Best Performance By A Balloon

Flipping channels sometimes yields amazing viewing discoveries. That's how I got to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" last Halloween.

Not too long ago, I stumbled upon a 1956 French short film by Albert Lamorisse simply called "The Red Balloon" (Le Ballon Rouge). It's a charming tale of a red balloon with a life of its own which follows a little boy, Pascal throughout Paris. It's that time when the PSP wasn't invented yet. The balloon is like a loyal dog, only it's made of rubber and filled with helium.

What follows next is a love-deflate relationship between the two. The balloon "dies" on top of a hill when it gets mugged by nasty street children. Pascal is broken-hearted, but suddenly, all balloons in Paris magically congregate to comfort Pascal and literally lift him up from his misery. It reminded me a lot of the Disney animated film "Up." Also, that song "99 Luftballons" by Nena.

The short film won an Oscar for "Best Original Screenplay" as well as other praises from film critics, except for this review by Washington Post writer Philip Kennicott who thought the story had biblical undertones.

I loved it. The story didn't have much dialogue, but it merely boosted its universal appeal. And guess what? The lead actor was actually director Lamorisse's son. His other child, Sabine, also had a brief role in the short film. Magnifique!

[image from wikipedia]

Happy Owl-loween!

This was my shirt for Halloween, bought last year from Target. But it was so cold, I had to wear it over another shirt and then bundled up in a fleece jacket.

I didn't get to greet any costumed kids this year because I was over at my sister's apartment getting cozy with my baby niece indoors. Next year, she'll be big enough to go trick-or-treating! And we can get to eat her candy! Haha. We also had guests over at an aunt's house so we just left our stash of treats in a basket outside our door. 

Some houses in our neighborhood were over-the-top with their Halloween decorations.  Take this ghoulish ride, for instance! I know I won't be hitching a ride with these guys!

Maybe next year, I can go as a lady cop with a pink Taser. I actually had a black costume this year but it never made it out of the dryer.

 My Halloween movie was "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," the original one starring a very young Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry rocking the role of the "Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania." It was racy, risque, rowdy and randy! He seriously reminded me of Freddie Mercury in drag. Now that recent "Rocky Horror" episode of Glee finally made more sense to me. The songs have the naughtiest lyrics!

Now that Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is up next later this month! Turkey time!

She's Got A Ticket To Ride, Eat, Pray & Love

So I finally saw "Eat Pray Love" yesterday after all the hype over said Elizabeth Gilbert travel memoir-turned-movie has long been intercepted by such films as "Inception" (which I still haven't seen, by the way). It was like a sauteed version of the Travel Channel, simmered in soul-searching sauce and slow-cooked for two hours.

I wanted to eat spaghetti afterwards. Jollibee spaghetti. Then I imagined doing my own travel trilogy, such as Croatia-Czech Republic-China. Or Turkey-Trinidad & Tobago-Thailand. Or Mexico-Morocco-Madagascar. One can dream of multiple-destination trysts, right?

Ah, to have that money to travel. Those plane tickets don't exactly cost the same as a mere pimple remover. But like Julia Roberts' character, I collect travel magazines. However, they don't fit in a box anymore.

Sherlock's Justification

The very first movie I saw this 2010 wasn't "Sherlock Holmes," but "Avatar"--seen for the second time earlier this month because I had to accompany relatives who still haven't experienced panoramic Pandora in 3D. This then pushes the Downey, Jr.-meets-Doyle mystery movie into the #2 spot for movies I saw this year.

I scoured my digital archives for this fleeting, back view photo of the famous detective from my trip to London last 2007. I was on a sightseeing tour bus, still groggy from the overnight flight from across the Atlantic, when we passed by Sherlock Holmes' statue at...where else? His fictional yet geographically factual territory--Baker Street.

I've never read any of the Sherlock Holmes books, but it impressed me to learn online that author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was also a physician. That explains the accuracy of anatomical references in the story, and the fact that Holmes' faithful sidekick and sensible chronicler, John Watson, is himself a doctor (as Jude Law would exclaim several times in the movie).

