pipol! like now!
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE 1950's, 60's and 70's !!
[yeah that means me! less than a year after martial law was declared, i was born into this planet]
First, some of us survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. ( sioktong ang inumin)
[hindi ako aware na ginawa ito ng nanay ko though, but i saw some titas do this wen they were pregnant -- kaya siguro ganyan iba kong pinsan hehehehe chos]
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, fish from a can ( brand : ligo ) , and didn't get tested for diabetes.
[true. konti lang din kasi ang choices back then]
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints , pati na yung laruang kabayu-kabayuhan.
[ay tru! meron ako ng kabayong yan! pero short-lived dahil meron yata akong hogan touch, as in pag hinawakan ko e nasisira hehehe at saka pinagpalit ko na siya sa bisikleta kong may pampasahero sa likod. yes at 3 years old, motorista na ako hehe]
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, no kneepads , sometimes wala ngang preno yung bisikleta.
[ay puta oo korek yan. have you ever heard of na yung paa ang pampreno ng bike? kaya mega-pudpod agad ang tsinelas na pinagtatakhan ng mga nanay namin noon hahaha]
As children, we would ride in car with no seat belts or air bags – hanggang ngayon naman, di ba ? ( jeep )
[super! i especially enjoyed riding my lolo's white toyota crown men, yung ang front seat ay parang sopa na diretso sa passenger seat side at hindi individually seated. ang kewl nun. tapos i tinker with the dial of the car radio na ang vintage lang ng hitsura even back then, before i even had the knowledge of what vintage meant]
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. ( maykaya kayo pare ! )
[rare nga ito. my papa called his pick-up (which was office-issues) a crewcab so that's what we called it.]
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle ( minsan straight from the faucet)
[tru. this is one of the wonders i had when i first started living independently in the mid-90s, bakit binibili ang tubig? nalost ako sa konsepto until i realized na sa bahay ng apala, laging may water filter sa mga gripo namin hehe]
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. Or contacted hepatitis.
We ate rice with tinunaw na purico ( dahil ubos na ang star margarine), nutribuns na galing kay macoy and drank sopdrinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight kasi nga.....
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
[as in! laman lang kami ng kalye. kahit yung mga kapitbahay naming mayayamang intsik e lumalabas paminsan minsan para makipaglaro kasi walang threat na kikidnapin sila]
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. Sarap mag patintero, tumbang preso , habulan taguan….
[unless ang nanay mo o lola mo, like mine, ay superfan ng siesta sessions after lunch, na pipilitin kang matulog bago lumarga ulit sa labas...i hated that.]
No one was able to reach us all day ( di uso ang celfon , walang beepers ). And we were O.K.
[hindi pa kasi praning ang mga panahong iyon, in general...and everybody knew where everybody was, most of the time...]
We would spend hours building our trolleys or slides out of scraps and then ride down the street, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
[pastime din naming humiram "by force" ng skateboard ng isang kapitbahay sa may taas ng kalye,, against his wishes, tapos we would take turns riding or learning how to ride it pabba sa kalye sa may area namin habang hinahabol niya kami hahaha. i think that guy's name was ruther. wotta name huh? i had weirdly named neighbors back then. pero okay na kami when my mom finally agreed to buy me my own skateboard. so we left ruther alone na. na na-sad siguro siya kaya he started hanging out with us hehe.]
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms....... ...WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
[oo nga! our mode of communication back then was the landline phone, kung meron man ang kalaro mong pldt line, o kaya papalakpakan kami sa tapat ng bahay/gate parang signal na lumabas ka na. mahilig din kaming magsayawan noon kaya pag may birthday sa bahay, gasgas ang vinyl record turntable player ng tita ko hehe]
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. The only rubbing we get is from our friends with the words…..masakit ba ? pero pag galit yung kalaro mo,,,,ang sasabihin sa iyo…..beh buti nga !
[tapos kuyugan na at maghahabulan]
We play in the dirt , wash our hands a little and ate with our barehands…we were not afraid of getting worms in our stomachs.
[reliable pa ang combantrin noon hahaha]
We have to live with homemade guns – gawa sa kahoy, tinali ng rubberband , sumpit , tirador at kung ano ano pa na puedeng makasakit…..pero walang nagrereklamo.
[oo nga. pag umiyak ka, mapababae man o lalaki, laos ka!]
made up games with sticks (syato)and cans (tumbang preso) and although we were told it would happen, wala naman tayong binulag o napatay… paminsan-minsan may nabubukulan.
[pare syato champion ako! magalig ako sumalo ng lumilipad na stick! at saka kaya kong tirahin siya ng malayo. and we had really good teamwork back then.]
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
[see above -- palakpakan mode]
Mini basketball teams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Walang sumasama ang loob.
[oo nga. naniniwala kami sa better luck next time. ngayon, magpapatayan pa e...]
Ang magulang ay nandoon lang para tingnan kung ayos lang ang bata…hindi para makialam.
[ay nako di uso ang stage parents noon ha plis lang. saka laos ka pag nagsumbong ka hahaha]
This generation of ours has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and managers ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the government regulated our lives for our own good.
and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!
PS - The big type is because your eyes may not be able to read this… at your age
16 August 2007
homebound + rainy film fare
sarap sanang magpakadalubhasa ngayong araw ng bakasyong ito dito sa espasyo sa ikalawang palapag ng aking kasalukuyang tirahan. nang lumubog ang araw, biglang lumamig, at maya-maya pa, sumunod na ang muling pagbuhos ng ulan na di naman nagparamdam buong maghapong ito...galing talaga ng PAG-ASA... pero mabuti na rin at nakapahinga ang mga kababayan ngayong basa ang kapaligiran... at tulad nga ng unang sinabi, masarap sanang magpakadalubhasa habang nagbabasa ng mga libro ukol sa panulat ng bakla, sa pagsusulat ng mga lesbiyana, at interbyu sa isa sa pinakamagaling na awtor na nabasa ko na nagkataong lesbiyana rin...
until buksan ng kapitbahay ang tv. at tumambad na naman ang samu't saring tunog mula sa mga teleserye sa gabi. hay... thin walls. i swear. inis.
so peaceful co-existence na lang. kaya here we are.
cine chichiryahan muna ulit.
LIE WITH ME
d. clement virgo
s. tamara berger from her novel of the same title
this is a very interesting film. i saw it when i was rummaging through my girlfriend's boxes of dvd collection. she recommended it so i took it with me.
what caught my eye was not the provocative poster design (but it helped a bit) but the casting of lauren lee smith as the sex-positive protagonist. but it also disturbed me that her love interest was played by this guy eric balfour, na if i am not mistaken was in the cast of SIX FEET UNDER's first season and was in a scene with the main daughter doon, involving toe-sucking at that. basta something weird like that, noong panahong okay pa ang pagkakasulat at pagkakadirek sa show na yun. but i digress.
wala, di ko lang kasi bet ang fez ng aktor na ito. pero sige na nga. matapang kasi siya. kung hubad, hubad! kahit bumuyangyang ang nota! same with lauren. ayuz. kaya siguro sila na-cast kasi wala silang kiyeme sa pag-arte...at maganda ito kasi walang kiyeme ang pelikula sa pagpapakita ng sex. sensual at hindi siya poornographic men. kaya i likes.
this film says it was also based on a novel. interesting to see how the novel was written, but i have a feeling it had a first person pov narrator, yung girl, na walang kiyeme sa sex. when she needs it and wants it, she gets it, sometimes without even caring about the other party involved, in this case she only sees it as the dick that will give her pleasure and make her come. man, how feminist! ayuz. ayoko lang yung medyo parang spacey floating characterization ng girl, pero okay rin na di siya ginawang super definitive sa stance regarding what she likes and hates. may konting air of mystery, childishness, sensuality and strong-willed pursuance of what she wants. and this would have fallen flat if not handled well by a good actress. and lauren is that. lezzies probably remember her best as that super malakas ang dating out and proud sous chef lara na crush ni kloseta dana the tennis player sa first season ng THE L WORD. andun din siya du sa tv series na MUTANT X ba yun na di ko mawari kung pinsan ba sila ng XMEN o ripoff galore. basta. di baga sa kanya ang mga ganung superhero chuchu role. but i digress.
simple lang ang story. tungkol lang sa pagkakilala ng guy sa girl. e yun guy may jowa na pero keber lang, tapos ang treatment sa buong pelikula e quiet lang, hindi scandalous affairs chenes, hindi pa-intelektwal o pa-philosophically emotional chenelyns whatnot na typical sa isang indie film -- and this is indeed an indie film. medyo dragging nga lang ang pacing. it could have used some cuts.
ayun. okay siya. not so great pero puwede na.
MAICLING PELICULA NANG YSANG INDIO NACIONAL (O ANG MAHABANG KALUNGKUTAN NG KATAGALUGAN)
d. raya martin
this well-circulated festival film is a product of a filmmaking grant from the germans, forgot lang the body. but it's a good one. it's so simple; maybe that's why almost every critic who saw this in the international circuit loved it.
it's just a compilation of short actualites of sorts, reminiscent of the lumiere brothers, borrowing the styles of the silent film era tradition, where vignettes about the daily life of turn of the century (last century) filipinos were shot, in true silent film style -- with title cards, in beautiful black and white, using static framing and non-moving shots, staged tableau-like as actors go about their businesses in full period costumes. simple lang. actually, puwede nga siyang pang-demo ng silent film sa class.
but if you're not a film buff, film historian, a cineaste or you don't care about the silent film/black and white/pre-sound film era, then you'll hate this. like this dude who just walked with me and struck up a conversation as i was making my way out of the cinema. he said "it's trash! they just pocketed the money!" i just grinned and let him have his rants aired. e ganyan talaga e, may gusto, may ayaw. wala naman tayong magagawa, kanya-kanyang taste yan e.
pero ako, i like it. kasi it was indeed daring in its approach and in what it wanted to do and show. not only did it show simple lives of indios back when documentation of it was not so possible, but it also showed some sense of pangangapa sa namumukadkad na nasyunalismo na noon pa lang nabubuo ang konsepto (may mga katipuneros chenes din ito).
interesting. it's a novelty in this day and age of the electronic media to do something like this, and mostly in celluloid. happy naman ang resulta. okay mag-isip itong si raya, keri ko siya. raya's a graduate of UPFI. met him online years ago when he thought he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his writer dad and writer brother, mayo uno, my friend and dumaguete workshop co-fellow. when i was co-editing a site called native's wish, he sent some articles. he writes well naman. that's the thing, i guess. he's also a good storyteller, that's why he's a good filmmaker.
ayuz.
