Brawl in the Sprawl


Namco does streetfighting.

Namco, the creators of Tekken and Soul Calibur, are coming up with a new fighting game called Urban Reign. Similar to Sega's Spikeout Extreme, this street brawler puts you (and up to three other friends) in leather streetwear out to bust some skulls in the mean streets of an urban sprawl.

There will be a large number of characters to choose from (up to SIXTY!), with various specialties and skills. Aside from beating up enemies all by your lonesome, you can team up for over 50 double attacks, 30 special attacks and 50 team attacks. Urban Reign hasn't been given an exact release date, but it IS expected within 2005 so it will definitely be on present consoles.


Urban Reign will have its share of tough but sexy babes.


Hey, it's Kadaj from Final Fantasy Advent Children!

I've seen the trailer for this game, and it looks cool, though Namco is plainly using stuff from their other games- there are moves from Tekken (one fighter was using Capoeria) and even Soul Calibur (weapon moves). I've never been a fan of these 'Final Fight' or 'Double Dragon' type of brawlers, since they tend to have shallow move lists and characters, and the drab (albeit detailed) urban settings kinda bore me. However, this IS by Namco so maybe there's more to it. If you can customize wardrobes and characters, have more options than your usual walk-and-beat 'em up game and have good animation and action, I may check this one out.


Ganging up on opponents is the way to win.

Megaphone


Good as gold for music lovers: The Nokia N91.

Nokia recently launched their new N91 mobile phone, their first music-oriented device. Yes, the phone comes with dedicated music buttons and is in effect a Series 60 platform device. Yes, the phone comes with video and a 2 Megapixel camera for really good pictures. But that's not all.

The clinker for this glamorous-looking mobile is that it comes with a 4 Gigabyte Hard Drive (OH MY GOSH) which will allow users to load up to 3000 songs. That's a lot of music... and supposedly, you'll be able to play tunes continuously for 12 hours from a full charge. WHOA. The N91 is most probably Nokia's answer to Sony Ericsson's Walkman Phone which is also coming very soon.

Well, the camera and the Series 60 stuff is good, but again, this is beneath me... I'd rather take a 4 Gig memory card instead. But DAMN... 4 Gigs on a PHONE! Boggles the mind at what can be possible in the next several months. Or next year. Hmmm. The Phone Whore in me is begining to rumble again. Heh.

Beyond Star Wars

Even though the Prequel trilogy ends with Revenge of the Sith, we can count on more adventures in the Star Wars universe from George Lucas, as revealed recently in the Star Wars Celebration event. There will be a new Clone Wars animated series, albeit this new series will feature full-length 30-minute episodes done in CG animation. Now, Genndy Tartarovsky set a high mark with the first Clone Wars cartoons, so it remains to be seen how Lucasfilm picks up the pace from the 2-D CW.
Moving on, there will also be a live-action Star Wars TV series! This series will be set in the time of the Empire, between ROTS and A New Hope. There will be few, if any, appearances of characters from the prequels; exact details are yet non-existent.

Hmm. The last time I remember Star Wars on TV was in that old, old, Star Wars Christmas special, and a Muppet Show episode featuring Mark Hamill. Needless to say, both were painful affairs to watch... fun, but painful. We'll see what happens when it happens.

Reel Deals

The classic Konami horror game Silent Hill will be creeping into theaters through Tri-Star Pictures. The game-to-film adaptation is already in production and will concern the investigation of a mother and daughter of the secrets in the ghostly titular town. Sean Bean of The Lord of the Rings and a shitload of cool movies has been signed on to play the female lead's husband. I'm hoping that Mr. Bean gets to play a good guy this time around, and perhaps someone who doesn't die before the end of the movie. Look for Silent Hill in moviehouses in 2006.

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith kicks ass, at least according to comic big name Kevin Smith. The comic and movie scribe/actor posted a gushing review of the last Star Wars prequel after watching a special screening of the film held recently. Smith commented that ROTS is the film Star Wars prequel-haters have been waiting for (well, we'll see) and is many times darker than even the acclaimed Empire Strikes Back, and therefore benefits greatly from this. Silent Bob's early, spoiler-filled review can be seen here.

