Good News

Good news, citizens!


11-kg LPG price slashed by P105

Bicol Wages Hiked This Week

Krimen sa Malolos, bumaba

Aquino to do what’s right on coco levy funds–Palace


Happy April Fools!

Pretty Monster (Insights from Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang)

Probable spoilers ahead.

Movie bit:

In the movie's final moments while Corazon (Erich Gonzales) and Daniel (Derek Ramsay)  are being hunted by the village people, Daniel pitched a picked up line to Corazon:

Aswang ka ba?
Kasi ibibigay ko ang lahat ng laman loob ko lalu na ang puso ko para lang sa yo.

We'll not those exact words but something similar. Something like "I'll go to hell as long as I'm with you".


Personal bit:

It's been a long time since I last watch a local movie in a cinema. The later ones I remember were the Bong Revilla fantasy movie Exodus (which I kind of liked because it brings some elements of Peque Gallaga's "Magic Temple" which I really liked) and Resiklo (which makes you think Matrix Revolutions and some other post-apocalyptic/alien invasion film)


Movie notes:

I loved the cinematography. It perfectly captured the barrio scenery with it's sepia tones and earth hues.
I think Erich looks very pretty in the movie even as an aswang.
Mon Confiado, the best supporting actor ever, did great as expected. So did Epy Quizon and of course Kuya Bodjie.

Storywise, I think it is good. I always loved origin stories and alternate history telling and the movie did a great job of presenting an alternate take on the aswang as a folktale creature.

The movie also presented some very interesting takes on the psychology of human beings. The idea of the mother eating her dead child is downright creepy and disturbing on many levels. I think if the movie gives more emphasis on that concept, it would make a very scary film. The build up scene where Corazon cradles the dead baby, up to her eating the dead child's flesh is very, very haunting and amazingly done.

Another nice concept introduced was the idea that the monsters are created by the society as a response to a very agitating event such as a war, as in the movie's case. There is an article I read where it noted the fact that ghosts are  not people who lived their lives safely and very ordinary but those who lived their lives too much that their border between life and death is broken or became unclear. Which supports the movie's point that the monsters are a result of some bad circumstances.

It's also nice to see that the movie's mythology is pretty much head on with the real local mythology (at least the one I heard). The aswang's transformation to a wildboard is something which came out from my childhood. It's crawling motion as it approaches it's prey is one  that I almost exactly see in my mind whenever I hear those stories as a child.

I just feel like it was one or two side stories too much that it kind of feels like all over the place. Matias' (Mark Gil) tyrant hacendero arc could have been made simpler or more molded with Corazon's story etc. But it's just a minor gripe. I think the movie is well made, the actors performed well and it has a nice narrative and interesting concepts. Whatever minor complaint with the film, I think you should put aside as this movie seems very well-thought of and nicely executed, I won't have second thoughts of watching another movie of this calibre.



Verdict:

If you're a fan of Erich Gonzales, definitely watch it, because she's just so pretty in this movie.
I you like horror movies, I think you should also take a look. Be warned that this is not your typical scare-you-off-your-seat movie (the supposedly scary parts only come late into the movie, and they are not that scary too.)
If you like Philippine movies, you should also watch this. The cinematic experience itself is worth the price of the ticket.

EXTREALITY TV

If you open your television right now it's very probable that you will find a reality TV show playing. It seems watching real life on TV is much more entertaining nowadays than movies or series. One thing you'll notice though is how the reality TV shows become more and more extreme. There is now a reality TV show following the life of a sexy magazine magnate, or the life of an under-aged pregnant teen, or the controversial life of a controversial celebrity.

Soon, it will become more extreme. I thought some of the possible reality shows that may soon air in our little boob tube.



1. The Doctor's Apprentice

10 Medical Doctors are pitted against each other in a hospital. Each week, every doctor is given a patient to diagnose and treat. If the patient dies, the doctor is instantly expelled from the hospital. If all patients are treated, three weakest doctors will be picked, based on their treatment of their patients.

Slogan: Who will survive in this game of life and death (literally).



2.The God Factor

10 Religious leaders are housed in a dormitory. Each one can interact with each other about their own religions. Their goal is to convert each other to believe their own gods. If one leader is able to convert another, he will have immunity for the elimination. Every week, each one will undergo a very extreme test of faith. Anyone who surrenders his/her faith will be eliminated.

Slogan: Profess. Believe. Survive.



3. The Sight

10 fortune tellers are pitted against each other. Every start of day, each one makes a prediction on who will be eliminated on that day. When the day ends, they vote on who they want to be eliminated. The fortune teller who guesses the least correct is eliminated.

Slogan: The winner already knows.



4. Vegan Brother

10 vegetarians are housed in a steak and bbq restaurant. The last one to eat meat wins.

