Rated F: In Time, Kevin, Girls, etc

Just random links and news for anyone who is interested.

In this edition:
Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake, Gerard Butler, Beyonce Knowles, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and a whole lot more. :)

Let me update you with the newest poster of I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT.

Hurray for Carrie! I mean, Sarah Jessica Parker who will star in this romantic comedy with Pierce  Brosnan, Sorry girls, no Pierce in this poster. :(

It reminds me of something I just couldn't figure out at the moment. But one thing is certain, it definitely  makes me remember the airbrush and feather tools in Photoshop.

Fierce. You can tell by the looks of it that the poster is well-thought of, with  specific elements such as the child, and the city's gloomy mood, behind Butler, all put together beautifully. What more can you say about the tagline? 

Mysterious. A simple pencil (?) sketch of the lovely French thespian, Catherine Deneuve, in her youth. Love it.

Red Hot Chili Peppers fans, enjoy the update! See a snippet of the band's new video as well as the cover art (?) of their new album featuring their new guitarist ONLY HERE.

Oh. And remember Tilda Swinton in Julia? Now, Tilda is in this Kevin film. It's called We Need To Talk About Kevin! Here's the newest trailer of it:

Just how awesome Batman: The Dark Knight Rises can/will be? Check a bunch of links here.

And here's a video that TOTALLY made my day! Just sheer performance level from the Queen B herself, Beyonce Knowles, during the Billboard awards 2011, where she performed 'Run The World'. You can very well tell that the concept is not that new but you can certainly admit that only Beyonce can pull this entire performance off with awesome precision and coordination. She makes it look effortless, as she always does in each of her performances. Brilliant vector/GFX art, wonderful production/costume design. But our Queen B, makes this all the more splendid!

  This for now. Happy Hump Day! :)

Musings: Busong (2011)

Busong aka Palawan Fate, Philippines (2011)
Directed, written and produced by: Auraeus Solito
Cast: Alessandra de Rossi, Rodrigo Santikan, Bonivie Budao, Walter Arenio, Dax Alejandro, Clifford Banagale


Busong aka Palawan Fate is  director's Auraeus Solito's homage to his mother's native Palawan region. It's totally another venture from his notable films such as the gay coming-of-age Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros) and education-centered Pisay.  Apparently, Solito interweaves  shamanistic beliefs, music, myth, and rituals into this movie, setting forth somewhat dreamy sequences at times. Combining lovely shots of the beaches and forests of the Palawan island with gorgeous underwater images, Busong is undoubtedly visually lavish. Moreover, the final scene, which showcases an enchanting metamorphosis of butterflies, is utterly surreal but breathtaking.


Shot and projected in high definition, Busong might be viewed as anything too much- too defined, too stunning, too extravagant, among others. Also, the film's non-linear exposition, thus at times 'incomprehensible' unfolding of events, can mislead distracted viewers. But one thing is indeed evident: unabashed commendation for Solito's cultural ancestry and heritage.


 What seems to be one's busong (fate) can actually be a reality to some. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

Musings: Isda (2011)

Isda aka Fable of the Fish, Philippines (2011)

Directed by Adolf Alix Jr.a

Cast: Cherry Pie Picache, Bembol Roco, Evelyn Vargas, Rosanna Roces, Anita Linda, Angel Aquino, Allan Paule

Isda poses a challenge to Filipino moviegoers and film viewers: to seriously view a rather queer premise and empathize with the character no matter how silly and outrageous she/he seems to be. Feeding your son is one thing. But feeding Miguelito, your 'fish son' is another story itself. 

