JISHCAND'S LABYRINTH

IT'S TIME FOR SANDRA TO SHINE

2010-01-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

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Hollywood already came up with a bunch of football movies and to tell you the truth I've never seen a single one. The Blind Side broke the silence in me. Why? Well, it's been the talk of the town since last year. This Hollywood blockbuster actress may finally get an Oscar for her award-winning role here. Who is she? No other than Sandra Bullock! I'm crossing my fingers for her! I want her to have that Julia Roberts kinda moment at the Oscars!

FILM PREMISE: Teenager Michael Oher is surviving on his own, virtually homeless, when he is spotted on the street by Leigh Anne Tuohy. Learning that the young man is one of her daughter's classmates, Leigh Anne insists that Michael -- wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the dead of winter -- come out of the cold. Without a moment's hesitation, she invites him to stay at the Tuohy home for the night. What starts out as a gesture of kindness turns into something more as Michael becomes part of the Tuohy family despite the differences in their backgrounds. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. And, as the family helps Michael fulfill his potential, both on and off the football field, Michael's presence in the Tuohys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own.

The Blind Side is based on the true story of Baltimore Ravens football player Michael Oher , who was taken in and eventually adopted by Memphis residents Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy. The reason why movie is effective because it sells. The true story of Big Mike is truly inspiring. Believe me, this movie may change your life. The movie will change your view on racism. The movie has a big heart from the start and Big Mike's life is heartbreaking. The story is really common but there's something great in The Blind Side: its inspiring schmaltz. Surprisingly, the movie offers some big few laughs too. It's not corny at all. The actual clips and pictures of the family at the end is a big tearjerker for me. This is indeed a true story. Please pinch me coz I'm gonna cry again. By the time the film ends, you'll love completely all the main characters. I can guarantee, especially SJ.

Technically, the movie is just average. John Lee Hancock's direction is still inspiring but he's just not artistic enough. The cinematography is quiet bland. Some shots are boob-tube quality for me.It's like watching a family drama on Hallmark Channel. There's nothing wrong with that but I was just really anticipating for some awe-inspiring shots. Thanks God for the songs in the movie! These songs being played as part of the background music have contributed a lot on the mushiness especially that song from Five For Fighting called Chances.

The movie is really Sandra Bullock's, and she shines as a tough talkin', brave Southern Belle with a heart as adhesive as glue. Her role reminds me of Julia Robert's Erin Brockovich. This is her vehicle for the acting awards. Bullock treats the film like her own personal bio-pic. Sandra's timing is fantastic. She and Tim McGraw have a terrific couple chemistry. They look good on the screen. Sandra already won numerous awards for her role here and let's see if she can beat Meryl in the Oscars. I also want a tie actually ! Quinton Aaron who plays Big Mike is actually charming.

You don't have to be a Sandra Bullock fan to enjoy this film. You don't have to be a huge football fan to love this film. The Blind Side" ends up being a tear-jerker, a heart-warmer and a thorough crowd-pleaser in one clean-cut collection. “The Blind Side” is a pleasant surprise.

Highly recommended!!!

ANG PANGGAGAHASA KAY FIDEL

2010-01-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

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Wala naman talaga akong balak na panoorin itong indie film na Fidel kasi wala naman masyado itong ginawang ingay locally at internationally. Pero ang friend ko na indie lover eh nanood sa indie sine at biglang nag-text sa akin kasi napaluha daw siya sa istorya ni Fidel. Hmmm...na-curious ako bigla kung anong hiwaga sa buhay ni Fidel. Based doon sa nabasa kong press release eh tungkol daw ito sa bibitaying Pinoy sa Middle East. Tamang-tama kasi papaalis na rin ako papunta roon sa lupa ng mga Arabo, malamang may matutunan ako dito sa Fidel. Kaso parang nabitay ako sa pelikulang ito. Gusto kung umiyak dahil sayang ang binayad ko.

CHUVA NG PELIKULA: Napilitang mag-Dubai si Fidel para mapag-aral ang mga kapatid niya. Kaso nakakulong na siya roon dahil pinatay niya ang kanyang among Arabo. Ano ang dahilan? Secret daw muna. Ayaw niyang sabihin eh. Ayaw niya talaga! Antigas ng ulo mo ayaw nga niyang aminin ang nangyari eh! Ito namang si Vega na local TV reporter, eh curious bakit inaamin ni Fidel ang pagpatay eh yung ibang Pinoy eh ayaw nga umamin ng mga kasalanan! Hmm...lilipad si Vega sa Dubai para tanungin si Fidel. Bakit Fidel? Aaamin na kaya si Fidel???

Hindi po ito life story ni Ex-Pres. Fidel Ramos, tungkol lang po ito kay Fidel. Isa siyang mabait ng Pinoy na may malasakit sa pamilya niya. Imbes na maawa ako sa kanya eh nagmukha lang siyang katawa-tawa. Ang pagkakaalam ko may concern siya sa pamilya niya pero bakit ayaw niyang gumawa ng hakbang para mabawasan ang penalty niya. Alam niya bibitayin na siya dahil pinatay niya amo niyang Arabo pero nagmamatigas pa rin siya na i-sekreto ang nangyari sa kanya. Ayaw ko sana i-spoil pero ang nangyari pero kailangan ko talaga sabihin dito. Anyway, he was raped there at talagang di niya matanggap ito kaya pinatay niya agad ang amo niyang rapist. Masyadong nasaktan si Fidel (virgin pa siya I'm sure). Napangiti lang ako kasi wala man lang bang naririnig na chismis itong si Fidel tungkol sa mga malilibog na mga Arabo noong nasa Pinas pa siya. Bata pa ako naririnig ko na ito kaya nga takot ako mag-Saudi o magtrabaho sa Middle East. Well, siguro homophobic lang itong si Fidel kaya walang sexferyens sa third sex at na-shocked sa trip ng boss niyang Arabo. Siguro kung inisip lang ni Fidel ang family niya eh hindi sana siya makukulong. Pwede naman nilang pag-usapan ng boss niya na: be gentle sir. Di ko sinasabi na magpa-rape na lang tayo sa mga Arabo pero hindi naman hahantong talaga sa patayan ang mga ganitong kaso. I heard pa nga mas malaki pa kinikita ng mga Pinoy doon na game na game eh! Alam ng mga nakakaraming Pinoy ang kamunduhan doon sa disyerto at dahil katatapos ko lang ng PDOS eh nabanggit din ito na maaaring magugustuhan nga ng mga Arabo ang mga Pinoy men na walang bigote at balbas. Clean cut kasi si Fidel ever. Masyado lang nilang ginawang santo si Fidel dito na super bait daw at hindi marunong magalit. Wow, super bait naman talaga. May pinaglalabang dignidad ba? Hindi na yata uso yan ngayon.

Ang hindi ko maintindihan sa Fidel eh pabalik-balik ang mga sinasabi nila. Halos mahigit isang oras na pinupuri nila kung gaano kabait si Fidel pero inaamin naman talaga ni Fidel ang pagpatay. Hindi sila naniniwala na mamamatay tao si Fidel pero inaamin pa rin ni Fidel na pinatay niya ang baboy niyang amo. Yun nga lang ayaw aminin ni Fidel bakit niya pinatay!!!! Kaya gusto ko siyang sampalin kasi ayaw niyang tulungan ang sarili niya. Ni-raped na nga siya . Inabus Tapos na sana ang kaso kung cooperative siya. Ni-raped siya dapat ipinaglaban niya sa simula pa! Kung nahihiya siya puwede namang itago ang face o name niya di ba? Bakit ayaw niyang tularan si Sarah Balabagan na malakas ang loob? Lalake pa naman siya! Ayaw niyang lumaban para sa pamilya niya! Bakit nananahimik lang siya???? May isang eksena rin dito na naganap sa isang TV station kung saan nagwawala ang dating OFW na ni-rape rin. Hmmm... heavy and drama roon kaso napapailing ako. Bakt hindi man lang na-disarm ng guard ang mamang yun na may hawak na baril? Napakalaki kaya ng guard eh pwede naman niyang hampasin agad ang kamay ng mama para malaglag ang baril sabay yakap sa mama para hindi makawala. Kasi nasa likod lang naman siya at hindi siya nakikita nito. Hindi rin believable ang mga Dubai scenes na kinunan lang dito sa Pilipinas.

Si Mark Shandii Bacolod ang director nito at nakikita ko ang talent niya. Indie na indie talaga ang mga kuha niya. Pinag-aaralan kaso minsan mapapaisip ka bakit naman ganun ang kuha niya? Sa simula ng movie bago lumipad si Fidel papuntang Dubai, may kuha si Bacolod na parang merry-go-round sa mga characters. Medyo nahilo ako doon talaga. Ambilis ng ikot ng camera. Tapos sa bandang gitna, may pag-uusap ang mga taga-DFA sa dilim. Di ko alam bakit sa dilim pa sila nag-uusap na parang mga kidnappers na nagpa-plano. Stylish ang kuha niya sa eksenang yun na parang nasa alon ang camera na umiikot sa tatlong characters na nag-uusap. OK ang lighting at saka kakaiba siya talaga. Yun nga lang, bakit ganun ang style niya? Maganda siya pero huh???

Di ko kilala si Lance Raymundo na gumanap bilang Fidel. Hindi siya kaguwapuhan para reypin ng isang Arabo. Pero magaling syang actor. Maganda ang ipinakita niya doon sa rape scene. Hindi ko sinasabi na nag-ala-Coco Martin siya na all the way! Wala po! Pero pag simpleng usapan medyo boring siya talaga. Si hunk model Jon Hall pala ang rapist na Arabo. Huh??? Di naman siyang mukhang Arabo!!! Hindi nga siya hairy eh! At saka kung hawig ni Jon ang rapist ko eh naku kahit araw-arawin pa niya ako! Ha ha ha. Joke! Over-the-top masyado ang acting ni Andrea del Rosario rito bilang si Vega. Medyo marami-rami ang cast pero ang simpleng acting lang ni Sooky Serna lang mapupuri ko pati ang pwet ni Jon Hall rin pala na bukod tangi ang ganda. Ano kaya work out niya para mapaganda ang behind niya?

Buti na lang tinapos ang pelikula na may konting twist kunwari para daw surprise!!!! Bulaga!!!! Pero hindi pa rin sapat. May tendency kasi matutulugan mo ang Fidel dahil sa sobrang boring. Kung pabalik-balik lang ang script eh aantukin ka talaga. I'm sure hindi na ito magtatagal sa Indie Sine kasi wala naman masyadong nanood. PG-13 Indie Film pala ito! Eh naku hindi yan dudumugin ng mga kafatid ni Bebe. Serious ang tema ng pelikula at alam ko ang hangarin nila. They want to help our abused OFWs. Kaso hindi sa ganitong paraan na hindi naman convincing ang script. Anyway, tinapos ko pa rin ito hanggang sa end credits dahil sa malamig na boses ni Aiza Seguerra na siya ring kumanta na kantang Fidel. Napakagandang kanta kaso hindi kasingganda ng pelikula. Nagpapasalamat pa rin ako at napanood ko ito. At least alam ko na gagawin ko pagdating ko sa Middle East. If ever may Arabong magyaya sa akin na makipag-inuman, may nakahanda naman akong lube.

MEET THE AMAZING RACE 16 TEAMS!!!

2010-01-22T15:33:00.000-08:00

MEET THE TEAMS WHO WILL RACE AROUND THE WORLD FOR
1 MILLION DOLLARS

Jordan and Jeff

Newly Dating

Jeff Schroeder

Age: 31
Hometown: Norridge, Ill.
Connection to your Teammate: Newly Dating
Current Occupation: Salesman
Pet peeve about your teammate: She doesn’t think sometimes
Favorite Hobbies: Traveling, sports, outdoor activities and working out
Achievements: Graduating college
Lifelong to do List: Visit as many places I can around the world
If I could switch places with someone: A Heisman Trophy winner
Role Model/Hero: Alive: My father. Deceased: Walter Payton
What are you passionate about? My family
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Travel
People would be surprised to learn: That I played college football and graduated with a business degree from Aurora University
Favorite place you have ever visited: Western Europe
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Communicating with each other without bickering
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? To have an experience of a lifetime and get to learn more about our relationship

Jordan Lloyd

Age: 22
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
Connection to your Teammate: Newly Dating
Current Occupation: Receptionist
Pet peeve about your teammate: He gets irritated easily
Favorite Hobbies: Swimming, playing tennis and socializing
Achievements: Winning “Big Brother” and graduating high school
Lifelong to do List: To be a dental hygienist, and to get married and have kids
If I could switch places with someone: Carrie Underwood
Role Model/Hero: My mom
What are you passionate about? Being with family and friends
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Buy a house by the beach
People would be surprised to learn: I'm a moody person
Favorite place you have ever visited: Cherry Grove in North Myrtle Beach
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Communicating
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Understanding each other

Dana and Adrian

High School Sweethearts/Married

Adrian Davis

Age: 40
Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Connection to your teammate: High School Sweethearts who met while attending Los Angeles High School
Current Occupation: Medical Sales
Pet peeve about your teammate: Her double standards on household issues
Favorite hobbies: Weight lifting, golfing and playing “Texas Hold'em”
Achievements: I graduated from San Jose State University as a first generation college graduate
Lifelong to do list: Raise my children to be healthy, contributing members of society and then help raise my grandchildren to be the same
If I could switch places with someone: I would not want to switch places with anyone.
Role Model/Hero: Tom Hicks, the owner of the Texas Rangers
What are you passionate about: Running my own company
What would you do if you won the million dollars: Pay off debt and donate money to my church and the United Negro College Fund
People would be surprised to learn: With me there are no surprises...what you see is what you get
Favorite place you have ever visited: Hawaii
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Making the right choices under pressure and not arguing
What did you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks) I'd like to show the unity that can exist between husband and a wife

Dana Davis

Age: 39
Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Connection to your teammate: High School Sweethearts who met while attending Los Angeles High School
Current Occupation: Market Manager
Pet peeve about your teammate: His obnoxious burps
Favorite hobbies: Swing dancing, taking spontaneous trips and fine dining
Achievements: Earning a Masters Degree from University of Texas at Arlington with three kids under 6. Owning a property management and real estate firm with my husband and purchasing my first home by the age of 22
Lifelong to do list: To share my story of overcoming abuse and a failed restaurant business at the age of 23. Also, to do more traveling, enter a national dance competition and complete a book that I started on adversity
If I could switch places with someone: Oprah
Role Model/Hero: Jesus Christ is my role model. My mother is my hero
What are you passionate about: Compelling others to think and live outside the ordinary by sharing my stories of victory
What would you do if you won the million dollars: Give to meaningful organizations (United Way, YMCA, etc), save and have a little fun
People would be surprised to learn: That my spouse and I have enjoyed each other for 26 years and I am not even 40 yet
Favorite place you have ever visited: Puerto Vallarta
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Not holding it against my husband if he is responsible for us losing
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Showing that high school sweethearts can still love, respect and have fun with each other while trying to accomplish a common goal

Jet and Cord

Brothers/Cowboys

Cord McCoy

Age: 29
Hometown: Tupelo, Okla.
Connection to your teammate: Brother
Current Occupation: Professional Bull Rider
Pet peeve about your teammate: He likes to voice his opinion
Favorite hobbies: Riding horses
Achievements: Rode world champion bucking bull, “Big Bucks”
Lifelong to do list: Get married, have lots of babies and live happily ever after
If I could switch places with someone: I wouldn't trade with anyone.
Role Model/Hero: My parents
What are you passionate about: My beliefs
What would you do if you won the million dollars: Buy a big ranch
People would be surprised to learn: I don't have a television or a radio in my house
Favorite place you have ever visited: I love visiting everywhere, but home sweet home is always the BEST
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Choosing one idea and going with it
What did you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks): Spending time with my best friend and brother

Jet McCoy

Age: 30
Hometown: Ada, Okla.
Connection to your teammate: Brother
Current Occupation: Cowboy
Pet peeve about your teammate: Punctuality or lack thereof
Favorite hobbies: Reading
Achievements: Making it on THE AMAZING RACE
Lifelong to do list: To remain a cowboy
If I could switch places with someone: Nobody, I am happy being me … I haven't worked out all of my own problems so I wouldn't want to start on anyone else's
Role Model/Hero: Cord would be my hero
What are you passionate about? Horsemanship
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Pay off my house
People would be surprised to learn: How much I read. I read every single day
Favorite place you have ever visited: Texas
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Communication
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks?) To broaden my horizons and gain a better appreciation for the world in general

Louie and Michael

Detectives

Michael Naylor

Age: 45
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Connection to your teammate: Friends/Detectives
Current Occupation: Undercover Detective
Pet peeve about your teammate: He loves everyone
Favorite hobbies: Working out, running and lifting weights
Achievements: Numerous awards in the field of narcotics enforcement
Lifelong to do list: Raise my children to be honorable, productive, loving and happy people. I would also like to write a book
If I could switch places with someone: Nobody, I am very happy with my life
Role Model/Hero: A father who stays with his family and teaches their kids to be happy, well accomplished people
What are you passionate about: Coaching Little League, New England Patriot football and Red Sox baseball
What would you do if you won the million dollars: Work less, spend more time with family and put my kids through college
People would be surprised to learn: That I will enjoy the Race whether I win or lose
Favorite place you have ever visited: Southern California
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: None
What did you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks): Completing the Race no matter what place we come in

Louie Stravato

Age: 47
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Connection to your teammate: Friends/Detectives
Current Occupation: Undercover Detective
Pet peeve about your teammate: He's a control freak
Favorite hobbies: Competing in power lifting competitions and Mixed Martial Arts
Achievements: The birth of my two sons, numerous awards for being a police officer and setting records as a power lifter
Lifelong to do list: To retire healthy, comfortable, and preferably wealthy
If I could switch places with someone: My dad
Role Model/Hero: My Dad. He has accomplished so much in life and is loved by his family, friends and peers. Though he lives in a lot of physical pain, he's always there to do whatever he can regardless of his condition
What are you passionate about? Life and living it to the fullest and teaching my children to do the same
What would you do if you won the million dollars? I would live comfortably and do a lot of traveling
People would be surprised to learn: My life is pretty much an open book, so I'm not sure I could surprise anybody
Favorite place you have ever visited: Germany and Singapore
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Keeping up with each other
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? To show my children that anything is possible as long as you put your heart and soul into it

Brent and Caite

Dating Models

Brent Horne

Age: 28
Hometown: Columbia, S.C.
Connection to your Teammate: Dating
Current Occupation: Model
Pet peeve about your teammate: She is hard headed and can’t take criticism
Favorite Hobbies: Sports and traveling
Achievements: My faith. I’ve been in some crazy situations and around some not-so-cool people and still stand my ground with my beliefs
Lifelong To Do List: Travel the world; have a fulfilling, rewarding and successful career; solve the mystery of who killed JFK; make a difference in someone's life; have a family; hit a hole-in-one and host my own show
If I could switch places with someone: Actually no one, I enjoy my life and who I am. I look forward to the journey that lies in front of me
Role Model/Hero: My Mom
What are you passionate about? My relationships and enjoying life! I never take a moment for granted
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Go on a vacation with my family and friends, give back to my parents and in some way better myself so that I could be in a position to help others
People would be surprised to learn: I'd rather give than receive
Favorite place you have ever visited: Grand Cayman
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: We are both "Type A" personalities and need to do some work on the way we communicate with each other
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to build on the already great relationship I have with Caite and prove to myself and others that I have the strength and faith to endure the craziest of circumstances

Caite Upton

Age: 20
Hometown: Lexington, S.C.
Connection to your Teammate: Dating
Current Occupation: Model
Pet peeve about your teammate: He picks his nose with tissue paper, throws it in the toilet and doesn’t flush
Favorite Hobbies: Art, sports, modeling and acting
Achievements: Being able to overcome the embarrassment from the flub I made on national television during the Miss Teen USA pageant
Lifelong To Do List: To advance my career as an actress and model. I also want to complete my college career in art with a minor in business at UCLA
If I could switch places with someone: Nobody, I'm very content with who I am.
Role Model/Hero: Johnny Unitas because he continued to be a good person while in the limelight and was very headstrong, genuine and determined to achieve everything he put his mind to
What are you passionate about? My lifelong goals and dreams
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Buy a Maserati and a round of drinks for my friends. Hah
People would be surprised to learn: I'm very athletic and can pretty much beat every guy in anything. I am also an amazing artist
Favorite place you have ever visited: Montabaur, Germany.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: We both are headstrong and feel as if we are alpha males in the relationship. We will also need to do a better job listening to each other
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to learn how to stay calm in tense situations

Monique and Shawne

Moms/Attorneys

Monique Pryor

Age: 39
Hometown: West Orange, N.J.
Connection to your Teammate: Friend
Current Occupation: Mom/Attorney
Pet peeve about your teammate: She will go to great lengths for a bargain
Favorite Hobbies: Going to the spa, dancing with friends and spinning
Achievements: Having my kids and passing the New York Bar
Lifelong To Do List: Travel the world
If I could switch places with someone: I wouldn't. I'm very content with my life.
Role Model/Hero: Suze Orman, Tina Turner
What are you passionate about? Empowering women
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Buy my husband a membership to a golf club and save for my kids' education
People would be surprised to learn: I love to travel, but I get nervous during turbulence
Favorite place you have ever visited: Nairobi, Kenya (the Masai Mara)
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Following each others lead
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Pushing myself beyond my physical and mental limitations

