Movie Talk

Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong hits theaters next week, though I really can't say I'm too hot about the 3 hour length. Early word in reviews has it that Jackson kind of treated KK with the same eye for detail and depth as LOTR, which is really not necessary given that most of the characters aren't that important aside from Ann Darrow (played by Naomi Watts) and Kong itself (motion-captured by Andy Serkis). Still, the action and effects are supposed to be awesome and worth the watch once you get past the plodding opening. We'll see about this.

A new Mummy film is supposedly on the drawing board. How many times can Imhotep come back??! Fear not, apparently the next and third Mummy film will have a totally new linen-wrapped villain all the way from China! The new Mummy will be a former Chinese Emperor out to resurrect his dead army (turned into terra-cotta warriors) for world conquest. Apparently the third film will also have parts for Brendan Frasier and Rachel Wiesz once more, but their participation is yet to be confirmed.

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe looks cool, and it is the film I am excited to see this December. I'm really not expecting the same depth or feel as LOTR, but with WETA behind the effects, you know this is going to be a dazzler.

An early teaser trailer for X3 is online! SPOILERS WARNING

It seems that Jean Grey (Famke Jannsen) is back from the dead, though the entire film doesn't seem to be necessarily about the Pheonix or Dark Pheonix saga. Overall, it seems the theme is about a 'Last Stand', perhaps between the X-men and the Brotherhood, or mutants against humans. Magneto (Ian McKellen) is back as the villain, with a large group of new recruits for his latest plot. Also confirmed in the movie are Prof. Xavier (Patrick Stewart), veteran X-men Storm (Halle Berry), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin), as well as Mystique (Rebecca Romjin-Stamos). Other mutants in the spotlight include Colossus, Shadowcat, Iceman and more. The teaser trailer also shows for the first time X-men Beast (Kelsea Grammar) and Angel. From the look of the trailer there seems to be a LOT of action... we'll see how the post-Bryan Singer X-men film does when it hits theaters in May 2006.

Hah! I'm talking as if I'm going to have lots of time to spare to watch movies... looks like I'm gonna be busy for most of the month. Oh well. Let's see what we can squeeze in.

Project: HERO


Coming on December 10!

Here's the final cover art for Project: Hero! No, it's not a comic book with tagalog-dubbed anime. It's a collaboration of our group with the aim of bringing back the no-angst, all-fun FUN of classic, black-and-white superheroes. No hidden agendas, no personal rhetoric, no grit and social relevance other than just the profound sense of wonder and the belief that good will always triumph over evil... with the right costume and some nifty super powers!

Project HERO includes stories and art from Dean Alfar, Nikki Alfar, Vin Simbulan, Elbert Or, Andrew Drilon, Jason Banico, Ner Perdrina, Jaime Bautista and yours truly. The book was put together and edited by Elbert and Andrew, with cover art pencils by myself and colors by Jaime. The stories range from the adventures of teenage cosmic guardian Kid Continuum by Vin and Andrew, to the debut story of my own Egyptian-Japanese demi-goddess superheroine Samuraisis, to the time-spanning adventures of Dean's Craft Century. There's something for everyone in this 68-page monster, so join us at the launch of Saturday, December 10, 2005 at Fully Booked in Greenhills. Coincidentally, it will also be the launch of Siglo: Passion and Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 1, so bibliophiles and comic aficionados should save up for buying stuff this weekend.

Take up your capes and GO! Later, everyone!

Dead or Alive Finale

The first Xbox 360 brawler, Dead or Alive 4, has been delayed for a while in both Japan and the US. Initially seen as a launch title for Microsoft's super console, the game will be lucky to see release in 2005, given how much of a perfectionist DOA creator Tomonobu Itagaki is. I'm hoping the delay results in more costumes, better gameplay and tons of extras to enjoy this, the latest DOA fighter. And probably the LAST Dead or Alive fighter too, if the words of Itagaki in several articles online are to be believed.
Apparently, Mr. Itagaki decided that with DOA4, he has accomplished pretty much all that he can do with the title; he has all but confirmed that DOA4 will be the final DOA fighting game, citing that the Dead or Alive story ends with the fourth game.

