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And so half a year later...
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Jan. 10th, 2007 @ 12:16 pm
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I come back to this journal to talk about fantasy books and movies I've just watched and read.
I've finally gotten round to picking up and reading The Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini. I remember in the past I hesitated to pick it up because I didn't think the books would be worth reading at all. But now, you see, having watched [ERAGON] last month and having been severely disappointed by the movie prompted me to prove on my own whether the story was really that bad. So I gave [ERAGON] and [ELDEST] - the books - a chance, because I didn't believe the story was as bad as it was in the movie, and, while they're nothing really spectacular, the books turned out to be quite enjoyable. I had fun reading them.
So, yes, now I'm back (temporarily?) to talk about them.
Well, more like, I'm plucking the reviews of the series that I wrote for my other journal and repost them here. I'm lazy like that. And perhaps I'll just add some additional comments.
Looking back, I was pretty venomous when I wrote my review for the [ERAGON] series. But only because the wretched movie deserved that kind of scathing review. I even needed to rewatch the [LORD OF THE RINGS] trilogy that I love so much just to wash down [ERAGON]'s bad taste. O__o;; So in the past holiday, I rewatched [FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING], both the regular and the extended editions.
Enough rant though. Let's save it for the review. XD;; Here goes.__mood::  okay |
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Plugging: Sir Ian McKellen
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May. 23rd, 2006 @ 03:15 pm
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I found a very interesting article in Entertainment Weekly magazine about Sir Ian McKellen that I think everybody should read.
Plug: Article on EW.com
Quoting the article:
"As an actor, I've drawn no distinction between being in a blockbuster or an independent movie, playing a large or small theater, doing a classic or new play, television, radio, it's all the same to me," says the 66-year-old McKellen. "[X-Men 3 director] Brett Ratner is intrigued to have me in Rush Hour 3. ... Initially my reaction was 'Yes!'"
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And there's another interesting article from Yahoo!
Plug: Article on Y! Movies
Quoting Patrick Stewart:
Stewart was asked if there were any drawbacks to being involved in a film series.
"Do you think one can have too many franchises in one's career?" he asked back.
"I am still smarting from the fact that Ian McKellen starred in Lord of the Rings and apparently there was nothing for me," he joked, as McKellen looked on smiling.
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Isn't it cool that an old actor like him gets to play in action movies like [X-MEN: THE LAST STAND] and [THE DA VINCI CODE]? :D I'm so glad that he doesn't consider himself too "all that" to play in movies like these... Sir Ian really is a funky old fellow. :D As an actor, this man is very versatile.
Did anyone read what he thinks of Jesus and Mary Magdalene getting married and having a child? Well, you all have to find out for yourself but I swear to God it's the funniest quote I've ever heard from anyone about the whole controversy. Very cheeky.
Sir Ian just rules.__mood::  amused __audio:: Jewel - "Intuition" |
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Rupert's [DRIVING LESSON]
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May. 22nd, 2006 @ 05:22 pm
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I haven't visited HPANA.com for a long time. Today I opened the website and discovered that I've missed a lot of things. One of those things I missed was the news surrounding Rupert Grint's [DRIVING LESSONS].
There's a chance that I'll get to see the movie on DVD because it's been picked up by Sony Pictures in the U.S. I doubt that this movie will be shown on theatres here but I think I can wait for it on DVD. I don't think I can live without watching it. Rupert gets a kissing scene here so... <3 I need to watch.
And I'm happy that Rupert is getting a lot of exposure these days, thanks to [DRIVING LESSONS]. <3
I miss [HARRY POTTER] and their teenage stars. XD They're so much fun to watch and read about. I can't wait for the 5th movie to come out! Although the official release dates for [HP & OOTP] have already been announced (summer 2007), it's still a long, long way from now! Bwah. :3
... oh well, first things first. This week it's [X-MEN] week! <3__mood::  bored __audio:: Daigo Stardust - "Scapegoat" |
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[THE DA VINCI CODE] Again
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May. 21st, 2006 @ 09:02 pm
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Today I watched [THE DA VINCI CODE] movie again. As I said in my previous entry I went with my dad. My sister also came along. She was really excited to see the movie again because she liked it; I think she liked it more than I did. :D Anyway, it was a fun 'family outing'. Because we rarely go out together I was really glad that we went out with my dad. My mom didn't want to come, though. Oh well. :P
My opinion of the movie after watching it the second time definitely improved. I couldn't appreciate a lot of things about it before because I had my head in the book most of the time but now I was able to see it just as a movie and I enjoyed watching it immensely.
Oh, and I think I have an idea now of what Dan Brown thinks of the movie. He's an executive producer in the movie so I think he pretty much approves the script? I guess. I don't know. I still have to find out for sure. But I don't think he's disappointed with it. :P
I heard about all bad reviews that this movie is getting. Well, I never care much for critics. I mean, movie critics these days are always so opinionated and most of them don't know much about crap anyway. @_@ So I don't really care what those critics are saying. Ticket sales are going on strong, though, I heard. So I don't think people are influenced at all by the bad reviews. People are watching because they're curious, I suppose. What with Vatican boycotting it... Oh well.
