Photo Review: What do you get when you cross Manny Pacquiao and 50 cent?

Photograph by Jason Tablante (http://takemondays.blogspot.com)

(I'm stunned and speechless)

RATING: 10 out 10

"If you think you've seen it all, think again." -Anonymous

A discreet shout-out... (Not a review)

This is to my beloved cousin who likes her socks red and her meat white (both in terms of food and the other carnal desire)...

Just wanted to know how you are...

I miss you.

I hope you're still there...

Film Review: Peter Jackson does it again!

King Kong (2005)

Starring:

Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow (2003 Best Actress Nominee in 21 Grams)
Jack Black as Carl Denham
Adrian Brody as Jack Driscoll (2002 Best Actor in The Pianist)

Directed by:

Peter Jackson (2003 Best Director in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

Disclaimer: I don't remember seeing the original picture from 1933 or 1976, even if my parents insist that I did on betamax*. So when I saw this insane film, I had nothing to compare it to.

*this was the prehistoric, neanderthal, primitive version of home video

This film almost drove me off the edge of my seat in the theater. The film was so intense, I felt detached from the real world making me do things I wouldn't normally do. For example, I didn't feel my bladder almost exploding because everything from the waist up was fixed on the screen. I also didn't feel the person in front of me discreetly, yet clearly, complain that my foot was uncomfortably pushing his seat to a point wherein he just reached back and brushed my shoe away. (Apologies to that man.)

Peter Jackson created a film that would rival the madness that swept the land when Jurassic Park came out. A film that wasn't acting nor story driven, but driven by execution or in simpler words: perfect direction.

Facing facts, everyone knew what would happen in the end and how their faces would be like. The challenge was how to build the audience into that climax and make them feel the whole 3-hour ride was well worth it. Peter Jackson created an intense car ride/ boat ride/ safari/ Empire State Building tour that made his audience scream, cringe, laugh, cry and, which I believe is the most difficult, stare in complete silence giving away all their attention for a few moments in a story they believed they were actually part of.

Another highlight of King Kong is how Jackson made the relationship of Ann Darrow and the gorilla unique and, above all, realistic. Research show that during the past movies, a romantic love-type relationship was established between the 2 characters, (blech!) which if done today would create skepticism due to its simply being unrealistic.

But Jackson gave it a much better approach: he made it real. As shown in the film Fierce Creatures starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline, certain connections or bonds can actually exist between the animal kingdom and their human counterparts. Bonds that not necessarily involve romantic, or in some actual disgusting cases, sexual implications. But more of a coexisting type; one between pet and owner or companion to companion.

And Jackson channeled this idea quite well in the film eliminating any bad skepticism from his audience, all 5 billion of them!

Other than those observations, I leave the rest to be seen and experienced by you. King Kong is roller coaster ride truly worth being seen.

Congratulations to a fantastic job on remaking a legendary story.

Warning: You will never look at insects the same way again. Ever.

RATING: 8 out of 10

"It is our wits that make us men." - Randall Wallace, Braveheart

Event Review: Sweeter the Second Time Around...

Wine and Cheese II: The Return of Mr. R.

Date: December 10, 2005

Guess who wasn't there...

The first Wine and Cheese was a success and a memorable one at that. It happened last June of this year when blogging was not yet a habit and Rich was still my roommate. There were flowers, there was wine and, of course, there were the competing suits.

Now may I present the gentlemen of Wine and Cheese II:

War, Lac, Lauch, Tom and moi. (Sorry to RJ and Cry who didn't have solo pictures.)

And our loveley dates:

Tet, Jamilla, Janice (that's RJ over there) and Aine

(Sorry to Chrissie, Warren's date)

But of course, who said we can't improvise?

(Again, apologies to the camera-shy Cry)

The night was fun-filled and exciting. Even though this event wasn't as well planned as last time due to the lack of time and the fact that the location was only confirmed the NIGHT before, the over-all assessment was pretty good by its attendees.

