I Love You Phillip Morris (post-viewing rant)

The 1st time that I saw the movie poster for I Love You Phillip Morris, I thought that at last I was gonna see Jim Carrey again in a comedy flick. How wrong I was. Yes it was funny, but it was laced with a li'l drama.

Who would've thought that this shit really happened?! It really did. It was based on a book which I guess was based on a true story.

The story sorta' revolved around prison. I could've watched Prison Break and swear that it was the same thing. Kiddin' aside, I just wanna point out that a lot of factors pointed to prison. Steven J. Russell always used to escape from prison. He was even a cop once, so he knows how prison is like and he doesn't want to be there. Steven met Phillip Morris in prison. And it was all history from then on.

The drama factor here was the aids thing. You see, Steven contracted aids, or so it seemed. And I could easily see how effortless it was for Jim Carrey to cry. He really is a great actor! Same thing with Ewan. He looks young compared to Carrey, but he has already paid his dues IMO for the work he had done for Trainspotting. Right there, I knew Ewan was something special. And he was.

I just felt a li'l cheated after this flick. All the while, I thought it was just a brand new flick. When I checked it out on Wikipedia, it was dated 2009. Fuckin' late movie industry peeps! Or whoever it is in charge of bringing the foreign movies here. Fuck you!

UFC 111 (post-fight rant)

The card delivered, though boringly. Boring in a sense that these wrestlers need to be more dynamic and exciting. As an old school boxing fan, I always want fights to end in spectacular fashion.

The first fight was all good between Jim Miller and Mark Bocek. Even though it ended in a decision, it was all scrappy and technical. Unlike the one-sided wrestling beat downs from GSP and Fitch.

Next fight I remembered watching was the Saunders-Fitch match, which was supposed to be the Saunders-Ellenberger bout, or Fitch-Alves fight. Alves would apparently need minor brain surgery (but for me, anytime they would cut my melon up would be major) for some ailment of his. Now Saunders was looking for better competition. So they scrapped poor Ellenberger from the card.

Unfortunately for Saunders, Fitch was just a level or two above him. Up a level or two in wrestling that is, because that's what he did. He wrestled his way to a unanimous decision win.

Next stop was Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino VS somethin'-somethin' Camoes (I forgot the first name). Of course I picked Batman to win, because I liked his moniker ever since, and because I really didn't know much about this Camoes kid. Though I've watched this kid once, which was his octagon debut. Batman won, though he almost got submitted.

The co-main event was more or less the fight that I was looking forward to. That's because the Mir-Carwin fight had more at stake than the GSP-Hardy fight. It's the co-main event's outcome that will determine who gets first dibs at Lesnar for the real heavyweight belt. What the winner (Carwin) got was just for interim purposes. You have to beat Brock to be the real deal. And for now, I think only Fedor has the tools to beat this freak of nature. I even think that it's a toss-up between these 2 heavyweights.

Just as I’ve predicted (I’ve predicted all of the main cards correctly mind you, though I was rooting for Hardy so bad), Carwin ended the fight via TKO with his cinderblocks for fists. Now if Murr (Mir) can’t beat Carwin, then how the fuck is he gonna beat Lesnar?!?

The main event was just the cherry on top. This fight showed us how technically superior GSP was to all the rest of the division. It also showed us how the Brits are, Hardy in particular. The man can’t be submitted! GSP already had an armbar in the 2^nd round I think, and even slapped on a kimura in like the 4^th or 5^th, but Hardy was just made of rubber. The Brit was like a Gracie in that he wouldn’t tap. He literally doesn’t know the meaning of tapout!

But the boring part once again, was GSP’s employment of that ever-present fighting art, wrestling. Although GSP’s trying to end the fight by throwing subs, he couldn’t do any significant damage to Dan Hardy’s cheeky, smirking face. Hardy’s just a sneaky bastard, is all I can say after this event.

What’s in store for GSP next? He’s either gonna face the winner of Fitch-Koscheck (if those AKA fags do fight), or he should just move up to middleweight. I want him to move up because he has practically cleaned out the entire welterweight division!

How To Train Your Eye If A Flick's In Real D 3D Or Not (A How To Train Your Dragon Afterthought Rant)

As someone said to me earlier, How To Train Your Dragon 3D is more 3D than Alice In Wonderland 3D. How true those words were.

If a 3D flick makes me involuntarily move my head as a reflex action or something, then that's the real deal for me. Or if your reaction seems like what you see on the big screen is part of the real world (like thinking that the cinema's roof is crumbling, but it's just a piece of falling ash after the "dragon-boss crash scene" wherein Hiccup's dad was worriedly looking for him), then that is the shizzlenit!

