The Philippine Movies Thread
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plsletitrain — 9 years ago(August 04, 2016 10:29 PM)
Hello again clayton, I really do appreciate you helping me out on the Philippine thread.
. I've been procrastinating again and I still hadn't come up with my own list. I promised myself I'd start that thread soon and I'll copy your list there but gah, I'm really sorry it took me forever to start it.
Here's mine:
Wait, before I write my own list, I want to say that my list isn't really a favorites list. Because if I put my favorites there, I'd put GIRL BOY BAKLA TOMBOY -
clayton-12 — 9 years ago(August 04, 2016 11:49 PM)
Thanks for your list. The thing I love about it is that there's one film that I absolutely love (
Ekstra
), one film that on my really-want-to-see list (
Noy
), and a whole bunch of films that I've never, or only vaguely, heard of to explore -
plsletitrain — 9 years ago(August 04, 2016 11:13 PM)
You've got a solid list there, clayton.
Ekstrait also made it on my list. Cheers!
Crying Ladies I had the feeling it is funny but I don't know why I still didn't watch it.
Foster Child-its also on my to watch list but I've been prioritizing Thy Womb from Brillante's filmography but I really can't find it.
Kinatay-I really didn't like it.
Maynila: Sa mga kuko ng Liwanagsaw this on TV a million years ago so I really forgot all about it.
Metro Manilaloved it!
The Road and Gracelandyou enticed me to it. I'll put these on my watchlist.
Ilo Ilo- another overdue-for-watching to me.
That Thing Called Tadhana-it wasn't for me. I got annoyed at it, not to mention the amount of slang here.
Its such a shame that you, a non-Filipino, probably knows more about Philippine movies more than me.
Well, that's why I made this thread. We can all share our movies here for posterity! Between Mind and Heart-
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clayton-12 — 9 years ago(August 05, 2016 12:13 AM)
Thy Womb
is the film from Brillante Mendoza that I really want to see the most - particularly given that the region and people seem to be so under-represented in Filipino cinema. I was given a subtitled copy with a really murky print, but I've been putting off watching it because I don't think it will do it justice.
As for the two from Mendoza that I put on my list, I suspect that the reason those particular two made the list is that they're the only two I've seen! I don't blame you for not liking
Kinatay
, it's not very "likeable". I felt ill for days afterwards, but I do think it was a very good film.
In a lot of ways,
Foster Child
is a very similar film to
Kinatay
(but please don't let that put you off!). While they have very, very different subject matter, both are set over the course of a single day, utilise long tracking shots, focus constantly on the silent emotional turmoil of a single character, and explore and subvert their genres - whereas in
Kinatay
Mendoza skewers exploitation horror, in
Foster Child
he plays with the structure of a weepy drama. -
plsletitrain — 9 years ago(August 05, 2016 12:44 AM)
Don't worry, I'll still watch Thy Womb despite hearing that its similar to Kinatay.
I like the premise of Foster Child, as in most of his movies, but the problem I usually have with Brillante is his execution. I've said before that I have a love-hate relationship with him. I sometimes love him, but most of the time I don't understand him. I usually post comments like, "WTH is going on with his mind??" Yet, his films are still on my to watchlist.
I really love the trailer for Graceland and hearing your review of it, I'll look for it ASAP and post my thoughts on it.
Let's see who watches Thy Womb first and make sure to post that review here!Between Mind and Heart-
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plsletitrain — 9 years ago(August 04, 2016 10:59 PM)
Guys, you can just post your votes for your top 10 Philippine movies list here because I was afraid that if I make another thread with that title, people might say, "since when did the Asian Cinema Board" turn into a "Philippine Movies" Board?
Between Mind and Heart-
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elanor-3 — 9 years ago(August 14, 2016 05:32 PM)
you can just post your votes for your top 10 Philippine movies list here - plsletitrain
I have simply no Philippine favourites because I haven't rated any film from the Philippines.
Could you perhaps recommend a Philippine martial arts fantasy or history film on youtube? Historically set or martial arts fantasy films (which are usually set in pseudo-history of the respective culture - and like fairy tales they tell a lot about the respective culture) are my gate into foreign cultures.
each brain develops its own preferences -
plsletitrain — 9 years ago(August 14, 2016 08:02 PM)
Hmmm.Philippine martial arts fantasy, can't really think of something at the moment. To be honest, the Philippines is not yet capable of producing fantasy films that it can boast of because probably out of budgetary constraints. There were some attempts in the past to make some animated films but they were not really that good. Fantasy, I can think of some, but I can't recommend them. Martial arts, well, action films there are a lot, but I think you're referring to trademark martial arts like the Hongkong ones? Not really, most are gunfights and short fistfights.
