Actually, it is only this week that I’ve found time to watch a movie or two. I’ve seen two movies this week alone, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and W.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is one of the very few films that made me cry. I cried, really. Watching this film wasn’t really part of my plan until I’ve heard and read a lot of positive reviews about it. Well, I don’t regret watching the film. In fact, I loved it. Although the movie is a bit long than any other full-length film, this one didn’t bore me. The clock maker’s story at the beginning of the movie touched and moved me. Gateau, the clockmaker made a clock that intentionally runs backward in the hopes that it would bring back those who died (including his son) in World War I. If only we could turn back time.

The special effects used in the film were great especially the transition of Benjamin from being a baby boy with an appearance that of an 86 year old man to being an adult and back to being a baby. It is also fascinating that the story is being told in Benjamin’s point of view. In this way, the inner thoughts of the main character is also narrated and relayed to the audience. As with the cast, I can’t say anything but praises for they did a wonderful job in portraying their respective roles.

W.
W, on the other hand is fun movie to watch. No, it’s not a comedy film. It’s a film about the 43rd President of the United States of America, George W. Bush. The film showed how Bush goes from being an alcoholic bum to being the most powerful figure in the world. A friend was talking about this film a couple of nights ago. I was curious and decided to give this movie a shot. The movie didn’t disappoint at all. Why is it fun to watch? The cast is outstanding, really! Josh Brolin’s (the one who played the role of George W. Bush) performance is the bomb! It was like Tina Fey portraying Sarah Palin. There are many instances in the film that it felt like I’m watching the real George W. Bush, the real Condoleezza Rice, and others. I don’t know if this film would have a theatrical release here in the Philippines. But if you really want to watch the movie, I know you that you know where to score a copy (wink, wink). It is also in this film that you’ll learn where George W. Bush’s nickname, “Dubya” originated.

And those are the two films I’ve seen for this week. After writing this post, I think I need to go back and attend to the things I need to do (school-related or not). Finals would be on the last week of February so there are just too many things to submit in the coming days. But I can’t really focus on school stuff right for the news about Ugly Betty getting shelved is really bothering me. Why Ugly Betty? It’s the only show I watch on ABC aside from Grey’s Anatomy. Ugly Betty has been interrupted many times in the past. Please, please shelve / pre-empt any other show but Ugly Betty.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Stick around

Dayo Poster from http://dayomovie.multiply.com

Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia is a movie about an 11-year-old boy named Bubuy who tries to save his beloved grandparents who have been abducted into Elementalia — a mysterious, mystical, and magical land house to the popular creatures from Philippine Mythology.

“While there are some fight sequences in the film, they are generally non-violent and child-friendly. The film is rich in folklore. It abounds in traditional values that are reflective of Philippine culture,” according Director Robert Quilao in an interview with Manila Times.

Nash Aguas, Katrina “Hopia” Legaspi, Nova Villa, Michael V., Pokwang, Peque Gallaga, Johnny Delgado, Laurice Guillen, Gabe Mercado and Pocholo Gonzales are some of the famous voice actors and actress who brought life to the characters of Dayo.

Official Trailer of Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia

In an article written by Danny Vibas in The Manila Times, Jessie Lasaten, executive producer of Dayo revealed that Cutting Edge Productions’ spend around $1.3 million to produce Dayo.

World-renowned singer, Lea Salonga sings the official theme song of Dayo entitled “Lipad”. FILharmoniKA conducted by Gerard Salonga recorded the musical score of the movie.

Lea Salonga sings Lipad, official theme song of Dayo

Dayo would surely delights its audience as it brings the moviegoers to the wonderful world of Elementalia. Cutting Edge Productions’ opens in theater nationwide on December 25, 2008 and an official entry to the 34th Metro Manila Film Festival-Philippines.

Visit: http://www.dayomovie.com, http://dayomovie.blogspot.com, and http://dayomovie.multiply.com for more news and updates regarding Dayo.

ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. (formerly Star Cinema) is really fond of changing movie titles the same minute. I’ve been reading publicities about this Aga-Anne movie and the title was “Love Begins… with One Hello”, which is one of the lines of Randy Crawford’s song One Hello, incidentally, the theme song of the movie. But when the trailers are on rotation on ABS-CBN, the title became “When Love Begins”. I like the former title more than the current title for reasons that I can relate to it. I won’t elaborate more but yeah, I can relate to the “Love Begins… with One Hello” thing.

The film is directed by Jose Javier Reyes. This film was made possible by the joint forces of Viva Films and ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. (formerly Star Cinema).

And by the way, “When Love Begins” will be premiering on April 30, 2008 together with two other local films, Panoramanila’s “Ploning” starring Judy Ann Santos and Viva Films’ “Ikaw Pa Rin” starring Aiai delas Alas and Robin Padilla.

10. “The Message (Mohammed: The Messenger of God)” (1976)
Religion: Islam
Controversy: It is considered heresy to depict images of God or Mohammed.
It’s 600 A.D. and Mohammed is receiving the word of the One True God, rather unusual during a time of still-widespread paganism. Mohammed sends messengers through the Middle East to spread his proclamations, and so begins monotheism and the basic tenets of Islam, including the five-daily calls to prayer and the obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca, known as hajj. So far, so good, but here’s the catch: According to the teachings of Islam, no images can be shown of the prophet Mohammed , his seven wives, his daughters and his sons-in-law, nor can the voice of God or any likeness of God be depicted. At all. The lead role, then, was an absent protagonist and the stand-in lead was Mohammed’s uncle (Anthony Quinn), who spoke lines and listened off-camera to a voice viewers never heard. Unusual, maybe, to non-Muslims, but it got the job done. “The Message” opened in the United States during the rise of the Black Muslim movement and some followers were so incensed that Mohammed would be shown on-screen that they took more than 100 hostages in Washington, D.C. “The Message” won an Oscar nomination for Best Musical Score, but its claim to fame? During filming, producers walked and the one and only Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi stepped up to finance the movie’s completion.

9. “The Pope Must Diet” (1991)
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Controversy: The Vatican — run by Goodfellas.
A bumbling parish priest (Robbie Coltrane) accidentally becomes pope, only to find that the Vatican is controlled by the Mafia. Coltrane finds himself in hot water when he discovers arms-dealing and black-market mechanizations among the papacy, and then has to make a run for it. Originally titled “The Pope Must Die,” the “t” was added for the U.S. market, to become “The Pope Must Diet,” and, wow, what a sleight of hand that was. Unfortunately, consensus was that neither the title nor the movie was funny. And talk about putting one’s PR foot in one’s PR mouth: That “t” added at the last minute to change the film’s title to something less offensive? It was in the shape of a cross.

8. “The Prince of Egypt” (1998)
Religion: Kemetic Orthodoxy (also known as Ancient Egyptian Mythology) and yes, there are modern-day worshippers.
Controversy: Egyptian mythology depicted in a campy manner, with admittedly false priests.
An animated version of the life of Moses as described in the Old Testament’s Book of Exodus, you say? More than 500 religious experts were consulted during the making of “The Prince of Egypt,” and it was met with mostly positive reviews, but there were elements that still managed to incite grumbling — and get it banned in Malaysia. Not only was God voiced by Val Kilmer, but a musical number involving two Egyptian high priests appeared to some to be an open mockery of the ancient culture and religions of Egypt, and were voiced by Martin Shortand Steve Martin, chewing scenery as utterly unfettered cartoon characters.

7. “Eight Crazy Nights” (2002)
Religion: Judaism
Controversy: Where’s the Hanukkah?
Adam Sandler lends his voice to this animated take of a young Jewish Scrooge; he hates the holidays and wants to ruin it for everyone else in town. On the first night of Hanukkah, Drunken Davey goes on a bender and ends up in jail, only to be saved by do-gooders, who put up with his violence and propensity to maneuver others into inexplicable mounds of fecal matter. What stops our boy? The ghosts of holidays past, of course. Neither a kid movie nor a frat-boy flick, “Eight Crazy Nights” became infamous as parents, relieved to finally have a Hanukkah movie to share with the kids, were blindsided by this potty-fest. And what was the claim to fame of “Eight Crazy Nights”? It was nominated for a Razzie Award for Most Flatulent Teen-Targeted Movie.

