Even if you’re not a Michael Jackson fan, you may appreciate This Is It as a rare glimpse of the man at work. It also gives audiences an idea of the concert that never will be.
It’s a fascinating glimpse, by the way. For a 50-year old, and despite obvious efforts at conserving his energy, Michael still has the moves. Yeah, he never really developed new moves, but the ones he had were still sharp and his body still nimble.
On close-up, he looks scary. His nose is too sculpted. And when he moves, there’s something fey about him. Add the high-pitched voice and the lack of sexual tension between him and the girls onstage, and one can’t be faulted for wondering, “Is he or isn’t he?”
I’m not sure if his concert could have lived up to his desire of taking the audience to places they’ve never been. Sure, it’s a spectacle, but so are concerts of Madonna and Kylie. But I guess of all the solo male artists, only he can pull off that kind of circus. Again, one wonders, “Is he or isn’t he?”
Then again, it doesn’t really matter anymore.
Watch Me Entertain Myself!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
What A Thriller
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Monday, November 02, 2009
The Purple People Eater
My theater friends and I have always had this question that no one seems to know the answer: What the hell is Grimace of McDonald’s?! We even asked crew members from McD Katips, and all we got are shrugs. One day Marisse excitedly told us that she asked a store manager what Grimace was, and the reply was that Grimace is a mangosteen, because before McD used to serve mangosteen shake. Oh, so no wonder it’s ube-colored.
Jump-cut to several years later, with the boom of the Internet, Google and Wikipedia. One day Harry messaged us all on Facebook, saying: “FYI, according to Wikipedia, Grimace is an anthropomorphic purple taste bud.”
WTF?!
The reactions of the others were swift. Everyone was joking about it. No one thought seriously about it.
Until now.
This morning I realized, wait a minute! That can’t be right. Assuming that indeed Grimace is a personification of a taste bud, why was he given a negative-sounding name? Why Grimace? It implies that someone ate something anthropomorphically bad.
They should have named him “Yummy” instead. Or for a gayer sounding name, “Ngyarapae!”
Your creative suggestions are most welcome.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Because Many Endings Are Happening Right Now
Most romantics bristle whenever I say that I don’t believe in a love that lasts forever. In fact, even the Catholic Church doesn’t; marriage vows are covered only until “death do us part.”
Everything comes to an end. Even the universe has an end date. God Himself deemed us unworthy of immortality as human beings. (As for the promise of eternal life after Judgment Day, I’ll leave it to the theologists to discuss.)
I think their resistance comes from their fervent wish for a good thing—like love—to never end. But what’s good about endings is that even bad things come to an end. And we appreciate the good things even more when contrasted with the bad.
So let us celebrate the fleeting, the temporary and the finite; after all, we are all of that. Let us embrace the gift of the Now. And let us appreciate the love we get, temporary as they all are, for they are what makes life—fleeting, though it may—worth living.
As for the hopeless romantics who have loved ones right now, abandon all hope that your love will last forever! Instead, be happy for the relationship you have now, that will end eventually. (And even if you say that your feelings will continue long after the relationship ends, all I can say is, those feelings will end the moment you die.)
And learn to appreciate the power of goodbye, of letting go.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Summer Lovin’
(WARNING! Spoiler alert.)
I pity the fools who thought 500 Days Of Summer as a feel-good romantic comedy that screams, “date movie!” It’s not.
500 is a clever anti-date movie disguised as a date movie. Well, actually it isn’t disguised, really. In fact, even its marketing and trailer insist it’s not. The trailer says, “You should know upfront that this is not a love story.” The billboard says: “Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Girl does not.” Yet people like to dismiss those details.
Romantic Tom believes in Fate, Destiny and meeting the One. Flighty Summer doesn’t even believe in Love. But the two meet cute over The Smiths, and in the course of 500 days their relationship burns brightly then flames out.
The movie posits that people who think falling in love is “fate” or “Destiny” were brainwashed by romantic Hollywood movies. Then it plays around with the fact that it is a movie about a romance: it employs a narrative voice-over; it zips back and forth in time; and there’s this hilarious musical number featuring Daryl Hall & John Oates’ “You Make My Dreams” and an animated bird.
The opening narration mentions how Tom developed a belief in the One due to “early exposure to sad British pop music and a total mis-reading of the movie 'The Graduate'.” Later on Tom and Summer watch the movie, and the iconic end shot reduces Summer to tears. She got it.
(The iconic last shot from "The Graduate")
In one brilliantly subversive and hilarious sequence, the screen splits in two, showing the difference between expectations versus reality. There it seems like one is watching two movies at the same time, one by feel-good Hollywood and the other by an angst-filled independent filmmaker.
But what I found equally subversive about it is this: the movie actually sides with both points of view. In the end, there is a surprising reversal of roles that still felt real and true. And while some may call certain events as mere coincidence, others will insist in calling them fate or destiny.
Summer tells Tom, “You weren't wrong, Tom. You were just wrong about me.” In the end, it really depends on one’s point of view. Coincidence or fate?
Tom’s younger-in-years but older-in-thinking sister Rachel tells him: “Tom, I know you think she was the one, but I don't. Next time you look back, I think you should look again.” The last shot of the movie shows Tom looking straight at the theater audience.
Definitely, 500 Days Of Summer is a movie worth watching again and again, like, 500 times.
The Villa Fabcast, Part Two
Okay, part one was sooo last season, hehehe. Sorry folks.
Anyway, here’s part two. Corporate Closet couldn’t join us in the afternoon; CC lives up to his title of French Exit Queen. So you don’t hear his voice here.
Music credit: “Boys & Girls” by the Pet Shop Boys. (Remember, I used the Blur original in part one. There is method to my music choices, folks.)
Here, enjoy!
Listen: (34 mins 49 sec)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Whopper Whooper
“Whopper Junior meal, please. Regular fries and drinks only. I’ll have a Coke Zero.” I gave my order to the woman at the counter and fished out a card from my wallet. Months ago Eugene gave me The BK Circle discount card. Though I rarely eat at Burger King, I always use that card whenever I do.
The woman behind the counter gave me a puzzled look. “Sir, is this a discount card?” she waved the card at me.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Ah sir,” she began, like she was unsure of what to do but was just making it up as she went along, “I’m sorry… but we don’t accept discount cards for promo items.”
Now it was my turn to be puzzled. But I was not in the mood to demand for my rights as a consumer; I just wanted a burger. So I just said, “Okay. Sure, no problem.” She returned the card to me and proceeded to punch in my order.
That’s when I glanced down at the card I gave her, and freaked out. It was my Club Bath membership card I handed to her, not the BK discount card. No wonder she didn’t know what to do with the card.
Memo to me: if I want a Whopper, I should use the BK Card; if I want a different kind of whopper, then the CB card should come in handy. And ferchrissakes, keep those cards in different compartments of my wallet!
