School Never Ends

I've been pretty much busy this past week. I had a lot of stuff going on in school.

Cyrus (2010)

Despite the hectic week, I was still able to watch most of the TV shows that came out this week. It's hard not to, I'm addicted to those shows! Especially One Tree Hill, which just came back from its holiday break. I'll blog about that some other time. Movies, on the other hand, not so much. Heck, Cyrus is the only movie I've seen all week! And it pretty much sucks that I was hoping to have some funny downtime, but no... It wasn't funny at all. A movie with John C. Reily and Jonah Hill, you kinda expect it to be funny. Again, no.... It was just plain bad. Let's leave it at that.

I gotta get me some good movies to watch.

Zero Productivity

The Onion Movie (2008)

There's a reason some movies go direct to video--they suck. This movie totally did. The only bonus I got was a Joel McHale and Robert Hoffman cameo. (Apparently, Harry Shum Jr.'s supposed to be in it too but I didn't see him in the scene he's supposed to be in.)

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Despite the dirty title, Wet Hot American Summer isn't that dirty. It's a comedy about a 1980's summer camp starring an ensamble cast: Jeneane Garofalo, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks, Molly Shannon, Marguerite Moreau, Michael Ian Black, Ken Marino, Christopher Meloni.

Christopher Meloni's movie roles shock me. This is the second time I've seen him play a totally weird, crazy character in a movie. The first time is in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. It's just really weird to see him play those kinds of characters considering his role in Law and Order. It just seems out of character. But he's pretty good at playing creepy-guy roles.

Another second for me is Bradley Cooper playing a gay guy. The first I saw him play a gay role is in Valentine's Day. In that movie, he didn't have to do anything gay at the slightest, but it was really shocking when the camera pulled back to reveal him giving Eric Dane's character a flower. I swear, the whole cinema gasped in shock. In Wet Hot American Summer, he actually kisses a guy (Michael Ian Black), has sex with him (apparently, he's a bottom), and marries him. Plus, he plays a stereotypical gay guy--the type who likes Broadway--and it's not even awkward at all! Despite his macho persona, it's shocking how he can pull off an effeminate gay role. The shock might have worn off from Valentine's Day, but I'm thinking he's just a really good actor.

Elizabeth Banks is slowly becoming a favorite. The first few times I've seen her, I mistake her for Rachel   McAdams. I mean, c'mon, they seriously look alike. And, I don't know why, but she annoyed me in films like Definitely, Maybe. But ever since she joined 30 Rock, I have serious respect for her. She is a great comedy actress. There is something about 30 Rock that makes you realize how awesome actors are.   Elizabeth Banks is one of them. Elizabeth Banks' Avery spunk came out in Wet Hot American Summer which is awesome. Although she practically just made out with Paul Rudd the whole film, it beats seeing her play a vulnerable character. She's a strong woman, she should keep playing those kinds of characters.

Shank (2010)

Watched Shank primarily because Kaya Scodelario's in it. The second reason why I watched it is because it's a British film. British films (and TV series) nowadays are really interesting. Shank is one of those films. I really liked the editing and the story. They're unapologetic and in-your-face, which I love.

I made a new discovery: Michael Socha. At first I thought he looked really familiar. I realized he looked a lot like Jake Gyllenhaal, which he does. But it wasn't it. Then, I realized that the way he spoke was really familiar, and his name, too. Then, I remembered Misfits' Lauren Socha, who looks and speaks like him, and has (duh) the same last name. Apparently, Michael Socha is her brother. It was so dumb how slow I put things together. Anyway, there. At least, I was able to put two and two together.

Might Need Rehab

I watch too much movies, today especially. This is the last one I hope.

Pretty Persuasion (2005)

From New York to the Streets

Step Up 2: The Streets (2008)

Ever since I decided to re-watch Step Up 3D last week, I decided to re-watch the whole Step Up trilogy. I decided to watch it in reverse order since, well, I did start with the last one before I decided to watch everything. Besides, Robert Hoffman is my favorite Step Up lead. Okay, Briana Evigan, too.

