Disqus - Latest Comments for agm_71

Re: District 9 @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:13:21 -0000

saw District 9 and it was great. Underneath the alien story is really a human story. It's actually an allegorical painting of what America is today. D9 ably showed how despite man's propensity to war, evil and hate, we have within us the power of compassion and love.

Re: A Bachelor Party Gone Awry In 'The Hangover' @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:04:45 -0000

Hangover just grossed $152 M already, wow! It was made for only $30M+ and now it's poised to be 2009's biggest summer blockbuster, bigger than Star Trek and Up. Anyways, there's really nothing to "cut", in the entire movie, there's no full frontal nudity, mostly pervasive language and acts of drug use, except maybe for (but it's more of funny than sexual) ---I don't want to reveal much, lol, but just watch for the end credits. Any ratings board member, I hope, would deem it as integral to the whole story, that is if they truly have the proper comprehension of a certain scene's relevance to the whole picture.

Re: Box Office Awakens To 'The Hangover,' No. 1 at U.S. @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:31:02 -0000

The sleeper hit of the year! Destined to be a cult classic. Watched this twice already and it never fails to crack me up. I find the situations, though random, that these guys got themselves into hilarious. The unpredictability will get you on the edge of your seat. It's one of the cleverer comedies of today. By not actually "showing" what happened at the bachelor party was a smart idea and kept audiences curious. Watch out for the end credits, it's one of the most memorable in a long time. Aaah, truly what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, lol.

Re: Let's Get Serious For A Moment @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:02:59 -0000

Please have respect to the so-called "masses" or "majority". We should always treat audiences--whether they belong to A,B,C,D,E,F,G.... crowd---as intelligent, not undermine them.

Re: Let's Get Serious For A Moment @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:20:44 -0000

Ok, finally I was able to watch this. In support of Pinoy films, I paid for it and snuck into The Hangover after, lol, but I must say, as expected, I enjoyed the latter than the former. What else is there to say? I agree with the review and just like what I said, at its core, it has huge potential for a classic comedy--wife unknowingly becomes best friends with her husband's mistress. There are a few scenes which for me stood out, maybe because it was the writer's doing. I like the earlier planting of the lingerie to be later discovered by Honey. The scenes where both Honey & Frances are about to show their mate's pic on their cell and then out of nowhere it was yanked out by pickpockets was ok but awkwardly done, also at Honey's home where Frances almost sees Tim's picture, I mean, in these simple scenes where most of the movie works, because it creates opportunities for real comedic conflicts, but Deramas at the helm means wasting it all for another mediocre, slapstick Pinoy comedy. That's just sad.

Re: Disney/Pixar's 'Up' is Opening Film of Cannes Fest @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:04:08 -0000

Again, another Pixar classic. Though, personally, not as good as Wall-E and Ratatouille, still, one of the year's best, so far. The people behind Pixar are geniuses and master storytellers. The opening sequence where we see a montage of Carl’s earlier life sans dialogue was a beauty and a tribute to what filmmaking and storytelling should be. It’s whimsical, poignant and actually a melancholic love story for all ages. Be sure to watch it!

Re: Master Of Horror @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:11:17 -0000

Manoy, we should not compare Drag me to Hell to horror or hollywood films only just because it was. Where’d you think Pinoys learn filmmaking? From hollywood. Americans may not have invented cinema, but they were the pioneers in this medium. The thing is Pinoy filmmakers mostly replicate what they saw on hollywood films, not the craft on how it was made. Drag me was successful because as a horror film, it used the basic and effective principles of filmmaking and storytelling. And this applies to whatever form: TV, movie, even soaps. Any movie or TV soaps of any genre, should practice the same thing. Just because they belong to a certain genre doesn’t mean they have a set rule for each. That thinking leads to predictability and a bad movie. And that is why Drag me To hell stands out. Ok, I’ll compare Mike De Leon’s “Kisapmata”, one of the films I watched at Cinemaone which I was able to sit through despite the bad copy. Both Kisapmata and Drag Me effectively utilized proper storytelling techniques: sound effects, atmosphere, and nightmarish visuals. It is after all, a MOVIE, and all movies and other forms of storytelling medium--despite of genres--should practice what is right.

Re: A Bachelor Party Gone Awry In 'The Hangover' @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:36:33 -0000

I soooo love this movie!! Another raunchy, non-Apatow comedy that works!! Watch out for the end credits, it's one of the most memorable in a long time!! I'm so going to Vegas this weekend, lol!

