August 2005

Top 30 Films of All Time
Sat, 06 Aug 2005 16:00:00 GMT

More than two years ago, I made my list of favorite movies of all time and posted it months after as one of my earliest blog entries.  Now, after seeing more than a hundred new films, I updated my Top 30 Films list.

Seven movies were taken out from the old list.  These are Dead Poets Society (Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke, director Peter Weir), Quiz Show (Ralphe Fiennes, director Robert Redford), The Talented Mr. Ripley (Cate Blanchette, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Matt Damon), The End of the Affair (Ralphe Fiennes, Julianne Moore), Saving Private Ryan (Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, director Steven Spielberg), Boys Don’t Cry (Hillary Swank), and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zang Zi Yih, director Ang Lee).  I still love these great films, but seven other works I’ve seen over the past two years more deserve to be placed in my personal top 30.

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First of those new seven films in my favorite list is Kill Bill Volume 1, the Quentin Tarantino masterpiece about a female assassin and her rollercoaster take on revenge and redemption.  The film is a celebration of filmmaking, displaying cool action scenes, mixed direction style, and a talented cast.

If the lesbian movie Boys Don’t Cry left my list, a movie with a similar theme is added.  The heartbreaking and heavy film Monster, which gave Charlize Theron an Academy award, is the biographical account of a prostitute who was sent to death row for multiple homicide, all of which she did for her lesbian lover.

If not for a friend in the UP Film Institute, I wouldn’t have seen the relatively old Iranian film Children of Heaven.  The critically acclaimed movie is about a little boy from a poor family and his innocent quest of replacing his sister’s shoes.  A very heartwarming and inspiring movie.

Also new in the list is Wong Kar Wai’s Happy Together.  Considered to be his best work, this film is a very poignant love story set in Argentina which stars Tony Leung and the late Leslie Cheung.

Next would be the Brazilian film City of God, the grand prize winner in the Cinemanila 2003, and nominated for different awards including the Oscars.  This revolutionary epic about generations of drugs and violence in a Brazilian city is known for its cool editing, great cinematography, and heartless brutality.

The sixth new film in the list is the weirdly titled Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  This Jim Carrey starrer is about a couple who had their memory erased to deliberately forget each other, but still found each other’s love despite the scientific intervention.  This award winning movie takes us to an unconventional experience on love and fate, with a little sci-fi, lots of great artistic shots, and a perfectly written story.

And the last new film to make it in my top 30 is the dark indie film Donnie Darko.  The film is about a quasi-disturbed guy who discovers that his life may be a result of, or connected to, parallel dimensions and supernatural encounters.  A mind boggling noir set in the 80’s with a very cool soundtrack, this movie has a huge cult following and went straight to number one in my all time favorite list.

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Here’s the complete updated list:
 

My Top 30 Favorite Films of All Time (As of June 2005)
 

30 Pleasantville

29 Cast Away

28 Y Tu Mama Tambien (Mexico)

27 Kill Bill Volume 1

26 Monster

25 Fight Club

24 Malena (Italy)

23 Chicago

22 The Sixth Sense

21 Memento

20 Children of Heaven (Iran)

19 Gladiator

18 Trainspotting

17 Happy Together (China)

16 Beauty and the Beast

15 American Beauty

14 High Fidelity

13 City of God (Brazil)

12 Hero (China)

11 Amorres Perros (Mexico)

10 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

9 Samurai X: Romantic Tales from Meija (Japan)

8 The Matrix

7 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

6 A Beautiful Mind

5 Moulin Rouge

4 The Hours

3 Requiem for a Dream

2 Schindler’s List

1 Donnie Darko

(I would love to put commentaries in each of the films, but it’s rather difficult writing about thirty great films all at once.  In my future list, probably two years from now, I *may* be able to include commentaries.  Hehe.)

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Cinemanila 2005 is coming!  This is one of the most important annual film events in the metropolis so try to catch at least a few great films in the festival.  Check their website here.

