I don't have a boyfriend... but I have tons of crushes! : Part 3

Ben Barnes









Here in the Philippines he's commonly known as "Prince Caspian" from the "Chronicles of Narnia". But he has actually had movies that the title of the film happens to be the name of the main character, e.g Oscar Wilde's "Dorian Gray" , and "Bigga than Ben" (no pun intended here). In "Bigga than Ben" he played a Russian migrant on a student visa, when they they got to City of London with hardly any money. That's where all their adventures began...the lives of "two Russian Scums". Of course the "Ben" that the movie was referring to was the "Big Ben" tower in London, England.



What did I liked about him? The boyish looks,gorgeous hair, and plus, who's could resist that lovely British accent! He's my type of guy actually, you know...tall, dark haired, lanky, mild mannered, with a little clumsiness on the side (yep, again, the Clark Kent Effect!). He's just the type of guy that you wouldn't be afraid to bring home and meet your parents.



He came from a well to do family. His father is a Psychiatrist, while his mother is a Psychologist (she's actually the sex therapist of Madonna and Guy Ritchie!). Graduated from one of the most prestigious Universities in England, Kingston University, with a Major in Drama. Surprisingly though, he's pretty well grounded and I think that comes from good upbringing of his parents. He admits that he has a lot of insecurities and it's really funny when you read some of the articles about him.



As an actor, he still has a long way to go. Unlike his contemporaries (Robert Pattinson, Daniel Radcliffe), fame has never gotten in the way of his career. He's still pretty much enjoying his anonymity, and Barnes can still choose roles where in he wouldn't be constantly compared to the more popular actors and can just establish himself as an artist. Too bad, most of his film rarely gets across overseas. Any how, "Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is due to be released this December 2010 so I still have something to look forward to.




By the way, did I mention that he reads his fan mail? Well YES he does! Believe you me, I have written so many actors before, even the nicest ones don't ever reply. But Ben does, he has even shelled out thousands of Pounds (out of his own pocket!) just to send a reply. It's nice to know that actor actually has time and even enjoys reading his fan mail. That is very rare, because of that...uber Pogi points na siya sa akin! Here's a scan of that pic which he signed. It is authentic mind you! I challenge you to make a research if you like.


Here's a fanmade video of "Bigga than Ben". The artist is Paulo Nutuni

....and another clip, this time from the Gothic flick "Dorian Gray"

I don't have a boyfriend...but I have tons of crushes! Part 2

I hope this time around, this post would look a little better. It's so difficult if your not that "techy"!

SHANE TAYLOR

Now my sister and I always swoon whenever we watch "Band of Brothers" because of him! He played the role of Easy Company Medic, Eugene Roe. He's Irish which is evident in his looks: fair skinned, dark hair, and beautiful green eyes. In Band of Brothers,you will always hear someone yelling for a medic (obviously a lot of these wounded soldiers are getting hit constantly). When he starts running over to provide first aid, that concerned look on his face is enough to make your heart jump! Look, I'm not doing him any justice by just blabbing so just take a look at this video :)






To be continued......

I don't have a boyfriend ...but I have tons of crushes! : Part 1

I was inspired to write about this topic because of a colleague. We were chatting on Skype while I was trying to catch up on my E-learning course, and her finishing some tasks for Hotels that are under her care. Then all of a sudden, we started to talk about boys. According to her, I was "funny". Hmm. I asked her why, and she said it is because I don't usually join conversations regarding the topic and not only that...she thought that I don't have interest in men...ever! So untrue! And so I told her, "just because I do not have a boyfriend, it doesn't mean that I also do not have interest in men." It's quite the contrary to what people usually think of me (another colleague was pressing me to "come out" because they think I was lesbian! Ouch! Have nothing against gay people of course), I love Men and men only....I don't think I can live without them! *wink* Well, most of them would be actors; I would have to say that these men have inspired me one way or another. Because some of them followed their dreams amidst all odds! Courage, humility and dedication has always been my reason for admiring these individuals.