In DOA4, after the last tournament where ninja Ayane defeats Genra, her former master-turned near invincible killing machine, the ninja foursome of Ayane, Hayate, Ryu Hayabusa and Kasumi lay siege to DOATEC to once and for all put an end to the sinister corporation's cloning and weapons experiments. The game's main character, Helena Douglas, can only be unlocked for play after beating the game with everyone else, and her lengthy CG ending movie will be the climax of the entire Dead or Alive saga, perhaps at least as far as the storyline with the evil DOATEC Corporation is concerned.

So there's nothing more to be done to improve DOA? Now, Tekken and Virtua Fighter are already onto their 5th and 6th installments, so that's a bit of huey for me. It's a bit of arrogance from an obviously arrogant man- yeah, I dislike a lot about Itagaki, but I love his games to no end. All I can hope is that the demand for more DOA fighting action will eventually move Tecmo to go for another Dead or Alive brawler in the future.

For now though, DOA4 looks to be IT, so I hope all this last-minute tweaking results in the best game in the series... and at least a couple of bikini outfits too. Heh. No Xbox 360s yet in sight anywhere locally, but we'll see about getting our graspy hands on one AND a copy of DOA4 as soon as we can.

Making Headlines

If you have time, get yourself a copy of the Manila Bulletin today and turn to the "i" supplement.

There's a loooong article about local comic book creators, from main man Arnold Arre (Myth Class) to Wasted's Gerry Alanguilan, Oliver Pulumbarit (Lexy, Nance and Argus) and more. Oh, and I'm there as well! It's a really detailed, in-depth and insightful article by cool writer/reporter Yonina Chan. Thanks, Yonina!

Gizmos

Yesterday, while walking around Cyber Zone in Megamall, I looked through the windows of various shops. Apparently there's a bit of a multimedia craze right now, probably sparked by the arrival of the video-capable iPod. There are now lots of tiny MP3 players with video also available. These range from teeny-tiny doo-hickies with thumbnail-size screens to gadgets that look like keypad-less Nokia cellphones that play music and MP4 video. Cheap compared to iPods, Pocket PCs or high-end Mobiles, they're the way to go if you have a budget but want to join the multimedia-enabled crowd.

I have to admit I got enamoured in some of the devices, but thankfully I need only remind myself that I already have a multimedia device. What makes my O2 Mini so cool is that it's also a PHONE, so I bring it along as a matter of course. I'm not the type of person who carries around extra gadgets, since I like to travel fast and light. So a stand-alone device such as a PSP or an iPod really isn't my bag.

So it got me thinking... a device I'd probably go for would be something like a multimedia-enabled wristwatch (gives a new meaning to the word 'watch). I know there have been some forays into this, but there hasn't been really anything seriously made in this manner from any of the big mobile names. A good media or smart wristwatch would be able to tell time and sound alarms, and have stopwatch functions and a calendar. The LCD screen would be big enough for video showing, and would be customizeable so you can change the face of your watch at will (you can also choose whether you want a digital watch or a clock complete with hour and minute hands). Miniature hard drives would be cool, but realistically such a device would probably have limited memory for MP3 and MP4 video loadings (via USB). Of course, watching vids, playing games or music would be power-consuming, so there may need to be a separate battery for the clock function so you're not left up the creek without a way to tell time if you play one too many viewings of the latest Scandal video.

Still, the inherent danger of such a device is the way it's always visible. Such a gizmo would no doubt attract thieves and that is a BIG no-no. Oh well. Maybe a good, plain design can be implemented so the Smart Watch would be chic but not too attractive. Ah, the price we pay for coolness.

It's a dream, of course, for now. But who knows... maybe some Mobile R&D guy is out there, reading this blog right now and getting an idea. Just send me a sample of your gadget when it becomes reality, my good man, and I'll be satisfied. Heh.

When in Rome...


Bloody historical epic.

If you're my age, you'd probably remember watching Saturday Fun Machine cartoons. Included in this banquet of animated fare was the Hanna-Barbera series Roman Holidays. It was basically a throw-away, lackluster clone of the more well-known Flintstones or Jetsons series, albeit set in Ancient Rome. Of course, the real Rome of antiquity didn't have a happy home life like that of white-picket fence America, with every family owning a family chariot, a clean home with the distinct Roman pillars and a wardrobe of immaculate white togas.

