Of Ang Panday and MMFF
I usually watch one entry film for the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) every year with my elementary friends. We know that the entry films are a bit crappy and most of the films are just there for the money. But we still watch every year because it serves as our annual gathering. We usually watch movies whenever we go out and when it's December, you have no choice but to watch an MMFF film. Mind you, we go out slash meet only once a year.
35th Metro Manila Film Festival
Ang Panday/ The Blacksmith
This year though, my two brothers asked me to join them spend their money and watch Bong Revilla's Ang Panday. It is a remake of Fernando Poe Jr.'s film if I'm not mistaken. And the story is written by the controversial Carlo J. Caparas (CC). My mother and my sister decided to join us too. It became a family thing.
We went to Robinson's Manila Movie house and waited for the show. Cinema 4, the one in Pedro Gil wing is a piece of trash. Very dirty. Sleeping operator. The volume is being adjusted for like twenty times. It's a bit distracting and irritating. And there were no ushers! Robinson's is usually not this bad when it comes to entertainment.
Plot
The movie was very plain. Do I really have to mention that the plot is VERY predictable? There were no hidden messages or anything. VERY plain. Dapat paglabas ko ng sinehan, pag-iisipan ko ang mga pangyayari, mag-iisip ako, may intellectual exercise. There should be a discourse worthy or a conversational piece for a movie to be considered as a movie. What? But there aren't any. Lucky for them that I was trying to fit social/ economic/ political/ historical stuff in the movie but I failed. No hope.
Characters
The characterization too is very plain and shallow. Characters failed to leave an impression to the viewers. There is a failure in the part of the writers and that of the directors too to develop the characters, to humanize them and give them life. Introducing characters is not a matter of who, what, when, or where. It's a matter of why. They also failed to connect to the viewers. There were few attempts to connect but all these failed. I could have been a better story writer. Maybe it's not the movie team's fault, maybe it's CC's fault.
Emelita (Rhian Ramos) and Marcos (Geoff Eigenmann) could have done something major. They should have played as a REAL side-kick for the
Panday/Flavio (Bong Revilla). Could have been exciting because of their semi-Assassin and semi-Archer role. They could have participated in the development of the story and contributed to the excitement in the fighting scenes. Rhian Ramos and Geoff Eigenmann were both sexy though.
Lizardo (Phillip Salvador) disappointed me. I thought he would be a Joker a la Heath Ledger type of evil antagonist. It did not work like that, he looks mentally-ill rather than evil. Role should have been given to someone better.
Effects-slash-Animation
I don't really know the difference between the two so i'll treat them as one and the same. Their special effects is thing that they are most proud of, right? I even heard a remark from a GMA 7 executive commending the movie's special effects. Pang-Hollywood daw, pang-international. What? It's quite crappy, though closer to average than trash. Multiplication effects and landscaping animation failed. The only notable animation there is the flying creature, i think it's a dragon. Yes, his/her name is Bagwis. It's quite real in my eyes, very Eragon and War of the Dragons.
The Festival
I wish MMFF could be changed into a festival of excellence, filipinism and creativity. Not a festival for money, profits and revenues. A festival that would be concerned not with profits but with the content and form of the entry films. Exceptional and highly-relevant films should be encouraged as against to another Ang Panday type of movies. No wonder that the industry is dying.
0.5 out of 5 stars relative to all the movies i watched.
3 out of 5 relative to all the entry films in the festival.
P.S. I can't find a decent source of pictures and profiles of the casts. So, yes, Wikipedia. :P
Popularity: 3% [?]
Becoming A Student of Politics (SS 09-10)
I feel like I'm becoming a PolSci major already. I mean, my courses this second semester are mostly major subjects or if not, social science subjects. It made me feel that I'm finally approaching a new phase of my academic life. My second semester started very well, from enrollment up to the first day of classes. I feel that there is a very thoughtful but unknown power giving me these things. The force be with you too!
SS09-10 Courses
Communications III
Professor Anna Aclan
This course is all about speech communication. I'm afraid of this course since a powerful Being deprived me of oral skills. I'm not good in delivering speeches and such because I'm not a fluent English speaker. I also have a p and f speech defect. But I do want to take up this course since it can help me. I also find this useful as a political science major and someone who is planning to take up Law. I do think that this course will be able to help me improve my speech communication skills. It is also a practical course since lectures given by the professor will always be tested since students are required to deliver different kind of speeches. I think this will be fun!
