o, outerspace!
close your eyes and you will see
a! innerspace!
pandora's galaxy
NGC 4522 is a spiral galaxy that lies 60 million light years away, a denizen of the Virgo Cluster, the nearest such collection of galaxies to our Milky Way-top ten astronomy pictures of 2009
sans the sex, blood and violence, its suspense and romance bites
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Published by bulitas
on 1/04/2010 at 2:11 PM. 
they lay like that for a long time. then came the words.
“lacke. i love you.”
ang lacke did not reply. simply let the words hang in the air. become encapsulated and grow until they were a large red blanket that floated around the room, that lowered itself onto him and kept him warm all night.
-excerpt from john ajvide lindqvist's let the right one in,
who would have thought a vampire novel without sex and tons of gore could be romantic and enticing as this?
woots! i finished let the right oe in just before 2009 ends. next book on the line: gregory maguire's wicked and son of a witch
shoot! this is the thing i dread the most- handling love professionally.
everyone knows that love is and probably never will be a professional being. it is everything unpredictable, erratic and immeasurable.
through thousands of years i have seen many who have tried to define it but no one actually came up with a decent definition. no, i doubt if they ever will.
how can they expect me to do well with this? ok, wish me luck.
everyone knows that love is and probably never will be a professional being. it is everything unpredictable, erratic and immeasurable.
through thousands of years i have seen many who have tried to define it but no one actually came up with a decent definition. no, i doubt if they ever will.
how can they expect me to do well with this? ok, wish me luck.
the nose weeps over the temporary death of the taste buds.
the mucus factory produces a freeflow of twin river that drowns the semi-parched lips that experienced three full glasses of tequila-margarita just a few minutes ago.
the post-punk revival music of the virgins and the alternative electric rock of silversun pick-ups salvage the ears from the verge of explosion due to excessive exposure to high decibels of emotional noise.
the mucus factory produces a freeflow of twin river that drowns the semi-parched lips that experienced three full glasses of tequila-margarita just a few minutes ago.
the post-punk revival music of the virgins and the alternative electric rock of silversun pick-ups salvage the ears from the verge of explosion due to excessive exposure to high decibels of emotional noise.
i guess the full moon gives me the permission to howl: i love youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu all night.
ayaw pa?
somewhere in the blogosphere, somebody wrote and posted- “sa panahon ngayon, ruler na lang ang straight” (the only straight thing during these times is a ruler) which opens another portal to the seemingly infinite discussion about an individual’s being straight in relation to his/her sexual preference and orientation.
over some place in this planet, someone is wondering if vanity makes one gay. groups of individuals are discussing whether excessive charm towards girls and women makes a person gay. in some intersection across the internet highways, people from various ip addresses around the globe are arguing if the visibility of erect and pointed nipples under your t-shirt makes you gay. in some sectarian highschool in a semi-religious third world country, a mathematics teacher confronts and accuses a student of being gay because of his talkative behavior. behind the closed doors of his room, someone is asking himself if his jolly and extremely extroverted personality counts in the gay meter of the society.
the straight and gay label attributed by the society to each and every individual varies on ideologies, social groups, morals, beliefs and personal outlook in life.
over the weekend i saw jesse rosen’s the art of being straight. it is a film about two college graduates, jon (jesse rosen) and maddy (rachel castillo), and their struggles and discoveries about themselves and their sexualities. maddy is the museum and art gallery person who is involved with a girl. she openly claims that she’s a lesbian but does not deny her occassional attraction to men. jon on the otherhand, is a newly hired ad agency assistant who possesses characteristics (such as being too clean, being attractive, being modest, being a cassanova, being too nice) that could make him gay. he becomes involved with his male boss on several occasions while still sleeping with other women on the side. most of his buddies tease him gay, but he never admits being one.