Nope... life in historical Ancient Rome was dirty, smelly, brutal and bloody. There was political unrest, courtesy of the conflict between two great men- Gaius Julius Caesar and Gaius Pompeii Magnus, each commanding legions of soldiers and ranks of politicians. There was class warfare, between the common plebes and the nobility. There's sex, violence, blood and death aplenty whether it's on a road or a street or a battlefield. This is the Rome as depicted by HBO's new and gritty mini-series, and I'm hooked.
I've always been intrigued with HBO's features, such as Band of Brothers, though I've passed on stuff like Carnivale and Deadwood. HBO's Rome serves you raw, bloody sex and violence on a steaming platter with all the trimmings- crucifixions, baths in ox blood, pagan worship, big battles, bad-ass legionaires, conspiracies and political intrigue laced with poison and bloody blades. This is a Rome where family members order executions as easily as dinner (this IS Ancient Rome, where eventually the Mafia and the Cosa Nostra originate, after all), where you truly have to keep on hand free to shake hands with friends, and the other armed with a sword to keep enemies at bay. It's a terrifying time... I certainly wouldn't want to live in this era, not even if I was a noble or a wealthy merchant. But it's a great place to visit and watch.

It's epic yet base, sweeping yet very personal, as seen through both the eyes of powerful historical figures and commoners. The 'heroes' of the series, rowdy womanizing and worldly legionaire Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) and the hard-principled, morose centurion Lucius Veronus (Kevin McKidd) are great protagonists; such polar opposites that they blend perfectly together to bring humanity and humor in a very harsh and brutal time. Seeing their fortunes rise and fall with the Empire they help or hinder to build makes for an absorbing watch.

I'm definitely getting this on DVD when it becomes available. Now THIS is Roman Drama. Heh. Catch a new episode of Rome's 12 part first season (and supposedly it's already been signed on for a 2nd Season) every Tuesday on HBO.

Musings

I've been a bit free these past couple of weeks... I finished Project Hero but then I guess I got a bit sidetracked which resulted in a bit of a delay for Kunoichi Boy#1 to be released in Comic Quest. I just need to fill in some blanks and take the time to produce a batch of copies so the issue can be released at CQ branches. I'll try to do it by the weekend.

Aside from that, I'm already thinking up Angel Ace book that's supposed to come out next year. Finalizing stuff and getting ready to make this a BANG of a release. Still, I'm actually thinking of delaying the 'Last' story and instead coming out instead with an Angel Ace vs K.I.A. crossover comic. I feel that I just have to get past this hurdle before going to the endgame. Not sure yet how to go about this, but I'll figure something out.

Just goes to show how liquid everything is when you don't set it in stone. Oh well. We'll see where this goes...

Proudly Filipino-Made

Dean already posted this in his blog, so I'll follow suit.

There will be a triple book launch on Dec 10, 6:30PM, at Fully Booked Greenhills. On offer will be stuff our group has been working on for the past couple of years or so. There's the illustrated full-color anthology Siglo: Passion, the Just-For-Fun Superhero comic collection Project: Hero and Dean's baby- Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 1. Please feel free to come and join the giddy glee of launch day with us. It'll be a BLAST!

WOOOHOOO!!!!

Filler

I've decided to stay home today. It was kinda late and I was still in the house, and there was this bit of news from my mom that the authorities found four BOMBS in a nearby mall... luckily they were found before they were detonated. Mom apparently found this out from somewhere or someone other than the news since they aren't mentioning this anywhere. Media blackout, I guess. No one wants to cause a panic. I wonder though if it's true... or just gossip and hearsay.
Anyway, I'm indoors for now, watching Saturday night TV, and it's not bad at all. I'm really getting into Ghost Hunters, that kooky show about part-time paranormal investigators looking for ghosts and hauntings in the US. It's pretty cool that every now and then they pick up weird stuff on their monitors and cameras, such as a chair being moved or someone getting bowled over by 'spirits'. Certainly better than watching bad actors emote ALL THE TIME in local spook shows.

I'm also loading up my new AV700 with videos; the recording works like a charm, capturing video and sound far, far better than the old PC capture card. So far I've loaded Ninja Scroll and Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. I'll probably stick in loads of anime and other stuff to give a variety. I don't intend to fill it up totally- gotta keep several gigs free for that odd recording need every now and then.

