On my favorite TV shows

Just thought of doing this to update my Blogger account which has long been left in oblivion. Context is I am cross-blogging from Blogger so if you’re reading from blogspot, you can visit http://azureangelo.multiply.com which is updated more often as evidenced by the Photos section. Conversely, if you’re at my Multiply account, you can visit http://azureangelo.blogspot.com.

So on the top of my list is American Idol. I have been following this search since its third season and has always been a good source of songs that are new to my music palate. Among those songs that I never knew before but left me in a broken record stance at some points of my life were: Desperado (Camile Velasco), Son of a Preacher Man (Velasco and Mikalah Gordon),This Ain’t A Love Song (LaKisha Jones), Black Horse and Cherry Tree (Katharine McPhee and Megan Joy), Jolene (Brooke White and Alexis Grace), Blackbird (Carly Smithson), Love The One You’re With (all-time favorite David Hernandez). Moreover, most of my songs in my antiquated cell phone player are AI-inspired. I always make it a point to alarm every 6PM of Wed and Thu to catch this show, and I never get tired of YouTube-ing the performance over and over again.

Next is Amazing Race. I’ve been a fan since the Reichen and Chip season and I followed closely all the three Asian editions. This one is a good source of geography and culture information. I think this is one motivation why I am enthused to go places and try different people, I mean different things. India is a much-loved country if producers want to put contestants to the ultimate test. The current season boasts of unusual combinations such as mother and deaf son tandem of Margie and Luke, midget siblings Mark and Michael (who incurred another time penalty in this week’s episode), and gay father and son pair of Mike and Mel.

On to the local shows, another favorite is Eat Bulaga. I especially like the ‘Sa Pula Sa Puti’ segment because of the innate ability of the hosts to deliver jokes and punchlines a la comedy bar. Speaking of, haven’t been to one. Any taker who can bring me there? And months before, after watching this segment, I’d tune in to Studio 23 to catch the unparalleled Finding Rodrigo, a DVD/VCD copy of which remains to be so elusive. Any good soul who knows where to get one?

By the way, these four shows are what exactly appear in my Friendster’s Favorite TV Shows field --- www.friendster.com/azureangelo.

One of my goals for 2009...

…is to travel . So if you have any out-of-town (or even out of the country!) gimmicks, count me in please. I have lots of money (haha) so I’ll pay for myself but if you’re generous enough to treat me, I won’t say no.

As Jani puts it: North Mindanao, check! South Luzon, check! This refers to our trips in Misamis Oriental and Puerto Galera. =)

Paging Hanna (Camarines Norte), Mark (Vigan), Mimi (Macau), Reego (Vietnam), and Vince (Batanes). I’m not forgetting the promised trips to your places. XOXO

…and then another two movie sequels

I had my hair cut on the New Year’s Eve just to go with the flow. Incidentally, another friend was available at that time so we met at the very accessible mall in the north to, what else, watch another movie. This time we caught ‘Ang Tanging Ina Niyong Lahat.’ I initially wanted ‘Deperadas 2’ but I figured out that the theme of that movie would be suitable for the person I would meet the next day.

I was able to catch the first instalment of this family comedy and even watched the TV version so I know somehow the storyline. Narration has always been a friendly tool to explicitly bridge the gap in part-two’s like this. Initial part of the film explains where the older children are now, joking that Heart Evangelista now joins GMA, not the network but some global missionary group. Then the movie proceeds how the heroine Ina Montecillo (Ai-Ai de las Alas) struggles to make her children proud of her. She still does odd jobs until she becomes a chambermaid at the President’s Palace with the ever-reliable best friend Rowena (Eugene Domingo).

To cut the story short, Ina becomes the country’s president. Most of the punch lines (misquotes like ‘practice makes perfect but then again nobody’s perfect so why practice) are nothing new already because almost all of these were already shown in the teasers and said during her promotional activities. What makes the film really funny is Domingo. She is effortless in delivering her lines especially in that scene where she summons all Ina’s children for some purportedly serious talk.

Favorite side-splitting scenes include the classroom recitation of Ina with her law professor, Ina and Rowena’s tussle to see and to photograph the president, and all those scenes where Domingo is present.

New Year’s Day is another movie day. After a sumptuous lunch at grandma’s place, I headed to SM Megamall which I haven’t visited for some time since it is not that accessible as opposed to The North, and met with another friend whom I haven’t seen for epochs now. Took the road less travelled by via bus and was late for 30 minutes. No question or bargaining, it’s ‘Desperadas 2.’

I have never seen the original story so for the nth time, that narration and back-storytelling at the beginning really aided me to understand the movie’s context. The story revolves around the discovery and acceptance of the four half-sisters (which are all beautiful by the way and mind you I haven’t spotted any scene in the movie where one of them looks otherwise) that they still have a fifth half-sister. That last sister named Luga Luda, which is portrayed by Ogie Alcasid, is born and raised in an island called Kewlali (spelling unsure). By the by, Domingo is said to be the original choice for this character.

