I am Demented, therefore I am
POSTED AT 02:51 PM in speak

dementedness

I have a new website!

Check it out: http://davidcorpuz.bravehost.com/

Don't look for any comprehensible content for now; it doesn't have one yet. Thanks to Bravenet.com

Currently listening to: Hunter by Bjork

Not Another Korean Movie That I Love: "The Bow" by Kim Ki Duk
POSTED AT 03:22 PM

dementedness

I first saw"The Bow (Hwal, Korean Title)" last February 2006 at the Titus Brandsma Media Center in quezon City, as their feature film for the love month. This is a movie you'll either love or hate, but will never forget. I watched it again and the feeling of enchantment came back to me. Definitely, I love this movie. This is the type that will engulf your soul throughout the roll of the movie (the main characters haven't uttered a single word in the film). It will demand you to observe and guess and will hit you in the head afterwards screaming at you: Don't guess, idiot, it's no use. I don't know if I'm giving you a hint to what this film is all about whatsoever. It's just very difficult to describe.

The story centers around a man in his sixties who has been raising a young girl since childhood on a ship that floats unanchored off the coast. Though the borders of her world are obviously quite limited, she seems happy, and the old man plans to marry her the day she reaches legal age. The two make their living by hosting fishermen aboard the boat, and also tell fortunes in a rather bizarre and dangerous fashion, by shooting arrows whizzing past the girl's head into a Buddhist painting on the side of the boat. 

 

Trouble rears its head when one group of fishermen includes a handsome young man. He introduces her to the joys of his portable music player, castigates the Old Man for keeping her cooped up on the boat, and soon there's conflict in the couple's floating boat.

What happens next , I will not reveal. My heart's still beating. 

My Rating: 8.0/10.0 

 

 

Currently listening to: Cvalda by Bjork

Kainan sa Pekpek Carinderia
POSTED AT 11:22 AM in speak

dementedness

Someone gave this to me. I find it bloggable.

 

 

It's lunch time by the way. I wonder where this is. I'm hungry.

Bon Appetit. Enjoy eating at Pek-pek Carenderia. 

Currently listening to: Goodbye Alice in Wonderland by Jewel

The 29th Gawad Urian Awards
POSTED AT 11:36 AM

dementedness

I've been waiting for this for a long time. Unstoppable murmurs keep disorienting my mind: Urian please show the other award-giving bodies what quality films really are. Then last Friday after, three hours of being trapped in traffic (That dang MRT broke down, forcing hundreds of passengers to step out of the train and wait for another train in Shaw Boulevard Station, then I rode the bus - which is equally hellish experience) I have managed to watch the two-thirds of the Gawad Urian Awards night in RPN 9, despite the fact that I'm dead tired.

Upon arriving, I kicked my shoes and speedily changed my clothes, reached for the remote control and clicked open the television. As for the moment, Best Sound is being awarded to Raffy Magsaysay for Big Time then followed by Best Music given to Vincent de Jesus for La Visa Loca.

Lawrence Fajardo gave a tearjerking acceptance speech after his film Kultado was hailed as the Best Short Film. When he started saying, "Ilonggo po ako, sorry po kung pangit tagalog ko ... " tears started rolling.

Michiko Yamamoto won her second Urian Best Screenplay for writing Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros. Her first award was with Magnifico. Michiko, as usual, was not present during the awards night. Raymond Lee received the award in honor of the screenwriter.

Best Director is Mes de Guzman for Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong. After his name was announced, he brought with him to the stage the two unknown child actors whom he referred as the reason for him winning the award.

Ketchup Eusebio's astonishing performance in Sa Aking Pagkakagising Mula Sa Kamulatan earned him a Best Supporting Actor trophy, beating veteran actors Michael de Mesa, Johnny Delgado and the crowd favorite, Ping Medina. I am actually surprised that Ketchup received the award, I thought Ping will grab it nonetheless. Ketchup is well-known for being a comedy actor, in Kamulatan, he proved that he can do more than that. Ketchup and Ping both have intensified performances, but Ketchup's portrayal as Pogi stabbed me straight to the heart; Ping, on the other hand, is just plain amusing. 

It's unarguable that the Best Supporting Actress category is the weakest among all acting categories, making Hilda Koronel's performance in Nasaan Ka Man the most deserving.