See his pipe? I wonder if he draws part of his superior logical reasoning skills from smoking it.

Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law together in a British "whodunit"? Melovesit! Although PETA probably would disapprove of how the dog became subject to Holmes' crazy concoctions of night creams and other dubious drug experiments. It's Animal Cruelty, My Dear Watson!

Director Guy Ritchie did a splendid job with those slow-mo fight scenes with medically authoritative voice-overs.

The sequel's afoot! I can smell it as keenly as the Hound of the Baskervilles!

Blue Clues in "Avatar"

Some people may regard "Avatar" the movie as a futuristic fairytale in a lava lamp-lit world called "Pandora." But this James Cameron masterpiece is an "avatar" of what has happened, and sadly, what continues to happen in our own time. Just look at your history books or watch the current events in international news (or maybe you need only look in your own country).

Personally, I am reminded of the Disney animated movie "Pocahontas," only here, Capt. John Smith is a blue-skinned ex-marine and Pocahontas is a Na'vi princess. But hey, they both carry bows and arrows! In 150 years into the future, though, people are more concerned about survival than auto insurance quotes. Besides, I don't think cars would exist then.

This epic movie of titanic, almost three-hour-long proportions, is a visual adventure. And what's an epic movie without epic villains that just won't die? He did, eventually, but not without a climactic combat with our hero.

I'm glad I decided to see this movie in 3D. The movie magic weaved here just deserves the extra dimension treatment. Jake Sully, I see you!

Ebenezer Scrooge's Nightmare Before Christmas

Dickens goes digitally Disney with Robert Zemeckis' "A Christmas Carol" featuring the voice of Jim Carrey as the holiday-hating Ebenezer Scrooge. Of course, I had to see this in 3-D!

The first musical show I saw in New York City was this very Charles Dickens classic at the Madison Square Garden. Unlike that live performance, this animated feature was a little too dark and horrifying for small children to watch. From the moment that Scrooge encountered his first ghost, the audience--which consisted mostly of kids--was quiet, save from the audible gasps when Scrooge gets spooked three consecutive times. Only when he wakes up from his Christmas eve nightmare and becomes a Yuletide-loving fellow that the audience lightens up and chuckles in relief.

The trend with CGI animated features seems to be that they fashion the facial features of the characters with those of the actors doing their voices. Remember Angelina Jolie in "Beowulf?" Here, Scrooge is unmistakably Jim Carrey while the humble Mr. Cratchit is a pudgy Gary Oldman.

That scene where Scrooge is haunted by the Ghost of Christmas Present reminds me a lot of that "Soarin'" simulated ride at Disney World's Epcot.

I hope the kids are able to sleep tight after watching this movie. Ghosts are supposed to be scary, anyway. I should have brought my leftover Halloween candy in the theater to nibble on.

That Was It

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" was supposed to be his last swan song of a concert, but it turned out to be too ominous of his own demise. Kenny Ortega, the creative force behind this would-be spectacular concert, had the brilliant foresight of recording every phase of the rehearsals, which later became this docu-movie commemorating the "King of Pop."

True to his larger-than-life popstar persona, Michael Jackson's concert would have boasted over-the-edge technological and audiovisual tricks never before attempted in on-stage entertainment. They've updated the thrill capacity of the "Thriller" zombies and added a 3D twist. "Smooth Criminal" became even more silky smooth. It was like Broadway with an MTV vibe and lots of Michael Jackson magic dust.

As every familiar Michael Jackson hit was rehearsed, one can't help but lament over his loss all over again. One can't also help but notice how frighteningly frail he looked, how skinny his body seemed under his loose, shiny jackets. How did he end up that way? I don't imagine him going online to purposefully search for a Medifast coupon code.

He was surrounded by talented back-up dancers who were greatly inspired by him. When they expressed their grief at the beginning of the movie, you feel their deep sense of sorrow, not just the sadness of knowing their big paycheck would be cut short. This was the man who gave them a reason to be the best they could be. Unfortunately, "This Is It" for Michael.

