Extended Play

I spent a good part of the day watching the Extended Cut of The Fellowship of the Ring, which is probably unknown to most people since it's only available in an expensive and not widely-available DVD set. I recommend this to anyone who loves film, and in particular, the masterful films by Peter Jackson. The sheer amount of material, from the two extra dvds worth of featurettes to the four entertaining and insightful audio commentaries makes this probably one of the BEST dvds available.
Anyway, it's really cool to watch this movie, and even after The Two Towers I still regard it as the better of the two movies (though TTT is no slouch by any length), with the awesome setpieces like the opening prologue battle, the Trek into Moria and the Balrog. I am really looking forward to the extended version of TTT, and to Return of the King, which should see theater release here in Manila by January. I have read that they will be showing the Extended Cut of Fellowship in the US prior to the release of ROTK; I wonder if they'll do that here?
This early, I am already planning my LOTR marathon watch with all three movies. I am such a fan. Heh.

Alias


Drip, drip...

Watched an advance episode of Alias on Studio 23. I know, I know... I am spoiling the surprises and pace by doing that, but seeing bikini-clad Jennifer Garner AKA Sydney Bristow climb and drip out of a pool in glorious slow motion made the risk of spoiling the story worth it.

Now I want that Elektra movie more than ever. Heh.

State of Mind

A few hours ago, I received a disturbing text from a friend of mine which made me call him up immediately to see if he was all right.

In not so many words, he was in a bad way, and it involved his lovelife. It was the first time I had ever seen or at least heard him in such a state, and I was unnerved. When we talked, he remarked about how he thought I was so lucky to be apparently immune to the heartaches of having to be in a relationship; to be able to get through life single and apparently without a care or problem in the world.
If I wasn't trying so hard to console him, I would have laughed at how wrong he was that I had no problems. But truth be told, yes, love troubles weren't any of them.
I've known many people who are in relationships for various reasons. I know a couple of... couples... who are very much in love, and I do feel a tang of envy whenever I see them, or even hear of them. I wish that someday I can find that soul mate or perfect partner who will share all my interests, loves, aches, quirks and other aspects with nothing more than a smile. I wish I will someday find her, but I am actually not yearning for it.
I'm having too much fun right now.
For a while I thought I was winding down, but I am actually only getting started.
I have a life to live.
Responsibilities that will both challenge and reward my one hundred percent effort.
Stories to tell.
People to meet.
Food to taste.
Games to play.
Sights to see.
Jokes to laugh or groan at.

Most of them are so trivial and ludicrous, but so much the better. If we can live for such small, personal details, isn't that so neat?

I pray that my friend will get over this obstacle he has encountered, with my help and that of our other mates. Life's too precious to throw away.

The Flesh is Weak.

I decided to stay home today and I resolved to keep from spending needlessly. Well, what do you know? I eventually ordered an Ultimate Cheese Pizza with Sausage Stuffed Crust to sate my hunger. It's not fair, I tell you, since you can't even get solace in TV. There was a show on the Lifestyle Channel all about Italian food, and it just threw me over the edge. Sigh.
Oh well, it was food and you really can't regret food. And it WAS darn delicious. Heh.

Sigh.

Spring Cleaning

Do my hands hurt.

I spent pretty much the whole day trying to reorganize The Sanctum, using a vacuuming the floor, piling up a decade's worth of gaming magazines (ranging from the days of the Super Nes), comics, VHS tapes, CDs and DVDs and the odd esoteric device. My hands were constantly blackened with dust, battered and cut tender by the various objects. I really should have worn work gloves to protect my fingers from the hard, edged things like CDs and CD cases. Ouch.
Anyway, it seems to have paid off. The place looks a lot better, and I feel good. Despite being a single male who loves games and anime, I also love order and revel in neatness and general clean atmosphere. But the battle isn't over yet... the piles of comics I have are just screaming for a space-saver container to seal them in from dust. I'll try to get one ASAP. Then there's the surprisingly large amount of local comic material, accumulated after almost ten years of running with Alamat and other local comic groups. That's history right there... although I have to admit quite a few moments of posterity got crumpled up and thrown out today. Oh well. I'm a guy who lives for the moment, anyway. Heh.

Zsa Zsa Recognized!

Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah has won this year's National Book Award for Best Comic from the Manila Critics' Circle. Of course, drinks and cheers go to writer/artist/creator Carl Vergara, who is probably still reeling at this time. Congratulations, Carl! WOOHOO!

Tit for Tat

Sometimes we get things not because we want them or because they're necessarily better... sometimes we just get things... just because.
Take my cable service, for example. A couple of months ago I had Destiny Cable on my TV. The reception was crappy (perhaps this was just due to my connection) but it had all the shows I loved. I had TechTV, a geeky tech and computer channel that gave me my fix of videogame reviews. Aside from that, the tech news and latest gadget reviews were far more informative and relevant to me than other stuff... including the tabloid-ish Fox News. Another thing I enjoyed was NOW Channel, a European channel that also had videogame and tech shows.
Finally there's the Discovery Travel and Leisure Channel, which contains my favorite Globe Trekker re-runs and food shows like Anthony Bourdain's A Cook's Tour.

When fricking AXN took their stuff and abandoned Destiny, I made a decision to switch to Sky Cable since I felt I could not live without my Alias and CSI fixes. Now, I have no NOW Channel. No Discovery Travel and Leisure. No TechTV. In return, I have the Star Network channels again (which is neat) and Cinemax. The Lifestyle Channel is a poor substitute for Discovery Leisure- the food shows are nowhere near as down-to-earth and visceral or as appetitzing as Globe Trekker or Cook's Tour, and it's not even on the whole day!

So this is how I stand. I lost all my fave shows and channels for good reception and lots of shows which I really don't need.

And about AXN... I only recently realized I could have access to Alias and CSI episodes quite easily without need for waiting for them to air on the action network. ARGH.

Oh well... at least the reception is impeccable. That counts for something.

From here on in, I'm gonna have to make sure the stuff I acquire and move into are for the better. One can't live with regret or indecision and expect to end up with the brass ring. Anyway, I don't think my decision to switch channels was wrong. It's just new. Now I have to get used to it. Like most things, you grow into them with time and experience.

National Book Awards

This evening, the National Book Awards will be held at Megamall's Megatrade Hall, honoring the past year's best local releases in publishing and literature. Of special interest to me is the Comic catergory, where two of my friends will be going at it head-to-head. One is of course Arnold Arre, two-time winner and now entered with his romantic-comedy graphic novel, After Eden. The other is Carlo Vergara, with his quirky superhero/heroine comedy adventure/drama, Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah. Carl was nominated the last time for One Night in Purgatory, a gay-themed graphic novel.
Good luck, guys. You're both winners in my book.

From Fighting Mummies to Zombies


Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) in action.

A familiar name to fans of The Mummy films has joined the cast of the upcoming Resident Evil: Apocalypse movie. Actor Oded Fehr (Who played the cool Tuareg warrior Ardeth Bey) will be appearing as Carlos Olivera, a mercenary working for the insidious Umbrella Corporation. With his familiar beard and moustache shaven, Fehr looks little like his previous onscreen characters. We'll be looking forward to seeing him kick zombie butt with Alice (Milla Jovovich) and Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) when RE: Apocalypse is unleashed in theaters.

Angel Musings


Hi, Marc! Long time no see!

After working on various side projects in comics that include a couple of comic anthologies (Hainaku 3 is already out and selling well, I am told. YES! The other, Cherry Blossom High, should be out in the next few months), I am finally back to working with my manga unica hija, Angel Ace. She's been a patient dear despite the fact that I have been fully occupied with other cute manga babes, all of which have their own charms and quirks.
Anyway, it looks good. The next issue of Angel Ace should be a BIG issue, even bigger than the original issue one which clocked in at 72 pages. There will be laughs, tears, action, cuteness, thrills, chills, an aerial battle AND the return of a certain cute little furball. Heh.
We're looking for a release within the next few months, perhaps in time for the C3Con (if there is one). I'm crossing my fingers on this one, as I do with everything else. It's all in the timing.

Closing up shop

Today I went to a production house to screen a TV commercial for client's approval. Of course, there was free food aplenty; Chili's chicken fingers, buffalo wings and fajitas for the taking. For dessert, there were two kinds of cake- honey and chocolate. Yum.
The next time I go to a production house for any TV production, it will be for a different agency, in a different place, for different people. Oh well. I'll be finishing up things into next week, and then it's time to move on.

Awaiting The Return

Yesterday I went off and bought my reserved copy of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers region 1 dvd. I had put down a hundred bucks to ensure I got a copy yesterday, and it turned out to be not really necessary, as there were more than enough copies to go around. Anyway, I got it and brimming with glee went over to gloat at Comic Quest. Well, it's not really all that, if you consider that it doesn NOT come with audio commentaries or the much-awaited deleted scenes and new stuff. All of these super-special things will come with the coming 4-disc extended version set, in November. But anyway, as before, this disc is the theatrical version, and comes with featurettes, trailers, MTVs, Sean Astin's short film and best of all, previews of the extended TTT set AND the upcoming Return of the King.
THe ROTK preview came like the one in the Fellowship dvd; we come in at WETA studios and watch real-life hobbit and director Peter Jackson open up the show with some small talk. THEN it gets good. Suffice to say, The Two Towers was just the little leagues... Helm's Deep in all it's grandeur was nothing more than a skirmish. The coming battles in ROTK will feature thousands upon thousands of warriors; Saruman's 10,000 Uruk-Hai are like a recon patrol in comparison to the size of the force that Sauron will field against Minas Tirith. All of us; Vin, Carl, Jason, visitor Jay and me... were all slack-jawed and giddy with anticipation. It's going to be a long... wait... till... December... ACK. That's January for us poor fools in the Philippines. Unless a bootleg comes along... HA HA!!!

