Nowhere Boy

The guy on the left is supposed to be Paul.

YOU: That title sounds like "Nowhere Man", you know, the Beatles song.

ME: Yeah.

YOU: So is it about the Beatles?

ME: Close. It's about John Lennon.

YOU: Is this like a Beatles prequel?

ME: You could say that.

YOU: Cool! Are Paul, George and Ringo in it?

ME: Just Paul and George. The story doesn't reach their Hamburg days. Every Beatlemaniac knows they started hanging out with Ringo in Hamburg.

YOU: Well I didn't know they started hanging out with Ringo in Hamburg.

ME: That's because you're not a Beatlemaniac.

YOU: Is Yoko Ono in it?

ME: I'm not even answering that question.

YOU: Are there any hot girls in it?

ME: Well, there's Lennon's mum (see, you have to pronounce it as "mum" because they're British), and there's Aunt Mimi, played by Kristin Scott Thomas. Although the last time she looked hot was in the first Mission: Impossible.

YOU: Does Daniel Radcliffe play John Lennon?

ME: No. Johhny Boy is played by Aaron Johnson, who played Kick-Ass in Kick-Ass.

YOU: Come on, does he not look like John Lennon?
ME: Must be the glasses.

YOU: Does John Lennon get to kick ass in this movie?

ME: No, but I'll kick your ass if you don't stop with the stupid questions.


*some info from IMDb
pic from The Brag and Daniel Radcliffe Pictures


Nowhere Boy. Canada/UK. 2010.


Rating: Six out of ten.

American Icons: Leslie Nielsen

Just get over the fact that he has a girl's name. Americans are weird that way. They have girls named Taylor. And Dakota. I haven't found someone named Nebraska yet, but I'm pretty sure one exists somewhere.

Anyway, Mr. Leslie Nielsen is a funny guy. Genuinely funny.

Funny, handsome, and white. Basically all you need to make it in this world.

If you don't know him, you're probably young. If you know him from his cameos in the third and fourth Scary Movies, then you're probably still young. I've only known him from Naked Gun, and the fact is I'm still young. This guy has been acting before I was born. And I've just found out that he started as a serious actor who migrated to comedy. Kind of like Jim Carrey, but the other way around.

And he's Canadian. Like Jim Carrey. 

And so let us pause for a minute of silence, and let us use this moment to mourn the loss of one more funny man who has joined the great comedy sketch in the sky. And let us also use this moment to download the Naked Gun series on Pirate Bay.


Leslie William Nielsen. 11 Feb 1926 - 28 Nov 2010.


*some info from Guardian and Wikipedia
pic from La Higuera

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Destroying Hocruxes can't be too boring, right?

I just finished the seven Happy Potter books just a few hours before stepping in the cinema to watch this. I'm not comparing book vs. film, but it's nice to note that this film (and maybe also Part 2 together) might be the one of the closest to the books.

In the seventh film of the Happy Potter series, we see Harry set to continue the task Professor Dumbledore left him. With best pals Hermoine and Ron, their journey outside Hogwarts leads them face-to-face with kinds of magic they, or even the members of the Order of the Phoenix, have never known before. But they have to find and destroy the Hocruxes in order to defeat Voldemort once and for all.

We have loads packed in our tiny rucksacks.

Kudos, of course, to the cast—and this means not just the three leads—because they have all done their part well. Great job especially though to Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint who had grown up with their characters. Rupert, who I think as Ron, is so hilarious in the absence of Fred and George Weasley's screen time. Emma has several very fashionable pieces of wardrobe, as Hermoine travels with a small bag with undetectable extension charms. Brilliantly done, mainly so because she has to look good being the only girl in the trio—she looked amazing! And Daniel has grown to be an actor I think we will see more of after the series ends.

I wonder if this top will look good on me? Hmmm.

