2013 Recap: Movies I've Watched This Year

January

1. Life of Pi (2012) // Ang Lee
2. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) // Brad Silberling
3. Carnage (2011) // Roman Polanski
4. Crazy, Stupid Love (2011) // John Requa, Glenn Ficarra
5. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012) // Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
6. Love at First Hiccup (2009) // Barbara Topsoe-Rothenborg
7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) // Stephen Chbosky
8. Les Miserables (2012) // Tom Hooper
9. Pokemon:The Movie 2000 (1999) // Kunihiko Yuyama
10. Pokemon: Jirachi Wish Maker (2004) // Kunihiko Yuyama

February

1. Pokémon 4Ever - Celebi: Voice of the Forest (2001) // Kunihiko Yuyama
2. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) // David O. Russell
3. Pokemon 3: Spell of the Unown (2000) // Kunihiko Yuyama
4. When Harry Met Sally (1989) // Rob Reiner
5. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) // Wes Anderson
6. Pokemon Heroes: Latios and Latias (2002) // Kunihiko Yuyama
7. Tootsie (1982) // Sydney Pollack

March

1. Jeff Who Lives at Home (2011) // Jay and Mark Duplass
2. Pokemon: Zoroark: Masters of Illusions (2010) // Kunihiko Yuyama
3. Pokemon: Mewtwo Returns (2000) // Darren Dunstan and Kunihiko Yuyama
4. Howl (2010) // Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
5. Wreck-it Ralph (2012) // Rich Moore
6. Nowhere Boy (2009) // Sam Taylor-Wood
7. Rabbit Hole (2010) // John Cameron Mitchell
8. Backbeat (1994) // Iain Softley
9. A Hard Day’s Night (1964) //  Richard Lester

April

1. Yellow Submarine (1968) // George Dunning
2. The Others (2001) // Alejandro Amenabar
3. Pokemon: the Rise of Darkrai (2007) // Kunihiko Yuyama
4. Chapter 27 (2007) // Jarrett Schaefer
5. Grassroots (2012) // Stephen Gyllenhaal
6. Powder Blue (2007) // Timothy Linh Bui
7. Liberal Arts (2012) // Josh Radnor

May

1. Thelma (2011) // Paul Soriano
2. The Hunger Games (2012) // Gary Ross
3. Temptation Island (1980) // Joey Gosiengfiao
4. Ligo na U, Lapit na Me (2011) // Erick C. Salud
5. Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles (2012) // Erik Matti
6. The Road (2011)// Yam Laranas
7. Pokemon Black: Victini and Reshiram (2012) // Kunihiko Yuyama
8. Owl City: Live at Los Angeles (2011) // Mark Lucas
9. Project X (2012) // Nima Nourizadeh
10. I Do Bi Doo Bi Doo:  Heto nAPO Sila! (2012) // Chris Martinez

June

1. Pokemon White: Victini and Zekrom (2012) // Kunihiko Yuyama
2. Kyurem vs the Sword of Justice (2012) // Kunihiko Yuyama
3. Donnie Darko (2001) // Richard Kelly

July

1. Ruby Sparks (2012) // Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
2. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) //  Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
3. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) // Danny Boyle
4. Doubt (2008) // John Patrick Shanley
5. Religulous (2008) // Larry Charles
6. Pitch Perfect (2012) // Jason Moore
7. Bandslam (2009) // Todd Graff

August

1. The Da Vinci Code (2006) // Ron Howard
2. God Delusion (2006) // Richard Dawkins
3. Gone with the Wind (1939) // Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood
4. Angels and Demons (2009) // Ron Howard
5. Creation (2009) // Jon Amiel
6. Moulin Rouge (2001) // Baz Luhrmann
7. For Ellen (2012) // So Yong Kim
8. Life of Pi (2012) // Ang Lee
9. The Tourist (2010) // Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

September

1. Carrie (1976) // Brian De Palma
2. Fireproof (2008) // Alex Kendrick
3. Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) // Terry Jones

October

1. Pokemon Origins (2013) // Itsuro Kawasaki, Yukio Kuroda, Hideya Takahashi, Daiki Tomiyasu
2. Doremifasolasido (2008) // Kang Gyeon-Hyang
   
3. Before Midnight (2013) // Richard Linklater
4. From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) // Goro Miyazaki

November

1. Watership Down (1978) // Martin Rosen
2. Aparisyon (2012) // Vincent Sandoval
3. Another Day to Die Hard (2013) // John Moore 
4. Memento (2000) // Christopher Nolan
5. The Hunger Games: Cathing Fire (2013) // Francis Lawrence
6. The Hours (2003) // Stephen Daldry

December

1. Jane Eyre (2011) // Cary Joji Fukunaga
2. Invictus (2009) // Clint Eastwood
3. This is the End (2013) // Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
4. Geography Club (2013) // Gary Entin
5. Mean Girls (2004) // Mark Waters

Films - 2012

So I had a list of all the movies I've watched last year. 