Part of why I wanted to re-watch everything is because of the references Step Up 3D made to the previous two films. I didn't really pay much attention to Moose when I first watched the second film, because, well, I was paying too much attention to Robert Hoffman. Heh. And I don't even remember Camille from the first movie, which sucks because I've been a fan of Alyson Stoner's dancing since Gossipfolks and Work It. But from what I've seen in Step Up 2, the story has been extremely consistent, even the joke about Kido's accent. The only thing that's still a mystery is, of course, the Moose-Camille connection. Supposedly, they met their freshman year at MSA. Camille must have been a late enrollee.

Step Up 3D has to have the best dance scenes out of all the three films, but Rick Malambri is definitely the worst lead. Sure, he's hot as hell, but he was a back-up dancer at best. I'm not sure how great the dance scenes from the first film are since I've already forgotten all about it, but I'm sure I won't change my choice for favorite lead.

New York Mornings

It's a funny coincidence that all the movies I've seen today are love stories of some sort which are set in New York . I just might be another cliche that is a starry-eyed dreamer, but I'd love to live in New York someday. There is something magical about New York. And from what I've been watching today, it seems as if there's more reason to just pack my bags and leave for New York right this instant.

The Good Guy (2010)

I don't know why exactly, but I've heard so much negative reviews about this movie. Sure, it fits the average, C-list movie category, which Alexis Bledel has been stuck in for the past I-don't-know-how-many movies, just because it's under-budget and under-publicized. But sometimes, good finds are found in the mediocre pile, you know?

The movie is supposedly a parallel to the book The Good Soldier which the main character, Beth (Alexis Bledel) has been pushing her book club to read. It's a war novel and a love story. The book's protagonist parallels the "good guy" Daniel (Bryan Greenberg, One Tree Hill's Jake Jagielski), who was a Marine before he worked in Wall Street with Beth's boyfriend, Tommy. The movie starts out with Tommy as the narrator, which kind of makes it seem as if he's the protagonist, because as Beth says, "you kind of just trust the narrator". Well, he is the boyfriend. Daniel, on the other hand, is in love with Beth despite sacrificing his job in Wall Street. Daniel seemed to be the antagonist who was going to steal Beth away. Turns out, Tommy's a cheating prick, kind of like the narrator of The Good Soldier.

It was a clever turn of events. It is true, we just trust the narrator. It's human instinct. But the fact is, he could very well be the antagonist, which in this movie (and The Good Soldier) he is. I'm a fan of anything and everything clever, which is a good thing for this movie. This movie isn't a cliche, and that's what makes it good.

The Switch (2010)

The Switch started a little bit slow, but it eventually picked up and turned out to be a pretty good movie. Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, Patrick Wilson and Juliette Lewis. The cast was great. The story is similar to The Back-Up Plan mainly because it revolved around the female lead getting artificial insemination and finding love because of it. The twist is, her best friend (Jason Bateman) drunkenly "hijacks" the pregnancy by accidentally spilling the donation down the drain and replacing the donor's (Patrick Wilson) "seed" with his. Thus, the switch.

Patrick Wilson's character, Roland, was a weird character. During his "donation", he was married, which is weird. I mean, what woman would, in the right mind, let her husband make a donation? Sure, they said they needed money, but Roland was a college professor in New York. How could he not make enough money? And, again, no woman would allow her husband to do that. Well, true enough, they eventually got divorced, making him available to date Kassie (Jennifer Aniston). When they started dating, his character turned into this macho, risk-taking guy which didn't seem consistent to who he was earlier in the film. Is it just me, or is his character poorly written?

I love the kid's name--Sebastian. If it weren't reminiscent of that lobster from The Little Mermaid, I would totally name my son Sebastian. The character was so adorable, too! Although at the beginning he was so annoying, being neurotic and all (to highlight the similarities of his character to Wally's). But eventually, he became totally cute especially in his scenes with Wally. Kids are just cute. They can't help it.