OUIJA
d. toppel lee
now guess who's not a good storyteller. hence, going by the previous analogy, also not a good filmmaker.
man, this one here just included all the fucking cliches in the book about the horror film genre -- the scary music (mga jajaaaaaaan! every other turn), the nakakagulat na shots and sudden appearances of scary things esp the main "mumu" (na hello combined yata ng lahat ng imahe ng mga recent asian horror flick mumus, sus), and the sudden plot dumps that make you wanna stand up and take a dump na lang. mas pleasurable pa nga yata yung ganun e, kesa sa maupo dito sa sinehan watching this horrible waste of a few thousand pesos... hay. hindi siya keri ati. maganda lang ang sinematograpiya (forgot to see who lighted it), at eto lang ang aspetong nakapagpadilat sa akin sa loob ng mahigit isang oras sa sinehan... hay...
toppel really suffers from a major lack of understanding regarding visual storytelling, and good storytelling per se, as evident in his cinema one entry DILIM, na talaga namang mappaisip ka, mga 10 minutes before the film ends, saka ire-reveal na ay, aswang movie pala ito! wah. pero hindi siya na-prepare ever. hay...
i see his sense of wanting to do something creative with the film medium in both films, given the limited budget or limited artistic expression. pero ang nakapagdala lang sa kanya dito ay ang presensiya at esensiya ng mga beteranang aktor tulad nina judy ann santos at jolina magdangal, at yung iba pa, like iza calzado is good here, kasi nga wala nang kelangang gawin ang direktor kundi ma-capture niya ang performance nila, kasi magaling na sila to begin with...
hay. sayang. sayang oras. kaya binalanse ng isa pang pelikula ang araw na iyon...
SIMPSONS THE MOVIE
d.david silverman
doh! ang saya nito grabe.sabi nga ng girlfriend ko, mapapagod ka sa kakapanood kasi walang katapusan ang katatawanan. and she's right. sobrang nakakatawa ang pahinga lang e every 30 seconds di ka tatawa. basta grabe.
kakatuwa ang kuwento, at napahaba naman nila ng sapat para maging full-length ito. simple lang naman pero may relevance, sundot at dagok ang humor at storyline -- things i have loved sa simpsons ever since lumabas ito sa tv way back when i was in college ba, basta during the 90s. dami ko pang bart shirts nun a. hm asan na nga pala yun?
pollution ang statement sa film na ito, earth pollution and politics and non-awareness chenes. maganda siya. kapupulutan ng aral pero hindi rin shoved down our throats ang message -- things i liked about the storytelling of the show. nakakatuwa yung small snippets lalo na, like when that irish kid na crush ni lisa e ini-insist na hindi niya tatay si bono hahaha. saka yung sa ending, after all the credits, may naglilinis kunwari ng sinehan tapos sabi niya "four years of film school, and now this" or something like that. hahah natawa lang ako grabe sobra doon hahahah!
yan, yan ang storytelling!
*
hay. o sha, laterz na ulit.
until buksan ng kapitbahay ang tv. at tumambad na naman ang samu't saring tunog mula sa mga teleserye sa gabi. hay... thin walls. i swear. inis.
so peaceful co-existence na lang. kaya here we are.
cine chichiryahan muna ulit.
LIE WITH ME
d. clement virgo
s. tamara berger from her novel of the same title
this is a very interesting film. i saw it when i was rummaging through my girlfriend's boxes of dvd collection. she recommended it so i took it with me.
what caught my eye was not the provocative poster design (but it helped a bit) but the casting of lauren lee smith as the sex-positive protagonist. but it also disturbed me that her love interest was played by this guy eric balfour, na if i am not mistaken was in the cast of SIX FEET UNDER's first season and was in a scene with the main daughter doon, involving toe-sucking at that. basta something weird like that, noong panahong okay pa ang pagkakasulat at pagkakadirek sa show na yun. but i digress.
wala, di ko lang kasi bet ang fez ng aktor na ito. pero sige na nga. matapang kasi siya. kung hubad, hubad! kahit bumuyangyang ang nota! same with lauren. ayuz. kaya siguro sila na-cast kasi wala silang kiyeme sa pag-arte...at maganda ito kasi walang kiyeme ang pelikula sa pagpapakita ng sex. sensual at hindi siya poornographic men. kaya i likes.
this film says it was also based on a novel. interesting to see how the novel was written, but i have a feeling it had a first person pov narrator, yung girl, na walang kiyeme sa sex. when she needs it and wants it, she gets it, sometimes without even caring about the other party involved, in this case she only sees it as the dick that will give her pleasure and make her come. man, how feminist! ayuz. ayoko lang yung medyo parang spacey floating characterization ng girl, pero okay rin na di siya ginawang super definitive sa stance regarding what she likes and hates. may konting air of mystery, childishness, sensuality and strong-willed pursuance of what she wants. and this would have fallen flat if not handled well by a good actress. and lauren is that. lezzies probably remember her best as that super malakas ang dating out and proud sous chef lara na crush ni kloseta dana the tennis player sa first season ng THE L WORD. andun din siya du sa tv series na MUTANT X ba yun na di ko mawari kung pinsan ba sila ng XMEN o ripoff galore. basta. di baga sa kanya ang mga ganung superhero chuchu role. but i digress.
simple lang ang story. tungkol lang sa pagkakilala ng guy sa girl. e yun guy may jowa na pero keber lang, tapos ang treatment sa buong pelikula e quiet lang, hindi scandalous affairs chenes, hindi pa-intelektwal o pa-philosophically emotional chenelyns whatnot na typical sa isang indie film -- and this is indeed an indie film. medyo dragging nga lang ang pacing. it could have used some cuts.
ayun. okay siya. not so great pero puwede na.
MAICLING PELICULA NANG YSANG INDIO NACIONAL (O ANG MAHABANG KALUNGKUTAN NG KATAGALUGAN)
d. raya martin
this well-circulated festival film is a product of a filmmaking grant from the germans, forgot lang the body. but it's a good one. it's so simple; maybe that's why almost every critic who saw this in the international circuit loved it.
it's just a compilation of short actualites of sorts, reminiscent of the lumiere brothers, borrowing the styles of the silent film era tradition, where vignettes about the daily life of turn of the century (last century) filipinos were shot, in true silent film style -- with title cards, in beautiful black and white, using static framing and non-moving shots, staged tableau-like as actors go about their businesses in full period costumes. simple lang. actually, puwede nga siyang pang-demo ng silent film sa class.
but if you're not a film buff, film historian, a cineaste or you don't care about the silent film/black and white/pre-sound film era, then you'll hate this. like this dude who just walked with me and struck up a conversation as i was making my way out of the cinema. he said "it's trash! they just pocketed the money!" i just grinned and let him have his rants aired. e ganyan talaga e, may gusto, may ayaw. wala naman tayong magagawa, kanya-kanyang taste yan e.
pero ako, i like it. kasi it was indeed daring in its approach and in what it wanted to do and show. not only did it show simple lives of indios back when documentation of it was not so possible, but it also showed some sense of pangangapa sa namumukadkad na nasyunalismo na noon pa lang nabubuo ang konsepto (may mga katipuneros chenes din ito).
interesting. it's a novelty in this day and age of the electronic media to do something like this, and mostly in celluloid. happy naman ang resulta. okay mag-isip itong si raya, keri ko siya. raya's a graduate of UPFI. met him online years ago when he thought he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his writer dad and writer brother, mayo uno, my friend and dumaguete workshop co-fellow. when i was co-editing a site called native's wish, he sent some articles. he writes well naman. that's the thing, i guess. he's also a good storyteller, that's why he's a good filmmaker.
ayuz.
OUIJA
d. toppel lee
now guess who's not a good storyteller. hence, going by the previous analogy, also not a good filmmaker.
man, this one here just included all the fucking cliches in the book about the horror film genre -- the scary music (mga jajaaaaaaan! every other turn), the nakakagulat na shots and sudden appearances of scary things esp the main "mumu" (na hello combined yata ng lahat ng imahe ng mga recent asian horror flick mumus, sus), and the sudden plot dumps that make you wanna stand up and take a dump na lang. mas pleasurable pa nga yata yung ganun e, kesa sa maupo dito sa sinehan watching this horrible waste of a few thousand pesos... hay. hindi siya keri ati. maganda lang ang sinematograpiya (forgot to see who lighted it), at eto lang ang aspetong nakapagpadilat sa akin sa loob ng mahigit isang oras sa sinehan... hay...
toppel really suffers from a major lack of understanding regarding visual storytelling, and good storytelling per se, as evident in his cinema one entry DILIM, na talaga namang mappaisip ka, mga 10 minutes before the film ends, saka ire-reveal na ay, aswang movie pala ito! wah. pero hindi siya na-prepare ever. hay...
i see his sense of wanting to do something creative with the film medium in both films, given the limited budget or limited artistic expression. pero ang nakapagdala lang sa kanya dito ay ang presensiya at esensiya ng mga beteranang aktor tulad nina judy ann santos at jolina magdangal, at yung iba pa, like iza calzado is good here, kasi nga wala nang kelangang gawin ang direktor kundi ma-capture niya ang performance nila, kasi magaling na sila to begin with...
hay. sayang. sayang oras. kaya binalanse ng isa pang pelikula ang araw na iyon...
SIMPSONS THE MOVIE
d.david silverman
doh! ang saya nito grabe.sabi nga ng girlfriend ko, mapapagod ka sa kakapanood kasi walang katapusan ang katatawanan. and she's right. sobrang nakakatawa ang pahinga lang e every 30 seconds di ka tatawa. basta grabe.
kakatuwa ang kuwento, at napahaba naman nila ng sapat para maging full-length ito. simple lang naman pero may relevance, sundot at dagok ang humor at storyline -- things i have loved sa simpsons ever since lumabas ito sa tv way back when i was in college ba, basta during the 90s. dami ko pang bart shirts nun a. hm asan na nga pala yun?
pollution ang statement sa film na ito, earth pollution and politics and non-awareness chenes. maganda siya. kapupulutan ng aral pero hindi rin shoved down our throats ang message -- things i liked about the storytelling of the show. nakakatuwa yung small snippets lalo na, like when that irish kid na crush ni lisa e ini-insist na hindi niya tatay si bono hahaha. saka yung sa ending, after all the credits, may naglilinis kunwari ng sinehan tapos sabi niya "four years of film school, and now this" or something like that. hahah natawa lang ako grabe sobra doon hahahah!
yan, yan ang storytelling!
*
hay. o sha, laterz na ulit.