Real-life Caper

Today, while I was passing away the time at the office, a scant several blocks away downstairs, fifteen armed men were breaking into the main branch of Citibank. Yep, FIFTEEN. I mean, in the Die Hard movie, Hans Gruber only had like, twelve. These guys came and stormed over the guards probably (Guard: "Hey, my contract only goes up to five-man gangs. Go on ahead."), taking what available money was at the desks and within easy reach. They then withdrew, running smack dab into responding police units. Apparently, a short gun battle ensued, though no one was apparently killed or wounded. As of this writing, the gang's getaway van (a white L-300) was found, abandoned.

Perhaps someone watched too many viewings of The Italian Job or Ocean's Eleven. Damn. These things are exactly what we don't need right now. Aside from the big crimes, a teeny crime occured closer to home. My brother's secretary apparently got slashed with a blade on her scalp while coming to the house to work. She said she didn't feel a thing until she felt locks of her hair falling. Examination showed a small bald spot where a razor may have been applied. This, she said, probably happened on the jeep she rode, where two suspicious men sat behind her.

Criminals. BAH. If it were up to me, I'd have professional ninja take these scum out of circulation permanently, as they are caught in the act. Wipe them out. All of them. Grrr. VANISHING RAY!!!

Rainy Holiday

While I had the inclination to just stay indoors, I just couldn't pass up going out and enjoy the day. I went over to Greenhills, pretty much coasting along the mostly-clear roads. The drizzle was pretty persistent, so the day had a fresh, watery scent to it which I always find pleasant. Passing through the usual stalls I got myself some dvd-clear copies of X2 and Finding Nemo (which I seem to have missed in the theaters). I also got some anime; the final episodes of Ninja Scroll TV, and a copy of the new Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Spriggan, Blood: the Last Vampire) feature, Kai Doh Maru. KDM is apparently based on Japanese myth, about a young girl who is raised as a boy and becomes one of four 'holy knights' who defend the capital from evil. It's supposed to have some unique visual styles, but the fact that it is apparently shorter than the less-than-an-hour-long Blood doesn't bode well. Still, I have to see it.
After the purchases and having a nice sandwich meal at Bread Connection (try their classic, yummy Double Decker-egg and bacon sandwich), I went into Theater Mall and saw The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen for the second time. I have to say it seems to have gotten better this time around. I am definitely picking up the DVD when it eventually comes out. It kinda sucks that the film didn't break records at the box office; I do hope a second League movie eventually happens... oh well.
I went back home to enjoy my stuff and pencil some more pages for Angel Ace. It won't be long before I start inking them, rendering and then it'll be all about getting some hard cash to publish it. Well, we're working on that front too.
Still raining outside. I guess the karaoke party pushed through. Heh.

Holiday!

Today's a special non-working holiday. I am planning on just taking this time to kick back in the Sanctum, fix up my things, rest, recharge, look back on this week's events, plot my course in the coming weeks, read up on some reference books, play some games and watch some anime. The rest of the gang has been planning a karaoke orgy for some time now on this day, and of course I am sealing myself in my bunker until that madness is over. Heh-heh. Have fun, guys and gal. I know I will.

MAY DANCING SUN!!! AAAAAHHHH!!!

MY GOSH.

I never expected this. Never saw it coming. Didn't think it would happen in my lifetime.

I just resigned from my job. A major upheaval in my career. Yet that recent reverberation pales in comparison to the shock I received just now.

Nikki Alfar finally has a blog.

A Contradiction In Terms

Go and visit one classy lady/kinky vamp at nikkialfar.blogspot.com!

I have to lie down.

The new, improved Arnold Arre!

My friend, painter and artist extraordinaire and graphic novellist par excellence, Arnold Arre (Mythology Class, Trip to Tagaytay) has gotten a new look for his personal website, of course provided by the love of his life and fiancee, Cynthia Bauzon. Check out the wonderful, colorful images. And there are nude babes too! Heh.

Remembering Ninoy

It's been 20 years since Beningno 'Ninoy' Aquino Jr. was assassinated on the tarmac of the Manila International Airport; an event that eventually sparked the 'People Power Revolution' that toppled dictator President Ferdinand Marcos. Today, Ayala and Makati are celebrating that with suitable pageantry. That basically includes parades, lots of confetti being showered from the buildings and irritatingly, BLOCKED ENTRANCES and lots of walking. Sigh.
When the revolt happened, I was a kid. I remember being in bed through it all; my parents and siblings went on to support the crowds standing in the way of tanks and soldiers sent to apprehend the military rebels, then Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos (who later became president) and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile (now a senator/political figure). My parents left me behind so that in case they all get massacred, there would be at least one Dimaano left to carry on the name. And inflict bloody vengeance on all those responsible, of course. Heh.

After two decades, the Philippines is continually changing. It's not heaven, but I've seen far worse. And it's still home.

Thanks, Ninoy.

Evil Babe


An old/new heroine to the Resident Evil movies.

Here's the first look at the original Resident Evil heroine, Jill Valentine (played by actress Sienna Guillacy) from these preview pics of the next Resident Evil movie, Resident Evil 2: Nemesis. In the first film, the focus was on the amnesiac, butt-kicking Alice (played by Milla "Multi-Pass!" Jovovich), who was created especially for the film version of Capcom's survival-action videogame franchise. Miss Valentine here is straight from the game, and from the way she looks, they're staying very close to original character designs (Yep, there's no outfit better for fighting zombies than a short skirt and skimpy top).

Well, she looks hot, and she's sure to kick zombie butt. How will she rank up against Alice? We'll see. Resident Evil 2: Nemesis is shooting now and should be unleashed on unsuspecting theaters in 2004.

Late Submission

Today, as I went into the office after a particularly speedy bit of commuting, I made a beeline towards my computer and wrote my letter of resignation. After spending a year at my present agency, I've decided to move on. Don't worry, it's for the best.

Well, if you've come and gone in as many agencies as I have, you'd learn that it doesn't really get easy the more times you do it. Well, that's what I think. Anyway, I came in expecting a storm and I ended up seeing just tropical depression (which was reflected in the soaked carnage outside the building).
The funny thing was, the office seemed to be DESERTED. People were on shoots. Out of the office. Out of the country. Or sick at home. When a guy resigns in an empty office, does it make a sound? I guess not. Heh.
I broke the news first to the Personnel department, whom I knew ever since my first tenure in the agency more than five years ago.
Then, I slowly preceded to ease in people I knew; workmates, close friends and associates in the salt mine. There were some tears, a lot of frowns and a long lunch. Sigh.

Oddly enough, I feel an odd feeling of liberation. I equate it with an experience I had when I found myself in a college classroom. The professor said the dreaded "Pass your term papers." command, and at that moment I realized that I had no idea what term paper I was supposed to pass. I had done NOTHING! I had been caught totally unarmed and with my pants down.

And then... I woke up. It was a fricking dream. I was in my late twenties. Hadn't been a college kid for years (though many say I can still pass off as a college guy... heh).

The feeling of ease, of release... there's nothing like it.

Of course, that won't last. There's of course stuff to finish. Jobs to turn over. Letters to distribute. Meetings to talk over. And then, when all that is finished... there's a new life to get into, adjust to, and trouble over.

And then, life goes on.

And so will this blog.

Mad. It's all so mad. Stark raving...

Cheezy

Over the weekend, what kept me fueled while working on Crystal were lots of Pizza Hut's Ultimate Cheese Pizza. I tried it out and found it simply delicious. Not too rich or nakakasawa at all. It was savoury and, best of all, can come with the delicious sausage crust so meatlovers won't be left in the cold. I'll probably be ordering again soon... yum... Kinda irritating that the pizza tends to be a bit too soft when it comes. Use a plate and a fork or be prepared for a mess. Heh.

Sequestered Weekend


This butt-kicking heroine kept me indoors the whole weekend.

Saturday rained lions, tigers and bears (oh, my!), so it was perhaps fortunate that I had to stay home in the Sanctum to finish up my current comic project, codenamed Buffy. The story is entitled Crystal of the Sorority of Light, and it's a supernatural action manga written by Jason Banico, with character designs and art by Yours Truly. It took all day to ink the remaining ten or so pages, and then the whole night to add Photoshop effects. I worked to the sounds of Blackhawk Down on HBO, playing behind me.

The only things that kept me from finishing everything today were my lack of a Freehand program for lettering, and a recordable CD to burn the pages on for transit and submission tomorrow.

Anyway, I should be finished with everything by tomorrow, and have it OUT of my hands by Tuesday. Whew!

THE HELL-!?!


Power Rangers Movie!


What movie Do you Belong in?(many different outcomes!)
brought to you by Quizilla

KEKA

While watching LXG, I saw a whole bunch of trailers for upcoming movies, including some ho-hum stuff like Hollywood Homicide (bland cop film with Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett) to some home-only fare like www.xxx.com (tagalog film about internet porn).
I also saw the trailer for the latest film from young local film director Quark Henares, the dubiously-titled Keka. The title character is a young woman (Katya Santos) whose boyfriend is killed by a bunch of fratboys. In order to deal with her pain, Keka starts working out, learning martial arts and exacting bloody revenge on her beau’s murderers.
While the shots and overall feel of the film give obvious signs to having a lot of effort put into looking new and different from other local films, I have to say some scenes just fall flat- in fact, they seem pretty laughable. In particular, scenes of Keka practicing kickboxing just… don’t… work. It is far too similar to scenes from the recent J-Lo starrer, Enough, and Katya Santos’ physique is hardly buff enough to make you believe she can do the things she does in the film.
Still, all in all I think it’s great to see the efforts of a young director who wants to do something new in local cinema. I am pretty intrigued (or perhaps mystified is a better word) though at how this film is being touted as a romantic comedy, in light of the dark premise and the less-than-dark movie poster.