1. Inception (2010) 
2. The Graduate (1967) 
3. Pokemon: The First Movie (1998) 
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) 
5. Roman Holiday (1953) 
6. Some Like it Hot (1959) 
7. Persepolis (2007) 
8. The Art of Getting By (2011) 
9. Wedding Daze (2006) 
10. Love and Other Drugs (2010) 
11. Kick-Ass (2010) 
12. Submarine (2010) 
13. Smurfs (2011) 
14. The Fountain (2006) 
15. Puss in Boots (2011) 
16. Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) 
17. The Muppets (2011) 
18. Sex is Zero 1 (2002) 
19. Five Centimeters per Second (2007) 
20. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) 
21. American Pie 7: Book of Love (2009) 
22. Sex is Zero 2 (2007) 
23. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) 
24. Iron Lady (2011) 
25. Secret World of Arrietty (2010) 
26. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) 
27. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 
28. Kabluey (2007) 
29. happythankyoumoreplease (2010) 
30. Thor (2011) 
31. Captain America (2011) 
32. The Time Machine (1960) 
33. Annie Hall (1977) 
34. Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010) 
35. No Strings Attached (2011) 
36. P.S. I Love You (2007) 
37. The Hunger Games (2012) 
38. Across the Universe (2007) 
39. Being John Malkovich (2007) 
40. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) 
41. 21 Jump Street (2012) 
42. 50/50 (2011) 
43. The Avengers (2012) 
44. Beginners (2011) 
45. The Five Year Engagement (2012) 
46. The Lucky One (2012) 
47. Little Manhattan (2005) 
48. Dark Shadows (2012) 
49. Hugo (2011) 
50. Law Abiding Citizen (2009) 
51. The Lorax (2012) 
52. It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010) 
53. American Pie 1 (1999) 
54. The Kids are All Right (2010) 
55. Like Crazy (2011) 
56. Take Me Home Tonight (2011) 
57. Your Highness (2011) 
58. My Week with Marilyn (2011) 
59. Happy Feet 2 (2011) 
60. Fireflies in the Garden (2008) 
61. Away We Go (2009) 
62. Bad Teacher (2011) 
63. Hop (2011) 
64. Jackass 3D (2010) 
65. Midnight in Paris (2011) 
66. The Dictator (2012) 
67. Water for Elephants (2011) 
68. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) 
69. Tangled (2010) 
70. Real Steel (2011) 
71. X-Men First Class (2011) 
72. Temptation Island (2011) 
73. Limitless (2011) 
74. The Vow (2012) 
75. Twelve (2010) 
76. This Means War (2012) 
77. Garden State (2004) 
78. Zombadings: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington (2011) 
79. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (2011) 
80. Lost in Translation (2003) 
81. Zombieland (2009) 
82. Stranger than Fiction (2006) 
83. The Raven (2012) 
84. Groundhog Day (1993) 
85. Wanderlust (2012) 
86. Careless Love (2012) 
87. Blue Valentine (2010) 
88. The Seven-Year Itch (1955) 
89. Legend of the Guardians: Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010) 
90. Horrible Bosses (2011) 
91. Never Let Me Go (2010) 
92. Conan the Barbarian (2011) 
93. Clash of the Titans (2010) 
94. Wrath of the Titans (2012) 
95. The Opposite of Sex (1998) 
96. The Whole Nine Yards (2000) 
97. Birds of America (2007) 
98. Not Suitable for Children (2012) 
99. My Blueberry Nights (2007) 
100. Woman in Black (2012) 
101. Tooth Fairy (2010) 
102. V for Vendetta (2005) 
103. The Truman Show (1998) 
104. The Three Musketeers (2011) 
105. Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Lightning Thief (2010) 
106. The Science of Sleep (2006) 
107. Marley and Me (2008) 
108. Winter’s Bone (2010) 
109. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) 
110. Johnny English Reborn (2011) 
111. Office Space (1999) 
112. Magic Mike (2012) 
113. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) 
114. Easy A (2010) 
115. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) 
116. Burn After Reading (2008) 
117. Interview with a Vampire (1994) 
118. Punch-Drunk Love (2002) 
119. Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997) 
120. Before Sunrise (1995) 
121. Before Sunset (2004) 
122. The Other Woman (2009) 
123. Coraline (2009) 
124. Attack of the 50ft Cheerleader (2012) 
125. Big Nothing (2006) 
126. Les Miserables (1998) 

Among them, this are my top twenty. (Probably my top twenty of all time)

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 
2. Before Sunrise (1995) 
3. The Art of Getting By (2011) 
4. Kabluey (2007) 
5. Being John Malkovich (2007) 
6. The Kids are All Right (2010) 
7. Like Crazy (2011) 
8. Never Let Me Go (2010) 
9. Limitless (2011) 
10. Lost in Translation (2003) 
11. Before Sunset (2004) 
12. Blue Valentine (2010) 
13. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) 
14. The Graduate (1967) 
15. Submarine (2010) 
16. Five Centimeters per Second (2007) 
17. My Week with Marilyn (2011) 
18. Burn After Reading (2008) 
19. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (2011)
20. happythankyoumoreplease (2010) 

Movie Watch

Being John Malkovich. 2007. Starring John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Kenner, and (you guessed it right!), John Malkovich, this comedy-drama-fantasy film explores the life of one guy named Craig Shwartz whose life changed when he discovered the portal to John Malkovich's life. His marriage was broken. His life became a miserable mess. And lost the life he so ever wanted to have -- the fame of John Malkovich. The plot is very surreal the writers are very imaginative. "How does it feel like to be somebody else?" They captured this line very well and portrayed it with perfection. The cast was very well casted. You could feel their emotions rushing to your veins. Thumbs up. The director indeed was great with this film. And so is the music. I rate this film 96%. Easily one of the best drama-comedies of all time.

