Sunday, December 31, 2006

shaken, rattled, and rolled, but not stirred...

wouldn't it have been a better marketing ploy if casino royale was released next year? 007 = 2007. golly, why didn't they think of that?

what do you guys think of my new header? the chick in the pic by the way is none other than the deliciously busty model keeley hazell. google her and give your eyes something to feast on. it's good for the health, you know. anyways, here's my lucky list of the 13 movies i must watch on 2007 (again, for the uninformed, first twelve's in random order, entry #13 takes the top rank).

1. children of men - good premise in the hands of a good director, alfonso cuaron. this was actually released this year, but has yet to be shown in philippine theaters. darn it.

2. the host - the kickass big monster movie from korea. which hollywood's gonna try and remake soon. oh, come on.

3. arthur and the invisibles - luc besson's live action / cgi movie. i'm there.

4. jumper - about a dude who has teleportation powers. cool. title's the same with one of my favorite songs, and a character i once created for a story. double cool. samuel l jackson's in it. muthafuckin cool.

5. pan's labyrinth - gulliermo del toro's fairy tale for adults. again, released last year, but not in this country. nah-uh.

6. the simpsons movie - aye carumba! a simpsons movie?! finally! everyone's been waiting a long time for this. better late than later.

7. pirates of the carribean: at world's end - the potc movies have been so much fun to watch. now way im missing the final chapter of this trilogy.

8. grindhouse - two names: robert rodriguez and quentin tarantino.

9. fantastic four: rise of the silver surfer - saw the trailer and was completely blown away by norrin radd. you know, the silver surfer. must-see movie because of him and galactus of course! well, them and the human torch. the most of all, jessica alba.

10. 300 - gimme my war movies! doesn't matter when it happened. just give me war! swords! blood! underwearless women!

11. tmnt - the heroes in a half-shell are back, now in cgi form! cowabunga, dude!

12. transformers - hallelujah to the highest! aw, man, i'm gonna be a kid again. autobots, roll out!

13. spider-man 3 - no surprise here. as a big spider-fan, this movie isn't a must-see, it's a will-see. there is absolutely nothin that can stop me from going to the theater and watching our friendly neighborhood spider-man duke it out with sandman, green goblin.2, and, oh, yes, true believers, venom! fuck, i'd buy tickets now if i could!

that's it for my quickie lucky list. no hostel 2 or saw 3 because as much as i do want to see both of them, i've always felt like such movies shouldn't have sequels. no harry potter either because i aint much of a harry potter fan. hermione, yes. they should start letting her do other movies, you know? so anyhow, got no theater companion anymore right now. anyone wanna fill in the spot?

i know i promised the details regarding my recent ordeal, but to hell with it. i'm done with that episode. i just want peace. not happiness, not a new girlfriend, not a one-way ticket to canada but just plain and simple peace. of mind, of heart, of ears (to whoever thought of prohibiting the "boga", i owe you a beer). i just want to live my life the way it is for now. do what i want to do, go where i want to go, sleep as much as i want, play the ps2 as much as i want. because freedom is the right of all sentient beings (thanks, optimus prime). i mean, yeah, i'm alone, but it's cool. just glad that it's over. but she did push through with her plans. there goes my kid. would've been an archaeologist or something.

what a way to end the year, eh? hope this following year is brimming with positivity since i seem to have exceeded my problem quota for one year. nonetheless, thank you for eking through 2006 with me. may 2007 be good to you, too. happy new year, fuckers.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

holy dog, saint horse

about a couple of weeks ago, i went out with a friend who has been my friend for a long time but one whom i've never met in person. thank the irc/ym for that set up. there's actually another one that i've yet to see in the flesh despite the fact that we're both in manila now. been friends with her since 1998 i think, and there's quite a story in there too but i'll tell you about it when i do get the chance to physically interact with her. i guess maybe she doesn't want to see me or something like that. or busy as hell like me. (busy, busy, busy! i'm getting tired of that word) anyways, this friend that i managed to wrangle and spend time with me didn't look like the rock chick i was expecting her to be, you know, tats and piercings, eyeliner and stuff. anyways, we scampered to the cool place named saguijo and had a couple of rounds of beer while some local bands performed. dong abay of the late yano did his thing, which was cool, refused to sing their big hit in the past. hence, this entry's title. but hold your hamsters, that's not just it. it does have a connection with what i'm about to tell you now...

but first, welcome again to my blog. there will be no talkbacks today. i'll just ramble on about the recent past, which explains why i haven't been blogging lately. the story of my life, one that at first i was reluctant to tell. but fuck it, people need to know about stuff like this. one of the many reasons why: it could actually save lives. have i piqued your interest enough? intrigued enough to stay and read on? is the suspense killing you yet? should i go ahead and type the darn thing instead of asking these questions? okay! here we go.

wait. one of the factors that hindered me from doing any personal activities is the avp i was tasked to edit for our family company's 50th anniversary. that meant lack of sleep for days because i still went to work at night, which caused me to miss its presentation after i've finished it a little over an hour before. anyways, on to the main course.

if the chair you're sitting on has seatbelts, i highly recommend buckling up.

for unnecessary artistic purposes (my blog, my rules), to view the message you have to use your mouse to highlight it. start after the x below.

x i have left layla because she cheated on me with a guy who is married and has a kid, and now she's telling me she's pregnant with my son and she wants to abort it.

that's it. details next time.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

what would peter north do?

today i received an e-mail from ebay stating that i've just won my first bid. oh yes, ive only just begun ebaying the other day, due to boredom. did a search for something neat, found one, registered, placed a bid and ta-da! the final fantasy: advent children calendar is mine! well, will be mine, because i havent paid for it yet. when my salary arrives this wednesday, a small part of it will go to the seller's bank account and pretty soon i'll get my hands on that kick-ass cool calendar. other than that, nothing else in ebay interests me. for now. no sign of a jason vorhees hockey mask yet.

anyone got a ps3 out there? wanna be a good citizen and lemme have a swing at it for a couple hours? 'cause i aint buying one anytime soon. im content and happy with my beloved ps2. i just finished ultimate spider-man on it and it was fun. im playing hitman: blood money next, right after i buy a copy. anyways, speaking of which, i was flipping through the channels on tv last night and i came across the abs-cbn show xxx, where they were investigating medical exam fixers. why is the previous sentence in this paragraph? because they rip-off need for speed: most wanted. before each segment, the reporter is introduced in the exact same manner blacklist opponents are introduced in the game. and when i said exactly, i meant exactly exactly. i could almost hear the abs-cbn bosses commending the moron(s) behind those graphics. they should get a ps2 and pop in nfs:mw, so they'll see how original and creative their bastard employees are. oh yeah, right, maybe they actually knew about it all along. maybe they were even the ones who asked for it. fuck, i hate these giant xerox machines.

time for talkbacks! again, guys, thank you for spending time here.

comments talkback:

cheska: thanks, fellow chocophile! i never say no to chocolate, well maybe except when it's got nuts in it, especially almonds! no!!! anyways, the job's not as easy as it sounds. by the time we're regulars, we oughta be able to transcribe a 1-minute file in 4 minutes tops! plus there are files that are really hard to transcribe and that get on your nerves. good things some pretty babes pass by every now and then to calm me down...

jigs: yeah, it's cool. but just like any job, it's got its downsides. like we barely have enough time for chit-chat. dvd subtitles? i presume so, because the other day we just did some interview files for shrek 3. that was cool. carnage? hopefully, spider-man 3 sets him up for the fourth, since i don't think venom's gonna be a full villain in this one. as for the header, please explain to your nosy nurse sister that the misspelling is deliberate.

katia: no shit, for real? what account were you on? um, i have no idea what this mugshots thing is. anyways, technically im in no particular account yet. still under training. or t&c (transcription and captioning) is the account? i don't know.

patty-chan: i like that you like my header. sweet darkness, that's a nice way of putting it. actually, i have many more plans on how to, um, for the lack of a better term, "market" the hemorage brand. and yeah, no running around for us. except maybe when break time's over and we're nowhere near our workstations. strict schedule compliance. anyways, i actually have nothing against people who read those kinds of books. the conflict begins when they act like they're on a higher level (of intelligence, most of the time) than you. i mean, what? you learned a new way to cry?!

din-din: finger-tiring? actually, no. it never gets to that point. im quite used to typing, clicking, and staring on the monitor for hours. but you're kind of right about the social life thing. we're working on that though. my batchmates and i will be going out soon. be my guest and take a bite. and regards to your significant other as well!