But most of them are stage actors and are not that popular. Well, with the exception of this one guy who has just starred in the most successful movie of all time!

Here's some of them:

CRAIG PARKER
This New Zealand actor gained international popularity when he played role of Haldir in the "The Lord of the Rings" until his life was cut short by an Orc at Helms Deep.
At the beginning I couldn't care less who he was because as an Elf, he wasn't as gorgeous as Legolas (Orlando Bloom). Instead he looked more of a "drag queen who had a binge-drinking the previous night!" However, as my obsession with anything Tolkien increased, I made sure that I knew every character both in the movie and the books, and these actors who played them (talk about being OC!). A fansite dedicated to LORT fans, The One Ring.Net, had a news feed about his trip to Nepal. The show's name was The Intrepid Journeys. There were no video clips of this episode however the producers have provided us Craig's diary of the trip.As I read through his diary, I found my self hooked on every word that he was saying, not only that I was also laughing so hard that tears were trying to escape the corner of my eyes. Being a voracious reader, it is evident that he also hast talent for writing.
His very popular in Europe for all of those RingCon's that he has attended. I have taken the liberty to include some of them :)

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OSCAR ISAAC
An American actor with Hispanic descent and a graduate of Julliard school in NYC. Isaac has performed a couple of times at New York's Central Park for "Shakespeare at the Park" which is held every summer. In 2005, he starred in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona", this is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare as it was made into a Musical with Rosario Dawson as his leading-lady. The following year 2006, he played Romeo in "Romeo & Juliet" opposite Lauren Graham (Six Feet Under). I have seen a few clips of the play; unfortunately none of these exist in the internet anymore. For me, he made a great impression as Romeo. It figures as he was trained at Julliard for classical drama. It was a Galaxy of a difference compared to Leonardo DiCaprio's take (nothing against the guy, I just don't think he's an effective actor)! However, that is not where I came to know him. Isaac's first movie break came in 2006 in "The Nativity Story", playing the role of Joseph. The film was directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight, 13, Lords of Dog Down), while the role of Mary went to Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider). For those who aren't in the know, Castle-Hughes is still the youngest actress ever to be nominated for an Oscar; she was only 13 years old back then.
Production team tried to be as authentic as they can not only for historical purpose but also to depict the hardship of these people who for the longest time was under Roman tyranny. They did not spoke in Aramaic though, unlike what Mel Gibson did for "Passion of the Christ". But unlike "Passion of the Christ" “The Nativity Story" has a smaller budget and teaching the entire cast an obsolete language would be very expensive. So the audience has to content themselves to hear Mary & Joseph speak in English but with a Mediterranean accent, which is not that bad if you ask me.
If you have already seen this film, you would understand when I say that it is more of a "Joseph" movie. It is probably the only one with this kind of theme, the movie was more focused on Joseph's (also Mary’s) plight in taking in a woman who has conceived out of wedlock, but took her any way because of his love for her and of his great faith. Oscar Isaac is the most endearing Joseph that I have ever seen. His emotions are palpable in his most simple gestures, facial expression and of course the way he delivers his lines. You would feel for him in his times of frustration and confusion, and can see the love for his young bride whenever he looks at her. Call it cheesy, but i enjoyed this film so much. Unfortunately, it didn't do so well at the Box Office with movie critics having mixed reviews about the film.
Anyhow, you will get to see more of this talented actor this year when "Robin hood" starring Russell Crowe is released.

Heaven knows I'm miserable now....

Any body who has a penchant for New Wave music? Not me. Well, that's what I thought. Recently I have found a new appreciation for this genre. My taste in music was greatly influenced by my cousins. When I was in kindergarten I lived with them for a year and so I was very much exposed to Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cindy Lauper and everything MTV. They would always watch these music videos and they would make an impression on me. I find it amazing that I could still remember scenes from a Corey Hart video and I doubt that anyone of you can still recall who Corey Hart is. Does these lyrics ring a bell: "I wear my sunglasses at night so I can, so I can..." or "... I just died in your arms tonight. It must have been something you said...."? If you do, then that would be him, and your an 80's kid like me!

