STOP AND STARE: Robert Downey, Jr.

This man, this beautiful man, is what I call a movie star and an actor. He is the perfect mix of talent, arrogance, wit and bullshit. The critics love him. The media certainly adores him. And it doesn't hurt that he enjoys the attention. By the way, he looks like this:

He is judging you.

If you still don't know who he is then maybe you've seen him in this little movie called Iron Man. He plays a little role in there called Tony Stark. If you don't know who Tony is then why are you still here? This is probably his biggest role and people recognize him because of this role.

Whatever it is he's looking at is now writhing with pain.

But his movie that I really love, not only his character but the story as well, is Less Than Zero. It really made an impression on me and that is where I took him seriously as an actor. Oh, and I love his accent in Sherlock Holmes.

Eeep! I'll be in my bunk. 

Taking a cue from Ms. Maryann Johanson, my favorite movie critic, I will post some actors and actresses worth gazing and admiring at. A person should be seen and liked because of his/her character and all that inner beauty thing, but you see, we like to look and by god, we love to admire. Let's not a make a big deal out of this and enjoy the moment where in we stop, stare and sigh. 

Song of the Week: Stay Too Long

by: Plan B

This song (music video, actually) entry would be posted every week-ish to lighten up everyone's day. What's life without music, anyway? Enjoy!

Update: 365 Movie Challenge

Believe me when I say that fat pandas make me cry. 

It has been almost two weeks since I've updated my 365 Movie Challenge. So far, the good films outweigh the blah ones, so I guess that's a good sign. I've been meaning to review some tv shows that I recently watched because come to think of it, when I don't watch movies, I watch tv shows. Oh, and don't they look adorable? The pandas, I mean. :)

My progress thus far:

This Means War (2012)

It's funny how women are depicted these days: pretty and dumb. Can't she be pretty, but with much more sense between her ears? Or even wealthy and witty? I long for something more different but much more real women to be in the front-runner in the movies. I want a female lead who can hold her own even if the male lead is bursting with testosterone. Not some ditzy and silly girl that can pass as cute at the most, but shallow when it really matters. Lo and behold, the girl in the movie believes everything the guy says. Of course, she doesn't see past through the disgustingly cheesy moves (I'm talking about the Mr. Sensitive Guy and/or Mr. Smooth Guy, *cue eye-roll*). Of course, showing her that he knows absolutely everything about her is sweet, stalker mode be damned. 

The Hunger Games (2012)

Okay, this is supposedly the moment wherein I gush about this movie because as I recall, I couldn't wait to watch it. However, (wait, don't think of the worst) I don't think I should feel that way. It would definitely cloud my judgement in assessing the movie. Or maybe it's just an excuse for not being satisfied by the entirety of the movie. Or maybe I'm too nervous to love this movie, because let's face it, I freaking love this movie, for fear of disappointment for the remaining two installments. Don't get me wrong, compared to other teen-oriented film franchises--ehem, Twilight--this is absolutely much better and dare I say, more relevant. It's based on Suzanne Collins' widely popular The Hunger Games trilogy novel and directed by Gary Ross. For those who haven't read the books, here's the gist: North America was destroyed and was replaced by Panem, wherein The Capitol serves as the "capital city" which is the powerhouse all over the nation. There are 12 Districts that surrounds it and they rebelled once. They weren't successful. So as a sign of punishment and ultimate power, The Capitol hosts an annual event called the Hunger Games wherein one boy and one girl (called Tributes) would represent each of the 12 Districts. They then have to kill each other in an arena until a lone winner emerges. The winner will be awarded with richness together with the district he or she is representing.

Fan Craze Mode: The Dark Knight Rises

Gotham City may not need him anymore. 

Honestly, I have never read one of the Batman comic books and I swear that I will, but I assure you that I've watched almost all of the movies (never bothered watching Adam West's version) and I've loved the films, especially the Bale-era. It's not a question that Christian Bale as the Dark Knight easily makes me whimper more that Clooney-the-nipple, Keaton-the-obviously-anorexic-Wayne and the almost-awesome-Batman-Kilmer. With the astounding success of the Nolan directed Batman films, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, it's not a surprise that the producers want to revel in the success more. So, it is only logical--for both producers and fans--to have a third and final film.  And now one of the most anticipated movies this year, The Dark Knight Rises! I try not to use a lot of exclamation points to show my excitement. I'm awesome like that.

