Manila Bulletin Newsroom

There we stood like little tykes, completely and utterly oblivious as we enter another realm that may seem to strike familiarity but still, quite new to us. Like intimidated kids, we tried to stick as closely as possible to our guide—our esteemed professor aka. the Technews editor of the Manila Bulletin.

Everybody was on the go in the editorial section of MB; we were cautious so as not to interfere with the work process of the editors. We were asked to observe inside the newsroom. I actually had no idea at the time how a broadsheet was created. All newspapers start with a dummy. The dummy comes from the advertising department, and then it goes to the editorial department for printing.

The editorial department has a variety of sections from business agenda, business, universities, to motoring, sports. The managing editor, Fil Sionil, is the one holding the reigns. She does not spend her time sitting behind the desk; she walks around and supervises the section editors… or everyone actually.  

The editors decide on which stories to include in a newspaper. Each editor is assigned to a particular page and then they edit it and save their file or “slugs” with a specific file name in the network computer, and then they send it to the layout artists. The managing editor also sends slugs and floaters to the layout artists.

Apparently, the layout department is said to be at the bottom of the ladder, but perhaps what Konstantin Stanislavsky once said, “there are no small parts, only small actors”, may be applicable to this situation in a media-profession sense. Most big shots start off at rock bottom and later on climb their way to a Mount Everest of fortune—one that is every greedy person’s dream.

So the layout department hands over the dummy to the proofreaders, which is delivered by the copy boy. After proofreading, it is returned to the layout artist once more to do a negative, which would only take about five minutes and then it’s off to the printers. At times, the chief photographer would discuss with a specific layout artist on which photo would be used for the front page. The layout artists also decide which sentences to cut out, if the exceeding sentences are few; should the exceeding sentences be many, the slug will be sent to the editor and s/he will be the one to revise.

Since the dawn of technology, the newsroom of today differs greatly from the times before. The technologies used in newsrooms today are television and internet radio for monitoring news. Wire stories are bought from Reuters, AFP (Agence France-Presse), AP (Associated Press), and etc. through the internet. High-technology printers are also of great use to the newsroom. Cameras like Nikon D7000 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II put cameras like Thornton Pickard single lens reflex camera and Sanderson hand/stand bellows camera to shame. Cellular phones are now also used to transmit news stories to editors. Phones that have internet like Blackberry or Android phones are what many journalists are currently using. Reporters also send their news stories through email (electronic mail) via internet.

Where have all the typesetters gone? Back then, newsrooms are usually a noisy place, we were expecting that when we were about to enter the editorial section. It was surprising that the room was quiet; the editors rarely spoke with each other because they exchange or send their slugs by saving them in their computer network. Technology was definitely an influential aid to the media. A news report on a press conference is done even before the actual press con is to finish. Nowadays, news travel faster than a bullet train does. 

Technology

June 17, 2011

Back in the olden days, one has to wonder how life was. Yes, it was much simpler and more primitive back then, but it also had a more arduous lifestyle than the one we have today. Science is such a gift to us; it leads us to numerous inventions and discoveries that were supposedly impossible. Over the past centuries, mankind has paved the way to another realm that welcomes the new age of innovation and thus, it was the commencement of technology.

Technology surrounds us; it is what functions the modern world today. The objective of modern technology is primarily for convenience. It is human nature and common sense to prefer to do things at the easiest way. By the advancement of technology, working is a breeze now. The invention of the internet is the biggest breakthrough yet. There are computers, laptops, and now tablets. These gadgets get smaller and thinner every year. Radios and telephones were also huge hits. And then cellular phones also came along, that was a massive leap forward. Global communication is now at the tip of one’s thumb or fingers, whichever you are used to.

Automobiles have also advanced throughout the years. Hybrid cars are created for the people who are environmentally concerned. Most cars today have a GPS (Global Positioning System) installed; drivers can now have a sketch map or directions on which route to take.  

Education also took a whopping step forward. New learning and teaching methods are created through technology. And with the internet, there are online examinations that have an easier scoring system. There are also online lessons for students who are less-privileged but are yearning for education. Online language courses are also offered for anyone who is interested to learn foreign languages.  

