2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,000 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Broadway Ala-Telenovela

A timeless love story is finally told in Manila through Atlantis Productions’ local version of the Broadway musical Aida. The Egyptian-inspired play with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice certainly pleased the Filipino’s craving for a good love story – the telenovela-type – where a hunky influential war captain engaged with the Pharaoh’s beautiful daughter accidentally falls in love with a slave girl, who turned out to be a princess herself. And the love triangle continued to get more complicated as the whole ensemble got involved.

Manila’s own version was quite exciting because of the fresh cast. Aside from Atlantis favorite Rachel Alejandro (as Amneris) and her singer-dad Hajji (as Zoser), the lead role was given to Sabado Boys’ beatbox king Myke Salomon (as Radames). Also, this was a good ‘welcome back’ for London-based theatre actress Ima Castro (as Aida). The cast was truly pleasing to hear, with lines clearly spoken and songs flawlessly sang. For the role of Mereb, TV actor Josh Santana pulled it off although his spoken English accent has a local (Pinoy) touch compared to the rest. In some acts, one can never miss the traces of Filipino humor that made the audience giggle several times during the play. Rachel, through her excellent delivery of lines, gave pizzazz to this dramatic love story. Her antics prevented the audience from crying over very emotional scenes.

Production design was creatively executed despite the small stage area of RCBC’s Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium. Here are some crazy observations courtesy of my imagination: (1) the sick Pharaoh appeared to be Professor X roaming around seated on wheelchair-type wooden throne pushed by servants; (2) Amneris’ wedding dress was quite modern, and when the veil was donned, it looked like a cake; and (3) good work on emphasizing the “Eye of Horus” symbol which was consistent throughout the 2 ½-hour play.

As Aida entered its final week, its success can be justified by the room full of theatre-goers amid the rainy weather.  It’s quite addictive that the songs “Every Story Is A Love Story” and “Not Me” still lingers in my mind. I’ll give 9 out of 10 stars for this third Atlantis production I watched. And there’s no other way to cap a Saturday RCBC matinee except to pig-out with a buddy in Ayala Triangle. Thumbs up for Bonchon and Banapple!

Photos credits:
Twitpic @AidaofManila

Thor’s Day and Two Other Tales

Over dinner, my dad shared his thoughts on Marvel’s Thor after hearing my brother say that he just recently downloaded the said flick. For weeks I have been unable to air my reactions on the latest movies I watched, so here goes a triple take on “Thor”, “The Vanishing on 7^th Street”, and “Limitless.”

Nordic lessons
The Norse mythology-inspired ‘Thor,’ which is the film adaption of the Marvel comic book, is probably one of the best movies of the first half of 2011 [expecting the last installment of Harry Potter to surpass this feat].  Australian actor Chris Hemsworth (of the soap opera “Home and Away” which I used to watch way back in college), was impressive in portraying the arrogant “God of Thunder.” Visually, the characters may look a bit different from their comic form. Needless to say, Natalie Portman did well as Thor’s modern-day ‘sexy geek’ love interest. What I liked most about the story is the emphasis on values. Aside from humility, the story portrayed friendship, loyalty, trust and love of family which are all significant in this age when kids need to be reminded of the importance of these traits. I’ll give an 8 ½ out of 10 for this film I regretted not to have watched on 3D.

Lights On
Until now, I still sleep with the lights on. Blame it on the movie The Vanishing on 7^th Street starring Hayden Christensen. The horror-thriller film is notable since a few actors (three adults and one kid) were able to pull the whole story off. It’s interesting to know that there is a pinch of mystery in this movie. After returning home, I hurriedly researched about the enigmatic Roanoke Colony and the mysterious appearance of the word “Croatoan.” The ending may have left the viewers hanging, but overall, the movie’s message was clear – to appreciate the people around you while they are still around. This apocalyptic film is short but entertaining. Seven out of ten stars for this movie that surfaced the versatility of one of my favorite actors (from Moulin Rouge), John Leguizamo. All I have to do now is to “stay in the light.”

