The Iron Lady and The Moon

One thing about Meryl Streep's movies is the urge and excitement to watch every single one, not because of its interesting story line or concept but all because of her extra-ordinary captivating portrayal. Trailer pa lang. Mapapa-wow ka na.



Bongga diva?

----O----

Forgive me, but I am bit of a music-catcher. Any music I hear that tickles my senses, I google and listen all over and over. Thanks to Shazam by the way, they make it easier for me to discover cool music just like this one from The Iron Lady's trailer: Clint Mansell's Welcome To Lunar Industries from the movie MOON's OST:

Ka-churvahan lang, pero venga for me!

-----O----

Anyone seen MOON yet? An example of a film that I've watched without knowing anything about, yet giving me a sense of an idea of how a movie should be. One of those exceptional films that will make you think. A relief from those forgettable superhero science fiction entertainment. Watch nyo lang. Bongga sya. Promise!

Black Swan

"Don't let the Black Swan in you, kill you". -Ekra Tan

Ibigay na kasi ang award sa bruhang ito! Kanyang kanya na ang Trophy. Pls Lang!

HappyLand

I smell City Of God....


Parang may kulang. Or parang TH ang datetch. Ewan! Trailer pa lang naman. Pero parang di ko sya panoorin. Jim Libiran, wala na bang iba? Pls lang!

3 Hours Of Gay Cinematic Vibe

Gay and Experimental

Amazing Cinematography.

Less Talk.

Soft Porn.

Latinos.

If you're into all those in one, LTE recommends you to watch:

Rabioso Sol, Rabioso Cielo (Raging Sun, Raging Sky) 2009 by Julian Hernandez

This post is not to rate the film. Just a recommendation from a fellow bakla who love art films. Chos! Spare some time to watch it. Its 192 minutes will make you sticky and occupied, depending on your taste level. Try a little bit of what i am talking about here:

Hiyang ba? Goooooo! Watch it. Now na!

This Is Not Fanny

Fanny Serrano in TARIMA:

Viva Bakla! I smell URIAN!



"Opportunity is just success looking for a place to happen". - Greg Hickman

100 and Maximo Oliveros, Restored

I love Cinemalaya's TVCs.

Especially this one for 2010, "Casket"



and this one too: "Maximo"



Mabuhay ang mga tao behind Cinemalaya! Bravo!

Teng's Limbunan

Fellow blogger Gutierrez "Teng" Mangansakan II's debut film is one of the 10 films to be shown in the 6th Cinemalaya Film Festival this July. Starring Tita Techie and Papa Joem, we are excited for you, Teng!

Limbunan Trailer from Bidadali House on Vimeo.

Synopsis:
Set in 1989, the film captures the ritual motions of the women in a family preparing for the wedding of 16-year-old Ayesah who has been betrothed to a man she barely knows. As Maguindanaon tradition dictates, she will be kept from public view in her private quarters –limbunan— where she will be prepared, readied, and pampered for her wedding.

As preparations for her union is underway, Ayesah is reunited with her childhood tutor Maguid who returns to the village as a militiaman after an absence of five years, reawakening Ayesah’s past memory of childhood infatuation.

Throughout Ayesah’s confinement her precocious and rebellious eight-year-old sister Saripa becomes her eyes to the world beyond her room. Her mother Amina keeps her composure despite the fact her husband sleeps with his second wife half of the time, finding solace in the belief that it is both her religious and familial duty to be an obedient wife.

Ayesah’s aunt Farida is tasked to ensure that she is prepared for the wedding. However, Farida’s dark past challenges Ayesah’s resolve finding herself choosing between love and loyalty to tradition and family.

Premiere will be on July 10 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Wish we can attend to support you Teng. We are so proud of you. Go lang ng go! Congratulations and good luck!

Brilliant

Post-Daybreak. Its a new day.... watched Serbis... and it resuscitated my adoration for alternative cinema. Brillante is brilliant. My first from him. I am not disappointed. 

It was not only because of Coco's hard triggered purplish weapon or his perfect patootie (minus the boils). Nor Kristopher King's soft-penile demonstration with that mixed-race bayot with boobs. Not even Lola Gina P's slap-Nora-in the-face acting. Maybe, it was more of Brillante's radical work. Everything just turned out remarkable.

