here for the drama

sam oh, suzi entrata-abrera and janice de belen: women of substance on tv

2010-03-06T00:32:00.000-08:00

Like most couch potatoes, by choice or by consequence, I too have by favorite TV personalities. And they all happen to be women. Now don't go thinking about that L word just because I'm of the fairer sex and about to sing odes to fellow uh, members of the board. Not that I'm closing my door on any possibilities, but for now, I'm quite certain. But back to the business at hand.

She's every call-center agent's dream. Not that kind of a dream, but one would definitely kill for that accent. Specially when you live by the phone which you chose to be your weapon of choice in the dog-eat-cat world of BPOs. Sam Oh's (left) definitely a talker. But not the emptily chattering kind. Nor the oh puleez shut up you're annoying sort either. She just talks. And entertain of course. And the nice thing about her is that she easily shifts from Korean to American English (with that to-die-for twang) and Filipino without missing a beat, not even a sense of confusion (put up or otherwise). And she does all that without intimidating the people who hear her, specially the viewers.In other words, she obviously has lots between her ears but not marginalizing or sounding too full of herself. And I guess, more important than anything I have mentioned thus far, Ms Oh is alive and enjoying herself. Miss joie de vivre. Plus class.

Suzi Entrata-Abrera (right) comes across as the favorite friend you'd rather hang around with over coffee. She's thoroughly engaging even if she talks zingingly (read: fast). But the irony is, that trait is what makes her stand heads and shoulders above any other host. Male or female. Yes, she talks like she's on a mission but every word, in Filipino or English, is said decisively. You would understand and eventually appreciate when you realize you're actually getting more in shorter time. And another thing that Suzi's got working for her is that spunk. She's got it by the truckloads and the flat screen is helpless. And did I mention that sunshine-y smile?

And there's Janice de Belen. (left) The seminal soap opera princess turned TV host. And no I'm not referring to that show now in the land of the lost. I'm speaking of Spoon over on Net 25. And thank God for that show, we get a, okay, spoonful of Ms de Belen's chops as a host. Because she's not your typical Ms-Know-It-All, I'm-in-charge, I'm-an-Oprah-wannabe host, what you get instead is a sincere person sincerely wanting and willing to listen to what her guests have to say. She's what you might call a perfect antidote to Boy Abunda's pa-deep crap or Kris Aquino's tendency to pry or expose. I guess what I'm trying to say is, Janice is not all talk but also heart and ears. And her viewers get that. And they prefer her more because of that. In hindsight, I guess I erred when I referred to Janice's qualities as a host as "chops". For it's not some skill or talent, it's just who she is.

why SOP trails ASAP in the ratings game - the thoughts of a supposed former fan

2010-02-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

I used to enjoy SOP. And apparently so did many people, that is if you believed what the ratings had been saying for the longest time before the last decade drew to a close. But with the coming of 2010, the bright people behind the show decided, well, it's time for a change. And truly, it would have been a welcome move had they, the bright people, decided to change for the better. To cut to the chase, the Fully Charged concept was more like fullash*t.

Now, the trend shows a reversal of fortunes. SOP is now the underdog. I would normally go for the underdog any day of the week. But if the underdog looks and sounds like 'that' - pass me the remote or give me some drugs puleez!

But instead of abandoning the show in a huff with nary a word, I've spent some time meditating on what ails SOP and why they suck big time - for the most part anyway. And who knows, maybe the people behind the show might stray here and find a light that could guide them out of the hellhole they are enmeshed in. Oh I'm sure they know they're in a quandary. Otherwise, La Primera Reina Regine wouldn't be rumored to be throwing tantrums here and there. And she has every right mind you. So here goes...