Pill Power
For almost two weeks last April, I thought I already missed this film my friend James has been blabbering about. Suddenly, while driving along Angeles City, I came across the “Now Showing” board of one mall and caught “Limitless.” This sci-fi action-thriller is about a pill that can make you rich and powerful by allowing your senses to become insanely active and makes you grasp every bit of information quickly. The story’s protagonist, Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) gets hold of the pill named NZT-48, which maximizes brain use. I wonder if we can actually do the same without the pill. The film is filled with action-packed scenes complete with gangster moves and bloody fights. I’ll give a score of 7 ½ out of 10 for this film which didn’t last long in Philippine cinemas.

Techie vamps and timeless diaries

I am taking a break from my “Vampire Diaries” marathon while writing this. I have decided to devote my weekend finishing season one of this TV series; and after tweeting much about this show for a week now, I just realized I’m addicted to it!

Other vampire shows didn’t catch my attention over the past year of the “Twilight” madness. On the other hand, “The Vampire Diaries” piqued my curiosity as if I allowed the bloodsucking stars enter my home, look into my eyes and lure me into finishing all the episodes. Unexpectedly, the series did not end up boring. Its love triangle twist is totally far from the Edward-Bella-Jacob thing.

In this American television series, Elena (Nina Dobrev) falls in love with the mysterious-new-guy-in-school named Stefan (Paul Wesley) who turns out to be a 162-year-old vampire. Their relationship is challenged by Stefan’s vengeful brother, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) which complicates the story. Suspense, action, drama and mystery are packed in one show. This “Dawson’s Creek-meets-Buffy” kind of series from CW Television Network also introduces witches and more vampires as the story progresses.

What got me even more stuck in watching this show is its very realistic location. Set in a modern-day community, scenes are shot in semi-eerie, romantic and mysterious areas in British Columbia and Georgia that perfectly represent the fictional town of Mystic Falls. Add the songs of Mat Kearney, One Republic, The Fray and Sara Bareilles and you get entertaining MTV-quality scenes.

What if vamps really live among us? It is very interesting to watch vampires use mobile phones and enjoy a bit of booze. Aside from that, every episode starts with a narration by Elena as she reads excerpts from her diary. Other characters, like Stefan himself, keep a diary. It just shows how timeless personal chronicles are, even in this age of emails and blogs. Nothing beats a good old leather-bound notebook where you can document daily musings. For me, I guess I’ll just consider this six-year-old blog as my virtual diary.

Now back to watching a few more episodes.

Alien flick strikes again

While on queue for the movie I Am Number Four, the lady in front of me asked the ticket seller “What’s this movie about?” and the employee in the booth answered, “It’s a sci-fi action film.” The movie started at 2:30pm and lo and behold, all the action and sci-fi scenes started an hour later. More than half of the film turned out to be the love story of John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) and Sarah Hart (Dianna Agron). It should’ve been classified under ‘teenybopper action thriller with alien invasion” movie. On the other hand, the experience of watching this Michael Bay movie was generally entertaining.

Drawing inspiration from Pittacus Lore’s six-book series (yes, this is just the first installment), I Am Number Four is about a 15-year old alien who is “Number Four” among the nine human-like Loriens  hunted down by silly-looking Mogadorians;  and these Voldemort look-alikes chasing our hero can instantaneously be exterminated to dust by staking them the way Buffy The Vampire Slayer does. And so the “alien walks among us” theme is perfectly integrated throughout the movie backed up with cool special effects. Honestly, I got surprised and almost jumped off my seat twice because of some startling scenes and sound effects.

Bottomline: are aliens real? This issue surfaces in countless Hollywood films and TV shows that has entertained us for years.

Whether based on truth or make-believe, sci-fi flicks bring me back to my younger years and rekindles my belief that I have undiscovered super powers. 6 ½ out of 10 stars for this movie I watched last weekend.

Wallflower’s Wisdom

An eight-hour zig-zag ride to Isabela gave me the eye-damaging opportunity to finish Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This collection of “Dear Diary” entries is perfectly stitched together in a very creative 90’s fashion.

