Author Topic: Filipino films (Read 496228 times)

rse · « **Reply #2790 on:** Jul 03, 2014 at 05:07 PM »

Starting Over Again. Good Pinoy romcom, almost brave to shake the Star Cinema formula a little bit. Toni Gonzaga & Iza Calzado's confrontation is a highlight. Bittersweet, but almost ruined by a last minute attempt at more "hopeful" ending. Lamasan seemed to have discovered "fast-cutting" in this film, and [over]used it to a fault. Drama is obviously her forte, the comedy is a bit forced.

rse · « **Reply #2791 on:** Aug 08, 2014 at 03:14 AM »

Celso Ad Castillo's Virgin People
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOQVVfGZZvM

v1n5anity · « **Reply #2792 on:** Aug 11, 2014 at 07:43 PM »

Just saw OTJ (torrent/BD copy). Ganda! highly recommended!

botlog · « **Reply #2793 on:** Aug 15, 2014 at 07:58 PM »

Quote from: v1n5anity on Aug 11, 2014 at 07:43 PM

Just saw OTJ (torrent/BD copy). Ganda! highly recommended!

alin dun sir yung scene ni piolo at shaina? hehe

mahilig ba kayo sa classic, maganda kasi yung movie ni ace vergel with alma concepcion. body guard style sya na sya leader ng syndicate. parang my wife is a gangster style.

Klaus Weasley · « **Reply #2794 on:** Aug 16, 2014 at 11:16 PM »

Barber's Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero) (Jun Robles Lana) ***1/2 - Set in a rural province of the Philippines, during the Marcos dictatorship, this is about a widow of the small-town barber who takes over her late husband's job but soon she becomes entangled into getting involved with the resistance movement. Eugene Domingo is a well-known broad comedienne in my country. She takes the lead in a drama and runs away with it. She's supported by an excellent supporting cast especially Gladys Reyes as her perpetually pregnant neighbor. In the surface it is a film about the struggles under Marcos dictatorship but it's really more of a feminist tales of women, in the rural Philippine provinces, in the 1970's taking charge of their destiny the best way they can. Though they're wildly different, the film sort of reminds me of the TV series Mad Men in a way without much of the male storyline. The film falters in the third act but still a wonderful film.

halvert · « **Reply #2795 on:** Aug 19, 2014 at 02:33 PM »

I don't know, ako naman na-underwhelm ng movie. Maybe all the positive reviews made me expect too much. Parang may mga scenes na dapat tension-filled but I didn't feel it while watching it. Nakulangan ako.

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2796 on:** Sep 06, 2014 at 04:34 AM »

One of the finest erotic films I know

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2797 on:** Sep 13, 2014 at 03:03 AM »

My thoughts on Mike de Leon's Batch '81, and a tribute to Mark Gil (1961 - 2014)

rse · « **Reply #2798 on:** Sep 17, 2014 at 07:45 PM »

For Raya Martin fans:

Raya Martin : Indio Nacional + Independencia [DVD]
http://www.amazon.fr/Raya-Martin-Indio-Nacional-Independencia/dp/B00IIWEURQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1410954045&sr=1-1&keywords=Raya+Martin

Now Showing [DVD]
http://www.amazon.fr/Now-Showing-Ness-Roque/dp/B00IIWEUXA/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1410954045&

Independencia [DVD]
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JWUEOVK/ref=s9_simh_gw_p74_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=03BV4DM8MM1CK7D0SHS2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2799 on:** Sep 17, 2014 at 10:35 PM »

Fifty, sixty dollars? Well, they aren't Transformers. But it still hurts. And I suspect I need a region free player.

rse · « **Reply #2800 on:** Sep 18, 2014 at 03:23 PM »

Quote from: Noel_Vera on Sep 17, 2014 at 10:35 PM

Fifty, sixty dollars? Well, they aren't Transformers. But it still hurts. And I suspect I need a region free player.

