Because “Valentine’s” does not adequately express what we feel about February 14, the range of emotions it evokes, and the big production numbers it entails, I propose that Valentine’s Day (Who is St. Valentine anyway?) be renamed Kris Aquino Day (We know so much more about her than that Valentine dude). Why not? On the way home every day I pass two billboards greeting her on her special day. It’s a formality, almost.
I found my mother’s tattered copy of Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac among the dusty Reader’s Digest Condensed Books in the family bookshelf when I was ten. I started reading it out of boredom, and I got hooked. This version was in rhyming verse and I didn’t understand much of it, but I kept on reading because the hero was magnificent. He was funny-looking— that huge nose—he was always broke, and the woman he loved was in love with some dolt, but none of these things bothered him. He was funny, he wrote wonderfully, he could turn out rhyming quatrains while vivisecting an opponent in a swordfight. He feared no one, he openly mocked the powerful, and he made grand, extravagant gestures that didn’t really get him anywhere, but what gestures they were. I learned what “panache” means.
The part that really got me was when Cyrano pretends to have fallen from the moon, and proceeds to explain how space travel is possible. (The play was written in 1897.) And he does this so that the woman he loves can marry the dolt without being interrupted.
I thought people were supposed to be like Cyrano de Bergerac, or at least aspire to be like him. Life quickly rid me of that notion. Imagine my disillusionment. Cyrano de Bergerac ruined my life.
In college I learned that the hero of Rostand’s play was based on a real person. Here’s a review of Ishbel Addyman’s biography of the real Cyrano—writer, free-thinker, science-fiction writer, probably gay (that explains so much).
Jason Abalos is NOT related to Benjamin Abalos. Jason is the star of ufo Pictures’ ENDO, in which he plays an honest contractual worker who falls in love and wonders if he can afford it. Ina Feleo costars. ENDO opens tomorrow, 13 February, at Glorietta 4 Ayala Center, Gateway Araneta Center Cubao, and SM digital cinemas (Megamall, North Edsa, Manila, Southmall, Fairview, Centerpoint). The movie cost way less than US$265 million, but delivers so much more.
The jury for My Bloody Twisted Valentine story competition was composed of a.k.a., b.k.a., and c.k.a. I recused myself from the vote and watched dvds instead.
a.k.a. became Chair because he did the most pondering. He also requested anonymity, as it is hard to judge people’s writing when one is dead. “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful,” he declared, “Just hate me.” Not content with naming one winner, the jury handed out awards to nearly everyone. However, only the first prize comes with cake.
The complete list of awardees:
The Chair suddenly had pangs of conscience and asked that the snarky award citations be deleted. I said, No, we should tell them the truth. He said, The movie and coffee are on me. I said, Okay.
Honorable Mention: eilish.
Third Prize: evilwoobie.
Second Prize: Rye. If you’re single, the Dessert Diva wants to meet you. He thinks you’re hilarious.
First Prize: sylviaplathsghost. Please email your cellphone number, the name of the person you’re sending My Bloody Twisted Valentine Cake to, and his/her phone number and address to jessica.zafra@gmail.com.
And top51, b.k.a. and c.k.a. were so touched that you wanted the cake for your mom, they convinced the Dessert Diva to send her cookies. Please email your cellphone number and your mom’s name, address, and phone number to jessica.zafra@gmail.com.
There’s this little Irish movie called Once, written and directed by John Carney and starring two musicians, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. It’s lovely. I love it for the exact opposite of the reasons that I love, say, There Will Be Blood. Once is simple and unassuming, has a cozy home-made quality, and the soundtrack consists of melodious songs one can actually sing. A good movie is a good movie is a good movie, whatever its scope and intentions.
In Once, a guy meets a girl, they hang out, and then the movie veers away from the usual love story tropes. The guy is a vacuum cleaner repairman who sings for change on the streets of Dublin; the girl is a pianist, an immigrant from the Czech Republic who sells flowers and cleans houses. They start writing and recording songs together—everything they feel is expressed in those songs, but the songs are not about their relationship. It’s not a traditional romance, but it’s intense. And they’re good pop songs, classic singer- songwriter stuff, soulfully rendered by Hansard. According to the making-of-the-movie features in the dvd, Irglova and Hansard really are friends who write songs together. The director didn’t want the camera to get in their faces and make them uncomfortable or self-conscious, so many of the scenes are done in long shots. The actors did not know where the camera was, and there was no clapper to tell them when they were rolling. Once has the feel of a documentary. It doesn’t strain for effects, but it’s quite wrenching and satisfying, and the song Falling Slowly really sticks to your brain pan. Recovery time: 5 hours.
This is why there can’t be a writers’ strike in the Philippines–there’s never a shortage of material. It grows on guava trees. Yesterday the television audience was riveted to the Senate hearing on the continuing ZTE broadband saga featuring the revelations of Rodolfo Lozada Jr. It’s a story that stretches over many genres: political thriller, conspiracy drama, police action, gangland drama, and comedy. And it’s got irony: a man agrees to toe the line, the same people he protects push him over the line.
The story combines elements from Academy Award-nominated movies. What would be a good title for the film?
a. There Will Be No Country For Atonement
b. There Will Be No Atonement For Old Men
c. No Country For Atonement, There Will Be Blood
d. I’m Not There, Sweeney Todd
What should be the tag line on the movie poster?
a. Moderate Greed Is The New Honesty.
b. There is no good or evil. Just moderate greed.
c. In the van no one can hear you scream.
d. Be disgusted. Be very disgusted.
e. But I don’t want to go to Cavite. Not that there’s anything wrong with Cavite.
f. Moderate: Verb or Adjective?
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