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Exactly two years ago, I posted my first blog entry.  I may not be blogging now as often as I used to, but I still plan to maintain this blog as long as I can.  Life has just been really busy lately, and blogging is just difficult to squeeze in my schedule.  To those who still read this blog despite the minimal update, a very big thanks to you.

For two years, Man Of Mars had:

• 36,025 hits
• 131 blog entries
• 1,367 comments
• 6 mailing list subscribers

Here’s a happy 2nd Blog-a-versary to Man of Mars!
 
 

2005 Emmy Nominees
Thu, 11 Aug 2005 04:42:00 GMT

Here are the nominees for some of the major awards in the 2005 Emmys. Awarding will be on September 18.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Arrested Development • FOX
Desperate Housewives • ABC
Everybody Loves Raymond • CBS
Scrubs • NBC
Will & Grace • NBC

Outstanding Drama Series

Deadwood • HBO
Lost • ABC
Six Feet Under • HBO
24 • FOX
The West Wing • NBC

Outstanding Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow • PBS
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition • ABC
Penn & Teller: Bullshit! • Showtime
Project Greenlight • Bravo
Queer Eye For The Straight Guy • Bravo

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

The Amazing Race • CBS
American Idol • FOX
The Apprentice • NBC
Project Runway • Bravo
Survivor • CBS

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It’s sad that CSI didn’t make it to the outstanding drama series nominations in their fifth season. But then it’s not really a big loss since the original crime series is nominated for a bunch of other awards including a nod for best director in the season finale. The fifth season of CSI is noted to have gone mainstream, using the music of U2 in their 100th episode and having Quentin Tarantino as guest director in the finale.

For drama series, I’m rooting for my favorites Six Feet Under and 24 all the way, though I’m still halfway in the last season of 24. I’ll be getting the rest of the episodes next week. I’m also currently enjoying Lost, but will still have to finish the entire season.

And Everybody Loves Raymond should win best comedy series, not because it already aired its last season, but simply because the show is just becoming better and better over the past few years. I know I haven’t seen the last season since the DVDs in my dad’s collection are just the first few seasons, but I’ve read really good reviews. I enjoyed Desperate Housewives, but wasn’t totally satisfied with the way they ended the first season.

Enjoy the movies TV! 🙂

 
 

Travelling Movies
Sun, 14 Aug 2005 13:05:00 GMT
 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one fun family movie. This movie remake of a Roald Dahl adaptation tells the story of the owner of a strange chocolate company and the poor kid who got to win a special trip inside the factory. It felt like Baz Luhrmann making a kiddie film, complete with all the fascinating musicals and disproportioned sceneries. I especially enjoyed the singing numbers of the Oommpa Loompas, and of course the colorful production design of the movie. It’s not really a great must-see movie, but if either you enjoy eccentric film productions, or you’re a fan of Burton and Depp, or simply a kid at heart, go see this movie!

Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta, 2005) was an absorbing movie, but I must admit some parts bored me. Based on the journal of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, it tells the accounts of the road trip of a young Guevara and friend Alberto Granado. At some level the film was informative – from Guevara’s family background, to the interesting history of the Incas in Peru, to the cultural differences among South American countries, and finally to Guevara’s vision of a united America. The film also got to capture great images of the American suppressed people (literally and figuratively), making you feel you’re actually watching a documentary reported by Guevara himself. Personally though, I think the film lacked convincing on how the ideals of Che had come about from all the encounters in the trip. If the narrator in the movie hadn’t become the famous Cuban revolutionist, the film is just as good as any other Discovery Channel feature.

Somewhere in Time is one film I wanted to watch for so long. Good thing my housemate owns a video, which I borrowed months ago but only decided to watch last night. It is the very popular time traveling movie, and the only other movie I know of that stars Christopher Reeve other than the Superman series. The film is foremost a love story, so the scientific details of the time traveling part is useless to analyze. It’s more Forever Young than The Time Machine. The story is about a playwright in the 80’s who went to the past to meet the love of his life. When the writer left the actress in 1912 and returned to the present by accident, the lady started to lead an empty life until she died in the 70’s. And as with the writer when he returned from 1912, he felt empty too, desperately wanting to return, until starvation killed him. There really wasn’t much conflict in the story, and in the end the main characters were happily reunited in the afterlife. I agree that love is a truly great emotion, but then starving oneself or feeling empty for over 60 years, must be an exaggeration only the movies can justify.