@bet: yeah, andrew e. but not just him. almost everybody in the biz does that. which is their way of cheating the audience of the money they paid. and then you hear them talk crap about how piracy should be stopped and that we should buy original. sure, as long as they stop cashing in on revivals too.

bloodboard talkbacks:

red_pl8: what html thing is it that i might be able to help you with? thanks for dropping by.

jen: im... okay. yeah, i've been quite busy myself, hence almost no time for gimmicks and blogging. when you get back, then?

ghostin u: applications are very much welcome here. numerous applicants come in everyday. you should give it a try.

cheska: thanks for adding me to your list.

kipay: kfc batangas! the one in sm or the one in front of citimart? congratulations on your new job. favor though, can you ask the kfc management why their spicy products (hotshots, chicken, and especially my favorite zinger) aren't as spicy as before? to be honest, they aren't spicy anymore actually!

there you go, brothers and sisters. the gospel according to skizzy. praise be to kubrick.

p.s. if any of you do want to give peoplesupport a go, drop me a line so i could assist you. successful referrals mean cash bonus for me! woohoo! so, what are you waiting for! come on!

Monday, November 20, 2006

pardon my french

hoorayee! an update! a gawddarn blog post! stand up! stand up and rejoice everybody! put your hands in the air and lemme hear you say "hooo!" don't you hate it when a performer on stage does that? coercing the audience to a specific chant? i do. i hate it as much as when they aim the microphone towards you and want you to sing the song instead. i'm like, dude, i paid you to sing. so sing goddamit!

so anyways, welcome me back, ladies and gentlemen. what do you think of my brand spankin new header?

allow me to blabber about my new job. i am an entertainment transcriptionist at peoplesupport. if i shouldnt be telling you that and the ones that will follow this sentence, i have no idea so i don't give a monkey's pimply ass. basically what i do is watch small movie files, which are mostly interviews, listen very carefully to the audio and transcribe it. play, listen, pause, type, rewind, listen, play... and that's about it. the whole shift. it's really not that hard (my new friend and i are the fastest in the batch. the rest eat our typing dust), but it depends on the file and what the people in it say. if names/places/events/other stuff need checking, we fire up internet explorer and do research, which i'm pretty good at. it's actually quite fun sometimes, especially when the file is from a comedy talk show, or when it's really informative. like the last one we did about andrew jackson ( you know, the american president) and his movie-worthy love story. the uppity ones tell us that in the future we'll get a chance to transcribe films as well. one says that another transcriptionist hates transcribing r-rated movies. well, bring em all over to me! my pleasure. anyways, i like this call center job way better than the last one, for many reasons, like i get paid on time. unlike those government buttmunchers in quezon city! damn you all to hell!

oh, btw, here's the link to an old movie review that i've only uploaded now: art school confidential.

and finally from here on, the comments section is all yours. i wont be making anymore replies there. it's just me; i believe that the comments section should contain only your comments, suggestions and other messages (though i was gonna say 'violent reactions', dintcha? no way, cliche!). none of mine. what i would do instead is respond to them within the succeeding post. i shall do my best to answer all of them, the challenge thi would entail depends on the number of messages i receive. oh well, ive never really had that many comments. anyways, talkbacks start!

bloodboard talkback:
luigi: my main man, are you saying you'll be here on monday? if it's true, then holy shitballs! welcome back! cant wait to see you again and do with you things that are illegal in some countries. uncap the beer bottles and let out the girls! because the jai and luigi show is on!

ghostinyou: neither can i. as a big spidey fan, there aint nothin that can hinder me from watching this film. see you at the premiere!

onlinepad: thanks you, jen. i've added you as well. gimmick? anytime. especially if you're paying for it. question is, how? you're out of the country!

peter: dude, with what? the blog voting thing?

ituloy angpagsulong: hop `til you drop!

patty: will do my own rounds after this and i'll be sure to pass by your blog. take care, pattycake!

rho: happy belated halloween. man, i was gone for that long?!

din-din: yup. i was very busy. didnt have enough free time to do long posts. but thanks for visiting still. take care.

comments talkback:
katia: don't know if it'll coincide with the may 4 premiere in the us. but i pray to all the gods out there that it does. i'll keep an eyeball hanging out for any info regarding that. oh don't you fuckin dare cheat me, philippine organization that handles movie releases!

jigs: venom is in the other trailer, the one they showed in comic-con this year. you'll find it if you google it up. im sure we'll get to see it in full glory before the movie comes out, hopefully attached to one of the films early next year.

done! i'll be back at ya as soon as i can.

p.s. congratulations to the philippines for winning against mexico in a fist fight. rey mysterio's presence didnt give el terible enough boost to 619 his way to victory. the what-the-fuck-was-that? look on erik's face when he kissed the mat the third time was classic. [laugh] manny pacquiao for president!
p.p.s. on a totally unrelated note, remember that bald lifeguard dude with a mustache in baywatch who was an extra at first and then became a regular later on? of course you remember him. we all remember him. we just don't know who he is. he doesnt care though. because he got to see the baywatch babes' boobs bouncing in the beach.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

spider-senses tingling!

dazzling ditko doodles! it's the new spider-man 3 trailer!!!



did you watch it? did you see the symbiote engulf spidey? did you see the black webbing?! did you see spider-man cleaning the train's exterior with sandman's face? still no venom though. but the trailer kicked ass nonetheless. sam raimi! give us venom on the next one!!! (directly below is a pic of what venom would most likely look like in the movie)


that is it for now, true believers! i'm gonna go home and play ultimate spider-man on my ps2. take care!

Saturday, November 04, 2006

pick of destiny

rockers of the world unite! it's the first six minutes of the tenacious d movie!!!


Wednesday, November 01, 2006

rapid text

appy polly logies for my lengthy absence. if you happened upon the explanation i posted on the bloodboard, you'd know that the reason behind it is that i went through (and still am going through) one of the biggest problems of my life. a fate i wouldnt even wish on my enemies. well, maybe only because i want em to die in my hands. anyways, i may seem unaffected but believe me, deep within me, i could feel it eating at my soul bit by bit. i cope and i move on but i find it real hard to just completely forget about it and everytime the memory sneaks into my brain, i tear myself into pieces.

hey, i am on my second day of new hire training in peoplesupport. oh yes. ive lost my marbles and decided to become a call (center) boy once again. actually, i had applied around august, and after i had passed the tests and interviews, i got the "dont call us we'll call you" treatment. then i got a call last week saying there was an opening available but that i had to undergo everything again. since im lazy, i didnt go. day after that, saturday, i got another call and was told to go to their office at 5pm for "final assessment". contract signing soon followed and voila! i am a bum no more. the freelancing ive been doing for some time was okay, but the pay never came on time, and therefore, financial problems. so now i have a regular job. which looks like fun and will probably last longer than my previous attempt. best thing about it? for now, it is the donita rose/connie sison look-a-like trainer named mimay (for oh me, oh my!).

that's about all i can say for now. i'll talk more and try to hop around your blogs next time when i have full control. take care.