Slogan: You eat meat. You lose it.




5. Interrogation Idol

10 interrogators are given a prisoner of war each. They must do all they can to the POW to retrieve a secret information even if it means resorting to torture. The agent who gets the information the longest time is eliminated. If the POW dies, the agent is eliminated.

Slogan: Nothing is Top Secret.

A Fine Line

It's been said that there is a fine line between genius and insanity. I think it's also the fine line that separates Batman and Joker.


Reminds me of the scene from Silence of the Lambs, when Hannibal Lecter escapes from the police station. So he took a police officers' costume and lies down with blood all over his face. When police saw him with a completely damaged and unrecognizable face, they brought him to an ambulance thinking he was the officer whose uniform he took. Lecter's escape was completed in teh ambulance.


I remember the first time watching it and I immediately admired his plan, (I thought he wounded his entire face just to be unrecognizable) I admired his planning and dedication. And then it was later revealed that he actually skinned the officer's face and wore it like a mask. And my admiration turned to terror. 


In the Batman/Joker comparison, Batman will wound his face. Joker will take another person's face and wear it as a mask. And both would be able to escape.

Hopes and Dreams and the Parallel Universe

There are lots of symbolisms and metaphors in Scifi and Fantasy stories.

Werewolf stories are seen as metaphors for adolescence and coming of age. Vampire stories are sometimes seen as representation for intimacy amidst rejections and differences. Robots and AI tales are symbols of anti-slavery and uprising against an established authority.

Stories about Parallel Universes, on the other hand, are about hopes and dreams. A parallel universe is a place where we are a different person, a place where your dreams may have come true (or not). A place were we hope good things happened to our lives.

On the same light, time travel stories are about wistful thinking; what if I did this or that etc.


:end babble:

2 Worlds in Fiction

Most stories revolve in a battle between two entities, good versus evil, black vs. white, strong vs. weak and so on. My favorite stories are those that discusses this rivalry but adds a very different twist to it.

The anime series, 'Last Exile' is one of them. In the world of Prester, Anatoray and Disith are two rival countries that are physically separated by a barrier of fast-flowing air current called the Grand Stream. What is interesting in the series is the fact that the rivalry between the two countries is governed by another independent entity, who provides the machinery and capacity for the two countries' wars. What's more interesting is the fact that the two countries know about this but still they battle with each other.

I recommend the book 'The City and The City' by China Mieville.It is a novel about the cities of Bessel and Ul Qoma. This time, there is no physical separation between the two cities. Yet their cultures are quite very distinct from each other. I was amazed at how the author intricately described each city-- you really have to read it to know about it for yourself.

In the sci-fi series Fringe, the topic of a parallel universe is the main theme. One major arc of the series is a quest on how to traverse the other side. It's cool how the series depicted the alternate universe by giving very small yet noticeable differences (i.e Manhatan).

The critically-acclaimed movie 'Another Earth', tells of a story where there is another Earth with another set of people just floating within Earth's view.

In many Zelda games, a very usual scenario to move the story is for the protagonaist to travel between "worlds" in order to complete a quest. In the Oracle of Ages for example, Link has to do some actions in the 'past' (World 1) to advance the game in the 'present' (World 2). In the 'Minish Cap', Link has the ability to shrink into a smaller version of himself thereby experiencing a very different yet connected mini world as compared with his real sized world. While in 'A Link to the Past', Link has a magic mirror that allows him to traverse between the Light and the Dark world, which is required to finish various in-game quests.

In these stories, the conflict between the two worlds is not the main focus-- it is the interaction or synergy of the two entities that primarily move the story.



(Images courtesy of the web)

Trese book 4: (Not a Review )

I've just finished reading Trese Book 4: Last Seen After Midnight for the second time. This is not really a review, just some random thoughts after reading it. Probable spoilers ahead.

As usual, Budjette Tan's writing is very captivating in this new book. It offers everything that you loved from the first three books and even more. There's the drama and the horror, the funny banters of the 'kambal', the walk into the Pinoy mythological lane, the slice of life stories with a twist and the entertaining popular culture references. (Offtrack question: How many creatures can you spot in the collector's gallery? I see a Tikbalang skeleton, a 'nuno sa punso' (or is it a duwende?) in a bottle, a diwata, a mananaggal's wings and what seemed like a 'banga' (i.e 'halimaw sa banga').

As for the stories, all I can say is that they are all great. Ruel de Vera , in the introduction, is quite spot on when he mentioned this book alongside the legendary classics of Warren Ellis' 'Planetary' and Mike Mignola's 'Hellboy'. I agree 100%. My favorite perhaps is 'Fight of the Year'. It's got that similar tribute vibe which I loved (being also a Pacquiao fan) and amazing story that could match 'Our Secret Constellation' (which is in my opinion the best Trese story). [Though I find it funny that when I read Manuel's lines, I hear it in my mind the way the real Manny speaks. You know what I'm talking about, I mean, you know.]