The UK-released DVD of Independencia is not that expensive, Region-free and comes with special features:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JWUEOVK/ref=s9_simh_gw_p74_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=03BV4DM8MM1CK7D0SHS2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294

The FR releases are quite pricey I agree and they're region coded, but there are ways to watch region coded dvds without buying a region free player, if you're a bit techy. The simplest is to use VLC player software for your PC/Mac: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2801 on:** Sep 27, 2014 at 02:10 AM »

My thoughts on Lav Diaz's latest, a fable on Philippine Martial Law

Klaus Weasley · « **Reply #2802 on:** Sep 28, 2014 at 11:26 PM »

Dementia (Percival M. Intalan) *** - This is a Filipino horror film about a woman suffering from early on-set dementia goes back to her hometown along with her younger cousin, which happens to be on a rather isolated island in Batanes (the northern most province of the Philippines). There she has to face the ghosts of her past, both figuratively AND literally. It is essentially a pretty rote, standard horror film with all the familiar narrative beats. But this film benefits from the acting talent of one of the Philippines' best actresses, Nora Aunor who gives the pulpy material its weight and substance. It is worth seeing for that alone (and for the travelogue-esque on-location cinematography).

rse · « **Reply #2803 on:** Oct 05, 2014 at 03:13 PM »

Adolfo Alix Jr.'s Porno is one weird & confused movie. A marriage between Lynch & Almodovar that's gone terribly wrong. Except for the 1st half, the title is one big false advertisement.

Klaus Weasley · « **Reply #2804 on:** Oct 05, 2014 at 11:44 PM »

Hari ng Tondo (Carlos Siguion-Reyna) **1/2 - Or in English, "King of Tondo" (though apparently the official English title is "Where I Am King"). This is a musical-dramedy about a rich man who came from Tondo decides to move back in after much of his finances were wiped out, bringing along his two young adult grandchildren in hopes of toughening them up. The director of this film hasn't made one in a long, long while and it kind of shows. Despite the fact that it's set in modern times, a lot of it feels dated and tired since it pretty much repeats things that other filmmakers have done and in a not so interesting way. However, Robert Arevalo, the lead, gives a great performance and makes the film quite watchable.

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2805 on:** Oct 06, 2014 at 02:17 PM »

My thoughts on Lav Diaz's science-fiction film Hesus Rebolusyonaryo

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2806 on:** Oct 14, 2014 at 06:00 AM »

A retrospective of Lav Diaz's early work

In belated tribute to the Lincoln Center screening of his masterpiece Batang West Side

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2807 on:** Oct 25, 2014 at 03:38 AM »

For Halloween, my thoughts on a movie about a killer fridge, from genre-bending filmmaker Rico Ilarde

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2808 on:** Nov 01, 2014 at 08:32 AM »

For Halloween itself, the to my mind best Filipino horror film in recent years.

halvert · « **Reply #2809 on:** Nov 01, 2014 at 02:02 PM »

Yup loved that too! Chilling and tragic

Klaus Weasley · « **Reply #2810 on:** Nov 01, 2014 at 11:24 PM »

T'yanak (Peque Gallaga/Lore Reyes) ***1/2 - This is directors Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes' own remake/reboot of the 1988 Filipino horror film of the same title. I haven't seen it (though I do remember watching the trailers for it and being kind of scared) so I can't comment on how it compares. However, as it is, it's a pretty damn good horror movie. For those not in the know, a "tiyanak" is a ghoul-like creature that shape-shifts in the form of a baby. People hear its cries and when they pick it up, they pretty much eat you. There's quite an amazing balance of dramatic heft and self-aware camp that makes this quite a pleasure to watch. They use a surprising amount of practical effects in this one which is to its credit.

rse · « **Reply #2811 on:** Nov 07, 2014 at 02:09 AM »

Just saw Brillante Mendoza's Sapi. It's one of the worst movies I've seen this year.

