Wrath of the Titans

Warner Bros.

I am generally not a big fan of sequels. Though there are a few exceptions, I generally regard sequels as a sign of capitalist greed, wherein the quality of a release is sacrificed over how much money it can generate in the box office.

Warner Bros.

Can you believe how much they pay this man?

UFC 142

Just seen a replay of this shit. So, as Mike Goldberg says, here we go!

Edison Barbosa VS Terry Etim

The 1st round almost belonged to Etim with his crisp striking, fancy footwork, and takedown. But due to Barbosa's whipping leg kicks, Terry Etim began thinking twice about standing and banging with Barbosa.

The 2nd round was more of the same, with Barbosa punishing Etim with more leg kicks. But the defining moment of this fight was the Barbosa KO. It was the first time that I've ever seen a spinning heel kick KO. And true enough, it was the first ever in the UFC! Nice victory for the hometown hero!

Only Chun-Li does that shit!

The Dark Knight Rises. IMAX

YouTube

And it's final. Christopher Nolan is hanging his cape and cowl after this flick. In layman's terms: This will be the last Batman film directed by Christopher Nolan.

Tech Jost

"It better be!"

As a filmmaker, how do you end the most successful film franchise based on a comic book? How do you close the curtains on the grandest comic book opera ever filmed? In layman's terms: how do you go out with a bang?


1. Let it come full circle.
Batman Begins, the first of the Christopher Nolan Bat-films, started with the League of Shadows. And I guess it would be fitting to end with the League of Shadows. Hell, Nolan even threw Liam Neeson in there, just so you don't forget.

Screenrant

Mr. Neeson, for your latest film Taken 2,
your daughter gets kidnapped... again?

So just to make it clear: it began with Ra's Al Ghul, it climaxed with the Joker, and it ended with Ra's Al Ghul's daughter. This is not one of Nolan's best story arcs, I'd have to admit.

By the way, in this movie, the plot twist comes with the knife twist.

Film Icons: Dolphy

Interaksyon

No one can doubt this man's contribution to Philippine cinema. His performing career began way back in 1945 on the vaudeville stage. And from there he moved on to radio, film, and television, and his name has since become synonymous with comedy.

Dolphy's brand of humor may contain some slapstick elements such as hitting someone on the head with a rolled-up newspaper, but those are just remnants of the vaudeville era. Dolphy's comedy stems from his wit, and his lightning-quick comebacks. But what most people don't know is that Dolphy is more than a comedian─he is a true performer. He has pushed the envelope on straight guys performing gay roles, both on the funny and the serious ends of the spectrum, years before Hollywood hunks began dabbling with onscreen homosexuality.

It doesn't matter which generation you belong to; one way or another, Dolphy was a part of it. He was a true artist, and you can see his influence in the styles of Tito, Vic, and Joey, who in turn have directly influenced a whole new generation of comedians. I used to think the title "King of Comedy" was an exaggeration, a mere sign of respect for this man's years in showbusiness. I was wrong. No one deserves that title more.




Rodolfo "Dolphy" Vera Quizon, Sr. 25 July 1928─10 July 2012.

Film Icons: Ernest Borgnine

Zap 2 It

The younger generation might remember Ernest Borgnine as that really old guy who got an Emmy Award nomination back in 2009 for his work on ER (he was 92 at the time). Eighties kids might remember him for his role as Dominic Santini, the helicopter pilot on the show Airwolf. The parents of those eighties kids might remember him as 1955's BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Academy Award winner for the film Marty. It doesn't matter where you remember him from. The important thing is you remember him at all. You should at least realize that Ernest Borgnine's name is synonymous with acting, so that your team gets a point if his name comes up while playing Cranium or something.




Ermes Effron Borgnino (no, he is not related to Zac Efron or Nora Ephron). 24 January 1917─8 July 2012.

Film Icons: Nora Ephron

Anatomy of a Classic

No, she is not related to Zac Efron.

Nora Ephron is a writer-director, one of the few in Hollywood who happens to be female.  Her filmography lists only 15 films, yet a lot of titles on the list should be familiar. She wrote and directed films such as Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and Julie & Julia, which also happens to be her last film, and also holds the record for being the first film based on a blog.

Nora Ephron is famous for her romantic-comedy stories, though as a female filmmaker, you'd think she'd have a lot of "girl power" themes in her films. Sadly, there's not a lot. But she does have a lot of strong female characters in her stories, and I think now would be a good time to watch her films again, if only to see how hot Meg Ryan was back in the day.




Nora Ephron. 19 May 1941─26 June 2012.

Film Icons: Mario O'Hara

NPPA Images via Yahoo!

Mario O'Hara is one of the most famous names in Philippine cinema, particularly because his name O'Hara sounds very much American. That's because he does have American blood; his grandfather was an Irish-American Thomasite. But other than that, he's Filipino, through and through.

Although no local filmmaker has successfully crossed over to Hollywood, Mario O'Hara and Lino Brocka were the first tag team to conquer Cannes. The film was Insiang, written by O'Hara and directed by Brocka, and went on to introduce local filmmakers to the greener pastures of the European festival circuits.

O'Hara's background is diverse, with a career spanning the eras of radio, television, theater, and film. And although his body of work is not filled with as much awards and accolades as one would expect, Mario O'Hara will always be remembered for being a genuinely nice person on and off camera, which is something of a rarity in an industry filled with arrogant douchebags.

Rest in peace, Direk Mario.




Mario Herrero O'Hara. 20 April 1946─26 June 2012.

Why The Amazing Spider-Man is Better Than the Other One

YouTube

And when I say "the other one", I mean the one with Tobey Maguire.

Collider

"Yeah, this'll fit Andrew Garfield."

1. It's darker.

YouTube

Not that kind of darker.

And it's not because of the 3D lenses darkening your vision (I didn't watch this in 3D... yet). You can tell that the filmmakers tried taking The Dark Knight route (why do people keep referencing The Dark Knight when it was Batman Begins that started it all?), and actually achieved it with mild success. You can't go full dark on this flick, not with your hero still in high school. That would be too emo. And just like The Dark Knight...