'Ang Huling El Bimbo', the Hit Musical, Is an Excellent Production, but I Have a Massive Bone to Pick With It

Ang Huling El Bimbo is a jukebox musical that takes its title from the hit song of the same name by the band Eraserheads, whose songs serve as the subject of this production.  The Full House Theater Company ran it at Resorts World Manila’s Newport Performing Arts Theater in 2018 (July 20 to September 1) and 2019 (March 1 to April 6).  But for 48 hours earlier this month, ABS-CBN streamed a filmed performance of it for free on Youtube as part of a fund-raising drive for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  It created much buzz on the Internet, so I decided to watch it, too.

It’s a coming-of-age story about friendship, love, and dreams, and how the loss of innocence and the harsh realities of life can viciously erode them.  It follows Hector, Emman, and AJ, who become an inseparable trio while in university (implied to be UP) in the 90’s.  They meet a young, cheerful turon vendor and karinderya helper named Joy, and she soon becomes a precious member of their circle.  Too poor to afford going to college herself, Joy is satisfied with sharing the boys’ enthusiasm for their lofty ambitions and cheering for their future success.  Unfortunately, the best friends go their separate ways after graduation, and become estranged.  Many years later, the death of Joy due to hit-and-run paves the way for an uneasy, charged reunion.

'Quezon's Game' Puts the Spotlight on an Obscure but Remarkable Part of Philippine History

Apparently, during his presidency, Manuel L. Quezon worked to give Jewish refugees displaced by Hitler’s oppressive regime asylum in the Philippines, basically saving them from the Nazi’s infamous Final Solution.  This is a forgotten event in Philippine history.  It hasn’t been taught in schools.  Personally, I only learned of it a couple of years ago when I read an article about Israel honoring the Philippines and Quezon.

Quezon’s Game, a Philippine historical drama film directed by British-Jewish Matthew Rosen, aims to remedy the shocking obscurity of this story.  And, if my Facebook newsfeed is any indication, I think it has succeeded in doing so.  In fact, if nothing else, Quezon’s Game did to Manuel L. Quezon what Heneral Luna did to Antonio Luna with regards to improving his stock as a Filipino historical figure.

'Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral' Aims to Deromanticize Heroes

“Handa na ba ang mga Pilipinong marinig ang katotohanan nang hindi napipikon?” (Or in modern words, “Are the Filipinos ready to hear the truth without getting triggered?”)

That is the question Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral, the sequel to Heneral Luna, dares to ask.  And this movie will definitely rub people the wrong way, as it kind of attacks the sense of “Pinoy pride” that us Filipinos typically hold on to in varying degrees.

'BuyBust' Mostly Lives Up to the Hype

Soon after watching the epic Indonesian action film The Raid: Redemption back in 2012, I mused how awesome it would be if the Philippines had its own version of it.  I was like, “It would be a perfect opportunity to showcase Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) – Arnis, Kali, and Eskrima – in film, in the same way the Indonesian martial art Pencak Silat was showcased in The Raid.  FMA is an underrated, practical, and violent discipline, and it would totally work on a Raid-type action movie.  In addition, a squatters’ area in Metro Manila would make a perfect deteriorated, urban setting for a Raid-type narrative.”

Uncannily, director Erik Matti seemingly had the same idea.  So he made BuyBust.  Now, I already had the inkling that this could potentially be the Philippine Raid the moment I learned of its production, for it was through a news segment about how stars Anne Curtis and former UFC athlete Brandon Vera were training in Kali for it.  Considering I liked Matti’s 2013 neo-noir crime thriller On the Job, I started looking forward to it at that point.  My anticipation grew and grew with every promo released – especially with the viral Facebook video of Anne Curtis’ training a few years ago – as the notion that it’s channeling The Raid continued being enforced.  And this was all but made certain when the trailers dropped.  In other words, I was hyped for BuyBust.

'Birdshot' Is a Masterpiece of Philippine Cinema (Impressively Made by a Twenty-Something Filmmaker!)

Birdshot was the Philippines’ entry for the last Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film (but it didn’t get nominated), and it was one of the two local 2017 films that I wanted to see last year but didn’t get to (the other one is Smaller and Smaller Circles).  Recently, to my delight, it has finally become available to be watched in the Internet.

Well, it’s as excellent as I expected.  It’s a taut, well-crafted, multi-layered thriller.  It has intelligent slow-burn plotting, compelling cinematography, clever editing, and profound insights.  And it’s incredible that this is the work of a filmmaker who is just in his mid-20’s (Mikhail Red)!  Insane!