I truly admire Kajo Baldisimo's artwork in this book; from the detailed depiction of many cityscapes like Luneta, Ortigas and Katipunan, to the fine, flowing lines for the elementals and underworld creatures, to the splash pages and panel layout, everything just works out perfectly. My favorite is Manuel's fight in the underworld boxing arena. I like how the fight started with six panels on the first fight page and becomes 5 panels, then 4 then 3 then 2 as the fight goes on to the next round. Then, on rounds 11 and 12, there is only one panel each. The round 12 single-panel page shows Manuel standing over his kill-- that's the perfect victory shot right there. Add also the fact that Manuel fights a bagyon (?) lightning tribesman, a shark, and a Cthulhu-esque monster no less, says something about the awesomeness of these splash pages.

Some more thoughts:
I have a feeling (or yearning) that Jay Gerson will be back. Though I like how Trese is always able to give a 'happy' ending to each case (by curing the cursed or defeating the baddies) I would like to see a vulnerable side of her-- the side that sometimes lose fights and possibly cry. I think an archenemy can expose that side of her -- an enemy with the same skills, background, or even personality but with different motivations. I feel that Jay Gerson is a very good candidate. Like a nemesis that would challenge Trese's skills throughout many overarching cases. Like her Moriarty or Joker. Like a supernatural serial killer.

I'm also curious why the Great Santelmo is very loyal to Trese. In past books, the santelmo have played big parts in solving some cases.  It actually appeared in this book twice and saved Trese's life both times. (Maybe Budjette and Kajo are building this up to something bigger?)

That's all. I'm already watching out for Trese Book 5 whenever that will be.

(Image from www.tresekomix.blogspot.com)

On Photoshoppery and Money

     Filipinos are a creative and innovative bunch. Consider our photography and visual manipulation skills as an example. Just this week, Filipino photoshoppers, err, graphic designers are spotlighted on two different occasions-- one on a positive and one on a negative light.

     The first one that gathered a lot of bad rap is the DPWH Photoshop fiasco. A photograph was posted on the DPWH facebook account where some DPWH officials seem to be having a deep, thoughtful conversation while standing in the Manila Bay rubbles on the aftermath of typhoon Pedring. A blogger saw the photo for what it really is and cried " 'shopped! ". Sometime later, the photo was taken down with an apology from an official.

     The blogger (site here) really has valid points. As he pointed out, the guy in the red-jacket is obviously floating while the guy in the center has one leg shorter than the other. See for yourself on the picture below. I indicated it with red circle and a red arrow if you can't see it. Those are some awful photoshop skillz.

See the complete report here:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/09/29/11/dpwh-under-fire-facebook-photoshopping


     The other one is more uplifting. Remember the newly redesigned Peso notes that were previously reviled by majority of the internet public? Well, they actually impressed an international body for their amazing and unique features. The new generation currency (NGC) notes are shortlisted as one of three nominees for the best currency award.

The complete report is here:
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2011/09/29/new-peso-notes-design-shorlisted-international-currency-award-182209

     These news reports just show that we have an immense creative pool of talents in our country. How high we can rise if we only do our best and how low we can sink if we just settle for less, it's all up to us.

Reminiscing the Dark Knight

I love The Dark Knight movie. In fact I believe it's the best superhero movie ever made and it's on my list of the best movies ever. For me, it is a cerebral ride of awesomeness that will leave you breathless and amazed in every scene you watch.

The one thing it is lacking or had difficulty with, in my opinion, is the emotional connection. You never really felt the pain and anguish of the heroes. When then Lt. Gordon "died", I was shocked but I never felt bad. When Rachel Dawes died, I never felt bad. When Harvey Dent died I never felt bad. You might experience the heavy moral dilemma (like in the ferry scene) but it has no emotional weight, it just seemed like a philosophical exercise. The dominant emotion is that of fear every time the Joker is in the scene, courtesy of Heath Ledger's masterful work.

It's the one thing other movies have better. In Ironman, I felt sad when the doctor who helped Tony Stark died. I felt Stark's anguish. In Captain America, I felt bad when Bucky died (I might feel the weight of the death of any of the Howling Commandos if that would happen). Thor also delivered many emotionally captivating scenes, especially with Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of Loki.