15 August 2007
signal number what?
the stars said today:
man that is so swak. talk about pushing love away. ewan... wala, minsan talaga ang plip ko lang. pero i'm just so glad this one has such a deep well of understanding and practical smarts that it makes me wake up and smell the psychosis. so i give myself a dose of those which we realize will make us mark our ways when things go awry.
ah basta. yun na yun.
*
wala na namang pasok bukas? hm, isa lang masasabi ko.... yehei!!!!!!!!!!
haha.
*
at dahil walang pasok ako kanina (my self-imposed bossing-blessed weekly day off) ay na-spare ang byuti ko ng malalakas na ulan at hangin sa labas. masarap matulog hanggang tanghali...hanggang ang isa dyan ay nang-istorbo't tumawag at naghahanap ng koneksyon kay lino cayetano! hahahaha! kulit niyo marns! pero anyway, gudlak diyan sa inyo hahahah. koleth. kala ko nananaginip pa ko nang sagutin ko phone. far out haha.
pero okay na rin at nagising ako kanina, kasi gutom na yung pusa ko at nakatanghod na siya sa aking ilong when i woke up. baka paggising ko e wala na kong ilong at nilapa na niya hehe. pero hindi pa naman siya carnivore. labs lang nya ko. at minamasahe pa niya ko! hehe oo masahista ang ket ko, super. mabigat ang paws niya e. nanganak nga pala to kaya post kao pics sa mga gustong mag-adopt ng kitten diyan. kyut sila lahat pramis.
so just spent the daylight reading up on things for my thesis and also taking care of my desktop computer na matagal ko nang nakaligtaang alagaan. so while doing that, i was also able to jazz up my second floor room anew, with posters and pictures to boot, plus my new working space pa e nabuhay ko ulit. masaya naman. hapi ako. eto's binibinyagan ko na nga right now e o.
i also put up some of my framed photos from the old exhibit at penguin, plus two posters na ever-present sa life ko saan mang wall ako mapatira: isang lgbt-related poster (this time the pride march 2006 poster featuring the anti-discrimination bill) and my small GIRL, INTERRUPTED poster. i so heart that movie kasi, and the actresses that played there -- winona ryder, the it girl of my youth and angelina jolie, the it girl of my lesbian adult life. malaki ang wall pero minimalist pa rin ang arrive kahit may mga posters na na ganito. kakatuwa. at last nabuhayan na naman ang second floor chenes dito. and the cat likes it here, too. so dito muna kami.
kapag ganitong masarap at malamig ang panahon, masarap lang tumambay sa bahay ng ganito.
sana marami pang mga araw na ganito.
*
some feedback. you're welcome cha. keep it up. good work. stay grounded.
Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20)
You have a lot to say about your feelings today, especially as they pertain to family issues. Nevertheless you are better off expressing your love in deed rather than by just talking about it now. Taking care of loved ones can be a source of pleasure, but don't be overprotective; that can push others away instead of drawing them closer.
man that is so swak. talk about pushing love away. ewan... wala, minsan talaga ang plip ko lang. pero i'm just so glad this one has such a deep well of understanding and practical smarts that it makes me wake up and smell the psychosis. so i give myself a dose of those which we realize will make us mark our ways when things go awry.
ah basta. yun na yun.
*
wala na namang pasok bukas? hm, isa lang masasabi ko.... yehei!!!!!!!!!!
haha.
*
at dahil walang pasok ako kanina (my self-imposed bossing-blessed weekly day off) ay na-spare ang byuti ko ng malalakas na ulan at hangin sa labas. masarap matulog hanggang tanghali...hanggang ang isa dyan ay nang-istorbo't tumawag at naghahanap ng koneksyon kay lino cayetano! hahahaha! kulit niyo marns! pero anyway, gudlak diyan sa inyo hahahah. koleth. kala ko nananaginip pa ko nang sagutin ko phone. far out haha.
pero okay na rin at nagising ako kanina, kasi gutom na yung pusa ko at nakatanghod na siya sa aking ilong when i woke up. baka paggising ko e wala na kong ilong at nilapa na niya hehe. pero hindi pa naman siya carnivore. labs lang nya ko. at minamasahe pa niya ko! hehe oo masahista ang ket ko, super. mabigat ang paws niya e. nanganak nga pala to kaya post kao pics sa mga gustong mag-adopt ng kitten diyan. kyut sila lahat pramis.
so just spent the daylight reading up on things for my thesis and also taking care of my desktop computer na matagal ko nang nakaligtaang alagaan. so while doing that, i was also able to jazz up my second floor room anew, with posters and pictures to boot, plus my new working space pa e nabuhay ko ulit. masaya naman. hapi ako. eto's binibinyagan ko na nga right now e o.
i also put up some of my framed photos from the old exhibit at penguin, plus two posters na ever-present sa life ko saan mang wall ako mapatira: isang lgbt-related poster (this time the pride march 2006 poster featuring the anti-discrimination bill) and my small GIRL, INTERRUPTED poster. i so heart that movie kasi, and the actresses that played there -- winona ryder, the it girl of my youth and angelina jolie, the it girl of my lesbian adult life. malaki ang wall pero minimalist pa rin ang arrive kahit may mga posters na na ganito. kakatuwa. at last nabuhayan na naman ang second floor chenes dito. and the cat likes it here, too. so dito muna kami.
kapag ganitong masarap at malamig ang panahon, masarap lang tumambay sa bahay ng ganito.
sana marami pang mga araw na ganito.
*
some feedback. you're welcome cha. keep it up. good work. stay grounded.
14 August 2007
pakyawanthoughts
bad trip talaga ang monthly curse ng kababaihan. eto at di ako nakatuloy sa tatlong lakad today because of this. bummer. so next time na lang nga.
pero kinakausap rin ako ng stars, sa aking readings this past 3 days.
sabi nung sunday:
tama siya. dapat konekment ever ang private sa public..pero di rin dapat masyado. dapat selected lang din.
sabi naman kahapon:
oo nga. indecision galore nga kahapon, especially after sitting in endless consecutive meetings. lalaki lalo ang malaki ko nang wepaks. hay...pero i like that term ha. "emotional renewal." it rhymes pa.
eto ngayon lang:
hm. food for thought ito. magandang abiso ng kalawakan... kaya dapat pakinggan. oks. check yan.
*
i am liking my scriptwriting class this sem. unlike last sem na namakyaw ako ng yema dahil sa hindi sila nagsasalita, dito sa klaseng ito ngayon ay puro salita naman at nauubusan ako ng oras. pero mas maganda na yung ganun kesa sa nakatanghod lang sila sa akin. i really hate that. we actually hate that, all of us who teach. kasi walang feedback e. teaching is kinda like stand-up comedy, na after the punchline e receive mo agad ang applause o boo. dito sa pagtuturo, after the lesson, dapat i-check kung nagets nila o kunwari lang nagets. dalawa lang naman yan e. pero tuwa ako sa klase now kasi nga at least they speak! and feedback agad, kahit minsan nahihiya. pero constant pa rin ang hiya sa workshops. minsan may mga pikon. may sensitibo. pero mas maraming ayaw mag-criticize. either takot maka-offend o sobrang bait lang. or both. sana mas decisive pa ang mga bata ngayon. but at least marami pa ring patungo sa direksiyong ito.
*
hm magre-react na ko sa dami ng holidays this month ha. pero at least tinatamaan ang mga di dapat tamaan sa akin if ever. like aug 20 and 27, both mondays, walang pasok officially. sa thursday afternoon naman, acle-time sa peyups kaya tinamaan ang isa kong klase. last week naman binagyo. hm. sabagay happiness naman ako sa mga ganitong holiday mode. for more...! chos.
maganda lang sa weather lately kasi nakaka-inspire magsulat creatively. may nanganak na namang bagong kuwento sa utak ko kaya eto't pahapyaw ko silang sinulat para di makalimutan. sana more days to come pa na ganito -- not too hot pero hindi rin rainy. at lamig-baguio ang feel. sarap! kape na lang kulang sa tabi ng bangin at cafe by the ruins na ang drama natin. chos.
*
speaking of kape, sarap ng cordillera coffee concoctions last friday sa FRIDAY FILM BAR sa bernal gallery. endless refill of hot or iced coffee ang hinain nila sa mga manonood. meron ding native iced tea na endless refill din. kakaiba siya ng lasa at masarap, although sabi ng aming cinema programmer na si nonoy na mas masarap kung hot tea siya. puwede rin.
saya din ng musical number ni kuya sammy of pinikpikan. kakatuwa rin yung drum playing ni budeths, also of pinik. ganun pala ang debakan, skin drum pero puwedeng hampasin ng sticks. now that's my kind of thang! may ganun nga daw sabi ni teta. puwede kong i-explore, dahil talagang naghahanap ng stix ang kamay ko kapag hahampas ako ng percs. pero skin drums with stix? yun ang...pag-iisipan. hm...
this coming friday mas masaya kasi the whole pinikpikan will be there na. enjoy ito ati! dami na kasing nakaka-miss sa kanila ever since hindi na sila monthly lumalabas sa 70s bistro, kaya kahit saan e dinadayo ng pinikheads.
sobrang retro mode lang din last friday. kasi dumating as special guest si direk jomari avellana, son of the late national artist for film lamberto avellana. kasama ko siya sa premiere productions dati dahil friend siya ng boss ko at siya ang scriptwriter ng film project kung saang team ako involved, ang ANAK NG BULKAN remake.ang saya, mega-flashback ako! hay...katuwa lang yung family na yun kasi yung mom niya, si ms daisy, ay philippine theater maven at na-interview ko before when i was doing a piece on phil. theater for mabuhay magazine. na nagkataong anak din niya yung photographer ng magazine that time, si bats. super small na talaga ng world ano? as in.
*
some feedback.
thanks for the comment tabel. ganyan talaga ang buhay manunulat, dapat sulat lang ng sulat, para di kalawangin. so go lang din dapat kayo ng go, oks? ayuz.
o sya fly muna ko.
pero kinakausap rin ako ng stars, sa aking readings this past 3 days.
sabi nung sunday:
Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20)
The New Moon today falls in your 4th House of Roots, reminding you to deepen your soul connection with your home, family and yourself. Although this can play out in a variety of ways, you will likely be thinking about your past as your attention turns inward. But this doesn't indicate a total withdrawal from social activities. Instead, strive to connect your private inner life with your public outer circumstances.
tama siya. dapat konekment ever ang private sa public..pero di rin dapat masyado. dapat selected lang din.
sabi naman kahapon:
Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20)
The Moon in Taurus-friendly Virgo could be creating an emotional renewal for you, yet there is also another influence bubbling up from deep within your soul today. You may be at odds with yourself as your most sensible ideas give rise to corresponding uncertainties. Above all, stay in touch with your indecision, even if it makes you uneasy.
eto ngayon lang:
Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20)
An authority figure may now be the source of confusion, which can make you unsure how to respond. The uncertainty likely stems from a simple misunderstanding rather than a real difference of opinion. It might be frustrating if you try to clarify the issues, for the more that is said now, the less you know. Instead of attempting to find the truth, let things sit for a day or two.
hm. food for thought ito. magandang abiso ng kalawakan... kaya dapat pakinggan. oks. check yan.
