The DVDs I ordered arrived yesterday. They weighed a ton! So after working for nine straight hours I decided to just pop one to relax. Got a couple of ice-cold beers and two packs of junk food. Forgot what brand it was, but they were very good. I leave the junk food acquisition to Cess. She’s a connoisseur when it comes to junk food, sadly I can’t say the same when it comes to real food.
I started with FUTURAMA, season1. I kept seeing it when I flipped channels but I don’t really find it interesting to catch my attention. By the end of the first episode, I’M NOW A CERTIFIED FUTURAMA FAN!
I CANT GET ENOUGH! I think its better than the SIMPSONS. I attribute it partly to the fact that I’m also a science fiction fan!
The sad part is that I only ordered season 1& 2. But after writing this I m getting the third season! Anyway. I just finished disc one, no need to get greedy! I’ll just watch it in my own good time, like drinking good wine! You swirl it around not like the 24 or the alias series where you gulp it down in one sitting!
I Submitted the pilot episode budget break down on the net. Funny how one does not need to get out of the house to get things down. I remember when my brother a computer tech, way before the term was fashionable, wont go to his office in IBM and would just send his reports thru the modem.
FLIM: “ How can you send those thick papers thru the phone line? Are you trying to mind fuck me again? “
JUN: “ It goes thru the modem. I can do anything I have to do in the office, right inside the house! I can write my proposals and business plans here, wearing my smelly shorts and naked if I wanted too. I don’t have to dress up and drive thru traffic and pay for bad cafeteria food. I can do everything in the house! Believe me this is the thing of the future.
You can send letters to any part of the world without making the trip to the postal office and being in line with 15 other people so you can buy stamps! And your letters get there as soon as you send them! Technology! “
FLIM: “ So what you’re telling me is that I can have my shoot film footages sent thru your modem and then processed in JAPAN? “
JUN: “ Oh…not that kind. That’s a thing! What I’m talking about is electronic data.’ For that you have to fall in line with those 15 other people and dropped in the traditional way!
Yesterday I was aghast to find out who the winners of the senatorial race where. Imagine TWO ACTORS WHOSE MOTHER AND FATHER ARE ALREADY IN THE SENATE, WON! I can already imagine their breakfast chatter in the morning.
SON SENATOR: “ Mom can you pass the fried rice! “
MOTHER SENATOR: “I’m not talking to you! You were supposed to back me up The liposuction embargo that I’m heading! “
SON SENATOR: “ Mom, I can’t do that. I need one this afternoon. What would happen if the doctor found out! She might take out something that doesn’t grow back! “
MOTHER SENATOR: “ I’m still not talking to you!”
SON SENATOR: “ Mom…come on… don’t be mad.”
MOTHER SENATOR: “ I nearly died when I delivered you. I would walk you to school every day even when my arthritis was killing me. Who SAVED UP ALL HER DAILY EARNINGS SO she can buy you that metal robot that came in 5 different pieces so you can put them all together and make one giant robot, WHO? WHO? “
SON SENATOR: “ ALLRIGHT! YOU HAVE MY VOTE! “
MOTHER SENATOR: “ That’s my son! Here’s your fried rice. And I cooked your favorite adobe along with it! Don’t forget to convince your best friend to join the embargo too. “
SON SENATOR: “ MOM! He has his own mind! He wont be swayed by me! “
MOTHER SENATOR: “ WELL YOU REMIND HIM, HOW MANY TIMES HE SLEPT OVER, HERE WHEN YOU WERE KIDS. ALSO REMIND HIM WHO IS HIS GODMOTHER! IN BIRTH AND IN HIS WEDDING! WHO GAVE HIM THAT BMW Z3? WHO? WHO? WHO? “
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
SAW TROY last week. It was a fun romp. The thing that really cracked me up was when I was leaving the theater. There was this guy in front of me and he saw someone he knew from the long line of people going in for the next showing.
GUY: “ Hey JOJO!
JOJO: “ HEY MAN. Was it good? “
GUY: “ Ye but BRAD PITT DIES! “
JOJO: “ You fuck! You just spoilt the movie for me.”
Hehehehe! These guys should host a local TV show. They’re a riot! Of course BRAD PITT DIES! He is ACHILLES. But then on second thought Jojo might be right. I mean the writer did bastardize the ILLIAD. MENEALUS dies at the hands of PARIS! BRIESES Then stabs AGAMEMMON on the jugular there by robbing CLYMESTRA and her lover of that small bathroom incident and her place in the tragic ridden stories of the ATRUES bloodline.
(A small list of altered plotlines.)
Paris survives and HELEN flees with the Trojan women.
ANDROMMACHE and her son escapes
In fact I was kind of disappointed that BRAD PITT died. If they were going to change the story that much then they should have gone for broke.
ACHILLES instead of trying to find his girlfriend would rescue PRIAM from the psychotic AGAMEMMON (They did share a special moment which was more memorable than the one with the priestess of APOLLO.)
He’ll stab Agamemnon and say “YOU WERE NEVER MY KING, YOU FAT FUCK!MY SWORD NOW SERVES LAWRENCE OF ARBIA
THE SCRIPT WRITER jettisoned the dipping of ACHILLES in the river Styx.So I ask, why still have him die with an arrow thru the heel. WHAT’S THE POINT?
I was never much a fan of WOLFGANG PETERSON. His earlier works like DAS BOOT and NEVERENDING STORY were enjoyable but his latter stuff are…
Well anyway.
I hope they do a sequel, THE TROJAN WOMEN. Ad line goes.
THEY DESTROYED HER CITY!
MURDERED HER HUSBAND!
SLAUGHTERED HER FATHER- IN LAW!
