Yeah I've seen The Dark Knight. I was fortunate enough to get a premiere ticket for Wednesday night. In fact, on my way out of the movie house, there was a Crime/Suspense camera crew pointing their mic in my face shouting "Sir! how'd you find the movie?"

I said one thing: I LOVE HEATH LEDGER!

Yes, this movie made me all brokeback for him.

Without revealing too much about the story and any spoilers whatsover, all I can say is, Heath made the 2008 Joker REAL. His psychosis, his personality, his little nuances and demeanor... it felt so real on screen. So believable was his performance as a deranged agent of chaos that I got chills watching him, literally hair-raising and disturbing. His performance was so disarming and chilling that I was reminded of Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs... he connected with his audience... he came across as truly believable.

If you haven't seen the Dark Knight, then don't rush it. I'm pretty sure it'll be in the cinemas for weeks to come. But if you're a true fan of great performances, I honestly believe this should be at the top of your list for 2008.

Favorite scene in the movie? Well, I have many, but the most memorable one seems to be... Nurse Joker. Hahahaha!

^_^

SPOILER WARNING!

If you haven't seen Episode 1 of Season 4, or plan to just start watching LOST, then I suggest you click here. Otherwise, read on! ^_^






Picking up where Season 3 left off, LOST is back in the groove with even more questions than answers, and even more interesting twists, mind-boggling events and symbols and new characters that will make you wonder "who the hell is the good guy?"

I went WTF on a number of occasions, most notably, when Hurley exclaimed, "I'm part of the Oceanic Six!"

WTFFFFFFFFFFF!?!?!?!?!?!!!

And then in the end when he said... "I shouldn't have gone with Locke..."

WTFFFFFFFFFFF!?!?!?!?!?!!!

Promises to be an even more exciting season for the series. Is this really the Final Season? Hmmm... let me check the word on the web.

Although a bit slow in pace for a Russian mob story set in London, the sheer brutality and gore of Eastern Promises made the film worthwhile. You can always count on Viggo Mortensen to give a stellar performance, really immersing himself into the character, and making the story even grittier. 5 stars for Viggo's performance.

Naomi Watts seemed a bit out of place though, but maybe it's because every time I see her in a movie I'm reminded of her in The Ring or King Kong. But then again she's always perfect as a distressed yet strong-willed heroine--it's the expression on her face, her eyes, the furl of her brow... you can't duplicate an expression like that. I guess that's why I'm reminded of her earlier work, it's because her look is uniquely hers.

Vincent Cassel (that French bad guy in Oceans Twelve and Derailed) and Armin Meuller-Stahl also gave terrific performances, while that regretful female doctor in V for Vendetta (Sinéad Cusack) was again cast in a terrific supporting role.

There was blood, there was suspense and there was conflict, a gritty, brutally bloody climax and a resolution--all the elements that make a great story. Too bad the pacing in the film could have been a lot better. Still, that bath house scene was well worth the wait.

I highly recommend this film for those nights when you just want to cringe but aren't too sleepy. And make sure to put the kiddies to sleep--tons of bewbies, blades and slit throats, and a near 10 minutes full of Viggo's penis.

Wow I can't believe I counted how long that scene lasted.


...

Hollywood as usual is trying to bank on the success of a well-loved franchise. Sadly, they never can seem to carry on the legacy of such an amazing starting run. That Apple Pie will forever be embedded in the hearts and minds of pop culture for decades to come. Pun intended.

But when I saw this trash piece, I just wasted good money on a dvd. Thank God for piracy. I wouldn't spend full price on that stinker.

But then again... the only reason I did stay to watch the thing until the end was da da da daaaaaa! For the bewbies! Yes ladies and gentlemen, this movie franchise is our generation's National Lampoon. Frat boys, sex parties, and lots of frontal nudity--that is the National Lampoon legacy. Thank you Belushi.

So I highly recommend it for those brainless, horny, lonely nights, or if one feels the need to be 'inspired' by their crazy antics, drinking games, and wild parties. And yeah Jim's dad is here. Again. He's da man.

Plus the slow motion accidental jizz bomb was priceless. And I quote: "OH MY GOD! MR BIGGLES!!!!!"

Bwahahaha!


...

'Music's the only thing that makes sense in the world...' - Jojo

For those of you who keep saying, music is your life, this is one movie then that you should not dare miss.

Across the Universe can be classified as a musical because it uses the lyrics of the songs and interpretative dance to tell the story in verse but it is also the anti-musical because it uses both striking or contrasting visuals and songs from The Beatles. When this screenplay was written, it had The Beatles literally crawling all over it.

The story may be a bit sparse, being that dialogue is either sung or used to fill in the gaps between songs, and characters are hardly ever introduced properly or in an unorthodox manner. However, the ingenius element in the movie is not the fact that it was inspired by music from the Beatles, but rather its ability to insert the lyrics of the songs right into what is happening at that particular moment in the story.

Like when Lucy and Jude's parrallel lives begin the story, they say farewell to their loves... Jude on the boat singing "and then while I'm away, I'll write home everyday, and I'll send all my loving to you..." or when Jude first meets Max initiating the segway "...What would you do if I sang out of tune..." as the intro to "I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends" filling in as the narrative for their wild night out.

Even the names of the characters themselves are from the songs or references to Beatles lore... Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) are quite obvious, but then there's Max, Prudence, Sadie, Jojo and more.