But as a stand-alone movie, it dragged on for more than two hours without an obvious climax. And this is so because, of course, splitting the plot of the seventh book means splitting the story. And it's only natural to have the climax at the end of the film series which is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I would have waited for the second part and watched them in a marathon for a better movie experience. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, sad to say, elicits not much of a rave as a movie, except that it sets the stage for July next year. That, I expect, will complete the Happy Potter series on a high note. Because no matter how the books were adapted into movies, it's no denying that it's a great epic story. I honestly can't wait for Part 2!


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 gets six out of ten, for staying true to the well-written narrative, being hyped all over, and extending the wait for the very last installment.


P.S. If one's going to argue that an elf's death is a climax-denouement, then I say otherwise. It could have been that for Part 1 if the preceding scenes were treated with heightened emotions, effects, action, music, and what have you. But it doesn't feel so. It was just as it was presented in the book, a sort of subclimax.


*photos from www.listal.com

Gin Blossoms. Live in Manila

Poor Man's View,
or People in the Cheaper Seats Clap Your Hands

Months before the Gin Blossoms show, I just learned that they released an album called No Chocolate Cake just this year. So I already knew that this Manila concert would be part of a tour to promote their new album. And based on experience, an album tour would play all songs in the new album, while the more popular, older songs being used merely to add to the set list.

So with that in mind, I've encouraged everyone who'd be watching the show to listen to the Gin Blossoms' new album, since their hit songs are far less than the number of tracks on the latest album. But unfortunately, I haven't encouraged them enough. Why do I say that? Check this out:

• Tickets said "8 PM". It's been past 8 already, and 6 Cycle Mind is still onstage. They even featured Gloc 9. And Cookie Chua as well.
• 6 Cycle Mind never sang any original song. For less than an hour, they became 90s tribute clones. I would've felt sorry for them, but then I remembered I didn't like them.
• Official front act Fahrenheit 43 begins their set. The female guitarist is cute.

Fahrenheit 43: Australian band with that really cute girl

• Gin Blossoms begins their set with "Follow You Down". Band members secretly pleased that Filipinos know this song.
• Band seems pleased that the Filipino crowd reacted with such enthusiasm. They follow it up with the first track of their new album, "Don't Change For Me".
• Blossoms proceed to their next song, "'Til I Hear From You". The crowd's loud screams make the band members forget that no one seemed to know the song before this one.
• Encouraged by the collegiate-chick screams from the crowd, the Blossoms decide to do another old song, "Found Out About You", which again brings the crowd to an almost-riotous frenzy.
• Realizing they might run out of old songs to play later on, the Blossoms play "Miss Disarray", another song from No Chocolate Cake. And again, nobody sings along.
• Gin Blossoms front man Robin Wilson announces, "Hey Philippines! We got a new album out!" What he really meant to say was, "Why didn't you guys buy the album so you could be singing along, you pricks."

But of course, he would never, ever say Filipinos are pricks, because he is such a nice guy. And of course they play "Hey Jealousy" as their second-to-the-last song, because the people in the bleachers would riot if they didn't play "Hey Jealousy".

And seeing that the crowd (save for a few exceptions, yours truly included) knew nothing about their new album, they even had the nerve to ask for an encore. Yeah right. Like you'd sing along if they did an encore. They already sang all their old hits.


*some info from Manila Bulletin
pic from Fahrenheit 43's Facebook page


Gin Blossoms: Live in Manila. Philippines. 2010.


Rating: Seven out of ten.
Promoters not specifying that this would be an album tour and not a greatest hits tour: Minus one point.
Final rating: Six out of ten.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

"I'm not a sissy... I'm Canadian!"

I am not one of those people who seem to be raving about Scott Pilgrim. Sorry.

First of all, if you're going to do a video game-treatment on an otherwise-realistic movie, you would first have to establish that "Life is Like a Video Game". And this I didn't feel.

Although I'm starting to see glimpses of what might be Michael Cera's hidden acting brilliance. I said "might". I'm not sure yet.

