The darkest Alice In Wonderland movie to date and i liked it. (sounds like Katy Perry’s song ) Tim Burton has created another wonder that will surely make a lasting impression not only to kids but to adults as well. Never a fan of Burton, neither fascinated with his work, but i guess being a fan is never too late. Say Burton and I just met, got acquainted with the help of Alice, and after an hour long conversation, i decided to become a fan.

Now back to business…

Leading the pack is Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. He’s in his usual element, I almost thought Willy Wonka was in the movie. Helena Bonham Carter as the diabolical Red Queen is my favorite character. So sincere about things but very evil. My dream wife.

And yeah.. let’s not forget Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, so graceful and dainty i’d like to punch her in the face. She looks stupid swaying here and there

Alice in Wonderland is a movie you shouldn’t miss.. and stop convincing me that AVATAR is the best film to date! Pocahontas’ tells me otherwise

First, a disclaimer. I am not a movie critic, neither a movie buff. My taste in movies differs everytime. I love watching movies once in a while. Don’t hate me for loving some movies you hate, tao lang napapanganga din pag may bago. So here are my top 10 movies for 2009.

Taken
“I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you’re looking for a ransom, I can tell you, I don’t have any money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills acquired over a very long career in the shadows, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you. And I will kill you.”

Definitely the best movie of 2009. This fast-paced bizzare mix of melodrama and heart-stopping action is one epic you shouldn’t miss, or have you? Buy the DVD you dork! Pwede na ring i-download na lang. LOL. Liam’s character is one badass daddy you won’t dare upset. Upset like… err… kidnapping his one and only daughter and turn her to a drug-addicted sex slave. If you do, he’ll turn and transform into one fuming green beast, kill every fukin criminal in Paris, wreck every piece of car that gets in his way, blow every building he wants and hire a translator. Well, he needs a translator to find the kidnappers.. haha. Fine, i’ve exagerrated a bit.

Star Trek
Don’t be deceived, Spock isn’t the half-Vulcan-half-human we’ve known since soap opera, He’s Sylar pretending to be Spock so he could devour the crew aboard the Enterprise. More like a planned buffet style dinner. LOL.

I have never watched any episode of Star Trek on TV, nor became a fan. But it’s never too late… hail Star Trek! Hail Kirk! Hail Spock! The young Spock i meant. The movie is better than Star Wars and even greater than those trashy robot movies directed by Michael Bay. There were no cheap shots, technicalities were clean, story was smart. I love where Spock met Spock. Oh hell, get a life, watch the movie as well so you could relate. lol.

District 9
I’ve never thought “Prawns” could mean differently since District 9. The concept is very original, too original i thought Roswell was trash. This is not your typical aliens-are-coming-run-for-your-lives plot. The writer did a good job doing some bending here and there, added a little politics on the side, sprinkled it with some cat food, mixed it well with brain-splattering scenes and finally topping it with a whole bunch of low life immigrants from another planet. You get District 9, a perfect blend of Sci-Fi minus George Lucas.

AstroBoy
What can i say? Astro, the little boy robot who became a hero without him even realizing it. I’ve followed this cartoon series when i was a child and i felt giddy when i heard that some heaven-sent producer will revive the kid on the silverscreen. Oh yeah baby.. Astroboy did not fail me, i came out from the movie theater wanting for more.

The Hangover
Question. What does a tiger, a baby, and a chicken in your hotel room have in common?

Just watched this recently and i must confess that this, yes people, this movie gave me faith that comedy movies need not be trashy ehem Year One ehem to make viewers laugh like crazy. The plot isn’t painful and i love the puzzle like idea of the movie.

Another question. When did you last see a movie so funny it got you thinking?

Up
Now this is the animated movie that will give Wall-E run for its money. Up delivers a very unique story that matches the quality of the visuals not to forget its heartbreaking drama. The movie was quite slow at the start but picks up eventually because of its compelling characters. Wall-E is still better though. :p

The Proposal
Believe it or not. Fine! Don’t believe me. It hurts, yes it hurts that i liked how Bullock portrayed a chic corporate boss slash terrorist in this movie. Not one of her best movies but i liked the storyline. Okay, sue me for being so pathetic. LOL.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Probably not the best Underworld sequel but still worth the watch. Vampires versus werewolves.. come on… i’d bet my useless hours on this movie rather than those shallow, whiny and annoying vampires from Forks.

Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
I wouldn’t miss this movie for nothing. Though i was quite disappointed because of its missing Half Blood Prince plot. Kaya nga “Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince” ang title di ba?

GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra
I wasn’t expecting a great “Yo! Joe!” shoutout on this one. Surprisingly the figures got me glued during the run. Not as great as others thought it would be, but hell Sienna Miller as the Baroness? Bite my ass baby!

Other movies i recommend:
Knowing (Nicolas Cage), Pandorum (Dennis Quaid), Kimmy Dora (Eugene Domingo), New In Town (Renee Zellweger), 2012 (John Cusack)

and those that failed:

AVATAR
- Pocahontas + FernGully + Transformers = Avatar.

Twilight: New Moon
- Imagine buying a hammer, hitting your head with it until you pass out because of blood loss. Same exact feeling after watching the movie.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
- Can someone make them stop? I get it, the movie is entitled Transformers… must they over do it?

Watchmen
- The movie isn’t bad at all. Does soft porn ring a bell? LOL

Some say Paranormal Activity is worth the penny. I haven’t seen the movie so i can’t say anything about it. Panoorin ko muna.

Oh did i say Zombieland rocks?

It’s a weird feeling that up to this minute i’m still awe-strucked with IMAX and can’t get over with the episode. Last saturday was my first IMAX experience (courtesy of Birthday Boy Kuya Kim) together with good old (and some new) friends.

We’ve decided to feel the 3D experience via the arid Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the 6th of the Harry Potter movie series. The 3D part lasted for like 25 drooling minutes, worth every penny if you ask me. The IMAX MOA has the largest screen in the country, which makes the 3D experience a little over the edge.

On to the movie review and enough with the IMAX blah. For some reason, i didn’t expect much from the story as i’ve read the book years ago. The film was ok, though some areas we’re boring and dragging not to forget the unforgivable skipping of important parts of the book.

There were some areas of the story that were obviously added. The Death Eater attack in The Burrow was not in the book, and yes, the burning of The Burrow wasn’t at all part of the original story. It should be Tonks and not Luna who found Harry in the train. Dumbledore meeting/threatening the Dursleys was not in the Movie. It would be interesting seeing Albus talking to Petunia. LOL. Plus the whole dark secret of Albus Dumbledore being skipped. A big time downer.

If i remember it right, there’s a big fight scene before Dumbledore died. We only got a portion of it. That’s the best they can do? I was expecting a major showdown of magic, we got a Draco-disarming-Albus scene instead.

The revelation of the identity of the Half Blood Prince should have been the highlight of the movie, next to Dumbledore’s death of course, besides the title of the movie is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, not Harry Potter and Ginny Weasleys Pink Panties.

Anyway, we can’t expect the director recreating the entirety of the book to be in the movie or we’d be stuck in the movie house for days. So let it be. Maybe they have reasons and the inserted scenes will play a big role in the last two HP movies.

Movie effects were great, cinematography was perfect. IMAX was awesome. A saturday pa-morningan blues with friends plus a cup of coffee. Classic!

Last night, me, Mon and Bert invited ourselves to watch The Golden Compass at SM Megamall. I was excited to watch this movie because of its well told and likable story, though many have said that the premise is actually attacking some Catholic beliefs and has stirred numerous controversies among religious groups. The movie is a tamed version, though i haven’t read the book, i must agree on some areas, the movie dwells more on issues regarding “free will and spirituality” than about religion, so there i still think that no harm was done, it’s just a movie … and i’m not easily influenced by a mere movie. Not just yet.. haha!

Anyway, as the movie progresses, the storyline becomes more interesting.. the pacing is a bit slow, and the technical execution lacks magic. Maybe i should be reading the book and not just depend on the movie only.

The distinction of the story? why it’s so interesting is the idea of a soul-mate. Pullmans idea of connecting an animal spirit to every human character making them a force to reckon with is way too cool. This design not only grabs every human imagination but also tells us that there is something inside us that tells us what to do, like a conscience perhaps? that someone or something is always ready to communicate with us, be it be talking to oneself subconsciously or just some imaginary shadow you can share your frustrations and fears.

The movie isn’t heart warming enough, but then again the actors should be given credit because of their excellent job. Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) as the silver tongued heroine gave an excellent performance, considering that it’s her first film. Nicole Kidman as usual gave her best, and err… James Bond slash Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) is a mere extra. I suppose he will play a bigger role on the sequels to come.