The whole movie was like fate putting things together. It started with Wally's drunken mistake, a curve ball, which put his life, Kassie's and Sebastian's in place--which is together to live happily ever after.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)

I decided to re-watch Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist today since the first time I watched it is on an iPod touch. I should also get to reading the novel.

I forgot Aaron Yoo was in this movie. He's been a welcome addition to a lot of great movies since Disturbia. He was in The Good Guy, too, by the way, but his character was a total douche--a stereotypical Wall Street guy. It's weird through that his character in The Good Guy is the most age-appropriate character he's played, since he's 30 and all. He doesn't look it, right? I like his high school characters. It suits him.

I love movies like this. Those that just happen in one night. The kind of night that you think is such a disaster, but turns out into something amazing. I like those. Adventures. 

I just have one question though. What is up with that gum?

I just realized, I started off this morning with 30 Rock, which is also set in New York. And that episode is about Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy accidentally getting married over the holiday break--a fitting addition to today's theme. I'm sorry. I'm easily amused.

Lazy (Week)ends

I have to be realistic and make it known to everyone that I won't be able to update this blog as much as I want to. It's just not possible with school and all. I don't even have the time or the energy to write anything more at this moment. Let's just leave it at: I'll try to update at least once a week.

January 16, 2011

Piranha 3D (2010)

Step Up 3D (2010)

Devil (2010)

January 17, 2011

Seeing Other People (2004)

January 19, 2011

The Town (2010)

Afterschool Special

Afterschool (2008)

I've been meaning to watch Afterschool since I first saw the trailer over two years ago. But I had a hard time getting my hands on a copy mainly because I kept thinking it was called Afterschool Special. Last week, I finally realized, thanks to Wikipedia, that I got the title wrong.

I'm watching it right now, and although I still love the atmosphere and the main plot, it's too slow for me. It's so slow it's making me want to sleep. I'm wondering when things will turn up. It sucks though that I'm not enjoying it since I've been wanting to see this movie for over two years. I still love it though, because I know the movie's deep, tragic and meaningful, it's just a real drag to watch.

But then again, I guess its slowness is part of the movie's style. It's styled like a documentary (without the interviews), in line with the main characters video project, and timed in real time. It makes the movie more real. But stories (and movies) are supposed to be real life with the boring parts cut off. This movie forgot to cut the boring parts off. Hmm. I guess I just answered my own question--the movie's supposed to be real life.

I told you it was going to be a deep and meaningful movie. Now, I really love the movie. Because sometimes, you need the boring stuff to make everything else more meaningful.

Boredom and Bad Movies

Remember when I blogged about not having internet for a couple of days? Right. I just blogged about it a few minutes ago. Anyway, I'm catching up on my blogging with this entry.

January 8, 2011

National Lampoon's Adam and Eve (2005)

I decided to get a hold of a bunch of National Lampoon movies after I watched the second (well, third) Van Wilder film (Van Wilder: Freshman Year, the one with Jonathan Bennett) before last year ended. I decided to watch this first since it seemed neat. Note: seemed. The part when Adam and Eve started falling in love was pretty good. For a second there, I thought the movie was going to be great. Nope. I was wrong.

The idea behind the movie was almost good. The story wasn't. It was like holding your breath for a really long time then after a while you forget that you're still holding your breath. Kinda like that. It was so monotonous. It wasn't completely bad. It had its moments. It's just that they could've done better.

Heavy Petting (2007)

Remember when I blogged about watching films because a certain actor is in it? I watched this because Brendan Hines (Lie to Me) was in it. Malin Akerman's his love interest in the movie. I was excited to see this movie because the poster made it seem like a good romcom. The poster I saw was similar to that of Love and Other Drugs, except with clothes on.

I tried going through the movie days before I actually watched it--I just wanted a peek--when I saw loads of dogs. Guess what. Heavy petting doesn't mean heavy petting. It means heavy pet-ting. The moment I realized that, I was both annoyed and impressed. Annoyed, because I knew instantly that it was going to be a bad movie. Part of it was disappointed, because it wasn't the romcom I expected. Impressed because, come on! That is a clever title!