the film’s attempt to show the struggles of an individual who had so much internal conflict regarding his sexuality is actually ok. despite its lack of tension and action, i think the movie somehow puts its point across the table to its audience- that like art, being straight is subjective. like art, being straight depends on the person viewing and assessing the situation. like art, being straight is not as absolute as black and white.
subjecting yourself to the society’s judgment is like entering a mirrorhouse and seeing yourself through various mirrors that can either make you look curved, decapitated, spheroid, doubled, bended, etc.
in the movie, i like how jon deals with his internal issues by following his desires and by staying true to himself. i assume he accepts the fact about the inevitable judgments from his society, while internally dismissing his subscription to the prescribed labels of straight or gay.
as tummy issues reach the higher authorities of the brain, a fictitious creature from a fast fading lucid state of mind told me that the fall from the walk on a spiderweb can give you the experience of something like losing that crazy feeling when you fall in love.
+++++++
i feel like a character from one of john ajvide lindqvist’s novels- that one who grows brain cells in the heart. it’s as if there is an independent creature that feeds on the heart and will continue to thrive on my system even if i die.
i think it is something that eats away emotions and drinks the blood that runs non-stop on all of its chambers.
side effects include heightened perception of the senses, allergic reactions to the faintest light of hope, rapid healing of the cells and the futility of breathing- slowly, the body adapts to the new order and learns to breathe through other means aside from the respiratory system.
+++++++
i feel like a character from one of john ajvide lindqvist’s novels- that one who grows brain cells in the heart. it’s as if there is an independent creature that feeds on the heart and will continue to thrive on my system even if i die.
i think it is something that eats away emotions and drinks the blood that runs non-stop on all of its chambers.
side effects include heightened perception of the senses, allergic reactions to the faintest light of hope, rapid healing of the cells and the futility of breathing- slowly, the body adapts to the new order and learns to breathe through other means aside from the respiratory system.
palagay ko malala pa ako sa mga yosi-addicts. di kita matigilan.
sabi sa nabasa ko noon, one yosi stick a day takes away three days from your life.
pero kapag yosi addict at dependent ka na, di na madaling alisin sa sistema mo yun even if it slowly kills you.
ikaw, a day without you is like taking away years from my timeline.
i will never stop, even if it kills me.
-mental note na nahalungkat sa may agiw agiw na parte ng utak
(cue kanta ni roberta flack: killing me softly)
photo taken at an asian salon somewhere in nevada
the winter air of the 9th night of the 12th is so cold it burns. it permeates the body deeper and faster than any other virus known to science and to man. despite its stinging like a cold and newly sharpened knife, it still provides comfort, something like a spiritual warmth, a metaphorical embrace to the lone traveler waiting for bus 763.
“not to brag, but these girls probably don’t know as much as i do about pain. and, quite naturally, there might not be a need for them to know it.”
-haruki murakami, what i talk about when i talk about running, chapter 5 (translated from japanese by philip gabriel)
out and about man’s lunacy in duncan jones’ moon
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Published by bulitas
on 12/08/2009 at 2:49 PM.
at a certain point on the course of the vicious cycle of the clones’ life, reality will knock hard on the doors of their senses that will let the outer space air of enlightenment and hope enter their souls and humanity.
duncan jones’ film, moon (2009), is a genius masterpiece of its sci-fi kind. it is that kind of movie that probes the deeper regions of human emotions and subconsciousness. it questions the established moral and ethical codes of societies and it presents possible outcomes of mankind’s greed, manipulative nature, and masstarvation of power.
moon is set in a time when a company called lunar industries provides the cheap and necessary clean energy to earth from helium-3 extracts from lunar soil.
it follows the story of sam bell (sam rockwell) and his 3 year contract as the astronaut in a remote lunar station. he is accompanied by gerty, the robot that flashes disturbing yellow emoticons who helps him through the duration of his mission to man the station and to find more helium-3 extracts.
the opportunity cost of sam’s astronomical endeavor is his supposed to be quality time with his wife and daughter.