Popular bands in the 80's like The Smiths, Morrissey (these two bands may sound similar, that is because they had the same vocalist until 1987 when Steve Patrick Morrissey left the band to pursue a solo career), and a favorite of my cousins, Tears for Fears who are coming to to Manila for a one night concert on May 2, 2010. How I wish I could go! It's history in the making and is something that's unlikely to happen again.

Here are some of the songs that I'm listening to:

1) Girlfriend in a coma - this song has a dark humor to it, and has a very catchy tune. Very 1980's!
2) How soon is now - this song was once again popularized as the opening theme to the hit TV series "Charmed". Betcha didn't know that what you heard was just a cover of the original song huh? :)
3) The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get - Morrissey Mp3 - Love the stalker-ish feeling of the song. Don't you wish we could all say the same thing to our crushes? "sorry pal, but you just can't brush me off that easily." LOL
4) Heaven Knows I M Miserable Now - The Smiths Mp3 - Listen to the lyrics of this song, and I'm sure that you will agree with me that Morrissey is a brilliant lyricist! I can listen to this song all day!

As to the title of the blog.... all I can say is, yes I am in that state of mind. Don't want to complain so much as to be ungrateful for all the blessing that I have received, and for all the prayers that were answered. It's just that my frustration stems from the fact that I don't want to be doing this for the next 2 or 3 years. There is something else that I want to do, and I don't think that I'm on the right path. Sometimes I feel like I'm loosing precious time, as I am no longer in my twenties and must constantly catch up with things. Well, like they said "there's no such thing as coincidence" God has a purpose why he has put me in a position I am right now. I just have to be patient and keep my eyes (and my heart) peeled for signs that he might be giving me. "The heart wants what the heart wants"! I will see it through,By Jove I do not know how but my heart tells me that I will.... I will.

Sam Worthington starrer “Clash of the Titans” breaks records in The Philippines!

Never mind what the critics say, the mere fact that the movie "Clash of the Titans" has generated a huge amount of movie earnings and has made box-office records not only in the U.S. but also overseas is more than enough proof that movie goers has enjoyed it and that it's worth their money! Like I've said in my previous posts, the film is not meant to be taken seriously so just enjoy the ride. If there's only one critique that I have is that it lacked the uniformity in terms of language/accent. Though Worthington has a point in saying that it is unlikely that the Greeks back then would have European (English) accents, having uniformity or fluidity in their speeches would definitely help the audience appreciate the dialogues better. I'm just lucky I guess as I was taking Australian/New Zealand (believe me, there's a difference between the two!) calls for more that a year otherwise I wouldn't be able to understand what Perseus was saying half of the time. As a fan, it;s nice to hear Sam's natural accent.

Here's a copy of the article, but you can also check the link :)