Re: Master Of Horror @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:05:16 -0000

I’m not discriminating manoy, most movies on Cinemaone are really bad. I think it’s because the Pinoy movie industry doesn’t have proper archiving of its movies. I think, they just load a VCR copy of the movies and broadcast it over Cinemaone. The sound is bad and the picture is often dark you can’t barely see what’s on it. Why would someone waste hours for crap? I’d rather switch to HBO, Showtime or Starz.

As for Drag Me to Hell, just because I laud a particular scene on it translates that it should be applied to everything. I mean, an able filmmaker like in the case of Raimi, maximizes the use of film grammar--both visual and words--to convey his movie’s emotional meaning. And he succeeded in using both.

Yes, you’re correct. The U.S. has separate industries for TV & Movie, but its writers learned the art & craft of screen and TV writing the same and have a common edict which they try to adhere to: use the minimum number of words to communicate the maximum information. A principle that was evident on Drag Me to Hell. Now, in real life, if you’ve been on a situation where you’re allotted a few minutes to pass information, what do you do? You shout, right? Do you do the same on TV & Movies? Do you pause and talk to yourself what you plan to do? Or does a voice-over of yourself magically plays on the background telling everyone what you think. No. But, most of Pinoy soap stars do. Why? Because the writers were not crafty enough to write intelligently and resorts to cheating. Now, this maybe a norm to TV soaps because of time constraints, but that is not an excuse, manoy. We deserve and demand better.

Re: Master Of Horror @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:25:27 -0000

Well, most Pinoy films that I get to watch were from Cinemaone channel, but, I'm unable to sit through till the end because most of it--the sound, picture, and the movie as a whole---were bad, lol. But, the last good Pinoy film I watched was JAY (prior to that was the disappointing Rono film T2). I saw it at the Asian-Pacific film festival. And though it took some time before we get to know what Jay wants, still, it became evident later what Jay’s goal was: to get an in-depth, exclusive media coverage of the family’s reaction to his namesake’s death. And again, because of this, Jay’s action in the movie were in result of his goal, though unethical for a supposed journalist like himself.

It’s not that I praise and single out that camera panning in Drag me to Hell. I just admire the restraint taken by Raimi, because at a time where everything in movies is spoon-fed to the audience, he used an old and classic visual storytelling style that is reminiscent of the old silent movies. Films should always show and not tell.

As for the T.V. vs movie comparison, I believe that we shouldn’t distinguish them from each other. I mean, soaps are not written for 30 minutes. They shoot for a good number of scenes in a day and what we see on TV was the edited version for 30 minutes, so proper storytelling techniques should still be practiced. The pinoy soaps you mentioned, plus most of our Pinoy movies, can learn a thing or two from Drag me To Hell. My “puh-lease” remark was an allusion to the bad writing of these soaps.

Re: Master Of Horror @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:22:36 -0000

Whether it’s the big or small screen, writers/directors still employ the same visual storytelling techniques. If it doesn’t hook the audience in the beginning that it requires a “cheat” like a voice-over or when a character “talks” to him/herself of what he/she wants or will do, then the material is weak in the first place. The “subtle” camera panning tells us so much more. The simple showing of the empty desk propels the story in motion and informs us of Christine’s goal. All the actions she did was in result of her desire. And in pursuit of her goal, she denied the gypsy lady of her loan extension. The rest, well, you guys know, lol. So, it’s just really simple. A story works when we, the audience knows what our hero or protagonist wants right from the start. A simple and often overlooked notion that most our Pinoy films lack.

Re: Master Of Horror @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:34:09 -0000

I feel like we’re ganging up on unknownx lol, but it is said that who we are is revealed in what we do. So, Phil has a point when he said he doesn’t know how a person should supposedly act if thrown into such circumstances. Christine’s actions in the movie are the product of the writer’s depiction of her and I laud Raimi for making the character central in this horror movie, unlike when most horror films today focus more on the “scares”. I also like the subtle visual storytelling presented here. The camera panning to the empty assistant manager’s desk tells us what Christine wants. I find it infuriating and insulting when I watch Tagalog soaps on TFC & GMA Pinoy TV where the teleserye lead often pauses and we hear a voice-over of him/her saying what he/she wants which in actuality it’s geared towards the audience, in case we didn’t get it, puh-lease!!