"New York, I Love You"

I'm a bit surprised they didn't call this collaborative film project "I ♥ NY." Probably trademark issues? Hehe. I saw a movie poster for this recently after watching "Where The Wild Things Are." I'd so love to see this movie which, like its French counterpart--"Paris, Je T'Aime!," boasts of a powerhouse cast including Natalie Portman who was in that Parisian film. HK actress Shu Qi is in it, too!

"New York, I Love You" is already showing in select movie theaters. I'm looking forward to it in my town. "Paris JTA" was about profiteroles, mimes, Elijah Woods' big Frodo eyes and vampiric fetish; Oscar Wilde and all other things French, especially l'amour!

With "New York, ILY," it's about things I also love about New York: Times Square, Grand Central Station, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, and the subways, just to name a few. It's also about falling in love "in a New York minute." I ♥ NY, even if sometimes it doesn't love me back!




You know what else I love about New York? The Yankees playing tomorrow in the World Series against the Phillies! Game 1 will be at Yankee Stadium. They're nicknaming it the "Turnpike Series." I say, the Phillies should just exit gracefully!

Alternatively, it's also the "Liberty Series," because NY has the Statue of Liberty, while Philadelphia has the Liberty Bell. I think the statue is "for whom the bell tolls!"

"Wild Things," You Make My Heart Sing!

Actually, "Where The Wild Things Are" made me cry at the end. I do hate goodbyes. It's a little surreal how I can relate to the conflict between the monsters Carol and KW. Who thought life can be just as complicated in their world? A misunderstanding of wants. Carol just wants them all to be together, KW just likes to hang out with her two owl friends.

Sometimes, all we need is a "wild rumpus" time. But even that can't solve everything.

So even if I've never read the book by Maurice Sendak, I understand now that Max is wearing a wolf costume. However, I noticed in the movie that Emil referred to him as "just a boy pretending to be a fox pretending to be a king."

Here's my doodle of Max in purple ink. Looks like he needs a "wild rumpus" time right about now!

A Stitch in Time Saves "9"

Are you familiar with that proverb? It's probably part of the inspiration for "9," directed by Shane Acker. But there's a scene in the movie where #9 literally gets a rotator cuff (shoulder) tear, but #5 (voiced by John C. Reilly) stitches it back...thereby saving him!

Here are Nine Things I Love About "9":

1. It's a post-apocalyptic "Toy Story": Rag Dolls vs. Machines.
   
2. Elijah Wood as the voice of the hero, #9, is like Frodo in rag doll form--with a magical, spherical spare part that is the key to salvation instead of a magical, spherical Ring.
3. The eccentric among the lot, #6 (voiced by Crispin Glover), has stripes on him similar to Beetlejuice's suit. No wonder, "Beetlejuice" was directed by Tim Burton, who produced "9."
4. #6 also has blade-shaped fingers that resemble Edward Scissorhands' own. Again, this movie was directed by Tim Burton.
5. #7, voiced by Jennifer Connelly, is the femme fatale with serious skills and an entrance that mimicks Angelina Jolie's character in "Wanted." No surprise there, Timur Bekmambetov--its director--is a co-producer for "9."
6. They're made of more than just sacks of jute: they were imbued with fragments of a scientist's human soul.
7. Attention to detail lets you know a lot of heart went into this animated masterpiece. The coin on #1's head gear which somewhat served as his crown, was the same coin used to rest on his "eyes" at his "funeral".
   
8. The dolls' MacGyver ingenuity with junk. Here, necessity is the mother of reinvention!
   
9. A few good dolls can still conquer soul-eating evil, because "9" heads are better than one. Moral of the movie: Cooperation. And saving our planet before it's too late.
   

"9" was originally created by Shane Acker as an award-winning short film. Now it's a full feature CGI-animated film. Here's the short film that started it all:

And I Hate You So

Here is where I rant about why I prematurely hate the Star Cinema movie "And I Love You So" starring Bea Alonzo, Sam Milby and Derek Ramsay.