Enough with the gaudy stage design. It is painful enought to see subpar rip offs of Madonna concert prods but to actually be blinded with fiesta-inspired lighting (read: busy) and gina-silk- looking costumes is death by That's Entertainment Saturday Edition all over again.
It is obvious that rehearsals are not mandatory for the performers. If I am wrong, then there's no way I can explain the weekly assaults at my sensibilities. And unfortunately for SOP, ASAP's operative word seems to be either "tight" or "clean". Specially in the dance department.
The cameramen should not be allowed to run amuck with their weapons. The tracking shots, the crane shots and all those nifty camera tricks that should wow the viewers end up as stimuli for eye sore if done nonstop. I know perfectly well that the aim is to make the energy on stage palpable, but most of the time it's feels like a roller coaster ride. And to make things worse, it's either I miss a highlight of a dance routine or I'm looking at a face that does not belong to the voice singing in the background (hello? never in a million years will Janno Gibbs sound like Kyla). By the way, what's eating Janno's voice?
Less and more. Less of actors who definitely should not host and less of performers whose star quality is equal to my own (and that's tragic). Cases in point. Dennis Trillo is better seen brandishing his acting chops and not reading spiels specially since he reads everything - grammatical errors and all. Oh right he can sing...make him stick to it then. And then there's Gian Magdangal whose all over the place. Yes he has talent but talent doesn't always cut it. The staff should know that by now, I mean how long has he been on the show? And? My point exactly. More of Frencheska Farr, Geoff Taylor, Chris Cayzer, Miguel Escueta and the other performers who should only benefit from more exposure. Like how can you build up the "next big stars" if these stars are not even allowed to shine? The smorgasbord prods only relegate them to a notch higher than the backup singers. And that's not a good thing.
I've had it with the balloons. I know they're a peso aplenty and are oh so cute but they are blocking my view dammit!
Edit edit edit. The spiels and the lyrics need double checking for they can make the hosts and the singers look, uh, bad.

As I'm writing this I heard that some major revamps are being planned for the show. If I may put my two cents in, start with whoever is calling the shots. It seems her/his creative tank has run dry and her/his imagination is on a standstill.

not the usual suspects: the hottest men who don't usually make the cut

2010-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'll bet my Shu Uemura eyelash curlers that the men below will never make the Ang Pinaka list of the handsomest, most drop-dead gorgeous men eva-eva. Sure, they might pull up a surprise on People magazine's most beautiful list but that list is always based on currency (read: who's hot now).

Truth be told, I was having second thoughts about doing this entry as they (the men) might go from off the radar and into the pan after this - and then I'd have to deal with bigger competition. Sure I can stand my ground against a few, excuse my French, bitches but a whole school of them?! But then again, oh why the hell not? At least I'm spreading the good news - that ladies and gents' (of the pink mafia, that is) freedom of choice is not and should not be limited to the Brads and the Leonardos. Why go up against the world when I'm willing to share?

I have this thing for older men. And French actor Jean Reno is the kind of older man I would prefer to have a May-December liaison with. Oooh la-la!

Sensitive, intense but never flashy. I like men like that. And that's why the quintessential Englishman Colin Firth makes my list. And I'd take on that stiff upper lip of his any day just as long as the rest of him is not the far behind.

Okay, like do I have to get word from Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and Jessica Simpson to convince you that this John Mayer dude is some hawt commodity? That settles it then. And John, honey, if you're reading this, my body is a wonderland...for two! Sorry, can't help myself!

I hereby allow Jason Statham to violate me in any which way he can. I also give him my approval to transport me to anywhere in the world as long as he talks dirty all the time like he usually does in his movies. I also promise to get down and trashy if the, uh, scene calls for it.

Not because Rafael Nadal's court is usually full that I'm settling for the next best thing. Hardly the case as you can very well see from the images above (and I can't even decide which is yummier!). Ahh Dmitry Tursunov, let's play a love game - your court, and balls, of course!

first time: it's kilig to the bones all over again with barbie forteza, joshua dionisio and jhake vargas!

2010-02-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

The first scene didn't make me jump for joy in my frilly but oh-so flimsy pink nightgown. On the contrary, I felt something deflated inside me. No, I didn't pass gas if that's what you think. I thought, after getting all worked up by those cutesypatootsie teasers which had me daydreaming all the way back to high school (and it's a long journey - mind you) every time I catch one, I'm actually being served another Florderluna-rehash yet again. Not that Flordeluna was no good, but how many times can one actually survive reboots of the same old formula? Are beautiful tween girls really thart cursed? I definitely was not! Ominously, I stayed on with the first episode after promising to myself I would bail out once I see Joshua Dionision and Jhake Vargas together in one scene so I could at least decide on who's better looking. As it turned out, it's a good thing Jhake didn't appear until the third episode because by then I have understood why the story had to go back to a month ago to start its run and what the rather dark drama in the first scene was all about.