Shawne Morgan

Age: 39
Hometown: Bowie, Md.
Connection to your Teammate: Friend
Current Occupation: Mom/Attorney
Pet peeve about your teammate: When she says I’m acting like her mom
Favorite Hobbies: Traveling, connecting with other women looking to grow a business and living life to the fullest
Achievements: My growing relationship with God, passing the New York Bar exam, giving birth to my kids, marrying my husband, creating a successful wellness business and helping others earn additional income
Lifelong to do List: Raise my kids to be dynamic, kind and inspiring individuals, create generational wealth and visit every continent with my husband
If I could switch places with someone: Michelle Obama
Role Model/Hero: Marian Wright Edelman (champion for Children's rights)
What are you passionate about? My family, becoming a better person, creating generational wealth
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Pay off my law school debt, help my grandparents and invest in real estate
People would be surprised to learn: I'm uncomfortable with too much attention on me
Favorite place you have ever visited: Salvador, Bahia
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Knowing when to move on to the next challenge
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Pushing myself to another level and to help other moms/women step out of the box and take risks

Daniel and Jordan

Brothers

Daniel Pious

Age: 24
Hometown: Barrington, R.I.
Connection to your teammate: Brother
Current Occupation: Financial Advisor
Pet peeve about your teammate: He is very intense
Favorite hobbies: Watching and playing sports
Achievements: Being at the Winter Classic when the Bruins won in overtime
Lifelong to do list: Get a job with a major Boston sports team, get married, have kids and make them huge Boston sports fans
If I could switch places with someone: Theo Epstein (GM of the Red Sox)
Role Model/Hero: My dad and my grandfather
What are you passionate about? Boston sports
What would you do if you won the million dollars? I’d save and invest it.
People would be surprised to learn: That I really dislike traveling and it will probably be the most difficult part of the race for me
Favorite place you have ever visited: Fenway Park
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Staying under the radar and not rubbing the other teams the wrong way, and finding food that I like
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Jordan always wanted to be on the Race because it was his #1 dream in life. All I really want is to make it far enough so Jordan feels as if his dream is achieved

Jordan Pious

Age: 22
Hometown: Barrington, R.I.
Connection to your teammate: Brother
Current Occupation: Strategic Consultant
Pet peeve about your teammate: He hates to travel
Favorite hobbies: Tennis, New England Patriots, dancing to my own beat
Achievements: Graduating from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School with High Distinction in May 2009
Lifelong to do list: Travel the world, meet Tom Brady and start my own company.
If I could switch places with someone: I wouldn’t
Role Model/Hero: My parents. Their love for each other and our family, their work ethic, and the way they have supported me have really shaped who I am today. Also, Karen Rein, my best friend and life partner. She is what life is all about, love, happiness, and laughter
What are you passionate about? Tackling life challenges and chasing after new ones and Boston sports
What would you do if you won the million dollars: Save the money and use it to pay for my MBA
People would be surprised to learn: I was considerably overweight during a decent portion of my teenage years. I weighed 200 lbs and was only 5'1".
Favorite place you have ever visited: Israel
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Focusing our intensity and competitive spirits on the Race itself rather than on each other
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I want to create memories with my best friend and show my brother that there is more to our world than what we see at home

Joe and Heidi

Married

Joe Wang

Age: 42
Hometown: El Segundo, Calif.
Connection to your Teammate: Married
Current Occupation: Software Sales Executive
Favorite Hobbies: Coaching youth sports, poker and golf
Achievements: My biggest achievement is my family.
Lifelong to do List: Travel around the world.
If I could switch places with someone: My son Jameson who has unlimited potential.
Role Model/Hero: My parents. They immigrated here to USA to provide a better life for me.
What are you passionate about? Raising my kids to be the best they can be.
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Pay for my kids' college education.
People would be surprised to learn: I was born in Taiwan and speak fluent Mandarin Chinese
Favorite place you have ever visited: Fiji
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Getting a task that we both can’t do and being away from our kids for an extended period of time.
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other then winning one million bucks)? Create a closer bond with Heidi
Pet peeve about your teammate: She can’t multi-task.

Heidi Wang

Age: 37
Hometown: El Segundo, Calif.
Connection to your Teammate: Wife
Current Occupation: Homemaker
Favorite Hobbies: Traveling, gourmet cooking, shopping, golfing and reading
Achievements: Giving birth to my two beautiful and intelligent kids, having a successful finance career prior to choosing to stay home to raise my children.
Lifelong to do List: Run a marathon, improve my golf game and to never stop learning new things
If I could switch places with someone: It would have to be with my daughter, Herason. The opportunities and potential for a young girl today are endless.
Role Model/Hero: My parents, Richard and Yohko Leeser. They sacrificed everything for their children to give them a better life. I have the utmost respect and admiration for both of them.
What are you passionate about? My family. There are no words for the love and devotion I have for my husband and children.
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Invest it towards my children's college education fund
People would be surprised to learn: In high school, I was voted Senior Class President, Most Likely to Succeed, Most Likely to win a Nobel Peace Prize and Most Likely to Total Their Car
Favorite place you have ever visited: My home. Although I’ve traveled extensively and visited many wonderful places, there really is "no place like home."
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Being away from our children for so long and not being able to eat sushi.
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other then winning one million bucks)? Spending quality one-on-one time with my husband. We both could use some extra, uninterrupted time and attention from the other. Additionally, I plan to re-enter the professional workplace soon and I hope this experience makes me a better job candidate.
Pet peeve about your teammate: Joe is a very intense and short tempered individual who thinks he’s right all the time!

Steve and Allison

Father/Daughter

Steve Smith

Age: 57
Hometown: Encinitas, Calif.
Connection to your Teammate: Father
Current Occupation: Professional Baseball Coach (Cleveland Indians), World Series Champion Coach (2008 Philadelphia Phillies)
Pet peeve about your teammate: She's a very talented person but occasionally lacks the confidence in her God-given abilities
Favorite Hobbies: Golfing, swimming and working out
Achievements: Getting my degree, getting married, having my kids and winning the World Series
Lifelong to do List: Continue to enjoy life
If I could switch places with someone: My son Garrett who is living the good life in college
Role Model/Hero: My Mom and Dad who are still living life to the fullest
What are you passionate about? My family
What would you do if you won the million dollars? I would treat each of my family members and friends to something special
People would be surprised to learn: It took me 20 years in professional baseball before I finally made it to the big leagues
Favorite place you have ever visited: Encinitas. That's why I live here
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Not getting lost because we tend to get lost in our own neighborhood
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Making memories with my daughter that will last forever

Allie Smith

Age: 23
Hometown: Encinitas, Calif.
Connection to your Teammate: Daughter
Current Occupation: Marketing
Pet peeve about your teammate: He’s always late and likes to embarrass me
Favorite Hobbies: Traveling, dancing and golf
Achievements: Receiving my B.A. from Pepperdine University in Public Relations
Lifelong to do List: Find a job that I'm passionate about, create new adventures every day, get married and have a family
If I could switch places with someone: Phil Keoghan. Talk about a job I'd be passionate about
Role Model/Hero: My parents. My mom is the backbone of our family and such a strong woman. My Dad encourages me to pursue my dreams everyday
What are you passionate about? My relationship with God, Pepperdine, baseball, golf, dance, traveling the world, spending time with family and friends and fantasy football
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Do some traveling and invest it for my future
People would be surprised to learn: My father is a World Series-winning professional baseball coach, but during the only year I played baseball (8th grade) I made it to first base once and was promptly picked off
Favorite place you have ever visited: Malibu -- I have amazing memories there
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Not having mom around. She does everything for us
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? To meet all kinds of people around the world and have tons of fun with my Dad. I’m planning to have THE AMAZING RACE theme song as the Father/Daughter dance at my wedding

Jody and Shannon

Grandmother/Granddaughter

Jody Kelly

Age: 71
Hometown: Round Rock, Texas
Connection to your Teammate: Grandmother
Current Occupation: Personal Trainer
Pet peeve about your teammate: Sometimes her clothing choices seem a bit too revealing
Favorite Hobbies: Triathlons, writing, reading and challenging myself
Achievements: Other than giving birth to my four children, I am most proud of leaving behind my sedentary lifestyle five years ago and starting to live a healthy, athletic lifestyle
Lifelong to do List: Finish a half ironman triathlon. Finish a full marathon. Publish another book. Motivate people to become active. Climb more Colorado mountains. Walk the Appalachian Trail. Go trekking in Norway. Bicycle through the Netherlands. Develop a TV show featuring elderly athletes
If I could switch places with someone: It might be fun to be Carol Burnett for half a day, but then I'd want to come home
Role Model/Hero: Sister Madonna Buder who finished the Kona ironman at age 78.
What are you passionate about? I'm passionate about giving hope to people who think they can't change and helping them improve their lives
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Donate half to the Strengthmobile Foundation and spend the other half on a 500-square foot condominium within a mile of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas
People would be surprised to learn: For two years in the mid 1990s, I performed amateur stand-up comedy to compensate for a really grim period I was going through
Favorite place you have ever visited: Rural Ireland and Hua Hin, Thailand
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Communicating and working together as a team
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? As the oldest person who has ever participated in the Race, I hope to show that age is more than a number

Shannon Foster

Age: 22
Hometown: Georgetown, Texas
Connection to your Teammate: Granddaughter
Current Occupation: Healthcare Outreach Contract Analyst
Pet peeve about your teammate: Grandma can get a bit uptight at times and has a tendency to get carried away
Favorite Hobbies: Running, dancing and swimming
Achievements: Getting my degree in Economics from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas
Lifelong to do List: Run a marathon, earn a medical degree or physician assistant degree and join Doctors Without Borders
If I could switch places with someone: I would never switch places with someone
Role Model/Hero: All the strong-willed and capable women that I am related to -- my mom, grandma and great-grandma
What are you passionate about? Staying fit and healthy and helping others do the same
What would you do if you won the million dollars? I would backpack across Southeast Asia
People would be surprised to learn: I lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from eight months old until I was almost 10-years-old
Favorite place you have ever visited: Either Angkor Wat in Cambodia or the Great Wall of China
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Making quick decisions without my Mom acting as a middleman
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? To get a chance to travel with my grandma and to have an opportunity to practice making decisions in a fast-paced and competitive environment

Carol and Brandy

Dating

Carol Rosenfeld

Age: 47
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Connection to your teammate: Dating
Current Occupation: Consultant
Pet peeve about your teammate: She’s a biter
Favorite hobbies: Reading, the theater, art, architecture and travel
Achievements: Coming out, starting my own company
Lifelong to do list: Learn to play the piano, re-read all the classics, become a really good chef and a wine connoisseur
If I could switch places with someone: Diana Krall -- I’d like to know what it would be like to have that kind of talent
Role Model/Hero: Any strong, accomplished women, female writers, politicians, artists and musicians
What are you passionate about: My dog, equal rights, mountains and the ocean
What would you do if you won the million dollars: Travel
People would be surprised to learn: That I am shy
Favorite place you have ever visited: Paris
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Communication
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Choosing to participate in the Race is very out of character for me so the fact that I am doing it is an accomplishment

Brandy Snow

Age: 40
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Connection to your teammate: Dating
Current Occupation: Actress
Pet peeve about your teammate: She is much more structured and schedule-oriented than I am, which at times limits a go-with-the-flow, spontaneous attitude
Favorite hobbies: Speaking Spanish, my dogs, traveling, cooking, music, art, hiking.
Achievements: I am an accomplished, independent, talented, creative and kind woman who is committed to constantly learning and growing
Lifelong to do list: Speak Spanish fluently, learn to dance the tango, create a charity that helps educate and offer better quality of life to children, leave a positive impact/imprint on the world, lead a life with purpose
If I could switch places with someone: No one
Role Model/Hero: I draw inspiration from too many people to list here
What are you passionate about? Integrity, honesty, intelligence, compassion, constantly striving to better myself
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Pay off debts, purchase a new car, start a direct sales children's educational game company with a portion of the profits going to fund a foundation dedicated to building schools. I would also like to create and host a travel show based on going to villages throughout the world and participating in projects that better the community
People would be surprised to learn: That I'm bisexual
Favorite place you have ever visited: Mexico, Greece and sailing through the waters of the Caribbean
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: We will likely be competing against teams that are younger, stronger and faster than us which may be difficult and daunting
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? To challenge myself physically, mentally, emotionally and to discover the extent of my competitive spirit

WATCH OUT FOR THE LIVE TELECAST ON STUDIO 23
THIS COMING FEBRUARY 15, 2010

VISIT THE OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/

BROMANCE & PUZZLES

2010-01-22T00:26:00.000-08:00

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Guy Ritchie formerly known as Mrs. Madonna has a decent filmography to date. In fact, most of his films are critically acclaimed. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any of his movies. Sherlock Holmes is an interesting movie coz it's like watching old-fashioned CSI: LONDON . Since I have no clue about the erstwhile films from Ritchie, I can't possibly compare anything. After watching this robust film I think he is a talented quirky auteur. Sherlock Holmes is a movie where puzzles and crimes play as an entertainment catalyst. I was hoping for a brokeback romance, unfortunately, I saw zilch. However, their bromance remains an enigma to me.

FILM PREMISE: In Victorian London, private investigator Sherlock Holmes (Downey) is about to lose his partner John Watson (Law), who's moving out to marry his fiancee (Reilly). But the case they've just finished, involving a series of secret-society murders carried out by Lord Blackwood (Strong), just won't end. Now Holmes' ex Irene (McAdams) is on the scene as well, and things are getting increasingly freaky with more murders and a conspiracy that could lead to a takeover of the whole government. But Holmes' fierce powers of observation are on the case.

First and foremost, this is not a gay movie. But, I dunno. Sherlock is mysterious and Dr. Watson is also suspicious. Well, who knows? Anyway, since they are using their deep British accent, I wasn't able to understand fully the enigmatic script. But, I still get it anyway after watching it the second time around. The movie is like CSI: Las Vegas. The only difference is that this movie is set in Victorian London complete with precise costumes and lavish production set. Guy Ritchie's style is actually amazing. His direction is swift and I kinda love it. This movie is not boring at all even if some parts are loquacious and gibberish. This is also the kind of movie that needs deep cerebration and sharp eagle-eye sight. From start to finish, the energy of the film is truly alive. The big question: Is it funny? Hmmm... kinda.

What's great in here is the gung-ho cahoots between Holmes and Watson. You'll just root for them. You'll pray that they are safe most of the time. And if the script isn't nearly as intelligent as it thinks it is, at least it contains a few clever twists, including Holmes' surprise answer to Blackwood's magic! It is super shocking! . I think Richie's slo-mo fight sequences are awesome. It reminds me of 300 but Ritchie's way is sleek. The witty editing here makes the movie really puzzling til the climax and that's great. I think I'm gonna watch Ritchie's movies now coz his shots are really good. Even the lighting is splendid. The film is surprisingly artful. Oh yeah, Hans Zimmer's original score is really deserving to get future nominations and awards. I love the Celtic touch of his music!

But it’s Downey’s acting and his affinity with Jude Law that makes this film so extraordinary. While it's palpable that Robert Downey Jr is swallowing some of his British-accented script, his expressive face is spot on and immaculate. That's why the Golden Globes handed him the Best Actor award in this clever role. Jude Law is the perfect man to play Dr. Watson. He has no nudity unfortunately. He he he. Rachel McAdams plays the seductive American femme fatale Irene Adler who is also Holmes’ intellectual equal. She is also watchable. Too bad we see so little of her. Mark Strong who plays the antagonist Lord Blackwood is kinda creepy.

By and large, Sherlock Holmes is roguish and entertaining, and moves at an injurious speed. There's a cliffhanger by the way. I don't care if it feels incomplete coz this blockbuster really needs a sequel ! One movie is not enough for this explosive bromance between Holmes and Watson. Oh man, I just want more !!!

SURVIVOR : HEROES VS VILLAINS

2010-01-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

MEET THE FORMER CASTAWAYS ONCE AGAIN!!!!!

Amanda Kimmel (24)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Kalispell, Mont.
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Becoming Miss Montana USA/Miss Earth USA.”
Inspiration in Life:“God.”
Previous Finishes:China: 2nd Runner Up; Micronesia: Runner Up
Favorite Past Moment: “Finding the hidden immunity on Exile on Fans vs Favs! It was like Christmas!”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: James Clement (China, Micronesia)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Richard Hatch (Borneo, All-Stars)
Why Did She Come Back?: “Because I am really competitive and wanted to prove I could win!”

Candice Woodcock (27)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Fayetteville, N.C.
Current Residence: Washington, D.C.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Being the former Executive Director of Students for Students International.”
Inspiration in Life: “My parents.”
Previous Finishes: Cook Islands: 13th out, 5th Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “Winning the sand wrestling challenge in Cook Islands.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Tom Westman (Palau)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Corrine Kaplan (Gabon)
Why Did She Come Back? : “I'm always up for a challenge, and I love the game. I want a chance to play against the best!”

Cirie Fields (39)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Jersey City, N.J.
Current Residence: Norwalk, Conn.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Passion for providing extraordinary safe, quality patient care.”
Inspiration in Life: “My three sons John, Jamil and Jared.”
Previous Finishes: Panama: 12th Out, 6th Jury Member; Micronesia: 15th Out, 7th Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “Having my husband at camp.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Aras Baskauskas (Panama)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: “No comment.”
Why Did She Come Back? : “Because I didn’t win the last 2 times.”

Benjamin “Coach” Wade (38)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Susanville, Calif.
Current Residence: Susanville, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: Holding the World’s Record for “Longest solo kayak trip 6,132 miles.”
Inspiration in Life: “Composing classical music for the Susanville Symphony.”
Previous Finishes: Tocantins: 11th out, 5th jury member
Favorite Past Moment: “My monastic approach to exile.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Tom Westman (Palau)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: Johnny Fairplay (Pearl Islands, Micronesia)
Why Did He Come Back?: “Redemption!”

Colby Donaldson (35)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Christoval, Texas
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: “I make a pretty mean potato salad.”
Inspiration in Life: “God, family & close friends.”
Previous Finishes: Australia: Runner-Up; All-Stars: 5th Out
Favorite Past Moment: “The very beginning of it all for me – stepping off the plane and into the Outback.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Tom Westman (Palau)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “Those who have thrown in the towel and left the game early.”
Why Did He Come Back? : “For me, it’s all about the extreme challenge and the epic adventure. A million bucks is a pretty good motivator as well.”

Courtney Yates (28)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Current Residence: New York, N.Y.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Punctuality.”
Inspiration in Life: “The laughter of children.”
Previous Finishes: China: Runner-up
Favorite Past Moment: “Seeing my Dad bust out from behind the bushes at the family reward.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Yau-Man Chan (Fiji, Micronesia)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: “All the strong people, because they are so smug.”
Why Did She Come Back?: “Couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

Danielle DiLorenzo (26)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Playing on an international soccer team representing the U.S in a European league playing in the Gothia Cup in Germany.”
Inspiration in Life: “My grandfather.”
Previous Finishes: Panama: Runner-Up
Favorite Past Moment: “Beating Cirie in the fire building challenges.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Parvati Shallow (Cook Islands, Micronesia)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Russell Hantz (Samoa)
Why Did She Come Back?: “I had such an amazing experience the first time I played the game and the competitive edge in me also screamed "I have a good chance because I came so close last time."

James Clement (32)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Lafayette, La.
Current Residence: Malibu, Calif. and Lafayette, La.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Continuing the family business.”
Inspiration in Life: “My dad.”
Previous Finishes: China: 10th out, 4th Jury Member; Micronesia: Injured, 4th Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “All the challenges.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Amanda Kimmel (China, Micronesia)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “No comment.”
Why Did He Come Back? : “To prove to myself I can get further in the game.”

Jerri Manthey (38)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Turning my acting dreams into reality.”
Inspiration in Life: “My mom.”
Previous Finishes: Australia: 8th out, 2nd jury member; All-Stars: 7th out
Favorite Past Moment: “Fishing with Mitchell and Amber.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Ethan Zohn (Africa, All-Stars)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Shi-Ann Huang (Thailand, All-Stars)
Why Did She Come Back? : “The money of course!”

James “JT” Thomas Jr. (25)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Samson, Ala.
Current Residence: Mobile, Ala.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Being the first in my family to go to college and earn a degree.”
Inspiration in Life: “My family.”
Previous Finishes: Tocantins: Winner
Favorite Past Moment: “Winning the final immunity challenge.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: “Myself- I am my own hero, because of what I accomplished and how it brought my family together.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: Johnny Fairplay (Pearl Islands, Micronesia)
Why Did He Come Back? : “It’s the ultimate challenge, I couldn’t pass it up.”

Parvati Shallow (27)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Current Residence: Public Storage, Los Angeles
Personal Claim To Fame: "Racking up thousands of friends on my fake facebook accounts."
Inspiration in Life: Chuck Bass and Jeff Probst
Previous Finishes: Cook Islands: 15th Out, 7th Jury Member; Micronesia: Winner
Favorite Past Moment: "Eating chocolate cake in the tub while everyone watched."
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: "Sweet Lil' Cirie Fields (Panama, Micronesia) And Crazy Town Shane Powers (Panama)"
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: "Ozzy (for being a crybaby) (Cook Islands, Micronesia)"
Why Did She Come Back? : “For the love of the game, baby!”

Randy Bailey (50)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Current Residence: Austin, Texas
Personal Claim To Fame: “Never having been CONVICTED of a felony.”
Inspiration in Life: “Nothing inspires me!”
Previous Finishes: Gabon: 11th out, 3rd Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “Awaking on Day 10 to a new team!”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Johnny Fairplay (Pearl Islands, Micronesia)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “Take your pick of the idiots from Gabon, mostly Bob.”
Why Did He Come Back? : “To right the wrong!”

