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

My favourite Mikee Conjuangco Films(The first and the last listed are the best of the best...at least for me): From Wikipedia ©Viva Films DO RE MI (1996) Source NAG-IISANG IKAW (1997) source MANALO MATALO, MAHAL KITA (1995) Source DAHIL BA SA KANYA (1998) and From imdb FOREVER (1994) This blog entry started with writing about my watching NANG DAHIL BA SA KANYA? for the nth time, but for some reason the other movies of hers kept popping in my head so I decided to write about my favourite movies of hers instead. When Mikee was much younger I thought she would end up with Direk Rowell Santiago, but I was wrong.  She and Dudut Jaworkski grew in love with each other and are now happily married, with kids. Mikee is such a refreshing and inspiring person(I think I just described someone like this very recently and I wasn't pulling her leg).  She also is a good actor/actress. The first movie I've seen of hers is FOREVER and she p

After Fiona gets dumped, she escapes to her family's Vermont Inn for a few days to evaluate her life. When her ex Nate shows up with a new girlfriend, Fiona devises a plan to win him back: pretend head chef Derek is her new boyfriend.- imdb Party of Five's second to the youngest family member is now all grownup and I'm glad that even  if she's not exactly in the mainstream, she's still very much present in the Hallmark TV movies.  ;-)      I like stories with the elements of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue kind of theme that is not necessarily a story with a wedding somewhere along the way. This story is heartwarming and the leading man, Carlo Marks, has this very warm smile.  Yes, there's believable chemistry.   I like everyone in this movie.  Yes, including Nate who broke Fiona and Hailey's hearts.  Maybe this movie won't win an award, but I think it's a very enjoyable one.  It's a keeper

Blood Sisters replaced Wildflower on its before TV Patrol time slot.  At first I thought that even if Blood Sisters has a heavy theme the story was lighter than Wildflower. Well, I was wrong.  Definitely wrong. Source Blood Sisters is NOT lighter than Wildflower .  Wildflower, even with its traumatic scenes, especially towards the end of the series, still was lighter because of the exaggerated dialogues that were done on purpose.  You know, those types where comic book type lines like the Batman and Robin series in the 1960s' fight scenes .  Something to that effect without the big words flashing on TV. Source At any rate, or should I say, at the very least?  Well, both series are(were) well acted and believable. Blood Sisters is scarier and I pity the poor child, Jolo, as played by Karlo Ezekiel Torres. Erich is versatile, just like Jodi Sta. Maria, Julia Montes, Vina Morales, Claudine Barretto and all those other great actors that played dual or mult

Directed by Jason Bourque Written by Brian Skiba (Teleplay), Karen O'hara (Teleplay), Margaret Base (Story) and Mary Glenn (Story) Overview Real estate rising star Molly, who breaks up with Jackson, a smitten but seeming underachiever, on Valentine’s Day because he may have lied to her. Molly moves to New Mexico for a high-profile promotion and soon finds herself close to being engaged to the generous but immature Greg. In a twist of fate, a proposed business deal for a trendy winery puts Molly face-to-face again with the remorseful Jackson, who has a few more surprises for the woman he still loves.- source COME BACK FOR LOVE Yes, it's the German version that I watched, and I enjoyed every minute of it even if it's one of those formulaic stories that borrowed some things from The Shop Around the Corner/Parfumerie .  The two lead characters click with each other...hmm, in the story there was that one year where they did not, but that's not my point

Barbara Taylor Bradford was one of my favourite novelists, but I gave away the books to charity for other people to enjoy.   This is a poster for  Everything to Gain . The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. A police detective (Jack Scalia) helps a New York ad executive (Sean Young) go on after her husband (Charles Shaughnessy) and children are murdered. Initial release: 13 October 1996 Director: Michael Miller Based on: Everything to Gain novel by Barbara Taylor Bradford Story by: Barbara Taylor Bradford Music composed by: James Di Pasquale Jack Scalia was a big crush of mine in the 1990s because he was very sexy and he was such a great onscreen kisser.  Oh my gosh, I am admitting something like this for everyone to read.  I can't help it.  That was really the case during the 1990s. Sean Young is one of my favourite leading ladies in the 1980s to the 1990s.  Un