Anyway, it looks interesting so maybe I’ll check it out…at least on VCD.

The MAD Otaku Speaks!

Within the past few days, my inner otaku got treated to some new stuff. I got the latest issue of Questor Extreme Mangamania and VCDs of the anime movie, Inu Yasha the movie 2: Dream Castle beyond the Mirror.



As with previous issues, Questor Extreme Mangamania #4 continues the events in the four stories in it’s lineup. This time around, horror-mystery story Cante Ista is featured on the cover, with an image that reminds me of the weird gothic anime, Soul Taker. Anyway, the story continues as it does with once again, guys cycling through the desert towards the Devil’s Triangle in the American midwest, talking gobbledy-goo with spirit animals. The kicker this time around is that there’s SEX (which is always good). Well, more ST than anything (well, the one girl in the story gets down to her skivvies for some lethal seduction). The title, "A Kiss Before Dying" is pretty literal… anyway, it’s still an enigma to me, for the most part. I like the art though; I think the staff got jumbled around again, with the former artist of Camp Big V doing art chores for CI.

Shojo-drama Free Spirits proved to resist my initial attempts at reading. All I know is that the spectral residents of the rest house where the hapless barkada is staying are making their presence felt even more. Girl stuff. Moving on…

Camp Big V, I have to say, took a turn for the worse in terms of art. While the Gatekeeper-esque look of the previous issue wasn’t totally in tune with the material, at least it was clean and pretty. The present art is down a notch, and the pacing is pretty iffy. I say this because the new Voltez team’s first kill- the traditiional ‘V’ cut and mushroom cloud… is reduced to a couple of tiny panels. FEH. Not even the appearance of a former Volt team member can change my opinion on this one.

Finally, action-comedy Streetsweepers finishes up the issue. Apparently a couple of new babes join the team, but turn out to be more distraction than anything else. Have to say I find this title to be pretty crappy. The characters are indistinguishable from each other, with no personality, the plot is about as compelling to follow as the neighborhood trash truck and the art's just… messy. Pretty harsh, but I’m a paying customer, and I’ve seen enough manga to know what is style and what is just… not. Sigh.

Overall… BAH. But at least the Cante Ista episode had some ST. Hehehe…



Inu Yasha the Movie 2: Dream Castle beyond the Mirror is the second theatrical release of the highly popular and long-running (over 127 episodes and counting) anime/manga series by manga-ka Rumiko Takahashi. The movie is set well into the latter half of the series, and once again features titular dog-boy Inu Yasha and his companions as they battle a new menace that threatens the world as they know it. This time around, villains from the TV series- main heavy Naraku and his flunkies, sexy wind witch Kagura and creepy soul-less urchin Kanna play important roles in the action.
The main enemy though is a mysterious woman named Kaguya, who may or may not be a tennyo (heavenly maiden from Japanese myth). What Kaguya really is though, is evil, and she’s out to make the world a very dead place. Of course, it’s all up to Inu Yasha, Kagome and their friends to make things all better.
I’ve been waiting for this movie for a least a year, and it turned out to be so-so. The animation and character designs match the first movie, and is of high quality. What just kept the movie from being a classic is the haphazard pacing, plot and somewhat plodding action. This could have been an extra-long TV arc or four episode story. Still, it’s something to see, and it’s great to see my favorite character Kagura get the movie treatment.

Sigh. Disappointments abound. Well, Questor EM’s still developing, and a third Inu Yasha movie is on the way. Life goes on. And on. And on…

Questor Extreme Mangamania is available wherever comic books and magazines are sold for Php 100. Copies of Inu Yasha the Movie 2 should be available now at better-stocked anime shops in the Metro.

Be-Leaguered


The latest comic-to-movie translation hits theaters.

Yesterday, to pass the time before going to get my blood sucked at Comic Quest, I went and watched the latest comic-to-movie translation, LXG (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). For the information of those not well-versed in comics, the film is adapted from the works of comic legend Alan Moore (who coincidentally has excommunicated the film). LXG is about an alternate 1800s Europe, where characters from famous literary works of Jules Verne, Arthur Conan Doyle and others actually live and breathe. It's an interesting premise, bringing together famous 'superheroes' to form a European, non-costumed, retro version of the Justice League. What makes the story more interesting is that most, if not all, of the 'heroes' are... er... colorful personalities. Not what you'd call squeaky-clean. That makes for some intriguing interactions.
Well, at least it was so in the comic. In the movie, it's a bit more simplified, but what can you expect? Anyway, moving on.

LXG opens up with Old world Europe being rocked by a series of amazing attacks; attacks carried out by a group armed with hi-tech weaponry (for the time); automatic machine guns, tanks and troops with seemingly invincible body armor. Not one but all nations are attacked, causing the fragile peace and order situation to teeter on the brink of war. The one responsible for this carnage is a mysterious, scarred and masked mastermind calling himself The Fantom (how that weird bit of spelling came out escapes me), purportedly an arms dealer looking to make a literal killing in the coming conflict with his futuristic munitions.
In order to stop this villainy, the British Empire calls back from retirement the legendary white hunter, Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery), to put together and lead the latest League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The present group consists of invisible 'gentleman thief' Rodney Skinner (Tony Curran), international pirate and submariner Captain Nemo (Naseerudin Shah), vampiric Mina Harker (Peta Wilson), Shapechanging Dr. Jekyll (Jason Flemyng) and the immortal Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend). Tagging along (and causing quite a bit of controversy among fans of the original comic) is American secret service agent and former carefree boy-hero Tom Sawyer (Shane West).
After the League gets together, they head off to thwart the Fantom's plans, riding Nemo's ornate invention, The Nautilus. But even as it seems that everything is well in hand, treachery and betrayal are waiting to spring a deadly trap, and a sinister agenda is beginning to take hold. HAHAHAHAHA...

Ahem. Anyway, LXG has been rocked from the beginning by bad to lukewarm reviews. I however sat down, watched it and found the film... not bad. Really.
Well, it wasn't stellar, but it didn't suck like another British-flavored Sean Connery-starrer, The Avengers. Perhaps the raw material of the original comic and premise just really allows for an interesting watch. There's a lot of pretty violent (and a bit poorly shot) fight sequences as the League takes out The Fantom's armored troops; Quatermain taking out baddies with his 'jabs of doom', Nemo using some dazzling (and pleasantly wireless) martial arts, Mina Harker going Dracula on enemy arses and Tom Sawyer spraying bullets like he's watering a garden. The tech toys are nice; the Nautilus and Nemo's car are cool, if a bit too fancy, and the enemy weapons have an odd, interesting retro-look. Thankfully, unlike recent action films LXG at least keeps a fast pace with little dead, boring lulls in between meaty loud stuff.
Unfortunately, it doesn't come without flaws. First of all, after you think it through, the plot is pretty ridiculous. I'll leave it at that since I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone. Also, the baddies start off interesting but you really don't get to see any of them as having personalities or identities aside from Fantom himself; there are a couple of soldiers with attitude, but none really stand out; heroes of the LXG's caliber demand villains with equal standing, and the movie's lead heavie kind of comes up short (even a last-minute revelation of who the baddie really is just appears as an afterthought and pointless). A really formidable, literary-based baddie taking on the League with all his/her powers and abilities would have helped the film immensely. Give us Fu Manchu with his martial arts, magic and armies of suicidal kung-fu brides. Give us Jack the Ripper assassins. Oh well. Maybe in the sequel...
On the whole though, I found LXG to be a watchable movie. Sean Connery was at his usual level of old hero archetype; Peta Wilson (whom I admittedly didn't find too fetching in the trailers) turns out to be a pretty cool Mina Harker, and one of the more engaging characters in the film. A couple of characters aren't used to their best, such as invisible man Skinner (who ironically seems to 'disappear' at a certain point) and foppish Dorian Gray. And, yes, Tom Sawyer seems a bit out of place. Well, actually, VERY much out of place. But they had to have an American. Ho ho...

LXG is a serviceable action/SFX movie. Lots of loud stuff, meaty fists of doom, CG up the wazoo and Sean Connery. Get your own league together and watch this. And have fun nitpicking about it after.

Angel Ace: The Movie Casting Call!

Nope, no movie company or anime production house has offered to make a theatrical release of my comic. Anyone who does comics will inevitably be asked the question, 'Who'd you want to play as your characters?'
I've thought about it, and through the years of doing the comic and watching films as I have, I've had various images and live models for the Angel Ace crew. In particular, Angel herself has been pretty hard to cast, partly because there is often that conflict to use either a local talent or an international star. Anyway, I found the recent casting thing pretty fun to do, and I wanted to just share them with you all. Note; I will try to rationalize my choices, but I do realize some of them may cause some to go, 'WHAT?! Are you SERIOUS?' Heh...

Mondebaine Gallowglass: Leonardo Di Caprio

Angel Ace's main, ultimate villain is a handsome young genius, monarch and a destined god-made-man and definitely a figure of formidable personal power. Leonardo certainly has the boyish good looks, the blonde locks and the experience in playing a snotty, arrogant villain (as per his outing in the Three Musketeers flick, Man in the Iron Mask. Don't worry guys... Angel gets to kick his arse eventually. Heh...

Ripley Scott: Seth Green

SCOTT EVIL?!! This was a no-brainer. Rip isn't a pretty boy; he's more about character than looks, and Seth is all that. Plus he can be goofy and intense when he needs to be (he also plays the torn werewolf Oz from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). And I think he looks right well at home wearing the Ripper's trademark leather jacket, corn-yellow locks and goofy grin.