There is none of that in The Dark Knight. Maybe there is, but it didn't leave a lasting dent (no pun intended). One might say, "It's a goddamn Batman movie", "There is no place for emotions". But no, In Batman Begins, you will feel Bruce's pain as a child when his parent's died. You would almost feel Gordon's sympathy as he console Bruce. And you will feel Alfred's grief as well. In the comics, there were many stories that poured a lot of emotional scenes. Grant Morrison has made many.

In Batman #701, when Batman returned after his encounter with Dr. Hurt, Alfred welcomes him in his extreme butlering mode and the following dialogue took place;

Alfred: Master Bruce? Oh my goodness gracious!
Bruce: How's the "Extreme Butlering" thing working out for you, Alfred? Tell me you didn't use up all the band-aids.
Alfred: I believe the correct term is "Butling", sir.
Bruce: Good to see you, old friend.
Alfred: Likewise, Master Bruce. A tense few days, but I know you'd work it all out in the end. I prepared Mulligatawny Soup, your favorite.

That short interchange, with Alfred giving that terse smile, and with all those bruises on his face, is very heartfelt. In Batman: The Return, Alfred delivered yet another emotional dialogue;

In The Dark Knight, I feel like every emotion is actually just a battle of morals and ethics.

The Superman movies have it better. Every time Superman carries Lois while flying, or save her from danger, the scene is so memorable. When we look back into those scenes now, we would have a feeling of nostalgia for the movies, even if they are not that great to begin with.

10 years from now, if we see a scene from The Dark Knight, like when he saves Rachel from falling, I doubt if we will feel nostalgic and reminisce the times past.

I think that's what may be needed in the next movie. A heart-wrenching scene. An uplifting moment. I have no doubt that the trilogy will end with a big and spectacular bang. I believe it may well be one of the greatest trilogies ever. I'm just not sure  if it will leave a deep enough mark in my heart that I will carry even as I get older, the way the Superman movies did.

What could it do to leave that mark?

Include a good soundtrack perhaps. Or evoke the nostalgic feeling of Winnie the Pooh in the trailers. Or both.

Or maybe not.

That's just my two cents. I think 'The Dark Knight Rises' will be an amazing finale nonetheless. As they say on many forums, "I believe in Christopher Nolan."

Amazing Sci Fi Fashion Apparels

Nike just announced the release of "Back to the Future" shoes (a.k.a Air Mag) for a limited stock only. These shoes will be put up on auction in eBay and the proceeds will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to find the cure for Parkinson's Disease. All I can say is the shoes are absolutely marvelous!

I've always loved the Back to the Future movies and I always watch the BTTF DVD trilogy if I feel like it. The entertainment factor never diminishes. I think I'm one of the many fans who wishes to get one of those limited edition shoes into our hands, er, feet.

When I last checked the auction site,  the prices of each pair were already at $4,000 with still 17 hours left for bidding. That is around 200,000 Pesos. (200,000 Pesos?! Imagine Doc Emmett saying, "1.21 jigawatts!"). That's already the price of a second-hand car. So that only means goodbye Air Mag.

I wonder if that design is patented? Because if not, maybe our local Marikina shoemakers can make them here. I would really want to have a pair if only for the aesthetic and nostalgic factors (I won't really wear them at work). If they are patented, however, then that's just unfortunate. We dont want them to make japeyk copies of the original, right? (wink. wink.)

Anyways, with Nike's announcement of the shoes, I've thought of other clothing apparels from Sci-Fi movies that were already made in real life and are actually wearable not just during cosplays but in daily life (at least on some occasions and settings). I compiled them into the list below.


1. Tron hoodie (Threadless)

This is not really an actual costume that was worn by characters in the movie, just a design based on it. Nevertheless, these are pretty amazing.

2. The Matrix trenchcoat (AbbyShot.com)

This is not something that can be worn in a hot country like mine. But one would look badass just wearing these. Wear dark sunglasses for an added cool factor.

3. Superhero jackets from Universal Designs (udreplicas.com)

If you are a motorcycle rider, then you'll find these replicas of jackets from movies like Wolverine, Captain America, The Dark Knight and Xmen pretty rad.

4. Star Trek T-shirts (Nerdyshirts)

I'm not really a Trekkie but these t-shirts from Nerdyshirts boasting the Star Trek logo on a plain colored background are just great.

5. Star Wars Hoodie (Star Wars)

Lastly, these hoodies of Star Wars characters such as a Storm Trooper, Darth Maul and Boba Fett are beautiful. To see the full effect you have to close the hoodie's front zipper all way to the top. Best thing to do when you feel like disappearing instantly like during a boss' lecture etc.

So that's it, a round of amazing apparels based on sci fi movies. I'm adding all  of these (along with the Air Mag) into my wishlist for Christmas.


Images:
www.threadless.com
www.abbyshot.com
www.udreplicas.com
www.nerdyshirts.com
www.starwars.com