*
i am liking my scriptwriting class this sem. unlike last sem na namakyaw ako ng yema dahil sa hindi sila nagsasalita, dito sa klaseng ito ngayon ay puro salita naman at nauubusan ako ng oras. pero mas maganda na yung ganun kesa sa nakatanghod lang sila sa akin. i really hate that. we actually hate that, all of us who teach. kasi walang feedback e. teaching is kinda like stand-up comedy, na after the punchline e receive mo agad ang applause o boo. dito sa pagtuturo, after the lesson, dapat i-check kung nagets nila o kunwari lang nagets. dalawa lang naman yan e. pero tuwa ako sa klase now kasi nga at least they speak! and feedback agad, kahit minsan nahihiya. pero constant pa rin ang hiya sa workshops. minsan may mga pikon. may sensitibo. pero mas maraming ayaw mag-criticize. either takot maka-offend o sobrang bait lang. or both. sana mas decisive pa ang mga bata ngayon. but at least marami pa ring patungo sa direksiyong ito.
*
hm magre-react na ko sa dami ng holidays this month ha. pero at least tinatamaan ang mga di dapat tamaan sa akin if ever. like aug 20 and 27, both mondays, walang pasok officially. sa thursday afternoon naman, acle-time sa peyups kaya tinamaan ang isa kong klase. last week naman binagyo. hm. sabagay happiness naman ako sa mga ganitong holiday mode. for more...! chos.
maganda lang sa weather lately kasi nakaka-inspire magsulat creatively. may nanganak na namang bagong kuwento sa utak ko kaya eto't pahapyaw ko silang sinulat para di makalimutan. sana more days to come pa na ganito -- not too hot pero hindi rin rainy. at lamig-baguio ang feel. sarap! kape na lang kulang sa tabi ng bangin at cafe by the ruins na ang drama natin. chos.
*
speaking of kape, sarap ng cordillera coffee concoctions last friday sa FRIDAY FILM BAR sa bernal gallery. endless refill of hot or iced coffee ang hinain nila sa mga manonood. meron ding native iced tea na endless refill din. kakaiba siya ng lasa at masarap, although sabi ng aming cinema programmer na si nonoy na mas masarap kung hot tea siya. puwede rin.
saya din ng musical number ni kuya sammy of pinikpikan. kakatuwa rin yung drum playing ni budeths, also of pinik. ganun pala ang debakan, skin drum pero puwedeng hampasin ng sticks. now that's my kind of thang! may ganun nga daw sabi ni teta. puwede kong i-explore, dahil talagang naghahanap ng stix ang kamay ko kapag hahampas ako ng percs. pero skin drums with stix? yun ang...pag-iisipan. hm...
this coming friday mas masaya kasi the whole pinikpikan will be there na. enjoy ito ati! dami na kasing nakaka-miss sa kanila ever since hindi na sila monthly lumalabas sa 70s bistro, kaya kahit saan e dinadayo ng pinikheads.
sobrang retro mode lang din last friday. kasi dumating as special guest si direk jomari avellana, son of the late national artist for film lamberto avellana. kasama ko siya sa premiere productions dati dahil friend siya ng boss ko at siya ang scriptwriter ng film project kung saang team ako involved, ang ANAK NG BULKAN remake.ang saya, mega-flashback ako! hay...katuwa lang yung family na yun kasi yung mom niya, si ms daisy, ay philippine theater maven at na-interview ko before when i was doing a piece on phil. theater for mabuhay magazine. na nagkataong anak din niya yung photographer ng magazine that time, si bats. super small na talaga ng world ano? as in.
*
some feedback.
thanks for the comment tabel. ganyan talaga ang buhay manunulat, dapat sulat lang ng sulat, para di kalawangin. so go lang din dapat kayo ng go, oks? ayuz.
o sya fly muna ko.
12 August 2007
!yey! + mkna mania
some publication news arrived in my emailbox earlier. and i am happy about it! but it also saddens me because an ongoing hypothesis of mine about writers and publication in this country has, once again, been validated -- and by my own writing at that! oh well. wait til the real chic hits the fan...diyan tayo magkakasubukan hehehe.
cryptic yuson na ba senyoh? hehe. basta. abangan na lang ever ang susunod na kabanata...
*
also had some nice reaffirming chenes earlier with my parents. basta. happy siya.
*
was in marikina the whole afternoon and early evening. it's really strange, funny and pleasant how this once little town of mine (now a city na) was such a murky and mucky place. look at it now. hanef sa change.
before heading home, i decided to check out the rodriguez sports complex. iba na pala ang name niya, marikina sports park na, according to the small leaflet of facilities rental fees this sleepy and clueless lady from their marketing dept handed to me. i've been meaning to check out this place because a friend told me that there's a pool inside and it's a nice public pool. although another friend kinda contested that.
but i'm more interested if i could just walk around the oval there for exercise. and yeah, i discovered i can. and for a five-peso entrance fee, you could get in and just do your thang. ang dami palang gumagamit doon. extra pay na lang sa per hora na use ng facilities like the courts and some other areas. nice siya!
the first and last time i was able to enter this place was way back in high school during one of those CAT competitions. i forgot what CAT means na pero di ba if you are junios and seniors, you are required to have some kind of military training chenes, kinda like the ROTC in college. pero alam ko scrapped na ito e, kaya the kids these days don't have to suffer like we did...
horrible days yun. bad trip. i hated fridays because of that. that early, i never really had a penchant for anything military-related or military-treated, starting with calling me by my last name. how i loathed that. parang nakaka-dehumanize e. nawawala ang individuality mo -- which i think is the point of military training anyway, kasi nga dapat cohesive unit chenes kayong lahat blah. pweh. hated it.
kaya nga i hated it din when i tried to join the rifle pistol team in college dati. i got past the auditions ba ang tawag doon, na magte-test shoot ka para makapasa. pare, topnotcher ini. hehe. tapos nung orientation, puta militar ang orientation ng mga punyetang tao doon. i thought they shoot for sports, but no. turn off ang lola mo. iba na lang ang pinuntirya ko... asar. at sayang. sayang sila. hm no wonder walang gaanong tibak na nag-org dun...
so of course that CAT thing also taught us marksmanship and some map reading chenes, two of the things i appreciated and really liked out of that horrible experience. part of the thing is the drill march ek, and there's always an inter-school competition about this. now that one i liked, too. i dunno, attracted ako sa coordinated movements talaga e, be it dance or this marching thing. so we went to the sports complex to join the competition. but even if i was suited up with my dummy m1garand in tow, the platoon leader decided to bench me. kasi nga i was in a special action squad, which was a nice way of labeling kids who were not meant for the rigors of this CAT training, ergo mga sakitin or whatnot. e si miss hika ako noon kaya doon ako. pero sa marches, kasama kami. kaya memorya ko ang choreo (ah okay tama, kaya ako attracted kasi may choreo kahit papaano ito). so my friends got to march in the scorching heat, with their full uniforms na punyeta ang init. gudlak diba. nalimutan ko na kung nanalo kami o hindi. hindi yata. but i didn't give a damn. kasi nga i hated the whole idea and philosophy behint it. i guess way back then, i was all for individuality na agad. hm, interesting...
the sports complex i remember way back then was not as nice as now, syempre. marikina was still in a quagmire of sloppy corruption back then, unlike now. organized na lahat -- and if i hear it right, pati mga sideline diyan. but man, whatever works! go lang! e sa ang ganda na ng lugar eh! hanep nga e.
i walked one round sa oval just to see the whole place, and made tambay in one of the benches. ang galing, you could be anonymous there and it won't look freakish. i also hung out at the bleachers and it gave me a nice view of the place. yun nga lang, yosing-yosi na ko later on pero bawal kasi kaya lumabas na rin ako agad hehe. masama!
now i know what my friend ging was telling me about when she said that she had a spot sa ULTRA stadium or something. ganito pala yun. like one quiet spot up there in the bleachers, where the wind can reach you but no one else can, if you didn't want them to. nice. relate na ko mare. ayuz.
when i got home naman, i caught on cinemax this '80s flick na one of my favorites of all time, just because: THE LOST BOYS. who could ever forget the vampiric role of kiefer sutherland homoerotically recruiting jason patric to be part of their brood, all because the head vampire of the small town is wooing jason's movie mom dianne wiest. also featuring the hottest teen stars back then, corey haim and corey feldman. man i am so dating myself with this one. basta, simple lang siya pero okay ang temperament at treatment kaya siguro parang classic ang dating niya. interesting siya kung type mo ang mga vampire chenes na ganyan like me, pero hindi yung super campy vampire chenes na a la elvira na ha. yun di ko type.
hm, napansin ko lang sa '80s flicks, mahilig ang teenagers mag-motorsiklo. hm.
kaya veg out mode lang right now. sa dami ng senses na na-overload sa akin today, i needed a break from the rest of my existence. so there...
*
some feedback pala. yes misanthrope, tag mo na ko. go go go. ano ba mangyayari dun? ngayon ko lang naalala.
renchie ikaw ba yan? nag-comment sa tagboard? musta naaaaa!!!!! san ka na dude!
ano na nangyari sa tagboard ko?
chard ok thanks for the link. ingat.
*
o sa mga interesado, text ni cynthia:
naaadik akong panoorin yung tabla dude na yan ever. ngek kanina pala yun bistro. sayang... kasi jojo, bat di mo binili yung tabla sa delhi hehehe bibilin ko from you yon e! hehe. sayang. tablado na sana ko ngayon hehehe. wala. inggit mode pa rin lang ako sa new bangkok djembe ni ate jen...hehe.
pak dagadung tshk!
cryptic yuson na ba senyoh? hehe. basta. abangan na lang ever ang susunod na kabanata...
*
also had some nice reaffirming chenes earlier with my parents. basta. happy siya.
