The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin (Wenn V. Deramas, 2011)

If you’re blazing hot in the movie industry, just strike, strike, and strike until you quit or if people grow tired of your same old antics. And it seems that Vice Ganda’s following is really big. I remember the time when he was able to do a show in Araneta Coliseum. The freakin’ Araneta Coliseum. As said, even if you don’t try to be funny in the film, these same people would still attribute to it as one of your zany antics. Imagine that, comedy without even trying.

Rakenrol (Quark Henares, 2011)

If there is an annual Best Nostalgic Filipino Film Award, then hands down, this film would nail it. In all its glory. Five years in the making, four band members, and a lot of familiar faces, director Quark Henares did something that suits him accordingly even if some pundits didn’t agree. And creating a film related to the local rock scene is a Herculean task, so whatever he does, he’d probably still be hearing negative reviews and positive praises. Damn if you do, damn if you don’t. But it all ends up with one thing, doing what you want and what you really love.

Zombadings: Patayin Sa Shokot Si Remington (Jade Castro, 2011)

A great friend once said, “If it is a great movie, it doesn’t need to spend on obscene amounts of exposure and promotion. A proved quid pro quo on quality and viewing pleasure.” Sadly, that friend doesn’t even exist but it establishes the basic principle on what this movie can provide. An ordinary Indie film that has an extraordinary use of script, stereotype, and punch lines.

5th International Silent Film Festival Manila.

Now in its fifth year, the Goethe-Institut Philipinen, the Japan Foundation, Manila, Instituto Cervantes, the Embassy of Italy and together this year with the Embassy of Greece, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines and the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film present the 5th International Silent Film Festival Manila. (Facebook Event)

The Love Yourself Benefit Screening: “Sayaw” and “Zombadings”.

The Love Yourself Project presents: (Facebook Event)

The Love Yourself Benefit screening of Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa and Zombadings.

Details:

August 23, Tuesday at SM Megamall
7 PM – Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa
9 PM – Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington

Club.MOV: The Idiot’s Guide To Heartbreak 6.

.MOV International Film, Music, & Literature Festival presents (Facebook Event)

Club.MOV: The Idiot’s Guide To Heartbreak 6

Location

Mogwai Cinematheque, Cubao Expo
General Romulo Avenue, Araneta Center, Cubao
Quezon City, Philippines

UPFI Film Center This August 2011

UPFI Film Center this August 2011 (Facebook event)

The UP Film Institute announces its main slate of screenings for August 2011 all at the UPFI Film Center. Cinemalaya fever continues with the Netpac Best Film Winner, Benito Bautista’s Boundary; the premier state university’s premiere of Cinemalaya’s closing film, Jade Castro’s Zombadings and a selection of outstanding student films under the Best of UPFI banner. The national cinemas of Japan and Brazil are in showcase respectively with Eiga Sai and the Brazil Film Festival. In commemoration of the National Heroes Month is the special run for Mario O’Hara’s Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio. More films further comprise the month’s features accordingly for Back to Classics, Untitled/Visions and Spotlight on Docus. Tudla Productions’ Pandayang Lino Brocka Political Film and New Media Festival now on its third year complete the month’s screening highlights. Over at Ishmael Bernal Gallery are exhibitions by U.P. and U.E. Fine Arts students, a photo installation by Buen Abrigo & Sam Kiyoumarsi and recent British video art.

CINEMATON: Loving J-cinema.

Since I am joining Cinematon Cinematon for this instance, I am going to play with my strengths. I’d like you to join me on the nuttier, crazier, and the fun part of the Japanese cinema. I am not exactly sure on how I would be able to present this. I know a list would be more appropriate but I would find it a little bit on the stiff side. I think it would be better if I would just like to give out my personal and cinematic experiences that I achieved when I saw these crazy and way out of this world films full of determination, oddity, love, expressionism, survival, and controversy.

T500FC, 395th: Three… Extremes [Sam Gang Yi] (Fruit Chan, Takashi Miike, Chan-wook Park, 2004)

One of the celebrated Asian films in the past decade with three segments that boasts awesome directors from three different countries: Fruit Chan, Park Chan-wook, and Takashi Miike. Three Extremes is not your ordinary film since it follows the area of extreme or brutal horror that feasted on mainstream cinema during the turn of the century, and this time the Eastern counterparts provide the stories. Its concept came from the 2002 film, Three, a much weaker approach to the horror genre.

T500FC, 396th: 29 February [2 Wol 29 Il] (Jong-hun Jung, 2006)

A bleak horror idea from the Koreans, 29 February is a supposed scare fest that happens in the heart of a tollbooth. I am not sure on how they created a resolution that includes the date, the twenty-ninth of February plus a tollbooth, God only knows the oblique idea coming from its creators and having this film the supposed breakout film of the director, Jong-hun Jung.

T500FC, 397th: Wapakman (Topel Lee, 2009)

It was not that that bad. Amidst the term provided by a few friends who saw this film in the theatres a few years ago, as they were claiming that it was the worst movie they’ve ever seen, I may say that it is probably watchable for a few points. Though we were all aware that this film was just created for the fact that Manny Pacquiao wants to create a movie, just because, we may also have to accept that the film’s potential was greatly addressed to the fans and their respective families.

T500FC, 398th: The King Of Comedy (Martin Scorsese, 1982)

This film is a wonderful and underrated Martin Scorsese film shown decades ago, about the happy and sad life of stand-up comics during the seventies and the early eighties. Loved by critics and ignored by the viewing public, despite an all-star crew and an awesome director, it ventures into a life of a stand-up wannabe who just wanted to make a name in Hollywood.

T500FC, 399th: Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (Frank Capra, 1936)

I know sometimes it is just plain wrong to compare remakes and originals of films. There’d be debates since one film caters to a certain period of time only. Take this movie for instance, Adam Sandler made a successful retelling of the story, sticking with a few points in the film, such as the occupation of Mr. Deeds, and gave a different approach, a style owned by Sandler, clearly shown in the early stages of his filmography.

T500FC, 400th: Vox Populi (Dennis Marasigan, 2010)

Vox Populi is defined as voice of the people. Even if this film didn’t go on a big scale, it clearly examines a small sample of what we usually have in the Philippines during elections. And even if the film is not as exhilarating as the other political films that world cinema has provided, it is such a breakthrough to talk of the sensitive especially in what have been in our midst in the past few decades.

The 500 Film Challenge Summary 1/5.

I’ve decided to summarize the first batch of the films I’ve seen so far for the 500 film challenge. This post doesn’t carry anything; I am just anal with things so I’ve done such. But in case you are willing to check out what I’ve seen so far, and if you are kind of lazy to backtrack per page, then expand this entry and take a glimpse of the first 100 films I’ve seen so far.