Dagsin
D: Atom Magadia
S: Tommy Abuel, Lotlot de Leon, Janine Gutierrez, Benjamin Alves, Sue Prado, Marita Zobel, Rolando Inocencio, Alex Diaz
RATING: 
The title of Atom Magadia‘s directorial debut translates to “gravity”. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough of it to pull us in. It opens with Tommy Abuel trying to shoot himself Deer Hunter-style to no avail. With that debilitating image, Dagsin goes off on a promising start but barely takes off.
It’s been a good week for Jun Sabayton. And I’m not only referring to that Cinemalaya plug where he kvetched about the repetitiveness of local mainstream films.
Because of the major shift in our itinerary, we spent the last two days of our trip back in Hanoi. It’s a shame we couldn’t maximize the Halong Bay experience, but then again, there really is no bargaining with Mother Nature. On the bright side: Hooray for refunds and hooray for short-notice vacancies (Hanoi Chic Hotel, we love you already)!
Yes, crazy adjustments had to be made, but it was nothing a serving of spring rolls, stir-fried vermicelli, and a cup of Vietnamese coffee couldn’t fix.
Thanks to our bonus hours, we were allowed more leisure time in the capital:
We had just entered Halong City when our designated guide received a call from their head office. The unexpected inclement weather cast a literal cloud on what was supposedly a three-day cruise. Apparently, this country is immune to weather forecasts. Not wanting to put our four-hour bus ride to waste, our travel group unanimously decided to at least push through with a day trip via Seasun Cruise Ship.
No amount of volatile meteorological developments could stop us from witnessing the hypnotic splendor of Halong Bay!
One thing we learned in our two days here thus far: you don’t just look left and right before crossing the street; you look in all directions while crossing. It’s an essential survival tool, I tell you. Unless, of course, you don’t mind being crushed by a motorbike stampede. It’s a lesson we took to heart yesterday as we ventured outside the Old Quarter on foot.
Later that afternoon, we availed of the Hanoi Cyclo City Tour we pre-arranged with Viator for $81/PHP3763.64. The package includes a cyclo ride around the vicinity of Hoan Kiem Lake and culminates with a viewing of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater show.
This is the Hoan Kiem District of Hanoi, more popularly known as the Old Quarter. Located near the Hoan Kiem Lake, it’s considered the commercial heart of Vietnam‘s capital, as well as its tourism hub.
Such was my friend Jaja’s anticipation for this trip, she came up with the hashtag #BETNam2016 (LOL).
I spent my last few hours in Baler exploring a fragment of film history. This was where portions of Francis Ford Coppola‘s Apocalypse Now (1979) were filmed. And while majority of the film’s sequences were shot in Pagsanjan, it was in this very town where they did this iconic scene with Robert Duvall:
Production was marred by several delays: The set was ravaged by a typhoon, Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack, and Marlon Brando‘s eccentric behavior drove Coppola nuts, just to cite a few unfortunate incidents. Fortunately, the film did go on racking up several accolades, including Oscars for Cinematography and Sound Editing. More importantly, it’s now considered as one of the quintessential Vietnam War movies. But for the then-untapped town of Baler, Apocalypse Now‘s legacy transcends the realm of cinema.
I stepped out of the hotel room that morning to find evidence of heavy downpour. Somehow, I forgot about Baler‘s susceptibility to bad weather – with its proximity to the Pacific and all that. Good thing the sun was kind enough to show up. We only had that day to sample Aurora‘s natural wonders.
Since it was everybody’s first time in the region, we hired a tour guide to show us around. Our first stop: the majestic Ditumabo Mother Falls
Prior to Holy Week this year, I never imagined myself getting this fixated with Baler. I mean, I’m no surfer. I don’t think I’ll develop the coordination and balance for that activity anytime soon (LOL). Luckily, it took an out-of-whim trip for me to realize that it’s more than a surfing Mecca.
My appetite for ice cream can be described as seasonal. I don’t always crave it; but on blistering hot summer days such as these, it becomes a near-essential. That is why the soft opening of Coolato Artisan Gelato in SM BF Parañaque couldn’t be more opportune.
Ang Taba Ko Kasi
D: Jason Paul Laxamana
S: Cai Cortez, Ryan Yllana, Mark Neumann
RATING: 
No other CineFilipino 2016 finalist enjoyed more pre-festival hype than Jason Paul Laxamana‘s Ang Taba Ko Kasi. The teasers were intriguing, the memes were hilarious, and its Facebook page amassed more than 73,000 fans. Those fans likely cried foul when the trailer was slammed with an “X” rating. Couple that hype with widely relatable subject matters like weight struggle and unrequited love and we’ve got ourselves a potential sentimental favorite. Now, if only the follow-through was as heavy.
As expected, Chris Rock took no prisoners in addressing the #OscarsSoWhite controversy surrounding this year’s Academy Awards. “Is Hollywood racist? You’re damn right it’s racist!”, he said at the beginning of his epic introductory monologue. Just like any other Oscar host before him, Rock also had spotty moments: The jabs at Will and Jada went a tad too far, the girl scout cookie bit was borderline NPH’s prediction box gag, and don’t get me started on Stacey Dash. But overall, the ceremony benefitted from Rock’s energy and I won’t mind seeing him host again in the future.