Triple Move Treat

And here's to another batch of movies. I'm officially a movie buff.

P.S. I Love You. 2007.  This rom-com revolves around Holly (Hilary Swank) and Gerry (Gerard Butler). When Gerry died of brain tumor, Holly had a hard time moving until letters from Gerry were sent to her and does whatever the letter says. I got to say, this is one of the best rom-coms that I have ever watched. Not the greatest, but one of the best. It is a originally a novel written by Cecelia Ahern. The story was very unique of a rom-com. Imagine a dead husband still sending letters to his wife who had a hard time moving on. And with these letters, she ventured on many things. She lost her job, found another, went to places, get rid of things, bought new things and the like. The music was great as well. The background songs were very well chosen. I like the main song that the actors were singing. The actors. Well, they pulled off a great performance. You can feel their emotions, especially Hilary Swank. They can make you believe everything happened. I give this film 92%.

Hunger Games. 2012. Set in a dystopic era, this novel-turned movie explores the life Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and how she played during the 74th Hunger Games. I've personally read the book before watching the movie so as not to spoil myself, I imagined myself not having read the book yet. Great plot of the film, I have to say that it was faithful to the novel. They either had portrayed what I imagined, and/or exceeded my expectations. I know that the director made that sure, so as not to disappoint many fans of the book out there. Except for the costume Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) wore during the parade. I thought otherwise. The actors were also great. Leading them is Jennifer Lawrence with her exceptional portrayal of Katniss. The music was very well made. I cannot wait for it's sequel, Catching Fire. I grade this film 90%.

Across the Universe. 2007. Set during the Vietnam war, this musical film exploring a British man's life when he stepped foot to America. Jude (Jim Sturgess) who aboarded to USA went in search of his father. There he met Max (Joe Anderson), and Max's sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). From their place, they went to New York to discover life more. This film features songs written by the Beatles so except some singing to be done. I must say, the plot is a little disoriented and there are a bit unnecessary scenes in the film. There are too much characters being introduced here and there. The songs chosen were great considering the big song book of the Beatles. Great arrangements of the song as well. The actors were good both in singing and in acting. I give this film 85%.

Another Batch of Movies

Another batch of movies. :)

Annie Hall. 1977. Co-written, starred and directed by Woody Allen, this romantic comedy film is one of the best rom-coms I've  ever seen. Filled with witty jokes and endless antics, you would never stop laughing in this film. Of course, a trademark in this film is when Alvy Singer (Allen) would talk to the camera. Other times, he would approach walking strangers and talk to them as if they knew of his situation. When there is a flashback, they are present there. That is what I like about the film. The actors were amazing especially Diane Keaton who played Annie Hall. She was natural and gracious. Then there's Paul Simon. His role was funny and unimaginable. The plot was creative and simple. A divorced man and a woman dated and would break, then dated again, then would break. Then dated, then finally broke up but had signs that they might end up together again. I would rate this film 97%.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. 2010. Based on a graphic novel, this comedy-action film is about a Canadian boy named Scott Pilgrim (played by Michael Cera) and how he fought for the seven evil ex's of Ramona Flowers, the girl of his dreams. I was very much amazed by how the film looks like a moving comics, with the onomatopeic words flashing on the screen and others. The incorporation of the arcade-like scenes and the tokens were also amazing. The story was great, and the casting was perfect. I pretty much had a good laugh at the movie. The effects great I tell you. Too bad it was not a box office hit. It could have been though. I would give this film 96%.

No Strings Attached. 2011. Starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, this film revolves around two friends who involve themselves into some action without any relationships in between, thus the title No Strings Attached. In the end, they fell in love with each other. Simple and superficial plot with very good main actors (Portman in particular), I think this is a mediocre movie for me. Nothing spectacular where I will remember forever. I give this film 81%.

Another Movie Dose

Since it was almost a month since I last saw a movie, I started having marathons again.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. 2004. This Romantic-Comedy-Drama-Science fiction movie directed by Michael Gondry tells the tale of a guy named Joel (Jim Carrey) who went to a specialist to erase his memories with his ex-girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet), when he realized that she had also erased her memory of him. While the movie develops, we witness the memory of Joel with Clementine being shown while the specialist guys try to remove it from him. I have to say that this was by far the best movie I have ever watched. Everything was perfect. The cast were excellent. Carrey and Winslet were great in their own ways. The supporting cast were also good. The story was very creative for it was non-linear and very unique. The twist at the end was just magical! The music was very well chosen and created. I'd give this movie 100%. Anyhow, the title was derived from Alexander Pope's poem entitled Eloisa to Abelard. The stanza is here.