‘My Perfect You’ Is a Surprisingly Smart, Imaginative, and Poignant Filipino Rom-Com Movie

I never thought I would ever be watching My Perfect You – much less liking it.  Pinoy rom-com movies – especially mainstream ones – are awful.   Now, there’s a Starting Over Again or a Kita Kita once in a while, but as a general rule, it’s a stale, cheesy-melodrama-saturated, cash-grabbing genre.  However, I overheard someone that this new movie starring Gerald Anderson and Pia “confidently beautiful with a heart” Wurtzbach is naiiba (“distinct”).  So when there was an opportunity to check it out (i.e. be treated to see it), I took it.

I went into this movie blind.  I didn’t see any trailer or encounter any promotional material for it, save for catching a glimpse of a poster.  The only thing I was aware of was that it stars Gerald Anderson and former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach.  That was it.  Hence, I was surprised by how thought-provoking and worthwhile it is.

'Ang Larawan' Provokes Reflections While Looking Good and Sounding Good

Ang Larawan (The Portrait in English) is a musical film based on a musical stage play, which is in turn based on Nick Joaquin’s literary magnum opus A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino.  It follows spinster sisters Candida and Paula, daughters of renowned painter Don Lorenzo, as they feel nostalgic of the glory days of their once-regal ancestral house which they are now struggling to maintain due to financial difficulties.  Money would have been easily attainable, as many are willing to pay a hefty sum for Don Lorenzo’s last masterpiece, something their father had left them.  They don’t really love the painting – they even feel that it’s burdensome and may even harbor animosity towards it – yet they refuse to part with it.  Instead, for their income, they rely on performing menial labor, such as capturing rats; the rent money of boarder Tony Javier, an opportunistic, sleazy vaudevillian pianist; and the unreliable support of their married elder siblings, who are more interested in selling the house than helping them keep it.

'Patintero: Ang Alamat ni Meng Patalo' Is a Celebration of Filipino Childhood

In my review of Sing, I mentioned that it’s the last movie of 2016 I had been meaning to watch.  That’s not entirely true.  I actually wanted to watch Patintero: Ang Alamat ni Meng Patalo last year as soon as I saw its trailer.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t shown to any theaters near me last year.  And since Filipino indie films rarely get the chance of becoming available through, er, “alternative Internet sources”, I kind of became resigned to the idea that I would never get to see it.  But, to my delight, I unexpectedly found it in the Internet recently.  So, now, here’s my review (sheesh, a review for a 2016 movie this late into 2017)…

'Kita Kita' Is a Refreshingly Unconventional Pinoy Rom-Com

With its choice of a “love team”, Kita Kita makes the point right off the bat that it’s not your typical Pinoy rom-com.  Alessandra de Rossi is a pretty and famous actress, but she isn’t exactly known for headlining a romantic movie.  Meanwhile, the choice for leading man is odder.  Instead of a heartthrob like John Lloyd Cruz, the movie went with comedian Empoy Marquez.  But from this unconventional pairing up, what’s made is probably the best Filipino rom-com this year – or, at least, the only Filipino rom-com this year that I’ve been compelled to watch.

‘Saving Sally’ Is as Delightful and Groundbreaking as I Was Hoping It to Be

To be honest, there’s only one MMFF movie I was meaning to watch.  I only went see Vince & Kath & James and Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2 #ForeverIsNotEnough because I thought Saving Sally wasn’t being shown yet where I live in (I only frequent one cinema, and it only had these two plus Seklusyon and Die Beautiful).  Fortunately, I discovered that it was split-screened – scheduled for two showings at night – in one of the local malls’ theater.  Boy, was I happy.

I was greatly charmed by the trailer for Saving Sally.  After watching it, I just knew that I was going to love this movie.  And indeed... I FRIGGIN' LOVE THIS MOVIE!

‘Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2 #ForeverIsNotEnough’ Can Only Muster Two Memorable Scenes from Its Inspired Concept

After Vince & Kath & James, the second MMFF film I watched was Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2 #ForeverIsNotEnough.

There’s something fresh about the premise of this comedy.  Eugene Domingo plays a fictional version of herself; in this universe, she’s like the biggest Filpino actress currently working in the industry. Her collaborators from the first movie, direk Rainer (Kean Cipriano) and Jocelyn (Cai Cortez), seek her participation for their next project: a solemn arthouse film that serves as a metaphor for Rainer’s own failing marriage.  Domingo accepts, but she starts asking for revisions to be made on the film, starting with changing the leading man from Joel Torre to Jericho Rosales.  As she continues giving “suggestions”, the intended movie essentially transforms into a thoroughly clichéd Pinoy-style rom-com, clashing with Rainer’s artistic vision and personal motivations.