NOW ANDROMACHE IS BACK! WITH AN ARMY OF WIDOWS. ARMED WITH SWORDS AND POISONED JAVELINS, THEY SET SAIL FOR ITHACA, MYCENAE AND SPARTA! ON A PATH OF VENGEANCE!
THE TROJAN WOMEN!
DIRECTED BY PAUL VERHOVEN! “
I brought my latest work and pitched my idea for the TV series to the creative director. It was approved! He told me that he loved the film I showed him and that I should also develop that into a series.
Maybe this is the time to hire more people.
Last Sunday I had an accident. I was visiting a friend’s digital film studio when I slip from the staircase and landed back first on the floor. For a second I viewed the world from that perspective. For a second I didn’t think about the complicated sound dubs and Script revisions that were expected of me. I just lay there. Listening as the world turned on its axis.
Then I groaned in pain. My butt hit the hardest and then the back and then the right arm and then the neck. I remember when I was acting for someone’s film backing college where I will flung myself on a flight of stairs and come back again for another take…Ahh those were the days.
GUY: “ Hey JOJO!
JOJO: “ HEY MAN. Was it good? “
GUY: “ Ye but BRAD PITT DIES! “
JOJO: “ You fuck! You just spoilt the movie for me.”
Hehehehe! These guys should host a local TV show. They’re a riot! Of course BRAD PITT DIES! He is ACHILLES. But then on second thought Jojo might be right. I mean the writer did bastardize the ILLIAD. MENEALUS dies at the hands of PARIS! BRIESES Then stabs AGAMEMMON on the jugular there by robbing CLYMESTRA and her lover of that small bathroom incident and her place in the tragic ridden stories of the ATRUES bloodline.
(A small list of altered plotlines.)
Paris survives and HELEN flees with the Trojan women.
ANDROMMACHE and her son escapes
In fact I was kind of disappointed that BRAD PITT died. If they were going to change the story that much then they should have gone for broke.
ACHILLES instead of trying to find his girlfriend would rescue PRIAM from the psychotic AGAMEMMON (They did share a special moment which was more memorable than the one with the priestess of APOLLO.)
He’ll stab Agamemnon and say “YOU WERE NEVER MY KING, YOU FAT FUCK!MY SWORD NOW SERVES LAWRENCE OF ARBIA
THE SCRIPT WRITER jettisoned the dipping of ACHILLES in the river Styx.So I ask, why still have him die with an arrow thru the heel. WHAT’S THE POINT?
I was never much a fan of WOLFGANG PETERSON. His earlier works like DAS BOOT and NEVERENDING STORY were enjoyable but his latter stuff are…
Well anyway.
I hope they do a sequel, THE TROJAN WOMEN. Ad line goes.
THEY DESTROYED HER CITY!
MURDERED HER HUSBAND!
SLAUGHTERED HER FATHER- IN LAW!
NOW ANDROMACHE IS BACK! WITH AN ARMY OF WIDOWS. ARMED WITH SWORDS AND POISONED JAVELINS, THEY SET SAIL FOR ITHACA, MYCENAE AND SPARTA! ON A PATH OF VENGEANCE!
THE TROJAN WOMEN!
DIRECTED BY PAUL VERHOVEN! “
I brought my latest work and pitched my idea for the TV series to the creative director. It was approved! He told me that he loved the film I showed him and that I should also develop that into a series.
Maybe this is the time to hire more people.
Last Sunday I had an accident. I was visiting a friend’s digital film studio when I slip from the staircase and landed back first on the floor. For a second I viewed the world from that perspective. For a second I didn’t think about the complicated sound dubs and Script revisions that were expected of me. I just lay there. Listening as the world turned on its axis.
Then I groaned in pain. My butt hit the hardest and then the back and then the right arm and then the neck. I remember when I was acting for someone’s film backing college where I will flung myself on a flight of stairs and come back again for another take…Ahh those were the days.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
The offer was given inside this loud club in the Fort last week Would I like to have my own cable show. With a running time of 40-45 minutes. I have the option of doing anything that I want. Anything! The executive in charge of programming has seen my independent films in competition years back and has total faith in whatever I come up with.
I told him that the last time I directed a television series, I turned a routine sports show into a horror movie and shot a five minute chase scene between a passenger jeep and a hearse.
He asked me why.
I told him that I had to break the monotony of television hosts rappelling and trekking in the mountains with something totally out there.
To my surprise he said that he saw it too. He loved that particular episode.
He said that my style and sensibility are perfect for the new cable channel that they are putting up. The channel’s trust is on being hip and cool.
I thought for a moment. Well I don’t know about being cool. I think I stopped being cool when I got married. Or maybe I wasn’t cool in the first place and had just mere illusions of being cool. Or probably I was cool and am still cool and could be the coolest of cool people I have ever met in my life.
As my thoughts strayed somewhere he asked what I would want to do.
Before committing I wanted to know what the basic terms where. I asked who owns the rights to the show. He said that I would. That they’re end is to market the show and provide the airtime. Sounds interesting.
He told me that I could do anything. And I thought anything! That’s tough. What does one do when given the absolute freedom to do anything? Should I do a teleseries? A fantasy series? A Horror anthology? A variety show? A reality show? How about a biblical epic or a mini series?
“ If you want you can even do a reality show. Knowing you you’ll come up with something really skewered and black.”
Then he went talking about doing the sound in 5.1 surrounds. And that I should submit my sound dubs on this particular disc.
I must confess the concept of doing anything is most intriguing. And the more I thought about it…the more tempting it becomes. I can do anything that I wanted. What a strange feeling.
