A Trafficker in Climaxes

There are a lot of things that could be said about the movie including how it is, in my opinion, the best prison break movie that graced the screens for the first time in years. It is a well-weaved and wonderful tale of mortality and the pains (and pleasure too, I guess) of leaving childhood behind. Funny and tear-jerking – Toy Story 3 has that unbeatable combination that Pixar is starting to perfect with its long line of excellent full-length feature films. It’s the kind of movie that all filmmakers should strive to make.

Toy Story 3 was worth all the hype. It was well-animated and very moving, especially towards the end. I had to keep myself from bawling with the ending but it’s also worth noting that even the credits solicited some LOLs.

All in all, the Toy Story series is a really nice trilogy that displays, more than anything else, the leaps and bounds by which Pixar has grown. It might even be my favorite trilogy (with LOTR coming in close second).

From the innovation, fast-moving entertainment, and broadly relevant themes of the first Toy Story movie, to the second film, we are presented with the product of how Pixar makes a commitment to quality at any cost. The emotional impact of the story in the third film was also deepened which mixes excellent entertainment with powerful and deeply moving ideas behind it in the same way that their recent films (Up, Wall-E, etc) have excelled at doing.

There are a lot of great films this year but Toy Story 3 is my favorite, so far. Also, if you are my friend and you decide not to watch it (and watch Karate Kid instead), I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.

O hai there. I’ve been very busy lately. Running some errands and doing some mature adult-y things that I find fascinating and scary at the same time. Let’s just say that I’m in the middle of something exciting right now and if the whole universe conspires to be on my side, I might jumpstart an entire life filled with things that I love doing and I know I’m good at. I hope I don’t mess it up though. *crosses fingers*

A lot of cool/interesting things happened to me lately. One of them was Kick-ass. The movie finally docked on local shores and I couldn’t be more stoked to see it. I guess every nerd who has read the comics went apeshit from all those awesome trailers and cool costumes and ingenious casting. Chloe Moretz, Aaron Johnson, McLovin and yes, even Nicolas Cage were excellent in the film. Every scene Cage was on was hilarious and IMO, that was his most enjoyable movie since Con-air. And I’ve said this so many times already, but movie Hit Girl > comic book Hit Girl. I can’t wait to watch Moretz grow up.

The movie differed a lot from the comics but not in an awful way. I’m usually forgiving when it comes to comics/book adaptations because I understand that the experience that blows you away when reading a comic or a book is hard to capture on the screen with moving people and stuff. A movie doesn’t have to be entirely faithful to its source when it comes to the plot but the over-all vibe should still be there.

I don’t really know where I’m getting at. @_@ I am bonkered and tired but I guess what I’m trying to say is that Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman did a wonderful job with the screenplay. They transformed the movie into something comic book fans and non-fans alike would love. I especially enjoyed all those little pleasant surprises and the first thing that came into my mind when I saw the film for the first time (I watched it twice, hrhr) was to thank the writers for a job well done. I’ve never enjoyed a movie like that in years (okay maybe not years, but w/e).

I’m listening to the movie’s OST right now and even that is awesome. Srsly. I hope they keep making films like this. If you haven’t watched it, then DO!

What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they’ll keep being wrong!

This xkcd comic is an accurate summary of my life; or the part of it that I spend on the internet anyway (which is A LOT). Yes, I am extremely condescending online and I am not very fond of people whom I have major differences with. I tend to impose my thoughts and opinions on forums but I’m learning to just give up on it and move on, because yknow, it gets boring after some time. Also, I get pleasure in pissing others to the point of them losing their control, slipping into infractions and getting banned. I have tried it and it is very sweet indeed.

The Holy Week is quiet and slow and it gave me a chance to inspect my life.