There are also other aspects wherein technology is of great help. Take health care for instance, many illnesses and diseases can now be cured or at least, prevented. And for the vanity of some people, there is now such a thing called plastic surgery. Sometimes one has to wonder though if a person is naturally aesthetically-blessed or if s/he turns out to be artificially revamped. But the important thing is that the person is happy with plastic surgery, thanks to modern technology.

Countries all around the globe have also benefited through the advancement of modern technology. More army aircrafts, vessels and weapons like firearms and missiles are invented for the defense system of each country. Nuclear power has also been upgraded and improved over the years. These inventions can be dangerous should they be in the wrong hands; citizens should elect their presidents or rulers wisely.

Humanity is now expected to continue the development of modern technology for countless benefits. Who knows, many years from now, we might have hover cars that ride on a cushion of air. 

X-Men: First Class

June 7, 2011

The best out of all the X-Men franchises I would boldly say, Matthew Vaughn intensified the blaze into a wildfire that was long extinguished a few years ago. Aptly fast-paced and rich in meaningful, significant stories, it is unlike the other tedious Marvel comic-book movies. Even though its plot is a far cry from the original Marvel story (which usually transpires in all comic-book derived flicks), writers Matthew Vaughn, Sheldon Turner, Jane Goldman, Bryan Singer (director of the first X-Men film), Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz (both writers of Thor) manage to suck the utmost attention of the audience into their fascinating version of the origin of the mutants and also strived to even have a slight connection to Bryan Singer’s past three X-Men films.

“First Class” starts off in Auschwitz, similar to Bryan Singer’s back in 2000, where young Erik Lehnsherr (later known as Magneto) is forcibly separated from his parents. His magnetic power becomes the interest of Klaus Schmidt/ Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who unmercifully shoots the young boy’s mother, triggering him to unleash his stupendous power and live on with vengeance and anger. Set in the 1960s, a now grown Erik hunts for Shaw and eventually come across him in his yacht, alongside the very sexy Emma Frost (January Jones), a telepath that can metamorphose into a diamond-coated mutant.

James McAvoy, who starred in “Atonement” and “The Last King of Scotland”, appealed the viewers as he captures the actuality of the outstanding knowledge and immense sympathy to humans of his character. The film also shows how he soon after becomes Professor X, and transforms his Westchester mansion of a home into a “school for gifted youngsters.”  Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) turns out to be the adoptive sister of Charles when she trespasses into his mansion years ago. She appears to be an insecure young lady, but all the while her lust is rather obvious, even before she develops into the confident, seductive, shape-shifting Mystique. Both Charles and Raven are soon recruited by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), and later on recruits Erik as well, to assist in the search for more mutants. Michael Fassbender, who appeared in “Inglorious Basterds”, portrays the grown Erik Lehnsherr fittingly as he exhibits the agony within his character and the merciless attitude that harnesses his power into the ultimate weapon of annihilation-- depicting the absolute fearlessness of the legendary Magneto.

Vaughn whisks the viewers away into excitement as the movie circles around the globe: Poland, England, Geneva, New York, Las Vegas, Argentina, Moscow, and Washington D.C. He also introduces more mutants along the way, which add a variety of colors to the characters of the film. Each of these young mutants is recruited by Charles and Erik. Mutants like Beast, Banshee, Darwin, and Havok, who interestingly is the brother of Scott Summers/Cyclops, surface and add a tad of youthful energy into the intensely thrilling film. Hot young stars like Caleb Landry Jones and Lucas Till who appeared in teen hit series like Friday Night Lights and dare I say the unspeakable without nausea, Hannah Montana movie, seem to help on appealing the teen target market. Also, Zoe, the daughter of famous rock singer Lenny Kravitz, is pursuing her acting career (and not her music roots) as she plays a mutant with innate wings named Angel.

But out of all the mutants that Charles and Erik approached to recruit, it is a very well-known X-Man that strikes the most. Hugh Jackman did the shortest, greatest cameo appearance when he appears as Logan/Wolverine in his character’s usual bar scene.

So the real deal is that Charles and Erik have united to form a mutant army (even if it’s a small one, considering how little they recruit in their limited time) to bring to an end the nuclear war and the plan to eradicate the face of humanity, by battling with the other mutants that is led by Shaw. Fortunately, the empirical war that the writers chose is an interesting one. It’s funny and rather absurd though, that the Cuban missile crisis is actually contrived by mutants. But then again, all first-rate superhero films should deliver an impressive fight sequence that comes with a good war chronicle.