Philosophy 11
Professor Paula Sioco
I don't think I will like this course. I like philosophy but not logic. Unfortunately for me, this course is all about logic. It requires, well, logic, which I think something that I don't have. This is the reason why I hate Mathematics. But I really have to take up this course since this will prepare for the Law Aptitude Exam of UP College of Law and for any law school for that matter. I will have to do my best since logic is not that friendly to me.
History II
Professor Sharon Caringal
I'm a history fan but not a history buff. I plan to take up something related to history in the future, maybe another bachelor's. Well, BA History is one of my choices when I was still in high school. The course is about Asian history and how it affects the world. It gives us a unique focus. We are all accustomed to seeing history in the view of the Westerners since they believe that their culture is more civilized and superior than that of the Asian. This time, history will be analyzed in the viewpoint of an Asian. I do think that this will be a very interesting analysis. This course excites me because we really have to do some readings. I love readings!
Political Science 100
Professor Jalton Taguibao
This is actually my third major Political Science course. But this is my first major that is numbered in three digits. That alone excites me. Hopefully, this course will enable me to think like a Political Scientist. The course is about political theories, tools and analysis. Judging from the course outline, I think that it is a very technical course. But I like anything that is Political Science. I will surely enjoy this course.
Political Science 150
Professor Josefina Tayag, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
In all the domains of Political Science, i admit that Public Administration is the least that i like. PS 150 is an introductory course in Public Administration. But this is also the field that I'm least knowledgeable. I find the course interesting because I learn so much from the readings and from the professor. I also find this course very practical. There are lot of things to learn from PublicAd, plus i really love to read new things.
Economics 101
Professor Chester Arcilla
We all know how much I love Economics, at least most of my friends knows it. And you also know now. This is my second economics course in the university and this course is all about Macroeconomics, one of the two bigger fields of economics. Economics for me minus the mathematics part is a very interesting and engaging subject. But we can't separate and isolate the quantifiable part of economics, so more or less, the course is interesting, engaging and challenging. At the end of the day, I know how much I enjoyed the lectures and I hope that this will be the basis for the grades! Haha.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Triple M
Manila Science
manila science high school logo
Manila Science High School celebrated its founding anniversary yesterday. With its theme "MaSci at 46: Stakeholder's Empowerment: Strengthening Linkages," the organizers (parent-teachers association, faculty and students) made the foundation day fun through its food stalls, booths (as usual), field demonstrations and year level contests. I was with some fellow alumni. We enjoyed scrutinizing the newcomers in MaSci, the first year students. We also enjoyed the booths particularly the jail booth. I also ended up paying the students managing the handcuffs booth to make our friends victims. We're also trying to convince the jail guards to let the prisoners go. Kawawa naman kasi e, most of the prisoners wala ng pera. I helped my brother escaped! Most of the time, we're unsuccessful dahil the first year students are hesitant rin. First year students are so obedient that I want to make them discipline guards in North Korea! Sobra.
manila science main building
A little bit of MaSci history. Manila Science High School was established through Republic Act 1606 issued by President Ramon Magsaysay who felt the need of a pilot science high school who will cater to the development of the fundamental and applied sciences and through Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas Municipal Resolution 426. It was patterned after Bronx High School of Science in New York, the special science curriculum is designed to meet the needs of scholars gifted in science and mathematics. Until now, Manila Science High School remains as one of the country's top science high school. For more information, visit www.manilascience.edu.ph.
I miss high school student life.
Missing Friends
I was with Lanie the whole time. I just realized that I only have few real friends from high school. But these real friends are really real. (Whaaaat?) Lanie's currently taking up Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in the University of the City of Manila or PLM. I enjoyed the conversation that we had. I even shared to her my recent experience of being an activist. Ang dami naming napag-kuwentuhan. Galing! All branches of life! Kudos to your mom! She really is the heartless girl of Kanye West. I was also with Justine Joy who is currently taking up BS Accountancy in the same school. Good luck!