The repetitive trailers on The Filipino Channel are enough to let me know it's going to be a mushy film, and you already get the gist of the story: Bea plays a newlywed whose husband of only five months, played by Derek, suddenly dies. Bea becomes a young widow who is romantically involved with Sam's character, but is too guilty to be committed to this new guy because she feels she's "cheating" on his already deceased previous husband. Yes, it's going to be a tearfest. Moral of the movie: We should accept death and learn to move on.

The particular line that makes my eyes roll is this:

[Bea in one of her many emo modes in the film]

"Most people my age, ngayon pa lang nagpapakasal. Samantalang ako, nakapagpalibing na ng asawa. [insert desperate sigh here] Haba pa ng buhay ko...but I've already lost the one person worth living for."

[Translation: Most people my age are only starting to get married. Whereas I have already had a funeral for my husband. I still have a long life ahead...[insert my rolling eyes here] but I've already lost the one person worth living for.]

Okay, anyone can sympathize with her sudden loss, but to say with confidence that she still has a looooong way to go? How sure is she of that? What if she dies the next day so she can join her late husband? But then, that would render Sam's character useless now.

Not every widow is as lucky as she is to be given a second chance at love. Come on, Bea, Sam's a hottie too.

See actual trailer here:

Optimus Prime Time

**Warning: Spoilers ahead! Unless you've already seen it.

Waited this long to watch "Transformers 2." We practically had the theater to ourselves tonight, until two other nocturnal moviegoers joined us.

Them Robots in Disguise sure love to play in the sand! In the first sequel, their playground was the deserts of Qatar. Here, it's the sandy pastures of Egypt. And they've incorporated that age-old myth of aliens having something to do with the pyramids.

They didn't waste much time in the opening scenes to give the audience the metallic mayhem it's expecting. We also got a glimpse of pre-historic "Prime Time."

Okay, so that Decepticon college chick with the scorpion tail and five-foot tongue was disturbing. Whoever thought of that must have some weird botgirl fetish. Will this be the future replacement of the "inflatable girlfriend"?

Sam becomes the object of destruction this time around because for some reason, his brain has a built-in hieroglyphic map of the hidden location of the magical shard of the "All-Spark". (Look, Ma, I'm a walking GPS!) For these alien robots, it's the Holy Grail that resurrects the deceased extraterrestrial machines. I was shocked that they killed off Optimus Prime in the middle of the movie, but was relieved that they employed the time-tested formulaic plot that good guys never die, and bad guys keep coming back no matter how many times you kill them.

Who knew that freshman year in college could be this explosive? But then, that's Sam Witwicky for you. With 2 & 1/2 hours of film time, my bladder was about to explode. At least Rainn Wilson had an astronomical appearance, albeit brief, as Sam's professor to distract me.

I immediately recognized some scenes as shot from within the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. How do I know? I was there just last Sunday! The most historic prison in America is also said to be haunted. I have more photos from my camera, but here's a celfone image I took there for now. It's a view of the upper level of Cell Block 7. Do you see any orbs or anything paranormal?

This Way "Up"

I'm a big Disney Pixar patron. That's why I kept a mental note to watch their latest movie, "Up" on the big screen and not let it lapse into DVD or BluRay-hood before I see it. Well, Fourth of July was my chance to catch it before it went up, up and away.

I even love the featurettes they include before the main film starts. This time, it's called "Partly Cloudy." It's clever how they stick to the theme of the main movie, which involves the sky. I confess, I got teary-eyed at this featurette! Who knew clouds can make me cry? Thank goodness the movie theater was nearly deserted! It's a touching story of finding true friendship despite being the "cumulo-nimbus" type, and it also takes the baby stork myth high up into the stratosphere.

"Up" is an uplifting story of fulfilling that one adventure you always wanted to experience. For balloon salesman Carl, it was a childhood dream he shared with his beloved wife Ellie, who more than anything wanted to live in a house on top of Paradise Falls in South America. The movie makes references to its being in Venezuela, but it's obvious that they modeled it after the real Angel Falls. Sadly, Ellie predeceased Carl, leaving him to explore the exotic Venezuelan wilderness on his own...that is, until overzealous wilderness boy scout Russell comes knocking on his door and becomes the unexpected stowaway on his flying house.

