A different Filipino

Elliea is a Filipino living in Thailand. I was invited to her birthday party last night and was amazed by how many Filipinos attended her special night.

I also noticed how different I was with my fellow men. Filipinos here prefer to have romantic relationships with their fellow kababayans. They also love drinking. As all of my friends know, I really hate drinking.

Maybe it is just me. Maybe I do not know them that well to judge that I am very different from them. Anyway, I had a great time.

Missing Carlos 2

I will meet you again very soon. I hope you believe that I am worth the wait. You and I know that we had a lot of fun together. I miss us dancing together. I miss our dinners. I miss pigging out infront of you.

By the way, this talented man has a musical band, the Patatas Chipas Club.
 

Carnivale (2nd Season)

I am so sad to finish the second series of Carnivale because I know that HBO has dropped the third series. The magical story is not finished yet and I do not think a movie can finish the whole story (a movie cannot start with the ending of a TV series).

It is very obvious in the audio commentaries that the cast and crew are very upset with HBO's decision.

Unfortunately, there are not that many fans of "Carnivale" so the final story might not really be finished. I feel like I am reading a wonderful novel and I spilled some cranberry juice on the last page rendering it unreadable.

On this second series, I was very impressed with Clea Duvall's portrayal of a person who wants to escape what she is. I was also impressed with Amy Madigan's insane yet logical Iris. She has really made incest very sickening.

Well, I am still keeping my fingers crossed that I will see the final season of this TV series.

Carnivale (1st Season)

This is one TV series that I am proud to have on DVD. The story is very powerful although it is not something new. It is just presented in a new way.

All the actors are amazing. I do not know how the casting director was able to get such great talents who are very suitable for their roles. Even the smallest actors are unforgettable.

One main difference between the DVD and the HBO Asia broadcast is I get to see more of the Dreifuss family (the cootchie dancers). No episode is without nudity because of them. I must say though that all the nude scenes are tastefully done and they are all very beautiful.

I do not like the commentary tracks that much though because the creator and directors just sat down and admire their work. They do not give much information about how they created the episodes.

I am so sad that HBO will not come up with the third season of this series. We have yet to see the great battle between good and evil.

The Aviator

I hesitated to watch this movie because I knew I would be disappointed with Leonardo DiCaprio's performance. I bought the DVD a few weeks ago because it was very cheap. But then, I was right: Leonardo is not fitting for this charismatic character. Leonardo may be intense but he does not have even a drop of Howard Hughes' charisma.

But then the two supporting actresses (Kate Beckinsale and Cate Blanchett) are superb. They are both beautiful and convincing as two Hollywood icons. With the help of their fabulous costumes, they both projected the glamour of that era.

I have to mention that the video quality of the feature is impressive. The second disc is loaded with info that will make you appreciate the movie and Howard Hughes more. Damn Howard was a looker and Leonardo is NOT.

Missing Him

My head is acheing right now from crying. I miss him a lot.

I miss being very happy when he is here in my apartment. My bed is so cold without him here. My jokes are unheard. I miss his laughter.

I am crying but he is not here to hug me.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

"It is beautiful!"

That is the first sentence I uttered the second the movie ended. I sat in the cinema without expecting anything. Carlos mentioned that it is adapted from a popular novel and that many directors are afraid to touch it. And now I can imagine how difficult it must have been to put this story in a movie.

The presentation is breath-taking. The infant is so real that it was scarey. How was it done? I cannot wait for the DVD.

The actors are amazing, including the two supporting, Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman. Hoffman's portrayal is very entertaining and memorable. I have not been impressed by him this much since "Midnight Cowboy".

The orgy scene was done with taste. It was not offensive although how I wish they had two men making out. I am sure I am not the only gay person who would say this. And then I thought, "how can one end this movie after the orgy?" But then I was impressed with how the story ended. I will not mention it here though.

Sleepy Night at the Museum

I just do not get it why people watch a trashy film like this one. My special man wanted us to watch a movie and the other options were the awful Jack Black movie (Holiday) and the epic-wannabe, Eragon. I thought I would be amused by the special effects of the "Night at the Museum" but I was wrong.

Nothing was really funny in this movie. The slapping scene with the Capuchin monkey was excruciating to watch. Robin Williams' lecturing made me squirm. Ben Stiller lacks a lot of sincerity--c'mon he is almost old enough to be the child's grandfather!

My point is avoid this movie. Picking your nose is more eventful.

Burton's Chocolate Factory

I regret now that I did not buy the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory DVD the first time I saw it. It is now very difficult to find it in Manila and it is non-existent in Bangkok.

Anyway, I am still impressed with how Tim Burton has interpreted this Roald Dahl story. I have read the book and Burton's ending is more cinematically unforgettable. It is not easy to tie the history and the outcome in an uncheesey sort of way but Burton succeeded in doing so.

The second disc is absolutely fun to play with. It has Oompa Loompa games and games about all the five children. The feature disc is very impressive because it kept all the exciting colours intact.

Of course, Freddie Highmore is still as sincere as ever and this is one of the two Johnny Depp performances I like (the other one is Edward Scissorhands).

The next movie will be totally different.