The anthology of daily thoughts is owned by Charlie who confides a bunch of secrets in his diary in a span of one year. Starting off with his high school experience dated August 25, 1991, the epistolary novel revolves around the life of a “loner” who actually isn’t alone after all, thus, giving the perfect identity for someone who is called a ‘wallflower’ – often a shy observer and a good listener, contented of being just in the background of people’s lives.

Charlie would have been the perfect ‘blogger’ of his time and I bet his posts will be read by a multitude of followers. Aside from being very profound in tackling adolescent issues such as independence, sex, love, and even
homosexuality, the diary entries are filled with rich reviews on literary classics, television shows, films, and music during the 90’s.

I can’t help but feel gloomy when I reached the final entry and Charlie had to say goodbye to his so-called ‘friend.’ This 14-year-old boy’s life is so interesting and realistic I felt so engrossed and wondered what happens with those around him – Bill, Mary Elizabeth, Sam, Patrick, and Brad. All characters come alive and have their own fascinating stories told vividly in this book.

Chbosky’s work is very revealing and brave. Four out of five stars for this soon-to-be-movie starring Emma Watson (Hermione of HP) and Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson).

Glued on crime drama

Last weekend, I joined my mom in watching a TV series on Diva Universal entitled “Covert Affairs” and I got hooked on it. Reasons for being glued:

1. I mistakenly identified Kari Matchett (Joan Campbell) as Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe of Friends). I just miss “Friends” and Kari really looks like Lisa. And so my dad goes – “Yeah, she starred in Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion.” Ok, not really.
2. Christopher Gorham playing a blind CIA agent is so cool – way cool-er than being Ugly Betty’s love interest.
3. Peter Gallagher (the dream dad from The O.C.) is playing another “daddy” role and he’s still good at it.
4. The lead actress, Piper Perabo, is good. You deserve the Golden Globe nomination.
5. The title of the series itself is interesting.

I am not a fan of crime drama series. The advent of detective-type shows starting off with CSI (LA, Miami, NY), Bones, 24, and a cable channel full of crime/suspense became the platform for the revival of some good American TV stars. As for Covert Affairs, I easily get distracted since almost all of the actors starred in hit shows I previously tuned into. I can still identify them in their former roles. What a mix of talents!

This not-so-popular crime action/drama series aired in the US last year and is expected to launch is next season on May (according to the oh-so-reliable Wikipedia). I just realized I found a substitute for “Friends” and “The O.C.” Plus, I miss watching a TV series such as this. Target: Vampire Diaries marathon.

Turnaround Moment

Now I know how it feels to be the ‘garter guy.’

The irony is that I host weddings and I get to play around the chosen bachelors and single ladies whenever I host weddings, but this time, I’m the one who was selected by the ‘girl-who-got-the-bouquet.’ And the experience was totally nerve-wracking for a first-timer like me.

Everything happened during the wedding of my graduate school classmate Ronald Alderite last February 25. That special day for Ronald (and his wife Kristine Jimenez-Alderite) became historical, not only because it fell on the silver anniversary of EDSA People Power, but also because ‘twas the day when I experienced 15-minutes of limelight that was truly crazy and thrilling.

Thanks to the loud cheers of the people on table number 23 a.k.a. folks from the Ateneo, I now know first-hand how it feels to be the one on the other side of the coin. At first, I felt weird not being the one holding the microphone and calling out names or facilitating the game. I even told ‘wedding stories’ beforehand to my classmates; and it turned out that I’ll be telling another story next time.

To the newly-weds, thank you very much. Aside from the memorable experience, I really enjoyed the whole night. The church wedding was great, the choir singers were amazing, and the ceremony was lovely. What a cool reception as well! I was carried away by the songs chosen for your videos, especially when Train’s “If It’s Love” played. (You have picked all the modern love songs; I bet many of your visitors ran out of songs to use on their own weddings).

Soon, I will be hosting more weddings, and this turnaround moment made everything more exciting.

Again, congratulations and best wishes to Ronald and Kristine!