Kabluey. 2007. It’s a Comedy film written and directed by Scott Prendergast. It’s a tale of a broke guy named Salman (played by Prendergast) who stayed with his troubled sister-in-law, Leslie (played by Lisa Kudrow) and how he handled his life living with her and her two sons. The movie was awesome, and the humor was never-ending. The direction was great. Prendergast did a good job because there were new elements I’ve seen in this film. The story was great as well. You’ll laugh, you’ll be depressed, you’ll be in awe with the story as it develops. The actors were good also. I rate this film 96%.


happythankyoumoreplease. 2010. Written and directed by Josh Radnor, this Comedy-Drama film tells the tale of New Yorkers and their struggles in love, friendship and many other more. Overall, this film is great, with a light plot and great acting. Radnor’s direction was great though this was his directional debut. The music was great! What I love about these kind of film is the music. Overall, I’d rate this 88%.





Thor. 2011. The movie is about a superhero named Thor starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, and Anthony Hopkins. According to Wikipedia, this movie tells the story of Thor, the crowned prince of Asgard, who  is exiled from his homeland to Earth. While there, he had this relationship with Jane Foster, a scientist. However, Thor stops his brother Loki, who intends to become the new king of Asgard. Overall, the movie is good. The special effects were great especially the fight scenes. Great fight scenes by the way. The actors were good. Natalie Portman is already a long-time favorite of mine and she still portrayed the role of Jane Foster well. The story also includes humor, which adds balance to the action film. Over-all, I give the movie 84%.

Captain America. 2011. Another superhero film starring Chris Evans as Captain America/Steve Rogers with Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, and Stanley Tucci. The plot is set during the World War II. The movie is about a thin and sickly Steve Rogers who wanted to be a soldier but due to his condition, he cannot. However, because of Science and the Stark technology, he magically transformed into a fit, muscular, and strong guy. At first, he became the mascot of America until he defied his boss and fought for liberty and justice. Comparing Thor to Captain America, I prefer the latter better because this film has more action and has better story line. The special effects were great as expected. I give this film 87%.

The Time Machine. 1960. This science fiction film tells the tale of a man named George (Rod Taylor) who invented a time machine and used it himself. This caused him to travel through time. However, he traveled long enough to reach a new civilization where he met Weena, the Eloi and the Morlocks. Trying to go back to his own time, he discovered that the machine was gone. After battling the Morlocks and saving the Elois, he retrieved the machine and went back to his time, only to return to Weena afterwards. This novel-turned-movie is great in terms of special effects, acting and the story. The special effects was already ahead of its time. The actors were great, and the story was good, I was jumping up and down watching it. Though the story of a new blonde civilization in a green paradise is a bit absurd and the presence of Morlocks is impossible, the whole plot is amazing. I give this film 87%.

Four Movies

I watched the four movies that I've downloaded lately.


Forgetting Sarah Marshall. 2008. It's a romantic-comedy regarding a guy named Peter Bretter who found it hard to get over her showbiz ex-girl friend, Sarah Marshall. He decided to go to Hawaii to freshen up, but found Sarah Marshall with her new boyfriend Aldous Snow. He later got over her, with the help of Rachel Jansen, the front-desk officer at the hotel and soon to be his new girl friend. I always loved romantic comedies and as much as possible, I give a commendable response to them. This movie is one of those who stands out. The story is good, the scenes of Hawaii are breath-taking, I could hear myself loud unlike other comedies. The actors were every good, especially Jason Segel from HIMYM. The music are very humorous, especially the songs of the opera that Peter made. One shocking scene from the film is Jason Segel's frontal nudity. No one expected that coming. Haha. Overall, this movie is great. I grade this 91%.

Iron Lady. 2011. It's a loose biographical tale of the rise and fall of the former Prime Minister of UK, Margaret Thatcher. The role was played by Meryl Streep, a role which garnered her her Fifth Oscars for Best Actress. I commend all the actors who played their roles very well and very efficient, especially to Meryl Streep. No doubt, she would pull the role off, as always. I also commend those who made Streep look accurately like Thatcher. For a minute, you think that Thatcher was really portraying herself. What I do not like from the movie is the story itself. I think that the Flashback method is not that effective since the story of Thatcher does not fit the method. I would prefer a timeline of events to better understand her story. I don't know. I give this movie 83%.

Secret World or Arrietty. 2010. This is film based on the book, "The Borrowers." It's about Arrietty, a Borrower, who lived below the house where Sho, a sickly 10-year old boy stays. She eventually became friends with Sho, the reason why their family had to live their old house and find a new one. They cannot be seen by humans. When Haru, the housemaid knew of the little people, she trapped Arrietty's mother in a jar and called for pest control. However, with the teamwork of Arrietty and Sho, her mother was saved and everything went back to normal. In the end, Arrietty and her family left their old home to find a new one. I was deeply shocked by the ending. I was expecting for a happy ending, when Arrietty's family would live inside the doll house. Overall, the movie is great, the story is great, and the characters are actually moving, unlike any other animes. It's actually produced by Studio Ghibli. I would give this film 97%.