Another cool film to wait for is Kingdom of Heaven, according to our friend Ruey de Vera. Ruey already watched this Crusades-flick (lucky...) starring Orlando Bloom. The film features huge battle scenes that involve hundreds of thousands of combatants, placing it in the league of the LOTR battle scenes. As this is coming from Ridley Scott, we can expect grit and visuals that may parallel the director's past work in Black Hawk Down and Gladiator. KOH hits Manila theaters in the next couple of weeks.

Saw the latest Batman Begins trailer and I expect good things from this latest incarnation of the caped crusader on the big screen. Christian Bale looks good, Kati Holmes looks even better, and Ken Watanabe is bald and reminds me of John Lone. Hmmm. Anyway, this looks like a load of fun and I can't wait for June.

Still no word of Sin City hitting locally, which sucks...

Digital Manga

Seven Seas, the publisher of recent new manga titles worked on by some of our very own local artists like Honoel Ibardolaza, Jennyson Rosero and Kriss Sison, have taken a trailblazing step into digitizing the comic biz. The company has now made for FREE download samples of their titles (Blade for Barter, No Man's Land) in PSP format. Yep, the pages have been specially sized for viewing via the Playstation Portable's photo viewer. To date, Seven Seas has reported thousands of downloads of their new offering.

This is pretty cool new development! And the fact that some of our local artists are now viewable on such a widely-popular device such as the PSP is even cooler. Hopefully other manga and comic companies will follow suit and use the digital medium of phones and pocket pcs and PDAs for the distribution of grafiction.

You can check out the free PSP-format manga downloads at Seven Seas' website, here.

And I thought K.I.A. couldn't get any smalller... Heh.

Live and Kicking


Adam Warren and Rick Mays team up for Live Wires.

I've always been a fan of Adam Warren, ever since I was blown away by his art for Dirty Pair: Fatal But Not Serious and later, the two Gen 13 mini-series he put together. I've always been struck by his distinct, cute big-eyes style, which boasts very clean lines and great action and detail (especially in his later works). I have some issues with his writing- how his stories are a bit too text heavy sometimes, and his characters don't just talk banter in the middle of fights- they talk whole volumes. Nevertheless, I love the man's work, along with all his anime-pop culture references and the sexy babes and his wacky, if sometimes dark, plots.
I first saw Rick Mays art in David Mack's Kabuki series, and again it just impressed me with his clean lines and lovely panels chock full of movement and detail.

Bring together these two and what do you get? Livewires, of course. This title, written and laid out by Warren with pencils by Mays is a 6-issue mini-series about a team of artificial life-forms, or constructs (Don't call them 'robots', it's impolite), created by a secret, ultra-black government lab for the express purpose of taking out other secret weapons projects.
At the start of the first issue, we find a young girl apparently being taken on for a ride with one of these construct super-mecha, code-named Cornfed (since he's basically white-trash). In a typically straight-faced Warren method of exposition, he explains the situation to the girl as he drives the humvee they're riding into a heavily-guarded complex complete with fiery giant robot guardians.
Soon we are introduced to the rest of the team. Social Butterfly is a shape-shifting female whose specialty is affecting human emotions and reactions. Gothic Lolita is the team's powerhouse; a bruiser in black lace and eyeshadow who can punch holes in armor plated walls with her bare hands and feet. Finally, there's Hollowpoint Ninja (gotta admit that's a damn cool name), the stealth and infiltration expert. Then of course, there's the hapless tag-along girl herself, who's a lot more than she first seems to be...

Wild code-names, over the top action and clever banter, lots of pop culture in-jabs and pretty cool tech stuff are what dominates this title, which means it's Warren at what he does best. The art is very much like Warren's own; Mays does a great job of emulating the more popular style of his writing partner, but there are some rough points every now and then. Overall though, the pages rock with vibrant color, non-stop action and eye candy, and come across with likeable characters that have that edge to be considered a 'Next Gen' title for Marvel. It's cool, it's pretty, it's techy and sexy and it's darn fun. My kind of book!

So far I've got three issues of this title, and it just gets getting better. I can only hope that Live Wires doesn't fizzle out after the sixth issue, and that Mr. Warren and Mr. Mays see fit to continue the adventures of these trigger-happy 'oids.. however, I fear that few, if any, of the characters will survive Warren's bonafide mean streak which often ends up killing off characters quite ruthlessly. All I can say is... KEEP GOTHIC LOLITA. And Hollowpoint since his name is damn cool.