oh and btw, thank you, mysterious free wifi.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

piss be with you

my last post about my music-video-making adventure just vanished into cyberspace air. no damn idea why. my guess is that someone logged into my account (since my password was pretty simple) and erased it. or maybe it was one of those internet cafes where logging out took so much time, i just closed the window, paid up and left, and then the next customer happened upon my blog and decided to have a little fun with it. either way, it baffles me why he/she/it deleted that one entry. why not all my entries, or better yet, why not the whole blog? then i'd just take it as karma because i myself have been guilty of messing around with friendster accounts that werent signed out. still, why just that one post? im quite sure i didnt put anything libelous there. which brings me to another conclusion: it was blogger's fault. something went cuckoo with their servers again and lucky me i suffered the consequences. oh well. cant have it all. your mobile phone gets snatched, you dont get paid on time, your blog post disappears... life sucks, eh? i could retype everything but it wouldnt be exactly the same, plus it's a chore. and im not really into doing something again and again. as ive said before, i never repeat myself (tee-hee!).

i was able to salvage the links from that post though and i thought i should put them here along with some new ones.



a friend of layla's (whom i consider my friend as well of course, i just wanted to associate him with layla more) asked her for help on an upcoming debate contest, because layla and her team won during her time. layla then discussed it with someone who won during his time, which is me. the topic is euthanasia, and unfortunately our friend (there you go) is on the affirmative side. i like debates and am confident that i could triumph on any topic and any side, but this one posed a bit of a challenge. well, only at first because once i found an argument to jumpstart from, layla and i were debating ourselves. anyways, the point of this paragraph actually isnt the debate but religion. one of the "aces" i came up was this: if life is a gift from god, dont we have the right to keep it or throw it away just like any other gift? (for the confused, the previous sentence argues that a person with a grave illness that would make them suffer for a year or so and then die has the right to choose to die now) i was very certain that the negative side would use the "gift from god" thing and then the affirmative will counterattack with this bomb. then the negatives would scratch their heads and turn to "borrowed life". that was when i was reminded of the questions i had about religion. borrowed life? sounds just like a workaround to "gift of life" since like i said, any gift given to you is yours and you have full control. which scared the religious dudes so they changed it to borrowed so that now we have no control and they have. then i thought, arent we the ones to decide what to borrow? take for example the beggar out on the street. why would he borrow that kind of life? why not a life of wealth and health and big-boobed babes in bikinis? i mean, would you go to a video rental and rent a video that you know is absolute crap?! no. me, i'd take a nice horror-flick and some porn. so no, it cant be a borrowed life because i did not chose it. and if it's not a gift, then it's a forced life. "here, this is life, take it and live it. it comes with free will so it's upto you how you wanna live it. but you'll be punished if you do the bad stuff. oh and it has built in original sin so no matter how good you think you are, you're still a born sinner. you can just embrace that fact and sin all your life, but then you'll be punished for each sin you commit. so i would suggest you do good, because if you do good, maybe, and just maybe, you can get somethin good in return. but dont expect it, because expecting it is wrong. so just live this life with your free will but it is highly recommended that you do good. or else." by the way, i am not questioning god. i know he's out there, but he's just not exactly the way we're told. i mean, take for example the bible. i believe that god's word cant be put on paper. sure he spoke to the people who wrote it, but that was a long long time ago. there's gotta be some mistranslations there. for instance, try this test. find a free translation website and type a sentence in english and have it translated into another language. then copy the translated sentence and translate it back to english. it will not be the same with the one you started. that took like, a minute. imagine what thousands of years of translation could do. i mean, not even all english bibles are the same. and plus, the bible has plotholes. like who was cain's wife? eve?! i asked a priest this and he said that the bible shouldnt be taken literally. so it's all just symbolisms?! then he said that not all in the bible should be taken literally, some should be. so who chose which was real and which was not?! and another thing, if i copied the whole bible verbatim in a notebook, is my notebook the holy bible? surely it is, because that's the word of god right there, just handwritten. if not, then what will make it holy? use ink that has holy water? and how is holy water holy anyway? because a priest blessed it?! if a priest blessed my pee, will it become holy pee? and blessed shit be holy shit? why should we believe these priests and preachers anwyay? they have original sin too. sheesh. i'll stop now. i get carried away with this one. always. i apologize if i offended anyone, but im not saying sorry for what i said. my opinions. love to hear yours.

remember my entry about just for laughs? well, here's a video from a similar show of a prank that went wrong. very wrong...



anyways, that's today's entry, dear friendly friends! let's all hope and pray that this one and the succeeding ones stay put! keep smiling and take care out there!

Monday, October 02, 2006

random

applause to gma for their new aquaman rip-off fantasy series, atlantika. you know what this means, kids! more stolen concepts, more stupid dialogue, more "cliffhanger" scenes where the characters just stand there and stare at each other, more boasts of "hollywood-worthy" cgi effects that they never keep up, more obvioisly choreographed fight sequences, more plotholes and inconsistencies, and of course, more bad acting. quality entertainment my ass!

layla's been acting really weird lately. missing-object-that-you-find-when-you're-not-lookin-for-it-anymore weird.

that was some terrible typhoon, eh? couldnt go to work (and even if i did get there i wont be able to work anyways since there was no electricity) so i was in bed the whole time. sounded like god opened up a can of whoop-ass. all i could think of was: sodom and gomorrah. and giant kittens.

i miss being inside a movie theater. i wanna watch crank, talladega nights, pulse, and dead or alive. this week it's spanish film fest once again and hopefully layla and i will be able to catch more good peliculas. for 50 bucks. and, if fate allows, win the grand prize which we didnt win last year (it was a trip to spain, not sure if it's the same now).

i still hate seeing song lyrics on blogs.

a couple of things i wish for in the future: better batteries and zero loading screens.

misa campo. google her. now.

err... im off to watch smallville season six premiere and the descent. after that i'll do some ps2-ing again while waiting for the live telecast of the amazing race 10. then im takin the next train to dream city. or if im lucky, nightmareville.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

to bleed or not to bleed

to bleed.

as you can see, my blog's got a spankin new and not-so-new look. and i did it all by myself. anyways, i would very much appreciate if you could give me your first impressions, comments, reactions, suggestions, and/or expectations. just anything.

and now, my responses:

(board)
patty: thanks. your comment went through though. leader, squad member, neehh doesnt matter. important thing is you boost team spirit while wearing short pleated skirts. btw, there was this female wrester in w.o.w. named patty pep. p-a-t-t-y!
p-a-t-t-y! patty pep! (clap clap clap) patty pep!

randell: dude, no celebration today. ive depleted my funds over the weekend. i just stayed at home and bummed around since there was no way they were makin me work today. when i get paid, big mac's on me. plus we're gonna finish ghost squad once and for all.

mara: ditto. hope you come back. thanks for the greet.

tin: thanks!

flash-ko: good luck with the flash games site. im a flash animator myself. anyways, ever heard of/played the charlie flash games by pornholio?

jerski: and im from the republic of the philippines. thanks for visiting.

blacksoul: im a guy! what made you think i was a girl?! i don't get it. but anyways, link exchange? done.

charisse: dont mind if we do. thanks for hoppin here as well.

ikay: sorry the dancers are out for the time being. they're takin a much needed rest. wouldn't you be tired if you've been doing that 24/7 for the past two weeks?! well, actually ive taken them down because their presence just doesnt jive with the whole new package. but that's just me. think i should bring em back?

sd: this was me. thought the tagboard was fucked up.

(comments)
din-din: thanks for the birthday and monthsary greetings! especially the monthsary one, you're the only other person to greet us that. usually it's just layla and me greeting each other. well, here's the new (and not-so-new) theme. what do you think?

joyce: me too. havent got enough time to stroll around and say hi. thanks for the greet.

patty: see above.

that's it for now, boys and girls.
thanks to everyone who greeted. i wish all of you twenty-six million reasons to smile for the next twenty-six years. take care out there. oh and please update your links. good-bye filler, hello HEM0RAGE.

p.s. no gifts but no hard feelings...

