An awards show hypocrite

I admit it. When it comes to award shows I am a hypocrite. For example, I think the Grammys are meaningless, but I was happy when I heard that Tom Waits won for best contemporary folk album. I can't remember the last time I agreed with the academy awards best picture pick, but I still tune in every year.

That being said, here are the announced winners for the MMFF 2009, plus my comments.

Best Picture - Ang Panday

The MMFF is all about box office receipts, so I don't begrudge this choice. But somewhere in the back of my mind the ghost of awfulness is whispering, "Resiklo...Resiklo".

Best Actor - Sen. "Bong" Revilla (Ang Panday)

Huh? Really? I guess it is because of his full control of a single facial expression.

Best Actress - Sharon Cuneta (Mano Po 6)

This was a forgone conclusion. Not because she gave a great performance, I'll never know because I absolutely HATE the Mano Po series and I refuse to ever watch another one, it is because she has never won this award. Plus, she is so thoroughly entrenched in the establishment that she would have even won with a substandard performance.

Best Supporting Actor - Philip Salvador (Ang Panday)

Philip Salvador is one of my favorite actors, (just watch him in Jaguar, you can actually see his character thinking) but I fear that he is on the verge of becoming a cartoon of his former self. The same thing happened to Rod Steiger.

Best Supporting Actress - Heart Evangelista (Mano Po 6)

Heart is one of those actresses who is pretty beyond pretty, almost too pretty (see photo). However, I will never see her performance in this film (see Best Actress). Though I believe she is in the Dolphy film Nobody, Nobody but Juan, so I will be seeing her performance in that movie.

Best Director - Joel Lamangan (Mano Po 6)

This one just makes me angry! I wouldn't let this guy direct a grade school Xmas pageant. He is the most assembly-line, unimaginative, style-less director in the Philippines. The only mainstream director worse than him is Mac Alejandre, co-director of Ang Panday. If the Philippines wants its mainstream movies taken seriously they have to stop rewarding this man. Of course my rant is full of hyperbole, and there are a couple of Lamangan films I like, but best director? Come on. This makes it almost assured that there will be a Mano Po 7: A Fate Worse Than Death.

The answer is, "No"

The question, as posed by a Perez Hilton wannabe, "Has Dolphy lost his touch?"

The "article" is about the apparent poor box office showing of Philippines Comedy King Dolphy's latest movie Nobody, Nobody But Juan.

I'm not an expert on classic Pinoy comedy. I've watched very few, and what I have seen doesn't translate to English well.

I've seen a couple of Dolphy's films from the 50's, Hong Kong Holiday and Jack en Jill. Both feature a very wiry Dolphy built for physical comedy, and not just trip-over-my-pants physical, but body language physical. He even does a very good dance sequence in The Big Broadcast.

The only film I own from his 60's output is Napoleon Doble. In this movie you can see Dolphy as a leading man, and in a duel role as the crime boss. It may or may not be an important film in the Dolphy canon, but it does show him evolving as an actor.

Among his 70's films that I own my favorite is the Brocka directed film Ang Tatay Kong Nanay, in which he seems to revisiting his character created in Jack en Jill, 20 years later. By this time Dolphy is able to add depth to what is basically a stereotypical character. (20 years later he would return to this character in the drama Markova: Comfort Gay and would add more layers.)

Dolphy is now over 80 years old and still making films. Long gone are the pratfalls, but since he allowed himself to grow as an actor he remains a vital screen presence.

In 2008 he made the film Dobol Trobol with fellow comedian, Vic Sotto. This was basically a Vic Sotto movie, his director, his writers, his usual gang of co-stars. Dolphy just seemed to be along for the ride. The movie has very few laughs, and these are all supplied by Dolphy. What he lacks in physical ability he makes up with timing.

Back to the question: "Has Dolphy lost his touch?". The person asking this question seems to think box office = better comedy, success = quality. This is an extremely sad state of affairs and anyone who really feels that way is a shallow individual.

BTW, I noticed that NNBJ has earned as much or more at the box office, so far, as Mano Po 6. Does this mean that you will soon be writing about how Sharon Cuneta has lost her touch? Just asking.

Champ ‘direk’ gets starstruck

Champ ‘direk’ gets starstruck - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Pacman flick knocked out on first day

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20091226-244059/Pacman-flick-knocked-out-on-first-day

Fil-Am actor bares details of new John Sayles film - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Fil-Am actor bares details of new John Sayles film - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Favorite music (2009): Rock with a catchy melody

Both of these bands produce rock tunes with interesting lyrics and catchy melodies. One you may know, the other is worth seeking out.

Arctic Monkeys - "Humbug"

Archipelago - "Travel Advisory"

Favorite Albums (2009): Featuring dogs on the cover

"The Fall" - Norah Jones.

Usually, this is not my type of music, but my interest was peaked when I learned that the album was produced by Jacquire King, who has worked with Tom Waits, Modest Mouse, and Kings of Leon.

Also, I liked the fact that many long time Norah fans disliked this album. I guess they wanted more of the same.

"Normal as Blueberry Pie" - Nellie McKay

Nellie's salute to Doris Day. Nellie is smart enough to know that she can't match Doris's clear-as-a-bell voice and that many of these song are definitely products of another time, they have an innocence that doesn't play well in a cynical world. Her phrasing and great production make this one of my favorites this year. Plus, there is not a "Que Sera Sera" in sight.