Either way, the movie was quite the opposite of Adam and Eve. It was a bad idea, but the Plot B was entertaining. I liked the love story except for the major conflict. Guess what the major conflict was. Okay, I'll tell you. Brendan Hines's character realizes he likes Baby Girl, the dog, all along (he hated dogs in the beginning of the movie) and Malik Akerman's character (who is obsessed with dogs-slash-owner of Baby Girl) gets jealous of the dog. I know right? WTF? I don't really remember how the movie ended. I gave my attention elsewhere. Haha.

January 9, 2011

National Lampoon Presents Cattle Call (2007)

I don't know why I keep watching National Lampoon movies even though I already know they're going to be bad. Anyway, Thomas Ian Nicholas (from the original American Pie trilogy, Tara Reid's boyfriend), Diedrich Bader (from a bunch of movies and TV shows) and Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately) are in it. It's about three guys who decide to host a fake casting call for a fake movie to meet girls. They call the fake movie Perfect for Me after an online dating service Thomas Ian Nicholas' character frequents.

The only thing I have to say about this film is that Thomas Ian Nicholas's acting from American Pie to this movie has not changed at all. That's it. Nothing else.

I gotta find better movies to watch.

It's All About the Boys

It's the second to the last day of holiday break. I'm trying to squeeze in as much entertainment as I can before I'll be too busy to watch this much movies again.

So, today is for the boys.

Cabin Fever (2002)

I've been watching Boy Meets World this past holiday break and I'm totally obsessed with it. I mean, I'm already in the 6th season. Actually, four more episodes and I'm done with the 6th. (Only one more season left. NOOOO! I die.) Sure, every season is a full season (20 episodes or more) but it's only 20 minutes long per episode. NBD for me. I went through the same thing with Friends.

It's a really good sitcom with great characters. One of my favorite characters is Shawn Hunter, portrayed by Rider Strong. Anyway, I'm not going to write about Boy Meets World any further. Instead, I'll just tell you to watch it. I promise, it is worth it. Besides, my words won't do the show any justice.

As I explained in my blog entry yesterday, I tend to watch movies just because a certain actor is in it. So I watched Cabin Fever because Rider Strong plays the starring role. I wanted to see him in a different light, considering he was in his teen years in Boy Meets World. I've seen The Penthouse (2010) before I saw Boy Meets World (which made me recognize him in Boy Meets World instantly!) so I didn't really appreciate him all that much in that movie. Besides, the movie had a really bad Plot A, though I appreciated the Plot B.

Anyway, Cabin Fever wasn't a movie I enjoyed. I just didn't. The plot was poorly executed. It was just bad.

Ten Inch Hero (2008)

I've had Ten Inch Hero for about a year now. Maybe even more. I just never got around to watching it. I don't know. Maybe I thought I wouldn't enjoy watching it. But I did.

It got my attention the moment it started playing. Even if I could have turned to the internet instead, I didn't. Not even once. The story was good. The characters were multidimensional. I liked that it revolved around people who worked at a sandwich shop and had a really good relationship with each other. It made the movie pleasing to watch. It made me like their characters too. Their individual stories were really interesting as well. It was a feel-good movie all around. Light but meaningful, just the way I like my movies. I guess that's one thing about limited releases. It surprises you by turning out into a movie that you'd unexpectedly enjoy watching.

It didn't hurt that Jensen Ackles is in it. Even if he did have an extreme makeover for it. (I apologize for the low quality screencap.) I wish he'd keep the tats though. Haha. I didn't know it before I started watching the movie, but Matt Barr's in it too, although he barely spoke two words. His character's a douche, but whatever. So was Psycho Derek (OTH). His character was Brad, best friend to Sean Wing's (new discovery, people!) Tadd. Tadd was a douche, too. Again, whatever.

Barry Munday (2010)

I think I'm going to end today with Barry Munday. It doesn't really fall under the "cute boys" theme, but I thought of this entry's title before I decided to watch Barry Munday. I liked the title too much to change it.