Gosh I love lazy, long weekends. They keep me sane and happy. Heh.

Bonding


Daniel Craig- The Next Bond?

It's probably a fairly well-known fact that Pierce Brosnan won't be in the next Bond film, due both to his age (early fifties) and his demands for higher and higher salaries. I consider myself a Bond fan of the Golden Age of 007. I miss Sean Connery's gruff but ever suave Bond, or Roger Moore's gentleman rake with the lethal skills. Still, we have to move on.
Unfortunately, Timothy Dalton was HORRIBLE... he growled all his lines and the 'modern' take of Bond for his two installments- the utterly boring Living Daylights and the totally un-Bondish License to Kill was a traversty (regardless of how hot Cary Lowell was). The best I've ever seen Dalton was in The Rocketeer as the villain, so perhaps that's why I didn't like him.

As for Remington Steele... I'm mixed with Brosnan. I kinda liked a couple of his movies; Goldeneye wasn't as horrible as the Dalton films, and Tomorrow Never Dies got a bit of the old Bond flavor back with the classic maniacal villain (Media Mogul Peter Carver, played by Jonathan Pryce). Still, I always found Brosnan's Bond a bit too self-assured and too confident. Every stunt and action scene seemed to play by the numbers and just happen.

And now, we're in limbo. So far, the apparent frontrunner is Daniel Craig, whom I really really really really can't see James Bond in. He just doesn't have the look. I remember him from Tomb Raider (he played Lara Croft's rival/love interest) and while he was a cool action guy, he's not a suave agent-type. Supposedly his role in the recent film Layer Cake shows a bit of his Bond-ness, but I haven't seen that. Oh well. Who knows... I don't think anything is in stone yet. Maybe Clive Owen (Sin City) will still bite, though he has already refused the role. Gosh. The intrigue and goings-on of the making of Bond 22 could be a spy thriller in itself. More on this as it happens.

The next Bond movie is supposedly a remake and modernization of the classic Casino Royale, and will revitalize the franchise by focusing on a younger Bond and see him through the events that turn him into the veteran agent that we all know and love to watch. Look for this in 2006 or so. Maybe.

Awesome Ad


Kasumi faces her last and most dangerous clone.

Just downloaded and saw the new TV commercial for Dead or Alive 4 on the Xbox360. Thankfully, there's none of the crappy sexual innuendo and horny college boy humor from previous ads for the series (She Kicks High... FEH). The spot is composed completely of CG animation, focusing mainly on the battle against the evil DOATEC Corporation by the game's ninja characters. There are scenes with ninja heroine Kasumi facing the game's mysterious end boss, Alpha 152; her half-sister and rival Ayane getting her trademark bandanna blown off as she's casting a ninpo spell; and ninja bad boys Ryu Hayabusa and Hayate battling DOATEC troops. In the middle of spectacular flaming scenery, opera singer/new DOATEC head Helena is seen walking regally towards an apparent climactic final confrontation...

WOW. I need this game. NOW. Can't wait to get my Xbox360. DAMN.

EDIT: To see this exciting TV spot yourself, download the vid by clicking here.

Tech Toy


My NEW Phone!!!

It's the AV700, and it's INCREDIBLE!!! I knew I had to give up my XDA II MIni when I laid my eyes on it. How can you resist that HUGE, 7-inch screen?! Yes, you heard that right... 7 INCHES! Yeah, I need a clutchbag to bring it around in, and I can't really put it on my belt or my pants will sag, but DARN isn't that screen lovely? Oh, and it can't get a signal worth shit. But DARN it has a huge screen. Well, with 40 gigs of space in the hard drive, I don't really have time to call or text anyone when I'm busy watching vids, right? MWAHAHAHAHA!!!

I'm kidding of course.

The device above is the Archos AV700, and it's a portable Digital Video Recorder (DVR) and player. I wasn't pulling legs with the 7-inch screen though. I read the review in M/PH (a local tech mag) and just felt this was right for me. All week I've been troubling over three possible things to get for myself- it was a toss-up between a Playstation Portable or PSP, the new I-Pod (with video) and an Archos PVP (Personal Video Player).