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Last Friday night, some friends and I surprised our friend Skeeter on the eve of her birthday. The night started with chocolate mousse and wine, and ended with beer and chips. The real party though will be next weekend, when Mighty, Skeeter, and my brother Doms celebrate their birthdays altogether. (The number on the cake was blurred for obvious reasons.)

mighty, skeeter, peewee, lian, doms, and naldz

skeeter in pajamas

happy birthday!!

Last Friday night I also got to watch parts of the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory since Skeeter and her siblings were watching it in her place. It must be revolutionary during its time because of the effects and treatment, but then the new version has a better characterization of Willy Wonka. It’s really amazing to watch movies of the same concept but done in different times.

Enjoy the new week everyone! 😉

 
Missing Baguio: Bacon at Cafe By The Ruins
Sun, 21 Aug 2005 08:20:00 GMT
 

bacon at cafe by the ruins

 

I would have been in Baguio this weekend for the wedding of old housemate Allan, but I had to help last night for the birthday party of my brother and two other friends. The party was great – good food, lots of people, great music. There were even bands who performed last night, and lots of booze!

Another friend in Baguio is getting married soon anyway, so I’ll sure be going back to the mountains and eat loads of homemade bacon and strawberries.

It’s also weird to know that now is the time when friends in my generation are getting married. Last week a good friend from high school got married. Today my housemate in Baguio. Next month will be the wedding of classmate, workmate, and friend Shelley. And October will be ex-officemate Paolo’s. I should get that master’s degree fast before my life will pass me by! Nobody’s getting any younger. *sigh*

But for now, all I care about is the Belgian Film Festival in Megamall. Hehe.

Good day everyone!

July 2005

Manila in Black and White
Thu, 21 Jul 2005 15:11:00 GMT
 

Salsa dancing in Malate. My best friend is currently interested in salsa, and wants me join her in a dancing class. I said I’ll just accompany her and take pictures. The pictures taken are not from any dance class but in bars in Manila with really talented salsa dancers.

 

Nityalila at Inno Bar. If you love Cynthia Alexander, listen to Nityalila. World music meets Indian meets alternative. Very talented performers with great material and cool covers. And the band has a real Indian guy to play the mandolin. Talk about unique and authentic music. Check their site here.

 

Another day in paradise. After the baptism of my third godchild, friends Che, Paco, and I had some coffee one lazy Sunday afternoon. This beggar caught our attention from the next table, and I decided to take her pic, not exactly knowing if that was rude or not. When I was about to give her money, she was gone.

I really want to make decent blog entries, but life has been really busy, so it’s quite difficult to satisfy the blogger in me. But don’t worry folks, I’m doing perfectly great! Very great. 😉
 
 
  

July Updates
Sun, 31 Jul 2005 07:12:00 GMT

In life, they say, one can’t have everything at one time.

Naks.

It’s quite distressing that now, when I have the access to do a lot of things, I don’t have the time to blog about them. It seems that I have almost everything within reach, except for the time to blog.

One reason I think that I don’t feel compelled to blog anymore, is the fact that almost everyone blogs these days. There’s the Friendster blog that keeps on informing you every time each of your 500 friends updates his blog. We hear blog services advertised on radio and national TV. And more blogs containing disorganized and lazy diary-like entries are sprouting. If you tell someone you maintain a blog, the reply “who doesn’t?” would be very likely. The feeling of having a secret – somewhat elite – community no longer exists. I know this is a selfish reaction, because blogging is one great revolution, and none should be deprived of this useful Internet tool. And there are still a lot of interesting new bloggers.

On another positive note, if everyone has a blog, it would be easier to check the whereabouts of friends, without having to spend on phone calls or make lengthy emails. Blogging is a free for all service, but is also becoming a read for all service. But if the time would come when the number of blogs almost equals the number of email accounts in cyberspace, blogging may not be as creative and as fun as it was when it started.