A memorable compliment was from Jamilla who said, "Aren't you guys sweet?" as she walked in the rose-infested condominium, which is an expected reaction from the ladies as they percieve that guys of today are completely incapable of cheesy* stuff. Well, like I always say, if you can't give them enough cheese, put some wine with it to add some unexected flavor.

*do refer to my comments on cheesy stuff in my blog profile

18 bottles of wine were purchased for that night. Only 2 and a half survived. (With 11 people that should be considered good) So imagine the laughter, wholesome anecdotes, and various reactions (ranging from violent to just plain nothing) to the announcement of the Pinoy Big Brother winner that night! (Yes, we had to find out...)

Of course, how can we leave out the food? A whole shopping cart of cheese, sausages, hot dogs, ham, vegetables, fruits and chips joined us that night. To the rest, the most memorable part for the food would be the taste and how scrumptious it was. To Aine and I, (or maybe just me) it would be using a peeler to skin vegetables (my first time), the chopping board, the lesson of cutting sausages diagonally and not straight, how Quezo de Bola is the weirdest cheese on the planet (fantastic taste though) and various other tidbits about food I have never encountered in the 24 years of my life. The last time I was in the kitchen was to fix my maid's television set because they weren't getting a clear signal, so imagine my experience. But the food, (as approved by Tom's thumbs up) without any bias whatsoever, was great!

Yeah!

Kudos to Jason Tablante (http://www.jaytablante.com) for gracing us with his presence and taking the nice photographs in spite of his busy schedule. Better late than never!

Jason is the puckered-up guy with Tom and I

So this was Wine and Cheese II: The Return of Mr. R. Our close friend Ramon returned from his 2-month trip to Chicago 3 days before the event and this was to celebrate his being back. You might ask,"Why isn't he here?" The answer to that, as the saying goes, is for us to know and for the rest of the world to find out. Haha!

So in the end, after the intoxication of something other than the traditional San Miguel beers, the devouring of cheese and sausages rivaling that of a third world country and a crammed up preparation which was thought to fail, the ultimate question is: was it all worth it?

I think it was.

RATING: (none)

-"Tom! Wine and Cheese na 'to!"

-"Aba! Wine not?" -Tom and John on planning Wine and Cheese II

Basketball Game Review: Tsk...tsk...

Ateneo vs. La Salle Dream Game 2005

Date: December 8, 2005

Today marked a day of shame and utter disappointment for one of the most prestigious and respected schools in the country. And sadly, it was only because of the irresponsible and childish actions of one player to ruin this milestone event.

I am an Atenean, a proud one at that, and a basketball fan and what makes me remember the event is not the sweet victory of my school nor the close and fantastic game played by both teams. I remember the immaturity shown in a respectable, well-prepared exhibition game which people all over the country have stopped what they were doing just to watch.

I am sure that the committees and people responsible for Dream Game 2005 have gone through a great deal of work and have exerted much effort to make this immortal game happen. The relationship of two warring schools has been greatly reduced over the years and both have grown to respect each other. This respect is shown in the many ways, one of which is various interschool projects such as this monumental one.

The game starts perfectly and is played with sportsmanship and healthy competition. By healthy competition, I mean the typical competition found in all intense basketball games: your occasional discreet trash talking and a few light pushes and elbows when grabbing rebounds and the likes. This, through the evolution of basketball over 50 years, has undeniably become the norm. You get hit (no matter how hard), you get them back in the game through tougher offense or defense. That is how basketball is played.

But when you get hit during the game and you retaliate by deliberately attacking a player by striking him in the face knowing he just recovered from a nose injury during what will be the most memorable game of the year (at the very least), that is pure and simple stupidity. Not only did you bring shame to yourself which reflects from your harsh and uncalled for actions, you brought shame to your school. On top of that, our antagonist walks out of the court continuously taunting the player he hurt and his whole team causing more heat from both sides showing the true intentions of his actions.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking. This has happened before and it will happen again. Players will always hold grudges and have bad blood against rival teams. Players have deliberately hit players from other teams throughout the years both from Ateneo and La Salle. Fine. I acknowledge these facts of life. But THIS game is different. It's like walking out of a church to answer a cellphone call during a mass being said by the Pope. To some spectators, this is the game of the year, to be remembered for all time. This game not only shows a great exhibition of the sport, it also shows the celebration of the growing relationship of two prestigious schools. And thanks to Joseph Yeo of La Salle, this game will truly be remembered for all time in a bad light at that which is but an understatement.