duncan jone’s direction and nathan parker’s screenplay will guide your senses slowly and deeply into the life of a lone astronaut living on the far side of the moon. the seemingly slow pace of the film, the a la big brother house/mental ward feel atmosphere, plus the chilly, mysterious, melancholic score and music of clint mansell provides the perfect set-up to set you in the mood and feel the character’s boredom, loneliness, anger, longing and hope.
sam’s discovery of his existence as a clone as well as the presence of other clones led him to challenge the system and think of creative ways to break loose from his lunar prison.
see, this movie is like drug that gives that “high” feeling of drowsiness, excitement and fear all rolled into one. this is definitely for the win.
if only sam’s character could have shown more violence, the titles clone rebel or the attack of the clone or the clone strikes back would be perfect.
like a full, blue, moon, on the cloud tainted sky, this movie remains as a mysterious and glowing work of science fiction.
it is mary and max’s friendship that reminded me to love myself more
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Published by bulitas
on 12/01/2009 at 2:37 PM.
watching the growth of the relationship between mary and max strengthens my belief that long distance relationships can actually work, given that both parties make a constant effort to communicate and to satisfy the needs of each other.
adam elliot’s stop motion claymation (clay animation) story about the australian mary daisy dinkle and the new yorker max jerry horowitz shows a friendship that defies the boundaries of time, age, belief, social status and space.
the film starts with the introduction of the 8 year 3 months and nine days old mary daisy dinkle. she had a birthmark the color of poo. her favorite food is sweetened condensed milk. she would like to have a real friend who isn’t made out of seashells, twigs or chicken bones.
meanwhile, on the other side of the world exists max jerry horowitz a 300 pound atheistic jewish who has aspergers syndrome and an addiction to chocolate hotdogs. he once worked in a condom factory but never used one. max longs for a friend who isn’t invisible.
one day, mary decides to pick a random name from a united states residential directory listing. as if conspired by the vast unfathomable universe, mary’s finger landed on max’s contact information. she then sends him her first letter that will ignite the sparks of their continuous correspondence. in time, mary and max became best friends talking about their life, their frustrations, their, simple sources of joy, their anxieties, depression, dreams and love.
throughout the course of the film, we can see how mary and max grows to develop and nurture their long distance relationship with hope and the comfort that somewhere out there, somebody us willing to listen to whatever you say without prejudice. they keep each other satisfied with the feeling that there will always be someone who will accept them despite their numerous imperfections and frustrations in life. of course, we also see some of the downfalls of long distance relationships. immediate comfort can never happen. the absence of physical contact can add up to the welling hole of insatiable longing. and of course, most delayed reactions for certain acts that requires instant attention often causes a tragic results.
the story of these two individuals also shows us that although there are millions of things that we cannot choose and we cannot control in life, we can at least choose our friends. mary and max choose to be friends with each other and continue their friendship through their exchange of letters.
at the end of the film, i realized that relationships whether long distance or not, will work best if both parties possess and exhibit self-love. self-love is essential in order for other people to love you. do appreciate, believe and love yourself in the first place, and the rest of the world will follow.
this wonderfully crafted claymation often appears dark and gloomy (no, it’s not the monochromatic treatment, mind you) but it never forgets to inject its own version of life’s jokes and comedies throughout the movie. no wonder it became the special selection during the opening night of the 2009 sundance film festival. since then, it has gained numerous awards from film and animation festivals all around the globe.