Anyway, visuals were exceedingly good. Eye candy. But that's about it. Anna Kendrick did not even take off her clothes. Boo.

And the only thing that's great about this film: Kieran Culkin. Give him more roles, please!

Oh, and the other great thing about this film: it made me want to read the comic books. Go Canada. 


*some info from IMDb
pic from CBC News


Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. USA/UK/Canada. 2010.


Rating: Three out of ten.
Visual effects: Plus one point.
Kieran Culkin: Plus one point.
Final rating: Five out of ten.

How It Works

Allow me first to introduce to you this movie screenshot



It's from the movie Red Eye (2005).

Apart from the successful thriller that it is, and upon giving it a second watch, I felt obliged to giving it further credit.

It is quite easy to be derailed off a bigger picture when one is captivated by the thrills of an engaging movie. Red Eye follows the close encounter of Lisa and a hostage crisis involving the lives of her own father, and another "father"─the appointed Deputy Secretary to American fatherland's security, that is, Homeland Security™.

Yes, Homeland Security "T.M."─the concerted, "body shield" (and "spear") of the United States of America against threats, and possible threats to its way of life

http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm

which was officially put into place after the 9/11 incident.


Of course this is!... And so are many others....

http://conspiraciesthatweretrue.blogspot.com/2007/01/list-of-proven-conspiracies-from.html
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/02/28/the-9-most-shocking-conspiracy-theories-that-turned-out-to-be-true.htm

Now, let's go back to this picture

and allow me once more to introduce to you, if you haven't already, the terms/phrase

Immanentize the eschaton (verb) -to try to bring about the eschaton
(the final, heaven-like stage of history) in the immanent world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanentize_the_eschaton

Say it, that the antagonist Jackson Rippner (played by classic Cillian Murphy) is hired by the higher government overseer itself, to kill its own Security bodyhead, to justify more laws it creates, to prevent preconceived threats of terrorism...

Can you see the co-relations now???

Of course not. The term "conspiracy theory" itself deters you from further investigation.

Of course, you cannot see that the fishing boat, purposely named Rapture, is used to fire off from, a mini-missile launcher to kill HS head Keefe and his family.

Of course you cannot see that however the attempts may have been─be it Keefe (or even Lisa herself) is successfully killed or not--the greater end result would still be the same(?)

But I'm just saying... right??

Numbers to remember: 4080.
Add it up, and you make 12.
Meaning "it is time!"
Plus, a farther cry, recurring references to the sum 9 (or 6), and combinations 911.

Mwaah♥

"Here's what you can do. You can fill out a comment card if you have any more inquiries..."

Skins Seasons 1 & 2

Hi! I'm mumblingmaya, and I'm a Skins late bloomer.

I first heard of it in The Last Airbender forums, where it was being used as proof of Dev Patel's comedic skills.

A friend later started raving about it and lent me a copy of Seasons 1 and 2.

After watching the first episodes and reading Wikipedia articles on it, I found that it also starred Nicolas Hoult of About a Boy fame.

Skins 1 and 2 tells the story of friends Tony (Hoult), Sid, Michelle, Cassie, Jal, Chris, Maxxie, and Anwar (Patel) as college (our equivalent of high school) seniors as they deal with sex, drugs, racism, homosexuality, religion, street violence, family crises and final exams.

I was warned it would be depressing, and in some episodes, it was. But I didn't find myself slashing my wrists or crying after. (I think films on ennui would do that to me.)

There's something about the British treatment of sex and violence, that I can't put my finger on. I think people would be shocked to find how such things among British teens are explicitly and grittily shown here.

You wouldn't find full frontal exposures of teenagers so commonplace and regular elsewhere (most teen dramas I know like to tease people). I don't think all these controversial things are done tritely. They're in your face, but they're not just because some teen queen's rival got invited to some sorority and she didn't.