(The Freeman) Updated April 08, 2010 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines - Warner Bros.’ “Clash of the Titans” demolished Kraken-like box-office records in the Philippines as it posted a nationwide, two-day opening weekend gross of a monstrous P 47.54-million for the April 3-4 period. This was announced last April 5 by Francis Soliven, general manager of Warner Bros. (F.E.), Inc. which distributed the film.
The fantasy adventure loosely based on Greek mythology easily captured the No. 1 slot for the competitive Easter weekend which saw four big movies opening.
Starring new Hollywood hotshot Sam Worthington (fresh from the monumental success of “Avatar”), “Clash of the Titans” demolished numerous box-office records in its path. Its first-day Metro Manila receipts of P17.47-M last April 3 is now the biggest opening day gross ever for a Warner Bros. title (beating 2006’s “Superman Returns” with P16.73-M); the highest first-day gross for 2010 industry-wide; and the fifth most successful opening day in history (shattering last year’s “2012” with P17.35-M).
“Titans” also broke the all-time opening day record for a 3D film – its haul of P9. 45-M in 3D screens shattered the first-day record set by last month’s “Alice in Wonderland” (P3.02-M).
The Top 20 theaters that posted the biggest sales are Trinoma (P2.86-M), SM Mall of Asia (P2.78-M), SM North EDSA (P2.35-M), SM Megamall (P1.87-M), Greenbelt 3 (P1.79-M), SM Cebu (P1.69-M), Glorietta 4 (P1.65-M), Power Plant (P1.42-M), Alabang Town Center (P1.30-M) and Gateway (P1.28-M).
Also doing impressive business are Shangri-la (P1.16-M), Eastwood (P1.01-M), Robinson’s Galleria (P943,521), SM Davao (P939,940), Festival Mall (P929,456), Market Market (P914,846), SM Marikina (P892,448), SM Bacolod (P876,925), Greenhill’s (P875,300) and SM Clark (P863,073).
In “Clash of the Titans,” the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world.
Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth.
Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.
“Clash of the Titans” is presented in 3D wherever possible, making the gods even more formidable, the creatures even more fearsome, and taking audiences even deeper into the mythological realm of Perseus’ quest.
Now playing across the Philippines, “Clash of the Titans” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. em>

Bambi's Clash of theTitans Movie Review: Don't take it too seriously!

Okay, I was too excited the last time to really tell what I think about the latest movie on Greek Mythology, Clash of the Titans. I may have seen the original movie when I was younger, with it's state of the art stop-motion capture technology! But my memories of it are quite vague, the only clear memory that I have was the scene where Andromeda was tied-up at the edge of the cliff as a sacrifice to appease the Gods. In Hollywood as a rule, if it's an adapted screenplay, expect that that changes would be made in the story to accommodate it into an hour and a half feature film (with the exception of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy which is three hours long and still managed to be both entertaining and loyal to the book).

This year, 2010. We are again presented with another remake (wow, Hollywood productions are really running out of new ideas!). With a star-studded cast, headed by Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes and new comer Sam Worthington. When you watch this film, don't take it too seriously! They have change the plot to a point that you will get confused with the lessons that you've learned in school about Greek Mythology. Hint: Io (the demi god who watches over Perseus) was never really in the story. Sorry for the spoilers.I have only seen this on 2D,even so, It is quite obvious where the 3D effects would come in. It was never really meant for 3D viewing anyway, but with the record-shattering success of Avatar, everyone else wants to exploit this technology, hoping that they would entice more people to watch it.

Critics have accused Worthington of giving the same kind of performance, from Terminator Salvation to Avatar and now Clash... But, can we blame the guy? That's the type of emotion his characters are calling for. And I know that these "movie critics" would agree with me when I say, that there was never a moment that his acting came across as in-sincere! He's not new in the business, but he IS new in Hollywood. Let's give him a chance, after all he still has a few films coming out and one of them is a romantic drama with Keira Knightly and Eva Mendez (ooh, lots of kissing!). I have seen some of his past works when he was still an actor in Australia(through YouTube of course!), that is why I'm adamant in defending him as a very capable and talented actor. Not to mention that Worthington is a very down to earth person.

As I have said, Clash of the Titans is not a history movie (which the director and even the actors themselves made clear before). It is made to entertain and and to haul in a huge amount of money!LOL Wish I could have a share in that.:)

Clash Of The Titans Movie: Sam Worthington was right!

It is a popcorn type of movie! I may be bias because it's a Sam Worthington film that we are talking about, however don't just take my word for it. Go watch it!!! Remember this is a film that is not meant to be taken seriously so try not to get confused with the storyline as well.