In a nutshell, for those who missed the first week, Cindy (Barbie Forteza) met Lucas (Joshua) in a resort in Zambales and immediately became good friends. Cindy has problems with her mother while Lucas feels unloved by his father. Unbeknownst to everybody (with the exception of Cindy's father who 'stumbled upon' it), Cindy's uncle was having an affair with Lucas' mother. They were found out by Lucas' father one night and the mother was shot dead in the ensuing, though only implied, altercation. And the story begins again, one month after that fateful night. So, in the first two days of the show, the viewers were enlightened of what the primary conflict is or would be - an exciting, if not altogether more convoluted, twist to the Romeo and Juliet affair.

From the third to the fifth episodes, a myriad of characters that should play important roles in the lives of Cindy and Lucas were introduced. Foremost of course is Baste (Jhake). Cindy's best friend and the third wheel of what could be described as a young, romantic romp for the young. I mean, I sure hope nobody gets pregnant in the show at the age of katorse and undergoes mammoplasty on the side. But let us not get sidetracked as that's another story. So anyway...there's this one particular scene that I thoroughly enjoyed. It opened the fourth episode and the viewers were treated to glimpses of the other bagets and some of the faculty in one fell swoop. That particular tracking shot meandered from the covered walks outside the school building all the way to the principal's office. And it was so fast - as if on a mission - that the blocking was totally obscured (no palpable sense of choreography whatsoever) and what stood out were the performances of (and the distinct characters played by) the actors. It was like seeing Oprah doing her "finger snaps in a circle" (snap snap snap tapos!). And oh, I think I'm already liking Natalie Dimaculangan's (Bea Binene) deliciously wicked tween queen-esque character.

As for the three leads, well, I could not ask for anything more. Barbie is a delight to watch. She is as pretty as she is talented and plays her part with realness and all heart. And talk about that telegenicness! I must point out that I thank God that they made her sweet character not bordering on the old-school, vomit-inducing kind. Joshua can act and he proved it to one and all (this writer included) in his confrontation scenes with Eric Quizon who plays his father. He has depth and range and I'm so looking forward to more acting revelations from him. Not to be left in the lurch is Jhake. Although we have yet to see his character in any kind of 'serious' situation, he's effective in those relatively quiet scenes with Barbie. All eyes and nothing more - we get it, we feel it, we understand, and we approve.

I give kudos and props to director Andoy Ranay and the rest of the production team for giving us a fresh, exuberant and totally engrossing show. I hope there's never going to be a letup - not even a slowing down of the pace. Don't fix anything that don't need any. Oh wait, I think there's one little thingy that needs tweaking or considering - more music please! I truly like the Pers Lab cover by Julie Anne San Jose (originally by Hotdog) but think Bagets, or Dawson's Creek or Glee. Nothing beats a good coming-of-age story but a good coming-of-age story with a definitive soundtrack.

Before I end this, I thank whoever should be thanked for creating and developing this show as it offers not-so-young romantic fools like me a look back to how it was or is to be young and in love...for the first time.

Nasaan na kaya si Marti...Choz!
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starstruck v: my take and why it might be just another fluke waiting to happen

2010-02-06T07:01:00.000-08:00

Before the rant, er, my assessment of the reality artista-search show's present and future, I want to make a confession - that I, the ever honest and fantabulous Menggay V has not been able to follow Starstruck V religiously and is highly influenced, in my views and opinions, by my yaya. That said, let's proceed.

From what I've seen and heard thus far. This had to be said. If Enzo Pineda wins the whole shebang, a fluke has happened - ala-Pinoy Idol. Now, I'm even kinder than my yaya who tongue-in-cheekly calls such an eventuality, ahem, a scam.

But let me explain. First, I agree with most people, specially the directors who have worked with him, that Enzo (left) is too to soft to fill in a virile, leading-man sort of mould. Second, while his dancing is passable, but never to be put side by side with the terpsichorean skills of either Mark Herras or the late Marky Cielo, his singing is...wait a minute, what singing?

