i don't even remember the last movie i watched, so when j asked if i wanted to see a couple, i agreed without thinking.
so all in all, i was able to watch 4 movies this weekend.
first up: united 93. i did not expect it to be 'heavy' viewing, i mean not that heavy. i was almost bawling. it was filmed like a documentary, very factual and very realistic. the producers' and director's decision not to use famous actors worked well for the movie as the viewers (myself included) saw them as 'normal' human beings, not actors portraying a role. the film's quite good, even if it somehow dragged in the beginning. as soon as it gained steam, it went full speed ahead, no pun intended, until the end.
since it was such an emotional and heart-tugging flick, we decided to go light with the second one: scary movie 4. hah. thinking not required. it had its funny moments, but some were just too tacky and slapstick. and i am complaining why? this is the scary movie series, what am i expecting? oh well.
probably two notches (maybe one and a half!) above scary movie 4 is american dreamz, yes, dreamz with a z! its semi all-star cast -- hugh grant, mandy moore, dennis quaid, chris klein... -- failed to make this movie a good one. it's supposed to be a parody of american idol, and how the show's producers are looking for a specific look in th contestants, never mind if they really are not that good singers.
add a president who appears to be losing his mind. add academy-award winner marcia gay harden, who, as the first lady was almost forgettable. add a terrorist-in-training who loves performing broadway showtunes. add a white trash-type starlet willing to do anything (as in anything) to achieve her american dreamz. add a british bloke as a reality show producer/host whose morals have gone awol. you get a mildly interesting movie that is not too watchable. i actually agree with one of the film critics who described american dreamz as a 'nightmare'. ouch.
the (fourth and) last film deserves a separate post. hah!
Sunday, April 30, 2006
catching up, again
Thursday, April 27, 2006
house of d
way before my fixation with agents vaughn and bristow, i was enamored with the screen partnership of special agents mulder & scully. i'm the biggest x-phile i know, among my fellow x-phile friends.
cut to the chase. the hollywood reporter is one of the media sponsors at the global conference i attended. during one of the breaks, i grabbed a copy and found out in its calendar section that there was going to be a 'book event' at the fine arts theater in beverly hills, some ten blocks away where i was attending the conference.
according to the writers bloc,
Craig Ferguson, the really funny and extremely intelligent host of CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," has written a novel. He has called it "Between the Bridge and the River," and as one would expect, it's really funny and extremely intelligent, and totally politically incorrect. It's bawdy, offensive, entirely joyful in its irreverence, funny and utlimately full of heart. Ferguson takes on Scientology, Hollywood, religion, and other staples of southern California. David Duchovny, known and respected for his role on "The X Files," is not visiting Writers Bloc because he is just another pretty face. He's literary and interesting, and knows a terrific writer when he meets one.so off i went. i was not going to let this pass. i've seen david duchovny twice, and that's it. (if it matters, i've also seen gillian anderson -- once, at the cracked xmas event 3 years ago) it was an interesting night, listening to both craig and david (hah! craig and david!) discuss everything about the book, and then some.
after the discussion (i was on the fourth row), i mustered enough courage to approach the man: special agent fox mulder. i introduced myself, i extended my hand and told him that i admire his work. he smiled, shook my hand and asked where i was from. it was fleeting. presence of mind. i fished out my camera from my pocket and gave it to whoever was behind me and asked for the photo to be taken.
i am such a dork. a very happy dork.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
busy bee
i've been quite busy the past few days that i have not found time to update this.
starting yesterday (until wednesday), i will be based in beverly hilton, albeit temporarily. i am attending/covering the 2006 global convention sponsored by the milken institute. i am actually in-between sessions and i am blogging from the aol cyberpavilion.
it has been fun. i was able to meet and shake the hands of andre agassi before one of the sessions that i attended yesterday. he talked about the school that he set up for the underserved students in his hometown of las vegas. also later in the afternoon, i attended the panel where he joined lance armstrong. it was one of the lighter sessions that i attended.
i'll be back posting regularly by the end of the week.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
tv patrol hates dennis trillo?