I easily recognized Gerard Butler's voice, as the village chieftain. I don't know if that's the only accent he can do, but I believe he better learn American English (if he doesn't know how to yet) if he wants to stay in the industry.

Jonah Hill's voice was easily recognized by me as well. I instantly thought, "Hey, ain't this the fat guy from Superbad?". I also learned later from a superior co-movie junkie that it was that guy that played McLovin'. I can't wait for his part in Kick-Ass! Saw the trailer, funny shit!

All I can do for now is confirm that HHTYD was indeed "3D-ier than Alice In Wonderland.

Rakista Jam 14 a.k.a. “The Pre-Launch Gig of Rakista.com Version 3.0”

Last night was a hot summer night. It was supposed to be airconditioned in Dayo Bar, but all the windows and doors were open. Hence the stuffy atmosphere.

Lots of old friends and known peepz were spotted. Allan (a.k.a. “Nikeboy”), Neil (a.k.a. “Wasted”), Zep (The Man), Rozmic (a.k.a. “Turk”) and his girlfriend Claire, his brother Sulayman and his girlfriend “Bikwa”, Dong (a.k.a. “Pintadoz”), Mellow, Nikki (a.k.a. Dominique, alyas Cinematic Sunrise), Rache (a.k.a. “Sexyamber”), Kristine (a.k.a. “Edlie”), this old guy with long hair who loves Pink Floyd(I think he’ “Bakal na si Pedro” or something, I can’t remember, must be a different person), Jacob (a.k.a.”Hakobo”), Ichie and Dixx (the hosts for the night), Charles (a.k.a. “Tsarles”), Anne (a.k.a. “Annestar”), Bob (a.k.a. “Skullnell/Joker666”), Jade (a.k.a. “Cheech and Chong”), Ridz (a.k.a. “Harold”, who looked busy as usual), Riez Za( I dunno about the “Za” part), Yummy Dingding (yes, that’s her real name), Gan (a.k.a. “Reagan”, who cropped his hair short), Mica my girl friend of course (a.k.a. “Akim”), and a whole lot more that I forgot to mention I guess.

I almost got caught by a police mobile unit because I was driving the opposite direction on a one-way street. This one way bullshit has already happened to me thrice in 2 nights. The other night at Barangay San Antonio, along Shaw Blvd, and last night on that Dayo Bar Road and somewhere along Plaza Miranda, Quiapo, when I was about to drop Mica off at her house.

2 bands caught my eye (or should I say ear). Well actually, one was the eye, the other was the ear. The band that caught my ear was this band named Tubero. Man the vocalist’s voice had no voice! It’s just like a voice that you can hear in a perya or karnabal. Or a barker’s voice that says “Ah Cubao! Cubao!” It just proves that anybody with a voice, any voice for that matter, no matter how crappy it sounds, can sing in a punk rock band. They kept singing about masturbation (“Jakol, jakol, jakol…”), jerks and douchebags (“Kupal, kupal, kupal, kupal…”), sex (“kantot, kantot, kantot…”), women with no undies (“Walang panty, walang panty”), emos (“Emotel, emotel, emotel mo na!”), and other rubbish! It was fun! I even cursed at them by shouting “Putangina niyo”, just like a true punk rocker!

The other band that caught my eye (well they already caught my ear during the UP Fair) was Even. They were progressive sounding as always. But what caught my attention was the DJ that was doing the mixes. I just liked watching him at work, tinkering with his 2 laptops and other gadgets.

Good thing I came home safe. I almost fell asleep ‘cuz of drunkenness while driving hime. Nikki should’ve accompanied me on the way home because as soon as Mica was gone, I had no one to talk to. Now I ain’t crazy enough to talk to myself, but that’s what I almost did, just to be alive. I actually dozed off for like a second. I guess god still wants me to live.

All in all, great Rakista jam!!!

The Hurt Locker(afterthoughts)

Hurt Locker was the shiznit! I ain't saying that it's righteous enough to beat Avatar for the best picture of 2009. But it's a safe thing to say that it was just as good as Avatar, or something to that effect.

So far, it's in the upper echelon of all the war movies, documentaries, and mini-serieses(I forgot the plural of the word "series, if there was such a thing) made, if not the best. The reason is that I love some war movies too, like Full Metal Jacket, Jarhead, and Tropic Thunder(I was JK right there). The camera shots were pretty unconventional, and realistic, It catches the very essence of the Baghdad war zone.

The paranoia that I felt while watching this masterpiece was gripping like a condom. It's more suspenseful than any horror movie that I've seen. I felt a lot of tension, and my adrenal glands produced a lot of adrenaline while waiting for the next explosion. I was literally on the edge of my seat almost all the time. It was that intense!

