PinoyDVD: The Pinoy Digital Video & Devices Community
Entertainment => Film & TV Talk => Pinoy Entertainment => Topic started by: keating on Nov 06, 2004 at 12:58 PM
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The old man is finally making a comeback next year via this flick. One of his dream projects which boasts of superb cast....Eddie Garcia, Cherie Gil, Epie Quizon, Ricky Davao, Jimmy Fabregas, Michael de Mesa, Gina Alajar, Tessie Tomas and many others produced by Unitel Pictures. :D
I was a big fan of Peque Gallaga dating back to early 80's after I saw ORO PLATA MATA, VIRGIN FOREST and SCORPIO NIGHTS. :)
and surprise.....it's not in collaboration with Lore Reyes. ;D
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can't wait to see this movie... Virgin Forest, Scorpio Nights & Unfaithful Wife still remeains to be his best works. i also enjoyed Gangland. Oro is superb but it's not my favorite among his films.
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Even the trailer can't wait also to see...... :)...he's back to solo credit that means this flick is......GALLAGANG GALLAGA! 8)
I think I saw Michael de Mesa around 1 am last nite at crescent condo in Ortigas....dapat pala nainterview ko about this movie.
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Ah, Mike de Mesa? Terrific actor (he was more Heathcliff than the actor who played Heathcliff (Richard Gonzalez or whatever in Carlos Siguion Reyna's Wuthering Heights remake, Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit). Can only help improve the movie.
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Ah, Mike de Mesa? Terrific actor (he was more Heathcliff than the actor who played Heathcliff (Richard Gonzalez or whatever in Carlos Siguion Reyna's Wuthering Heights remake, Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit). Can only help improve the movie.
that was Richard Gomez...Noel in Hihintayin Kita sa Langit....Michael is also good on off-beat roles....
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that was Richard Gomez
Was being sarcastic...
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Was being sarcastic...
oic.... ;D
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Still one month to go before we catch the full trailer in the coming MMFF entries as spoken by Unitel's head.....Tony Gloria..... :)
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still no playdate on local cinemas...... ???
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Still not a finished movie...
though i think peque is in town editing
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Peque shuttles back and forth from Manila to Bacolod whenever he has a movie to do. When he went lie low in making movies he just concentrate teaching in De La Salle University in Bacolod also.
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Still not a finished movie...
though i think peque is in town editing
so still in post production stage.....bumping this one we need films like this so that Philippine cinema will continue to breathe.....
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Still not a finished movie...
though i think peque is in town editing
He's now back in Bacolod. He'll be back in town next month. I'm hoping I can book an inteview with him then.
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a friend of mine is involved in the film and visited unitel a few weeks back to check-out the editing. there's a possibility that he'll add extra scenes.
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a friend of mine is involved in the film and visited unitel a few weeks back to check-out the editing. there's a possibility that he'll add extra scenes.
Dude baka you can get tickets for the premiere night. :)
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Three months to go folks before we can watch the much awaited comeback of the old man.
PINOY BLONDE will be shown in July. :)
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Two aspiring filmmakers are arguing in this film one pro-Bernal, one pro-Brocka. Can't wait to see this one! 8)
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I watched La Visa Loca and the trailer of Pinoy Blonde was shown.
It showed Eddie Garcia and Ricky Davao in one of pinoy movies' usual action movie sequence - two protagonists saying a mouthful of dialogue while trying to kill each other... and then they sort of look at the camera and say something like, ba't pag pinoy action movie andaming dialogue bago magpatayan? pero hindi sa Pinoy Blonde! end scene. tapos they show the movie's stars (i only remembered epi quizon). didn't quite get what it was all about.
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Did they shorten the title to PINOY BLONDE tonedeaf? Might skip LA VISA LOCA because of bad reviews.
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Did they shorten the title to PINOY BLONDE tonedeaf? Might skip LA VISA LOCA because of bad reviews.
Yes. Pinoy Blonde na lang title niya, at least per the trailer that i watched.
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Yes. Pinoy Blonde na lang title niya, at least per the trailer that i watched.
Thanks for the info tonedeaf. :)
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I just saw an episode of Straight Talk with Peque Gallaga as the guest. It was hosted by Ricky Davao. Some tidbits on Pinoy Blonde...
Peque wrote the script in English. He was inspired after watching a Tarantino movie (he didn't seem to particularly like it, but he liked that the characters were very articulate).
He asked Lore Reyes to translate the script to Tagalog, er Filipino.
It stars Epi and Boy2 Quizon, with around 30 stars, with a budget of 4 Million, and shot for 12 days.
It was supposed to have a long title (ala Celso Ad Castillo movies sabi ni peque), something like nung panahong naging blonde ang pinoy, before it got shortened to pinoy blonde.
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Yup its original title was NANG PANAHONG NAGING BLONDE ANG MGA PINOY one of Peque's dream projects along with LIGAWAN SA PANAHON NG TAGSIBOL AT DIGMAAN.
Sounds like a Celso Ad Castillo flick.......remember PAGPUTI NG UWAK PAGITIM NG TAGAK......
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Ron saw Straight talk last night interview of Direk Peque! enjoyed the episode and i think this is one movie that the local cinema should be proud to show this year! Great Cast and probably another OBRA from master Peque!
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I missed that show dude. What time was it shown and channel also?
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ANC. Normally on at about 12nn or 1pm, with replays at 6pm and 11pm.
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Saw the trailer a while ago on www.pinoyblonde.com. Very very indie which is cool!
The movie opens next month. 8)
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I seen the trailer already. It looks really good. Unitel Pictures were great of producing films. Can't wait to see this one!
Playdate on: July 31, 2005
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I seen the trailer already. It looks really good. Unitel Pictures were great of producing films. Can't wait to see this one!
Playdate on: July 31, 2005
Hey llanesmark......baka you can get tickets thru your Unitel friend for the premiere night just PM or send me sms bro.
Many thanks! :)
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soundtrack is already on sale at tower records :)
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The soundtrack is pinoy na pinoy.......i'll try to post the tracks later.
8)
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Its showing on July 13. Posters are up on Sm Cinemas already. 8)
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Please watch Pinoy/Blonde which opens next week, July 13. We really want it to have a big opening day, so please promote it to your relatives, friends, etc. ASTIG tong film na to!
Other info:
PINOY/BLONDE: The OST Concert
July 1, 8PM
The Podium Front Driveway
FEATURING:
Radioactive Sago Project
Sugarfree
Imago
Kjwan
Kapatid
Mayonnaise
Twisted Halo
Hellbender
Pinwheel
ADMISSION IS ABSOLUTELY FREE
If you happen to be in CEBU on July 2, we'll be at KAONA with Radioactive Sago Project, Urbandub and other Cebu bands then.
If you happen to be in DAVAO on July 8, we'll be at MATINA TOWN SQUARE with Sugarfree, Twisted Halo, Nuncy Spungn and other Davao bands then.
ASTIG NA MOVIE (opens July 13)
ASTIG NA SOUNDTRACK (available at Tower Records feat. abovementioned bands as well as Bamboo, Urbandub, Makatha, Malaya, and The Brockas)
ASTIG NA CONCERT(s)
** if anybody wants collectible Pinoy/Blonde postcards and bookmarks, PM me. :)
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Scubaotaku any sked on the preem? :)
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check your pm keating. :)
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check your pm keating. :)
Got it scubaotaku. Sayang! Last night pala preem. I want to see sana Peque Gallaga for the 2nd time around. Saw him already during the 20th anniversary of Oro three years ago. I would like to meet him and sign my vhs tapes of his films. He-he-he fan mentality.
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Yeah the preem was held last friday in Podium. Two screenings actually. Sorry I wasnt able to post about it here, sobrang busy kasi. :)
Met Peque Gallaga several times and like you, I want to have some stuff signed by him but he always seems so busy. I always see him doing something, talking to somebody etc. Hiya ako lumapit. :)
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Maybe some of your friends and colleagues can back up dude. He seems so snobbish very different from being a fellow Illonggo like me. ;D
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Well...I hear he's a bit crazy (which I like in a filmmaker). I also hear he isn't afraid of anything (which is essential in a filmmaker), so if he wanted you to back off, he'd have taken his cane and hacked a new pathway through you. ;D
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I just noticed that genius people are eccentric count Mike de Leon, Ishmael Bernal & Peque Gallaga.
Are you one of them, Noel? I know you're a genius, man!
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I don't know.
Throw in O'Hara. He's even more of a hermit than de Leon. At least de Leon will go and publicize his films.
And de Leon has a cellphone. And a computer. I'm surprised O'Hara can drive a car.
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Gallaga made one comedy film aside from PINOY BLONDE, his humor is somewhat strange.
What about O'Hara, Noel? I'm surprised to know that he's a hermit when it comes to the current trend today.
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Gallaga did one comedy, but I didn't find it all that funny. Actually, I don't find Mike de Leon's out and out comedy all that funny either--think he's better at low key satire.
Oh, O'Hara's a hermit, all right. Doesn't even have a phone.
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De Leon, O'Hara & Gallaga can make one hell of a musical. De Leon successfully did it with a scene from KAKABAKABA KA BA.
And oh, O'Hara has no comedy on his filmography?
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Tatlong Ina, Isang Anak. Nora, Celeste Legaspi and I don't remember the third adopt and take care of Matet. Not that funny, but the street scenes are well done, dark and gritty (he's more on dark and gritty).