I got thinking... the PSP is really nice and the price has gone down a LOT... but the games STILL aren't worth playing for me. There's Metal Gear Acid, but it's a darn CARD game. Not even Solid Snake can make me like a card game. Games on UMD are horribly expensive (at least 3K a pop), though you can now get games directly recorded on memory sticks from certain stores... it still doesn't change the fact that I still don't like any of the games and I don't really play games outside the house. So... even though I was tempted when I saw an actual PSP on display with Ridge Racer running on it amazingly at Megamall, I wasn't swayed. Give me a Tekken, DOA or a Streetfighter III title, Final Fantasy or something worth my time, and maybe I'll spring, Sony.

The new Apple I-Pod looks pretty awesome. It's thin, the screen looks great and you can bring 60 gigs of video and music around. Awesome! However, it has been made clear to me that the new I-Pod is first and foremost still a music player with video tagged on since the battery only lasts for little more than two hours playing video. Anyway, in that case, my O2 Mini still works perfectly as my portable video player, and I don't need to expend the extra effort to bring it around. basically, the I Pod just clones my phone's functions for a bit of cool factor and extra weight. It was a nice dream but really, nope.

So we came to the Archos PVP. I finally decided on it thanks to the recording capability. I can finally give my PC's old, old video capture card and the now weirdly-reduced Hard Drive a rest. The AV700 can record from TV, VCR, DVD and other sources simply by plugging in the docking station, inserting the proper AV-Ins and letting her rip. The resulting AVI files are crisp and easily convertible via PocketDIVXEncoder for mobile formats. The only problem here is that video copied from 'legit' DVDs can't be played on anything other than the AV700 itself, thanks to copy protection (I'll have to get special stuff to get around this problem... or just get pirated DVDs aplenty). There are tons more options on it aplenty, including on-board video editing, music and photos and more.
Bottom line is, I love video and recording video and all that jazz, and the AV700 gives it to me in Spades. It's something I will actually use, and use a lot. And that's what really counts when you get tech toys. And I can actually bring it along for trips with a library of movies to watch in a snap. And yes, I can now watch movies in the bathroom. HOHO!

An early Christmas present, and hopefully not the last. Heh.

Nursing

Early today, I rode with my mom to my drop-off point and we were listening on the radio to how a lot of hospitals are closing down because of the lack of doctors and nurses to man them. Mom was pretty worked up today and exclaiming how this all served the crappy hospitals and doctors right after all the years of abusing nurses. She said that today, while doctors earn huge salaries, nurses earn barely minimum wage in exchange for doing all the dirty work and facing abusive treatment from pompous docs. Nowadays, nurses are in big demand overseas, earning hundreds of dollars a day. That's why there's a big migration of nurses, and even doctors now passing themselves as nurses, to work abroad.

The stream of thought eventually got Mom telling of how, when she was a nurse in her younger days, she got into a big fight with a patient's relative. Apparently, the argument got so bad the other woman started hurling expletives at my mom, particularly "PUTANG INA MO!" (which basically calls your mother a whore) This got my Mom angry as well and hurled back 'Don't call my mother a whore!" The opponent then threw an ashtray at her, and in response Mom threw back a vase. She resigned soon after that.

Ah, Mom. No one else like her.

X Marks the Spot

Today, the first next-gen gaming console arrived in the U.S. as Microsoft's XBox 360 hit store shelves. The ultra-powerful game console beat the upcoming Sony Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Revolution to the punch; both opposing consoles aren't due for release until well into 2006.
For now, early adopters will surely be going for the new uber-toy, opting for either a basic set or the premium bundle which comes with a 20 Gigabyte Hard Drive. The graphics on the 360 games indeed look awesome, as seen in online videos and reviews on the launch games.
The earliest games available on the XBox360 include the racer Project Gotham Racing 3, the mature First Person Action Adventure Condemned (which puts you on the trail of some truly twisted serial killers) and the shooter Perfect Dark Zero.

It's a no-brainer that I'm getting myself the console, but I'm going to hold off until Dead or Alive 4 becomes available, and when the cost settles from the sure-to-be-overblown early price tag.

Darn, I'll have to make room in the ol' gaming wing again. Sigh. Man, but that's gonna be a pleasurable chore. Heh.

DOA Movie


The DOA girls. In a row. With swords. EH?