I hate terrorists! Man I hate 'em! But this flick made me hate 'em even more! The Americans wouldn't have waged this stupid war in the first place, if it wasn't for Al-Qaeda and its terrorist cell offshoots. Thousands of lives are being wasted, and even innocent civilians are being slaughtered due to some twisted radicals that have crookedly bent Islam's good teachings. I just pity their stupidity.

All in all, I give this flick 5 out of 5 bombs!

2010 International Pyro-Musical Competition

This was the epitome of detonation! More grand than any New Year's eve fireworks display! Around 20-30mins each of nonstop fireworks! Luckily for me I witnessed team Australia's display of fire!!(They won 3rd place) I like it when each display was about to end. It's as if Gandalf lit up one of his own fireworks from the box. The only thing lacking was a fire-dragon soaring towards us!

I was also amused at the exhibition that the Philippines put up for the finale. It was exploding to the tune of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" and "Billie Jean". Then when Lady Gaga's Bad Romance was playing, the audience was singing along, sayin' ♪Ra Ma Ra Ma Ma Ma Ma♫. Then when Lady Gaga belted out ♪Love love love I want your love...♫, the fireworks exploded in the shape of red hearts! Impressive!

Unbelievable!

Those last two words are the most appropriate descriptions to this event. Hope they come back next year!

Pacquiao VS Clottey - "The Event"(afterthoughts)

First off, I would like to say that the undercard sucks dick!! Bob Arum once again relied on the star power of the main event to lift the shitty undercards! He's always been one for cutting costs and maximizing profits! If it wasn't for Pac, this production is nothing! That's why Arum puts up these ghastly cards. A lot of PPV buyers are brainwashed enough to even think that this fight would be competitive. Other hardcore boxing fans would buy it just for the sake of boxing. In any case, this keeps Bob Arum's money-making machine chugging for the rest of the year.

First fight was the John Duddy Vs Michael Medina bout. Honestly, does anyone give a fuck? I mean, this fight, whatever results it produces, won't do anything to shake up the current state of the division. What's more, I had to sit through all the boring rounds(actually, I had to get off the tube once in a while for it was really boring)just to see Duddy win via split decision. Was it that competitive?! Beer drinking contests are more competitive IMO.

Next stop was the Alfonso Gomez vs. Jose Luis Castillo bout, a fourth-tier clash that turned no heads. I am still wondering how Boxrec ranks Gomez at number 11. Rankings are shit I say! As Boxing Tribune says, Castillo is shot and Gomez is shit! 'Nuff said!

I also predicted that Humberto Soto would defeat the uber-durable David Diaz. Diaz actually had the right game-plan when he was pushing the pace against Soto. But he was waaaay behind the judges' scorecards 'coz of the knockdowns he received from Humberto.

As you can clearly see, these shitty undercards aren't worthy to be played on the big stage to begin with. But I would just be repeating myself if I would type any further, so just look back at the first paragraph.

Now for the finale, I was impressed, and at the same time, unimpressed. It's rare for me to have mixed emotions. For the impressed part, I was expecting the fight to end at 8 rounds or under. The Akon look-alike was really a tough mofo. Not a single scratch on his stone-face. Really an amazing feat if you try and look at Pacquiao's past opponents(see Cotto and Dela Hoya). Unimpressed because I was expecting Clottey to be Pac's biggest threat yet. But the fucker didn't throw any bombs up until round 10.

I mean, what the fuck is wrong with turtling up for 9 rounds?!? Everything! He should be the all-out aggressor because he's got nothing to lose against Pac. Pac will be the one falling from grace if he lost yesterday. But Pac was taking it to him all night(or all morning-afternoon here)! With all those body, kidney and liver shots, Clottey would be pissin' blood in the morning!

Now for some positivity amidst all this ranting, it's really unbelievable how Pac showed that he was too good for any welterweight out there. I say it is time for Pac and Money to rrrrumble!

The Power Of Red Horse!

Red Horse beer is in a class of its own, I'm tellin' 'ya. Foreigners may tell you that their beer is stronger in like England or Germany(some Americans and Canadians even claim that their beer's better). So far, Colt 45 is the only foreign strong beer that I've encountered.

Well the point of my blog is all about the power of Red Horse beer. I witnessed it first hand last Friday night. Only one liter of this brew made me dizzy and in slow-motion. In short, I was pissed-drunk!

But yesterday, I drank more than thrice, or even quadruple of the amount that I drank last Friday night, but I was still alive and kicking! What I did yesterday was surprisingly even more strenuous than what I did Friday.

Last Friday, I woke up at around 11AM, went to school in the afternoon, and proceeded to drink beer when I got home. By 10PM, I was shot by the horse!

But yesterday, I had to wake up at 7AM, play basketball till noon, drink a couple of beers(I'm just not sure that it was Red Horse though) with my office friends at Gerry's, went to school again, then went to Eastwood with the D-Boys(my high school friends, section D, hence the moniker)and downed around 7 or 8 bottles of San-Mig Lite.