INGENIOUS I SAY!

Needless to say, there were tons and tons of moments in the film where my hair stood on end, most notable for me was the "Let it Be" sequence. Movies hardly ever give me the chills, but their rendition of this classic will forever be in my mind.

And let's not forget the cameos: Joe Cocker coming in with Come Together as JoJo gets out of the subway, and Bono as Dr. Robert. Brilliant!

Even if some may complain that, in most cases they're not really singing, the fact that the movie is such an escape while all the while using lyrics from the Beatles to tell the story, should be enough to placate the hardcore fans and musical geeks alike.

In sum, this little masterpiece strengthens the fact that the music of the Beatles is timeless and quintessential. Again, a must see for Beatlemaniacs and music fans alike. A movie like this only rarely comes along, like a distant passing celestial body, that can be seen Across the Universe.



Oh and as an added bonus, Prudence is played by TV Carpio, who is half Pinay! ^_^;; Galing!


...

Here's a review I wrote for Yehey! Gadgets

I’ve been without a cellphone for almost a month now. And yes, it’s torture—now that our society today is so technologically dependent on some form of communication, having no cellphone available is terrible!

It was then a stroke of blind luck that we were asked to review the latest in the L-Series from Motorola, the MotoSlvr L72. And I just have to say, what a perfect time to get a brand spanking new phone!

Basics

It handles pretty much like its predecessors—so if you’re used to handling a Nokia or an Ericsson there may be some learning and readjustment needed for your fingertips—but other than that the user interface and menu is bright, easy to understand and completely intuitive that transition from an older or a different cellular phone brand will be negligible. With the large 176x220, 256k color display it’s hard not to miss the details!

It’s super lightweight at an amazing 85 grams, you can even keep it in your shirt pocket and not notice it’s there! It has a built in 2 megapixel camera that you can adjust to landscape or portrait easily and then switch to video camera mode for when you need more than just photos. It even has a T-Flash slot for expanded memory, in case you need more than the allotted 24MB on the phone itself.

Other features include a built in FM radio (which requires an add on earphone accessory) and a very easy to use Web interface, for those folks who want to stay online even while mobile. And of course, for folks who love to personalize their phones, you can change the color theme, the wallpaper (of course) and even put in MP3s and Wav files as your message and/or call alert.

Also, it has a talk time of 4hours (give or take—I was playing one of its built in games for about that long before the battery ran out) and a standby time of about 300 or so hours. So considering you decide to use the phone for anything more than making calls, you have approximately 4 hours on a fully charged battery to do your thing.

Full review here

It’s John McClane, 20 years later. Should I be worried if I haven’t seen the originals? Well, there’s only a little follow through to the original Die Hards, so in terms of story and progression, not much to be missed. As a movie, DH 4.0 can stand alone. Although you’ll miss a few verbal cues and puns in the movie if you haven’t seen the original 3, it’s no big deal since there’s loads more entertainment value in store.

And no when I say entertainment value I do not mean the cheesy and all-too-often predictable one-liners so predominant in today’s popcorn action flicks nor do I mean the overly exaggerated action sequences where this sequel is obviously trying its best to outdo its predecessors.

No folks, I’m talking about the on-screen chemistry of Bruce Willis and Justin Long, which to me was worth getting back on the Willis Bandwagon and seeing him miraculously outlive the bad guys over and over again. Justin Long’s comedic timing is impeccable, and if it weren’t for him being so adorkable (thanks Nannah), DH 4.0 would have bombed.

So, like any other action flick in today’s cinema, leave your brain at the door and just take it in.

As for the die-hard Die Hard fans, you won’t be disappointed. Lots of new McClane tricks and memorable sequences. And oh, casting Kevin Smith as the Warlock was genius—his “command center” was awesome. Lol.

The Warlock: Oh... so you're a fan of the Fett?
John McClane: [standing next to a stand-up simulacrum of Boba Fett] No, I was always a fan of Star Wars...

Haha. Man, that cracked me up.



And oh... Lucy McClane (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Maggie Q... RAWR!

Everyone. Loves. Transformers.

Why?

Because Optimus Prime kicks ass. Well, among other things.

The genius behind Michael Bay is his unique approach to the franchise. I mean considering he didn’t want to do this movie in the beginning, it was a great stroke of luck that he decided to do it in the end. Bay has that knack of taking outrageous action and placing it into the mold of realism, like what he did with his previous movies, Bad Boys 1 and 2, The Rock, Pearl Harbor and Armageddon. After all, he did spend a big chunk of the $150M budget not on visual effects and CG animation, but instead on reality-based action sequences. And like I said earlier, he based a lot of the action and CG animation on reality.

So if you guys noticed, the Autobots and Decepticons don’t just transform magically. There was real engineering and mathematics that went behind the creation of each robot, so in the cinema, they looked extremely believable transforming from vehicle to robot and vice versa that you would be insane not to think of them as real.

And Bay (also by way of his screenwriter, Tom DeSanto—who interestingly enough also wrote the screenplay for Xmen and partially for X2) has a great way of telling stories of different perspectives and then letting them mesh together at a critical point in the movie. Very much like what he did with Armageddon and Pearl Harbor. Although admittedly, the storyline intersection in Transformers didn’t quite hit the jackpot (I mean for one thing, Anthony Anderson’s role as the super hacker/decoder seemed a bit forced while Megan Fox’s background story was just put there to explain her obvious knowledge of cars). Some may have found it interesting and believable, while others, like me, would have seen right through it and thought “they had the money, so they needed the big name actors in there.”

