"I Now Pronounce You...

... Chuck and Larry" was the movie we caught just last Friday evening at Rockwell's Power Plant cinema.

A hilarious romp into a straight best friend duo's attempt at living the gay lifestyle, the movie poked fun at many of our most biased impressions of what a gay lifestyle is supposed to be like. As funny as it was for us, we figured that the same may not be as easily accepted by people who really are gay. All in all, this was a movie full of harmless fun.

If you missed it, catch it on DVD with some straight friends. I'm sure you'll have just as much fun.

Cheers!

Avenue Q @ RCBC Plaza

Some friends and I went to watch the Philippine staging of Avenue Q at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater in the RCBC Plaza building last Saturday, 15Sep07.

We had managed to procure tickets very early (2 months before!) so our seats were really good. We got there just as the show started and it was a hilarious journey into the depths of insecurity for those starting out life after college. There were also quite a few barbs for those of us already working quite a while, especially the single ones. All in all, we had a great time watching this surprisingly well-run production topbilled by pop singer Rachel Alejandro, singer/actress Aiza Seguerra, and "Star in a Million" champion Frenchie Dy.

I would heartily recommend everyone to catch this once-in-a-lifetime show here in the Philippines. Get your tickets now!!!

Cheers!

Quiet 1-Day Leaves

Rewarded myself with a quiet 1-day vacation leave from work yesterday.

Woke up at 11.30am, having slept at around 2am the night before. I think vampire life suits me. Had to run a few household errands to take advantage of the extra hours then settled in to catch a few movies I'd been intending to watch for the longest time.

1. The Prestige (Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson; d: Christopher Nolan). This was a truly excellent movie which I'd been saving for a special viewing. The plot was highly engaging, stringing the viewer along till the very end; quite literally, till the prestige. The characters were well-played and the setting really brought out the nuances of the story. A highly recommended movie all around. I would commend especially the performance of Michael Caine which, while understated, provided just the right foil for the high-powered and polarized characters of Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, respectively.

2. The Maltese Falcon (Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre; d: John Huston). Hearkening back to a time when private eyes were men of power and cunning and women were called "dames" and were dangerous and slick as hell, this movie is a classic, and rightfully so. Portraying the quintessential private eye Sam Spade, Humphrey Bogart gives an inspired performance, seeing through deception with a critical eye while retaining a vulnerable side to the deceitful yet lovely Brigid O'Shaughnessy (played by the oh-so-seemingly innocent Mary Astor). Truly a movie for fans of the film noir genre and detective movies in general.

3. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan; d: Shane Black). Deciding I'd had enough period films for one day, I felt the need for a more modern movie to cap off my day. Having heard a mention of this movie in an episode of Veronica Mars, I felt I owed it to myself to see this film. With a highly convoluted plot including numerous plot twists and surprises, the movie did not fail to satisfy. While the acting was slightly off-kilter, the fast-paced writing and action served to gloss that over. Besides, Michelle Monaghan as Harmony Faith Lane was simply too good to pass up. Something to watch on a rainy afternoon.

That's about it for me. Till next time.

Veronica Mars - The Movie?

I decided to get back into Veronica Mars in a desperate bid to fill the void left behind by the utter lack of good TV shows lately. With the Fall season just weeks away, I decided to play catch-up and finish this totally awesome series and, hopefully, get some closure.

This was apparently not in the cards.

After watching Veronica walk down the street in the rain at the end of season 3, I had no closure. There were still so many unanswered questions that left me hanging. Now I remember why I liked the show to begin with. The sassy pop-noir feel of the whole show is a joy to behold.

Based on my net-surfing, it seems there is now a movement to have a Veronica Mars movie! Obviously there are others who felt as I did and would really love to get some closure on this series. I am, of course, all for it.

You can check out the news on this here.

Cheers!