Television: Doctor Who and the Crimson Horror

“There’s something very odd about Mrs Gillyflower’s Sweetville mill, with its perfectly clean streets and beautiful people.

There’s something even stranger about the bodies washing up in the river, all bright red and waxy. When the Doctor and Clara go missing, it’s up to Vastra, Jenny and Strax to rescue them before they too fall victim to the Crimson Horror!“

I wasn’t a fan of Mark Gatiss’s work on Night Terrors and Cold War, but I really enjoyed The Crimson Horror. Come to think of it, this is the first Gatiss-written episode of Doctor Who that I enjoyed since The Idiot’s Lantern from Series 2.

But that’s not to say the episode was perfect. I do have a gripe on how we shift main characters mid-way from Victorian Jenny, who carried most of the first half of the episode, to the Doctor without so much as a passing of a baton. Once we see the Doctor again, he immediately takes helm of the whole thing and we seem to forget that there are other characters who we might want to follow as well.

That gripe aside, I thought the episode was–and I’m borrowing from the Ninth Doctor here, fantastic. It’s was a fun mix of comedy and action, with a story that stood alone, and yet moved the plot forward. Sort of.

Which brings me back to the mystery of Clara.

I really thought we would get some traction into the mystery by this episode. After all, Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax all knew the Victorian Clara, and they reacted as I thought they would when they realized that the Doctor was running around with a different Clara. Alas, Gatiss doesn’t delve deeper into it, nor does he even allow the Doctor to talk to the Victorian gang about what’s going on. It’s complicated.

And then, the Doctor takes Clara back to her time. As promised. It’s a similar arrangement, I’m guessing, to the one he had with the Ponds. Influenced, I dare say, by the time he spent with the Ponds. These companions need to be able to live their lives out while they are with him. What happened with Rose cannot happen again. What happened with the Ponds cannot happen again.

I must say, I like this development in the Doctor.

And seeing as Clara lives with children, who both seem to be savvy netizens. Well, let’s just say next week’s episode will be very interesting.

I just hope the tease about Clara’s mystery will lead to answers soon. We do only have two episodes left.

Movie: Warm Bodies

“A funny new twist on a classic love story, WARM BODIES is a poignant tale about the power of human connection. After a zombie epidemic, R (a highly unusual zombie) encounters Julie (a human survivor), and rescues her from a zombie attack. Julie sees that R is different from the other zombies, and as the two form a special relationship in their struggle for survival, R becomes increasingly more human – setting off an exciting, romantic, and often comical chain of events that begins to transform the other zombies and maybe even the whole lifeless world.” — (c) Summit

It’s funny how, almost two years ago, I couldn’t imagine the book being turned into a film–much less a film worth recommending. But that’s just what happened. Summit has made a good movie.

What I really liked about Warm Bodies was how it was trying to change the zombie genre. But, as I said, I couldn’t imagine how the people behind the film would translate that. What we end up with is a romantic-comedy sort of film. And it works.

Warm Bodies, in essence, is a Romeo and Juliet story. You have two factions, and a love that was as much impossible as it was inevitable. But it happens. And the film captures this, and celebrates this. So much so that we actually get a balcony scene between Juliet and R which I found really hilarious.

Though, much as Nicholas Hoult and (a strangely plain) Teresa Palmer do great in their roles, it’s actually Rob Corddry and Analeigh Tipton who steals the film for me. They are awesome and hilarious–and they hit the right notes. Especially Analeigh Tipton. This is, I think, the first time that a movie version of a character made me like a book character that I didn’t really notice. And now that I love Nora, I’m very much looking forward to the paper book version of Isaac Marion’s The New Hunger which makes Nora a bigger character than she is in Warm Bodies.

Before I move on to the other things I liked about the film, I want to bring this up: what happened to Teresa Palmer? I’ve seen her in I Am Number Four, in Bedtime Stories–and she looked hot. So why does she look like a blonde Kristen Stewart in this film? That’s not a good thing, let me tell you.

Moving on.

What I like best about Warm Bodies the film is the subtle things they incorporated–especially with R’s character. Something is changing in R. As per the synopsis, he’s increasingly becoming more human. And the make-up department does wonders with their gradual change of his skin tone. Nicholas Hoult also does well with the slow subtle changes he puts into his character–like the fact that he’s always slouching in the beginning of the film, and starts to stand up straighter as he turns more human.

R’s asides in the book fit nicely with the voice overs for the film.

And I like how there are four different looks for the film: the blue-gray tint of the zombie ruins, the harsh lighting of the survivor camp scenes, the toned-down and yet vibrant colors of memories–and the warmer colors of the ending scenes. This is a great use of color-grading, I think. Something I hope the makers of Tiktik take notice of when they get to the post production of their sequel.

Overall, the movie is a must watch. It’s not perfect, but it’s totally worth the ticket price.