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Gallaga made one comedy film aside from PINOY BLONDE, his humor is somewhat strange.
What about O'Hara, Noel? I'm surprised to know that he's a hermit when it comes to the current trend today.
Comedy na ginawa ni Peque? Hindi ba ito iyong Pretty Baby with Anna Larrucea and some nondescript guy?
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Comedy na ginawa ni Peque? Hindi ba ito iyong Pretty Baby with Anna Larrucea and some nondescript guy?
It's BAD BANANAS SA PUTING TABING also written by Joey Reyes after their epic classic Oro, Plata, Mata.
Astro that's BABY LOVE and it has some touch of comedy aside from being a love story.
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(http://images.inq7.net/news/sunday/images/2005/jul/03/c703b.jpg)
Malapit na!!!
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(http://images.inq7.net/news/sunday/images/2005/jul/03/c703b.jpg)
Malapit na!!!
yup.......opens on July 13!
8)
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The movie will have another preem tonight at Sm Megamall, 6:30 pm. Thanks to RMN for the info. :)
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Many thanks to RMN & Joven for the VIP pass Press screening last night of PINOY BLONDE at Sm Megamall. It was a fantastic viewing experience with the cast and crew led by Mr. Peque Gallaga, Lore Reyes, Epi Quizon, Tessie Tomas, Mark Gil, Cherie Gil.
Spoilers alert!
As the poster tagline says, "its not your typical Filipino film" and I couldn't agree more. But the plot is so simple and straight forward. Two aspiring filmmakers (Epi and Boy 2 Quizon) who argue on who's the greatest film director between Brocka & Bernal summoned by their dying uncle (Mark Gil) to deliver a package. What ensued was an adventure that they will never forget as they embark on their dream film project.
The rapport of the two leads are amazing, Epi delivers his best performance yet in a comedy role. Technically well-polished, the script is so d a m n good. It's Gallaga's homage to Philippine Cinema with lots of insinuations to other movies, name it from Tarantino, John Woo and French cinema, no doubt his love for his craft is clearly visible. The use of split-shots and stunning cinematography add more vibrant and life to the movie, matched with hyper-kinetic and rockin' soundtrack. The movie is full of energy, highly interactive visuals which will delight every audience especially if you are keen on every aspect of movies.
Like, like the anime and I was suprised to know that he could deliver a pop culture sponge movie. The duet of Eddie Garcia & Jaime Fabregas was hilarious, spontaneous laughter was heard inside the cinema. Same with the dialogues of Ricky Davao.
Here's hoping that the movie will get an audience when it opens today. 8)
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naku ayan na comments ni keating... hehehe. swerte mo kolokoy! ;). will probably watch it next week paglabas sa local theaters.
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It was nice to see Cherie Gil again in person looking lovely and beautiful throughout the years, no changes, fine actress also.
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Keating, were you able to attend the forum yesterday in UP? Peque Gallaga and the Quizon bros were there to discuss their thoughts on the film industry and of course, Pinoy/Blonde. :) I especially loved his thoughts on piracy. ;D
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Keating, were you able to attend the forum yesterday in UP? Peque Gallaga and the Quizon bros were there to discuss their thoughts on the film industry and of course, Pinoy/Blonde. :) I especially loved his thoughts on piracy. ;D
Nope scubaotaku. Sayang nga eh, Peque Gallaga is so visible nowadays, I'm glad he was approachable last night, he was mobbed by the audience outside the cinema after the movie. Yeah I know what he thinks about the Western piracy and I agree also about that. ;)
Did you attend the preem last night? It was jampacked and the younger generation was able to relate to the movie.
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It was nice to see Cherie Gil again in person looking lovely and beautiful throughout the years, no changes, fine actress also.
Cherie's very sweet; remember talking to her, and mentioning that Joey Reyes film she appeared in (can't remember the title--figures). She seemed flattered I love her work so much.
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What is Gallaga's opinion on piracy?
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Cherie's very sweet; remember talking to her, and mentioning that Joey Reyes film she appeared in (can't remember the title--figures). She seemed flattered I love her work so much.
Its SUGATANG PUSO the Joey Reyes flick wherein you could actually smell her performance brewing on the screen. Very brief but remarkable role!
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Jaime Fabregas is such a great actor, i adore him. Hows he in this movie? :)
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(http://img304.imageshack.us/img304/8481/pinoyblonde0eo.jpg)
Pinoy Blonde - Peque Gallage
Upon watching legendary Filipino director Peque Gallaga's latest film Pinoy Blonde, I was quickly reminded of Mamoru Oshii's live action feature film Talking Head. In Talking Head, Oshii explores the process of filmmaking through a plot which involves a filmmaker trying to finish his film inside a mysterious film studio inhabited by an otherworldly crew who are murdered one by one. Pinoy Blonde on the other hand involves two cousins whose dream is to finally make their first feature film. They are ordered by their rich dying uncle to deliver a mysterious paper bag to an abandoned hotel building where they are supposed to exchange it for another mysterious bag. However, inside, they witness the cruelest of the denizens of Manila's underbellies. Pinoy Blonde doesn't concentrate on the meager plot since it's more interested in it's two major characters, who are more concerned on who is the greatest Filipino filmmaker than the impending events that are already happening in front of them. Conrad Cunanan (Epy Quizon) is the grand defender of Lino Brocka, and like his idol, he dwells in drama and romance, mostly concerned with his sexual exploits and the eventual repercussions of such. Andrew Cunanan (Boy2 Quizon), on the other hand loves the more cerebral director Ishmael Bernal and considers him the greatest Filipino director. Despite their obvious differences, they are similar in plenty of things, such as their dreadlocked hairdo, and their geeky love for cinema to the point that their conversations are mostly composed of quotations from popular films. Pinoy Blonde feels like a hodgepodge of different styles and it is almost impossible to tell that Gallaga directed the film, as it feels fresher than anything produced by the budding Philippine independent film community. The film makes use of its stylistic excesses to great effect - the split screens, the animated sequences, the CGI, even the slow motion scenes are not there for show. Remember, the film in its entirety represents the mentality of the Philippine youth - also a hodgepodge of different influences. The film is fun in its shallowest sense and even upon closer inspection. The film geek would wet his pants discerning the different quotes and the different directorial styles Gallaga is borrowing from. The more discerning film viewer would enjoy the film as an accurate reflection on today's youth with a plot that somehow scratches to a certain degree an inspection of the society (with its crimes, corruption, and immorality) that the youth are living in, something Oshii's film lacks. *****/*****
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Its SUGATANG PUSO the Joey Reyes flick wherein you could actually smell her performance brewing on the screen. Very brief but remarkable role!
Thanks.
Her performance smells great, I suppose, but she personally, smelled very very nice. ;D
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Thanks.
Her performance smells great, I suppose, but she personally, smelled very very nice. ;D
LOL! :D
All the artists who did the cameo in the movie didn't ask for a fee, its their labor of love for Peque. :)
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2 good reviews! I'm watching this twice, this weekend and on Monday (and I'm dragging friends along both times. My own contribution to pinoy cinema). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that enough people watch it the next few days para it doesn't get pulled out of the few moviehouses it is showing in.
as of wednesday, it wasn't showing in shang, rockwell, greenbelt and even robinson's pioneer in mandaluyong.
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What is Gallaga's opinion on piracy?
I know he will get a lot of flak about this one but if it will help Philippine Cinema from its comatose state....maybe this will be one of the solution.
He certainly approves dvd piracy of Western movies but definitely not for Filipino movies. He complained regarding the exorbitant fee of the original ones compared to the bootlegged ones. Its a kind of imperialism western are forcing on us, he said.
This is exactly what he said, indie boi:
" I have two points about piracy. One is that I don't think we should steal from ourselves because we are a poor country. But its because we are a poor country that we are forced to steal. Because if we don't we won't have western input which we must have or else we'll be so left behind we're gonna end up beating drums in order to communicate."
" It costs 20 pesos to buy and burn a cd, right? So why are they charging so much for the original DVDs? Its a kind of imperialism that the Western people are forcing on us. Its a way of keeping Third World countries Third World, to keep us in our place. So we must steal. I'm all for Western piracy."
sometimes Peque has really crazy ideas!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;) ;) ;)
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2 good reviews! I'm watching this twice, this weekend and on Monday (and I'm dragging friends along both times. My own contribution to pinoy cinema). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that enough people watch it the next few days para it doesn't get pulled out of the few moviehouses it is showing in.
as of wednesday, it wasn't showing in shang, rockwell, greenbelt and even robinson's pioneer in mandaluyong.
I'm dragging also some of my colleagues from the office tonight, with a free coffee after the screening. I'm gonna blackmail them for the sake of this movie. Pmd also some of my friends in this community.
Good thing its being shown in Sm cinemas.
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this movie is indeed not a "typical" one!
it's generally an entertaining film, with a "down-to-earth" script and excellent acting from the leads, particularly Epi Quizon, and also from the cameo actors... 'though the plot is very simple, the screenplay is more character-driven... good visuals, too... :)
as much as I would not want to spoil the hopes of everyone who had high expectations on the box-office appeal of this film, sad to say that during the 5:20PM screening at SM South Mall yesterday, there weren't even 10 people (myself included) who were watching the movie... a really sad reality... I just hope that it fares better in other "more accessible" theaters visited by a more appreciative audience... :(
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Just finished watching the movie second time around with my colleagues from the office. I can't help but to admire again the highly-visual technique of the movie, the wittyness of the script and the excellent performances of Epy & Boy2 Quizon.