50/50 (2011)

God, how great it is to have someone by your side knowing that he/she would be there for you whenever the going gets tough. And how greater it is knowing that that someone is your best friend whom you've shared laughs and farts with. This movie is a constant reminder that being alone may not be a bad thing, but having a friend is a hell lot more fun and definitely less boring. Especially when you have cancer. I thought that this movie would be depressing and would make me cry and it did, but that's not all. It made me laugh, it made me wanna call my parents, it made me wanna go out and just do something. I can't imagine what kind of life people suffering with cancer must have, but I'm sure that it's not a walk in the damn park. I'm sure that there are several people who have cancer handle their situation differently and I'm also sure that for every cancer patient, there is a different story behind it. This movie takes us into that moment wherein a man's life changes and how he handles that change.

Update: 365 Movie Challenge

Just because I love South Park, that's why. 

I swear that there will be a weekend wherein I just stay in my room and watch shitload of movies, order take out and not come out until I reach my 80th movie. It has come to my attention that I can't watch one movie a day so I'll do my watching during the weekends or whenever I'm free. Sounds like a plan, yes?

Until that plan comes into fruition, here's my progress so far:

Song of the Week: Good Girls

by: Cris Cab

This song (music video, actually) entry would be every week-ish to lighten up everyone's day. What's life without music, anyway? Enjoy!

STOP AND STARE: Sofia Vergara

I don't think a person who's ever seen Modern Family would not notice Sofia Vergara. Aside from the fact that she's one of the main characters, of course, she also looks like this. 

I know she's known for her smashing body, but she's got a real pretty face too, you know. 

This Colombian hottie has already been nominated in the Golden Globes and Emmys for her portrayal of Gloria in the highly-acclaimed series, Modern Family. And can you believe that she has a 20-year old son? I certainly want whatever she's drinking. 

Imagine how eager her son's friends are to visit their house. 

Once again, watch her loveliness and great acting -- I swear she's funny as hell-- in Modern Family. 

Sexy and funny. Deadly combination. 

Taking a cue from Ms. Maryann Johanson, my favorite movie critique, I will post some actors and actresses worth gazing and admiring at. A person should be seen and liked because of his/her character and all that inner beauty thing, but you see, we like to look and by god, we love to admire. Let's not a make a big deal out of this and enjoy the moment where in we stop, stare and sigh. 

Hugo (2011)

This movie reminded me of the movie Midnight in Paris (written and directed by Woody Allen) --not because of their similarity, but of their startling contrast-- wherein the city was depicted as romantic, quaint and quite personal. Of all the movies that I saw featuring Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, this is the first time I see the city as majestic, commanding and a real work of art. Based on the children's novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, this movie was directed by the Hollywood heavyweight, Martin Scorsese. I was actually surprised to know that Scorsese directed this. Based on his great films like The Departed and Goodfellas, it seemed that this movie is not his cup of tea, or so I thought. He took me to Paris like no one ever did. Set in a Paris station in 1931, it all became a vivid adventure for Hugo and for me.

Update: 365 Movie Challenge

So I haven't watched a lot of movies since I last posted. No excuses! Okay, maybe there is an excuse. I was busy watching some tv shows, Suits and Downton Abbey, both of which are good. (school is not an excuse, btw) Maybe I'll post a review on one of the shows. 

My progress:

The Artist (2011)

I have something to confess: I've never watched a silent film before. Not because I found it very boring, but because I never knew it would affect me or speak to me on so many levels and ways. I was so enamored with the movies (and even tv shows) nowadays that I never bothered to watch one silent movie. Well, now that I have, I don't know what to feel. I am sure that watching this would coax me into watching even more silent films. And I'm afraid that I would feel torn apart. See, I love The Artist and watching more silent films would either disappoint me because this movie has set a high standard for me, or it may make me think less of this movie, in case the other silent films would prove to be superior. But one thing's for sure, I had one hell of a time watching this. 

Song of the Week: We Are Young

by: Fun feat. Janelle Monae

This song (music video, actually) entry would be posted every week-ish to lighten up everyone's day. What's life without music, anyway? Enjoy!

Little Manhattan (2005)

Ah...love. Is there any more beautiful than love itself? Any more complicated and frustrating and exciting? Answers may vary, but it is a fact that the mention of love will elicit such passionate arguments that could go on forever. However, this movie is not about the complexity of love. It's about its simplicity. It's the moment where you get butterflies in the pit of your stomach just because the "love of your life" smiled at you. The moment you bury your head in the pillow of paranoia because you just don't know what to do with those goddamn butterflies. Come to think of it, how did love get so freaking morbid and dark to the point of madness? Why don't we take a step back and admire the perfection of love.