6. “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” (1979)
Religion: The genesis of Christianity
Controversy: Some viewers believed the uber-message was that Christ was just “some bloke” and his followers were depicted as fools. “Biblical” and “satire” are not two words that many would put together willingly, nor is the phrase, “crucifixion kickline,” but Monty Python threw it all together, along with sight gags and dropped trou. In typical Python fashion, the six Monty Python cast members played some 40 different characters. It’s the Holy Land, some 30 years after the birth of The Man Who Would Be God, and things are chaotic. No wonder it was banned in Norway, Ireland and Italy. Simple, perpetually baffled Brian Cohen, played by Python regular Graham Chapman, finds himself a reluctant messiah due to accidentally blundering into a string of situations similar to the ones famously dealt with by Christ. With full frontal nudity.

5. “The Da Vinci Code” (2006)
Religion: Christianity
Controversy: The Vatican, Opus Dei and numerous other top-secret religious factions have suppressed the “divine feminine” and Christ’s true nature.
A film about how Goddess worship was squashed by the early papacy, but retold as encrypted messages throughout history by some of the world’s most renowned artists — plus, Jesus was a Baby Daddy. There was a lot to upset people about “The Da Vinci Code:” Tom Hanks in a mullet, conspiracy theories that would have made Mulder proud and the big reveals: Not only were Jesus and Mary Magdalene a couple — she’s buried under the Louvre — they had a child together and the descendants are French. The film’s producers were repeatedly asked by various religious groups to make statements to the effect that the storyline was fictional. “The Da Vinci Code” really riled numerous groups: Not only was it banned in China and Pakistan, but Catholic bishops in the United States went so far as to start their own Web site to rebut numerous plot points. Oh, and most critics trashed it.

4. “Dogma” (1999)
Religion: Christianity
Controversy: Including but not limited to: Foul-mouthed, fallen angels; a female descendant of Christ working in a pro-choice clinic; a muse-turned-stripper; and God played by a pop singer.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck joined director Kevin Smith for this look at fallen angels who figure out a minor loophole that will get them back into heaven — an act that will prove God’s fallibility and therefore, by extension, negate the existence of all mankind. “Dogma” was criticized for the way the Catholic religion was depicted, including casting that darned cheeky Chris Rock as a missing 13th Apostle and a disturbingly twinkly Alanis Morissette as God, but at least it wasn’t Val Kilmer (see “The Prince of Egypt“).

3. “Hail Mary” (1985)
Religion: Christianity
Controversy: The Virgin Mary as “Everywoman”; the Angel Gabriel depicted as a somewhat discomfiting walk-on; Joseph as a horn dog; the “divine story” in an everyday setting.
French director Jean-Luc Godard placed the story of the Virgin Birth in present-day France, sparking protests during its release. The devout were horrified that Myriem Roussel‘s “Marie” would be depicted as a regular girl who works at a gas station, claims to be a virgin and has a romantic — but chaste — relationship with Joseph (Thierry Rode), her sweet, taxi-driving boyfriend. Maybe it was showing Marie as a simplistic, average girl/child rather than someone more obviously meant for great things that outraged so many. Perhaps it was that she played mediocre basketball. Or maybe it was that the long voice-overs from Marie as she struggled to comprehend the division between body and spirit drove people to distraction with such an overlay of “philosophical lecture time” set to seemingly endless images of filtered sunlight, but the subject matter triggered picketing and protests wherever it was screened. In fact, it was deemed so offensive that Pope John Paul II officially condemned “Hail Mary,” sight unseen.

