(500) days of summer

The good thing about going into a movie blind is that you will be pleasantly (or horribly) surprised of how it will turn out.

I expected 500 days of summer to be a movie to be about some time frame during summer months. As it turns out it is about Summer, the female protagonist in the story.

I am a self confessed sucker for romantic comedies. Jennifer Aniston's, Hugh Grant's, Sandra Bullock's... seen it all. So a movie with Zooey Deschanel, the ultimate romantic comedy female sidekick, and cobra commander Joseph Gordon Levitt (also of 10 things I hate about you, see I told you), did not make me think twice about opening the torrent file.

Told in a non-linear style, the movie sets its sight on young lovers who would come to terms on their relationship's status, direction and identity. This eventually leads to them parting ways and from there, the story takes in full view of one of the lover's misery, coping, and acceptance of the trials and tribulations of every lover's glorification of destiny, true love and all the other myths that comes with it.

While the movie's sole fault might be repetitive cliches on the broad and over indulged subject of true love, the message comes across that people might just be wrong about the right one for them. This movie just all the more makes each of us feel silly that once in our lives we tried to let our emotions get the better of us. We allowed our skewed feelings feel so right that it ruined eveything in us..

All in all it is good to find a romantic flick that doesn't scream cheesy, or another Jennifer Aniston vehicle whose tires are all but worn, or formulaic approach to a genre which has been abused more than Megan Fox's hot bod in my imaginations. I rank this up with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Love Actually as some of the better romantic comedies of the past years. A film to watch.

Idiocracy

That's it I am fed up!
My flying recommendation to friends of the social networking site Facebook is slowly backfiring. What started as harmless games has evolved into a daily activity which has consumed almost half the days of my friends, office mates and loved ones alike.

Things have gone for the worse when people cannot let a day pass by that they haven't tended to their farm. Some even resort to asking someone else to tend it for them. And at most times, conversations revolve around the new look of their farms, the number of crops they gathered, or for heaven's sake, the pink little cows they got!

I have gone through computer gaming addiction during some portions of my life, notably my Counter-Strike days, my overnight NBA 2K marathon games, and more recently, my fascination with DOTA but nothing rivals the effect of what Facebook has brought us, a virtual life. They say the internet has really changed the way we live. Now, I say amen to that.

One can assume any identity over the internet. Who hasn't been fooled by a she-male over the internet. I have been but that's for another story. (Oh crap, it won't wait) So when I was still with Smartbrands, I chatted with this lady who needed to reinstall her operating system. She was flirting the whole time asking for discounts for the services rendered (no, double meaning intended). The dimwit that I am was enticed and even gave into her repeated plea for a discount. She even called and has this bedroom voice that persuaded me to give in some more. To my shock and awe, the bedroom voice belonged to a behemoth she-male who was almost twice my size. "Koya pwede ba...?"

With the internet's boom, you won't even need face to face time with you bosses. Exhibit A, my boss now sends his instructions over his email, this considering that he is only 5 footsteps away from me, or a buzzer that can be triggered at his fingetips. I heard he is now collecting our yahoo messenger IDs, well that I couldn't consent to at any costs.

See how much fun the net has been, you won't need friends, virtual ones will suffice. You won't need a career, with just a click of the mouse, you can be a chef, a restaurateur, a farmer, or a basketball star. Too bad after all of the clicks, the points, coins, and the virtual fame, would still not amount to something in real life.

Much like how this blog has not amounted to anything. Just yet, fingers crossed.

Three more coming

Mother Nature fights back

Pictures of Ondoy's Aftermath:


and where was congressman Mickey during 11-12 pm of Saturday??

Chris Tiu, you let me down

Hindi ko akalain na ang taong nagsilbing inspirasyon na magpapula ng aking lips ang siya ring tutunaw ng aking mga pangarap.

Bakit Chris, oh bakit?

Naturingan ka pa namang founder ng laglag panty party.
Inilagay pa naman kita sa Hall of Fame ng Red Lips Society.
Ikaw pa naman sana ang tunay na Pinoy Idol.

Sayang lang, ng dahil sa isang commercial, lumabas ang tunay mong kulay.

Kaya ba mapula ang lips mo dahil naglilip gloss ka? Kaya ba mahilig ka magbasketball dahil gusto mo ng contact sports? Kaya ka ba dean's lister kasi bookworm ka at wala kang hilig sa tsiks? May relasyon ba kayo ni JC Intal? Nagdedeodorant ka ba tuwing halftime? Napakaraming mga tanong ang bumabagabag sa aking isipan pero hindi ko yata matatanggap na wala ka pang gf dahil hindi ka macho o palikero.

Ikaw kaya si Chris Tiu! Ang Clear Man, ang Pinoy Idol, ang Dean's Lister, ang Atenista, ngayon sangkot ka na sa homoment, bromance at cheesy commercials? Tsk tsk.

Hindi bale na si John Lloyd kasi may pass na sya. Sabi nga sa blog na ito, tunay na lalake si Llyodie. Eh, ikaw, kaduda duda na. Kaya pala talaga red lips ka.

District 9

I was lured by the prospect of another alien movie by two words - Peter Jackson. Having not seen a trailer, or read a review, I came into this movie with zero knowledge.

It is a pleasant surprise to find a rare approach on the the sci-fi genre. District 9 does that with a documentary style first chapter, a fugitive themed middle, and terminator/robocop action for the booming finale.

With no familiar actors to follow, this film concentrates on the human-alien relationships, similarities between the two species, and the general themes of survival, and basic instinct. What makes it easily distinguishable as different brand of alien movie is that the aliens here are somewhat blending into the human society. They are outcasts who are put into District 9 which reminds us of a Jewish resettlement camp during the World War II.

All in all, District 9 is a refreshing take on this sci-fi subject. it chooses not to go through the usual route of hostile aliens ala Predator or Alien, or the cute and cuddly E.T. to Coneheads. Instead, the movie portrays these aliens as just like us, exploring all means to survive, adapting to a new environment, protecting our own, and most especially, just wanting to go home.

This is a rare gem in a summer dominated by mindless action flicks as Transformers and G.I. Joe. Definitely, a must see for sci-fi lovers.