 

His characters walk the building's labyrinthine corridors (with the style Gus Van Sant used in Elephant), symbolizing the complicated paths these souls take in life. The filthiness (ex. flooded restrooms) of the old movie house where they reside is a representation of their own impurities. Sabi nga ni Ate Gina: "Madaming aayusin sa sinehan na to!" 

One of my fave scenes: The Sapatos scene with Lola G and Ate J.

Serbis is my kind of movie. Thanks Brillante Mendoza and to Here! Productions. More exquisite Pinoy Movies from you, Please (without the 'lang'!)

Daybreak

Depress-depressan ako ngayon... Kakatapos ko lang napanood ang pelikulang Daybreak ni Direk Alix for the first time. Di ko akalain na papa-iyakin pala ako ng todo to the max nito. Ayoko na. Dinagdagan pa ni Noel Cabangon. Ayoko na talaga.

Bakit kasi may socio-economic gap pa? At may age gap? at may gap ang teeth nina Elton at Madonna? Bakit kasi nagpapa-apekto tayo dito at di na lang magmahalan ng bongga bongga? Bakit may aalis at bakit may maiiwan? Bakit dapat magkalayo? Bakit pwedeng magmahal ng dalawa? Bakit hindi na lang isa? Bakit importante ang career? Bakit importante din ang pag-ibig? Bakit tayo pinapapili pa? 

Bakit nakaka-relate ako sa pelikulang ito? Bakit kaya umiyak ako ng todo todo? Ayoko na ha... pls lang! 

I Wanna Be Mark Wahlberg!

OK OK. Adolfo Alix Jr. is making a movie called D' Survivors, about castaway male models. And guess who ang starring? Two of our fave male models pa ha. Leche!

Rocky Salumbides + Daniel Matsunaga

Di ba kaloka ito? Also starring.....

Alizon Undress (Ay! Andres pala) + Fabio Ide 

Kaines talagah! At meron pa: 

Don Mendoza + Lem Pelayo

Wala bang babae? Aaay! Ayoko na! Im sure may kababalaghang mangyayari sa Isla. (si Alix Jr pa). But wait....

Pls lang! Real Actors should play the parts sana. Pero ewan ko ba. Sayang ka Adolfo, sayang! Akala ko si Adela ang tunay mong artista. Charot. 

Feeling kasi namin na this will turn out as another lousy Pinoy Gay Indie. (Gay-Themed nga ba?) But malay natin, ang mga Papa models na to ay isang Mark Wahlberg pala..... former Ck model + Oscar Nominee! 

Yung Don Mendoza... feeling ko magaling.... sa kama! Goooo! 

Cinema 2009

Ang tindi di ba? Kaya lang bat wala si Kimi Dora? Charooot! Cannot wait for Cinema 2010! Especially yung pelikula nina Sharon and Vilma together. Chariiiing! 

Our Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2009

10. The Road

9. The September Issue

8. The Proposal

7. Knowing

6. Inglourious Basterds

5. Earth

4. A Single Man

3. Up

2. Avatar

1. 500 Days Of Summer

Natabunan si Precious, sorry Tita Oprah! Tse! 

Are We Fuck-Ups?

Verona and Burt (Away We Go)

Verona: Burt, are we fuck-ups?
Burt: No! What do you mean?
Verona: I mean, we're 34...
Burt: I'm 33.
Verona: ...and we don't even have this basic stuff figured out.
Burt: Basic, like how?
Verona: Basic, like how to live.
Burt: We're not fuck-ups.
Verona: We have a cardboard window.
Burt: [Looks at window] We're not fuck-ups.
Verona: [Whispers] I think we might be fuck-ups.
Burt: [Whispers back] We're not fuck-ups.

This reminds me of Ekra asking me: "Happy ka ba?" most of the time at YM and FB chat.... (her proxy for "Hello"). 

Being 36 and having a less action-packed life, I thought of Verona and Ekra's inquiries. I might be fuck-up but I would say Im happy. Its complicated. I dont want to explain. Tse!