So, if he wins, he wins because of the text votes. And paradoxically, there lies the fluke. I have yet to meet anyone in the showbiz-crazy place where I work who promises a peso for his win. So where do all those text votes come from? Your guess is as good as Rocco Nacino's. And yaya's of course.

Now that I mentioned Rocco (right), let us talk about him. The boy's got talent, and if he was my yaya, he'd be an all-arounder (yes, I would surely include that in his job description!). He can slightly sing, he can definitely dance, and boy can he act! Now I don't have a problem with the first two but it's with the last one I'm a trifle bothered. with, ironically In my opinion, his acting chops border on being predictably good. "Predictably good" is okay but I want raw, I want surprises, I want different. So much of "predictably good" is boring.

And so now we come to Steven Silva (left). Ah bless him for his good looks and irresistable charm that have made this author, time and again, forget about her resolve to despise men for all the heartaches they have caused her. But that's another story. Going back, Steven reached this late stage of the competition solely on the strength of his appeal. But how long can an attraction based on tangible magic last? That's a question I hate to dwell on and will probably answer once I finally realized I have taken this off my bookmarks.

I like Sarah Lahbati (right). And if ever she gets crowned Ms Dream Believe Survive Season V, you'll hear no complaints coming from me. She's soshal looking but without that you-can't-touch-me aura. I also kind of fancy the timbre of her voice. She's not a good dancer but with that kind of personality and beauty, she needn't produce a dance album. And her acting is instinctual, the opposite of what Rocco does. I would just as well describe it as natural acting but that sounds like an oxymoron. Don't you think?

Diva Montelaba (left) is no doubt a star-material But unfortunately, not the sweetheart-type star like Sarah would probably become. She's a hardworker but hardwork does not change one's aura, it's inborn. And it doesn't help her case that her morena beauty is not of the Nora Aunor variety but of the Cherie Gil kind. But who knows what a win can do, right?

Among the three girls left, I find Nina Kodaka (right) the most endearing. Her honesty and candor, that still come across despite that oftenly pointed out state of lethargy, are her best qualities. And people like that in a celebrity. Although Sarah is the better singer and Diva is the better dancer, in the acting department, this Jappinay beauty is not to be considered second runner-up. The last acting challenge that I saw (the one with Soxy Topacio at the helm), I found an intense Nina who supringsingly has a depth afterall.

So what does my heart say now? I would be satisfied with any of the three girls winning. As for the boys, things could be easier if Piero Vergara (left) is around but since he's been given the boot, I'd go for anybody but Enzo.

What? A fearless forecast you say? Probably later - after doing the rounds, along with the pink mafia, in the salt mine I call my workplace. Or after hearing from you. And why not?

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for the love of beautiful things: local showbiz's fairest faces

2010-01-31T06:37:00.000-08:00

I know doing blogs like this, or any 'list-blog' for that matter, is like asking for a fight that you'll never win. But I had no choice but to persevere. You see this is at the behest of my friends in the pink mafia. And what the pink mafiosas want, the pink mafiosas get. Even if ze mademoiselle Menggay Vanderbilt stomps a pretty Jimmy Chooed foot to it.

But before we proceed, let me remind you my dear reader that this is not to be the super-mega-utltimate 'prettiest list' that would make those not included, specially your own bets, unpretty. Besides, they say (here goes the tireless cliche, kill me later when you chance upon me down the street in my tutu waiting for a free ride) beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Excuse me while I throw up.

There are six of them in this blog, three from both the Kapamilya and the Kapuso networks. Didn't I say I know how to compromise? Anyway, withour further ado, here are the fairest faces, at least for this author.

Bea Alonzo Regine Angeles

Kristine Hermosa Yasmien Kurdi

Jackie Rice Marian Rivera

full house: almost a review and why i lurve heart evangelista and might join a richard gutierrez fan club

2010-01-29T10:48:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of the original Korean production of Full House (2004) which starred the pixie-ish, cute-as-an-aratilis Song Hye-kyo and (down go my jaw and something slinky and pink) Rain. That had to be said so you would understand my misgivings when I learned that the Kapuso network was planning to do a local version of the hit show. I so love the original that I strongly felt possessive of it. Like how Ate Shawie is when it comes to Dear Heart even if the name Sarah Geronimo is mentioned in the same breath. But anyway, since I'm just a mere pop vulturess, albeit traffic-stopping and divaesque, whose powers is limited to the remote, I have no say.

