wrestlemania 31

Friday, 15 January 2016

The Scene Around: The Rest is Noise Yearend

12/20/2015 4:26:48 AM

Well, after hitting the EP launch og Mind Money Circuit, yours truly hit up Route 196 (well, for the second time, actually) that evening for another heavyweight night from Vandals on the Wall.

Two-ish in the morning, and I still managed to catch some awesome live music with Cheats, Assembly Generals, SUD, Lions and Acrobats and Tom’s Story rocking the night -- and the approaching holiday rush. And come to think Vandals on the Wall’s premier event had a 16-band lineup at helm, including Bullet Dumas, Autotelic, Ang Bandang Shirley, BP Valenzuela, and Oh, Flamingo!

I quite overhead the crowd for this event on Route 196 was numbered by around 308, perhaps one of the highly-attended events for 2015 aside from the Love Supreme music video launch and Oh, Flamingo! EP launch.Talk about a packed evening to cap the year, eh?

Kudos, Vandals on the Wall for pulling off such feat. Looking forward for more The Rest is Noise by next year!

Thursday, 14 January 2016

The Scene Around: Oh, Flamingo! EP Launch

1/10/2016 3:08:31 PM

Perhaps one of the bands who emerged the most this 2015, Oh Flamingo arrived in the nick of time to release their EP last 14 November 2015 at the full-house Route 196 in Quezon City. Yes, just days after they released their new single Two Feet on Jam 88.3 and two weeks before winning the Wanderband contest; thus, being the top Philipine band to perform at the Wanderland festival this coming year!

Yes, it was full house that it made the venue looked like an instant concert venue with an elevated stage as part of the set-up; and a birthday party as its main theme. Yes, with some games and magic segments as part of the program in front of around 300 people.

Joop, Ang Bandang Shirley, Ourselves the Elves, Cheats, and Sandwich also joined the craze during the evening.

Things get even rocking during Sandwich set where vocalist Raiumund Marasigan did a crowd surf to end it all with Procastinator.

Another memorable night in the books for 2015, and another band to notice at the music scene!

Flick Review: Haunted Mansion

1/10/2016 12:37:46 PM

Photo credit: moviesinthephilippines.wordpress.com

Regal Entertainment has been known for producing several memorable drama and horror films in the Metro Manila Film Festival. In fact, their Shake, Rattle and Roll was so notable it had like 15 editions.

But the 41st MMFF saw two horror movies (or even three, if you count Nilalang) in Buy Now, Die Later and Haunted Mansion, with the latter doing more serious than the former.

As far as meddling with the spirits is concerned, I only had a problem with this picture: it focused more on the teeny-boppy (and even bitchy) high school romantic affair. Yes, two boys falling in love with a girl who has a third eye and capable to combat the bad ones (that’s why Janella Salvador was on the protagonist role in the first place). As it seems, it just caused the film to lose its balance when it comes on taking the light and dark matters.

It can’t be discounted that for a serious horror flick, it had more gore-riffic images than the others. But perhaps we have seen enough in a lot of their kind.

While Janice de Belen may be a serious contender for the best supporting actress award, I think some characters fell flat; barely not enough to comprehend her part. Somehow, the twist at the near-end portions gave a very untypical edge among the other same genre stories.

Verdict: 5.9

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

Extra

1/6/2016 12:37:30 PM

Isang open letter sa isang batikang direktor ang naging viral nitong mga nagdaang araw. At ano ang dahilan? Pagmamaltrato sa “ekstra.” Sa isang liham na kumalaht sa Facbeook, sinabi na siya at ang kanyang boyfriend -- na wala namang backgrounds sa acting -- ay paulit-ulit diumanong nababastos at pinapahiya ng direktor na si Cathy Garcia-Molina. Oo, siya nga na naging direktor ng ilang mga pelikula na pinapanood mo sa kasalukuyan.

Oh. Eh ano naman kung ganun? Ano namang bago? Sa totoo lang kasi, walang lugar ang mga balat-sibuyas o insensitive na tao sa mundo ng TV production. Minsan nga, hindi lang sa shooting set nagaganap ang mga ganyang bagay. Pagkatapos ng shoot, pustahan, may mga pamumulitika pang nagaganap. Yan at sa kabila ng mga “core value” na obviously ay pino-pronta ng hindi lang ng mga network, pati na rin ng ilang mga kumpanya sa kani-kanilang mga website.

Ngunit sa kabila ng mga ganyang bagay, tingin ko, majority naman ay nag-eexercise ng mga dapat ay pinapakitang mga core value.

Pero ano naman kung ganun? Anong bago? Patunay lamang ito siguro na hindi lahat ng mga bagay na nakikita mo sa media ay magagnda. Minsan, katakot na pagod, hirap, at minsan pangungutya pa ang inaabot ng mga taong gumagawa nito. Hindi biro ang magtrabaho sa ganyang industriya. Nakakapressure din gaya ng karamihan sa mga trabaho.

At kung ang inaakala mo na isang malaking luxury ang magtrabaho sa media, nagkakamali ka.

Siguro nga lang, dala ng pressure ito. Gaya kasi ng ilang mga protokol o polisiya sa mga bagay-bagay: pasok sa isa, labas sa kabila.

Bagamat sinabsaing may pahayag na ang pamunuan ng ABS-CBN o nakipagdayaologo man na sila, at least, napatunayan na nageexist ang ganyan sa media. Oo, mahirap ang buhay-media, kahit extra ka pa.

