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		<title>allow.me.the.silence.that.you.hear</title>
		<description>i'm nostalgic for conversations i had yesterday..</description>
		<language>en</language>
		<lastBuildDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:20:28 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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			<title>&quot;Pop Has Freed Us&quot; - Papas Fritas</title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Every now and then, I go to record stores and buy a couple of albums from musicians I've never heard of before.. Partly to broaden my musical taste, and partly to "see what I've been missing".. I'd check the cover, then the back, then the price tag, then I'd but it if I felt like it..<br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The first time I tried this was with <i>SOS JFK</i> by The Children's Hour.. This was also the day I found out I wasn't that into folk.. Or at least their kind of folk..</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Then I tried my luck with Rachel Loshak's <i>Mint</i>, with which I only liked two songs (and not by a lot).. I know.. Two in a row.. Bummer, right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Having almost struck out, I nearly gave up.. Suddenly the cover-back-price-tag-buy-based-on-gut-feel strategy wasn't looking so good.. It was like throwing a bunch of noodles at a wall to see which noodle sticks, only not nearly as fun.. Or the blind eating Skittles.. I didn't know what I was getting.. Why bother spending P500 on something I'm not sure of? I could have used the same money to buy half a graphic novel..</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Then came this album.. I looked at the band's name, then the album title.. Then I bought the album as soon as I got the joke.. And I am SO glad I did..</span></p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/pop-has-freed-us.jpg/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/pop-has-freed-us.jpg" width="208" height="208" /></a></p>
<p><b>The Album:</b> <i>Pop Has Freed Us</i> is the fourth full-length album by indie band, Papas Fritas.. released in 2003 under Minty Fresh Records, the album is a compilation of the band's greatest hits.. it contains eight of their most popular songs and nine previously unreleased songs..</p>
<p><b>The Good:</b> the album is a great intro to a great band.. the eight "greatest hits" draw the new listeners in and show them what to expect, while the other nine songs show us just how fun, and just how far, Papas Fritas can go (spoiler alert: it's WAAAAAAAAAY out there).. tracks like <i>Holiday</i>, <i>Say Goodbye</i>, <i>Questions</i>, and the indie-pop delight, <i>Way You Walk</i>, are sure to make instant fans out of casual listeners..</p>
<p><b>The Bad:</b> while the album certainly is fun and would make a perfect addition to anyone's personal soundtrack to his or her life, <i>Pop Has Freed Us</i> is not for everyone.. the whole world may love <i>Way You Walk</i>, but anyone who isn't "in on the joke" might have a hard time getting into the other songs in the album..</p>
<p><b>The Verdict:</b> 8/10 <span style="font-size: xx-small;">--&gt; from now on, I think I'll stick to whole numbers and steer clear of the decimals.. even I don't know what I mean by adding a couple more numbers after a point..</span></p>
<p>*pick up your very own copy at <i>Music One</i>.. not sure if all branches have it, but I got mine at the one in Greenbelt 3..</p>]]></description>
			<link>http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/11/02/pop-has-freed-us-papas-fritas/</link>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:20:28 +0000</pubDate>
			<category>Music</category>
		</item>		<item>
			<title>Indioboy Movie Club #8: Exotica</title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The movie club is back.. After a three-week hiatus--which we spent (in chronological order) helping out in one of the Typhoon Ondoy relief centers, hanging out outside <a href="http://ginoj.multiply.com/">Nonoy's</a> window ('coz there were only 3 of us who could make it), and chilling out at <a href="http://ginolovey.multiply.com/">Gino P's</a> place in Tagaytay--we decided to reset the order of the movie club "sponsors" since a.) Prime's coming back and b.) lots of new things happening with Indioboy Productions, a "new order" seemed pretty apt..</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I was up first.. Originally, it was supposed to be <a href="http://ginoj.multiply.com/">Nonoy's</a> turn, but he didn't have a copy of the movie he wanted to screen at the time.. And 'coz he knew I already had a movie in mind.. Plus, I was still at home when he texted..</span></p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/exotica.jpg/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/exotica.jpg" width="228" height="122" /></a></p>
<p><b>Exotica (1994)</b></p>
<p><b>Director:</b> Atom Egoyan</p>
<p><b>Cast:</b> Mia Kirshner, Elias Koteas, Bruce Greenwood, Don McKellar, Arsin&eacute;e Khanjian</p>
<p><b>Sponsor:</b> Me</p>
<p><b>Synopsis:</b> "Exotica presents a disparate group of characters whose lives are interconnected through the Exotica nightclub. Christina (Kirshner) is an exotic dancer at Exotica, owned by Zoe (Khanjian). Eric (Koteas) is the club's <span class="mw-redirect">DJ</span>, and Christina's former boyfriend. Francis (Greenwood)
is a customer who comes in nightly and always has Christina give him a private dance, which seems to