*
was in marikina the whole afternoon and early evening. it's really strange, funny and pleasant how this once little town of mine (now a city na) was such a murky and mucky place. look at it now. hanef sa change.
before heading home, i decided to check out the rodriguez sports complex. iba na pala ang name niya, marikina sports park na, according to the small leaflet of facilities rental fees this sleepy and clueless lady from their marketing dept handed to me. i've been meaning to check out this place because a friend told me that there's a pool inside and it's a nice public pool. although another friend kinda contested that.
but i'm more interested if i could just walk around the oval there for exercise. and yeah, i discovered i can. and for a five-peso entrance fee, you could get in and just do your thang. ang dami palang gumagamit doon. extra pay na lang sa per hora na use ng facilities like the courts and some other areas. nice siya!
the first and last time i was able to enter this place was way back in high school during one of those CAT competitions. i forgot what CAT means na pero di ba if you are junios and seniors, you are required to have some kind of military training chenes, kinda like the ROTC in college. pero alam ko scrapped na ito e, kaya the kids these days don't have to suffer like we did...
horrible days yun. bad trip. i hated fridays because of that. that early, i never really had a penchant for anything military-related or military-treated, starting with calling me by my last name. how i loathed that. parang nakaka-dehumanize e. nawawala ang individuality mo -- which i think is the point of military training anyway, kasi nga dapat cohesive unit chenes kayong lahat blah. pweh. hated it.
kaya nga i hated it din when i tried to join the rifle pistol team in college dati. i got past the auditions ba ang tawag doon, na magte-test shoot ka para makapasa. pare, topnotcher ini. hehe. tapos nung orientation, puta militar ang orientation ng mga punyetang tao doon. i thought they shoot for sports, but no. turn off ang lola mo. iba na lang ang pinuntirya ko... asar. at sayang. sayang sila. hm no wonder walang gaanong tibak na nag-org dun...
so of course that CAT thing also taught us marksmanship and some map reading chenes, two of the things i appreciated and really liked out of that horrible experience. part of the thing is the drill march ek, and there's always an inter-school competition about this. now that one i liked, too. i dunno, attracted ako sa coordinated movements talaga e, be it dance or this marching thing. so we went to the sports complex to join the competition. but even if i was suited up with my dummy m1garand in tow, the platoon leader decided to bench me. kasi nga i was in a special action squad, which was a nice way of labeling kids who were not meant for the rigors of this CAT training, ergo mga sakitin or whatnot. e si miss hika ako noon kaya doon ako. pero sa marches, kasama kami. kaya memorya ko ang choreo (ah okay tama, kaya ako attracted kasi may choreo kahit papaano ito). so my friends got to march in the scorching heat, with their full uniforms na punyeta ang init. gudlak diba. nalimutan ko na kung nanalo kami o hindi. hindi yata. but i didn't give a damn. kasi nga i hated the whole idea and philosophy behint it. i guess way back then, i was all for individuality na agad. hm, interesting...
the sports complex i remember way back then was not as nice as now, syempre. marikina was still in a quagmire of sloppy corruption back then, unlike now. organized na lahat -- and if i hear it right, pati mga sideline diyan. but man, whatever works! go lang! e sa ang ganda na ng lugar eh! hanep nga e.
i walked one round sa oval just to see the whole place, and made tambay in one of the benches. ang galing, you could be anonymous there and it won't look freakish. i also hung out at the bleachers and it gave me a nice view of the place. yun nga lang, yosing-yosi na ko later on pero bawal kasi kaya lumabas na rin ako agad hehe. masama!
now i know what my friend ging was telling me about when she said that she had a spot sa ULTRA stadium or something. ganito pala yun. like one quiet spot up there in the bleachers, where the wind can reach you but no one else can, if you didn't want them to. nice. relate na ko mare. ayuz.
when i got home naman, i caught on cinemax this '80s flick na one of my favorites of all time, just because: THE LOST BOYS. who could ever forget the vampiric role of kiefer sutherland homoerotically recruiting jason patric to be part of their brood, all because the head vampire of the small town is wooing jason's movie mom dianne wiest. also featuring the hottest teen stars back then, corey haim and corey feldman. man i am so dating myself with this one. basta, simple lang siya pero okay ang temperament at treatment kaya siguro parang classic ang dating niya. interesting siya kung type mo ang mga vampire chenes na ganyan like me, pero hindi yung super campy vampire chenes na a la elvira na ha. yun di ko type.
hm, napansin ko lang sa '80s flicks, mahilig ang teenagers mag-motorsiklo. hm.
kaya veg out mode lang right now. sa dami ng senses na na-overload sa akin today, i needed a break from the rest of my existence. so there...
*
some feedback pala. yes misanthrope, tag mo na ko. go go go. ano ba mangyayari dun? ngayon ko lang naalala.
renchie ikaw ba yan? nag-comment sa tagboard? musta naaaaa!!!!! san ka na dude!
ano na nangyari sa tagboard ko?
chard ok thanks for the link. ingat.
*
o sa mga interesado, text ni cynthia:
August gigs with Cynthia Alexander (Malu Matute on synth, backing vocals, percussion; Charanjit Wasu on tabla; Simon Tan on bass; Dan Shepherd on lapsteel).
Aug 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 tiendesitas
Aug 4, 25 conspiracy
Aug 11 70s bistro
Aug 17 magnet bonifacio highstreet
Aug 24 magnet katipunan
naaadik akong panoorin yung tabla dude na yan ever. ngek kanina pala yun bistro. sayang... kasi jojo, bat di mo binili yung tabla sa delhi hehehe bibilin ko from you yon e! hehe. sayang. tablado na sana ko ngayon hehehe. wala. inggit mode pa rin lang ako sa new bangkok djembe ni ate jen...hehe.
pak dagadung tshk!
11 August 2007
sons of bitches, daughters of bastards, and the parents of the proud
sometimes i pity people who are the offspring of people who have made a name in their respective fields or who have etched some kind of niche using their genuine nature-blessed and hardwork-earned talent and skill, especially those who had to face real hardships and had to face real adversaries and obstacles in order to achieve their ambitions, goals and dreams in their own lives.
the children of these people sometimes have it easy or have it harder. not hard, harder, because their parents serve as more than mere yardsticks to measure themselves up to baga. like i have this poet friend who is the child of famous writers. my poet friend told me that he finds it weird that some people gush to him when they realize who his parents are. and he will retort "sila sambahin niyo, hindi ako" or something to that effect. i know it also gives him undue pressure to be as excellent in the same field as his parents, as is what's expected of offspring in general in this country. hence, we see the family of doctors, architects, lawyers etc. that's why firms have the "lastname and sons" type of title in their family businesses. it's expected.
i remember seeing a docu about bruce lee's son brandon lee. one time when he was auditioning for a role, someone scribbled at the back of his headshot photo "bruce lee's son" and when he saw that the audition officer saw that, his world kinda crumbled. that's because he would have preferred getting the role using his own merit, without the blessing-cum-burden of being named as the offspring of the bruce lee. imagine the pressure on him! poor guy. may he rest in peace. his dad, too.
most times i just loathe those who freely ride the coattails of their parents to get to places and heights they could never even imagine, let alone reach with their own two feet. there's a lot of that going on especially in the arts scene, any arts, name it, it's there. they're there. like who gives a flying fuck if their father is the famous painter or their mother is the famous singer or whatever. if they use their parents to get from point a to b, fine. maybe sometimes they have to do that. maybe it's a survival instinct of sorts. if they use their parents' name to jump the line from point a to point z, that's another thing altogether. it's worse a million times more than the first one. but what's even worse is if they use their parents' name to bully, elbow and threaten their way in jumping from point a to point z. now that sucks to high heaven. as in.
there are even subcategories within this certain category of coattail riders. but the subcategory i kinda pity are those who were just incidentally caught on the coattails and didn't have the choice, guts, brains or natural ability/agility to unhook themselves for most part of their lives. thus, they live within the shadows of their parents, being dragged and all as they are involuntarily hooked and dragged along unknowingly. thus, they end up with their heads being bounced along, experiencing every pothole or hump and all textures along the way. they get internal hemorrhage without them even knowing, nor their parents. thus, they end up damaged and derailed, most times a menace to their own self and to the society at large. in short, they need therapy. big time. like forever. at now na.
now i think the topper of this is the combination of the hemorrhaged coattail rider and the bullying to point a to z coattail rider. that is just the pits, and they have their own reservations in a private level within one of the circles of hell. reservation just for them, yes, parang sinehan sa mall, reserved seating for one screening only. sila reserved seating for one eternity.
masaya sana if the offspring and their parents share their lives and end up being talent tandems. like i met this comics artist who shares the same interest with his kid, his less than ten year old kid, and they both draw and make comics. now that is just the sweetest. i also have friends who are this kind of offspring but on a different level. like they choose to co-exist within the artistic frame but not necessarily doing the same thing. they use another medium or experiment on their own, and their parents encourage them, not force them, or just keep silent but are silently cheering them on in the background. everybody happy. no one's breathing down each other's neck baga. happy yon.
on the other hand, i also pity the parents who are proud of what they have done and achieved but sadly, no one from their brood wanted to take the same path, not even take a peek man lang. they run towards the opposite direction. the offspring have their own reasons for running anyway, and we know and believe reasons are aplenty. and we also respect those reasons. i also have friends like this.
but focusing on the parents who are nice enough naman as parents, sad lang ako that they cannot share their passion and knowledge with their own. like my former movie boss who's such a young person at heart when it comes to the love of cinema and filmmaking that we secretly call him "daddy groovy." because of his good looks and swagger (men, he is da original mister suabe ha, complete with hair pomada and stylish shades at the age of 50), he sired lotsa children within and outside showbiz. well, his clan is known to do that naman. human version ng cloud seeding yata ang pastime nila. however, none of his children even took to the camera and started loving what's in front of it. no one was awed by this mechanical wonder as anne rice described it. so when i met him, we clicked, and young as i was, i became his somewhat adopted cinematic daughter and he was my adopted cinematic daddy groovy. i can see the spark in his eyes whenever we would talk about filmmaking in the office or in the sets of our films, and i noted the sadness in his voice when he mentioned one day during those talks that none of his kids (legit or otherwise) had the same family interest. after all, he was also the proud kid of parents who established a niche in philippine cinema history. "walang hilig" sabi pa niya, sabay iling. i felt genuinely sad for the man...
well, these are the thoughts that went through my head this friday midnight or early saturday morning, depending on your state of mind (and to paraphrase alanis). kasi i saw some of these kids and parents tonight in our friday film bar event, and that's also why i'm steering clear of the current cinemanila. don't want to see more of these kinds of offspring, especially the ones with reservations in hell. sad sila.