Get your copy of Livewires at Comic Quest or other well-stocked comic shop in the Metro.

Pizza from the Windy City


Pizza, Chicago-style!

Today I escaped The Salt Mines for lunch out and after juggling various possibilities, settled down for a meal at Sbarro's. Now, I haven't eaten at this pasta and pizza place for months, but seeing a huge poster advertising Chicago Deep Dish Pizza just reeled me in. I saw this lavish, overstuffed, layered pie some time ago on the pizza episode of the show Follow that Food, and I've been curious about Deep Dish Pizza ever since.
Of course, despite the fact that the pizza is a slab that they give you, I still had to order a pasta dish on the side (I really should cut down on my multiple course meals). But my attention for the meal was squarely on the pizza. It's actually quite good as a meal in itself- lots of ham and sausage in every bite, and the thickness is just sinful. Perhaps a bit too excessive and much- I don't see myself getting another anytime soon. Still, it was an experience. Now, if only someone opened an authentic, oldworld pizzaria locally, I'd be interested. Heh.

Killer Elite



One of my chief sources for inspiration in doing action and fight scenes is anime. Some of the fiercest, coolest and most eye-popping fights and duels to the finish I've ever seen are in animated form, in various action anime. Magnificently visualized in some ways that live-action can't quite match, these are some of the most thrilling moments of action I've seen onscreen (in no particular order of importance)...

Mikura versus The Black Scissors (Mezzo DSA episode 1)
Pastel-clad, pigtailed super-sprite Mikura, the heroine of this action-packed anime takes on the Black Scissors assassins, a squad of big, mean, nasty killers in facemasks and black spandex. This fight is the first and best in the whole Mezzo DSA series, with fantastic animation that shows off Mikura's agile martial arts skills and gunplay. It's all done in fantastic fashion, with walls and bricks crumbling from punches, bodies getting smashed through walls and an explosive ending that has bodies and debris raining everywhere.

Kenshin versus Saito (Rurouni Kenshin episode 30)
Mild-mannered rurouni Kenshin Himura faces off with a ghost from his past, former Shinsengumi Third Squad Leader Saito Hajime. This is, in my opinion, the best fight in the entire RK TV series, a title known for impressive action. Other fights are just too long, too drawn-out and fantastic- this confrontation between Kenshin and Saito lasts only for less than an episode but what a duel. There is true tension, deadly moves and a truly menacing air of danger throughout.

Nausicaa versus Torumekian ShocktroopersA (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind)
This isn't really a fight; it's more of a slaughter. In the post-apocalyptic environmental epic, the peaceful Valley of the Wind is invaded by an army from the hostile nation of Torumekia. Lead heroine Princess Nausicaa rushes home to find her father dead, a squad of rifle-toting soldiers standing over him. What follows is a terrific assault as Nausicca literally explodes at the assassins, laying waste to hardened troops in a few deadly seconds. It was this moment that inspired me as to how my own heroine, Angel Ace, could be when she really gets pissed.

Jubei versus Utsutsu Mujuro (Ninja Scroll)
Ninja Scroll is for many, me included, the definitive action anime film. One of the best fights in the movie is also the single formal duel, between two matchless swordsmen; Kibagami Jubei, the former ninja turned wanderer, against the blind swordsman Utsutsu, of the Eight Devils of Kimon. Again, a masterpiece of animation and action with great atmosphere (bamboo forests are great for swordfighting!), well-defined attacks and a solid (and final) resolution. Like real samurai swordfights, intense, brief and to the point.

Chun Li versus Vega (Streetfighter II: The Animated Movie)
Besides the obvious pleasure of seeing hot videogame/anime babe Chun Li in her undies throughout this vicious battle with the acrobatic 'Spanish Ninja', this long and drag-out fight pulls no punches and is simply awesome and I haven't seen its equal to date. The definitive girl vs guy anime fight. For best atmosphere, watch the one with the more somber, Japanese music score instead of the US dubbed version with rock music.