Some of us are like Burt, contented of what we have now. And some are like Verona, willing to explore the possibilities further.  I am happy of the blessings i have right now with my job. (Am just glad I have one). Yet there is something else I want to do. (which I dunno yet). At age 36, am stuck. 

Verona and Burt had a journey visiting different cities to figure out where for them is the best place to live and have a life. I must be fuck-up for not doing the same afraid of losing the job that provides me financial security. To move and explore and find what my real passion is... somehow lost its lithium battery along the way. 

Maybe that is why Ekra keeps on asking me: "Happy Ka Ba?" for she is like Verona, ready to explore the better alternative for her future. But we also have to go back... go back from where we have started. 

Sometimes, just like in the movie, what we are looking for in life is actually what we have now, or what we have done and who we were before. And how can we figure that out?.... By starting to explore. 

Kayo? Happy ba kayo? Chos?

A Date With Gabby

Designer Tom Ford's debut film, A Single Man's trailer caught my attention. The Almodovarish aesthetics is so noticeable. Or maybe its just me. Watch:

Come tomorrow, Jezza and I have a movie date with her:

We'll talk about who she'll wear at the Oscars next year.

And Yessaaah! She will be there too!

Knowing that Glitter wont work anymore, she de-glamorized herself this time and gained positive reviews. The UST Gay, Jezza cannot wait!

LTE's Movies of the Decade

UK's The Telegraph and The Times listed their Top 100 Movies of the Decade (2000-2009). LTE has its own list too, archived in their monthly Seventeen Bulletin.

Here's our take (in no particular order). Actors and Characters pictured.

Amelie - 2001 (Audrey Tautou)

Tsotsi - 2005 (Presley Chweneyagae)

Dancer In the Dark - 2000 (Bjork)

Donnie Darko - 2001 (Jake Gyllenhaal)

The Hours - 2002 (Julianne Moore)

Spirited Away - 2001 (Chihiro)

Brokeback Mountain - 2005 (Heath Ledger)

The Devil Wears Prada - 2006 (Meryl Streep)

City of God - 2002 (Alexandre Rodrigues)

Elephant - 2003 (John Robinson)

A History Of Violence - 2005 (Viggo Mortensen)

Crash - 2005 (Michael Pena)

Cache - 2005 (Juliette Binoche)

Dogville - 2003 (Nicole Kidman)

The Triplets of Belleville - 2003 (Champion)

Mulholland Dr. - 2001 (Naomi Watts)

Children of Men - 2006 (Clive Owen)

To round off to twenty... (Talk To Her, Amorres Perros, and You Can Count On Me). The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is #21-23 (for Ekra's sake). Number 50 is The Passion of the Christ tied with The Anti-Christ. Our very own Magnifico (the only Pinoy film included) is #76. Legally Blonde is #100 (with Mama O's persuasiveness).

'Vout you? What's your favorite movie of the Decade?

Ded na si Oscar!

There you gow! Our beloved Philippines' chosen entry for Best Foreign Language Film- Oscars 2010.....

Soxie Topacio's Ded na si Lolo: Anow itow? Kaloka itow! Ayoko na talaga. First, si Carlo Caparas as National Artist... ngayon naman, itow? Ano ang nangyayari sa dako paroon? 

I havent seen the movie yet pero calibre ba itow ng Spain's All About My Mother? South Africa's Tsotsi? Brazil's Central Station?  Bosnia's No Man's Land? Mexico's Amores Perros? and Hong Kong's Farewell My Concubine? Sa trailer pa lang, parang hinding hindi na talagah. Gosh! Watch nyo:

Sorry for judging the book by its cover. (Di ba Melanie? He's not a book!) Pero, hindi talaga eh.... hinding hindi! Ayoko na! But am still going to watch the movie though kasi gagang gaga ako kay Roderick Paulette. Malandi sya! Bruha sya!

This is a very Pinoy film where only Pinoys can appreciate. But did they even consider the international viewers at all? I dont think the Academy will crave for culture... they go for the Script and the story line. Not even the film's artistic exhibition: remember Japan's Departures beating Israel's Waltz With Bashir last year? and Germany's Lives of Others beating Mexico's Pan's Labyrinth 3 years ago?