HistoryMy no. 1 film on my list is a history film. But I think I've just thought of something that will really suit you. It has both history and war in it. Heneral Luna (2015). It has been greatly received by critics, although personally I have some question mmarks on the the accuracy of the "history" part because it wasn't taught in our books.
Here is the trailer:
I hope you like it.Between Mind and Heart-
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elanor-3 — 9 years ago(August 15, 2016 03:10 AM)
I think you're referring to trademark martial arts like the Hongkong ones? - plsletitrain
No, I'm thinking of martial arts in the sense of historical fight styles: with swords, lances, bows, cross-bows, horses. Like in (trying to refer to well known Hollywood films about historical legends or novels)
The Three Musketeers (1973)
,
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
, or
300 (2006)
.
My favourites in this genre are (ordered by date):
The Crusades (1935)
Aleksandr Nevskiy (1938)
Ivan Groznyy (1945)
Ivan Groznyy. Skaz vtoroy: Boyarskiy zagovor (1958)
El Cid (1961)
Kings of the Sun (1963)
Asoka (2001)
Ying xiong (2002)
King Arthur (2004)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Tamnaan somdet phra Naresuan maharat: Phaak prakaat itsaraphaap (2007)
Chi bi (2008)
Lang zai ji (2009)
Hong men yan chuan qi (2011)
Na-neun wang-i-ro-so-i-da (2012)
Rurôni Kenshin: Meiji kenkaku roman tan (2012)
Yang jia jiang (2013)
Hae-jeok: Ba-da-ro gan san-jeok (2014)
each brain develops its own preferences -
elanor-3 — 9 years ago(August 15, 2016 03:22 AM)
I liked
. Looks well made and interesting to me. But it's recent history. It seems to be about the the Philippine-American War, which is part of the world-wide struggle for independence.
I prefer to learn about cultures via their legends, which have a more individual feel and tap more into the culture's subconscious, the mores and the ethics.
each brain develops its own preferences -
plsletitrain — 9 years ago(August 15, 2016 05:45 PM)
Hmmm..tough one. I think I get what you're meaning when you say about the fantasy/legend types, I can think of at least 3 of it. But I don't recommend them.
Elanor, do you dig some comedy? Well, I knew you like comedies but I have this movie in mind, its a comedy but I'm skeptical you won't find it funny but ugh, I'll give this one try maybe, just maybe, you'll find it erm, funny. (But why am I getting the feeling you'll find it funny not in the way that I intended it to be lol)
Here is one of the funniest Philippine movies I've seen with some lol-ish use of supernatural powers.
Pedro Penduko:Return of the Comeback
Pedro Penduko is part of our folklore as a savior.
There's also Darna (like Wonderwoman) but I'm not so sure if I can recommend them.Between Mind and Heart-
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plsletitrain — 9 years ago(August 15, 2016 10:03 PM)
I'm.not so sure about that.
Btw, if there's any comic book character I'm glad to watch. (to be honest, I really feel awkward watching 'em allI look like this
) But I like Dyesebel. Especially Alice Dixson. She's so gorgeous. Who's your favorite Dyesebel?Between Mind and Heart-
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elanor-3 — 9 years ago(August 19, 2016 04:31 AM)
Thanks for recommending "Pedro Penduko:Return of the Comeback ".
Unfortunately the link
doesn't work for me (YT says: This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by ABS-CBN Corporation.) and I didn't find another version with English subtitles on YT. I also didn't find any DVD with Pedro Penduko on Amazon.
It seems that there are very few Filipino DVDs on Amazon. The one I found with good reviews is
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Norte-End-History-Archie-Alemania/dp/B00LCL1UCS/
"Norte, the End of History"
Norte, hangganan ng kasaysayan (2013)
. I must say I feel not very inclined to buy it as my own life is rather taxing at the moment.
each brain develops its own preferences -
plsletitrain — 9 years ago(August 19, 2016 06:08 PM)
Uh-oh, I always knew I was dumb but I just made a new low dumb when I posted the link. (I should never underestimate the powers of the admin). I thought we were just engaging in our own simple talk here. I forgot, this is the internet. Anyone can lurk. Lesson learned, next time I recommend something on YT, I'll send it via PM.
Or can admins' powers reach until PMs? lol.
Anyway, I'm saddened you didn't get a chance to view the movie on that link. I was actually waiting for your feedback on it, whether positive or negative. lol. I have the movie on CD with me, I wish I can show it to you (and tell you why it looks funny to us Filipinos) but we're from different sides of the globe so..
As for Norte Hangganan ng Kasaysayan. I haven't read any negative review of it yet so if you have that extra money already, try to give it a try. I loved that film, I would've placed it in my top 10 but I'm still on my Lav Diaz quest (finding his movies are a pain in the ass)both online and on video stores so I can't really say with certainty if it is Lav's best or I've yet to see another.Between Mind and Heart-
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plsletitrain — 9 years ago(September 01, 2016 05:48 PM)
I don't know if I'm allowed to critique this "movie" because I bailed out after 20 minutes of it. It was irredeemable.