I Didn’t Hate ‘Vince & Kath & James’

I decided to watch some MMFF movies.  It’s my way somewhat of supporting the Philippine film industry, which I’ve always hoped will gain momentum for a legitimate renaissance.  Besides, this year’s lineup was hyped as made up of the “cream of the crop”, as it didn’t include the kind of crowd-pleasing, commercially-successful but bankrupt-in-substance local movies that it usually features (since trashy Filipino movies were what’s exclusively shown on theaters during the Christmas break, I hated the MMFF for years).

Besides, since it’s MMFF season, there’s literally nothing else better to watch in theaters.

The first movie I went watch is Vince & Kath & James.

So I Watched 'Camp Sawi' (Yawn)

Camp Sawi is just the first Pinoy film since Heneral Luna that I’ve watched and reviewed.  Actually, I watched this movie a week ago, but it was such a bummer that I wasn’t interested of writing about it in the first place.  But then again, ever since I started last year of writing brief reviews about every recent movie (and TV show) that I’ve been able to watch, I’ve yet to skip one, regardless of quality – even when it’s annoyingly pretentious, utterly atrocious, mind-numbingly stupid, or tortuously bland.  Besides, though this movie bored me out of my mind, it’s still not the worst movie I’ve seen this year so far – that would be Zoolander 2 or Allegiant.  So I probably shouldn’t break the streak now.  Here goes...   

The movie tells the story of a group of heartbroken women (and one gay man) who go on a peculiar vacation getaway by staying in “Camp Sawi”, a boot camp/resort that could help them heal and move on.

‘Heneral Luna’ Is Meant to Condition Filipinos to Vote for Duterte as President

LOL.  Yeah.  Sorry, for the horrible “bait-and-switch” title.  This post isn’t really an analysis of such preposterous thesis.  This is simply my review of the movie Heneral Luna.

To be honest, I wasn’t really compelled of watching Heneral Luna at first.  I was somewhat impressed of the trailer, but I wasn’t set yet of actually watching it.  It was a 50/50 thing.  But then, my Facebook newsfeed exploded with dynamic approvals and high recommendations for the movie.  This made me finally put Heneral Luna on my mental list for movies to watch.  Thankfully, albeit late, the local theater showed it, and I went to watch it as soon as I got the time.

Indeed, Heneral Luna deserves all the hype it receives.  In a Filipino movie industry that has been dominated by garbage, this movie is a much welcome gem.  It’s an overall good movie, and a highlight of my 2015 movie watching.  But I’m not going to eagerly shower it with my praises.  It’s not exactly the homerun that I was hoping it to be.

As far as being a biopic of a Filipino hero is concerned, I still think that the 1998 José Rizal epic film starring Cesar Montano has proven to have a more polished, purposeful, and interesting narrative than Heneral Luna.  Heneral Luna has plenty of great moments, and succeeds in portraying its titular character in an exciting light through a well-crafted tale.  I, however, have some problems with its pacing and inability to sustain an overall sense of enthrallment.  Make no mistake though, this movie started strong and has provided plenty of riveting moments.  However, I’m a bit of more prejudiced against Filipino movies, which, in general, suffer from extreme cheesiness and scarcity of cleverness.  Hence, I find it harder to forgive details of cheesiness – mild they may be – which easily distract me.  There are some elements in the story that I felt are cheesy and gratuitous, which derailed my enjoyment of the movie a bit.

My biggest disappointment on the movie is the lack of focus on Luna’s reputation as a brilliant military tactician.  This is a commander that is historically known to be capable of earning victories against Spanish and American forces with just a militia of conscripted farmers under his command.  His genius has been mentioned several times in the movie, but it isn’t thoroughly shown.  I’m sure that the movie would have been twice better if Luna’s genius military mind has been explored more.  I read in the past about cool stuff like the “Luna Defense Line” (a three-tiered defense line that gave the Americans plenty of trouble) and his fondness for assembling elite squads like the “Luna Sharpshooters” (snipers, basically) and the “Black Guard”, a 25-men guerrilla unit led by a lieutenant named Garcia (the movie’s Garcia could be this guy), and I wish that these things were featured and expounded in the movie.

Also, if you expect some awesome action sequences from this movie, you’ll be disappointed.  Yes, it doesn’t shy away from showing gruesome violence to portray realism.  But the battle scenes aren’t remarkable at all.

Nevertheless, the intent is to be more of a drama movie anyway, rather than an actual action film.  And with the drama, the movie hits empathically.  The terrific acting fuels the intensity of the drama and kept me invested, even when my problems with the pacing start becoming apparent.  Kudos most of all to John Arcilla, whose captivating performance effectively portrayed the different facets of General Luna’s personality, both his admirable traits and flaws.

I wasn’t expecting that this movie will have its share of humor, but it indeed has the right dosage of hilarity.  This movie has made me laughed aloud on several instances.  Some of the funny moments actually happen in a violent context, which is kind of morbid, but it’s so well-executed that laughing can’t be helped.

