MOVIEHOUSE MADNESS: Dementia (2014)

"MOVIEHOUSE MADNESS" is when I review films currently shown in theaters. Also, I rarely watch new releases in the cinemas, but when I do, there are always face-palming incidences that make me regret going. So humor me and let me tell you what I think before you waste your ticket money, while refreshing your memory of the ABCs of movie house etiquette!

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT:  A rarity in Pinoy horror genre, Dementia stays away from blood & hysterics, instead, it capitalizes on the gothic setting & tension. Nora Aunor blows us away with her mesmerizing non-verbal performances, that we pardon the average plot  - something that the usual nitpicking critic will tear apart if it wasn't for Aunor's superb acting and Intalan's impressive direction.

Directed by: Percival Intalan (directorial debut)
Screenplay/Story:  Renei Dimla, Jun Lana
Starring:  Nora Aunor, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Bing Loyzaga, Yul Servo, Chynna Ortaleza

It's so hard for me to take Filipino horror films seriously what with their typical borrowed Hollywood formula that fails so miserably, cheap CGI & scare tactics, and untalented actors mainly cast for their face value/celebrity status more than anything else, to cite a few reasons. I remember laughing so hard at Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay or Dalaw (at Kris Aquino, more than anything else), that my mind registers "comedy" whenever I see a Pinoy horror movie showing in the cinemas. Dementia, is something else.

Sana Dati (2013): IF ONLY we have more of these films instead of our usual dose of Love/Sex/Cheat-All-You-Can mainstream melodrama.

It's so rare for me to rave about a Pinoy movie, but that's not to say that there aren't any good Filipino movies out there. Obviously there are, somewhere, out there - but the ones shown in theaters are either downright silly or blatant money-milking franchises that it makes me cringe knowing that the Philippine Cinema is eating dust from other Asian countries because the movie industry continues to spurt turd after turd of soulless movies simply because it's what the majority of the audience wants.

It's only sometimes that I watch local movies, but when I do, I try to find quality films. Most of it I couldn't see even if I wanted to. But sometimes, just sometimes, I manage to find such gems and it makes my soul cry to witness such beauty and yet it goes unnoticed by most of us. I have raved about Erik Matti's On the Job, but I'm here to talk about another film.

Screenplay & Directed by:  Jerrold Tarog
"If Only" (with english sub)
Running Time: 100 mins
Country: Philippines 

Sana Dati is a 2013 romantic drama film by Jerrold Tarog, as the final installment of his Camera trilogy (which I haven't seen), and which competed in the prestigious Cinemalaya festival and reaped raves and awards, one of which is Best Film.

I'm so glad I have managed to see this and I wish that it gets a wider release. While watching, I wonder why we can't get such films of this quality a mainstream release. I wonder why people continue to ignore films which gives us stories that pluck at the innermost strings of our emotions, and yet feed such drivel that only have pseudo-witty one-liners and slapstick humor and shameless product placements. It's a pity.

What I like about this film is its simplicity. I'm not saying it lacks depth or sophistication because it also has that. Sana Dati is a quiet beauty. Everything is natural. The acting is heartfelt, the script is striking, the cinematography is beautiful, and the direction is simply masterful.

SOME RECENT MOVIES: The Raid 2, 300: Rise of an Empire, Oculus

Here are my reviews of The Raid 2, 300: Rise of an Empire, and Oculus

THE RAID 2 (BERANDAL)

Written, Edited, & Directed by:  Gareth Evans
Running Time: 150 mins
Budget: $4.5 million
Box Office: $5.2 million
*subtitled*

Large-scale, more ambitious, yet as tight & tense as the first one - Berandal is a must-see even for those who aren't into Asian movies. If The Raid hasn't changed your mind, this one will.

This is best seen uncut and subbed. Never watch a foreign movie with English dub.