I saw VAN HELSING the other day and funny enough I loved it. I don’t know why. Walking in I knew it’s going to be tons of predictable one loner and plot situations. The Movie started midway and I went to the john first.
I muttered, “ They’ll probably have a line like, HE’S KILLED THE VAMPIRE!”
Three seconds later I hear over the speakers inside the john. ‘ HE’S KILLED THE VAMPIRE!”
I chuckled to myself. But hey this is a vampire hunter movie so what do you expect.
But when I watched…I was totally swept away. I don’t know. The plot was horrible.
There was some extrapolation on Van Helsings origin when Dracula utters something like, “ NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN GABRIEL. You don’t remember me do you? “
Then there’s a line from Hugh Jackman that he remembers fighting the Romans in MASADA. SO I guess he’s the angel Gabriel. Unfortunately there was no follow-ups to it to make it concrete.
Despite those flaws and the over acting excesses of DRACULA. I loved the movie. It was fun. I expected to leave my brain on the ticket counter when I came in so…
It was fun. Strangely enough I loved this film more than Hellboy, which is even stranger because I love the comic.
But I always have a soft spot for the UNIVERSAL MONSTER MOVIES. I grew up on these when I was a kid. I’m a BORIS KARLOFF, BELA LUGOSI, BASILRATHBONE, LONCHANEY SR AND JR, and JACK PIERCE fan.
I also loved MONSTER SQUAD precisely for the same reason. There’s this scene, which is priceless. A vortex opens up and the kids had to use the blood of a virgin to stop it.They use the elder sister's blood. But the vortex just keeps on comming.
One of the kids turns around and tells the sister.
“ YOU’RE NOT REALLY A VIRGIN ARE YOU? “
“ Well I had this thing with my ex –boyfriend but he doesn’t count.” She replies.
“ DOESN’T COUNT? “ the kid screams back and they all look at each other because they know they’re fucked!
The SPFX here is better than those of HELLBOY. After all it was done by ILM. The opening battle with HYDE is incredible. The design for the creature mirrors a giant midget. This is the ultimate CG Hyde.
I don’t know why there’s a trend for Victorian spfx packages. You had League and then there’s VAN HELSING. But that’s how Hollywood works.
Anyway I love this movie next to the MUMMY this is a great universal horror revival. I HATED MUMMY RETURNS the same way I HATED XMEN 2. Just because the sequel has more action and set pieces doesn’t mean that it gets better.
As much As I like this movie, in my book there is only one actor who is the quintessential VAN HELSING, PETER CUSHING. That’s GOVENOR TARKIN to you philistines!
Every time I see a flick where he has a titanic fight scene with the other quintessential DRACULA, CHRISTOPER LEE I jump on my seat!
The Best Dracula movie I ever saw was the first one CHRIS LEE starred in, THE HORROR OF DRACULA! TOD BROWNING’S 1931 film with BELA LUGOSI is great for the atmospherics but BELA moves too slowly for my taste. He’s more a leering old man in white make up than what I imagined DRACULA to be.
But CHRISTOPER LEE is the ERROL FLYN of DRACULAS. He runs and snarls and wears blood tinted contact lenses!
And PETER CUSHING jumps right in after him! He runs over tables and slides on them to tear the curtains off the windows to reveal…….TA DAH!!!! SUNLIGHT!
Another favorite of mine is DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS. Cushing plays VAN HELSING’s 20 th century progeny. If I remember correctly DRACULA drafted some scientists to come up with a doomsday plague. As if Vampirism isn’t enough.
When I was a kid, my classmates would come in with their hardy boys hard cover. And I would lug along my HORROR in CINEMA hardcover! Most of the time they don’t understand why I was in it. But would always ask me how an effect was done.
I hope they do CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON next.
I told him that the last time I directed a television series, I turned a routine sports show into a horror movie and shot a five minute chase scene between a passenger jeep and a hearse.
He asked me why.
I told him that I had to break the monotony of television hosts rappelling and trekking in the mountains with something totally out there.
To my surprise he said that he saw it too. He loved that particular episode.
He said that my style and sensibility are perfect for the new cable channel that they are putting up. The channel’s trust is on being hip and cool.
I thought for a moment. Well I don’t know about being cool. I think I stopped being cool when I got married. Or maybe I wasn’t cool in the first place and had just mere illusions of being cool. Or probably I was cool and am still cool and could be the coolest of cool people I have ever met in my life.
As my thoughts strayed somewhere he asked what I would want to do.
Before committing I wanted to know what the basic terms where. I asked who owns the rights to the show. He said that I would. That they’re end is to market the show and provide the airtime. Sounds interesting.
He told me that I could do anything. And I thought anything! That’s tough. What does one do when given the absolute freedom to do anything? Should I do a teleseries? A fantasy series? A Horror anthology? A variety show? A reality show? How about a biblical epic or a mini series?
“ If you want you can even do a reality show. Knowing you you’ll come up with something really skewered and black.”
Then he went talking about doing the sound in 5.1 surrounds. And that I should submit my sound dubs on this particular disc.
I must confess the concept of doing anything is most intriguing. And the more I thought about it…the more tempting it becomes. I can do anything that I wanted. What a strange feeling.
I saw VAN HELSING the other day and funny enough I loved it. I don’t know why. Walking in I knew it’s going to be tons of predictable one loner and plot situations. The Movie started midway and I went to the john first.
I muttered, “ They’ll probably have a line like, HE’S KILLED THE VAMPIRE!”
Three seconds later I hear over the speakers inside the john. ‘ HE’S KILLED THE VAMPIRE!”
I chuckled to myself. But hey this is a vampire hunter movie so what do you expect.