The tidbits from the rumor mill and those off the pressers for the show left me in a state of trepidation every time. Richard as Justin? So no way! Keempee as the manager? Why make the character gay? Sweet as a nosy, vengeful reporter? Where did that character come from? Heart as Jessie? Hmmm...well at least she's got the chinita eyes and the height. But alas, I had no choice but to wait. And wait I did, but always ready for a throwdown if the show turned out wanting. But there was to be no drama from my part.

The slight changes the people behind the Pinoy Full House have made thus far I find acceptable, and sometimes even perfect. Like Sweet's character delights me specially when he eats the camera and all the 'extras' around him. And with the Lolit Solis-inspired look, he's the perfect karmic target all the time. And then there's Chariz Solomon who, not surprisingly, is also a riot. Her deadpan acting and those deliciously wicked punchlines more than deliver. As to the rest of the 'new' characters, including the cuddly mutt, well...at least they don't make me pull on my hair while singing "Why, God, why?!" (Yes, from Miss Saigon! How could you've forgotten already?).

The location is exquisite considering the difficulty it must have been to replicate the gorgeous setting of the original. And as of this rambling, the show has the flow of the original story down pat despite the little tweakings here and there, and understandably so, for that Filipino zing

Now on to the other hearts (pun intended) of the matter. First off, Heart Evangelista (left). What can I say about her other than she has been flooring me every time I'm hunched over my pink 12-incher of a TV flopped on my bed still wearing my killer heels (I'm never good at scurrying home from my day job) during weeknights since day 1 of the show. Although she's got all the adorable qualities of Song Hye-kyo a copycat she is definitely so not as she always manages to be a fresh version. Simply put, she has made the character all her own by making her "Jessie" neither exactly different nor exactly the same. And that's a hard thing to do. I mean, in doing adaptations of this sort, tv show to tv show, it's either the actor pales in comparison with the original or s/he doesn't understand the character at all. And in my not-so-humble opinion, that's a testament to Ms Evangelita's talent as an actress which unfortunately is often overshadowed by talks about her personal affairs.

Isabel Oli as Elaine is dependable - she reeks of the zazz that the role requires thanks largely to her mouthwatering ensembles (kudos to the prod design team) - although her portrayal, and I don't know who's to blame, sometimes comes across as more contravida than the original. On the other hand, Patrick Garcia lacks the sense of maturity (it must be that youthful charm of his) required by his character but that said, he's sttll an A-okay actor. Oh but I do wish he'd enunciate his lines better as the show progresses. And then we come to Ricgard Gutierrez (right). During the first few weeks of the show, Richard as Justine lacked the arrogance or the dating of Rain. He was also not as maporma and in want for the Korean superstar's childlike charm. Some say it's his heft but I think it's not that (and besides, I like them big anyway). I think he's simply unsure of how to attack his role given that he's a world away from Rain both physically and aura-wise. But but BUT to my pleasant surprise, I do declare, here and now, that Mr Gutierrez is finally hitting his strides. He apparrently has this substantial comical side that is a revelation to me. And not to mention the glimpses of sensitivity that he displays when certain situations in the story call for it. Now I'm so looking forward to his would-be performance when the time for high dramatics towards the conclusion of the story comes. And if you're reading this Mr Gutierrez, puleez do not disappoint for I'm afraid I'm becoming a fan now!

thank god for simple joys!

2010-01-02T05:08:00.000-08:00

For if not for them, I'm done being dramatic! Papunta na sa tragic! But I guess God loves me in His own special way that time and again he reminds me that la vie est belle! Here's a rundown of some things that never fail to draw a smile on my face.