Monday, September 25, 2006

a very merry un-birthday

on tuesday, i will be celebrating a most wonderful day of my life this year: my 26th birthday. well, actually, the celebrations have been done. with my sibs, layla and her sis, i went to enchanted kingdom last saturday and liked anchor's away, loved space shuttle, got wet in the jungle log jam, got very very wet in rio grande, got bored in rialto, enjoyed the 4d theater, and watched the fireworks. the rio grande was the most fun for all of us, we all got soaked. i thought i was the only one who'd walk out of there dry, and then we passed the mini-waterfall and it just had my name on it. anyways, so on tuesday, i'd probably stay at home with my woman, talk, sleep, eat, try to finish need for speed most wanted (you're next, blacklist #3), read an e-book or two, and wish really really hard for a surprise great gift. but gift or no gift, i'll be a happy man. sure im getting old but in the name of adriana lima, there's lots of people out there who don't reach this age. and check it out: im 26 on 26. cool, eh? (and it's my 38th monthsary with layla as well so it's like double cool.)

okay, so filler came to the world around new year. before that there was rope. and before that, my first blog, spew. soon, this blog will carry a new name (again) one that kinda sorta fits more into what im delivering. this one, i am hoping, is gonna be the one that will last longer than the previous three incarnations, if not the very last blog "theme" i'd ever have. of course, there is still that possibility that somewhere down the drain, i might eat up all i just said and change it again. but for now, or more appropriately since it's not yet on, for later, this blog shall be known to all humankind as...

to be continued... (that's not what's it's gonna be called, okay? i just dont wanna give it away just yet because you'll never know if some idea-robber is lurking around. you'll find out on my next entry. which makes this entry my last filler entry. boo-hoo. but no worries, i'd still have the same old shish kebab, only under a different moniker and a few minor adjustments. say goodbye to filler, folks!)

p.s. i wanna how many greetings i'd get if i put my mobile phone number here so: 09167170207

Thursday, September 14, 2006

jai versus the volcano

weekends at the casa de jai y layla: saturdays are usually spent sleeping during the day and watching dvds at night with pizza on the side. sometimes we'd go out in the afternoon, do a lil malling, have dinner, maybe catch a movie's last full show, and then buy chow on the way home. on sundays, we mostly stay inside, sleep, talk, clean up, watch a dvd or two again, but we sometimes go out as well especially when we've lazed around enough on saturday. so categorically, we're both happy homebodies but anything good comes up and we'll fly.

anyways, when the american trainors of the account layla works for come over to the country, the whole team goes out clubbing. i went with them a couple of times, and sure it was fun watching them americans get drunk and dance like fools but i guess (since they really werent my friends) i didnt enjoy it that much. anyhow, saturday last, layla was out with the party people again, and i was home sleeping, tired from an editing job. sunday next morning, as always, layla arrived loudly, waking me up from my deep slumber. she dragged me off the bed telling me that they were going to tagaytay again (this was their second time) and she wanted me to come with her, all expenses paid by the kind one named jacinda. so i ditched the plans to have our tv fixed and tagged along with the temple troop on their trip to tagaytay.


layla and i breakfasted at mcdo then met the gang at the rendezvous point where the van awaited. after a quickie stop at sm bicutan for batteries and a halo-halo "initiation" for the gay one named travis, we we're off. while christopher cross performed live on the dvd display. anyways, first stop was taal vista lodge sans "taal vista lodge" on the grass. i have been here a million times. great view of the taal volcano, where i heard we were headed next. now there, i have never been.

what did the male volcano say to the female volcano? "i lava you."


from left to right: my layla, gladys, nelly, marie, jacinda, travis, noel, bottled water.


names on are based on what i heard, not sure about the spellings. especially bottled water. i really think im wrong there. anyways, not shown in the pic are laura (american), gladys's boyfriend who doesnt have a name, and layla's macho handsomo boyfriend who took the picture.

we jumped back into the mystery van and crossed the road to get some grub from mcdo (yes, mcdonald's again, but someone else is paying for it). outside, they conversed with this fat dude on a motorcycle about the boats that would take us to the volcano. the deal was made and we followed the fat dude and his bike down the zigzaggy road im familiar with and to a resort in talisay.


layla: i thought you said you have a yacht? what is this?
jai: it's a thinner version of a yacht. it's pa-yacht.


amazing race?!


about 15 minutes later, the boats dropped us off a beach where people hung around offering horses. the one named marie got one while the rest of us traversed the dusty horsedung-filled trail on foot. the hike lasted about an hour or so.


smile is an anagram of miles.


just like a walk in the park eh? a really long park...


a mac user in a photo that looks like a microsoft windows wallpaper.


btw, everyone in the group hates the one named gladys because she apparently doesnt understand what courtesy means. actually she wasnt invited to the clubbing and the trip but she just popped out of nowhere plus escort. how acquire the information is a mystery to them. anywayss, i mentioned this because i had reason to hate her myself: she had ruined the picture above by stepping into the frame. so i guess they were right about that courtesy thing. but thanks to the wonders of image cropping, the horrible sight is gone. only beauty...



aragorn: what can you see, legolas?
legolas: i see trees of green... red roses too... i see them bloom... for me and you... and i think to myself...
aragorn & legolas: what a wonderful world...


i am sykes.


going back to the adventure... when we finally reached the summit, i didnt sit down to rest despite being a bit tired. i opened my bottled water and drank everything as i admired the splendiferous spectacle that laid before my eyes: the taal volcano crater lake. i wondered and pondered how such a devastative force of nature as a volcano can look so calm and beautiful. and then i sat down to rest.


w


o


w


however! the journey didnt end there. the locals there told us that they could take us down there for a price. after the negotiations, seven of us went for it, guided by three guys armed with guns. i wasnt paranoid or anything but as we walked through the bushes, my imagination fired up and i was thinking maybe they weren actually gonna take us to the crater. instead they'd lead us to an altar where they'd kill us and sacrifice us to the volcano god. or that they were terrorists taking us to their hidden camp where they'll hold us for ransom. or they were aliens with a secret base underneath the lake and we were dinner. anyways...

layla is covering her face because she's afraid the leaves might cut her.
yeah right. as if these green things can...
oh! f*#k! im bleedin! medic! mediiiiccc!!!


are we there yet?


Y-M-C-A! It's fun to stay in the Y-M-C-A...


compared to the previous walk we did, this one was a piece of pie. it was short and there were no horse poop to dodge. the only threat we had to face were some thorny shrubs. lots of moments later i noticed that werent exactly heading towards the lake. the path they took us seemed to just go around it and at one point it even went uphill. i was like, weren't we supposed to go down? and then suddenly our guides told us to stop. they pointed to the steep side of a cliff below our feet and said that we were gonna climb down. with sheer determination and a lil "we're-here-let's-get-it-over-with" encouragement, we descended to our inevitable deaths, i mean, destination. we held onto branches and roots, dug our shoes into the soft soil, slipped occasionally, and with the three gunmen assisting us, we did what seemed impossible and reached lower ground.


where there's smoke, there's... smokers? potheads? indians?!


can you do smoke rings?


and so that's where the smoke was coming from. a big hole in the ground spewing sulfur like a big eternal fart. i really believe that it's a tunnel straight down to hell.


uncle lucifer, you there? how's the soul-buying business goin?


who's that good-lookin guy in red?! that would be me. with layla's handbag attached to my belt. and i have to admit, a crazy part of me actually wanted to jump. but then again, i could just end up at the rocky bottom of this pit and have broken bones. which would mean id have to be carried all the way back up this:

look! a face! right there! see?


no, thank you. anyways, with dirt-filled shoes, sweat-drenched shirts, and picture-loaded cellphones, we ran towards the water. we took off our shoes and socks and waded into the lake. felt nice, as long as you didnt step into some really hot parts. man, do they sting. there are even parts that actually boil. oh yeah, we are in a volcano after all. cool.


water nymph, oh water nymph... what rhymes with "water nymph"?


last one in is a rotten egg!


first one in's gonna have hard-boiled eggs...


layla: it's hot!
jai: you're hot.



green one! red two! black three! pink four! gray five!