But the best thing about this movie is that it provokes reflection.  That is something rare of mainstream Filipino movies to do.  And I absolutely welcome it.  True, it actually has a pretty cynical message.  The political climate of the past is just as messed up as of that in the present.  Hence, it can be said that this movie is a reflection of our current rotten status as a nation.  We put personal interests, egos, and conveniences above the benefit of the motherland.  We have an inability of being completely one as a nation.  We are an undisciplined people.  And having a sense of nationalism for this country is simply wasted, because those in power will just screw you.  But, who knows, maybe by realizing these things, Filipinos would now accept that, as what General Luna posits in the movie, in order to change this country, what’s required is something radical.

(Seriously, with all the sympathy generated by the movie for Gen. Antonio Luna, it feels like that the movie is conditioning the Filipinos to subscribe to Luna’s stern methods and philosophy.  Hence, it feels this movie is a conspiracy sponsored by a “Duterte for President” movement.  LOL.)

So all in all, Heneral Luna is a well-acted, excellently-made, eye-opening, must-watch movie.  The Filipino film industry desperately needs more thoughtful movies like this.

I’m happy that this movie is making money, after its first week’s poor gross receipts (lots of props to social media word-of-mouth).  This kind of movie needs to be rewarded.  And, since everything is driven by money, this would encourage other Filipino filmmakers and producers to pursue making more insightful, more intelligent mainstream movies.  Also, by this, a sequel, about Gregorio Del Pilar (fact: this young general is my favorite among Filipino national heroes while growing up), is ensured.  Can’t wait!

(Keeping my fingers crossed that this is the start of the Filipino Cinema Renaissance!)

On The Philippine Comics Industry

I want the Philippine comics industry to succeed. Really. I dream of a time where the Philippines will rank among the United States of America and Japan as makers of top-rank, first-rate comics.

Filipinos have the talents, no one can deny that. We have certified world class artists. And the ideas in Filipino comics are good. We have good writers and artists. Sadly, success in the comic book industry is dependent to one’s economy. Look at the US and Japan, they have good economies, thus good comic book industries. In the Philippines, the talents cannot find much money in the local comics industry, so they work abroad where they can be find their talents and abilities paid handsomely (another case of “brain drain” in the Philippines).

* * *

I read a lot of comics since I was a kid. And back then, part of my reading was of Filipino comicbooks like Bata Batuta, and Funny Comics. Sadly, most of my Bata Batuta comics are gone now. However, I still have my Funny Comics with me. They have some decent stories there, satisfactory to kids. The only problem, like other weekly comics books, is the lack of art quality – I guess it’s because of the lack of time production and budget. If only the coloring is improved. I don’t care if they raise prices or it will take a longer time to produce one. Tinay Pinay, Combatron, Tomas N’ Kules, and the other children-loved characters deserved to be appreciated by Filipino kids like they appreciate foreign characters like Archie.

* * *

I also have Pugad Baboy compilations in my collection. Now in all the cartoon strip franchises that I know of, for me, Pol Medina Jr.’s Pugad Baboy is the best there is. Pugad Baboy has good art and has good entertaining quality. Now that’s Filipino talent!

And there’s Lyndon Gregorio’s Beerkada, another great Filipino comic strip. Only second best next to Medina, but Beerkada also has its own appeal.

With guys like Medina and Gregorio, Filipino comic strips stood up with the foreign comic strips in the newspaper comics page.

* * *

I was sad when Culture Crash stopped publishing because of – probably – financial problems. It was a very promising Filipino comicbook. Yup, it has Japanese influence in the art – but it was still very Filipino. The art was good, and so are the plot and the stories.

I was in my late elementary when the first issue of Culture Crash came out, and since then I promised to collect each single issue (sadly, I missed two issues). I did not mind of their irregular schedules of releasing issues. I really wanted Culture Crash to succeed – thinking it would start the revolution in Filipino comics. I was wrong. Culture Crash has its ups… but it cannot fully become paramount.

Culture Crash never finished the stories. I do not know if I would ever know the ending of One Day Isang Diwa, Pasig, Cat’s Trail, Solstice Butterfly, and Kuburi Kikiam. All I can do now is reread the past issues.

* * *

Well, there are decent local comicbooks out there. Like indie comics (mostly manga influenced), and those published by Mango.

But I guess it isn’t enough. Filipino comicbooks are not very popular. Captain Barbell and Darna cannot be Superman (or is Captain Marvel?) and Wonder Woman.

It would be really cool if finally the Filipino comicbooks will be proudly put beside the foreign comics on the stands and racks.

I will never lose faith in the Filipino comicbook industry. I will never lose faith in Filipinos. Someday, my dreams about the improvement of the comicbook industry may come true.