No─I like how 17-year-old Anwar's being a Muslim clashes with his best friend Maxxie's homosexuality. I like how Tony is shown fucking his hot lady-Animus to confront his inner demons, or that Jal experiences racism at school even if her father is a black rap king. And that the adults are crazy, but aren't all that bad.

If the under-21-year-old writers of Skins could be accused of anything inappropriate or resembling selling-out, IMHO, it's that they pushed the bounderies of a television show for, by and about teens because they were curious of their limits, which is, well, what teens and angsty early 20-somethings often do.

Skins 1 gets an 8.5 /10 for making Maxxie and Anwar secondary. Watch out for the last episode.
Skins 2 gets a 9/10 for exploring the other characters and for featuring Vampire Weekend.

And it gets an NC-17 rating too.

Image from IMDB.

That's Entertainment

This is how we fool ourselves:

(1) We insist on setting up Margarito against Pacquiao, knowing it's a no-match, however the stats appear.

(2) We manufacture all sorts of scenarios against the expected to make it exciting still.

(3) We, Filipinos et al., finally rejoice! then own up to The PacMan's own accomplished fairytale woohoot!

RED

The secret agent/CIA stuff never really gets old. It could look old though if you put in guys like Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren in it. Plus put in there too that dude who played Agamemnon (did I spell that right?) in Troy, and it really looks old! And also, that dude who was in line buying the RED movie tickets looked old too. I feel like I'm entering a Jackie Chan movie (where almost all the members in the audience are like 35 or way older). These are the same guys who watched Die Hard I in theaters back in the day (and they were in their prime back then).

The leads were so in their post-post-prime state that Karl Urban looked young and preppy amongst 'em. Bruce Willis even called Urban (who played Cooper, one of CIA's heads), "6'1 with the cute hair..." I guess you could call his hair cute if you yourself are balding and your hair follicles aren't motivated (or stimulated, whatever) to grow (just like Willis'). Demi Moore might've left Bruce because of his lack of head hair. I think she wants her man's hair just like the head of a Viking's (perhaps like Ashton's?).

Bruce Willis really revels in roles wherein he doesn't have to do any shouting. He always wants to take it easy on his larynx. I mean, come on. Give me a scene from any of the last ten Bruce Willis flicks where he was required to shout a lot. Man, he doesn't even talk loud enough to be John McClane. His voice always seems smooth and suave. Hence, the bald guy roles.

Morgan Freeman just isn't cut out for action flicks like these. Even if he's RED (Retired and Extremely Dangerous) in this movie, he just ain't athletic enough. Helen Mirren can beat this geezer in a foot race. Plus he (Freeman) doesn't look like an 80-year old with stage 4 liver cancer (his role in the movie).

Helen Mirren really looks old in this one. I mean, she looks old when she played Queen Elizabeth. but man, time flies by so fast. For me, she kinda' looked different in a short span of time. But her accent really kicked ass!

My favorite here is of course, Mr. John Malkovich. Not only does he bring the much needed comic relief, he also embraces the old man role to the extent that he made "old man" synonymous with "veteran killer". Add to that the fact that he did LSD for eleven years under a controlled, secret CIA program, then you really have a funny old junkie runnin' loose with the old dogs.

I wasn't really overwhelmed with this movie or anything like that. It was just what I expected. A bunch of retired CIA agents runnin' around and killin' people. Good job to John Malkovich for bein' the "glue guy" in this team. If you don't know what a glue guy is, think Scottie Pippen of the Bulls. Think Lamar Odom for the Lakers. Think Udonis Haslem for the Heat.

Offensively and defensively, they bring it to the table. Same thing with John.

My rating for this flick is 7 out of 10. If it wasn't for the glue guy, this would be a measly 6.






*image from www.scene-stealers.com

Funny People

Now where's McLovin' in this pic?

As the name of the title suggests, this flick is indeed about some funny-assed people. And since this was a Judd Apatow creation, I expected to crack up multiple times. And I did! Majority of my laughter was stimulated by Adam Sandler's antics.