I miss my friends.
Major No-No!
I'm quite sad. I think I will not be able to take up Law immediately after college. I'm not sure if I will be able to support myself financially. Woo! Talk about skyrocketing fees! I'm also losing my interest in studying laws. I'm more into political science now. Oh, God!
I miss myself.
I will be writing a semester-ender tomorrow. Wait. I'm hearing rumors about a particular cheating case in the University, major cheating daw. Let's not compromise the principles and the reputation of our beloved university.
The Ilustrado
----------
"Life ends when you stop dreaming."
-K. Vuscher
Popularity: 5% [?]
random thoughts
I still don't know who should be voted as the next President in the coming election. As if. As if I can vote in 2010. Haha. Yeah, I still can't get over it. The fact that all my friends will be able to vote in 2010 makes it so hard for me to accept it. I was born January 1993. And that means, that I will not be 18 years old in 2010. Wala lang. Naalala ko lang. I'm politically aware naman COMELEC, can you please make me an exception? Haha.
----
I was not able to attend the UP Manila Student Summit. That's sad. Something happened with my mom. Aww. It was organized by the Office of Student Regent and REV-UP MANILA which is an alliance of different sectors in UP Manila. It was held at the 8th Floor of Philippine General Hospital Social Hall with its theme as, "Consolidate our Ranks, Intensify our Fight for our Democratic Rights." It served as the Student Regent's way to consult us students of UPM with our grievances. It was also there where they made a draft of the UP MANILA DEMANDS which will be passed to the highest policy-making body of the UP system, the Board of Regents. Sana nandun ako di'ba? I'd like to say sorry to Ate Ces, Ate Kamz and Ate Mia.
----
I'm now using Plurk, Tumblr, Twitter and Y! Meme for micro-blogging needs. Which will I choose to maintain kaya? Haha. In the coming weeks, I'll choose one. Kasi parang i'm just posting mirror blogs to different sites eh. And that's not good, I think. Parang you're just blogging in that site for the sake of it! Eek.
----
And oh, my mom has four free tickets for a trip to Corregidor. And you know what? It was given to her by Avelino Razon, the Presidential Adviser for Peace Process. So, WTH? Right? Rumors said that he's planning to run for the coming election as the mayor of the city of Manila. Gah. Premature campaigning much. My mother is a PTCA Federation President. It's not my mom's first time for these kind of things. She was invited too by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando, Manila Councilor Numero Lim, Manila Vice Mayor Francisco Domagaso, and Manila Representative Jaime Lopez. Spell patronage politics.
The Ilustrado
Popularity: 1% [?]
010-015
010. Leadership Forum
Were you able to watch ABS-CBN's First Leadership Forum last Sunday or last May 11? If not, then here's your second chance. I mean, our second chance. Let's all watch the Second Round of the Leadership Forum on June 5, 7pm at the University of the Philippines School of Economics Auditorium.
It's a battle between Estrada, Lacson, Legarda and Binay. The event is open to the public but seating arrangement is on a first come-first served basis.
Sino sasama? Pupunta talaga ako. :)
---
011. MaSci
My younger brother, Arvin Arguelles is now a MaScian. Yess! HAHA. And I'm a bit nostalgic. He told me his first ever MaSci experience and i quickly recalled mine. Grabe. Miss ko MaSci.
"As we gather, may Your spirit work within us ..."
And a new subject for first years? Consumer's Mathematics. Ano kaya 'to? Math na naman. Gah.
---
012. Back to School
June 8 is the official start of classes in UP Manila. (Inangkin ko ang date.) HAHA. And I do think this also applies for all college students. Or may exceptions? Well, I'm really excited. Excited because
.. it's the first day of "kuwentuhan"
.. of Economics 11. Econ, here I come! :)
.. I will see my BioChem Anaks again!
.. i just love being in school. Naks nomon!
.. of PolSci 14. :)
I'm excited. It's the whole UP-PolSci experience that I am missing.
---
013. Farewell
To all (PolSci '08) those who will transfer and shift, goodbye and I wish you all goodluck to your new field! Galingan niyo! :) Especially you, Lei, the only US in Tuks. HAHA. Be on the top, BAA-girl!