Er… I hope I’m not the only one who has this sentiment.

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But then, the everyone-is-a-blogger reason could actually be just an alibi, since the primary reason of me not being able to blog is the lack of time. Just some updates, to explain why I have scarce blog entries:

Work, although still more relaxed than my previous job in Baguio, is starting to become demanding. I worked overtime for the past two weeknights, mostly because of the Value Added Tax Law implementation. My current project as a consultant and programmer is for the Information Systems of the Finance division of Meralco, and our team is very much affected by the changes related to the VAT. Although the implementation is on Temporary Restraining Order, eventually this system is gonna push through, so the next few weeks will be rather busy for all of us.Every other Saturdays before the UPCAT, I also do lectures for a private review center. Being a teacher was one profession I once considered because of the interaction with younger minds, and lecturing for UP aspirants so far is a very good experience. Another good thing as a lecturer is that I’m being paid by the hour. And on occasional Sundays, I also do private tutorials. This is one thing I used to do in college so there’s pretty much no hard time adjusting. Aside from the extra income, having sidelines on weekends can be fun since it can be a good and valid excuse of leaving a party or a gimmick early. You can always say goodnight before the vodka gets into your head!

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Despite the work on weekdays and the extra workload on random weekends, I still very much enjoy the pop culture of Metro Manila. During the long SONA weekend for example where I had a lecture Saturday morning, I was able to watch two films in the recently concluded Cinemalaya, watch two plays in an intimate theatre in Kamuning, watch two more plays in CCP, watch three old movies on DVD, and play badminton on a midnight. Talk about a fruitful yet jam-packed weekend!

Early this month, I was also able to watch the musical version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. It was good, but I was expecting more especially that Beauty and the Beast is my favorite two dimensional animated film. The production and stage design could have done a lot more, but the show was still worth it because the acting and the voices were excellent (I especially liked the singing voice of Maurice). It’s just funny to think that I paid for it more than I did in Saigon.

Just last night, I also got to watch this year’s Live AIDS show by the UP Samaskom. This is the annual stand-up comedy, comical skits, and variety show all in one, featuring UP Samaskom members and alumni. Before spoof artists and comedians Kikiam Defensor, Tuesday Vargas, and Ate Glow were seen on TV, they were already performing in Live AIDS when they were still undergrads in Diliman, and believe me, they are so much funnier on stage than on TV. This year, I had so much fun watching Tuesday do a monologue as a Taong Grasa, and two other stand-up comedians, doing monologues of a virgin old lady and the other, a probinsyana in Manila. And of course, with the current Gloria Scandal, Ate Glow’s antics wouldn’t be missed, who also introduced the new character Baby Glow, also known as her daughter Luli! Like my previous encounters with the show, last night had tons of really great laughs; at some point I was even grasping for breath because I couldn’t stop laughing. And I’m not exaggerating.(If you want two hours of great laughs, you have to watch this show! I’ve been watching this for three straight years already, and will definitely watch it every year as long as I’m in Manila. The show usually has reruns in the Music Museum.)