The Best Picture of year 2005 is Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros.  After debuting in the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and sweeping numerous international awards, APMO finally received the highest most credible award in Philippine cinema. The moment can also be considered as the Philippines' opening of doors to independent and digital filmmaking.
The Best Actor trophy goes to Robin Padilla as Jess, the limo driver who hopes to work in the United States but fails to secure a visa in La Visa Loca. I believe what really contributes to his winning as Best Actor is the character change. He has thrown away the usual 'kanto boy' image and perfectly fitting himself into a character of a loser.

Jaclyn Jose's win as Best Actress can be considered as the biggest surprise of the night. The expected winner is Claudine Barreto for her performance in Nasaan Ka Man.  Jaclyn won for her role as an old prostitute who eventually had her lost son as a customer in Sarungbanggi.

The other awards which were given while I am not yet home are as follows:

• Best Cinematography – Nap Jamir III (Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros)
  
• Best Production Design – Mes de Guzman and Noel Montano (Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong)
  
• Best Editing – Clarence Sison and Kanakan Balintagos (Ang Pagdadalaga)
  
• Natatanging Gawad Urian – Eddie Garcia

There are no signs of Viva, Star Cinema, Octoarts or Seiko in the Best Picture nominees. Only one came from mainstream cinema - Regal's  Blue Moon, which was knocked out in every single category it was nominated. Koronel's win for Nasaan Ka Man is the only award given to a mainstream film. The remaining twelve awards were all handed to digital films.

The awards this year were distributed evenly among films, unlike the past years, when most of the awards were dominated only by a single films(like Panaghoy sa Suba (7/13 awards in 2004),  Magnifico (7/13 awards in 2003), Batang Westside (10/13 awards in 2001) and Milagros (9/13 awards in 1997). This year's Best Picture, And Pagdadalaga ni Maximo has four awards  (Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Cinematography). The runner-ups are Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong and La Visa Loca with two apiece. The remaining five awards were shared evenly by other films.

This also the first time after five years that the four acting awards were distributed to four films. The last time that this happen was in 2000 when Best Actor went to Eddie Garcia of Death Row, Best Actress to Gloria Romero of Tanging Yaman, Best Supporting Actor to Jeffrey Quizon of Markova and the Best Supporting Actress to Monique Wilson of Laro Sa Baga. Coincidentally, the two award years have their respected Best Pictures without an acting award and directing award (2000's Best Picture Jeffrey Jetturian's Tuhog lost to Laurice Guillen). Coincidentally, both Best Pictures have only four awards each.

Two Best Picture nominees were shut out from any categories they were nominated. Blue Moon got 0 win on its 9 nominations while Ala Verde Ala Pobre lost all of its 5 nominations.

By the way, I am surprised with Urian's order of distribution of awards. The Best Picture award was given before Best Actor and Best Actress while the Best Screenplay and Best Director awards were given before Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories. Is it because much of the excitement of the awards nights are much reached if celebrities are being honored rather than the film itself? 

 

 

****

Some notable lines during the Urian night:

"This is my first Urian" --- Hilda Koronel

"Nakakakaba pa rin pala" ---- Jaclyn Jose (she's maybe refering to the fact that she has won numerous awards before)

"Ms. Regine Velasquez, you are very beautiful" --- Robin Padilla

"Ilonggo po ako, sorry po kung pangit tagalog ko ... " --- Lawrence Fajardo

 

********* 

Artists and films denied for nominations:

* Tado, playing the role of a mousy female teacher in "Pepot Artista"

* Andoy Ranay as the frenetic gay mama-san in "Bathhouse,

* Allan Paule as the exploitative customer in "Masahista"

* Christopher de Leon as the estranged father in "Blue Moon"

* Rio Locsin as the mom prone to theatrical histrionics in "Pepot Artista"

*Assunta de Rossi as the faded bold star who acts like a female faggot typical in showbusiness in "Mourning Girls"

* Ebong Joson n "Ala Verde Ala Pobre"

* John Arcilla in "Sa North Diversion Road"

* Eddie Garcia playing sick dying men in both "Blue Moon" and "ICU Bed No. 7"

* Marvin Agustin in "Magina Aking Muli" and "Kutob" 

* Coco Martin in the title role of "Masahista" who’s forever duty bound to his family and clients

* Jeffrey Quizon in "Lasponggols" 

* Carlo Aquino as the young man who’s considered as an outcast for being uncircumcised in "Tuli"

* Irma Adlawan in "Mga Pusang Gala"

* Cherry Pie Picache as the aggressive broadcaster in "Bikini Open,"