I really loved The Raid despite the lack of plot & dialogue. I couldn't imagine how Gareth Evans could up the ante and make an equally engaging action movie. Now, obviously trying for complexity & character development, Evans serves us, not only a platter, but a buffet of interesting characters, unending action & gore, and a storyline that's bigger than a dilapidated building with cramped hallways. It may take several minutes into the film to be able to memorize all those names (especially if you're also trying to recall the names in the first film) but hey you know what? It doesn't matter. The minute the action starts, every little detail in your mind melts as you witness an insane amount of bone-crunching, blood-spurting, throat-gashing, jaw-breaking, ball-breaking, hammer-gouging scenes for more than two hours. While that amount of time may usually be a weakness to typical action flicks as they may need some time to cool down, Berandal just keeps on going and going and going with the same intensity as when it started - that is if not more.

The Grandmaster (2013)

In a nutshell:  We get to see another film based from the life story of grandmaster Ip Man (or better known as the teacher of Bruce Lee) and yet more than 50% of the film is NOT about Ip Man. It's about Gong Er and her family legacy. lol.

Directed by:  Wong Kar-wai
Story by:  Wong Kar-wai
Starring:  Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi
Music by:  Shigeru Umebayashi, Stefano Lentini
Cinematography by:  Philippe Le Sourd (Seven Pounds)
Editing by:  William Chang
Running Time:  130 mins (Chinese Cut)

This is the first Wong Kar-wai film I have watched and I was excited. So I clicked the remote and hit PLAY with high expectations. The first scene (and Razor's, somewhere in the latter half of the film) I thought was very reminiscent of the Matrix trilogy - I even half-expected Agent Smith (or Agent Chang, whatever lol)  to appear out of nowhere to kick Asian Neo in a fedora in the butt. Of course, I discover soon that Yuen Woo-ping is the action choreographer for both The Grandmaster & The Matrix.

Onto the review. I'm all for non-linear films, I've seen big head scratchers like that, but this one just takes the cake with all the icing & the big fat cherry on top for being the most unnecessarily disjointed narrative I've seen so far! And it didn't even need to be that back & forth, up & down, round & round complicated with the flashbacks, timeline and all. It's not confusing if you pay attention, but it does take you out of your comfort zone once in a while when you try to follow with the timeline. But yeah, The Grandmaster is a beautiful film, no doubt about that. I was stunned by how visually and even thematically appealing it is to me. I love how Kar-wai has given depth to his characters. Though I think he overindulges himself sometimes.

(Back 2 Back) OLDBOY: Park Chan-wook VS. Spike Lee

Back 2 Back is my comparison review of an original film and its remake/s. 

In this post, I will be reviewing Park Chan-wook's Oldboy (2003), and Spike Lee's 2013 version.

 Loosely based on the Japanese manga, Old Boy, written by Nobuaki Minegishi & Garon Tsuchiya

      (2003) Directed by:  Park Chan-wook                                     (2013)  Directed by:  Spike Lee
       Starring: Choi Min-Sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung                         Starring: Josh Brolin, Sharlto Copley, Elizabeth Olsen
       Running Time:  120 mins                                                           Running Time:  104 mins                                                                      Budget:  $3 million                                                                      Budget:  $30 million
       Box Office:  almost $15 million                                                Box Office:  almost $5 million

Let me just say this first: NO I don't care that a remake of Oldboy has been done. I have stopped hating on remakes for awhile now. To those who keep on saying that it's a disgrace to the original blah blah (and I'm speaking generally here), that the original should never ever ever have been re-made etc. etc., all I can say is this: remakes, however unnecessary, are inevitable & to be expected. There will always be other attempts to re-create or surpass what we deem as an already great work of art. Why? Because humans are perfectionists.. or we just love to rip off stuff (and by we, I mean Hollywood). And while the remakes are usually sub-par & disappointing, to me, that's part of the fun. It only makes the original shine brighter, and those who haven't even heard of it in the first place might be curious enough to want to watch it - and isn't that a good thing? Lastly, a bad remake would never be a disgrace to the original because they are two separate films, made by different directors, with different casts - the only one disgraced or put in a bad light is the one who made the remake. So guys, chill!

Now let's talk about the movies.

I'll go straight to the point. There's no contest here, the 2003 version is a masterpiece, and obviously the superior film between the two. I'm pretty sure anyone who have seen both movies will agree and won't need any convincing. 