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July was also a month of mainstream movies. I know I write about movies a lot, so I’ll try to keep this part short.I was disappointed with War of the Worlds because of the lack of story development. I was disappointed with Fantastic Four because of the minimal action scenes and lack of character development. The sad romantic movie If Only, though needed a better actress and a better theme song, made me cry.I was very much disappointed with Pinoy Blonde, because I was expecting an entirely different movie. It’s a comedy that’s not funny. The name-dropping didn’t convince me of the main characters’ passion for films (Film buffs don’t just talk about Terminator and The Matrix!). And they marketed the film as a mainstream experimental film, when it was just a presentation of editing and special effects potentials in Philippine filmmaking. Over all, I felt sorry for Unitel. Tsk, so much for their previous laurels.Lastly, The Island surprised me because I enjoyed it a whole lot. I was raving about the movie right after I saw the advance screening in Galleria, and if ever I had the time then, I would’ve written a separate movie review for it. All I can say is, Michael Bay went back to the basics: a story not as profound as a Phillip Dick adaptation yet far from being stupid, minimal use of over the top explosions and slapstick humor, and actors who are neither rookies nor of superstar stature. Though Michael Bay’s rather unexciting treatment for action sequence is still present, it didn’t stop some viewers hold on to their seats. (I notice he’s more into linear chasing and shooting. Remember the boring truck scene on the moon in Armageddon? Or the boring flying and shooting planes which “killed” Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor?). What Michael Bay did get rid of though, was his speech montage, where someone makes a very long speech while different scenes of tension or aftermath are shown. This was very effective in the opening sequence of The Rock and made a dramatic effect on Armageddon, but the style bored me in Pearl Harbor (In Armageddon, it made us remember that the world also has other people, and not just a pathetic father-daughter-boyfriend threesome so concerned about their private lives even when the Earth is about to blow up). In The Island, we still see the similar treatment, but for many short scenes, which I think was just perfect. (John Woo already got rid of his flying doves; he should also try doing away with his myriad slooowww motion scenes. Then maybe he can make a credible comeback too.) It’s just sad that the movie is not raking in box office dollars. Michael Bay must have been prejudged.Hmm… and I thought I wouldn’t make a long comment on movies.

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It is also a good time to turn your attention to music these days, especially in the local scene. I think that now is a time similar to my early high school years, where great OPM artists, mostly new bands, were playing really good music. Some of those were Eraserheads, Rivermaya, After Image, Alamid, Yano, and Introvoys (haha!). This time, we have bands like Stonefree, Hale, Cueshe, Orange and Lemons, Bamboo, Session Road, and Pedicab to redeem the music industry. I wish the days of trying hard young pop stars are over. I mean how many singing Bautistas can actually exist?Current favorites include Bakit Part 2 by Mayonnaise and Kuwarto by Sugarfree.

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Another reason to be busy is that in the coming weeks, two of my dorm kabarkadas will be in Manila. My former editor Egai just got back from Korea, and good friend Ryan will arrive from Japan next week. These guys will leave the country again soon, so I’m pretty sure there will be at least one night of barkada reunion and endless booze.Yebah!

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Today’s the last day of July. I hope I make more than two entries in August. *sigh*

Happy new month everyone! 😉

 

June 2005

Music and Weekends
Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:19:00 GMT 
 

Fete dela Musique 2005

On June 18, all roads lead to El Pueblo, Ortigas Center for the Fete dela Musique 2005. This is the yearly event music enthusiasts are waiting for. All genres, one night, one venue.

World / Reggae / Ska (main stage)
Venue: Le Souffle Parking
Time: 4:30pm to 8:45pm (pre-show), 8:45pm to 3:54am
Performers: Nityalila, Pinikpikan, Cynthia Alexander (opening),
Makiling Ensemble, JR. Kilat, Bayang Barrios, Brownbeat All Stars,
Indio I, Radioactive Sago Project, etc.

Blues Stage
Venue: Sidebar
Time: 9:00pm to 3:45am
Performers: Blue Jean Junkies, Huka, Bluesviminda, DC Aftershock,
Naked Tongue, Taglay Silang, Mr. Crayon, Freeway Jam, Sammy Asuncion, The Jerks

Jazz Stage
Venue: San Mig Pub
Time: 9:00pm to 3:45am
Performers: Bo Razon, Isha, Sound, Skarlet & Jazz Friends, Quail Quintet,
Mother Earth, Wahijuara, Mishka Adams, Blues Echoes, Subconcept,
Jazz Volunteers, Johnny Alegre Affinity

Rock Stage
Venue: Racks Parking
Time: 3:30pm to 4:00am
Performers: Sandwich, Itchyworms, Cambio, Imago, Kapatid, Twisted Halo,
Sugarfree, Razorback, Chicosci, Mayonnaise, Greyhounds (closing), etc.