Movie is directed by Quark Henares. It stars Derek Ramsay, Shaina Magdayao and Iza Calzado..all of whose acting prowesses have already been tested and proven.
This should have been a made-for-tv movie. Or a plain sitcom. I think it was a hurried decision to come up with this "movie". It tried so much it was just too bad. Cheesy. Over-the-top.
This movie was released at the heat of Philippine elections. I never saw it advertised until I saw its poster on the theaters. It. was. really. bad.
Story is about an aspiring senator (Derek Ramsay) who employs a strategist (Shaina Magdayao) to boost his campaign. Iza Calsado is a rival with whom the senator had a previous relationship. That's just about where I stopped. Or right along the scenes where the strategist begins to fall for the politician. So I kinda have these premonitions that watching this movie will bring me nowhere.
You know there are movies where even if you've only seen a part of it, yet you get that very very strong intuition that nothing substantive will happen in the latter parts? Yeah, that's what happened to me here. And don't even mention the supporting actors who just failed to save the movie. The plot was quirky and funny. Supposedly. But it was all wasted. All because of, I don't know, I blame the director for it. He tried so much (or he just plainly lacks the talent) that what came of it was a poor attempt to score a laugh or cheer from the audience.
My verdict: NOT RECOMMENDED.Impera-
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plsletitrain — 9 years ago(October 11, 2016 06:21 PM)
This movie was less talked about, at least for me, so I was overwhelmed and impressed after watching this. Story is unoriginal, what with a thousand psychological thrillers we've seen, but the execution was still as brand new. I even think that me being clueless what this movie is about made the turn of events more remarkable.
What I like about the movie is that there's just two main characters (played by Piolo Pascual and Rhian Ramos), yet we are engaged in their world set in a vintage mansion located in some far-flung hill or whatever. We are then tried to see into their pasts, see a window to their soul, then boom, one character or another acts strangely, then stranger, then we get surprised in the end. Its not that long, with some sexy steamy scenes (what with Rhian Ramos'long legs getting its own spotlight) plus the story is engaging.
My verdict: Recommended.Remembrance-
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plsletitrain — 9 years ago(November 27, 2016 09:40 PM)
English translation: Why do all handsome men have boyfriends?
Spoiler alert: No good or objective review will ever come out of this because this co-stars Paolo Ballesteros
and I'll just talk about how I gushed watching him in the movie. lol.
No seriously, I'll try to "review" the film.
I love the film, but not because of the story or the production aspects. Actually, to be blunt about it, if Paolo Ballesteros didn't star this film, I would've trashed it. No, I don't think I'll ever lay my eyes on this. But because it has Paolo baby in it (lol), I endured the runtime.
I'm not fond of Anne Curtis' acting. I have nothing against her. I just don't like her acting. Same with Dennis Trillo. I'm sure both of them can act, but you know that certain unexplainable feeling that you just can't seem to like them even if I think there's every reason to like them. To each his own, I guess.
To be honest, and I'm being fair by saying this, Paolo brought the film together. He was the "fun" in the film. Because this is a film that's as predictable as Anne Curtis' acting, there's a little reason for one to enjoy this film. Story is about Kylie (Anne Curtis) whose ex-boyfriends have all been gays. His bestfriend, who happens to be a closet gay, Benj (Paolo Ballesteros) reconnects with his childhood bestfriend, Diego (Dennis Trillo). Kylie and Benj are wedding coordinators and they were chosen by Diego to plan his wedding. Benj tries to figure if Diego is also gay and does everything he can to unleash his gay self. But in the process, Kylie and Diego becomes close to each other and yes, here's the part where you just fast forward it or you can go for a bathroom break and you wouldn't miss anything.
Paolo was just so good in his role as a closet gay. Regardless of his sexual orientation (I love him even if he's gay or not or whatever) he was just so good and he gave justice to the role. I was just laughing so hard everytime he opens his mouth. I wish this will open more doors for him. He can be a good starrer for rom-coms and sitcoms.
My verdict: You need to be a fan of the artists in the film for you to love this film. Otherwise, it's just one of those movies you watch on a Saturday night out with friends or cousins. Or on a family reunion when one can switch being busy catching up with their relatives while watching something play on the TV.Remembrance-
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sitenoise — 9 years ago(November 30, 2016 08:55 PM)
I had to Google a pic of the guy to see what's got you gushing. Seems a number of them are of him made up to look like a womanor else they're fan photos making comments that he might look better as a woman. He's better looking than Anne Curtis it seems. lol , sometimes this is all a movie can offer. I've watched my share of movies just so I could look at someone.