And yet, I was still normal enough to go home at around 12:45 AM( I couldn't join 'em in the clubs 'coz I was wearing shorts, punk-rock style). I swear that I still could drive normally if I brought the car.

That story right there just points out how potent Red Horse is. 1 Liter of Red Horse VS 3 or 4 liters of mixed beers. You be the judge!

82nd Academy Awards

I knew that Hurt Locker was a lock(no pun intended) for the ultimate academy award because of all the hype surrounding it. It was all over the net. Hurt Locker VS Avatar. David VS Goliath. James Cameron VS ex-wife. Whatever match-up you wanna make of it.

I honestly hadn't watched the Oscars to know enough. But I've been to enough websites to know the scoop.

Good thing for Sandra Bullock to win best actress while bein' nominated for the first time. She was also the 1st actress to win best actress for the Oscars, and at the same time win worst actress for the Razzies in the same year.

Kathryn Bigelow's award(or awards) was a slap to the face of James Cameron. I guess the academy doesn't appreciate the likes of Cameron and Tarantino. Also, too bad for Cameron that he ain't gettin' to bang Bigelow nowadays. His current wife Suzy Amis just doesn't cut it.

Too bad as well for The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus, my new favorite movie, for it didn't get to snag any awards. I would've easily pegged that for best makeup or costume or somethin'

Alice in Wonderland 3D(afterthoughts)

All in all, I enjoyed this flick(like most of 'em). I ain't the Russian judge to give a failing grade to movies. Except of course if the movie is really a crappy one. I know it when I see it.

Wonderland isn't quite like inside the Imaginarium(there I go again with Dr. Parnassus' mind). But it still has a psychedelic feel to it. The Caterpillar was like The Oracle in The Matrix. It was sssssmokin'!! Well of course it gave out advice too.

I love The Cheshire Cat's grin. It was a smooth operator when it does its scenes. Slipping in and out like smoke! Pretty cool for a smiling cat!

Helena Bonham-Carter and Johnny Depp really executed their scenes to perfection as The Red Queen and The Mad Hatter respectively. I also learned somethin' earlier, let me tell you. The Mad Hatter's name in Lewis Carroll's book was just "The Hatter". But the Cheshire cat warned Alice that the Hatter is mad, and his eccentric behavior shows this madness.

I also like how The Red Queen referred to the Jabberwocky as her "Jabber-baby-wocky". That made me giggle a li'l bit. And if you noticed, Alice was walking on the faces of the Jabbawockeez as she used them as stepping stones to cross this body of water.

I can't criticize Anne Hathway's performance here. She was so regal and grand that I forgot she was Anne Hathaway, the same Hathaway in Princess Diaries. Man she grew up!

As for Mia Wasikowska, at first I didn't like her. Or rather, she wasn't my type. But she's what I would call the "traitor" type. She'll pass you by first then stab you in the back! What I meant was that I didn't find her appealing, but as the movie progessed, I was finding her kinda cute.

Nonsense:

-I noticed that the person who played Julius Caesar's mom in the HBO original Rome was also the same person that played Alice's mom.

-I found Tweedledee and Tweedledum kinda cute, but I kinda abhorred them when I was a kid in the Disney version.

-Absolem must've smoked weed in his hookah to say boatloads of wisdom.

Cos-Play

First time I've ever been to a cosplay thingy. It was actually a toys and hobbies convention. But still a lot, as in hordes of people came in wearing their costumes.

These cosplayers(as I call them) were fuckin' creative! Hands down, they could match other cosplayers from like Japan or somethin'. Some looked like characters from Naruto. Some from that other show in GMA 7 where they rode pirate ships. I even saw Ultraman and Mask Rider Black, 2 of my Japanese childhood heroes.

What impressed me most were 3 other cosplayers. They were head and shoulders above the rest. They literally stood out from the rest of the wannabes.

1st was Gundam or a robot from that series. It was like 6 feet tall or somethin, complete with body armor and gun!

Next was War Machine! I guess it was easier on the cos-player's part to do War MAchine instead of Iron Man because War Machine's body armor dealt with only 1 color, just different shades. War Machine was even equipped with a gatling gun mounted on his shoulder. It was even spinning like the real thing!

Last but certainly not the least was Mecha-Godzilla! It was the biggest of 'em all. It had a long tail and it had a li'l trouble walking. The coolest thing about this cos-play version of Mecha-Godzilla was that it was emitting smoke from turbines located on its sides! I was wondering where he kept his smoke machine apparatus.

Great cosplay event, though there's a real cos-play convention on 03-27-10. Same place, Robinson's Manila.