I was thinking about why the movie is getting bad reviews and a lot of people don't like it. Could it be that these critics have read the book? Or is it perhaps the length of the film? Too long? Gee. I don't know. Not that I care to analyze further. I didn't immediately like it either but I guess that's normal. Should I say this movie is an "acquired taste"?
If anything, though, people should definitely watch this movie for the actors. I mean, I'd watch it simply for Sir Ian McKellen... because, you know, just because he was in [LORD OF THE RINGS]. XD And, seriously... PAUL BETTANY and AUDREY TAUTOU! Do you need more reason to see two gorgeous people act on screen?! <3 So, go watch for the actors. XD EYECANDIES!!!
I'm probably going to pimp more Paul B and Audrey from now on. :D Heh, heh.
*make 100 icons out of their premiere pictures* [/pimping]
That reminds me. Before I go to bed I need to lend my dad the illustrated version of the [TDVC] novel. He wants to read the book now. Seriously, I'm surprised at my dad. He's showing a lot of interest for it! I'm just looking forward to the discussion that will ensue after he has read the book. :D
Well, this is my cue to leave! Lighties!__mood::  lazy __audio:: Johnny's Artists - "Andalusia ni Akogarete" |
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[THE DA VINCI CODE] Movie
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May. 20th, 2006 @ 07:14 pm
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I went to watch it yesterday with my sister and a couple of friends from work. It was funny because I had originally intended to watch it with my sister only but then I managed to persuade my manager to tag along, and she in turn persuaded someone else, and that someone else persuaded someone else again... so we ended up in a big group. XD But it was fun. Watching movies together was fun.
I had had my worries before I had fun watching it, though. I was worried that this movie would not open on May 19th. I was also worried that it would be censored to the max. But my worries were unfounded because it opened on schedule and I got to watch it on opening day. What baffled me was the rating and censorship. OK, never mind about the rating. This country doesn't have any clear standards on movie ratings. Blah. (I mean, FOR ADULTS/PG-13? @_@ Duh. PG-13 is *not* "FOR ADULTS". Seriously. What a pathetic country this is.)
Anyway, they may not have cut any scenes, but they cut off the subtitled text for several scenes, particularly the ones where religion is the key issue of the scene. I have no problem with this but I think a lot of people who are not used to of watching movies without the subtitled translation would be at loss for many times during the movie. ^^;;;
Out of the 9 of us who watched this movie, only 4 people have read the book. And the four of us were the ones who were surprised at the 'disclaimer' at the beginning of the movie that basically said that any similarities between the characters in the movie and the book are coincidental. I was, like, WHAT THE HELL?! I swear to God this is the disclaimer I saw at the beginning of the movie in my local cinema. I was wondering if they showed this disclaimer elsewhere.
( I have my own disclaimer: The first thing I need to say is... )
Furthermore, my review is detailed. Please do not open the LJ-cuts if you do not want to be spoiled.
( The Da Vinci Code Movie )
All in all, this movie is not at all what I expected. I would have definitely enjoyed the movie more if I hadn't already read the book and therefore developed certain expectations of it. I'm not saying that I expect the movie to be the same as the book but I'm just shocked at how different it is from the book. The essence is still there, I suppose, but I really had to dig into it - by writing this review, for example - before I can appreciate it.
Ron Howard did a great job, however. I'm not always a big fan of his movies but he's definitely done a good job here. Despite all the differences, despite the controversies, I will always appreciate him for being brave enough to bring this story into the big screens. And the things I love about [THE DA VINCI CODE] movie, I owe it to him. I'm afraid that a lot of people (those purists) will NOT like him for what he's done with the movie so I'm supporting him, anyway, because he may need a little extra support. *LOL* I still think it's a good job by Mr. Howard. :)
Speaking of, I wonder what Dan Brown thinks of the movie. I guess I can find out by reading about it somewhere. I'm just curious as to what he thinks. Maybe he has something nice to say about the movie.
In any case, tomorrow I'm going to watch the movie again... simply because my dad wants to watch the movie. My dad rarely goes out to the cinema to watch movie. In fact, he doesn't have much interest in movies. He didn't read the book either because this is not the kind of story he enjoys reading or knowing about. But now he's surprisingly showing a lot of interest of [TDVC] and he wants to watch. He asked me to come along to accompany him. I immediately accepted the invitation!
What can I say? I'm a fan of [TDVC]. I'd watch this movie over and over again, just like I read the book over and over... and over again.__mood:: okay __audio:: Taylor Hicks - "Levon" (from his American Idol performance) |
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Bwahahaha...
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May. 1st, 2006 @ 05:39 pm
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This is old news but... LOL. I knew she was a troublemaker. Damn, why couldn't she have stayed in jail for a bit longer? Meh. That way, her obnoxious character wouldn't have to appear so often in the series, right? [/immense loathing]__mood::  bitchy |
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It's May already!