Now that we have seen X-Men: First Class, and have rated it, well, first-class, upcoming comic-book movies should manage to meet or perhaps even exceed the level of superiority of this film. Cross out Green Lantern though because as entertaining as it may be, it seems like a popcorn movie. Captain America, on the other hand, looks promising.

Black Friday

May 13, 2011

The most epic fail of all bad songs to ever disgrace the music industry—it all started with a tween wannabe who, and I quote, “just want to be able to keep doing what I love, which is singing”.

 So when did singing sound like people stepping on tails of sixteen cats? Despite her severely auto-tuned voice, Rebecca Black is now hailed as “the worst singer in the world”. Her debut single “Friday”, which is a pathetic excuse for a song, was not entirely her fault. The song was written by ARK music factory, a Los Angeles video company that is now degradingly famous for the song that is dubbed as “the worst song ever” which has been ruthlessly degutted with unpleasant criticisms worldwide over the internet.

 Black made her entrance on February 10, 2011 when the music video of Friday was uploaded on YouTube. The writers of the song also produced the video, which was shot in her home on the first few parts of it. It was not until a month after its release that the video became viral when “The Daily What” posted it on their website. 

 Days after The Daily What posted it, the video spread like wildfire as the views escalated to thousands each day. Hateful comments poured in, and then there were also death threats, which did alarm the family. Rebecca should have killed her music career; couldn’t she take a hint? Never in my life have I seen so many haters, not since Miley Cyrus sang the Nirvana classic “Smells like teen spirit”, which created an uproar within thousands of loyal fans of grunge rock. But wait, this Rebecca Black hate parade is worldwide; it is a million times worse than the reaction of Miley’s cover of the Nirvana song.

 So is “Friday” all that bad? Or perhaps Rebecca Black only made it sound worse? Her voice seems to have a distinct nasal quality that many have find very piercing. The exceptionally stupid and mindless lyrics also played a huge factor to have bagged the title as the worst song ever as it is about a tween getting ready for the weekend. Does she really need to educate everybody about the order of the days of the week? Does she really need to tell everyone about her brainless, pointless choice on which seat should she take? Millions of cyber commentators have made fun of the dim-witted lyrics and song title and dubbed it as “Fried Egg” because they both sound similar.

 What about the video? Where do I even begin? There are already many parodies of the video, with a picture of a fried egg included in those several clips. The singer seemed to be like some preppy, trust fund brat that wrote random, senseless lyrics and whined to her mommy about it just so she could have a music video. And what better way to popularize a horrific song than by matching it with an agonizingly dreadful video? There’s just something deeply annoying about Rebecca Black’s face, especially when she opens her mouth and sings the part “Friday, Friday” and “Weekend, weekend”. It cries out for an instant face punch or bitch slap, whichever works for you. She has this anti-charismatic appeal that drives you to want her to STFU.  And then there’s this awkward dancing girl in her video. Who the heck is she and why does she dance like she’s in excruciating pain? Or perhaps she wanted to take a shit at that moment?  

 Just weeks after her viral hit, she has signed a record deal and is planning on making a full album. What has happened to the music industry today? This is an abomination. Word is, her next single’s going to be entitled “LOL”. Can anybody please make her stop for the sake of the world’s sanity?

 If the popularity of Rebecca Black continues to stay in the game for years to come, let’s just hope the 13-year-old would not turn out to be another Miley Cyrus-- a ‘Disney Gone Bad’ that does pole dancing and smokes Salvia bong. If there’s one thing worse than a terrible singer, it’s a troubled, wild, attention-seeking one that surfaces everywhere on magazines with stripper-ish photos. 

Seoul Searching

October 3, 2010

        

                We were virgins—pristine, naïve, clueless, and a little scared, but the crippling sense of stimulating heat took control over our mind and body. Our senses were tingling from anxiousness. It was our first time, indeed, to go to a winter wonderland. 

                        The very moment we stepped on the sub-zero land of South Korea, my friend and I had immediately felt the Seoul winter chill creeping down our shivered spine. It was on the 26^th of December 2009 and the temperature was a frostbiting negative five. 