And also, since this was a Judd Apatow outing, I kinda' expected Michael Cera, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill to be present. And there they were. Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen that is. Two out of three ain't bad. The Superbad boys are at it again!

I found it pretty cool that Judd Apatow made a reference to Pink Floyd. Roger Waters to be exact. And this really cracked me up because what happened was, Adam Sandler and his new assistant Seth Rogen were invited to MySpace.com's anniversary party which was held in some other state, so Seth and Adam flew in Adam's very own charter plane or private jet somethin'-somethin'.

Now you know those movie transitions wherein somethin' mellow is bein' played in the background while the current scene is transitioning to the next one? You know, like in the movie Almost Famous where the song "Tiny Dancer" was bein' played in the background while Stillwater's guitarist was bein' whisked off on a tour bus after a hard night's partyin' at some Random house in Topeka, KS? Well it was somethin' similar to that in Funny People when they were goin' to the MySpace annual party. One of James Taylor's songs was being played in the background while they were boarding the private plane. Now as the scene transitioned to the MySpace party itself, there he was. James Taylor himself singin' the song that was playin' in the background.

When Seth noticed how cool it was to have James Taylor playin' at their party, the usher (or whoever was guidin' the newly-arrived guests) said that the previous year they had Roger Waters doin' Dark Side Of the Moon. Now as a hardcore Pink Floyd fan, and casual James Taylor listener, that's some funny shit right there!

I would like to say kudos to Marshall Mathers III for his acting here, but I won't. That's because he played himself so he didn't require any method or whatever sort of acting there is. He dissed Ray Romano of the TV shows Everybody Loves Raymond pretty naturally, just like the real Slim Shady would!

The hidden gem here is Eric Bana, believe it or not. Who would've thought that Hector of Troy could be funny? I was really caught unaware. Yes, we know that he's Australian and shit, but he delivered his Australian-accented lines with conviction. Just like that Aussie croc guy who always goes, "Crikey, mate!" Steve Irwin or Brady Barr or somethin'. All I know is that he's dead (R.I.P.). And he wasn't even killed by a croc! Just some stingray poisoning or something water-related. Poor croc-master.

I rate this movie 8 out of 10 just because of the fact that I love Happy Gilmore, Superbad, and Pineapple Express. Bring on the funnies!





*pic from www.thevine.com.au

How I Met Your Mother. Season 2

The one with the biggest smile is the hottest.

Alternate titles for this season:

• How Uncle Marshall Coped with the Break-up
• How Aunt Lily Returned From San Francisco
• How I Introduced Aunt Robin to Your Grandparents
• How I Discovered That an Architect is Not Boring
• How Aunt Lily Lived With Uncle Barney for a Short While
• How Aunt Lily Worked at My Office for a Short While
• How Uncle Barney Became Uncle Swarley
• How We All Went to Atlantic City
• How the Slap Bet was Born
• How I Met Uncle Barney's Gay Brother
• How I Almost Ruined Christmas 
• How I Met Aunt Robin's Younger Sister
• How I Dealt With a Former Boss
• How We Watched the Super Bowl
• How I Found a 1939 Penny
• How Aunt Robin Lost Her Dogs
• How Uncle Marshall Lost His Fiero
• How I Moved In With Aunt Robin
• How We Threw Uncle Marshall a Bachelor Party
• How Uncle Barney Joined The Price is Right 
• How Aunt Lily and Uncle Marshall Got Married 
• How Aunt Robin and I Broke Up 

and

How I Found Out That Lyndsy Fonseca Plays the Daughter in This Show. Oh baby.


*some info from Wikipedia
pic from DVD Set Shop


How I Met Your Mother (Season Two). USA. 2006-2007.


Rating: Seven and a half out of ten.

2012

The fireballs will, of course, hit everything but the camper.

2012 is, like, two years from now.

I know Doomsday stories are great to hear. But are they great to see? Apparently not.