inspire Eric's jealousy...Thomas (McKellar) is a latent-gay pet store owner whose books of account Francis is auditing pursuant to a suspicion of Thomas running an illegal import business." (Wikipedia)</p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I saw this film back in the 90s on cable (with cuts, of course).. It was the first time I saw <a href="https://twitter.com/MiaK_iLIVEhere">Mia Kirshner</a> since her episode of <i>Are You Afraid of the Dark</i>.. After watching her powerful performance in this film, she became one of my favorite actresses..</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I downloaded this film earlier this year since I haven't seen it in such a long time, and as soon as I saw the first two-way mirror scene again, I knew that this was my next Indioboy Movie Club movie.. Although I wasn't quite sure how the guys would react to the film 'coz it's real heavy and "artsy"--a killer combination that usually means the movie might be well-remembered within the group, but not necessarily enjoyed.. It was a safe choice though for Movie Club, but not really as an opener after a three-week hiatus..</span></p>
<p>The Indioboy roster was complete that night.. Pretty much.. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/itrytobe">Prime</a> was still in Korea at the time.. But <a href="https://twitter.com/heliumblade">Chyna Lo</a>, one of the <a href="http://loyolafilmcircle.multiply.com/">LFC</a> kids, tagged along with <a href="http://timesupangco.blogspot.com">Ayo</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/domdycaico">Dom</a>--making her the second girl to join us for Movie Club night after <a href="https://twitter.com/mariejamora">Marie Jamora</a>.. They were all eager to get the Movie Club back to its original momentum.. Y'know, before the storm and everything..</p>
<p>There were two "recurring themes" running through the Indioboy commentary--which is gonna be a thing, by the way--during the screening.. The first one, which was initiated by <a href="http://haroldsoon.multiply.com/">Harold</a>, was that Don McKellar, and later on Elias Koteas, was the thief guy from <i>Blindness</i>.. He was right the first time, although he was more insistent that it was Koteas.. Don McKellar played the Thief in <i>Blindness</i>, and he wrote the screenplay for it as well.. I thought that was a nice, albeit purely coincidental, throwback to the first film we screened for the Indioboy Movie Club..</p>
<p>The second one, also initiated by <a href="https://twitter.com/HaroldSoon">Harold</a>, was that they couldn't believe that <a href="https://twitter.com/MiaK_iLIVEhere">Mia Kirshner</a> did the topless scenes before she was of legal age.. She was.. I did the math.. Every time one of her breasts would flash, <a href="http://haroldsoon.multiply.com/">Harold</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/put3zka">Gino P</a> would call out "Sixteen?!"</p>
<p>Oh yeah, <a href="http://ayosup.multiply.com/">Ayo</a> fell asleep towards the end.. But that was because of all the work he's been doing for the past few weeks..</p>
<p>All in all, the screening went better than I had expected.. The guys (and <a href="https://twitter.com/heliumblade">Chyna</a>) seemed to enjoy the film very much despite its slow pace and dismal mood.. Can't wait for the next Movie Club screening night..</p>]]></description>
			<link>http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/10/26/indioboy-movie-club-8:-exotica/</link>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:38:29 +0000</pubDate>
			<category>Film</category>			<category>Friends</category>			<category>Indioboy Movie Club</category>
		</item>		<item>
			<title>WYD</title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>WYD</b></span> (<i>Why You Do What You Do</i>) is a 3-5 minute show that
aims to inspire and motivate YOU to do what YOU want to do. The show
does this by featuring artists, entrepreneurs and organizations that
have transformed an idea into reality out of their passion for a
certain craft. WYD believes in the intersection of YOUR passion and
social responsibility. New episodes are posted every Saturday. Check out the WYD Blog <a href="http://www.communemnl.com/blogs/wyd/">here</a>.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The show is produced by Indioboy Productions.. Each of us gets a chance to direct our own episode.. We do it by rotation.. Like the Movie Club! :) The episode I directed premiered yesterday (October 10).. It turned out great.. Watch it right now:<br /></span></p>
<p>
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<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/6983449">WYD Ep 3 - Julo de Guzman, Commune Manila</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2391306">WYD1</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Amazing, yeah?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">By the way, don't forget to check out the <a href="http://www.communemnl.com/blogs/wyd/">WYD blog</a>.. Oh yeah, and add <b>WYDshow</b> on Facebook.. Episode 4 will be posted next Saturday.. Watch out for that.. Thanks guys!</span></p>]]></description>
			<link>http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/10/10/wyd/</link>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:36:36 +0000</pubDate>
			<category>Film</category>			<category>Friends</category>			<category>WYD</category>
		</item>		<item>