Gabe is the giddy, hopeless romantic who doesn't seem to know how to handle this new found feeling.  Rosemary is The Girl. It's confusing for Gabe to feel this kind of happiness when Rosemary is a girl, for god's sake! Boys aren't supposed to like girls. They're repulsive and they spread cooties, right? Right? Well, it may be true (yeah, right), but that definitely did not stop him from mooning over her. Set in New York City during their pre-teens, it seems the perfect place and time to fall in love. Gabe is played by none other than Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Terabithia) who narrates his whole experience. It's funny how he can be so determined and nervous at the same time. And it's cute how he describes New York as if he had been living in it for a very long time. Rosemary is played by Charlie Ray. As Gabe thought, she isn't the most beautiful girl in class, but there is something about her. Something that will make you love her, as well.

It isn't poignant. It isn't Romeo and Juliet. But I dare you to watch it and not love it.

STOP AND STARE: Andrew Garfield

Moments of silence please for the next Spidey. I know, I know, he isn't Tobey and he may be a disappointment, but trust me when I say that he is a great actor. And let me just say that I have adored him since he suddenly became Hollywood's next big star or whatever you call those artists who are given their big break.

His first public photo as Spider-Man.

Not only does he look adorable, but he acts like nobody else's business as well. Watch him in The Social Network. (He was so much better than Jesse Eisenberg who got an Oscar nomination. Unfair, really.) 

Following the theme of this post which is the shameless gazing at beautiful people, let us stop and stare. :)

Imagine him giving you this. *squeals of delight*

Taking a cue from Ms. Maryann Johanson, my favorite movie critique, I will post some actors and actresses worth gazing and admiring at. A person should be seen and liked because of his/her character and all that inner beauty thing, but you see, we like to look and by god, we love to admire. Let's not a make a big deal out of this and enjoy the moment where in we stop, stare and sigh. 

Update: 365 Movie Challenge

I have to admit, having this kind of challenge is a bit tiring. Don't get me wrong, I love watching movies, adore it even. But dammit, that's just a lot of movies. Anyhoo, please disregard my whining and my excuses, it was a momentary weakness. Never again. I wish.

More movies that I watched since the last one I posted.

36. 30 Minutes or Less

(Meh. I've never been a fan of Jesse Eisenberg. I just don't get his charm--or lack thereof.) 

37. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

(This is the Swedish and the earlier version.)

38. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

39. The Artist

(Best Picture, Director and Actor in the Academy Awards. Jean Dujardin is so disarmingly adorable.)

40. The Ides of March

(Ryan Gosling once again shines in this movie. Why he isn't nominated is beyond me.)

41. The Descendants

(Nominated for Best Actor in the Academy Awards- George Clooney at his best, no doubt.)

Note that I won't be posting a review on all the movies I'll watch. Maybe I'll post some teeny tiny remarks (sarcastic or otherwise) on most of them. Bear with me. :) 324 movies to go.

Warrior (2011)

Nobody could have prepared me for this movie. I even remember, at one point, hitting the pause button just because I couldn't take the awesomeness of the scenes. It was that exciting. For me, at least.

It is about brothers. Brothers who were separated due to an alcoholic and perhaps, abusive father. One brother married a perfect house wife, had children and seemed to live an ordinary life. The younger one, however, became an Iraq War veteran, saw his own mother die and ultimately led a bitter life. They seem to be extremely different, but its about to change when they both joined a mixed martial arts tournament and inevitably fight each other. Nick Nolte plays Paddy Conlon, the former alcoholic father who, upon seeing his youngest son, was determined to earn his forgiveness. I say he deserves to be nominated as Best Supporting Actor in the Oscars. Tom Hardy as Tommy Conlon (younger brother) is extremely exhausting to watch. I don't mean it as a negative retort, but as a compliment. I understand his bitterness and feel his ultimate reluctance to forgive both his father and brother for abandoning him with his mother. There's just an aura in him that suggests that he is still a little boy waiting to be saved by the older men in his family. I swear, his scenes with his father made me sob so bad, I eventually had hiccups in the end. Lastly, Joel Edgerton plays Brendan Conlon, the older one, the one who should have been carrying the burden of their family problems. He will surprise you and you will love him for it. This dysfunctional family will play at your emotions like nothing ever did and will leave you speechless.