Re: Master Of Horror @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:31:00 -0000

So, what's the moral lesson of this movie? Don't ever piss off, shame and deny a scary old gypsy lady an extension of her home loan, otherwise, you'll get cursed to hell, lol. I agree with the 4.5 stars, heck, I think it should've gotten 5, for being the most scary, disgusting, campy, gag-inducing---where an old lady's mucilaginous dentures flies out of her mouth and a stomach-churning body fluid exchange where embalming fluid copiously drips from the corpse's to Alison Lohman's mouth---horror film in a long time. LOL, i feel I'm gonna make myself puke writing this, oh yeah, don't eat your popcorn guys while watching...

Re: One 'Hell' Of A Movie @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:16:03 -0000

I gotta say that today was the most fun I had watching back-to-back movies! First was Sam Raimi’s Drag me to Hell. I never really dug horror films, but, Drag Me to hell was an enjoyable, horrifying, roller-coaster ride eliciting the loudest shrills giving one the most thrills. And that feels refreshing at a time where lame horror flicks abound. It reminds me of the earlier (and better) Pinoy Shake, Rattle & Roll series (watched the first one on TFC, it was amazing!), where it’s scary, campy and fun.

Second was Up, and again, Pixar doesn’t disappoint. The people behind Pixar are geniuses and master storytellers. The opening sequence where we see a montage of Carl’s earlier life sans dialogue was a beauty and a tribute to what filmmaking and storytelling should be. It’s whimsical, poignant and actually a melancholic love story for all ages. Be sure to watch it.

Re: The Eighties Again @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:54:47 -0000

Again, I don't know what's your deal too, Pating. But, I like that reductio ad absurdum thing you mentioned. It sounds like a good disarming spell from my Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Let me try it on you, I'll wave my wand and say "reductio ad absurdum!", there, pating was blown into smithereens, lol.

Re: False Messiah @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:25:12 -0000

I agree with Phil's 3 stars. PhAnon, you're so right. In the end, I don't care what you think and I'm definitely sure you don't care as well what I think, but still, thank you for your time on posting, at least for a few minutes, a complete stranger was thinking of me. I'm flattered, haha,

Re: False Messiah @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:06:21 -0000

As an action flick, Terminator Salvation can stand alone. But if we're to put it beside the two superior Terminator movies (1&2) by Cameron, it falls flat. The action sequences by McG saved this movie from being a complete bore. Ironically, the acting was as robotic as its iconic titular villains, lol. It lacks the heart of the two Terminator movies.

I only felt a sense of dread in one scene, where this huge robot picked up that old lady out of nowhere, I mean, this is what Cameron did right in his two previous films: injecting a sense of trepidation in every scene. This is why we care for Sarah and John Connor in the first place, we want them to survive and escape from the Terminator. The ending--which in essence was pretty powerful--wasn't earned and diminished its grand intentions because of the bad acting and weak writing.

Re: Overstuffed @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Mon, 25 May 2009 02:38:21 -0000

Is everyone still in shock of the news that Brillante Mendoza won as best director at Cannes? lol, This is after Ebert called his film the worst in the festival's history. Damn, I'm so jealous! (of the award not his style of filmmaking, ouch!, well maybe Cannes people get him) hahaha

Re: Ye of Little Faith @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:49:12 -0000

I don’t know about you guys, but I kinda liked it. I didn’t get to read the novel but this adaptation though flawed, (like what Cardinal Strauss said about religion, played brilliantly and with depth by Stahl), still works as a first-rate thriller.

I don’t know about Phil’s complaints about the very expository-like manner of delivery of some dialogues---Koepp & Goldsman (two of Hollywoods elite screenwriters) had a herculean task of adapting a 500+ pages book into a two-hour movie--so I guess, some “factoids” in the dialogue were forgivable and besides, they needed to indulge the readers and non-readers alike.

And if we’re to nitpick on the contrivance, well, may I remind everyone that on Star Trek, the biggest contrivance there was Kirk’s meeting older Spock on the icy planet. So, again, can we please lay low on such petty quibbles? I mean, it’s becoming a nasty habit, we’re not all legitimate critics you know, lol. This was an improvement on Howard’s earlier Da Vinci Code. It’s brisk, tight and takes you on a ride.

Hanks and Zurer were fine and played their part well. Mc Gregor was an enigma that I think became a disadvantage. He’s an A-list actor who’s too big to play a role of a Camerlengo and like Ian Mckellen’s Sir Teabing, you could almost feel that their characters have a conceit in the end. This for me felt an overkill. I nearly fell for Patrick and rooted for him when he took the anti-matter and thought he would sacrifice himself, only to discover later that he was the mastermind. Wait, I have a question. Did the book that the Vatican gave to Langdon inspired him on his research on the Holy Grail? SInce A&D came earlier than DVC, I thought that was the connection to the two movies. Oh well, I guess, like religion, people and movies are flawed too, lol, but I still had fun.