Gregor: Arnold Schwarzenegger

WHHAAAATTT???!!! Okay, okay, this was a bit of a stretch. Originally, this role should have gone to B-Movie king Rutger Hauer, but he's really getting on in years and is a bit on the flabby side (if he was in his prime, he'd be perfect). Arnold may have been one of the reasons Batman and Robin sucked eggs but what can you do? Anyway, Gregor is supposed to be a character who radiates an air of invincibility and unrelenting strength; a Rock of Gibraltar to someone as powerful and formidable as Angel herself. Who else can shed menace as well as cheers as Ah-nuld?

Got to apologize that I really can't find any pics or models for lead guy Mike Rodriguez. I don't feel like looking through local teenstar fansites for a pic of the latest hunk of the month. I've been told that local actor Marvin Agustin is pretty good, so there. Anyway, Mike has to be a pretty boy, and can pull of smart and intense as well as being very boyish, friendly and naive.

Kai Mishima: Zhang Ziyi

Okay, another no-brainer. If anyone can point another incredibly cute, pouty, martial arts-high kicking oriental babe who can act and fight and fill a spandex battle costume like Miss Zhang, please tell me. Yes, I've thought about the So Close girls, but ZZ still has the look down pat. KIIII-YAAA!!!

And finally...

Angela Windsor Gale AKA Angel Ace: Sarah Meier

To tell you the truth, I've been perpetually at a loss at what Angel would look like in real life, till I flipped though an old copy of People magazine a few days ago. I saw a page of pics of model Sarah Meier and I decided there are then, 'It's Angel!' Best of all, she didn't have to have the goggles, scarf, red costume or anything other than her natural good looks and charm to capture the spirit of my main heroine. Of course, who knows if she can act or do wirework martial arts stuff... But gosh darn, isn't she gorgeous? Heh...



Well, that's that! There are lots more Angel Ace characters of course, but these are the mains and the best ones to cast for now. Yep, I was throwing around some voice-casting ideas for The Sorcerer and thinking about casting Rebecca Romjin-Stamos as the SIVA ninja commander, but that's for another day. Wasn't that was fun? Heh-heh...

Project Buffy pages


Here's our brave, powerful and tardy heroine.


Here are the villains. Of course, aside from being evil, they're also hot.

Here are a couple of inked pages from Project Buffy. I've done almost half of the 20-page story so far. This is destined for another local manga anthology, and the other stories are looking pretty good. Aside from myself, artists and writers like Honoel Ibardolaza, Joel Chua, Jason Banico and Vin Simbulan are submitting stuff. This should be something to look forward to very soon.

Styx Taxi



It seems that comic-making might be genetic, since my cousin Jeremy in the US is also into making indie graphic stories. His latest work is an indie comic entitled Styx Taxi: Pastrami for the Dead. It's all about modern day 'ferrymen' of the dead (as in the Greek myth of the River Styx where a ferryman named Charon takes the dead across to the afterlife). In it, the ferrymen are cabbies and come from the spirits of people who are consigned to serving in the Styx Taxi service for their crime of taking a life. The comic focuses on three drivers- wise old Dom, the beautiful and kind Circe and the grizzled cynic, Charon, as each competes to see who finishes the most 'runs' in the day. The winner gets to return to earth for 12 hours and just... live.
The story's pretty quirky and often touching, though some parts are a bit too 'New Yorkish' in language, which may be hard to understand. Otherwise though, it's an interesting read and Jeremy's art is pretty nice to look at, and very indie in feel (which is a good thing).
Now, since this is an independent comic in the States (Jeremy and his writer showed it off in the recently-held Comic Con where they managed to sell 8 copies), it's not really available here. I may leave a copy at Comic Quest for people to read, but otherwise, it's just a footnote. Oh well.

Happy Birthday, Mom and Dad!

Yep, you read that right. Yesterday we celebrated the tandem birthday of my parents. Don't ask me how that happened that both of them were born on August 10. Really odd and wonderful. Heh.
Anyway, we had dinner at home with our visiting relatives from the US, dining with pasta with meat sauce, shrimp, crab, fried rice, tasty adobo chicken and soft drinks to wash it down. For dessert, there was fruit salad and cheesecake from Red Ribbon (we just served one of four cakes given to my mom and dad for their day).
Me, my sister and brother all chipped in to get our parents their gift; a Foot Spa which gives nice, soothing foot massages with vibration, warm hear and bubbles. After the visitors left, we plugged it in and had mom and dad test it out. Really nice. I recommend this as a nice gift for parents everywhere.
It's times like this that really make me realize how lucky I am to have as perfect a family as I could ever have had. Loving parents who were and are always there who never smothered or spoiled me, siblings whom I can talk to as equals and always have fun with whenever we are together, and an often unspoken but always obvious closeness between all of us. Given the fact that my siblings and their families are leaving for overseas life in the near future, I guess I have to cherish these moments as much as I can before they vanish altogether. Kinda sad, but what can you do? We can all just be thankful we had these moments in the first place.
Anyway, Happy birthday Mom and Dad. They'll probably never read this, but what the hey. Kiss, kiss.

On Cable

As I posted a couple of weeks ago, the removal of AXN from Destiny Cable forced me to enact our household's transfer to Sky Cable. This has both ups and downs; the uppest of the up being the fact that the reception is superb (compared to the relative graininess of the picture quality with Destiny... but that was probably just my connection. The other ups of course are channels like, AXN, Cinemax, Lifestyle and Cinema One. The downer is the loss of all my 'electronic entertainment' channels; TechTV and NOW, and my one source of Globe Trekker reruns, Discovery Travel and Leisure. Well, on the good side I now can sleep a bit earlier since I no longer have a regular reason to stay up till three AM (X-Play reruns).
Darn, if there was any justice in the world, Sky should have WOWOW, which would be the best channel for an anime buff, and for uncensored movies galore. Sigh.

Relativity
My aunt and uncle from the States came home to check up on the progress of their house in the province. They've been living in the US for over three decades, but they plan on retiring here in the motherland. Haven't gone to the site yet, but from what I have heard it's my brother's opus as an architect. Not really being a travel person, I will save going there when the house is completed and being blessed or something.

CSI: Miami
Got to watch the spinoff CSI series starring David "Kit Kat" Caruso and Kim Delaney. Set in the more steamy reaches of Miami, this forensic-detective series promises more lurid cases, often involving corpses left on beaches instead of deserts, and a more driven and emotional lead in Caruso's head CSI character, Horatio. I kinda like the visual style of the flashbacks (literally flashy) referring to the crimes, and the new team of characters has quirks which are set to differentiate them from the Las Vegas team.

Buffy
Still inking the 20-page manga story for an upcoming anthology. It's taking me quite a bit of effort thanks to my decision to use my old-school inking style as opposed to a more Photoshop-heavy rendering. Should be finished with this by the end of the week.

Rebuilding Zion

After reformatting and reinstalling all through the wee hours of the morning, me and my brother finally got my modem to work. Last week, my 56K link to the web died, and it resisted all attempts to remove and solve. Finally, with a new model installed and the Hard Drive reformatted, we're off to a fresh start. It's pretty tedious and irritating, but what can you do? Damn computers. Anyway, I can finally surf and blog once again from the comfort of the Sanctum. As Darth Vader would say, "Yipee!"

Ninja Scroll TV


Jubei's adventure with the dragon gem continues.

Yesterday I rushed through traffic-clogged streets to get to Greenhills from Ayala in order to get the latest VCD of Jubei Ninpucho AKA Ninja Scroll TV series. I got episodes 7 and 8, which pretty much continues what has been going on so far. Masterless but invincible swordsman Jubei Kibagami is still helping out the girl named Shigure, or 'the priestess of light' as she is known by the warring factions of ninja involved in the adventure. Both recurring and new characters appear in the latest installments; the unnamed but still lovely Hiruko Plant Girl returns in ep. 7, and this episode pretty much clinches the fact that Jubei's one single weakness is that he has a real soft spot for beautiful girls. Heh. In ep. 8 another female ninja returns, but this time she's nowhere near as pretty as Plant Girl, but far more dangerous and deadly.

So far, the Ninja Scroll TV series has been satisfactory, though the animation quality has somewhat dipped after the first two episodes. Enemies still have the irritating tendency of being too easily killed (one wind slash, you're dead!). I actually like the series, but I understand that many otaku, even fans of the original movie, haven't found this new installment into the Ninja Scroll universe a worthy effort on the part of Studio Madhouse. Anyway, I'm gonna collect this series to the end.
Ninja Scroll is about the adventures of a masterless swordsman named Jubei, who battles supernatural and superhuman adversaries in a dangerous feudal-era Japan. The TV series reunites Jubei with his former employer Dakuan, as they get involved in a war between the Hiruko and Kimon ninja, and the mystery of an object known as the Dragon Gem. While blood and sex aren't at the level of the original film, the TV series does have an exceptional amount of gore, sexuality, and a lot of freaky superninja for Jubei to kill.
Grab copies on VCD and DVD at good anime shops. A region 1 DVD from Urban Vision is coming soon.

Ghost in the Shell 2

You really don't need to be an otaku to know about Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell movie. Granted, this feature (based on Masamune Shirow's manga) had great animation, but a really slow-paced story and complex plot which few people really appreciated to the fullest. On my part, I consider it an anime classic; don't really count it as a favorite, but I recognize the quality of the craft.
Well, there's going to be a second GIST film soon. It's called Ghost in the Shell: Innocence and it is supposedly based on the original film, and set some time after it's events. Ain't It Cool news just posted a link to the first promo trailer of the film, and it looks pretty cool. We can't understand the kanji or the Japanese, but seeing the pretty visuals, lighting details and ol' Batou (from the first film) having it out with a scantily-clad geisha girl (who may or may not be heroine Motoko Kusanagi/Puppet Master from the first movie) has gotten us excited. Innocence should be out within the year or early next year in Japan.
To see the awesome Ghost in the Shell: Innocence trailer, click here.

Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life

FINALLY got to watch it. Did I wish I hadn't? Let's see.

This second movie in the videogame-inspired franchise sees the return of the luscious Lara Croft (played by the damn sexy Angelina Jolie, she of the killer pout), archaeological adventurer and world traveller extraordinaire. During an expedition which takes her under the sea into a forgotten temple, she comes across a mysterious, glowing orb. Some other tomb raiders show up, and to make a long story short, they grab the orb, kill Lara's companions and leave her for dead in the middle of the ocean. Well of course if the Crofter was that easy to kill we wouldn't have a movie, so after the timely arrival of a submarine bearing Lara's groupies (butler Hillary and hacker Bryce, played by Chris Barrie and Noah Taylor respectively), she's back home and spoiling for payback.
It doesn't take long for MI-6 (British Intelligence) to arrive to give some exposition. Apparently, the thugs who bushwacked Lara were part of a Chinese bandit group led by Chen Lo (played by Hong Kong actor Simon Yam). Lo stole the orb for an even bigger villain named Jonathan Reiss, a former scientist turned international biological weapons dealer.
It seems that the orb is the key to the location of the not-just-mythical Pandora's Box... an icon which, according to the legends in the Tomb Raider world, contains the secrets of life and death. Or in this case, a biological plague that could possible wipe out humanity from the face of the earth.

Of course, with a threat this great, MI-6 sends a total of TWO people to stop it. One is Lara, the other one is an ally of her choosing; a man named Terry Sheridan- a disgraced Royal marine, mercenary and traitor, and Lara's former flame. Sheridan's know-how of the Chinese underground is, according to Lara, necessary for her to find the baddies and the orb in the trackless reaches of China. From there, it's a series of 'vehicle levels', boring interludes, sporadic and quite unspectacular gunfights and clumsy stealth missions as Lara and Sheridan try to keep the secrets of Pandora's Box from falling into Reiss' evil hands. Oh, and the African guy who co-starred with Russell Crowe (Djimon Hounso) in Gladiator shows up too in the third act. And there are some REALLY out of place CG monsters. And that's that.

Well? Did I like it? Was it as boring and bad as everyone's been saying? Was it even worse than the first one?

In some ways, it IS actually worse than the first. Or at least, JUST as bad. There's quite a bit more action, and less of the downtime and BORING transitional dead space that was prevalent in the original film... but while Cradle piles on the action, the best parts of the first movie, such as the temple battle, the robot fight and the finale between Lara and the main baddie had more heart than here. It seems that Lara's just going through the paces here; she's a bit TOO good; case in point, where she uses rifle drills to beat an expert swordsman.
Overall, it is a chore to get through much of Cradle of Life- Despite the fact that there is a bit of logic and direction to the precedings. It just isn't as compelling as it should be.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the villains are really bland, and that Lara just pretty much whips their collective arses without so much as a hint of worry ever marring her face. Ciaran Hinds' portrayal of villain Reiss is run of the mill and there's really nothing more than a cartoon here. I kinda found it funny though that he actually lasts as long as he did against Lara, when he really doesn't seem anything more than a mastermind. Simon Yam's Chen Lo seemed to die too quickly, and the rest of the faceless thugs are really nothing more than boring, extremely generic cannon-fodder.
The character of Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler) adds a bit of vulnerability to Lara Croft's shell, and there's a bit of a twist to the character. As for Djimon Hounsou, he's pretty much just there as a matter of course.

I wouldn't go so far to say that Tomb Raider 2 is totally boring, but yes, I have to say that overall the film's failed to quicken my pulse at any point in my stay. The action just happens, never once drawing me in or making me feel worried. It's just Lara going over the paces, running the gauntlet and just looking good doing it.

AND DAMN does Miss Jolie look good. Now if only she spent more time in revealing costumes... this movie commits the cardinal sin of having a goddess and having her COVERED UP for almost ALL OF THE MOVIE. BAH. And no, that silver suit wasn't all that. BAAAAH.

I have to say that Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life revs up the action but still ends up just being barely enough to have a life. There are reasons why films like Indiana Jones work, and why they still look great decades after. The makers of this film should look them up. Maybe they'll learn something.

SOLD OUT!

Hainaku #3 sold out in Comic Quest!!! WOOHOO!!!

Well, there were only a few copies to begin with... sigh. Heh-heh. Anyway, they should be re-stocking with more copies soon. My apologies to anyone who went there from this blog to find copies. Try the nearby National Bookstore or other magazine shops for your Hainaku fix.

Movie Sunday

Yesterday, I felt so tired after our Saturday Nightout (which involved mostly a discussion on Vin's comic-opus-to-be, Twilight Empires that lasted well into the wee morning hours of Sunday. I had resolved to stay home and just chill, get some rest and try to do pages for a comic gig I am into presently.

Right after lunch I watched a passably good copy of Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. This latest animated motion picture from Dreamworks is, unquestionably, my favorite of the several films they've so far released (which includes Prince of Egypt and Road to El Dorado).
Sinbad is, of course, based on the classic Arabian sailor and adventurer from the Ray Harryhausen movies and Arabian Nights. The titular character, voiced by Brad Pitt, is a high-seas scoundrel backed by a loyal and jolly crew of unusually conscientious pirates (consisting of first mate Kael, acrobatic Rat, an old man, several orientals and Sinbad's pet dog). Sinbad's out to grab that one big score so he and his gang can retire to Fiji; to that end, he goes after a ship bearing a treasure known as 'The Book of Peace'.
Unfortunately, the Book is under the protection of Proteus (Joseph Fiennes), the prince of Syracuse and Sinbad's childhood friend. After some swashbuckling and male bonding, both men eventually team up to battle a CG sea monster sent by the evil goddess of chaos, Eris (who has the incredibly sexy voice of Michelle Pfeiffer).
Eventually, the Book is stolen for real and Sinbad is blamed for the theft. Believing in his friend's innocence, Proteus substitutes himself in Sinbad's place. So now, Sinbad must somehow recover the Book and get back to Syracuse before his friend is executed. Of course, this high adventure yarn wouldn't be complete without a damsel (but not necessarily always in distress), so enter Marina (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a beautiful maiden and Proteus' fiancee who tags along for the journey.
I have to say that I am a big fan of the old Sinbad movies, and this film captures the stuff that made them great- a compelling plot, lots of BIG-ass monsters to fight, and lots of fast-paced action sequences. The characters are likeable, and yes, the performances are quite engaging. I have to say that Brad Pitt makes a pretty cool cartoon; and as mentioned, Michelle Pfeiffer just purrs so well as the flick's villain. Darn, she's hot. Heh. Sinbad should be out in theaters in the next few weeks. I'll be sure to pick up the real DVD for this when it's available. Pretty cool.

The other film of the day was Bad Boys II. My friend Pot came around and bugged me to go out. We were deciding on watching either Tomb Raider 2 or Bad Boys, and we eventually put it to a coin toss. Well, guess who won?
Anyway, this sequel to the original Will Smith/Martin Lawrence starrer is badder, louder, grosser and a lot more crassy than the original. The action scenes and gunfights seem to come every second (Black Hawk Down in Miami!), and there's a bit of nudity, lots of sexy imagery and quite a few gory and gruesome deaths and things that happen to human bodies (both dead and alive) that earn this film its Mature/Restricted rating. We're talking headshots in slow-mo, dismembered corpses and body parts, dead female breasts (!), dead fat people, land mine eviscerations, you name it. Blech.
Well, in the end it was pretty enjoyable, despite having that somewhat dizzying 'live-cam' style of camerawork for many of the action scenes. Lots of laughs mixed with gasps. Leave the kiddies at home and watch. Bad Boys II is in theaters now.

Bad boys, bad boys... whatcha gonna do...

HAISALAMAT! HAINAKU#3!!!!!


Game Girl, KC Strange and The Textmen are ready for action!

It's finally OUT!

Psicom's Hainaku!#3 mangazine is now available at Comic Quest Megamall, and soon in branches of National Bookstore and selected magazine stands/stores. Whereas the first two issues contained entirely reprinted pages of Antarctic Press's past works like Ninja High School V2, For Eternity and Gold Digger, the latest issue is composed of material from local artists and creators.

Game Girl is created and written by yours truly and drawn by Honoel Ibardolaza. It is about a young gamer dude who somehow gains possession of ALPHA, a beautiful female electronic girl who can transform into and gain the powers of any videogame vixen.

KC Strange is a character created by Nikki Alfar of Kestrelstudios. KC is a spunky investigator who specializes in cases involving the supernatural. Her first appearance was in the Levi's comic anthology AB OVO 2, and now she gets a lot more pages and more action (and shows of a lot more skin, too). In Strange Bedfellows, she investigates a rash of disappearances that involves lycanthropes and shady social clubs.

Textmen was created by Jason Banico, written by Nikki Alfar (and translated by Dean Alfar) and drawn by Armand Roy Canlas (Armor Troopers). This third part of the cellphone-toting superheroes finds them being assaulted in their own headquarters by their nemesis, The Militia. What a bad time to lose signal...

Aside from the three manga stories, the issue also features the winners of Psicom's manga character design contest. Check out the designs from aspiring manga-ka from ages nine to ninety! (Okay, maybe one of them is ninety...).

Copies of Hainaku are just waiting, so get them now. You can't miss it. Just look for the one with the BABES on the cover. Heh.