Ryu and Ken versus M. Bison (Streetfighter II: The Animated Movie)
The final showdown between the Shotokan boys and the Master of Shadaloo is often forgotten thanks to the Chun-Li/Vega fight, but I have to say that the two-on-one handicap match at the end of the SF2 movie simply rocks. The fight choreography is perfect, with the karate skills of the heroes put to the ultimate test against a seemingly unstoppable enemy. When Ken finally lands that first punch on Bison, you just have to cheer. Like the other SF2 anime fight, I prefer the version set to the original Japanese score, not the rock music US version.

Yu Ominae versus Fat Man (Spriggan)
The Spriggan movie should be a lot cooler than it really is; it's based on a pretty awesome manga. However, the best part is the first half of the film, as 'Spriggan' agent Yu Ominae and his comrades in ARKHAM take on the U.S. Mechanized Brigade, led by cyborgs Fatman and Little Boy. The climactic battle between Yu and his former boss Fatman is the high point of this anime feature, which is sad since it happens only at the middle of the movie; the rest of the time is then spent on boring scientific gobbledy-goo and a telekinetic brat with a baseball cap. Oh well, it's still a kick-ass fight.

A-Ko vs B-Ko (Project A-Ko)
This rivalry between childhood rivals escalates throughout this classic anime movie, between super-strong schoolgirl A-Ko and spoiled genius richgirl B-Ko, with the prize being the 'love' of the ditzy C-Ko. The final stage has A-Ko squaring off against B-Ko in her seemingly indestructible (and sexy) super-suit, set against the backdrop of an alien invasion (!). A bit dated now in terms of animation, but still this is anime fighting at its best and craziest.

The Paper versus Otto Lilienthal (Read Or Die OAV episode 1)
The Read Or Die OAV rocks, but really, the best part is the first episode (the next two episodes drag a bit). The climax is a truly masterful aerial action sequence between paper-flinging bookworm Yomiko Readman and crafty 'glider king' Otto Lilienthal (a true historical figure, btw) over the New York skyline. Perfect.

Jubei versus Gemma (Ninja Scroll)
It's only proper that one of the best anime action films has a suitably satisfying final battle, and this fight between Jubei and the leader of the Eight Devils of Kimon certainly qualifies. Bloody, bone-breaking, relentless and brutal from beginning to end, this deadly battle between vengeful swordsman and unkillable iron-armed fiend set on a burning ship features a great 'panning camera from behind a window grill' shot that blows me away everytime I see it. And the ending is just pure gold. Heh.

Try to check out these scenes for yourself. Next time, I'll go for best fights in live-action films! Heh.

Lazy Daze

Over the weekend a somewhat depleted gang (me, Vin and Andrew) spent the night at Chili's chilling. Talked about nonsense like reasoning behind the Jedi, the crappiness of the first two Star Wars prequels, and the upcoming Episode III movie, though admittedly I am actually kinda excited to see it. We also talked a bit about the storyline for the next Angel Ace comic, which was pretty cool to discuss. I intend to start writing down the actual script (which will be necessary this time around) in the next week or so. I want the next AA issue to be great. And I fully intend to draw the actual story pages myself- no shortcuts this time, I think.

Sunday was hot and stuffy, and I spent pretty much the whole day just cooped up in the climate-controlled borders of The Sanctum. Didn't write. Didn't do anything even vaguely productive. Just watched TV, watched an episode of Grenadier (Girl with Gun Anime in Ancient/Fantasy Japan which is pretty cool), played some rounds of Dead or Alive Ultimate and just vegged out. Which is pretty cool to do every now and then. Well, the week's in and it's back to the Salt Mines. Oh well.

Angel Ace: Fall from Heaven

I am actually contemplating on doing THIS story for the next Angel Ace release, instead of the previously-announced Angel Ace JET.

As this story goes, Angela Gale is living quietly in Newhaven with love interest Mike and the Scott siblings, Rip and Tip. All seems well, despite the occasional adventure (such as a trip to Manila, dealing with the return of The Sorcerer and whatever), the gang is more or less doing great. But then comes a new bulletin on air letting all know that Gallowglass Mass Industries' famous young President Mondebaine Gallowglass is going to unveil a world-changing device very soon... and he's doing it right in Newhaven!