what's also sad is the fact that another former movie boss and mentor, miss boots, is sad. tito pete died yesterday. i saw it on the news. i don't think i could muster the strength to go to arlington and visit her now in this state. but knowing her strong and diplomatic demeanor, she would still be shining bright there even if her most precious person is now gone. man, i don't think i can handle that... i have this thing with deaths and funerals. i try to avoid attending wakes. it's just sheer sadness. and i pity the ones who have been left... hay naku. doon sana ko pupunta tonight after the film bar launch but... not enough courage talaga. hirap... hay. sad. :(
hodgepodge ang araw na ito. not to mention i am quite loveless this weekend due to busy duties tying up the other party. hay... that's why sometimes i hate missing someone... oh well. there's always the movies...
wotevah. pengeng ice cream at isaw.
the children of these people sometimes have it easy or have it harder. not hard, harder, because their parents serve as more than mere yardsticks to measure themselves up to baga. like i have this poet friend who is the child of famous writers. my poet friend told me that he finds it weird that some people gush to him when they realize who his parents are. and he will retort "sila sambahin niyo, hindi ako" or something to that effect. i know it also gives him undue pressure to be as excellent in the same field as his parents, as is what's expected of offspring in general in this country. hence, we see the family of doctors, architects, lawyers etc. that's why firms have the "lastname and sons" type of title in their family businesses. it's expected.
i remember seeing a docu about bruce lee's son brandon lee. one time when he was auditioning for a role, someone scribbled at the back of his headshot photo "bruce lee's son" and when he saw that the audition officer saw that, his world kinda crumbled. that's because he would have preferred getting the role using his own merit, without the blessing-cum-burden of being named as the offspring of the bruce lee. imagine the pressure on him! poor guy. may he rest in peace. his dad, too.
most times i just loathe those who freely ride the coattails of their parents to get to places and heights they could never even imagine, let alone reach with their own two feet. there's a lot of that going on especially in the arts scene, any arts, name it, it's there. they're there. like who gives a flying fuck if their father is the famous painter or their mother is the famous singer or whatever. if they use their parents to get from point a to b, fine. maybe sometimes they have to do that. maybe it's a survival instinct of sorts. if they use their parents' name to jump the line from point a to point z, that's another thing altogether. it's worse a million times more than the first one. but what's even worse is if they use their parents' name to bully, elbow and threaten their way in jumping from point a to point z. now that sucks to high heaven. as in.
there are even subcategories within this certain category of coattail riders. but the subcategory i kinda pity are those who were just incidentally caught on the coattails and didn't have the choice, guts, brains or natural ability/agility to unhook themselves for most part of their lives. thus, they live within the shadows of their parents, being dragged and all as they are involuntarily hooked and dragged along unknowingly. thus, they end up with their heads being bounced along, experiencing every pothole or hump and all textures along the way. they get internal hemorrhage without them even knowing, nor their parents. thus, they end up damaged and derailed, most times a menace to their own self and to the society at large. in short, they need therapy. big time. like forever. at now na.
now i think the topper of this is the combination of the hemorrhaged coattail rider and the bullying to point a to z coattail rider. that is just the pits, and they have their own reservations in a private level within one of the circles of hell. reservation just for them, yes, parang sinehan sa mall, reserved seating for one screening only. sila reserved seating for one eternity.
masaya sana if the offspring and their parents share their lives and end up being talent tandems. like i met this comics artist who shares the same interest with his kid, his less than ten year old kid, and they both draw and make comics. now that is just the sweetest. i also have friends who are this kind of offspring but on a different level. like they choose to co-exist within the artistic frame but not necessarily doing the same thing. they use another medium or experiment on their own, and their parents encourage them, not force them, or just keep silent but are silently cheering them on in the background. everybody happy. no one's breathing down each other's neck baga. happy yon.
on the other hand, i also pity the parents who are proud of what they have done and achieved but sadly, no one from their brood wanted to take the same path, not even take a peek man lang. they run towards the opposite direction. the offspring have their own reasons for running anyway, and we know and believe reasons are aplenty. and we also respect those reasons. i also have friends like this.
but focusing on the parents who are nice enough naman as parents, sad lang ako that they cannot share their passion and knowledge with their own. like my former movie boss who's such a young person at heart when it comes to the love of cinema and filmmaking that we secretly call him "daddy groovy." because of his good looks and swagger (men, he is da original mister suabe ha, complete with hair pomada and stylish shades at the age of 50), he sired lotsa children within and outside showbiz. well, his clan is known to do that naman. human version ng cloud seeding yata ang pastime nila. however, none of his children even took to the camera and started loving what's in front of it. no one was awed by this mechanical wonder as anne rice described it. so when i met him, we clicked, and young as i was, i became his somewhat adopted cinematic daughter and he was my adopted cinematic daddy groovy. i can see the spark in his eyes whenever we would talk about filmmaking in the office or in the sets of our films, and i noted the sadness in his voice when he mentioned one day during those talks that none of his kids (legit or otherwise) had the same family interest. after all, he was also the proud kid of parents who established a niche in philippine cinema history. "walang hilig" sabi pa niya, sabay iling. i felt genuinely sad for the man...
well, these are the thoughts that went through my head this friday midnight or early saturday morning, depending on your state of mind (and to paraphrase alanis). kasi i saw some of these kids and parents tonight in our friday film bar event, and that's also why i'm steering clear of the current cinemanila. don't want to see more of these kinds of offspring, especially the ones with reservations in hell. sad sila.
what's also sad is the fact that another former movie boss and mentor, miss boots, is sad. tito pete died yesterday. i saw it on the news. i don't think i could muster the strength to go to arlington and visit her now in this state. but knowing her strong and diplomatic demeanor, she would still be shining bright there even if her most precious person is now gone. man, i don't think i can handle that... i have this thing with deaths and funerals. i try to avoid attending wakes. it's just sheer sadness. and i pity the ones who have been left... hay naku. doon sana ko pupunta tonight after the film bar launch but... not enough courage talaga. hirap... hay. sad. :(
hodgepodge ang araw na ito. not to mention i am quite loveless this weekend due to busy duties tying up the other party. hay... that's why sometimes i hate missing someone... oh well. there's always the movies...
wotevah. pengeng ice cream at isaw.
09 August 2007
i'm in the mood...for blogging...
sing with me now... for dancing, romancing hooooo...
hehe. chaks. wala lang, just read an email kasi from the masscom dean saying there's a retro dance fundraiser at the makati polo club ba yun? wherever. something posh like that. well, gudlak sa kanila. if the tickets cost half a week's wages, you know where you'll find most of us... home, and away from that event. sa baba ng sweldo ng mga tao, ine-expect pa ba nilang dadalo kami sa shindig na yan? we'd rather go out and drink with bosom buddies, sa totoo lang. or like us sa film insti, we'll go watch movies at the malls na lang. mas masaya pa. yun ay kung di umuulan. kung ganun, there's always the reliable dvd fare at home.
pero ako, writing mode muna now. this, after spending some time sa pagpapakadalubhasa sa aking tesis. hay. break din itong mga rediscovered arcade/puzzle games ko. like my gf introduced me to this new game called tumblebugs, na parang zuma. if you know what i'm talking about, maghanda ka na. mas nakakaadik ang tumblebugs. mas 3d siya kesa kay zuma, pero pareho silang fun. mas maganda nga lang ang sound and music design ng zuma. syempre nothing beats the latino sounds e. hehe. ayuz. tapos ngayon, kaka-chorva ko lang ng diner dash 2. naadik ako sa 1 before, kasi gusto ko yung ganitong games, yung hindi typical tapos may ginagawa talaga tapos may storya, much like that crazy betty's beer bar. hay naku sa isis pa lang ako, adik na kaming mics dept (media infocomm dept) sa mga games na itich. so forever download at laro pag wala si bossing hahahahah. man i miss those days, da original mics gang talaga (me, lenski, indi, irene), including the other peeps na naroon din paminsan-minsan (earnest, mari, malen and necta). ang saya ng mga sistehood days na iyon ano...pero like any other good thing, it must come to an end.
and so here we are.
o sya, pagpatuoy ko na ang chichiryahan. nasa mood ako e. ayan o dikta ng langit na natutungyahan ko ngayon dito sa ikalawang palapag ng aking tirahan. mag-review daw ako hehe. okei! go!
sige ito na ulit...san na ba tayo? ah...
LIGAW LIHAM
D. Emilio "Jay" Abello
Pitch: one time in the '60s or '70s in a semi-rural negros town, the post office suddenly stops operating, disrupting lives and loves
Catch: hm...tapyas pa konti, better for a short film
the premise is such a novel one, at based daw ito sa true event na indeed, in the life before email and the internet, snail mail was the main mode of connection of people and their lives. kaya importante ito, at event ang makatanggap ng sulat sa koreo. sad ako sa mga tao ngayon dahil hindi na nila nafi-feel ang excitement na ito, na siguro e napalitan na ng excitement ng email...pero hindi rin. mas kikiligin ka kung makakatanggap ka ng sulat na nahahawakan at puwedeng basahin paulit-ulit sa kung saan manmo siya dala. at ipapakita pa sa ibang tao. tapos yung excitement na magpapadala ka ng sulat and all. kaya romantic mode ang correspondence e. just look at all those old films featuring letter-writing in special paper or parchment, complete with seals-seals na personal na may wax at personalized pangtatak na bakal, before the rubber stamp mode na sobra namang chaka ever. hay... nice di ba? lalo na sa akin, na lumaksi somewhat sa loob ng post office ng maynila at later on ng araneta center, dahil sa ang nanay ko ay loyalty awardee na empleyado ng phil. post office mula noong buntis pa siya sa kapatid kong bata hanggang sa magretiro siya. nakakatuwang magpatakbu-takbo sa mga mailbags, nakikiusyoso sa mga parcel people, at nakikitingin sa mga ale na tulad ng nanay ko ay nagbebenta ng stamps, na later ay naging high tech kasi registered mail na chenes and all that jazz...
ay, teka dami ko na nasabi. review nga pala ito. wala e, pangit ng film. dapat short film lang ito, napahaba. bad everything -- acting, blocking, directing, editing and script. and producing? well, bigay na lang natin kay aktor-prodyuser karyll ang a for ayfort. pero mas maganda pa rin ang nanay zsazsa padilla niya kesa sa kanya. but that's another blog entry.
bawi. maganda lighting at lugar. yun lang. sayang. inaantok yata si direk peque gallaga nang nag-creative consulting ang mga to sa kanya. huwah.