But when I watched…I was totally swept away. I don’t know. The plot was horrible.
There was some extrapolation on Van Helsings origin when Dracula utters something like, “ NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN GABRIEL. You don’t remember me do you? “
Then there’s a line from Hugh Jackman that he remembers fighting the Romans in MASADA. SO I guess he’s the angel Gabriel. Unfortunately there was no follow-ups to it to make it concrete.
Despite those flaws and the over acting excesses of DRACULA. I loved the movie. It was fun. I expected to leave my brain on the ticket counter when I came in so…
It was fun. Strangely enough I loved this film more than Hellboy, which is even stranger because I love the comic.
But I always have a soft spot for the UNIVERSAL MONSTER MOVIES. I grew up on these when I was a kid. I’m a BORIS KARLOFF, BELA LUGOSI, BASILRATHBONE, LONCHANEY SR AND JR, and JACK PIERCE fan.
I also loved MONSTER SQUAD precisely for the same reason. There’s this scene, which is priceless. A vortex opens up and the kids had to use the blood of a virgin to stop it.They use the elder sister's blood. But the vortex just keeps on comming.
One of the kids turns around and tells the sister.
“ YOU’RE NOT REALLY A VIRGIN ARE YOU? “
“ Well I had this thing with my ex –boyfriend but he doesn’t count.” She replies.
“ DOESN’T COUNT? “ the kid screams back and they all look at each other because they know they’re fucked!
The SPFX here is better than those of HELLBOY. After all it was done by ILM. The opening battle with HYDE is incredible. The design for the creature mirrors a giant midget. This is the ultimate CG Hyde.
I don’t know why there’s a trend for Victorian spfx packages. You had League and then there’s VAN HELSING. But that’s how Hollywood works.
Anyway I love this movie next to the MUMMY this is a great universal horror revival. I HATED MUMMY RETURNS the same way I HATED XMEN 2. Just because the sequel has more action and set pieces doesn’t mean that it gets better.
As much As I like this movie, in my book there is only one actor who is the quintessential VAN HELSING, PETER CUSHING. That’s GOVENOR TARKIN to you philistines!
Every time I see a flick where he has a titanic fight scene with the other quintessential DRACULA, CHRISTOPER LEE I jump on my seat!
The Best Dracula movie I ever saw was the first one CHRIS LEE starred in, THE HORROR OF DRACULA! TOD BROWNING’S 1931 film with BELA LUGOSI is great for the atmospherics but BELA moves too slowly for my taste. He’s more a leering old man in white make up than what I imagined DRACULA to be.
But CHRISTOPER LEE is the ERROL FLYN of DRACULAS. He runs and snarls and wears blood tinted contact lenses!
And PETER CUSHING jumps right in after him! He runs over tables and slides on them to tear the curtains off the windows to reveal…….TA DAH!!!! SUNLIGHT!
Another favorite of mine is DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS. Cushing plays VAN HELSING’s 20 th century progeny. If I remember correctly DRACULA drafted some scientists to come up with a doomsday plague. As if Vampirism isn’t enough.
When I was a kid, my classmates would come in with their hardy boys hard cover. And I would lug along my HORROR in CINEMA hardcover! Most of the time they don’t understand why I was in it. But would always ask me how an effect was done.
I hope they do CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON next.
This is Selina’s new fixation!
Much to Cess’s relief. She’s out grown SOUTH PARK. Because Cess thrashed my copy in the garbage bin. She gave me fair warning prior to that ,that she would throw
the dvd if she ever caught me showing it to SELINA. Well she caught me, fair and square. (Little did she know that I salvaged it in the dead of night. I had to wade thru our black plastic garbage bag when I knew she was asleep.)
Selina then went to a WALT DISNEY PHASE. It lasted for three months.
Then it was SHRECK.I practically memorized the entire film when she would watch it three times a day while I edited beside her!
Yesterday I was cleaning my dvd collection and she took the WALLACE & GROMIT SPECIAL EDITION DVD and played it in her player. And thus begun her BRITISH SENSIBILTY brainwashing SESSIONS.
SELINA: “ MOMEE may I have water perchance? “
CESS: “ That’s more like it! “
Sunday, May 02, 2004
I love reading and collecting books. Problem is, most of the books I want are seldom available here. So when I heard thru the family grapevine that my cousin Jerome was coming back with his family for a quick holiday vacation I emailed him and gave him a list of books that I wanted. The majority of them are hard bound 300-400 page books.
Within two weeks he arrived with the books. And boy do they weigh a ton. Only relatives would go thru the hardship of lugging at least 12 pounds of books from Los Angeles to down town manila.
And to top it all, he even gave me one book as a gift. Thanks a lot Jerome.
Those books were my only companion during the holy week holidays and I had a great time reading them. In fact I’m still going thru them as of now.
As of now I have three book cases and that’s not counting the one We had made under the stairs.
Within two weeks he arrived with the books. And boy do they weigh a ton. Only relatives would go thru the hardship of lugging at least 12 pounds of books from Los Angeles to down town manila.
And to top it all, he even gave me one book as a gift. Thanks a lot Jerome.
Those books were my only companion during the holy week holidays and I had a great time reading them. In fact I’m still going thru them as of now.
As of now I have three book cases and that’s not counting the one We had made under the stairs.
Sunday, April 18, 2004
CESS: “ My vision is flickering. I think I need to see a doctor.
The following day after the doctor’s appointment.