So there… i’m looking forward to the remaining sequels. Right now.. i recommend that you watch this movie as well. Great effects and excellent character execution. Too bad the magic wasn’t there. Watch it… 150 pesos isn’t a waste of money for a movie like The Golden Compass.

Click here to view the embedded video.

My take.. artista pala yun.. hahaha.. ‘coz i was there when they were taking a video of her… actually nasa tabing table lang kami… i was looking at her because may dating nga… artista pala.. di ko man lang namalayan. She’s hot though.

Anyway, the usual gimik with friends that night. We went to a bar, yung di masyadong wild.. dahil we only wanted to unwind after a long trip from Manila. The camera man was a bit annoying, kung sino sino kinukunan, pati sa table namin gustong kunan kaya tago ako ng tago.. Kumag talaga!

Anyway, Puerto Galera isn’t that phenomenal as what other people tend to project. Galera is nothing compared to Boracay and Pagudpud. Beach wise, mas maganda pa ang La Union kesa sa Galera! Talk about being proud of your roots! haha!

I don’t know how to say this but the place is way too polluted and over crowded. Maybe because we were on the masa area, the White Beach area. It’s ok though because this is where the night life is. If you are looking for privacy.. you can consider the Talipanan Area… fewer people, mostly foreigners are there.. kinda boring if you are the adventurous type.

Puerto Galera is very accessible from Manila. You only need 3 to 4 hours to get there. Cottages/Rooms are very inexpensive… sobrang mura! and the food… huwaw! Sobrang panalo! Murang mura talaga. Night life is ok, you just have to really be a party goer to maximize your stay. Sad to say, i wasn’t … the crowd is not for me… so ayun.. inom inom lang.. solved na ko.. haha.

Anyway.. my stay in Puerto Galera is one of my best so far.. 3 days and 2 nights of doing nothing? Ha! Life is beautiful!

Click here to view the embedded video.

I wasn’t considering getting an iPhone since last Thursday. Since i’m not really into iPods, i kept ignoring the iPhone besides i still have my SE W850i Walkman Phone. Then i saw this video showing off how the iPhone works… i fell inlove with the gadget at that very moment, became so interested i thought of getting one before the year ends, consider it as a Christmas gift to myself. haha!

This phone must be the greatest invention ever created thanks to Apple and Motorola. And that means.. i need to have one for self gratification.. harhar. Anyway… because i really wanted to get an iPhone.. i started researching the features of this revolutionary phone, aside from its sleek design, the overall look will definitely attract consumers because of its minimalism, the absence of a keypad on its exterior really caught my attention.

Of course the gadget has a 2 megapixel camera (w960i has 3.2MP) . Screen display is almost photorealistic, its 3.5 inch screen (w960i has 2.6) is impressive enough to stimulate my visual cravings. This gadget is one cool item because of its IPOD inclusion (w960i has its Walkman feature). And yeah, don’t forget its touch screen capability, the multi-touch function of the iPhone has broken the barriers between the now and the future. Though there are certain malfunctions and erratic behavior of this new technology, some users will eventually get used to it. Just enjoy the tap, flick, pinch and swipe over the screen and you’re close to getting the mobile of the new century, nah!!!! NOT QUITE!

As beautiful as it may seem… this new gadget is not even close to being the mobile everybody wants. I guess we can’t have them all… here are some points why I shouldn’t buy this gadget:

• No customizable themes, haha… i sometimes want to change the look of my theme… and this is a big deal
• No customizable message alert tone, now where will my “Excuse me sir, you have a tut-tut!” tone go?
• No bluetooth option to share files to other phones, its bluetooth hardware appears to be exclusive for bluetooth headsets only
• No option to forward sms messages. Apple must be kidding me. Fuck!
• Can’t send business cards. What the hell are they thinking?
• Poor battery life, and you can’t replace it. Sad Sad sad!
• No MMS service. Shocked and disappointed!
• Issues on detecting properly entered phone numbers..
• You can’t use your Mp3s as ringtones, you are therefore required to use predefined tones from the mobile. Goodbye Papaya Ringtone. haha!
• Multi-touch feature not consistent at all.