SINUNGALING NA BUWAN
d. ed lejano
Pitch: intersecting stories (yet again!) of different characters -- a tv weather girl na mistress ng isang businessman, a businessman na nagpalit ng mistress at hinahabol ng asawa, ang babaeng PA sa tv station ng weather girl na pinagpalit ang jowang aktor sa businessman at naging kabit, ang aktor na ko-actor ng isang aktor na pinagpalit ang gay lover sa woman play producer, ang gay lover na sawi at laging nakikinig ng '80s tagalog pop love songs.
Catch: ang gulo.
may scene breaks, mga sentences sa isang blue sky na may umaandar na ulap, na kung iisipin ay parang title cards sa isang silent film. kaya lang, mas preachy pa ang title cards na ito kesa sa visuals. pero minsan, ang visuals din ay... parang nahirapan silang itahi ang script. actually, the script feels like it is a first draft thing. i actually love the premise of some of the characters, lalo na yung nabubuang na na gay guy at weather girl (na naging friends under contrived circumstances) nung hiwalayan sila ng respective jowas nila. ito ang top two stories dito e, tapos puwede ring idagdag yung ek ng PA at nung theater actor. pero other than that, everything else should be trimmed. but like previous long and winding entries, this one just refused to fall out of love with the material and the visuals. sayang. mas na-focus sana siya.
the premise was also nice, kaya lang nga pilit at spoonfeeding din ang labas. na of course, it's about how the image of the moon as romantic fools us into thinking that love lasts forever, or at least longer than we expect it to. but no, liar nga ang moon, and so are our lovers... sayang. ang ganda sana ng premise, nawalan lang ng focus.
pero better naman ito sa SEROKS pare. yung cinema one entry niya dati. ed's my co-teacher sa film institute, and whenever he'll have film screenings, he'll tell us "be gentle!" o eto na ed, gentle na to ha. hehehe. seriously, man, sayang talaga. this could be improved. malaki potential e. hm.
GULONG
D. sockie fernandez
Pitch: a summer in the lives of two grade 5 boys somewhere in the philippines, sometime in the philippines...
Catch: gary v = god mode
and so it shall be. kapag na-cast si gary v sa isang film, hindi na nalalayo ang good values and right conduct and sound morals diyan...at ayan na nga silang lahat, tuhog-tuhog na nakadikit sa buhay ng mga naglalayag na magpinsang grade 5 dito. minsan nasasakal sila nito. minsan ginagamit nila pang-jumprope. minsan ginagawang panungkit. pero mas madalas, ginagawang baging palabas sa kumunoy ng kasalanan.
o ha!
bakit ko ba inuulit-ulit ang grade 5? kasi from the way it was written by the kind old lady who spoke at the screening, it sounded like the kids were already in 3rd year high school. and that makes four years of difference, big gap difference to boot, ha. iba ang lengguwahe ng grade school sa high school, kahit naturingan pang mga child genius o prodigy sila (na sa film na ito, hindi naman. mabait lang talaga sila ng sobra). yan minsan ang trapping sa pagsusulat tungkol sa mga bata. nau-underestimate natin sila madalas. o kaya mali lang talaga ang characterization. like that pinsan na sub-lead, he keeps on dreaming about these "chikas sa fishpond na bakat na bakat ang basang damit pag-ahon!" iw as like eeeeeeeewwwwwwwww! batang manyak ba ito!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hindi siya kyut!!!!!!! mali mali mali ang characterization. homaygad. tuwing gagawin niya ito -- at pinapanaginipan pa niya! -- e parang gusto kong himatayin. jusme, e napaka-HIRAYAMANAWARI pa naman ng approach nila sa materyal (as in, teach good values to children everywhere mode) tapos may manyak mode siya!!!! wah!!!
ang saving grace lang ng film ay yung fact na it was shot like a tv commercial -- pulido sa shots, sa framing, sa pacing, sa timpla ng kulay, sa pagka-masinop sa production design -- men puwede nang ilatag sa kliyente ito! that's because the director has been a long-time adperson. that paid off well. now only if she could do something about the story... hay...
saka lutang ang kuwento to begin with. obvious na detached sa living realities ng pilipino ang mga nagsulat. like there was this one obstacle (na soooo obvious naman para mapahaba ang act2 hay) na nilagay dun para mabasawan ang perang iniipon ng kids to buy a neighbor's bicycle. may meralco dude na naniningil dahil ididiskonekta na sila at may overdue bill na unpaid. bilis bilis bilis tanong mo kung magkano yung overdue ng kuryente bilis bilis bilis. tantananaaaaan -- tumataginting na 97 pesos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! poonyetah! baka water bill yan at hindi meralco, sasabihin niyo. but no. may cameo ng isang meralco guy complete with white and orange uniform ati. at nalurkey akeshhhhhhhh sa baba ng kuryente nilaaaaa! saang lugar ba yan sa pinas at dyan na ko titira ever, sa mura ng kuryenteeeee! a lesson in public utilities: ang usual water bill ay hindi bababa sa 25 pesos (kung hindi ka naglalaba at hindi ka madalas maligo) at aabot lang sa 500 pesos usually kada buwan if your household houses a family of more than 5 members with school-age children at naglalaba ang nanay ng mga damit sa bahay at nagluluto at hindi nagte-take-out at si papa o fafa ay mahilig mag-carwash sa garahe. intiendes? at ang kuryente, kung hindi ka mahilig magbukas n ilaw at manood ng tv at bintilador lang ang appliance mong sosyal e hindi bababa yan ng 300 sa dami ng punyetang tax at anupamang chenes ang nakalista sa electric bill natin ngayon. intiendes?
hay. **puso koh**
kalurkey. nabaliw ako dun.
hay. ms sockie, gawa ka na lang ulit ng short film. mas maganda atak mo sa shortie e. or find new material na mas grounded.
kalurkey ever.
TRIBU
d. jim libiran
Pitch: life of real-life gangsters in tondo portraying their lives, loves and death threats to the tune of improv slam-like freestyle old school rapping. yea boi!
catch: ano bang cam ang ginamit? sana mas maganda ang resolution. hey, even CITY OF GOD appeared real in its glossiness of rio de janeiro slums...
other that that, i like it! as in! biased lang ba ko dahil loves ko ang rap? hindi hiphop ha, kundi good ol' fashioned old school rap, at slam freestyle pa. i loves dem tondo gangstas. hanef. alam naman nating may gangsta lyf na sa tondo at sa slum areas ng pinas noon pa, pero this one is relatively new because of the rap angle...unless you've seen my student she andes' interesting short docu film called ESTROPA naginawa niya mga more than 3 sems ago na, na pinalabas sa abc-5 show na DOKYU kung saan producer si jim libiran... things that make me go hm... kasi it's the same thrust.
pero dahil sa hindi ko alam ang tunay na history ng ek nila (unless they care to explain it), dededmahin ko na lang ang chenes na yun. okay lang itong film kasi wala siyang masyadong mataas na expectation na sine-set-up o binibigay o pinapangako sa viewers. simple lang siya. tondo plus gangs plus bad neighborhood equals drama, sex, fun, violence and death. all preconceived notions and predetermined fates. all we have to do is see how it unfolds this time. and it did unfold the way we were expecting it to -- without pretensions, without hesitations, and with an uncanny sense of an insider guiding us all throughout its unfolding. kaya bet ko siya. hindi siya highbrow, hindi siya lowbrow. basta ayan lang siya sa gitna bro, hindi rin in your face pero hindi rin takot na nakadistansiya. kumbaga sa timpla, tamang tama lang. mainstream ba siya? hindi. hindi glossy e, kahit predictable ang plot. indie ba siya? oo, kasi neorealist ang casting, meaning non-actors, at saka maganda ang sandwich na ginawa niya sa narration ng bata sa umpisa at huli. nag-iiwan ng mark. yan ang sinasabing make or break ang ending. make siya, men. make na make. ayuz.
this is a film na pang-international. it's a peek into the dirty side of manila and its people, a premise long often loved by westerners who want to take a look at the exotic locales and people of places that have been previously colonized by their forefathers. achieve! padala na to sa cannes. postcolonial reality at its simplest. but as for local viewing, unique lang yung rapping chenes. at hindi mo na ulit panonoorin. yung ganun ba. pero okay lang. at least naaliw ka ng isang oras mahigit, tapos kain ka na ng isaw sa labas...
word up.
---------------
o ayan na. sa susunod na ang shorts. and back to regular programming na tayo after that. ayuz.
laro muna ulit heehee...
sarap ng walang pasok! yebah!
hehe. chaks. wala lang, just read an email kasi from the masscom dean saying there's a retro dance fundraiser at the makati polo club ba yun? wherever. something posh like that. well, gudlak sa kanila. if the tickets cost half a week's wages, you know where you'll find most of us... home, and away from that event. sa baba ng sweldo ng mga tao, ine-expect pa ba nilang dadalo kami sa shindig na yan? we'd rather go out and drink with bosom buddies, sa totoo lang. or like us sa film insti, we'll go watch movies at the malls na lang. mas masaya pa. yun ay kung di umuulan. kung ganun, there's always the reliable dvd fare at home.
pero ako, writing mode muna now. this, after spending some time sa pagpapakadalubhasa sa aking tesis. hay. break din itong mga rediscovered arcade/puzzle games ko. like my gf introduced me to this new game called tumblebugs, na parang zuma. if you know what i'm talking about, maghanda ka na. mas nakakaadik ang tumblebugs. mas 3d siya kesa kay zuma, pero pareho silang fun. mas maganda nga lang ang sound and music design ng zuma. syempre nothing beats the latino sounds e. hehe. ayuz. tapos ngayon, kaka-chorva ko lang ng diner dash 2. naadik ako sa 1 before, kasi gusto ko yung ganitong games, yung hindi typical tapos may ginagawa talaga tapos may storya, much like that crazy betty's beer bar. hay naku sa isis pa lang ako, adik na kaming mics dept (media infocomm dept) sa mga games na itich. so forever download at laro pag wala si bossing hahahahah. man i miss those days, da original mics gang talaga (me, lenski, indi, irene), including the other peeps na naroon din paminsan-minsan (earnest, mari, malen and necta). ang saya ng mga sistehood days na iyon ano...pero like any other good thing, it must come to an end.
and so here we are.
o sya, pagpatuoy ko na ang chichiryahan. nasa mood ako e. ayan o dikta ng langit na natutungyahan ko ngayon dito sa ikalawang palapag ng aking tirahan. mag-review daw ako hehe. okei! go!
sige ito na ulit...san na ba tayo? ah...
