natuhog nga nila.

Piliin, pillin ang naiiba.

Tuhog. The title reminds me of the flicks like Itlog, Talong, etc. You'll be disappointed though since the story revolves around three characters whose lives are intertwined and served before the audience in a barbecue style, not the doggie style. The characters were brought together by a bus accident. The three: Tonio, Fiesta and Caloy have their fates laid when the doctors call the shots: whose lives have to be spared and have to be sacrificed. One has to die, the other two have to live. Although this kind of predicament is common to some movie, Tuhog, however, keeps the audience at gun point as it tackles common Filipino, if not universal , concern. The senile Tonio presents us the problems of a senior citizen deciding to finally follow his passion; Fiesta displays the tragedy of a dark past masked by a seemingly strong character; and Caloy portrays the shallow mire that the recent youth gets entangled into nowadays. Throughout the movie, we have a glimpse of their respective lives dabbed by the joys and sorrows of their own comedies and tragedies. 

Eugene Domingo greatly portrayed her role plus the fact that she had been constantly paired with young and attractive men, it made the audience cry, "Na naman." Well, kayo na lang ang mag-Uge. Kahit nakatali ang buhok niya, I can see it grew few centimeters long nang halikan siya ni Jake. The movie showed Eugene's versatility; may it be drama or comedy, she could really pull the movie through. I couldn't help but laugh at her scenes even how tear-jerking the scene was. Kimmy and Dora's faces tickled the seriousness away from me and I ended up smirking. 

The scene that pinched me most was when Tonio, facing his newly-cleaned bakery, was gifted by his wife with a toque and a manual for baking. His wife had been there for him even the situation defined buffoonery. Truly, love knows no boundary, even if the boundary plays along foolishness. 

The movie successfully impaled what the mainstream cinema fails to showcase. Kung baga nga, natuhog talaga niya.

pacific rimmed.

Pacific Rim opens with a scene of less explanation and ends with less explanation.

Slow-mo....mo...mo...

There's nothing more rewarding than a silly movie highlighted with great sounds, colorful display of effects and plenty, yes plenty, of actions. The movie starts with dutiful actions and takes its end to a final explosion. Your puny minds won't even bother an ounce of effort in thinking about anything since the plot is as flat as the robots are big. Pacific Rim is heavy like the robots and ridiculously entertaining as the monsters are annoying. I was twisting my neck back and forth watching the actions and the robots. Though heavy, it will lift your butts from your seats as you "drift" together with the gargantuan characters; robots, monsters and humans alike. Although the robots are as not agile as the Transformers', it will somewhat leave your mouth agape since you can literally see the jaegers' designs detail by detail not to mention the actions that entail. A lot of actions without a pressure to one's eyes. A total visual feast without the slightest mind exercise. 

What I really enjoy in the movie were the scenes where the geeks tried to outdo each other and laboriously ended  up gathering the glory. At least as I see it. Imagine "drifting" with an outside force like the kaijus; that was amazing and all the while simply geeky. Earth's emancipation came from the geeks although the controls were held by the jaegermeisters. Irony seems to be playing coy with reality here. Geeks beat the ripped bodies. Asia seems to be the seat of the world's emancipation (Maybe due to the fact that monsters rose from the Pacific). And seeing the portal opened a lot of times (the scene when the Gipsy Danger was teleported to the other side) still gives me the creeps. Like being sucked by morbid appendages. What was that? A flower opening or a ghastly tunnel going inside a chicken intestine? *shiver*

The movie rocks. It is a Guillermo del Toro, so to say. Although not as brilliant as his Pan's Labyrinth, who gives a care? It was not intended for a red carpet anyway.

TTFN!

judging the books by the covers.

Don't judge the book by its cover. Cliche. I judge, however, a person by what he reads. Not in a condescending way though. But somehow, I have a glimpse of what kind of a person someone is by the book he is reading. I was in a bookshop a while ago and I saw strata of readers pulling books of their interest from one shelf to another. I saw also a file of girls giggling while reading romance novels. I saw bibliophiles huggling books. I was always amazed by the busyness of people choosing books, skimming pages, and browsing pictures. There were people as old as 60 and young as 6, each buried intently in his book of choice; some leaning on the shelves while others sitting on the floor. And there was I killing my time scavenging for books I desperately want to collect for future read. 

One girl picked a romance novel and was constantly giggling, perhaps amused by what she read or imagined, while her companion busied herself on an English novel. The girl with the English book barked, "Why don't you read an English novel?" The girl with a Pinoy romance novel retaliated, "Duh, as if you understand English naman." I nearly dropped my jaw and my books when I heard their verbal antics. I sighed a smile.

I always admire people who have intelligent choices when it comes to reading materials, may it be a magazine, newspaper or a book. When a person picks classics, I can't help but be curious about what and how he thinks. I am blessed to be surrounded by intelligent people who have exquisite taste on reading materials.  I want to peek at their brains and see what's going in there. When a person picks a book of art or architecture, I tense thinking what's brewing inside that mind. An inspiration or a concept is forming? When I see someone reading a book, I can't help but have a sense of respect for that person. I love reading. It is my own brand of heroine. The addiction I can't help but succumb to. It is my own brand of airline that takes me to the beauty of Paris, the grandeur of Rome, the depths of Atlantis, the mysteries of here and there. Emily Dickinson once blurted, "There is no frigate like a book, to take us lands away, nor any coursers like a page, of prancing poetry." Who wouldn't agree with that?

This year, at school, we have this campaign of raising readers among children. The school is trying its best to eliminate the hazards that modern technology brings by instilling a love for reading among children. Well, technology has its pros and cons and the school is beset by the problems that the technology impose on the younger minds. Talks about the benefits of books outweigh the harms brought by the amusement that gadget offers. I say balance. But children of this generation seem to be ignorant of this word.