The movie adaptation of the Dead or Alive series of videogames is well underway. I've just seen the trailer, and it seems pretty tongue-in-cheek and comedic, playing on the expected girl-power theme of the movie. The bad thing is that the characters don't seem to 'feel' like the actual characters from the game- they just all seem to be generic tough/sexy girls, which is kind of a shame. Still, the fighting scenes look pretty cool (Corey Yuen's fight choreography should shine through no matter what) so it should be entertaining. It does at least show the girls doing lots of fighting in little clothing (of course, there's the ol' ambush on the girl while she's fresh from the shower scene), so I'm game. Heh.

I would have preferred though something even remotely close to the ninja-centric action of the game's plot, with additions of some of the other characters into the mix. What is coming out though seems to be a whole different monster. Oh, well. Whatever. At least there's the obligatory and much-hyped beach volleyball scene. Heh.

Dead or Alive the movie has been described as 'Charlie's Angels meets Enter the Dragon', mixing sexy ladies and martial arts. The movie will be directed by Corey Yuen (Drunken Master ) and stars Devon Aoki as ninja girl Kasumi, Shane Kosugi as videogame ninja hero Ryu Hayabusa, Holly Valance as Christy the Assassin/bounty hunter, Jaime Pressly as wrestling star Tina Armstrong and Kevin Nash (WCW, TNA) as her over-protective father Bass. Other cast members include Natassia Malthe (last seen in the Elektra movie), Eric Roberts and Robin Shou.


The promised Beach Volleyball scene is IN.

Another Con


Cebu played host to this year's Advertising Congress.

Over the weekend I attended the Awards Night of the 2005 Advertising Congress. It was a tiring but fun way to spend time, although it did take it's toll on my stamina. The actual Ad Congress actually took place over the entire week, but I only went to attend the finale. Took a nice, short flight over via Cebu Pacific Airlines and finally had my first vist to Cebu.
Cebu's a nice place- it actually reminds me a lot of Manila, save for the occasional Cebuano name and the way they don't use jeepneys for their... well, jeepneys. The place has a rural feel to it, which is refreshing in many ways.



We all stayed at the Waterfront Hotel, which is one of the nicest hotels I've seen locally. Too bad I only really got to stay there barely two days. And most of that time was spent working on our stuff for the AdCon's Awards Night, preparing our stuff for the parade which was the highlight of the event.


We gorged ourselves on great food at a nearby restaurant. YUM!

Sadly I wasn't able to go around much, but I did partake of a feast at a nice restaurant called The Golden Cowrie. We had sisig, tinola,tuna fillets, baked scallops, ribs, crispy pata and MORE. I mean, the food seemed to go on forever. It was bliss. After a while my jaw just got tired of working and I settled into a nice buzz. Well, we needed that energy for the night. The opening parade of the Awards Night had several competing agencies show off costumes done to the theme of 'The World's Great Cities of Advertising", and we got Mumbai, India. Our idea was basically a walking Kama Sutra, and we had these large boards with images of the erotic artworks (properly censored, of course) with holes for our faces. Several dancers showering the place with petals and drummers with body paint completed our entourage. How did we do? To put it simply, we were a hit with the crowds and we took home first place for the night.
The fun didn't end there, and our agency took home several awards, ranging from a Gold to a couple of Silvers and several Bronzes. Not as much as some of the bigger ad agencies, but it was a GREAT showing compared to our last AdCon. Bottom line, we went away happy.



We celebrated at the Hotel Casino's restaurant, pretty much starving after the several-hour awards night. By the time I lugged myself to bed, it was about 3 AM. We all got up at around 7:30 AM to check out and get ready for the flight home just before lunchtime.

All in all, a tiring, whirlwind weekend that was, thankfully, extremely rewarding and memorable. Here's looking forward to the next AdCOn in 2007!

Hot Pot


The best Potter yet.

The Harry Potter movie series is a pretty special franchise for me. While I have to say that I am an on-and-off reader of the books, I have enjoyed the film translations immensely from day one. Up till now, my favorite has been film three, Prisoner of Azkaban, which was exceptional thanks to the darker look given by director Alfonso Cuaron, more sophisticated crafting in general as opposed to the more pedestrian handling of the first two films. When Cuaron was replaced by director MIke Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) for Goblet of Fire, I had the slight worry that things might take a step back.