I confuse myself. :(

I don’t seem to fit into any stereotype which might be cool but really I do, and not just one but A LOT. I feel like I’m too cool to be a geek and I’m too geeky to be cool. An extrovert who grew up to be so introverted to the point of distress. It’s funny how I was “awarded” the Gift of Gab in high school only to end up to losing the ability to chat several years later (okay, I chat but not offline¹).

I am a walking contradiction. :(

I do not know my niche.

Which geek are you? Click photo.

I know that I geek over some things but I am not a geek on any field. I like comics but I’m not into mainstream Marvel/DC superheroes. I like movies, but I like them all. I download a lot and watch too little of it. I like TV shows but it’s agonizing to watch them endlessly for an entire day.  My attention span cannot stand it. I like books and my interest in them might be the one thing that can win me an otaku spot but I haven’t been reading enough books lately. I like Physics but I have lost confidence in Math to actually excel in it. I was tormented with too much Math before I could learn to like it. Numbers are boring, applications of it and theorizing over the universe on the other hand, is übercool. Also, I like music but I fail at playing any instruments. I admit though that it is more of a failure in trying than anything else. Trying to learn an instrument is hard when you are surrounded with insanely talented people. I love programming and coding but I don’t have the grades to show for it. Also, I can be too shy.

I do not fit in. :( ²

¹ Yes, that’s a Sheldon Cooper quote for you.
² :P I am constipated. lol

P.S. I can’t believe I forgot to link the comic to xkcd.

A new year means a new set of movies shown for free by different film festivals. I’ve been a sucker for these film fests since high school because they were free and I was always broke, I was enthralled with foreign languages and they were always a good reason to hang out with friends on a weekend. Anyway, first Russian Film Festival on Friday and Saturday! See you guys there.

The Russian Film Festival is a major cultural event that brings to the Philippine audience the best of Russian Cinema today as well as real masterpieces from its glorious past.

Presented by Mosfilm Studios in cooperation with the Embassy of the Russian Federation, Film Development Council of the Philippines, Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, Ayala Center Cebu and the Philippines-Russia Friendship Society, Inc., the Festival will feature five (5) classical and contemporary films produced by the biggest Russian filmmaker, Mosfilm Studios.

SCHEDULE:
March 26
7:30 pm Screening “The Star”
9:15 pm Film Discussion

March 27
12:00 pm Mirror
2:30 pm Vanished Empire
5:00 pm Ward No. 6
7:30 pm Agony

The Festival is offered FREE to the public on March 26 & 27 at Ayala Onstage on a first-come, first-seated basis up to maximum theater capacity. The Films will have English subtitles.

Source: Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, Inc

I got this from a friend (Hi, Joy!) in one of her Facebook notes and that’s basically the only source I have for these movie schedules. heh.

P15 FILM FEST PROMO IS BACK!
WATCH IT IN SM CINEMA 6
(schedules subject to change without prior notice)

MARCH 12-18 : BLIND DATE
MARCH 19-25: HIGHLANDER 5
MARCH 26-31: HURT LOCKER
APRIL 3-8: ACE VENTURA
APRIL 9-15: SEVENTEEN AGAIN
APRIL 16-22: FINAL DESTINATION
APRIL 23-29: HAPPILY NÉVER AFTER
APRIL30-MAY6: LAST LEGION
MAY7-13: HAIRSPRAY
MAY14-20: ARTHUR & THE INVISIBLES
MAY 21-27: EL CANTANTE
MAY28-JUNE3: PRIDE & GLORY

For more info. please call SM Cinema Office:
Tel Nos. 231-4852, 231-3876, 231-3446 loc. 140/143

I don’t know which movie to watch but I’ll probably drop by if my summer becomes too boring.

Also, there’s a note written on how the schedules may change and the note is not kidding. It’s best to call the numbers provided before you drag your girlfran/boyfran/friends for a cheap date to the mall. I suggest you invite them on weekdays too.

Lol CSI meme! ILU 4evar. You get me by the balls every time.

