I am NOT a critic. I'm merely an observer. (Books, movies, plays, musicals etc.)

From imdb This movie is loosely based on the life story of former Senator Ping Lacson who is now the rehabilitation czar of the places that were slaughtered by Super Typhoon Yolanda aka Haiyan. 10,000 HOURS is an action-packed thinkers movie.  When I watched this movie, I set aside the fact  that it was based on the former senator's plight and treated it as a pure work of fiction.  Still, with a few hitches, it was as real as real could be.  The scenes in Amsterdam brought me to the edge of my seat.  It was if I was a real bystander or perhaps, a stalker, watching everything while it is happening. Probably because of the familiar places, et cetera . Yes, it was not perfect, but it deserved its best picture award compared to the other movies that are playing in this year's MMFF. Robin Padilla is not just an action star, but is also a very good actor.  He is very convincing as the young looking Senator Gabriel Alcaraz whose q...

You've gotta love Dora's brown rice. When Kimmy Dora and the Temple of Kiyeme 's showing as full feature flick via the silver screen ended, I was trying to imagine what the sequel would be.  I thought  the twins would get married to their respective partners, then would have kids, so forth and so on. I guess that was too predictable so they chose to have a prequel instead. Others say the first was the best. What's my opinion? Yes, Kimmy Dora was definitely the best, but the other two were barrels of laughs too. It is seldom that comediennes of Eugene's caliber get noticed, so I'm very, very happy that people acknowledge her versatility.  She is a person with a good heart and even with all her fame and accolades, she still gets very, very nervous up to the opening day. ...and because of that very reason, I TRY to make it a point to watch every movie or TV show.  I want to watch one of her stage plays one day.  I hope it would reall...

Call Center Girl is a very timely film about our unsung heroes who live like OFWs in our own country. Pokwang, who stars in this film, again proves that she is more than a former champion of CLOWN IN A MILLION.    There was a time when Pokwang's name was tainted by a video that went viral via the youtube .   I lost my respect for her because of this, but if God can forgive, why can't I? I cannot speak for everyone present.  Of course, like the Anne Curtis-Smith fiasco at the Prive Luxury Club at The Fort Strip, we weren't there and we do not know the whole story.  Vice Ganda also irked me when he made fun of fat rape victims  at Jessico Soho's expense, but if JS could forgive him, why couldn't I? Anyways, if you want to hear her explanation, please click this . In any case, though it does not really matter much, she gained my  respect when she played the role of Aryana's mom, Ofelia.  Pokwang played the role of a kindhearted pl...

Official Trailer When I heard Alice Dixson utter the classic infamous line, "Nandiyan ba ang asawa ko, na asawa mo, na asawa ng buong bayan?" in the trailer of WHEN THE LOVE HAS GONE,  I said to myself, "Wait, I've heard that line before!" Or something to that effect.  I was not wrong.  Something similar to those lines were uttered by Laurice Guillen as Delza in NAGALIT ANG BUWAN SA HABA NG GABI (click to read the story written and directed by Danny L. Zialcita...Since the blogger doesn't know the name of the actor who played Antonio Almeda aka UP Boy, I'll tell you that his name is Tommy Alvarado)---more below Alice Dixson, Gabby Concepcion, Cristine Reyes, Andi Eigenmann and Jake Cuenca Source Except for the very long title(in terms of syllables), the movie this one was based on, is very beautiful.  When Janice de Belen played the role of Jenny, I felt her pain...her agony. All of the members of cast f...

note to parents with little kids: Please don't bring your toddlers or young kids.  Even with your guidance, this is NOT a movie that toddlers or younger kids should see. source We bought tickets a day ahead(Wednesday, 20 November 2013).  On the day itself. Cinema 1 was filled to the brim.  Dad and I were waiting for this sequel since last year.  Like in 2012, it was supposed to be our Father-Daughter date, but mom tagged along this time.  Last year she said she could not fathom why people would enjoy watching a movie where the rich treated the poor people like animals and had fun watching these animals  kill one another, just like in olden times when people enjoyed seeing gladiators killing themselves.  "Mom, don't judge  the story that way..." So there.  She met  Katniss, Peeta, Prim, Gale et al for the first time.  She was so involved in the story that she even hated  President Snow. When p...

Movies Genre: Animation Disturbing psycho-thriller. (R-18) Whew. I guess it's a good thing that I was warned about this movie. More than a couple of my friends told me its plot is not for the weak of heart so I watched it when I was floating on air(forgot the exact date, but I was "in love" THAT time). This film was written by Sadayuki Murai from the novel by Yoshikazu Takeuchi, directed by Satoshi Kon.   Satoshi Kon is becoming one of my favorite directors.  I still say he did a good directorial job here, but is the story any good? I felt Mima's pain...her loss of identity...her wanting to be real as real as she could be....she didn't like where destiny brought her to...she didn't need someone stalking her and forcing her to do stuff she didn't wanna do...she needed to find herself and be herself. What about the music? Did I like it? Yes. The music by Masahiro Ikumi made the audience feel every emotion all the characters f...

This movie is a remake based on the 1979 comedy directed by THE Ishmael Bernal called SALAWAHAN , with a different attack.   I was able to watch Salawahan  more than three decades ago(I forgot if I watched this with my friends at BF Homes(my friend's dad was from MTRCB or its equivalent)...yes, there was a theater there with a bowling alley...so I was better a bowler when I was younger, now...hey, that's not the topic) and a few years back on TV. When I was a little girl, I had this humongous crush on Mat Ranillo III so I guess I watched any movie with him in it that was appropriate for my age.  I don't think this was a proper movie for someone my age that time, but somehow they let me in.  Either I looked older than my age or they were just not that strict there. Watching Salawahan  again a few years back, I wondered why I was laughing my heart out when I watched it the first time.  Maybe I was more conservative when I watc...

EXPERIENCING THOR: THE DARK WORLD at the SM MALL OF ASIA Enjoy THOR The Dark World in four different ways Sequels, more often than not, are overshadowed by the prequel.  This is not the case with THOR The Dark World . When my almost seven-year-old nephew and I talked about this, I told him the reason why it is better than the first one is because it was carefully weaved and well-planned.  The story had some direction and is really interwoven with the other Marvel stories like Iron Man, Captain America, The Avengers, Incredible Hulk and the rest of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Odin in this movie told Loki that though they are far superior than mortals or creatures of other realms, they are NOT gods. They are born, they live and die like humans do.  Loki replied, "Give or take five thousand years..."  I think  this is in response to what Captain America said, "There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm prett...

'HATAK SA MASA.' Wenn Deramas (left) and Joey Paras. Photo from the Facebook of 'Bekikang' Plot from Viva Films : Bekikang/Vittorio (Joey Paras) opens with his line of thoughts on where gay people come from. He highlights his comical points of view on his inquiry from the book of Genesis to Darwin’s theory of “Evolution.” Bekikang, who was born on a rainy night next to a rice paddy, is the son of Gorio and Maristela. Although being bullied outside their home, Bekikang grows up in a happy and supportive family. When Bekikang’s mother dies, his father takes on a new love in the house named Anacleta who becomes Bekikang’s cross to bear. As Bekikang grows, he never stops fighting the people who taunt him. One day, Bekikang meets another person subjected to bullying named Fortunato. It is love at first sight for Bekikang. Fortunato becomes the man who gives colour and meaning to Bekikang’s world. Bekikang and Fortunato become good friends. Bekikang’s colorful life t...