To some, it's just another movie about a mother's love to her child. But the story's unique twist- raising a fish as your own child- is a delicate matter to handle. And director Alix Jr., managed to project such mother's affection in evident, respectable and dignified ways, without necessarily forcing - nor fooling the audience- to believe in seemingly 'ridiculous' situations (E.g. Treating the bored fish to a walk in the park, buying him an aquarium set instead of a baby crib)

If it weren't for the believable performances of Picache and Roco, and the rest of the ensemble, as well as the direction and approach of Alix Jr., Isda would've turned out to be just another dramatic movie turned into a comedy, when the audience laugh at the character instead of sympathizing with him/her. It's obvious that the actors -as if effortlessly- made us believe that this is no laughing matter and that we all should pay attention as to how 'serious' the situation is. (E.g. Rushing the injured fish to the emergency room) Furthermore, Alix Jr., was indeed faithful to its title- fable of the fish- leaving us an important lesson/ message: understanding is the key. Isda is the door. Unlock it by all means.

iONEder:Cheating

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The cruelest lies are often told in silence. -- Robert Louis Stevenson

The Playlist (Aug72011 edition)

Welcome to the second edition of The Playlist here in my blog! (You can view the first one here.)

In this edition of The Playlist, check the screen capture below. Although, this includes the music of Jason Derulo, Iyaz and Travie McCoy, among others, it also has Roxette, Queen and The Knack. If you're a music lover (like me), you know where I'm getting at but for those who don't, well, check them out yourself.

Oops. Busted, I'm listening to How Did We, the time when I 'capped' this. :P

Obviously, I haven't edited the details yet. I guess that just proves how excited I am to share the songs that I had set aside all the 'editing work' later. (Hint: I'm being lazy. Lol) You probably thought I just downloaded them from Youtube, and yes you're right. Just follow all that video2mp3 process and poof... Much faster than searching and 'Torrenting'... 

Anyway, this playlist screams...

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU.

*More songs to be featured soon.

PLANKING:To Plank or not to Plank

PLANKING. No, I'm not going to define it or describe it. Just look at the picture above. I guess you might have an idea about it already. But for Pinoys out there who haven't totally heard about it, here's a news feature about it from Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (not plugging here).

Meanwhile, for those who'd like to read up more about this, you can view this website, which is said to be the official planking site. Or so it claims. I haven't checked this out yet. Let me know if it is deserving to be called such.

Btw, I don't know its purpose or essence, all I know is that it seems to be a fad these days. Many people do plank, almost anywhere, anytime. Did you get to see the pictures? Amazing? Weird? Dumb? Hmmmm...

Anyway, for some obscure reasons, few of my friends raised a challenge...and so we 'planked'. Honestly, I didn't know why we did it but it's one of those 'spur of the moment' ideas. And here are the trails of evidences... lol

Mil.

'Lem'.

Plank all you can. IF you can. IF you deem...

Catwoman, Marilyn and Snow White

No major event. Nothing new. Okay, I'm a pathetic liar. :)

Anyway, I'd just like to share some photos from this side of Hollywood or whatever. Dear readers/followers/creepers, meet Catwoman, Marilyn and Snow White, though not necessarily in that order.

Michelle Willliams as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. Stunning !

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises... Meowwww. Rar.

Kristin Stewart as Snow White in Snow White and The Huntsman. Uhmmm....

Interesting photos, aren't they? Who are you looking forward to watch?

The Cinemalaya 7 Experience

The Cinemalaya 7 official poster.

About 7 days. Almost 10 films. Apparently 1 fried brain.

Renewed and rejuvenated, nonetheless.

For the past couple of months, I was accustomed to 'bumming around'. That I refuse to further blog about. But for what it's worth, yes, I have (had) a job. Not the 9 to 5 office work though; it's a freelance thing... And it's complicated.

Just to break the monotony of the commonplace, I decided to venture into something I was interested in without necessarily elevating the hope of its outcome. Luckily, fate lived up to its name. And even though, I'm not its fan, I had it in the palm of my hands. Woot. Woot. Hence, Cinemalaya 7.

                                                                       

All of the lights feat. 'Cinemalaya'. 

Light bulbs illuminate the place.

Such a breeze from the otherwise suffocating predictable air. A respite.

Indeed, renewed and rejuvenated.

Teehee... A privilege. Yes. A responsibility. Yes. Hotdog war room. Heck, yes. (My Cinemalaya friends definitely know what I'm talking about here. Anyway, inside joke. Moving right along)

People from all over Metro Manila (perhaps even farther) flocked to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to witness the event. It was not a surprise, especially because the opening film was open to the public ( for free.)The place was indeed jam-packed! Aside from film enthusiasts, movie goers and filmmakers, celebrities attended the event. Actress Gretchen Baretto and producer Mother Lily Monteverde were also present.