* Meryll Soriano as the happy-go-lucky goodtime girl in "Roomboy,"

* Zsa Zsa Padilla as the very insecure title-roler in "Ako Legal Wife"

* "Sa Aking Pagkakagising Mula Sa Kamulatan" for Best Picture

* "Masahista" for Best Picture

* "Ilusyon" for Best Picture 

*  "Maging Akin Muli" for Best Picture 

 

 

 

To Keep the One I Love, I Make Other Couples Break Up
POSTED AT 03:53 PM in speak

dementedness

 

Just seen Kwon Jong Gwan's "Sad Movie." I have to apologize for making this post somehow incomprehensible. Ten minutes after seeing the film, I felt my heart stopped and left myself speechless for the next ten minutes thinking how a movie like that was created with immeasurable greatness. Watching it is a rollercoaster ride experience for me; the movie lives up to its title. I'm really sorry if this post appears senseless. Maybe I should not talk about the film today. Give me until tomorrow; that's enough time to regain my critic strength.  

I really apologize, but Korean films rock! 

 

 (a memorable moment from Sad Movie)

 

Currently listening to: Home by Elliott Yamin

Happy Birthday
POSTED AT 09:36 AM

dementedness

Happy Birthday to my highschool friends Carmelle and Marishane. They turn 21 today.

To Besty Carmelle: Good luck to all your endeavors and may your wishes for a year-long prosperity and happiness come true. I owe you two birthdays and one chirstmas already!

To Sha-ne: One more year and finally you're going to leave UP-Diliman! Hehehe! I know you've been cursing your course now (BS Geodetic Engineering). I believe you can do it! I do believe in your skills, make the best out of it!

... And to those who are celebrating their birthday today, happy birthday to you all! 

Currently listening to: No Ordinary Morning by Chicane
Currently feeling: working

Musica
POSTED AT 09:08 AM in speak

dementedness

I wonder, what will happen to the world - or at least, to me - without music, literature and film? My life could have been so miserable, I will kill myself in exchange of boredom.

Then I'll not forget to extend my gratitude to the brainchild behind headphones. Without them, working inside the office would have been haunted with defeaning silence. Playing music in the office with loudspeakers is a bad idea (unless you are the supervisor, hahaha); you may want to be excommunicated if you do that. The emergence of headphones permits every worker bees to concentrate on their work and become introvert at the same time.

I remember the days when I was still working as a programmer at Sykes. Life's damn terrible! Employees aren't allowed to bring bags that aren't paper bags and any storage devices(Cds, diskettes and USBs - even IPods) inside the company premises - meaning, no music for me. I easily got restless during those days. I feel I cannot work without music.

Then I transferred here at iWebmasters and music isn't forbidden. That's what we call a job!

By the way, here are the songs that 's been wiggling inside my head for the past days:

1. No Ordinary Morning by Chicane

2. I've Seen it all by Bjork

3. Ordinary People by John Legend

4. Malayo Man Malapit Din by Bayang Barrios

5. Least Complicated by Indigo Girls

6. Both Sides Now (2001 version) by Joni Mitchell

7. All is Full of Love by Bjork

8. I'll Cover You from Rent Musical

9. Bad Day by Daniel Powter

10. Put Your Records on by Corinne Bailey Rae

11. Absence of Fear by Jewel

12. Seasons of Love from Rent Musical

13. Sleeps Woth Butterflies by Tori Amos

14. Somewhere Only We Know by Keane

15. Homesick by Kings of Convenience

16. Malikmata by Up Dharma Down

17. Love Generation by Bob Sinclair

18. I Will Follow You in the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie

19. Gabriel by Lamb

20.  Mr. Brightside by The Killers

   

Currently listening to: Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now
Currently feeling: working

Life at Work
POSTED AT 03:58 PM in think

dementedness

Today I've been working at iWebMasters for two months, twenty days and  eight hours (and time is clicking and take note that I only work eight hours a day) as a creative writer.

The experience of working seems weird for me at first. Of course there are assignments and projects, but they aren't graded; I'm getting paid. No need to drown myself on five small bottles of Lipovitan or douse my throat with cups of hot espresso just to stay awake until 5:59 early morning to finish a dang school requirement (my work hours are from 7Am to 4PM, I'm not trendy enough to go night shift). Yes, there are strict deadlines too but the deadlines aren't enough to scare me unlike before that failing a subject became everyone's phobia. I miss the long break periods, the long chitchats with classmates, the bonding and arguments with thesismates, the feeling of going out of the classroom after the professor dismissed the class. Don Bosco has been niche for four years, I can't argue with that fact. Although I owe to DBTC a bag of hard feelings, there's no frigging way I will be disconnected from that institution.