Sad to say as marty_mcfly said don't hope for the box-office return of this movie but I was still keeping my fingers crossed based on the tremendous accolades it gained from the preem last Tuesday.
While FANTASTIC CRAP is still full house, we were only less than 30 among the audience. Too bad for the first day showing.
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I know he will get a lot of flak about this one but if it will help Philippine Cinema from its comatose state....maybe this will be one of the solution.
He certainly approves dvd piracy of Western movies but definitely not for Filipino movies. He complained regarding the exorbitant fee of the original ones compared to the bootlegged ones. Its a kind of imperialism western are forcing on us, he said.
This is exactly what he said, indie boi:
" I have two points about piracy. One is that I don't think we should steal from ourselves because we are a poor country. But its because we are a poor country that we are forced to steal. Because if we don't we won't have western input which we must have or else we'll be so left behind we're gonna end up beating drums in order to communicate."
" It costs 20 pesos to buy and burn a cd, right? So why are they charging so much for the original DVDs? Its a kind of imperialism that the Western people are forcing on us. Its a way of keeping Third World countries Third World, to keep us in our place. So we must steal. I'm all for Western piracy."
sometimes Peque has really crazy ideas!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;) ;) ;)
But, shouldn't we agree with this? Doesn't Joey Reyes also approve of piracy? I mean, I think Joey Reyes has pointed out that he could get World Cinema somewhere in Manila (we know where), and that he doesn't have to pay an exorbitant amount. As for me, I only pay for the original for cult flicks I like. For hollywood fluff, well, you can take it from there. :-X
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can't wait to see this film bro palabas na this wed here in the province. good reviews naman sya dito sa province bro. hope it'll break even here. puro ka na lang inggit Ron. hehehe...
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can't wait to see this film bro palabas na this wed here in the province. good reviews naman sya dito sa province bro. hope it'll break even here. puro ka na lang inggit Ron. hehehe...
For a small budget of P500,000 to 1M it can really break even, but where are the audience? I hope this weekend the box-office will heat up.
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watched it last night at SM Sucat 7pm showing - there were exactly four of us in the theater. Sayang, it's quite enjoyable pero para siyang commercial ng Unitel/Tony Gloria on what they can do. It's a step (na naman) to the right direction but I'm still undecided whether it's right to make me pay for one long promo reel
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I agree with vojdiaz on that point. Most of the time I felt like watching a demo reel for Unitel's tech capabilities.
It's uneven. I saw Mario Cornejo's(sp?) Big Time the other night at Cinemalaya and it had roughly the same thematic backbone (and two of Blonde's cast - - -Michael deMesa and Ryan Eigenmann not to mention a scene where a popular gay comedian is the subject of a vicious mob killing and overt refrences to one Hollywood movie that Blonde refered to, as well) - - -a reflection on pop culture through the eyes of two lowlifes enmenshed in a crime- - -and I think it was superior (funnier,at least, better jokes) to Blonde.
Big Time was a pop culture spitball , too , except it refred almost exclusively to Pinoy pop culture. The few times Blonde did that (Fabregas intoducing his gang of "directors", the Fabregas/Garcia duet, Epi's last movie quote) were the bits I liked. But the Bernal Vs. Brocka argument was an interesting idea but it went nowhere, couldn't find its mooring in the narrative. Then you have Ricky Davao's Bladerunner quote - - - cringeworthy. (Ugh!)
Nice try, all told. A step in the right direction definitely. The acting was uniformly OK - - -the two leads, specially when they do the full-on Dolphy/Panchito bit, Davao ("Kala mo, direk?" ) and Joey Marquez ,in his brief scene, had presence, I thought. And some of the scenes packed a visual punch.
But Tarantino rips just don't do it for me, I guess.
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There were some scenes I think that was left on the cutting room floor that's why the argument of the two leads between Brocka & Bernal was not totally fleshed out, X. The flashy visuals took care of that. If you noticed also, the running time is short, 1 1/2 hours.
It was Gallaga's homage to Reservoir Dogs & Pulp Fiction, two Tarantino flicks that he really liked. I still have to see BIG TIME, X, much better than Pinoy Blonde?
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I have yet to see any of the Cinemalaya films but will do so next week when they screen at the UP Film Center.
Pinoy Blonde does indeed like a huge demo reel for Unitel. However, I especially liked the absurdist quality to the film. As in my capsule review, I compared the film to Mamoru Oshii's Talking Head where the director's cinephilia transforms into some sort of absurdist noirish hodgepodge tale. Gallaga achieves the same results and with or without Unitel's graphics, the film will feel the same. While Oshii's film feels distant and impersonal, Pinoy Blonde hits the Filipino youth market spot on, while discussing to a certain limited degree, societal issues. The pop culture throwbacks, the animation sequences, the dream and daydream sequences - all those I add to the fact that Pinoy Blonde is a film within a film. It is mature Gallaga imagining himself in the shoes of a twenty something cinephile in the present Philippine environment. That's why it works for me, because the film feels true to that spirit Gallaga tries to invoke.
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The pop culture throwbacks, the animation sequences, the dream and daydream sequences - all those I add to the fact that Pinoy Blonde is a film within a film. It is mature Gallaga imagining himself in the shoes of a twenty something cinephile in the present Philippine environment. That's why it works for me, because the film feels true to that spirit Gallaga tries to invoke.
Nice insight, oggs. And I do sort of admire the aesthetic Gallage adopts. It isn't new. But it has energy. It's what he dresses up with his fancy tricks that I have problems with.
I still wish he had used Pinoy movies for his pop cultural references (and there's a wealth of that ) or more ,um, "cinephilic"(sp?) referents. (Scorpion King , Spiderman and Matrix aren't exactly that, they're more the don't-want-to-think-so-I'll-leave-my-brain-at-the-door kind of movies and besides, a lot of them's pretty much overdone and rather dated). If I were to be a tad cruel, I'd say Gallaga has to watch more movies.
I think Big Time goes for the same effect, keating, except it doesn't confine itself to movies, but covers a broader spectrum. And I think it achieves what Pinoy aims for with more flair and coherence.
A for effort and a little bit more. Hopefully this snowballs.
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Nice insight, oggs. And I do sort of admire the aesthetic Gallage adopts. It isn't new. But it has energy. It's what he dresses up with his fancy tricks that I have problems with.
I still wish he had used Pinoy movies for his pop cultural references (and there's a wealth of that ) or more ,um, "cinephilic"(sp?) referents. (Scorpion King , Spiderman and Matrix aren't exactly that, they're more the don't-want-to-think-so-I'll-leave-my-brain-at-the-door kind of movies and besides, a lot of them's pretty much overdone and rather dated). If I were to be a tad cruel, I'd say Gallaga has to watch more movies.
I think the reason why there are more Hollywood trash references is the fact that that is what we're being fed. I mean, the characters of Boy2 and Epi are just self-proclaimed film geeks, their film knowledge limited to the works of their director idols, and the Hollywood film that are showing in cinemas. I wouldn't be surprised if Pinoy Blonde was conceptualized any later, the characters would eb quoting "It's clobbering time" right before an action scene. Pitiful state, but true. I mean, just look at the final film the two have come up with, botches of Woo, Wachowski, Bay, some very miniscule representations of Brocka and Bernal, maybe a little bit of Gosiengiao.
Oh... also, just to add. I think Gallaga pretty much knows what the average wanna be filmmaker likes since he teaches film in La Salle Bacolod, so I guess he got insights as to what the prototypes of the Cunanan cousins are watching, nowadays.
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I think the reason why there are more Hollywood trash references is the fact that that is what we're being fed. I mean, the characters of Boy2 and Epi are just self-proclaimed film geeks, their film knowledge limited to the works of their director idols, and the Hollywood film that are showing in cinemas. I wouldn't be surprised if Pinoy Blonde was conceptualized any later, the characters would eb quoting "It's clobbering time" right before an action scene. Pitiful state, but true. I mean, just look at the final film the two have come up with, botches of Woo, Wachowski, Bay, some very miniscule representations of Brocka and Bernal, maybe a little bit of Gosiengiao.
Oh... also, just to add. I think Gallaga pretty much knows what the average wanna be filmmaker likes since he teaches film in La Salle Bacolod, so I guess he got insights as to what the prototypes of the Cunanan cousins are watching, nowadays.
You have a point , oggs.
To most so-called "movie buffs", Hollywood movies are the end all and be-all . I agree with you, it is a damn shame.
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Nice, nice inputs of oggs. This is the first time that he gave a Pinoy flick 5 stars. I was surprised that PINOY BLONDE was not the typical Gallaga film. Here is the movie intended for the twenty something with references to pop culture sponge. The script was sleeping for more than 10 years and to think that he just updated it, instead of pagers, he used mobile phone that Epy used in the movie. His two sons, Wanggo & Datu have great influence to Gallaga while doing the movie.
Noticed the character of Noel Trinidad as Salonpas, that was too dated already with reference to that politician.
And X, we need more films like this, indie flicks are ushering now although its appeal is not to mainstream audience, a sad, sad, thing really.
To all people reading this thread, I humbly ask your time and a little money to watch PINOY BLONDE, baka hindi na ho abutin ng Monday and Sm Cinemas will kill it for sure and replace it with FANTASTIC CRAP.
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Nice, nice inputs of oggs. This is the first time that he gave a Pinoy flick 5 stars.