anyways, the sun was beginning to dip by this time and the gunguys said we should start leaving before it got too dark to go back the trail. i left my mark on a big rock near the shore before joining the gang in retracing our steps all the way back to manila.


a moment to remember... a pose to regret.


well, that's the end of my coverage of our outrageous outdoors operation. there are about 10 times more pictures in my mobile phone which i didnt include in this entry simply because im lazy. and also for content reasons since this is still a blog, not a photo album. and i'd probably run out of things to say in the captions. and part of the hike back to the shore where our boats waited was in darkness so no use taking shots there. im pretty sure each of us stepped on some of the horse crap we had carefully avoided before. anyways, i wasnt really that exhausted but i demanded a good rest nonetheless. however, i didnt fall asleep in the van on the way back. when layla and i got home, we showered, i bought some food, we ate and hit the sack. i suffered from minor body aches, mostly on my leg muscles and a not-so-painful one on the chest which wouldnt put me to sleep for a while. when the sandman finally won, i dreamed of being in a school for adults but they were teaching us the same lessons from grade school and when i questioned why we had to go through all of that again, i woke up to the morning sun and all the pain was gone.

if you got here by reading through all of the words and looking at all of the pics, a big bunch of thanks to you. hope you enjoyed this entry. because i sure enjoyed posting it. but not as much as i enjoyed experiencing it. hah! until next time, friends, good bye and may you all be safe wherever you go.

p.s. got a couple of new movie reviews, btw: death trance and monster house.


MONSTER HOUSE by jaiskizzy

in a seemingly peaceful neighborhood there is a house, inhabited by a scary mean old man who terrorizes kids that step on his front lawn. dj is a kid who lives right across and he monitors everything that happens around the house. when his fat friend chowder's basketball ends up on the house's area of responsibility, they retrieve it only to come face to face with the gruesome geriatric ghoul himself... who suddenly has a heart attack and dies. soon, the house becomes haunted and not the way we all know haunted houses. seemingly possessed by the old man's ghost, the house roars to life with window eyes, wood plank teeth and a carpet tongue. who you gonna call? ghostbusters!

i really think that just about every kid, especially in my generation, had their own nebbercracker and their “adventure” stories to tell about him. there’s the old neighbor who owned a fruit tree and would come out with a shotgun if kids dared to climb it. (and then there’s that really bad one we usually see in the news, he who cant keep his hands to himself…) mine was my mother’s grumpy old father, but not as menacing as nebbercracker. that was eons ago, when he was still alive and strong, and me a young boy who still played in the dirt with my cousins. we weren’t really that afraid of him, making him mad was actually a bit of a laughing matter for us. remember those little firecrackers with string on either end that when you pulled them, the firecracker would go off? well, i tied one of those to the bathroom door while gramps was taking a bath and when he came out, boom! my cousins ratted me out and i got a good whacking then. anyways, the point of this flashback is that monster house is a movie that everyone can relate to, and it doesn’t just end with the villainous old man. take for example dj, damn i was that kid. all grown up but still treated like a baby. then there’s chowder, didn’t we all have that kind of friend at least once? and of course, pretty girl jenny, we all had (and still have) our jennies. that one girl you had the biggest crush on and gave you your first and subsequent pimples.

because of this, monster house is a refreshing take on the cgi genre. all we’ve seen recently are talking animals, talking cars, more talking animals, and talking ants (again?!). kids are eating up these movies like free candy and it was a brave move to take the path least treaded, the people behind monster house deserve kudos for that reason alone. and they came up with an animated movie that is almost real, where the kids acted like real kids, and the characters and situations mirrored the ones in our own lives. the only other movie i could compare this to is goonies, and that was live action. well, you know how most kiddie adventure movies are, kids are in trouble and the adults wont listen or believe them and so they face the perils themselves. a tried and tested formula put to good use the way we haven’t seen it. one different thing they did here was the person the kids turn to for guidance: a pizza guy named skull who has all the high scores in an arcade game. to them, he is the all-knowing one and the only one who would care about the sht they’re in. that’s some great writing if you ask me.

the voice acting was perfect. only ones i recognized were steve buscemi as nebbercracker and maggie gyllenhal as the babysitter, but that doesn’t mean the others weren’t great. because they were and they fit the roles like condoms. take for example pixar’s cars. cars don’t talk but after the movie, you might say that a talking car could sound like that. in monster house, dj and the rest of the characters sound exactly like they look and the way they would if you bumped into them in real life. and i need not even discuss how good the animation is, every cgi movie that comes out after the last one just ups the ante that im guessing there will be virtually no use for real actors in the near future (which i honestly hope never happens, at least not until jessica alba bares it all). for me, chowder seemed the most realistic of them. his movements were just… right. there’s a very noticeably big difference between a cartoony turn of the head and humanly real turn of the head. chowder, and the rest of the “cast”, had the latter. my only gripe about this movie are the unreal parts, like the inside of the house (the outside, i bought. but the inside was just too much. an uvula?!) and the unbelievable climactic end sequences. they should have retained the realism a bit more. good twist ending though. oh and if you pay attention, there are some good jokes in there that only an adult would get.

this movie was the brainchild of a guy fresh out of film school. good job dude. plus, he was backed up by the best in the business. robert zemeckis and steven spielberg? ‘nuff said.

the good: animation, story, and that freakin house.
the bad: the house’s interior and the over-the-top sequences.
the ugly: the old man’s wife.
the score: 8 bottles of urine.


home skiz home

Monday, September 11, 2006

holy guacamole

years ago, some friends took me to up los banos and we went out on a 4-kilometer trek/climb up the slippery rocky bushy side of a mountain plus waterfall. that was an exhaustive but rewarding experience. after that, i havent done anything as tiresome and dangerous and fulfilling... until yesterday. (insert suspense music)

tune in this thursday for the dynamic details. same blog url, same blog owner.

batgirl: is that your batarang, or are you just happy to see me?
batman: my nipples are hard!

Sunday, September 10, 2006

DEATH TRANCE by jaiskizzy

a samurai-lookin dude wrecks havoc in a temple and steals a mysterious coffin that carries a myth that it can grant wishes. soon a rumor spreads that a monster of a man is making rounds and killing off people, keeping the heads in a coffin, all the while accompanied by a child. later, a monk arrives at the temple and is sent by the archbishop to find the thief and bring the coffin back. he is given a sword with a handle that resembles a penis and cannot be unsheathed. from there it's fight after fight after fight. who is destined to pull the sword out of its scabbard? why it's entitled death trance, i'll never know. or care. japanese live action anime is the shiznit, baby!

i first used "live action and anime" together when i reviewed another japanese film in the past, casshern (click here if you want to read it). live actors performing anime-type action. in perfect execution. combined with anime-type shots and more or less the same kind of storytelling. well, i guess only the japanese can pull off something like that, anime is theirs anyways, because here's another example of that cinematic splendor. actually, most of the japanese action movies ive come across kinda utilize the same formula one way or another and i guess that's their trademark, same way that high flying kung fu is the trademark of chinses action films. what's the trademark of pinoy action movies? is it the rapid succession of punches to the stomach punctuated by a clap to the ears? the destruction of cars that were obviously taken from the junkyard? or the big warehouse final gunfight/brawl scene? doesnt matter anyways. i mean, there really hasnt been any decent (couldnt use good) pinoy action film recently. or has there been any action film at all?

anyhow, while our local action stars are busy trying to save their carrers on tv, the rest of the world just keeps getting better and better. like the emergence of tony jaa for instance. in japan, tak sakaguchi is one of the top action stars. i first saw him in the movie versus (a good one). death trance is the very much-awaited follow up to that movie, helmed by the same director. they basically have the same approach: most characters are nameless, tak is the best fighter, everyone wants him dead. in death trance however, tak is up against better opponents, worthy of his fighting skills. there's this one woman who kicks his ass, a couple of ninjas, and a group of zombies that fight back. then there's the final battle sequence where he's up against... a goddess. of destruction. cool eh? of course, there are also some characters who are on his side. well not actually allies, they're just drawn by the same purpose: the coffin. there's the monk, and then there's the little girl who resembles rin, sesshoumaru's sidekick in inuyasha. this little girl drinks blood instead of milk. oh yeah, steven seagal's son is there too and he's got a gun. and a sword. and a really stupid looking haircut which is an example of how those weird and cool anime haircuts would look like in real life.

