Sandino Martin: New Coco on the Block

Coco Martin started out in gay indie films and other indie movies.  Now that he is a bonafide celebrity, another actor is starting to make waves by following on his footsteps.  His name is Sandino Martin and he's currently in the movie Unfriend.  He does very well in the movie although he plays a tragic character.

Victor An's Victories in Sochi My Most Favorite TV Program This Week

Short skate speed skating isn't a very popular sport in the Philippines but the exploits of Russian speed skater, Victor An, was very exciting since he really won it tactically!  Just goes to show what a very smart guy he is!

Here are my ten favorite TV shows for the week ending February 28, 2014 -

#1 TV5 - short skate speed skating - Victor An victories
#2 TV5 - 4man bobsled
#3 CI - Border Security Canada - Pinoy fined CA$800
#4 AXN - Amazing Race 24 - Guangzhou, China
#5 CN - Oggy and the Cockroaches - Kitchen Boy
#6 beTV - Everybody Loves Raymond - call me Ma
#7 TV5 - Closing Ceremonies Sochi
#8 Disney - Finding Nemo
#9 Diva Universal - trip to Ireland - Honeymoon for One
#10 CI - Pathology

Movie Review: Unfriend is Unsettling

If you're still planning to watch Unfriend, don't read on because I'm giving a hint as to what happens in the end for one of the guys in the movie.

Except for the three fresh-faced guys in the movie, whom you'll see making out in different scenes throughout the movie, I'd have to warn you that the movie is a bit of a downer. I am always mystified as to why local gay cinema would always portray Pinoy gay men as tragic characters. 

The word gay was introduced I think in the 90s and it means happy, but majority of the local movies made about gay men (even foreign ones) portray us as mentally unhinged, needy, creepy, emotionally unstable people and someone always has to die in the end.  Even in the Oscar-winning movie, Brokeback Mountain, Jake Gyllenhall's character had to die a horrible death!! 

Like because you are gay, you have to be punished by a horrible death - at least that's what the world of gay cinema has been subliminally showing gay people.  As if we needed more persecution, now that Putin and the government of Uganda and Iran want to eradicate us from the face of the earth.

Anyway, the movie is well-made, by local gay cinema standards.  There is actually a story, and characters, and Boots Anson-Roa to give it some class and integrity.  The boys can actually act and make out like they really like each other - and the way it's shot is like Black Swan where everything is very near the face of the one being shot.  Maybe to make it appear realistic and gritty.  The movie also uses music effectively, which I think is rare in local cinema.

I admit I too was surprised by the swift turn of events and how quickly the main character decided to just end it all that way.  Oh well, it did happen in real life.  I think they patterned the story of this movie after that suicide pact of two gay men in a mall in Pampanga a few years back.  I may be mistaken but I'm sure that incident had some influence on the story of this movie. 

Bravo though to the filmmakers for having this movie screened at the Berlinale, probably the most snooty film festivals of them all!  I can see why the screening committee there liked this movie.  They always like their movies there to be dark and gritty.

Cheese Pizza Lovers!

Dylan and Laura are both certified breaddies and soup lovers!! Last weekend, we ate at Bigoli's and all they wanted to eat was the bread sticks and pizza made out mostly of cheese!! Wala nang ibang sangkap, juste fromage!!

J'aime fromage aussi donc I have no complaints so last night, it was cheese pizza all over again with their favorite mushroom soup! Such simple taste in food!

Excited for the Teams in Amazing Race 24

To all Amazing Race fans there, there's a new race pala, I just discovered it today by accident while I was channel surfing!  It's at AXN around midnight Tuesdays. 

It's a mix of the old teams so there's nobody new to discover which can be a drag but since we know each of them already, we can immediately enjoy each team sa race 1 pa lang! 

They flew to Guangzhou and wow, China is really rich na pala talaga, if Guangzhou looks that developed!  I can watch tennis there pala kasi their metro looks very developed.  If you ride the MRT, you would cry seeing how pathetic our metro system here is.  Hayyyy, Philippines, we move like turtles talaga.....