My Neighbor Totoro. 1988. My brother asked my to download this and so I did. I did not know this until a while ago and as deeply thankful for my brother. I loved this film. It's about Satsuki and Mei's encounter with Totoro when they moved to a new home. Everything was going well until there was a bad news from the hospital where their mother is and Mei was lost. With the help of Totoro and the cat bus, Satsuki was able to find Mei and went to their mother. The movie was perfectly great. The animation is pretty much like the movie Spirited Away, since they were created both by the great Miyazaki. It's also produced by Studio Ghibli, the studio behind Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies and the Secret World of Arrietty. That's why they have the same eyes and have the same way of crying. Man, respect! Haha. Overall, I would grade this film 99%. (Wow, my highest grade so far.)

I've watched some Movies! *yey!*

Over the past few weeks, I have watched movies because I do not have anything to do. To review them, here they are.

The Fountain. 2006. I just had to watch another Darren Aronofsky film. His films are very quite unique from the others. So this movie stars Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz (though at first I thought it was Brooke Shields, but nah, she's too old for the role). What is unique to this film is that the story is divided into three sub-stories where the two leads have different characters each. The first being a conquistador and his queen, the second being a scientist and his sick wife, and the third being a space traveler and a tree. The story is very complicated and a mind like mine really was hard-up comprehending this film, but did understand it in the end. The actors were so good in portraying the roles, the twists were so unpredictable, the plot was really unpredictable, no one knew what would happen next unless they watch it. The part after he drinks the sap of the tree of life was so disturbing because, imagine a leaves sprouting out of a man? Just disturbing. I grade this film: 91%.

Puss in Boots. 2011. Combine wit, remarkable animation, and a cat in a movie equals perfection. The plot is unpredictable because it was really unexpected that Humpty Dumpty was a villain who was taking revenge on Puss. It was unpredictable that everyone -- even Jack and Jill -- was his companion and that everything was planned all along. I like the way how they mixed many nursery rhymes and children's tales together, like Shrek. Plus points to Antonio Banderas for voicing Puss in Boots. And yeah, I almost forgot, they can never take the cute pity eyes of Puss, can't they. Just adorable. I'd give this movie: 90%.





Pirates of Silicon Valley. 1999. If you want to watch a movie about Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, this is a perfect movie for you. It recounts the lives of the two powerhouses of computers since the 70s but it's quite inaccurate and quite exaggerated (since it's a film). It recounts how Jobs and Gates ambitiously paved the way to the top from their lowly houses. It's amazing how I've learned a lot about Apple and Microsoft without actually reading but watching. Another plus is for the actors. According to what I've read, they portrayed their roles very well, they pulled it off. They also look like those they portray. Isn't that amazing? Also, I like how they made the 70s part of the film so 70s. I feel for that time that it was really a 70s film, but it's not. Another unique thing about this film is how they broke the fourth wall. Two of the Steves on the movie talked to the audience especially the part where Gates was talking to the people from IBM. They would freeze but Steve Ballmer won't and he would stand up, closed up and talk. Really, a must watch film! I give this movie: 91%.

The Muppets. 2011. Call me anything you want, but this is actually the second Muppets movie I've watched. If not for our Christmas tapes where the Muppets sang with John Denver, I never should have known them. The reason why I watched it is because I want to know more about the Muppets, and the second reason is that, Jason Segel is the main actor. You know, Marshall from How I met your Mother. The movie is about reuniting the Muppets together and perform a show to stop the villain from turning their Studios into an oil depot or something. The movie altogether is great. The plot is quite unpredictable, the presence of nice musical numbers, the witty and unintended and intended comedy acts, and the overwhelming cameos. This film would reach to the young generations because they know Muppets the least. The actors were great as always. It's 93% for me.


Sex is Zero I. 2002. If you want to watch an Asian version of American Pie, then this is the right movie for you. It's about the twists and turns of some guys in Korea. The main character, Eun-sik, would try all the things he can to impress Eun-hyo. They eventually ended up together in the end. The movie is intended for adults because there are lots of inappropriate scenes there, and a lot of boobs too. Amid those, the love story is quite nice. I grade this movie 81%.







Five Centimeters per Second. 2007. I haven't watched any of this sort since Grave of the Fireflies. The movie is entirely about Takaki and Akari. It's subdivided into three episodes: (1) "Cherry Blossom," which is about Takaki and Akari's meeting after a long time and Takaki's struggles to get there; (2) "Cosmonaut," which is about how Kanae dealt her feelings towards Takaki; and (3) "5 Centimeters per Second," which is pretty much made up of montages of Takaki and Akari's dream and what happened many years after they last saw each other. Takaki pretty much forgot about Akari already and Akari was getting married. I was pretty much impressed by the animation of the film. It's very intricate and very eye-catching. The plot is just awesome. If you want to cry over a cartoon, this could be a good film for you. With the title like that, you would not expect what would happen between the lives of the two protagonists. The music is just pleasing I would give it 10 thumbs up if possible! I grade this film 97%.