Unfortunately, this great invention is something that has many dangerous and powerful forces worried. So worried that they they won't stop at anything to destroy it, the GMI leader and coincidentally, anyone and everyone near him to keep it from being released.

So when the action starts exploding in the skies over Newhaven between GMI and their enemies, Angel is forced to move in order to save lives in danger. Will she be able to keep her secret? Or will this be the end of her quiet life in Newhaven?

This is a BIG plot mover in the Angel Ace series, plus it has the distinct advantage of involving the series' main heavies, GMI. I have tried so many times but so far failed to put out stories that include the main villains of Angel Ace... perhaps I'm unconsciously resisting it? Well, if I go this route for the next issue, it should start the road for the series' endgame. And seeing that I've been doing the title for almost ten years, maybe it's a long time coming.

We'll see what happens.

Incredibly Disappointing

A week ago I bought an original copy of The Incredibles dvd. The 2-disc set includes extras like a new animated short starring the Incredibles' youngest, baby Jack-Jack, the 'Bounding' animated short that was shown right before The Incredibles in the theaters, Files and info on 'The Supers', bloopers and outtakes, an old-style superhero cartoon entitled "Mr. Incredible and Pals', lots of behind the scenes features and more.

Incredibly enough though, I was pretty disappointed by a lot of the stuff. The 'Mr. Incredible and Pals' cartoon was not funny, no matter that the cheeziness and retro-ness was intended... it just wasn't funny. The Outtakes and Bloopers reel consists of just glitchy vids or re-done footage set to music and a laugh track which again didn't entertain as much as the makers may have expected it too (I found the 'orchestrated' bloopers from the Toy Story and Bug's Life credits a lot more endearing). The BTS features aren't as interesting as you'd think- it actually gets kinda boring with just Pixar people patting themselves on the back and shit. Oh well... I guess the best thing about the DVD is the actual movie, which isn't bad... but then, I could have just been satisfied with my bootleg disc then. Grrr.

Another disappointing recent DVD release is Kung Fu Hustle (region 3), which has no extras at all... perhaps I'll need to look for the region 1 or the original HK discs to see good stuff.

The MADman DVD reviews! I buy bad DVDs so YOU don't have to! Hazzah!

100 Kills


Blade gets it's hundredth notch.

In all my years of collecting comics on and off, one title has been there for almost forever. It's Hiroaki Samura's Blade of the Immortal, the samurai epic with street punk sensitivities and bad-ass characters, blood showers and flying body parts. It's a tale of revenge, loyalty, love, tragedy, deception, honor, dishonor and a one-eyed samurai with worms in his blood. It's about a girl caught in a cycle of revenge that she has to see through to the bitter end, no matter where it goes. It's about a genius swordsman ready to take on the order of an Empire for his ideals, and the loyal comrades who would die to meet that goal. It's about lots of swords and predictably, lots of killing. It's not for everyone but it's something I truly enjoy... even though I can finish reading a single issue in the time it takes to cross a room.

Blade's strength is in it's characters and the kinetic action. It's not hard to like Immortal hero Manji, or young and naive Rin. But strangely enough you also find yourself liking the villains of the series as well, from the idealistic and driven Anotsu to the pragmatic Magatsu and the invincible Makie. But when you hate someone, you hate them totally, such as the monster Shira (whose demise is hopefully permanent). But this love for the characters also comes with the unfortunate knowledge that some of these favorites may meet their end as well. In the latest issues, this may very well come to pass. Well, all I can do is read with bated breath and hope for the best.

I often think about why after all this time that BOTI hasn't seen an anime release; apparently Mr. Samura doesn't believe that anime can bring his visions to life. Perhaps a live-action film? Well, the closest I've seen to Blade's look is the recent anime Samurai Champloo. Perhaps someday we will see Manji, Rin, Anotsu, Makie and the rest in motion. For now though, there are a hundred issues of Blade of the Immortal to look back on and appreciate, and hopefully a hundred more at least to come. Darn... that's gonna be a whole lot more bodies...

Fun on the Job

It's really cool when you have a client that has a product you believe in and are into, and you're in a position to do cool stuff for. Yesterday we had a big meeting that got things done, things in motion and things looking good for the future. Heck, there's even an opportunity to write something really out of the box and unconventional and that should be pretty fun. These are the perks that often come in The Job. They don't come often, but when they do it's pretty awesome.