How did he get his house to fly? Helium! Lots of it! I think it's many a child's travel fantasy: to go high up in the clouds with a balloon. As a child, I used to think that balloons could travel to faraway lands when you accidentally let them loose. I didn't know then that they could deflate and fall on the ground. Balloons would be one of the things I instantly doodled on my notebook as a student. I also grew up watching that Biblical time-traveling cartoon "The Flying House," which I thought was an awesome way to teach religion to kids.

Carl and Russell seem like the most unlikely of travel partners, but in the end, they were what each other exactly needed. They saved an adrogynous, mystical bird from being a trophy bird in captivity by Carl's childhood-hero-now-aging-bird-predator. They also found Dug, an adorable, multilingual hunting dog whose loyalty turns to them after realizing the evilness of his former master. The dogs' talking collar is just hilarious. When will they actually manufacture collars like that?

And my tears welled up again countless times through this movie, right from the start actually--when Ellie and Carl just grew old together in their little house, their Paradise Falls fund always diminished whenever things came up, how Carl eventually bought plane tickets to Venezuela to surprise Ellie, only to end up losing her. Life itself is an adventure, and Ellie had it all documented in her scrapbook called "My Adventure Book," which Carl continued.

How wonderful it must be to share life's adventures with someone, because I've always believed that it's who you're with that makes the journey memorable and worthwhile. And who knows, you just might be upgraded to first class, zeppelin-style, like Carl and Russell were, from mere helium balloons.

I've seen the "Up"-inspired luggage tags at the Disney Store. Cute, but pricey. I hope the price will go from "up" to "down!"

[movie poster from disneydreaming.com; luggage tag image from disneystore.com]

the "twilight" zone

"twilight" is yet another movie whose book version by stephenie meyer i haven't read. so, i'm reviewing it based on my reactions to the film, without an in-depth comparison with the book. haha.

the moment i learned about "twilight"s DVD release, i clicked on the title on netflix. i've been curious about all the hullabaloo with this vampire book-turned-movie. i missed this in the movie theaters. i went through an anne rice phase myself which started with "interview with the vampire"...yes, i read the books that time! i must have seen the movie a million times.

stephenie meyer's vampires are, shall we say, more modern. they're still pale-skinned, handsome, stone-cold, and fierce-eyed--yes--but, they don't turn into burnt bacon when exposed to sunlight. on the contrary, they sparkle like diamonds! and you know how "diamonds are a girl's best friend," so that probably added to the attraction felt by bella (the heroine) towards edward (the eternal high school student/vampire prince charming). and they don't sleep in coffins at nighttime or shy away from the sun, their skin tolerates the cloudy/rainy weather that often shrouds the mysterious town of forks, washington (their website proudly proclaims itself as the "home of the twilight book!). but don't expect them to go suntanning with you at the beach.

another quirk these vampires have, at least the cullen family of vampires (to which edward belongs), is that they're "vegetarian vampires." a misnomer, really, because they don't go out in the night hunting for asparagus. the term means that they don't feast on humans, rather, only animals. well now, that's meat, right? not a fiber source, haha. the point is, they're these rare, humanitarian vampires who just wish to coexist with humans peacefully. they don't eat their mortal peers. they probably belong to an organization called VETH: "vampires for the ethical treatment of humans". haha!

and that's the main message of the story: abstinence. restraint. selflessness. edward and his family are on an impossibly challenging diet. through abstinence, edward learned to love his potential entree--bella. bella, on the other hand, wants to be a vampire herself so she can be with edward forever. typical teen hormones talking, but on a preternatural level. do you see the underlying themes, though? sure you do, we've all been teenagers!

i loved the thunderstorm baseball scene. it's like super-teenyboppers with fangs slugging it out--on steroids. reminds me of "heroes" playing football.

okay, pardon me, but i loooooooove robert pattinson as edward cullen! he exudes a certain rockstar air with his vampire personality. and no wonder he looks familiar, he played cedric diggory on "harry potter and the goblet of fire." he was that hottie quidditch captain! hmmm...will look for that DVD in my collection.