Actually, I've rated Kisapmata 5 stars but stars be damned, since I've rated Crying Ladies 5 stars too, and seeing now, it would probably be just a three. I just put the stars as a mnemonic device, when I make my list of top films. I'll need to see Pinoy Blonde again as my ratings might change coz at hindsight, the film does really look like Unitel showing off its capabilities. We'll see...
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Actually, I've rated Kisapmata 5 stars but stars be d**ned, since I've rated Crying Ladies 5 stars too, and seeing now, it would probably be just a three. I just put the stars as a mnemonic device, when I make my list of top films. I'll need to see Pinoy Blonde again as my ratings might change coz at hindsight, the film does really look like Unitel showing off its capabilities. We'll see...
Oh, I didn't know that oggs. Our lists of top films will always change depends on your mood and the matter of time when you watch it.
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watched Pinoy Blonde yesterday.
the good news, maybe around 100 others watched it with me, sa first screening sa megamall.
the bad news, i didn't like it as much as i thought i would, especially the first part. the movie picks up in the mid to latter parts. i hoped that it would have less loose ends and the story told a little better. i agree that the peque could have used more pinoy movie references (but maybe it would have sounded like the Ai-ai movie where almost all the dialogues are based on recent pinoy movies?). on the whole, it was refreshing to see the kind of effort from a pinoy movie.
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I almost walked out of the theater when the Globe ad came on.
It didn't help that the first 2 hours of the movie were spent on a hospital bed with two aspiring filmmakers debating on which director was better.
Waitaminute... did that scene last 2 hours? Felt like it. it just dragged on and on and on and it didn't help that the dialouge was all muddied with no direction.
Then the animation started. Then Globe. How many Unitel pictures have been blatant promo reels? I never saw Santa Santita so could anyone enlighten me what major sponsor they had on that movie?
They arrive at the meetup with one blatant continuity mistake. Is it a spoiler if I say that in the animation they were riding in a red convertible and on the live action it was a white taxi? Oh well.
Then more dragging scenes which lasted 4 hours.
It only began to pick up when Eddie Garcia/Jaime Fabregas and company arrived on the scene.Now we have a movie!
Most of the animated parts were good. But were they as effective? No. not by a long shot. Although, what saved it was the highly creative way the director showed these two characters minds at work.
Don't get me wrong. The film is great, compared to the turds most Western cinema dumps out. The acting was superb. And the way it was done was different to say the least. Hey, it's from the guy who did that Oro, Plata, Mata thing.
What killed this movie for me was the bad bad bad editing, dragging scenes, some dialouge that had no direction, and blatant product endorsement.
Maybe I just had high hopes coming into the theater. Maybe I was just too impressed with Unitel's Crying Ladies and said, "At least sa DVD, pwede ko i-skip 'yung McDonalds na promo..." Too bad fast forwarding in Pinoy Blonde would leave me with a film 30 minutes long.
At some point one has to question whether all of these bad elements were done on purpose just to screw with the minds of the average Pinoy moviegoer. Then mali pala ako. That's art for you.
Of course, I would expect film buffs to think Pinoy Blonde is god's gift to Pinoy cinema. Or better yet, a 2 or so hour commercial for Globe Telecomms.
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Although I wouldn't like to be called a rabid fan of Pinoy Blonde, I would like to just comment on the points that do not touch on opinion. Opinions are good, and I respect people's views. The fact that you watched a Pinoy film and gave it a chance, even though in the end it might've disappointed you, is a good sign. Anyway, I don't think that the red convertible to taxi mix-up is a continuity mistake. It plays for laughs, and when I saw it in Gateway, it did get laughs. Although I also thought it was done in bad taste, the Globe commercials, I think were also done for humor.
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Its not the best but I would say one of the best movies to come out this year. Sure it has flaws, you wouldn't expect a movie to be perfect, a hundred percent praise from the cast down to cinematography, editing, sound and direction. Its worth the effort. If you are not really keen on watching Filipino movies, then sorry, this movie is not for you.
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Although I wouldn't like to be called a rabid fan of Pinoy Blonde, I would like to just comment on the points that do not touch on opinion. Opinions are good, and I respect people's views. The fact that you watched a Pinoy film and gave it a chance, even though in the end it might've disappointed you, is a good sign. Anyway, I don't think that the red convertible to taxi mix-up is a continuity mistake. It plays for laughs, and when I saw it in Gateway, it did get laughs. Although I also thought it was done in bad taste, the Globe commercials, I think were also done for humor.
I'm actually wondering which parts of my post you didn't consider an opinion ;D I count one, though. Are there any more?
I laughed at the convertible/taxi mix up, too at first. Not because it seemed like a mix up, but just because. Then someone pointed out that it could have been a continuity thing. Something to think about.
And ever since Keka came out a few years ago, I've stopped categorizing watching Pinoy films as "giving it a chance". Because Keka just made it obvious that Pinoy movies have broken the stereotype. And it was that "Not so typical movie" that got me hooked.
I really don't mean to disrespect what you said and I hope you don't take this the wrong way but, thinking that to watch Pinoy movies just to give it a chance is underestimating the industry a bit. Pinoy movies have gotten better in the past few years. Just because everything seems good, doesn't mean everything's good.
And hey, search around. You'll see that I'm one of Unitel's biggest fans in here :) and I'm not even being sarcastic, dude. I've started buying Pinoy movie DVDs precisely because of Unitel (and of course, Quark's Keka).
If direk Peque did the Globe ad that blatantly just for laughs, then good for him. History will be the judge.
And don't you just hate it when this happens?:
You have a negative opinion about a movie.
You post it.
Then suddenly, someone declares that "If you are not really keen on watching Filipino movies, then sorry, this movie is not for you."
Like you're suddenly not keen on Filipino movies. "What the f**k!?", right? I've criticized many American movies in the past, how come no one has accused me of "Not being keen on American movies"!?
There's some stereotyping going on in here and it's not coming from me, is all I want to say...
Then again, that comment may not have been directed at me pala. Mwehehehe! Pahiya na lang ako, if ever, hehe...
And didn't I just praise the cast? Said that the "acting was superb"? Said it was "highly creative"? Doesn't anything count anymore?
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Is it better than your average Tagalog movie? Does it have a good & fresh story?
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I know he will get a lot of flak about this one but if it will help Philippine Cinema from its comatose state....maybe this will be one of the solution.
He certainly approves dvd piracy of Western movies but definitely not for Filipino movies. He complained regarding the exorbitant fee of the original ones compared to the bootlegged ones. Its a kind of imperialism western are forcing on us, he said.
This is exactly what he said, indie boi:
" I have two points about piracy. One is that I don't think we should steal from ourselves because we are a poor country. But its because we are a poor country that we are forced to steal. Because if we don't we won't have western input which we must have or else we'll be so left behind we're gonna end up beating drums in order to communicate."
" It costs 20 pesos to buy and burn a cd, right? So why are they charging so much for the original DVDs? Its a kind of imperialism that the Western people are forcing on us. Its a way of keeping Third World countries Third World, to keep us in our place. So we must steal. I'm all for Western piracy."
sometimes Peque has really crazy ideas!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;) ;) ;)
Peque is taking his name literally. The cost of making Hollywood blockbusters are astronomical. People not only want good stories these days they also demand high production value which local films lack. Also the typical pirated CD or DVD wouldnt stand muster to quality control hence the higher price of originals.
If you want to kill the local content industry just pirate away.
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Is it better than your average Tagalog movie? Does it have a good & fresh story?
it has a fresh take on what i am hesitant to call a "story", as it is not fleshed out. it is certainly far from the average tagalog movie.
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Peque is taking his name literally. The cost of making Hollywood blockbusters are astronomical. People not only want good stories these days they also demand high production value which local films lack. Also the typical pirated CD or DVD wouldnt stand muster to quality control hence the higher price of originals.
If you want to kill the local content industry just pirate away.
OT:
Producers should earn from the proceeds from the theaters, first and foremost. Dapat additional profit na lang yung dvd's. And I agree w/ Peque about dvd's being so expensive. If they can give them away for 299 each, then sell them for 299.
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it has a fresh take on what i am hesitant to call a "story", as it is not fleshed out. it is certainly far from the average tagalog movie.
That's what I call honest opinion, not a sarcastic remark coming from a "genius" moviegoer. As far as I would like to be open-minded on this community, I'm really, really trying and I don't want to put the law into my own hands,
we all have different views regarding a particular film and i'm open to that. Still I try to count my blessings and the good reviews this movie got.
Its nice that tonedeaf got the message of the movie.
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Of course, I would expect film buffs to think Pinoy Blonde is god's gift to Pinoy cinema. Or better yet, a 2 or so hour commercial for Globe Telecomms.
I disagree with this. I didn't like Blonde much and I'm a - - -but WAIT, who said I was a film buff? ;D
Seriously.
I thoroughly respect the opinion of those who liked it. Some of whom I know one way or the other. And I know to have good taste.
Thing is, here's a movie that's doing something. . . "above average", "different", "off center" . . . and a director who has pedigree . . .from a company that is building a rep for alternative mainstream cinema . . . BUT it's the only one out there.
Much as I might get flamed for this, it is a bit hard (unaffordable ,even) to put down something you've placed all your bets on , because then you put down the hopes you pinned on it. Hopes that it'll revive the dying industry. Hopes that it'll change the paradigm of what a Filipino movie can be. Hopes that the mainstream filmmaking environment changes. Hopes that it'll be spectacular.