2. “The Passion of The Christ” (2004)
Religion: Christianity
Controversy: Extreme violence, perceived anti-Semitism, debated historical accuracy.
Yes, this is the one Entertainment Weekly rated No. 1 of the 25 most controversial movies of all time (but it didn’t inspire violence —- see “The Last Temptation” — so we’re demoting it by one). Director Mel Gibson‘s depiction of the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, including the day of his crucifixion in Jerusalem, with Latin and Aramaic dialogue, subtitled in English, didn’t sound like box-office gold to anyone. But “The Passion of the Christ” went on to set all sorts of records, including the most pre-ticket sales, the highest-grossing R-rated film in U.S. box-office history (it earned more than $370 million), the highest grossing foreign language film in the United States and the highest-grossing religious film worldwide.

1. “The Last Temptation of Christ” (1988)
Religion: Christianity
Controversy: Jesus chooses the path not taken; scenes depicting him as fully human, exploring aspects of lust and other base human temptations.
Based on the novel of the same name, Martin Scorsese‘s “Temptation” follows the life of embattled Christ (Willem Dafoe) as Satan shows him what life might have been like had he not been crucified. Christ takes temptation for a ride around the block several times, including marrying and explicitly making love with Barbara Hershey‘s terribly earnest Mary Magdalene. At the end of his hot and heavy life, Christ rejects all temptations and time rolls backward to his crucifixion as he chooses the path not taken. Too little, too late for some: A French Catholic fundamentalist group protested the screening, fire-bombing a Parisian theater and badly injuring more than 12 people.

Out of the 10 movies, I have only seen 3 movies (Da Vinci Code, Prince of Egypt and Passion of the Christ). In fact, repairing a botched rhinoplasty is difficult than watching a movie. Have a blessed Holy Week everyone!

Tips to maximize your Globe Platinum Cinema experience:

1. Bring as much popcorn and drinks you can inside the theater – The unlimited popcorn and drinks are placed on a bar, which is located at the lounge before you enter the theater. You don’t want to go out in the middle of the movie just to get refills. Don’t mind if people would stare at you. Don’t be shy! Remember, you paid P350 for that!
2. Watch by twos – The LA-Z-Boy™ seats are arranged by twos. A side table where you place your popcorn and drinks separates the two LA-Z-Boy™ Seats. You don’t want to seat beside a perfect stranger so be sure to tag along with a friend. Since we are only three who tried the Globe Platinum Cinema, my older sister, Dianne has to seat beside a stranger (sorry ate).
3. Buy your tickets early – Since there are only 40 seats available, be sure to buy your tickets in advance to get good seats. I suggest getting the seats on ROW D.
4. Bring a jacket / sweater – It is very cold inside the cinema. Better bring a jacket / sweater just to be sure.
5. Be early – Be in the cinema early so you’ll get a chance to see the trailers of upcoming movies. Being early also gives you the chance to try out their stylish restrooms, which has a powder and lotion available, which you can use. The restrooms get crowded before and after a movie.
6. Learn how to operate a LA-Z-Boy™ – Although the cinema crews are there to help you operate the LA-Z-Boy™, you don’t want to look like a dumb trying to figure out how to operate a LA-Z-Boy™. Good thing my uncle has one and I was able to try it.
7. Check the cinema schedule ahead – Before heading to Gateway Mall, be sure to check out the cinema schedule over the Internet (clickthecity.com).

I think that’s all! By the way, you could also rent the Globe Platinum Cinema for private screenings or functions. Yehey! I enjoyed the experience, really and the movie was GOOD (very)! This is NOT A SPONSORED POST.

Jane (Katherine Heigl), who has made a career out of being a bridesmaid but never a bride, faces her worst nightmare when the man she is in love with becomes the man who her sister Tess (Malin Åkerman) is engaged to marry. Luckily, the wedding brings around the man, Kevin (James Marsden), who makes her re-evaluate her “always a bridesmaid” lifestyle and change her bridesmaid status for good.

I’m excited to watch the movie! When is this showing in the Philippines?