CESS: “ The doctor tells me that my retinas might detach and if they do I have to rush to the doctor ASAP! “
FLIM: “ How would you know if your retinas detached? “
CESS: “ My eye sight would have this flashing white light. If that happens I should rush to the hospital and they might save my sight. The sooner it is treated the bigger the chance I won’t go blind. And no blows to the head. One blow could sever them. ”
FLIM: “ I may be a charming scoundrel and a devil may care, not to mention charismatic Villain but one thing I don’t do is beat you up! “
CESS: ” You gave me one a year ago.”
FLIM: “ WITH THE PILLOW? IN A PILLOW FIGHT? YOU’RE THE ONLY WHO INSTIGATES A PILLOW FIGHT AND YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT GETTING HIT!
CESS: “ Still…”
FLIM: “ My dear…in a pillow fight as in any mock battle you cannot put restrictions on which part you would not be hit! Combat is a random event! Read the ART OF WAR! Strike anywhere! In the heat of battle I don’t run a mental catalogue of your frailty points. On the contraire! Those vulnerabilities would be exploited! Besides in a fight it’s not the logical part of the brain that works it’s the reptilian side…OBDULA OBLONGATA! “
CESS: “ No more pillow fights, then!”
FLIM: “Great…now what to do on Saturday nights! “
I consulted my sister who happens to be, forgive me for boasting, one of the most eminent PATHOLOGIST in the country today what she thought.
DR CESS: “ She’s right any blows to the head could sever them.”
FLIM: “ How about instantaneous braking? Our idiot driver brakes aggressively all the time. “
DR. CESS: “ Hmmmmmm…that too I guess. Just minimize any surface tensions on her head. Her retinas are totally strained as of now. Legally she is blind… with her grade.”
Back in the house.
CESS: “ I think it’s inevitable. I will go blind. How can I take care of the baby? How could I see her grows up?
FLIM: “ You wont go blind! Your eyes are just tired. Just relax.”
CESS: “ If my retinas detached then I have to be within striking distance of a hospital.”
FLIM: “ So that means no more out of town trips. I should carry around an empty plastic cup.”
CESS: “ For what? “
FLIM: “ Well if your eye pops out I’d run after it and pack it in ice! “
CESS: “ The retina detaches not the eyeball! In the doctors clinic there was a man who had his retina severed when he was just scratching his eyelid. And there was another patient who had his detached when he sneezed! “
FLIM: “ Makes you think how frail the human body is!”
CESS: “ What if the baby wants me to read her, fairy tale stories. How am I going to do that? “
FLIM: “ Don’t worry! I can record your voice reading out aloud all her books and when she wants you to read her one, you just pop in a tape! “
CESS: “ What if she wants sleeping beauty and I slip in Cinderella?”
Then we both started laughing. But I really feel sorry for Cess. And I started wondering how is it going to be if she does go…. AH FUCK IT! I’ll just be there, white plastic cup in hand.
CESS: “ Maybe I should start filing the office reports in Braille! “
The following day after the doctor’s appointment.
CESS: “ The doctor tells me that my retinas might detach and if they do I have to rush to the doctor ASAP! “
FLIM: “ How would you know if your retinas detached? “
CESS: “ My eye sight would have this flashing white light. If that happens I should rush to the hospital and they might save my sight. The sooner it is treated the bigger the chance I won’t go blind. And no blows to the head. One blow could sever them. ”
FLIM: “ I may be a charming scoundrel and a devil may care, not to mention charismatic Villain but one thing I don’t do is beat you up! “
CESS: ” You gave me one a year ago.”
FLIM: “ WITH THE PILLOW? IN A PILLOW FIGHT? YOU’RE THE ONLY WHO INSTIGATES A PILLOW FIGHT AND YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT GETTING HIT!
CESS: “ Still…”
FLIM: “ My dear…in a pillow fight as in any mock battle you cannot put restrictions on which part you would not be hit! Combat is a random event! Read the ART OF WAR! Strike anywhere! In the heat of battle I don’t run a mental catalogue of your frailty points. On the contraire! Those vulnerabilities would be exploited! Besides in a fight it’s not the logical part of the brain that works it’s the reptilian side…OBDULA OBLONGATA! “
CESS: “ No more pillow fights, then!”
FLIM: “Great…now what to do on Saturday nights! “
I consulted my sister who happens to be, forgive me for boasting, one of the most eminent PATHOLOGIST in the country today what she thought.
DR CESS: “ She’s right any blows to the head could sever them.”
FLIM: “ How about instantaneous braking? Our idiot driver brakes aggressively all the time. “
DR. CESS: “ Hmmmmmm…that too I guess. Just minimize any surface tensions on her head. Her retinas are totally strained as of now. Legally she is blind… with her grade.”
Back in the house.
CESS: “ I think it’s inevitable. I will go blind. How can I take care of the baby? How could I see her grows up?
FLIM: “ You wont go blind! Your eyes are just tired. Just relax.”
CESS: “ If my retinas detached then I have to be within striking distance of a hospital.”
FLIM: “ So that means no more out of town trips. I should carry around an empty plastic cup.”
CESS: “ For what? “
FLIM: “ Well if your eye pops out I’d run after it and pack it in ice! “
CESS: “ The retina detaches not the eyeball! In the doctors clinic there was a man who had his retina severed when he was just scratching his eyelid. And there was another patient who had his detached when he sneezed! “
FLIM: “ Makes you think how frail the human body is!”
CESS: “ What if the baby wants me to read her, fairy tale stories. How am I going to do that? “
FLIM: “ Don’t worry! I can record your voice reading out aloud all her books and when she wants you to read her one, you just pop in a tape! “
CESS: “ What if she wants sleeping beauty and I slip in Cinderella?”
Then we both started laughing. But I really feel sorry for Cess. And I started wondering how is it going to be if she does go…. AH FUCK IT! I’ll just be there, white plastic cup in hand.