Rob Mariano (33)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Boston, Mass
Current Residence: Pensacola, Fla.
Personal Claim To Fame: “My marriage and birth of my child.”
Inspiration in Life: “My family.”
Previous Finishes: Marquesas: 7th out; All-Stars: Runner-Up
Favorite Past Moment: “Proposing to Amber at the live finale.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Amber Brkich (Australia, All-Stars)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “Nobody.”
Why Did He Come Back? :”To win!”

Rupert Boneham (45)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Current Residence: Indianapolis, Ind.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Starting my charity.”
Inspiration in Life: “Life is Good. Be You. Give Back.”
Previous Finishes: Pearl Islands: 8th out, 2nd Jury Member; All-Stars: 15th Out, 6th Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “When Jeff Probst was writing a million dollar check on my back on my daughter’s 5th birthday and having millions of fans help me win that.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Rudy Boesch (Borneo, All-Stars)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: Johnny Fairplay (Pearl Islands, Micronesia)
Why Did He Come Back? : “I LOVE THE GAME!”

Russell Hantz (37)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Dayton, Texas
Current Residence: Dayton, Texas
Personal Claim To Fame: “Starting my oil tankering service.”
Inspiration in Life: “My grandfather.”
Previous Finishes: Samoa: Runner-up
Favorite Past Moment: “Blindsiding Kelly.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: “I don’t respect any of them.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “I don’t respect any of them.”
Why Did He Come Back? : “Because I have to put these kids in their place. I’m not done playing just yet!”

Sandra Diaz (34)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Stamford, Conn.
Current Residence: Fayetteville, N.C.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Graduating from community college where I received an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration.”
Inspiration in Life: “My mother.”
Previous Finishes: Pearl Islands: Winner
Favorite Past Moment: “When I dumped the fish after Rupert got voted out.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: “I have no comment.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Johnny Fairplay (Pearls Islands, Micronesia)
Why Did She Come Back? : “Hands down, the money!”

Stephenie LaGrossa (29)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Briarcliff, Glenolden, Pa.
Current Residence: Philadelphia, Pa.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Being a three-time NEC (North East Conference) All-Conference selection, NEC Scholar/Athlete Award recipient and Female Athlete of the Year Nominee in lacrosse at Monmouth University.”
Inspiration in Life: “My Mother has always been an inspiration in life. She is my best friend and I tell her everything! I wouldn’t be where I am today without my mother’s unconditional love and support.”
Previous Finishes: Palau; 10th out, 3rd Jury Member; Guatemala: Runner-Up
Favorite Past Moment: “Outlasting my entire tribe and being the sole Ulong member left standing.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Jenn Lyon (Palau)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: “Any female who plays the game for the wrong reasons.”
Why Did She Come Back? : “I came back for the love of the game and because I'm such a serious competitor! I came very close to winning 2x but still never won so I came back a 3rd time to try to win it all this time.”

Jessica “Sugar” Kiper (29)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Becoming a retro pin-up model.”
Inspiration in Life: “My dad.”
Previous Finishes: Gabon: 2nd Runner Up
Favorite Past Moment: “Blindsiding Randy.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Bruce Kanegai (Panama)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Corinne Kaplan (Gabon)
Why Did She Come Back? : “For the Survivor lovin’ viewers.”

Tom Westman (45)
Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Sayville, NY
Current Residence: New York, NY
Personal Claim To Fame: “Being a proud member of the FDNY as a Lieutenant of Ladder Co.108 in Brooklyn.”
Inspiration in Life: “My parents.”
Previous Finishes: Palau: Winner
Favorite Past Moment: “Palau Sunsets.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Jenn Lyon (Palau)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “I’d rather not comment. I don’t know these guys well enough to say who I respect the least.”
Why Did He Come Back? : “It was so much fun the first time around. I couldn’t resist having another adventure.”

Tyson Apostol (30)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Lindon, Utah
Current Residence: Heber City, Utah
Personal Claim To Fame: “College drop out, ex-pro cyclist, never had a real job... I guess I'm good at quitting.”
Inspiration in Life: “My parents, without them I could be dead. I'd at least be homeless and starving.”
Previous Finishes: Tocantins: 8th out, 2nd Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “My hilarious confessionals.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: “Myself.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “Narrowed down to just one? That's impossible!”
Why Did He Come Back? : “Free tropical island getaway, an excuse to not brush my teeth and the potential of a fat pay check... as long as we get paid in diamonds and gold instead of US dollars.”

VISIT THE OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/

SURVIVOR: HEROES AND VILLAINS

Ten memorable Heroes…

Ten controversial Villains...

Face off to be the one Sole Survivor.

After 10 years and 19 seasons of show-stopping play, Survivor reunites the game’s most memorable characters to compete for one million dollars and the title of Sole Survivor. With the tagline “Return, Revenge, Redemption” fans are in for a treat when the angels and demons start to whisper in the ears of these controversial players.

Host and producer Jeff Probst say it best: “When you're playing in that world, a hero can easily make what appears to be a villainous move to stay in the game. Who ends up as heroes or villains will probably be the most fun for the audience.”

Watch out for Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains coming this February on Jack TV!

LIVE VIA SATELLITE ON FEBRUARY 12 , 2010

RECIPES FOR A DELICIOUS LIFE

2010-01-13T15:35:00.000-08:00

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Do you know how to cook? Are you an aspiring chef? Do you love watching Top Chef or these delectable cooking shows on QTV-11? The truth is that I don't know how to cook but I can prepare a very delicious pancit canton for you.Julie & Julia inspires me to learn more about cooking just like Top Chef. This is not a film that shows a step by step cooking recipe. In fact, the film is all about cooking the recipes of good life. A film that depicts two different women in which cooking somehow changed some aspect of their lives. Julie & Julia is a one feel good movie from last year. And Meryl Streep shines once again without a doubt!

FILM PREMISE: In 1948, Julia Child (Meryl Streep) is just another American woman living in France, accompanying her husband, whose job has brought them to Paris. With her indefatigable spirit, she yearns for something to do, and is drawn into the world of French cuisine, through a series of classes. She soon masters the culinary arts and writes a book aimed at American women who have aspirations but no access, which she gets published after some knockbaks. Fifty years later, Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is stuck in her life. Pushing 30, living in Queens, NY, and working in a cubicle as her friends achieve stunning successes, she seizes on a seemingly insane plan to focus her energies. Julie decides to spend exactly a year cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (which Child co-wrote with Louise Bertholle and Simone Beck) - and write a blog about her experiences.

Julie & Julia is like a fusion of two movies actually. It's like watching a classic and a modern film at the same time. What's amazing here is the delectable tale of these two women. They have different personalities but you'll like both of them . As a blogger, I can easily relate with Julie's life coz what she's doing here in the movie and in real life is almost the same to what I've been doing for the past 4 years. In the movie, she's blogging her experiences while cooking Julia's recipes and sometimes she has meltdowns if she fails. In my case, every time I watch a movie I immediately review it in my blog. I'm not being paid to do this but it feels awesome making a blog review. I learned a lot too. Julie is motivated to move on with her life despite having a boring job coz she's doing some other things. Just like me, I'm stuck too in a boring/annoying job but I feel good everyday. Why? Because of my blog. And I wanna thank you for reading my blog. He he.

Nora Ephron, who is a chick flick auteur for the rom-com classics like When Harry Meet Sally and You've Got Mail, has done a marvelous job. The movie is really long and you can really feel it. However, these loquacious conversations about food and kitchen makes the film so delicious. Ephron has an engaging style that makes us want to eat the food too with the characters. She actually doesn't zoom in these viands, desserts, and other gastronomy stuff but how she shows the yummy expressions from these actors is kinda mouthwatering. The movie is really hilarious when Julia's life is on. Julie's life however is kinda serious and in panic mood most of the time. Intertwining Julie and Julia's lives seamlessly, Ephron does everything good. It's affectionate and amusing I must say. Imagine yourself making a graham cake, when you lay these scrumptious ingredients in a container is basically the same as watching how the movie shows the life of Julie & Julia. The editing is very well-done. Lastly, Alexander Desplat's music has the secret ingredients why the movie is sumptuous too.

No wonder why Meryl Streep is getting acting awards from the critics for her role here. Honestly, at first I thought it was a ridiculous acting. Like is she drunk? What kind of acting is that? I'm not familiar with the real Julia Child but after watching some old TV clips from her, I instantly got goose bumps on what Meryl did in the movie. This is probably the best impersonation of a real life character. Meryl should win the Oscar award for Best Actress now!!! She's amazing on that weird accent. Ha ha ha!!! I love her. Amy Adams is still enchanting. I still love her but this is really Meryl's spotlight even if they share the same screen time. Both Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina are pleasing on their roles as husbands to these amazing wives on earth.

I thought that Meryl Streep would finally get her Best Actress award when she played Miranda in The Devil Wears Prada. Last year, she was my bet too when she portrayed a doubting nun together with Amy Adams in Doubt. OMG, it's their reunion here but only on the movie poster! The film is simply a delight because of Meryl's strong performance. Phenomenally, she makes you love Julia Child. High-spirited, nifty, and wonderfully warm-hearted, Julie & Julia is a festivity of life. Just cook it with passion and joy.

THE LAND OF GUFFAW

2010-01-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

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Few years ago the British cinema came up with an idea of doing some spoof on zombie movies. Have you seen Shaun of the Dead? I'm not sure if it was released here in the Philippines but I'm pretty sure it was released in Quiapo. Just kidding! Simon Pegg is in that movie and it is really one of the best horror-comedy ever. They set a new trend called zom-com (zombie-comedy). Now, it's time for America to try this formula via Zombieland. Oh my word!!! From start to end, this movie never fails to amuse me. The humor is just spot on. Zombieland may not surpass the greatness of “Shaun” but it made history as the #1 Zombie movie in history box office wise. It is also one of the funniest violent movie I've seen in years.

FILM PREMISE: In zombie-infested USA. Columbus is trying to get from his Texas college town back to Ohio, in hopes of finding his parents alive. On his way, he teams up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), whose only quests are to kill more zombies in creative ways – and to track down a “Twinkie” that hasn’t passed its sell-by date. Eventually, they cross paths with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), who turn out to be a sister team of con artists. The four of them head for California, where the girls have heard that Pacific Playland amusement park is actually a zombie-free zone.

Zombieland plainly tells a simple story. The movie is all about survival in the apocalypse. Our main character Columbus is just telling some rules on how to survive. Believe it or not these digital rules being displayed on screen actually serves as one-liners already. It's really funny reading his rules. The movie is briskly paced. It's not boring and there's no need to think deep. It's all about fun!It is packed with uproarious jokes from start to finish. The main highlight is a wonderfully self-referential cameo by a certain comedy legend playing himself. I won't name him. His presence here made my day. What a smashing cameo performance! I almost died from laughing. Most of the laughs actually are from the confabulations of our four survivors. But most of the funniest stuff isn’t about zombies. "Zombieland" is relentlessly blood-and-guts and atrociously graphic that way, even if it falls short of being super scary. The movie has squeezed in some romantic stuff by the way. I find it cheesy this time but it kinda works in the script. Columbus' virginity is such a treat. For me, the humor here is like the combination of Little Miss Sunshine, Juno and Shaun of the Dead. Please don't expect some spoof jokes like what what we've seen in Scary Movie franchise.

The casting is pitch-perfect. I think I'm a fan of Jesse Eisenberg now. Recently, I just saw him in Adventureland and now we've met again in Zombieland. These two movies feature an amusement park too. He is awesome here. Woody Harrelson too deserves a special mention. He knows how to pick his films, and he delivers a very memorable “Twinkie” performance here, too. Emma Stone, whom I remember from Superbad, once again shows her talent in witty delivery. Her expressions are precise and she's a superbad chick! Jesse and Emma have zero chemistry unfortunately. Lastly, my fav here is Abigail Breslin. She's just having fun and her timing is awesome. They've got very different survival styles -- Woody Harrelson as Tallahassee is all about muscle, Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus is all about brains, while Emma Stone as Wichita and Abigail Breslin as Little Rock are great on disarming men.

If you're expecting scary zombies here, I'm sad to say that you'll be disappointed. Zombieland is just a hilarious comedy with a brilliantly laughable script and terrific comic performances from its four leads. Zombies are only here for our entertainment. Horror comedies are rarely pure and I'm so glad that the movie is finally released here. I've been waiting for this ever since. This should've been shown last Halloween here in the metro. But to watch this after the ghastly MMFF, I think it's awesome too. I'm really recommending this one. I personally believe that everyone will enjoy the bloodfest gore in Zombieland.

BRAND NEW McPHEE

2010-01-11T00:42:00.000-08:00

Finally, Katharine McPhee's second album is now out! I've been waiting for this ever since she revealed her new look and new sound last year. She's making a huge statement here and she's really brave to show her range. The McPhee signature is still here but brace yourself for an explosive modification.The album was released on January 5, 2010 by Verve Forecast Records, her first album on the label. Now let me review track by track:

"IT'S NOT RIGHT"
(Lucie Silvas, Gary Go)

As the intro starts you know right away that it's a brand new sound from her! It is refreshing and definitely gonna make your nerves move. She sounds a little angry here but she remains dulcet most of the time.

"HAD IT ALL"
(Kara DioGuardi, Mitch Allan, David Hodges)

This is the first single. It was astonishing when I first heard this song last year . She also changed her looks in the music video. She's blonde now. I love her brunette hair but I think she's really scorching now. This song is co-written by Kara DioGuardi and it is also one of my favs in the album. This is such a beautiful song. Kat really shines in this track. Her voice is phenomenal on the chorus part

“I had it all I threw it all aside Thinkin' there was more there I needed to find I had it all baby 'Til you went away Blue skies, sunshine and butterflies Those were the conditions that I left behind Why did I let it go to waste I had it all Why did I let it go to waste I had it all

“I can relate with it actually.

"KEEP DRIVIN'"
(Katharine McPhee, Chris Tompkins, Rachael Yamagata)

This is smoothest of all the tracks. It's a haunting yet relaxing ballad. It reminds me of a scene from a movie where the girl is driving her car on a dark winding road. It's like a facing your problems too and not giving up. This song is quiet inspirational if you take it seriously. She co-wrote this one too.

"LAST LETTER"
(Barry Dean, Luke Laird, McPhee)

I love the intro coz it's in acoustic guitar. Definitely a new sound again! This is a break-up song actually but it doesn't sound sad at all. A smooth break-up I may say. It's a fine track and you'll love the chorus where she sings

” It makes me happy To use you a little Just to use you a little To write this songIts the very last letter To an old lover To say I'm glad you’re gone"

Ha ha ha! I love it!

"SURRENDER"
(McPhee, Ingrid Michaelson, Marshall Altman)

I dunno but this is my favorite song in the album. This is a powerful ballad. It's aching. Her voice is crying and the melody is heartbreaking. I love how the refrain goes : And they say that you don’t knowWhat you got till its goneSo I’m holding onto youHow many lives till I get this one rightTill I give up the fight and just surrender, surrenderAnd how many days till I love me the way that you loved meYou love meIngrid Michaelson who co-wrote this song is responsible to some awesome songs we hear in Grey's Anatomy. Her song was used in one episode and it really moved me. This track is bound to make Kat's fans cry at least. I'm still crying honestly eveytime I listen to this track.

"TERRIFIED" (FEAT. JASON REEVES)"
(DioGuardi, Jason Reeves)

If you're familiar with Colbie Caillat's Realize, this one sounds the a little bit the same. You know why? Jason Reeves is responsible for that track and he incorporates some formula from that song. This one is still engaging. Listen to the divine voice of Kat when she sings: And I'm in love and I'm terrified. It's mind blowing!

"HOW"
(Silvas, Mike Busbee, Alexander James)

This one reminds me of the first track “It's Not Right”. They have the same tempo but this one has the unforgettable “hook”. McPhee also shows some range in her voice this time. How she controls the high notes is immaculate.

"SAY GOODBYE"
(Troy Verges, Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey, Hillary Lindsey)

Oh my God another sad love song! This one is the saddest track in the album and another fav here. The nostalgia in her voice makes me cry. This is a break-up song and truly lachrymose. Can you take these words?

Did you ever love me? Does it even matter? Did you even notice the whole world shatter? I just want to hold you ‘til you know I’m sorry But I just keep it all inside That way it won’t hurt so much When we say goodbye

I think I experienced this feeling about saying goodbye before. I just love how the piano breaks my heart here.

"FAULTLINE"
(Silvas, Shridhar Solanki, Rachel Thibodeau)

This one doesn't stand out from the rest the first time you listen to it. It won't grow on you instantly but there's something enigmatic about this song.

"ANYBODY'S HEART"
(Dean, Laird, McPhee)

I think this is the simplest track in the album. The intro reminds of Emilia's Big Big World, and they also starts the song with lyrics like :It's a great big world to a scared little girl. I thought they ripped off some parts from it but this one is truly heartfelt. Kat's voice is flawless. It reminds me when she shines so brightly during her performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow on American Idol.

"LIFETIME"
(Boots Ottestad, McPhee)

This is the only semi-upbeat and it makes me shake my thing. The song is cute! I love her “ah ah ah ah” part. The song is kinda weird but it has the LSS factor to worry. This is also one of my favs from the album. McPhee is a talented songwriter. I love the lyrics.

"UNBROKEN"
(Paula Cole, McPhee)

The last ballad in the album and it's a sure tearjerky too. Also co-written by Kat along with Paula Cole. Wow the woman who brought us I Don't Want To Wait is teaming up with Kat. If you've heard the version of Kat singing ME, no wonder Paula Cole is here helping her. I really want to hear more of Kat singing the sound of Paula Cole.

"BRAND NEW KEY"
(Melanie Safka)

This is the only cover song. I just heard the original from Melanie yesterday and I must say Kat's version rocks! This song just won't get out of my head for days. The chorus part is infectious. Kat is simply playing here. The playfulness of her voice is really palpable when she sings :

Well, I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates You got a brand new key I think that we should get together And try them on to see. It's just a perfect song to end the album.

After listening to this track, I'm pretty sure you want to listen to it again and again. I love how she orchestrates her voice this time. She's amazing! Another fav track!

THE BONUS TRACKS

TAKES A LOT OF LOVE (Bonus Track)
(Richard Harris)

This song is like a reminiscence of her debut album. I'm OK that they decided to make this song as a bonus track. It's quiet different from the rest in the album. This is so bubbly pop. It is so teen-Disney for me. I really like the tongue twister coda.

HELP ME (Bonus Track)
(Joni Mitchell)

Mandy Moore also has a version of this song in her “Coverage”. McPhee's version shows some range. I love the flute here and other wind instruments as part of the arrangement. This is relaxing. The outro is soothing. Hmmmm.....

Unbroken is much better than her self-titled debut album. McPhee shows that she has grown as a musician since her first album, and proves that she should be remembered not just the runner up of Grandpa Hicks. She is not just a “beautiful face chanteuse” but she's a talented songwriter as well. This album is a must buy for all her fans. They won't be disappointed. This album is highly recommended. I can't skip a single track coz everything is splendid.

LISTEN TO ALL THE TRACKS HERE

GLAMOROUS IRISH TEARS

2010-01-10T00:53:00.000-08:00

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If a person is obsessed with something French or about France, he/she is a francophile. What if a person has fondness of something Irish or from Ireland? Is there a term for it? I just realized that I'm into Irish stuff actually. I love Enya, Boyzone, Westlife, Bono,Colin Farrel, Evana Lynch aka Luna Lovegood, Bono, the movie called “Once”,the soap “”Irish Spring” and of course my fav band “The Corrs! And here comes the new addition to my list : Cowboys and Angels. This little Irish film is surprisingly good. It is now included in Jishcand's Favorite Movies of all time. The movie retells a classic premise but with an endearing Irish touch.

FILM PREMISE: Shane (Michael Legge) has landed a boring government office job, and needs to find an apartment. Fortune links him with Vincent (Allen Leech), a gay fashion design student who's also apartment-hunting. The new roomies are a study in contrast: Vincent has a laser-like queer eye for Shane's straight guy, but doesn't fully grasp Shane's loneliness or the envy Shane feels about Vincent's smooth social graces. The big question: Is it possible for these two to fall in love?

Since this is a story of a young straight guy living in an apartment with a “metrosexual not so flamboyantly” gay guy, so this is a half-gay movie. I think this could pass as a gay movie. The grand thing about Cowboys and Angels is that it doesn't need nudity or men kissing passionately to gain favorable praises from the queer communtiy. For decades, the celluloid has been telling coming-of-age tales. This is your typical innocent-of-the-city guy story but lots of Irish charm. There is a crime drama. There is a gay friendship dramedy. There's a lot of story here layered in Shane's life. It's just poignant. Don't expect something “brokeback” between Shane & Vincent. Their special relationship here is the highlight of the movie. Later in the movie when Vincent introduces Shane to his parents and the “word” he used for Shane as “his” is simply heartbreaking. That scene is very lachrymose for me. The story is surprisingly moving.

The film is perfectly paced. It's not boring actually. Irish director David Gleeson has a very serene direction. He makes sure that everything we see is affectionate. During Shane's makeover courtesy of Vincent, it is so “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”. Every scene where the bubbly Vincent is present, expect something mirthful. The film has some august shots to offer too. Limerick is kinda picturesque and Gleeson depicts something vibrating about the city. Though the movie has some drug issues, don't worry coz everything is perfectly settled in the end. Drug is really the devil. That's why I love this film. It is also promoting an anti-drug campaign. By the way, I really love their thick Irish accent.