So much for the hype. iPhone is not ready to compete, it’s a waste of money. I’m still buying Sony Ericsson W960i because of its beauty and technology. Believe me, don’t buy this phone! It’s just design and touch screen, nothing more.

First stop. RATATULI. Haha. I just love calling the title of the movie as is. It should be pronounced as rat-a-too-ee at hindi RATATULI. I missed this in the movie house so when the download was available, i wasted no time to get it. If you love cooking, this is a must watch movie. This inspires me more to dream big… and live a greater life.

Annie thought that she accidentally killed Nick, the most loved student in their school… realizing that he was still alive and that she was being stalked by Nick’s .. errr… ghost? Haha… i really don’t understand much of the drama but i liked the film.. much like Sixth Sense.

Anyway.. panalo ung plot ngayon sa Bennets House. Punung-puno ng distrust.. lies and plasticity. The typical setup they deserve. No Hiro subplot? Huwatt? are they freakin’ effin’ me? Pero ok lang.. gusto ko kasi ung powers ng bagong hero eh. Ambilis maka-adapt ng palabas sa TV, ala Matrix.. instant download .. gayang gaya nya.. even better. Sana makapanood sya ng porn.. wahaha.

Below are some screen caps from the last episode, “The Kindness of Strangers.”

Umamin ka Molly.. kilala mo ba talaga si Banker?

Ako si Banker mga ungas!

Are you kidding me? Si Banker ay unano?

Di unano si Banker…

har! har!

Maybe I should celebrate, ‘coz finally i was able to catch a movie again inside a theater. Haha. Got reunited with one of my favorite hang outs since Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Movie. Huwaw! it felt like last year..

I was not really into Zombie movies before, now i’m a big fan! So there, i got interested with the movie (Resident Evil: Extinction) and decided to watch it. Milla Jovovich was the lead with Ali Larter (Nikki/Jessica of Heroes). Natuwa ako because Zombie movie pala ito.. haha… Resident Evil: Extinction boasts its highly extensive stunts, effects and yeah… dead-people-everywhere setting.

So for all you blood thirsty whores out there, don’t fail to watch this one. It’s a treat! Nyahahaha.

So bakit may marathon sa title ko? and because i enjoyed watching the movie.. guess what?… i went out last friday to find other two Resident Evil movies. Di man lang nahirapan.. i found a DVD of the first movie (Resident Evil) and a VCD of the second (Resident Evil: Apocalypse). Ayan tuloy, my weekend was occupied because of those 2 Resident Evil movies. Angas talaga.

The second movie was better compared sa nauna. But the third one is the greatest. I guess there are more sequels coming… angas kasi ng ending.

Ayan… my next assignment is Dawn of the Dead and Night of the Living Dead. I smell blood already.   

This post will end my MALAS MONTH.   

Dobby (applauds his loyalty to Harry Potter) was there till his death… i guess that’s how the author interpreted his character, loyal, protective and loving. Never thought that this house elf could really move me.

STORY TELLING A LIE
The lies of Albus Dumbledore was intricate, didn’t care much of it though. Rowling concentrated on the evil side of Dumbee, too boring if you ask me. Ako na lang sana nagsulat at inilagay ko dun that Dumbledore was a direct descendant of Gryffindor and James Potter is his son, making Harry Potter his grandson, hence his very unique partiality to Potter. Then it stops there.

BELLATRIX

And another revelation. Never really noticed her character (in the book, all i know is she’s very wicked, insanely evil and diabolic) after i saw the 5th movie, i’ve read book 5 but never really cared if she killed Black. Until i saw her character on the big screen, an eccentric woman so offbeat you’d want to fuck her to death, i found my dream girl though i hated her when she tried to kill Potter, and then Book 7, she deserves to die, salamat kay Mrs. Weasley. Imagine Mrs. Weasley, a very perky mom to Ron, so loving to Harry, uttering this: “NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!” haha. May bitch pang nalalaman ampoootahh! Eh ang alam ko lang na kaya nyang gawin eh mag-gantsilyo. Wahaha.

HORCRUX
Harry was a horcrux. Yun lang. The battle at Hogwarts will be a sight to see in the silverscreen… eto talaga ang aabangan ko. That includes the foolish death of Voldemort…

Over-all? the book is full of action.. harry potter fans shouldn’t miss this one. A must read novel.

Tinatamad akong magsulat ng mahaba.. kaya yan na muna.. haha