I mean honestly, we could have done without John Turturro and Anthony Anderson’s characters, and put more focus on the main folks of the story. Heck even Tyrese Gibson, who was top billing at the end credits, could have been left out of the story altogether. But hey, with a big budget like that, why scrimp on talent? Besides, John Turturro in his S7 undershirt and colored boxers was a beautiful insert.

Some humor could have been toned down too. Like that garden sketch, making the Autobots hide in the backyard—it was stretched too thin and overplayed in my opinion—and then the outtakes of Sam’s parents in the end—went to the extent of being corny.

But nevertheless, the brilliance of Michael Bay shined through, most especially with the action sequences—which, to my estimation, were almost every other sequence in the film. I mean the flow of the movie was so well done that you could not get out of your seat to take a piss, or else you’d miss a lot. And boy, going back to the realism aspect of the movie, having the robots move fluidly in and out of their default vehicle phase to robot phase was amazing! Though one sequence was lost because of poor shot selection, that one where Prime skewered Bonecrusher in the head under the bridge—it honestly could have been done better. But the other sequences were top notch, especially the highway chase sequence (did you see Bonecrusher skating down the highway and Prime transforming to a screeching halt to meet him?) and the city battle sequences (Starscream zooming in and out of jet phase, and Devastator raining shrapnel on the marines and the Autobots, hot damn!).

Overall, the comedic inserts of Shia LaBeouf and non-stop action sequences made Transformers take the top spot in the box office. And if that’s not enough, getting my fill of Megan Fox and Rachael Taylor made it even better.

Here’s a bit of trivia for you geeks:

• It took approximately 38 hours for the animators Industrial Light & Magic to render one frame of the CGI animation to portray the Transformers. This breaks the record set by Weta Workshop for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), where it took 20 hours to animate a frame of CGI to portray the Ent Treebeard.

• In the "Transformers" (1984) series, the Autobots had blue optics (eyes) and the Decepticons had red optics. The animators created a new eye design resembling a camera shutter in order to make the robots more engaging; however, in a nod to the series, the color scheme remains the same. The only exception being Frenzy, who is a Decepticon, but has blue optics.

For more Trivia, check out the movie’s IMDB page.

(Originally posted at YEHEY! Entertainment)

When the Russian duet first released their angry, provocative hit singles years back, they created quite a stir with the entire “are they or aren’t they” mystique. Today with the release of their new album, they’ve proven that old tricks still get the boys (and girls) excited.

Their newest album, Dangerous and Moving, featuring the newly released hit single, “All About Us”, is reminiscent of their earlier hits, with almost the same melodic feel and arrangement. The only difference is most of the songs on the album are a lot slower, their themes have matured, even their latest music video—albeit still featuring the girls scantily clad and in provocative situations—is proof that their music is no longer drawn to the schoolgirl roots from whence they came, but from something much deeper and edgier.

The title track “All About Us“ moves to a much slower, purposeful beat, unlike its predecessors. Although the sound of their music has slowed, their rise to the top of the charts can be anything but. Already the single is taking control of the airwaves in Europe and staking claim as one of the stronger hits for the season. But like I stressed earlier most of their tunes are a lot slower now, like their next single release, “Friend or Foe” which, by looks of the music video for “All About Us”, is a follow up of sorts to the controversy that still surrounds their relationship to one another.

Some of the tracks though seem a tad shallow, especially in terms of arrangement and lyrics. An example would be the track, “Cosmos” which really is not one of their better tracks. But after listening to the album a couple more times, the haunting tunes of “Gomenasai” and “Craving” leave a more lasting impression than their faster counterparts in the album.

If you are expecting another dance-worthy 12-track album, you’re better off buying a remix of their first album. The music here is more personal and melodic. Slower, yes, but not in the least bit boring and unmoving. It takes a couple of listens to appreciate though, especially if you’re not a fan of the girls.

But hey, after seeing them prance around in their minis, I can forgive the pop flavor and give them another look/listen or two.

When the Lord of the Rings Trilogy first came out on the silver screen I remember being giddy as a schoolboy. The same I felt for The Hulk, Spiderman, Punisher, Daredevil, the X-Men and so many other comic book heroes that have only recently been given a living, matching face on the screen. Seeing all of these heroes and heroines come to life on the big screen was and is still such a joy. Whether or not these movies made it big in the box office is altogether another issue. But the whole point for me is simply, they were able to do it! Visual effects and all, the human imagination could not be deterred by black and white print… they just had to find a way to bring it to life!

Harry Potter is another such literary hero brought to life brilliantly. Ever since the first film, I was already bewitched by the magic and spectacle of the series! I read the books of course, even before the movies were being considered, and I could not help but imagine what these characters would be like. I guess I was not alone in the world, because soon after we would be treated to the visual spectacle that is the birth of Harry Potter as Daniel Radcliffe. The rest as they say… is magic!