It stars Patrick Wilson, but he's totally awkward in this movie. That's another reason why it does not fall under the "cute boy" category. If this were The A-Team, then sure, it would. But it's not. Moving right along...

I'm only 17 minutes into the movie when I hit pause to write this blog entry. Can you tell I'm not enjoying Barry Munday? I'm still going to watch it after I publish this post, but I'm pretty sure my thoughts about it wouldn't change. Hmm... Wonder when things are going to turn around for this movie.

**edit: Barry Munday ended up pretty good. Bad start but good ending.

Anyway, after I suffer through Barry Munday, I'm going to get back to finishing Season 6 of Boy Meets World.

By the way, I added subscribe buttons on the left column of this blog. Just click it. ;)

Until tomorrow!

Day 2

Welcome to Day 2.

Looks like I'm keeping this blog alive. Two days. Let's see how this is going to work out once school starts.

The Amateurs (2007)

I really didn't know why I had The Amateurs, but it was a 4-GB file that I just wanted to get rid of so I watched it. Watching the first few minutes puzzled me even more, seeing that Jeff Bridges was the protagonist of the movie. What the hell, right? But then, Patrick Fugit came on and that's when I realized why I had it. See, I have this habit of watching films just because a certain actor is in it. Hey, it keeps me from running out of movies to watch.

I'm not even going to write about the plot of the movie because it kind of sucks. I didn't even really watch it, more of listen to it while surfing around the internet. But I wouldn't say it was a huge waste of time. Sure, most of the movie sucked, but the ending was good and touching. It's a nice ending, but I wouldn't really recommend the whole movie just because of it.

Choke (2008)

Choke started out similarly awkward. I mean, the protagonist is a sex addict and a bunch of old ladies were getting stripped out of their clothes in his head. Sucks for me, because this was a movie which meant I could see what he was seeing. But the movie is based on Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same name so I knew it was going to be good. Besides, I love Sam Rockwell. He's the villain I love to hate since Charlie's Angels. His character in this movie was perfect for him. Oh, and Gillian Jacobs (Community's Britta) was in the movie, too. It was nothing special, but it's always great seeing actors   in roles before they were famous.

All in all, Choke is a movie that I'd recommend. I haven't read the book, but I definitely will.

First Day of 2011

The Comebacks (2007)

Coach Carter (2005)

Wild Target (2010)

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you've had a great 2010 as I did, and an even better 2011.

I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything on this blog, but I'm starting the year right by resuscitating this dying blog.

Since I don't plan on having a tangible planner for this year, I am going digital on all my life documentation. Part of it is writing down the movies I watch on a day-to-day basis. I do this for the cinephile in me. Since I have no place to do that, I decided to do it here. I guess you could call that a New Year's Resolution, though I'm not really into that whole thing.

I'm starting this blog and this year with Everything You Want (2006). I'm not really sure why I'm starting the year with a sappy TV movie-slash-chick flick, but whatever, Nick Zano's in it. Haha.

I hope this movie turns out great. I really don't want to start the new year with a bad one.

Here's to making good memories in 2011!

2010 in Film

I was bored after enlisting for classes yesterday so I was searching throughout the WWW for things to do. I stumbled upon the list of Hollywood films in 2010. I started going through the list and found a bunch of upcoming films I'd like to see. I'll go through them in alphabetical order since that's how I found them.



The A-Team
Release Date: June 11, 2010
Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson
Comments: Why is Patrick Wilson always the bad guy? He's not exactly bad looking. I don't think he's the villain type either. Anyway, this movie looks pretty good especially with Bradley Cooper in it. And of course, he gets the girl. He is, after all, the Face.




Beastly
Release Date: July 30, 2010 (unofficial)
Starring: Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, Mary Kate Olsen, Neil Patrick Harris
Comments: I am a fan of contemporary recreations--the 10 Things I Hate About You types. (If you didn't know. 10 Things I Hate About you was based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew) This movie is no exception. I am intrigued as to how this film goes. Although I'm not really a fan of how they made Alex Pettyfer "beastly". However, isn't Neil Patrick Harris reason enough to see this film? I believe he is.