			<title>Indioboy Movie Club #1: The First Round</title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Okay.. A bit of background first.. My friends from college and I have made a little production company called <i>Indioboy Productions</i>.. Since graduating college, we have made AVPs for companies like L'Oreal Philippines and music videos for local acts such as Soapdish, Itchyworms and Silent Sanctuary.. It was during "the great Indioboy music video shoot influx," a string of consecutive music video shoots over the course of several months wherein we would only see each other during preproduction and on the shooting day itself, when we decided to establish the Indioboy Movie Club.. Every Tuesday, we would all meet up in one of our houses and watch a movie that only one of us has seen before.. Not only is this so we could all watch a new movie every week and enrich our film vocabulary, but also so that we could see each other on a weekly basis.. We started out as friends before we became business partners, after all..<br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">As of today, each of the members of Indioboy has screened a film, except for Prime, who's in Korea, and Dino, who's always busy.. Here are each of the films we've screened in chronological order..</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/blindness-1.jpg/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/blindness-1.jpg" width="227" height="123" /></a></p>
<p><b>1. Blindness (2008)</b></p>
<p><b>Director:</b> Fernando Meirelles</p>
<p><b>Cast:</b> Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal, Danny Glover</p>
<p><b>Recommended by:</b> <a href="http://ginoj.multiply.com/">Gino Jose</a></p>
<p><b>Synopsis:</b> "A city is ravaged by an epidemic of instant 'white blindness.' Those
first afflicted are quarantined by the authorities in an abandoned
mental hospital where the newly created 'society of the blind' quickly
breaks down. Criminals and the physically powerful prey upon the weak,
hording the meager food rations and committing horrific acts. There is
however one eyewitness to the nightmare. A woman whose sight is
unaffected by the plague follows her afflicted husband to quarantine.
There, keeping her sight a secret, she guides seven strangers who have
become, in essence, a family. She leads them out of quarantine and onto
the ravaged streets of the city, which has seen all vestiges of
civilization crumble." (IMDb)</p>
<p>This was a great opener for Indioboy Movie Club.. It was a Hollywood film, but it kinda wasn't.. It's a movie that came-and-went.. It caused quite a buzz when it first came out because of the negative depiction of the blind, but after that it just disappeared.. Which is a shame 'coz upon viewing it with the guys on movie night, I realized how amazing this movie really was..</p>
<p>During viewing night, it was Ayo and I who were the most vocal.. We loved how it wasn't really about blindness as a condition, but about how society reacts when life hits the reset button and they all have to start living life in a completely different way..</p>
<p>I had seen <i>The Constant Gardener</i> a couple of years back, and I knew that they had to have the same director or cinematographer without even looking at the back of the DVD or the credits (although after I did, I found out they both had the same director AND cinematographer) because there was so much individuality within each shot that it was like a fingerprint of both Mereilles and Charlone.. Case in point, that scene in The Constant Gardener where Ralph Fiennes goes back to Africa after--SPOILER ALERT--his wife dies.. Watching that scene, which I saw in a classroom with a white screen and a video projector, my exact thought was, "Holy shit.. I'm going blind.."</p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/in-bruges_2.jpg/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/in-bruges_2.jpg" width="227" height="149" /></a></p>
<p><b>2. In Bruges (2008)</b></p>
<p><b>Director:</b> Martin McDonagh</p>
<p><b>Cast:</b> Collin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Cl&eacute;mence Po&eacute;sy</p>
<p><b>Recommended by:</b> <a href="http://ginolovey.multiply.com/">Gino Parma</a></p>
<p><b>Synopsis:</b> "Bruges, the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of Belgium,
is a welcoming destination for travellers from all over the world. But
for hit men Ray and Ken, it could be their final destination; a
difficult job has resulted in the pair being ordered right before
Christmas by their London boss Harry to go and cool their heels in the
storybook Flemish city for a couple of weeks. Very much out of place
amidst the gothic architecture, canals, and cobbled streets, the two
hit men fill their days living the lives of tourists. Ray, still
haunted by the bloodshed in London, hates the place, while Ken, even as
he keeps a fatherly eye on Ray's often profanely funny exploits, finds
his mind and soul being expanded by the beauty and serenity of the
city. But the longer they stay waiting for Harry's call, the more
surreal their experience becomes, as they find themselves in weird
encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval art, a dwarf
American actor shooting a European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a
potential romance for Ray in the form of Chlo&euml;, who may have some dark
secrets of her own. And when the call from Harry does finally come, Ken
and Ray's vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle of darkly comic
proportions and surprisingly emotional consequences." (IMDb)</p>
<p>The writing is ace.. The acting is brilliant.. It's one of those films that you've heard about and everyone says it's good so you save watching it for later 'coz you're afraid it might not live up the high expectations you've set for it.. Or maybe it's just me, whatever..</p>
<p>I love how it subtly feeds you information needed to further the plot through the dialogue that as the film slowly unfolds, you find yourself going back to that clever bit of dialogue you heard about 20 minutes ago and go, "Oh yeah.." Sadly, the only Academy Award Nomination for this film was for the Screenplay--aptly so--but it lost out to <i>Milk</i> (another film I heard that was worth watching but didn't 'coz of that expectation thing)..</p>