The performances are quite satisfying. Michael Legge is perfectly cast as Shane. He owns this film. The story revolves around him and Legge's aplomb is conspicuous. Later in the movie, I thought I saw an emo Adam Lambert on the runway. He looks like my American Idol glam-rocker on that particular scene. When he's dowdy, he also looks like Mark Feehily of Westlife and when he's glamorous he is Michael Legge I guess. Allen Leech does his unquestioning optimum with a character formed from gay clichés. He does not ham his gay acting. In fact, I love that way he treats Vincent subtly. I'm just glad that he's channeling “Bruno”. Both actors are amazing and their chemistry is wow!!!!

Cowboys and Angels sells effectively. It is a silent charmer. Probably, the refreshing gay film I've ever seen in my entire life. It will make you cry for sure coz I really did bawl. But for all its moments of poignancy, "Cowboys & Angels" is really cheerful. It is a confident Irish masterpiece. You gotta see this one. It is surprisingly “a feel-good film”.

INJURED CUTENESS

2010-01-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

2 years ago, a movie was named as one of the worst films that time but it made a huge amount of dough. I read it earned around $350M worldwide. So the chipmunk phenomenon must be real then? I've seen that movie and I think that it was really made for the children who don't mind about an award-winning script. When I was still a kid, I was such a huge fan of the TV series called “Alvin and the Chipmunks”. When the wide screen version was released, I reviewed it as “a movie just for kids”.The sequels remains echt again to the first movie. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is still a mindless/ fun movie for the youngsters. For their stupid entertainment!

FILM PREMISE: Dave ends up in a body cast in a Paris hospital after a giant similitude of Alvin, the prankish one, takes him out during a Chipmunks concert as part of their world tour.Alvin, Simon and Theodore are forced to return to Los Angeles on their own to be looked after by a video-game playing but kind cousin named Toby. Once home, the three brothers -- now world-famous pop stars -- enroll in high school where their singing spot at a benefit to save the school's music program is challenged by an equally adorable female chipmunk sister singing trio known as the Chipettes. Making matters worse, the Chipettes are managed by the 'Munks former manager and now nemesis, Ian Hawke.

Here's the real thing: if you've seen the first movie and enjoyed it then you will love this sequel more. It's still the same. Same old tired jokes about people getting hurt and you should laugh on it! The movie terribly fails on its script. It's nonsense. Alvin and his brothers are attending high school now with the humans. They are playing football with them. On the animated series, this was OK but in the movie it's baloney for chip's sake! C'mon, you gotta be kidding me! Then these cute jocks are so jealous with them. C'mon, this is fuckin' bunk! Yeah, the school plot may look funny for the 6-year olds and below but for the adults it is quiet wrenching. Like huh? There is a love story actually but nah.... I'd rather forget it.

Despite of the atrocious script, the chipmunks are insanely cute. The movie has a magnificent animation honestly. These computer animated chimpmunks seem real to me! I love the Chippetes! If this movie only features songs like it's just a concert movie then I would probably love the entire thing. The movie is only exciting if the chipmunks and the chippetes are singing and dancing. That's it! The musical numbers are the only saving grace of this movie. Without the sped-up rendition of “Single Ladies” and “Put Your Records On”, this will definitely goin' to the garbage bin!

I still don't get it why they hired big names in Hollywood for the voices of these chipmunks. Alvin, Simon and Theodore are the voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney. But can you recognize them? Not at all. The Chipettes are the voices of Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate. Same point. What's the use of these famous people if their voices are all sped up to chipmunk voice? Why not hire ordinary people instead for the voices and use the extra money to hire some good writers out there and create a Pixar quality script???!!!! Jason Lee reprises his role as Dave Seville but he's mostly hospitalized in the movie so he does nothing actually. Oh yeah, the infamous scream : ALVIINNNNNN!!! is still audible from him. Ian Hawke manages to steal some laughs once again. Zachary Levi is the weakest link in the film as the stand-in for Jason Lee.

The bottom line is that there’s a lot of parents that will shake their heads on this movie. They have no volition but to accompany their kids who will definitely love this. The target audience here are the little kids below 7 years old. I just hope that kids today are nifty enough to nitpick the worst movies specifically made for them. This sequel is horrendous but it is also inevitable that kids won't mind at all. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, unfortunately, is really amusing for them. But not for me.

FIRST FLINCH

2010-01-06T22:44:00.000-08:00

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Last year, a horror film about a child killer with a twist totally disturbed me! Remember that little bitch in “Orphan”? Yeah, she's a child from hell. While watching that movie, I really wanted to strangle that bitch! I wanna slap her to death! But what if there's more? I mean children killing people cutthroat. Not that just ordinary people but murdering their parents too! Imagine that? Oh God! This British horror film called “The Children” is probably one of the scariest horror movies I've seen. I know that these children slasher flicks are already long-familiar but this is my first time to see a film like this. Now' I'm really scared to meet the Children of the Corn too.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Elaine (Eva Birthistle) and Jonah (Stephen Campbell Moore) are heading to the vast country estate of Elaine's sister Chloe (Rachel Shelley) and brother-in-law Robbie (Jeremy Sheffield) to celebrate New Year – and if the sibling rivalries and economic disparities of these two couples are not already sufficient grounds for friction, they also have four young children between them, as well as Elaine's older daughter Casey (Hannah Tointon), an emo rebel seething with teen resentment and determined to test every boundary. A Christmas holiday degenerates into a fight for survival when the children start turning on their parents. At first the children begin demonstrating some irritability or odd behavior, particularly staring off into space. A small series of incidents including the disappearance of the family pet, and a tragic "accident" eventually elevates into deliberately sadistic and homicidal activity on the children's part.

I'm not saying that "The Children" is a deafening screamfeast. This low-budgeted flick just knows how to distress one's feeling. The enigma though is not thoroughly explained and most of the scenes are merely bloody murders crafted by these sick kids. I think it is satisfying for moviegoers who simply dig goriness. There's a paranoia in the movie but it remains a mystery throughout. What generates the sickness of these kids? A virus? A ghost? It's still a puzzle til the end. That's the best thing about the movie coz it keeps us guessing! There's a lot of suspense and jump scares too. It's cringing!

Bloody things naturally get worse and worse. Shankland is able to create a dark chilly atmosphere here setting to present utmost thrills. Shankland does an outstanding job of slowly advancing up the tension, letting the audience realize that something caliginous is happening among the children. Take note: most of the suspense are shot in daytime but that doesn't hinder the creepiness here. The snowy place makes the movie spine-chilling. Shankland has some impressive shots to offer here. On the other hand, the violence is wonderfully executed. “The Children” is well acted too. The kids are really good. They are convincing when they're evil. They're scary when they're holding a sharp object . Hannah Tointon for me has the most compelling performance from the rest. Her portrayal as the teen-emo Casey is remarkable.

I hope one of our local distributors is reading this review. This movie deserves a theatrical release here in our country. I read that “The Children" is not yet released in the US but the UK DVD is already available. I'm highly recommending this one. If you wanna be scared, this is a great treat. Just don't let the kids watch this or the virus may contaminate them or something may haunt them. After seeing this, I'm not also ready to face the kids who are raised in the “Village of the Damned”. I heard this is similar to that film as well but honestly I still wanna slap that bitchy“orphan”!

JISHCAND'S TOP 25 MOVIES OF 2009

2009-12-30T18:20:00.000-08:00

2009 was an exciting year for me. I've seen amazing indie films which are critically acclaimed as well.

Some of the popcorn blockbusters also made into my list. Most of the animated films are dominant as well including my Top 1. Some sequels are also here. Don't fret if your “best movie” is not included here. This is only my list anyway.

Here’s my list of the best films that made it into our Philippine theaters or directly released straight to DVD from January 1, 2009 – December 31, 2009 that I've only watched.

25 TAKEN

You gotta see this one. This is purely entertaining. I'm not really into this genre but sometimes if there's a strong word of mouth I can easily be swayed. The premise is fictional but it is an eye-opener. Who knows that the issue is really happening in Europe? “Taken” has changed my life in a moment. Kids, please listen to your parents!!! This movie rocks!!! BIG TIME!

24 BOY

Simply, the best Pinoy gay film of 2009. Visually stunning and wonderfully directed by Aureus Solito.

23 ANTICHRIST

It is one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen. This film will make you cringe. It will make you feel bad terribly. Antichrist is a beautiful film yet misunderstood. Surprisingly, one of the best films this year. Tenebrous but true.

22 STAR TREK

I’m not a fan at all. I’m not also familiar with the characters. I have no clue about being a trekker. Guess what? This movie is truly surprising from the outset and right to the last frameThe reason why you will heart Star Trek is because of its cast ensemble.

21 ANG PANGGAGAHASA KAY FE

This is Irma Adlawan's best performance to date. The film is visually puzzling yet beautiful.

20 THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

This film may not cater to the ordinary crowd. The script is kinda gibberish sometimes but don't worry coz you can blend with the flow. I think this is Brad Pitt's shining moment. Receiving nominations for his performance here is agreeable. Pitt delivers a marvelous performance. Cate Blanchett is also effulgent.

19 KIMMY DORA

The best Pinoy Comedy of 2009! Phenomenal performance from Eugene Domingo: Ang Dyosa ng Komedya!

18 WANTED: BORDER

Osang's comeback into the limelight. The film is not for everyone but this is one of the best Pinoy films this year.

17 THE ECHO

The Echo is a very good film. It is a stunning horror film. It is a moving drama film. It is a powerful Hollywood remake of a Pinoy film! Yam Laranas' effort works!!! Our very own Iza Calzado who has a minor role in this film proves that she can also be a Hollywood Actress! Great job Iza!!!

16 DRAG ME TO HELL

This horror movie has a never ending terror and shock. Sam Raimi really knows how to scare the audience. As Christine's curse progresses, prepare to cover your mouth coz “YUCKS” will be your favorite word.

15 GRAN TORINO

Gran Torino has a special message to cerebrate. The film has a place in my heart. I will never forget this chef-d'oeuvre (almost) from Clint. By the way, this will be his last film as an actor. A very grand exit actually .Highly recommended. Not just two thumbs up but two armpits up! Bring your hanky.

14 TRANFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

The movie sucks according to the critics. Yeah, if I am a paid critic I would probably trash this one too. But I am just a movie buff among the ordinary moviegoers. Seriously? I'm really recommending this one. Forget the flaws ( a lot in here LOL ) ! Just let your eyes enjoy the visuals and don't look forward for a wonderfully written award-winning script. Just relax, grab a popcorn and enjoy the show.

13 A CHRISTMAS CAROL

The 3D presentation is simply mind blowing! Jim Carrey has done it again doing multiple roles!

12 THE HANGOVER

Some are saying that this film is slightly misogynist but I think it's not that harsh. Some chicks may still appreciate the jokes. We've seen this type of scenario before about debauchery in Las Vegas or in a road trip but “The Hangover” is simply sensational from the rest. This is the comedy that I've been waiting for. It is egalitarian, it is insipid, it is crackbrained, and it is something your folks totally wouldn't O.K. But it is really humorous and fantastic.

11 MANGATYANAN

The script is awesome. It is visually stunning. The acting from the actors are unforgettable. Beautiful indie film!!!

10 NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Nothing But The Truth is a life changing film for me. Writer/Director Rod Laurie does a powerful job depicting a topical thriller. Remember that this is a loquacious film but the words and yakety-yaks are like daggers to my eyes and ears. It keeps me astir. This is Kate Beckinsale's best performance to date.

9 CORALINE

Coraline is NOT actually for the kids. The story is really dark. Some scenes are a little scary for them. this is one of the best films I've seen this year, and without any question one of the best script in years. Coraline is wildly imaginative from start to end.

8 BRUNO

The movie is really sick. You will witness a sadistic sex that I haven't seen yet in my entire life and it's really ghastly but funny at the same time. Brüno is a humongous success because of Sacha Baron Cohen. Hats off to you man! You are so valiant! From his weird accent to his natural gayness .

7 MULLIGANS

The film is wonderfully directed for me. It's straightforward. I love the script even if it's still raw but I find it sincere. The most surprising thing in Mulligans is the cinematography. There are a lot of beautiful frames right from the outset and to the last scene after the credits( there is a hidden scene) be sure to finish everything. It's inspiring just by looking at those perfectly balanced canvass. I must say that the film has a lot of saccharine scenes to offer. The actors are really good looking and it's unavoidable to root for their cahoots .

6 UP

WARNING: If you are planning to watch this film you better have a hanky in your pocket. The outset of the film is a shocker. Pixar really knows how to surprise their fans. The film's preamble which lasts for 10 minutes is already a complete short film. You will laugh and cry even for that short of time. That's a great accomplishment. But they just won't stop. Pixar always have this incomparable magic when it comes to animation. This time their new project is being presented in 3D.

5 HARRY POTTER & HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

I believe that this film may bore to some purists out there! Shame on you. This is just a film adaptation for Hogwarts' sake! The film may lack some suspense and excitement . Why? It simply because this is the penultimate. They are trying to build up frisson for the Deathly Hallows. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince is a very good film. I'm really recommending it. The magic is still alive.

4 THE HURT LOCKER

The Hurt Locker is a sure shot for Best Picture next year in the Oscars. This is the first astonishing film this year that I've watched and I want to give them the top honors already. I seldom like war movies but this one bombs my heart. This film changes everything! I just can't stop praising it coz I really want you to watch it now!!!! This best picture rocks!!!!!

3 YANGGAW

The Best Pinoy Horror Film so far!!! This film still makes me cry. One of the scariest in years! One of the best in years!!!! Phenomenal film!!!!

2 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Superb is the best way to describe the experience after watching the film. I was blown away with the direction and all the technical aspects. Of course, it raked most of the awards in the Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Original Song. I couldn't disagree. A well-deserved win! Congratulations Danny Boyle!This one takes the cake! The critics are really right. The moviegoers who made this movie a phenomenon are truly hypnotized. Slumdog Millionaire is one of the BEST FILMS of all times.

AND THE #1 MOVIE OF 2009

AVATAR is the Best Picture of 2009. James Cameron is really the King of The World. And he is back in the game! Can't wait for the Oscar Awards!!!

I hope you like my Top 25. If you want to know why I love these films, just click the movie title to read the full review. Thanks for reading my blog and hope to see you next year. 2010 is a promising year I guess!!!

OOW YIS ! I MIN NAKAKAALIW KAYA !

2009-12-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

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Bago ko pinanood ito hindi ako umaasa na polished ang pelikiulang ito. Ikinatatakot ko rin na maiirita ako! Expected ko rin na lalangawin ang Wapakman! Pagpasok ko nakatama agad ako! Walo lang kami sa loob ng sinehan! Pero ang ikinagulat ko sa lahat eh ang Wapakman pala ang may mga pinakamagandang kuha sa lahat ng mga entries na kasali sa MMFF kaso nabahiran lang ng ilang nakakasuyang mga eksena. Kung hindi lang nilabanan ni Pacman si Cotto last November malamang 5 stars pa ang maibibigay ko sa ambisyosong pelikulang ito!!!

CHUVA NG PELIKULA: Taga-sep-sep ng ebs si Magno sa USA. Isa siya sa mga loyal employees ng United Septic Authority. Iniwan siya ng kanyang asawang si Magda para magtrabaho sa Italy at ngayo'y doble kayod na siya sa pag-aalaga ng kanilang limang anak. Ngunit isang gabi, isa si Magno sa mga natamaan ng isang chemical na may nuclear power dahil sa isang aksidente sa daan. Nakadamay pa 2 civilians at ilang alimango na di ko alam paano napadpad sa kalsada. Ito na ang makapagbabago sa buhay ni Magno, magkakaroon siya ng kakaibang lakas at liksi at isa na siyang Superhero sa pangalan na Wapakman!

Una sa lahat mala-Hollywood ang story nito kasi parang Spiderman ang dating. Kung sa New York eh may Peter Parker meron din tayong Magno Menesis o Minises (yan ang pagkarinig ko eh). O di ba PP sa kanila at MM naman sa atin! Meron pang mga villains na basta na lang sumusulpot at mamaya wala na talo na agad! Di ko akalain na matatawa ako pero surprisingly kaming 8 sa loob eh nagpapalakpakan dahil sa kakatawa!!! Mga simpleng lines ni Pacman eh natatawa na kami! Like Oh Yis!!! Now I Know! I Min !! Hanep ang delivery ni Magno grabeee!!! Sa totoo lang mas nakakatawa pa ang mga jokes nila rito kaysa sa Ang Darling Kong Aswang! Makita ko nga lang ang tatoo ni Magno natatawa na ako eh. Ano ba nakalagay doon sa braso niya? Ano lang naman Jinkee, Jimwell, Michael, Princess pero walang Dionesia. Ang malaking tanong sinu-sino nga ba ang mga ito sa buhay ni Magno? Asawa ni Magno eh si Magda naman tapos mga anak nila sina Piolo, Dingdong atbp pero walang Jimwell .Lagapak nga lang talaga sa story ang Wapakman dahil parang tumatalon ang kwento nang basta-basta! May mga kaaway na hindi man lang na-develop. Obviously, parang minadali na lang nila! Pero na-fe-feel ko na maraming pang eksena na hindi nakunan!

Si Topel Lee pala ang director nito na siya ring gumawa ng Ouija at Sundo ng GMA Films. Isa sa mga young talented directors ng bansa si Topel at dito sa Wapakman naipakita niya ang kanyang talento! Sa totoo lang halos lahat ng mga eksena eh pinaganda niya at litaw na litaw kung gaano kaaya-ayang panoorin ang mga simpleng eksena na hindi na kailangan ng special effects. May mga silent moments si Magno rito tulad ng naglalaba siya, naglilinis,at naghahanda ng pagkain sa mga anak niya. Ang gaganda ng pagkakakuha ni Topel talaga. Kahit mga night scenes nagawa pa rin niyang lagyan ng konting art ang mga eksena. I really love the Walo-walo accident sa kalye. Polished ang pagkagawa ng eksenang yun. Kahit ang sound at musical scoring pinaghandaan din nila kasi bumabagay sa mga eksena! Kaso nga lang kung kailan puring-puri na sana ako eh bigla rin ang lagapak nila! The truth is ang ganda ng mga fight executions dito! Awesome sana panoorin ang crab fight, duel with Combustible Man at Screamer at lalo na yung sa last battle with a confusing villain. Kaso busy si Pacman sa kanyang training sa USA kaya ang kanyang double na lang ang lumaban sa mga villains!!! Siguro wala na talagang choice si Topel kundi gamitin ang stuntman kaso halata talaga na hindi si Pacman yun! Doon pa lang sa crab fight, bistado na kasi iba ang buhok at iba rin ang pangangatawan ng double.Nakakatawa rin ang paibang-ibang kulay ng putik sa mukha ni Magno kasi minsan green o kaya brown na naman . Kahit nakasuot na ng Wapakman costume, eh halata pa rin na hindi siya si Pacman! You know what? Lalo kaming nagtawanan tuloy sa loob!!! Laugh trip yung double kasi ang galing niya sa bakbakan! Kung malinaw naman mata mo eh medyo halata pa rin ang mga harness lines na naka-blurred nang konti. May mga placement ng ads dito pero nakakatuwa tingnan!

Artista ba talaga si Manny Pacquiao? Boksingero siya pero hindi ako nairita sa akting niya kasi lumalabas na natural comedian pala ang ating pambansang kamao! LOL! Alam naman natin kung ano ang accent niya di ba pero ganun naman talaga siya magsalita! Actually, Manny is really sincere portraying Magno. Di ko lang ma-getz bakit na-link siya kay Krista eh mas maraming sweet moments pa sila ni Bianca King dito na ubod nang seksi at katakam-takam pa! Pero doon sa fight scene nila ni Krista di ko alam bakit gustong gawing romantic ni Wapakman yun? John Manalo is also here na muntikan nang magpaiyak sa akin! Ang galing niya talaga sa drama! Magagaling ang mga kids dito actually. Kahit si Mura, Keanna Reeves, Benjie Paras at Jojo Alejar eh nakakatawa rin pala!

Sa totoo lang kung may magyaya sa akin na panoorin ito uli eh hindi ako magdadalawang isip na panoorin ito kasama siya. Hindi biro! This is a semi-worst movie pero satisfied naman ako sa mga unexpected na kakatawanan. Talent pa lang ni Topel eh sulit na binayad ko. The truth is inulit ko pa siya at guess what? 10 na kami! Yung pitong nakasama ko eh nag-repeat watch pala sila at may 2 pang nadagdag. Call me silly for watching this pero the pleasure is really surprising! Ha ha ha!!! Nakapagtataka ano pag may title fight si Pacman at pinapalabas sa sinehan eh sold out palagi kahit ang price eh katumbas pa ng IMAX ticket! Pero eto na wala pang P200 eh hindi pinipilahan? Ano bang nagawang kasalanan ni Pacman sa inyo? Kayo ha porket mayaman na siya at may career na rin si Aling Dionesia eh pinababayaan nyo na ang acting career ni Manny? LOL ! Wapakman is insanely funny! Watch it! Magugulat kayo sa tuwa!!!!

TFC AKO PO SI JUAN!