Little boys, and I mean real little boys, that play scenes from Darna as Darna - a sign that homophobia is about to be sooo yesterday.
A queueless ATM machine on payday Friday - it means I get paid higher than most and should stop complaining about working my ass off. I'm introspective like that.
A man who opens the door for me - I'm all for women empowerment and gender equality but I have a soft spot for men who act like men.
TV commercials that actually make sense - the Marica toyoserye of Datu Puti, the Bulilit series of Camella and the ads of Pepsi and RC Cola top my list although I'm sure I have overlooked some. And bring back the Bench underwear commercials puleez!
Political ads that evidently suggest that a degree of creativity was put into them - Gibo Teodoro's top my list as well as Bong Revilla's "Christmas greeting".
Speedy downloading means I'm getting what my ISP touts that they provide. The hell with who's faster than who, my happiness is what counts!
Men and women with overdone face powder, at least an effort to self-beautify. How they look like is another thing and besides this is about simple joys and not pains.
Taxi drivers that know when to zip it.
Moon- and starlit nights - they keep me grounded as I realize that I'm not the only natural wonder who can stop men in their tracks. I mean too much of anything can be annoying.
Nibbly things like the one above. And oh, vamos Rafa!

women i love

2009-12-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

But this had to be said. I'm not into the "L" word - I can only go as far as Katy Perry's glammed up smoochers can take her. Okay? Good. Let's proceed with the drama.

They are icons, women who, despite the constraints presented by the world around them and the medium they chose to express themselves in, have been in our collective cultural awareness for the longest time. They are all pop, mainstream and familiar yet different.

I first came to know about Greta Garbo when I read in Time magazine the correction she made to the "I want to be alone" remark she allegedly had said. According to La Grabo, she never said that and that what she actually said was "I want to be left alone". And according to her "...there is all the difference". And I agree. After reading that article, and seeing the black-and-white in-your-face closeup picture that accompanied it, I found myself intrigued and viscerally interested. Since then, I have seen most of her movies, Ninotchka, Anna Christie, Grand Hotel, Camille and a slew of other starrers including those made when sound was all orchestral music. In all of them, the great Greta never failed to enchant with her thick Swedish accent and curious manly demeanor. And now I think, how can she possibly be beguiling in all of those monocrhomatic opuses when deep inside she shunned the lights that set her sailing from Sweden all the way to the US?

Bette Davis was another actress on a different plane. She was not considered a great beauty by Hollywood standards then but she made up for it with tons of talent and, of course, those eyes. In the movies I saw, Ms. Davis was almost always on fire. The roles she essayed were mostly never leading-lady-types, never sweetheart-y and definitely never boring. With her, it's almost always a love me or hate me situation. In All About Eve, she floored me with her often acerbic delivered with such bravura and speed and sass that you'd think there's no script and the lady was just speaking her mind out. In her other movies, like Now, Voyager, Jezebel and The Little Foxes, her roles bordered on villainy but laced with just the right amount of star power that you'd still end up liking her. And speaking of that star power, she had it in gargantuan scale that it's no wonder then that Warner Bros. at one point paid all the legal expenses she incurred in a suit she brought against them. They even gave her movies that earned her Oscar nominations. And to think that the suit stemmed from her diva-esque demands (we expect no less( that she be given "stronger" roles! Ah the irony! The drama! And this I wonder, would she have made a better Scarlett O'Hara - a role she so coveted but lost to Vivien Leigh. Did Margaret Mitchell had her in mind when she was writing Gone With the Wind? A delicious thought.

And then there's Madonna. Like the two ladies above, she's championed cause celebre as weapon in the business of entertainment. And why not? She's yet to be generally accepted as an actress despite a Golden Globe for Evita. Her singing alone, as is commonly highlighted in many a review, would not sell concert tickets like, say, Dame Streisand. would. And her terpsichorean skills will never be enough to have her name written alongside that of Martha Graham's. Not even in the same paragraph. But despite these shortcomings she has managed to become more than just a flash in the pop culture pan. She had been written off and vilified at various stages of her career but at 51, and two divorces later, she is still selling out stadiums everywhere, still a media darling and still the benchmark by which up and coming musical starlets are judged.

So what propelled these women to the summit of iconoclasm? In my opinion, not that I matter, I think its their rejection of compromises and sticking to their guns and games that made them distinct. By refusing mediocrity and living outside of the proverbial box of conventionality, they have proven that the middle of the road is not always the best way to go.