SM: Dien, Rich, Gelo, Karla and Lance.
---
014. FBCs
Congratulations! But are we really doing well? I'm thinking otherwise. HAHA. Joke lang! Sturdier than Ever, that's all I can say. :) I'm so happy that I'm now a part of this family. Friendly friends, handa kayoo. :P
---
015. Thought
It would be better if all students of UP will be required to study one Development Studies course. :)
Popularity: 3% [?]
006-010
006. Student Assistant
I'm currently a Student Assistant in the best department in UP Manila, Department of Social Science. (Hahahaaa! :D) Its not that hard naman though ang haba ng working hours. This is for summer lang naman, hopefully. I have to answer the telephone every now and then (which is so fun!), to distribute/release class cards to those who are so masipag to get them, to deliver outgoing files to their right places, to inform professors of something or sometimes everything, to supervise/manage the reservation of DSS' equipments and of course, to do anything that they want me to do. I applied for the student assistanship because I will be in school rin naman for most of the summer dahil FBC na ako. :D
007. FBC
Yeapp. I'm a Freshman Block Coordinator na. I'll be handling the BioChemistry block (WTF!) and i'll also help them adjust to college life (Awww). I will also help them finish their Physical and Dental Examination and their Enrolment. In short, I'll be with them most of their freshman days. Hahahaha! :D What a punishment for them! Hahaha. XD
008. CS
I'm so happy that I finally achieved something after my elementary days. Hahaa. This is a surprise for me because I got 4.0 in my Math 11. Luckily, I've passed the removal exams. At parang hindi pa ako masaya, ginawa pa akong CS. To all those na non-UP students, CS stands for College Scholar which is the same as the Dean's Lister in other Universities. :D Am i over-celebrating?
009. The Effing 'Fourth Way'
Eff. Talagang walang kinabukasan ang Pilipinas sa set of legislators natin ngayon sa House of Representatives. WTF! House Resolution 737 and 1109 are craps. I understand a handful of things naman. Hahaaa. Changing the economic provision to benefit the foreigners is not a good idea, its like selling the Philippines to other countries. Soon it will be Philippines run by the Japanese or the Americans. (The Republic of the Philippines by the Government of Japan/America) Hahaaa. XD As if hindi pa bad idea ang pag-change sa economic provision, gumawa pa kayo ng FOUTH WAY. Eff! Bicameral ang Congress natin. Elementary pa lang, alam na yan.
010. DLSU College of Law
Let's see after five years. :D Maganda naman ang roster of faculty.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Pages
Zoom!
Categories
- Advertisements (1)
- Books (11)
- Conversations (4)
- Events (12)
- Food (2)
- Manila Science (10)
- Movies (3)
- Music (3)
- Personal (43)
- Philippine Politics (28)
- Politics (20)
- Shop, Buy! (9)
- Sports (4)
- Surveys (6)
- TV Shows (6)
- Uncategorized (21)
- University of the Philippines (51)
- Works (5)
Reader
Top Blogs
Top Posts
Recent Comments
- laurenz
on Kabataan : Isang Pagtatanong
- mich
on The Truth Behind Animal Extinction
- Della
on Kabataan : Isang Pagtatanong
- Paula
on About
- clevearguelles
on About
Recent Posts
- CARRY ON AND INTENSIFY THE FIGHT!
- On Corona and Avila: Our Quest for Accountability and Justice
- Few points on Impeachment of CJ Corona (Coronavela)
- Why should you (not) join the strike?
The Vault
Recent Trackbacks
- UNIVERSITY STUDENT COUNCIL UP MANILA: SEARCH FOR THE NEXT UP MANILA CHANCELLOR UPDATE
- Tweets that mention Inquirer’s Costly, Senseless War « CleveArguelles dotcom -- Topsy.com: This post was mentioned on...
- On Facebook (online) Activism -- Topsy.com: Tweets that mention CleveArguelles dotcom
- Poverty Porn -- Topsy.com: Tweets that mention CleveArguelles dotcom
- Sa Kambas ng Lipunan -- Topsy.com: Tweets that mention CleveArguelles dotcom
All Rights Reserved
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Philippines License.