                        Having to visit a foreign country once again after thirteen friggin years got my excitement level jumping up and down like a teenage boy in heat. The garments I brought were not exactly arctic gear material. My coat was for autumn and the boots I bought were not snow-proof—they were suede. The amount of money that I had was the one that cajoled me to think that I can survive the unforgiving North Pole weather.

                        It was a group trip; we had three buses for everyone of us. We also had our own Korean tour guide in each of our heated buses to tell us all about the capital of South Korea. 

                        Dining in Korea for the first time is a tad difficult if there are no spoon and fork condiments. Their chopsticks are made of metal; they’re really thin, flat, and slippery to use. We found them tricky to grip even if we knew how to use the Chinese ones. Despite the arduous struggle with their chopsticks, we still managed to ravenously chow down the piquant dishes and steaming hot soups to heat up our quivering, near-frozen bodies. 

                        Breakfast at the Co-Ex hotel in Seoul would be dreamy. There’s nothing like a divine buffet to wake up to and start our day with. There was a wide selection of bread from bagels, baguettes, to croissants. Two to three different soups were prepared to awaken our heavy-eyed senses. There was an array of American breakfast meal that consisted of deep-fried crispy bacon, creamy scrambled eggs, and succulent American sausages. There was also a set of Korean grub that was laid out such as Kimchi, which was their most prized dish. Desserts that were offered were cakes, French pastries, fresh fruits, and strawberry or blueberry yogurts. To wash it all down, there were orange and grapefruit juices and hot coffee to compliment our palatable breakfast.

                         Strolling along the sidewalks of Seoul was tough during winter. The roads were slippery and we would definitely freeze to death because we were used to a tropical climate. I could only look at the snowy Seoul from the bus or in our hotel window. Everything was dressed in white. The sidewalks, the trees, the buildings, and the cars were covered with the wintry frost that resembled champagne powder. Every detail of this immaculate scenery was picturesque. 

                        In one of our trips, we were taken to the far side of Seoul to go skiing. It was a blue bird day as we were taken to a ski resort. We rented ski suits that are very thick and boy, were the skis heavy! 

The ski resort was packed with a whole lot of skiers on the slope that kind of looked like ants climbing up and down the anthills. Our group went to the beginner’s slope, since we were all first timers. 

                        As I walked step by step, I found it grueling dragging my feet that were attached to the heavy skis. My friend, who was quite an athlete, was already gracefully skiing her way, easily learning the sport by herself. I suddenly felt the need to at least know how to move so I wouldn’t be left out and have “loser” stamped on my forehead. I tried my hardest to summon any muscles and strength (if there were any) in my feeble physique. Finally, after much exertion of pushing with my arms, I had managed to budge inch by inch. 

                       Seeing how pathetic I seemed to be, a companion in our group helped me and slowly pushed me down the small slope to let me experience downhill skiing. As I skied, I felt the cool zephyr rushing through every bit of my body and blowing me away. The chill was absolutely invigorating. Seeming to think that I knew how to ski already, I wanted to challenge myself to a higher slope. So, I left my group and went alone as I slowly dragged my feet to the other side of the resort.

                       A sea of unfamiliar faces was on the other side. The slope was indeed, higher than the bunny slope that our group was stationed at. As I readied myself for the higher slope, all I could think of was “let’s freaking do this!” 

                       As I skied down the icy hill, the nippy gush of wind gave me a thrill that I never have felt before. For one brief moment, I felt very much alive than ever! And in a blink of an eye, my excitement instantly turned into nerves as I didn’t know how to stop. Finally, two Koreans made me come to a complete halt as I bumped into them and fell down with my derrière on the snowy, wet ground. I did let out a mere “sorry” to the two Koreans but they simply shrugged and went away, leaving me on the ground-- helpless beyond belief. 

                        I waited for a kind stranger to come to my aid as I sat on the damp ground with my face exhibiting seven shades of red. Much to my dismay, nobody even bothered to look at me. I immediately felt eruptive rage to the entire Korean race and at the same time, I was wallowing in complete and utter humiliation as I felt trapped into an abyss of shame. A few minutes later to what it seemed like a thousand years, my friend spotted me and helped me get up back to the surface. 