<p>Another thing I love about this film is how testosterone-charged the script is and how each character is an individual, but nothing is taken away from the female characters.. it's not like a Quentin Tarantino script where women are either hyper-masculinized or "the girl you fuck.." *cough*Death Proof*cough*</p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/being-there.jpg/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/being-there.jpg" width="226" height="159" /></a></p>
<p><b>3. Being There (1979)</b></p>
<p><b>Director:</b> Hal Ashby</p>
<p><b>Cast:</b> Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden</p>
<p><b>Recommended by:</b> <a href="http://dom08.multiply.com/">Dom Dycaico</a></p>
<p><b>Synopsis:</b> "A simple-minded gardener named Chance has spent all his life in the
Washington D.C. house of an old man. When the man dies, Chance is put
out on the street with no knowledge of the world except what he has
learned from television. After a run in with a limousine, he ends up a
guest of a woman, Eve, and her husband, Ben, an influential but sickly
businessman. Now called Chauncey Gardner, Chance becomes friend and
confidante to Ben, and an unlikely political insider." (IMDb)</p>
<p>None of us really knew what to expect when Dom decided to screen this film.. Our attention was held steadily tepid for the first few minutes of the film.. Right up to the point where Peter Sellers steps out of the old man's house.. It was at that point specifically that the film picked up and started going in a completely different direction than what we had expected..</p>
<p>It's a great story about how innocence shines through in a world such as ours, which is filled with preconceived notions and double-speak.. Not even Shirley MacLaine's sexual advances could shake this man's purity--for want of a better term..</p>
<p>The final scene caught us all by surprise.. Without giving too much of the ending away, here's the gist of everything I said after watching: "Is the guy Jesus? ... Fine, yeah, I get that life is a state of mind, but is the guy effin' Jesus???"</p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/oldboy.jpg/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/oldboy.jpg" width="226" height="123" /></a></p>
<p><b>4. Oldboy (2003)</b></p>
<p><b>Director:</b> Park Chan-wook</p>
<p><b>Cast:</b> Choi Min-sik, Yu Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong</p>
<p><b>Recommended by:</b> <a href="http://pogigali.multiply.com/">Gali Te</a></p>
<p><b>Synopsis:</b> "An average man is kidnapped and imprisoned in a shabby cell for 15
years without explanation. He then is released, equipped with money, a
cellphone and expensive clothes. As he strives to explain his
imprisonment and get his revenge, he soon finds out that not only his
kidnapper has still plans for him, but that those plans will serve as
the even worse finale to 15 years of imprisonment." (IMDb)</p>
<p>This film is a fuckin' roller-coaster ride!!! From start to finish, it bombards you with imagery so amazing, so breathtaking, that just as you've only barely recovered from the last sequence, the next one comes at you like a bullet train..</p>
<p><i>Oldboy</i> isn't that difficult to process--hypnosis, ticking clock, a little incest--but it all sinks in real slowly.. Several minutes after the film ended (we were watching the blaxploitation classic, <i>Cleopatra Jones</i>, at that time), and we were still reeling from the continuous one-shot corridor fight scene, which is not unlike a side-scrolling beat-'em-up..</p>
<p>Oh yeah, best thing about this film: Will Smith is NOT in it.. Better savor the beauty while it lasts, the Hollywood remake starring the Wild Wild Fresh Prince is due out late next year..</p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/jam-films-justice.png/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/jam-films-justice.png" width="226" height="124" /></a></p>
<p><b>5. Jam Films (2002)</b></p>
<p><b>Director:</b> Ryuhei Kitamura ("The Messenger: Requiem for the Dead"), Tetsuo Shinohara ("Kendama"), George Iida ("Cold Sleep"), Mochizuki Rokuro ("Pandora - Hong Kong Leg"), Tsutsumi Yukihiko ("Hijiki"), Isao Yukisada ("Justice"), Shunji Iwai ("Arita")</p>
<p><b>Recommended by:</b> <a href="http://timesupangco.blogspot.com">Ayo Supangco</a></p>
<p><b>Synopses:</b> Jam Films is a compilation of shorts produced by Sega/Amuse.. "'The Messenger' is a mysterious woman who appears to a mobster hiding
underground to tell him about his ultimate fate. A bag with a 'Kendama'
ball and string toy gets mixed up with a bag of onions, and leads a
couple to ponder their relationship. Fujio awakes from 'Cold Sleep' to
find he has crashed on an unfamiliar planet with some crazy people and
an attractive new Eve. Mayuko, has an itch she keeps secret before
she is introduced to a mysterious yet strangely satisfying cure
('Pandora - Hong Kong Leg'). A man finds himself surrounded by the police
and holds some women hostage as they eat 'Hijiki' (edible seaweed) and
advise him about what to do. In a class studying the Potsdam
Declaration, some high school students find their minds elsewhere. Tojo
is keeping a tally of the snapping of the tight shorts worn by the
girls jumping hurdles outside the window according to color. Will he
find ultimate 'Justice.' Ever since she can remember, 'Arita' has
appeared somewhere on every drawing or other piece of paper she
touches, starting with the first crude drawings of her childhood. But
what is it, and is it alive?" (IMDb)</p>
<p>Watching a bunch of shorts consecutively can be very tiring.. What with the constant yo-yo-ing of rising and falling action, and all.. So if I were in charge of arranging this compilation, I'd think twice about including <i>Arita</i>; let alone placing it at the end..</p>