Luga Luda comes to the country to search for the love of her life. Of course, Luga Luda finds the man of her dreams (Carlo Guevara). That would be the guy who was bumped by Ruffa Gutierrez’ car. One funny scene is when Luga Luda first meets that guy and performs some rituals to awaken the guy by doing peculiar acts such as dancing while getting hair lice and farting, which are likewise gamely done by Gutierrez and Marian Rivera. Imagine beautiful and sophisticated ladies doing those hullabaloos. The story is straightforward: each of the sisters has her own problem and Luga Luda helps them individually and the four finally accept their last sister.

Funny scenes consist of all the scenes of Rufa Mae Quinto, specifically where she is invited to a Senate hearing and her mentioning of songs’ lyrics and authors’ famous lines. The way she delivers her line with that trademark sound is really comic for me. Rivera and Will Devaughn’s very realistic ‘I’m about to explode’ scene is also a favorite. The last wedding scene of Luga Luda is a runaway winner for the most hilarious (and memorable) part of the movie. Noteworthy still is the performance of Sofia Baars, the young lass who plays Gutierrez’ daughter. Baars convincingly sounds and acts like a little Gutierrez.

Another similarity of these sequels is the commercial placement. ‘Tanging Ina’ has a cheese advertisement in the end, with de las Alas saying that for the spaghetti to become tastier, more cheese is needed. Meanwhile, ‘Deperadas 2’ has yogurt (Iza Calzado), health drink, and Nesvita placement, this time with Rivera uttering her infamous TV ad line: beautiful.

So to rank all of the four movies I have seen this season, and considering all criteria such as acting, plot, cinematography, sound, make-up, etc., first place is ‘Baler,’ second is ‘Desperadas 2.’ Third and fourth are ‘Tanging Ina’ and ‘One Night Only’ respectively.

Two movies in a day

Got a text message from Jani Sunday afternoon that she’d meet with another HS friend Vivian at Trinoma at 2PM. I actually had plan of going out on that lazy day, to probably catch one of the film festival entries and to succumb to holiday sales, so I hurriedly gave my yes. I asked Jani what was the itinerary for the day and a simple come-what-may answer excited me as I notice that my weekend and holiday getaways are now spontaneous, unplanned, unwritten on my scratch paper-ruled 2008 calendar.

After meeting at a bookstore where I bought my 2009 daily Gospel reading (yes, I’m into that, believe it), the plan was to watch the period film ‘Baler.’ But Vivian needed Mr. Quickie for her boots but he was nowhere to be found at that mall. So we transferred to SM North (which is, by the way, the largest mall in the country now and the third in the world with the opening of The Annex). After buying my staple Penshoppe apparel, we proceeded to the movie floor. The movie they chose would be shown an hour later and my feet were too tired already because of incessant window shopping. So I had to make an executive decision. ‘One Night Only’ would be shown in ten minutes. I said I’d rather see this film because at long last I could rest and sit and eat and drink. After a little bargaining, I got my decision un-vetoed.

As the movie title suggests and what most of you have read already, ‘One Night Only’ happens in just one night at a motel by the name of ‘Lover’s Hideaway.’ The motel setting in the film, which the movie characters say is in Sta. Mesa, is nice because each room is themed. There is jungle, outer space, Egyptian, and tropical. I actually waited for the credits to roll at the end to see where exactly is that place but there is no motel acknowledgment.

So the movie is that normal everyone-was-related-to-everyone-else comedy formula in the film. Some scenes are reminiscent of local gag shows, with the inclusion of sexy comediennes (Diana Zubiri, Alessandra de Rossi) and stand-up comics (Chokoleit, Ogie Diaz). Nothing really funny save for the reaction of those at our back who scream with malice when lead sexy actors would strip. I think my genuine laugh was just twice (mostly scenes with Chokolet). With gazillions of complications arising in the middle of the film, I am wondering and pondering as to how the writer ends the script. Or if there’s a resolution at all with that labyrinthine storytelling. I think a second or third night is imperative for the denouement.

Favorite scenes include Jon Avila’s switching from one motel room to another and back to the other, and the connivance of the gay and lesbian couples of Chokoleit/Joross Gamboa and Manilyn Reynes/Jennylyn Mercado respectively just to get in to the place.

Since we three were still in that energy and monetary disposition to watch another film, we ultimately settled for ‘Baler.’ This time we relocated to Trinoma just to have a different feel and to have dinner. Then after eating at an Italian restaurant, we found ourselves at Cinema 3 but failed to catch a portion of the first part because we struggled in our eating that began 15-20 minutes before the start of the film.

This film, meanwhile, essays a love story between a Filipina Feliza and a half-Spanish soldier Celso Resurrecion in the middle of the Siege of Baler in the late 1800s. The film is rich in history and picturesque backdrop. It documents how the Spanish troops lived and died inside a church for almost a year and how a love story survived. Acting of the whole ensemble is believable and poignant, especially the last scene of Anne Curtis and Jericho Rosales. The physical setting is accurately engineered. No wonder, it garnered a lion’s share of awards.