Movie: Si Agimat, Si Enteng Kabisote, at si Ako

And once again, the people behind the Enteng Kabisote franchise managed to ruin my childhood.

Si Agimat, si Enteng Kabisote, at si Ako is the sequel to the 2010 hit Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote. This time, box-office kings Vic Sotto and Bong Revilla, Jr. are joined by box-office queen Judy Ann Santos. The story, what little there is of it, takes place after the events of Enteng ng Ina Mo, Vic Sotto’s collaborative movie from last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.

And just like in last year’s entry, this one ruins the character of Enteng Kabisote–and brings down the characters of Faye/Chlorateam, Samara, and Agimat with it.

This film was completely disappointing, considering how heartfelt the first collaboration was. In my opinion then, Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote worked because it gave focus to what the franchise was supposed to be about: family. This year’s film focused on trust issues–the same issues that were brought up and resolved in last year’s Enteng ng Ina Mo. And to bring out these trust issues that needed to be addressed, the characters of Enteng Kabisote, Faye/Chlorateam, Samara and Agimat were tweaked to devolve into their base emotions–and not the good ones.

Which brings me to the biggest problem, I think, the film has: Judy Ann Santos’s character.

Angelina (or Ako, as she wants to be called) is an extreme environmentalist who gives no thought to the repercussions of her actions. She does things without thinking of the consequences, and thus puts into motion a painful jealousy subplot for the male main characters and their respective loved ones.

She openly flirts with both Agimat and Enteng Kabisote, and yet is only called out on it by the wives and one other character–that of John Lapus’, who is made to look antagonistic even though he is the only one making any sense.

That is, until the end when he refuses to help defeat the monster boss. And when he automatically forgives Agimat and Enteng Kabisote for being absolute douches because Ako tells him to. Then again, that’s pretty much all he does in the whole movie: do what Ako tells him to do and be the emotional punching bag for the main characters.

But at least he gets actual characterization. The rest of the cast don’t even get that: the powerful Ina Magenta is demoted to just being a punchline and a pusher of plots; Enteng’s family and friends only appear to serve as sounding boards and comic relief; Agimat’s world only provides the grunts and minions–cannon fodder, basically; and GMA-7′s once-popular tweens are completely underused.

And that brings me to my biggest pet peeve when it comes to film franchises: continuity. Yassi Pressman, who has played a fairy before, is shown now as part of Ako’s team. Good for the actress, she gets more screen time–but it was something the casting director (or the writer) could’ve fixed. They could’ve cast another actress for a whole new character, or they could’ve written her ousting from Engkantasya into the story, to make more sense of how there is a whole new fairy world that no one knew about!

My next gripe has to do with Barbie Forteza who already appeared in a significantly bigger role in the first collaboration of Agimat and Enteng Kabisote. She played the bratty god-daughter of Enteng in the film from two years ago–and in fact, she is the one who introduces Bogart (Wally Bayola) into the Kabisote household. Again, this is something that the casting director, or the writer, could’ve fixed. But I’m leaning towards blaming the writer with this one–especially because her cameo could’ve actually propelled the story forward without resorting to a sequence of exposition.

Barbie has a connection to Enteng Kabisote. She gets attacked by evil aliens. She can be the one to call Enteng for help, instead of having a totally unnecessary interview scene on television that Enteng will then watch–and not believe! What the hell, right?

I could go on and on about how bad this film is, but you know what? I won’t even bother anymore.

Whatever charm and wit there was in Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote is completely absent in this money-grab masquerading as a film.

Movie: Sosy Problems

“Sosy Problems tells about four rich, famous and gorgeous ladies who have one major problem: their favorite hangout place, The Polo Club, is in danger of being demolished and its owners are planning to build a not-so-sosy mall in its place.  The ladies will join forces and combine their resources in order to bring the demolition to a halt.  They will risk everything – even their poise and composure – to send their message across.” — courtesy of GMA Social Media press release

The Metro Manila Film Festival has begun, and because my relatives deemed this Christmas the perfect time for an out-of-the-country getaway, I found myself free from the obligation of attending a family reunion–and able to watch half of this year’s film festival line-up! In no particular order, I have already seen Si Agimat, Si Enteng Kabisote, at Ako; Sosy Problems; Shake Rattle and Roll 14; and, Thy Womb. I thought it would be best to start my Metro Manila Film Festival week here on Taking a Break with the most entertaining movie: Sosy Problems.

The quoted press release above is a little too nice for me, so let me try to use a different description for the film.

Sosy Problems is the story of four very rich, and very spoiled girls who deem status more important than anything else in life. We have Lizzie (Rhian Ramos) who bosses people as if she owns their souls; Danielle (Bianca King) who continues to live large even after her family has lost all their money; and then there’s Margaux (Solenn Heusaff) and Claudia (Heart Evangelista) who are best friends–against their rival mothers’ wishes. The latter two are more hanger-ons than anything else though, their story is more supportive of the bigger arc than solo ventures into self-discovery.