<p>It's a tie between <i>Kendama </i>and <i>Hijiki </i>if I were to pick a favorite among the shorts.. I love how <i>Hijiki </i>keeps up the intense tone of the story without straying from the simplicity of...what's on the table, so to speak.. <i>Kendama </i>is just plain adorable..</p>
<p>As for everyone else's favorite among the shorts, <i>Justice </i>seems to be the unanimous choice.. It certainly is the most well-written among the shorts.. It goes from the five-stroke Chinese character that my Chinese teacher used to write on the board to tally up the scores whenever we'd have contests in the classroom, to the Japanese word for "justice" (which incidentally uses that same five-stroke character), to several stereotypes that are just painfully too Japanese--such as the knickers that schoolgirls wear during PE, the pervert whose nose bleeds when he's horny to signify an extreme erection, and the bigoted Caucasian who doesn't understand the country and its culture but is begrudgingly present--stuff that most people who aren't familiar with the culture would definitely not get.. Ironically, I've been looking at the reviews for this film online, and not a lot of Americans got the point of this particular short.. Go figure..</p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/american-pop.jpg/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/american-pop.jpg" width="227" height="165" /></a></p>
<p><b>6. American Pop (1981)</b></p>
<p><b>Director:</b> Ralph Bakshi</p>
<p><b>Cast:</b> Jeffrey Lippa, Ron Holland, Richard Singer, Ron Thompson</p>
<p><b>Recommended by:</b> <a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/">Me</a></p>
<p><b>Synopsis:</b> "'American Pop' is the animated story of a very talented and troubled
family starting with 19th century Russia and moving through several
generations of musicians. The film covers American music from the
pre-jazz age through soul, '50s rock, drug-laden psychadelia, and punk,
finally ending with the onset of new wave in the early 1980s." (IMDb)</p>
<p>I've been trying to get Gino J to watch this for the longest time.. I knew he'd love this film 'coz it's about music and it's about fathers (hence the title, <i>American <span style="text-decoration: underline;">POP</span></i>...gets?), two subjects that really affect him especially when it comes to film.. But then I figured, with the new weekly movie night now in effect, why not wait a couple more weeks then screen it.. That way, everyone can see it, not just Gino..</p>
<p>Everyone who was there (Prime was still in Korea, and Harold was busy with either work or school) loved it.. Dom and Ayo loved the fact that it was rotoscoped from start to finish.. Gino J really started digging it during Tony's story, especially the performance of <i>Somebody to Love</i>.. Gino Parma was astounded by the acting.. He said it was the best acting he's ever seen in an animated movie, and he's probably right.. Dino loved the soundtrack, of course.. And Gali, I could tell, was soaking up the movie as a whole.. Out of everyone that night, he was probably the only one who was as touched by the movie as I was..</p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/steamboat-bill.jpg/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/steamboat-bill.jpg" width="227" height="165" /></a></p>
<p><b>7. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)<br /></b></p>
<p><b>Director:</b> Charles Reisner</p>
<p><b>Cast:</b> Buster Keaton, Tom McGuire, Ernest Torrence, Marion Byron</p>
<p><b>Recommended by:</b> <a href="http://haroldsoon.multiply.com/">Harold Soon</a></p>
<p><b>Synopsis:</b> "In the riverside town of River Junction, Captain William Canfield has an old steamship and disputes the passengers with
the powerful banker John James King, who has a brandy new
passenger vessel. William is informed that his unknown son William
Canfield Jr. will arrive by train from Boston to visit
him. When Willie arrives, William trains him to work with him in his
ship. However, Willie meets his friend Kitty King, the
daughter of James King, and they date each other, against the will of
their fathers. When a hurricane reaches River Junction, Willie rescues
his father and his future father-in-law from the river." (IMDb)</p>
<p>Seeing as this was a silent film, this was probably the rowdiest screening we've ever had.. It was also the shortest we've ever had.. We all enjoyed Buster Keaton's antics.. I, personally, like him a whole lot better than Charlie Chaplin..</p>
<p>This film had Keaton's infamous building facade stunt.. We've all seen parodies and references to it what with pop culture, and all.. After we saw the actual stunt though, we spent a good amount of time talking about it.. I didn't know the Buster was really depressed at the time the stunt was shot.. It'd have been terrible if he had gone over the edge just as the facade was falling..</p>
<p>This one's a classic.. One of Buster Keaton's best (and last if I'm not mistaken).. I'm glad I watched it with friends..</p>]]></description>
			<link>http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/10/01/indioboy-movie-club-1:-the-first-round/</link>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:11:21 +0000</pubDate>
			<category>Film</category>			<category>Indioboy Movie Club</category>
		</item>		<item>
			<title>Guilt By Association volumes 1 &amp; 2</title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I'm trying something new with my blog.. bear
with me.. I just recently decided that I don't have a big enough ego to
keep writing about myself.. that, I think I'll leave to microblogging..