*watch the trailer here
adam elliot’s stop motion claymation (clay animation) story about the australian mary daisy dinkle and the new yorker max jerry horowitz shows a friendship that defies the boundaries of time, age, belief, social status and space.
the film starts with the introduction of the 8 year 3 months and nine days old mary daisy dinkle. she had a birthmark the color of poo. her favorite food is sweetened condensed milk. she would like to have a real friend who isn’t made out of seashells, twigs or chicken bones.
meanwhile, on the other side of the world exists max jerry horowitz a 300 pound atheistic jewish who has aspergers syndrome and an addiction to chocolate hotdogs. he once worked in a condom factory but never used one. max longs for a friend who isn’t invisible.
one day, mary decides to pick a random name from a united states residential directory listing. as if conspired by the vast unfathomable universe, mary’s finger landed on max’s contact information. she then sends him her first letter that will ignite the sparks of their continuous correspondence. in time, mary and max became best friends talking about their life, their frustrations, their, simple sources of joy, their anxieties, depression, dreams and love.
throughout the course of the film, we can see how mary and max grows to develop and nurture their long distance relationship with hope and the comfort that somewhere out there, somebody us willing to listen to whatever you say without prejudice. they keep each other satisfied with the feeling that there will always be someone who will accept them despite their numerous imperfections and frustrations in life. of course, we also see some of the downfalls of long distance relationships. immediate comfort can never happen. the absence of physical contact can add up to the welling hole of insatiable longing. and of course, most delayed reactions for certain acts that requires instant attention often causes a tragic results.
the story of these two individuals also shows us that although there are millions of things that we cannot choose and we cannot control in life, we can at least choose our friends. mary and max choose to be friends with each other and continue their friendship through their exchange of letters.
at the end of the film, i realized that relationships whether long distance or not, will work best if both parties possess and exhibit self-love. self-love is essential in order for other people to love you. do appreciate, believe and love yourself in the first place, and the rest of the world will follow.
this wonderfully crafted claymation often appears dark and gloomy (no, it’s not the monochromatic treatment, mind you) but it never forgets to inject its own version of life’s jokes and comedies throughout the movie. no wonder it became the special selection during the opening night of the 2009 sundance film festival. since then, it has gained numerous awards from film and animation festivals all around the globe.
*watch the trailer here
2012 and the new world from the chinese arks
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Published by bulitas
on 11/30/2009 at 4:25 AM.
extra large solar flare eruptions disturb the solar system that sends heat waves of epic proportions. This causes the earth’s core to boil, steaming the birth of chaos and havoc to mankind. tremors occupy the earth as tumbles and rips in many directions. tectonic plates and continents moves as titanic tsunamis invade the planet. somehow, somewhere, in the midst of all the apocalyptic scenarios, a family (together with thousands of other people) struggles to survive as they inch their way to the mountains of china where the world powers have secretly built modern arks that are supposed to save the world should another great deluge pays the world a visit. no, this is not the exact mayan prediction about the apocalypse of 2012, these scenarios are from ronald emmerich’s sci-fi movie 2012.
i almost doze off during the first quarter of the movie. thandie newton used to excite me but she bores me from the very first frame that i see her till the closing credits roll. it is a struggle to keep an eye open. drinking non-stop from the extra large soda cup does not help. i have to keep stuffing my mouth with popcorn to keep my facial muscles busy, hoping that doing so could help bring back my attention to the movie.
and then i saw john cusack and family’s car evading and racing through the chaos-punched streets of los angeles. the visuals are actually good. that hooks back my focus on the film. the whole scene where you see buildings and cars crashing, the roads ripping, trees uprooting, and just everything tumbling up and down the metropolis is like a good amusement park ride. yeah, it could pass as one of those computer generated visual rollercoaster like the simpson’s ride at universal studios hollywood.
there is a general theme in apocalyptic films like these that shows the various reactions of mankind in times of hardcore extreme trouble. people will do anything to survive, even if it takes to kill, even if it entails sacrifice.
the movie is a miss and can be chaotic in many levels, but its focus on certain family values like sacrifice and love salvages it from the rubbles and oceans of apocalyptic debris.
a tryst of grace with death on chris martinez’s 100
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Published by bulitas
on 11/19/2009 at 4:13 PM.
there are hundreds of things to do on my list but which should be accomplished first? given the premise that each passing second that ticks in our life is another step closer to death, which will prioritize before you meet death right smack in the face?
the character of joyce (mylene dizon) reminds us to review our bucket list (the list of things that we want to do before we die or let’s put it this way, the things we want to do while we live) in preparation to death’s often unannounced visit.
in the movie 100, joyce is one of those lucky individuals who have been given the chance and the opportunity to put things into order days before her rendezvous with death. her knowledge about her sickness allows her to sort things with herself, with her family, and with her friends.
“how come everybody wanted to go to heaven but nobody wanted to die?” –joyce’s dad
“if i am 100% sure that i will go to heaven, i can die anytime.” -joyce
despite its fame, death has been one of the most eluded and feared topics since the existence of mankind. the association of death with fear, evil and the dark forces of this universe can be attributed to most people’s perspectives regarding it. incomplete bucket lists, shattered hopes, unfulfilled dreams, the birth of the what could have beens, the spring of regrets- most of these things happen because of death. that is according to most people i know who have seen and experienced death among their friends and families.
upon joyce’s journey towards the date of her death, we can see how she was able to reconcile the issues of her past, the dilemmas of her present and the stability of the future of the people around her.
chris martinez’s 100 is a spiritual comedy that tickles the soul. isn’t this is a movie about death? isn’t it supposed to be sad and gloomy as you witness how the character deals with her remaining days on earth, fulfilling her 100 things to do on post-its? it is sad, actually, but the brilliance of the script and the genius of the acting of mylene dizon and eugene domingo makes me smile and laugh during the most unexpected scenes.
one of the most poignant and bittersweet scenes of the movie is when joyce and ruby (eugene domingo) visits the grounds of their gradeschool to reminisce the past. the lingering memories of the fun times of the yesteryears in contrast to the present never fails to summon a smile coupled with a slight pinch at the heart.
contrary to what a friend remarks about the simplicity of the film, i think the element of simplicity works. the simplicity of the movie, which the friend thinks is at par with mmk (maalaala mo kaya) episodes, works in such a way that it moves me in different levels, and it has inspired me to want to face death with grace like joyce.
the friend argues that indie films are supposed to be different, or gay, or something way out of the ordinary. 100 is just too ordinary for him, given the simple topic of death and dealing with it. i am no film expert, but for me, the difference between indie and mainstream is their scope in terms of distribution and audience. the effectiveness of the film lies on its power to at least trigger something within the audience. it doesn’t necessary have to be a positive feeling, but as long as the film has acted as a catalyst of change, encouraging chemical reactions to the body and possibly pushing neurons into exercise, it is effective.
the final scene, where the audience can see the camera panning and fading on joyce overlooking to her family in a tranquil state is this film's scene for the win.
joyce’s life is the climax itself. the whole film, each act of fulfilling her post-its is a gracefully executed step by step denouement to her demise.
on frame: my sister. random shot to kill boredom
winter air will start to pierce you with cold stares.
my semi-auditory pacquiao-cotto experience
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Published by bulitas
on 11/16/2009 at 12:19 PM.
pendong peace!november 14 2009, pacific standard time
dad was out to watch the fight with his newly found friends. sister went with her look-alike friend’s house to witness the match in live action. i was left alone at home, cooked dinner, and heard the booming speakers of the mexican neighbor’s hd tv broacasting the pacquiao-cotto fight live.
jonalyn viray and the la divas sang the philippine national anthem.
ramiele minus the malubay surname sang the star sprangled banner.
i heard the rocky theme song being played for pacquiao. i guessed it was the intro part for each fighter.
the exhaust of the kitchen stove and the defective fire alarm drowns the sound of the fight.
cheers from the speakers dominated the airwaves.
i hear filipinos shhouting manny! manny! on the background.
round 8 the mexican neighbors’ loud “yeah!” “go!” and “ah!” defetaed the sound from the tv speakers.
wow. those neighbors are also rooting for manny.
round 8 .11 secs left, i found a streaming a live site online. the channel is in spanish. but who cares. i muted my computer’s audio and relied on the neighbors power speakers.