"Be an individualist-and an individual. You'll be amazed at how much faster you'll get ahead." - J. Paul Getty (1892 - 1976), oil magnate

Amazon:
Greta Garbo - The Signature Collection (Anna Christie / Mata Hari / Grand Hotel / Queen Christina / Anna Karenina / Camille / Ninotchka / Garbo Silents)

The Bette Davis Collection (The Star / Mr. Skeffington / Dark Victory / Now, Voyager / The Letter)

(Madonna) Celebration: The Video Collection
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revisiting brokeback mountain

2009-12-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

I remember reading the short story first before seeing Brokeback Mountain the movie (view trailer). A friend of mine gave me the book Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx (pronounced Pru) as a birthday present. It's probably because of my incessant gabbing about the film adaptation - which was still in production then but already receiving all the buzz and hype you can imagine - that she decided to get a copy to ram down my throat. She Ebay-ed it since the book, I think, never saw light in the Philippines. Reading the short story, a recipient of a 1998 O Henry Short Story Award and a National Magazine Award, all the more got me keyed up on how the film will turn out.

Although the short stoty was great, and I'm sure deserving of the awards it received and the critical acclaims it merited, I remember that it somehow left me longing for more meat to chew on. But before you arch an eyebrow to what I have just said, let me explain. It is generally accepted that Miss Proulx writes densely evocative literature, holding master classes in describing landscapes and atmosphere. That her narrative has a poetic quality enhanced with just the right amount of humor sprinkled here and there (check out the names, of her characters, if they're not curious, they're strange). All these elements and much more are in glorious display in the short story. But that's exactly where my insignificant disappointment comes in. You see, good things are hard to come by and so when they do, you want to experience them for a longer period of time. And in this case, 500 pages more would have made this writer smugly satisfied and move on with her life but which, in retrospect, turned out to be a good thing for the movie as it (the short story) served as the cherry to a cake of a movie. So everybody who craved for the whole serving flocked to the theaters when the movie finally opened. I did. With my generous friend of course.

All throughout the movie, you can hear lonely strings and slide guitar in the background. All throughout the movie, you will be confronted with the quietly majestic Wyoming panorama. All throughout the movie, you will witness the coming to life of every wound-inflicting lines and poignant moments described or implied by Proulx in her story. But all these, as in the short story, are not overwhelmingly staged. Director Ang Lee shied away from infusing high-voltage drama possibly because he realized that the appeal and weight of the original narrative was its muted grace. And possibly too, he recognized that his actors were such forces of nature that to choreohraph their every move will result to daytime soap. Which brings me to the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Though their physical attributes differ slightly from how Proulx profiled Enis del Mar and Jack Twist, they consummately breathed life to the characters. They walked, talked and moved exactly like how one would imagine their counterparts in the short story did. And of course, they added more. By virtue of their talent, things which written words could only limitedly express. they magically made you feel and see. Things like Jack's nuanced glances toward Enis even before "it" happened, or the strange, telling flicker in his eyes. Or the subtle changes in Ennis' body language when Jack is around, or the pain he must be feeling when he could not look him straight in the eye. All these added an extra special dimension to the story making it more vivid and almost tangible. To my mind, it is one thing when a film adaptation like this expounds on an original material and its another when artistic license is taken too seriously, specially for commercial purposes.

In retrospect, now I believe Miss Proulx could not have written Brokeback Mountain any differently. That any surrender (if there was any) to an impulse to "prolong" the bittersweet tale of Enis and Jack could have blunted its intensity. And if intense, deep-seated ache lasting 20 or so minutes (or 60+ pages) is not enough

for you as with this writer, there is the movie for the kill.

Amazon:
Brokeback Mountain (DVD) Brokeback Mountain (CD) Close Range : Wyoming Stories
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ka-aura

2009-12-19T21:57:00.000-08:00

Aura is described by Encarta Dictionary as "distinctive quality: a characteristic or distinctive impression created by somebody or something" as in an aura of mystery. It's that gut feel provoked in us by an individual that is oftentimes inexpressible. But ironically, this same beyond-words quality can be used as an adjective and interestingly not just to describe but to compare. And the funny thing is, we often understand the context in which it is used as a qualifier. And like I said, it goes deeper than the tangible image or similarities in physical attributes, say Lady Guy and Ate Guy's mole - the resemblance is striking and yet you can't describe them as mag ka-aura (dahil sadya bang there can only be one Superstar?).