hello, <a href="https://twitter.com/wiggydsadist">Twitter</a> page..</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">also, I've been meaning to get back to
writing reviews, which I used to do a lot back in high school.. look at
me, writing with a purpose once again..<br /> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">anyway, here goes..</span></p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/guilt-by-association-1.jpg/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/guilt-by-association-1.jpg" width="204" height="204" /></a></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Guilt By Association, Vol. 1</b></span></p>
<p><b>The Album:</b> released on September 4, 2007 by Engine Room Recordings, <i>Guilt By Association</i> is a compilation of well-known pop songs covered by various independent musicians..</p>
<p><b>The Good:</b> covering pop songs is not that uncommon a thing here in the
Philippines--putting things lightly...marvel at my skill for
understatement--but our local covers, more often than not, end up being
inferior carbon copies of their repective original versions.. those
belong in their own noontime-variety-show turf and should stay
there...that's right, Velasquez, I'm talking to you!</p>
<p>this here
compilation, however, contains covers that couldn't sound more
different from their original counterparts.. like Casey Shea's slow and
sensitive cover of "<i>Chop Suey</i>" by System of a Down.. or Devendra Banhart's playful bossa nova rendition of "<i>Don't Look Back In Anger</i>" by Oasis..</p>
<p>other covers add new depth to the originals.. such as Shania Twain's "<i>From This Moment On</i>" covered by Mark Mulcahy (who was in Polaris, the band that did the unforgettable opening credits song of <i>The Adventures of Pete &amp; Pete</i>...fun
fact), which sounds more like a somber requiem to a past love than a
namby-pamby vow to start life anew.. Luna (whose bassist, Britta
Phillips, was the singing voice of <i>Jem </i>from the 80s cartoon of
the same name...fun fact) adds an undertone of desperation and
attachment that's all too unhealthy to Paula Abdul's ultimatum, "<i>Straight Up</i>"..</p>
<p>my favorite track of the album, however, is the a cappella/spoken word cover of Journey's "<i>Don't Stop Believing</i>"
by Petra Haden.. among the songs featured in the compilation, this one
is probably the most covered prior to the album's release.. not that
it's a bad thing...although the fact that it was definitely was a
factor in my predisposition to hate it.. but this rendition was clearly
the most peculiar and most creative of all the other "<i>Don't Stop Believing</i>" covers.. I love the nod to Wilson Phillips at the end, too..</p>
<p><b>The Bad:</b> unfortunately, the album's strength is also its weakness.. in the
artists' efforts to distance the covers from their original
counterparts, most of the covers end up sorta sounding alike.. spoiler
alert: they're all basically slower, lazy, folksy versions of the
originals.. that being said, I thought this was a compilation album..