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May. 1st, 2006 @ 04:21 pm
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Happy 1st of May! XD
I'm just terribly excited because in a couple of days I get to watch [MI:3] and in a couple of weeks [THE DA VINCI CODE] and [X-MEN 3]. I can't believe that we have finally come to this month. I've been waiting for it since December! ^^;;
Saw HBO's The Big Preview of [MI:3] yesterday... I was looking forward to it but the presenter sucks. HBO should stop localizing their shows and their presenters. PLEASE!!!!!
That's all I want to say really. Nothing important.
I'm dead bored waiting for confirmation for my flight schedule. Damn corporate training. (T_T) Can't we have the training here instead? (>.<) Then again, it doesn't matter where the training is held. Either way, I'm still going to have to meet that beeyatch. Better there than here, 'cause at least if it's there, I get to travel at the company's expense, right?__mood:: Quite OK. Uhm, yeah... :D __audio:: Lead - "Fly Away" |
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Cellular
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Apr. 30th, 2006 @ 11:42 pm
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[CELLULAR] was on HBO earlier and although I've lost count on how many times this movie have been on repeat on HBO this is actually the first time I ever really watched it. I watched it from the very beginning to the end and although I didn't plan on staying until the end somehow I stuck with it. (Yes, there were other programs on TV that I could watch, but I guess I was just really bored.)
My thoughts on the movie? Well, I hate the phone. ^^;;
I am so not a Nokia fan. Had a Nokia up until 2003 and then I switched to Samsung because Nokia is too popular in this country. Every freaking person I know have at least one Nokia. I got ride of mine because its typical ringtones piss me off. OK, so maybe Samsung is kinda popular too but honestly, Nokia is... meh. @_@ And the particular Nokia that was used in the movie is one of my most hated Nokia models. Despite the fact that Chris Evans was actually cute in the movie, he didn't do much for the phone. It's still an ugly piece of crap. @_@ Sorry to all Nokia fans.
Moving on.
Because I've never seen this movie before, I've never checked it out on IMDB, so I didn't know that this is a New Line movie. And never would I imagine that this movie would plug [LORD OF THE RINGS] in it. Yeah. XD Major plugging going on here. XD And I confirmed with the the movie's trivia page on IMBD, they did indeed do some plugs. XD
Several references to New Line Cinema (the financing studio) throughout the film:
- New Line Chairman Robert Shaye has a cameo as the irate man in the police station.
- Ricky's backpack is that of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
- At the kidnappers' house, the New Line Cinema movie Final Destination 2 (2003) is playing on the television.
- Producer Dean Devlin has a cameo as the cab driver who drives Ryan.
Bob Shaye is, of course, the one who told Peter Jackson that there should be 3 movies instead of 2.
And the backpack is cute; I wouldn't mind having one. But more fascinating is the kid's name. RICKY MARTIN?! XD *LOL* (I just saw Ricky Martin on Oprah earlier this evening. It's an old episode, though. But still...)
Well, who would've though you could find some LOTR-ness in a movie like [CELLULAR]?
Anyway, I've rambled enough. It's late. I need to catch some sleep, if possible. Seeing that there is nothing else on TV that is worth watching... well, maybe if I flip through a few more channels... nah, I think I'll skip the TV and go to my room. OK, signing out. Night.__mood:: bored __audio:: Ricky Martin - "Life" (WTF? XD) |
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[CSI:NY 2] Grand Murder In Central Station
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Apr. 12th, 2006 @ 09:24 am
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The channel that airs [CSI: NY] got a whole lot better at my place it's quite gratifying to see Danny Messer and Don Flack's face in crystal clear quality. <3 But that also means seeing the gory and gruesome stuff in crystal clear quality too so I did more hiding behind the pillow than usual. Then again, who cares about the dude that gets splashed with lye when you can see Flack and Messer?! *swoon*
But I think New York change the coloring of their series. Their first season was so blue it was creepy. It has more color now. And the color's so crisp that it's beautiful. Again, the coloring of NY makes Messer and Flack even more gorgeous. I am so not complaining. (Oh and Season 2 has better music. Episode 2's music -- the ones during Messer's lab scenes -- was cool. Yay to music director. XD)
Quote of the Episode
Danny Messer: "I don't cuddle."
(Well, that's just too bad.)__mood::  lusting over messer & flack __audio:: Kanye West - "New Workout Plan" |
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Friggin' lost
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Apr. 11th, 2006 @ 06:10 pm
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OK, so a review of last night's episode (Episode 6) goes something a little like this: ANA LUCIA, ANA LUCIA, ANA LUCIA, ANA LUCIA, ANA LUCIA, and more ANA F***IN' LUCIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I endured 1 hour episode that is Ana Lucia-centric... AND THE STORY STILL DOESN'T ADVANCE!!! >_< BLAHNESS!!!
My friend who watched the same thing at the same time SMS-ed me after the show and asked, "Did that episode ignite any sympathy for Ana Lucia from you?" You can guess what my answer is: A BIG 'NO'!!! Sorry, Ana Lucia. You're too annoying for me to sympathize with you. @_@
Do I still want to follow this series? (-. -;)
I guess I still do. Meh.__mood:: bitchy __audio:: Jewel - "Intuition" |
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