I, for one, wanted to like this sooo bad and for it to be good . . .because there's little else. Least little else playing in theaters. (There was a whole lot of action at the CCP, though) The local industry will only be OK when we can afford to NOT venerate a local movie that tries something new (but fails) because there are five more local movies out there that try something new (and succeed).
Kudos to Peque for trying and I will urge people to make it a hit because of the long-term repercussions of the industry seeing economic potential in alternative mainstream cinema. But maybe the environment I envisioned in the paragraph previous might force him (and everybody else and everyone of us who wants to get in the game) to push,push,push.
That's just me, of course.
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Peque is taking his name literally. The cost of making Hollywood blockbusters are astronomical. People not only want good stories these days they also demand high production value which local films lack. Also the typical pirated CD or DVD wouldnt stand muster to quality control hence the higher price of originals.
Pirated DVDs are better-pressed and sometimes better-packaged than locally-produced DVDs of Hollywood films. I think what local manufacturers like Magnavision and Viva are doing is criminal, too.
And the astronomical costs that go into Hollywood productions mostly go into the star's salaries and the immense marketing and advertsiing budgets.
Given all the money they funnel into their movies and having seen Batman Begins and Fantastic Four and Harry Potter and Mr. & Mrs. Smith and The Last Samurai and Kingdom of heaven and Meet the Fockers and Monster In Law and Bad Boys 2 and Hitch , it's pretty obvious that none of those millions are going into the so-called" good stories" that people want.
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OT:
Producers should earn from the proceeds from the theaters, first and foremost. Dapat additional profit na lang yung dvd's. And I agree w/ Peque about dvd's being so expensive. If they can give them away for 299 each, then sell them for 299.
Problem is theaters dont pull in as much money as before. Sometimes they make a profit from selling refreshments like popcorn or soda than the movie itself. Some blame it on piracy while others blame it on quality. It takes hundreds to thousands of people working together directly and indirectly to make foreign movies. They either worked in the movie itself or are helping promote it. The same cant be said about local films that have smaller budgets and have fewer people working directly and indirectly on movies hence a far smaller risk on the producer's part. It is possible to break even in the theaters but to make a profit they probably do it through merchandising like clothing and DVDs. I'm guessing Peque cant appreciate it because his DVDs get pirated hence his stand against pirates victimizing local films. As locals we think local DVDs are expensive because the Peso is so weak but if you look at it converted as US$ or Euro it is really insignificant.
Those who make these movies have the right to price it at whatever level they want. Only market forces will force them to price down.
Pirated DVDs are better-pressed and sometimes better-packaged than locally-produced DVDs of Hollywood films. I think what local manufacturers like Magnavision and Viva are doing is criminal, too.
And the astronomical costs that go into Hollywood productions mostly go into the star's salaries and the immense marketing and advertsiing budgets.
Given all the money they funnel into their movies and having seen Batman Begins and Fantastic Four and Harry Potter and Mr. & Mrs. Smith and The Last Samurai and Kingdom of heaven and Meet the Fockers and Monster In Law and Bad Boys 2 and Hitch , it's pretty obvious that none of those millions are going into the so-called" good stories" that people want.
What Magna & Viva are doing is maximing profits. They know they could never compete with R1 DVDs because those who can afford will buy R1s so they cut their loses and produce stuff that much more locals can afford.
Question is would people watch a movie just for a good story or because A-list actors (even if they dont act too good) are featured? More often than not people watch a movie because it is a franchise (ie Star Wars, LotR, Harry Potter)or their fav actor is there (ie Adam Sandler, Sharon Cuneta, Vilma Santos, Vin Diesel).
Would people watch Star Wars back in 1979 if the visual FX looked like it was done in my backyard? Would people watch the Matrix if it didnt have new visual FX? Would people watch Balahibong Pusa if Joyce Jimenez didnt shed off her clothes? Would people watch Shindler's List if Spielberg wasnt involved in it? It takes more than a good story to make a movie a commercial success.
The need for an immense budget for promotion and marketing is just to get the word out. If people dont know about it then how would they watch it?
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The need for an immense budget for promotion and marketing is just to get the word out. If people dont know about it then how would they watch it?
I agree. But then the cost gets factored into the exorbitant total cost of the whole movie , buffing up the argument that it is necessary for the DVDs to be so expensive.
As for people watching movies for good stories alone, I would say yes but maybe I'm speaking only for myself. It might take more than a good story(and good acting and good directing) to make a movie a hit (just look at all the FF movie fans who liked it for FX) but ultimately, it shouldn't. Good story, good directing, good acting should be enough.
Magna and Viva maximize profits by doing it the classic Filipino way : by making the products cheap. If those "evil" pirates can muster up the technology and expertise to package their bootlegs decently, what's stopping Magna and Viva? (the latter of course put out that Spy Who Loved Me DVD whose cover was in misregistered black and white and that Original Sin DVD where , instead of a blurb from a critic on the back cover , the words "Some Quote Will Go here" was in its place )
It's just pure work ethic and professional pride. Or lack of it , on Magna and Viva's part. Just because maliit ang sahod, salaula na ang trabaho? Quality control is quality control, it shouldn't fluctuate with the tag price.
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Problem is theaters dont pull in as much money as before. Sometimes they make a profit from selling refreshments like popcorn or soda than the movie itself. Some blame it on piracy while others blame it on quality. It takes hundreds to thousands of people working together directly and indirectly to make foreign movies. They either worked in the movie itself or are helping promote it. The same cant be said about local films that have smaller budgets and have fewer people working directly and indirectly on movies hence a far smaller risk on the producer's part. It is possible to break even in the theaters but to make a profit they probably do it through merchandising like clothing and DVDs. I'm guessing Peque cant appreciate it because his DVDs get pirated hence his stand against pirates victimizing local films. As locals we think local DVDs are expensive because the Peso is so weak but if you look at it converted as US$ or Euro it is really insignificant.
I don't know the mathematical/logistical implications of it, but i've always maintained, as far back as the first time I heard about the Pan-Asian movement where Thailand and Korea and Japan and Hong Kong and even Vietnam market their "commercial" films to each other's countries that the real answer is to market the stuff we do out there.
Circumventing, in the process, all the obstacles a local film faces: the indifference of a middle class too snobbish and infatuated with Hollywood that they wouldn't be caught dead mentioning a Tagalog movie title, the mediocirty of the material because it forces the writers and directors and producers to push the envelope before saying "pwede na yan!" , star salaries and whims which weigh down a movie when out there the Mega/Diamond Stars of all Seasons have no equity with audiences and might give a chance for some would've beens could've beens (i.e. good actors) to shine,etc. etc.
That Pan- Asian thing has been ongoing for almost five years now. (Kasali na nga tayo with those Korean telenovelas pero we only import not export) And we still only send our films abroad so that our OFWs (God belss 'em and they deserve to watch their Sharon Cuneta melodramas) in Hong Kong can watch them.
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Genius as I was, I don't want to start another potential flame war. One thing to learn is that pinoydvd is still a haven for people who can't take nor respect other people's opinions.
Oh well, can't please everyone. <sarcasm inferred> ;D
Genius signing off on the Pinoy Blonde thread. On to the next Pinoy movie!
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If the budget for promotion & marketing isnt factored into the total cost/budget of the whole movie then where will they get the funds? Take fast food for example. The material & direct labor cost of a cup of coffee is rather small but because you need to pay the CEO, the army of managers & crew, rent, utilities, taxes, etc the cost of coffee skyrockets.
I honestly would never watch a J. Lo movie but a lot of people who like her plump backside, her singing, or just like J. Lo will watch her very badly scripted movie. A good story isnt enough for the current generation nursed on MTV. You have to be flashy which Pinoy Blonde attempted to be. Heck it got my interest just because of the visuals and the fashion sense of the protagonists. Your average Pinoy flick would never get my attention simply because it caters to the base sensitivies of conservative locals. I enjoy Korean films more (even if I dont understand em) because they're fresh. The last local film I watched and enjoyed (not because of the nudity) is Gamitan. Good story but lousy sex scenes. I hate Maui's boobs but as an actress she is good.
The question now is are Tagalog films up to Asian standards? I've read a short write up on why Korean films became hip again and I dont think what we dish out will match what they demand. Our local films (story-wise) are what our neighbors do not like. Too much crying. Too much melodrama. Too much recycling. I''ve watched a number of commercially successful Korean movies and it doesnt follow our formula.
The AB crowd will not waste their money nor their time on Tagalogs because they know it is all recycled and not even slighly relevant to their lifestyle. Even if it isnt recycled the marketing isnt as such that it'll disprove that notions. If the notion that is recycle is disproved it may have the adverse effect of probably turning off the CD crowd. Mind you our nation has been flooded by Hollywood drivel because they have better budgets and make for more interesting visual experience. The reason why movies are "pwede na yan" is because the budget arent big and no one is stupid enough to commit to a large budget because our content is seen to be acceptable only to CD crowd and piracy will have the rest. How much is a movie these days? Around 100 pesos depending n where you go. Minimum wage is 250-350 in NCR so how does a minimum wage earner keep himself entertained? Probably through pirated CD/DVDs.
In an ideal world a good story should be the only thing that would make people want to watch a movie. Sorry to say but a lot of people preffer visual thrills than an epic story.
Is our local content worth exporting? Is it marketable in other countries? I have a hard time as it is to get people to watch "My Sassy Girl" or "Attack the Gas Station" which takes an open mind to non-Hollywood flicks appreciate.