2009-12-30T07:31:00.000-08:00

Di ko alam bakit nakikisakay sila sa Korean Pop Hit ng Wonder Girls eh natapos na lang ang movie na ito hindi man lang nagamit ito. Hindi ako nanood nito para mapanood ang dance craze na pinauso ng mga kalahi ni Sandara. Hindi rin ako nanood nito dahil fan ako ng Wowowee o kay Willie. Actually, nagtataka pa rin ako paano ko natiis na tapusin ang pelikulang alam kong magngingitngit ako sa galit. Honestly, I don't like Willie Revillame. I can't stand the guy and his show. Nobody Nobody But Juan is all about the goodness of his show. That people outside the Philippines love the show so much. Salamin daw ng buhay Filipino ang Wowowee. Hmmm... kapamilya pasok!

CHUVA NG PELIKULA: Matanda na si Juan at nasa pangangalaga siya ng kanyang anak na si Mario sa Amerika na may-ari ng isang facility center. Tanging aliwan lang ng mga matatanda doon eh manood ng Wowowee dahil TFC subscriber sila! Dahil huge fan si Juan nakahanap siya ng paraan para makapanood ng live sa nasabing show. Pero hindi pa rin nawawala sa isip niya ang mga alaala noong aktibo pa siya sa teatro noong panahon ng pananakop ng mga Hapon. Akala ko ba Koreano nagpa-uso ng Nobody?

Kung solid kapuso ka eh malamang mag-wa-walkout ka kaagad after mo makitang nagsasayawan sila pag Wowowee na. Simple lang naman kwento nito pero parang walang patutunguhan. Andaming DUH sa script! Una pa lang walang explanation kung bakit ayaw ng anak at daughter-in-law ni Juan na makita ang mga gurang sa center na nanonood ng Wowowee. Banned daw ang show sa mga gurang! Pero later on noong nasa live show na si Juan eh nakabukas ang TV nila sa Wowowee. Huh? Nagpapatawa ang pelikula pero ni minsan hindi ako natawa! Halos lahat ng mga jokes eh narinig ko na at napanood ko na! Nakakataas ng kilay ang mga jokes nila. Puro papuri na lang sa Wowowee ang makikita at maririnig mo rito. Puro promotion sa The Filipino Channel! A tribute to the kapamilya halos bukambibig nila. Paano naman ang mga Kapuso? Ka-Shake? At iba pang ka-ka paano naman nila ma-a-appreciate kung si Willie aka Puppy o Papi ang ginawang Idolo ng Bayan sa pelikulang ito? Meron pang drama rito sa bandang huli na di ko alam bakit sobra ang iyakan??? Nonsense ang forced-drama na yun na basta na lang isiningit. Since this is all about Wowowee, sabi ng host kailangan daw nilang subaybayan ang buhay ni Juan kasi ma-drama daw. Wala naman eh! Pero natuwa pa ako doon kasi hindi na pinakita ang mukha ng host after Juan's appearance on the said show.

Naloka ako sa direction ni Eric Quizon kasi parang Wenn Deramas ang style. Yung mga pa-sped up shots ba? Ni isa wala akong nakitang good frames dito. Ni isa wala akong makitang good cinematography. Meron pa silang mga flashbacks scenes during the Japanese Era pero amateurish ang dating. Panget pa ng dubbing nila. Oh my God!!!! Kalait-lait naman ang musical scoring dito! Kahit ordinary conversation lang eh mala-epic ang tugtog. Since hindi naman fictional show ang Wowowee at siyempre ABS-CBN too, so hindi ko talaga maiwasan na magkamot ng ulo. Bakit? Huge network ang Kapamilya pero ang guard nila eh parang hindi tao kung umasta. Napakatanga! Real TV show pero labas masok ang mga taong wala namang backstage pass? Huh? Hindi rin kapani-paniwala na nakakapanloko pa ng mga tao ang dalawang gurang na lampas 80 years old na? Maraming mga ads din dito pero yung todo-promotion nila sa TFC eh nakakapanghina na. Lalo na yung kinanta ang fav love song ng mga drayber at mga katulong na pinasikat ni Willie. Yuck....natiis ko talaga! I'm so proud of myself na buhay pa rin ako after the end credits.

Hindi na masyadong nakakatawa si Dolphy. Napaglipasan na mga jokes niya. Pero convincing siya sa drama kaso wala talaga sa timing ang pasok ng mga luhaan nila. Eddie Garcia seems OK here pero mas marami pang linya si Willie kaysa sa kanya. Event the respected actress Gloria Romero is here pero dinaanan lang naman ng camera. Lalo na si Heart Evangelista! Useless role for her! Wala lang. OA ang acting nina Epy and Vandolph Quizon dito. Ambivalent ako sa acting ni Pokwang. OK siya doon sa mga scenes niya in the 40s pero sa mga present scenes na gurang na sya eh hindi convincing ang acting. Make-up pa nga lang niya hindi maayos-ayos eh. May wrinkles sa mukha pero sa leeg at braso eh parang 30 years old lang. Too much energy for an old lady! Eugene Domingo is here pero wasted din ang talent niya. Sayang!

If you hate Wowowee or Willie, don't watch this. Obviously ginawa ito para sa lahat ng mga fans ng noontime show. Ginawa rin ito para lalong ma-promote ang TFC. Dolphy is already in his 80s pero kung tribute niya ito eh isang malaking BLAH! Masyadong nakakapraning ang network wars ngayon kaya bad idea ang ginawa nila dito. Sana ginawang fictional na lang ang show na pinuntahan ni Juan at walang specified network! Hindi ito talaga magugustuhan ng mga audience na hindi nanonood ng nasabing show. Pero kahit papaano may matututunan ka namang kagandahang asal dito yun nga lang madali mo namang malimutan. Ito ang nakakaasar sa lahat! Wowowee is a free TV show pero pag nanood ka ng Nobody Nobody But Juan eh para ka na ring nagbayad! Buti na lang may MMFF passes ako!

HAPPY 19TH BIRTHDAY DAVID ARCHULETA !

2009-12-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

IBULONG MO SA FLAWLESS NA ASWANG

2009-12-26T02:33:00.000-08:00

Lahat na yata ng gimmick eh ginawa na ni Bossing Vic! From his nonsense Enteng Kabisote series and stupid legends na palaging top grosser sa MMFF. Tapos last year yung napakawalang kwentang Iskul Bukol. As usual may MMFF entry na naman siya! Put in mind na aim lang nila eh maging money maker at magpasaya sa target audience nila. Paki ba nila sa quality? Ang Darling Kong Aswang is another blockbuster na talagang magugustuhan ng buong pamilya? Take note: target audience lang nila ha? Kung hindi ka pumipila sa mga Enteng ni Vic Sotto every Christmas? Eh hindi ka kasama sa target!

CHUVA NG PELIKULA : Dahil nangaganib ang buhay nina Elisa sa probinsiya dahil may banta sila sa kapwa nila aswang eh napilitan silang magtago sa Maynila. Dito makikilala ni Elisa si Victor isang guapong biyudo. As usual love at first sight agad. Ipinagtapat ni Elisa na aswang siya at ikinagulat ni Victor itong balita. Pero nananaig pa rin ang pag-ibig kaysa sa takot ni Victor. Kailangan niyang maangkin ang sexiest FHM woman in the barrio!

Inaasahan ko talaga na dudumugin ito ng mga tao kaya nag-decide na ako panoorin ang maagang screening nito. Gosh pagpasok ko punong-puno na!! Standing na talaga! Nakaupo pa sila sa floor. Pero nakahanap ako ng seat sa front row. As usual kababawan lang naman kasi ito. Kung madali kang matawa sa isang taong pinapalo sa tiyan o kinukuryente o kaya bungguan ng mga tao o kaya nauuntog na ulo? Eh di tumawa ka! Kung sa tingin mo eh nakakatawa ang mga aswang na nangungurot lang at kinakagat pa ng tao? Eh di tumawa ka! Kung feeling mo matutuwa ka sa mga recycled jokes ni Bossing? Eh di tumawa ka! Lahat ng mga pinagsasabi nila eh mga nonsense! Halos lahat ng mga lines ay halos panlalait sa kapwa like ang panget mo! Ang baho mo! Kung tingin mo nakakatuwa ang mga ito eh di solved ka sa kakatawa! Pero lahat ng mga yan ay pinagtatawanan ng mga target audience sa Megamall Cinema 2. Nonstop ang tawanan at sigawan nila. Pati yung mga aswang na hind naman mukhang aswang eh tinitilian nila sa takot! Ako naman tahimik lang ako pero tinitingnan ang mga mali ng pelikula na tinatawanan lang nila. Pero aaminin ko na may ilang punch lines na natawa ako courtesy of Allan K and Wally Bayola.

Ampangeetttt ng sound!!!!!!! Poor sound!!! Horrible. Bulong ang ibang eksena minsan malakas na naman. Balik bulong na naman. Eh maingay pa sa loob kaya poor na poor. Kung sa tingin mo maganda ang visual effecs nila pwede ba? Ka-level pa rin ng Enteng atrocious effects! Nakakatuwa ang mga aswang nila na nangungurot lang. Ha ha ha! Kahit ang lighting nila di man lang magawa nang tama. Kahit sa daylight kinunan eh sobra ang lighting. Yung mga suot na bright colors tuloy nila ang nangingibabaw! Napailing lang ako sa aswang na si Elisa. Isa siyang aswang sa bukid pero napaka-heavy ng make-up. Tadtad ng foundation ang mukha para flawless, glossy ang lips na sparkling under the sunlight at moonlight, at higit sa lahat blooming ang rosy cheeks! Aswang ba siya o pokpok sa barrio? Kaya halos lahat ng mga eksena ay puro close-up shots ni Christine Reyes. Ang ganda nga niya! Natakot pala ang mga aswang sa Boy Bawang na regalo pero noong binigyan ng sandwich na may palaman na “liver spread” eh tuwang-tuwa at kinain talaga nila! Later in the movie, ginamit ang asin pampatay sa mga aswang! Then I wonder, eh noong kinain pala nila ang liver spread eh dapat nangingisay na sila di ba? Take note: salt is one main ingredient sa liver spread. Pasensiya na pinapansin ko pa ang mga ito sa movie! Ha ha ha! Ayan natawa na ako!

As always, pa-pogi lang naman si Vic Sotto rito. Guapo siya wala nang iba! Hero siya at kahit sino maiinlab sa kanya! Ano pa ba bago sa acting niya?? Pero kung fan ka niya wala namang problema di ba? I love Vic Sotto as a host! Si Christine magaling siya! Kaso ang director nag-focus lang sa kagandahan ng dalaga! Kaya more on beautiful eyes at kissable lips lang si Tintin. May scene siya sa bandang huli na kung medyo mahaba-haba lang eh panalo siya sa acting! Sa kanilang dalawa lang naman itong movie, yung iba dinadaanan lang ng camera.

After the movie, di kaagad ako nakalabas kasi sa sobrang dami ng tao. Lumabas ang iba na nakangiti kasi tuwang-tuwa sila! Ako naman nabwisit kasi gusto ko nang lumabas! May nanghipo pa sa akin sa siksikan! Bwisit siya! Recommended ko ito sa lahat ng mga Enteng Kabisote fans! Pero kung nararamdaman mo ang review ko at sa tingin mo eh madidismaya ka? That's good! Save your money!

TEENSATION SCREAMFEST

2009-12-26T00:51:00.000-08:00

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Nagulat ako doon sa teaser poster ng Shake Rattle & Roll XI kasi sabi regalo daw nila ito ngayong pasko! Hmmm.. ang title ng review ko last year sa SRR X eh Mother Lily's Christmas Gift. Nabasa ba nila review ko last year? Ha ha wish ko lang! Nag-suggest din ako last year na sana yung last episode na Nieves eh gawing full movie na rin! Guess what? Kasali sana ang Nieves sa MMFF this year kaso may health problems si Direk Mike Tuviera kaya hindi na raw natuloy. Sad naman! Surprisingly ,this new franchise fares better! 3 episodes na nakakaloka! 3 episodes na kakaiba ang panlasa. 3 episodes na tiyak magpapatili sa lahat ng mga bata!

Una ay ang DIABLO: Tungkol ito sa possessed intern-doctor na si Claire. Nawalan na siya ng faith sa Diyos after ma-massacre ang buong family niya around Christmas noong bata pa siya.

Hindi siya nakakatakot. Based sa audience reactions eh medyo low lang ang decibel sound meter. Pero sa tatlo dito ako humanga pagdating sa shots at editing. Ang ganda ng mga frames ni Rico Gutierrez. Kahit sa CGI the best din sa lahat! Kahit sa acting panalo rin naman. Maja Salvador is really good kaso hindi pala siya ganun kaganda. Akala ko cute siya di naman pala. Mabilis ang pangyayari sa Diablo. Kung napanood mo ang Exorcist eh ginaya lang naman nila ang style ng exorcism.

Next ay ang UKAY-UKAY. Tungkol naman ito sa ikakasal na si Kayla, Nagustuhan niya ang isang vintage gown na nakita niya sa ukay-ukay. Dream niya kasi with Harold ay isang vintage wedding. Pero di niya alam na ang gown na yun ay may dalang sumpa na maaaring may dalang panganib sa buhay niya.

Sa tatlo ito ang pinaka-laugh trip at ito rin ang may pinakamalakas na sigawan sa Standing Room Only na Megamall. Kahit sa sahig may nakaupo pa rin pero hanep ang sigawan ng mga kabataan sa gown na gumagalaw. Hindi ko alam bakit sila madaling matakot sa isang white gown na naglalakad? Hindi siyempre ako natakot pero based doon sa audience reaction nag-enjoy ako sa napanood ko. Panalo rin kasi ang acting ni Ruffa na may dala pang chainsaw! Ang galing huh? Pero agaw eksena si John Lapuz sa lahat! Abangan mo linya niya na laugh trip talaga! Yun nga lang sobrang haba ng segment na ito. Pwede namang iklian eh. Sabi rin sa curse na yung bride lang ang papatayin ng sumpa pero bakit nandamay pa ng mga inosente. Doon lang ako napailing! Magaling si Don Michael Perez magpatili ng mga bata! May nakita akong link na sigawan sa Ukay-Ukay segment: HEAR HERE

Last ay ang LAMANG LUPA. Tungkol naman ito sa mga magkakabarkda na nag-camping. Pinaglaruan nila ang mga punso pero di nila alam na may mga galit na mga lamang-lupa na nakatira rito. Maghihigante ang mga ito at iisa-isahin sila!

Magsisigaw pa rin ang mga kabataan sa segment na ito. I think ito ang may pinakamagandang cinematography at maganda rin ang mga kuha ni Jossel Monteverde. More on habulan ito sa forest kaya creepy ang setting. Nakakatakot sa mga bata ang mga lamang lupa kaya ang gulat factor dito ay effective. Sabi ko na nga ba lilitaw ang acting ni Jennica Garcia! Siya ang kapansin-pansin dito sa lahat. The others are good too like the Roco Twins, Mart Escudero and Rayver Cruz. Weakest links sina Bangs Garcia at ang nakakairitang acting ni Iya Villania. May flaw lang sa movie kasi pag babae hindi pinapatay ng mga engkanto kundi ni-re-rape lang daw at inaanakan pero bakit yung dalawang sexy girls eh pinatay agad. Gusto ko kasing makitang nire-rape si Iya kasi nakakairita ang acting niya!

Awesome ang experience ko sa movie na ito dahil sa mga narinig kong tilian. Nakakadala ang mga sigawan ng mga little girls at teeny gays sa Megamall. Laugh trip kasi ang ingay nila. This movie is good for barkada fun! Enjoy talaga! Basta it's all about horror fun sa loob. Paglabas mo hindi ka naman matatakot. Walang aftershock goose bumps! Shake, Rattle and Roll XI has new directors kaya medyo fresh na naman ito. The three directors are awesome! Sana next Christmas kunin na naman nila si Richard Somes na nag-direk ng Yanggaw kasi alam ko may Horror gift na naman si Mother Lily sa susunod na Pasko. Salamat Mader sa gift! Pero I need cash!

LABSONG BLUES

2009-12-25T22:16:00.000-08:00

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Ang pagkakaalam ko talaga eh January 1. 2010 pa ipapalabas dapat itong I Love You, Goodbye kasi I heard na first week pa lang ng December eh nag-sho-shooting pa sila. Pero himala!!! nakahabol pala sila! Well, it's not impossible sa Star Cinema! Kaya nila mag-magic ng isang pelikula! Pero ano ba naman ito? Title na naman ng love song? Parang ganito na lang palagi ang napapanood natin. I Love You, Goodbye is different though. Sa una wow ito na yata ang pinakahihintay ko na romantic formula pero in the end Gosh.... same Star Cinema romance na naman.

CHUVA NG PELIKULA : Iniwan si Lizelle ni Gary para makasakay kaagad sa barko na dapat sabay silang magtatrabaho. Devastated si Lizelle hanggat nakilala niya ang lalakeng papawi ng kanyang kalungkutan na si Dr. Adrian. After 2 years, nagbalik si Gary para sa 2nd chance nila ni Lizelle. Ayaw na ni Lizelle kasi masaya na siya kay Adrian. Pero lahat gagawin ni Gary maibalik lang ang dating pagmamahalan. Kahit gamitin pa niya ang nag-iisang anak ni Adrian na si Ysa na galit na galit kay Lizelle.

Sa title pa lang eh parang One More Chance ang dating. Hindi ito rom-com na pa-tweetums. This time may love triangle ang conflict. Isang babaeng naguguluhan kung sino ba pipiliin niya? Doon ba sa first love niya na iniwanan siya dahil ang-abroad pero nagpapainit naman sa kanya? Kasi sabi niya OK lang naman daw na mahirap sila basta masaya lang sila. O doon sa mayamang doctor na wala namang panahon sa kanya at galit na galit pa sa kanya ang mother at daughter nito pero naibibigay naman lahat ng luho niya? Ikaw girl? Sino ba pipiliin mo? Dito umikot ang predictable story ng pelikula. Hindi mo na kailangang mag-isip kasi alam na alam mo na ang mga mangyayari. There is a twist daw oh? Pero big flaw talaga. SPOILER NEXT: May character dito na namatay at ka-close ni Lizelle pero nailibing na lahat lahat eh hindi man lang niya nalaman! Andami kaya nilang magkakabarkada ano ni isa wala man lang nakapagsabi sa kanya? Tapos doon sa pasyenteng nagpa-opera sa Makati Medical Hospital, eh bakit pa doon nila pina-ospital tapos problemado sila sa gastusin? Pwede naman sa Phil General Hospital o ibang public hospitals di ba? Pangmayaman kaya ang Makati Med? Once admitted ang isang patient doon expect a huge hospital bill!Taps nagrereklamo siya dahil malaki na raw bills nila? Gusto lang kasi gumawa ng conflict ang mga writers pero it doesn't make any sense. Sabi ko nga minadali ang shooting nila ganun din ang happy ending! Ambilis ng pangyayari... lahat ng mga magkakaaway nagkabati lahat sa isang iglap! Gosh.... sana pinanindigan nila ang title na “I Love You Goodbye” man lang! I want a serious sad ending!

Laurice Guillen is a brilliant director. Gusto ko mga kuha niya. Mahilig lang siyang mag-blurred ng mga faces pero yung mga palipat-lipat na kuha ng mga facial expressions ng mga artista? Ang galing!Pero di ko gusto ang pagpapakita ng mga spoiler clips sa opening credits! Pero may napansin ako na eksena na napapailing ako. After the dinner scene of Lizelle, Adrian, Gary at Ysa, may serious na usapan sila Lizelle at Adrian at naka-side view lang sila sa pinto ni Ysa. Pinag-uusapan nila si Ysa pero si Ysa eh nakikinig lang sa kanila doon mismo sa pinto. Take note, side view lang nila ang pinto pero hindi man lang nila napapansin si Ysa na nag-e-eavesdrop sa kanila! Heto pa, naghahanap talaga sila ng chance na mapatugtog ang song na I Love You Goodbye.Pinatugtog nila ito doon sa passionate kissing scene nina Lizelle at Gary sa beach. Take note ito yung pagbabalikan moment ng dalawa pero bakit pinatugtog ang sad song na ito? Dapat pinatugtog ito doon sa cemetery scene at umiiyak si Lizelle sa puntod. Perfect ang song sa malungkot na eksenang yun. Anyway, impressive ang cinematography ni Lee Meily talaga!

May chance na ba si Gabby Concepcion na ma-take it take it ang Best Actor trophy? Wala!!! Pero tingin ko mananalo siya kasi mananalo kasi si Sharon Cuneta. Alam nyo naman ang showbiz mahilig sa intriga!!! Gusto nila makita ang reunion ng Sharon-Gabby Loveteam ever. Walang kabuhay-buhay ang acting ni Gabby. Wala siyang ginawa kundi i-display ang mga polo shirts na ini-endorse niya. Pero kahit ganun na edad niya hunk pa rin siya. Bagay talaga sila Angelica Panganiban at Derek Ramsay! Lahat ng mga romantic moments nila may sparks!!! Si Angelica ang matinding kalaban ni Sharon sa Best Actress. Kaso pagdating sa iyakan mas magaling si Mega! Si Derek Ok lang naman. Pang-kama lang siya rito. Si Kim Chiu ang miscast! Father niya si Gabby na mestizo at mother niya si Angel Aquino na morena. Ang naging anak nila ay si Kim Chiu na chinitang maputi! Paano nangyari yun? Di naman sinabi na nag-ampon sila ng Chinese daughter na hiniram sa Mano Po eh? Pero malaki na improvement ni Kim sa acting! Ang galing niya doon sa hysterical part ni Ysa.