                        Despite my impression that the inhabitants of South Korea were self-absorbed, snobby and weren’t ready to give a hand to people in distress, my experience was worth it. I had finally gotten out of the Philippines even for just a bit. I got to come into contact with snow even if my body did not have the fortitude to make snowballs, let alone snow angels due to the harsh iciness. I even got to live through a negative seven temperature that seemed like a freezing point by the near end of our journey. My soul was finally unearthed within me; I had felt rejuvenated once again from this much-needed trip. 

                        Skiing was the cherry on top in my Korea tour. The fall I came across did not hurt me at all; in fact, it taught me to ameliorate in the sport. I would go back to Seoul if given the chance, but only because of skiing. It is after all, the nearest country that has ski resorts. The revitalizing sensation from the sport got me wanting more of it like a cannabis drug that takes you deep into the depths of felicity and making it your oasis, your own little world.

Below are a few more of the many photos from our trip. Till then!

The Lake House

Sept. 8, 2010

“The Lake House” exhibits how time is not to be frittered away on the fleeting and meaningless perplexities of life. It is about two lovers who are kept apart by a time-space continuum that was never explained. There were a lot of ambiguities in this highly-concentrated romance flick. 

Alex, the male lead who is starred by Keanu Reeves, is living his life in 2004, while Kate, played by Sandra Bullock, is in 2006. The two, separated lovers exchange letters in the mailbox at the lake house that they both live in different years. The two of them meet when Alex moves into the lake house that is actually owned by Kate in 2006, which is at the same time as Alex’s in 2004. A letter from Kate is inside the mailbox when Alex checks it, and that’s how they start to converse with each other. 

Each time a letter is inserted in the mailbox, a tiny red flag would amazingly raise and descend. This is one of the mysteries in the movie that leaves the audience with befuddlement. Another odd part was the fact that Alex and Kate have the same dog in their cabalistic time loop. There apparently is no logic in the film. The romance is what keeps the viewers distracted from the absurdity; it takes them at the edge of their seats as they hope for the two love birds would soon cross paths. 

There is such an awaited happenstance where Alex did get to meet Kate—alas, it is the Kate of 2004. This Kate does not know Alex yet, but they do share a kiss that gave the audience to count on more of it.

MMA in the Philippines

People have engaged in mortal combat long before the inception of the sport itself. It is a technical test of a man’s rapidity, might, endurance, sharpness of the mind and body, limberness, and rhythm of movements. Mixed martial arts has become a massive trend in America for a long time now because of its rawness-- pure and simple.  It is the explosive combination of both boxing and professional wrestling, and so much more. 

Mixed martial arts in the Philippines is trapped in a continuous stage of progress. Boxing is still the nation’s pride and joy. One can indubitably hear the names “Pacquiao, Manny, or Pacman” just about everywhere in the Philippines. Only in the metropolitan would the names “George St. Pierre, Randy Couture, or Anderson Silva” be heard… and these MMA fighters are not even Filipinos. The Philippines still does not have a mixed martial arts fighter that is as stupendous and famous as Manny Pacquiao and that is why MMA is not a popular sport here. The closest thing the country has is Brandon Vera from UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), but only a small number of Filipinos has even heard of him. 

One of the topmost leagues here is the URCC (Universal Reality Combat Championship) that has been going for almost eight years now and it has not surfaced to be a Filipino craze yet. The athletes are not the ones to be blamed for in this situation. In fact, there are numerous unheard talents that had won Sanshou gold medals in the 25^th Southeast Asian Games in Laos. Team Lakay (Lakay MMA Tap Team Incorporated), a four year old, well-known group in the little world of Philippine MMA, has an outstanding record of wins, including the sea games. Team Lakay is based in Baguio City and has contended and won in several competitions including in the URCC. Where were the adoring Filipino supporters when needed?

Filipinos who engage in mixed martial arts are the ones who have the extra time and ready money to watch MMA events and enroll in a MMA gym. Dearth of affluence is one of the impediments of the country; the masses cannot get involved with the sport because of it.

Mixed martial arts can be just as colossal as it is in other countries. If it only had more support and funds, perhaps some of the deserving contenders can be in the big leagues.