Thankfully, my worries were unfounded and after watching HP4, I can honestly say it's my favorite of the series so far and perhaps the best Potter film yet.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire brings back the entire cast for the titular wizard boy's fourth year at Hogwarts School for Witches and Wizards. This year starts with the grand event of the World Quidditch Finals, a glorious contest marred by a subsequent attack on the gathered spectators by a group of masked wizards known as the Death Eaters, otherwise known as the followers of 'You Know Who.' Soon afterwards, a mysterious wizard casts a fiendish and sinister sign onto the sky, the Dark Mark- You Know Who's symbol and a message to all that The Dark One, Voldemort is about to make his terrifying return.
Well, that said, it's all back to Hogwarts for Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), his best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and the rest of the young wizards and witches of their generation. But this year isn't just any year, as shown by the spectacular entrances of entourages from two other wizarding schools- the fierce Cossack-like boys from Durmstrang, and the graceful girls from the French college of Beauxbatons. As Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) informs them all, this year will see the holding of the latest Tri-Wizard Tournament, a long-standing competition of wizards for everlasting glory.

Of course, Harry is quite happy to just watch and enjoy the precedings, especially since the 14-year old wizard is far under the required age of 17 to join. However, his name inexplicably appears from the Goblet of Fire, forcing him to become the unprecedented FOURTH entrant in a contest between three wizards- something that readily puts Harry in hot water. As anyone can probably tell, there are dark forces at work in Hogwarts, and not all is as it seems.

Prior to the release of GOF, many readers expressed worry at how good a translation of the book would be, since the fourth book is a very thick chapter. Fortunately, the script is pretty tight and skims over events such as the opening World Quidditch Finals fairly quickly. From there on, it's a pretty well-paced story through to the somewhat dark ending.
And the film is dark- GOF makes Prisoner of Azkaban look like a comedy. The film starts in a shadowy and gothic graveyard, then quickly shows a magical murder of a hapless Muggle. Along with the intense action of the Tri-wizard Contests, there's the climactic confrontation between Harry and You Know Who which results in another character's demise.

Still, this all goes hand in hand with the book, and while Harry Potter 4 is definitely the darkest so far, it's also the best in many ways. Visually, it's positively SPECTACULAR. I read somewhere that director Newell chose the effects crew of the earlier two films instead of the team employed by Cuaron in Azkaban... and while there aren't as many camera works as in HP3, Goblet's use of visuals and the sheer wonder of the sights shown are nothing short of magical. Sights like the World Quidditch Finals, Harry's breakneck chase with the dragon and more are easily the most impressive in the series so far.

Aside from the effects, I have to give props to the script by Steven Kloves, which is the clearest and most concise of the Potter films, expertly cutting out extraneous plots and leaving still a gripping, well-flowing narrative. Other than being the darkest, HP4 is also paradoxically the funniest- I can't count the times I found myself just chuckling and laughing out loud at moments onscreen- Newell is able to bring out moments of good-natured humor readily, whether it's from the eternal foibles of Ron Weasley, the antics of the two elder Weasley brothers Fred and George (who are pleasantly given quite a lot of screen time to provide much of the film's comic relief), the somewhat overgrown matching of Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and Beauxbaton's headmistress Madame Maxime (Frances de la Tour).

The cast of the movie certainly has that homey, familiar feel- something that has borne fruit thanks to the so far more or less consistent appearances of the actors. Of course, the three leads- Radcliffe, Grint and Watson- ARE Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, literally. I truly can't picture anyone else stepping into their roles down the line, so I really hope they stay on for the duration. HP4 gives them more dramatic chops to take on, and a bit more angst into their roles. I found Radcliffe's Potter in Goblet his best performance yet, whether it's in the physical events or just being Harry. Ron gets to have a bit of angst along with his humor, while Hermione positively blooms in an evening gown during the Hogwart's Yule Ball.

Michael Gambon's Dumbledore, for me, is solidified in this one. Others may find the more energetic Arch Wizard not as gentle or as grandfatherly as portraryed by the late Richard Harris, but I really like the more crafty, more human but certainly the more forceful Dumbledore as acted by Gambon. If I'm going to have someone to watch my back against Voldemort, I want someone you can feel has the craftiness AND the strength to back it up.
And speaking of Voldemort... Ralph Fiennes. The Potter movies have always had great choices for casting, and having Mr. Fiennes is just as inspired as the choice of Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. Fiennes gives Voldemort the character and the menace he was missing (he WAS a CG character after all in the first film, and a snotty teen in Chamber of Secrets) in previous installments. After seeing the incredibly dark and scary climax of Goblet, I can't wait for him and Harry to cross wands again in the next movies.