But just humor me, here are the reasons why the South Korean film is great, while the Hollywood remake is just average at best.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

This was recommended to me by my good friend Robbie, and while I was grateful for discovering another great film, I also wanted to sucker punch him in the face. A million times! Why? 

"Hotaru no haka"
Written & Directed by:  Isao Takahata
Based on the 1967 semi-autobiographical novel by Akiyuki Nosaka
Music by:  Michio Mimiya
Cinematography by:  Nobuo Koyoma
Editing by:  Takeshi Seyama
Running Time:  89 mins

Because this is one of the most heartbreaking films I have ever seen in my life. To think that this is a cartoon, I mean, why don't they just stick to that wonderful concept that animations are supposed to entertain? 

There are sad movies and I have seen quite a few. Yes, they make me shed a few tears, but after that, I shrug it off and mumble "Good film! Onto the next one!". Then there's Grave of the Fireflies. A movie in a category of its own. A story filled with grief beyond expectations. A film that after watching it, I tell myself "I don't want to watch something like this anytime soon. Please noooo!"

On The Job (2013)

I can't wait for the Hollywood remake, not because I think they will make a better OTJ (nah! this one is already perfect.) but I'm just excited to see a well-deserving Filipino movie recognized and introduced to a bigger audience. Universal Pictures already acquired the rights for OTJ and the remake will be written, directed, and produced by Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormakur (2 Guns), with Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) as a possible casting choice for the role of Tatang.

Directed by:  Erik Matti (Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, Rigodon)
Written by:  Michiko Yamamoto, Erik Matti
Music by:  Erwin Romulo
Cinematography:  Francis Ricardo Buhay III
Editing by:  Jay Halili
Running Time:  121 mins

From start, to the heart-pounding climax, up until the final scene, I was enthralled. 

This movie is beautiful despite the fact that it depicts the dirtier aspects of our country - geographically, politically, socially speaking. Seriously, this movie is perfect for me. I was actually speechless for most parts. Just superb. 

Four highlights. Gerald Anderson. Given that it's a bit of a stretch how such a pretty boy mestizo can be cast as an inmate/assassin, still, he shone as an adorable fledgling under the wings of Tatang. With just the right amount of grit & bravado his character needs, Anderson managed to convince us he is right for the role. Joey Marquez. I can't believe how vital his portrayal is to this movie. He could easily be mistaken as a miscast, but then we will be wrong. He brings in a subtle comic relief as well as some father-son scenes that will tug at your heartstrings, and it's so damn good to watch. One of his best performances I've seen (though I haven't seen a lot). Leo Martinez. There are no small roles, only small actors. And he's definitely not a small actor. He embraced his role, plain and simple. Joel Torre. I don't even need to say how good an actor Joel is, we all know that. But Jesus H. Christ he is GOD in here! Two scenes that gave me chills: In the climax/ending, just before he went out of jail, and after he went out. O_O

There's maybe one thing that I didn't like - the sex scenes. Halfway through I smiled and said to myself "it's nice to see a movie of this genre with no sexual scenes at all." Spoke too soon didn't I? I just thought it wasn't needed at all.

In conclusion, this movie is a must-see for everybody. I wish I see more of this in mainstream Pinoy cinemas. Everything is well put together, the music is exciting, the editing and cinematography is professionally done, the story is tight, the camerawork is engaging (a work of art, a labor of love. It's that good), the opening scene captures your attention, and the ending leaves you satisfied (or wanting more). It's a great cinematic experience. 

I have nothing else to say except...  

THIS!

My Rating: maybe a 4.5, but I'm giving it a 5/5 - one of the best local films I've seen and definitely a favorite. 

YOUR POINT OF VIEW: Who are your casting choices for the Hollywood remake?


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10,000 Hours of Political Motives

Ever since Mr. Palengke (Mar Roxas) messed up big time, PNoy decided to change his pet - choosing Sen. Ping Lacson instead, building him up to be the next 2016 presidentiable (that is, according to Sen. Miriam. lol.). And now we have this movie with a main protagonist played by Robin Padilla which is supposedly Lacson-inspired and is depicted as a loyal, country-loving hero. Genius. 

10,000 Hours is by far one of the best campaign ads I've seen. 