pacman and cotto hugged.
cheers from the neighbors.
manny! manny! from the crowd on tv.
back at the computer, i saw the distorted, blood-smeared face of cotto.
mexican neighbors shouted like they were filipinos.
i joined the “yeah!” and “go manny!” and shouted in unison with the crowd.
round 12. more cheers from the neighbors. i chanted “go manny! go manny!” all by myself.
commentators verified the victory of manny.
the announcer declares manny pacquiao’s victory.
i hear manny answering interview questions.
then the sound of the super speakers of the neighbors deadened.
i just heard and witnessed another historical event.
congratulations manny pacquiao for being the 1st boxer to win 7 world titles in different weight divisions.
mabuhay ka manny!
met some of the glee cast (finn-corie montieth/ tina-jenna ushkowitz/ artie-kevin mchale/ kurt-chris colfer/ puck-mark salling)last weekend for the autograph signing of their soundtrack cd- glee: the music (season 1).
i was rooting to see rachel and quinn but unfortunately, they were not present during the autograph signing session.
it was one of the most peaceful queue that i've been so far.
thank god uber excited screaming, and hormonally charged a la twilight fangirls and boys were not present.
glee is the new highschool musical/comedy/drama show from fox that features the lives of the people at the fictional william mckinley high school's glee club.
the show showcases a wide selection of songs and production numbers ranging from pop, rnb, broadway, contemporary and alternative genres.
i was rooting to see rachel and quinn but unfortunately, they were not present during the autograph signing session.
it was one of the most peaceful queue that i've been so far.
thank god uber excited screaming, and hormonally charged a la twilight fangirls and boys were not present.
glee is the new highschool musical/comedy/drama show from fox that features the lives of the people at the fictional william mckinley high school's glee club.
the show showcases a wide selection of songs and production numbers ranging from pop, rnb, broadway, contemporary and alternative genres.
vivendi entertainment’s new york i love you is like a dynamic jigsaw puzzle where each piece that completes the big picture moves and changes in random. you see moving images, you see people, you see places, but you will find it difficult to decipher the image that you expect to see.
the best way to enjoy the movie is to entertain yourself with the cityscapes and the relationships built among the myriad of lives and culture in the city.
from the 11 shorts featured, some definitely stand out from the rest.
one of my favorites is the story of the guy who dates a girl on the wheelchair during his prom night. turns out, the pretty girl on wheels that acts as the key that unlocks the doors of his virginity, is a new york theatre actress on practice.
the scene between maggie q and ethan hawke outside the restaurant is one of the wittiest written comedy from the bunch.
kudos to natalie portman’s heartwarming short that features the story between a man nanny and a young girl.
walking with the old couple who rants about their relationship, their life and their anniversary is probably the slowest short from the whole. yet, your senses will bathe in the sweetness and the sincerity of their relationship that will make you go awww in one way or another.
the ladies- natalie portman, shu-qi, maggie q, rachel bilson, olivia thirlby are all for the win!
the attempt to showcase the diversity of lives and culture is there, but new york i love you still gives me the feeling dissatisfaction. it was like going around the city by cab without actually going down the street, without walking on the pavement, without running around the corners and experiencing the city itself on your own. although in some occasions there is that fleeting feeling that the level of experience is somehow limited, new york i love you still works better for me than paris, je t'aime (paris i love you). i enjoyed my experience with most of the individual pieces of the puzzle and for me, it is new york i just like you.
watching the movie compensates for my postponed trip to the city, which, by the way, reminds me of cubao- the melting pot of culture and people from various cities of the philippines.(imagine transportation stations to and from various cities of the country are based at the area)
ok, i miss cubao.
in the absence
i feel your presence
in the silence
i hear your voice
thank you.
this will suffice before i hit the sack.
i feel your presence
in the silence
i hear your voice
thank you.
this will suffice before i hit the sack.