As for the rest of the cast, they're all truly in fine form, albeit some have seriously reduced roles. Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) gets at least one scene to harass Potter, and has a hilarious classroom scene. Sadly, Sirius Black is limited to one scene, and in CG at that. Still, it's great to see that characters like Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright), Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) and even Moaning Myrtle (Shirley Henderson) are given their moments.

The new characters also pull through well- veteran actor Brendan Gleeson makes for a suitably MAD Mad-eye Moody, and he's alternately scary and hilarious to see onscreen. Miranda Richardson's Rita Skeeter loses a LOT of her teeth in the film, but she does get to be a pain for the moment she's there. As for the young 'uns, Katie Leung's Cho Chang is suitably charming and lights up the screen when she appears, while Robert Pattinson as the pivotal character of Cedric Diggory is handled well enough for the character to have the impact needed later in film's climax. Victor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski) and Fleur Delacour (a lovely Clemence Poesy) don't get as much lines or screen time, but at least Mr. Krum gets the best girl on the dance floor, while Fleur gives Ron his reason to smile.

After watching Goblet of Fire, I honestly wish to see it again in theaters, something that I didn't feel with previous entries in the series. This is certainly the most satisfying, most enjoyable Potter film yet.

As the 'Empire Strikes Back' chapter of the Potter franchise, Goblet of Fire opens the door to the more mature chapters beyond. And given the excellent quality of this latest movie, I can't wait to see Order of the Pheonix and Half-blood Prince in theaters.

Watch Goblet of Fire in theaters. NOW. While it's HOT.

Cover Girl


Tales to Amaze!

Here's the long-overdue 'cover' (or page 1) of my Samurai Sis story for our group's upcoming Project Hero comic anthology. I'll be finishing it all up tonight and turning in the stuff to the editors tomorrow. The art's sketchy, pencilled look is cool, but I wouldn't want to do it all the time since I'll get rusty with ink pens. I had fun with Samurai Sis, but only time will tell if I delve deeper into the story of the young Sobek siblings and their nasty Noodle Nemesis. We'll see.

After this, I'll finish up the Comic Quest release of Kunoichi Boy 1, and then it's on to other titles. Stay tuned!

Welcome Back, Potter

Today, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire hits local cinemas. I'll try to catch it within the week since I won't be able to watch it on the weekend since I'll be heading off to Cebu for the awards night of this year's Ad Congress. Luckily, I wasn't a delegate so I only have to go off on an overnight stay in the Crown City of the South. The homebody in me is retching at the lost weekend, but whatever. It should be an experience since this will be my first time going to Cebu.

Anyway, back to Potter, the latest HP film looks to be at least as good as the previous entry, Prisoner of Azkaban. It's a lot darker, and having read the book I'm looking forward to seeing the storyline unfold. I'm hoping that the series regulars- Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson- stay on for the rest of the Potter series of movies... I just can't imagine not having them for the later films in the series. After four films, I've grown attached to the Hogwarts trio.

A review to come as soon as I see the movie.

Latino Heat



When I saw an montage of WWE footage of wrestler Eddie Guerrero set to sad music on Jack TV, I knew it wasn't good. When I saw the date underneath- 1967-2005, I suddenly realized that one of professional wrestling's contemporary stars had passed away.
Eddie Guerrero was found dead Sunday in the bathroom of his hotel in Minneapolis. The exact cause of his death is still unclear, though heart failure may be a possible cause.

I've been watching the adventures of 'Latino Heat' for the past couple of years on the WWE, laughing at his antics and being thoroughly entertained by the wrestler's over-the-top character. Recently, after a long heel (evil) turn which set him on a fierce fued with luchadore Rey Mysterio over custody of the latter's son, Guerrero was put in a semi-face (good) turn as a questionable good guy on the side of current WWE Heavyweight Champion Batista.

It was fun watching you perform, Eddie. Rest in peace.