"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward." Søren Kierkegaard, Danish Philosopher Source A soul-searching journalist comes face-to-face with his future when he returns to the Long Island community he grew up in and confronts a past that has haunted him his entire adult life. Starring Richard Thomas, Kaj-Erik Eriksen & Christine Chatelain. - Hallmark Chronologically, I've seen this first before I saw My Fake Fiancé because I had to deal with how I felt first about being a clean slate to fix one's life because that person made some wrong turns and decisions. In real life, I would want to be given a chance to do that, for I've made a LOT of wrong decisions in life. It's NOT a movie about time machines or someone in a portrait or portals or whatever else like a guardian angel appearing or a quantum leap, but Richard or Dick was given a chance to fix something... It's really wrong to envy, especially a f

I watch them(I watch reruns too) in Melissa & Joey, but this movie is what started a beautiful professional friendship between two child stars now in their 40s.  They were in their 30s then.   They were born two days apart in April and both started showbiz almost at the same time so the real life friendship started way back when, but thanks to this movie, the aforementioned TV series was born.  (paraphrased excerpt from this article:  'Melissa & Joey': Old pals Melissa Joan Hart, Joey Lawrence team up ) Source Jennifer and Vince, virtual strangers, find themselves strapped for cash and decide to stage a fake engagement and wedding just for the gifts Written by Howard March Directed by Gil Junger Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence are just  more than half a decade younger than I am, so you could say they are sort of my contemporaries.  I sort of grew up with them and I could relate with their characters or their peers, at least during those

Source When Ethan (Christopher Gorham) arrives at the airport just in time to declare his undying love for his girlfriend, love appears to have conquered all. The scene, however, is really the ending of Ethan's novel, which his agent (Carol Kane) calls "unrealistic." Ethan soon meets a waitress, Jesse (Alyssa Milano), and falls in love with her despite her growing devotion to Troy (Michael Landes), a charming businessman. But the line between reality and fiction becomes increasingly blurred.-WWW Written and Directed by Daryn Tufts Starring: Alyssa Milano as Jesse Young Christopher Gorham as Ethan Reed Michael Landes as Troy Parker Tom Lenk as David Young, Jesse's brother Beau Bridges as Logan Young: Jesse's uncle Carol Kane as Barbara Heather Stephens as Sarah, Ethan's sister Kelly Packard as Suzy The tag line "One great love...Twice." was the one that got me interested in this movie besides the title.  I got in

Source Young Han Solo finds adventure when he joins a gang of galactic smugglers, including a 196-year-old Wookie named Chewbacca. Indebted to the gangster Dryden Vos, the crew devises a daring plan to travel to the mining planet Kessel to steal a batch of valuable coaxium. In need of a fast ship, Solo meets Lando Calrissian, the suave owner of the perfect vessel for the dangerous mission -- the Millennium Falcon.  -WWW Screenplay by Jonathan Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan ( George Lucas 's cowriter in Episode 5(The Empire Strikes Back) and 6(Return of the Jedi). He also wrote Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, a video game and The Force Awakens) Directed by Ron Howard Music by John Williams and John Powell A lot of people would agree with me.  This movie should have been called Chewie: A Star Wars story instead.  At any rate, as approved by the great Harrison Ford, Alden Ehrenreich did not disappoint anyway. There is nothing wrong with the screenplay, the acting is good a