Outlaws Captured

I went to Greenhills today on my usual foray. I got some anime VCDs; the latest available episodes of the excellent Scrapped Princess, and the first four episodes of the new 'space babes' series, Divergence Eve. Don't ask me what it's about... I don't know jack about it except that it has anime girls with big boobs adventuring in space, and it's form the makers of Amazing Nurse Nanako.
But the crowning achievement of the trip is the acquisition of a copy of Outlaw Volleyball. Got what was apparently the ONLY copy in one of the stores; no other game shop had it. I had the plum pick, and I am ecstatic. Hope the copy is good. Heh.

Anyway, I wasn't the only one to spend today. Dean finally got his MUTANT DVD Player (it's one of those omnipotent Next Base players that can play pretty mcuh anything). Like a native guide in some far-flung rain forest, I led Dean and Vin to the Listening Room where we got the thing. Dean and Gig should be having lots of fun with that new toy.

Looking forward to playing volleyball tonight with some unsavoury people. Gotta try and slip in some comic work as well. Nah... I'll save that for tomorrow. Promise. Heh.

Modem Madness

I wasn't able to blog yesterday or today at the house. For some reason, the phone lines went dead and stayed dead, apparently whenever my computer (with the phone line inserted in the modem) is on. I don't know what is causing this; it just started yesterday night, and persisted today. I asked my brother, and he said that his friend has a similar problem, and mentioned that there is a rumor that PLDT is responsible, apparently restricting the use of phone lines.

CRAAAAAAPPPP!!!!! WHAT THE FRICK IS UP WITH THAT?!?

Do we have to pay extra now to use our phonelines for dial-up? Will we all have to use cable internet now? WHAT, WHAT, WHAAAAATTT!!!!!!

This sucks. I hope it's true and it's just a modem issue or a connection thing. More on this when we get to it. BAH.

PS2 version 2

I finally went and sold my old but still-going-strong PS2. I remember I got that about three or four years ago, working on a sideline to earn the twenty plus-thousand k's to buy the thing. Yep, these days a PS2, brand new with all the trimmings will cost you about fifteen or less, and that will net you along with it a couple of controllers, a bunch of dvd copy-games and a memory card. Sigh. That's the price for early adopters like myself- have to have the console as soon as possible. But then again, it's been like three years... I think I was able to play my money's worth over everyone else after all that time.
Anyway, the old PS2 was a veteran warhorse; in all the time that passed since I bought it, it never once required servicing or even cleaning. The only flaws in it were the old-style 'disc-swapping' technique for loading games (present models have dispensed with this, now having a direct-loading thing) and the fact that some discs that work for the present systems won't work on it (you will have to find a copy that will run for it, which may amount to repeatedly buying copies). Despite these flaws, I had GREAT times with the thing; playing Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 2, Tekken (Tag Tournament and T4), Dead or Alive 2 and more.
Another cool thing about my old PS2 was the DVD trick; since it was a first-gen model, it could play theoretically any NTSC DVD thanks to a little cheat. However, new DVD-Rs don't seem to run on it. Oh well.

Well, I've sold the ol' PS2 off, for a fraction of the amount I bought it with. That amount went to getting... ANOTHER PS2. Yep, I got the newer model from my friend Dean, who has no more use for the console after playing through Suikoden 3 (a game which I have yet to finish). It's the direct-loading model, so I can easily play my games and use discs my old PS2 had problems with. It's bliss. But of course, the new one isn't totally perfect; it seems to have lost the ability to play original PSOne discs... darn! You can't win 'em all, I guess.

Perhaps over the weekend I can 'break in' the unit with some hours of play. In between comic chores and Xbox gaming, that is. Or maybe I should just have some chips and soda. Or a Better Than Sex cake. Mmmm. Heh.

Odd Man Out

Last night I rushed through heavy EDSA traffic to get to my college batchmate's house to celebrate his birthday. It may seem kinda late at about nine PM, but that's just about the time I usually have dinner anyway these days.
I got there and we had our friend's customary feast of home-cooked pancit, Kentucky Fried Chicken, caldereta and ice-cold Coke. Birthday cake (with those nice sugar flowers...) and ice cream rounded off the party.
I have to say though that I noticed (quite easily) that I was the only single in the place. Everyone had a girlfriend or boyfriend, and the whole night was pretty much schmoozing along with the usual chats and reminiscing. I have to admit that this was the first time that this had ever happened; almost always before I knew my college crowd as bachelors and we usually went out doing bachelor stuff. Seeing the guys attached to their beaus' hands or acting all affectionate and fawning kinda made me queasy.
I haven't really thought of getting into a serious relationship. I've had and have lots of girl friends, but I never really found it necessary to actually commit to anyone really seriously.
Perhaps it has a lot to do with the fact that I am, as yet, not quite stable financially. When I get my other half, I want her to be taken care of. Right now, all my resources are solely for myself.
Another reason is that I have a LOT of things I want to do first. Comics and art are fickle interests, and they demand lots of time and money. If I enter a serious relationships, they will have to learn to share.
And perhaps, it's also because I'm not lonely. I like people. It's not like I come home and cry just because I'm single, which I saw in The Sims. Heh.
I guess I haven't found the girl who actually makes me want to SHARE my time, to make me go all the way to her house and do the stuff couples do, like share expenses, understand each others' quirks, put up with petty quarrels, make sundo or hatid, open doors, listen to heart-to-heart talks, plot the future, etcetera... etcetera...
I mean, I do picture myself someday finding that person and devoting my heart (I think I have one somewhere...) to them. I do picture a time when I too can be seen cuddling up with someone, whispering sweet nothings and calling her by our pet names. Eew...

But that isn't right now. Or tomorrow.

I'm having too much fun right now to get hitched. Heh.

I wonder though, who'd be foolish enough to try and link up with a MADman?

The Crowd

Sometimes as I commute to work and pass by Cubao's Farmer's Plaza, I wonder what ALL those people milling about there do. I mean, as I was taught in college, most people stuffing into malls don't really buy anything. Heck, I don't buy things myself all the time. A lot just sit or walk around, enjoying the airconditioning or window-shopping. Most just eat or drink or watch movies.
I had this little thought walking to work of how maybe malls PAY people to just go to their premises and just mingle. They're paid a little fee to have snacks or drinks, but otherwise all they do is just TAKE UP SPACE. So the mall looks nice and populated. I mean, who'd like an empty mall? I hate crowded places, of course, but a nice spacious mall with a nice crowd feels nice. If a mall is totally crowded, this means there are real consumers along with the 'mall staff'. Hmmm. I wonder...

Damn, they really did it.

AXN left Destiny Cable. CRAP! What's left in place of the premier action-adventure channel is something called Reality TV, which seems to specialize in stuff like World's Scariest Videos and stuff. Interesting, but it is no substitute for my staples Alias, CSI and Fear Factor. I mean, everyone looks like real people! I want airbrushed, well-cast, telegenic models and babes you NEVER see on the street. Why else do I pay for cable, darn it? Heh.
Anyway, we're supposed to get our new cable service within the day. Hopefully when I get home there will be good, clear reception and lots of nice shows and channels. Hello, Star Network, AXN, Cinemax. Bye-bye... TechTV... WAAAAHHHH!!!!!

Feh.

Giving up on my Destiny

Thanks to a thoroughly obnoxious development, I've finally decided to switch from Destiny Cable to SKY Cable. I really didn't mind that there are no more sports channels worth mentioning, or any of the ubiquitous Star TV channels. It didn't bother me because I really like Tech TV for my videogame fixes. But when I found out that Destiny is losing AXN, it broke my resolve. I NEED my Alias. I NEED my CSI (and CSI:Miami). I need my anime. I need AXN!!!
So it's goodbye, Destiny. I'll miss TechTV, but I can download reviews from the web. But it will hurt to never again watch Robot Wars. NOT.

FEH. Well, at least I'll have WOWOW soon. Fresh new Japanese anime, here I come!!!

Stinking but Satisfied

Yesterday, my officemates and I went out for lunch. We were in the mood for exotica so we opted to go to a place called Bombay Canteen. We piled into our friend's SUV and zipped off towards the southern part of Makati, near Bangkal. We walked past a positively SCARY abandoned building which stank of crap. The seemingly abandoned stalls looked like mutant gangs were lurking in them, waiting to pounce on us. Well, before a The Hills Have Eyes scenario could occur, we finally made it back to daylight and the Bombay Canteen. Like my other haunt, Behrouz (Persian cuisine, at Wilson's Greenhills), Bombay Canteen was pretty sparse in terms of ambience, though Indian decor was readily visible. No music though. We were met by a pleasant and accomodating Indian lady, the manager. Despite our misgivings at the questionable environment outside, we were starving and were ready to order.
In contrast to Behrouz which had tons of beef and kebabs, Bombay Canteen had more of mutton, chicken and veggie choices. They were pleasantly different from the usual kebab, pita and rice stuff I usually saw. We ordered for everyone, taking two servings of the recommended Chicken Masala, which as a reddish-colored fried/grilled chicken, a shrimp curry dish, a rice-mutton dish called Mutton Biryani, fried rice and several servings of Nan bread. The others all had creamy Lassi drinks, though I opted for a Pepsi.
In a word? DELICIOUS. I was pretty much satisfied with bread slathered with the curry, but the chicken was savoury and meaty, and the Biryani was pleasantly spicy (we DID ask for medium spiciness). At the end we were all full and satisfied and smiling. On the down side, the hostess informed us that the Bombay Canteen was closing down; the building where it was located was being torn down. Not to worry though, you can experience the same yummy Indian food at their sister restaurant, Bombay Kitchen, located at H.V. Dela Costa Street in Salcedo Village, Makati. Really good stuff!
The only other downer is the fact that after eating, we totally smelled of the food. It stuck to our clothes and makes for a bit of an uneasy feeling. If you're planning on eating Indian, bring cologne or perfume. For everybody. Heh.

Batman: Dead End

THIS is how you make a Batman film!