Nag-PAGPAG ka ba? (Siyam na Buhay na walang kabuhay-buhay)

"Hindi ba ako mukhang seryoso?? Mukha ba akong natatawa??" Yan ang maangas na sabi ni Daniel Padilla, a.k.a. Cedric the action star, sa kanyang feeling girlfriend. "HINDI. MUKHA KANG KAHOY." ang buong bitterness ko na pagbulong sa katabi ko. Ewan ko kung anong meron ang batang ire at bakit ubod siya ng sikat. First time ko siyang napanood at isang salita lang ang gustong sambitin ng aking mga mapupulang labi.... WORKSHOP. Halatang idol na idol si Uncle Binoe at kung makapag-jacket wagas (baka may supply galing kay Willie). Hinihintay ko na nga lang na mag-vest siya ala-Maging Sino Ka Man. O_O

Mapapalampas ko pa sana ang napakawalang kwentang acting ni Daniel kung maganda ang pelikula. Pero hindi eh. Ang sakit. Ang sakit sa ulo. 

Halos buong cast gusto kong itapon sa bangin sa katawa-tawang acting. At least si Kathryn Bernardo may talento naman. Si Janus Del Prado consistent sa pagiging lasssheng, in fairness sa kanya. Pero kahit na mahusay si Janus sa ginampanang role, parang sumobra naman ang pagiging comic relief niya at tila nakalimutan na ata ng director na horror movie ito. Medyo nagcaclash lang kasi ang ibang eksena sa biglang pagpapatawa ni Tsong. Di bale, kahit naman hindi siya magpatawa, hindi talaga kaseryo-seryoso itong pelikulang ito. Gusto kong ipagpag ng ipagpag na para bang nagdidikitang dandruff sa itim kong blouse.

Sa kabilang banda, pansin ko rin naman na maganda ang cinematography at pagkaka-edit ng pelikula. Ayos din na hindi puro CGI ang ginawang effects, maliban na lang sa pagkarami-raming fake na usok na halatang nag-enjoy gawin ng Special Effects dude (tribute siguro sa usok ng Maynila). Hindi rin boring ang galaw ng camera unlike sa mga typikal na pinoy movies na sukat ang bawat anggulo. Mala-indie kumbaga, pero hanggang dun nalang yon. Ito ang pelikula na hindi ako napasigaw sa takot. Sa tawa (hindi dahil sa nakakatawa), oo. Sa yamot, malamang. Kahit pagkagulat man lang wala. Paano ka naman matatakot eh halos kulay blue na ang mga multo. Smurfs lang? Parang multong pang-Vic Sotto na movie. Nakakatawa.

Hinding-hindi sumagi sa isip ko na sasabihin ko to, pero sa kalagitnaan ng pelikula sinabi ko sa kaibigan ko na "Parang na-miss ko tuloy si Kris Aquino sa horror movies." At yun guys ang sukdulan. Naglolokohan na lang ba tayo tuwing film festival? Umaasa na lang ba talaga ang mga producer sa mga mang-mang na trip ng masa tuwing kapaskuhan at forever na lang ba tayong nanakawan ng nakolektang aginaldo? Ewan ko kung bitter lang ako o OA lang ang mga nanonood pero talagang sigaw kung sigaw at halakhak sa mga "scare tactics" at punchlines ang mga nanonood habang kami naman ng mga kaibigan ko tingin ng tingin sa orasan. Ewan talaga.

Mabuti na lang talaga at libre lang kaming nakanood (una sa lahat hindi naman ako magbabayad ng P140 para sa basurang MMFF line up na to) - salamat sa complimentary tickets na bigay ng asawa ng boss ng kaibigan ko na galing ata sa mayor (ewan ko kung si Erap o kung sino pang Ejercito na mayor) na ewan ko ba kung nanay niya o tatay. Basta. Thank you. At thank you Ate Tess (na hiyang-hiya makitang pumipila sa ticket booth ng MMFF movies) dahil napasaya mo kami sa mga donya expressions mo, at Kris para sa pag-imbita mo sa amin sa unforgettable movie experience na to.