Monthy Python and the Holy Grail. 1975. It's good that I've watched another British film, this time, it's a comedy with a bit of musical, blasphemy, and satire, and a whole lot of knights in shining armors. It's a story of King Arthur and his search for the Holy Grail. I love this film because it's so new and unique and very funny. Though there are few awkward moments, it's pretty much a laugh-fest all through out the film. I never saw the ending coming though. It was out of my mind. Another original of this film is that they inserted modern acts on a medieval-themed movie. I find this movie somewhat blasphemous though. The grenade bomb which they used was sacred. Their representation of Jesus was very scary. Well, it makes the movie good though. I do not need to tell the whole story. I recommend this film to all those who who wants a great comedy movie that does not suck. I commend the intro credits because at the very start of the show, instead of impatiently waiting for the credits to end, you already have laughed a lot. Great! I grade this movie 89%.

American Pie 7 (Book of Love). 2009. This is the first American Pie movie I have ever watched. Amid the inappropriate scenes and words, the plot is okay. Yes. It's this another-teenage-American-movie so we all know where's this leading. It's about three guys who wanted to experience it. They, then, found a Bible and did almost everything there, all to their surprise that almost everything failed. The actors portrayed their characters quite well, and the big moose is greatly done.  I rate this film 80%.






Sex is Zero 2. 2007. This is the sequel to the Sex is Zero 1 (obviously). Majority of the cast came back, however, Eun-sik had a new lead lady Kyung-ah. They met at the hospital. I like their love story and how firm they are to each other amid all the things happen to them and around them. It's a happily ever after between the two of them. The actors were good, and there are still many boobs. Though critics say that the first is better than this, in my opinion, I like this better. It's more funny and has better plot. I can recall that one of my companions shed a tear after watching this film. I rate this film 83%.



Man that's so many movies!

Smurfed up

I guess, this is one of my most unproductive days of this year (except for the fact that I ate a lot this dinner, which made my day well, kinda productive, in a mere negative way). So, anyway, since I did not have anything to, well, I grabbed my hard drive and started to watch Smurf.

Smurf is a 2011 movie with (the) Neil Patrick Harris starring the show together with Jayma Mays. Hey, it's like Barney and Emma are together, more like How I met your mother and Glee combined together. Well, not really. Fun fact, Glee and How I Met Your Mother are my two favorite shows of all time (aside from Pokemon).

Neil's name here is Patrick (whoa?!) and Jayma's name here is Grace. They're a couple living in New York expecting a baby sooner. But they're lives got crazier when they met the Smurfs.

Now the plot is very, very predictable. I have watched it in many of movies before. Be warned. It's like the movie Hop, for example wherein the clumsy and gawky protagonist would be the savior of some sort.

So the movie is all about the Smurfs being transported to this world from their world because Gargamel, a nasty wizard, is chasing them. Really? Catching them means ruling the world. Did he just chase the fewer more powerful ones, when he could just follow the rest of the Smurfs who went the other way and catch them easily? But if that happens, then the there would be no movie at all.

They landed on some good fellas: Patrick and Grace. Now, for the whole movie, I only saw Barney and Emma, and not Patrick and Grace. Maybe because I have watched too much Glee and HIMYM. Hahah. But honestly, they were the ones who made the movie stand up, especially Neil.  His acting was natural and very outstanding. Though he did not wear much suits, he's acting was still commendable. Now Patrick here was promoted as the VP for Marketing. He was supposed to make an advertisement for their company, but because of Clumsy, the wrong file was sent. He was almost fired because of this, but was retained when his boss saw a blue moon. Grace, on the other hand, is pregnant to a boy which they later named Blue.

Now, to solve this problem, the Smurfs would need a stargazer and a book of spells. It was not easy getting those two, especially when you're being chased by kids (who thought you're a toy) or being chased by Gargamel. They almost succeeded with the book of spells but the oldest Smurf was captured and because of his beard, Gargamel became more powerful, to the point of making the moon blue. But because of Clumsy, who was clumsy enough to get the wand of Gargamel and shooting him, Clumsy became the instant hero of the day. Soon, everyone celebrated and returned to the village.

THE END.

Now, I did not like the plot so much because it was too predictable and mirrors some other movies out there. One positive thing though are the actors. It's a plus! Katy Perry. It's a plus! Neil Patrick Harris. It's a plus!My grade for this movie would be 77%. Sorry guys (the creators), I was not that satisfied. Well, at least I enjoyed it pretty well.

Wrapping Up.

Time to wrap up all the movies I've watched within a two-day span from yesterday until now.

So we have one animated movie, four romantic comedies (the one is kinda  sliding down a bit, going to the drama genre), and one action-packed movie.

and i watched movies (part 3)

My Rating for Roman Holiday: 91%.