I heard about this fan-made film from a friend recently, but I was only able to download and watch it today. I have to say, this is incredible! It's an 8-minute 'director demo' featuring the Dark Knight which shows off pretty impressive design, lighting, costumes and performances for a non-commercial indie film.
Basically, Batman: Dead End shows the DC superhero taking off one stormy night to find his arch-nemesis, The Joker, who has just escaped from Arkham Asylum. Once he catches up to him though, an unexpected turn soon develops...

I have to say, the Batman costume and actor are perfect (clearly taken from the Alex Ross designs), and the film's version of The Joker quite surprisingly effective. I am a bit iffy about the 'later elements', but overall the effect is cool. This film really wasn't supposed to be shown to the public, but I think it's a pretty impressive visualization of a gritty, live-action Batman. THIS is how you make a Batman movie; atmosphere, menace, images... sans NIPPLES and Overblown star casting.

Check it out!
Click here to download Batman: Dead End!

Backlogs...

Wasn't able to watch Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life during the weekend thanks to the... um... extraordinary event. Yep, I've read more than two reviews that belittled it as being slow, boring and even worse than the first film. I don't know about that, but well, it has Angelina Jolie, and that pretty much sells it to me. I'll try to get in a watch this week, and post my own review soon.
Not much gaming either, whether it be PC or console. Wanna put in more Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic playtime. Want to suddenly finish Suikoden 3 for the PS2. Want to get Outlaw Volleyball for my Xbox already. So many games, so little time. And money. Argh.
Oh well. The struggle continues...

Back to Barracks

Yep, I'm back at work despite the fact that yesterday, renegade soldiers were wiring up C-4 explosives a few blocks away. If you slept through the whole thing, you wouldn't notice anything had happened over the weekend other than the usual.
Thankfully, the revolt ended peacefully. One of the most affective moments of this incident for me was a video showing a meeting between several 'Magdalo' rogue soldiers and their pro-government counterparts. Apparently, two of the rebs spotted the government troops stationed at the perimeter of the Oakwood area. It turns out that they knew each other, perhaps from the Philippine Military Academy or from their respective camps/training schools. Without any trace of hostility whatsoever, the two rebels and the government soldiers met each other with brotherly embraces and greetings of 'Mistah' (a term soldiers use to denote 'comrade').
From the video we could hear them exchange words along the lines of 'Why are you doing this?' from the government troops, answered only with 'This is for all of us.' from the rebels. That's along with the usual male bonding and horseplay, of course.

It would have been horrible to see such brothers shed each others' blood so needlessly. I have so much sympathy for our armed forces, perhaps since I went through a lot of military crap in ROTC, CMT and such in school. Perhaps it's because these guys go through hell to defend the land from terrorists, communist rebels and insurgents. Perhaps it's because I feel that many of their grievances have validity, and they are commendable to have had the courage to go through with what they did to tell what they know.
I also had to commend and admire the government troops; the guys who stand by the constitution and the society no matter what. These soldiers are heroes, both sides. Well, at least for me.

Hopefully this incident should serve to do good in the long run, despite the strain it put on the local economy.

For better or worse, it's over. Life goes on.

The Two Towers: Extended DVD news

Okay, onto some lighter news. Fans waiting for the release of the extended dvd set of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (which is set for August) will be glad to find out the details of the additional material that will be included. I've read the article at Ain't It Cool news, and I have to say... I WANT IT! There are soooo many choice scenes that will enrich the movie even further, even more so than the Fellowship of the Ring's extended version did. Darn, can't wait for August.
You can read the SPOILER-filled article here.

From Reel to Real.

Military rebels, or separatists, using force and intimidation to get their demands. Despite the chaos and obvious economic helter-skelter this is going to result in, I can't help but feel a bit sympathetic towards some of the rebels' sentiments. Their goals are noble, but of course the means suck.
Reminds me of that Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer movie with Nicholas Cage, Sean Connery and Ed Harris, entitled The Rock. In The Rock, Harris plays a decorated war hero and general in the US armed forces who takes over Alcatraz in order to try and coerce the government into giving reparations for marines slain in the Desert Storm conflict.
I really hope this ends without people getting killed. Less than two hours to the deadline, before the government troops charge in. Damn.

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A Load of crap's ready to hit the fan.

Okay, it isn't over.

I was about to go to bed when I flicked the TV to the local Channel GMA 7, and it appears that this 'coup' is nowhere near under control.

Apparently, the trouble isn't limited to the Ortigas area. An unknown number of soldiers, many of them described by media as 'young' and 'in their twenties', have set up positions in the business district of Makati. These soldiers are wearing red armbands with the insignia of a white sun and a red alibata 'I' in the center (this is apparently one of the old flags of the Philippine Katipunan). These young rebel soldiers have set up wires and apparently ringed their perimeter area with EXPLOSIVES.
However, one of the soldiers, apparently a captain, has announced to the media that they are NOT staging a coup. The exercise, they say, is intended to air their grievances and frustrations with the current government and the military chain of command. The soldiers are in full battle gear, with heavy weapons such as M-60 machine guns. According to a spokesman, the rebels supposedly number at least 2000 soldiers, junior officers and some seniors.

I watch the video and marvel at the bravery of the media (at the same time appalled at how unruly and foolhardy they are as well) covering the scene. The soldiers are plainly on edge, with tension quite palpable with every movement.

Luckily, no one has as yet been hurt so far and the soldiers don't seem to be trigger-happy; though an apparently over-zealous delivery van trying to break through the soldiers' barricades elicited a warning shot.

This looks bad. The rebels look serious, and given what they have done so far, it seems that they are planning to hole up for a LONG time there in Makati (as was done in the most serious coups during the Aquino administration). I really hope this doesn't degenerate into a siege. It WON'T mean just buildings getting shot up or blown up, or work being halted this week (which looks likely).

This thing will without a doubt cause HAVOC with the country's economy. We're talking national security and our peace and order situation being thrown out of the window and the WHOLE country getting another economic dump. Poor people will get poorer. The peso will fall. Businesses will crash. This is a whole pile of CRAP. DAMN IT, this sucks. These military people affect everyone when they go bonkers. DAMN GUNS. DAMN FRICKING GUNS. It's all about them guns.

End this fast. Please.

Coup! Coup! Coup!

Today started off as just another Saturday, though I felt really tired and my muscles hurt. I went to Greenhills for my usual goodie run, scoring a couple of anime DVDs of Full Metal Panic!. Later, I got my mom the live concert VCD set of Josh Groban. Met up with the gang at Comic Quest.
As we were waiting for Vinnie at his place, my mom texted me a somewhat alarming message.

Umuwi ka na. May masamang balita. (Translated: Go home now. Bad news.)

I was a bit taken by this, and I responded with a message saying that I was fine and with friends, and would be careful. I also asked what was going on. Well, other texts from other people began to come in. There was a coup d' etat. A COUP. We looked about. All seemed as it was in any other Saturday. There were people in the eateries, chatting and eating and having fun. There were no sounds of gunfire, explosions or anything. But thanks to the power of text, everyone knew. Not everyone seemed to care about the thing though.
Apparently, a group of young officers attempted a mutiny, precipitated by the recent unrest and dissatisfaction with current policies. This of course was responded to by the government. Heavily-armed troops and Armored Personnel Carriers apparently flooded the Camp Aguinaldo-Camp Crame area. Malacanang Palace was sealed. Police and checkpoints were on high alert. At the EDSA Shrine, some crowds have gathered to hold a prayer rally and vigil.

The situation is supposedly totally under control at the time of this writing. I don't know if anyone got killed or wounded, but it doesn't look like it... the only damage is probably where it will hurt ALL of us... in the foreign exchange rates. Damn it. Oh well.

Welcome to my turf.

Yesterday the creative department at my office went out of the salt mines to do our last workshop for the year. Every few weeks we do this to sharpen our creative thinking and get out some ads that may win us stuff in award shows. Well, for the final meet the department chose Marikina Riverbanks as the setting. You know the old saying, 'saving the best for last?' Well, that didn't apply here.
Our venue supposedly for the whole day was the Taverna Marquina, a restaurant/karaoke/bar. It is a very odd place; mixing various themes like gaudy western with the modern, utalitarian monobloc-chic. What should have tipped me off to how bad the place is was the fact that when I arrived at 9 AM, guys in tsinelas were still walking around as if they just woke up, and the waiter was dressed in casual attire. Stricly ONE-STAR, regardless of the great 'clean-up' effort our former mayor (and now MMDA chairman) Bayani Fernando was able to accomplish. World-Class this place ain't, and that goes for the WHOLE of Riverbanks. It's good for local folks, and anyone who isn't expecting anything more than a provincial-class venue. I described it as, Boracay without a beach. Or any cool restaurants. Or useful shops aside from countless cellphone accessory kiosks. Or souvenirs worth crap (unless you consider pirate DVDs, which I couldn't find anyway). That's why I don't hang out there.
Anyway, we ended the session some time after five. I went on home to rest after this weary week, too tired to go out and not wanting to take on the bumper to bumper traffic headed west. Hopefully I'll find some stuff at my good ol' Greenhills. Maybe a copy of Outlaw Volleyball. Or some other game. Or maybe some cool anime. We'll see, later today.

The Mariachi returns

Bet you didn't know that the Robert Rodriguez films El Mariachi and Desperado were part of a trilogy, eh? Well, I didn't either. Anyway, the third and perhaps final episode of the saga of the mythical, gun-toting Mexican vigilante is coming. It's entitled Once Upon a Time in Mexico and features returning cast members Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Cheech Marin (EH? Didn't he DIE in the second film?). Johnny Depp (fresh off the plank from Pirates of the Caribbean) plays a corrupt DEA agent who lures the Mariachi back into the line of fire as a plot to assassinate the president of Mexico is hatched by an evil drug lord (Willem Dafoe). From the trailer, there's going to be enough gunplay, blood, explosions and Salma Hayek hanging off ledges to make the first two films pale in comparison. Look for this in theaters in the months ahead.