I need not expound on the success of the series in terms of the books and its most recent chapter, nor do I need to elaborate how successful the three previous movies have been regardless of its release alongside the Lord of the Rings trilogy at the time. Harry has a captured market already… and people will go and see him come to life on the big screen, if not to relive the magic of the books, but more so to be ever closer to their heroes and heroines, to see what they see, feel what they feel, experience what it is like to be in their world!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the latest installment in the movie franchise, has given us just that! It has put us, the adoring fans and supporters of dear Harry, right in the midst of his fourth year at Hogwart’s School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. And boy what a wonderfully spectacular rollercoaster ride it has been! The special effects have gotten much much, better over the years and are a far cry from the awkward introduction of Dobby in the second movie. A lot of elements in the movie have become so real, you can almost feel the heat from the dragon’s blast!

The characters too have taken a turn for the best. Some say they look a bit too old for their apparent age in the story line, but with the retention of the other supporting characters, the aging process of all the primary characters are well in line and not at all surprising. Even the clothes and hairstyles of Harry, Ron and the twins have stayed in check, adding to the completeness and authenticity of the story. But more than that, the addition of Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort was a pure stroke of genius. Sure you felt a remake of his Red Dragon performance, but his mannerisms were different here, and the prosthetics and makeup make him all the more… evilly perfect for the part!

I’ve a bit of a bone to pick with the way the story was trimmed down to fit the required and desired cinema length though, leaving out a few important details along the way; nevertheless the storytellers still made it a point to keep the core of the story intact. And the new director at the helm made sure the new movie would keep Harry at the core of the story. If you recall in the books (for those of you who have read it) there were so many other subplots added to the book, but like any good screenwriter and director team-up, certain things have to be spruced off in order to attain that reasonable cinema length. And like I said, I may not agree with some missing parts, I still however, applaud the good work the director and his team of writers have done to make the story still coherent and logical.

And the one thing that really made the difference for me was how the story really got to you, really left a mark. The fact that you’ve been growing with Harry through the years, experiencing the same things he’s been going through, you now have a clear idea of who he is and how tough his life has been. The tragic turn of events in the end were truly heartbreaking—even those who’ve never read the books agreed that the themes here are now more mature, yet more than ever more relevant to us all. Regardless of which, like any good story, it leaves us with a feeling of hope, that things, no matter how dark and dangerous they may seem now, will still turn out for the best.

I loved the latest movie and left feeling more excited at the prospect of a next one. In my opinion, this film did its job, and did it well. To sum, I would like to quote what Harry said when he entered the Weasleys’ tent at the Quidditch World Cup… “I love magic!”

Join the online contest over at YEHEY! Entertainment and ger free Harry Potter caps, hats and shirts!

How many times have you vegged out on the couch and flipped channels, eventually landing on some travel e-zine featuring some fabulous hideaway or paradise located so close you start calculating how long the car ride would be? And even if the host was particularly ok-looking instead of hot and attractive, or the editing and pacing was a bit slow and dull and uninteresting, or even if the colors of the supposed paradise were a bit off and uninviting, you'd still sit there glued to the the tube and start imagining the beauty, tranquility and splendor of that travel destination... heck some of us even start hearing the waves and the seagulls...

Then you realize you had no idea really where that place was, or how to contact anybody who knows about the place. You now want to go to that place so much yet you have no idea how. Sure they feature the rapelling, the snorkelling or deep-sea diving, or the after hours parties at the open hut bars... but what, where and how? You have no idea...

Take all of the good things out of watching a travel e-zine on TV and all the bad things out, and you have a wonderful mix of information and multimedia right at your fingertips, a mouse click away so to speak... welcome to YEHEY! Travel!

First of all, the content is awesome! It features articles and reviews on places and travel destinations in and around the Philippines. It's nothing like the normal travel reviews you see on the papers where everything seems so monotonous and unfeeling and objective... here, the articles are rife with feeling, because they're like travel journals of the editors and contributors. Here, you get a sense of story, of narration, of actually being there... and not just like browsing through a boring catalog.

What's more, it does not limit itself to 2 or 3 photos, like what you see on the Sunday spreads... it has a whole gallery of places, people and things that you can see, hear and feel when you yourself are there. There are no limits here, not in column space or in page width, you are given almost a complete virtual tour of paradise!

It doesn't stop there, YEHEY! Travel even has a special listing of events and festivals happening in and around the Philippines! Our beautiful cultural heritage so neatly laid out on a very easy to use browser window, so you know, when you decide to go island hopping, where to go next on your trip.

But let me go back to the Snapshots section or the photo gallery section... I have to say, you don't find these images anywhere else on the net. The photos featured here are all original content, submitted by users and carefully selected by the Lifestyle editors of YEHEY.COM. And it doesn't only feature sights and places on one end of the Philippines (like all the photos you see of Boracay... you see one you seen 'em all) No, this is something completely different... the features and places you just have to see for yourself. The gallery in itself is like a miniature travel journal, a memento of the contributor's trip to some far away and distant land.

Finally, you even have a section dedicated all to environment preservation and its worthy cause. All articles, news and related features detailing local and foreign events about the environment are here... some may think YEHEY! Travel is just a hip, elitist lifestyle journal... in actuality, she's there for a cause as well, going so far as partnering with well-known environmental activists such as the World Wildlife Fund and PETA.

To top it all off, it's not the least bit inconvenient... because after all that's said and done, the most important information you want and need is there... like the how, where and how much. That's the kind of completeness you expect from a wonderfully designed site such as YEHEY! Travel.

So now, I invite you to take a trip... it's only a few clicks away. YEHEY! Travel - so, where's your next stop?

Kudos to TEAMYEHEY for a site very well done! You know who you are... beri gud!