dialgoue's kinda bad, costumes were good, the action, great. tak's fight scenes arent like the usual ones we see in other movies. nothing fancy or outrageous. he just gets it done, punching his way through, beating them with his stick (which turns out to be not just an ordinary stick). oh, and this is one of the few movies ive seen where the punches do connect. tak takes care of business with coolness and arrogance, he just knows he'll be the last man standing. and smiling. when he falls down, he just goes back right up, none of that dramatic slow-mo sht. steven seagal's son does clean house differently though. gun, sword, and at one point he even builds together a rocket launcher out of nowhere. which sorta puts the timeline in modern times right? but there are no buildings and no one's wearing a watch or using a cellphone. they're all dressed like it's the feudal era. must be post-apocalyptic japan. well, wherever or whenever that is, it's not a good idea to go walking alone in the woods if you cant fight, 'cause you aint goin nowhere.

when the end credits roll, tak is named grave although nobody ever calls him that in the movie. i guess the director felt names arent important in this kind of movie, you just remember the characters. unlike in many pinoy movies, the characters' names dont even fit the actor or actress. sheesh. anyways, death trance is a great film if you take it as it is. ask nothing more and you will be rewarded by bottomline mindless but fun dynamic entertainment. else, stay away and watch something like you are the one. eugh!

the good: the hits, the weapons, tak sakaguchi's coolness.
the bad: no back stories, no names, no plot.
the ugly: the throbbing penis sword. and the goddess of destruction didnt look much like a goddess.
the score: 8 chained up coffins.


skizziguchi

Monday, September 04, 2006

crikey

i am deeply saddened by the passing of steve irwin, australia's famous crocodile hunter, he who made catching crocodiles seem fun and easy. he was killed by a stingray barb that stabbed his chest while filming a documentary.

CNN: Stingray kills "Crocodie Hunter"

you will be remembered, mate...

up up and awake

Your Element Is Air

You dislike conflict, and you've been able to rise above the angst of the world.
And when things don't go your way, you know they'll blow over quickly.

Easygoing, you tend to find joy from the simple things in life.
You roll with the punches, and as a result, your life is light and cheerful.


You find it easy to adapt to most situations, and you're an open person.
With you, what you see is what you get... and people love that!


You are Apple Dos. Simple and primitive with a good understanding of the common man.  You're still a work in progress, but a good start.
Which OS are You?




yesterday when i was on my way home to batangas, i couldnt get some sleep in the bus because the woman next to me kept waking me up by hitting my shoulder with her head whenever she fell asleep. jeez. just when im about to warp into dreamland, boink! then, her head would return to its original position almost robotically. so i did what i always do in such situations (and believe me, there's quite a lot): i watched her and waited for her to fall asleep and just as she's about to drop her head sideways towards me, i dodge it by leaning forward. she didnt get far and she snapped right back up into place. eyes still closed. like nothing happened. well, isnt there a bus that allows you to recline your seat more than the usual? i wouldnt mind paying a few extra bucks just for that feature.

anyways... hello there, friends. old and new. for visiting, for returning, for giving shout-outs, for commenting, for linking, and for making me a wee bit part of your life, a million thank yous to all of you.

so, pluto's off the solar system, huh? really cant say anythin about this anymore since it's official, i just think it was so sudden. why werent we informed that there was a debate going on about it, or better yet, that a debate was going to occur in the first place? i was just flippin through channels a few days ago and bam! pluto aint a planet no more. im okay with it, really, i just wish that next time them nerds oughta give us a heads up you know. regarding this controversial issue, there's a nice little worth100 link immediately below this paragraph, along with other new links i missed during my recent busy days.

save pluto : tom cruise's new job : underwater resort : 10 things you didnt know about nokia : extreme pogo : baby toupees : will ferrell's best snl skits : bikini girls piano : most disturbing album cover : a reviewer who hasnt read the books he reviews : women can pee standing up : michael jackson's lean forward trick : the reincarnation station :

hey, does anybody know the exact time and day the show just for laughs is on in channel 9? i happened upon one episode the other day (and yes i cant quite remember what day of the week that was) and i laughed so hard at the pranks, neighbors probably thought ive gone wackadoo. the people behind this show are really good, the rip-offs on local televsion cant hold a candle to them. the gags they come up with are so original and outrageous and very funny. the reactions of the victims are classic. there was one where they placed porta-potties (portable toilets for the uninformed) on a raft in a large pond and attached it so that people thought it was part of the ground. then when a person enters the toilet, a couple of guys would quickly and secretly detach the raft and let it drift away to the center of the pond. doesnt sound funny here but i was rolling in laughter on the bed at the looks on the faces of the poor victims upon realizing what just happened. one guy actually jumped off and swam. this is the show to watch when you're really down. sure to make one feel better.

and finally for our video of the day... final fantasy spirits within characters do michael jackson's thriller. i never knew that this existed. freakin dancing phantoms!



Thursday, August 31, 2006

ripe chance woods (edited)

im here at our apartment in makati, fiddling with layla's laptop, taking advantage of the free wifi again, where it's coming from, i dont know. it's probably from one of our neighbors who only turns it on every now and then, which makes getting the signal a matter of luck. and between layla and me, lady luck seems to favor me more. anyways, ive finally brought two-piece (my ps2) back here after her long vacation in batangas. unfortunately im unable to play her. our tv is sorta broken, it wont switch to video mode. so ila (the laptop) is my only source of entertainment for now.

for the umpteenth time, thanks for the visits, dear friends. hope you never lose the urge to take a peep here considering the enumerable other blogs you could choose to waste your time on. sure, any blogger would go and say one does this for one's self, regardless of the readers, but any artist would also point out that though it is true, an audience, and their negative or positive reactions, gives it meaning. they help you realize if what you're doing is right or wrong, good or bad. of course, if the feedback is bad, it does not necessarily mean you oughta give it up. as the cliche goes, learn from your mistakes, especially those you did not notice but others did (i.e. i have this big writing flaw: sometimes i fail to type a word or two eventhough im thinkin it or when im rephrasing a sentence and forget to omit some words, resulting to nonsense and grammatical errors.)

a few years ago, my family and i went to hong kong for a swimming competition that my lil bro and youngest sis competed. my brother and i shared a hotel room, and one night, i channel surfed to a ballet show. what made this ballet performance different from the others id usually skip is that the girl danced on top of her male partners head. you read that right. she effin balleted on top of his effin head. first she did it on his back, him bent forward. then on his shoulder, while he ran around the stage. i was like wtf?! and said something like: dont tell me she'll be on his head next. and she was. and i fell to the floor laughing, cursing, not believing my eyes. in one part he even "wore" her like a backpack bag. that and a bunch of other acrobatic stunts you've never seen in a ballet. crazy sht, that was. never got to see anything like it again.... until now. thank heavens for youtube (not exactly the same one i saw before, it was darker and had no back up dancers and the guy held the girl less). behold!

yay! video fixed!


i guess the aforementioned unknown neighbor with the wifi internet forgot to log-off because im still online after six hours. that or maybe he's downloading porn and slept on it. well, i gotta go and catch some z's for a while myself. take care now, bye bye then...

p.s. shameless plug: my 26th birthday is just a month away. yeesh.
p.p.s. the blog entry title needs no explanation if you're a prison break fan. it's one of michael scofield's tattoos and i dont know what it means either. but im hoping to find out after i watch the first episode of season 2 which i am downloadin. get on the train! get on the train!
p.p.s. anyone seen that commercial where a dark-skinned photographer with a bad mustache takes a picture of two girls who look alike but one has whiter skin? and after taking the pic, he looks at his camera and notices the skin difference and asks if the two girls are really sisters?! whatta loada crap! it was very very obvious that one girl was whiter then the other, he oughta have noticed this the moment they stepped into his studio. darn i hate this kinda bullsht. anyways, i'll be goin home to batangas this weekend so i'll be doin my blogging there. ciao!