Click this link for the unforgettable OSV: http://bit.ly/k72pxg

My sort of “Perry” Tale

This one’s for “Perry: The Musical,” the play that reminded me of my childhood dream – that is to become a priest (believe it, or not!).

“Perry” is a modern take on how seminarians, priests, and lay people can be perceived nowadays. It is funny, real and definitely Kapampangan; I’m happy I didn’t miss the chance to watch this new production of Andy Alviz last night.

Since high school, I am already accustomed in watching theatrical presentations of seminarians from the Mother of Good Counsel Seminary. And when I heard of their collaboration with Teatru Ima and Arti (MaArti), I looked forward to seeing a splendid play – and I did!

Starting off with powerful renditions from Fr. Ted Valencia (Among Billy) and Reinon Tolentino (Perry himself), the play continues to wow the crowd with the interplay of lights and effects which is definitely an ArtiSta.Rita signature. Together with them and the seminarian-protagonists are the golden girls of MaArti who all gave life and color to the musical.

In a nutshell, the story is about Perry, who’s “called” to enter priesthood, but is tangled with harsh realities of love and life. The scenes are filled with courageous storytelling on what’s inside the mind of a soon-to-be priest. Confused about what his family and friends would say, he then faces the fact that he has to leave his girlfriend, and also confront all the “good vs. evil” stuff.

The two-hour Kapampangan play may have some scenes which needs a bit of tweaking because of microphone problems and dry-ice overload but the music is great. The lyrics are straightforward and the melody sounds truly original. No wonder the play has been shown in various local universities, and I know it will conquer other places for we Kapampangans (and Filipinos in general) are (as one funny line in the play goes) maka-pari more than maka-Diyos. Anyone who watches this would see someone (or maybe himself or herself) similar with the characters portrayed – the CWL manangs, the schoolboys, the super-moms, the strict (but kind-hearted) dads, or the wannabe-priest himself.

While enjoying the musical, one of my friends who loves Perry (and watched it twice) texted me and shared this beautiful line from the play: “Subukan mung manahimik king kainge ning kekang paligid ban meng damdaman ing aus ning Ginu.” [Try to remain silent and stay away from noise of your surroundings so you can hear the call of the Lord.]

I will.

In the name of Love… and Other Drugs

Love and Other Drugs reminds me of my childhood days when my mom used to tag me along during her clinic hours while the “powder blue” Pfizer guys and girls would swarm around and present samples to her. I love those cool giveaway pens, of course!

This movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway is a good one; it’s more than a typical romantic dramedy about the life of med-reps. It’s about life.

Spin Doctors’ Two Princes song jumpstarts the film featuring Jamie (Gyllenhaal) embodying the traits of a perfect salesman – gets along well with all sorts of clients, sells more, and hooks up with any girl he likes. The tipping point is when Jamie decides to be a medrep for Pfizer. And so the story goes, and he meets Maggie (Hathaway) by accident. And the rest is told in a movie full of good music and a bunch of steamy scenes.

L&OD is brave enough to tackle the daily struggles of a pharmaceutical slave promoting Zoloft and, later on, Viagra. Some of my friends from the same industry (and the same company as well) would disagree on the values and actions portrayed by Jamie and his colleagues. But beyond the posh, adventure-filled and interesting life of a medrep, reality sets in – it’s one hell of a job!

I never wanted to become a medrep, maybe because I am aware of how difficult it is to be one. The movie shows us the patience and hardwork any employee must possess in order to succeed in a very competitive company. Another story revolves around that of a girl with Parkinson’s disease (Hathaway) whose story with the protagonist has proven that love conquers all.

After seeing the movie, my respect for medreps elevated to a higher degree. And for the hopeless romantic in me, here’s a good line from the movie: “Sometimes the things you want the most don’t happen and what you least expect happens. I don’t know – you meet thousands of people and none of them really touch you. And then you meet that one person and your life is changed.”

By the way, I still keep the “Viagra” paper holder which I had since 2004. It’s useful!

Seven out of ten stars for this movie that teaches us to do anything in the name of love… and other drugs.