The movie's world premiere is on April 2, 2010, here in the Philippines that would be April 3, 2010 which also falls on Black Saturday. Since we are predominantly Christian/Catholics, we observe traditions of the Lenten Season. Well perhaps not so much as I remembered it when I was young and my grandmother was still alive. We would do "Bisita Iglesia" on Good Fridays, not to mention there are no form of entertainment available during this period. Radio and TV stations would sign off as early as Good Thursday, if there was something on TV it would be the "Syete Palabras" ("The Seven Last words") or Jesus Nazareth which we would always watch. Nowadays, it's Boracay or which ever beach is accessible for most people, and they would just party all night. I have nothing against it, maybe I just miss being young again and having my grandmother around. There's always a sense of home in these traditions.





As it is Black Saturday, though most of the Malls will be open, it's expected that some of the people would still be out of town because of the long weekend. However, to my great surprise, there were long queues for the film, the movie house is jam-packed (it's single screening only) and again, there were really long queues! Maybe it's just me, but there wasn't a lot of buzz going on before Clash of the Titans was released. I think people are really starting to follow Sam's career now.He is after all, as Sigourney Weaver said: "The next action Hero". Gone are the days of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the audience is looking for an action hero who's believable and can live up to the reputation. Sam for me is a breath of fresh air. These days Hollywood is infiltrated with Metrosexual, Guyliner- wearing actors, who are using this new term/idea to be able to hide into their closets and fool the fans. With Sam, what you see is what you get. And he won't take shit from anyone. Loving the attitude mate! Wish I could be as brave and adventurous as you.

I will definitely follow Sam's career. Sure I've got crush on him, but he's also an inspiration for me.... to get out there and kick some ass!!!

Choco, the stray dog

Meet Choco the stray dog! We've had him for more than a year now. The first time we saw him was outside our gates, he was just going from one house to another along our street. The neighborhood didn't took pity on him because he kinda looked viscous because of his protruding lower incisors, and they look pretty sharp too! That's why it really took as a few days to make an attempt to feed him. We would just leave food outside of the gate hoping that he would drop by. It's quite obvious where he got his name, and that's because of his brownish color. My Mum has a knack for giving corny names! But I'd have to admit that we all share this weirdness :) I have a tabby orange cat who sleeps with me ever since he was a kitten, just like most of our pets, Bulelat a.k.a Moja is an orphan. Now, he's called such because: 1. he' tiny (bulilit) and he's the smallest one in the litter and 2. he likes sticking-out his tongue (belat). So it's actually a combination of two Tagalog words. But since he's also tubby and of orange hue, we also fondly call him Moja! Now that would be from the Japanese manga "Mojacko".

Going back to Choco, he was gone for a week and we all thought that the City Pound had caught him, but to our surprise we found him outside the gate again waiting for food and water. He looked terrified because a bunch of street kids bullied him and had hit him with plastic bottles, he was limping after that, obviously it had hurted him. Good thing my Mum saw this and started yelling at these bullies. There was a typhoon then as well, we would feel really guilty as we watch him scrambling for cover during the heavy rain. He looked so traumatized, we didn't know what to do! Finally, we've mustered enough courage to open our gates and let him in. He immediately went in and had that grateful look on his face, believe it or not. The following day, he managed to sneak out on us and started running off, I have just arrived from work that morning, coming from the night shift. We followed him up to the end of the street, I tried calling out to him using his "new" name. By golly, when he heard my voice, Choco immediately turned around wearing a huge grin on his face and started running towards us! He gave me an affectionate leap and followed us back home.

Our decision to keep Choco may not be a popular one among our neighbors, they find him repulsive, ugly and probably worthless. But we really don't care what they think! Because when the time comes when all of us will be judged, we only answer to God. Compassion. Not only between us human beings but to all creatures. Because one day, we will be answerable for all of the choices that we made on this earth. And in my heart of hearts, I know that we did the right thing in letting Choco, the stray dog, enter our humble home.