Here are the rest of my 2016 Oscar highlights:
The 88th Annual Academy Awards is less than 24 hours away, but it already made history early this year – for the wrong reasons. For the second year in a row, not a single person of color was nominated in the acting categories, leading to boycotts from Spike Lee, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and many more. The outrage also fuelled the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, further prompting the Academy to mull over major changes. Whether or not these will address and eventually rectify the diversity issue, only time will tell.
Despite the uproar, comedian Chris Rock decided to push through with his hosting duties anyway. This marks his return to the Oscars stage after 11 years. And judging from his opening monologue from the 2005 ceremonies (where he relished the presence of 4 black nominees), he will not mince words:
So, expect tomorrow to be full of snide references.
But for now, here are my picks:
I haven’t completely processed the turn of events at the recent Rebel Heart Tour in Manila. So before I whip up a more proper review, here’s how I stack up the Queen of Pop‘s discography. Note that this excludes compilations and pseudo-soundtracks.
Continue reading “Madonna’s Studio Albums: A Personal Ranking”
We can’t totally fault this year’s Grammys for being so melancholic. After all, we lost an unsettling number of music legends over the past few weeks and I’ve never written the word “tribute” so many times before in one entry. But then, how do they account for the sappy ballad overload they subjected us to in the first hour? Did those performances really have to be so dreary?
There were exciting moments, of course. Aside from certain performances, most of the drama actually happened backstage – like Rihanna cancelling her performance due to laryngitis, Gwen Stefani attempting a guerilla shoot, and Lauryn Hill arriving late for her duet with The Weeknd (Don’t worry. He nailed it solo anyway).
But overall, the vibe really was atypical of “music’s biggest night”. As much as we want to stretch our understanding (given the somber circumstances), we hope they break away from this spell next year.
Here are some noteworthy highlights from the 2016 Grammys:
Continue reading “In Case You Missed the Grammys: 16 Higlights”
Last Wednesday (February 10), I was invited to the premiere of the digitally-restored Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising by Mike de Leon. Originally released in 1977, this poignant and exquisitely filmed romance starred Christopher de Leon and Hilda Koronel – back when cinematic love tandems didn’t have amalgamated names. It was shot mostly in Baguio City and Sagada. (Sorry, Tadhana fans: No cliff theatrics here.) As part of this year’s REELive the Classics line-up, the remastered KMKM boasts a revitalized color palette, clearer cinematography, and a reinstated soundtrack, among other things. Not all retouches work (the restored music was too loud, sadly), but all … Continue reading “Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising”: A Dream Revisited
As expected, Pia Wurtzbach’s Grand Homecoming Special was a thinly disguised Kapamilya affair. Xian Lim took on hosting duties and Dyan Castillejo was the de facto co-host. There was a Boy Abunda segment halfway through and shoehorned video shout-outs by LizQuen and KathNiel. The musical intermissions were serviceable, though Jed Madela‘s bit could have been interspersed with more Pia snippets. The show’s about her, after all.
Continue reading “Recap: Pia Wurtzbach’s Grand Homecoming Special”
The Big Short
D: Adam McKay
S: Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt
RATING:
It sounds like a tall order: Adam McKay, a frequent Will Ferrell collaborator and the goofball force behind Anchorman, taking on what was once considered the economic equivalent of the Apocalypse. But in case you missed it, he delivers in The Big Short.
Much as the midnight downpour is making me feel like I didn’t leave home, I’m glad to report that this trip did kick off on a positive Note. And yes, I intentionally capitalized the last word of the previous sentence because it happens to be the name of my gracious host. I first met Note three years ago, when she visited the Philippines and we took her to see Tagaytay. Fast forward to 2015 (specifically, earlier this morning), she wasted no time getting in touch with me just hours after my arrival. “I’m picking you up within an hour. Wear long pants and shoes”, she instructed via wonky Facebook call. Being a first-timer in the city, I promptly obliged.
++++++++++
Note arrived about half an hour later. As I stepped out of the elevator, she greeted me with a warm-hearted chuckle. “OK, so maybe you took it a bit too seriously”, she said, alluding that I was a tad overdressed. “I just wanted to be sure”, I replied, returning the chuckle. I boarded her car and met her sister Nham, whom she spoke lavishly about back in 2012. Soon, we were off to brunch. “The place we’re taking you is very, very far from your hotel”, Note quipped as she turned at Soi Ruam Ruedi. It was a joke, as it turns out: Baan Glom Gig is only a quick stroll away from Chateau de Bangkok. Upon settling down, I further got acquainted with Nham over duck curry, omelette and rice cakes. Suffice to say, it was a hearty gastronomic welcome.
I accompanied the sisters over a quick errand. After which, Note whisked me off to Phra Nakhon (sans Nham) to see one of Bangkok’s most iconic landmarks: The Grand Palace.
Continue reading “The Great Bangkok Binge-Walk, Day One: A Glimpse of The Grand Palace”
Planet Chuckie 