Sinful DVD


The coming Sin City DVD is gonna be loaded.

When Sin City hits the dvd shelves, and I mean the original dvd release, fans of the film will have a lot of treats in store. Since the theatrical release of the movie pretty much melded three of Frank Miller's graphic novels together, the dvd will give viewers the option to see each chapter- That Yellow Bastard, The Big Fat Kill and The Hard Goodbye- as one separate film, complete with opening and ending credits and new footage not seen in the movie theaters. The scenes aren't just throwaway footage, insists director Robert Rodriguez; there will be terrific scenes both for plot and action that will await dvd viewers. These scenes will be familiar to readers of the comics, such as a scene where Marv (Mickey Rourke) visits his mom to get his gun.

Sin City fell to Number Four this week at the US Box Office, after debuting at Number One a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, the movie has made quite a bit of cash at a supposedly relatively low cost of production (it's a Robert Rodriguez film after all). I hope this means that more Sin City books will be forthcoming. Gosh, I wanna see Miho in action again. Heh.

Back in the Saddle

After a two-day absence, I'm back in the Salt Mines. Of course, I have to deal with lots of stuff right off the bat. Well, time waits for no one. Fortunately, everything seems to be working well. Still have lots of stuff to think about, stuff to write, stuff to figure out and stuff to keep in mind. It's a good thing that despite everything, I still enjoy doing advertising. Writing scripts and taglines, troubling over products, ideas and concepts, brainstorming and presenting materials to the boss or to client... it's all work that's so familiar yet in some ways something new every time. Ya gotta love this business to stay in it. Having a great place to work and people you like around you helps too. A lot, actually.

What can I say? I'm a lucky guy to love my day job and have my nights with my passions. How many people can say that? Heh.

Slashing Sequel


Rau and Tati battle to stop the Rise of the Kasai.

The original Mark of Kri was a little-known gem of a game- conceivably what would occur if Disney did Conan the Barbarian. Well, the sequel, Rise of the Kasai had some lofty ideals guiding it's production. Some worked, some didn't, but in the end this is a pretty cool stealth-and-slash action title.
You take the role of the Rakus, a clan of valiant warriors whose duty is to defend the hapless innocents who have been marked with evil tattoos. These vile body paintings are all part of 'the Mark of Kri', an evil magic sigil sought after by some very evil forces- particularly the titular Kasai. In the previous game, Rau, the tank-like hero, slew an evil necromancer in defense of his sister, Tati, who is revealed to be a bearer of one of the cursed marks.

Well, the saga continues ten years later, and something is wrong. Rau is dead. Or, he will be, unless a key event- a life-altering moment, is changed. In order to effect this change, the player must step play through various stages as one of two teams of Raku warriors- as Rau and Tati in the present day, and as their mentors Baumusu and Griz in the past. Only then can you unlock the secret of Rau's death and somehow try to avert this event and stop The Rise of the Kasai.

Players choose one member of the two pairs to play through a stage, while the other character will be controlled by the CPU. Originally, ROTK was meant to be a 2-player cooperative affair, but this factor was eventually scrapped for the final game. In this lies pretty much the game's main weakness- your A.I. partner is often inadequate, sometimes getting caught in a wall or glitch, freezing up or spoiling your plans for stealth when he/she decides arbitrarily to go in all guns blazing (or blades flashing, as the case may be).
Otherwise though, it's not that glaring, aside from a couple of hiccups. The game still shines through with excellent character designs and fluid animation, large stages and pretty straightforward goals. Fighting is deep, with the ability to lock onto foes and assign targets to buttons on the controller. It can get a bit frustrating sometimes when enemies block all the time when you're hurrying to hack them to pieces, but overall the action is fast, satisfyingly brutal and slick.

Beating through the stages is just part of the game. Hidden goodies are unlocked by accomplishing 'challenges' through every stage. These extras are cool- such as artworks from the game developers, and nice extra outfits to see your Rakus in through your second or third time through the game (my favorite is 'Evil' Tati in the thong and tattoos).