Easy A
Release Date: September 17, 2010
Starring: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Cam Gigandet, Lisa Kudrow, Alyson Michalka, Stanley Tucci, Dan Byrd
Comments: Same reason as Beastly. The movie is based on The Scarlet Letter and from what I see in the trailer, this movie is going to be awesome. And it doesn't hurt that the movie's got a pretty great cast, too. I have high hopes for this movie. Seriously.




Get Him to the Greek
Release Date: June 4, 2010 (in a couple of days!)
Starring: Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Elizabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Sean "Diddy" Combs and lots of cameos.
Comments: I was really excited to see this movie but when I read the synopsis on Wikipedia (damn you, Wikipedia) I realized it might be one of those dumb comedy films you wished you never saw. I don't know. I hope I'm wrong. There's a lot of hype for this movie so it has to be good.




Jonah Hex
Release Date: June 18, 2010
Starring: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Michael Shannon, Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett
Comments: Who could pass up a good comics-to-big screen action film, really? Megan Fox's accent is kinda irritating though.




Killers
Release Date: June 4, 2010
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara
Comments: I am looking forward to this movie. I really can't wait to see this. I just hope I don't get disappointed. This is a romcom after all, and you know what I say about romcoms--Good or bad, it makes for one satisfactory feel good movie. And, I can't say no to a spy movie. Plus, I still love Katherine Heigl despite her leaving Grey's Anatomy, due to which I am deeply saddened. Yes, I love Ashton Kutcher, too.




Salt
Release Date: July 23, 2010
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber
Comments: I love spy films. I love Angelina Jolie spy films even more! 

I'm a Fan of Everything Badass

Last Thursday, me and my high school friends had our long-overdue day out. We decided to watch Iron Man 2. Yes, it was a week later than the opening so it meant saying "no" to everyone else who invited us to watch it with them. It was definitely worth it though.


As expected, the cinema was packed! And since it was summer, there were a lot of kids/families watching with us. It was a good thing though that the kids were behaved and didn't ruin the movie for us. Haha!


Iron Man 2 was awesome! RDJ is such a DILF perfect choice to play Tony Stark. He played the character perfectly. He was so charming, and though completely narcissistic, still likable, which I know is a very hard thing to pull off. However, I was left confused with the continuity of Tony Stark and Pepper Pott's relationship from the first movie. It looks like their relationship only surfaces at the end of each film. Gwyneth Paltrow's character just seems to be an extra in the film when she's supposed to be one of the leads. Well, isn't she?


Scarlett Johanson did an amazing job as Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff. Her character is such a badass! She fought so well. And was there supposed to be sexual tension between Tony Stark and Natalie Rushman? Because it was quite awkward for me. And why did Tony show his interest towards Natalie in front of Pepper Potts? Shouldn't Tony and Pepper be in some weird relationship? Anyway, Narl pointed out repeatedly during the movie that Natasha Romanoff's (not Natalie's) hair was kinda weird and I agree. It was a little distracting. ScarJo should've died her hair red like the comic book version of her character. She'd pull it off so well.


Another thing that was quite distracting is John Slattery (Sex and the City, Will and Grace, Desperate Housewives) playing Howard Stark, Tony Stark's dad. It was kinda weird since Robert Downey, Jr. is only a couple of years younger than John Slattery. Sometimes, I hate knowing things because it makes things ultra weird.


When Don Cheadle came out as Col. Rhodes, I immediately remembered that he wasn't Col. Rhodes in the first Iron Man film. Both Narl and I noticed but neither of us could recall who originally portrayed Col. Rhodes. Thanks to Wikipedia, I now know that it was Terrence Howard. I really liked Terrence Howard in the first film. Heck, I like him as an actor. Period. I remember not liking the replacement ever since the issue came out in 2008. But I have to admit that Don Cheadle did a good job in portraying Col. Rhodes. I did like his acting and I realize that his portrayal for this movie, this story was a perfect fit. He brought a certain wisdom to the character. I can't imagine a better portrayal.