Hmmm.... naguguluhan ako kung maganda ba ito o panget? The story is common. The formula is still the same. The acting is great except Gabby. The song is beautiful pero mali ang pagkagamit. Angelica and Kim are both sexy and charming. Derek is a seductive hunk. Laurice is amazing kahit rush ang movie. Pero I had fun naman. It's not that bad. Star Cinema fanatics won't mind at all. They will love this rush!

MEGABIGAT ANG FAKENESS

2009-12-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

Naku ilang Mano Po na ba ang napanood ko? Teka halos lahat na pala! Akala ko talaga itinigil na ni Mother Lily ang kanyang Fil-Chinese Family Epic Saga pero humirit pa ng isa! Bida pa si Mega! Rated A pa raw ang pelikula!? Hmmm... sige na nga baka iba ang timpla nitong pang-anim na Mano Po. Pero common plot lang naman pala na ilang beses na nating napanood sa TV at kahit sa ilang mga pelikula. Same Mano Po Formula pa rin. Same director pa rin na same pa rin ang style mula umpisa. Ang pagkakaiba lang eh: Megabigat ang mga bida!

CHUVA NG PELIKULA: Nang mamatay ang asawa ni Melinda Uy ay parang gumuho na rin ang kanyang mundo. Filipino-Chinese ang dugo ni Melinda pero di siya tanggap ng kanyang mga in-laws na purong Tsino.Basahan ang turing sa kanya roon at unti-unti ring inilayo ang mga anak niya sa kanya maliban kay Carol. Ginawa niya lahat para makabangon pero nang maging bilyonarya na si Melinda ay lalo naman siyang kinaiinisan ng anak niyang napalayo sa kanya, si Stephanie. Tingin ni Stephanie, walang kwentang ina si Melinda. Maibabalik pa kaya ni Melinda ang pamilyang pinaglalaban niya?

Noong napanood ko ang trailer eh parang sweet revenge story na naman na parang Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita ang tema. Ang inaabangan ko lang naman dito ay yung makatotohanang sampalan nina Mega at Zsa Zsa.Eto ang pinakahighlight ng pelikula kasi parang Kimmy Dora ang drama. It's a common cat fight pero may dating naman. Napakapredictable ng story kaso sa dami ng mga isinisingit na mga flashbacks na bigla-bigla na lang sasapaw eh mawalala concentration mo sa isang eksena. It's a weird way of editing pero nabigyan naman ng kaliwanagan ang character ni Melinda pati yung ibang characters. Effective ang drama rito kasi medyo napaluha ako pero once lang naman. This is a mother's story at bilib ako sa pagbuo ng kwento ni Melinda. Kawawa siya talaga at gustong gusto mo na siyang bumangon para mabawi ang mga anak niya. Super drama ito at maaaring magpaluha sa inyo kung iyakin ka talaga . As usual baka mabagot ang mga bata dahil Chinese ang ilang salita at baka di nila masundan ang subtitles. Di naman ako na-bored totally kaso may mga characters talaga na kahit hindi naman isinali sa pelikula eh buo pa rin naman ang kwento.

Wala akong nakitang pagbabago sa mga kuha ni Lamangan. Ganun pa rin from Mano Po 1 hanggang 5! May mga eksena at characters na pwede talagang tanggalin. Eto pala ang nakakatawa kasi bakit nagsasalita sila ng broken Chinese kahit pure Chinese naman sila? Di ba nila napansin na inconsistent ang fake chinita make-up ni Mega? In one scene singkit siya tapos next scene mukhang Sharon na naman siya. Like huh? Nawawala ba ang pagkasingkit pag iyak nang iyak o kaya naging bilyonarya na? Hindi naman ata di ba? As usual pag gawa ni Lamangan meron talagang ads na isinisingit. Pumunta pa talaga silang Beijing para ano! Wala namang sense yung eksenang yun pwede naman nilang gawin sa Chinatown na lang. Gumastos pa.

Well, sa acting lang itong Mano Po 6 bumawi. Sharon Cuneta will win, should win and must win. Bigay na bigay si Mega! This is her moment to shine once again at bumagay sa kanya ang role except lang sa hindi maayos na pagka-make-up ni Fanny Serrano sa mga mata niya at ehem medyo heavy na nga siya. Di ba pag super yaman ka na eh kaya mo naman siguro magpa-lipo? Wala lang naisip ko lang. Si Zsa Zsa naman eh parang nakita na natin ang acting na yun.Parang di ko na feel ang nakakatawang fake-Tagalog accent ni Zsa Zsa. Si Heart ang may ibubuga! Flawless ang beauty ni Heart! Nakikipagsabayan talaga sa drama. Dennis Trillo is really good. I think baka may chance siya for Best Supporting Actor! Si Ciara pala parang napadaan lang at tumayo sa gilid mag-isa. Forgettable role, poor girl.Yung ibang mga anak parang wala lang.

Sana panghuli na itong Mano Po 6 : A Mother's Love ! Wala na yata silang maisip na idea pa. Medyo nakakasawa na rin ang mga fake Chinese accent ng mga artistang Pinoy. Para lang silang nagbabasa sa idiot board. Pwede ring gawing indie film na lang para konti lang gastos at mag-concentrate na lang sa mga good shots. Malaki raw masyado ang budget nito pero parang hindi naman ah? Baka sa talent fee lang ni Mega sila napagastos? Based sa MMFF judging system, Mano Po 6 has a good chance na manghakot uli. Kung yung Mano Po 1 nga eh hinakot halos lahat ng awards eh eto pa? Mano Po 6 is a movie for all Sharonians and other fans. Kung di mo type ang ibang mga artista rito? You may stay away.

UMUUSBONG NA PAG-ASA

2009-12-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

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Kung napanood mo ang Exodus: Tales From Enchanted Kingdom noong 2005 eh parang ganito lang naman ang format din ng Ang Panday. In fairness, pwede na talaga tayong makipagsabayan sa mga Hollywood films. Kaya na pala nating gumawa ng ganitong mamahaling pelikula na kahit may pagkakahawig sa ilang fantasy films ng Hollywood eh maaari pa rin nating maipagmalaki. Natutuwa ako kasi kahit hindi ako fully satisfied sa outcome ng “Ang Panday” eh naaamoy ko naman ang halimuyak ng pag-asa. Unti-unti nang umuusbong ang bulaklak ng makabagong teknolohiya sa Pilipinas...konti na lang. Isang tawid na lang....

CHUVA NG PELIKULA: Sabi sa hula kapag bumagsak na ang bulalakaw sa lupa at kung sinuman ang makakabuo ng sandata mula sa mahiwagang bato nito ay ang taong makakapatay kay Lizardo ang hari ng kadiliman na naghahasik ng lagim sa mundo. Si Flavio ang nakagawa ng sandata kasi siya lang naman ang marunong sa lugar na yun at sa harap niya kaya bumagsak ang kometa? No choice siya! So problem na lang niya ano kayang design ang maganda sa espada? Maliit lang espada ni Flavio pero pag nagagalit ito eh aba pagkahaba-haba!!!!

Sa simula pa lang alam na alam kaagad natin ang ending ng kwento. This is good vs evil so obviously dapat ang bida ang mananaig sa bandang huli. Serious ang pelikula pero paminsan-minsan may isinasaboy na patawa na pwedeng magpangiti sa mga manonood. Kaso nakakairita lang talaga ang narrator na paulit-ulit ang sinasabi. Ang akala ko voice-over narration lang kaso kahit kausap niya ang mga tao eh nag-na-narrate pa rin siya ng same story. Pwede ba tanda tumahimik ka na sa kadadasal diyan? Joonee Gamboa is a brilliant actor kaso grrrr... ang style niya sa pag-narrate na parang nag-papasyon. Hindi tayo gaano mapapabilib kay Panday kasi umaasa lang naman pala siya sa mahaba niyang espada. May mga sidekicks pero wala naman masyadong silbi. May super kontrabida na hindi naman nakakatakot parang yung character lang ni Jay-R sa Exodus na tumaba lang ngayon. Meron pang love story na nabuo na di ko man lang namalayan. Maraming characters pero fillers lang para mapahaba ang running time. Eto ang weakness ng Ang Panday. Predictable ang story at super forgettable.

Nang malaman ko na si Mac Alejandre pala ang director eh medyo kabado ako kasi last movie niya na One True Love eh kahabag-habag ang pagkagawa niya. Pero good thing kasama pala si Rico Guttierez sa direction kaya medyo OK ang pagkagawa this time. Hindi pa super polished ang visual effects nila pero pwedeng-pwede na talaga! Hats off din sa production design. Hanep talaga kasi pinag-aralan ni Richard Somes ang lahat. Credible pati costumes nila. I love the cinematography. The locations are amazing. Di ko alam na may magagandang lugar pala sa Pilipinas. Pero sad to say the action scenes are very boring. Sino ba fight choreographer nito kasi walang kabuhay-buhay ang mga laban? Dinadaan na lang sa slow motion effect kaso nagiging corny ang dating. Walang kadating-dating ang sword fights Mas OK pa nga yung laban ni Emelita at ni Celso kasi parang si Legolas ang drama! Amblis naman mamatay ng mga kalaban! Super abo with matching fire kaagad ang death scene.

Ang role na Panday ni Bong eh hindi naman pambato sa Best Actor. Babatuhin ko ang mga judges pag nanalo si Senador kasi luto na yan. Bong is serious most of the time pero parang wala lang. Sword fight nga eh hindi magawa nang tama. Pero talagang pinilit sa story yung eksenang nag-drama siya sa harap ng napakaseksing dyosa na si Anne Curtis. Breakdown scene ni Bong yun na pwede nyang i-submit for Best Actor. LOL! Si Phillip Salvador eh sumasayaw lang naman dito at nag-bwa ha ha ha most of the time. Bwa ha ha ha. Di naman convincing ang tawa ni Ipe. Maganda talaga si Iza Calzado. Hindi nga lang challenging ang role niya. Kung effective ang pagpapacute ni Legolas sa Lord of the Rings. Nagpapacute rin si Geoff Eigenmann as Celso ,the bow and arrow hunk. Minsan OA si Buboy Villar pati si Benjie Paras.Tanging si Rhian Ramos lang yata ang kuminang rito. Isabak nyo siya sa action movies like Angelina Jolie kasi may ibubuga si Rhian!

Sa darating na awards night, I'm pretty sure na halos lahat ng mga technical awards eh hahakutin ng Ang Panday. Who knows masungkt pa nila ang Best MMFF Picture. This is a strong contender kung MMFF standards ang basis ng judging. Satisfied ako sa napanood ko pero di nga lang todong-todo. Baka next time kasi parang may hint na sequel daw?Am I recommending this movie? Pwede na siya sa mga bata pero kung exposed ka sa mga high-budgeted Hollywood films eh baka makulangan ka pa. Pero sabi ko nga eh nasa tulay na tayo. Konting hakbang na lang eh makakatawid na rin!

BEFUDDLED & BEWITCHED

2009-12-23T15:38:00.000-08:00

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This is such a tough year for me to root for my favorite animation film of 2009. There is a cornucopia of these splendid pictures honestly. I thought UP is the front runner but Coraline is also a beardown contender. Fantastic Mr. Fox is also digging a hole so fast to reach the finish line first. I believe “The Princess and the Frog” is also leaping hurdles just to grab that statuette. I'm befuddled you know. But for now, let me brag to you this bewitching fox. He is indeed fantastic in every way.

FILM PREMISE: Mr. Fox (voice of George Clooney) has a sharp talent for getting out of scrapes in pursuit of chicken stealing - although after a near-miss some years earlier when Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep) announced she was pregnant, he had vowed to stop living dangerously. But surrounded by temptation - a chicken farm, a squab farm and a cider distillery - he again succumbs to the thrill of the chase - and gets his family and some of their nigh wildlife, into heaps of trouble. The farmers, led by Franklin Bean (Michael Gambon) decide to put an end to him once and for all.

I've read the book from Roald Dahl just last year because it was a freebie from a box of breakfast cereals. The film stays true to the source but this adaptation is simply wild. This is not a film intended for kids. Though it looks like a kids flick but this one is quiet aphotic for the innocent minds. The film has a low redeeming value. The film has no moral lessons to learn except forgiveness since it teaches theft as one form of living and it's OK to do it according to the movie. But the way Wes Anderson makes the film so colorful, kids can simply ignore the consequential virtuousness which is always present in Disney films. Fantastic Mr. Fox aims for the tougher kids. It's all about vim and wackiness anyway. The nifty script is one of my bets for Best Adapted Screenplay this awarding season. The offbeat humor is really mind blowing.

Doing a stop-motion animation takes a lot of time and hard work.I salute Wes Anderson's team on their fantastic job. The film is perfectly vivacious as Anderson and his team have pictured the sets and characters with surprising details. The animation is alive. The characters move from frame to frame impeccably. If you've seen Wallace & Grommit, The Night Before Christmas and Coraline, it's the same painstaking technique. I'm truly amazed with the realistic furs of the characters. They don't look plasticky at all. The soundtrack is absolutely awesome and that song from Jarvis Cocker is definitely a guffaw-hitter.

Mr Fox is comedically voiced by George Clooney . He is one of sexiest men in the world and in this film his voice makes the fox so hot. Ha ha ha! There are a number of famous actors doing the voices, including the following, the immaculate Meryl Streep (Mrs. Fox) , Wes Anderson (weasel, who also directs this film), Owen Wilson (coach Skip), Bill Murray (Badger), Willem Dafoe (rat), and Michael Gambon (farmer Bean). But I find Jason Schwartzman as Ash the most remarkable from the rest.

It's just depressing that Fantastic Mr. Fox has a limited run in our country. Only Few Ayala Cinemas are showing it right now. I don't know if it will be extended next year. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a sure fire winner in every aspect. The big question: which film will win in the Oscars? I have no idea. Bur for now, please let Mr Fox and his family entertain you.

SIMBANG GABI, SIMBANG GALA, SIMBANG EWAN

2009-12-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

Aba aba aba paskong pasko na nga!!! Malamig na rin ang simoy ng hangin. Naaamoy ko na rin ang mainit na puto at mga kakanin sa madaling araw. Simbang gabi na pala ng mga Katoliko. Alam nyo Katoliko rin naman ako eh kaso nakakairita ang ibang mga tao pag panahon na ng simbang gabi! Bakit nga ba gumigising ang mga tao para makadalo sa siyam na misa ng simbang gabi? Para daw matupad mga wishes nila?!?

Ganun? Ooowss??? So matutupad din pala ang mga wishes ng mga ito?
Sinong mga ito??
Itong mga nakakairita!!!

1 Minsan maaga ang labas ko sa work. 5Am out na ako kaya naaabutan ko ang mga tao sa labas ng simbahan. Hindi na po ako nagsisimbang gabi kasi nakakabwisit itong mga grupo ng mga hip hop gangs, mga emo at mga rakista na pagkatapos ng misa eh kanya-kanyang batuhan at awayan na!!! hello??? Nagsimba pa kayo? Ambababoy nyo!!! Last December 16 yan ang scenario sa Pasig City Immaculate Church. Nagkagulo ang mga BCEO Police Force dahil sa mga magugulong mga kabataan na ito! Para bang may riot sa labas ng simbahan na nagbabatuhan! Gosh!!! Every year po akong nakakakita ng ganitong mga riot ng mga gangs. So kung araw-araw dumadalo ng simbang gabi ang mga ito eh matutupad din ba mga wishes nila?

2 Matutupad rin kaya ang mga wishes ng mga maaarteng mga dalagang ito na naka-IPOD lang sa labas ng simbahan. Hindi na sila nakapasok sa sobrang puno kaya sa labas na lang sila chika chicka with their friends . Txt txt to the max. Waiting na matapos ang mass ng pari! Hello girls??? Nasa mall ba kayo o sa church?

3 Eh ang mga lovebirds na nagyayakapan lang sa tabi tabi ng simbahan? OA sila huh??? PDA na PDA sa harap ng mga tao! Nasa simbahan po tayo wala po tayo sa Luneta??? So matutupad din ba mga wishes nila? Hello???

4 Eh etong mga grupo ng mga dalaginding na nagapacute lang naman sa labas. Matutupad din ba mga wishes nila?

5 Eh paano naman itong mga galing sa call center na naninigarilyo pa rin sa labas ng simbahan. Suot-suot pa mga ID nila. Matutupad din kaya mga wishes nila? May incense na po ang pari sa loob wag nyo nang dagdagan ng nakakamatay na usok!

6 Eh yung mga nakatulog sa tabi ng simbahan dahil inaantok pa o yung mga nakakatulog sa mga upuan nila? Present sila palagi pero absent naman ang isip. Matutupad din kaya mga wishes nila?

7 Eh itong mga hunk guys na babad sa gym na parang mag-best friends ang drama pero naka-holding hands naman pala sa dilim. Matutupad din ba mga wishes nila?
Disclaimer: Hindi po sina Piolo at Sam yan.
Maraming tao talaga ang nagsisimba pag panahon na ng misa de gallo. Tradisyon na natin ito pero kung ito naman palagi ang aking nakikita eh di bale na lang ang mga wishes wishes na yan. Lalo kasi akong nagkakasala habang nagsisimba ako dahil napapamura ako sa ASAR!!!! Yung mga pitong nabanggit ko matutupad naman siguro mga wishes nila kung talagang serious lang sila sa pagdarasal. Dapat eh misa talaga ang sadya at hindi gimik lang ng barkada o kaya mga kakanin lang ang isinimba!

HARROWING SEX

2009-12-21T17:01:00.000-08:00

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Based on the title alone, this film will definitely create huge controversy in the Philippines. Based on its poster too, the MTRCB manongs and manangs will be fuming like hell. I think Antichrist won't be given a chance to be shown here publicly. It is very arguable. It is not for public exhibition I guess. It is one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen. This film will make you cringe. It will make you feel bad terribly. Antichrist is a beautiful film yet misunderstood. Surprisingly, one of the best films this year. Tenebrous but true.

FILM PREMISE: A couple (Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg) lose their young son when he falls out of the window while they have sex in another room. The mother's grief consigns her to hospital, but her therapist husband brings her home intent on treating her depression himself. To deliberately confront her fears, he takes her to their remote cabin in the woods, Eden, where she had spent the previous summer - researching her dark obsession.

Antichrist is a slow kinda boring film with lazy conversations on its first hour. The story is divided into four parts and it also includes a prologue and an epilogue. That prologue alone is already a short film. It is in slow mo but the effect of that tragic scene is quiet dicey to someone who is suffering from hypertension. Why the film is so controversial? It is full of graphic sex ! It is complete with pumping scenes and the shocking part is that perspicuous coitus. That makes the movie interesting from getting boring because these shtupping scenes are exploding from out of nowhere. And there's a baffling talking fox too. Like what the fuck is that? Basically, the story is about mental therapy of the wife who suffers anxiety to be done by his husband She is so guilty that her son died because they were having sex with her husband. The film depicts too much pain and sorrow that leads to the controversial scene: genital mutilation. I don't see any scenes here that may insult the church either. The film is plainly lustful. That's all.

Lars Von Trier's art is palpable here. He is a weird auteur but he is fascinating really. Antichrist contains some beautiful imagery, much of it using a slow motion technology. These are very gorgeous scenes thanks to the melancholic cinematography. Lars has crafted the passion of violent sex by the way. The truth is that these graphic sex scenes won't make you horny. It is terrifying actually. What do you feel when you're having sex but you're devastated emotionally and mentally ? You can feel the sadness from the woman here particularly on her masturbation scene under the old rotten tree then their scary fuck follows next .It is a well done scene with perplexing hidden image. Lars is truly a virtuoso when it comes to visual poetry I must warn you that some scenes are really harrowing to watch. Can you endure watching this part: She hits His testicles with a wooden plank so hard that it is understood they are broken. While He is knocked out, She masturbates him until he ejaculates semen with blood. She then drills a hole through his shin to bolt him onto a grindstone. Aaarrggghh!!!! That disturbing part makes me weak frankly for hours! How about this notorious scene: She cuts off her own clitoris with a pair of rusty scissors. What??? Yikes!!!! Can you feel the pain now?

There are only two actors here: Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Both are daring and bold!!! Hats off to both of them for bravely showing their private parts. Again, frontal nudity is prohibited here in our conservative land so don't expect to see “theirs” on the big screen soon. I wish I could see that old tree scene on IMAX. Ha ha ha! Just kidding. Gainsbourg already won in Cannes as Best Actress and I quiet agree. Her role is really challenging. Dafoe is also good but to gander his ass most of the time and his erect prick is quiet perturbing.

I know it is inappropriate to make a movie review about Antichrist and Christmas is just around the corner. I'm a pious (quiet only) person but there's nothing wrong watching this provocative film. Be open minded that this is just a serious film. If a person interprets this as a misogyny film then so be it. I won't argue anymore. I'm not really recommending Antichrist because clearly it is not for everyone. It is arduous to heart this horror film. This is only for brave, open-minded and wild people.

SIMBANG GABI, SIMBANG GALA, SIMBANG EWAN

2009-12-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

Ganun? Ooowss??? So matutupad din pala ang mga wishes ng mga ito?
Sinong mga ito??
Itong mga nakakairita!!!