First off let me begin that this book has been a long time coming. So many people all over the world have since been entranced by the world of warlocks and witches that the first five in the series have almost vanished out of existence from bookstores and book sellers worldwide. Makes you wish you could conjure up your own copy with a flick of your wand, eh? Second, I am not much of a book reader. It normally takes me a good couple of weeks to finish a thick novel, in fact I believe it took me over a month to get through the Fifth Harry Potter book. So why in heaven’s name am I writing a review on this book? Because I finished it in less than a week… and that’s saying a lot about me and the book.

As you may know already, Harry Potter has become a worldwide phenomenon. Like an unseen wave, J.K Rowling’s imaginary world enchanted children and adults alike and made the world of Harry Potter come to life like never before. Movies were even made out of the first few in the series almost immediately after the books were published. And now the whole world can’t seem to get enough of Harry and his friends, and apparently, with the release of this much-awaited sequel (and its continued success) it seems the magic won’t be dying out anytime soon.

The story continues as Harry comes back for his Sixth year at Hogwart’s School for Magic and, after a highly eventful albeit tragic year before, the battle between the forces of good and evil have grown ever fiercer. Characters have changed, matured, and as it is with children growing up to be teenagers, the themes in this book have matured as well. Needless to say, romance has finally blossomed in Harry’s (and his friends’) lives adding that tinge of realism to an imaginary world.

Apart from its themes of young love and courtship, more serious topics are covered in its pages. And yes, someone has to bid their final farewell in this chapter of Harry’s life—someone close to Harry—making it one of the darker chapters in his young life. Some may disagree with the introduction of such themes, the same way they were introduced in the previous book, that these are inappropriate topics for children and young adults. But see, that’s what makes it hit much closer to home… because you now believe these to be real people, who deal with human truths and frailty. It’s not all happy enchantments and white magic, there is a darker side to life, there is a part of it that makes it more real.

Having grown up with these characters you now feel ever more the sense of loss and the brooding climax that is yet to come. Like any good story it puts you right where the action is, lets you feel what is happening, allows you to empathize with the characters, makes you feel excitement, hatred, hope. You don’t know what’s going to happen but you push on, and finally like any good storyteller, J.K Rowling leaves you hanging, wanting more, yet fascinatingly satisfied and abated with what has already happened.

In the end we are left yet again to await the next chapter in Harry’s life. It’s going to be his final year at Hogwart’s… will it be the series’ final chapter as well? Will good finally triumph over evil?

As a final note, this being one of the darkest chapters of brave Harry’s life, I felt a great sense of loss for Harry, yet in the end I also felt enormous overflowing hope, the same feeling one has at the end of Two Towers when Sam, teary-eyed and exhausted, looks to Frodo and says that they must journey on, no matter how hard, “because there is still so much good in this world… and it’s worth fighting for.”

And can I just add, about damn time Harry! You da man! (Seriously, kinilig ako, hehehehe…)

Khakis, frilly blouses, 50s-style bangs and shirts and sweaters in earthen colors. Imagine what your grand parents were in their teens. Now throw that away and add faded jeans, dark eye shadow and colorful chucks. Not your typical ensemble.

So is Eisley, this five piece group composed of four siblings and a close friend.

And their music? Think of Sundays by the lake, under a tree with family and friends, or being alone and broken and nothing making sense in your life, or during a time way back when Strawberry Fields Forever was the ballad playing in your living room.

That for me is Eisley. Sometimes brooding, sometimes deep, but all times hopeful and filled with messages of something much more universal. Their songs surpass their apparent ages and, after being mistaken for a Christian rock band, they say that they would rather not be classified as such, because their songs can be open to all sorts of interpretation and meaning and feeling, no matter what your beliefs are.

There’s something about their music that isn’t like what you hear today, where so many things sound so alike and formulaic. Their music reaches out to you in places you never thought you could fathom. And their apparent simplicity makes that music all that much more endearing.

Eisley may be another group rising through the rafters of music saturation, or even another novelty act to some, but the message of their songs is here to stay… quintessential, touching and free.

Plus the vocalists are cute. Yeah. That too.

Take me to the Carnivale
Review By: Iggy Javellana

The battle between good and evil is quintessential, timeless, never-ending. It has been with us since the dawn of man, when the first stories were being woven and told around the campfires in hollowed caves up to this day on the silverscreen, on television, on the radio, via meetings and readings in chapels and congregations, in gatherings and assemblies.

But HBO’s original series, Carnivale, takes the story and conflict of good and evil to a new height via a very unique point of view.

Carnivale is about, well, a traveling carnival or Carny show, trying to make a living across America during the time of the Great Depression, back in 1934. Fate takes an ill turn when the Carnies pick up a now homeless vagrant by the name of Ben Hawkins (played by Nick Stahl) as he is burying his just deceased mother.

The traveling carnival—comprised of a conniving midget of a manager named Samson (played by the highly talented Samuel J. Anderson), a tarot card reader named Sophie (played by Clea DuVall) and her catatonic/telekinetic mother (Apollonia portrayed by Diane Salinger), a blind mentalist by the name of Lodz (Patrick Bauchau), a bearded lady, and conjoined twins, a dysfunctional stripper family, a snake man (or gay snake person to be more exact), and more, among others—is owned by the mysterious and unseen Management, who has designs on the young Hawkins, for the boy is concealing an untapped gift: he can heal wounds and limbs and the lame and even raise the dead—but at a price.