I have a student who reads like a stenographer writes. He reads a page like it was a one-liner comic strip. I let him read a three-page short story and after a minute he gave the book to me and summarized what he had read. If the world could offer children like this, then we could have an intelligent planet. But again, balance is the word. We speak of intelligence in all facets. Just imagine a world preoccupied with reading rather than fiddling with gadgets. What would you rather choose? 

I don't care about your choice, though. It's all up to you. TTFN!

Books to be read:

Almost No Memory - Lydia Davis

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

The Intellectual Devotional

how to surivive a zombie apocalypse, at least.

I and a friend watched World War Z at a nearest cinema oblivious to what the movie was all about. We knew it was all about zombies. I was making a mental note that I was watching a zombie movie and a movie like this requires a zombie mind. Flaccid. Passive. All the facets of boredom.

All the facets of boredom sans Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt stars it, so, might as well gamble some of my time. It was a friend's birthday and she was planning to watch a movie all by herself. Mind you, watching alone is excruciatingly boring and lonely with the fact that you laugh all by yourself, be sad by yourself and worst, cry by yourself without any one to turn to for those gripping scenes. It is a total embodiment of boredom. You are boredom personified. So, I presented myself as an escort. 

After few minutes of trying to convince myself to doze off, the movie started to kick my interest. Like a meal skipping the appetizer and the main entree, I was served with the dessert immediately. Explosions. Commotion. A destroyed side mirror. A distressed (yet still cool) Brad Pitt. A worried mother. And the panic continued. It was like watching a movie mid-part. Suddenly the zombies presented themselves. The zombies here were like scavengers lustful for fresh flesh. Imagine a zombie bred with a ninja and that was how the movie was like. You never knew when the zombie jumped off to chomp a neck or an arm. The infection run like the Flash. And in a span of day, it was a pandemic. Humanity smelled near-extinction. The world gripped for life. The movie depicted a zombie outbreak with brilliance. It was not the usual zombie-eat-brain movie, rather it would let you think. "what if". It ate my brain with a question, "What if today is the Zombie Apocalypse? Will I survive?"

Watching the movie, I realized that if Zombie Apocalypse has to arrive, then you have to be ready at all cost. Physically, mentally and emotionally. Here's my survival tips (based on the movie):

1. Wear your most lightweight shoes. The zombies don't give a crap whatever the brand is, as long as you can sprint head to head with them, or shall we say, foot to foot. Train your lungs, also.

2. Stock, at least, a duct tape. They are indispensable instrument to create zombie-mutilating instruments. I was amazed how Brad Pitt used it to attach an arm-shield to his arm  using a  porn magazine and to make a bayonet. If the world were to end, duct tapes will be your messiah.

3. If zombies were to be maniacally sensitive to sound, then don't bring your phone with you. Or any sound-producing materials. Cue Celine Dion music. Aaaarrgghh.

4. Be mentally ready that you could be the next target of any zombie. Be mentally ready to accept that your loved one could be the next. Be mentally ready to fire that gun just in case he berserks in front of you. Be mentally ready to die, too, just in case you berserk first in front of them.

5. Stay in group. There's less probability that you could be the next host/meal/victim.

6. In an event that a zombie bit you or infected you, cut that body part immediately. Being handicapped is way better than being undead. What if the zombie bites you in the ear or head? Hmmm...God bless your soul. 

7. What if you accidentally meet a zombie? Summon a pea shooter? This is not a game. Run. Let your lungs summon all the air it could get. 

8. Bring supplies that could last until this mayhem ends. Water, food, and ammos. And courage.

Well, we had a blast watching the movie. It was a zombie movie after all, but with a dash of brilliance. No dull moments. TTFN!

PS. Happy Birthday Ms Juna...late post.

dad's day

I have never been so open in terms of showing affection to my Dad. Culture or the upbringing play great roles perhaps, but entirely I don't give a crap about this. In Philippine setting, boys showing affection to their dad seems somewhat a taboo. Just a thought though. I love my Papa, as I call him. He has been the pillar of my principles and everything that I learned about manliness or the like, I solely attribute it from him. My Dad is my hero. When all the boys in the world look at cartoon characters or superheroes as the epitome of strength and manly power, I look up at my Dad as my Superman.

I barely talk to my Dad about my life, my problems and my triumphs. I barely talk to him about school. I barely talk to him about girls. Pardon me, but I don't talk about girls to my Dad at all. My Dad scores high in this area and I, although I have a girlfriend right now, has not made much a scene in this area. However, my Dad has been a good role model to me. Our relationship is based on a mute trust, literally and figuratively. 

I remember when I was still a young kid, perhaps 8 years old, when I verbally abused my Papa. I don't know if it was due to stress (Kids do get stressed out sometimes) or the early kick of hormones or I was plainly stupid and rebellious. Like a modern day drama, I told my Dad, "you're a worthless piece of Dad...blah, blah, blah", along with a sickening, threatening eyes that could summon hell and heaven at the same time and a voice mustering all courage. But unlike fairy tales, I didn't have my happily ever after after  that, I was dumbfoundedly sick hearing myself utter those words. I was like slapped by an invisible hand and my conscience hurt. Right there and then, I apologized to my Papa with tear-drenched eyes. As fast as my short-lived courage welled-up from me was how fast my humility soared back to earth. From that time on, I never ever try to be stupidly brave again. 

Papa loves me and I can feel it even across seas and Philippine regions. And today, I honor him by being a grateful son. Love you, Pa. I know you won't be able to read my post, but who knows?