From imdb Directed by  Mike Rohl Writing Credits (in alphabetical order)   Karen Kingsbury ... (novel) Jamie Pachino Watching Hallmark TV movies is so addictive so I was not able to keep my promise to myself that I would stop watching them until next week.   I think I would have to undergo withdrawal or something.  I'm exaggerating, of course. KAREN KINGSBURY'S The Bridge is so beautiful that I watched the two parts back to back and I didn't even notice the time. The story proves that communication and miscommunication are very important factors that could make or break you.  It also proves that no matter how modern technology is, there's nothing like reading a good book, whether paperback, hardbound or what have you.    I believe that(I know I should write more about the books I read, but...) truly in my heart. In this story Molly's dad is from the dark ages.  He believes he loves her and is doing everything in his power to ass

Andrew Walker, Erica Durance and Brandon Beemer Based on Deborah Donelly's VEILED THREATS Directed by Ron Oliver Written for the TV by Darcy Meyers #latepost The WEDDING PLANNER MYSTERY is a mystery presented in a light  way.  Something like Murder She Wrote , but not.  For me a  wedding planner turned sleuth to exonerate herself is pretty exciting so I continued watching. Andrew Walker is turning to be a favourite Hallmark Channel leading man of mine.  My goodness. That sounds like he's MY leading man, but that's not what I mean.  LOL.  Seriously, Andrew Walker could be annoying, but he could be so lovable too.  His roles, I mean. I like his team-up with Erica Durance.  They have a good chemistry.   Erica Durance sort of reminds me of Della Street, but not.  Why not?  Because she's a wedding planner and Ms. Street isn't.  Maybe I should've said she's like Nancy Drew? Would I watch this again? Maybe once or twic

CLICK TO SEE THE LIST OF CINEMAS WHERE IT IS STILL SHOWN Mike De Leon said that this is only a film.  Let it speak for itself. I beg to differ.  It's not only a film.  It's a beautiful one, but mundane at the same time.  The very sordid truth is presented as a work of fiction.  As Jake quipped, "If truth is stranger than fiction, mas kapanipaniwala ba ang fiction?" (not verbatim) It is greatly directly, awesomely acted, exquisitely written and so much more. Nevertheless, I sort of know where he is coming from and what he is driving at.  I sort of understand.  These are the Mike De Leon Films that I loved and still love before watching Citizen Jake: Hindi Nahahati Ang Langit Sister Stella L (viewed at St. Scholastica's College, Manila) Batch '81 (viewed at St. Scholastica's College, Manila) Kisapmata Kakabakabakaba? I now add to my list CITIZEN JAKE.  It is very controversial because even if it is p

From Google Images The movie is based on the novel CUPID and DIANA by Christina Bartolomeo It stars Mary-Louise Parker and Peter Gallagher Directed by Brent Shields Written for the screen by Ron Raley and Jennifer Miller At first glance this movie is very shallow.  It has all the ingredients of a normal  movie.  One of the protagonists is in a very boring situation, which was comfortable, until that person meets the very exciting replacement.  It's so Mills & Boon or Harlequin or Silhouette novel type a story.  The book is actually wilder than the movie, but this movie has a few surprises the book didn't offer. As a Daddy's girl who still loves her mother, I couldn't relate with Cate's situation with her dad, but I could relate with her relationship with both men in her life. Just when she thought everything was coming up roses, she discovers the many, many thorns attached to the roses stems. It becomes a bit heavy, but eventuall

This is a poster for Till I Met You. The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, GMA Films VIVA Films, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. Directed by Mark A. Reyes Story by Annette Gozon-Abrogar Screenplay by Benedict Mique  Till I Met You(TIMY) is a movie I have seen for a total of eight times since it was shown in 2006.  I remember it well.  I watched it first on October 15.  It was one of the movies I watched with my movie buddy, RJ, who is now in heaven.  It was a Sunday then and we watched it at Festival Supermall.   It's a movie that gave me a light feeling.  It sort of reminded me of the Sheryl Cruz and Cesar Montano starrer called GANITO BA ANG UMIBIG?(1990), but the story is totally different.   Why did it remind me of it?  Well, I can't totally figure it out, but I guess I know why. ;-) TIMY is very amusing and endearing.  It also had so many exciting scenes.  The ending seemed open-ended, and i