Cinema Paradiso

September 2010

Having to see "Cinema Paradiso" is much like rekindling an old flame-- mostly a reminiscence of our pristine bygones when we used to gaze at even the most meretricious things as if they were all glistening gems. This motion picture captures the heart of its audience, more than ever to the avid aficionados of film. "Cinema Paradiso" reveals about a man's affinity with movies as his only  joie de vivre, his beloved.

The movie is unfolded with flashbacks that channel the viewers back to the years of the near end of World War 2 in Sicily, Italy. In the pastoral town of Giancaldo lies a small, old theater called Cinema Paradiso which became a red herring or respite during the war time. The protagonist of the story, Salvatore Di Vitto or "Toto", was ravished by the enchantment of movies and the mystery of how debauched a simple kiss would be.

At a young age, Toto went to the theater time and again like it was a magnetic force that pulls him in this magical vortex of silver screens. He still persisted to go to the movie house even after he was proscribed by his mother when she found out that he had spent their milk money to catch a show. He once tried to get a sneak peek of lip locking footage when the movies were being screened by the order of Father Adelfio. The decadent scenes were usually snipped out of the film by Alfredo, the projectionist.

Night by night, Toto would be astonished with eyes that sparkled with fascination as he submissively marveled how Alfredo operates the machine. The boy seemed to deem of Alfredo as his father since his real one had vanished into the throes of war. All through the years that the two had spent in their dearly loved home away from home, Alfredo bestowed his hard-earned knowledge and paternal guidance to what he already regarded as his son.

The theater was more often than not packed with eager customers, some were regular movie goers. There was not any etiquette to comply in that time of cinematic experience. Anything can be done in the murkiness of the cinema. There were smoking of cigarettes and drinking of vino, spitting each time a show ended, stomping of feet, breastfeeding of babies, jerking off in one whole row, and carnal romancing as slightly prurient footage could give explosive titillation to the wanton-deprived, hot-blooded citizens.

The flick strikes a chord with butterflies that we get when we experience first love--simple, majestic, feels like on top of the world kind. It also awakens the memory of the first aching heartbreak and that the past will keep haunting like apprized remorse.  

Giuseppe Tornatore educes the effervescence of the people as the film celebrates the luster that youth and classic age brings, and how love was found and lost. The exquisite montage of kissing scenes that were edited out from the movie screening had been bequeathed to the grown up Salvatore by Alfredo. The montage conists of absolutely the most delightful collection of kisses over the years. The simple but grandiose moments of the film can soften even the hardest heart as it lay bare how elusive life and love can be. "Cinema Paradiso" is like an old vino that is bitter when tasted at first, but gets sweeter as it sinks into you.

National Sentiment

May 2009

National Sentiment during Rizal's time and the present.


Every country’s amelioration depends on the submission of every individual. The colonization of the Spaniards was effortlessly consummated due to the incongruousness of the pursuit of the Indios. Instead of having a communal objective for the ultimate headway of the country, most of the individuals had their own self-interests; thus consolidating the Filipinos seemed beyond belief. Surely if the Filipinos had not deviated from their quotidian affairs, competing against the Spaniards would be a one-sided affair. 


One of the characters’ notions and traits in Rizal’s novel, Dona Victorina, was an example of an infirmity of some Filipinos. It was also partly the fault of the Indios for having a colonial mentality. The Filipino public who were (and still are) credulous were at fault for recklessly embracing the foistering of foreign culture and traditions. Another example of a fault of the Filipinos was the personal target mark of Senor Pasta from Rizal’s “El Filibusterismo” novel. How can the Philippines rise from the quagmire when the society itself was apathetic, the Filipino professionals aimed only for the bottom line, and friars that seeked only to perpetuate themselves and their ill-gained profits? 


Rizal’s ideas had pointed out that Filipinos had a dearth of national sentiment. The fundamentals of a revolution based on Rizal’s concept was that it should acquire educational training and national sentiment. Some of the masses repudiated education as one of the indispensable factors to engender a revolution because many of them had not given the opportunity to have one. Seeing that attaining an education was indomitable for the masses, they opted to go on with the revolution due to the fact that they didn’t have much of a choice. They had little to fathom the means of arousing a revolution. It was the subversiveness of the Filipinos that incited it. Did they have national sentiment? Yes, they finally had it. One of the feeblenesses of the Filipinos was that they were very much tolerant (and still are) to the point that they were likely to be abused to the extent. Filipinos always have to wait until the last minute, or in this case, the last straw until they finally get their act together. 