My Rating for Some Like it Hot: 93%.

and i watched movies (part 2)

My movie craving did not stop with two movies. As what I have said in my earlier post, I watched six movies for the past days.


This post would be my reviews on: Pokemon the First Movie and Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides.

and I watched movies (Part 1)

So this past few days, I have been -- like my brother described me -- a movie buff. I have watched six different movies in weeks. Well, that's something to be proud off.

For this post, I'll be writing two of the six movies I've watch: Inception, and The Graduate.

My review for this six movies will be something different for I will not bluntly state the plot of these movies. I'll just state the salient points of them.

Brace Yourself. I'm bad at making reviews.

A wrapped up Year end Report

Okay, this year has been a very fruitful one. There has been many euphoric moments as there are also dysphoric moments (let's include the whatever moments. hahaha). Let's wrap up this year 2011 with things to remember for the rest of my goddamn life.

I hope this would become my yearly tradition as I end a year.

The Avengers

The Avengers. I'm so mindfucked right now. Haha. I don't know what mindfuck means, but when I'll do, I know I'm really mindfucked right now. Haha. Anyways, I came across a piture from 9gag. At first, I thought, "Please, Photoshop LVL 100." But, then, I was kind of convinced that it was true. So, I checked Google out. And so I was wrong. I was stunned by the big names and familiar superheroes that flashed before me.

Okay.


Ironman.

Incredible Hulk.

Captain America. (Though I've never watched the movie yet, I've watched the cartoons of this before.)

Thor. (Never watched it, but familiar with it.)

SCARLETT JOHANSSON! as Black Widow.

COBIE SMULDERS aka Robin Scherbatsky on How I met your Mother as Maria Hill.

Samuel L. Jackson.


Okay!

A star-studded, hero-loaded, fight-bombarded, and plot-charged film. I'm so watching this next year! I'll do every possible mean to watch this. If I don't forget to watch this film, I'm so gonna kill myself. Okay, not literally. HAha.

What to expect from this film?

I think it's gonna be finished with many question marks on my face. Why? Because of the number of main characters with different characteristics and storylines, there would be some lapses and unended plots. I mean, so, they live on other cities and they would immediately meet on one place and would fight together? Haha. How would that be enough for 1hour and 50 minutes? Hello?

Okay, it's too early to judge. I'm fucking excited! :D

The Virgin

On this day, ohh Beautiful Mother, on this Day, we give thee our lives.

December 8 is chosen as the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. 


According to Wikipedia,the Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin.


The solemnity is celebrated on December 8 and is one of the mandatory days outside the Sunday masses wherein Catholics are obliged to attend mass.


At school, we took part in the celebration of the day. We had our school mass. I knew from the start that it was going to be a normal mass. From the readings, to the offertory, to the communion. However, what was extraordinary during the mass was when we sang one of the communion songs. We were singing that song with all our hearts, but then, when that line was sung by us, it was as if, it hit me like an arrow. Some tears covered my eyes. It never fell down, because I stopped it from rolling. I know I've sang this song like a million times already, but it was only that time that I was deeply moved by the song, so much that it left me teary eyed. I love the Lord, it said repeatedly on all verses. 



I wanted to let them repeat this song again, but it they didn't. After all, if they did, I might be crying in front of the microphone already, and be embarrassed in front of thousands of students waiting in line to receive Jesus Christ through the host. Well, I could listen to it all the time, though.


I just love the Lord.


Well, after that mass, we had our group sharing of what and how our Church looks like and what our role is for the Church. There plenty of sharings. It was a pretty boring discussion and we're so glad that it finished fast. I might have taken a slumber if it went on slower than usual. Hah. Hah. 

In celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we had a chance to watch one of the greatest love stories ever told and was portrayed in a movie. The Nativity Story is one heck of a movie to cherish forever. Majority of those were not in the Bible, however, it was very realistic which makes me think that it's a pretty accurate to what really happened. 


I was struck by the Nativity Scene wherein Joseph was the one who helped Mary deliver the baby Jesus. It was very heartwarming. Hah. Hah. I was also amazed by how the three magi computed for the exact time for the star. Everything was very good! I can't find any wrong on the show. 


I was disappointed by the tomato meter of this. It's just 38%! Gosh. I can't believe it. Ohh, well, it's they're own opinion of the movie. If I were to rate this movie, it would be 89%.


After watching the movie, we had our living rosary, the twisted way.


Instead of the usual, Holy Mary, we twisted it in a way that we pray for each country. For example, we would say, "Holy Mary, Queen of Virgins, pray for Canada, now and at the hour of our death, Amen." Isn't that nice? Pray for 50 countries around the world with Mary as the one we pray for. 


On this day, I would like to pause for a while and thank Mary for being so humble and obedient. She serves as an example for all of us. I would like to thank Mary for bearing Jesus Christ. It caused our salvation. I thank Mary for being a good wife to Joseph and being with him during those times. She's the first woman I have ever loved. Who knew what have happened to us without Mary, the Mother of God.