Lola wins Best Feature Film at Dubai film fest

Lola wins Best Feature Film at Dubai film fest

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Poem written in December 2009: while thinking about a young Barbara Stanwyck

I am a kick stand poet

A walking stick wanderer

Held up by hope,

Skepticism, myth

My poems are grunts,

Shrugs, impatient glances

10 o'clock inspirations

6 o'clock fevers

False starts, photo finishes

Filipinas change the face of football

http://www.filipinopress.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=103:filipinas-change-the-face-of-football&catid=38:nfl&Itemid=78

Do they make any good Xmas albums anymore?

I guess I'm a pretty jaded fellow when it comes to Xmas music. My preference is for 50's and 60's recordings. Albums by June Christy, Doris Day, Nat "King" Cole, and Don Ho fall into my idea of what a Xmas recording should be. Modern Xmas albums seem to be either parroting these recordings, trying unsuccessfully to drag naive songs into a cynical world, or creating new melody impaired carols filled with cliche lyrics. (It didn't help that a small group of people have been trying to shove Xmas down our throats during the last few years. I'm reminded of that line from the Simpsons, "Christmas is the one time of year when people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ.")

Surprisingly, there are a couple of modern Xmas CD's I love. The first is Chris Isaak's "Christmas". This is Chris at his crooning best, with a touch of country and rockabilly thrown in. This is the first time I've enjoyed the song "Rudolph" since I was a kid. I especially love the new songs written for this album.

The second CD is Petty Booka's "Christmas Everywhere". How can you not smile while listening to two Japanese girls sing Xmas music, while accompanying themselves with ukuleles? I love their version of "Christmas Island" and John Prine's "Christmas in Prison".

MMFF 2009: Waiting for the DVD

When I first saw the list of movies for this years Metro Manila Film Festival I felt exasperated. I could only name one movie that I wanted to see. The others just seemed like more of the same dreck they put out every year (I'm looking at you, Mother Lily). Here is this years list:

1. Mano Po 6 - I've never liked this series and I thought it died when #5 tanked at the box office. The only reason this one was made was because of the presence of Sharon Cuneta in the lead. With all due respect to Ms Cuneta, this series has always been abysmal and I don't see it turning around with #6, especially with an assembly-line director like Joel Lamangan. I enjoy his indie films, but his mainstream out put is so banal.

2. Ang Darling Kong Aswang - Why is it that as Vic Sotto gets older his leading ladies get younger? I have to decide, watch Cristine Reyes or skip it?

3. Ang Panday - Not a big fan of Bong Revilla, but I have a mild interest in this film.

4. I Love You Goodbye - The only movie I was initially interested in seeing. Laurice Guillen has directed some pretty good films, and the last time she worked with Angelica Panganiban they released the woefully under appreciated Santa Santita.

5. Shake Rattle & Roll XI - I keep hoping and hoping for something good to come from this series and it disappoints every time. Cross your fingers.

6. Nobody, Nobody But Juan - Dolphy is the only reason Dobol Trobol had any chuckles. Hopefully, this film features mostly Dolphy and very little Willie.

7. Wapakman - I'm interested to see how Manny spent his time training for Miguel Cotto.

Snow capped mountains north of Pasadena.

Just a few months ago they were covered by smoke and flame.

Gotham Girls Roller Derby 2009 Five Borough Furies Winners

Gotham Girls Roller Derby 2009 Five Borough Furies Winners

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Egg Harbor Township event gives roller derby B teams their shot - pressofAtlanticCity.com : Atlantic County

Egg Harbor Township event gives roller derby B teams their shot - pressofAtlanticCity.com : Atlantic County

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Favorite soundtrack (2009): Whip It

I really haven't been drawn to a lot of movies released this year. I've seen most of them at the 2nd run theater for $2 a pop. Unfortunately, if a film didn't show there I probably missed it.

Consequently I haven't heard many film soundtracks, not even the much ballyhooed "Where the Wild Things Are" soundtrack.

But, for some reason, I was drawn to the soundtrack of the movie Whip It. Okay, the reason was that women's roller derby is a guilty pleasure (Go Tough Cookies!). It contains many songs that I am familiar with: "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" by the Ramones, "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, I even enjoy .38 Special's "Caught Up in You". But the soundtrack also features artists I am not familiar with, that I now love, like "Pot Kettle Black" by Tilly and the Wall, and "What's the Attitude" by Cut Chemist. The only two songs that really don't click with me are "Hightimes" by Landon Pigg and a remix of the Chordettes song "Lollipop", I hate 99% of remixes and I've never liked the song "Lollipop".

But these songs have little affect on my enjoyment with this soundtrack and I look forward to the DVD release of this movie.

Closing the "Dollhouse"

I have to admit that this show never really lived up to its potential. I watched it loyally because I am a huge Elisha Dushku fan, and I trusted that Josh Whedon would eventually turn the show around.

Well, I've learned that the show has been canceled. The first indication of this is when FOX didn't air any episodes during sweeps. But I can't really blame them. I feel that they gave the show plenty of time to get its legs, unlike "Firefly".

However, last night they aired what I believe to be the two best episodes the series has produced so far. And a large part of the credit goes to the addition of Summer Glau as a vengeful and cutely quirky scientist named Bennett.

Ah well, at least FOX is allowing Whedon to give the show some closure, unlike the CW's terrible treatment of "Reaper", which ended on a cliffhanger that will probably never be resolved.

2009 Favorites: Live performances

Patton Oswalt's "My Weakness is Strong" is the kind of humor that gives me a deep chuckle. The kind that vibrates your insides.

"Glitter and Doom" is a great record of one of Tom's infrequent live tours.