LSDC at LPEP 2009

Performances by the La Salle Dance Companies - Jazz during the freshman orientation of the De La Salle University Manila's College of Liberal Arts. (Go CLA!)

La Salle Dance Company - Jazz


Jay~

Ped-Egg

Easily the most disgusting (legal) commercial I have ever seen in my whole life. The way the product is shown is beyond gross.

Enjoy the human version of parmesan cheese. *shudders*



Jay~

Angels and Demons

For the record, the book was much better than the movie.

I have to say that for those who have read the book, it's a rather hard movie to enjoy. The liberties taken by the director was far too much in my opinion. I couldn't help but compare the plot and characters (and the events) to what I already know from the book, and whilst not exactly fair, it just couldn't be helped. I didn't like the numerous character, events, and plot changes to the movie, because it removed some of the suspense so vivid in the book (like the death of Cardinal Baggia in the book, but not in the movie).

Tom Hanks was alright, and it was good to see him say his lines while moving, creating a sense of urgency and crisis. Ewan McGregor was brilliant as the Camerlengo, though it would have been nice if it had followed the original plot of him being the Pope's artificially-inseminated son. I don't recall a 'bad' performance from Ewan anyway. He really carried the movie, as far as I'm concerned. As I said, far too many liberties taken. :( The Assassin was a boring piece of turd. I didn't feel his threatening presence at all, which was also rather evident from the book.

In terms of aesthetics, it's a beautiful movie to watch. The shots of the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, and Rome are gorgeous. Kudos for that. Pacing was alright, plot development seemed rushed at times, but overall, it was worth watching. Just try to ignore what you know from the book. :P

7/10

Jay~

12 Rounds

Let's get this straight, I have nothing against John Cena. Thing is, roles that require him to show even a little bit of affection comes as awkward, and doesn't really suit him in this movie.

In terms of plot, it was the typical bad-guy-comes-back-for-revenge storyline that I have seen far too many times. A typical damsel in distress flick, Ashley Scott didn't really have to act, as the vast duration of the film involved Cena trying to beat a sick (sadistic sick, not ill sick) criminal in a series of 'tasks'. I personally thought the task thing was a little lame.

Action-wise, it's not too bad. Good enough gore and violence (falling down a lift shaft, anyone?) for an action movie. Cena just looks so awkward trying to show some emotion. Predictable last third also.

Very forgettable movie, definitely not one of the better flicks this summer.

4/10

Jay~

In Choosing

I believe I have learned a life lesson yesterday. It's not often that a person learns something important by themselves, but I am glad I did.

It's about choices, and how we choose what we choose.

Like, finding a book you've searched for for six years.. opting not to get it because the rent is due. And books are about the only things I can honestly say I am addicted to.

It's not what we want that makes us happy; rather, it's what we need. The feeling of sadness is quickly subdued by the great and awesome feeling that one has made a choice not out of personal desire, but out of necessity and of understanding how life works. Life works in the long-term, and not in short-term gratifications.

Perhaps I have taken one step forward to leaving my childhood, teenage, and 'young adult' years behind, to welcome the next chapter of my life as a grown man.

Jay~

Monsters vs Aliens

So Gayle and I bought a DVD of this movie, and this was what happened.

I fell asleep after about a third of the movie.
Gayle went online and did some paperwork.

The movie ended. She wakes me up.

Enough said.

Easily the most boring CGI movie I have ever seen.
Special effects were very impressive though, especially in the opening scene where the two space nerds track the meteorite. I like the CGI burger.

4/10

Jay~

Taken

I'm a little divided in my opinions about this movie.

Liam Neeson plays an ex-special forces father (Liam? LOL) who is a little over-the-top when it comes to being protective. I didn't like his 'too much to say' attitude (he has a little speech going on in almost every scene where he talks), when he's supposed to be a covert specialist, and I thought those guys don't speak much.

Liam Neeson might be good as a Jedi master, but he isn't very believable as a former black operative.

His background was poorly revealed in my opinion; there should have been a better description rather than "possessing a special set of skills". That was almost comical. His relationship with his ex-wife and his daughter was dodgy at best, and at times, rather hard to understand. Perhaps this should have been taken note of in development.

The one thing I do greatly admire about this movie was how it raised awareness about human trafficking in Europe. Not too many movies highlight the 'hidden secret' of European nations about their growing human trafficking problems. The dangers and downright scary situations of the young women being trafficked are made painfully obvious to the viewer. Kudos for that.

Aside from a pretty alright plot, nothing much more can be said about Taken. At times, it resembled a cheap version of a 007 movie, but nonetheless, I enjoyed watching it.

7/10

Jay~

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

While the above poster was not the official movie poster, I just love how the light catches Wolverine's trademark claws.

Any X-Men comic fan would know who Wolverine is, being one of the most recognizable characters in the decades-old series, and for him to get his own movie was simply fantastic. It is definitely one of the best X-Men movies to come out.

Hugh Jackman was stellar playing Wolverine, and he embodied the gritty carry-a-big-stick persona pretty well. His portrayal was excellent, and it's good to see him actually behave like the comic book Wolverine (with that dry sense of humor).

Special effects was top notch (who can forget Agent Zero's gate gun play, and Deadpool's "house keeping"?). Insane CGI, and very realistic action scenes. Such a shame that Gambit's part wasn't developed much, but then again, this is Wolverine's movie.

It was interesting to see how certain characters were introduced (like Cyclops and Professor X), which should really shed some light on how X-Men came about. The plot development and time line of Wolverine's life was rather linear, but it is about his origins, so that's alright.

A must-see for X-Men fans, and a very good movie to see even if you're not.

8/10

Jay~

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, mum.

Words will never be enough to know how much gratitude and love your only son (and child) has for you. This is a special year for the both of us, because I'll be 21. Thank you for raising me up to be a young man who reaches for nothing less than the sky. I wish you a happy and joyful Mother's Day. I miss you.

Jay~

Krump Kabayan Kommunity Mixtape 1

Spreading Krump in the Philippines.
Our very first mixtape!

Video credits to Rei aka Eighteenth/Twin Switch.



I'll be somewhere at 2:48. Could be better. LOL.

This is Jay aka Overdrive. ;)

Jay~

Invisible Car

It is very refreshing to know that in the age of computer-generated images (CGI) and special effects (SFX), there are still those who wish to create impossibly artistic art using physical tools. I found this article at Boing Boing, and I was simply amazed.

Original article by Cory Doctorow can be found here.

Reverse angle, courtesy of the Manchester Evening News.

Sara Watson, with her 'invisible' creation.

Beautiful creation. :)

Jay~

Trinoma Outing

Gayle and I went to Trinoma Mall (my first time there), and it's a pretty decent place. Lots of good Adidas and Puma stuff, usually unavailable in the branches in Manila/Makati. We also watched X-Men: Wolverine.

Lunch at Slammer.

Dinner at Taco Bell.

Taking pictures together. :)

Holding hands. :D

Looking at you. <3

Going to go back there once I saved up enough for a new pair of Adidas training shoes. :D Fell in love with a pair, and I'll get a P1000 discount! :D

Jay~