1 Minsan maaga ang labas ko sa work. 5Am out na ako kaya naaabutan ko ang mga tao sa labas ng simbahan. Hindi na po ako nagsisimbang gabi kasi nakakabwisit itong mga grupo ng mga hip hop gangs, mga emo at mga rakista na pagkatapos ng misa eh kanya-kanyang batuhan at awayan na!!! hello??? Nagsimba pa kayo? Ambababoy nyo!!! Last December 16 yan ang scenario sa Pasig City Immaculate Church. Nagkagulo ang mga BCEO Police Force dahil sa mga magugulong mga kabataan na ito! Para bang may riot sa labas ng simbahan na nagbabatuhan! Gosh!!! Every year po akong nakakakita ng ganitong mga riot ng mga gangs. So kung araw-araw dumadalo ng simbang gabi ang mga ito eh matutupad din ba mga wishes nila?

2 Matutupad rin kaya ang mga wishes ng mga maaarteng mga dalagang ito na naka-IPOD lang sa labas ng simbahan. Hindi na sila nakapasok sa sobrang puno kaya sa labas na lang sila chika chicka with their friends . Txt txt to the max. Waiting na matapos ang mass ng pari! Hello girls??? Nasa mall ba kayo o sa church?

3 Eh ang mga lovebirds na nagyayakapan lang sa tabi tabi ng simbahan? OA sila huh??? PDA na PDA sa harap ng mga tao! Nasa simbahan po tayo wala po tayo sa Luneta??? So matutupad din ba mga wishes nila? Hello???

4 Eh etong mga grupo ng mga dalaginding na nagapacute lang naman sa labas. Matutupad din ba mga wishes nila?

5 Eh paano naman itong mga galing sa call center na naninigarilyo pa rin sa labas ng simbahan. Suot-suot pa mga ID nila. Matutupad din kaya mga wishes nila? May incense na po ang pari sa loob wag nyo nang dagdagan ng nakakamatay na usok!

6 Eh yung mga nakatulog sa tabi ng simbahan dahil inaantok pa o yung mga nakakatulog sa mga upuan nila? Present sila palagi pero absent naman ang isip. Matutupad din kaya mga wishes nila?

7 Eh itong mga hunk guys na babad sa gym na parang mag-best friends ang drama pero naka-holding hands naman pala sa dilim. Matutupad din ba mga wishes nila?
Disclaimer: Hindi po sina Piolo at Sam yan.

Maraming tao talaga ang nagsisimba pag panahon na ng misa de gallo. Tradisyon na natin ito pero kung ito naman palagi ang aking nakikita eh di bale na lang ang mga wishes wishes na yan. Lalo kasi akong nagkakasala habang nagsisimba ako dahil napapamura ako sa ASAR!!!! Yung mga pitong nabanggit ko matutupad naman siguro mga wishes nila kung talagang serious lang sila sa pagdarasal. Dapat eh misa talaga ang sadya at hindi gimik lang ng barkada o kaya mga kakanin lang ang isinimba!

EXCRUCIATING AMUSEMENT

2009-12-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

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I used to watched martial arts movies in the 80s when I was still young. My dad even enrolled me to a karate class because I love to mimic these ninja and shaolin fighters back then. Ninja or Shaolin movies are not on my priority list nowadays unless they are nominated in the Oscars like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers and Hero. Ninja Assassin is not an Oscar material but it is a must see for a different experience!Be ready to take a bath with blood.

FILM PREMISE: Raizo (Rain) is one of the world's deadliest Special Forces Ninja assassins, having been orphaned as a child and raised by the Ozunu Clan, believed by the world to be a myth. When the love of his life, Kiriko (Anna Sawai) is executed by the Clan for betrayal, Raizo begins to harbor resentment towards the Clan. When his first official mission is completed, he is told to execute one of his fellow members for the same reason his lover died. He rebels against them, nearly dying in the process, and goes into hiding, seeking revenge on his former Clan. Meanwhile, Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) is a Europol agent who investigates money linked to political murders and finds that it is linked to the Ozunu Clan. She defies her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), and retrieves secret agency files to find out more. The clan, finding out about the investigation, attempts to assassinate her, but she is rescued by Raizo. Hiding in Berlin, Raizo and Mika must find a way to take down the Ozunu Clan permanently.

Astonishingly , "Ninja Assassin" is an entertaining martial arts fantasy movie. There’s no special enigma going on here. The only amazing thing is, our hero seems like an immortal ninja with all those injuries he suffers. He is the Superman of Ninja. He can escape from any grave threat. Expect to see endless bloodbath scenes from the first 15 minutes and it just never ends. One of the good things about this movie is that it provides excruciating combat between ninja. It is really painful to see those spattering hemoglobin ( if you're not into this). Seriously, the movie talks about heart most of the time but there's no heart in here. The story is predictable of course but the ride is astounding. Never mind all that story stuff and character development especially that teenage romance they squeeze in the story. I find it cute though. It's like watching a Costume Soap Opera from Korea.

Ninja Assassin has lots of marvelously choreographed video-game violent scenes, with jaw-dropping fight scenes involving sword play and other ninja stuff . The exhilarating fight work is almost real honestly. Most of these gorgeous fights take place in attractively rain showers with thunderstorms and lightning to create some drama .The shots are actually good. For me the best scene is Raizo's revenge at the last. There is an artful touch during that shadow fight. The fire makes that scene too brisk. McTeigue's easy hand with swooping cameras is not disappointing. His fight choreographers are f@(#ing talented too. I want them to train me. He he. You know what? This is even more brutal than Tarantino's Kill Bill.

Rain performs praiseworthily throughout the film. His 6 months of training is palpable here. I didn't expect that the pop singing sensation could do these bloodbath scenes. He doesn't have much lines where he is really good in South Korean rom-coms but to see his hidden talent here is surprising. Noami Harris hams just a little bit.

My review is a little late. The movie has no strong word of mouth actually. It will be its final week here in the Philippines I guess. It's harmless to say that none queues to a movie called Ninja Assassin for the award-winning script. Anyone who watches Ninja Assassin will be out for blood. This film is not for everyone though. But if you're into mindless action fun then possibly you will enjoy it. Now fight with me. I have a long sword to flick!

ALIENATED REFERENCES

2009-12-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

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Planet 51 holds the title for being the most expensive film from Spain. It cost them $70M to make this animated picture. Unfortunately, they haven't acquired back their budget from the US Box Office. The film is not making a planetary buzz. Kids are not happy with the movie too. There's a reason for that. The film looks like a kiddie film but I think that it is really intended for the adults. Planet 51 is a snooze fest for the youngsters but for grownups who are familiar with the references may find themselves chuckling throughout the movie. Surprisingly, I did!

FILM PREMISE: Sixteen year old Lem (voice of Justin Long) lives on Planet 51, where his white picket fenced world is reminiscent of 1950s America. He dreams about dating Neera, the girl next door (voice of Jessica Alba) as well as running the local planetarium. But one day, everything changes when the spaceship of astronaut Captain Charles (Chuck) Baker (voice of Dwayne Johnson) crashes down in the middle of a family barbecue. Unaware of his surroundings, Chuck plants the US flag triumphantly before realizing there are green faces staring at him. Lem agrees to help Chuck get back to his ship before it returns to earth without him, but first they have to outrun and outwit the paranoid Planet 51 Army who is determined to capture Chuck.

The film is like the animated version of Scary Movie, Epic Movie, Date Movie and other spoof flicks from Hollywood. This time they are trying to mock science- fiction films. It's not really imaginative at all but spoofs are my guilty pleasure. Obviously,for me the film is really enjoyable. The script has numerous references from films like Alien, Star Wars, 2001, ET, Wall-E, District 9, The Terminator, Indiana Jones, Spies Like Us, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Iron Giant and many flicks with sci-fi pop-culture references theme. The jokes are not comprehensible for kids. Since they are not acquainted with these movies which are rated for the mature audience, obviously they will be baffled with some of the humor. They will most likely grin on some cheesy stunts but after watching the entire film they will eventually forget everything here except Rover.

Planet 51 is kinda different from a mature viewer who is familiar with the references ( like me). Honestly, the script is quiet smart & funny. And it's all of this familiarity that lets me go with the whacky script and plasticky-looking characters. The jokes are trenchant particularly when Chuck is naked and the alien thinks that his penis has the best antennae location. Kids won't get it but it is really hilarious. Most of the pop culture from 50s are somewhat cool. Thanks to the classic songs. I really love the Macarena joke by the way! Watch out for that! The overall look of the film is colorful. The film is fulgid and vibrant with a fascinating setting. The CGI is actually brilliant. Planet 51 is a decent animated picture but not award-nodding.

The vocal ensemble keeps things highly peppy, playfully punching the script's connotative pranks . Justin Long does fine as the protagonist Lem. Dwayne Johnson as the assertive, absurd astronaut “Chuck” Baker gives a wild performance that makes his character amiable and despicable at the same time. John Cleese and Gary Oldman lend their talents as chesty scientist and a rigid military general, respectively, and both deserve a clap from me. I also love the animated voices from Sean William Scott and Jessica Biel.

Sad to say, Planet 51 is not making grounds here in the Philippines. I heard that on its first week some theaters cut some screening time for this. On its third week here right now , the movie is still being shown but in 2 theaters only and maybe next year it will land in the provinces hopefully. The movie is just fun. But to compare it to some Pixar gems, Planet 51 just cannot compete. I'm still recommending this Spanish product if you're into spoof and cockamamie merriment.

THE KING IS BACK! I SEE HIM.

2009-12-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

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I have millions of positive adjectives to describe this new film from James Cameron. I'm still in awe right now after leaving the 3D-Cinema last night. Avatar is worth the wait! The hype is true! Everything is magical. JC is GOD. Avatar is simply my Best Picture of 2009! It will rake all the technical awards in the Oscars next year. Trust me. It may be weak when it comes to storytelling but the magic is more compelling.

FILM PREMISE: In A.D. 2154, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is a former U.S. Marine who was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down in combat on Earth. Jake is selected to participate in the Avatar program, which will enable him to walk. Jake travels to Pandora, a lush and sentient-inhabited jungle-covered satellite of Polyphemus, one of three gas giants that orbit Alpha Centauri A, 4.3 light years from Earth. Pandora is also home to the Na’vi, a sentient humanoid race, who are considered primitive, yet are more physically capable than humans. As humans encroach deeper into Pandora's forests in search of valuable minerals, the Na’vi unleash their formidable warrior abilities to defend their threatened existence. On Pandora, through his Avatar body, Jake will be able to walk again. Sent deep into Pandora's jungles as a scout for the soldiers that will follow, Jake encounters many of Pandora's beauties and dangers. There he meets a young Na’vi female, Neytiri Over time, Jake integrates himself into the Na'vi clan, and begins to fall in love with Neytiri. As a result, Jake finds himself caught between the military-industrial forces of Earth and the Na’vi, forcing him to choose sides in an epic battle that will decide the fate of Pandora.

The story is quiet predictable but it's certainly forgivable. The love story is cheesy but it makes me quiet teary. There is also a slight similarity to the story of Disney's Pocahontas and Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest but James Cameron's script deserves a nod for being outlandish. From the first frame and to the last clip, everything in Pandora is “never been heard, never been seen, never been tasted, never been touched and never been spoken. It is a fresh experience all in all. It's not just about the epic story honestly. Avatar just promises something visually enchanting. The film is truly breathtaking! This is a popcorn flick but the quality is slick. Avatar is one reason why people should watch a movie in a theater again. The 3D experience is impressive and you should watch it there. The best thing is that the film is never boring. The enthusiastic 162 minutes of it won't let you fall into a deep slumber. I can guarantee.

I can enumerate now the possible Oscar awards for Avatar.
1 Best Director for James Cameron:he should win for his phenomenal job.
2 Best Cinematography – Pandora's world is exhilarating. The scenes at night where the living plants glow are mesmerizing, The floating forest is heart-melting. Every frame is delectable to the eyes.
3 Best in Visual Effects – I'm sorry 2012 and Transformers, your effects are way too cheesy. Avatar is a sure shot for this award! The Na’Vi people are wonderfully created by Cameron's team .I bet Robert Zemeckis is really jealous right now. Ha ha ha. Watch out for the flight scenes with those never-been-seen winged creatures. Don't blink or pee during the Battle of Pandora. Amazing! Wow!!!
4 Best in Production Design – Pandora's world is already a winner.
5 Best in Sound Editing/ Mixing – watch it in Dolby Surround cinema / 3D Cinema and you'll hear the Oscar statuette clapping so loudly for Avatar's sound.
6 Best in Musical Score – just like what James Horner did in Titanic. The music is captivating and moving. I will definitely buy the soundtrack.
7 Best Original Song Written for a Movie – Leona Lewis' interpretation of I See You is enthralling. The song describes the love story of the film. It is a beautifully written song. Perfect for the love story of Jake and Neytiri.
8 Best in Editing –the film is kinda lengthy but the superb editing keeps the film interesting.

The script does not require the actors to act boldly in order to get acting awards. Sam Worthington is really charming as Jake Sully,and his voice as the Na'Vi warrior adds vigor in this film. He does what he does for his role. His acting is terrific and he has a very cute eyes too and also a kissable lips. Ha ha ha! Zoë Saldaña's voice as Neytiri provides power to her character. Sigourney Weaver's performance as Grace or her Na'vi avatar is truly remarkable. Michelle Rodriguez has an unforgettable small role and she was born to play it.

I never thought that I would cry in this film. I only expected to be amazed with its visual effects but the heart of this movie is really big and it's already enough for me to shed tears. I see the heart of this film. I see Cameron's sweat and blood in his Avatar. This is the Best Picture of 2009. James Cameron is really the King of The World. And he is back in the game!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
( WATCH IT IN 3D)

BUWAYA SA ITIM NA TUBIG

2009-12-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

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Naloka na ako kaka-Google sa pelikulang Predator na palabas ngayon sa mga sinehan! Eh ang lumalabas ba naman ay ang Alien vs Predator at saka si Arnold Schwarzenegger. Wala man lang akong nakitang Predator na tungkol sa mga buwaya!!! Paano ko naman ma-re-review ito kung wala akong mga pictures!!! Ay naku ang hilig talaga ng mga local distributors natin na baguhin ang mga original titles ng mga foreign films tulad nito. Itong Predator ek ek eh sikat na horror movie pala ito from Australia way back 2007 pa! The real title is Black Water!!! Natawa ako kasi eto ang cologne na gamit ko! Pero I prefer na Black Water na lang dapat ang title kasi mas effective na title ito kaysa sa baduy na Predator. Gusto mo bang magsisigaw sa loob ng sinehan ? Gusto mo ba talaga na matakot??? Naku lumusong ka na sa Black Water! Tiyak papatayin ka sa sindak!!!!

BUOD NG PELIKULA: Vacation time na nina Lee, Grace at Adam sa Australia. Enjoy sila sa pamamasyal sa crocodile farm. Nag-suggest si Adam na mag-fishing sila sa malayong swamp. Nag-hire sila ng guide at isang boat papunta sa liblib na mangrove. Pero di nila namalayan, may buwayang gutom at biglang itinaob ang bangka nila. Patay ang guide kaagad sa first attack. Now.... kailangang mag-isip ng tatlo paano nila matakasan ang buwayang nakalubog lang sa maitim na tubig at handang manlapa ng paa!!!! Kung ako sa kanila bigyan na nila ng tong!!!

Crocodile film eto kaya expect to see a real crocodile. Hindi ito yung mga buwaya sa daan na naka-uniform. Real crocodiles sa tubig na kumakain ng tao. Wala namang story rito kundi parang survival show lang ng tatlong tao na stranded sa isang mangrove dahil sa buwayang nagpataob ng bangka nila. Kung sabi nila nakakatakot ang Paranormal Activity eh di hamak na mas nakakatakot ito! Halos lahat na yata ng mga bad words eh naisigaw ko sa sinehan dahil sa buwisit na buwaya dito! Itong 3 tao dito eh nasa mga puno lang na nasa mangrove at nagmamasid sa maitim na tubig kung nandoon ba ang buwaya. They need to survive kasi nasa liblib na lugar sila at walang nakakaalam na nandoon sila. Nabasa ang celfone nila kaya no communications at all. Kahit magtitili pa sila for HELP!!! Walang makakarinig sa kanila. Kaya one solution: use the boat na tumaob sa tubig. Pero what if nandoon ang buwaya sa ilalim ng tubig? Di ko na sasabihin ang ibang details pero hanep sa suspense at horror ang pelikulang ito. Non-stop ang sigawan.

Yung scary cinematography ng pelikula eh kapansin-pansin talaga! Ang maganda sa Black Water eh ang spooky setting. Tubig pa lang nakakatakot na! Konting bubbles lang ng tubig eh nakakanerbiyos na eh lalo na pag gumalaw pa ito tapos sabay litaw ng ulo ng buwaya!Eh yung buwayang ginamit eh tunay pa! Hindi siya CGI o animation. Tunay talaga!!! Di ko alam kung paano nila kinunan ito kasama ang mga tao pero grabe ang mga eksena pag umaatake ang buwaya!!! Kabog ang dibdib ko! Nagsisigaw ako sa takot. Napapatayo ako sa upuan ko dahil nagsisigaw ako sa takot!! P^+@#( Ina may buwaya sa likod mo!!! Ayan na!!! Akyat na!!! Hindi ako OA totoo talaga na nagsisigaw ako dahil nakakataranta ang movie na ito!!! Walang binatbat ang paninindak ni Sadako at yung ibang Asian Horror Films!!!! Basta effective ang pananakot dito! Hats off din sa sound kasi talagang nakaka-suspense ang tunog!

Based on real events daw ito kaya ang acting ng mga artista eh real na real din! Love ko si Maeve Dermody as Lee dahil kitang-kita sa acting niya ang tunay na takot at siyempre ang determination na mabuhay pa! OK rin si Diana Glenn bilang Grace at si Andy Rodoreda bilang Adam. Medyo malalim lang talaga mga Australian accents nila. Pero the best talaga ang acting ng buwaya! Punyetang buwaya nakaka-heart attack siya!

Obviously maliit lang na budget ang nagasta rito sa Predator o Black Water kasi nasa mangrove lang halos lahat ng mga eksena. Pero kahit B-movie lang eh sulit naman ang binayad ko! Kung horror ang isang movie dapat matatakot tayo di ba? Don't worry saksakan ng suspense rito! Hindi ka lang magsisigaw habang nanonood eh paglabas mo matatakot ka nang magbangka sa lawa o kaya maligo sa mga mapuputik na ilog. Parang Jaws effect ba? Since luma na pala itong Predator o Black Water check nyo lang ang DVD kasi matagal na pala itong na-release. Black Water o Predator basta may buwaya sa cover yun na! I'm really recommending this one. Tawagin mo lahat ng mga barkda mo! Nood kayo sabay-sabay! Then tilian to the max na!!!

USOK SA KAWALAN, HAMOG NG PAG-IBIG

2009-12-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

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Naintriga lang kasi ako nang mabigyan ang Walang Hanggang Paalam ng rated-X ng MRTCB. Bakit daw ayaw nila ipalabas ito? Dahil daw sa blow job at ejaculation scene ng dalawang gay lovers dito! Teka teka teka??? Eh bakit yung mga pwelikula ni Joel Lamangan at yung sa ibang mga basurang gay films na lantaran ang exploitation eh hindi man lang nabibigyan ng X -rating? Unfair talaga itong MTRCB!!! Di ko alam kung anong gusto nilang mangyari!!! You know what? Walang Hanggang Paalam is a beautiful but silent film. Kahit iniklian pa nila yung BJ scene na pandagdag init lang naman eh hanga pa rin ako sa pelikulang ito. Yun nga lang... be patient for a while.

BUOD NG PELIKULA: 18-year old lang si Maria eh nakipagtanan na siya kay Ryan na bf niya for one year patungong Baguio. Doon sa Pine City, makikilala nila ang isang Hapon na may cancer para hanapin ang dating minamahal na Pinay pero may taning na pala ang buhay ng banyaga. Nagiging malapit sina Maria at ang hapon na para bang nagkakamabutihan kahit sandali lang nagkakilala. Ngunit di alam ni Maria na nagpadala pala ng private investigator ang daddy niya para hagilapin siya sa Baguio. Isang matinding sekreto ang lalabas at gigimbal sa kanilang lahat! Ano kaya ito? Ito kaya yung nakatago sa Barrel Man na #1 souvenir item ng Baguio na pag tinanggal mo ang barrel eh may gumagalaw na secret???

Sa totoo lang kailangan mo ng matinding patience para magustuhan mo ang pelikulang ito. Mahigit isang oras kasi na super bagal ang takbo ng pelikula. As in mahigit isang oras kang maghihitay kung ano ba talaga ang istorya nito? Simple lang naman kasi ang istorya na pwedeng tapusin kaagad within 5 minutes pero parang tinutulak ata ng isang matandang pagong ang climax kaya medyo natagalan. Para rin siyang dormant volcano na tahimik lang ng ilang taon hindi nagpaparamdam pero pag pumutok eh naku parang end of the world ang drama. Ganito ang kwento ng Walang Hanggang Paalam, tahimik lang ang mga characters dito. Nakikita lang natin sila na nakahiga sa kama at nakatingin sa kisame o nakaupo sa sahig nag-yoyosi o kaya sa isang tabi nagmamasid sa kawalan. Meron din mga simpleng problema na madali namang ma-solved tulad ng pinto nina Maria sa hotel. May duplicate naman siguro ang management di ba? Pero there are simple mistakes na magagawa talaga ng isang tao kaya pwede na rin. May konting usap-usapan din pero hindi siya interesting. Pero pag na-reveal na ang twist eh naku mabubuhay ang dugo mo! Manginginig tuhod mo na para bang may sunog sa bahay nyo! Ganyan kasi ang nangyari sa akin. Dahil sa kabagalan ng kwento eh lahat ng mga clues ng shocking twist dito na naibigay na pala sa simula eh hindi ko man lang napapansin. Na-distract kasi ako sa kagandagan ng technical details na pelikula. Kung attentive ka sa mga galaw at mga pinapakitang clues eh malamang sa simula pa lang eh alam mo na ang twist. Shocked lang kasi hindi ko kaagad nahulaan ang twist. Disturbing masyado ang twist promise. Naloka ako! Hanggang ngayon di pa rin maaalis sa isip ko. Parang forever na yata akong mababagabag sa napanood ko.