But what really makes Rise of the Kasai fun is the cool story, told well through good voiceovers, lovely art and really pretty 'paint brush' cinemas. If only for the story, ROTK is worth the price of admission, but adding to the fun is solid gameplay, sexy visuals and some brutally fun action. Rise of the Kasai is now out for the PS2. Mark a copy now for yourself and get chopping!

Putting up with Crap

Stayed at home sick with a stomach bug. Thanks to that, finally got to watch an episode of the much-hyped Darna TV series.

The story- well, there really is no story save what has been established. Narda (Angel Locsin) is a witless, spineless, vapid doormat of a girl who works as a janitress who is continually being harassed by primadonna Valentina (Alessandra de Rossi), her cousin and sworn enemy (in both of her personas) who manipulates the slow-witted heroine to her pleasure and that of her equally irritating evil dona of a mom. Then we are introduced to Carmina Villaroel as Valentina's rival, who looks really pretty at least. In perhaps the stupidest scene in the show, Narda drops the power stone when Carmina bumps into her. Carmina picks up the stone, and then asks Narda if she can keep it. Spineless Narda can't even say anything to get the stone back- Carmina practically gives it back on her own. DAMN this is bad writing.

Oh, and Narda's in love with EFren (who doesn't remember her since he has amnesia) who tries to talk a suicidal bum from jumping off a building. He manages to save the psycho's kid, but then suddenly the guy pushes him. The guy must be damn strong or Efren just damn clumsy since he ends up dangling from a flagpole even though they were all safe in the middle of the building's rooftop a second before. Narda finally realizes that she should swallow that rock since it's almost time for the episode to end and the title character hasn't been seen at all. And so for about 30 seconds, Darna finally appears to save the day, but sadly not this crapper of a show.

The scenes are overlong and dragging as hell. Never mind the damn acting or crappy effects. The show is boring and braindead and I just want it to die already. Choke on a fricking stone.

BAH.

Sin Eater

Darn it! Say it isn't so.

I've heard a rumor that the reason why we Pinoys haven't been seeing any sign of Sin City in any local theaters is because the showing of the film is being held up since the MTRCB is insisting on cuts to the mature comic book movie. Sure, there are a lot of stuff that's pretty nasty- decapitations, dismemberment, implied cannibalism, violent deaths and gunfights, stabbings, explosions, a couple of scenes with naked breasts, a tastefully-done sex scene and one nasty castration, but darn... most of the stuff is really not gratuitous, but more stylish. And having most of it in black and white reduces the gore even more. Just enforce the ratings and keep kids out! We adults want to see this opus in theaters, damn it.

Sigh. Yeah, we can all just rush to our beloved dvd stalls and get a good copy to watch, but this film just NEEDS to be seen in a theater, with an audience and booming sounds. It just needs to. I hope this all gets straightened out soon...

Doing the AshCan-Can

Several of us comics guys (and maybe gals) are planning to do something for next month's Free Comic Book Day. It'll be a little thing, an ashcan-type comic that we can easily put together without too much fuss. The last time we thought of something like this was with a thing called That Magic Moment, which included 8-page stories from several of us, all following the title's theme. It wasn't earthshaking stuff, but it was a nice bunch of yarns. However, we never really were able to get that one out- hopefully this year's little project will happen. The theme, which I'll keep under wraps for a while, is pretty fun... something I think I'll enjoy a lot. We'll see what happens next in the next week or so.

Heaven and Eggs

The gang discovered a new eatery over the weekend care of Ralph. It's called Heaven and Eggs, a quaint resto that specializes in steak and egg dishes, with pasta, Asian meals and pancakes/waffles in between. The pricing is supposedly cheaper than equivalent places, such as Country Waffles, and the portions are generous. The place also serves several kinds of bottomless drinks, including an odd Flower Tea (which actually has petals and stuff floating in it- only for the adventurous) and classic tea (which you have to sweeten yourself with syrup). The place has a cozy, white color scheme, and the waitresses wear cute wings on their backs.
Anyway, I tried out a steak meal with scrambled eggs, and the place's classic pancakes. The food was good, and I was pretty much satisfied. The others were probably happy since they were near their singing place. Well, to each his own. After the meal, I headed off home and played away the wee hours of the morning with Rise of the Kasai.