Re: To Boldly Go... @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:44:08 -0000

iii, veering away is poles apart from creating an alternate reality. And you were right about Nolan's take on Batman, but still, the core story--Bruce's loss of his parents--was still the same in all of its incarnations, from Burton's to Schumacher's to Nolan's. But, in Abram's Star Trek, Capt. Kirk's dad didn't really die in a Romulan attack in the original Star Trek series, or Spock's mom was human making him a half-breed Vulcan. And as for Bond, he's still a British agent in all its versions , right? I'm not defending Snyder, but last I check, Nolan's Batman and Haggis' 007 had previous forms before, whereas Snyder's Watchmen was the first.

Re: Let's Get Serious For A Moment @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:08:31 -0000

I saw the trailer of this movie on TFC, and I must say, at its core, it has an interesting premise. But again, judging from this review, it disappoints. I'll still watch this when it opens here, even though it's a bad movie, you can still learn something from it by taking notes on what to avoid, lol.

But seriously, the blame goes to the filmmakers and producers of this movie. I mean, on TFC, it showed that ABS-CBN president Concio even attended the premier. She's not just an ordinary person. Doesn't she know how bad & dated her film arm's perception of comedy is? I too, personally don't like Deramas' style. But I guess their excuse is as dated as their taste, that this is what the masses are clamoring for puh-lease!

I know that experience is the best teacher, and most of our Pinoy directors didn't really go to film school. I heard Deramas was an HRM grad and learned directing by becoming a PA at ABS-CBN. I don't mean to undermine his experiences, but, there's a different discipline that film school teaches than just plain experience. I look forward to a day where we see a Pinoy comedy that's witty and really funny, minus the sped up scenes and annoying "boing" sound effects, lol.

Re: The Eighties Again @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:37:35 -0000

ok, so that was four movies in total, lol. The 80's was a whole decade. Out of 4 major switching-bodies comedy-movies, you say that for 10 years it was full of that stuff? lol, anyway, maybe you're right, I was born in 87, so I guess, I have missed a lot of 80's movies, lol.

Re: To Boldly Go... @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:28:54 -0000

Well, iii, this Star Trek was an alternate reality, which is no way connected to the original Star Trek series, so, pretty much it gave JJ Abrams and crew liberty to do whatever they want. Imagine if that same thing was applied to Watchmen? Snyder would've gotten more flak than he had in his failed faithful rendition of the comic book.

Jglori, thanks for the info on Star Trek. This JJ Abrams version was my first full-length Star Trek movie, except for some reruns I saw on TV, with Patrick Stewart as the captain. I never got the chance to see the original Capt. Kirk and Spock. Anyways, like I said, I don't question the supposed macrocosm the original series intends to portray. I laud that. I guess, during those times and even today, the movies and TV series we see are reflective of what happens in the society. But still, like I said, we can only draw from our own human experiences. I really question the sci-fi writers depiction of aliens, but again, I suspend my disbelief if the product was good and well-written, such as in the case of the current Star Trek.

Re: To Boldly Go... @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:22:46 -0000

No, I meant in the real world Peter. I was referring to the writers of sci-fi when they depict aliens as having human qualities. Because, in reality, we haven't had any contact with any alien civilization, that is made public, I don't know about those tabloid rumors about Roswell, etc. Most of these writer's depiction of aliens were only a product of their imagination. But, there's what we call "willing suspension of disbelief" when we watch movies and I practice that, whether it's Star Trek and the like, but, my point was just raising a question and opening discussions.

Re: The Eighties Again @ ClickTheCity.com Movies

agm_71@weyburn — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:09:37 -0000

Just watched this by sneaking in and I must say I was pleasantly surprised, lol. It was actually kinda good, in its own little way, haha. Anyways, I don't know why Phil made the "eighties again" reference, when clearly, the only 80's movie it is accused of copying was Big (which was later copied by 13 going on 30, but, Jodi Foster's original Freaky Friday was the first, I think it was in the 70's), that was one movie, and though they have similarities, Big's and 17 again's storyline were not that rampant in the 80's.

It's really more of a fish-out-of-water high school comedy. And we have seen this type clearly from any decade, because everyone of us has been in highschool, so the premise isn't really tired, every generation has its own story of their HS adventures and mishaps. The script was unexpectedly good, though there were some misfires here and there, still it managed to have some heart at the right moments. I had a pleasant time watching this than the crappy Wolverine, lol.