I mean, this is definitely not the type of movie that you should let kids see. It's all destruction. Kids should see movies about the beauty of creation, not destruction.

You can also see this movie for Woody Harrelson, but his scenes are quite short.

Sorry Oliver Platt and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Talented though you guys are, you have been overshadowed by─wait for it─the special effects. Danny Glover didn't come off as a really effective president, I'm sorry. And Thandie Newton didn't show off any skin. Boo.

And I think John Cusack only took this role because no one else would.


*some info from IMDb
pic from Showbiz Gossips


2012. USA. 2009.


Rating: Four out of ten.

Nikita. Episode 7: The Recruit

"Screw you, Shane West. I auditioned for your part!"

Okay, I hate that other female recruit. In fact, I hate all recruits except for Alex (played by Lyndsy Fonseca). So I don't mind really if that girl dies, or if that other guy recruit who became a guard dies as well. 


*pic from The CW

Nikita. Episode 6: Resistance

"Why are you so damn pretty?"

Devon Sawa's still here. And Lyndsy Fonseca in a corporate dress makes her look hotter. But she looked hideous in those flashbacks. But since she is being evaluated in this episode, we let that pass. Oh wait, it's actually Shane West who's being evaluated. This is getting confusing.


*pic from The CW

S.W.A.T.

Samuel L. Jackson appearing really cool, because when all else fails, he can just whip out his lightsaber.

You just got to love Colin Farrell's American accent.

For those of you who thought Colin Farrell really speaks in an American accent, you've got to hear him talk in his native Irish. Probably as unintelligible as Bob Marley.

Anyway, you all know the story. This is about a S.W.A.T. team. If you don't know what a S.W.A.T. team is, they're the ones who got those Chinese hostages killed in Manila a while back. But this movie is of course about the L.A.P.D. S.W.A.T. (I'm really having a hard time typing in all those periods), which is apparently one of the best in the world.

Samuel L. Jackson appears again in his trademark cool image. Although being a veteran SWAT (there, I stopped using periods) does make him the coolest in the team.

Michelle Rodriguez doesn't get to kick much ass, except against that punching bag in the training scenes. Well, she's the only woman, and what would you expect from a bunch of chauvinist pigs?

LL Cool J has just demonstrated that he is one of the few actors who have successfully transitioned from rap to acting. He is a natural. Just like Jeremy Renner, whose character will make you hate him more than that French villain.


*some info from IMDb
pic from All Movie Photo


S.W.A.T. USA. 2003.


Rating: Six out of ten.
Colin Farrell's American accent: Plus point five.
Final rating: Six and a half out of ten.

Get Him to the Greek

Hill and Brand upon learning that P. Diddy would get an Oscar nomination for his cameo in this movie.

Funny, in a Judd Apatow way. Of course, Russell Brand gives a really funny performance. After seeing it, I talked in a British accent for the rest of the day. And the day after that.

Rose Byrne suddenly became hot. Why didn't I notice her in Troy? Oh right, because she was overshadowed by Dianne Kruger.

P. Diddy's acting sucked. He's not like LL Cool J, Ice Cube, or Queen Latifah, who've made successful transitions from music to movies. P. Diddy looked really stiff and unnatural. Just stick to producing records, dude. Trust me.

This was written by Jason Segel. That's right. That sissy from How I Met Your Mother. He's also the one who wrote (and starred in) Forgetting Sarah Marshall. And apparently, Get Him to the Greek is a spin-off from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. And although both star Jonah Hill, he doesn't play the same character in both films. Confusing, innit?

Outrageous cameos from the kid who played Draco Malfoy, Pink, and Lars Ulrich. I think it would've been better if they just gave Puffy a cameo and gave his role to someone else. Because in case I forgot to say it, Puffy's acting sucked.


*some info from IMDb
pic from Unreality Magazine


Get Him to the Greek. USA. 2010.


Rating: Six and a half out of ten.
Rose Byrne: Eight out of ten.
P. Diddy's acting: One out of ten.