What people will remember is not the exciting game played and the victory of one of the two sporting schools. It will be how one player chose to destroy what several people from two different and prestigious organizations carefully built and organized. And with that, sadly, brought his school down with him. This night was supposed to be about sportsmanship and unity. Instead, it became a display of unnecessary shame and immaturity. I feel bad for La Salle knowing that they had no liking whatsoever to be put in such a bad light.

What a way to go, Mr. Yeo. Good luck with getting a career in the league to be in after what you’ve done considering you won’t be playing any games in the years to come.

Lastly, I would like to say I’m not saying this because I’m an Atenean and I’m bashing on a rival school. No. I have gone out of my blue prep to high school cage a long time ago and have met great Lasallite friends whom I keep contact with to this very day. If this happened the other way around, I would feel ashamed not because of my sentiments to the opposition, but because one of my schoolmates destroyed the meaning of such a glorious event.

Truly a sad display of character on such a great day.

RATING: (none)

"Every man dies, not every man really lives." - William Wallace, Braveheart

DVD Review: Oh my God...

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Starring:
Laura Linney as Erin Bruner (2000 Best Actress Nominee in You Can Count on Me)
Tom Wilkinson as Father Richard Moore (2001 Best Actor Nominee in In the Bedroom)
Jennifer Carpenter as Emily Rose

Directed by:
Scott Derrickson

To start off, I have to say that this movie has one of the best trailers I have ever seen. I commend all the effort behind this trailer because it definitely did its job: It enticed the market to watch the movie. The formula of putting a realistic element into yet another horror-thriller is totally ingenious and makes you wonder what really happened, most especially in a case of an actual possession/ exorcism story.

The movie begins shrouding its story with mystery, fear and intensity all at the same time through the "deadness" of the setting and troubled faces of its actors. It then flash backs to the shocking story behind Emily Rose's tragic death through tight courtroom scenes, dark portrayals of Emily's experiences with the demons, and a very fascinating effect on the real people who went through her hardships.

But throughout these revelations, the director consistently maintains the darkness of this tragic story. In other words, there are no dull moments, just dark ones.

The progression of the story was palpatating scene after scene and climaxes to one point (no spoilers here) which decided the fact that I wasn't gonna be sleeping well that night.

The movie also ends teaching a valuable lesson which acts as an eye-opener to a good number of people, I'm sure. But I wouldn't put this movie in the same crowd with its predecessor icons.

Unlike other immortal thrillers like Exorcist or The Sixth Sense, the fear is easy to put aside by repeating to one's self while lying in bed alone in the dark, "It's only a movie... It's only a movie..." With this movie, that method will come with a reply, "No it's not... No it's not..." due to the fact that it simply happened giving the fearful a new challenge.

You think, that's hard? Wait until your bedroom clock hits 3 am...

RATING: 7 out of 10

"3 am is the mockery of a significant event in Christian history: 3 pm, the death of Christ. It is when this time when the demons will attack." -Father Richard Moore, The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Restaurant Review: Sarap!

Pixie's Grill

Cuisine Type: Grill / Filipino food
Address: Mother Ignacia St., Quezon City (near ABS-CBN)

This place is heavenly I have to say. Unlike most restaurants which are most likely affordable for a catch (like a significant reduction in quality), this restaurant maintains an impressive taste regardless.