Now that we're done with part where you'll cry, let's move on to the part where you'll cheer and jump up. Or jump up and cheer, whichever order. As I've written before, I hate spoilers and in retrospect, I hate giving them as well. But really, the fight scenes in the arena is heart-stopping especially with Brendan, underdog that he is. The training was grueling and painful to watch, but what's pain when you get to win a shitload of cash? I can't stress this any clearer and harder: The fight scenes will send your blood racing and by the end of the movie, you'll be a fan of the mixed martial arts. For those who adore UFC, then I don't know any other reason not to watch this. If you've seen The Fighter (starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale) and liked it, then take a chance on this. You might like it, too.

Cheerios! :)

Song of the Week: The Stand In

by: Leighton Meester and Check in the Dark

This song (music video, actually) entry would be every week-ish to lighten up everyone's day. What's life without music, anyway? Enjoy! 

Inglourious Basterds: Who is your favorite character?

Inglorious Basterds is one of my favorite films and up until now, I still think that it should have won the Best Picture in the Academy Awards (two years ago, actually). However, I didn't post this to cry over spilled milk. Besides, we have a new set of movies nominated for this year's Oscars and I'm definitely posting something about that. I just love this film so much that I decided to post who my favorite character is.

Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz, that's who. Portrayed by Til Schweiger who is a household name in his native Germany, Stiglitz is one of the most interesting character in Inglorious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino's best film, in my opinion). Aside from the fact that this man is oh so beautiful, his portrayal of Stiglitz was the right amount of badass and mystery. I know that Christoph Waltz's Oscar-winning role of Col. Hans Landa perfectly owned the film that I barely even remembered Brad Pitt's presence, but I feel that Stiglitz should have been elaborated. We only know bits and pieces of his past and even fewer information about the time when he was captured (just before the "Basterd" recruited him). Yes, his obscurity onlu adds to his character, but really, I just wanted to see more of him and less Brad Pitt. Biased much? Oh but who cares? Til Schweiger is fine, period.

Favorite line: "Say auf wiedersehen to your Nazi balls."

Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

After watching this movie, I found myself staring at my computer screen for several minutes before even processing what I've just seen. The first thing that came to me was how brilliant Elizabeth Olsen was. With her riveting  performance, you would never have known that she is the younger sister of the famous Olsen twins. Well, maybe she looks a bit like them but based on her acting, she could have been from a different gene pool.

She plays Martha, a young girl who decided to to live in a cult as Marcy May. We never actually see the scenes where she decided to go there rather, the first scene was when she decided to leave and escape from the cult. She then seeks comfort from her sister who welcomed her with open arms despite Martha leaving home without further notice.

Major problem? Martha could not separate her dreams and her past. She could not adjust well with her surroundings and does not know how to "act" properly, as her sister's husband implies. I love how I could completely relate to Martha's sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson). I shared her impatience and curiosity as to what really happened to Martha. But at the same time, understanding that some people just don't open up that easily. It is completely chilling how we see bits and pieces of what she experienced, but never fully knowing what happened.

This is where Olsen proves that she is a force to be reckoned with. She has to show the audience that Martha is broken, but at the same time conveying that she is almost oblivious about it. Boy, did she deliver it and deliver it well. I know that some people would chalk it up to the "boring" section, but trust me when I say that just seeing  Ms. Olsen act is enough reason to watch this film.

Fan Craze Mode: The Hunger Games

Here's one movie that I absolutely cannot wait to see. Maybe because I've read the books. Maybe because Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen is so perfect that I can't think of anyone who could fill her place. Maybe because I have faith in Josh Hutcherson's acting abilities (see: Little Manhattan). Or maybe I just want a really good movie that goes beyond the boundaries of genres. Whatever the reason is, the mere mention of THG drives me up the freaking wall. In a good way.

After Lionsgate released their first teaser trailer, the amount of internet buzz it has garnered bordered on insane. And I am one of those crazy fans that tweeted, searched and commented on every goddamn THG page that we could find. There has been issues (petty, I'm sure) raised that this movie will be similar to the Twilight Saga. Well, those who speculated that clearly did not read the books or even see the trailer, at the very least. The only similarity between these two franchises I can think of is the love triangle. Both main characters (Katniss and Bella) have the who-should-I-choose-I'm-so-torn love sick problem. Other than that, they could not have been more different. I don't have to go into a list of detailed differences, watching it would be so much better. :)

Some things I'm excited about:

How they are gonna portray the Capitol. Actually, we see a glimpse of how it's gonna be, but I'm still psyched with what the people would look like. 

Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane. I haven't seen him since American Beauty and he was great in there (aside from Kevin Spacey, of course). 

The chemistry of Jennifer and Josh as Katniss and Peeta.  More of Jennifer, actually. I wanna see if she could embody Katniss' flawed character, her will to live and her plain badass-ness. 

Vanity Fair's cast photo to hopefully excite you more:

See you in the cinemas on March 23rd. ;) Cheerios!

365 Movie Challenge

I have taken on a challenge for myself. To watch 365 movies this year 2012. I know it is a leap year, so it would have been more appropriate to watch 366 movies rather than 365. But really, who gives a rat's squiggly ass?

Here are my self-proclaimed and very simple guidelines:

• Movies should either be foreign or local and mainstream or indie;
• Movies should be watched from start to finish (some movies I watched before were never started or finished) and lastly;
• Movies watched can be completely retarded or the opposite. 

I will definitely not try to post a review on each movie I watch because that would be insane plus, I'm quite lazy. Quite. However, I will try and review some of the films that I deign worthy of anyone's two cents. So far, I have watched 35 films. That's 330 films to go. Oh, boy. 

The list:

1. Sherlock Holmes 2
2. The Change Up
3. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
4. Martha Marcy May Marlene*
5. Like Crazy*
6. LOL (Laughing Out Loud)
7. Bad Teacher
8. Lolita
9. Warrior*
10. The Help
11. Zombieland
12. Lars and the Real Girl*
13. Meet the Robinsons
14. Dawn of the Dead*
15. A Very Long Engagement
16. Happy Feet 2
17. Rabbit Hole
18. Gulliver's Travels
19. Dinner for Schmucks
20. Arthur
21. Casablanca
22. Vantage Point
23. Beginners
24. Corpse Bride
25. Trainspotting
26. A Dangerous Method
27. Little Manhattan*
28. Less Than Zero
29. Moulin Rouge!
30. Moneyball
31. Okuribito Departures
32. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
33. Chaplin
34. Chronicle*
35. Shooter

*I will/may post a review. :)

Be Gentle to the Neophyte

I have just posted my first ever movie review in this site. Hallelujah! In this site, I said because I had a blog before (wordpress), but it didn't work out. It's amazing what lazy people could accomplish, no? That's nothing in the lazy world's language, by the way. Anyhoo, I'm glad I decided to continue this seemingly taxing job of blogging. :)

I just wanted my ego to go crazy for a while and posted this completely uninformative entry. And if you didn't like this post then here's an awesome song. Cheerios!

Chronicle (2012)

CHRONICLE

So what if you became a superhero? This is the question that we often ask after watching a particular superhero battling villains and protecting whatever realm he or she is in.

Chronicle is an answer to that question. In this movie, three teenage boys accidentally acquired a super cool power, telekinesis. Imagine what they could do with that! However, being teenage boys with more raging hormones than a teenage girl with her period, things get a little.. messy.  Oh it was light and fun at first what with all the well-planned pranks and artistic antics, but as they grow stronger so is the looming question of responsibility. I would not go into details because I hate spoilers and I am assuming that you do as well. Golden rule.

I personally like how the characters were portrayed, giving them a classic adolescent crassness without being morbid and emo-ish. I admit, the characters were tipping over to cliché-ness, but salvaged it with solid acting and thankfully, great effects considering how low-budget this film is. The movie also showed how one’s state of mind could greatly influence one’s sudden greatness and that being great is just not that simple.

Technically, showing the movie with only one character’s perspective (he was filming the entire thing with his personal camera) was a little bit discomforting as it limits the connection of the audience to the protagonist’s surroundings. It was frustrating for me to know that some particular scenes would have been better seen with that unattached, un-documented type of filming. Although, it did seem fantastically real with the Blair Witch documented style, plus it gave the viewers an all-access pass to the protagonist’s personal life which was interesting.

All in all, it was a great appetizer for the main course which would be the real superhero movies: The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers and The Amazing Spiderman. I cannot wait to watch these and I know that some of you can’t, too. So for the meantime, watch Chronicle and see that time was not wasted. Not at all.

Here's the trailer: