The Dark Knight Syndrome

News have it that The Dark Knight movie starring Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, and Heath Ledger is continuously breaking box office records.

Anyway, much have been said about the movie on my review, however, as I have already stated, one of my very few comments was Bale's voice whenever he wears the Batman suit. Many more articles have also circulated concerning this so I think the producers really have to adjust on this one on their next sequel.

Another thing of significance is whoever will be the most fit replacement for Heath Ledger. As we know, Ledger gave a very stunning performance for his Joker portrayal.

Now, talks have it that this mysterious artist will gonna be taking on the Joker role on the next Batman sequel.

Negotiations are already underway. And as to how much would be the asking price, maybe a couple of fishes will do :)

Thanks, myke, for sharing this one :)

Have a good laugh everyone!

Why So Serious? A Dark Knight Movie Review

Early on, I've heard a lot of people say that the Dark Knight is a must-see movie.

They are right.

The Dark Knight film stars Christian Bale, the late Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, this sequel to 2005's Batman Begins, is directed by Christopher Nolan and explores Batman's fight against the Joker (played by Ledger) and his strained friendship with district attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart).

CNN news reports that a Warner Bros. executive says the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" has taken in $155.34 million to top "Spider-Man 3" for best opening weekend ever at the box office.
The figures released Sunday show "The Dark Knight" more than $4 million ahead of the $151.1 million first weekend for "Spider-Man 3" in May 2007.

And perhaps much should be attributed for the late Heath Ledger who has made such a stunning performance as the Joker.

On a personal note, I can say that the story actually focuses more on the Joker rather than on Batman.

Well, maybe that is really how director Christopher Nolan would have wanted to put it. The Joker loves chaos. And chaos he gave to Gotham City.

"Why So Serious?"

Undoubtedly one of the most memorable lines in the story. This is the part where the Joker narrates how in the world he got those wide smiles in his face.

You want to know how I got these scars? My father was a drinker and a fiend and one night he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn’t like that, not one bit.

So, me watching he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it.

He turns to me and he says “WHY SO SERIOUS SON?”.

He comes at me with the knife “why so serious son?” Sticks the blade in my mouth lets put a smile on that face and…...

The rest might have been overshadowed with Ledger's psycho performance, but we've got to give credits to the other casts who performed well. Christian Bale (as the Dark Knight), Aaron Eckhart (as Harvey Dent turned Two-face), Gary Oldman (as the ever Good Cop Gordon), Michael Caine (as the faithful Alfred to Master Bruce), and Morgan Freeman (as Lucius Fox-maker of Batman's gadgets and suits).

"I don't want to kill you," Joker tells Batman. "You complete me."

It is as if the Dark Knight story revolves on the Joker and Batman Love Story.

And really, really, you'll gonna love this movie. Forget about how long the movie is (more than 2 hours). Forget about comparing Ledger to Nicholson. Forget about the "husky" voice of Batman that sometimes makes it hard to understand his one-liners.

You'll gonna love this movie. And most, if not all, will gonna love the Joker.

The Making of A President

I chanced upon seeing this very old email forwarded in 2004. Unfortunately though, I could not trace the original source. Anyway, during that time, the country was focused with the 2004 National Elections- with GMA, FPJ, and Ping as the main protagonists.

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THE CANDIDATE

There's an old movie called "The Candidate", starring Robert Redford and Peter Boyle. It was made in 1972. And it is about Bob McKay (played by Robert Redford), a young and idealistic lawyer who is coaxed by a scheming Democratic Party campaign manager (played by Peter Boyle) into running for the US Senate in the state of California.

The movie is less about McKay's motivations; rather it focuses more around how a nobody is molded by the campaign manager, admen, press agents, and media czars into a formidable candidate.

There are some parallelisms between the movie and what's going on with the 2004 Philippine presidential elections. What's interesting is how a person with no political past is molded, packaged, and delivered to the electorate. In 2004, the Philippines might just witness the making of the first media President.

The movie is a good case study for advertising majors and brand managers alike. You focus on the raw and winning characteristics of the product (McKay) and shape these characteristics into advertising sound bites and moving images. And once the mouse trap has been created, the world just beats its path to your door (politicians jumping on the McKay band wagon).

That's the power of media, fortunately and unfortunately. The elements of our first media president is at play here: First is a candidate (Fernando Poe Jr.,) who has the charm, name recognition, sincerity, looks, and no political history; a candidate who can actually play the part. And then you add the campaign manager (Senator Tito Sotto ) whose background is in the media (TV, radio, and movies). You have a financier (Danding C, who cannot win an election but wants to be the king maker, decision maker and the power behind the throne). Finally you have an omnipresent media that constantly feeds data and images into the psyche of our society.

When this movie was shown back in the 70's, the one scene that one will remember the most was the final scene, the final line. After all the manipulations, the speeches, the issues, and the political alliances have been established, McKay in fact wins the elections.

In the final scene where he realizes that he had finally won, McKay pulls aside his campaign manager for a brief private meeting and asks, "What do we do now?" Even Dolphy said something like that, when he was asked to run for an elective post. "Eh kung manalo ako, ano ang gagawin ko?".

There's no moral lesson in the movie. It is purely a commentary of what the political landscape was all about. Thirty years after the movie was first shown, those insights still ring true. My only hope is that the final scene never plays itself out in real life.

"Charm can take you to the Presidency; leadership will keep you there."

Anonymous
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Now it's 2008, and four years later, a lot had happened in the Philippine Political scenario.

Of course, all of us know that GMA won a slim margin over Da King, with the question forever in the minds of the Filipino as to what really transcribed concerning the Hello Garci scandal.

Da King FPJ eventually died years later. And the call for the President's resignation has never ceased as of today.

Should FPJ have won the presidency, what would have happened?
Has those people who helped GMA to the top position regret anything?
What would have been the scenario today if there was a change in the course of history?

And now, with less than two more years to 2010, the nation is again faced with the task of choosing his President.

At the Movies-Personal Review-Urduja, Hulk, Wanted

Here's my long overdue review of some of the latest movies i've watched this June.

Incredible Hulk
"A lot better than the first"



For those who have had the sorry chance to watch the Hulk movie about five years ago starring Eric Bana (Hulk), one could not help but compare these two movie renditions. For one, this movie, (The Incredible Hulk) by Edward Norton, is a lot better than the first one.

There are more heart-pounding scenes this time, plus of course, they have incorporated some colloquial comics in Brazil.

The only thing that keeps bugging me is that I think Edward Norton is too thin for the role. I mean, It really sucks to see how a thin man converts into this huge green monster ready to save the whole world.

Fans will have to wait for the sequel because there are some questions unanswered-like how the love story of Bruce(Norton) and Betty (Liv Tyler) will end; and whatever happened to Mr. Blue (the doctor) when Bruce's blood dropped into his head; and what in the world is Starks (Iron Man, played by Robert Downey, Jr.) doing in this Incredible Hulk movie?????



Urduja
"Not quite but remarkably worth watching"

APT Productions boasts of this one as ‘the Philippines’ first full length traditional and digital animation film’.

I dare say that this is not yet quite as good as those Hollywood animations produced, but then I would like to raise that fact that this is an "All-pinoy" digital animation film, the first ever produced by the country.

Regine Velasquez, Cesar Montano, Eddie Garcia, Johnny Delgado (superb!!!!) and Jay Ilagan provided the voice overs, while Michael V, Allan K, Ruby Rodriguez and Jeffrey Quizon gave the comic reliefs. One thing, though, is that, I personally think Michael V is over-exposed, stealing the scenes from the main characters.

Others, of course, would care about the quality. But as for me, this, being the First Pinoy breakthrough in the field of digital animation film, is worth watching and applauding.






Wanted
"Actions Overload but... where's the value?"



I love the car chase. Really, really love it. Angelina Jolie is just as savvy as she is.

It's as if this is another sequel for the Matrix trilogy when it comes to effects. There are really lots and lots of overloaded effects into this one;- you need not ask for more.

However, I think I need to review the movie again just for me to find out whatever values this movie has to offer to the audience. I couldn't just understand why these assasins will have to rely on what the codes enrypt in order to know whom they should kill. It's like, "we need to kill this one even if we don't know the reason why just because we need to".

But of course, I should like to give credits to the "twists" of the story.

The zero to hero story of our Main character Wesley (James McAvoy- i think he's the main character in one another good movie, Last King of Scotland);
It was one of those movies wherein you will get to see Morgan Freeman as the...
Wesley's quest to kill his father's killer. The Fraternity of the Assasin led by Sloan (Morgan Freeman), informed him that it was Cross (Thomas Kretschmann) who killed his father. After then, the fraternity trained Wesley so that he could avenge his father's death and kill Cross, who happens to be......
And why in the world do they have to kill Fox in the movie??????

As one review appropriately puts it, "Wanted, starring James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie, is the McDonald's of summer blockbusters: not much nutrition but a boatload of empty visual calories."