i was watching tv patrol (on tfc, where else) last night when i noticed the chargen on dennis trillo (my bff wrote a treatise about this guy in her blog). i almost fell of my chair.
the very straight mr. trillo was identified as [DENNIS TRILLO / BINIBINING PILIPINAS WORLD 2005]. horrors!
it was very careless for this top-rating (is it?) show to label an actor with a title he's not probably too eager to get. come on, binibining pilipinas? who are you kidding?
either this was a very stupid mistake, or a very impressive back-handed (subliminal?) attack on a non-ABS-CBN talent. whatevz. [paging popoy, paging popoy. popoy to the counter please.]
suri, but no
just what the hell is wrong with tom cruise?
here's an article from the sun about his immediate plan/s after ms. homes gave birth.
so now they have a kid. tabs have called it tomkitten. others have called it alien while some have called it spawn. poor baby, if you ask me. her only fault? her father's some guy named tom.
and i thought this baby was going to be born days before mission impossible 3 is shown.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
allow me to be blunt
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
there was a phase in the previous weeks or so (i won't pinpoint when) when i was in deep melancholy, drowning myself in misery. i withdrew myself from the world, from family, even from friends. i had no one with me, no one but him.
his name is james blunt and i am a huge fan.
his music was my only company for days on end during that particular phase. his songs from his album 'back to bedlam' were the only ones playing in my ipod, one after the other. no other songs mattered.
it's like his songs spoke directly to me. ten songs. all excellently done.
my top 5, in order: tears and rain (the perfect song to be sentimental and literally mixing both together? (as in crying in the middle of the rain) exhilarating and liberating. it's like unloading to the world your heartaches. it happened to me, albeit accidentally, and i felt much lighter. plus points for referencing oscar wilde's dorian gray.); high (just like the rest of the songs, this one's lyrics are rich, its melody bordering on well, melodramatic); you're beautiful (when a song ends with 'and i'll never be with you', then it has got to be charged. it's a song for that unattainable person you are loving from a great distance. unrequited love, anyone?); wisemen (gotta ask yourself the question, where are you now?) and out of my mind (enough said.)
100 years
today marks the centennial of the 1906 earthquake that rocked san francisco, killed thousands and destroyed millions worth of property. the quake remains to be the most devastating & destructive natural disaster in california history.
san francisco remains to be one of my favorite cities in the world.
the city has an undeniable & unexplainable character that makes it so unique and lovable. los angeles may be my home now but i did not like it before. los angeles grew on me. that's the difference. i fell in love with san francisco the first time we met.
Several thousand people gather in San Francisco's financial district around 5:12 a.m. local time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake Tuesday, April 18, 2006. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Monday, April 17, 2006
'this love is not dead never died'
and with those words, the powers that be at abc7 plugged, plugged, plugged the return of my favorite show alias. that's this wednesday. 2 hour-show. [i am going to watch it (but of course) and tape american idol AND amazing race. whew.]
the return is just temporary though, as alias is going to end soon. how soon? six more episodes. that's it. they have six more episodes to untie solve everything they have not uhm resolved in the past five years. i wonder how they're going to do that. and the fact that they have been highlighting in their promos that this love (vaughn) is not dead just makes it all the more, uhm painful to wait. oh jj.
my friend j called me this morning to ask if i watched the sneak preview of 'what about brian' last night. my response: what about him? seriously, what about him?
what about brian is jj abrams' new show (first name basis with jj, creator of felicity, alias & lost) and it stars barry watson of seventh heaven. the plot seems thin and the characters a bit unlikeable. as in not likeable. in the same way as other tv characters are. such as chloe on 24 (hah!) or karen on will grace (yey!) or menang medel on gulong ng palad (hahaha!).
abc7 aired a sneak preview of the show last night, and it is set to premiere tonight. we'll see if i'm going to like like it.
one more night, just one more niiiiight...Wednesday, April 12, 2006
say what?
i get tons of email everyday - some contain press releases, others contain pitches for articles and the rest just plain junk. today, i got this one --
i read it out loud and the rest of my co-workers and myself had a great laugh. a really great laugh. damn it. since most of our readership has skin? most of our readership? how did they even come up with "most"? one co-worker quipped, 'probably they did a survey.' hah!Dear Editor,
This is a press release about new technology for protecting and hydrating skin against environmental toxins at work or at home. Since most of your readership has skin this new development in skin care could be of interest to them.