Sa mga taong pumili sa pelikulang ito for the Oscars (Eddie Romero, Robert Arevalo, Jose Carreon, Johnny Delgado, William Mayo, Manny Forte, Jess Navarro, and Elwood Perez), sana tama kayo. Butt...... Tse sa inyo! Double Tse! (Tse-Tse Lazaro!)

OMG!

OMG! They look OLD......

and TIRED.....

and UGLY.

Does this mean we have enough of SEX already?

Relax.. See A Movie

Editrixia Gomez named Moulin Rouge as his No. 1 film. Apocalypse Now is Nam's Movie of the Month. , Pat writes about Kimmy-Dora, Kawadjan is loving Inglorious Basterds to bits, and Yajnat has just finished watching Confessions of a Shopaholic.

Movies they blog. I should blog about too. Sorry but this may bore you. It's just one of those moments where you want to blog but there is nothing to blog about. Those bloggers above inspired me to write about movies I like. Thanks for the view. 

The recipe for a perfect movie para kay Lyka Bergen.

1. Dark/Tragic  

I always like the feeling of being heavy-hearted after watching a film. Call me a masochist. I enjoy pain. Emotional pain. It's always the poignant journey which is important for me than the destination itself. A happy ending is not my basis for a good movie. 

Lars von Trier's Dogville and Dancer in the Dark plus Gus Van Sant's Elephant

2. Intelligent/Crazy

I enjoy those thought-provoking films where you should think to analyze the anatomy of the whole. Films which you need to see more than once to appreciate and understand. It is like examining Piolo's homosexuality. Parang ganon.

 

David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, Darren Aronofsky's Requiem For A Dream, and  M. Knight Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense

3. Multiple Characters 

My story. Your story. Plus the story of your neighbor's kerida and her manicurita's: interweave all and we'll have a beautiful basket of a plot. That makes a halo-halo palatable (without the beans pls!). 

Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia, Paul Haggis' Crash, and Stephen Daldry's The Hours

4. Strange/Bizarre

Those films without any easy answers, or answers at all and forces us to search for a deeper meaning. Where to grasp is hard, but worth once held. You know, yung mga kakalokang pelikula! Those films only Miriam Santiago can decipher straightaway.

The Triplets of Belleville; Stanley Kubrik's A Clockwork Orange; and Donnie Darko

5. Children

If there is one thing that can easily makes me smile, and cry, that would be Children. Aren't they cute? And once they're hurt, wouldn't you be dejected? You see, when a child is strained, he or she would move on instantly like nothing happened after. Noticed nyo?

Czech's Kolya, Iran's Children of Heaven, Brazil's Central Station 

6.  Reasonable Violence

Violence is an art-form according to National Artist Carlo Caparas. LOL. But am not talking about his crap. Violence is like Sex. Painful yet breathtaking. Especially when it is done beautifully. With taste! And with no Kris. And the baseball cap.

City Of God, American History X, and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Series

7. Dysfunctional Family

I wonder why? Maybe because my BFF's dad was caught with their gardener in bed naked by his mahjongera wife; A teen sis who is bulimic; a straight bro who is obsessed with Enya; and himself who dresses up girly for the barangay fiesta? Interesting di ba?

American Beauty, The Squid and the Whale, and The Royal Tenenbaums

8. Meryl Streep

She is the movie itself. The best living actress, or for all-time, it is. She is the ultimate gay-icon for me because she can play anyone, including Rosemarie Sonora if you want her to. Ricky Belmonte would have loved her! (In a very gay way possible!) 

The Devil Wears Prada, Charlie Kaufmann's Adaptation, and Death Becomes Her. 

9. Striking Cinematography

I love pictures! I also love pictures in motion! Just like those from Harry Potter's picture albums. Cinematography counts a lot in a movie. It makes the film an art-form that you can get for $15 only. The cheapest art you can get! 

