Farewell, Sensei
If only you knew how much you changed me. Thank you, Direk. MARILOU DIAZ-ABAYA March 30, 1955 – October 8, 2012 Continue reading Farewell, Sensei
Category: Film
“Magic Mike”: Frothy fun, but not much more
Magic Mike D: Steven Soderbergh S: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Cody Horn, Matthew McConaughey RATING We all have our problems, that’s for sure. So, a heavily-chiseled hunk who lives in the lap of faux luxury won’t exactly fit everyone’s “embattled hero” prototype. That’s the challenge at hand for director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Reid Carolin in making Magic Mike. Inspired by Channing Tatum’s brief career as a stripper, this edgy but uneven drama explores the blood, sweat and tears that go with the strip club business. Tatum plays Mike Lane, a wannabe furniture designer by day and a strip dancer … Continue reading “Magic Mike”: Frothy fun, but not much more
The “Rock of Ages” movie: All Swagger, No Soul
ROCK OF AGES D: Adam Shankman S: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Malin Akerman, Paul Giamatti, Brian Cranston To adapt a stage musical into a movie is a Herculean undertaking. It’s not easy to expand what’s originally envisioned for a limited space (that being the stage) into an infinitely broader landscape. Yes, there are successful transitions, like West Side Story (1961) and The Sound of Music (1965), but apart from those aforementioned classics, many musicals flunked in their foray to film. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) was campy, Yentl (1983) was a … Continue reading The “Rock of Ages” movie: All Swagger, No Soul
My Oscar 2012 Wish List
Oscar season is here again, and for the first time ever, I made an effort to watch all the Best Picture nominees before the big day. This also means that, for the first time, I have a clearer idea of who to pick in making my annual Academy Award winners wish list. Of course, the roster of nominees isn’t without its share of eyebrow-raising upsets: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is up for Best Picture and Transformers: Dark of the Moon scored more nominations than Drive and The Ides of March combined. Then again, I’m sure the ceremonies will also have its … Continue reading My Oscar 2012 Wish List
A bemused film snob’s letter to Liz Taylor
Dear Ms. Taylor, I was first introduced to your unspeakable radiance when I was 9. In, of all movies, The Flintstones. Needless to say, the movie was terrible, but you were its only saving grace. You epitomized style and elegance, even in makeshift mammoth fur coats. You had a wattage that could light a thousand towns. It was only when I graduated from Saturday morning cartoons and evolved into the self-confessed film snob that I am when I fully understood why you’re a modern-day legend. You had the qualities and presence of a goddess. You were amazing in A Place in the … Continue reading A bemused film snob’s letter to Liz Taylor
Planet Chuckie 