CESS: “ Maybe I should start filing the office reports in Braille! “
Sunday, April 11, 2004
Aside from making films and video and whatever lies in between I love to cook as well.
Strangely the people I do know, the good cooks are mostly male. Well in my generation at least. Occasionally I would swap recipes with my actors, or producers. The cameraman would from time to time give me a few pointers on how to make coffee carpenter (karpentero style), which is plenty of sugar and milk. Sometimes I find it baffling that he does not just buy a milk shake but if you go to the latest coffee hangout I have a sneaking suspicion that his recipe for coffee is now a standard mix.
Most of the time when I come home from a shoot, dinner is either cold or whatever is left wouldn’t be much. So I’d whip out my time honored FLIM NUKED RICE. This recipe is only used when you come home late at night and youre stuck with ingredients that are already there!
The ingredients are as followed.
ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE FRIDGE OR IN THE CUPBOARD WOULD DO!
Next deep-fry olive oil for about 10 minutes over a small fire.
Then chop up some garlic. The more garlic, the better!
Then fry the said garlic till it turns golden brown!
Then follow it up with four balls of onions! Yes! Smell the aroma!
Beautiful isn’t it!
Then take out the refrigerated rice and crushed it with your bare hands. Till they separate into tiny granules! Sprinkle some water to hasten the process
Then you dump it into the olive oil.
I said Olive oil because a lot of people are health nuts but if you want it to be really delicious, use the cooked pork oil that your housemaid used when she deep-fried those pork chops last month!
I tell you that would be truly divine.
Then get a slab of butter and throw it on top of that steaming heap.
We usually stock a lot of Spam and mahling for unwanted visitors. Now if you don’t have that, Vienna sausage would do. Chop it up into tit bits and have a second fire going and fry those suckers yeah!!!! But save the Vienna sausage juice that usually accompanies it …we’ll use that later!
Get your worstecher sauce or if you like the local variant, knorr seasoning and dab your
Fired rice with it while it simmering.
Your fired sausages would be golden brown by now. So dump it and the oil that used into the friend rice!
Now we also have canned mushrooms in the cupboard. If you don’t then you should start lecturing your wife for not having a fully loaded cupboard. You can never tell if an atomic bomb suddenly drops from the sky or a coup happens in the last minute. I don’t see a rationale person running to the supermarket to do some last minute shopping while fifteen pound shells are exploding all over the place.
Anyway back to the mushrooms. Fry it too on the separate frying pan! While that’s happening get four eggs and scramble those! Don’t forget to put some salt into it!
I don’t know about you but I always have a bottle of wine beside the kitchen so I’d put swish of that in! Trust me it adds some exotic flavor to your eggs. I mean how long have you been eating eggs right…this would give you an extra boost from your mundane egg eating days!
Now when your eggs have foamed… drop it on the fried mushrooms. Let it settle for a minute or two and then mash it all over!
Then dump the egg mushroom mix into the second pan! Mix the entire thing! And open a can of beer, you’re set!
It beats eating re heated food anytime. At least you actually cooked it. And the best part is hearing the maids bitching in the morning about the giant mess you left…
Strangely the people I do know, the good cooks are mostly male. Well in my generation at least. Occasionally I would swap recipes with my actors, or producers. The cameraman would from time to time give me a few pointers on how to make coffee carpenter (karpentero style), which is plenty of sugar and milk. Sometimes I find it baffling that he does not just buy a milk shake but if you go to the latest coffee hangout I have a sneaking suspicion that his recipe for coffee is now a standard mix.
Most of the time when I come home from a shoot, dinner is either cold or whatever is left wouldn’t be much. So I’d whip out my time honored FLIM NUKED RICE. This recipe is only used when you come home late at night and youre stuck with ingredients that are already there!
The ingredients are as followed.
ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE FRIDGE OR IN THE CUPBOARD WOULD DO!
Next deep-fry olive oil for about 10 minutes over a small fire.
Then chop up some garlic. The more garlic, the better!
Then fry the said garlic till it turns golden brown!
Then follow it up with four balls of onions! Yes! Smell the aroma!
Beautiful isn’t it!
Then take out the refrigerated rice and crushed it with your bare hands. Till they separate into tiny granules! Sprinkle some water to hasten the process
Then you dump it into the olive oil.
I said Olive oil because a lot of people are health nuts but if you want it to be really delicious, use the cooked pork oil that your housemaid used when she deep-fried those pork chops last month!
I tell you that would be truly divine.
Then get a slab of butter and throw it on top of that steaming heap.
We usually stock a lot of Spam and mahling for unwanted visitors. Now if you don’t have that, Vienna sausage would do. Chop it up into tit bits and have a second fire going and fry those suckers yeah!!!! But save the Vienna sausage juice that usually accompanies it …we’ll use that later!
Get your worstecher sauce or if you like the local variant, knorr seasoning and dab your
Fired rice with it while it simmering.
Your fired sausages would be golden brown by now. So dump it and the oil that used into the friend rice!
Now we also have canned mushrooms in the cupboard. If you don’t then you should start lecturing your wife for not having a fully loaded cupboard. You can never tell if an atomic bomb suddenly drops from the sky or a coup happens in the last minute. I don’t see a rationale person running to the supermarket to do some last minute shopping while fifteen pound shells are exploding all over the place.
Anyway back to the mushrooms. Fry it too on the separate frying pan! While that’s happening get four eggs and scramble those! Don’t forget to put some salt into it!
I don’t know about you but I always have a bottle of wine beside the kitchen so I’d put swish of that in! Trust me it adds some exotic flavor to your eggs. I mean how long have you been eating eggs right…this would give you an extra boost from your mundane egg eating days!