Alternative Stage
Venue: Podium Driveway
Time: 3:30pm to 3:30am
Performers: Cueshe, Bobby Parks Movement, Mojofly, Juan Pablo Dream, Hale,
Pedicab, Barbie’s Cradle, Stonefree, Narda, Kitchie Nadal, Moonstar88,
Spongecola, KikoMachine, Session Road, Rivermaya, etc

Electronica
Venue: Pasto
Time: 3:30pm to 3:40am
Performers: Makkina, Ixiz, Chox, Names are for Tombstones, Flipperbaby,
Bagetsafonik, One Lone Clone, Daydream Cycle, Drip, Morse, Silverfilter,
Wolfmann, Rubberinc, Neon8, Dayuhan, Trip M, Moon Fear Moon, Skies of Ember

Hiphop/R&B
Venue: Friends Bar and Resto
Time: 9:00pm to 1:10am
Performers: Out of Body Special, HostKaliph8, Ginn and Razor Ray, Audible,
Gloc9, ButtaFlava, Host, Miscellaneous, Syke, Turbulence, Host, Swift,
Jocelyn, Pikaso, Seven Shots, Host, SVC

3rd Manila Jazz Festival

The 3rd Manila Jazz Festival filled up the Expo Exchange in Greenbelt last week. Good thing we got there relatively early, we were able to get a table and a decent spot. With me were college friends Lian, Skeeter, Yana, and a friend from Baguio, Gretch. It was three hours of full hardcore jazz and lots of free wine. It’s really great to know that many local bands can play the sophisticated sound of straight jazz.

During the festival I “guested” in MTV Get Spotted since the show was covering the event (which must be horrible with all the shots of wine I had that night. While introducing Tori Amos’s video, I forgot the name of her album, when weeks ago I just bought the album!) After the festival I went to the birthday celebration of a high school batchmate, where we had beer in an enviable and posh 18th floor condo unit in Makati, moved to a nearby bar for more wine and beer, moved to Malate for more beer and lots of Mexican food, and finally had a very impulsive breakfast in Tagaytay. What a tiresome event! Good thing Jen and Ronald still had enough energy to drive us back and forth Tagaytay after a sleepless night. Even though I’m not really into overnight gimmicks anymore, that night was really fun especially that some of those high school friends were people I haven’t seen in years.

If last weekend was meant for Jazz and Tagaytay, and next weekend will be for the Fete, this 3-day weekend should ideally be for rest. And in a few hours I’ll be heading to my so-called resting place: Baguio! My ex-officemates had been asking me to visit them, and this long weekend was quite a good timing. I doubt if I can really rest in Baguio though, but I’m sure it will be fun. I really miss my friends and the lazy mountain.

Enjoy the long weekend people!!!
 

Fete de la Musique 2005
Tue, 28 Jun 2005 13:10:00 GMT
 

blues

world music

alternative

jazz

reggae

here’s the fete wallpaper i’m currently using at home.
also thanks for checking out the YOU blog addict article featuring man of mars.

June Movies
Tue, 28 Jun 2005 13:57:00 GMT
 

Sin City. Robert Rodriquez, the only guy to have made two Hollywood trilogies, adds another item in his credentials. This comic adaptation, which was co-directed by the great Quentin Tarantino, is one hell of an eye-candy narrative. The movie tells different stories of corruption, revenge, and heroism, all set in one metropolis, the Sin City. All the action scenes were great, all the shots were spectacular, and the acting was fantastic and stylish, too stylish in fact that even shots as simple as walking seemed choreographed. More, the comic texture gives the movie a unique and classic feel. Too lame though I got to watch this in a cinema in SM, since there were lots of missing scenes.

Le Poulpe. Le Poulpe, the only film that I was able to watch in the recent French Film Festival, sucked big time. College friends and I were supposed to catch Vivement Dimanche, said to be a Hitchcock tribute film, but apparently the festival schedule was changed so we were somehow forced to watch a movie we weren’t exactly interested. The movie was about an unconventional philanthropist, who solves crimes and tags along his girlfriend during investigation. He’s not a cop so he does things by himself and sometimes uses his connections to get confidential information. The girlfriend’s kikay character saves the movie to a small extent, because of her comic antics and flawless nudity. The movie started out as a boring talkie, which turned into a stupid action film, then later on became a weird political movie. I could actually imagine Lito Lapid and Rufa Mae in that two hours of French garbage.