This article features dermatologists' opinions about a new product that they prescribe as a better alternative to conventional lotions, moisturizing and protective creams.
Here is a link to images & there are move attached. http://www.skinmdnatural.com/photos/index.html
Would you please let me know if you can use it?
Regards,
Trish House PR595 Grand Ave., #102San Marcos, CA 92078
775-348-9436
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
going east, going west
i spent monday night eating the best norwegian salmon (with soy-ginger demi glace) ever for dinner. plus filet mignon with morel cabernet sauce. yum oh.
the event was at the 40th anniversary visionary awards dinner of the east west players, the premier asian american theatre organization in the country. the event was held at the hilton universal city.
two of the major awardees were tamlyn tomita (who proudly mentioned about her being part-filipino in her speech) and one of my current favorites, sandra oh.
i got thisclose to sandra. hehehe. too bad, i was too shy to ask for a photo with her. hah. she's the most visible asian on american television now, thanks to her role as the feisty and over-achiever dr. cristina yang on the hit series grey's anatomy.
Monday, April 10, 2006
glad to be at glaad
oscar winner charlize theron breezed through the red carpet and did not answer any questions from the print media.i was invited to cover the media awards of glaad (gay and lesbian alliance against defamation) at the kodak theater in hollywood last weekend.
starstruck me agreed, thankfully so.
saw a constellation of stars and starlets, wannabees and falling stars. charlize theron was there (she received the vanguard award); and so were the cast of will & grace (i was so happy to see megan mullaly); alec mapa (the filipino actor more famously known for his performance in broadway's m. butterfly) and his bff brooke lee (miss universe 1997); crazy/beautiful and hostel's jay hernandez and a host of unknowns.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
philippe's
after a coverage last week, i found myself in front of this famous restaurant called philippe's in downtown (a stone's throw away from chinatown). since i had no time to partake of the breakfast, i went in to get my fill.
philippe's is a famous resto, dubbed as 'the home of french dipped sandwich'. it's one of the oldest and probably one of the most well-known restaurants in los angeles. and this was my first time! i don't know why i have never eaten here before.
there were long lines at the counters, and there were plenty of counters that were open to serve. i ordered the plain roast beef french dip sandwich. no frills. no tomatoes, no spinach, no pickles. just the good old roast beef, freshly-baked French roll dipped in the natural gravy of the pot roast. it was awesome. yum yum.
it does not look good here (no garnishings; paper plate and all) but this roast beef sandwich is one of the best roast beefs i've had in ages. next time, i am ordering it with monterey cheese and macaroni salad. Saturday, April 08, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
asian american popstars
so here are the finalists of american idol season 10. hah. probably not in this lifetime. season 3 (with jasmine and camile) was a fluke. we have yet to see another season with an asian american in the final 12. at least one.
but now, we have a top 10. all asian americans. yay!
this may not be american idol, but what the hey. anything to support an asian american in mainstream media. this is the top 10 of the 'asian american popstar' contest, a web-based singing competition.
here's their website. take note of next phaze, a bay area-based boyband which used to open a lot of filipino concerts in san francisco and reno; and erik carlson, a finapino. yes, you read that right, he's finnish-filipino. he delivered a good brian mcknight-y performance, and he played the piano real well too. tee-hee. don't forget to vote.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
memoirs at geisha house
hype brought my friends and i to geisha house in the heart of hollywood last weekend.
actually, they planned it and i just tagged along. hah. m & e are on the constant lookout for what's hot and cool (irony) in hollywoodland at any given time. m called geisha house in advance to reserve a table for us.
all we knew was it was along hollywood boulevard between vine and highland. we found street parking a few blocks from vine, and figured we could use the walk. never mind if it was drizzling raining. walk, walk, walk. we were cursing each other under our short breaths because we could not find the freaking restaurant after walking blocks. finally, one block before highland we found the place! hallelujah.
geisha house is a modern japanese restaurant minus the traditional asian design. it's also a sushi bar and a sake lounge. it was packed with people. we were ushered to the second floor (yes, there is a second floor) past the bar and the lounge and tables filled with people having their sushi fix. we had a great view from the second floor as we were just above the bar and we could see what's happening down there.