I am not just sure whether the Spanish dialogues of Filipino actors (Baron Geisler, Bernard Palanca) are completely accurate in terms of intonation and pronunciation. Favorite scenes include that last scene, the baby delivery of Curtis (yes, there is so much power to that for me), and the reunion scene of Feliza’s Family.

Help me Find Rodrigo please! =)

Now I want a DVD/VCD with English subtitles of my most recent boob tube addiction: Finding Rodrigo. ‘El Autentico Rodrigo Leal’ is its Columbian title and stars Martin Karpan and 1994 Miss Columbia-Universe Carolina Gomez (so she’d been here in the Philippines).

This 2003 series revolves around a reality show ‘Hotel Real’ which is an amalgam of Big Brother and Survivor. Rodrigo (Karpan), a chef, is one of the contenders and pretends to be gay because the show needed one gay contestant during its last stages of casting call. Complications arise when Rodrigo falls in love with the host Carmen (Gomez). The show likewise projects the reality of ‘reality’ shows.

The show airs daily at 1PM over Studio 23. I can only watch the show during Mondays and the days after my weekday rest day (that is, if Wednesday is my rest day, I can watch the Thursday episode). Good thing, officemate Ate Tin is also an avid viewer of the show and most of the time she really delays sleep just to catch the program.

And I am back! =)

As I re-enter this dotcom world, I am now on my last day of my four-night vacation from work. Thursday is my off for this month and I am on vacation leave for the first three Fridays of November (thanks Yana for that very fantabulous idea) so I had Thursday to Monday morning as my non-work time. I knew I needed this kind of break to unwind, to reflect, to meet old friends, and to endeavour myself to the fullest (if you’re my friend, you definitely know what I mean).


I spent the first night sleeping, sleeping, and sleeping. I do get seven to eight hours of sleep during the day but I always believe that night sleep is more relaxing and more rejuvenating. Also, I made it a point not to miss the initial telecast of Amazing Race Asia 3 for the week. I would always catch this favourite show on its replay during weekends. BTW, Team Philippines Geoff and Tisha are still on the race, third on that leg. Post-BTW, I also am an avid viewer of Amazing Race 13. I favour underdogs so I was initially rooting for the Southern belles Melisa and Brooke. Anyway, so much for AR’s.


Next day I was supposed to meet another friend in his pad somewhere near my workplace. But since watching ‘Finding Rodrigo’ on Studio 23 at 1PM is fast becoming a routine already, told him that I could only leave the house around 2PM. But he had to go to his relatives in Cavite by 5PM. Ergo, meeting cancelled. Just spent the rest of the day doing household chores, and my much-loved of them all, plan and mix and match my wardrobe for the rest of the week.


Went out with perennial friends Jani and Erica Saturday. Advised them that I needed to be home by 6PM so I could catch anticipated mass. (Again, if you’re a friend, you know that as much as possible, I devote Saturday night on this thing to cleanse all my worldliness for the past and coming days.) Went to Trinoma and for the first time in a long time, I bought a self-help book. This is the ‘to reflect’ phase of my much-needed hiatus. It is a book on how to survive and be happy with your first job. As I write this blog, I already finished three out of ten chapters. So far, so good. I have realizations that I would share in my next entry. Bought Penshoppe (for the umpteenth time, if you’re my friend, you know that I would not need to fit any apparel from this shop as I know exactly my size here) and got my hair cut. I bought a cut-out from a magazine and told the barber that I wanted that very same ROTCish haircut. It was my father who gave that ROTC tag when he saw me late night. Backtrack: my very first instance of bringing a model in a salon was when I printed photos of America’s Next Top Model Cycle 4 winner Naima Mora. Yes, that Mohawk beauty. Unfortunately, David’s Salon here didn’t achieve that. And fortunately this time, Julius, the barber from Ricky Reyes SM North did justice.


On to Sunday: Since the ‘to endeavour’ segment was foiled last Friday, this day was the time to do it. Met an old friend who had been inviting me to go out more than a few times already. Went to the old place, did the same thing. Haha… Some things, indeed, never change. He was actually the third on this vacation stretch to say that I gained weight. That was really my goal and thank you for noticing it. Last time, another friend told me that I looked old because of the moustache and goatee I was trying so, so hard to grow. It was kind of gratifying since my goal that month was to look old really. Overall, I felt I used my vacation time productively, checking almost all the to-do squares on my list. Let’s see what’s going to happen next weeks.

colorful life

cross-blogged from my Blogger -- http://azureangelo.blogspot.com/
photos from kim

Until we meet again, media world.

There are no goodbye's; only see you soon's.

For now, media world is shunned for some reasons I can't disclose yet (that is, working in the media/TV/network realm). Nevertheless, I remain happy. I should be happy with everything and everyone I have. =)

See you soon, media world. I know we'll miss each other.

last pics at ELJ building

at probe productions

may 27, 2008

we videotaped ms. che che lazaro's speech for probe foundation's seminar the next week

photos from ate ros' multiply.

characters (in order of appearance): danz, joseph, ate ros, siblings ruphy and ronin

---
*large volume of photos are directly blogged in my multiply account for faster uploading and commenting