Sorcerer and Me

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

It’s a great movie! From the effects, to the story. Everything was just damn perfect.

I’ve heard many reviews saying it was a good movie, and I was to prove it wrong (because I’m really not a Nicolas Cage fan), but I failed. It really was a very fantastic movie!

What I really love about the movie is the humor. I almost laughed at every moment of the movie. It’s not because of slapstick humor (which is not at all present in the movie), but the conversational humor in which the ones that are funny are their dialogues.

I also love how they portrayed the Sorcerer’s Apprentice (the part when the apprentice uses his power to command the brooms to fix the room). I have watched a few versions of this, most memorably that of Disney’s. But, the portrayal in the movie worked a lot and it was very funny, yet very novel. It was very great, indeed.

I loved the effects so much that I’m just so speechless. It was very good! But what I liked most is the part where Cage throws water to the villain, in a slow motion. This scene happened at the railway. I was stupefied, really!

I also liked how I predicted a plot and it never happened. It only means that the movie was unpredictable, though I predicted from the start that it would have a happy ending. Disney movies always have good endings, don’t they? Haha.

But, what I really, really admire about the movie is the lesson. You don’t have to be handsome and cool to get a girlfriend. Sometimes, being weird catches a girl’s heart. I’m not that weird, I’m just not cool, and handsome. Maybe, because of my uncoolness, a girl would fall for me (hoping to be the one I love – if there is, but right now, there is no one). However, I know, it’s from a movie, and not all things that happen on movies happen in real life. But, who knows, maybe some beautiful blonde girl would be my first girlfriend. There would be silver eagles flying in mid-air. There would be changing cars. There would be reverse worlds, and stuff.

Who knows?

Ahh. Such a good movie. If I were to rate it, I would give it an 85% rating.

3.141592653589793..... or simply put, PI

I finished a movie speechless and in awe, but I never understood it at all.

I never planned to watch Pi (1998) since my first notion of the movie was about numbers (3.141521….) and I hate Math. However, I thought that, if it is Darren Aronofsky’s work, it must be great. I’ve already watched two of his films and those were great (Requiem for a Dream [2000] and Black Swan [2010]), so this forced me to watch Pi.

And my impression was right. The movie was filled with numbers I never understood. But numbers aside, I find it interesting. From the direction, to the story, to the intense music, and the great actors, this movie is a complete package! And the fact that it’s in black and white adds to the thrill of the movie.

It’s true that I never quite understood the plot. But based on what I internalized about the film, it talks about a very intelligent man with very bright ideas. In his apartment are computers and all he did was to take all this numbers. Thus, this ruined his life. He got in trouble with the Jewish, and the stock market people. He lost track of the 216 numbers. Aside from that, his unknown sickness added to the drama. His hand shakes and he screams like a little boy. And then, he faints and when he wakes up, his nose is bleeding. He also had this mark on his right side of his head which he drilled in the ending.

I recommend this to be watched before someone dies. Why? Simple. It’s excellent. A YouTube comment even said that Pi is better than Inception and the latter is also a good movie (according to others, though. I still haven’t watched it but I plan to). If I were a critic at rottentomatoes.com, I would say this as a fresh tomato, and rate it as 95%.

Hachiko

A while ago, I got bored.

I did not watch television; I do not want to watch replay reality shows.

I did not play Pokémon; I have no game to play.

I did not sleep; I woke up late so I was not sleepy.

And so I thought, there are movies on my laptop. So I opened my laptop and scanned my list of movies. Then, there came Hachiko. At first, I was planning to watch the movie Inception but I watched Hachiko instead.

And so the movie started. At first, I was bored by the classroom scene, but, the next events turned out to be exciting. There were some parts of the movie where I thought it would turn out to be bad, but I was actually wrong. For instance, I thought that Parker and his wife would separate because of the dog, but, the otherwise happened. I thought that the hotdog vendor was not that necessary, but, he turned out to be one of the significant characters.

And then, the unexpected parts came.

After Parker died, I did not expect myself crying with tears falling down from my eyes. Yes I cried over other movies (two movies to be exact – A Walk to Remember and Grave of the Fireflies) but, this one was the most intense. I pity Hachi for waiting for his deceased master on the train station. He did it for ten years. Though the movie did not show how he died or what happened next, we don’t need to mind about that already.

Another scene that made me cry was the part when Mrs. Wilson saw Hachi at the train station again. I do not know why the scene was worth crying at, but, I did. Maybe it was a reunion between two old friends. That’s why I cried.

Another aspect of the movie which made me depressed was Mrs. Wilson’s life after Parker’s death. In the movie, on one night, they were happily on bed together, but the next day, Parker was gone. Mrs. Wilson cries, but Hachi still went back to the train station.

I already knew the real story of Hachiko because it was our lesson in class before, but I never knew they made it this beautiful and good. I would curse rottentomatoes.com if this movie was rotten. I would rate this movie 89%.

And so, the boring afternoon turned out well, with teary and soring eyes.

GO WATCH IT!