LIGAW LIHAM
D. Emilio "Jay" Abello
Pitch: one time in the '60s or '70s in a semi-rural negros town, the post office suddenly stops operating, disrupting lives and loves
Catch: hm...tapyas pa konti, better for a short film
the premise is such a novel one, at based daw ito sa true event na indeed, in the life before email and the internet, snail mail was the main mode of connection of people and their lives. kaya importante ito, at event ang makatanggap ng sulat sa koreo. sad ako sa mga tao ngayon dahil hindi na nila nafi-feel ang excitement na ito, na siguro e napalitan na ng excitement ng email...pero hindi rin. mas kikiligin ka kung makakatanggap ka ng sulat na nahahawakan at puwedeng basahin paulit-ulit sa kung saan manmo siya dala. at ipapakita pa sa ibang tao. tapos yung excitement na magpapadala ka ng sulat and all. kaya romantic mode ang correspondence e. just look at all those old films featuring letter-writing in special paper or parchment, complete with seals-seals na personal na may wax at personalized pangtatak na bakal, before the rubber stamp mode na sobra namang chaka ever. hay... nice di ba? lalo na sa akin, na lumaksi somewhat sa loob ng post office ng maynila at later on ng araneta center, dahil sa ang nanay ko ay loyalty awardee na empleyado ng phil. post office mula noong buntis pa siya sa kapatid kong bata hanggang sa magretiro siya. nakakatuwang magpatakbu-takbo sa mga mailbags, nakikiusyoso sa mga parcel people, at nakikitingin sa mga ale na tulad ng nanay ko ay nagbebenta ng stamps, na later ay naging high tech kasi registered mail na chenes and all that jazz...
ay, teka dami ko na nasabi. review nga pala ito. wala e, pangit ng film. dapat short film lang ito, napahaba. bad everything -- acting, blocking, directing, editing and script. and producing? well, bigay na lang natin kay aktor-prodyuser karyll ang a for ayfort. pero mas maganda pa rin ang nanay zsazsa padilla niya kesa sa kanya. but that's another blog entry.
bawi. maganda lighting at lugar. yun lang. sayang. inaantok yata si direk peque gallaga nang nag-creative consulting ang mga to sa kanya. huwah.
SINUNGALING NA BUWAN
d. ed lejano
Pitch: intersecting stories (yet again!) of different characters -- a tv weather girl na mistress ng isang businessman, a businessman na nagpalit ng mistress at hinahabol ng asawa, ang babaeng PA sa tv station ng weather girl na pinagpalit ang jowang aktor sa businessman at naging kabit, ang aktor na ko-actor ng isang aktor na pinagpalit ang gay lover sa woman play producer, ang gay lover na sawi at laging nakikinig ng '80s tagalog pop love songs.
Catch: ang gulo.
may scene breaks, mga sentences sa isang blue sky na may umaandar na ulap, na kung iisipin ay parang title cards sa isang silent film. kaya lang, mas preachy pa ang title cards na ito kesa sa visuals. pero minsan, ang visuals din ay... parang nahirapan silang itahi ang script. actually, the script feels like it is a first draft thing. i actually love the premise of some of the characters, lalo na yung nabubuang na na gay guy at weather girl (na naging friends under contrived circumstances) nung hiwalayan sila ng respective jowas nila. ito ang top two stories dito e, tapos puwede ring idagdag yung ek ng PA at nung theater actor. pero other than that, everything else should be trimmed. but like previous long and winding entries, this one just refused to fall out of love with the material and the visuals. sayang. mas na-focus sana siya.
the premise was also nice, kaya lang nga pilit at spoonfeeding din ang labas. na of course, it's about how the image of the moon as romantic fools us into thinking that love lasts forever, or at least longer than we expect it to. but no, liar nga ang moon, and so are our lovers... sayang. ang ganda sana ng premise, nawalan lang ng focus.
pero better naman ito sa SEROKS pare. yung cinema one entry niya dati. ed's my co-teacher sa film institute, and whenever he'll have film screenings, he'll tell us "be gentle!" o eto na ed, gentle na to ha. hehehe. seriously, man, sayang talaga. this could be improved. malaki potential e. hm.
GULONG
D. sockie fernandez
Pitch: a summer in the lives of two grade 5 boys somewhere in the philippines, sometime in the philippines...
Catch: gary v = god mode
and so it shall be. kapag na-cast si gary v sa isang film, hindi na nalalayo ang good values and right conduct and sound morals diyan...at ayan na nga silang lahat, tuhog-tuhog na nakadikit sa buhay ng mga naglalayag na magpinsang grade 5 dito. minsan nasasakal sila nito. minsan ginagamit nila pang-jumprope. minsan ginagawang panungkit. pero mas madalas, ginagawang baging palabas sa kumunoy ng kasalanan.
o ha!
bakit ko ba inuulit-ulit ang grade 5? kasi from the way it was written by the kind old lady who spoke at the screening, it sounded like the kids were already in 3rd year high school. and that makes four years of difference, big gap difference to boot, ha. iba ang lengguwahe ng grade school sa high school, kahit naturingan pang mga child genius o prodigy sila (na sa film na ito, hindi naman. mabait lang talaga sila ng sobra). yan minsan ang trapping sa pagsusulat tungkol sa mga bata. nau-underestimate natin sila madalas. o kaya mali lang talaga ang characterization. like that pinsan na sub-lead, he keeps on dreaming about these "chikas sa fishpond na bakat na bakat ang basang damit pag-ahon!" iw as like eeeeeeeewwwwwwwww! batang manyak ba ito!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hindi siya kyut!!!!!!! mali mali mali ang characterization. homaygad. tuwing gagawin niya ito -- at pinapanaginipan pa niya! -- e parang gusto kong himatayin. jusme, e napaka-HIRAYAMANAWARI pa naman ng approach nila sa materyal (as in, teach good values to children everywhere mode) tapos may manyak mode siya!!!! wah!!!
ang saving grace lang ng film ay yung fact na it was shot like a tv commercial -- pulido sa shots, sa framing, sa pacing, sa timpla ng kulay, sa pagka-masinop sa production design -- men puwede nang ilatag sa kliyente ito! that's because the director has been a long-time adperson. that paid off well. now only if she could do something about the story... hay...
saka lutang ang kuwento to begin with. obvious na detached sa living realities ng pilipino ang mga nagsulat. like there was this one obstacle (na soooo obvious naman para mapahaba ang act2 hay) na nilagay dun para mabasawan ang perang iniipon ng kids to buy a neighbor's bicycle. may meralco dude na naniningil dahil ididiskonekta na sila at may overdue bill na unpaid. bilis bilis bilis tanong mo kung magkano yung overdue ng kuryente bilis bilis bilis. tantananaaaaan -- tumataginting na 97 pesos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! poonyetah! baka water bill yan at hindi meralco, sasabihin niyo. but no. may cameo ng isang meralco guy complete with white and orange uniform ati. at nalurkey akeshhhhhhhh sa baba ng kuryente nilaaaaa! saang lugar ba yan sa pinas at dyan na ko titira ever, sa mura ng kuryenteeeee! a lesson in public utilities: ang usual water bill ay hindi bababa sa 25 pesos (kung hindi ka naglalaba at hindi ka madalas maligo) at aabot lang sa 500 pesos usually kada buwan if your household houses a family of more than 5 members with school-age children at naglalaba ang nanay ng mga damit sa bahay at nagluluto at hindi nagte-take-out at si papa o fafa ay mahilig mag-carwash sa garahe. intiendes? at ang kuryente, kung hindi ka mahilig magbukas n ilaw at manood ng tv at bintilador lang ang appliance mong sosyal e hindi bababa yan ng 300 sa dami ng punyetang tax at anupamang chenes ang nakalista sa electric bill natin ngayon. intiendes?
hay. **puso koh**
kalurkey. nabaliw ako dun.
hay. ms sockie, gawa ka na lang ulit ng short film. mas maganda atak mo sa shortie e. or find new material na mas grounded.
kalurkey ever.
TRIBU
d. jim libiran
Pitch: life of real-life gangsters in tondo portraying their lives, loves and death threats to the tune of improv slam-like freestyle old school rapping. yea boi!
catch: ano bang cam ang ginamit? sana mas maganda ang resolution. hey, even CITY OF GOD appeared real in its glossiness of rio de janeiro slums...
other that that, i like it! as in! biased lang ba ko dahil loves ko ang rap? hindi hiphop ha, kundi good ol' fashioned old school rap, at slam freestyle pa. i loves dem tondo gangstas. hanef. alam naman nating may gangsta lyf na sa tondo at sa slum areas ng pinas noon pa, pero this one is relatively new because of the rap angle...unless you've seen my student she andes' interesting short docu film called ESTROPA naginawa niya mga more than 3 sems ago na, na pinalabas sa abc-5 show na DOKYU kung saan producer si jim libiran... things that make me go hm... kasi it's the same thrust.
pero dahil sa hindi ko alam ang tunay na history ng ek nila (unless they care to explain it), dededmahin ko na lang ang chenes na yun. okay lang itong film kasi wala siyang masyadong mataas na expectation na sine-set-up o binibigay o pinapangako sa viewers. simple lang siya. tondo plus gangs plus bad neighborhood equals drama, sex, fun, violence and death. all preconceived notions and predetermined fates. all we have to do is see how it unfolds this time. and it did unfold the way we were expecting it to -- without pretensions, without hesitations, and with an uncanny sense of an insider guiding us all throughout its unfolding. kaya bet ko siya. hindi siya highbrow, hindi siya lowbrow. basta ayan lang siya sa gitna bro, hindi rin in your face pero hindi rin takot na nakadistansiya. kumbaga sa timpla, tamang tama lang. mainstream ba siya? hindi. hindi glossy e, kahit predictable ang plot. indie ba siya? oo, kasi neorealist ang casting, meaning non-actors, at saka maganda ang sandwich na ginawa niya sa narration ng bata sa umpisa at huli. nag-iiwan ng mark. yan ang sinasabing make or break ang ending. make siya, men. make na make. ayuz.
this is a film na pang-international. it's a peek into the dirty side of manila and its people, a premise long often loved by westerners who want to take a look at the exotic locales and people of places that have been previously colonized by their forefathers. achieve! padala na to sa cannes. postcolonial reality at its simplest. but as for local viewing, unique lang yung rapping chenes. at hindi mo na ulit panonoorin. yung ganun ba. pero okay lang. at least naaliw ka ng isang oras mahigit, tapos kain ka na ng isaw sa labas...
word up.
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o ayan na. sa susunod na ang shorts. and back to regular programming na tayo after that. ayuz.
laro muna ulit heehee...
sarap ng walang pasok! yebah!
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