Cheap products = cheap production. Magna & Viva pay an arm and a leg for the rights to reproduce foriegn content and naturally they want a fast ROI. It isnt about work ethic or professional pride. It is simply profitability. The higher the price the better the quality of someone's product. For example big plasma/LCD cost lots because you're paying for the mistakes the makers make. In pirated CD/DVDs naman there is zero quality control and they only replace bad media on a per incident basis. They have no brand name to protect or foreign partners to please. They're simply a printing press that dishes out third party content. They do not care if masisira yung gumawa ng content because they dont have anything to protect.
Those who think piracy is ok are simply those who have no content to protect or whose content/intellectual property arent worth protecting. I know of one local cartoonist who's time at AIM (Asian Institute of Management) didnt make him any smarter. He thought that piracy isnt a crime. I think he'll change his tune if pirates consider his artwork worth stealing. Pirates are smart enough not to pirate crud. IMO his strips on the PhilStar are asinine and rubbish. Oh yeah he doesnt draw too well either. Heck that's why you dont see much pirated Star Trek DVDs.
Back to Pinoy Blonde if there's a 1040 or later showing in Alabang I'd probably watch it.
Artistic points aside what matters is if the film is marketable and a potential commercial success. If it is too ground breaking a lot of people may be turned off. Hence the poor quality of your typical Tagalog film.
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I disagree with this. I didn't like Blonde much and I'm a - - -but WAIT, who said I was a film buff? ;D
Seriously.
I thoroughly respect the opinion of those who liked it. Some of whom I know one way or the other. And I know to have good taste.
Thing is, here's a movie that's doing something. . . "above average", "different", "off center" . . . and a director who has pedigree . . .from a company that is building a rep for alternative mainstream cinema . . . BUT it's the only one out there.
Much as I might get flamed for this, it is a bit hard (unaffordable ,even) to put down something you've placed all your bets on , because then you put down the hopes you pinned on it. Hopes that it'll revive the dying industry. Hopes that it'll change the paradigm of what a Filipino movie can be. Hopes that the mainstream filmmaking environment changes. Hopes that it'll be spectacular.
I, for one, wanted to like this sooo bad and for it to be good . . .because there's little else. Least little else playing in theaters. (There was a whole lot of action at the CCP, though) The local industry will only be OK when we can afford to NOT venerate a local movie that tries something new (but fails) because there are five more local movies out there that try something new (and succeed).
Kudos to Peque for trying and I will urge people to make it a hit because of the long-term repercussions of the industry seeing economic potential in alternative mainstream cinema. But maybe the environment I envisioned in the paragraph previous might force him (and everybody else and everyone of us who wants to get in the game) to push,push,push.
That's just me, of course.
You hit it right on the head. Although my own criticism failed to impress the movie critic nazi in here, I'm sure yours can make people understand better the plight of the Pinoy moviemaking industry -- that it is a troubled and struggling one, yet full of hope and ingenuity. Despite the flaws, it is definitely moving forward with production houses like Unitel and independent filmmakers.
Obligatory sarcastic criticism of one sequence in Pinoy Blonde of the day:
"The dialouge slowly decayed into a stench, like the corpse inside the bathroom..."
Just kidding ;)
O 'yan, sign off na talaga!
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To tell you the truth I was studying how to make money in the local entertainment industry and what I found out is TV is where them oney is. You dont charge patrons for your content but ask a fee from advertisers. Once a pirate enters the theater with a camcorder say your profitability good bye.
A lot of people dont want to watch local content because they consider it a waste of their time and money. Money can be made again but you cannot regain the 1-2hrs you spent watching a bad film.
This doesnt mean Pinoy Blonde is a bad film (by all indications it is good) but your typical Pinoy flick are in my humble opinion plain rubbish.
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If the budget for promotion & marketing isnt factored into the total cost/budget of the whole movie then where will they get the funds? Take fast food for example. The material & direct labor cost of a cup of coffee is rather small but because you need to pay the CEO, the army of managers & crew, rent, utilities, taxes, etc the cost of coffee skyrockets.
Corporations inflate their prices all the time. Surely you're not saying you actually believe those figures? I actually know someone who works at Lion's gate in Hollywood. Those movies don't cost that much.
The question now is are Tagalog films up to Asian standards? I've read a short write up on why Korean films became hip again and I dont think what we dish out will match what they demand. Our local films (story-wise) are what our neighbors do not like. Too much crying. Too much melodrama. Too much recycling. I''ve watched a number of commercially successful Korean movies and it doesnt follow our formula.
I'm not saying now. I'm saying if we go Pan-Asian, we shift paradigms, we dismantle the formula. And I beg to disagree. A lot of Korean movies, commercially successful ones at that (Love So Divine springs to mind) , do have a formula and it follows ours, too - - goes a long way in explaining why Korean telenovelas are big here. Same with Hong Kong.
And a low budget doesn't give you an excuse to be slipshod. Try immersing yourself in a lot of independent films, local and otherwise. Go to the UP Film center this week. See how far creativity and resourcefulness can take that low budget. These movies cost a pittance. Some of them become rather successful commercially. They don't rake in the numbers drivel like Mr and Mrs Smith do but they don't cost millions either. So relatively, hindi siya lugi kasi maliit ang investment malaki ang profit.
It's a prehistoric and obsolete notion that a low budget means low quality. Not when it comes to art, at least.
It isnt about work ethic or professional pride. It is simply profitability. The higher the price the better the quality of someone's product.
Oh it is about professional pride and work ethic. Speaking as a professional, I never sacrifice the quality of my work whether the project I'm doing cost me a pittance or a fortune. Everybody gets the same level of attention. It's something I notice is inherent in a lot of foreigners I've worked with and a lot of old-generation local craftsmen and professionals. The kind that are sadly, grossly underpaid. Is this the new work ethic of the AIM generation? That work quality fluctuates with the package? Sad if it is.
I understand that they did pay for those rights. But how hard is it to double-check blueprints and templates before you go to press with your DVD covers? It's incumbent upon these companies to exert quality control. Walang add-cost ang proofreading and color-correcting. Sloppy worksmanship is like terrorism, there's no excuse for it, no justification , specially coming from corporations like Viva and Magnavision.
I buy way too many R1s for someone without a permanent job so I would hope these two would get their acts together. Like Warner. They're the only ones I buy R3s from lately. Well, there are the Tagalog films but ibang kwento na yon.
If it is too ground breaking a lot of people may be turned off. Hence the poor quality of your typical Tagalog film.
Hence the poor quality of your average Hollywood movie, when you get down to it. Unless you're saying that something as asinine as Mr & Mrs.Smith is groundbreaking. Hollywood plays it safe, too, except they have the money to gloss over their flaws. Geez, they're a First World Dinsoaur! I'm not a blanket defender of Tagalog movies. A lot of them are rubbish. But a lot of Hollywood films also are.
Still,(and Idon't mean this an an offense) if ,like what you said, what the characters wear in a movie is enough of a draw for you, then maybe we're talking over each other's heads.
Ultimately, you lose me when the same barometer used to determine a hamburger's "quality" (i.e.profitability) is used for a movie. Profitability does not equal quality in my book. McDonald's may rake in billions but is it good for you? Same goes for Hollywood movies.
Oh, and there are box sets of Star Trek DVDs (the William Shatner-era Star Trek, best of the bunch, great stories) all over the pirate marketplaces. Those pirates have good taste, apparently. :)
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The AB crowd will not waste their money nor their time on Tagalogs because they know it is all recycled and not even slighly relevant to their lifestyle. Even if it isnt recycled the marketing isnt as such that it'll disprove that notions. If the notion that is recycle is disproved it may have the adverse effect of probably turning off the CD crowd. Mind you our nation has been flooded by Hollywood drivel because they have better budgets and make for more interesting visual experience. The reason why movies are "pwede na yan" is because the budget arent big and no one is stupid enough to commit to a large budget because our content is seen to be acceptable only to CD crowd and piracy will have the rest. How much is a movie these days? Around 100 pesos depending n where you go. Minimum wage is 250-350 in NCR so how does a minimum wage earner keep himself entertained? Probably through pirated CD/DVDs.
Just need to put in my two cents before it gets devalued.
I think it's a mistaken notion that taste is based on economic standing. I know who people from the AB crowd who thinks J Lo is high art. These are the same people who listen to Freestyle and freaking Lighthouse Family.
And at the other end of the spectrum are people who you'll consider as part of the CD crowd who would troll Quiapo for that elusive pirated copy of Citizen Kane or What Time Is It There?
The same AB crowd who will not go to a quality tagalog movie is the same crowd who will not appreciate a quality hollywood movie, much less a film with subtitles in it. Ilang beses na ba tayo nakakita ng post dito sa PinoyDVD na nagsasabi na "ayaw kong manood ng pelikula na mag-iisip ako." For proof of this, I just need to redirect attention to the FF thread -- were the merits of that disaster has been measured in terms of special effects and its chances of showcasing a home theater setup's capabilities. Bayaan mo na yung story, yung direction, yung cinematography -- which are practically non-existent.
That's the crux of the argument here, I guess. We need to make films that will make Filipinos think. And I think the perfect time to shift the paradigm is right now -- when the industry is at its lowest. Let's get crazy with the ideas even if it falls flat on its face -- just like Pinoy Blonde. I believe that the salvation of the Philippine film industry lies in people who are not afraid to try something new -- to rock the boat, so to speak.