Monday, August 21, 2006

m.i.a.

i have been a very busy boy.

but first, a little background story... [insert glimmering flashback sequence] i have a friend who is a total computer nerd. years ago i, with a cousin and another friend, put up an internet cafe that was an empire in the making had it not collapsed to the ground due to political interference. mike would pay us a visit every now and then, carrying with him his supply of computer software. he was the one who introduced me to macromedia flash (even before the internet cafe) which i learned and, pardon me for the lack of a lesser/better term, mastered through self-study. the other significant program dear ole mike brought to the table was adobe premiere. for the unaware, if there are any, adobe premiere is a video editing software, and faster than you could say exaggeration, making music videos became my favorite past-time activity. first ones i made, i used final fantasy fmv's. i was able to finish 13, twice that number never reached final output. i would have provided a sample but the old hard drive containing it is currently out of commission, awaiting repair. anyways, another friend of mine came over to the house to have his antique pc fixed and while i did what i could with it, i kept him entertained with my works. two years later, i received a call from him asking me if i wanted to apply for a job as an editor for a children's tv show under pre-production. part of me was reluctant since i thought that was too big a task for me whose editing was merely a hobby, but a larger part said go for it because i was a bum then. [fade out fade in] after about a month, i watch my name appear on tv for the first time, above the words video editor, during the end credits of kidstv. my gma stint soon followed wherein i made my transition from pc's adobe premiere to mac's final cut pro. sometimes i would take on a freelance job or two (or more commonly know as "raket") and since at present im just bumming around, when arkeo media called me up regarding an avp that needed an fcp editor, my pupils transformed into dollar signs and i grabbed the opportunity by the balls and squeezed (i didnt actually get paid in dollars). again, for the uninformed, avp stands for audio-visual presentation, used in seminars, meetings, reports, proposals, etc. this one was for procter and gamble, for the grand launching of their newly acquire brands, gillette and olay, which will be attended by rich business persons. the avp took most of my time, messed up my already messed up sleeping habits, layla went green eyed monster mode for a while, but it paid off. not much, but money's money (gotta feed my dinosaur). and so that is why i have been unable to blog for quite some time. sorry.

it wasnt supposed to take so long but the client delivered the necessary materials (videos, pictures, etc) in batches, and so even though i was done by day three, i had to incorporate the new arrivals, along with the revisions, which isnt as easy as changing the image in my profile box. they have to be re-rendered, and, as im sure my fellow editors out there would agree, rendering takes time. the other factor that affected the duration of work was the way things were done there as opposed to gma which i had gotten used to. in gma, we have last touch on the editing. audio, video, and graphics are all provided beforehand (but not always). in arkeo, the edit went first, then it was scored (music was added) outside, and then the videographics went in last. in the end, it came out well and made the event in time. no idea what p&g thought of it, but the arkeo people dug it i guess because they've got another one for me this week. havent said yes or no yet.

now here's something: nirvana's smells like teen spirit... in piano!


farewell for now. im off to watch the pilot episode cancelled aquaman tv series. take care you all everybody.

Monday, August 07, 2006

kicking and screaming

to the people who cared enough to take the time to shower my blog with such kind words over the past few days, thank you. i wish you all good karma for the next two million years.

with regards to my craft, the writing's going pretty well. ive just started the short story about the mute girl, and i cant wait to get to the ending, which is my favorite part. ive also taken the first step in getting my short film made: ive discussed it with friends, especially those whom i want to act in it, and they're willing to help me out. the concept for the film has something to do with courting a girl and they all agree it's good so i think it is good (well, i am proud of my works but that usually stays within my personal space). i guess im really back on track with my craft because the urge to write just becomes stronger and stronger. for a long time, the ideas simply sit and wait with no kick or scream from the muse, but now she's gone ballistic, and i have another short story standing in line (this one's about a curse that a girl cast on a guy). now is a good time for someone to invent that machine ive long been wishing for: the one that sucks the story from your brain and automatically types it for you.

gotta go, guys. the muse and i have a date.

Friday, August 04, 2006

NACHO LIBRE by jaiskizzy

the always funny jack black stars as ignacio, a friar/cook in a mexican orphanage who grew up dreaming of becoming a luchador and a luchador is one who participates in the mexican sport lucha libre. lucha libre is mexican wrestling. anyways, with the diminishing food supply, and the arrvial of the hot nun, sister encarnacion, ignacio steps up to finally fulfill his dream. with the help of esqueleto, he dons a costume and enters the lucha ring as nacho. despite getting their asses kicked, the twosome earn money and soon set their sights on the big leagues. will they succeed? will nacho bang the hot nun in steamy rough forbidden sex? will i stop asking these questions and get on with the review?



the first movie where i first recognized jack black's talents was high fidelity, a love story-ish film starring john cusack. i cant exactly remember his role but he was a record store clerk who had an extensive musically knowledge. i think it was kind of a gay role, not sure, but maybe it's because the only scene i can remember him in is him listening to walking on sunshine. i checked the internet movie database and goodness, this dude has been in a ton of movies before that, in less prominent roles. i'd have to watch some of them again (especially high fidelity. that was a good one) to seek him out. anyways, jack black was born to be funny. he has the face, the body, belly, the wit, the skills, and he uses these to deliver the funniness effectively. he's that friend of your who wouldnt mind making a fool out of himself just to make the group laugh. he made falling in love funny in shallow hal and made us wish he had been our grade school music teacher in school of rock. here in nacho libre, he makes churchlife seem fun, and the sport of lucha libre funny (it is taken seriously in mexico). he is the main man of laughs in this film, (esqueleto failed to impress me) with one exception: that monk who said he'd been having diarrhea because of the food ignacio serves. the line, the way it was said, and the context, made me laugh out loud. the rest is all jack black, almost every scene he's in and every line he says is hilarious. his in-ring antics were classic, how can a fat guy like him be so agile? but my favorite ones were his impromptu songs. jack black's other talent is music, his next movie is a semi-bio about his band, tenacious d (their songs are awesome: fck her gently, tribute, and the skit inward singin). anyways, as jack lets loose a bit of that musical genius in a couple of songs, one began about his turn to sing and then sequed to ramses, the greatest luchador in the world, the other dedicated to his love interest, encarnacion. both were darn funny and jack black golden (complete with self-instrumenation), but encarnacion was my favorite. made me laugh so hard, with "i eat bugs,i eat grass, with my hand i wipe my... tears" and then "encarnacion! encarnacion!". never thought a name like that can be funny.

did you notice i said "almost every scene"? blame the director jared hess for making me say almost. he did the same thing with napoleon dynamite. not all the jokes and gags work. like a mango tree, not all the mangoes you're gonna get would suit your taste. there'll be big sweet ones (or sour, if you prefer), some ordinary ones, and then there are those that are cracked open and rotten. there were quite a lot of rottens in napoleon dynamite (for me, i guess. lots of other people worship every frame of that film), and a few in nacho. these particular scenes resemble those in pinoy comedy flicks: planned rescue blows when ignacio mistakes two bystanders as the hired brawlers, the training scenes, and the old and tired "nyeh!". bad choices, mr. hess.