didn't like the movie's music too much, though. at certain scenes, the background music sounded like mood music for a porno flick. i think marilyn manson's "the beautiful people" would have been perfect music while the cullen family strolled together...or during that baseball game in the storm! they ARE beautiful people...err, vampires. nice, edgy music too. i bet edward would bang his beautiful head to this. but then, i'm not the musical director for this movie...and perhaps the kids watching this move might be too scared instead of being slightly seduced by edward's charms when they hear marilyn manson (explicit lyrics, see). haha!

looks like "twilight" will fill the hormonal void that "harry potter" left behind...that is, until the next (and last?) harry potter film. looks like i'm owning this movie on DVD. edward and bella are the romeo and juliet of vampire lore. wish me luck reading the novels.

[movie poster from mtv movies]

"la visa loca"

this 2005 film by mark meily asks, "how far would filipinos go to get a U.S. visa?"

and robin padilla's character, jess huson, would reply: all the way to the hill on calvary...albeit in its philippine counterpart.

many a filipino's "holy grail" over the years has been to obtain a U.S. visa, at all costs, to seek greener pastures in the so-called land of milk and honey...and benjamin franklins. but in today's economic crisis that has been tagged as the worst since "the great depression," the american pasture is lacking the lactose it has lured its immigrants into finding in the first place. happy cows don't live here anymore....no fertile grass to be grazed. this barren farm needs miracle-gro...and a bail-out plan! haha.

anyway, this movie is a satiric exploration of the filipinos' passion for "the american dream"--with a lenten flavor. jess is a hardworking chauffeur who takes care of his senior, diabetic father (johnny delgado). he does everything in his power, every trick up his sleeve, to get a visa so he can be with his girlfriend in california. his desperation ultimately leads him to bargain with his british producer-client, nigel adams, who films all things peculiar in the philippines in his documentary called "strange planet." nigel contracted with a local to be crucified on the cross for his show for a lenten special. the sponsored "christ" turns out to be a swindler and nigel explodes with expletives, condemning the filipinos as nothing more than thieves.

jess takes this opportunity to "redeem" not only the image of the filipino people, but to "resurrect" his broken chance to get a U.S. visa. the overly jealous girlfriend in california had ditched him, but mara (rufa mae quinto)--an ex-girlfriend--splashes her way back into his heart as this part-time carnival mermaid with a little boy who just might be jesse's son. he also found himself face-to-face with his estranged mother, but only as long as his car's fare meter lasted.

this was a smart film with comedic commentary sung "pasyon"-style by a serious-faced group. i actually enjoyed this movie and was glad to have rented it from netflix. it's great that filipino movies are available on netflix...now, what to see next....

and who knew you could turn those netflix flaps into origami art? clearly, this crafty person does!

[movie still from clickthecity.com]

"confessions of a shopaholic"

i have a confession to make...

i have 5 of the 7 books in sophie kinsella's "shopaholic" series and i haven't even started reading one of them! it's quite embarassing. it was one of her other books called "the undomestic goddess" that got me acquainted with this famous british chick lit author. it was also that book that introduced me to the term "chick lit." i loved that book so much that i bought the audio version from ebay as well, just so i can hear the book being read with a british accent. haha. i hope they turn that book into a movie, too! (and then i can proudly say, i read the book first!)

i tend to hoard books that end up gathering dust in my book shelf, staring longingly back at me, begging to be read. i do get to read them eventually, just not in an ideally timely manner. maybe i should just try this clever little online library service,bookswim, that lets you borrow books conveniently through the mail...sort of like netflix, but for bookworms! this way, i don't have to spend money on books, and i don't have to drive in the snow to the library! except, of course, for books worth owning. some books are considered treasures...like my "pugad baboy" collection that i'm still building. hehe.

i knew i was behind with my leisurely reading when i spotted the movie's promotional shopping bag (photo above) in the philippines last december. i was at shangri-la mall back then to see a different movie with my friend. we have photos posing by this giant shopaholic bag, but i'm not posting it here. hehe.