Ben is also disturbed by cryptic and prophetic dreams, which, intriguingly, he shares with a Methodist preacher in California, a Brother Justin Crowe. Brother Justin, convinced he is following God's will and working alongside his sister Iris (played by Amy Madigan), has begun to manifest and practice his own extraordinary talents, but lead to disturbing and tragic consequences. In this "last great age of magic," Ben Hawkins and Justin Crowe are moving toward a great conflict between Good and Evil, although it is not yet clear on which sides these men will stand.

Carnivale is so authentic that it takes you right into the heart of America during one of its most helpless stages in history. The set production and attention to detail was extremely well-done that you could just taste the dirt on your tongue—it was during this time in the Great Depression that America was experiencing sand storms of epic proportions, so the entire set, apart from being faithful to the look and fashions of the time (from vintage clothing and hairstyles to antique vehicles and genuine “Carny Talk”) the production also made the entire set feel like it had been buried underneath ages of dirt. Plus the texture and color tone of the cinematography added more of a sepia feel to the whole series, lending it more age and authenticity.

But what made it more believable were the actors themselves… apart from mastering the lingo or “Carny Talk”, getting into a believable character by placing oneself in the midst of a society that was the troubled part of American history completed the overall atmosphere of the series. You literally could see and feel that they acted and thought a certain way, in a way you don’t see around these parts anymore.

The story was very well written, and although it was quite dragging for the most part, it’s slow pace was intrinsic and vital to the building up of the battle that was yet to come. The use of historical accounts also helped the audience by placing the events in a time as well as lending a whole lot more realism to the fantastical events taking place. I was extremely frustrated though that the end of the series left a lot of unanswered questions, but at the same time, felt it was successful since it left me wanting more. Now I can’t wait for the second season to come out.

In sum, it’s a great series to watch out for because it takes a tried and tested theme, puts it into a different setting and completely enchants its audience into believing all these things took place at one point in American history. Furthermore, the stories and lives of each set of characters is so varied that you never get bored with being an observer in their lives and end up learning something new about them with every episode. It’s a weird “family” to watch—but like any traveling carnival with oddities and freaks, you can’t help but look and gawk and watch some more…

Good piece of filmmaking right here… definitely worth your time!

Carnivale is already into its second season in the US. Visit the HBO original series’ website here or go to HBO.com/carnivale.

One of the things I appreciate about our local acts is the fact that you can watch them perform live. Sure you hear their tracks over the radio, and if the tunes that they’ve written hit the charts, expect to hear their tracks and singles almost everyday, if not over the radio, then via your officemates’ MP3 players, your friends’ polyphonic ringtone, or even from your maid.

So the one thing that makes me appreciate live acts the most is their ability to show their audience what it is they can really do. Local live acts are few and far between, and I can say that there are a ton of local artists who sound God-awful live than they do on the radio. But Session Road is not one of them—in fact based on the years I’ve spent moving from music venue to music venue, watching a different act every so often, I can safely say that they are one of the best live acts I have ever seen.

Like Rivermaya and Sandwich and Parokya ni Edgar, Session Road is a chimera when performing live… you never know what to expect and they can play any song in their repertoire differently. From reggae beats to old pop and r&b hits, Session Road can belt the tunes so well that the crowd gets on its feet in mere moments, toasting their Red Horse in the air and jumping up and down even in a compact venue.

I remember, when I was still a regular in the band circuit, I caught a few glimpses of Session Road at this auto-dealership-by-day-bar-by-night venue. I could still remember that they played a pretty quiet, albeit highly entertaining set and only performed staple songs, with one or two songs done in a different version. Even if they did perform a couple of originals, the crowd hardly noticed them when they got on and off the stage. I was probably the one clapping the loudest (it’s a thing for me you know, clapping and cheering for a live act… I myself have been through the same trials already, and having a dead audience just gets your morale down) and judging from the venue, the only one who really appreciated the type of music they played by listening intently.

But after seeing them live at Xaymaca last Thursday, I could see that their hard work has finally paid off. Not only are they able to get the audience up on their feet, they no longer have to let their audience dictate the music that they want to play. They can now fill a venue on their own, and the music they play? Wow… they have their own versions of awesome titles, ranging from Marley to Sting to Kravitz… and when they play ‘em, the crowd really gets going.

But the biggest mark of success is when you play an original song, and the entire venue cheers the song and sings along with it. When they performed Suntok sa Buwan and Leaving You—two of their hottest singles to date—the audience was in an uproar, and the tiny venue became a veritable Karaoke bar with Session Road songs on the playlist.

I loved their renditions and covers as well, and the way they performed them with such energy on stage was something infectious. Best of all, I could tell that they were really having fun on stage, having a laugh or two at each other’s expense and really having a blast mixing up lyrics, or switching roles or extending solo parts. And never once did they sing out of tune, or derail themselves off a beat… never once did they fail to entertain the audience with their brand of music.

So it is with fervent hope that some of you too may be able to catch them live some time soon. I guarantee a performance you will not regret…

On a personal note, I am a big fan of Sting and really hate it when artists perform a terrible version of his songs… but Hannah and company did him justice, performing “Roxanne”, one of my favorite songs of all time, just beautifully. I also loved their version of "Chain of Fools"(which, according to Javs is one of the few songs in their repertoire that really brings out the power of Hannah’s voice) “Are you Gonna Go My Way?” By Kravitz and of course all of their Marley renditions. Catch them on Wednesdays at Unplugged in Malate and on Thursdays at Xaymaca in Timog. Rock on!