I had lunch with Aine and Mark today and for 470 pesos (around $10), considering we were with Mark, we had an excellent meal. We had two orders of their inihaw na liempo (grilled pork ribs) which was sinful from the meat to the fat to the crispy skin marinated in a sweet concoction, which I dare not question, enhanced further with the blending sensation of a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce and siling labuyo. (the local spicy pepper)

Our next viand was their specialty boneless inihaw na bangus (grilled milk fish) which comes in not 1, not 2 but 5 different sizes, from small to jumbo! Being the fish-hater that I am, I completely loved this dish and not just because it was boneless. I would recommend this with calamansi (our local lemon) mixed with soy sauce and siling labuyo.

The other dish was dinuguan (a saucy dish made of pig meat stewed in its own blood) -- don't be too surprised this is quite a popular dish in this country which, by the way, my cousin Richard in States absolutely adores -- which was as plain as the bowl it was served with. And, of course, 4 cups of rice. (And you don't need to guess who had 2)

The ambiance was average but convenient because it had an airconditioned area for the non-smokers. Parking wasn't too bad either considering it was 12 noon.

I would definitely come back here, preferrably during the evening when, as they say, the drinking can commence.

Hail to Pixie's!

RATING: 9 out of 10

"Put pressure on it to stop the bleeding!" -probably all the action movies and some others in history

DVD Review: Candidate for what...?

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

Starring:
Denzel Washington as Ben Marco (1989 Best Supporting Actor in Glory / 2001 Best Actor in Training Day)
Meryl Streep as Eleanor Shaw (1980 Best Supporting Actress in Kramer vs. Kramer / 1983 Best Actress in Sophie's Choice)
Liev Schreiber as Raymond Shaw

Directed by:
Jonathan Demme (1991 Best Director in Silence of the Lambs)

This remake of the 1962 Sinatra-starred film was... ok.

Elements of Jonathan Demme's direction was apparently present as shown in the suspense and thriller similar to the time he scared the world with his award winning piece back in 1991. But I feel a lack of strength from the story and execution.

The Manchurian Candidate is a conspiracy-driven story about a powerful and rich privately owned company slowly taking control of the American Government by putting a sleeper in the White House through advanced mind-controlling technology. The protagonist is played by the bold Washington, the antagonist by the conniving Streep and the victim by the naive Schreiber, all of which create a genuinely amazing fusion of roles as they batter upon each other throughout the movie. As you're probably thinking, we have a winner story here! Uh... not so much, actually.

This suspense-thriller will knock you out of your seat, or in my case, my queen-sized bed. Ok, I'm being too nice. It will make you occasionally scratch your back as you get tired of scratching your head from wondering what the hell's going on.

Like most excellent movies which require active thinking opposed to just passive viewing, The Manchurian Candidate requires a lot of analysis and figuring out as you move on. But, in my experience, instead of an "Oh, so that's what happened!", you get more like a: "Meh."

This type of film did not actually tickle the critical mind, but instead gave it an itch from all the scratching when it wasn't itchy in the first place.

Many elements and instances in the movie which you patiently wait for an explanation provide a dull one after the figuring out making your jaw drop with your eyelids.

The secrets behind the conspiracy, although disturbing, was shallow and would have been shown better through post-traumatic instances as shown only in the first scenes with one of the victims of the mind-control experiments. The rest, as said earlier, was meh.

In the end, the movie and its suspense build-up was just ok with its not-so-powerful ending.

So to sum up: Acting (Godly), Story (Weak), Execution (Weak), Over-all (Meh.)

RATING: 4 out of 10

"I am the Lord, your God. You shall not say My name in vain." - GOD, The Ten Commandments

Some kind of change....

I have decided to make my blog a movie/tv show/play/restaurant/anything-I-feel-like-reviewing review website.

Although it is not in my nature to seem boastful as I would consider myself capable of criticizing other people's pieces of work, I opted for this change for 2 reasons:

a. I love to criticize.
b. I CANNOT maintain a journal or diary in any form whatsoever. (I tried, I just can't.)

Until my next entry...

-"Vengeance."
-"Forgiveness."
-"A plump, juicy, pink nipple." -Athos, Aramis, and Porthos on what is the most important thing in the world, The Man in the Iron Mask