My Rating: 0.5/5 (o sige na nga 1/5 na. Para sa teknikal na aspeto) - Horror ang ine-expect ko pero comedy pala ang pinasukan namin. Siguraduhing mag-pagpag pagkatapos ninyong manood nito. Baka buong taon sumunod sa inyo ang multo ng mga walang kwentang pelikula.

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A Mortician and A Lame Giant Slayer

I rarely do this now but for some reason I was able to watch 2 movies in 1 day (I used to watch more than 5 movies a day. *nostalgic sigh*).  Anyway, the first movie I watched is about a man who dresses/prepares a corpse, and the other is about an acrophobic boy who has slayed one giant, "killed" another one with the help of bees, definitely not a giant slayer.

Kasambahay/The Housekeeper (The Dead's Grin) (2008)

Let's try Filipino Horror, why don't we? In this english-subtitled movie, Julius Roden, brings back old-school horror reminiscent of the 70's and 80's. If you're seriously getting fed up with mainstream "horror" movies, both in Hollywood and the Philippine Cinema, which relies on cheap scare tactics & ridiculous CGI ghosts or monsters - then please consider this one. It's freaking scary. Believe me. 

Kasambahay (The Dead's Grin) or The Housekeeper, which you could watch HERE, is Roden's debut into independent cinema, his first feature film paying homage to old-school horror which to me is much more effective than what we see right now. Given that the movie tends to become cheesy, and amateurish in terms of acting, still, this experimental film is a really impressive feat for a young director. 

At some point while watching, I thought "Did he use a digicam for this?" because scenes get a bit blurry when zooming in or out. After watching, I've read that he did use a digital camera. I wasn't annoyed at all, I mean I was watching an indie film after all. Plus, the scratchy tone of the movie and unpolished cinematography and camera angles are meant to look like an old classic.

So, just how scary is this film, you ask?

The Raid: Redemption (2011)

Original Title: "Serbuan Maut"

Director/Writer: Gareth Evans

Starring: Iko Uwais (Rama), Joe Taslim (Jaka), Donny Alamsyah (Andi), Yayan Ruhian (Mad Dog), Ray Sahetapy (Tama)

Taglines:  
"1 Ruthless Crime Lord, 20 Elite Cops, 30 Floors of Chaos"
"When there's nowhere left to run or hide... you fight or die."

Plot Summary: "A SWAT team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs." - IMDb

- - - - - - - - - -

This movie is awesome.

I never thought that an Indonesian movie could make me feel so satisfied with what I saw. O_O Watching the non-stop action inside a dilapidated building, cramped hallways, inside the rooms, even in an elevator, - up close and fast-paced gives you the feeling that you're in there. It has everything, from gunplay to knife fights, eye-gouging, and a lot of martial arts action.

The Housemaid (1960)

Original Title: Hanyo

Director & Writer: Kim Ki-young

Starring: Lee Eun-shim, Ju Jeung-nyeo, Kim Jin Kyu

Plot: "The film is a domestic horror thriller telling of a family's destruction by the introduction of a sexually predatory femme fatale into the household. A piano composer has just moved into a two-story house with his wife and two children. When his pregnant wife becomes exhausted from working at a sewing machine to support the family, the composer hires a housemaid to help with the work around the house." - Wikipedia

Click here for the full movie: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5acgtKKMpS8

WHAT I WAS EXPECTING:  

I really don't have much experiences with regards to Korean cinema, let alone a 1960 black and white film, so I didn't know what to expect. I saw HORROR, DRAMA, FEMME FATALE, THRILLER - so I just assumed it's a scorned mistress who dies then comes back as an angry ghost haunting and scaring the living daylights out of the household members. LOL me and my cliches.

WHAT THE MOVIE REALLY IS:

Black and white. Generic plot - a family's normal life disrupted by women obsessed with a married man. Just plain drama, minus the horror ghost story (thank god! I can only watch filipino/american horror movies - bec asian horror is just truly superior & 100% creepy and I can't handle it.). In other words, it's your typical run-of-the-mill drama movie. Nothing more to expect, right?

Well what I didn't expect was that this seemingly average film with all it's simple elements or limitations has managed to turn it into something complex and with thrilling unpredictability. I was shocked - to actually see this masterpiece hiding in obscurity, and enjoy it immensely.