The Scene Around: Fools and Foes EP Launch

1/10/2016 4:07:39 PM

Long night ahead. After crossing cities like a coast-to-coast play on basketball, I finally arrived down south.

Indie folk band Fools and Foes had a milestone night in their career when they formally launched their EP called Underneath the Roots. The five-track record contained their previous hit Blindfolded and one of this year’s notable tracks Undesired.

Along with that, bands such as Ourselves the Elves, Austin, Autotelic, Run Dorothy and The Ransom Collective joined the band in celebrating their night, with the gig made possible by The Rest is Noise, Revolver and Docdef Productions.

And lucky enough, yours truly managed to get a copy of the EP, which were sold hot like pancakes especially after their set (or technically, when the night is over). How did I knew that? I was then-in charge in selling their merch alongside my new-friend John Marcelo, also the guy know for establishing Infinity Blues Photography.

And as I said earlier, it was a very long night. Nah, let me correct that, a long-but-memorable weekend approaching since I barely have few hours to rest before I storm by UP again for the 11th Philippine Blogging Summit.

Playback: CHEATS (ALBUM)

1/10/2016 2:02:06 PM

Long before I get acquainted into their music. All I then-knew was CHEATS was one of the reasons why the Philippine music here in the country was very much alive. And I’m not talking about how wild their usual sets are. Also, forget the stereotyping of mainstream and underground thingamajigs.

Last July, they formally launched their self-titled album at SaGuijo. And fair enough, nearly half of their released singles became part of the record.

The price (Php 400) comes with that unconventional package a la pizza box. But the specialty -- which are the ten tracks in the album -- proved them moreover. It’s not just another Locked Down Entertainment product (known for having a very different set-up products such as their albums).

So that perhaps was the reason why this band, comprised of seven including Candy Gamos (FRILLS), Saab Magalona and her husband Jim Bacarro, were the real deal in the scene. No wonder they are headlining Laneway Festival at Singapore later this year!

Their album already said it best. Their lyrical artform (which may sound shorter on their auditory craft but compliments so well), the mixture (much cleaner than their earlier released singles version), perhaps Ely Buendia was a huge help in producing this record at all. There are times I would wonder if this a resemblance of his guitarwork at Pupil or something.

But no. Quite different. And their rock signature can be more popular without the aid of being pop. That alone may be enough basis to own CHEATS and tag them as the best (if not one of the best) albums of OPM for the past year.

LISTEN:

Verdict: 9

Tuesday, 12 January 2016

Tirada Ni SlickMaster: 2015 MMFF Edition (Part 2)

12/28/2015 2:46:44 AM

Disqualified ang Honor Thy Father mula sa Best Picture award sa ika-41 na Metro Manila Film Festival.

Alam ko, nabanggit ko na ito sa previous na Tirada Ni SlickMaster ukol sa 2015 MMFF. Pero mukhang naging masalimuot ang proseso ng pagkakadiskwalipika nito.

Ayon sa mga tropa ko na nagko-cover sa entertainment industry, ang pagkakamali raw ay ang pagpalabas nito sa opening ng Cinema One Originals 2015. At hindi naman raw ito kasali sa naturang contest. At dinisclose pa nga nila ito sa MMFF.

At iyan daw ang naging violation ng Honor Thy Father para hindi makasama sa nasabing patimpalak.

Ganun? Oo, ganun nga.

Ayon pa nga sa iilan, hindi raw deserving ang ilang mga napiling manalo. Naku, mahirap magsalita dyan. Siguro, mas okay na magbiaw ang mga kritiko talaga ddito na as in lahat ng walong pelikulang kalahok sa MMFF ay napanood nila. At least may ideya sila.

Pero pinabulaanan ito ng execuive producer na si Dondon Monteverde. Aniya, alam ng MMFF ang mga kilos ng Honor Thy Father at bagkus ay late nga silang nadadgdag sa lineup.

Ayos. Ay, mali, ayos sana. Ito ang problema. Hindi lang Honor Thy Father ang kanselado. Pati Nilalang din daw. Napull-out pa nga sila mula sa ilang sinehan. Ang saklap no?

Kaya sa totoo lang, ayokong isipin na nagmukang pakonswelo na lamang ang pagkapaalo ni Erik Matti sa Best Director award sa ginanap na awards night kanina. At isang matinding pasabog na nga lang ang mga binitiwang salita niya bilang pagtanggap sa naturang parangal. Hindi lang ito patama sa ehekutibong kumite ng MMFF, kundi sa pangkalahatan na mula sa mga kapwa filmnaker hanggang sa mga manunood. Hindi naman siguro bago ang mga hakbang na ginagawa ng iba’t ibang mga filmmaker na iangat muli ang antas ng kalidad ng mga pelikula.

At sa totoo lang: dapat bang sisihin rin ang mga may ganid na kapitalista dito? Siguro.

Pero ito isa ang problema: una, nagdedeteriorate na ang panlasa ng karamihan sa mga bagay-bagay Siguro dahil sa mga jologs sila, o baduy, o maka-masa. At ang problema, ang saklaw ng masa sa ating bansa ay mayorya ng mga nasa lower class.

Saka isa pa: ang Pasko ay nagiging panahon na ng komersiyalismo, hindi na ito gaya ng dati na mas naipapakit ang diwa ng bigayan.

Oo, may konek nga ito. Nagbabago ang panahon.