resiklo

I was browsing one of the threads in a music forum I'm in, and they were discussing writing album reviews in Haiku. I thought it was an interesting concept, so I told myself that I was going to try starting my "review-type-thing" blog entries with a Haiku as well. I just want to see how it goes.

Anyway, here's what I thought about Resiklo:

This film looks pretty
for a new pinoy movie.
That's not saying much.

Me and Mau were supposed to see SSS first, pero alanganin yung oras kahapon, so we ended up seeing Resiklo instead. We caught the 7:50pm screening at Promenade in Greenhills, and it's interesting to note that the theater was around 90% empty. On the other hand, the screening of Enteng Kabisote 4 was 90% full. It's either people are very hopeful and optimistic that the EK makers have learned their lesson; or, people simply never learn.

Resiklo is said to be the most expensive pinoy movie ever made; and frankly speaking, it does look like it. As far as pinoy films go, Resiklo has showcased the best graphics and special effects that I've ever seen in a local movie. The 3D computer animations are pretty damn good, and the highlight imho is the robot battle around 2/3 into the film. But again, I must stress, this is only in terms of pinoy movies. There are still parts in the film that were sloppy. Like you could see the outline of the characters against the background, so halatang pinatong lang. Then there's the cheap-ass laser gun animation that looks dated (as in 30-years dated, like it was used for the original Star Wars movie).

Visuals aside though, the movie isn't anything special. The first half was totally sloppy. Not that there were any big, glaring mistakes; it's more of a lot of minor lapses put together that made it look sloppy: Sloppy acting, sloppy writing, sloppy execution, unnecessary scenes, lapses in common sense… that sort of thing. It's a good thing though that midway through, the movie picks up. The story becomes (relatively) more interesting, the good visuals are showcased, it was better paced, and there were much fewer lapses in common sense (natutuwa ako sa phrase na 'to, ewan ko kung bakit, hehe).

Acting-wise, there is one noticeable high-point, and that's Roi Vinzon as the "pinuno" of the villains. Granted that Roi Vinzon could pull off any antagonist role with ease, it was ultimately an effective performance. Although whoever thought to name him Hades (pronounced phonetically rather than "hey-dees") needs to… *grumble grumble, timpi timpi* … sige wag na nga, paskong-pasko eh… Another plus for the movie is Paolo Contis in a sort of comic relief type of role, which he does pretty well. A bit slapsticky, but it'll do. Oh, and last but not least, we must not forget to mention Michelle Madrigal. I got a few good elbows to the gut from Mau because of my Michelle Madrigal comments during the course of the movie. ^_^ *drools*

At the end of it all, I'd say it all boils down to execution. Kung mas pulido at metikuloso lang ang pagkaka-gawa, this film could have been very decent. Also, the movie borrows to much from well-known foreign films (like almost all local movies do nowadays): Chronicles of Riddick… Star Wars… The Matrix…

So, in a nutshell: Good visuals (for a pinoy flick) and then average everything-else. First half was sloppy, second half was pretty good. A few decent acting jobs. ^_^ If I balance out the pros and cons, Resiklo basically amounts to an average movie. You win some, you lose some.

the man from earth

Download and watch "The Man From Earth". Do it. Now. Here's the torrent link. The producer of this movie has publicly thanked users of BitTorrent who have distributed the movie without express permission, saying that it has lifted the profile of this product far beyond the financier's expectations.

This film is to science fiction what "Before Sunrise/Sunset" is to romantic movies. It's talky. It isn't extravagant. It has no special effects or big-name stars. However, what it has is a screenplay that is wildly interesting, engaging and full of substance. All it is is about an impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman, which becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar claims to his colleagues that he is a Cro-Magnon man who has walked the earth for 14,000 years, unable to die. 

Plot Summary: After history Professor John Oldman unexpectedly resigns from the University, his startled colleagues impulsively invite themselves to his home, pressing him for an explanation. But they're shocked to hear his reason for premature retirement: John claims he must move on because he does not age (and therefore does not die of natural death), and must move on to create a new identity when people begin to notice he does not age. Tempers rise and emotions flow as John's fellow professors attempt to poke holes in his story, but it soon becomes clear that his tale is as impossible to disprove as it is to verify. What starts out as a friendly gathering soon builds to an unexpected and shattering climax.

(some parts of this entry were sourced from wikipedia)

Download and watch "The Man From Earth". Do it. Now. Here's the torrent link.

resolution

I was telling a friend recently that New Year's Resolutions are weird. Kung gusto mo naman talaga magbago, kahit kelan pwede mo gawin eh.

There are some things that have to change now.

I've never been one to successfully pull off a resolution, but I'm hoping this one works out in the long run… even if it does take me one baby step at a time…

Madrama sobra itong taon na to. Huling pagdadrama ko na to dito. 

Hopefully. 

little girl

Taken at the Church of The Gesu before Christmas Eve mass.

Cute.

lola

This is lola. Mama's mom and my only living grandparent. She will be turning 88 next April. She eats mostly beef and pork, rarely eats fish and veggies, drinks coffee at least thrice a day; yet, she has no illnesses and is healthier than me! Lola also has a feisty personality, which was more evident when she was younger and stronger… although there are still shades of it now, seeing that she's still very sharp, not only for her age. She's well read, well traveled and speaks fluently in a variety of languages.

Lola is a total rockstar. \m/ Oh where have all the good genes gone? Hehehe.