I am pretty pleased with the Oscars this year. Most of my bets won and I am so glad that Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director and The Hurt Locker won Best Picture. I lot of people have expressed disappointment over Avatar’s failure to bag the big prizes but I have been rooting for the underdog all the way. It is also very heart-warming to see an excellent, low-budget film that failed to achieve commercial success triumph over one of the highest-grossing movies ever. Heh.

I also didn’t like Avatar. Come’on, unobtainium?! Seriously?! HAH, Na’vi fans. If my schadenfreude was sex, it just had a round-robin of orgasms.

A lot of people doubt The Hurt Locker’s resilience to the test of time. Will it become a classic? Yes, it probably will. With its representation of the war in Iraq and Bigelow being the first female Best Director winner, that’s not something you can shake off easily. It’s a deserved win in both categories too and if my vote would’ve mattered and I needed to be objective, I would have picked it still.

But Avatar aint and will never be a loser. That movie is going to have a lasting impact in its own right and quite possibly even a larger one at that. Even though it’s lacking on story (hello, Pocahontas), it’s an achievement in what movies can do and it was a pleasant film to watch from start to finish. Also, all those box office records! Awards or not, it sure has earned its place in cinematic history.

Alice in Wonderland is the first film I’ve seen on the big screen this year. It made me realize how much of a pirate I’ve become. I was genuinely amazed at the Dolby Digital Surround sound which I have forgotten after watching too many pirated movies at home and on my PC. Regardless of how excellent I claim my speakers to be, it still doesn’t amount to much compared to the movie experience a 140pesos ticket can give you.

Moving on, Alice in Wonderland is a movie by the often excellent Tim Burton. It is a loosely-based adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass which also happen to be two of my favorite children’s books. Having heard of this film in its pre-production state two years ago has made me into a giddy fangirl, something that often happens when two of my most favorite things are combined (banana and nutella, Scott Pilgrim and Edgar Wright, tea and cake, etc etc).

Lewis Carroll’s books are first-rate works of fiction that have captivated my imagination when I was young and something that I have found to be amazing with every read. Every rereading is always a different (and better) experience. As a young girl, I was fascinated with Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter and the whole fantastical world of Wonderland. When I was older, I was impressed with all the strangeness, the subtle mathematical references and Carroll’s general ability to weave something logical out of something psychedelic and crazy. The books are fun for kids and filled with philosophies and truisms for adults. It has produced a number of cinematic and television adaptations, several comic books and has planted itself as a staple in popular culture.

It is therefore not surprising how the movie was hyped from the very beginning. Burton signing up to be the director is one thing, casting Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp, as the Red Queen and Mad Hatter respectively, is another. People expected the movie to be the greatest evarrr and for good reason. However, the first few days of its screening have generated a number of undesirable comments and responses from the books’ fans. They say that the movie lacked the edge of Carroll’s works, it was too centered on the hatter and blah blah blah.

As for me, I enjoyed the film so much more that I wanted and expected myself to be. I am glad to have watched it on the big screen because the visuals were stunning. The colors, design and concept were excellent and if CGI was candy, I need a root canal. The story was, unfortunately, not to die for but I never really thought of Tim Burton as a solid storyteller (hello, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) so I wasn’t expecting much. The movie lacked the edge and the crazy logic of the book and at the last hour, everything felt like a mash-up of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Peter Pan and Zelda. It was like a children’s movie on crack.

Although not the best storyteller, you have to admit that Burton is a visionary and a good actor’s director. I honestly can’t think of a better director to have delivered the world of Wonderland as well as he did. The actors all did a wonderful job of portraying the roles too. Depp was excellent (and looked like Madonna), Hathaway was okay, Wasikowska was fine and well-casted for the role (her wardrobe was to die for!) but  Helena Bonham Carter stole the show, as she often does.

Over-all, I’d give it a four out of five. I am generous like that.

P.S. Avril Lavigne was WAILING during the credits. Awful OST is awful. I take back my four and give it a 3.5 instead. hmph.