three months later and thanks to our internet service's free movie tuesdays promo, i got to see this film version of the book. i actually have a personal rule that i should first read the book before seeing any movie version of a book, but i haven't been complying. i've seen all the harry potter films to date and the lord of the rings trilogy without having read the books. sad, i know.

the movie's heroine is becky bloomwood, a magazine writer living in new york city who can't get a leash on her excessive credit-card spending that her best friend signs her up for "shopaholics anonymous" sessions in the hopes of changing her prodigal spending ways. in the book, becky is actually british, but the movie portrays her as a new yorker. the film managed to squeeze in something british in the person of becky's boss/love interest who turned out to "speak prada" aside from being a mere (boring) money maven.

i think the movie picked a perfect time for it to be shown, right smack in this financial crisis. most people can relate to her (that is, people drowning in debt), and most women would understand her describing the therapeutic qualities of shopping--even window-shopping. it was amusing to see the store mannequins coming to life, particularly one at barney's that convinced her to buy that expensive green scarf which would become her signature cyber accessory as "the girl with the green scarf," dishing out financial advice with fashionista flair. the irony and comedy of it all is that she herself needs it.

perfect movie for a girls' night out, especially when one needs to be reminded to spend (or better yet, to not spend at all) within one's means. frugality aside, my sister and i also share this shopping rule: "when you see it, buy it!" applies especially to clearance items, because now you may see it, but five minutes later, you may not. and some things don't always end up on ebay. just yesterday, we each scored a sheer polka-dot blouse (in our respective sizes) at the j. crew store for only $4.99! what a steal! you don't think twice for bargains like that! haha.

"slumdog millionaire": a rags-to-rupees story

a funny thing happened on the way to our local movie theater where "slumdog millionaire" was showing. my mom and i were at the concession stand redeeming our free large soda and small popcorn when the emergency lights started blinking and a beeping noise echoed throughout the building. there was a fire alarm (okay, a fire alarm shouldn't be funny). the nice guy at the concession stand got distracted by all the commotion as he was filling my soda, but he managed to advise me that we needed to evacuate the building immediately. i smiled back at him and thought, "okay, just as soon as you hand me my large drink!"

supersized diet coke in one hand, small popcorn in the other (a disproportionate tandem, actually), we calmly walked outside the movie theater and into the parking lot, then back inside the car. we wondered if someone played with the fire alarm or if it was a cigarette butt gone awry that ousted us from the building. the fire truck came and was gone in about five minutes, then the people started milling back inside the movie house. our tickets for "slumdog" were for the 4:25pm showing...we were delayed by the false fire alarm by 15 minutes. hey, not bad.

"slumdog millionaire" is a rags-to-rupees story of an indian boy named jamal malik whose life is summed up in each question he ever answered (correctly) in the indian version of the game show "who wants to be a millionaire." the movie takes us to the underbelly of the indian slums where jamal and his brother salim lived in a manner so vivid, so palpable, that you can almost smell the poopy stench that little jamal plunged into just so he can get a precious autograph of his favorite bollywood sylvester stallone-lookalike actor. these little details tend to stick to your memory and senses, like a curry in fury, and that's what this movie succeeded in doing as well as in other aspects.

the other (most important) aspect i'm referring to is the universal concept that the story preached: love. you can't go wrong with love. and when you tie it with something american that most of the whole world can relate to: a game show such as "who wants to be a millionaire," and sprinkle a little "destiny"...then one can understand why "slumdog" cleverly slam-dunked its way to the oscars and into many a movie-goer's heart--including my own!

ultimately, the movie wasn't about winning the money. it was about love...and her name was latika: a girl who completed the malik brothers' missing third "musketeer." the game show was a metaphor for life, for taking risks and making decisions. when jamal was confronted with the final, 20-million-rupee question, he honestly did not know the answer. but his final lifeline was the voice of his jackpot prize: lakita, and suddenly he didn't care about whether or not he got the final answer right. as far as he knew, his heart felt like a million bucks knowing that lakita was there for him. but he still took a chance and chose an answer, and as luck would have it, he won the 20 million rupees as well. life can't be sweeter. it was written.