Now when your eggs have foamed… drop it on the fried mushrooms. Let it settle for a minute or two and then mash it all over!
Then dump the egg mushroom mix into the second pan! Mix the entire thing! And open a can of beer, you’re set!
It beats eating re heated food anytime. At least you actually cooked it. And the best part is hearing the maids bitching in the morning about the giant mess you left…
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Last Tuesday I hitched my way to Robinson’s early in the morning to watch THE PASSION. I have been really excited to watch it ever since I first read in the net that MEL GIBSON was doing a CHRIST movie.
I have seen tons of biblical movies. They’re my personal favorite. Anything that has sword sandals and togas. Most of them are historical or biblical stories and then theirs the occasional RAY HARRYHAUSEN VARIANT that would have GIANT BRONZE MEN and monsters! COOL!
Some of my friends already warned me to bring a Kleenex or two. I told them that are what the long sleeve is for.
The screening ended at around 1:30. It ‘s not a film that I recommended that you start the day with.
But I love the movie.
It’s a SPLATTER PUNK JESUS CHRIST flick!
But what would you expect when the director of the film is MAD MAX.
And the best part is that its earning hundreds and millions in the box office. Leaving the film executives scratching their heads because they refuse to distribute the film or produce it and declared that it won’t make a penny.
The problems in Hollywood now are that the film executives are running the studios. They based the marketability and the decision of producing a movie on …what else, MARKET RESEARCH.
Your idea must have a pre-cursor or hit film that grossed millions to ensure the go-signal.
So when you pitch you do something like this.
FLIM: “ OK this is an action adventure movie that has a strong supernatural flavor.”
FILM EXECUTIVE: “ Uhm…I don’t get it.”
FLIM: “ its RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK MEETS THE EXORCIST.”
FILM EXE: “ Hey that’s good. Raiders is one of the top grossing films of PARAMOUNT and has big revenue in the DVD market and the EXORCISTS. That baby went thru the roof even after the seventh re-issue!”
So its no wonder that when you watch Hollywood films they have a factory look and they have factory directions and a factory ending.
There was a time when film studios were run by filmmakers. Producers like DAVID O SLEZNICK were very gifted and talented individuals who knew inherently if a film is good not because of the money it would generate but by the substance and the story. He was the one who was personally responsible for bringing in ALFRED HITCHCOCK from ENGLAND
SLEZNICK created pictures that were classic gems like REBECCA, GONE WITH THE WIND and DUEL IN THE SUN.
The invasion of lawyers of marketing people into the higher echelons of Hollywood started around the late 70s. That coupled by the seeping in of television executives and mid management level people started the creative stranglehold of Hollywood produced movies.
So imagine how difficult it is to pitch a film when the bottom line is that it should gross 100 million in the domestic release alone.
For every trashy A-1 movie concept that was released, there were twenty great and original films that were trashed and thrown in the waste bin.
When Lucas pitched STAR WARS NED TANEN of UNIVERSAL pictures rejected it because there was no precedent and claimed it wont make any money.
I wonder how he is holding up right now. It’s amazing how things work. You pitch an idea and the studios would predict that it wouldn’t make any money and show you to the door. So you opt and produce it on your own. Then it becomes a box office hit because it’s unique and not the dime a dozen products out there. So you know what happens next? The studios that refused and damned your idea would now rush and climb over each other to duplicate and copy your film.
That’s what happened to STAR WARS. Universal initially passed it off and when it made money they created BATTLESTAR GALACTICA even going as low as getting JOHN DRYSTRA, STAR WARS special effects supervisor to make their product more STAR WARISH.
PATHETIC.
And that’s what’s going to happen to THE PASSION. In a few months there will be several biblical films on the production slate.
PETER’S PASSION
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE
THE ADVENTURES OF MARY MAGDALENE IN THE CITY OF SODOM
PILATE’S HYGENE
And the unauthorized sequel to THE PASSION, which of course would be entitled THE RESURRECTION.
I have seen tons of biblical movies. They’re my personal favorite. Anything that has sword sandals and togas. Most of them are historical or biblical stories and then theirs the occasional RAY HARRYHAUSEN VARIANT that would have GIANT BRONZE MEN and monsters! COOL!
Some of my friends already warned me to bring a Kleenex or two. I told them that are what the long sleeve is for.
The screening ended at around 1:30. It ‘s not a film that I recommended that you start the day with.
But I love the movie.
It’s a SPLATTER PUNK JESUS CHRIST flick!
But what would you expect when the director of the film is MAD MAX.
And the best part is that its earning hundreds and millions in the box office. Leaving the film executives scratching their heads because they refuse to distribute the film or produce it and declared that it won’t make a penny.
The problems in Hollywood now are that the film executives are running the studios. They based the marketability and the decision of producing a movie on …what else, MARKET RESEARCH.
Your idea must have a pre-cursor or hit film that grossed millions to ensure the go-signal.
So when you pitch you do something like this.
FLIM: “ OK this is an action adventure movie that has a strong supernatural flavor.”
FILM EXECUTIVE: “ Uhm…I don’t get it.”
FLIM: “ its RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK MEETS THE EXORCIST.”
FILM EXE: “ Hey that’s good. Raiders is one of the top grossing films of PARAMOUNT and has big revenue in the DVD market and the EXORCISTS. That baby went thru the roof even after the seventh re-issue!”
So its no wonder that when you watch Hollywood films they have a factory look and they have factory directions and a factory ending.