where's the variety? it's like these guys were shopping and got stuck
in the folk section..</p>
<p>some tracks, such as Goat's cover of "<i>Sugar, We're Goin Down</i>," The Mooney Suzuki's cover of Cher's "<i>Just Like Jesse James</i>," and Will Oldham's cover of "<i>Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)</i>," zip right by without leaving so much as a footprint.. and I'd steer clear of the <i>High School Musical</i> cover by Porter Block.. you'll find yourself actually liking the original version..</p>
<p>then there's Mike Watt's cover of Blue &Ouml;yster Cult's "<i>Burnin' For You</i>," which makes for an awkward closing track to the compilation as he adds absolutely nothing to the song..</p>
<p><b>The Verdict:</b> 6/10</p>
<p>*the album is not in circulation in the country at the moment, but you can order or download a copy at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guilt-Association-Various-Artists/dp/B000TCZ7S4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;s=music&amp;qid=1252513713&amp;sr=8-4">Amazon.com</a>.. or better yet, get it off iTunes to get a bonus track: Porter Block's cover of "<i>Careless Whisper</i>" by Wham!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/gallery/a@31561/guilt-by-association-2.jpg/"><img src="http://images.tabulas.com/26390/m/guilt-by-association-2.jpg" width="204" height="204" /></a></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Guilt By Association, Vol. 2</b></span></p>
<p><b>The Album:</b> once again from Engine Room Recordings comes a new
compilation of guilty pleasure pop songs covered by various independent
artists.. <i>Guilt By Association, Vol. 2</i> was released on November 18, 2008..</p>
<p><b>The Good:</b> this album is certainly lighter and a lot more fun
than the first one, and it succeeds in everything its predecessor
failed in.. it's not just folk music this time, the
covers are more cleverly crafted, and it emphasizes on why these
guilty pleasures are so pleasurable in the first place..</p>
<p>right from the very first track, the album hooks you with My Brightest Diamond's "shoegaze-cabaret" cover of "<i>Tainted Love</i>"..
and it keeps on bombarding the listener with cover after cover without
stopping over at the filler corner.. check out The Bloodsugars actually
making a Laura Branigan song sound cool and matt pond PA making a My
Chemical Romance song actually bearable (apologies to the fans)..</p>
<p>the brightest star in this stellar lineup of tracks is Lowry's cover of Toto's "<i>Africa</i>"..
there is absolutely no one in the world who will not like this
version.. it's bouncy, it's trippy, it's got layer upon layers of
sounds that amalgamate into this beautifully chaotic, fun, five-minute
ride..</p>
<p><b>The Bad:</b> the one bad thing about this compilation
is the flexibility of the term "guilty pleasure".. one person's
so-called "guilty pleasure" may very well be another person's choice noise.. I
haven't even heard of N-Trance's "<i>Set You Free</i>" until Frightened Rabbit did a cover of it here..</p>
<p><b>The Verdict:</b> 8.75/10</p>
<p>*this album is currently unavailable in the country as well, but you can purchase or download a copy on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guilt-By-Association-Vol-2/dp/B001KRVYBG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=dmusic&amp;qid=1252517153&amp;sr=8-1">Amazon.com</a>..
or on iTunes where you can also get a bonus track not included in the
actual album: "The Lady in Red" by Chris de Burgh as covered by The
Bloodsugars..</p>]]></description>
			<link>http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/09/09/guilt-by-association-volumes-1-2/</link>
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			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:31:47 +0000</pubDate>
			<category>Music</category>
		</item>		<item>
			<title>Who?</title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>
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</object>
</p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I laughed my ass off when I first saw this.. It's really amazing how they were able to stretch this gag for as long as they did without wearing it out..</span></p>]]></description>
			<link>http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/08/10/who/</link>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/08/10/who/</guid>
			<pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2009 06:26:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<category>Funny Shit</category>			<category>Nostalgia</category>
		</item>		<item>
			<title>You Will Be Missed Mr Hughes..</title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">John Hughes dies of a heart attack on August 6, 2009..</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">It's a sad day for kids who grew up in the 80s.. <i>Ferris Bueller's Day Off</i> was my first John Hughes film.. I remember watching it on Betamax when my parents rented a copy.. Don't remember much of it back then.. Just that it was the first non-kiddie film I've seen if I'm not mistaken.. I get a twinge of nostalgia whenever I see that scene where the Ferrari crashes through the house though.. Never fails.. For a few seconds after watching that scene, I'm back in 1988 in our old house in New Manila (with no front door, just a sliding glass door so we could see everything in our garden from inside our living room) and my little sister hadn't been born yet..<br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I think what I've mostly taken from John Hughes was the very particular music cues in his films.. Gino always said that he liked how "<i>bumabagsak yung</i> music" in my films.. There was this one time during Gali's Silent Sanctuary shoot when I having Misha (girl-Misha, not guy-Misha) watch the short films I made in college.. The first thing she said after watching the third short I had her watch was, "I notice your films are all soundtrack based.." I went, "Really?" And she said something like, "Yeah, you cue your music pretty well.." "I do?" That's from watching and re-watching five of the eight John Hughes movies.. Not to mention A LOT of MTV in the early-90s..</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Here's a mash-up of all eight of his feature films.. <i>Curly Sue</i> is my favorite..</span></p>
<p>
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</p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">AND he wrote the screenplay for <i>Just Visiting</i> (the American remake of <i>Les Visiteurs</i>)..</span></p>