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malaki kaya kinita ng pinoy blonde........ no idea ;D :-*
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Like the rest of you, I and my brother watched it in an empty cinema in Gateway (They were only ten people watching it I think).
As for the movie, I gave it 3 out of five stars. In my opinion, the movie was very well acted. I was not jumping in my seat and saying foul to an actor or actress "hindi siya marunong magact!". I like the character of Epi Quizon which really shows the youth today. He curses a lot and has a very care free attitude which is very typical of people who are in their twenties. A quarter life crisis is what would they say. Boy2 Quizon has also grown up and the days from Home Along Da Riles are over. Ricky Davao, Jaime Fabregas and Eddie Garcia gave also fine performances.
What I did not like in the film was the plot. It was so thin that if you skate on it you'll surely fall on the water. The dialogues were fine. I and my brother were laughing throughout the film. But without a good foundation to start from, even how you compensate with good acting, good directing and good visuals the movie would be still lacking. That is what I felt watching it.
Yes, I agree it was major step for the film industry but storytelling would be still the bottomline of a good movie. I also like the soundtrack of the film which showcased the talents of Filipino bands today. But some songs were out of the loop in the movie like what was Sugarfree's "Hari nang Sablay" doing in the hotel scene. Parang pilit duon, where it could have been used in another area of the film or not had been used at all.
Great movies are those who challenge you intellectually not only in how the film was written, acted or directed but what the film is trying to tell you. It also provides you with emotions may be it with happiness or sorrow (Lost in Translation and Eternal Sunshine comes into mind) .
I believe that Pinoy Blonde was a good film but not a great film. :)
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To X44:
We can speculate all day how much it really costs but lets work with what is given. It may be inflated or even padded a bit but I dont think anyone on PinoyDVD could give the actual figures on how much any project would cost.
If we do shift I dont think it'll sell locally. I have yet to see Love So Divine or the telenovelas so I cant verify if it does follow the local formula. Could it be that it has higher production value? Better looking actors (it helped Baywatch alot)?
I have yet to hear of any local indie film become a commercial success. If they do make money by how much? If I recall correctly the only indie film to rake the highest ROI would be the Blair Witch Project as it rode on hype hype hype.
Artistic values aside but our local film industry isnt innovative simply because they know local innovation doesnt sell. Most of the blockbusters that garner international acclaim have a big ticket local megastar or superstar.
In your case you and your kind may put your heart and soul into any project but the production value doesnt match it. Take the film stock or audio mixing for example. I've been to enough local films to know that the film stock is bad and the audio mix is an afterthought. I remember reading a thread about how much little attention & priority is given to post production audio. I remember an "in joke" in Gamitan when Maui mentions that her boyfriend's car is the type that's used to explode on cue.
Again Viva & Magna could care less if you're happy with what they're offering. They're only after profitability and seeming there appears no clause on quality control they dont bother.
At least with Hollywood films bumabawi sila sa ibang bagay. Heck Star Wars was just a big "tech demo" (in computer gaming terms) on the technology that ILM has mastered. It is incidental that it involved Star Wars.
No offense taken but I am also picky on what I watch. When I watched the Fantastic Four for example I wanted my time & money back. The story was too altered. The casting was half bad. Print quality wasnt up to what I saw before. Same goes with Spielberg's butchery of War of the Worlds. I've watched the original 50's film and it is way better even though the visuals are ancient.
You have no argument concerning quality not equating to profitability but quality's subjective (matter of taste and orientation) and profitability is pretty much objective (financial records) but you go right down to it it is all about profitability. It is nice to be groundbreaking and artistic but if in the process you dont bring home the proverbial bacon then it is pointless. Yes I know each isnt exclusive but having the right balance is very difficult that few try.
I've done my rounds in Greenhills and only 1 shop carried Star Trek. ;)
To indie boi:
I am not saying taste is equal to economic standing. What I am saying is that the vast majority of the CD crowd wouldnt know or bother with Mozart when they can have the Sex Bomb girls. Same goes with the AB crowd where they love their Marriah Carrey or their 50 cent.
Is the percent of the CD crowd that goes looking for Shichinin no samurai, Rear Window or Cidade de Deus significant enough to make a bleep on the tasteful "radar"?
Local films must be ground breaking and different from what makes an easy buck. The question is is the local audience ready for a radically new direction? Only a very good movie will tell. I hope that new movie wont be another "Jose Rizal" that basically plays on infatuation of Pinoys with Rizal.
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If we do shift I dont think it'll sell locally. I have yet to see Love So Divine or the telenovelas so I cant verify if it does follow the local formula. Could it be that it has higher production value? Better looking actors (it helped Baywatch alot)?
I do agree with your first point. I may be alone in this - - and may be flamed for it - - -but I don't think the greater audience here deserves a "good" Filipino film. Or if they do, they should start proving it. Time and time again we've seen attempts , good ones, but somehow they've been ignored for the next Hollywood blockbuster. Hollywood has spoiled the greater audience here. The audience for the so-called alternative cinema we want is very small, very limited. But that's just me , speaking from what could be a very compromised vantage point. I do hope it's an arguable point. I'd hate that to be accurate and absolute.
But I still maintain, let's shift, aim higher, go beyond the parameters and try to see if maybe there's an audience out there. I keep going back to the classic example of those American punk groups largely ignored on their own shores - - -Pretenders, etc. - - - who took their music to Britain in the 70s and got the audience they deserve, albeit small, before their own countrymen jumped on their bandwagon. It's a classic, sad scenario, I know, but it applies, I think. It's lofty, it's ambitious, it's probably a pipe dream but who cares, eh?
And yeah, production values may be not up to par but in the end, like with you and the original War of the Worlds, you have to go beyond that. You can print Dickens on mimeograph paper and it doesn't lessen its substance. Am I a Luddite for saying that? Gee, I hope not. I hope the audience is better ,more intelligent than that.
Besides, I saw some of those (digital) indie films last week on a TV in the CCP lobby and it looked sharp, glossy and very pro. Maybe some studios balk at postproduction costs but I do think there's a marked improvement.
And, incidentally, Pinoy Blonde had terrific production values. (Unitel's movies, as a rule, do, but that's a given) Gagamboy ,too, which has made the festival rounds abroad. Only thing needed now is to work on the content. Well, Gagamboy was good, I thought.
There's a whole slew of indie films that have made it big on shoestrings, not phenomonal sales but real , serious profit nonetheless ( a product doesn't have to have stratospheric sales to be profitable) : Reservoir Dogs, Clerks, Stranger Than Paradise, Slacker , House Party , Texas Cahinsaw Massacre, the first two Evil Dead movies by Sam Raimi, Blood Simple by the Coens, Super Size Me , George Washington, Sex Lies & Videotape, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Blair Witch, of course, (and yeah, it was bolstered by hype but that's the resourcefulness/creativity I was talking about, it's not all farming out to SFX houses that make or break a movie, in my opinion) among others. And none of these, I might add, had the Hollywood gloss that many of our moviegoing public love so much. Filipino? Not yet. But let's see.
As for Magna and Viva, I suppose you've just reiterated what I've been pointing out all along. "Viva & Magna couldn't care less if you're happy with what they're offering . . ." My point, exactly. Interchange Viva and Magna with any merchant/corporation that wants you to buy their stuff and that comes off really . . .offensive. And these two have the gall to whine about people not buying their products anymore.
I suppose, at the end of the day, it's that classic argument versus art and commerce that we're having here. (The art film versus commercial film dichotomy, which I don't really like) And that's an argument that has no winners.
(Heck, even out there, a person's worth is often measured by commercial value, assets: kind of car, salary, etc. I ,for one, would like to have no part of that.)
Corny as it sounds ,I see a valid point in "fighting the good fight". And , being the picky viewer that you are, I'd like to think you'd like that if sometimes, we won.
The studios have the monopoly and while they may be too easy targets to blame, let's. I don't think the future is in them but it could be with them. Maybe my solutions aren't foolproof, but I don't think it's all a matter of having Hollywood money either.
That said, I'll never stop checking out every new Filipino film with promise, indie or otherwise, that comes around the block. So far, I've seen quite a few worth the trouble and I believe I'll see more. I'd like to think I'm one of those that deserve a good Filipino film. So I'll put my money where my mouth is.
I guess all I'm saying it I'm just more optimistic and hopeful. And I haven't written us off yet.
And maybe in the end, what we're both saying the audience here sucks. ;D Maybe.
Oh, and ang dami nung Star Trek sa Square. :)
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malaki kaya kinita ng pinoy blonde........ no idea ;D :-*
It's so frustrating just what I felt also when MAGNIFICO was shown theatrically. The problem lies also with the kind of audience that we have as pointed out by X and indie. Its not that they can't afford 80 bucks to see a Pinoy flick, because sometimes they watch Hollywood flicks twice!
I did my best but my best was not good enough. ;D
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but I don't think the greater audience here deserves a "good" Filipino film.
I agree with you there. We've done good Filipino films; actually, we've done good films that made money--classic answer is Brocka's Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, which made money. Same with Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap, which was Mike de Leon's biggest boxoffice hit and which is pretty much underrated. And Nora's made her share of excellent films that were hits--Bulaklak sa City Jail, Condemned, Kastilyong Buhangin...
And before the war, and in the '50s and part of the '60s, our films attracted enough of an audience not just to survive, but to flourish; some of the films made were pretty good, too (Moises Padilla Story, anyone?).