A combination of five star sushi restaurant set in the atmosphere of a surreal high class brothel, the goal of GEISHA HOUSE is to make the client climax.i wish i wrote that. it came from their website.
anyway, here's what we had --
Eel Tendon. Eel tempura and tamago served over rice
Dynamite (assorted seafood drizzled with a spicy cream sauce) / Fresh water eel (unagi) / The Hollywood (fresh crab tempura, avocado and cucumber)
Tuna Tataki Sashimi with ponzu
Rock Shrimp Tempura with Creamy spicy and ponzu sauces
Grilled Flat Iron Kobe Beef Steak 8 oz (Soy, garlic and sesame dipping sauce with freshly grated mountain wasabi)the damage? the 12 small slices of the kobe beef alone set us back $42. no typo there, kobe is expensive. that's $3.50 per slice, i can get a complete meal with two ulams at goodah or bahay kubo for that amount already. hah! plus the sushi (3 sets) cost between $10 to $12. edamame was $6! shrimp was $12, tuna sashimi was $14, eel was $14. we had desserts and we had drinks too. so it was a kinda expensive dinner.
with friends (and the right company and conversation), it was well worth it.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
twist for twist's sake?
i have been an über-loyal fan of 24, that kiefer sutherland show on fox, since 2001.
or more precisely, the time it premiered its first episode. through the years, i have remained loyal, watching religiously every single week.
it was during season 1 where the show's writers revealed what would become the biggest twist in its history: the one involving nina myers. season after season after season followed, trying to one-up or beat that twist, and so far, the writers have not succeeded.
until tonight. i think.
unless that this sudden turn of event slash twist was conceived for twist's sake. i did not definitely see this coming. i am so looking forward to the upcoming episodes to see how the writers would tie the loose ends. and this season, we have quite a number.
Monday, April 03, 2006
car-let
taken along st. catherine street ouest, still in montreal.
probably the smallest working car i have ever seen. perhaps even smaller than the beetle or the mini.
i have no idea who manufactures this car but judging from the looks of it, it seems like the owner likes adventures (like driving up and down mt. royal on a chilly day). or s/he's just too damn lazy to have the car washed.
confessions tour
madonna is on her way back to los angeles!
just like the reinvention tour in 2004, madonna has decided to start her confessions tour in my fair city. woohoo! mark your calendars, girls and boys: may 21!
seven weeks from now. and they have not started selling tickets yet. damn.
the rest of the tour dates --
NORTH AMERICA:
May 21 Los Angeles Forum
May 27 Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena
May 30 San Jose HP Pavilion
June 5 Fresno Save Mart Center
June 8 Phoenix Glendale Arena
June 14 Chicago United Center
June 21 Montreal Bell Centre
June 25 Hartford Civic Centre
June 28 New York Madison Square Garden
June 29 New York Madison Square Garden
July 08 Boston TD Bank Garden
July 12 Philadelphia Wachovia Center
July 16 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
July 22 Miami American Airlines Arena
EUROPE:
July 30 Cardiff Millenium Stadium
Aug. 1 London Wembley Arena
Aug. 3 London Wembley Arena
Aug. 6 Rome Olympic Stadium
Aug. 20 Dusseldorf LTU Arena
Aug. 22 Hannover Niedersachsen
Aug. 24 Horsens (Denmark) Forum Horsens Outdoor
Aug. 27 Paris Bercy Stadium
Aug. 28 Paris Bercy Stadium
Sept. 3 Amsterdam Arena