Mickey Rourke was also a good choice to play Ivan Vanko. He was extremely convincing despite his one-size-too-small shirts (which was very distracting and disturbing). I was impressed by his Russian accent though I thought they overdid the Russian mafia stereotype with the tattoos. But, hey, he did lots of crimes didn't he? He might as well be in the Russian mafia.


And Sam Rockwell! He brought Eric Knox (Charlie's Angels) into the world of Iron Man. The annoying overly-confident bad guy... His portrayal of Justin Hammer would be what Tony Stark would be like if he failed at being likable. And before I forget, were his hands (in the scene right after he got Ivan Vanko out of prison) supposed to be orange and his wrists pale? Or was that a tanning lotion fail?


Before watching the movie, I already knew that Jon Favreau directed both Iron Man films. I thought the name was familiar but I couldn't figure out who he was. It's only now that I realize that Jon Favreau also acted in films like Couples' Retreat, The Break-Up, I Love You, Man, AND he played Happy, Tony Stark's assistant in the Iron Man 2. He's a really funny actor and I've seen so many of his films (as an actor), but I did not know he was a director. Now, that I do, I am officially a fan.


Overall, Iron Man was utterly entertaining and lived up to my expectations. I cannot wait to see the third Iron Man film and more of RDJ.




Iron Man 2 was supposed to be a top girls movie date sans Steph (because she's too busy with her ANI stuff :( ), but we couldn't contact Vicky and Jho was worried Martin would scream in the theater so only Rinah, Narl and I were able to watch. But we did catch up with them and Baby Martin right after the movie. Too bad I left early though. I only had less than an hour of catching up. Next time, I guess. Hopefully before the third Iron Man film comes out.

THIS GIRL. SRSLY.

I've stumbled upon this blog from one of the blogs I follow on Tumblr which I find totally awesome. In fact, it's so awesome that I'm taking a break from studying for my Economics midterms scheduled for tomorrow, which I am 0% prepared for, just to blog about this blog. Yes, this is that important. The blog is called 500daysofempire. I won't even bother explaining this blog for you. You'll just have to read from the source:

In 2008, Empire Magazine published its list of the five hundred greatest films of all time, as voted by readers, film critics and the Hollywood elite. It was a massive undertaking and the outcome was no less massive.


In 2010, I decided to watch them all. One a day, in ascending order, from the film ranked #500, all the way through to #1. Some I’d never heard of before reading the list (#492, Amores Perros, for instance). Some I’ve watched so many times, I beat the characters to their punchlines (notably, #27, Some Like It Hot and #5, Jaws). And one film, memorably, I have only seen in fast-forward (#1, The Godfather, much to the horror of my best friend).


To watch one film a day, every day, for the next five hundred days, regardless of what I’m in the mood to watch, or whether or not I’ve ever felt a desire to see certain films on the list, is a ridiculous undertaking, and one only someone with the loosest grasp upon sanity would commit themselves to. So here I am. Armed only with mad determination and the internet, to tackle it.


So, why am I doing this?


Well, I’m a big fan of the big screen. The small screen, too, to be fair. However, due to the fact that I spent most of my formative years reading Agatha Christie novels and thinking I was a fifty-year-old British man, I basically managed to miss out on almost all areas of modern popular culture. My despairing friends have tried many a time to fix this problem (the Star Wars Kidnapping of ’07 stands out in memory), but I think it’s time I did something about it, myself.


Aside from this, to be honest, I need a project. I’m fairly rudderless at the moment, and have been for some time. I need a purpose. I like to think if I can make myself, for once, stick this out ‘til the end, I can say I’ve achieved something. Even if that something is just eating a lot of popcorn and yelling at a screen.


There are going to be some issues, of course. Not least of which is the amount of time this is going to take up. Five hundred films, if taken to average, say, one-and-a-half to two hours each, will still take about a thousand hours to watch. Factor in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (#54, #34 and #24), and I’ll probably still be watching when I’m dead.