Hindi ba pag nakakabagot ang kwento eh may tendency tayo na mag-walk out na lang sa sinehan? Iba kasi ang style nina Paolo Villaluna at Ellen Ramos. Yeah, slow ang pacing ng kwento pero yung mga silent moments ng mga characters dito eh artistic naman ang pagkakakuha. Nakakatunaw ang mga eksenang pinapakita ang mga hamog sa Baguio City tapos malungkot pa ang isang character. Hands down sa cinematography! Wow talaga! Then yung mga paninigarilyo nila sa hotel corrridor ang ganda ng lighting at saka ang paggalaw ng camera na parang bang humihinga sa mga dingding. Maganda rin kasi ang music na nilapat dito. Kahit piano lang ang palaging maririnig, bumabagay naman sa mga sad scenes.The best talaga! You know what yung shortened BJ scene eh kahit papaano eh intense pa rin naman pero maintained pa rin ang pagiging artistic nito! Hindi po siya bastos tingnan. Stylish ang masturbation scene eh kahit saan anggulo mo tingnan eh perfect ang execution na hindi nagmukhang exploitation! Clap clap sa dalawang directors!! Pero hindi ko lang nagustuhan ang crowd control sa Baguio. Tumitingin kasi ang mga tao sa camera eh halata masyado.

Magaling talaga sina Villaluna at Ramos kasi naipalabas nila ang itinatagong acting ni Lovi Poe. Best Actress si Lovi. So far this year aside from Irma Adlawan at Che Ramos, bet ko na rin si Lovi sa mga acting awards. Kitang-kita sa mga mukha niya ang tunay na anyo ng kalungkutan pati yung mga pagluha niya na nakakadala rin. Sa totoo lang Ok rin si John Woo! Huwag lang siyang magsalita. Tama na yung tahimik lang siya at bahala na ang mga mata niya na umakting. Effective ang twist dahil doon sa facial experession na naipakita niya. Si Joem Bascon naman eh sa bandang huli lang bumanat. Pero kay Jake Roxas ako medyo nainlove. In-love daw oh? Perfect sa kanya kung paano maging closet gay. Bilib ako doon sa silent acting na pinakita niya during the masturbation scene ng kanyang lover. Magkahalong lungkot at excitement ang nakita ko sa mukha nya on that scene pero higit sa lahat habang nagkakaedad na si Jake eh lalo na pala siyang gumagwapo. Jake, sana gawa ka pa ng maraming pelikula! Iwasan mo na lang si Lamangan lalo na yung mga gay films niya!

It's hard to recommend Walang Hanggang Paalam kasi kakaiba ang style nito. Hindi ito pang-masa at hind rin ito para sa mga gays na habol lang ay exploitation scenes. Kung hanap mo ay mga pinag-aralang mga eksena eh solved na solved ka kasi simula hanggat katapusan eh mabubusog ka sa mga beautiful frames. Sabi nga sa ginawa kong salawikain: mabagal man pero magaling eh maihahabol din. Tugmang-tugma ito sa pelikulang na ito. Katulad rin ng Ilusyon at Selda, more on artistic approach ang Walang Hanggang Paalam. Kahit hindi man masyado kumita ang mga pelikula nina Ramos at Villaluna eh sana gumawa pa rin sila ng mga magagandang pelikula. Bilib na bilib ako sa mga talento nila!

NAHIHILO SA LIWANAG, NANGANGAPA SA DILIM

2009-12-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

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Di masyadong nag-ingay ang Engkwentro sa Cinemalaya this year kasi hindi man lang ito nanalo ng isang award kundi Special Mention lang. Pero nang ipadala ito sa Venice Film Festival eh aba dumagundong sa buong mundo ang talent ng 22-year old na si Pepe Diokno kasi nanalo pa ito ng 2 awards doon! Nakapagtataka di ba bakit ganun? Heto na palabas na siya sa wakas pero sa 3 mainstream theaters lang at exclusive sa SM Cinema. 21-year old pa lang si Pepe nang ginawa niya itong Engkwentro. Sa edad niyang yun eh dapat talaga siyang palakpakan dahil nakabuo siya ng isang artistic film. Pero hindi ibig sabihin dahil nanalo ito ng mga awards sa ibang bansa eh talagang dapat panoorin talaga ito ng lahat. Iba ang isip ng mga jury sa Venice at iba rin ang isip ng mga Pinoy. Proud ako na nanalo ito, pero hindi ako proud na i-recommend ito sa lahat. Pero proud na proud ako kasi may nakatalo na pala sa Cloverfield! Pinoy Indie film lang pala ang katapat!

BUOD NG PELIKULA: Target na si Richard ng City Death Squad para patayin siya. Siya ang lider ng Bagong Buwan gang. Nakapagplano na siya na tatakas kasama ang syota niya papuntang Maynila. Isasama na sana niya ang bunso niyang si Raymond kaso nalaman niya na bagong miyembro na pala ito ng “Batang Dilim” ang kalabang gang ni Richard. Dito na magkakasubukan ang dalawang magkapatid sapagkat ang unang initiation kay Raymond eh ang patayin ang kuya niya. Teka nandito rin kaya sina Ruffa? Elvis? Annabelle Rama?

May political agenda ang indie film na ito. Sa simula pa lang inihayag na pati sa katapusan eh may huling hirit pa. Matapang si Pepe sa pagsasapelikula nito at malamang ito ang dahilan ng pagkapanalo niya. Matapang na bata si Pepe! Pero walang matututunan dito sa Engkwentro. Wala namang story na tatatak sa puso't isipan ng mga manonood.Hindi nga nabigyan ng attention ang Death Squads eh kundi buhay squatter na naman. Ilang indie films na ba ang nagpapakita ng buhay iskwater? Hindi na bago ang mga makikita at maririnig dito ng mga tao. Ang kakaibang style lang ni Pepe ang mapapansin dito. Ano nga ba yung kakaibang style niya? One long take para sa buong pelikula! First time yata ito sa Philippine cinema at first time ko rin na makapanood ng ganito. Mula simula hanggang sa huli eh parang tuloy tuloy lang ang kuha ng camera ni Diokno.Parang walang pahinga at parang walang cuts! Kung totoo yun eh bilib talaga ako sa kanya. Pero sabi sa mga interviews niya eh digitally edited lang daw ang mga yun para magmukhang continuous. Pero ang galing ha? Seamless ang final result!

Pero dahil sa kakaibang art ni Pepe eh madali ka namang maumay. Hindi na nga ako nahabag sa mga characters dito kasi nawindang na ako nang tuluyan sa style niya. Yung mga kuha niya bago mag-dapithapon eh naku kailangan mo muna mag-Bonamine o kung ano mang available na anti-dizziness tablets sa botika kasi grabeee ang motion sickness effect ng mga habulan scenes! Sumakit ulo ko doon. Talagang dinaig pa ang Cloverfield. Super shaky ang handheld camera na nakakahilo talaga. Dadalhin tayo ng camera ni Diokno sa masikip at magulong iskwater. Paikot-ikot ito na parang tatagos sa mga dingding ng bahay. Cool ang style niya pero hindi maganda sa mata ng mga nakakarami. Hindi rin kagandahan ang cinematography. Pagdating naman sa gabi ayun na madilim na. Wala na yata silang budget sa lighting kasi wala naman tayong makikita sa mga dark scenes dito. Andaming habulan at kaguluhan sa gabi pero madilim ang mga kuha. Sound lang ang maririnig. In fairness, OK ang sound! Di ba pag wala na tayong nakikita pag nanonood sa sine eh pumapalakpak tayo baka nakatulog na ang projection operator? Gusto ko nga sanang pumapalakpak that time eh kaso naisip ko isa naman yata itong style ni Pepe. Dark style ba tawag dito? Ginawa na ito ni Brillante Mendoza sa Kinatay pero may mga anino naman na makikita at saka maganda ang pagpasok ng light sa mga facial expressions ni Papa Coco.Naaaninag pa rin. Dito sa Engkwentro nangangapa ang mata ko sa dilim! Halo-halo pala ang mga dialects rito may Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilonggo and Pangasinense kaya ma-politika nga ang tema. It also means na buong Pilipinas magulo talaga.

Bukod sa long continuous take style ni Pepe na nakakabilib, ang pinalakpakan ko talaga rito eh ang production design ng pelikula. Hindi totoo ang squatter’s area rito kundi production set lang pala. Ang ganda ng pagkagawa nila huh at pwede na natin itong tawagin na Pepe's Labyrinth. Ha ha ha! Naniniwala na talaga ako na pag Leo ang Zodiac sign ng isang tao eh talented talaga. Pepe is a Leo daw! Hmmm.. kaya pala siya talented? Pati si Jishcand eh Leo rin pala. Naks yabang! Ewan ko lang kung Leo rin si Felix Roco, ang nag-iisang Daisy Siete hunk, kasi litaw na litaw ang acting niya rito. Bukod sa guapo eh naku may makakalaban na pala si Coco Martin pagdating sa Indie film acting. Si Felix Roco na ang katapat niya marahil! Ibig sabihin ba nito eh magbubuyangyang na rin si Felix soon? Naku bubugbugin siya ni Daddy Bembol Roco niya! Ha ha ha! Halos lahat ng mga cast rito eh decent naman ang acting. Walang OA sa kanila. Di ko nga lang sila mga kilala. Di ko na rin binasa ang cast of characters sa end credits kasi nahilo na ako honestly.

Maganda ang Engkwentro kung bibigyan mo lang ng pansin eh ang style ni Pepe. Pero hindi siya kagandahan kung maghahanap ka pa ng iba pang magagandang elemento ng pelikula. Kulang pa ang Engkwentro. Unang pelikula pa lang ito ni Pepe at naipakita na niya talent niya. Kaya excited na ako sa next project niya at sana may istorya at puso na! Sabi nga ng kanta ni Celeste Legaspi: “matayog ang lipad ng saranggola ni Pepe”. Pero pwede ring baguhin natin ang lyrics. How about: “madilim naman talaga ang Engkwentro ni Pepe”. O kaya “nakakahilo talaga ang Engkwentro ni Pepe”. I'm not totally dismissing this indie film. Pwede pa rin naman siyang panoorin kung curious ka lang at medyo may extra money rin Hindi lang talaga siya para sa lahat lalo na yung mga Daisy Siete fans ni Felix. Kahit nga ang isang indie film lover eh mapapaisip kung maganda ba talaga ito? Kasi parang wala lang.

Pics Courtesy of Engkwentro.Facebook

SURE FIRE IDOL !!!

2009-12-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

For Your Entertainment is Adam Lambert's debut album after winning the American Idol last May. Yeah he is the real winner!!! Don't argue with me!

Immediately following his participation on American Idol, Lambert began writing collaborating with predominant Pop hit makers such as Lady GaGa, Greg Wells, Max Martin, Linda Perry, RedOne, Ryan Tedder, Sam Sparro, Kara DioGuardi and P!nk. The album features 'Soaked', written by Matthew Bellamy of Muse and 'Music Again' written by Justin Hawkins from The Darkness. Lambert also co-wrote four of the songs on the album: 'Strut', 'Aftermath', 'Pick U Up' and 'Broken Open'. The album includes the hit single 'Time For Miracle' from the blockbuster motion picture 2012.

THE ALBUM IS F#$*%G AMAZING!!!!!!!!

Let me review the phenomenal tracks from the album.

1 MUSIC AGAIN – EXPLOSIVE

Written by Justin Hawkins; Produced by Rob Cavallo

Definitely the best opening track! Adam voice is powerful as always and the hook will simply stuck in your head for a long time! C'mon lets dance with Adam!!! I can't stop playing this effing song. I love you Adam!!!

2 FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT – ENTERTAINING

Written by Claude Kelly, Lukasz Gottwald ; Produced by Dr. Luke

Simply fun. This track is great on the dance floor. I'm imagining myself dancing with this song wearing only my thong with gold dust painted on my skin. Ha ha ha! I love you Adam!!!

3 WHATTAYA WANT FROM ME – EMOTIONAL

Written by P!nk , Max Martin , Shellback ; Produced by Max Martin, Shellback

This track is my least favorite after my first listen to the entire album. After listening for the nth time, the song simply grows on me. The chorus is killing me!!! This is a power ballad and it may win him a Grammy next next year! I love you Adam!!!

4 STRUT – SHAKY

Written by Adam Lambert , Kara DioGuardi , Greg Wells ; Produced by Greg Wells

Another dance track for the underground club. Expect to shake your booty when he shouts Strut!!! I love you Adam!

5 SOAKED – DRAMATIC

Written by Matthew Bellamy (Muse) ; Produced by Rob Cavallo

The intro is way too theatrical but I love it!!! The song is full of drama!!! Adam is like acting when he sings the lyrics. It reminds me of a Broadway song. I love you Adam!!!

6 SUREFIRE WINNERS – CATCHY

Written by David Gamson, Alexander James, Oliver Lieber ; Produced by Rob Cavallo

This one is perfect for a production number with half-naked guys. The song is really catchy. And I love Adam's scream this time. It is orgasmic. I love you Adam!!!

7 A LOADED SMILE – INFECTIOUS

Written by Linda Perry ; Produced by Linda Perry

This song is like a song from outer space. It's effing weird. Electronic-inspired and watch out for that gargling sound or an alien is maybe singing that part around 2:56. That part will stuck in your head forever. It is infectious. I love you Adam!

8 IF I HAD YOU – FLASHY

Written by Max Martin, Shellback, Savan Kotecha ; Produced by Max Martin, Shellback

Super catchy! Wait for the You—y---y---y--y---you part! Perfect on the dance floor!!!

9 PICK U UP - SEXY

Written by Rivers Cuomo , Greg Wells , Adam Lambert ; Produced by Greg Wells

I find this as the sexiest song from the album. This song is perfect for a bonfire party at the beach with your lover. I love the intro. It makes me wanna go undress. LOL.His laugh at the end is oozing. I love you Adam!

10 FEVER – GAGAISH

Written by Lady Gaga , Jeff Bhasker ; Produced by Jeff Bhasker

Lady Gaga collaborated with this one and her trademark is really here. Hop on the dance floor and shake your thing baby!!!! The song will give you fever definitely! I love you Adam!!!

11 SLEEPWALKER – KICK ASS

Written by Ryan Tedder , Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey ; Produced by Ryan Tedder

This track is perfect on a gay bar stage!!! I can imagine myself dancing with this track with fire on the stage or maybe snakes on the floor. Ha ha ha! The chorus is really perfect for grinding with your lover.I love you Adam!

12 AFTERMATH – SENTIMENTAL

Written by Adam Lambert, Alisan Porter , Ferras , Ely Rise ; Produced by Howard Benson

I love this track. It is a potential song for a movie. This one has the rock edge. I love the sentiment here too. Adam sings it passionately. I love you Adam!

13 BROKEN OPEN – IMAGINATIVE

Written by Greg Wells , Adam Lambert, Evan “Kidd” Bogart ; Produced by Greg Wells

This track has the relaxing mood of all the songs. It's really dreamy and Adam's voice is mellifluous too. The song will melt your emotion. I love you Adam!

14 TIME FOR MIRACLES – EPIC

Written by Alain Johannes , Natasha Shneider ; Produced by Rob Cavallo

What a great way to end the album!!!! It is radio-friendly. It is a heroic song from a blockbuster movie 2012. Adam's voice is magnetic. The song is beautifully written too. This is a huge powerful track.

FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT is phenomenal. It's like listening to Adam's American Idol days on the stage. He is a superstar!!! No one can deny that!!! Definitely a must buy!!! I can smell a Grammy for him in the future!!! And for the nth time: I LOVE YOU ADAM!!!!

SO ENORMOUS... TOO LATE!

2009-12-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

Image by Cool Text: Logo and Button Generator - Create Your Own

When you say Quentin Tarantino, his name simply means bloody amazing. We've seen his Kill Bill films and I gotta say those 2 movies remain on the top of my list for being the bloodiest films ever made. It is Tarantino's signature now. After months of waiting, Inglourious Basterds has finally made its cinema release in the country. But it's really late! Imagine this movie was shown last August in the US and the rest of the world except the Philippines. Here's the bad thing: the Blu-Ray DVD is already available in UK and Australia. Next week, it will be released in the US. Here's the WORST thing: the Dibidi copies are selling like hotcakes everywhere. Call the basterds and kill the distributors now.

FILM PREMISE: In Nazi-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa . Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own...

The film is divided into 5 parts. Unfortunately, some parts are good and some parts are a little bad. There are only few fights actually and it is a little surprising for a Tarantino film. Though his loquacious script may daunt some blood-hungry fans, for me I find the script as compelling as ever. The conversation at the outset may give you heart attack. It is a little intense I may say. Each specific part of the film is full of first-rate performances and the kind of talking-with-thrill that Tarantino fans have come to love. The quandary, however, is that there's plainly too much of it. The film essentially offers lengthy, straggly speeches leading up to explosion of actions, which is all well and enjoyable. If you're expecting tons of WWII action, well just don't anticipate. There are even more things in the film, and lots of characters to care too. Just be patient to every words they're saying. Some are really hard to understand! Especially Aldo's southern accent.

The best thing about Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino's filmmaking All of his shots are simply beautiful. Every frame is succulent to the eyes. The goriness is still gut-wrenching but not so “Kill Billicious” this time. Tarantino's camera moves so swiftly and I really love how the scene shifts. The gunfights are still stylish as usual. And watch out for that explosive finale! Tarantino's team also does a glorifying job on cinematography, production design and of course that inspiring music. Tarantino is truly a glorious auteur.

Tarantino actually concentrates on getting nuanced performances from his cast. The film offers some of the best and most slashing acting ensemble. Christoph Waltz who plays Col. Landa stands amongst the best of Tarantino's antagonists . His character is inhumane, pleasing, funny and caitiff. His performance may get an Oscar nod. We will hate him here but his acting is worth clapping for. Hands down to this Austrian actor! Brad Pitt is just cool to watch. His terrifying and hilarious performance is astonishingly fun. I think his accent here is really vexatious but enjoy it somehow. The acting in broad is pretty superb, with strong performances from Melanie Laurent as Shosanna , Daniel Bruhl , Michael Fassbender and surprisingly Diane Kruger.

Inglourious Basterds is one of the best films I've seen this year. But it is really late and fnck!ng limited! The film is exclusively being shown in Robinsons Movieworld . Of course the film is obviously R-18 and it was approved without cuts. I actually love the Restricted rating. I just don't want a bloodless R-13 rating and SM Cinema will make money from an incomplete masterpiece like this. No way! I'm fuming because the distribution is fnck!ng late! I'm also mad the Dibidis are already luculent. I'm really recommending this great film from the maestro. Congratulations Quentin Tarantino.

JISHCAND'S LABYRINTH

IT'S TIME FOR SANDRA TO SHINE

ANG PANGGAGAHASA KAY FIDEL

MEET THE AMAZING RACE 16 TEAMS!!!

Newly Dating

Jeff Schroeder

Jordan Lloyd

High School Sweethearts/Married

Adrian Davis

Dana Davis

Brothers/Cowboys

Cord McCoy

Jet McCoy

­Detectives

Michael Naylor

Louie Stravato

Dating Models

Brent Horne­

Caite Upton

Moms/Attorneys

Monique Pryor

Shawne Morgan

Brothers

Daniel Pious

Jordan Pious

Married

Joe Wang

Heidi Wang

Father/Daughter

Steve Smith

Allie Smith

Grandmother/Granddaughter

Jody Kelly

Shannon Foster

Dating

Carol Rosenfeld

Brandy Snow

BROMANCE & PUZZLES

SURVIVOR : HEROES VS VILLAINS

RECIPES FOR A DELICIOUS LIFE

THE LAND OF GUFFAW

BRAND NEW McPHEE

GLAMOROUS IRISH TEARS

INJURED CUTENESS

FIRST FLINCH

JISHCAND'S TOP 25 MOVIES OF 2009

OOW YIS ! I MIN NAKAKAALIW KAYA !

TFC AKO PO SI JUAN!

HAPPY 19TH BIRTHDAY DAVID ARCHULETA !

IBULONG MO SA FLAWLESS NA ASWANG

TEENSATION SCREAMFEST

LABSONG BLUES

MEGABIGAT ANG FAKENESS

UMUUSBONG NA PAG-ASA

BEFUDDLED & BEWITCHED

SIMBANG GABI, SIMBANG GALA, SIMBANG EWAN

HARROWING SEX

SIMBANG GABI, SIMBANG GALA, SIMBANG EWAN

EXCRUCIATING AMUSEMENT

ALIENATED REFERENCES

THE KING IS BACK! I SEE HIM.

BUWAYA SA ITIM NA TUBIG

USOK SA KAWALAN, HAMOG NG PAG-IBIG

NAHIHILO SA LIWANAG, NANGANGAPA SA DILIM

SURE FIRE IDOL !!!

SO ENORMOUS... TOO LATE!

Detectives

Brent Horne