the movie was very engaging. you want to root for jamal--the underdog-slumdog--to win, to catch the train, to not have his eyes scooped out, to escape with lakita to freedom. and of course, in true bollywood fashion, there's a choreographed song-and-dance number (such as in gurinder chadha's "bride and prejudice") in the end to celebrate the triumph of love. love was the final answer!

i can't help but notice the parallels between india in that movie and the philippines: the slums, the pollution, the police extortion, the street gangs and petty thieves, the beggar syndicates, the call centers...this movie could have been called "smokey mountain millionaire," with maybe edu manzano sitting in for regis philbin. but this movie is india's shining moment.

the scenes featuring india's rural trains make me want to board an amtrak and go on a scenic train adventure.

oscar notes:

• when director danny boyle accepted his award for best director, he jumped up and down the podium, "summoning the spirit of tigger." what a kindred spirit!
• when a.r. rahman received his second oscar for his music for "slumdog," he mentioned that he "had a choice between love and hate," and he "chose love," then walked quietly away from the stage.

"jai ho!" ♥

[movie still from imdb.com]

the darjeeling limited

in this wes anderson film, the whitman brothers travel across india on a train called the "darjeeling limited". this "spiritual journey" brings the three siblings together a year after their father's death where they attempt to catch up with each other's lives, search for their mother who ran off to the himalayas as a nun, and drag their deceased dad's baggages around as if their lives depended on it.

the exclusive 11-piece louis vuitton luggage set featured in this film was designed by marc jacobs. they are very much a symbolic piece of the story as they are stylish with its distinct, vintage look. talk about excess baggage!

don't these bags just inspire you to go into an african safari adventure? each piece is numbered and monogrammed with the fictional dead father's initials, "JLW."

when i first heard about this movie, darjeeling tea came into mind. but now that i've seen it, i know it's really about the brothers' journey into self-discovery and mustering the courage to "let go."

the movie stars jason schwartzman, adrien brody and owen wilson. i find adrien brody to be the most charming of the lot, especially with his aviator glasses.

there is a bit of a prologue to the movie called "hotel chevalier" which stars only jason schwartzman and natalie portman...and her butt.

so, hop on the "darjeeling limited" if you still haven't done so. on board, you'll have a choice of tea or sweet lime, and along the way are some very interesting stopovers.

mamma mia!-the "movieoke" version

can't get enough of "mamma mia"? did you fight the urge to burst into song along with meryl streep (but perhaps not so much with pierce brosnan)?

well now, you can watch the movie again in its "sing-along" edition and shamelessly belt out your favorite abba songs. yes, believe it or not, they've "karaokefied" the film, so you can not only sing "dancing queen," but also become a "birit queen."

the movieoke version opens today in select theaters. check out the official website for a sing-along movie theater near you. the amc theater in our town is actually one of them! haha.

remember to turn your celfones and pagers off. voices will soar, and maybe even tomatoes? hehe...or you can always sing your favorite abba songs in the privacy of your own home with your own karaoke system.

weird world of wool 100%

knit. wear. wail. wreck. repeat.

this is the vicious cycle weaved into the weird story of mai tominaga's award-winning fantasy film, "wool 100%," (2006) a tale about two senior sisters who live in a mansion cluttered with people's junk that they scour the streets for everyday. the knitting madness begins when they stumble into balls of red yarn which they take home. then, one night, a wild, little stranger with serious OCD literally knits her way into the sisters' messy mansion. the sisters are perplexed with this intruder, yet "inventories" her the way they do their found items in dainty sketchbooks, christening her "knit-again," because that's what the girl screams whenever she falls into her banshee mode.

the movie combines watercolor animation, doll puppetry, fairytales, dream-like sequences, pyromania, and sexual naiveté. instead of a yellow brick road as in "wizard of oz," it's a wayward ball of red string that beckons the sisters to follow.