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2812 on:** Nov 08, 2014 at 02:01 AM »

Ending my series on Filipino horror films: Manananggal in Manila (Monster in Manila) features a woman who sprouts bat wings, and whose upper body tears off from her lower half to seek out blood, or unborn fetuses.

Then one of my favorite (and possibly most indefensible choices--more about that in the article): Halimaw sa Banga (Monster in a Jar), where the title pretty much says it all.

Also of interest for those who care: wrote the first back in 1997, the second just a few days ago. The difference is clear, I hope.

halvert · « **Reply #2813 on:** Nov 08, 2014 at 10:32 PM »

^hahaha! Good thing you didn't write that "imee marcos chin" during martial law or we'd never hear from you again!

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2814 on:** Nov 09, 2014 at 01:36 AM »

Quote from: halvert on Nov 08, 2014 at 10:32 PM

we'd never hear from you again!

ya think?

rse · « **Reply #2815 on:** Nov 15, 2014 at 04:47 PM »

Just saw the restored Virgin People. It's a well-made erotica with some pretensions. One thing that I noticed though was that there seemed to be a flaw in the editing of this movie near the end. They supposed to live in isolation - in the middle of the jungle - but it seemed like it took no time for the youngest sister to walk from their place in the forest to the town area. That whole sequence was intercut with the climactic sequence in the movie - so it felt like it happened in a matter of minutes.

Klaus Weasley · « **Reply #2816 on:** Nov 15, 2014 at 09:45 PM »

Relaks, It's Just Pag-Ibig (Antoinette Jadaone/Irma Navarro) *** - The title means, "Relax, It's Just Love" in full English. This is a Filipino teen romantic comedy about a quirky with a capital Q teenage girl (the Filipino equivalent of the dream pixie girl from American indie movies, complete with purple hair) who drags a teenage boy from an upper-class private school to go to a certain beach so they can witness true love under a blue moon. Normally, I run as far away as I can from most romantic comedies. Filipino romantic comedies are particularly insufferable. The fact that I didn't roll my eyes or wanted to kill myself in this is testament to the strength of this film. Co-written and co-directed by Antoinette Jadaone whose film Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia crapapay is one film I absolutely loved infuses this film with enough intelligence, bite, depth and great filmmaking to keep me interested. It's still a romantic-comedy through and through but it is one of the better ones.

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #2817 on:** Nov 16, 2014 at 12:10 AM »

Cu*ntapay. Dang autocorrect.

Klaus Weasley · « **Reply #2818 on:** Nov 16, 2014 at 10:45 PM »

Kapag Langit ang Humatol (Laurice Guillien) ** - The title translates to "If Heaven Judges Me". This is a restored version of a film from 1990 screened at a film festival. It's about a housemaid who falls in love with the son of her mistress and the mistress disapproves of the affair and of course you can surmise everything from there. It's pure Filipino melodrama with practically every soap opera cliche you can think of: love, anger, betrayal, adultery, deception, cancer, switched babies, etc. It's all silly and over-the-top but not enough to be subversive and not enough to be deliciously campy though there are moments. I think they pretty much used this film as a template for a lot of the Filipino soap operas on TV. It's pretty much a two-hour version of that. I wasn't bored. It's not terrible for what it is but it's not my thing.

Klaus Weasley · « **Reply #2819 on:** Nov 17, 2014 at 09:54 PM »

Violator (Dodo Dayao a.k.a. X44) ***1/2 - How to describe this film? Best way I can describe it is take Reservoir Dogs add in The Exorcist and have David Lynch direct it. You pretty much get this movie. But it's so much better than that and it's so much more than that. It's about a group of characters stuck in a police station during a huge storm with a teenaged boy in a cell who may or may not be possessed by an evil spirit. But don't expect the usual horror or even crime drama arcs from this film. It goes off in so many different tangents and manages to pull off most of them quite well. It's creepy, disturbing and in a weird way kind of fun. This is a Filipino film which won Best Picture at a local film festival and I think it's gonna win more awards. It's my favorite Filipino film AND horror film of 2014 so far.