For more photos of Session Road LIVE!, check out Laszlo's photo gallery. Attached photo taken from that gallery.

Did a review for this amazing new MMORPG... check it out here!

YEHEY!Games

I’m a hardcore gamer. And being one of the most influential video game series in this century, it’s no wonder that I and others like myself have been eagerly anticipating the release of the sequel. And from what I’ve witnessed… I am definitely sure they will not be disappointed.

First of all, there is definitely more action in the sequel than in the first movie. Just like the unspoken sequel rule for slasher movies where the body count should always be higher in the sequel, the same goes for action genre movies, where the intensity and fight sequences should be more invigorating, engrossing and over-the-top. Most of the action was utterly fast-paced and sitting near the screen of the cinema made things a little more difficult to understand than usual. Some sequences though—like the church sequence—were trying to mimic Matrix’ bullet time moves, and even if the style and choreography was different, the fact that you do a super-slo-mo with a rotating-camera-shot makes it a copy of something that’s already overused. A couple of years ago it was still cool—now it’s just old.

But I can overlook that small thing for the more obvious—that the action choreography in this movie is much, much better than the first and that it was more exciting to watch. Just like the tried and tested formula in the game series (labeled, fittingly enough as survival-horror), every quiet moment was nail-bitingly suspenseful, and every sequence where the protagonists were being chased, hunted and attacked by the monstrosities in the city was intense, heart-pounding and extremely electrifying.

Sad though was the fact that if you weren’t familiar with the first movie or even the game series, a lot of the smaller details would be lost in the translation. The story of the sequel is very blurry—too many characters intertwined in a complex conspiracy-theory-esque type of storyline. The introduction of the new characters just made it more elaborately complicated instead of expounding on an already obvious story plot from the first movie. Plus it was difficult to see which characters were important and which ones were just zombie-fodder.

But like I mentioned earlier, as an avid fan of the game series, I was very enthralled to see the characters from the game come to life brilliantly on-screen. Seeing Jill Valentine and Alice whoop it up and royally kick monster butt was amazing—it made me want to relive the entire series all over again! Although there are a lot of things different from the original game series to the movie version, the core of the story is still the same—just buried underneath all the individual characters and their conspiracies.

One final thing I have to say about RE2:Apocalypse—SEQUEL… let’s hope that, like the game series, it just gets better and better!

This is rock and Marc Abaya is the funkmesiter.

Kjwan’s riffs and beats are amazing… they really rev me up, like inciting a revolution among the masses. Marc Abaya’s style of music has always been like this. From the first time I heard his musical genius I already knew that his rockin’ style would go places. And now with Kjwan, teaming up with the likes of Jhoon, Kelly and Jorel (each person by the way playing an integral part in already popular groups in the local music scene, namely Kapatid, DictaLicense and Happy Meals), the sound is more complete—raw but full of intensity and seeping with experience—jarring but crisp.

The influences of each person shine forth in their self-titled debut album. And their music is truly a wonder to behold, track by track. From the aggressive riffs and vocals of “Daliri” and “Surface” to the sexy, groove-inducing beat of “Boomerang” to the slow and meaningfully uplifting ballad “My Dear”, their talent shows, and their ability to make real music, true music, is entirely evident.

Interestingly, they also insert snippets of recordings here and there. From wacky antics to raw, unedited jam sessions, they add personality—their personality—into the album. It does kind of remind me of when Pearl Jam first burst into the scene and came up with Ten—an album that you can listen to from end to end and not feel bored or synthetic.

There is no doubt in my mind that their music will last. And with this I highly recommend the album for all you hard core fanatics as well as those who just want to listen to the truth in music. Rock on!

Rico Blanco's songwriting skills get better and better with every album, every song, every endeavor in the music scene. Between the Stars and Waves is no exception as Rico takes Rivermaya's music to a whole different level.

Gone are the days when a song could be completed with just guitars, drums and vocals. In this album, you are given a sampling of the depth and versatility of Rivermaya as a band, and Rico as a songwriter-slash-arranger. Now the songs they play are full, crisp and loaded with inserts and fills placed at the right time, piano instrumentals that add life and emotion.

Their album might actually remind someone of early ColdPlay mixed with a dash of Radiohead. The songs' lyrics are full of emotion and intensity, from the easy-going melody of Sunday Driving to the heart-felt and almost tragic Balisong, which is already getting its full share of airplay in the local music scene.

I do feel somewhat hesitant to give it any higher a rating because of the fact that this is a highly versatile and talented band... and the songs on their album just didn't showcase that talent. First of all, Marc Escueta is one of the premiere percussionists in the Philippine music scene... in not one instance in the album could you feel the heart-pounding, groove-inducing rhythms of the Escueta drum machine... Next, I know for a fact the Mike Elgar, the band's new lead guitarist, is one of Philippine music's rock legends (in High School, he won the RJ Guitar Competition hands down two years in a row--and on the third year they asked him not to join anymore to give chance to other competitors). His guitar prowess wasn't very evident in their music, which for me is a waste of God-given talent.

On the other hand, I would agree (and I know I live by this adage as well when doing graphic design) that less is more... and maybe the reason why you could not see, hear or feel the complete range of talents in this band is because as it is, the arrangements of their compositions are already near-perfect. And as a band and songwriter, you have to know when your song or sound is too much, too thin or just right. So, even at the expense of their amazing talents, their music and their songs sound much better, more complete.