Other than that, there’s concern with the list itself. Some sequential films are ranked out of order on the list, which means out of order is how I’m going to be watching them. Some films I’ve seen many a time before, and it’s tempting to skip them on that merit, but that’s against my self-imposed rules. Some films I have previously decided I never want to see, because I like to sleep at night, or because socially awkward scenes in cinema make me want to leave the room, but again, I have made this bed, and now I must lie in it and get popcorn crumbs all over myself.


So, it’s day zero. Tomorrow is day one. Goodbye, rationality. I’ll see you in five hundred days. 

 Amazing, ain't she. This has got to be my next life goal.


She's currently in Day 2, Film #499 of her project. The next 498 days should be interesting.

The Girl Behind the Red Door's Day Off

I've just finished watching Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller's Day Off which I've been meaning to watch even before summer started. I meant to watch my John Hughes collection as a marathon but I just didn't get the chance to do so. It's all because of summer semester, you see. I've gotten the chance to see The Breakfast Club in our two-week break but nothing else, unfortunately. The two John Hughes films I've seen today counts as numbers 2 and 3, and I still have lots more to go.


I am a big fan of John Hughes who directed the films I've mentioned above and more 1980's coming-of-age/teen films. He is a legend! He's got this amazing way of making sense of teenagers whom adults readily dismiss as troublemakers. Well, we are, but John Hughes delves more into who the teenagers are. It's kind of like Skins except set in the 1980's and less grave.




Sixteen Candles brought back feelings similar to that of watching Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides. See, her parents were too wrapped up with Samantha's older sister Jenny's wedding that they forgot about Sam's 16th birthday which is totally a big deal. Of all the birthdays parents could forget, why her 16th? A whole day passed and not one person in her family remembered. Not her parents, not her younger siblings, not her stuck-up older sister Jenny, not her grandparents--paternal and maternal. None. To add salt to the injury, loads of crap happened to her all day. But, of course, all's good in the end, but I'm not telling you how. You've got to see it for yourself.


I have to admit that I was waiting for Jon Cryer to appear for half of the movie until I realized that he's in Pretty in Pink, not Sixteen Candles. Oops. My bad. Wrong Molly Ringwald film. I also have to admit that although this is the type of movie I'd fall in love with in a heartbeat, I felt that the ending of the film was too cliché. But then again, it was the 80's and it might have been the first of it's kind. Still, I was hoping for a different ending and it gave me what I expected. I loved it but it's not going on my all-time favorites list.


Sixteen Candles stars Molly Ringwald (also in Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club; now in The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Michael Schoeffling, Anthony Michael Hall (also in The Breakfast Club, more recently in The Dark Knight), and John (2012) and Joan Cusack (My Sister's Keeper) with minor roles.




I particularly fell in love with Ferris Bueller's Day Off the moment Ferris jumped onto the German float and sang Danke Schoen and The Beatles' Twist and Shout. It has to be the most fun movie I've ever seen! Everyone has to see this movie. It's about this guy, Ferris Bueller, whom everybody loves. He fakes sick so he can ditch school. He goes around Chicago with his girlfriend, Sloane, and best friend, Cameron, as a last big hurrah before he and Cameron graduates. I really don't want to spoil things to those who haven't seen it so I'm leaving it to that. It's a real treat to watch and Ferris' charisma will surely get to you. I'm adding this to my favorite films of all time right after I post this blog entry.


Ferris Bueller's Day Off stars a teenage Matthew Broderick (Yes, SJP's husband who, might I say, looked quite fine in this film), Alan Ruck (GREEK's Dean Bowman), Mia Sara (Tinseltown) and a cameo from Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men).




I have to say that the 1980's and 1990's teen films genre are my favorites. I just can't get enough of it. The hint of vintage and the entertaining storyline are just what I need to satisfy my cinephilia. Which reminds me, I have to get my hands on the rest of the non-John Hughes Brat Pack films.


Here's me making the most of my three-day day off!