jared hess should be immensely grateful for having jack black on board. he pulled this film together like that scene where he is in his recreational clothes and he clinches his butt. surrounded by mundane characters, this was a one-man show. i also liked how he punctuates any references to lucha libre with a glorified look on his face, you know like the one i'd wear if i saw jennifer love hewitt's boobs in person. and who would take a romantic walk with a woman he's attracted to and then stop near a wall and do a one-knee-bent pose to impress her? only jack black. a walking tub of lard and laughs. the same cannot be said for his sidekick, esqueleto. he's just not funny. the big grins, the screams, failed attempts at being funny. horrible. he is no match for napoleon dynamite's partner, pedro. the fat kid, chancho, did a better job. and then there is that sweet sexy senorita, sister encarnacion. there should be a bible passage somewhere that prohibits nuns being this hot and dimpled because more sins would just be committed at the sight of her. kneeling. hands clasped near her lips (thunder!). anways, she looks a lot like penelope cruz (prettier, imho) with a pinch of winona rider. she gave a great performance of just being hot.



this movie, like many, is in a "hit or miss" zone. on one side, there's the people who would enjoy it to the bone, and there's the uptight ones who'd say they wasted their money. it's a hit for me, i'd watch anything with jack black in it (or will ferrell. or better yet, jack black and will ferrell!!) because he is the one of the few jesters left in this business that can really make us laugh with the least amount of effort. he did his magic here and made it as funny as it is. here's to more comedies, jack!

the good: jack black. and the hot nun (bless me father for i have sinned...)
the bad: esqueleto's "trying hard"-ness. pinoy-ish comedy.
the ugly: them hairy midgets.
the score: 7 corns on sticks.


skizzo libra

Thursday, August 03, 2006

death by diaper

what kind of a freakin blog entry title is that, you ask? well, here's a filler first: blog entry title explanation in the intro...

after lunch and a nap, i decided to take a stroll around batangas city proper, something i havent done for eons. i wanted to revisit the places i frequented in the past, which are mostly bootleg dvd stalls. i also wanted to buy mikmik. i failed to purchase even a single sachet of this delicious chocolate powder heaven-sweet supersnack for lo and behold, old yeller, the marketplace where they sold has been decimated and replaced by the big steel skeleton of a possibly new one in construction. the pirate alleys havent changed much. well, the prices have lowered but i didnt find anything i felt like watching. i went home sweaty, stopped by the supermarket in our village for some midnight munchies (i was supposed to watch plan 9 from outer space tonight but the download aint done yet grr). anyways, on my way downtown, while riding the jeepney which played britney spears songs the whole time, i saw a lady selling diapers on the sidewalk. they seem to have no brand and were packed in clear plastic bags. a guy was making an inquiry. and the very first thing that jumped into my head was: killer diapers. an evil possessed diaper strapping itself to the man's face, choking him to death. hence, the title. (bow!)

that little stroll down memory avenue also helped me pull out something inside of me that has been hiding for a long time. i am gonna write a short story. ive been having loads of ideas for short films that i swear i would shoot the moment ive amassed enough funds, and all of them have been kicking at me to be let out. my muse picked one of those ideas and told me to write it as a short story (there's this mute girl, you see, and... i cant tell you the rest). i dont know why it chose that one, but madame muse convinced me and so now i have the urge to put my creative gift to good use once again. to give you an image of how this muse thing works, think of gollum from the lord of the rings.
the story idea is the one ring, in his hand. substitute that ugly creature with a gorgeous naked nymph, but keep the creepiness. and instead of hissing "my preciouss...", she is seducing me and telling me to "write thisss one..."

movie review time! i've got two, both are quite late. but before we get to them, allow me to rant a bit. i really wish i could do this for a living. watch a movie, make a review. yes, even pinoy films, as long as i get paid. im pretty certain im equipped for that kind of work, ive seen a number of movie reviews done on television and none of them were good. not that im saying i am good, i just believe i can do a better job, because basically all they do is summarize the film's plot and say it's good or bad. meh. as for my reviews, you be the judge if they rock or if they suck ('cause if you ask me, it's all gee-double-oh-dee good): nacho libre and the break-up. again in the spankin new template.

sorry, no links for today. but for you spider-man fans like me who cant wait to get their arses in theaters ot watch the third,
if you don't mind the blurriness, i have here the link to that awesome footage shown to lucky bastards and bastardess in the san diego comic con! (the youtube versions were taken down) quick before it's too late! you gotta click here. there's a venomous surprise at the end.

okay... i'm off, kids. ima hit the sack and try to sleep longer than four hours. dont be like me, take care of yourselves always. snoogans.

p.s. dont know what in tarnation is wrong with blogger but i cant put pictures in. jeez.


pre-cursor

howdy. here i am again in batangas city, in our humble house, inside the den, in front of our family pc. nothing to blog about right now, i'll do that later (i do all my writing when the sun is gone. my muse is a vampire). i just thought maybe you should know. so there, now you know and knowing is half the battle.

outie. for now.

Friday, July 28, 2006

THE BREAK-UP by jaiskizzy

after meeting at a baseball game, a tour guide dude and rachel, from friends, fall madly in love with each other, and live in a condo together, seemingly inseparable. but then one night, through an argument over lemons, the artsy girlfriend calls it quits with her video-game-loving boyfriend. both parties, however, refuse to leave the condo, and they start throwing sht at each other (figuratively, of course, but what a sight it would have been if it wasn’t, eh?) to determine who’ll fold up first and make amends. who will win this war? hang on to your lover’s hair ‘cause some of the stuff you’ll see will be familiar.

let’s face it, love’s a killer. sure it’s a good thing, it inspires you, makes you feel high and all, but you’re putting so much at stake, it’s a disaster when it goes bad. they called it “falling” in love for good reason. it’s a risk to take that path: either someone catches you or you end up in pieces at the bottom. and even if somebody did catch you, you know there’s still a slim chance they just might throw you over again. i know because i’ve had four ex-girlfriends, and each one of them i thought, she was the one. anyways, this movie has a lot of truth in it. it begins with pictures of vince vaughn and jennifer aniston kissing, having fun with friends, kissing, going to places, and… kissing. just what all couples in love have. awww sweetness… well, some good things must come to an end because what other thing do all couple have? fights (seriously if you’ve honestly never had a fight with your significant other over anything, you’re lying). and like most fights we all have, this one is just as stupid: vince bought 3 apples when jennifer asked him to buy 12. they shout, say things they’d regret later, things get out of hand, boom. the movie’s title. the movie, however, i think is not about who was right or wrong. it’s about the consequences, the aftermath of the break-up, and choices they made, which, even though meant for laughs, was making it all worse. jennifer goes on dating other guys, vince invites some strippers over, stuff we all would have done as well given that situation despite having knowledge that it’s wrong. that’s how very faithful to life this film is and im pretty sure anyone who watches this will have one or two realizations.

im not gonna go and ruin the ending for those who haven’t seen it. well, there really isn’t any ending to ruin because it does not matter how it ends. only two things can happen after a break-up: one, you go your separate ways and either forget about each other or be friends; and two, you get back together. anyways, you probably wouldn’t like how this movie ends, but i guess that’s an intended reaction. it shows you what happens if you do this or that. i think the ending’s just right.

i apologize if im making this sound more like a love doctor’s lecture than a movie review. apart from its genuine representation of relationships, there’s zero else worth noting. this film is mostly vince vaughn, i guess the writer was male. he did well in his role, give and take pretty much how we all men are. lazy, insensitive, stubborn. vince vaughn was a good choice, words that come out from his mouth are some of the words that stay in my head. im sure some of that weren’t in the script. now i cant say the same for jennifer aniston. she’s still rachel to me. she really oughta something about it, take on a role like charlize theron in monster and maybe she can shake off that “friends”-style of acting and show her versatility. else, i, and others who have seen her wear the princes leia costume for ross, would never get the chance to take her seriously (but a round of applause for that walking-around-naked scene).

overall, there’s just not enough laughs to consider this film a comedy. it’s more like a bad but convincing reality tv show episode. except that it’s not real. anyways, i think only those in a solid, strong relationship can survive watching this. if you’re having a tough time with your pardner, stay away, this won’t help. instead, just get porn.

the good: the arguments, how most couples would relate to it, and jennifer aniston’s ass.
the bad: flat minor characters, and inadequate humor.
the ugly: the tone rangers. and marilyn dean. ugh.
the score: 5 lemons.


jai