There was a time when film studios were run by filmmakers. Producers like DAVID O SLEZNICK were very gifted and talented individuals who knew inherently if a film is good not because of the money it would generate but by the substance and the story. He was the one who was personally responsible for bringing in ALFRED HITCHCOCK from ENGLAND
SLEZNICK created pictures that were classic gems like REBECCA, GONE WITH THE WIND and DUEL IN THE SUN.
The invasion of lawyers of marketing people into the higher echelons of Hollywood started around the late 70s. That coupled by the seeping in of television executives and mid management level people started the creative stranglehold of Hollywood produced movies.
So imagine how difficult it is to pitch a film when the bottom line is that it should gross 100 million in the domestic release alone.
For every trashy A-1 movie concept that was released, there were twenty great and original films that were trashed and thrown in the waste bin.
When Lucas pitched STAR WARS NED TANEN of UNIVERSAL pictures rejected it because there was no precedent and claimed it wont make any money.
I wonder how he is holding up right now. It’s amazing how things work. You pitch an idea and the studios would predict that it wouldn’t make any money and show you to the door. So you opt and produce it on your own. Then it becomes a box office hit because it’s unique and not the dime a dozen products out there. So you know what happens next? The studios that refused and damned your idea would now rush and climb over each other to duplicate and copy your film.
That’s what happened to STAR WARS. Universal initially passed it off and when it made money they created BATTLESTAR GALACTICA even going as low as getting JOHN DRYSTRA, STAR WARS special effects supervisor to make their product more STAR WARISH.
PATHETIC.
And that’s what’s going to happen to THE PASSION. In a few months there will be several biblical films on the production slate.
PETER’S PASSION
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE
THE ADVENTURES OF MARY MAGDALENE IN THE CITY OF SODOM
PILATE’S HYGENE
And the unauthorized sequel to THE PASSION, which of course would be entitled THE RESURRECTION.
Saturday, April 03, 2004
This is on top of the MUST HAVE LIST. Unfortunately it contains the special editions instead of the original cuts. I hate the special editions. The spfx enhancements shouldn’t have been retouched it reflects the cutting edge technology that they had way back in 77. I don’t see RAY HARRYHAUSEN going back and redoing his incredible films. The most he did was to re-time and color correct the restoration. Unlike the full renovation that LUCAS did.
But if you have access to that kind of technology, wouldn’t you go back to re do and tinker with your previous work?
Fix the glitches and some of the minor stuff but do not alter the story structure LIKE GREEDO FIRING FIRST!!!!
HAN SOLO FRIED GREEDO as soon AS THAT GREEN SLIME FINISHED HIS TREATH! Without flinching an eyebrow. That shows how cunning and ruthless the corellian pirate is. But now he’s an American cowboy. YOU HAVE TO GET SHOT FIRST BEFORE YOU FIRE BACK, SELF DEFENCE AND ALL THAT CRAP!
I’LL HOLD ON TO MY LASER DISC COLLECTION. They’re going to be priceless someday. Because it contains the original cut of all three films.
Lucas should have just included them in the four discs set collection as a streaming branching option.
Ahh well we cant have everything now can we?
Personally I’m thinking of remastering my earlier work BATTLE OF CONCEPCION AGUILA. Beef it up with some CG jets dive bombing and some pyrotechnic effects.
Originally I just shot model planes that I threw across the camera and some wire work.
My missiles were made out of pentel pens and plastic what have you’s
The trouble with viewing your works in the past is that it was done by a different person.
And now is being viewed by somebody else. You cringe on some shots and wonder why did you ever let it get into the release stage.
But then those works are very important. It reflects your growth as a person, as a filmmaker or a painter. These works are time capsules of an era long gone. The most you can do is preserve the original and do your alterations and brand it as a special edition. OR a re-imagining if you will. I won’t have the gall to call it a special edition if I do tinker with it. I’ll call it VERSION 2 or something.
Friday, April 02, 2004
Last Monday I wandered into landmark and saw the rare BATMAN retro action figure!Yikes! I QUICKLY grabbed it and inquired if there was anymore. The saleslady said that it was a leftover from last month’s delivery. So I walked out and proudly carried my latest catch. I then went to CIBO and bought a TIRAMISU cake and sat down to admire and priss on my latest acquisition.
The sculpting was incredible and the detail work, …wow! I stopped collecting toys almost a year ago. I just didn’t find anything worth collecting. I have two criteria’s for
Getting a figure.
1.The character must be someone or something that I grew up on. Well not just a character but also any item from my pop cultural passes. Such as the BATMOBILE from the 60’s ADAM WEST /BURT WARD series. Or the SEAVIEW and the MINI SUB from THE VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.
2.The toy must be hard to find. Otherwise why would make your collection special when you can hike up to the nearest mall and just buy it off the counter. (Most collectors would disagree with me on this, but this is my criterion! Having a hard to find toy does not only boost your collection and your pride but it also makes it terribly easy to sell it in a higher price.
But the real reason I think is, if the toy or item is hard to find it makes the search and quest more interesting. Panting and pining over an object is a much more interesting endeavor than actually acquiring the thing.
I knew that then and I know it now. Sitting in the coffee shop in just a space of over twenty minutes the elation and excitement I initially felt began to subside. Now the Holy Grail shrank before my eyes and became what it really was…a toy for 6 year olds.
Well I told myself, I still have a very rare toy. Until I walked into another toyshop and discovered 3 more BATMAN retros.
FLIM: “ I thought these were rare!
STOREKEEPER: “ They are. We just got lucky.”
FLIM: “ Ok, I’ll buy them all.”
As I went home. The feeling of hunting down the sole surviving BATMAN RETRO didn’t feel so special when you’re lugging in 3 more. Hell There’s always EBAY.
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