Happy Together. Considered to be Wong Kar Wai’s greatest work, this sad Chinese art film tells a unique love story in the middle of a promiscuous generation, of poverty, of an alien nation, and of unconventional sexual orientation. A very poignant film.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith. When the plot was announced months before the release, movie fans agreed it’s just gonna be a brainless entertaining blockbuster. The moment you start thinking in this movie, it will turn sour, so it’s imperative to watch this film using minimal IQ. And personally, I really enjoyed Mr. and Mrs. Smith from start to finish, and I’m giving it a perfect 10 for the cool factor! This movie is so cool, I enjoyed all scenes without having to think and analyze. I simply got what I anticipated.

The Amityville Horror. When girlfriends Jen and Cel thought of watching this movie, I instantly agreed, since I only enjoy horror films when the people I’m with get really scared and shrill. This horror remake may seem a B-quality movie, but it never failed to scare my friends, and in some moments it actually did scare me. The stereotypical tale of a new household in a haunted house may be predictable, but the frightening scenes definitely weren’t.

La Visa Loca. After the very commendable films Crying Ladies and Santa Santita, Unitel offers another movie of the same caliber. La Visa is about a humble local who, like most of his countrymen, dream of working and living in America. The film is very light compared to the two mentioned movies (and obviously had less budget), but like its predecessors, it has the humor and culture only a true Pinoy filmmaker can deliver. I just can’t wait to see Pinoy Blonde!

Monster-in-law. I never really liked a single J-Lo movie, and this one is no exception. Monster-in-law is a (supposed) romantic comedy about an engaged couple, and the guy’s possessive and high-maintenance mother. The film isn’t exactly bad, but then it’s neither funny nor romantic. It’s one of those movies you catch in HBO while channel surfing, watch for 10 minutes, then change channels after figuring out the title.

Nasaan Ka Man. If La Visa was simple but good, this one is extravagant but baaad. The movie is about an unconventional family, composed of two sisters and three adopted kids, two of which fell in love with each other. The art direction and cinematography were really good, but the plot was terrible. There was just too much going on, that the result was pure bland. Piece by piece, the parts of the plot have good potential. But the way they forced everything into one film made the entire output disastrous, sucking away all the promise the film could have offered. As the famous saying goes, if it’s from Star Cinema, it must be one commercialized work of crap.

Batman Begins. I’ve talked about my most anticipated summer movie a million times already. When the casting news came out. When the posters were released. When the summer playdate was announced. And now I’m gonna talk about the movie again. As a Batman movie, I don’t think it’s an exceptional film. It has less action scenes than the previous films in the franchise, the villains though more realistic were less interesting and less memorable, and Batman’s voice is contrived when inside the mask. And honestly, one can’t really expect a lot of Batman in this movie. However, be sure to expect a lot of Bruce Wayne in the movie, and more of Christopher Nolan. The characterization of the protagonist is very effective, and the director’s noir touch is all over the film. The human approach and great acting make the film excellent, not to mention the consistent storytelling and the powerful cast. Two actors worth praising are Gary Oldman and Liam Neeson. (Neeson proved his versatility in his recent movies, and is strongly becoming a personal favorite alongside Pacino and Hopkins.) Sadly Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine didn’t seem visible at all, and apparently I can still see the I’m-in-love-with-Tom insignia in Holmes’ forehead. Over all, the film is far better than the hype, and is definitely the summer film to watch this year. Though impossible, I really want Batman Begins to be the top grosser this year.

I’m almost done with the first season of Desperate Housewives.
And I’m getting my season 1 LOST episodes this week.
War of the Worlds opens tomorrow.
And next week I’m watching a special advance screening for Fantastic Four.
The passion just never ends.

Enjoy the movies everyone!