A top view of the audience who were at the opening ceremony. Actress Gretchen Barretto and producer Lily Monteverde were seated next to each other.

Now on its seventh year, it was said during our orientation that the Cinemalaya audience had increased to as much as 70% since it's first year.

*credit goes to Jovie Dayon for the pictures

Indeed. Perfect description.

The Hotdog Supply is just overflowing! An apparently happy Kenneth Lee is caught in the act. 

Fellow volunteer Erika fixes the title label for  the new breed film, Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa.

Cinemalaya 7 volunteers are looking rather happy, with Jenny, Janna and Philip wearing the exclusive gray commemorative tee. Behind them is the box office #1 where tickets were sold. The big red arrows pointed the direction of the venues. (TNA for Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, etc)

The basement lobby of CCP, near the Little Theater, exhibited the New Breed, Shorts, and Director's Showcase's posters, as well as props which were used in the movies' pre-production. In this picture: Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank and Amok.

In this picture: Teoriya, Nino and Ligo na U, Lapit na Me.

One of my favorite posters, if not my ultimate fave, among  all of the showcased graphic art during the festival is this one, featuring the production stills from the short films in competition.

Director, producer and actor Ronwaldo Reyes, popularly known as Fernando Poe Jr. or FPJ, was given tribute in the Cinemalaya 7, through the Retrospective Showcase, where some of his movies were shown in the Dream Theater of Tanghalang Manuel Conde.

During the opening, closing or particularly a movie's gala night, the TNA lobby would be jam-packed. It's where the actors, filmmakers, fans, media (as well as volunteers aka creepers like us) would hang out to talk about the film shown or just plain engage in the Celebrity Spotting challenge, then have a photo op with him/her/them...it?? LOL



A very good example of a this Celebrity Spotting challenge is this one. In this picture: creeper Romel Santiago and director Soxie Topacio.


The press interviews actress Eugene Domingo for her portrayal in the comedy film Ang Babae sa Septic Tank. She won Best Actress at the Cinemalaya 7 awards night for this performance.

After its showcase in CCP and Greenbelt, Cinemalaya 7 goes to University of the Philippines.  However, only the movies in the new breed, shorts and director's showcase categories are shown. Tickets are sold for 80 pesos each.

What's is the worth of my Cinemalaya 7 experience? It's priceless. 

Dear Cinemalaya and its volunteers, til next year!

Musings: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Slumdog Millionaire, UK (2008)
Directed by Danny Boyle
Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Saurabh Shukla, Anil Kapoor.


Sheer cinematic experience.

Slumdog Millionaire undoubtedly would take you to that state. From how it has shown the art of composition, movement, light and music, it has amazingly shape the power of film as a visual medium. Director Danny Boyle wonderfully captures the picturesque of urban India using dramatic camera angles, sensory fast-paced events and the delightful score along with it.

Based on Indian author Vikas Swarup’s novel ‘Q&A’, it takes you to the life of Jamal Malik who is one question away from winning the top prize of India’s ‘Who Wants to be A Millionaire’ game show. But the show’s host Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor) is suspicious why Jamal seems to know the answers to the questions, knowing that he is uneducated. Slowly, through flashbacks, Jamal goes back to his striking childhood with brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and friend Latika (Frieda Pinto).

Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy renders a cleverly-structured screenplay, taking us from the rowdy heart of slum life to the suave world of the game show. Interweaving these two through the use of dramatic flashbacks, it is ingeniously inventive. Danny Boyle’s direction is amazingly stunning, making India’s landscape glow in genuine life. A.R. Rahman’s music is also very much unmistakably euphonious, leaving audience humming and oftentimes thumping their feet along with its beats.

Slumdog Millionaire is a fresh take on Hollywood’s Oscar dazzles for years. Finally, a film which doesn’t focuses about Holocaust or any historical fundamentals, or such gruesome cliché endings, or even epic battles, but which is rather a simple tale of brotherhood, friendship and love. The film is firmly uncomplicated yet marvelously moving.