Things change, people change, not always for the better. I've mentioned how Hollywood pretty much took or left the foreign markets alone before the '80s, and how these same foreign markets are now about half of their gross profit, and how this recent trend has killed off plenty of local cinemas. Also suggested how we can turn this around, too...
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maybe Vic Sotto have some answer, the way "Lastikman" hits the box-office before.
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Just saw the movie yesterday (well, that's in Butuan FYI, tagal palabas dito! >:(). For me the movie was 7 out of 10 stars (local cinema rating ha? ;D). Great cast and great acting. Hinahabol ko yung mga punchlines sa mga ganitong tipong movies and i was pretty satisfied with it.
However, the plot wasn't that good and pretty shallow. may hinahabol kaya silang deadline? ;D The script as well wasn't that superb no offense sa mga ka tropa ko sa pinoydvd. ;D ;D ;D.
i'm not sure if i didn't get it right but if anybody could just address my questions i would really appreciate it:
1st: Bakit ba sila (Epi and Boy2) sigawan ng sigawan? Alam naman nilang may posibleng makarinig sa kanila and probably kill them just like that.
2nd: i really don't understand also the part where "the two" have to pause in the stairs (of hotel mariposa ;D ;D ;D) and have that talk. They were pretty anticipating and analyzing the assignment they were given on their way up and they were suppose to be in a safe place rather than chatting in that area. May yosi break scene pa hehehe...
Pero eaff trip talaga movie and enjoyed it, especially the cameos ;). Effects and uniqueness of the movie was okay also. ;)
By the way, first day of the movie more than 20 was in the theater! ;)
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I guess Peque Gallaga was just having fun making this movie. And at the same time,
I think we could see his frustrations of not making the movies that he wants to do.
I liked the film. I might be buying the DVD. :D
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I saw the film in Robinson's Galleria Cinema 7 (small viewing room, mga 80 pax capacity). The movie was 3/4 filled. Good enough, I guess, considering that I talked to a top executive of SM Cinema and he was shaking his head with Pinoy Blonde's box office performance.
For all its worth, my two cents:
Peque tried to mimic almost every dazzling cinema tricks of Hollywood (except maybe Star Wars and Matrix). Maybe he was trying to show "Kaya Din Namin Yan!" Production design is good. Colors jumping out of the screen (Peque was once the Production Designer of Ganito Kami Noon Paano Kayo Ngayon, remember?).
They must have had too much excitement on the cinema tricks and dialogue (the endless, pointless chatter on Bernal and Brocka), and left the plot contorted and dangling. Most of the audience were laughing -- good for them -- but movie house fell silent towards the end... parang naubusan na ng gas. Movie-referential dialogue is copied from Swordfish, Get Shorty, Be Cool... etc. Flashy fight scenes pero jarring ang placement dahil di naman kelangan sa eksena. I think Peque was flexing his cinema neurons here, trying out things that are new to him.
Yes I welcome experiments but it would have been better served within a tight plot and good narrative, which the movie was, sad to say, not.
They say that the budget was below 1 million because most of the stars in the film volunteered their services for free (or deferred it in case of future commercial success). Even those who gave their songs to the soundtrack was, I heard, not paid.
The Indie community is a caring nurturing community. You will find all sorts of people willing to help. Especially in a Peque Gallaga film. Lets not waste it. And let's not use the term "indie" as another big producers way of cutting cost.
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Just saw the movie yesterday (well, that's in Butuan FYI, tagal palabas dito! >:(). For me the movie was 7 out of 10 stars (local cinema rating ha? ;D). Great cast and great acting. Hinahabol ko yung mga punchlines sa mga ganitong tipong movies and i was pretty satisfied with it.
However, the plot wasn't that good and pretty shallow. may hinahabol kaya silang deadline? ;D The script as well wasn't that superb no offense sa mga ka tropa ko sa pinoydvd. ;D ;D ;D.
i'm not sure if i didn't get it right but if anybody could just address my questions i would really appreciate it:
1st: Bakit ba sila (Epi and Boy2) sigawan ng sigawan? Alam naman nilang may posibleng makarinig sa kanila and probably kill them just like that.
2nd: i really don't understand also the part where "the two" have to pause in the stairs (of hotel mariposa ;D ;D ;D) and have that talk. They were pretty anticipating and analyzing the assignment they were given on their way up and they were suppose to be in a safe place rather than chatting in that area. May yosi break scene pa hehehe...
Pero eaff trip talaga movie and enjoyed it, especially the cameos ;). Effects and uniqueness of the movie was okay also. ;)
By the way, first day of the movie more than 20 was in the theater! ;)
It was a totally shallow script but what I like was the inventiveness and highly-visuals of the film. They kept on shouting because they can't help it, its part of their argument on the film. But then some gags fall flat, much better if they name what was truly Bernal & Brocka's best film. The discussion would have been better, but instead Peque mentioned more Hollywood flicks. Its for laugh purposes, the pausing of the two in the stairs of Hotel Marikopa.
Is it still showing dude in the theatres in your place?
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tenk you tenks keating! for what it's worth, again, it was a funny movie and great acting.
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(http://www.cinefilipino.com/dvdcovers/pinoyblonde.jpg)
Where to buy this???? Ive search a lot dvd stores but still not available.
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It's not yet available locally, llanesmark. PINOY BLONDE dvd release is the dvd to die for! With tons of extras loaded including Gallaga's first commentary on dvd, trailers, music videos, docus and deleted scenes.
Peque embrace the dvd format 100%. He has done one docu so far, for the dvd release of KABIT NI MRS. MONTERO.
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It was a totally shallow script but what I like was the inventiveness and highly-visuals of the film. They kept on shouting because they can't help it, its part of their argument on the film. But then some gags fall flat, much better if they name what was truly Bernal & Brocka's best film. The discussion would have been better, but instead Peque mentioned more Hollywood flicks. Its for laugh purposes, the pausing of the two in the stairs of Hotel Marikopa.
Is it still showing dude in the theatres in your place?
I still think that Peque Gallaga's film is him trying to show what a typical Pinoy blondie (your typical Pinoy teenager hanging around Greenbelt and raving on the latest Tarantino or Guy Richie film and have the littlest grasp on Filipino cinema) would make if he were given a chance to make a film. The result is a shallow script, full of Hollywood references, with an in-your-face discussion of Bernal and Brocka (most of the discussions bordering on the obvious traits of the two Filipino directors). It's not a Peque Gallaga film per se, but a film by a Filipino youth in the point of view of Gallaga. I think you'd frustrate yourself if you try to make something out of the incoherent and for-art's-sake innovativeness of the film because it is as shallow as a mud puddle - but what can you really expect from all these pinoy blondies?
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Agree......oggs. But Gallaga made the script during Erap's time when pagers were still cool as gadgets. KILL BILL was not yet in full swing back, then.
What I love about the film was its inventiveness.....Gallaga embracing the latest tech and not abandoning his usual stuff thru visual flair that he demonstrated early in his breakthrough films (Oro Plata Mata, Virgin Forest & Scorpio Nights).
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According to my professor whose wife is one of the owners of Unitel the Pinoy Blonde Dvd is being finished maybe this summer daw ang release date.
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According to my professor whose wife is one of the owners of Unitel the Pinoy Blonde Dvd is being finished maybe this summer daw ang release date.
It's now available in the U.S. thru online-stores. :)
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Just got my dvd from the man who will save Philippine Cinema from extinction, Jojo de Vera. Thanks, dude! I had a great weekend!
The opening scene was a homage to Bernal's MANILA BY NIGHT wherein Bernardo Bernardo was freaking out inside the morgue hysterically played by Cherrie Pie Picache in the movie. Gallaga will bookend the film as he pays homage to Brocka in the end.
He dishes out the commentary with Lore Reyes. It was pure fun to see the cast and crew laughing behind the scenes.
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you're welcome Keats! i'm glad you enjoyed the movie. i did too! watch the special features it's really worth your while...
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Did you watch the deleted scenes, Jo? Peque was so fond of Gosiengfiao's NYMPHA. ;) If he added it to the movie, the argument between Epi & Ricky Davao could be more fun.
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Did you watch the deleted scenes, Jo? Peque was so fond of Gosiengfiao's NYMPHA. ;) If he added it to the movie, the argument between Epi & Ricky Davao could be more fun.
i watched all the special features & they're all enjoyable. the deleted scenes were mostly extended ones but still fun to watch. have you noticed that most of the actors who appeared in cameo roles have mostly been in Peque's previous films? Manilyn Reynes & husband Aljon Jimenez were in his Shake, Rattle & Roll films, Cherry Pie in Baby Love, Richard Gomez in Once Upon A Time, Kid Huwag Kang Susuko & Isang Araw Walang Diyos, Gardo Versoza in Kabit Ni Mrs. Montero among others...
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Yeah, add Liza Lorena and Cherie Gil from Oro, Plata, Mata, Ian Veneracion from Unfaithful Wife 2. Peque delivered an engaging commentary even though the film was a big flop. Badly needs support for the dvd release.
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Can anyone sell me a copy of the DVD version. Please!!!
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The local release R3 might be release soon, probably next month.
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saw the R1 DVD and thanks to keating! i enjoyed also the special features of the film and it's very informative. on the other hand, the commentary of peque was the best R1 DVD i've seen considering that it helped me a lot with the questions i have with regards to the uniqueness of the film. ;)
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Welcome, jore! At present no other Pinoy film can match the loaded features of PINOY BLONDE, bar-none! Peque embraced the dvd format just like Ridley Scott.