Black Wizard

A Harry Potter message forum entitled Diagon Alley has posted the first photo to show a glimpse of Gary Oldman as the character Sirius Black on the set of the next Harry Potter movie, Prisoner of Azkaban. Click here to go to the thread with the pic.
Sirius Black is a new character introduced in the third Harry Potter book, a wizard who is supposedly Big Bad Voldemort's right hand. Escaping from the wizard's prison in Azkaban, Black makes a beeline for Hogwarts and Harry Potter...

Prisoner of Azkaban is shooting right now and is supposed to have a late 2003 or early 2004 release.

Star Wars: The Adventures of Par Schaaz

Haven’t heard of this chapter in the Star Wars saga? Well, there’s a good reason for that. One is because it is set about 4000 years before the time of the movies; the Galactic Empire didn’t even exist then, nobody knew the name Skywalker or Yoda or whatever. Second, it’s a story in the latest videogame in the Star Wars franchise; Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (or KOTOR for short). Third, because it hasn’t happened yet. That’s because Par Shaaz is the name I’m going to give my character, and I haven’t even gotten my copy of the game anywhere near my Xbox yet.
Yep, just got it hot off the shelf just after lunch. Actually, I was looking for Outlaw Volleyball, but according to the lady at Datablitz, some doctor beat me to their only copy. DAMN! Oh well, KOTOR is supposed to be the best thing to happen in Star Wars since lightsaber-sliced bread, according to all the rave reviews and utterly FLOODED message forums at GameFAQs. So I decided that it be worth a look-see. Anyway, it’s not just because of the reviews that I am so confident; KOTOR is also a product of Bioware, a game developer that’s synonymous with GREAT RPGs (Baldur’s Gate, anyone?). These guys have apparently fashioned a game and story that the IGN reviewer has placed ABOVE even the Star Wars films in terms of quality immersive entertainment in the SW mythos. That’s saying a lot. Well, we’ll see.

The story of KOTOR revolves around a dark time in the galaxy far, far away. This is a Star Wars not seen before in previous games or movies; At this time, the Jedi Order is HUGE, with Jedi Knights numbering in the hundreds, or even thousands. Balancing out the scheme of things is the Sith, the evil counterparts to the Jedi. Despite the death of the Sith’s last great master, a Sith Lord named Darth Malak has somehow mustered a massive and seemingly invincible armade which is pretty much tearing down the Republic star system by star system. The Jedi have been scattered, with innumerable Knights falling in battle or turning to serve the Sith.
In a last ditch effort to stem the advance of evil, a Jedi battle fleet has gathered under the command of a female Jedi named Bastila Shan...

You, the player, start off as a crew member aboard the Jedi flagship. You can either be male or female, and be one of three ‘classes’: Soldier (the Fighter), Scout (Ranger) or Rogue(Thief). As the flagship is boarded and invaded by platoons of Sith Troopers, you hasten to try and survive, your choices and performance deciding where the fate of your hero, and that of the galaxy, will fall. Whoa.
Anyway, the story isn’t totally open-ended, but like other Bioware RPGs, there are tons of places to visit, literally dozens or even hundreds of mini-quests, subquests and sideplots ot tackle. You can recruit up to nine other members in your rag-tag group of rebels (though only three of you at a time can disembark), explore various worlds in a Millennium Falcon-esque starship, learn of the ways of the Force, build your own lightsaber and ultimately, decide through your choices and actions whether you become a Jedi Knight or a Sith Lord. COOL. Heh.

I plan of tackling this game very soon. From what I’ve seen and heard, it’s going to be a ride. I just hope I keep my feet on the ground and my attention on other stuff even while I’m off travelling in some galaxy far, far away…

Metropolis

Recently, AXN's been advertising Osamu Tezuka's anime film Metropolis, which they will be showing in August as part of their anime lineup. It's story is... well... actually, it's pretty hard to say what the story is. It's about a girl android who's made to be the ultimate being by a powerful magnate, the magnate's evil adopted son who wants to kill the android (and every other robot in the city, if he could), a detective and his son who get involved, a renegade scientist and lots of robots (shades of Animatrix). Half the movie seems to be all chase scenes, while the other half is boring, but colorful cityscapes. And of course there's a cataclysmic ending where everything goes to hell... but this time, it's set to Blues music. EH?
Can't really say I like this flick. Pretty pointless, vague and just plain weird. Plus the cartoony Astro Boy characters just don't work with the overly-serious atmosphere and complicated plot. Nothing really comes together until everything falls apart. Sigh.

Watch it once if you haven't before, for the animation. Otherwise... feh.

Yet another raunchy volleyball game...


Players get it on in Outlaw Volleyball.

On the heels of Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball comes yet another videogame bursting with T&A, white-trash humor and super spiking action. Unlike Tecmo's offering though, this new game from Hypnotix offers far more straight-up gameplay than just eye candy. Choose from a colorful cast which includes white trash, wannabee rappers, Elvis impersonators, strippers, mafia matrons, biker dudes and dudettes, punkers and more lovely people. Play heated games of volleyball in courts located in scenic locales like a women's prison, a sewer, a graveyard and more. Getting beaten up on the sand? Incite a fight and beat your opponent's brains out! It's all part of the fun in Outlaw Volleyball, for the Xbox game console.

I'm looking out for this one. Yep, I'm all in it for the gameplay. Yessiree! Heh-heh.

Hey, I feel a rant coming.

I wish I could just curl up in bed all day. Don't want to go to work. Don't want to care about deadlines, things that you don't want to do but have to, worrying about where your next paycheck's coming from or having to bother about needing to pay bills.

I wish I had a ton of cash in the bank, enough to be able to live as much as I want on the monthly interest. Just want to draw what I want. To tell the stories in my head. To just go out and chat with company I enjoy, to surf as long as I want, to be able to play any game or read any book or comic to my heart's content. I wish I didn't have to worry about how the hell I am going to find the money to publish my next comic project. I wish I had more of that darn delicious BTS cake in the fridge right now.

I wish, I wish, I wish.

But of course, as the saying goes, wishes won't wash dishes or feed fishes (or something like that). Bah.

Better Than Sex

That's what this INCREDIBLY delicious and addictive cake I tasted recently is called. Better Than Sex looks like chocolate mousse, with a white cream topping that's just at the right sweetness, and a chocolatey interior layer which is chock full of AMAZINGLY delicious cake, chocolates and other heavenly stuff. I kid you NOT. I was going back again and again and again to get pieces of this wonderful dessert. Better than Sex? Damn, I can believe that.
Anyway, you can see for yourself by heading over to the quaint little restaurant named Gayuma, located at Xavierville near Katipunan Avenue and Miriam College. I want more. Gotta get more of that cake. YUM!!!

Family Day

After spending most of the early, early Sunday morning playing some odds and ends of games like PS2's Fighter Maker 2 and Tropico 2: Pirates' Cove for the PC, I was looking forward to resting for half of the day and then getting down to some drawing and comic stuff in the other half. Well, it was not to be. Later in the afternoon, my mom asked me to come along with her and my brother and sister to Megamall. Our agenda was to buy her a new DVD player and vacuum cleaner. Seeing that it was the first time in years (or at least many months) that we had been together on a trip, I agreed. Plus, we'd be eating out. Heh.
Anyway, one thing that I discovered later was that we were going with my sister's 9-year old daughter and my brother's two little girls (who are in their seven or eight years); this pretty much translated to lots of laughing, chirpy chatter in english twang gleaned from Cartoon Network watch time all the way to the mall and beyond.
We headed up into the Megatrade Hall where an appliance fair was in full swing. The 0% interest thing was pretty much what drew my mom to buy, along with the relative inexpensive price of DVD players these days. Well, the fair was pretty bland. Lots of large-screen TVs which we could not afford, lots of new players and models of washing machines, freezers and other home items.
I felt a bit sorry for the kids since they probably went along thinking they could go and get toys from Toy Kingdom. Well, they had to content themselves with watching the featured movies on the various TV demos. I stood there, one eye on them and one eye on Pearl Harbor which was playing on a particularly nice TV. My last eye (wait... hmm...) was pretty much absorbed in sneaking surreptitious glances at the long, fair legs of a lanky young Chinese woman (who was most probably a foreigner or tourist given her 'pambahay' attire). No, she wasn't an Aubrey Miles-caliber beauty (btw, there was a nice life-size standee of the woman in the area promoting her newest movie, Prosti); but she was attractively tall, had a slim figure, long legs and wore pretty hot shorts and peeky sandals. And I pretty much noticed every other red-blooded male also copping a glance with me. Heh. Moving on...

My mom got her vacuum cleaner, and in the meantime my sister almost got herself a mammoth impulse buy of a P70,000 Digicam. WHOA! Unfortunately (or fortunately) she couldn't get it since her credit card was maxxed out. We left after a while and went into a nearby video store to get the DVD player. We bought a Next Base player for below 4K, which is pretty good considering I got my player (with components) a couple of years ago for about 20K. Argh. With the new appliances in our hands we headed off to have a late dinner.
We eventually ended up in Don Henrico's Libis, and had a nice meal of mozzarella sticks, Buffalo Wings and Fisherman's Pizza. The pizza we barely finished half of since the kids got full after the chicken. But the meal was satisfying and we headed home content.

So I had a family day. Not productive in terms of comics or gaming (though I did manage to do a character design for Kunoichi Boy), but you just can't beat a day out with the family. Especially now when these things are getting rarer and rarer (and will probably become non-existent in the next couple of years). Sigh.

Weekend's over. Damn, time's going so fast.