As in the example above, celebrities are oftentimes the 'copy' we use to describe somebody's aura. Ang taray ni Luzviminda nung Christmas party, ka-aura ni Manay Celia (Rodriguez)!. Oh I'm sure by now you get the picture. No? Okay, try this:

La Imelda Papin, Yeng Costantino, Charice Pempengco

O ang tarush dava?!

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bulalakaw

2009-12-18T23:10:00.000-08:00

nakukutuban mo ba tuwing
hahawiin ang kurtina para
sumilip, sumilay
kung nasa tapat ng inyong
bahay ang iyong motorsiklo?

kung hindi, bakit di mahuli
ang iyong pagkukumpuni
o pagdating at
paglisan? pati anino mo'y
pinagmamaramot ng sadya

daig mo pa ang bulalakaw
sa bilis ng pagiwas sa mga
matang uhaw
na walang sininta kung di
ang langit na para sa iba

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what a decade it was!

2009-12-17T23:40:00.000-08:00

What a decade it was! Yes, was. I know we have more or less a fortnight before we usher in 2010 but things happen to me in light years so two weeks is well actually a wink, and perhaps a nod. It's virtually over for me even before I finish writing this. So maybe I should rethink the title for this post as it connotes something fantabulous had happened, like "what a party it was, if only people did not mistake me for a wallflower! " or "thank God for the Jonas Brothers that skinny jeans for men happened!". Or maybe not. But first, let me take my pink pill before I start pulling on my hair - I always do that when I get a trifle indecisive. Anyway, here are some things that happened (or I made happen, I have no clue) to me "in the decade that was". You be the judge whether they are to be considered majors, ie signposts of life that should be included in my would-be memoir, or not. But don't give me that I've-done-that-twice-over-is-that-all attitude! Or I'm gonna have to take the purple pill - and purple is never my color!

I went south for the first time, and I don't mean geographically.
I went to ukay-ukay several times and at one time downplayed the value of an LV bag with the tindera - I almost suffered a nervous breakdown keeping my emotions in check. And to my mind and yaya's, I can do a better Jaclyn Jose indifference than Jaclyn Jose.
I bought every issue of Vogue and Cosmo, and followed all the fashion dos and donts albeit 10 months late. Don't look at me funny, Booksale does not sell current mags.
I cuckoled a foreigner boytoy who's a Rafa Nadal dead ringer, ass included, because I don't settle for the next best thing for long, especially when the wives get in the mix.
I returned to writing poetry and realized you just can't shake pure unadulterated talent like feathered bangs. The words just tumble out my fingers and I seem to just continue from where I stopped in grade school. I am so excited I'll post some on here! Like right now, a title has just formed and it's "Untitled" (but I might change it to something more profound).
I've made the effort to become less soshal and maarte about many things. Like I now enjoy 3-in-1 anything - coffee+sugar+cream, shampoo+gupit+kulot, you name it!
I've contributed to environmental protection by planting lots of Chinese bamboo in our backyard. I love them dearly but they puzzle me. Like how on earth do you make bahay kubo or even a parol out of them? Hmmm I'll check out my neighbor's 75-volumed, mold colony Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedia later to find out. Ooops, there goes the secret behind my amazing brains HaHaHa
For the second time in my life, I walked out on a movie screening. It was One True Love with Marian and DingDong. Don't get me wrong, I like Marian but the movie was a 1 and 1/2-hour blonde moment.
I got myself into social networking finally. I spend hours playing Mafia Wars although I'm a bit confused by it. I mean how can you network with dead people? Aren't they suppose to like you and how can they like you and if just erased them virtually.
I have become a Glee fanatic as they are so out there in terms of social relevance. It's high time they show men as sensitive animals, the way I like them, and not the archetypal shoot-em dead sort. Music over football - now how real-life is that?

And oh, this might help you benchmark your life in the decade that was Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of the Decade.