The Philippines was once in the throes of the nefarious clutches of the unjust Spanish rulers. The revolution was auspicious at that time and they had halcyon years afterwards; having said that, does history repeat itself? The Philippines is always dependent to other foreign countries that she always juxtaposes herself to them. The downbeat of it is that the gullibility of the Filipinos causes themselves to get duped instead of having a reciprocative relationship. A gander at the Philippines today: Filipinos in toto, are still in a demeaning situation wherein they have to play second fiddle to the foreigners and losing billions to the perennial pandemic of pork barrel politics. But I digress.

Surrogates

October 2009

A cross between the stoically painted “Sims” livelihood and a disastrous subversion from “The Terminator”, we get: Surrogates. This sci-fi flick shows a seemingly perfect but vapid world filled with flawlessly soignée robots that are vicariously living the daily quotidian affairs of their owners. These synthetic humans are neurally controlled by their couch potato human counterparts in the comforts of their own home. The dreams of every homosexual and dare I say, people with flaw-stricken appearances come true in this shallow and synthetic surrogated society where everybody looked like they stepped out of a GQ or Sports Illustrated Magazine.

Jonathan Mostow speculatively elicited a microcosm of the society itself of today’s time. The juxtaposition between the eerie but plausible Surrogates and the formidable Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines has certain commonness since they are both directed by Mostow. Starrer Bruce Willis plays as a flawless yet apathetic looking agent Tom Greer and partnered with an also perfectly exquisite looking woman with porcelain skin in the light of day. Rosamund Pike portrays as Maggie, Willis’ significant other that is surrogate-addicted and works as a hairdresser applying touch ups to the overly maintained facades of the surros.

The movie’s tone educes thraldom to the overreliance with machines. Mostow reminded me somehow of our pervious world. Indomitable discoveries have inundated our society as science continues to grow rapidly. Mankind has always brought forth the ameliorations of different gizmos and gadgets and have continued to build useful machines that are beneficial to our labor and lifestyle and thus, make Surrogates the product of the feasible upshot of technology.

Surely we expect a Bruce Willis movie to be an action-packed, adrenaline rushed, clock ticking suspense flick and Surrogates managed to promise the anticipations within a breezy 88 minutes.

Certified Shop-a-whoa!-lic

February 2009

"You know that thing when you see someone cute and he smiles and your heart kind of goes like warm butter sliding down hot toast? Well that's what it's like when I see a store. Only it's better."

-When Rebecca Bloomwood, the main character in "Confessions of a Shopaholic", said that statement, it was nice to know that I wasn't alone. At first glance of the movie trailer, it was like a sweet sale item that compelled me by its enticing, flavorful, delectable treat that I wanted a bite out of because I, too, am a shopaholic.  

“Confessions of a Shopaholic” is like a mannequin dressed up in a Valentino dress, accented with a Chanel Belt, standing tall with Gucci boots, and a Ferragamo bag to attract you into stepping into the store. Isla Fisher played her character, Rebecca Bloomwood, so well and she executed her physical comedy scenes quite rollicking. Rebecca Bloomwood is a journalist who's an impulse buyer that faces a huge debt because of her compulsive shopping. I was amused by the hilariousness of the movie all throughout. 

From the Christian Louboutin slingbacks, Mark Jacobs jacket, Zac Posen dress, a Miu Miu skirt, and Gucci bag, I give two thumbs up for Patricia Fields! Once again, the designer for "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Sex and the City" movie successfully enveloped the entire movie with glamorous, eye candy, high fashion clothes and accessories in the dull, gray-ish New York City. Rebecca Bloomwood was clothed with bright, attractive colors that showed her vivacious personality.

Is there love in store for Rebecca Bloomwood? She is being linked with a business journalist, Luke Brandon. The Armani and the Prada suave of Hugh Dancy's character, Luke Brandon, seems to lure Rebecca Bloomwood into him.

Ironic isn't it, to have a movie like this in this time of economy recession. Despite the staggering credit card debts by reckless shopping, Sophie Kinsella's "Confessions of a Shopaholic" sashays its way down the catwalk to strike a pose and kill the lights!