Now, the film is very entertaining–but it is not without faults. The story-telling is a little uneven, especially with the equal screen time being given to all four female leads. The characters of Lizzie and Danielle has more meat to their stories, but because of the equal screen exposure, they don’t feel fully fleshed out. Whereas Margaux and Claudia feel like they have too many filler scenes–and yet feel under-developed.

There’s also the problem of us jumping into the middle of their lives, but feeling as if all their stories had just begun. The conceit of the show is that a joke of a journalist was assigned to chronicle their every day lives; and it just so happened to coincide with the girls losing their favorite hangout…to a social-climbing wench who wants to turn their high-class club into a mall for the masses. That’s forgivable. The not-so forgivable? Danielle’s love story that starts in the middle of the movie, and yet develops mostly off-screen; the rivalry between Margaux and Claudia that begins on-screen, but develops and blows up off-screen; and Lizzie’s monsterrific tendencies against her provincial relatives being told instead of shown.

I could go on and on about what could’ve been done better, but in the end, this film succeeded where the three other films I watched didn’t. It managed to be entertaining.

Rhian Ramos, who first revealed her comedic chops in My Kontrabida Girl, solidifies her comic cred with her cheeky turn as Lizzie. Her portrayal as the head bitch of the four friends is effortless, and yet she doesn’t come off grating or annoying. Instead, she makes her character’s over-reactions funny.

Supporting players Mylene Dizon, Cherie Gil and Agot Isidro unleashes the full extent of their campiness in this film–and it makes their funny scenes funnier. Mylene Dizon’s Bernice steals her every scene, and the one she shares with Ruffa Gutierrez is definitely a highlight; Cherie Gil’s French-spewing former beauty queen role is deliciously devious with a side of crazy; and Agot Isidro is laugh-out-loud funny with her unapologetic take on a headstrong provincial socialite.

The film has a tendency to be over the top, but that’s what makes it entertaining. You know you shouldn’t take anything seriously. And because of that, out of the four Metro Manila Film Festival entries I’ve seen so far, this is the one I would not hesitate to recommend.

This Christmas, pick the movie that won’t depress or disappoint you. Pick the funny movie. Pick Sosy Problems.

Book: Is It Just Me?

“Of all the books on the shelf, just look wahat you’ve gone and picked up! Give yoruself a round of applause, even if you’re in public. I dare you. What a lovely moment that would be. I advocate that as much as adults galloping or people wandering into an optician to try on the most unflattering and amusing glasses for no good reason. It’s what I call ‘making your own fun’. Because you have to really, don’t you? Let’s face it, life does have a tendency to throw up difficulties…“

That’s not a lot to go on, I know, when deciding to buy a book. But I didn’t really need to rely on a book synopsis to know that I will enjoy reading Miranda Hart’s sort-of autobiographical book that’s also trying to be a self-help book.

Is It Just Me? is Miss Hart’s recounting of her attempts at navigating life–and, for the most part, failing humorously.

I admit, the only reason I even bought this book was because I was seriously missing my dose of Miranda-flavored laughs. Ever since I saw a clip of her sitcom on YouTube, I was hooked. Her humor might be a little self-depreciating at times, but she wears her freak flag high. She’s proud of who she is and who she has become, so you don’t feel bad for laughing at her mistakes and other mishaps. Because you feel like you’re laughing with her, instead of at her.

And if you enjoy watching her sitcom, you’re bound to enjoy the book as much as you do the television series. It’s basically the same thing, except, instead of watching, you’re reading what’s going on. Oh, and the fact that the sitcom’s fictional, and the events in the book really did happen in real life. Or so our dear author chum writes.

One thing though. Miranda really does write for a specific audience–the British variety. Fortunately for me, I’m pretty up-and-up with British po culture, having grown up with a preference for British music (thanks to Smash Hits and Top of the Pops), and having been exposed to a lot of British telly (in the past, and even until now). Also by preference. I don’t think the rest of the world’s population can say the same thing. I doubt if, my sister for instance, would get most of the things I found funny in the book. And that’s even after the fact that she also enjoys Miranda’s sitcom.

Also, the book has a tendency to be quite tiring. Not in a bad way. It’s just that, as a reader, I got caught up with the author’s excitement. And after reading each chapter, I kept finding myself in need of a lie down.

The good thing is, this being a biography of sorts, there’s not really a lot of room for cliffhanger-type chapter endings. You can put the book down. And in fact, the book might even have been more enjoyable for me had I opted to put it down from time to time.

But that’s just me.

Let’s see what other people have said about Miranda Hart’s Is It Just Me?:
Jason’s Book Reviews (which I must link, because–look at what the blog’s called!)
bookoxygen
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