Sometimes I hate myself for being naive.

 

Dormancy Disturbed
POSTED AT 10:07 AM in seek

dementedness

I have almost totally forgotten that I have an online journal. Thanks to my sudden flashbacks and remembered that I still have this Tabulas Chronicler. I had tried a lot of blogs before (Friendster, Blogspot and Xanga) but ended up discarding out all of my posts and their respective accounts. It's weird. I should have saved the contents of each account and print each single entry so that I could still have a copy, but crazy little me just deleted them without second thoughts.

I prefer handwriting my life in paper. I feel that I am more connected with what I am writing that way. It might sound stupid because whenever I enter posts in my online journal, I also write in my diary, with almost the same content. I don't just rewrite, I'm writing back to square one. Sometimes, I add up contents that I haven't written yet in the online journal. The past three months, I haven't visited this Tabulas account and my life is engraved purely in my private journal.

So what happened in the past three months?

***

My group is the first group to pass the thesis -- ACCEPTED AS IS -- and received a fairly high grade. Mr. Barcenas even asked me if I want to teach full time in Don Bosco and pursue higher studies in Ateneo. It was a tempting offer, actually but I have this fear that I might end up teaching in the rest of my lifetime. And I promised to myself that my BSIT degree will be the end of all my technical education. Of course, I want to take my master's degree as soon as possible but not in the field of computing. I am intending to enter business school (MBA), arts school (MFACW or MAMAF) or humanities school (MAPhilo or MASocio).

***

I was totally disheartened by the fact that I will not graduate with Latin Honors despite the fact that I have maintained a high GPA. My cumulative GPA is 1.612, which is for Cum Laude. However, the INC (Incomplete) mark in ITPROJ413 (first semester of fourth year) disqualified me from attaining such honor. I cried a lot upon learning that because I felt that all the sweat, blood, tears, hunger and eyebugs for the past four years have gone into nothing. I'm not like other students who studied just to graduate. I'm different from them and I felt something very important was stolen from me.

Iwebmasters, a company where I have applied for a writing position way back February, phoned me and offered me the job. That's a writing job for Christ's sake! Something that I am really aspiring for! But still I'm not in the good mood to jump above the clouds Actually, the job offer has become a bigger burden in a different angle. First, I'm still experiencing the pain of the bad news (the disqualification); I'm still thinking of a way so that I can still be considered. Second, I have programming stints in Sykes Asia during that time, I just can't leave it with a snap of a finger. Third, I still have a lot of things to do at school: graduation rehearsals, clearances ... aaaaaah!!!

***

I accepted the job in iWebmasters and loved the offer (i mean the salary, bwahaha). Imagine being paid by doing what you really love. But there's a twist: I have to report by next Monday (May 8). I asked them if I can work undertime or half-day from May 8 to May 19 because I still have a lot of things to do in school. Luckily, they permitted me to work undertime for two weeks. I never mentioned to them that I still have a job in Sykes back then; I resigned my post there and started working at iwebmasters.

***

I shocked school officials through my posts in our department's online discussion forums. I revealed the prudeness of the attitudes of school officials (namely, Ms. Belga, Mr. Barbosa and the Registrar Staffs) to BSIT students. Our department head backed me up and protected me from harmful allegations. Ms. Belga and the Registrat Staffs confronted me but I never said sorry to them. The words that I have written there are permanent, I told them. I also emphasized that I only write the things that I saw and experienced.

***

May 19 is Graduation Day. Twenty-nine (29) BSIT students marched. We are the pioneer batch for crying out loud. By the way, I still received an Honorable Mention award, an academic award given to students who maintained a higher grade but received two deficiencies. In my case, and every BSIT students who are candidate for honors' case, we received an INC so we received this award. I am quite surprised though that someone from BSECE graduated Cum Laude despite the fact that he received an INC just like us. Talking about unfairness.

But definitely May 19 will still transcribe in my heart. It felt so transcedental walking up the stage.

 

***

 

Currently listening to: Least Complicated by Indigo Girls
Currently reading: Lousie Doughty's Crazy Pavings
Currently feeling: artistic