Akira Kurosawa's Dreams, Tim Burton's Big Fish; and Alfonso Cuaron's Children Of Men

10. Gay

Of course! But not all. Only those with substance. Sex and naked men optional. As long as it can deliver. Those with charismatic characters played by real actors. Made not for the sake of teasing us with those  amateur Pinoy hot bodies. Dyahe yun!

Eytan Fox's Yossi and Jagger, Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain; and Spain's Segunda Piel.

Kung walang magawa, Relax... See a movie (and blog about it after!). OK?  Tse! (This post reminds me of Lyka's Tragedy. Ka-etchosang gawa ko noon. Haaay!) 

Solito's Boy

The film started with a lousy drag queen, with an ugly set of teeth, lip-synching to Leah Navarro's "Isang Mundo, Isang Awit". The subtitles translate the song into a beautiful prose. Wiz ko realize how powerful the message of this metro-pop song was. Now lang talaga. 

Ngayon mundo'y gulung-gulo 

At lahat tayo'y litung-lito 

Pag-ibig sa kapwa... (tao) 

Sa daigdig dapat ituro 

With that lady-DRAGon singing, I thought that was a good start.

Aureus Solito's Boy is not about a male house-help. (Akala ko kasi ganon eh. Chos!). It is about a boy (Hello?) who spend one evening in a Gay Bar and is bowled over by one of the young Macho Dancers there named Aries. (Type ko ang Aries, in fernalou. May Datetch! Sexu!) Without enough money to rent Aries, nag ala Douglas Mcarthur ang batang bakla: "I Shall Return!" ang moda! 

Returning with enough cash from trading his comic book collection, Boy gets the boy, bringing him home to Mama in New Year's eve! Without Mama knowing about the putukan that is going to happen, the boys spend the night upstairs teaching us of how different kinds of isda survive, and then, yun na: Big Bang sa Alabang na. Did Mama eventually find out about the Payanig sa Pasig? ... Watch the movie na lang!

Yesaaah! that sounds like another coming of age gay movie but it's pretty much different from the others. The film doesnt shout: "Hey I'm a gay teenager! I'm scared of homophobia. I'm depressed. Ill kill myself. You need to accept me. Thanks Mama, now I can have this happy cry because you accepted me for who I am. It's OK to be gay pala! I need to fight for my rights. Asan ang slogan?". It is not that at all kaya sya iba. 

I would say, I dont love it but I like it. There were three or four scenes that left me hung heavy and bored a bit including that lengthy sex scene. (Namulat na lang ako ulit ng pinakita na ni Aries yung kanya. Chos! but true!). 

The conversations between the characters saved the movie. I thought they were witty and cute. (Or maybe the English Subtitles make it different, I dunno. Di ko kasi mapigilang magbasa ng subtitles kahit Tagalog na ang pinapanood ko).

Basta.... 

Ang ending, pinalakpakan naman talaga ng mga kano ang Boy, in fernalou ferrigno. The actor who played the mother of the boy, Madeliene Nicolas and the producer (kalimutan ko ang pangalan, sorry) were there to answer questions from the viewers. (Sayang wala ang Aries. Charooot!). There i found out na Aries pala is playing himself. Totoots na Macho Dancer pala sya sa tunay na buhay. Same with the Macho-Dancers extras at ang mga DRAGons! 

My question was: "If your name is Luka, will you live on the second-floor?" (Chos!)

Aureus Solito's Boy is part of the San Francisco LGBT Film Festival which is going on now. It will be shown again today at 4:30 PM sa Victoria Theatre (16th St. and Mission) Vavoooo! 

Elegy

Aged on springtime of life. 

Creases over beauty. 

Cynic maturity. 

Youth's guiltlessness. 

Elegy. 

Slap the old to see its charm.

Dont blame him for being young.

The inside splendor counts

Those lines dont matter.

Believe.

The Execution of Allison

We are on the warpath she didnt come out on top:

Allison

But thankful, he's still in:

Jonathan

Yet, our point is.... 

Will this win over Quentin, Pedro, Ang, Lars, and Jane? 

"Kinatay: The Execution of P" 

(with Coco Martin by Brillante Mendoza)

Good Luck! and Mabuhay! and Tse!