So if you like Rivermaya, you will not be disappointed with this album. It's a far cry from their very first album, but you will nonetheless be pleased at the overall feel of their music. And if you just want to listen to music that's not hard on the senses, and want to experience poetry in melody, Rivermaya's Between the Stars and Waves will take you there... happy listening and rock on!

"One long trip"

In the tradition of “Revenge of the Nerds”, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle chronicles the misadventures and rise to coolness of a couple of outsiders, Harold (that Asian guy from American Pie) and Kumar (that Indian guy from Van Wilder).

Ok. A few things about me so you can better understand why my review is so nice.

1) I love stoner movies. From “Half Baked” back then to “Super Troopers” today… I’d always end up laughing my ass off and never tire of watching them over and over again. I’ve an entire collection chock-full of stoner flicks… and there are days when the shizznitt has hit the fan that I just end up laughing (and eating) all my troubles away with one solid joint and a whole evening of “Kung Pow” or “Dude Where’s My Car?”.

2) I may be a film critic at heart, but when it comes to movies that are complete nonsense I tend to be more light-hearted and nonjudgmental. Besides, it’s different when a movie poses as some action flick wannabe and presents an entirely unrealistic scenario (think James Bond windsurfing out of harms way as mountains of polar caps fall into 100-degrees-below-zero water… pshaw!)

3) These movies tend to have a ton of sexual explicitness. And double breast exposure coupled with (pun intended) huge amounts of sexual innuendo, are definitely welcome.

4) They do not require you to think very much. In fact, I use more brain cells trying to figure out which foot goes into which shoe.

Now that we have those out of the way, I’d like to tell you why you should watch “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle” (HAKGTWC).

1) As stated above, if you loved “Dude Where’s My Car?” not only because you have a crush on Ashton Kutcher or Sean William Scott (or is it William Sean Scott? Or Scott William Sean? Scott Thomas William? WTF?!) but because you love letting go and LOLing (laughing out loud,) then HAKGTWC is for you…

2) If you are sexually repressed, HAKGTWC will definitely increase the repression, but in a good way. What with tons of “hot beeeatchez” and “human nekkidness” you will definitely have a “good time”. The last time I had this much fun watching nekkid chicks was when I saw “Eurotrip” (that scene when they were in the bathtub and the dude was telling the girl she had dirt on her… well you get the picture…) I mean seriously, place a really hot naked girl in a really whacked-up scenario and you’re bound to let loose a few giggles… (for some blokes maybe let loose a little more than that…)

3) Same writers as “Dude Where’s My Car?” – what harm can come of that? The story here is just as neurotic and out of this world (like getting high with a cheetah… CLASSIC!) but it’s all in good, clean, nonsensical fun.

4) Regardless of how stupid and degrading this movie can be for some people (I mean you lose a few points of IQ… but so what?) it actually has a moral! Never mess with the quiet Asian guy… or never underestimate the smart Indian guy… or when you believe in something, you should go ahead and reach for it, and never let a bunch of assholes ruin your day… just let it be… or be cool… or whatever! Yep, HAKGTWC has a moral alright… whatever it is is entirely up to you.

5) The cameos in this film are OUTRAGEOUS! I LOVED the Jamie Kennedy cameo the most! There was also Ryan Reynolds (from Van Wilder), Anthony Anderson that fat black dude in a lot of funny movies, and of course, NPH himself… Mr Doogie Howser… BWAHAHAHAHA! Damn that dude gets funnier and funnier.

What you won’t like about HAKGTWC though are the following things…

1) The Battle Shit sequence. Unless you’re a huge fan of toilet humor, like that time in “Not Another Teen Movie” where these 3 dudes (including the wannabe Asian dude) were peeping on a girl while she was… oh you get the picture…

2) You expect it to be as good as “Dude Where’s My Car?” It’s not as good because the novelty for the stoner movie genre has faded away, and the two guys here aren’t as funny as Ashton Kutcher and Sean Will… whatever!

3) If you’re totally against drugs and what it represents or have had no prior experience to marijuana and getting the munchies then from start to finish you may not “get it”. But it’s till good for few laughs…

4) The portrayal of Asians and Indians in this movie is soooo degrading. It may be the truth in most societies, but yes it can get very degrading. It pokes fun (pokes in a huge way I might add) at racial discrimination and stereotyping. So for some it may come as a shock… like Chris Rock kind of satire… crass and straight to the point but funny as hell.

5) Freakshow. Oh God. He’s now in my nightmares. *shiver*

6) The soundtrack. Not as cool or catchy or funny as “Dude” or as “Van Wilder” or “Old School” but yeah it had its moments. Especially in the extreme skater dudes’ truck. That was a trip as well.

So in sum, HAKGTWC is like reading the comics on Sundays, it may not all be funny, but because you’ve got nothing better to do and because you need to relax from time to time, sometimes you catch a gem of a comic strip and you end up laughing about it the rest of your life.

That’s how HAKGTWC is for me… it’s not a blockbuster movie, but it’s left me with a whole bunch of funny memories for the rest of my life (But the “Battle Shit” sequence has left me scarred for life though…) In any case, this movie is worth the money I spent. It’s best to watch it with fellow stoners. Recommended for those nights out with the boys.

“Thank you come again!”