<p>
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</p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Oh yeah, and click <a href="http://www.mimisgrotto.com/asif/">here</a> to check out <i>As If</i>, a webcomic heavily influenced by John Hughes' 80s teen comedies..</span></p>]]></description>
			<link>http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/08/07/you-will-be-missed-mr-hughes../</link>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/08/07/you-will-be-missed-mr-hughes../</guid>
			<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:08:49 +0000</pubDate>
			<category>Film</category>			<category>Nostalgia</category>
		</item>		<item>
			<title>Weapon of Choice</title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>
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</object>
</p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Watched this video with Gino last night.. It's official: light is cool..</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Holy shit!!! While I was typing that last sentence, a light in my room just exploded! I take it back.. LIGHT IS FUCKIN' AWESOME!!!</span></p>]]></description>
			<link>http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/07/24/weapon-of-choice/</link>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/07/24/weapon-of-choice/</guid>
			<pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:28:47 +0000</pubDate>
			<category>Film</category>			<category>Music</category>
		</item>		<item>
			<title>Note, The Game Is Not Over Yet</title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I miss this game..</span></p>
<p>
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</p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I remember buying a whole bunch of tokens and finishing the game in one playthrough.. I was with Angelo, my best friend back in grade school, and his little brother.. The ending was a bit disappointing, but no one really plays arcade games like this to see the ending.. The fun is all in the journey.. Plus, the end credits were pretty fun to watch..</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">It was this game, the <i>Simpsons</i> arcade game, and the <i>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</i> arcade game that I'd always play when I'd go to the arcades.. I tried <i>Cadillacs &amp; Dinosaurs</i>, but I'd never put another token after dying.. Dinosaurs kinda freak me out.. Zombies I can take, but dinosaurs freak me out.. I'm nuts, I know..</span></p>
<p>
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</object>
</p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This one actually has team-up techniques..</span></p>]]></description>
			<link>http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/07/03/note-the-game-is-not-over-yet/</link>
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			<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:11:55 +0000</pubDate>
			<category>Nostalgia</category>
		</item>		<item>
			<title>Boob Tubery</title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">With Harper's Island coming to an end--though it's actually getting a lot worse as the cast gets smaller--I have nothing to watch 'til August..</span></p>
<p>
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<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Just watched the pilot episode yesterday.. It's this new show created by Ryan Murphy, who also created two of my favorite shows, <i>Popular </i>and <i>Nip/Tuck</i>.. Aesthetically, it's very much like Popular with the vivid colors and the pleasantly awkward cutting.. Some of the actors even look alike.. The main character kinda reminds me of Vice Principal Calvin Krupps (Robert Gant).. Rachel Berry looks eerily like a brunette Mary Cherry (Leslie Grossman) and they even share a couple of nutty traits.. Never thought I'd like a rendition of a Journey song so much, but this one was pretty good.. As soon as I finished watching the episode, I immediately downloaded it.. Too bad I'll have to wait 'til September to see the rest of the season..</span></p>
<p>
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<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I'm kinda starting to hate season ender cliffhangers.. But the show's pure genius.. It's a show about teenagers facing problems on a weekly basis, but it's not as sickeningly hype-driven as <i>Gossip Girl</i>.. Nor is it forcibly edgy with an undeniable preachy undertone like <i>Degrassi</i>.. It is what it is, which is a cleverly written hour-long character-driven comedy about the greek system in American universities that both satirizes it and relishes in its existence.. Even the supporting cast is well utilized and given voices of their own.. This particular chunk of this season's finale (the middle part of this particular chunk, to be more precise) gives a great exit to a remarkable villain.. Frannie Morgan (the lovely Tiffany Dupont) is ever the thorn in Casey Cartwright's (Spencer Grammer) side.. She started the series as Casey's mentor, and slowly turns into a formidable nemesis.. She was the girl audiences loved to hate.. Yet through her antagonism, she still manages to inadvertently maintain her role as mentor to Casey.. She rocked the Greek Row of Cyprus Rhodes, and she will indeed be missed..</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Now, as a tribute to her.. Here's the music video of "Natural Disaster" by Plain White Ts included on the <i><b>Greek:</b> Chapter Two</i> DVD.. It stars Frannie Morgan herself, Tiffany Dupont, in character (?)..<br /></span></p>
<p>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">And, yeah, I know I posted this video on an earlier blog entry, but I don't care.. This video is fuckin' awesome and it also stars Tiffany Dupont and I'd take any opportunity to post it again.. It's got a book that turns into birds for chrissakes!<br /></span></p>
<p>
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</p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">By the way, don't forget to catch the new season of <i>Greek </i>on August 31..</span></p>]]></description>
			<link>http://wiggydsadist.tabulas.com/2009/06/29/boob-tubery/</link>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:45:31 +0000</pubDate>
			<category>Film</category>			<category>Music</category>
		</item></channel></rss>